Sermon on the 23rd Psalm

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Most people know of the 23rd Psalm, known as the Shepherd's Psalm, having heard it read or sung, often at special services such as weddings or funerals, for it’s a Psalm whose words bring great comfort to people, especially the bereaved.

The Lord is my Shepherd.

These first few words of the Psalm infer that we have received Him into our lives as Saviour. If you have claimed the gift of salvation and acknowledge Jesus as your Lord, then He is your Shepherd.

I shall not want
This phrase speaks of the proper care of the flock Often we are referred to in the Scriptures as ‘the sheep of His pasture.’ Unfortunately, as any good shepherd and farmer will tell you, sheep are not really very smart creatures and are not known for their brains! You need to be able to turn to the Good Shepherd for guidance about all the important matters in your life.

When the psalmist says, I shall not want; he’s not saying that you’ll never want the things that are out there in the world, dangled in front of you by the advertisers. He’s saying that you will never want for the things that God provides. Many years ago I was saved by the stripes of our Lord Jesus Christ. He saved my soul. He provides for all of my needs, and always has done. He cares for me far better than I would ever be capable of caring for myself.

He makes me lie down in green pastures He leads me beside quiet waters

You might think that if you were a sheep you’d want to be on the move eating! However, He makes us lie down and rest. He directs us, knowing what is best for us at all times. Sometimes He says to us, Be still and know that I am God.

Our Shepherd has prepared, does prepare, and is preparing a table for us. A good shepherd will always find the best pasture for his flock, taking care that there are no poisonous weeds and that there is a good supply of pure water. If a shepherd in the earthly sense does so much for the sheep in his care then how much more will our Good Shepherd take care of His flock.

God hasn't saved people just so that they can go to heaven. He wants us to be productive in the kingdom of God.

When the sheep lie down, they begin to digest this green pasture on which they grazed earlier. To be up and moving about in the heat of the day would reduce their productivity. They need to be fat and must lie down for some of the time.

Often we don't obey God. Our Good Shepherd tells us to lie down, but we resist and try to do our own thing. We often find that it’s difficult to be still because our minds are full of the worries and cares of our over-busy lives. But, He is our Shepherd. We should be eager to obey His voice and do His bidding without question or complaint. He always knows what’s best for us and has made provision for us. He will lead us to the still waters from where we can drink our fill.

He restores my soul.

If sheep lie down in one place for too long then they become what is known as cast, and they are unable to get up. They need the help of the shepherd to avoid being left behind. This is another reason why we need to listen and obey the voice of our Good Shepherd.

As Christians we need to always be ready to listen to the still small voice of God that leads and guides us. This is the same voice that brought us to a knowledge of salvation in the first place, the same voice that prompts us every day to do things for others, the same voice that encourages us in our lives, lifting us up to be with Him, When He asks us to do something then we need to obey, so when he says that we should Lie down, we need to lie down. When He says, Get up and do this for Me, then we need to respond immediately. If we try to be our own master - our own shepherd - then we will find that we may become cast and unable to get up in our own strength.

We can be thankful that our God is one who will seek for each one of us if we are lost. Jesus told the story of the lost sheep, the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine safely penned whilst he went to find the one that was lost That lost sheep could easily be me, or you, or one of your immediate family. Aren't you thankful that we have a Shepherd who cares so much about us that He will come and find us? No Christian ever gets into trouble without having heard God calling out to him to stop! No Christian wanders into a state of sin without the Holy Spirit saying No!, over and over. Often, aware of our rebellious natures, God will put things in our way in order to keep us from sin. If you never hear this voice inside you, guiding you, then the bad news is that you haven't given yourself over to Christ, even if you think you have. You haven't yet been saved, even if you think you have. It's quite possible for the devil to have deceived you. You may be doing everything physically right and yet be spiritually dead. If you don't hear God speaking to you, drawing you closer to Him through prayer and longing, then you need to give yourself fully over to His control. Then you'll notice the difference. The change will ignite the fire within you so that you can burn brightly and light the paths of others in His name. If you are a lost sheep what will happen when your Shepherd finds you? Will he scold you for getting lost? No, never! He will pick you up, draw you close to himself and reassure you through His voice and touch. He will calm you, restoring you. He will take you home rejoicing. Our Good Shepherd loves us that much! Don't listen to the devil when he tries to tell you that you don't matter, that you're not important, for everyone is special in the eyes of God. He knows each one of us personally; He loves each one of us personally; He hears each one of us personally. This is the kind of God that we have, of whom the psalmist wrote, He restores my soul.

