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)