Don't say that dear - it's not nice

James Gordon

It appears to be turning into American Pastors' Week here at Martha Towers, which is nice. I like Americans (not all of them obviously)  and I like pastors (not all of them obviously)
Today I am turning my attention to the shy, retiring and not at all publicity seeking Mark Driscoll. Now I have to admit that I have a sneaking regard for a Christian who likes to speak his mind. Sometimes we are too quiet when we need to speak. Sometimes though, Pastor Driscoll's outpourings seems to cross over the line of loveliness. He is in charge of a mahoosive church in America and I am sure he is very popular among this huge population. He is not, however, as popular with some women (see his mind-blowing remarks on women in leadership here) or with British church leaders (see his encouraging and Christian solidarity promoting remarks here. Although he did try and wriggle out of this a bit later by saying that the interviewer had upset him)
There is probably not enough space in the cyber world for me to share my feelings on this and you are all too young anyway. So I will move on in a Christian and forgiving way to his latest controversial remarks which have added the Greens to the list of groups who have crossed him off their Christmas list. 

"I know who made the environment. He's coming back and he's going to burn it all up. So yes, I drive an SUV"



I have to confess that I had to look up "SUV". I think what he is talking about here is the equivalent of a zillionaire in London who drives a huge four-wheel drive - just because they can and are therefore - officially - donks. 
However, that aside, it's the sheer carelessness of the remark that does my head in. I don't know where you are on the Creation/Evolution debate. I know Christians who believe that the world evolved and God loves it and I know Christians who believe that God fashioned every single petal of every flower individually and loves it. And I know Christians of every hue in between. 
Just because something isn't going to last forever, does that give us the right to trash it? The earth has a job to do. In Psalm 19 it says. 

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands

I would think that you would trash that at you peril. When our daughter was little we bought her a doll's house. It was from Ikea, about a foot taller than her and made from cardboard. How she loved that house. She decorated it and furnished it, then she re-decorated it. It was used as a house and a space station and, because she is who she is, a place to train lady pilots and doctors - often in the same classroom. It gave us so much joy to have given her something that she loved so much. There really is nothing like the feeling of seeing someone you love really appreciate something you have given to them. Of course, because it was only made of cardboard, eventually it went through one makeover too many and we had to kiss it goodbye. 

However you believe the world got here, it is, I think anyway, part of God's love letter to us. I have neither the desire nor the will to throw something so beautiful back in his face. It is my role, I think  to tread as lightly as possible and enjoy it while it lasts. 

Dum, Dum, Dum, Dum De Dum

That, you will have recognised immediately is the theme to Film Night because I have been to the pictures twice this week - oh the life I lead - and wanted to tell you about both of the movies because they are a bit off the beaten track.

The Spirit of 45

This is a Ken Loach documentary about the creation of the Welfare State after the war. No, come back, it's really interesting. When people came back from the war in 1945, they were unwilling to return to the crippling poverty and systems that they had lived under before. So they ousted Churchill (fascinating footage of him being heckled at a rally) and voted in a Labour Government and began to change things. It isn't the most balanced thing I have ever seen. It completely ignores the way that the country was when Margaret Thatcher took over. Even I remember that you couldn't bury your dead or get your rubbish collected. Also how genuinely afraid people were of the power of the unions. This sometimes seems to suggest that she broke up a happy Socialist utopia just for the benefit of eight rich people in Mayfair and I don't think it was quite like that was it? However, there is a warning about the National Health Service and the the benefits we all enjoy. Should, I think be required viewing in all classrooms.

A Late Quartet

You know, sometimes a film comes along and there are no lasers or time travel. No one gets their head sawn off or buries anyone alive. People just act. Really well. And they use that acting to tell you a story about people that is moving and makes you think and is uplifting. This is one of those films. One member of a quartet who have played together for twenty five years is diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. The film revolves around the way these people react to that. New York never looked more beautiful. Everyone is as cool as a cool thing on a very cool day and that's it really. It's enough. Highly recommended. 

Go away. Eat cake. Be reassured that the film industry is not ready to jump into the handcart to hell quite yet. 

Legacies

Was sad to hear this week of the death of Dallas Willard. Aside from being blessed with a super-dude  name. "My name is Dallas. How Do You Do? Yes indeed it is a cool name isn't it? "  He also has the rare distinction of being one of the few people who, when I have listened to them on my MP3, I actually leave on to listen to again.
One piece is a sermon about Grace which he defined as "God acting in my life" I found this very challenging because it is not passive and means that God is part of my ongoing life and it demands a response from me. The second piece is just an opening prayer before he preached in which he used the line from God "You are perfectly safe with me." Sometimes when I walk to work felling a bit low or afraid, I play the prayer and remind myself of this. It does a girl good I can tell you. The bloke left a legacy.