He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

God's leading is always in paths which are the right way in His eyes, and which will bring honour and glory to His name. We’re not granted salvation and the opportunity to become followers of Christ in order to swell the attendance of one particular denomination or another. It’s for His name's sake, for we are His children, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). We have been redeemed by His blood in order that we can bring Glory to God in and through all things.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, l fear no evil; for MY art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

For a sheep to be at it's most productive it cannot be fearful. The presence of an enemy such as a wolf or a dog can bring fear with it. As Christians we have many enemies. We are walking through the valley of the shadow of death every day of our lives, sensing the fears that abound. Fear of illness, cancer, aids, financial difficulty or even ruin, broken relationships ... the list is endless. All of these things can be used by the devil to reduce our effectiveness in our Christian walk.

When we’re facing problems we have no need to face them alone, for the Good Shepherd will be there with us, comforting and calming us with His presence. If a shepherd steps in amongst his sheep when they are fearful they will start to calm down, knowing that they can trust him to protect them. We need to learn to recognise our Shepherd so that, in times of fear and concern, we do not run this way and that, but run only towards Him. All the peace and protection that we need we will find in the Lord. If the devil tries to tempt you away, promising you a good time, then know that he’s a liar. He’ll stand by and laugh as you weep at the frustration of a life littered with lost opportunities. The promise of Hebrews 13: 5 stands as firm today as it ever did when the Lord promised us: I will never leave you nor forsake you. If you believe it with all of your heart then you will always be able to turn to Him, knowing that His presence is there to comfort you.

Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil and my cup overflow

As a gracious host God has provided us with all that we need, not simply just enough, but in abundance. Just as the shepherd pours oil onto the sheep to deal with the problems of flies and other parasites in order to protect them, so our Good Shepherd will anoint us with the Holy Spirit in order that we might have His protection. It’s this that will help us when the devil comes to us trying to convince us that we’re poor Christians, and trying to drag us down. He doesn't mind you going to church as long as you don't listen to the message, as long as you don't change your life, as long as you don't serve God, as long as you are weak in testimony. He actually likes Christians who are dead because they don’t threaten him. But, the anointing of the Holy Spirit in our lives will enable us to live according to the Spirit and not to follow the weak leading of the flesh. And how worthwhile it is to serve Him. How good it is to know that He is our Shepherd!
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord for ever.

When we accept Christ's invitation to be with Him then we’re not just visitors for the day. We’re recipients of God's covenant loving-kindness forever. When God provides for us He doesn't look for a place to stop! He provides for us for eternity! Scripture confirms this to us when it says, Surely goodness and loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life. He will always lead us to green pastures, always to the still waters, that we might eat of the bread of life and drink of the waters of everlasting life for ever. His unchanging love is all the confirmation that we need. We will dwell in the House of the Lord for ever, the place where God is to be found.

Can you read the words of this Psalm to yourself and not be changed. Can you say in truth, The Lord is my shepherd, with conviction and assurance? If you can then you’ll know that you have been saved for eternity, but if not then it’s time to repent and make a confession of faith before Him, receiving Him into your life, letting Him control every aspect of it.

Amen.

Meditations from Joanne Lowe

As I mentioned the other day, Joanne Lowe is having a problem with her blog at present, and so I'm posting some of her meditations here. She writes a fresh one every day, so why not email her, (the address is at the bottom of this post), and sign up to receive them each day.

NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
Hebrews 13: 8 (King James Version)

I had a frustrating day yesterday. My computer kept giving me error messages. I worked on it from eight o’clock yesterday morning until ten thirty last night. I got very frustrated and discouraged. I have to send my computer back to the factory to be repaired because the tech has determined that I have hardware problems.

However as soon as I went to bed, I started laughing because I know that Jesus loves me. No matter what happens in this life, one thing will always be the same. Our precious Saviour will always love us. He loves us as much today as He did yesterday and He will love us as much tomorrow as He does today. He is never in a bad mood and He always has time to talk to us.

