In Which I Don't Have Much To Say

There have been no posts, because there has not been much to post about. The Long Hours have restricted activities.

I have ripped out the hems of a pair of work trousers as either they've shrunk or I've grown. Both are exceedingly unlikely, as I've had them for at least 3 years, why would they shrink now - plus they've only shrunk in the leg length direction, and have expanded in the waist dimension (not strictly true, the Long Hours and Walking To Work have resulted in shrinking of my waist dimension, but the point still stands), and since I very much stopped growing a good few years ago, neither seems plausible. Huh. Anyway, they need the hems letting down. I have let down, now I must re-pin, press and sew.

I have been reading. Or rather, trying to read. The advent of a television (the Wildlife Photographer's, I was not very pro, but apparently it is here to stay) has meant (as I feared, hence the not being pro) I tend to slump in front of it, rather than reading or spending my time more usefully. I have been reading Don Carson's touching, and excellent, biography of his father Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor, although, like many of my books it has the sad fate of a bookmark 1/3 of the way through.

I have also been reading Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks, which is an interesting and light look into music and the brain.

Morning Needs

O God, the author of all good,
I come to Thee for the grace another day will require
                        for its duties and events.
                I step out into a wicked world,
                I carry about with me an evil heart,
                I know that without thee I can do nothing,
                            that everything with which I shall be concerned,
                                                   however harmless in itself,
                                  may prove an occasion of sin or folly,
                                  unless I am kept by thy power.
Hold Thou me up and I shall be safe.
Preserve my understanding from subtilty of error,
                my affections from love of idols,
                my character from stain of vice,
                my profession from every form of evil.
May I engage in nothing in which I cannot implore Thy blessing,
          and in which I cannot invite Thy inspection.
Prosper me in all lawful undertakings,
           or prepare me for disappointments;
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with food convenient for me,
           lest I be full and deny Thee
           and say, Who is the Lord?
           or be poor, and steal, and take Thy name in vain.
May every creature be made good to me by prayer and Thy will;
Teach me how to use the world, and not abuse it,
                       to improve my talents,
                       to redeem my time,
                       to walk in wisdom toward those without,
                           and in kindness to those within,
                       to do good to all men,
                       and especially to my fellow Christians.
And to Thee be the glory.

"Morning Needs" from  The Valley of Vision (A collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions) by Arthur Bennett

Look what I got!

For which I am so very grateful and pleased.

The whole haul. That bright sunflower? From the Queen of Sheba.

Close up on the books - a wonderful collection of what my life is (and a bit of what I wish it only was) - God on top, some sewing, some cooking, some knitting and domestic organisation.

And this? This is an AMAZING halterneck apron, covered in Nasturtiums designed and made for me by the Kindred Spirit.

I recommend...

The Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett. A collection of Puritan Prayers. The Puritans were great thinkers and had their theology nailed. I've quoted from this book before, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Prayers for when you don't know what to pray, when you are praying in a great Christian truth, prayers to read and ponder. Excellent for when your heart is so overwhelmed (either in joy or in sorrow) that words don't come easily. Also useful for getting into the habit of praying well structured prayers of clarity. As the blurb says, "This book has been prepared not to 'supply' prayers but to prompt and encourage the Christian as he treads the path on which others have gone before."

This is my hymnbook

Just a little notebook given to me as a Christmas gift several years ago, but I would be heart-broken if it disappeared. It contains my favourite hymns and Christian songs. Some hand-written (not very neatly, because I'm not very good at judging how much space each one will take up), others cut from hymn sheets and pasted in. This is my hymnbook. For singing when I need to sing.

Three Quid's Worth of Gospel

"I would like to buy about three quid's worth of gospel, please. Not too much - just enough to make me happy, but not so much that I get addicted. I don't want so much gospel that I learn to really hate covetousness and lust; I certainly don't want so much that I start to love my enemies, cherish self-denial, and contemplate missionary service in some alien culture. I want ecstasy, not repentance; I want transcendence, not transformation. I would like to be cherished by some nice, forgiving, broad-minded people, but I myself don't want to love those from different races - especially if they smell. I would like enough gospel to make my family secure and my children well behaved, but not so much that I find my ambitions redirected, or my giving too greatly enlarged.

I would like about three quid's worth of gospel please.

Of course, none of us is so crass as to put it that way. But most of us have felt the temptation to opt for a domesticated version of the gospel."

D.A. Carson - Basics for Believers

New Term, New Books

This term I'm going to be reading one-to-one with one of the ladies from my weekly Bible study. I let her have free rein over what we would study, and she chose Philippians. Having re-read it over a few times in preparation, I'm pretty excited about it. We're going to use it as an opportunity to hone Bible handling skills too, so I'm also using Dig Deeper by Nigel Beynon and Andrew Sach to see which "tools" we can use to explore the passage.

Chilli, Tomato and Onion Marmalade

Adapted from "Cherry Tomato and Sweet Chilli Jam" from Gifts from the Kitchen by Annie Rigg. Kindly bought for me for Christmas by my brother.