We had a visit from a couple from church this week as part of the membership process. They seemed very nice, if a little delicate for our house, and my first question, as usual was "Are you ok with dogs?" "Oh yes, of course we are." Cue Morecambe greeting visitors with bountiful love and joy.  

Shultz

Nice people ."Is he a puppy?" 
"Er no - he is seven"
"He has a lot  energy - quite bouncy." (Said with slightly panicky smile)
"We'll put him in the kitchen"
Return to find nice man looking quite relieved and nice lady drawing heavily on her inhaler. It all went quite well after that. 

Watched this week
Murder on the Home Front
Set in the Second World War. Based on real diaries of a real pathologist's real assistant. Lots of attention to detail. What could possibly go wrong? Well, for me, everything really. Firstly, why do all the lady bodies in the morgue have to be stripped to the waist with their ning-nangs on show? Secondly, the pathologist is so far ahead of his time, he is practically from another dimension. Thirdly, more cliches in it than Shredded Wheat has roughage. Fully expect to see our plucky heroine (who, last week, got herself a job as a pathologist's typist and now finds herself at the centre of every crime scene in London) running through London in the middle of the night pursued by the bad guy.

Reading this week
Miss Read - Village School

Am not entirely sure if this is one of the loveliest books I have ever read or the most boring. Nothing has happened yet - at all - nothing. But the sense of time and place is captivating. Bits even remind me of my own ancient primary school in Salford but I would just like a little thing to happen I think. Just once. Doesn't have to be much.

This weekend I shall be mostly..

..pottering. Head of House will be working all through the Bank Holiday weekend - doing his bit to keep the NHS on the straight and narrow. FOW2 is revising and recovering from a heavy cold so she is quite useless when it comes to entertaining me so I will be sorting myself out.
I did resolve to use the time wisely and I have ironed all my Spring and Summer stuff so I am ready for the heatwave when it comes. I did get a little sidetracked by Doctor Who and my DVD of the Mentalist but that's to be expected at my time of life. Has anyone else been a bit disappointed by Doctor Who this season? I don't know if it's because there is yet another impossibly beautiful, swishy-haired assistant or the relentless "right-on-ness" (not a real word but you know what I mean) but I am finding the whole thing a bit annoying this series. 
It is probably my age but I am watching less and less telly. Saturday night is a wasteland. Britain's Got Talent is particularly disturbing. As I think I have probably droned on before about this before, just a couple of questions.

1. When did we decide that letting people with mental illnesses (which some of these people clearly have) and children, come onto a stage to be gawped at by an audience, while a "panel" make fun of them was an acceptable way to behave?
2. Exactly who decided that Alicia Dixon (whose name I only know because she blighted Strictly for  couple of seasons) and a blond with artificial lips, would be the arbiters of TALENT ?
3. Do I feel like this because I am now very old?
4. Why am I asking you this? Why would you know?

I was reminded of my creeping old age this week when I had a lovely pot of tea out with a friend who left our church because they moved away. I was trying desperately to remember the name of the man from church who saw us about us becoming members. Try as I might, I just couldn't think of it.

Me   He's been there a long time.
Pal   Doesn't narrow it down.
Me   Grey Hair?
Pal   Still not narrowing it down really
Me   Seemed very nice
Pal   Nope
Me   Wife wears glasses
Pal   Oh right - now I know.
Me   No-one likes a smart alec.

Anyway, his name came to me about 10pm that night and I texted it to her in Poole. Am only hoping that she remembered the conversation as otherwise she may be  a bit frightened by the way she received a text  just saying

"Don Nuttall!"

Living Life in the Wrong Order

(Apologies to Joyce Meyer for the mis-spelling of her name. Actually, apologies also to John Newton who had already said this years earlier but he said it before the Internet and therefore it didn't really count)

I couldn't remember if HOH and Yours Truly had made a deal about whether I was going to watch Endeavour on my own because he had such a rubbish shift on Sunday and wouldn't be back until after 11. We may have discussed it but I may not have been paying attention. So I decided not to bother. I found an old Danny Baker programme discussing the best ever pop albums. After a long discussion, Baker nominated Michael Jackson's Off the Wall as his best pop album. This vindicated everything I had ever said on the subject. In my humble opinion, Jackson's first solo album had been his best with Thriller and Bad being very nice thank you, but following the law of diminishing returns.
I had seen the same argument about Orson Welles. Welles first film was Citizen Kane. Many people have often nominated this as the best film ever made. There are not a lot of laughs in it to be honest but you can see what all the fuss was about. There then followed The Magnificent Ambersons which was not quite as good. Over the rest of his career, there were many highlights including The Thin Man and (my personal favourite) - The Stranger, but at the end of his life because his last jobs included providing the voice of Findus peas and the Carlsberg voice-over, the theory was put forward that he had lived his life backwards.
The theory is that, in life, we start with little expertise and experience and over the years , we combine both so that our lives are on a steady upward curve where we grow as people and we get gradually better at living, until, when we die, we are actually experts at life.
It isn't really happening like that for me. If my learning curve is going up at all, it is in a very wobbly sort of way. It falls back sometimes and often it sort of doubles back on itself. Sometimes, these things have been my fault. Sometimes they are things that have happened to me that have knocked me back. However, taken as a whole, I would hope that as I get older, I may get wiser, maybe a bit stronger and a bit less lily-livered. I like to hope that my faith will be stronger. I agree with Paul McCartney and it is a Long and Winding Road but I am hoping and praying  that when the video of my life is played back on that great VHS player in the sky, it will look to be moving forwards ultimately and finishing further on than where I started from.