Whenever we need Him, He is here for us. The questions we must ask ourselves are “When Jesus asks me to do something, am I here for Him? Am I willing to do it immediately or do I put it off until it is convenient for me?” I don’t think it was convenient for Jesus to go to the cross for us that day but He went anyway because He loves us so much. No matter what is going on in your life today, will you be obedient and do what Jesus asks you to do?

Thank God for Jesus, our loving, dependable and unchanging Saviour. What a comfort it is to our weary hearts to know that no matter what happens today, Jesus will be with us. He will pick us up in His tender compassionate arms and carry us through the dark valleys and once again set us on the mountain tops of joy, peace and happiness. Thank You, Jesus, for loving us and for caring what happens to us.

Joanne Lowe
February 26, 2009
joannelowe8@cox.net

'The Voice' : New issue is a REVIVAL Special!

The latest issue of The Voice Christian News & Views will be out in a few days time. If you don't already receive a copy of this great FREE magazine then why not go to Voice Publications website and register online to get it posted to you. Filled with great articles, great quotes and gentle humour, plus lots of great pics, it's well worth having ---

Not only that, it comes to you absolutely FREE OF CHARGE!

International Prayer & Revival Gathering Coming!

GATHERING for PRAYER & PREACHING - A Gathering Unto Him.

MORIAH CHAPEL, WALES - Where the Welsh Revival began

DATES: APRIL 3-4, 2009

"Revive Us Again, O Lord"

SPEAKERS - David Servant (USA), Torben Sondergard (Denmark),Andrew Strom (New Zealand),

Dyfrig Griffiths (Introductory talk on the Welsh Revival),

Moderator - Colin Gordon-Farleigh.

ENTRY is NO CHARGE.

This is an international gathering at the place where the last great Welsh Revival broke out in 1904-1905

• for prayer and preaching


• to cry out to God for Wales and the world


• that He might rend the heavens and come down


• that He might "Revive us again".

Find out more by logging on to the special page on Andrew Strom's website here. there will be visitors from all over the world attending this gathering.

If you cannot come yourself then please hold the Conference and the Speakers in prayer.

"My, How you have grown!"

1960, when I was 17 and doing the 'Grown-up' thing and smoking a pipe --- uuugh!

Aged about 8yrs old with my sisters, I don't think that I liked being an indian! My eldest sister is the Ovaltine Lady.

Jumping on to 1978 and this photograph appeared on the back cover of my book Flight of a Bee, which was published in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) in that year by Gazebo Books. The picture was taken on the top of The Herald building. Note that then I not only had hair but my beard was dark!

Skipping on to 2005 and here I was relaxing in Mousehole, Cornwall, after my wedding in July of that year. The sun shone on the place where my hair had once been!

The year: 2007; the place: York (UK). Gill and I were there for one of our all-too-rare visits to a city that we both love for its friendliness and warmth (in human terms). My parting gets ever wider and beard ever whiter, but the heart remains as warm as ever.

'Freedom'

(Please Note: If you click on the image it should enlarge to a full-screen version)

Here is Joanne Lowe's meditation for today.

My friend Joanne Lowe has a problem with her blogsite at present, and so I'm sharing her meditation for today with you here.
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BECAUSE OF CALVARY

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12: 1, 2 (King James Version)

One of the most vicious and cruel attacks from satan is when he reminds us of our past life and the sinful things we used to do before we were saved. Our enemy tells us that we haven’t changed and we never will change. When satan brings that accusation against us, we can boldly and confidently and with great joy tell satan “Because of Calvary, I am a new person and all of my sins have been washed away in the precious blood of Jesus never to be held against me again.”

Jesus has told us to lay aside every weight and satan is definitely a weight. We don’t have to let satan discourage and defeat us. As soon as satan attacks us with his poisonous darts, we need to cry out to Jesus to help us. It is because of Calvary and the cleansing atoning blood that Jesus shed for us on the cross that we have the assurance that satan can not keep us discouraged. How I praise and thank God for sending His beloved Son to die on the cross of Calvary for my sins so that I do have this assurance in my heart.

