An Autumn Trip to Delamere Forest

Yesterday afternoon we took Sam for a walk in Delamere Forest, which is a beauty spot just a few miles from where we live with lots of trees, lots of water and lots of walks.

Sam loves a walk in the forest as much as we do.

He enjoyed rooting amongst the leaves and discovering lots of new smells!

Plenty of water as well as trees helps to make this forest even more of a special place to experience.

There were so many great walks to choose from.

Waterfowl abound on the great expanses of the mere.

All in all a great place to go for a walk or just to wander and think, all the time appreciating the beauty of the surroundings and praising God for His wonderful creation. These are a few pictures that I took whilst we were there. Hope you like them!

Johhny, Mike & The Shades . . . A real wander down 'Memory Lane'

Whilst browsing the Internet this morning I came across information about the pop group Johnny, Mike & The Shades. Way back in 1959 I met Johnny Cannon for the first time when he was the singer for a group called The Ray Stevens Combo. At that time I worked for a men's tailors and we made a new stage outfit for the Combo. The band members had black with purple trimmings and Johnny had a purple jacket with black trousers and black trimmings. We became friendly, and soon I joined them as resident compere, trailing around with the group on any number of gigs for about three years under the watchful eye of manager Jack Steed.

After Johnny Cannon and Mike Long left the group to set up on their own with The Shades I lost touch, although every now and then I would get some news about them. I remember that they cut a disc in the '60's with Decca, and called 'Poison Ivy', although I never managed to get a copy. If anyone reading this has a copy of any recording by the group then I would greatly appreciate a copy which will help to fill in the 'gap years'. You can email me if you have, or if you have any other news about this great group.

Now, all these years later, I have found a whole raft of information about them, and even a track that they recorded of the Lennon/McCartney song, 'This Boy', for BBC Radio's 'Saturday Club' introduced by Brian Mathews (1963 or 64). This was recorded at Shepherds Bush studios at 8 O'clock in the morning!

The life of pop groups is often a relatively fleeting thing, and Johnny, Mike & The Shades finally split up in 1967, but they certainly left behind some great memories for many people, including me.

Why not read about them for yourself on the Kinema:gigz website.

The Voice

The latest edition of The Voice Christian News & Views is on the presses as I write, and will soon be winging its way to all the people around the world who are on our mailing list. If you, dear reader, don't currently receive a copy, which comes absolutely FREE of charge, then why not register today. Do that and you will be able to enjoy the Christmas edition in a couple of weeks time!

Jesus Loves YOU!

Last month I celebrated the 39th anniversary of handing my life over to Jesus Christ, and that is such an important part of my Journey. As I reflect on the years in between the one overwhelming factor that continues to amaze me is that God would provide such a wonderful means of reconciliation for sinners as His plan of SALVATION through Jesus Christ.

SALVATION is FREE for everyone who chooses to accept JESUS as their SAVIOUR and acknowledge Him as their LORD. Of course, freedom is not a licence to continue to live in the same way as you have always lived, for if this was so then the freedom would be worthless. Salvation grants freedom from SIN, though not freedom from temptation. That will remain, for the devil will constantly seek to trip up the Lord's people just as any other. However, with Jesus in your heart and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead you in the ways of the Lord, it is easier to spot right from wrong and thereby to opt for the right path on your journey.

As I look back over almost four decades of following Jesus I am astounded by the way that, no matter how many times I have slipped up, He has always been there for me. I have no hesitation in acknowledging that my life, in which I find great contentment and happiness, owes those factors to the person whom I am BECAUSE of my love for Jesus.

By nature I am a fairly tactile character, and I recognise the tremendous value of touch, whether it be simply the touch of your hand on someones arm or a hug. Touch, especially when it is in the name of Jesus, offers comfort and sanctuary. There have been many occasions when I have found that a simple touch has spoken louder than a thousand words could ever do.

One of the important things for people is to be reminded that they are loved. It makes them feel wanted, needed, and that they matter as a person. Generally speaking, we all like to be told that we are loved by those close to us. Personally I like to start and close each day by telling the people who matter most to me that I love them, and so the first words spoken in the morning and the last spoken at night will be to tell my wife that I love her. In my daily prayers I also like to tell Jesus how I love Him as well, and every time that I reach out to someone in His name then I reiterate that love for Him.

