pineapple

Yesterday Justine bought a pineapple.

It reminded me that while we were all playing Pictionary at the weekend someone had to draw a pineapple.

Two pineapples! I jokingly wondered to myself where I would encounter the third one.

I popped in at Dave and Pauline's this morning for a cup of tea before work, and there it was, sitting quietly on the counter (they are not a noisy fruit), the third pineapple.

But what does all this mean?

If I had been playing a slot machine I might have won a prize.

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

Sponge Bob Squarepants!

And now it all makes sense. Sponge Bob has been our nickname for our unborn child for the last nine months and today is due day, so expect an announcement any time soon.

Perhaps some ideas for names would be good too.

my mate...

...Jesus.

So, a family of five from Wales has spotted the face of Jesus on the inside of a lid from a jar of marmite.

Really?

What a load of puerile nonsense.

But then the mum says, "People might think I'm nuts, but I like to think it's Jesus looking out for us.

"We've had a tough couple of months; my mum's been really ill and it's comforting to think that if he is there, he's watching over us."

Who am I to judge? After all God is everywhere.

peace

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
for ever.

Psalm 23 (NIV)

scratch

People are fascinating.

From a distance most people appear to have fairly normal, happy everyday lives.

As you spend time with someone you begin to scratch the surface and find out who they really are, and what is going on in their life beneath the first impressions.

We all have such varied and interesting lives. We really do.

From good things to bad things, everyone has stories to tell and experiences to share, but we only get to hear those things when we take the time to stop and listen and be with someone.

God came and walked among us. Jesus spent time with people. He didn't shy away from the celebrations or the harsh realities of human existence.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1 v 14 (NIV)

bindweed

Dear James and Pauline

Your garden also looks so neat and well kept. Ours on the other hand always looks so messy and unkempt. Worse still, there is the endless fight with bindweed!

Today I found a use for bindweed.

I wanted to make a tent frame for the girls to cover in sheets and play in, but I had nothing to tie my garden canes together with.

Enter the bindweed. I will never have to buy string again!

The prevalence and persistence of this garden pest brought my mind back to the parable of the sower. Some plants that grew up were choked. Pulling up weeds can be hard work and rather boring, but the results are fantastic.

Your regular prayers for my family and myself definitely help to keep the spiritual weeds at bay, and for that we will always be grateful.

Love Mick

worry

It's been something of a mixed week. There have been good bits, but unfortunately there have been a number of significantly unpleasant bits.

Interestingly, home group on Tuesday evening was about worry, based on the latter verses of Matthew 6.

Don't worry.

Easier said than done, yet somehow in the midst of all the unpleasantness of the week I have not worried (well, maybe a little).

In talking about worry on Tuesday evening my mind was drawn to part of the hymn Be Thou My Vision.

Christ of my own heart, whatever befall
Still Be my Vision, O ruler of all

Christ first, whatever happens, Christ first.

On the way home in the car I was listening to a cd I had not listened to for a long time. It was a Randy Travis cd (yes, I like country music) and the song was very appropriate.

I'm gonna have a little talk with Jesus
When I get home tonight
Gonna tell him all about my troubles
And I know he'll make them right
Then I'll ask him to forgive me
For the things that I've done wrong
Gonna have a little talk with Jesus
Tonight when I get home

This world can be a struggle
Just livin' day to day
You'll run into the devil
With every step you take
I seen his face a hundred times
As he tried to lead me wrong
He don't understand
That I don't walk this road alone

I'm gonna have a little talk with Jesus
When I get home tonight
Gonna tell him all about my troubles
And I know he'll make them right
Then I'll ask him to forgive me
For the things that I've done wrong
Gonna have a little talk with Jesus
Tonight when I get home

Lord said I could call on him
Whenever I feel low
Any time or place I needed him
He would gladly go
My life has not been perfect
No matter how I try
But he's never turned his back on me
And that's the reason why

I'm gonna have a little talk with Jesus
When I get home tonight
Gonna tell him all about my troubles
And I know he'll make them right
Then I'll ask him to forgive me
For the things that I've done wrong
Gonna have a little talk with Jesus
Tonight when I get home

A bit more reading:
Matthew 6:25-34
Habakkuk 3:17-18
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

useless

According to Griff Rhys Jones, Darnley Mausoleum is "useless like a great statue is useless, or a great work of art is useless. It's also a great work of art".