Don’t let satan lie to you and keep you discouraged. Don’t let him tell you that Jesus doesn’t love you. We read in the Bible “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103: 10 - 12). We can stand confidently on the promises of Jesus. When Jesus tells us something, we can take it to the bank. We never have to wonder if He will fail us. He can not fail for He is the Saviour of the world. We never have to question Him because He is faithful to keep His word.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your great love for us. Thank You for loving us unconditionally. Thank You that You love us as much today as You did yesterday and You will love us as much tomorrow as You do today. There is no one like You, Jesus. Indeed, you are the great I AM! Thank You for dying on the cross for us so that we can have our sins forgiven and live with you in Heaven for all eternity. We love You, Jesus, and we appreciate all that You have done for us and all that You do for us every day.

Have you been to Calvary? Have your sins been washed away in the cleansing atoning blood of Jesus? If not, I urge you; I plead with you to give your heart and life to Jesus today before it is too late! One day, it will be too late for you to say “yes” to Jesus. Give your heart and life to Jesus right now. He will be the dearest friend you have ever known and He will never leave you, not even for one minute. Don’t miss out on spending eternity in Heaven with Jesus.

Humble yourself, admit that you are a sinner and invite the Christ of Calvary into your heart. You will have a joy, a peace and a happiness that you have never known. It is all because of Calvary and the unconditional love of Jesus for you that you can be saved and live with Jesus. No one loves you like Jesus loves you. Open your heart to the Saviour who loves you so much that He died for you on the cross of Calvary.

Joanne Lowe
February 21, 2009
joannelowe8@cox.net

New Video is now on Godtube.com

Our song, When I'm With You, is now on Godtube.com, and you can take a look at it by clicking on this link. This new video demonstrates the 'crossover' nature of the song, and has a great Christian feel to it. Why not take a look for yourself, dear reader, and let me know what you think of it. My friend Martin, who is responsible for creating the video, is very talented, and I think that he's done a great job. The video only appeared yesterday and it has already had 77 hits on it. If you like it why not help us to get the word out by sharing it with your friends. All you have to do is copy and paste the link to it in your email and they'll be able to have a look for themselves.

Valentines's Day message of love

Once more I turn to my friend Joanne Lowe for today's Meditation. Every day we read of disasters in our press or hear about them and see them on the media. Sometimes it's almost as though the reports are in overkill, and the danger is that we start to become hardened to them, especially when they concern people far away from us. Yet we are all linked together in some way. Often we may know people in the countries in question, even having relatives there, and so the situations become more real to us.

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Thank goodness that God thinks differently to us! He cares for each person, no matter where they live, no matter who they are, whether they love Him or not, and even whether they acknowledge His existence or not. His heart of love is big enough to encompass everyone, and one day we will all know and experience that love in a depth that will defy explanation.

'Greater love has no man that he lays down his life for one of his friends' Jesus laid down His life for me and for you, dear reader. Now that's what I call a demonstration of love!

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FROM HIS HEART OF LOVE

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Revelation 21: 4 (King James Version)

On Thursday, a plane crashed and all forty nine people on the plane died. There was also one confirmed death on the ground reported. At a tragic time like this, only our Heavenly Father and Jesus can heal their families and friend’s broken hearts. We can comfort and encourage them and we should do so. However, only Jesus and our Heavenly Father can fully understand the depths of the grief in the hearts of those who have lost loved ones.

Thank God that one day there will be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. One glorious day, our precious and loving Saviour is going to come back for us to take us home to live with Him for all eternity. We will have peace and joy and happiness forever. What a privilege is ours to have our sins forgiven through the precious atoning blood of our Saviour.

Our Heavenly Father knew that we were in desperate need of a Saviour. From His heart of mercy, grace and unconditional love, He sent His beloved Son into the world to save us from our sins. What love and what compassion for us flowed from the heart of our Heavenly Father on the day that He sent His Son on His mission!

What compassion and love flowed from the heart of Jesus on that dark and terrible day as He hung on that old rugged cross for us. There is no greater love than the love of our Heavenly Father and our precious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ! Yes, God opened His heart of love and sent us His Son. The question we must ask ourselves is “What have I given to God to show Him how much I love Him and how much I appreciate all that He has done for me?” Have you told God how much you love Him and appreciate Him and how much you appreciate Jesus and all that He has done for you?

