Around the House

My daughter and son-in-law define jobs around the house as either "blue jobs" or "pink jobs" and that (if you haven't already worked it out) defines who is responsible to do that job. For instance, cleaning the house is a pink job because the lady of the house would find fault if anyone else did it!

I don't know whether putting out the bin is a blue or pink job, but when I was there last I ended up putting it out, so maybe it's a grey job ...

Proud Grandparents ...

Part of my reading the Bible is to read one or two verses from Proverbs each morning in the office. I found this morning that I was up to Proverbs 17:6 which begins, "Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged". I thought it was a really great verse to read when our latest grandchild is but two days old. Except, of course, for the "aged" bit!

Great News!

We are very pleased to announce the birth of our latest granddaughter, Ruby May, who came into this world yesterday weighing 8 lb 9 oz. Mum and baby are at home and doing well! My profile spoke of an increasing number of grandchildren; well that has come to (maybe temporary) end! We now are very proud to have 3 grandchildren, all girls. In the picture she is about five hours old.

For Men!

Yesterday at our church we had a men's breakfast, the first of a series of occasions for men of the church. I had the task of bringing the "talk". I spoke on "Why men hate church". Some months ago a man from my previous church came up to me and said why can't we have songs with words that men can sing! David Murrow, author of Why Men Hate Going to Church complains that church has been feminised and that the Christian message has been changed from "Follow me" to "Have a relationship with me".

In other words, the challenge of the Christian life to follow Christ wherever he may lead has been watered down. Of course, we do need to cultivate our relationship with Christ, but we must not forget the challenges to follow him. Remember when he challenged those fishermen to follow him and he would make them "fishers of men"? They rose to the challenge and left the security of home and a job to follow after Christ. We have demoted that song to a children's song sung in Sunday School, "I will make you fishers of men if you follow me". What's even worse, we've even changed the words! Jesus didn't say "If you follow me" as a kind of polite suggestion, he gave them a command, "Follow me!" And they did! Illustrating that men do respond to a challenge!

Carbon Lent continued

You may be wondering why it's gone silent on the blog about Tearfund's carbon fast that we're following. Well, most of the things this week we do anyway. i.e. turn off lights when not in room, take a shower not a bath, snub plastic bags, only fill kettle with the water you need (always have done that - it saves money on electricity!).

But we have started our own project. putting refective material behind radiators. Well, we've done one so far. You can buy stuff to do this, but we cut up a large cardboard box and fixed tin foil to it. Then attached it to the wall behind the radiator with blutack. It fell off a day later, so more thought needs to go into fastening it to the wall! But the idea is sound.

Next idea was to be radiator shelves to stop the heat going up behind the curtain (the radiator being in front of the window) Then I read "Incorrect Energy Efficiency Advice" (see
www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=22426 ). So it's back to the drawing board for that one!

But good news! my electicity supply company wrote to me today to remind me that as I'm on a fixed tarrif, my energy prices won't increase! Until October this year, that is, when the contract runs out. So now I'm dreading October ...

Post Office closures

Post Offices along the High Street are being proposed for closure. But in the programme "London Tonight" (last night) they were asking, is the solution to open up Post Offices in gyms and in libraries? What??? So the elderly who need the Post Office can always be found in the gym! What is the point of closing down Post Offices where they are needed - in the local High Sreet - and opening up others off the beaten track like gyms and libraries?

There must be a hidden agenda here because it doesn't make sense otherwise!

It's all in the mind

That phrase came to me quite strongly recently, "It's all in the mind". I have been thinking about "discipleship", or how we grow in our Christian faith. Americans call it "spiritual formation". The Bible calls it "transformation" and "the renewing of the mind." We become more like Jesus Christ as we act more like him and in our communication with others. But our actions and words are governed by our mind. We think of something and then say it or do it. If we can sort out our mind, then our words and deeds will follow on. It's all in the mind!

Table Lamp Installation

We bought a table lamp recently. Half price for £6 at a well known high street chain. It's "faux leather". That means it's plastic looking a bit like leather, but not smelling like leather.

You had to remove the plastic wrapping from the lamp shade and put a bulb in it. But no worries! There were full instructions - seven steps to do this, the last one being "Connect to the mains supply". Well, I suppose some people may think it runs on air.

In addition to these there were the "Important Safety Instructions" - 18 of them! Including the blindingly obvious (to me, anyway) "never allow the appliance to come into contact with water". But also "Never leave the appliance unattended when connected to the mains power supply." Does anybody really go round unplugging everything when they go out to post a letter?

So, not only 18 important safety instructions, but also seven additional safety precautions! I'm so glad we live in a nanny state. Otherwise I'd never feel safe turning on a table lamp again.

Now if only those flat packed furntiure items came with so many instructions, instead of just pictures! But life just isn't done that way.

Sitting in the tower ...

The Psalmist calls God a "refuge" and Proverbs says,

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower,

the righteous run into it and they are safe."

