Tear it down....

Tear it down & Build it up

He made a whip you know!
he scattered the money
He freed the birds
What a mess!
What a glorious mess!

He yelled and shouted
Quoted scripture at the scripture sellers
Called them abusers of God
Oh!! If only you could have seen them!!

He turned it all
Upside down
Then he turned us
Upside down
They asked for a miracle:
Tear it down
He said
Tear it down and I will build it back up again
In just
Three days
Just three days
If only we’d known then what we know now
We wouldn’t have thought it so absurd

They tore him apart
And God built him up again
But that’s another story

snowdrift

I took this picture about 10 days ago
Like a snowdrift they were
and now, like a 10 day old snowdrift
they are less bright
less white
more brown
shrivelling
and dying
yet....
in thier place comes bright yellow:







the daffodils are coming!

We are constantly reminded of the cycles of life and death
it seems no time at all since we marked the moment when the Word became flesh and now we prepare to acknowledge that the world rejected the word

The Word came
the Word lived
The Word wept
the Word cried out
the Word betrayed
the Word abandoned
the Word....
.....died

The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us
and we have seen his glory
in the spring snowdrifts
in the triumphant return of yellow crowns
in every breath we take

distant memories

Yesterday was an old friend's birthday; now, that in itself is not unusual, but he does not disclose this on FaceBook... and I didn't have it written down at all either. It just popped into my head!!
Sometimes this happens: we remember a person, or we see a date and it triggers a distant memory.
I remember throwing him a surprise 21st birthday party - 1996
He remembers the Pingu birthday cake!!
Suddenly rediscovered memories: friends; events; special occasions...
little glimpses that remind us that we are not alone; we do not live in isolation - we are all part of God's big, amazing and wondrous family!!
Praise be!

oh dear what can the matter be......

This morning I took a regular trip up to Edinburgh for a couple of meetings; this trip takes 40 mins to park & ride & a 40 min bus run. It's relatively hassle free.... but instead of leaving in good time I decided to do a little multi-tasking: post office/ emails/ phone calls...
not until I was ready to leave did I factor in frost on car and the fact that tank was running empty! Unfortunately my leave time was already 10 minutes later than planned - oh dear

On arriving at P & R I was delighted & relieved to see the reception/ toilet still open (it closes after rush hour) so nipped in to the Ladies....

on departing Ladies to my horror I witnessed the shutters descending slowly..... and the old nursery rhyme came to mind

"Oh dear what can the matter be
two old ladies stuck in the Lavatory" -

mercifully there was a man pushing buttons to operate said shutters - and to release me - just as my bus pulled in to the stand

there's cutting it fine and there's plain silliness
I'll leave you to decide!

4 seasons in one day

Today started bright,
turned to rain,
changed to snow,
came clear,
weak wintry sunshine followed,
and the walk by the river showed the wind to be icy....
Quite a day!

In addition to this we worshipped well
and enjoyed community and fellowship as around 30 people descended on the manse to share soup, bread and cake.
Can't go wrong really!!

they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2:42)

the importance of family

Today being Friday it is my 'day off'
Today being Friday I washed clothes, made beds, cleaned house and shopped for food
Today being Friday - I did not rest but worked differently
Today being Friday is always a good day - I see my beloved as he returns after a week working away
and tomorrow I see no.2 son, who is bringing his girlfriend home
Good things
Family things
My fiance; my sons; my siblings and my parents; my nieces and nephews
my neghbours, friends, colleagues
all the different people I interact with, have connections with, are part of the network that is the extended family: not just those related by blood - but everyone whose path crosses, has crossed, will cross with mine
the cross: the connector

in the nick of time....

23.59 is very definitely the nick of time
and by the time I actually post this it will be 00.00+ so technically a day late hmmm.....

a wise friend told me, as I was first going into ministry to keep a pretty bag or box in which to store happy things: cards, letters photos of appreciation and thanks. She told me: "these are good to go back to on days when everything gets you down, when you feel low or alone"
She was right!
Everyone needs affirmation
We need to know that people appreciate us: and we need to tell others that we appreciate them too!
It's never too late- 11th hour or not, to tell someone you love them, value them, to thank them.
go on - your friends are worth it!!