This is Valentine’s Day and if you have never given your heart to Jesus, please invite Him into your heart to be your personal Saviour. He loves you so much that He died for you. Accept the unconditional love that He wants to give to you. Say “yes” to Jesus today! You will never have a better friend than Jesus. He will never leave you, not even for one minute. Open your heart to the One who loves you unconditionally.

Joanne Lowe
February 14, 2009
joannelowe8@cox.net
www.fromtheheartofjesus.blogspot.com

Sarah: A rather special donkey . . .

When I lived in Zimbabwe in the 1980's --- I was there from 1972 until 1984 --- amongst the pets/livestock that we had probably the most dominant of all of them was my donkey, Sarah. One day I had been told about her needing a new home and so off I went to pass on the message that if we didn't give her a home then she might have to be put down. Okay, I admit that I was pushing the boundaries a little, but I only said 'might', and anyway, it worked and Sarah came to live with us.

From the outset she established herself as the boss, firstly chasing our two dogs around the garden to let them know that she had arrived and then chasing me around the garden, teeth bared! I quickly realised that capitulation and submission was the best thing if we were to live comfortably side by side, so to speak. Or at least, I determined that I'd let her think that.

I never let anyone ride upon her as I had been told that she had had a bad experience previously at the hands of an over-energetic child.

What a character she had! There are many stories of the things that she did, but two things come to mind in particular. The first is about her inseparable companion, which was a chicken called Mrs Hopitty. We kept hundreds of chickens over the years in order to supply eggs and meat in a local township, and when this chicken hatched out she had one leg which splayed to the side and was fairly useless to her. Because she was such a fighter I let her live and it was to my dismay that I later found the other leg splayed to the side following some sort of unknown altercation. However, she gamely carried on and so I ended up separating her from the others and pampering her somewhat. Once Sarah joined the family I found one day that Mrs Hopitty loved to be around her and soon this strange pairing had developed a bond of friendship that needed to be seen to be believed!

The other memorable occasion whilst Sarah was with us was when she managed to get out of the garden one day and decided to take a look around the neighbourhood. Matambo, the young chap who worked for me looking after the livestock, went after her with me. She led us a merry dance all around the neighbouring properties until, after about an hour, she allowed herself to be caught and led home. The triumphant glint in her eye said it all!

She was with us for almost four years until we found it was time to leave Zimbabwe behind and travel to fresh fields. We found Sarah a new home a couple of weeks before we left along with her companion Mrs Hoppity, but I still remember them both with much fondness. Over the years I have had many animal companions and often consider that life without them would be much the poorer. At present we have our little dog, Sam, of whom I have occasionally written, a guinea pig named Ffred, and two cats, Felix and Smokey, all four of whom improve the quality of our lives by their companionship.

Guinea Pigs, Big Business and Fire in the Barn!

When I was about 12 years old I went into business for the first time with my close friend, Vaughan Lipscombe, who then lived at Gorse Farm in Hawthorne, about five miles from Corsham, breeding and selling guinea pigs as pets to shops and pet-seeking individuals. Together we built cages and runs which were kept in one of the large outbuildings where Vaughan's father kept chickens in a large deep-litter run. We had dozens of guinea pigs and a few rabbits, and somehow Vaughan's dad tolerated this enterprising stab at the world of big business.

Sometimes I would cycle over to Hawthorne, but more often than not I would walk over. Living in the country in those days a five-mile walk was not considered anything out of the ordinary for a lad, rather it was simply all part of our daily exercise. The friendship grew when we both attended Malmesbury Grammar School together, albeit that Vaughan was in the year below me, and remained through most of our school years, although I lost contact with him after finishing school to enter the wider world of work.

The memories that I have from those days are all pretty good ones, but there is one in particular that is not so hot --- or rather it's too hot! I arrived at the farm one afternoon to find the fire brigade had been called because the hay barn, which was attached to the poultry sheds, was on fire. Apparently Vaughan had made a den in the hay and, deciding that it needed illuminating, lit a candle for the purpose. Not a good idea! I remember trying to drag as much hay out of the barn as possible with a pitchfork, but all to no avail as the fire brigade doused everything in sight once they arrived. The building was OK but the hay crop was destroyed altogether. I think that our blossoming little business empire soon faded after that, and soon afterwards my walks to Hawthorne slowed down, metaphorically speaking, to an occasional dawdle. The memories remain, however, and pop up at the least expected moments such as now.