Cultured

I will always be a northerner both by place of birth and by inclination. I am proud of where I come from and anyone who knows me knows that my accent will always betray me and go a bit Manchester when I am stressed or not concentrating. (Normally it is nothing but the Queen's English for me)
However, I do like where I live. The South West of England is often a neglected corner and Plymouth particularly seems to be somewhere people pass through on their way to Cornwall. So I just wanted to share this with you. Plymouth is having a punt at becoming City of Culture. They have put this together to give people an idea about the city. And you know what? Plymouth - she rocks!

All things are possibly.

So busy. Everyone is busy. All the blogs I read say how busy they all are. There is a pattern emerging here. Probably. I have been busy actually. Yes indeedy. FOW1 has returned to bother the ancient bones of York along with the rest of the archaeology department. I am weighing up whether or not he said I could tell you about him throwing up at the back of the lecture hall - mid lecture. I can't remember. I'm sure it is ok. It's all over Facebook anyway. Some kind of virus. Possibly. Much better now thank you. Given the virus to lots of other people. 

Back at Martha Towers, the main news, apart from the food bills plummeting as FOW1 closed the front door behind him, is that my baby girl has turned 17. This is definitely a mistake. I do not look anywhere near old enough to have a seventeen year old daughter and I am certain about that. Possibly.

As part of the celebrations  we went shopping to Exeter. Bit rubbish I thought. We seemed to arrive during a Morris Dancers Convention. FOW2 kept asking "Is this really a thing?" John Lewis is so small we sort of walked through the front door, coughed and found ourselves deposited back into the shopping precinct. We did become slightly hysterical on seeing the price of  a pair of  "7 For All Mankind Jeans". but other than that John Lewis made little impact. I think I am used to the one in the Trafford Centre. Possibly. 

I did get cake tin liners from Lakeland. They were too big.

In other news, we have asked to become members at church. We went to a meeting with leadery type people, who seemed nice and normal. I got to listen to HOH's testimony. Haven't heard it for ages. It's not really the sort of thing you share while you are dragging a trolly round Sainsbury's is it? Anyway. Quite forgot how wonderful it was. You know he had no Christian background and had shown no religious inclination. Just the opposite in fact, having practically lived at Wigan Casino (it's a Northern Soul dance venue - not a room full of croupiers and slot machines in case you were wondering) The thing is, someone he worked with just told him. Not a lecture or a preach. Just told him about Jesus. Changed his life.

Where was I? Oh yes membership. I do believe in membership. I'm just not a very good joiner really. Have put it off but am now womaning up. Now someone comes to our house apparently. Which will be nice. Hope Morecambe thinks so. Sure he will be fine. Probably.

Have read..

Really tried to like this. Loved Suspicions of Mr Whicher. But it is so annoying. Irritating swooning woman flopping about, mooning over idiot married doctor who should know better. Whole thing goes to divorce court. Act your age not your shoe size - in the words of Prince. No one comes out of it well. Ask me if I care.

Have re-read a Barbara Pym to feel better about books. Always works.

Watched

Endeavour. This is so far up my street, it has practically turned the corner and caught a bus. Just love it. I never get the clues. Hardly matters, I love Morse, Thursday, Oxford against the sky, the music and perhaps most of all, the fact that, unlike 90% of the dramas on the telly,  we don't have to watch someone locked in a cupboard having their teeth pulled out. 

One Thing

Two things. One made me think of the other. Billy Crystal in City Slickers asking about the meaning of life. (Bit of language alert)

Made me think of this -works for me.

"One Thing Remains"

Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing… Remains 


Your love never fails, never gives up
Never runs out on me 

On and on and on and on it goes
It overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never, ever, have to be afraid
One thing remains

In death, In life, I’m confident and
covered by the power of Your great love
My debt is paid, there’s nothing that can
separate my heart from Your great love...