These verses made me think this morning, once you've got to the tower, what can you do? Not a lot, I decided, except rest! And then I thought, "And that's ok!" There's a song to Jesus we sometimes sing,

"To rest in your presence, not rushing away,

to cherish each moment, here I would stay"

The trouble is, I don't want to rest in his presence, I want to 'get on'! So I was forced to pause for a few moments and 'rest' in the tower of Christ's presence, and appreciate that time - not wanting to rush away to do all the things I think I need to do!

Carbon fast is slowing down ...

The continuing saga of the carbon fast. Day 6 says turn your heating thermostat down by one degree. I remember someone saying when they've heard it suggested they turn their themostat down one degree, they've done so. It currently stands at -7 degrees C! We do hear this suggestion rather often and beleive me, I've always turned it down as much as I can, to save on the gas bills!

Day 8 is not keeping your phone charger on all the time. Never have done, so that's sorted!

Day 10 is give your dishwasher a day off - hang on! This carbon fast idea could be going a bit too far!

Carbon fast - the latest

Yesterday's action was to mention the carbon fast in church, which I did, albeit briefly (I did mention it last Sunday as well...).

Today's is say goodbye to standby. Turn appliances off rather than to standby; i.e. pull out the plug, as there's normally no other way! But now a problem. We have a hard drive recorder (the video recorder went wrong some months back and this seemed a good alternative). But the instructions say DON'T turn it off because it may download programme updates overnight. I fear until the industry is more carbon friendly, we're not going to have a great deal of success. (Sorry this entry is so serious!)

In the News Today

This morning on BBC Radio 2 news the first item was Amy Winehouse's wins at the Grammy awards and the second item was Atonement winning best film at the Baftas. So those were the two most important news items from the whole world ... No BBC, of course you're not dumbing down!

Suffering a sermon on suffering!

The subject for my sermon yesterday was Finding Hope in Suffering. Not an easy subject, you may think! And you'd be right, yet a couple of things came up in my study I'd like to share.

One was St. Paul's theology on suffering, found in Romans 5:3. He says we can rejoice in our sufferings because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character and character produces hope. So there it was, without realising it when the title was chosen, St. Paul says you can find hope in suffering. And if you're thinking, "It's all very well for him!", then you need to also read St Paul's testimony on suffering, which he wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (around the same time he wrote his 'theology on suffering' in Romans). Here he tells of is own suffering, which he calls a 'thorn in the flesh' and which God didn't take away, but gave him grace enough to cope with it. Having accepted that, Paul did indeed rejoice in his suffering.

The second thing I found was a little book by Margaret Clarkson, Destined for Glory. She has suffered a terrific amount in her life but realises that God can turn it all to good (see Romans 8:28). She talks about God's alchemy. In the middle ages alchemists tried in vain to turn base metals into gold, but God transmutes suffering from Satan into good for his glory.

There are no easy answers to the problem of suffering but the above thoughts may help.

Lent cont'd

The next day in our "Carbon Fast" (see earlier entry) is trying to do less journeys in the car. Well I did! Got a lift to work and back! But a one-off I'm afraid. I'd cycle more BUT Brentwood isn't at all cycle-friendly! Not like Ipswich where we came from. In the local paper there was an article about how they are going to put in a bit of fence on a path to stop cyclists. Thanks, that's where I cycle! The thought of putting in a cycle path, well ... - but mustn't go on!

Next day is re-examine your re-cycling. We would re-cycle more if we could do veg peelings etc into garden rubbish, but can't. Now, back in Ipswich we had ... oh, I'm going on again! Maybe I should have given up chocolate for Lent instead!

Rise and Shine!

A poem for the 60 pluses written by me for, well if the cap fits ... Enjoy!

Out of bed I start to bumble,
Round the room begin to fumble,
By the chair I trip and stumble,
Trying not to take a tumble.
Mind is in its usual jumble,
Stomach gives a funny rumble,
My whole body seems to crumble,
I complain but in a mumble,
“Not as young as Nicky Gumbel!
What a life; it keeps me humble!”
So I say, “Well, mustn’t grumble!”

For Lent or for keeps?

Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Tearfund have suggested a "Carbon Fast" for Lent (see www.tearfund.org/carbonfast ). They have 40 suggestions for cutting down one's carbon footprint. The reason for the number is that there are 40 days in Lent, in case you hadn't realised. I will try to blog our successes and failures!

Day 1 says "Remove one light bulb and live without it for 40 days." Success here in that we have unscrewed two downlighters in our kitchen! And I think we can do without that light.

Day 2 says "Check your house for draughts with a ribbon or a feather. If it flutters, buy a draught excluder" Don't need a feather! The wind howls through the letterbox (although better since we bought a new flap) and there was also a gale blowing through the side of the bathroom window this morning! Not so easy to fix!! So maybe more of a failure on this one ...

Still there's the next day - Oh, I've just read it - maybe not! Don't miss the next thrilling instalment!

Experience proves it

I've just read Psalm 37:25:
I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging for bread.

I identify with the first line and I'm encouraged by the secoond! Not that I'm 'righteous' on my own, (see Isaiah 64:6) but Jesus has has forgiven me and he imparts his righteousness to me. So when I begin to doubt God's provision (as I do, often!), this verse reminds me that God has never let us down and his promise is, he won't.