It's easy to be taken for granted and, therefore it follows that it's also easy to take others for granted. Today, why not change that in YOUR life. Tell the people around you who matter that you love them, that they are important in your life, that they MATTER! Not only will they feel better for it, you will as well. And whilst you are about it, tell Jesus that you love Him as well, and reach out to others in His name to share His love with them.

There are many people who either are or who have been in my life whom I consider it a great privilege to know or to have known, but none has ever had the impact of the greatest friend of all, Jesus Christ. I hope that, through the pages of my Blog, i manage to share Him with you a little, and that you. dear reader, will be blessed by that sharing.

To close this post I would like to share the words of the following hymn with you which tells much of the way that I feel about Jesus, . . . my Jesus, . . . my Lord.

I’ll See Jesus 6.5.6.5. D
Tune: Take Time to be Holy

One day I’ll see Jesus,
We’ll stand face to face;
I’ll offer my praises,
In thanks for His grace.
I’ll worship and thank Him
For His gracious love;
I’ll praise him for ever,
In His kingdom above.

For all of life’s blessings,
My family and friends,
I’ll praise Him in glory,
Where life never ends.
I’ll praise Him as Shepherd,
As one of His sheep;
I’m saved by His grace, now
My soul He will keep.

Keep me and protect me,
For my sins atone;
All as one with Jesus,
Rest in Him alone,
Then one day in heaven,
Through His saving grace,
I’ll stand before Jesus,
With Him, face to face.

© Colin Gordon-Farleigh, June 2006

. . . and we still got change from a shilling!

At present I'm reading the first part of the biography of Welsh playwright and actor, Emlyn Williams, (pictured above) titled George, which manages to evoke quite a few memories in yours truly, even though my younger life started many years after his did for he entered this world in November 1905, whilst I waited until August 1943.

As a schoolboy the young Emlyn Williams --- a quiet, bookish, child, had a vivid imagination that led him on the flights of fancy that would lay the foundation for honing his skills as a dramatist and actor, both of which he excelled at. One of his joys in life was to visit the cinema, and by the time he was at school in Holywell he was going to the cinema twice or three times a week, soaking up the atmosphere to the extent that he would often carry the characters and the plots in his head, later imposing them on the more mundane moments of his life.

How well I recall going to the Gaumont Cinema in Chippenham, Wiltshire, on a Saturday morning when I was a boy growing up in the 1950's. A return bus fare from Corsham, almost five miles away, was 4d, and the cinema cost 6d downstairs (where I always sat) and 9d upstairs. We would sing the Gaumont song, 'We come along on Saturday morning, greeting everybody with a smile! Smile! Smile! . . .' and you got in free if it was your birthday. I think some children had two or three birthdays a year in order to avail themselves of this particular benefit! The remaining 2d of your pocket money purchased a few sweets! Aah! The days of our youth . . . what memories they can evoke!

I usually went on my own rather than as part of a group, and yet once there it seemed that we were all part of one big group. The programme in those days was pretty extensive usually starting with a cartoon such as Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny, moving on to the next instalment of Superman and often a cowboy film as well. What tremendous value for money we got!

Just as Emlyn Williams recalls in his biography, I too remember the sense of escape from the mundane that the cinema afforded. Blessed with a good imagination it was easy to transport oneself into the make-believe world of the cinema characters, living out their lives long after you had left the cinema itself. Many years later I would put this to good use when I 'trod the boards' in so many plays, including one of Emlyn Williams' play, Night Must Fall.

Of course, I believe that having a good imagination is essential if you are to achieve any measure of success as a writer, whether as a poet, novelist or playwright. Perhaps the only area of authorship where a vivid imagination would be a hindrance is that of the writers of fact rather than fiction, for to attempt to produce nothing but facts would be in danger of being coloured by an over-active imagination! Certainly, I consider that the measure of my own achievements as a poet, songwriter and author of many magazine-style articles, owes much to the manner in which my young mind soaked up the world of the cinema when I was a child, as well as the world that I populated via my imagination.

What about you, dear reader? Have I managed to evoke any special memories for you in today's post? I hope so!

Mugabe runs true to form . . .