Jesus Culture 2010

Not Much Really

We are all buzzing around a bit today and I will struggle to get coherent thoughts (which I HAVE actually been thinking actually) to you, so would it be ok if I just threw a few random facts about life etc. at you? Please 'scuse if a bit all over the place. I have one eye on the football. Love football even if, in the case of the FA Cup semi final, I am in the position of wanting both teams to lose. This, like so many things in my life, is bound to end in disappointment for me.

Spent most of yesterday schlepping round town trying to find work boots for FOW1 in case he drops precious ancient artifacts on his toe while he is archaeologically engaged at uni.

We are all out tonight at Bella Italia for tea because FOW1 is due back at uni before FOW2 has her birthday We have therefore declared a sort of rolling celebration starting today like Marie Antoinette would have had. Both FOWs are unhappy with me because I will be using money off vouchers but I feel the dosh is better off in my pocket than theirs, as they say up north.

Church this morning could be filed in the controversial draw. Pastor did Sodom and Gomorrah. He used the "Homosexual" word more than once. However, the whole thing was filled with grace and love. Only one person walked out but she was quite old and may have needed a wee or had a bus to catch so we possibly shouldn't read too much into that.

As we are out tonight have set the video (am I the only person who still talks about "Taping Programmes"?) for Endeavour. I didn't see the pilot but think it may be decent Sunday evening stuff and Roger Allam is in it and he is acey-pacey. Whatever it is like, it has to be an improvement on flippin' Broadchurch. How long is it going to take to find out who did this? Is the idea to drag it out long enough for them all to die of old age and decay?

I have retreated away from the telly over the weekend as I am having to speed-read a library book because I have tried to extend my loan, only to find that someone has reserved it and it needs to be back sharpish - by Tuesday. I had never heard of Roger Mortimer. It is really interesting - if a bit gruesome. Quite difficult to speed read a history book. People keep running each other though and I keep losing track.

Can I just throw my two penneth in about Margaret Thatcher?
I have to put my cards on the table and tell you that my husband lost his job at British Aerospace because of Thatcherite policies so I am no friend of much of what she stood for. I would defend the right of anyone to not eulogise her and her public life. However, I would like to hope that we would show a bit of class and dip our heads and think of her family. Turning on a sixpence - as I do - In a time of austerity, doesn't it seem to be an awful lot of money to spend? Couldn't it have been a little more restrained and the 10 million pounds be put to better use? On a slightly different note - Love Divine, All Loves Excelling which is on the Order of Service is a beautiful hymn. 

Anyway, this is just a little treat for you to set you up for Monday morning. I know I complained about paps last week but look! It's Sherlock and he's only in a flamin' deerstalker! Let joy be unconfined....

Approved Food Order

I have followed lots of other bloggers' example and have just received my first Approved Food Order. Generally, it is all very impressive. I have learnt

• If you buy six packets of Rockys-teenagers will need to be told forcefully that they are meant to last more than a week.
• The stuff that comes is really high quality and saves you
  a packet.
• I do need to be more careful about product sizes. The above teeny tiny product was a bit of a disappointment!

Dipping my toe back in the water

I have had a week off work and a deliberate week off blogging. Just didn't feel like it. Tried to make it a more spiritual reason than that but just didn't feel like it. Sorry - don't mean to be rude. We have all taken Lucy's loss quite hard. Thank you for all your kind thoughts and prayers. Thank you that no-one said "It's just a dog". We were all doing quite a lot better until we got a lovely card from the vet, expressing their sorrow and supporting our decision. Bit sobby again but getting there.
Also quite rocked back by a blog I read this week. A Christian had written that she felt that prayer was a conversation and a continuing closeness with God and that answers to prayer were more often about how your life circumstances turned out and the sort of person you are. Well I wondered and worried about this for a while and I am sorry - that just won't do for me. If my God doesn't do miracles - above and beyond anything that I can imagine then all bets are off for me. I might as well go and get a decent life coach and see how much I can achieve in my life. I'm not saying that God is my personal slot machine and that I get everything I ask for (are you kidding?) but the POSSIBILITY of the miraculous is essential don't you think? If God be God and all that. I'm sticking with petitionary prayer with loads of thanksgiving and seeing what God does. Otherwise some of my life circumstances have been so poo, if I couldn't expect God to intervene in some way, at some time, I would do myself a mischief! (RAMBLING! Sorry)

Other than that just leaving you with a few random things.

Went for day out in Newton Abbott. You know, I don't need the lights of Vegas and wilder-beast roaming across the plains but, I have to be brutally honest, it was a long way to drive for a big Asda, twenty charity shops and two buskers murdering Beatles' songs. Maybe I caught it on a bad day.