Aah! The folly of youth!

A Mathematical Conundrum

1. Teaching Maths In 1970. A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100.His cost of production is 4/5 of the price.What is his profit?

2. Teaching Maths In 1980. A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100.His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or £80.What is his profit?

3. Teaching Maths In 1990: A logger sells a truckload of timber for £100.His cost of production is £80.Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Maths In 2000: A logger sells a truck load of timber for £100.His cost of production is £80 and his profit is £20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Maths In 2008. A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of £20.
What do you think of this way of making a living?

Topic for class participation after answering the question:
How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers.)

V-A-L-E-N-T-I-N-E : The GREATEST Love of all.

Valentine's Day is coming! Of course it's great to send and receive messages to and from those we love, but here is a Valentine's message that speaks of the greatest love of all, that of God for the whole of His creation.

Field, Furrow & Winter Kale

This morning I can see that the car windows are covered in frost and the few people braving the cold morning are huddled into the warmth of their coats as they hurry across the road to the newsagents or down the road to the convenience store. I have to state that I am definitely biased in favour of warm days, although I love the appearance of fresh, virgin snow in certain circumstances. Generally speaking, nowadays that means from the comfort of my lounge, but there was a time when a walk down one of the lanes or across one of the fields of my youth when my footprints were the only marks in an otherwise pristine white blanket of snow, was an exhilarating and magical experience.

I am often led to the conclusion that I'm privileged to experience the magic of nature due, in part, to my poetic soul. One particular memory that I have goes back to when I was around fourteen years old, and down at Park Farm for the early morning session of kale-cutting, a task for which I was given a machete. The objective was to cut the kale with one slash and stack it into a large tub for taking in for the cattle to feed on. The morning that comes to my mind today was extremely cold, and the hoar frost was thick upon the leaves of the crop. I was glad of the warmth of my coat and the advice that one of the older farmhands had given me to stuff newspaper into my wellington boots, the result of which meant that at least my feet didn't freeze. I busied myself at cutting, wanting to get the task over with and back to the yard as fast as possible, for once there I could unfreeze my hands by wrapping them around a warm cup of tea.

It was said that in order to beat the cold it was a good idea to plunge your hands into freezing water and hold them under for about five minutes. It was claimed that the rush of blood to try and combat the cold would keep your hands warm all day. I'd love to be able to report that this worked wonders, but the truth is that I didn't dare try it out!

Anyway, back to the kale cutting. I was happily --- well reasonably happily, at least! --- cutting and stacking when I noticed that some of the leaves had red on them. I wondered for a moment what it was. I soon found out, for it transpired that I had caught the back of my hand in my work and failed to notice it because my hands were so cold! Oh, how readily I realised the absolute necessity of keeping my thick leather gloves on from that moment. I guess that I learned the meaning of the expression 'the folly of youth' on that day.

Farms can be dangerous places for the careless, a lesson that I learned on other occasions as well, but they were all lessons that, being learnt through experience, were learnt well. Despite the odd accident such as this one, if I had my youth over again I would still be the same lad that I was then, enjoying and exploring the fields and furrows around about the Corsham area where I grew up. So many of my happiest memories from the early years were established there.

I'm not forgetting that I started this passage thinking about snow and frost, and certainly I have many special memories of my early morning walk across the fields to get to the farm, or simply to be out in the glory of the winter scenery, simply absorbed into it as just another part of the picture. It's nice to see unbroken snow in your garden, but to see it stretched across a field of many acres, broken only by the darkness of the hedgerows and the leafless trees dotted here and there, is an image that remains etched on your memory for ever. Sometimes I would look across a ploughed field in the early Spring when the snow had fallen lightly on it during the night and the resultant picture reminded me of the icing on a chocolate cake which had been dusted with icing sugar.

One more memory that comes to mind as I write this is that of the picturesque Flemish Buildings at the far end of Corsham High Street, originally occupied by Flemish weavers. The golden colour of the plastered walls and the cobbles of the path in front of them given an added touch of magic by the snowfall that had cotton-wooled their roofs overnight. This image is the stuff of picture postcards and the fuel for a million cameras.

