…haven’t watched the rest of these yet.. but – cute!! 😀
Coffee On The Street..
Lately, we’ve had just enough time between dropping off and picking up boys on Friday evening to have a cup of tea/coffee at Urban Pantry in town..
Tonight the oldest’s evening thing was earlier than normal, which meant we dropped them off one after the other, and had an hour before the first pick up. We started off by going to D’Arcy Doyle Place, where there was a “Prayer for the city” event, but we could only stay a half hour before we went back for coffee. We’ve been catching up with some people we met one Friday evening, and who have been there each Friday since… unfortunately they didn’t get there tonight 😦 but we enjoyed our evening, and saw some other people we knew..
There was a jazz type band playing while we sat outside the cafe (out of tune, says hubby… and, well, yes… but it didn’t matter..) I used to go to a cafe years ago after I finished work. There was always music playing somewhere or other. I miss doing that. There’s something about a dark sky, live music, and a good coffee…
You’re Here
This was sung as part of our Christmas services this year… there are quite a few beautiful songs from Mary’s perspective – they help me remember that she was a real, and quite young, woman, faced with a huge responsibility, and given a huge blessing…
Here’s another Christmas song, from a different perspective – by a “heathen, and a pagan… on the side of the rebel Jesus”
Have a blessed and joyous Christmas!
What Do You Expect For Christmas?
We’ve had this video at church for the last two weeks… Jesus’ story throughout the history of the world… a glimpse of what we celebrate in a few days 😀
I couldn’t figure out how to embed it, and couldn’t buy the download, so here’s the link to have a look at it… it’s well worth the effort!
Run
The Olympics are coming up….
RBC Ministries (who publish the daily devotional I use) offered a free DVD a couple of months ago, on the life of Eric Liddell. You may recognise the name from the 1981 film “Chariots of Fire”, about two runners in the 1924 Paris Olympics. Liddell is remembered as the dedicated Christian who refused to run on Sunday, but still went on to win gold medals in events that were not his favoured races… what is less known is that he went on from there to become a missionary/teacher in China, where he had been born to missionary parents… He was still there when the Second World War broke out, and Japan invaded China. He was interned in a Japanese prison camp, where he died of a brain tumour in 1945.
The DVD covers his life story, with personal recollections from friends (colleagues and students), and quotes from his writings… what struck me was that here was a man who achieved great fame early in life, but was content to give it all up in service to God… he was not remembered for his Olympic glory, but for his love and commitment to God, and his love for his neighbours, whoever they were – person after person remembered his ability to inspire joy and hope, even in prison.. they spoke of him as someone who would go to great lengths to help others, and to give all that he could… He was a man who lived out the Sermon on the Mount..
Early in the war he wrote a discipleship manual for the Chinese Christians… here is a quote –
” Victory over all the circumstances of life comes not by might, nor by power, but by a practical confidence in God and by allowing His Spirit to dwell in our hearts and control our actions and emotions.
Learn in the days of ease and comfort, to think in terms of the prayer that follows, so that when the days of hardship come you will be fully prepared and equipped to meet them.
Father, I pray that no circumstance however bitter or however long drawn out, may cause me to break Thy law, the Law of Love to Thee and to my neighbor. That I may not become resentful, have hurt feelings, hate, or become embittered by life’s experiences, but that in and through all I may see Thy guiding hand and have a heart full of gratitude for Thy daily mercy, daily love, daily power, and daily presence.
Help me in the day when I need it most to remember that:
- All things work together for good to them that love the Lord.
- I can do all things through Him that strengthened me.
- My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.
‘Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever, Amen.”
Here was a man who lived as he believed. Although he was not to see his family again (they were evacuated earlier in the war, and he never saw his youngest daughter), he still knew that God was in control. There was a Salvation Army band in the camp, which played outside the hospital twice a week. A few days before he died, Eric Liddell sent a request for a hymn – Be Still My Soul
He ran well the race set before him.
By God’s grace, may we do the same..
Music For The Passionate…
… is the name of my hubby’s new site! He’s been working on it for years, in one form or another, but this is the first time it’s actually made it to the online community 😀
…so – check it out here!
If you’ve ever wanted to learn guitar or bass, or wondered how to play the blues – here’s your chance! Not all the lessons are up, but they’re on the way…
Everything is free to download, but if you like what you see, there’s a facility to donate the price of a cup of tea…
Go forth! Play music!
… and don’t forget to let my talented hubby know what you think about it all! 😀
1000 Fields of Roses 