Sometimes people are called useless. Maybe we have said it, or it has been said to us.

I remember preparing a paper at college on Utilitarianism and at the time I was somewhat taken with this ethical theory. In some ways I still am. After all the idea of "the greatest good for the greatest number" does sound quite appealing.

The danger is, of course, that usefulness becomes the litmus test for value.

The value or worth of something, or indeed someone, cannot be defined solely in terms of its usefulness. We need to go beyond utility.

God in all his magnificent glory exists beyond anything that we can offer, yet he chooses to draw near day after day and say, "I love you".

We are not loved because of our usefulness to God (phew!). God loves us because he loves us.

Ultimately relationships are not about 'doing' they are about 'being'.

To be in Your presence
To sit at Your feet,
Where Your love surrounds me,
And makes me complete.

This is my desire, O Lord,
This is my desire.
This is my desire, O Lord,
This is my desire.

To rest in Your presence,
Not rushing away;
To cherish each moment,
Here I would stay.

This is my desire, O Lord,
This is my desire.
This is my desire, O Lord,
This is my desire.
(Noel Richards)

See also Psalm 84 and Luke 10:38-42

wedding

It's been nearly two weeks since our wedding.

We had a fabulous day and we would like to thank everyone who came along, took part and helped out to make the day as special as it was.

Thank you!

risen

magic

What with the busyness of wedding preparations and work, not to mention my terrible cold (I'm not good when I'm ill), blogging has taken a bit of a backseat.

One thing that caught my attention this week was a magic wand in Abby's vet kit.

I'm not sure how it ended up there, and it certainly seemed out of place amongst the toy stethoscope, bandages, syringe etc.

It made me think that if all else fails you can whip out the magic wand in the hope of putting things right.

How often do we have that attitude to prayer? If all else fails - pray!

Begin with prayer - talking and listening.

twins

follow

Twenty one years ago, at about 9.30pm in a car park in Redbourn, I made a decision to follow Jesus.

There have undoubtedly been times when onlookers will have questioned the validity of my decision, and to be fair my actions have not always lived up to my words.

I have always been, and constantly remain, dependant on God's grace.

Regardless of any successes or failures on my part it will always be the best decision I ever made, and the glory belongs to Him.

love

While talking on the phone to a friend yesterday he asked me what he could do to more obviously demonstrate love to his wife.

My suggestion was to make a list of three things that really bugged his wife and start work on putting one of them right. To compliment that I also suggested that he make a list of three ways he could really spoil his wife and make one of them happen.

I confessed to him that if Justine heard my suggestions she might wonder why I don't put them into practice myself.

Fair point.

I'll shall start work on my two lists today.

bridge

I was browsing through the pictures folder of my computer when I came across the picture shown below.

It made me stop and think.

clay

Yesterday I was thinking about how God wants to lift us up out of the miry clay and put us on a mountain top to breathe the fresh air and enjoy the spectacular views.

Yet sometimes we have been in the clay so long that we have started to like it there. We play in the clay. We find comfort and security in the clay.

I was thinking about all this again a few minutes ago, when I remembered that I bought some play-doh yesterday afternoon (for the wedding of course), and this morning I read an article on the BBC website about a tribute to Tony Hart, where people had made lots of Morphs.

The message has been reinforced.

We might think we like it in the clay but God has called us for something far greater.

smell

There has been a terrible smell in the living room all day today.

To be honest it's been a while since I cleaned the fish tank, so today I cleaned the fish tank.

However the smell was still as bad as ever.

The smell wasn't following me around the house so I knew it wasn't me, but what was it?

After some searching and moving of furniture I discovered the cause of the smell.

A dead mouse under the sofa.

The cat is in the dog house!

time

With only six weeks to go before the wedding it seems time is moving very quickly.

It's a shame life isn't a bit more like American Football where you can call a timeout and stop the clock.

Jesus knew the importance of taking timeout; often going off on his own to pray.

I think that is a discipline I need to be more disciplined about.

Schleiermacher

No he is not a German racing driver.

Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher was a German theologian and he is often referred to as the 'Father of Modern Protestant Theology'.

He died this day in 1834.

fear

According to the QI: FACT OF THE DAY on the BBC website, human beings are born with only two inbuilt fears: the fear of loud noises and the fear of falling. All other fears are abnormal and have to be learned.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7

g 'n' t

Truth without grace equals condemnation.