The Flemish Buildings are but one gem in this town on the edge of the Cotswolds. There are many more that make a visit to Corsham both worthwhile and memorable. Of course the Corsham of my youth, of which I write, has long gone. Now there is a shopping precinct where once there were the gardens of friends and neighbours, and vehicles skirt the town in order to get to the new(ish) car parks that were established in other gardens. Yet, despite the changes, so much that was still is, for the buildings that I knew as a boy remain in all their decaying glory, and sometimes I think that the ghosts of people long-gone perhaps still inhabit the houses and streets where I visit on my trips down Memory Lane.

Mobile Phone vs. The Bible

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our mobile phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several time a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to our children and grandchildren as gifts?
What if we used it when we travelled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?

Oh yes, one more thing . . .
Unlike our mobile phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

'When I'm With You' is now on YouTube

My love-song, When I'm With You, has been uploaded onto YouTube today with a great new video to support it. I have my clever friend Martin to thank for this. I feel both proud and humble by this song, which I wrote as a gift for my wife for Valentine's Day, 2007. The song featured as the title track on a CD of love-songs which Sheer Joy Music released last year, sung by Susan Marrs.

If you would like to listen to it and see the great video that Martin has produced then just click on this link.

I hope you like it, dear reader, and that you will get your friends to take a look as well. Let me know what you think of it by posting a comment on this blog post.

Ramsay's in your face again!

Gordon Ramsay, the television cook, was on the screen once more a few days ago, and was obnoxious as ever. He seems to have a language block that refuses to allow him to put too many comments between the swearing, using the 'f' word, according to Media reports, no fewer than 132 times during the programme. He was not alone in this, for the additional foul language from others on the show raised the total to in excess of 235 times according to reports.

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Of course, Channel 4, who put this poor example of an 'educated' member of society on our screens, insist that it's all harmless, even trying to convince us that it's acceptable because they screen it after the 9 pm watershed. Of course, we've learned to expect nothing less than this type of rhetoric from those in the high places of this particular TV station. However, no matter how much they protest their innocence, they are to be judged for their foolhardiness and their blatant disregard for the senses of the viewer.

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If he is incapable of stringing his sentences together without profanity and the blasphemous outbursts as he breaks the commandment regarding the use of the Lord's name, then it's best that he is assigned to where his language is best suited --- in the sewers and gutters in the bowels of the earth.

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So why does it matter? After all, it is argued that you are not compelled to watch the programme and that you do have an on/off button. So do the TV chiefs think that it makes this sort of thing acceptable then. Perhaps they use exactly the same language in their homes to their partners and children as they lap up the trash that they expect others to watch.

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The real answer to all of this is, of course, that simply because something is done repeatedly it doesn't make it any more right or any more acceptable. Isn't it time that all decent people complained sufficiently to excise this type cancer from the body of society?

'Conversations With God' --- but which god?

It would be so easy for well-meaning folk to buy this book with every good intent, fooled by the title into thinking that it's a book for young people to find the answers to their questions from a Christian point of view, but just how wrong can you get!

If you have children or grandchildren, work with children at church, or you have neighbourhood children whose parents you know, please take note of the information below and pass it along to others. Many schools are acting as distributors for this trashy book to children in their charge through the Scholastic Book Club. The name of the book is Conversations with God. Oprah Winfrey has helped in the promotion of this book, and for anyone who knows anything about her you will know that when she pushes something millions of people are tempted to respond. Unfortunately she is definitely not known for her Christian views!!!

The content of this book is devastating. Parents, churches and Christian schools need to be aware of it. Please pass this information on to Church, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, friends, --- in fact just about everyone you can.

It's so important to pay special attention not only to what your kids watch on TV, in movie theaters, on the Internet, and the music they listen to, but also be alert regarding the books they read.

This book, along with a partner volume entitled Conversations With God for Teens, is written by Neale D Walsch. They sound harmless enough by their titles alone. The books have been on the New York Times best sellers list for a number of weeks, and they make truth of the statement, "Don't judge a book by its cover or title."

The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the "voice of God". However, the "answers" that he gives are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible word of God. For instance (and I paraphrase),When a girl asks the question "Why am I a lesbian?" the answer she gets is that she was 'born that way' because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed, with brown eyes, etc.). Then he tells her to go out and 'celebrate' her differences.