Stories are filtering through into the world's Press about the way that the despotic tyrant Mugabe has attempted to foist junior positions on Morgan Tsvangarai's MDC in the so-called 'Unified Government' deal brokered by Thabo Mbeki recently as a way forward from the horrors that Mugabe has persistently inflicted on the beleaguered people of Zimbabwe.

Well, here's one observer who is not the least surprised by Mugabe's double-dealing. No matter what he says or promises, no matter what pieces of paper he puts his name to, at the end of the day he is what he is --- a liar. The only truth he recognises is that which he makes up in order to cling to power. This clown of a leader knows only one form of rule, and that does not include sharing power with anyone at all. Mugabe's belief is that he is the only one who knows best, and when it comes to the things that keep him clinging to power he's quite right!

I have stated before, and reiterate now, that the only thing that will get Mugabe out of Office is his demise. When that happens, hopefully sooner rather than later for the good of Zimbabweans and of that once-proud nation, then I for one will shed no tears of sorrow. No, my tears are reserved for the countless thousands who have been slaughtered and/or tortured at this despot's direct command.

Maybe Tsvangarai offers a better future. One thing is for certain, it could hardly be worse. Only time will tell. I hope and pray that Zimbabweans may come soon to a time of renewed hope and of faith in living. May God bless them and deliver them from the murderous hands of Mugabe soon.

Please

Do not stop praying for the freedom of the Zimbabwean people!

A Few Things to Remember

There are so many things that we should remember and take note of, yet so often they pass us by simply because we cannot see the wood for the trees. Here's a list of things which would benefit you to read and remember, especially useful for those times in life when you're tempted to feel a little sorry for yourself.

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.


2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.


3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.


4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.


5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.


6. You mean the world to someone.


7. You are special and unique.


8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.


9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.


10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take another look.


11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

Always remember.....When life hands you lemons, make lemonade and call me over!!

Good friends are like stars..... you don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

'Whenever God closes one door He always opens another'

I'd rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here, than a whole truck load when I'm gone.

Ok, so it's the 13th. So What?

Today is the 13th of the month, and that means that there will be lots of people who go about all day worrying about what disaster is going to befall them, or at the least, what is going to go wrong in their lives today.

There will be people who hope to see a black cat walk across their path; people who try to avoid walking under ladders or on the cracks in the pavements; people who don't even want to get up all day until the perceived 'bad luck day' is over and done with.

Personally, I couldn't care less! I happen to not believe in the power of 'Bad Luck', although I do believe that if you will something to happen or not to happen, then it invariably works out that way.

Of course today is only a Monday, so that's probably not as bad as if it were a Friday!

I found the following regarding the various superstitions surrounding the 13th, and now I share it with you:

Superstitions - Mirrors and Number 13
by Sarah Todd

Superstitions have been a part of our everyday life since the beginning of time. The basis for these beliefs has its source in fear. They've been with us since the dawn of time, and although they've undergone many changes they remain with us today. And there's no sign of them dying out any time soon.

Superstitions are not based on rationale and practical thought. They've evolved from ancient religious or supernatural genres, a huge resource that includes belief in specific events (Halloween), apparitions (vampires, werewolves and ghosts), charms and incantations (salt over the shoulder, avoiding pavement cracks) and predicting the future (horoscopes, palm reading).

Another famous superstition revolves around the number 13, with the date being an inspiration for a series of horror films entitled Friday the 13th. There are many different stories that have evolved to give this date its notoriety, among them:

• The biblical reference to the Last Supper, with Judas betraying Jesus. He was the 13th guest at the table. Jesus was reportedly crucified on Friday.
• In ancient Rome a witch's coven comprised 12, with the 13th member being the devil.
• A Norse myth tells of 12 gods dining at Valhalla, their heaven. A 13th uninvited guest, Loki, arrived, persuading the god of darkness to slay the god of happiness.

Numerologists consider the number 12 a complete number for several reasons: the number of apostles, the total number of tribes in Israel, the number of months in a year, the number of Olympian gods, the zodiac signs and Hercules' labours. 13's association with bad luck is the simple, unavoidable fact that it exceeds a complete number by just one.

Another modern myth about this unfortunate number claims that if you have 13 letters in your name you will have the devil's luck. So is it a coincidence that the following characters reflect this trait?

Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy, Albert De Salvo.

The humble mirror is probably the focus of more superstitions than any other object. These stories evolved from the times when water was used as a mirror. People would look into the water to see their fates. If the image was distorted it was a sure sign of the viewer's death. As the mirror changed form, so did the beliefs. Early people gazed into a mirror in the same way that someone might gaze into a crystal ball. He imagined he saw the image of his soul. If the mirror was shattered so was the soul, and the person would die. The seven year's bad luck seems to have evolved from the ancient Roman belief that it took seven years for life to renew itself. The Romans are also responsible for little known remedy useful for anyone who breaks a mirror - the only way to escape the seven year sentence is to bury the broken mirror pieces!

Consider the following superstitions, all very different, but relevant to the superstitious history attached to the mirror:

• There's an ancient superstition that says all mirrors in a house where someone has died must be covered.
• This prevents the soul from getting trapped in the mirror. And anyone else who's admired his or her reflection in the mirror risks loosing his or her soul, because the ghost of the dead person will take it!
• If a mirror falls from a wall it means someone is going to die.
• Vampires and witches show no reflection in mirrors because they have no souls.
• A mirror framed on three sides means a witch has used it to see over long distances.
• Some cultures believe that a baby who looks into a mirror during the first year of its life will die.
• Ancient Chinese believed that mirrors frighten away evil spirits who get scared when they see themselves; and if the mirror was broken the protection was lost.
• It's considered bad luck to see your face in a mirror when sitting by candlelight. In your youth did you look at your faces in a mirror with a torch shining below your chin? That was a scary sight!
• Actors believe it's bad luck to see their reflection while looking over the shoulder of another person.
• If a couple's first sight of each other is their reflections in a mirror they will have a happy marriage.
• Want to see what your future husband looks like? Sit down in front of a mirror and eat an apple before brushing your hair. An image of a man will appear behind your shoulder!

I've briefly touched on some of the lesser known superstitions around two of the most superstitions topics in history. Even today mirrors and number 13 have the ability to strike fear in the heart of the bravest men and women. I wonder how many superstitions will be added to these icons of superstition in the years ahead.

About the Author
The writer was born in Africa, and lived there for the first 38 years of her life. She worked in the world of public relations for over five years, running her own PR company and dealing extensively with the world of journalism and the print media. She is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/, a site for Writers. Her blog can be visited at: http://www.writing.com/authors/zwisis/blog

Where Does All the Time Go To?

I wonder why mornings have to start so early in the day?

My thinking goes like this: I work best in the mornings, so it stands to reason that if only I could spend a little longer resting in bed before I had to get up that I would work even better. All it needs is for the morning to start a couple of hours later than it does now.

As a matter of fact, on the subject of time, why is it that there are only 24 hours in a day, when everyone knows that we could do much more if only there were more hours in the day! Even the weeks and months go by too quickly nowadays. Why, no sooner have you got Christmas out of the way than the months have rushed by and it's time for the next Christmas to begin.It all seems so unfair. When I was a child the days, weeks, months and years took absolutely ages to go by. There always seemed to be enough time for everything then, not like it is now. There must be an answer somewhere!

Well, actually there is of course. The answer is that as we get older, so time, in relation to our age, is less. When you are just a small child then a 6-week Summer vacation is a HUGE amount of time in relation to your years. For the same reason 24-year old grown-ups seem positively ancient to an 8-year old, who is, after all, just a third of their age.

What all this means is that if we are to get the most out of our time then we need to plan it out a little better. We need to ensure that the important things in life get attended to before it's too late.

One of the most important things that we need to ensure we have done is to put ourselves right with God. Reading John 14.6 we learn that Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by Me." Therefore we need to ensure that we have truly repented of our sinful state and acknowledged Jesus as the Living Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God who was sent to save mankind and redeem them to God the Father.

No matter how early or how late your morning starts, the one sure thing is that you don't know is how much time you have left, so there's no time to waste. So, if you still have not done this one important thing, no matter what else you do today, no matter how busy you seem to be, get this task out the way now!

Beautiful Advice

An Angel says, 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.'

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say 'No' to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and de-clutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19 Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favourite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you, Jesus .'