Had a lunch in Buffet City. All you an eat Chinese for the uninitiated. Always makes me want to come out and go on five day bread and water fast. Why do we do that to ourselves? And FOW1 was making a cheese sandwich about an hour later.

Foyle's War is back - if only for three weeks. HURRAH! Also, wish that he papers would stop hanging round the filming of Sherlock and taking random photos. If they give any clues away - I shall be very annoyed.

FOW2 to me during last week's Easter Morning service

"Mum, don't wave and shout 'Hello' to the chicken puppet. It isn't for you."

Outrageous! I prefer it when she sits with the youth. Just one more random thing. This is why Cosby is a genius  Think on young people.

Lucy

The Internet is awash this morning with Good Friday thoughts and meditations. That is how it should be. I am happy to point you to a couple. A reminder of a beautiful hymn from Tracing Rainbows and a wonderful meditation here

I am afraid that I am out of step with right thinking Christianity myself this Easter because we lost our dog this week.  Our lovely Lucy had a stroke and we took the horrible decision to have her put down. HOH had to bear the heaviest burden as he had to take her. She was only eight. We had not seen it coming but there was no choice. So as he stroked her and thanked her for the lovely time we had together and said goodbye as the anesthetic sent her to sleep, HOH said that he was overcome with love for this little, submissive, eager to please little dog and our hearts are breaking at the moment. 

This weekend calls to mind the most pivotal events in the history of humanity but, I am sorry. I am just not there. We have an empty box in the kitchen and some ashes to scatter on the beach, where she loved to potter and roll in seaweed when she thought that we weren't looking. 

I hate it at the moment. I hate that it is so much easier to walk one dog than two. I hate the money we will save on food. I hate not pulling them apart when they disagreed over the ownership of a ball. I hate not hearing her click-click of her paws on the polished wooden floors. I hate that another connection with my brother, whose dog she was, has gone. We know that we gave her a good life and she was very happy with us and eventually, I am sure that this will be a comfort.

Everyone I know who has owned a dog tells me that it is the same for all dog owners. That, as we leave the breeder's house with our puppy, we are setting ourselves up for heartbreak further down the line. Yet we all do it, because of what they give to us, with their unconditional love and companionship, as well as all the laughter. And I know that we will laugh when we remember her. Eventually. Just not yet. 

Good bye Lucy Lou. Our family is richer for knowing you and poorer now you aren't here. Thank you - for everything.

Men as trees

I love Johnny Cash. Well, when I say I love Johnny Cash, I can't say that I often think Ooh - I'll just put a bit of Johnny Cash on the old compact disc player. In fact, I don't think that I have ever thought that. I just really like who Johnny Cash was. FOW2 genuinely loves his music and has done for years. It can be a little disconcerting to hear your little girl cheerfully singing that she 

"Shot a man in Reno - just to watch him die."

But there are worse role models, I should think. Johnny Cash always seemed to me to be someone who was completely aware of all his faults and failings and was yet was still grateful to God for every last minute that he lived. Many years ago, when I was in our church youth group, we were all taken to a church hall  to watch Cash's film, The Gospel Road. If I am entirely honest, the film was a bit of a blur. Mixing with other youth groups was a rare opportunity to do a bit of "opposite sex sizing up" so I probably wasn't giving it my full attention.
As I remember, there were a lot of shots of Johnny Cash, in black, on beaches and on the top of cliffs looking mean and windswept but there are two images from the film that have stayed with me to this day.
The first was of Jesus laughing with some children as they played on the beach. This was a revelatory moment for me. Jesus having a sense of humour was not a facet of his character that I had been brought up with. As one of our elders once famously said "It says in the Bible that Jesus Wept. Not that he laughed. " Think on. Years later, when someone remarked, "So do you think that children, flocked to him because they loved his knowledge of Jewish Law?" it was a welcome revelation that people who lived at the time of Jesus would have heard him laugh. Jesus shows his back teeth. Love it.
The other bit I remember was  song called "I see Men as Trees walking" about Jesus'  gradual healing of a blind man. 
It's here - have a look.

I have often wondered about this.Why didn't Jesus just heal him the first time? Don't look at me -  I have no idea. Who do you think I am? However, I did find this, in Exodus, this week and wondered if it was a pointer. God is exhorting (good word - exhorting no?) the Children of Israel to press on and not be afraid of their enemies.

 I won’t get rid of them all at once lest the land grow up in weeds and the wild animals take over. Little by little I’ll get them out of there while you have a chance to get your crops going and make the land your own. I will make your borders stretch from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Wilderness to the Euphrates River

There was to be no lottery moment, no having it all at once. It wouldn't have worked. They had to get going - push forward, little by little, doing the right thing, making plans and seeing them come to pass. God would be working for them, giving them a chance to learn and to grow and giving them space as they pushed forward.