Grace without truth equals compromise.

Grace and truth equals Christ.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 (NIV)

snow

When one flake of snow falls on your face you brush it away and it melts.

When one flake of snow, or a few flakes of snow, fall on the ground you brush them away and they're gone.

But when thousands and millions of snow flakes fall they stop traffic, they grind cities to a halt.

Me doing my little bit, what difference does it make?

You doing your little bit, what difference does it make?

But us working together - well - lots of snowflakes stop traffic.

We can change this land and introduce them, reintroduce them, to Jesus who died on the cross for us.

(Steve Chalke, November 1994)

on this day

1953

A decade of wartime sweet rationing ends in Britain, sparking a scramble for toffee apples and nougat.

My dad is still buying nougat 56 years on.

buddy

militant

My name is Michael.

I discovered recently that the Archangel Michael was considered by Medieval Christians as the symbol or emblem of the Church Militant and as the patron saint of soldiers.

The feast day of St. Michael is 29th September - the day after my birthday.

So what? I am clearly not an angel of any kind let alone an Arch one.

On 31st May 1992 I was given a prophecy by someone I had never met before, who was leading a service at the church I was attending. I am fortunate enough to have a copy of that prophecy on tape, and the full text of it is below.

My reason for sharing it is to make myself more accountable and to publicly renew my commitment to the call God has given me.

I felt I couldn’t contain what God showed me.

When I saw you earlier and I said, “Who is king?” you were going, “Jesus, Jesus”. You were really shouting it out, and I saw a militant for the kingdom, a militant for the kingdom. I don’t know anything about you and I saw a militant for the kingdom and God says do not let anybody pour water on it. Do not let anybody pour water on it Mick.

God wants you militant and some people are going to struggle with it because at times you’ll get angry, but it’s a righteous anger that God’s going to put in your heart.

Don’t let anybody put water on it.

You need to go for what God gives you in your heart, and He’s going to put burdens on their and He’s going to put things in your heart which are going to stir you, and you are going to do battle in the heavenlies.

And when I saw you come forward you like to be where it’s at, you like to be where it’s going on and God says, “Yeah, I put that in your heart”. You like to be at the front, God says, “Yeah, you don’t ever sit at the back”. You need to be up the front where it’s happening you need to be going to meetings and places and things where the Spirit of God is moving.

You need to be getting to places where God is bringing warfare because you are going to be a man of warfare. You are going to be somebody who will break things. You are going to be a mover and shaker. You are going to cause the kingdom of God to come by violence and you are going to shake the enemy. You are going to make things happen, you are going to make things happen in people’s lives.

Don’t sit at the back. Don’t let people pour water on it.

The fire that you have in your heart is there because God has put it there, and sometimes you’ll weep and you won’t know why you’re weeping, that’s because God is stirring your heart and you have touched something of his heart, and you’ll weep, and you’ll weep, and you’ll weep, because God’s put it in your heart. You are going to weep over people, but as you do God’s going to break some things in their lives because you will hear and know the heart of God that’s weeping for people.

Don’t be frightened of that, don’t be frightened of that. Just allow God to tune your hearing, so that when you stand up and pray things are going to break, and when you stand up and go, “yeah Jesus” it’s going to break.

Go for it Mick. Don’t sit at the back, go for it.

waiting

One of the hardest things about praying for other people is waiting.

Last September some friends bought me a hyacinth bulb and a vase for my birthday.

I like hyacinths and was eager to see the bulb become a beautiful fragrant flower.

Unfortunately the instructions stated that the bulb should be kept somewhere dark and cold for ten weeks. That didn't sound to me like conditions that were conducive to growing anything, but I followed the instructions and put it in the fridge.

Just before Christmas it was time for the bulb to come out of the fridge and be placed somewhere lighter and warmer. Ten weeks in the fridge had produced a lot of roots but only a small green shoot.

Last week the hyacinth was in full bloom and smelling wonderful.

Even though waiting is hard and at times it feels dark and cold, it is often necessary if we are to witness the best that is to be had.

How long, O LORD, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, "Violence!"
but you do not save?

Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.

Habakkuk 1:2-3 (NIV)

intercession

A few weeks ago I was asked to lead the junior youth group at church. Yesterday morning was my day and I had been given some verses in Nehemiah 6 to base our time on, thinking about building and prayer.