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

'If God is for us, who can be against us?'(Romans 8:31)

Hymn of the Month

Every month we post one of my Worship Songs onto the 'Hymn of the Month' page in the Sheer Joy Music website, and this month we have just posted one of my Advent songs, The Infant Christ. If you follow this link you can download a copy of the sheet music for free and also listen to the tune. I'm posting the lyrics below. Hope you enjoy it and especially that you will take it to your church and enjoy singing it this Advent Season!

You have full permission to copy the song for use in your church, although it cannot be included in any form of publication (electronic or otherwise) where a charge is made for the publication as a whole.

The Infant Christ
Tune: Dennis

Worship the infant Christ
Asleep in manger bare;
The Son of God, come down to earth,
His glory shining there.

Then Mary, looking down,
At Jesus where He lay,
Saw all the angel promised her
Asleep on bed of hay.

She shed a tear of joy,
For Jesus lying there;
She placed a kiss upon His head,
The world her joy to share.

God’s love complete in Him,
Is there for us to find,
He is our Saviour and our Lord,
Our souls He’ll care and mind.

So may we ever praise,
With heart and voice and soul,
The blessed Saviour of the world,
Who came to make us whole.

Now, as we gaze on Him,
In that manger crude and bare,
Our voices we will lift in praise
Of the Christ-child lying there!
© Colin Gordon-Farleigh, 2006

On Wednesday I posted a blog about Chris Mercer and included the lyrics to one of the songs from her CD Whispers of His Grace. One line in particular (When I'm lovin' through the hate) kept hitting on me, and ran around in my head through last night. This is what happens when I write songs, so I knew that a song was forming, and sure enough, when I sat in front of the computer this morning, the song escaped from my head! The lyrics are below. Hope you like them!

Love Away the Hate

There’s so much in the world today
that’s tearing me apart;
it sometimes seems our universe
has got a broken heart.
Lord Jesus come back to our world
before it is too late:
and love away the brokenness
and love away the hate.
Yes, love away the brokenness
And love away the hate.
For only You,
Yes, only You,
Can bring a peace
To this world of ours.
Yes, only you,
Lord, only You,
Can bring God’s peace
To this world of ours.

Instead of living as You taught,
our lives are full of greed.
We’re chasing after things we want,
and missing what we need.
And each day moves us closer still
To brokenness and hate,
Lord Jesus come back to our world,
before it is too late.
Yes, come back now into our world,
and love away the hate.
For only You,
Yes, only You,
Can bring a peace
To this world of ours.
Yes, only you,
Lord, only You,
Can bring God’s peace
To this world of ours.

Once You return we’ll live again,
Refreshed, renewed, revived.
We’ll lift our hands in praise to You
And cast our hate aside.
You’ll love away the brokenness
And love away the pain;
And we will all Your people be,
Renewed to life again.
For only You,
Yes, only You,
Can bring a peace
To this world of ours.
Yes, only you,
Lord, only You,
Can bring God’s peace
To this world of ours.
© Copyright 2008 : Colin Gordon-Farleigh

A Trusty Anchor in a Safe Harbour

I thought today that I would share the meditation that I received from my friend Joanne Lowe this morning. You can read more of her writings by visiting the link at the bottom of this post, or email her an encouraging word if you like. I look forward to getting a new meditation every day from her. It helps to minister to me. Sometimes people forget that Ministers and Pastors need ministering to just as much as anyone else.

THE ANCHOR OF OUR HEARTS

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 6: 19, 20 - King James Version

Webster’s Dictionary has a lot of different meanings for the word “anchor”. The definition that stood out to me and the one that I like best of all reminds me of our precious Saviour. The definition is 'to secure firmly: '. When Jesus anchors our hearts in His unconditional love, it is anchored even firmer than concrete.

Our precious Saviour secures our hearts firmly by His cleansing atoning blood that He shed for us on the cross of Calvary. Once His blood has been applied to our hearts for the forgiveness of our sins, we are His for all eternity and nobody and nothing can pry us from Him.

We read in the Bible “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one” (John 10: 27 - 30).