We are on a journey, a mission (like Star Trek) we are working together with a God who works miracles but our life is our story and I think that God wants it to be so. Blessings are delayed, sometimes for a very long time, life rarely seems to fall into our laps, (well mine doesn't anyway) and we need to learn to faithfully wait and push on. Dream and get going. God is still at work. 

Oh Happy Day

vickybeeching.com

So the first Christian Music Chart has apparently come and gone. Would someone care to give me a full explanation as to why this isn't there? Surely some mistake?

Happy. Happy Happy. (Bet you can't get it out of your head)

Red Nose Ranting

Bit of a rant this week. (What, again, I hear you cry?) Don't say you weren't warned. I am just letting you know, in case you care, that I think I am done with the whole Red Nose thing. Not because it isn't a good cause - it quite obviously is.  It is because of a surfeit of smugness. I'm not sure how much of it you watched. Mostly it seemed to consist of presenters of various sexes snogging each other while we were supposed to be weak at the knees with hysterical laughter. This was all interspersed with heartbreaking stories of children in Africa, in various states of distress, while celebrities looked on in horror. I can go with most of Comic Relief, it is a good thing. However, the point when I slammed my money through and turned off  was Rowan Atkinson's Archbishop of Canterbury sketch. What a donk. Lazy, flabby and a bit nasty to be honest. 
Why does he always have to be played as an idiot? I have read a piece in the Sunday Times about Justin Welby today. (Can't link you through to it - you would have to pay) He is a fiercely  intelligent, thoughtful, forward looking man. He has overcome huge personal tragedy, with the death of his infant daughter and seems totally committed to social justice. I get really bored with always having to be a good sport when Christianity once again is picked to play the idiot cousin.
How offensive do you think the remark in the sketch about "prayer not working" was - not just to us but to those in Africa for whom prayer is all they have sometimes? Christians may have made a lot of mistakes in Africa but there are also countless Christians who have worked and are still working tirelessly for causes and people that they believe in. These people will continue working in difficult conditions, long after the Red Nose presenters have high tailed it back to Primrose Hill. Sometimes you would think that Richard Curtis had invented Africa. You can call me a miserable crow if you like. I will try not to lose sleep about it. 
Christian humility is one thing but this is ridiculous. 

Winter Returns

Is it cold where you are? It's flamin' cold here and we don't really do cold in Plymouth. I am bored of winter now. A new Pope was chosen today. I don't pretend to know much about the Catholic faith. As far as I am concerned God's representative on this earth now is the Holy Spirit so my mop doesn't really flop in this direction. However, hopefully all will go well for him. The news makes The Vatican sound a bit like Yes Minister, where the Vatican machine is like a kind of all powerful civil service. He will have to knock back a lot of be-robed Sir Humphrey-like people so he has his work cut out. Anyway, he is Argentinian. Does this mean that we have to give the Falklands to the Vatican City? Will they be ok with the penguins?

Am just calling in quickly to show you FOW1's attempt at Lasagne. This has told me

1. Where my two-person lasagne dish is. I apologise to all those I have accused of lasagna dish thievery.
2. When he comes home, we need to have a whip round for a grater. 

Also, just to let those who are interested know that I heard on Radio 5 Live today that the read-throughs have started for Series 3 of Sherlock. It's quite a while to wait but not as long as people in Devon have waited for an Ikea! But - it's coming - possibly in 2015 to Exeter. Oh the tea lights and the cushion covers we will buy! 

Mothers Day

My Mothering Sunday 

Got up to Orchid and Walnut Whips on the kitchen table. Well chosen by Head of House after panicked phone call from Fruit of Womb 1.

Church. Genesis. Abram and Sarai - Abram settling for second best God says No - the original promise still holds. Don't give up.

Stupid sniggering with Church Secretary who has almost had stand up row with Pastor after she said that Head of House's name was Michael. She realised after quite long protracted discussion with Pastor that I had actually been saying "My Col" #northern

Return home to Sanctuary stuff and chocolate on kitchen table. Thanks to FOW 2. 

Had Walnut Whip and pork pie and onion chutney for lunch. (Not all on same plate)

Took snivelling apologetic phone call from FOW 1. Tries to pretend that he forgot because of heavy archaeological workload rather than playing in Battle of the Bands. Insist that he phones Nana before she goes out for lunch with her sister. 

Watch FA Cup football. Man U let comfortable two goal lead slip. Wish I had gone with original instinct to watch High Society.

FOW 1 phones. Has spoken to Nana. She is back from sister's and is over cheerful. Tells FOW1 she has had a couple of brandies. Expect she will sleep tonight. 

FOW2 comes back from coffee with friends. We watch Crufts together. Are reduced to hysterical sobs over story of little boy with muscle wasting disease and his dog with three legs. 