We tried building with spaghetti and marshmallows and we tried building with newspaper and sellotape. We talked about building with prayer and fasting.

This morning the Scripture Union WordLive passage was Nehemiah 6. Interesting.

My mind was drawn to a verse in Ezekiel that has been significant to me for many years.

I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.
Ezekiel 22:30 (NIV)

More on this in the next day or two.

dare to dream

In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr delivered his now famous 'I have a dream' speech.

A little over 45 years later there is a black president in the White House, who wrote in a letter to his daughters:

"These are the things I want for you - to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world".

And what about the rest of us?

Make me, Lord, a dreamer for Your kingdom
Plant in my heart heavenly desires
Grant faith that can say, impossibilities shall be
And vision lest a world should perish not knowing Thee

Make me, Lord, a dreamer for Your kingdom
I would aspire to greater goals in God
So cause faith to rise, to motivate each word and deed
A faith that's well convinced that Jesus meets every need

Make me, Lord, a dreamer for Your kingdom
Dreams that will change a world that's lost its way
May dreams that first found their birth in Your omnipotence
Come alive in me, becoming reality
(Chris Bowater)

it's a...

baby!

Justine had her 20 week scan today, and everything is as it should be!

Priase God that, from the President of America to our unborn child, he knows us and loves us.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV)

one man

Like millions of people around the world, today I have feelings of hope and excitement.

Can one man really make that much difference to the nation of America - to the world?

Rather than standing on the sidelines watching and waiting, and analyzing and criticising, let us join with this one man.

Support Barack Obama in prayer and share in the responsibility for making this world a better place to live for everyone.

what a day

According to some psychologists today is Blue Monday.

Today is also Martin Luther King day.
Not a day to be blue.

But best of all, today is Abby's 6th birthday.
Happy birthday beautiful.

What a day!

sixty fork handles

Yesterday my Dad reached the grand old age of 64, and we all had a fun evening celebrating with him.

People say that things happen in threes.

Over the last three days I have had three pairs of things brought to my attention.

Yesterday morning the phrase 'Save trees - eat a beaver' popped into my head. The book Abby brought home from school yesterday was all about beavers.

Yesterday afternoon I was thinking that having a best man at a wedding can be limiting. Perhaps 'a few good men' would be preferable. Incidentally that is the title of one of my all time favourite films. I was awake in the wee small hours last night having cleared up two lots of sick. Not pleasant. I put the TV on because I was wide awake and found myself watching A Few Good Men on ITV2.

On Sunday morning our minister read out 2 Chronicles 7:14 which talks of humbling ourselves and prayer. The introductory note on wordlive this morning reads, 'Humble yourself and ask for God’s help in prayer.'

What does all that mean?

I have no idea.

In the meantime, while I'm trying to figure it all out, I will humble myself and pray.

advice

If you are struggling to stay warm during the current cold snap you could try:

1) Turning up the heating

2) Putting on an extra jumper

3) Leaving the fridge door open

4) Going on holiday

ashamed?

This morning I was talking to the grandparent of one of Abby's school friends. He is a Jehovah Witness and therefore doesn't celebrate Christmas. So we talked about what we did over the holiday and during the break. I didn't mention the word Christmas, and of course neither did he.

Whislt waiting at the Cusotmer Service desk this afternoon in Sainsbury's I picked up a copy of the Times newspaper. I had a long wait and plenty of time to read. As I flicked through the pages something caught my eye. At the top of the section headed Births, Marriages and Deaths there is a bible verse. Mark 8:38 to be precise.

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.

Had I been ashamed of mentioning Jesus during my conversation that morning? My intention was merely to be tactful and recognise the view held by this particular individual. I honestly felt no sense of trying to hide my allegiance to Jesus. But what if I had? Would Jesus have been ashamed of me when he returns?

On three occasions Peter denied he had any acquaintance with Jesus whatsoever. When Jesus returns I don't think he will be ashamed of Peter.

That's grace.

think

I like a challenge, I like change.

If you want to challenge the way you think and are open to change then have a look at the websites below everyday!

WordLive
h2g2

Happy thinking.

president

John Atta Mills is the new President of Ghana.

Being one of the few African countries to have a stable democracy let us pray for the new President and all the people he will serve, that they may be an example to all their neighbours.

begin

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
(John 1:1-5 ESV)

How will you begin this year?