gappy

At the age of 5 years, 9 months and 20 days Abby lost her first tooth.

She is very pleased about it and can't wait for the tooth fairy to come.

I have a feeling the tooth fairy is going to look a lot like me!

Francisco Friday (Week 1)

I'll Never Let Go Of Your Hand

I know what you've been hearing
I've seen you hide your fear
Embarrassed by your weaknesses
Afraid to let Me near
I wish you knew how much
I long for you to understand
No matter what may happen, child
I'll never let go of your hand

I know you've been forsaken
By all you've known before
When you failed their expectations
They frowned and closed the door
But even if your heart itself
Should lose the will to stand
No matter what may happen, child
I'll never let go of your hand

The life that I have given you
No one can take away
Cos I've sealed it with my Spirit, Blood and Word
The everlasting Father
Has made His covenant with you
And He's stronger than the world you've seen and heard

So don't you fear to show them
All the love I have for you
I'll be with you everywhere
In everything you do
And even if you do it wrong
And miss the joy I've planned
I'll never, never let go of your hand

The life that I have given you
No one can take away
Cos I've sealed it with my Spirit, Blood and Word
The everlasting Father
Has made His covenant with you
And He's stronger than the world you've seen and heard

So don't you fear to show them
All the love I have for you
I'll be with you everywhere
In everything you do
And even when you do it wrong
And miss the joy I've planned
I'll never, never, never let go of your hand
I'll never let go of your hand

by Don Francisco

predictable?

Yesterday I took a great photo of the fire I had painstakingly got going for Bonfire Night, only to be told by my good friend Lee,
"That'll be on the blog soon".

Today, after making a donation to the Poppy Appeal at Asda, I went on a bit about sacrifice and the cost others have paid for our benefit. Justine's response to my little speech was,
"I can see a blog coming on".

Am I really that predictable?

The truth is I was going to blog about both of those things, and in a way I just have.

Rather than admitting to being predictable, I like to think it is simply the fact that those close to me know me very well.

This means I have successfully maintained my mysterious edginess, and of course my overwhelming self-delusion!

whatever

This word has become synonymous with teenage apathy and indifference.

That's a shame, but it was great to see a record turnout amongst voters for the US election. Apathy was replaced with enthusiasm. People wanted change.

The last two lines of the hymn 'Be Thou My Vision' are:

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

Here the word whatever speaks of resolution and determination, come what may.

Personally I'm pleased that President Obama will take up office in January. You may not be so pleased.

But, whatever befall, we still worship the ruler of all.

Though the fig-tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)

justified?

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself:

'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said,

'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)

three

Yesterday in church our Old Testament reading was Isaiah 58:1-9a.

It really struck me that the reading finished halfway through a verse, so I read on.

Last night, as I was finishing a book in bed, I read a chapter that quoted Isaiah 58:9b-11.

This morning I had a conversation with a friend who had recently been subject to a whole load of malicious talk about another friend.

Let's spend our time fruitfully by meeting the needs of others.

If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
Isaiah 58:9b-10

food

Yesterday Olivia and Katie and I made orange muffins.

They turned out looking pretty good and tasted even better.

The photo is genuinely of one of the muffins we made, but a photo is never as good as the real thing.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8 (NIV)