Watch Shetland. Have no idea what anyone is saying. It looks very cold.

So there you are. It's nothing like the telly Mother's Day. I expect most people's are a bit like this. It's family stuff. Real family stuff and I am grateful for every second of it.

Oscar drops the ball - mostly

Just thought I would give you my vair vair wise and considered opinions on the Oscars. As a bit of a film buff, I have long since given up taking much notice of the Oscars. (I still have been unable to find anyone who can explain to me why Nora Ephron didn't win the Oscar for best screenplay for "When Harry Met Sally" Well - can you? I thought not.)
So, to sum up.

Best Actor------Daniel Day Lewis (A Good Thing)
Best Actress----Jennifer Lawrence (Dunno. Didn't see it. However am glad she won because of this ace thing. Ah Jack Nicholson. What are you like? Still.)

Best Supporting Actress---Anne Hathaway (Best award for heavy duty ACTING for three minutes while someone shaves your head and pulls your teeth out. He only stole a loaf of bread don't forget)
Best Supporting Actor---Christophe Waltz (have already shared my feelings about Quentin Tarantino films. Enough said I think)
Best Film---Argo (Indeed. Some controversy here about Affleck playing fast and loose with the facts but probably right decision.)
Best Director---Ang Lee (Does anyone know what Steven Spielberg has done to upset the academy? Someone, somewhere seems to have it in for him.)

On a slightly different subject, I know I am old and I know the young people enjoy edgy comedy but Seth McFarlane - you are a donk.  The Oscar host served up casual sexism, "jokes" about sleeping with children, "jokes" about Jews. Neither the time nor the place. 

While I am on a media riff. I did like Ripper Street. I know it is a bit formulaic and, like most people, I could do without any more women getting beaten to death for our entertainment but, on the whole, I think it was really well written. Phrases like "I know not this public house of which you speak your honour" were uttered with straight faces and I loved it. And, despite, Matthew Macfadyen looking like he was about to stick both his thumbs into his watch pockets and launch into "Consider Yourself One of Us", I thought the whole thing was terrific. 

Right, off to watch Danny Leigh's documentary on boxing in the movies. Supposed to be really good. "I coulda been a contender. I could have been somebody. Instead of a bum." Outstanding.

Matriarchy Rules

I have had a bit of a nightmare this weekend because I had to go into work unexpectedly which is 
a) Against  my religion to go to work on Saturday
b) Makes me late for everything else.

So I will not bother you for long but just wanted to share this that I found in Nehemiah this week. In the middle of a superficially quite boring passage on the rebuilding of the wall in Nehemiah 3 there are several descriptions of members of families, mayors, sons, brothers etc. etc doing sterling work as they built.

Then suddenly this

^11-12 Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab rebuilt another section that included the Tower of Furnaces. Working next to him was Shallum son of Hallohesh, mayor of the other half-district of Jerusalem, along with his daughters.

Along with who? Sallum's lovely, strong, big boned daughters that is who. 
This says to me a couple of things. Firstly, men and women can work together side by side to build community for God. 
Secondly, as women we have to step up and be counted when it is time for building. 
Being a wussy girl doesn't mean that we don't have a part to play and if our skills lie more in bricklaying than pie making, (even though pie making is an essential and important skill) then we need to be using what we have been given.We need to be who we are and take our place with our unique skills to do what needs to be done. Even if that doesn't always fit what might be termed as a traditional women's role.
Have courage, get on with whatever it is you are supposed to be doing and have a great week.

Brit Bats

Brits.co.uk

So, the Brits. I sat and watched it with my daughter last night. As expected, I had no idea who half the people on it were but, bearing that in mind, here are my observations.

Taylor Swift. Comes on in long white dress which she whips off to reveal much shorter dress while shaking down her long hair. Not exactly original love. Marti Caine was doing that centuries ago on the Val Doonican Christmas Special. Nothing new under the sun.

One Direction. I seriously don't get it. I have tried. I was young once. At least the Bay City Rollers were good looking. (Except the drummer, oh and the one with the spots - sorry)

Emile Sandee. You seem very nice. I liked the way you had your coat on for the last song. Always wise to take your ticket to the cloakroom before the rush starts. (PS HOH says yours was absolutely the best album of the year so that's all lovely)

Daughter asked who Bryan Ferry was. Thought he was Terry Wogan and that he had lost some weight. How the mighty are fallen.

Have had a non lusty type crush on Dave Grohl since I saw him stop a performance because a young boy was getting crushed in the crowd. Always good to see him out and about. Unfortunately, have never been able to stand any of his music for for than 15 seconds.