Jesus is not only the anchor of our hearts; He is also our firm foundation. One day, our merciful and loving Heavenly Father opened His heart of unconditional love and compassion to us and sent His beloved Son into the world to bear the penalty for our sins. Jesus paid the debt that we could never pay. The debt was not His. Jesus had never sinned; had never done anything wrong, not one time.

Yet Jesus willingly walked that long lonely road to Calvary and there shed His precious blood for our salvation. He could have come down from the cross if He had wanted to but He stayed on that cross of horror because He loves us so much. He suffered an excruciating pain that we will never be able to fully comprehend with our human minds. We only have just a fingernail’s understanding of how much pain and agony that He suffered for us. What a Saviour, this Jesus of Nazareth! Have you allowed Jesus to anchor your heart with His cleansing atoning blood for the forgiveness of your sins?

Joanne Lowe
joannelowe8@cox.net
http://www.fromtheheartofjesus.com/

A little while ago I received an email from a great Christian singer who lives on the Wirral, just a few miles from my own home. Her name is Chris Mercer and soon after the email we met up to chat about music, song-writing, worship songs, and the like. Chris gave me a copy of her latest CD, Whispers of His Grace, which has 10 great tracks on it. I especially liked the track All Because of You, the words to which are as follows:

When I am smiling through tears

And the sky looks dark and grey

When I fly with broken wings to you

Wanna dance let the music play today

I will remember You . . . my Lord

In everything You said to me . . .

It's all because of You, it's all because of You

It's all because of You, my Lord,

It's all because of You,

It's all because of You

It's all because of YOu

That I can love the way I do.

When I'm lovin' through the hate

The storm looks violent and blue

When I hold a broken heart to You

Wanna sing but the song has gone today

I will remember You, my Lord

In everything You said to me . . . yeah,

Copyright 2008 : Chris Mercer

Why not visit Chris's website for yourself, have a listen to the sample tracks and then perhaps you'll decide to become the owner of her fantabulous CD, just like me!

Natural Healing Power

God's Pharmacy

God left us great clues as to what foods help what part of our body!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycaemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

A few more things to brighten your day!

I know that you enjoy pics of Christmas lights, even though I think that they are a gross extravagance in terms of their usage of our energy resources.

Nonetheless, as I can't stop them I will at least enjoy the spectacle and share it with you dear reader.

So here are a few more that I've found.

A GREAT Christmas Cake Recipe

For the past few years we have had a Christmas Cake given to us by our Aunt Muriel, but now, at the grand age of 98, she has finally moved from her home into a Residential Home, and so we have to find a good recipe for ourselves. Whilst looking for one I stumbled across a great site --- especially if you like your food! --- called The Cottage Smallholder, and lo and behold I found what promises the elixir of life for all Christmas Cake junkies. In our household there are only two of us who enjoy Christmas Cake, and one of us does not like the addition of candied peel that most recipes include, so the recipe below will ensure that we are both satisfied. We don't like a cake that is too dark, too heavy or too dry, and this looks as though the opposite of all three 'Don't likes . . .' will be the case. Why not try it and see for yourself.

Also, take a visit to The Cottage Smallholder blog site and check out some of the other recipes to be found there.

Last minute Christmas Cake recipe

Equipment:

8" round cake tin (4" deep), baking parchment.

Ingredients:
· 450g raisins
· 285g sultanas
· 110g currants
· 180g glacé cherries (halved)
· 110g ground almonds
· 225g unsalted butter (room temperature)
· 225g soft brown sugar (pale)
· 285g plain flour (sieved) . zest of a lemon
· 5 eggs
· 2 tsp of mixed spice
· 2 tbsp of pale runny honey
· 200 ml of beer (I used Speckled Hen)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 160c (140 fan)


• Line the base and sides of the 8" cake tin with a double thickness of baking parchment. Cut the paper an inch deeper than the tin so that it is sticking above the top rim.


• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (I use an electric mixer for this).


• Beat the eggs well and add them gradually to the mixture, a little at a time, beating them well. If the mixture curdles beat in a teaspoon of the flour before continuing.


• Using a tablespoon, gently fold in the flour, lemon zest and spices.


• Fold in the beer and honey and stir gently.


• Add the fruit and ground almonds and stir gently.


• Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and make a hollow in the centre of the mixture (roughly 2" wide and 1" deep).


• Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for about 2.5 hours depending on your oven, it may need a little longer. Check that it is cooked by inserting a skewer into the middle - this should be clean when removed. The centre should feel firm and springy if touched.


• Turn out onto a wire rack. When it is cold, make a few holes in the top and bottom of the cake (using a skewer) and feed the cake with the Irish whiskey (brandy would be fine as an alternative).


• Wrap the cake in baking parchment and store in a tin or cover with foil until you need it.
  
  A useful Tip:


• If you are going to cover the cake with marzipan and ice it, put the marzipan on a few days before it is iced so the surface of the marzipan can dry. Otherwise the marzipan can bleed through and stain the icing.

'What Did You Mean?'

I've just finished a new ballad with my composer buddy, Greg Scheer, and you can listen to Greg singing the first verse of it here if you like What Do You Mean? You can also download a copy of the sheet music so that you can play it and sing it yourself.

Over the last two years, Greg and I have written a few dozen songs together, an assortment of Worship Songs and secular songs. Lots of them have now been recorded under the Sheer Joy Music label, and are available to buy online on that site. They include a CD of love songs, When I'm With You, recorded by Susan Marrs and released in June this year; a CD of worship songs, Beautiful Sound, sung in Russian and recorded by Lyra in St Petersburg, released last May; and a CD of worship songs, There is Joy, sung by a great choral ensemble called Cantoris, released about a year ago. You can hear samples from all of these CDs on the Sheer Joy Music website.

Greg Scheer is Minister of Worship at Church of the Servant in Grand Rapids and Music Associate at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. In addition to the volume of songs that he has co-written with me, his writings include The Art of Worship (Baker Books, Fall of 2006) and contributions to Reformed Worship, The Hymn, Call to Worship and Worship Leader and a chapter in New Songs of Celebration Render (forthcoming, GIA, ed C. Michael Hawn).

His music is available from Augsburg Fortress, WorshipToday, Faith Alive (forthcoming) and at www.gregscheer.com. Quite apart from all of this, Greg is also a composer of all sorts of music: choral anthems, rock and roll, classical compositions, hymns, etc. Why not pay a visit to his website and take a look and a listen for yourself.

Stargazing in the Pink Moonlight

Sometimes, when I get a comment to one of my posts, I visit the Blog of the person leaving the comment, and that way I've discovered some great 'reads' Today I took a peek at the person who left a comment on my post about Christmas Lights, and recommend you to do the same. You can get to it by clicking here.

Getting ready for CHRISTMAS

In the midst of all the financial gloom and doom one thing which will lift the spirits of many people is the signs of impending celebration that is already transforming the shops and Garden Centres. It won't be long now before the Shopping Malls are in full swing with that great seasonal brightener --- Christmas Display.

There will be a myriad twinkling lights in the shop windows and many people will be sorting out their Christmas light displays for the fronts of their houses, each attempting, generally in a good-humoured manner, to out-do their neighbours when it comes to the sheer volume of lights used to create the display. For this reason I have decided to post a few pictures to inspire those who are considering to do this for the first time, or who perhaps were less than satisfied with last year's results, so here they are:

No concerns about saving energy at these houses!

Just in case you need transport to travel around the various sites of these brightly lit homes, here is just the vehicle for you to do it in style (though I'm not saying what style!).

Whilst they make me sometimes smile they also often make me cringe! I don't think that I will ever be persuaded to join the Christmas Light House Decoraters, but I have to admit that they can be fun. Of course, most of them have nothing whatsoever to do with the real meaning of Christmas, but if all they do is remind us of that then they will have served a useful purpose, maybe even reminding people what the real reason for the season is, the coming of Jesus Christ into the world in order ultimately to offer mankind a way to be reconciled to God the Father through the forgivenes of sins following repentance.

Time-Management, Hopes & Dreams, & Prayer

How many times do you complain that there never seems to be enough hours in the day? How often do you wonder about doing something and then decide that you would if there was enough time, but of course TIME is one commodity that you never have enough of?

One of the main problems is that so often people fail to plan their days or even plan for certain things that they want to achieve. Poor time-management is the major problem that brings about failure to achieve targets and failure to bring hopes and dreams to fruition.