Mumford and Son. Ah the Mumfords. Love them. Their music is like a drunk man singing quietly to himself in a bar then suddenly 50 men with banjos all run in and start playing all at once. It's a very good thing. Then there are their totally non-Christian beautiful lyrics. Reproduced for you here. Enjoy.

And I came home
Like a stone
And I fell heavy into your arms
These days of darkness
Which we've known
Will blow away with this new sun

And I'll kneel down
Wait for now
And I'll kneel down
Know my ground

And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you

So break my step
And relent
You forgave and I won't forget
Know what we've seen
And him with less
Now in some way
Shake the excess

But I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you
And I will wait, I will wait for you

Lyrics by Mumford and Sons

So what didn't he do?

I thought I might write about about something our pastor preached on a couple of weeks ago, mainly because it has been pinging around in my consciousness on and off since then. 
The thoughts come from Genesis 12. Abram and Sarai (as they still are at this point) are at an early stage of their life with God journey. Seventy-five year old Abram has just heard from God that he will be made into a great nation and he has packed up all he has, wife, sheep, tents, Lot etc etc (events later on in this chapter sometimes seem to indicate that this inventory is not listed in order of importance to Abram but that may just be me.) 
Then, it seems out of nowhere, the land is hit by a famine. There is nothing to eat. This is not just a physical disaster. Look where these people are. They are in the promised land. Abram is being led directly by God. They are right in the centre of God's will and they are hit by famine. 
I think sometimes, when things go wrong for us or we see things go wrong for other people, we have a couple of reactions. One is to woe is me (that is my particular talent which I have developed over years of whinging)  The next thing we do is to ask what we have done wrong, or what people we see who come into bad circumstances have done wrong. In fact, it seems that we can be exactly where God wants us to be and things can fall around our ears. It is not always a judgement on our behaviour. 
The most serious problem here emerges as early as the next sentence.

Then a famine came to the land. Abram went down to Egypt to live. 

Knee jerk reaction. Arrrrggh. Everyone out of here! Egypt! (Not exactly happy valley for Abram you would have thought) That's the place to go! 
Then he ends up prostituting his wife to Pharaoh  bringing down a curse on the Egyptian royal household and getting out by the skin of his teeth. You know how it is.
(Just an aside It's God who ends up rescuing Sarai from Pharaoh's household. One of many times when God rescues women from men. Who says God leads the Patriarchy?)
So what didn't Abram do? He didn't pray.He didn't ask. Disaster struck and he reacted. Don't say you have never done this. For once, I know it's not just me. Sometimes, we are supposed, I think to put our foot on the ball, stop and ask. Pray. Commit. Wait. Then possibly act. That was what was missing from this sentence.

This week.

Digital Spy

HOH and FOW2 went on a Dad Date to watch the zombie comedy"Warm Bodies". They loved it but both said that I wouldn't have liked it. I have a low tolerance level for watching zombies eating people's brains with a spoon. I'm funny like that. 

Wikipedia

Watched The Baftas. Approved of nearly everything  Except anything Tarantino wins. How can I judge when I haven't seen it? BECAUSE I CAN. Argo won which is good because it was very good and also because it gets the Cloonster up on stage as he produced it. Win-Win as the young people say.

Film Night

Guardian.co,uk

Re watching Mama Mia for umpteenth time with FOW2. So rubbish but so brilliant.  FOW2 has informed me that she is insisting that she has a donkey at her wedding. I have said that that would be OK so long as I get to stop off on the way to the church and belt out "The Winner Takes It All". Not sure how well that would go down in the middle of Plymouth but if it's good enough for Meryl, it's good enough for me.

Top moments also include

Julie Walters in full on Mrs Overall mode (and a bit of my Aunty Audrey)  doing "Take a Chance On Me."

Colin Firth playing the world's most unconvincing gay man (but at least he is a bit more cheerful than he was in "A Single Man.")

Pierce Brosnan cheerfully murdering any song he comes near. But he does it with so much gusto it's irrelevant to be frank.

"Slipping Through My Fingers" making me cry.

Meryl looking suspiciously lairy as she bellows "Do You Want Another One?" at the screen after the last song.

I feel we may have peaked televisually this evening.

Backwards Lent

As a non Catholic type of person, I don't really do Lent. I did give up Twitter last year and the only effect that had was making HOH laugh at me - no one on Twitter noticed. However, I am undaunted and I have decided that rather than giving something up I will take something up for 40 days. This is very non conformist and contrary of me and I am to be congratulated. SO I intend to do my prayer/Bible/thinking journal every day for 40 days instead of when inspiration strikes or when I have spare minutes. This should result in heavy duty thinking and very, very deep insights into spirituality. STOP LAUGHING HOH!
Family news - FOW1 has been elected secretary of his Band Society at York University (Think Biffy Clyro rather than Brighouse and Rastrick) When do these people fit work in?