One of the things that was drummed into me when I was in business management was that there were three things that were important to REMEMBER and to PRACTISE:

1. Know where you are going.
2. Know when you want to arrive.
3. Plan how you will get there.

It was something that always stood me in good stead in business, and something that can be just as worthwhile following in your Christian life. Yet it sometimes seems to me that, when it comes to daily life, many people just carry on in the hope that they will manage to achieve what they want to, and if they miss the target they can always say, "Well, at least I did my best. At least I tried!"

Many churches struggle when it comes to growth. Why? Well, in my own experience it's often because the body of the church concerned is under the delusion that everything is the job of the Minister. Yet surely as Christians we are all called to service for the Lord? It is the task of every member of the church Fellowship to involve themselves in all that is needed to achieve growth. If your church is not growing then it is a sure indication that it is dying.

To pour all your hopes for the church into the achievements that might be gained by one person is to court disaster. Try writing up what you consider to be a fair job description for your church leader and then pass it to someone else to study and comment on, preferably someone who is an outsider to your organisation, yet who is knowledgeable about all that a Fellowship should be. I suspect that what you'll find is that your expectations exceed the bounds of achievable probability, or even of achievable possibility. After all, every Minister/Pastor is NOT St Paul! If they were then they would find things easier, for they would have their band of helpers to assist them in their task!

It's a nice thought to imagine that you can double or even treble your attendance at the Sunday Services, but with no plans laid, just how do you imagine it's going to come to fruition? Certainly, a substantial increase in attendance is desirable. Not only that, it's achievable PROVIDING THAT YOU:

• Have a PLAN
• Set a TIME
• CARRY it out

Your plan should be achievable in the first instance, for otherwise it is nothing more than a pipe-dream. So let's imagine that you currently have an average of 50 people who come to your morning service. If you aim to increase that to 1000 in the first year then you will probably achieve nothing. People will not be interested because they will doubt its achievability from the outset. You MUST set a target that people can believe in. Aim to increase by 50% and set a time limit of, say, one year. Decide how you will work TOGETHER in order to achieve success.

One IMPORTANT thing to remember is that whatever you set out to achieve it needs to be underpinned by PRAYER. I know that, as a Minister myself, my ministry would suffer if there were no people holding both me and my work in PRAYER. The same applies to all that we seek to achieve in the church. When we underpin our plans and actions with PRAYER then we add the POWER of GOD to what we set out to do.

In all that God called on him to do, Paul's ministry was always underpinned by PRAYER --- by him and for him. That is always the secret of success. When an idea is first thought of then it should be taken up in prayer to see if it is what God wants to be done. If it is then it will receive His anointing upon it. Just because we might THINK of something does not automatically mean that it's the best idea possible.

There are THREE important things to do at every stage of every plan, of every hope, of every dream:

1. PRAY about it!
2. PRAY about it!
3. PRAY about it!

Now it's over to you . . .

In my capacity as publisher of The Voice Christian News & Views magazine, I deal with many Christian writers and pastors from around the globe, one of whom is Dr Ralph F Wilson who has a website called Joyful Heart Ministries. There is a wealth of information on the site, which is certainly enought to inspire the majority of seeking Christians! So, if you are seeking personal inspiration, Bible Studies, Study information and help, or Illustrations and articles for use in producing a Church Newsletters, then this is a great site to have stored in your 'Favourites', ready to dip into whenever you need to.

Here are just a few of the articles currently available on the site:

Just What Is the Gospel? A simple answer to a profound question.
How to Improve Your Personal Bible Study with Bible Study Tool Recommendations
A Tiny Portion from the Feast: A Communion Meditation, considering the Lord's Supper as a portion from the Feast at Jesus' Last Supper as well as a portion of the Feast in the Kingdom at Jesus' Return.
Four Reasons Why I Believe in the Trinity, A careful reading of the New Testament requires a trinitarian understanding of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Using the Internet to Build Christian Community, Use of chat, instant messaging, forums, and e-mail discussion for evangelism, fellowship, and teaching.
Scared to Death of Smiling, On loneliness, fear, and smiling.
Will You Lead Us In Prayer? How to minister as you pray in public.
Lord, You Can Use My Boat, A short story of the call of Peter dealing with the stewardship of all we possess.

Just click on the links to experience for yourself!