Another girls poses the question "I am living with my boyfriend. My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry him?" His reply is, "Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong."

Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin. His reply "I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive. There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone, do not judge people. People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong, because the rule is "'judge not lest ye be judged."

Not only are these books the false doctrine of the devil, but in some instances erroneously quote the Word of God. And the list goes on. These books (and others like it) are being sold to schoolchildren through organisations such as The Scholastic Book Club, and we need to be aware of what is being fed to our children. The children of our nation are under satanic attack. So I pray that you will be sober and vigilant about teaching your children the Word of God, and guarding their exposure to worldly mediums, because our adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). We know that the lion usually hunt for the slowest, weakest and YOUNGEST of its prey.

Pass this on to everyone you know. And, if you are in doubt, check out the books yourself.

Islamification, (Political) Jihad & World Domination

I have long been concerned with the increasing Islamification of the West, and have voiced my concerns repeatedly in various ways. It is a threat to everyone who is outside of the Islamic world, but especially so to Jews and Christians because they pose a far greater potential threat to Islam than non-believers. It is precisely because of my concern that I am publishing the speech of Geert Wilders, Chairman of the Party for Freedom, in the Netherlands, which was given at the Four Seasons, New York, introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing Jihad Conference in Jerusalem. The speech was sponsored by the Hudson Institute on September 25th 2008.

I come to America with a mission. All is not well in the old world. There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic. We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West.

Our many problems with Islam cannot be explained by poverty, repression or the European colonial past, as the Left claims. Nor does it have anything to do with Palestinians or American troops in Iraq. The problem is Islam itself.

Allow me to give you a brief Islam 101. The first thing you need to know about Islam is the importance of the book of the Quran. The Quran is Allah's personal word, revealed by an angel to Mohammed, the prophet. This is where the trouble starts. Every word in the Quran is Allah's word and therefore not open to discussion or interpretation. It is valid for every Muslim and for all times. Therefore, there is no such a thing as moderate Islam.

Sure, there are a lot of moderate Muslims. But a moderate Islam is non-existent. The Quran calls for hatred, violence, submission, murder, and terrorism. The Quran calls for Muslims to kill non-Muslims, to terrorize non-Muslims and to fulfil their duty to wage war: violent jihad. Jihad is a duty for every Muslim, Islam is to rule the world — by the sword. The Quran is clearly anti-Semitic, describing Jews as monkeys and pigs.

The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed the prophet. His behaviour is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us say like Ghandi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer, a paedophile, and had several marriages - at the same time. Islamic tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammed himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza. He advised on matters of slavery, but never advised to liberate slaves. Islam has no other morality than the advancement of Islam. If it is good for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad There is no gray area or other side.

Quran as Allah's own word and Mohammed as the perfect man are the two most important facets of Islam Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life. Islam means 'submission'. Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is sharia. If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies. This is what you need to know about Islam, in order to understand what is going on in Europe. For millions of Muslims the Quran and the life of Mohammed are not 14 centuries old, but are an everyday reality, an ideal that guides every aspect of their lives.

Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam 'the most retrograde force in the world', and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran. Which brings me to my movie, Fitna. I am a lawmaker, and not a movie maker. But I felt I had the moral duty to educate about Islam. The duty to make clear that the Quran stands at the heart of what some people call terrorism but is in reality jihad. I wanted to show that the problems of Islam are at the core of Islam, and do not belong to its fringes. Now, from the day the plan for my movie was made public, it caused quite a stir, in the Netherlands and throughout Europe. First, there was a political storm, with government leaders, across the continent in sheer panic. The Netherlands was put under a heightened terror alert, because of possible attacks or a revolt by our Muslim population. The Dutch branch of the Islamic organization Hizb-ut-Tahrir declared that the Netherlands was due for an attack. Internationally, there was a series of incidents. The Taliban threatened to organize additional attacks against Dutch troops in Afghanistan, and a website linked to Al Qaeda published the message that I ought to be killed, while various muftis in the Middle East stated that I would be responsible for all the bloodshed after the screening of the movie.

In Afghanistan and Pakistan the Dutch flag was burned on several occasions. Dolls representing me were also burned. The Indonesian President announced that I will never be admitted into Indonesia again, while the UN Secretary General and the European Union issued cowardly statements in the same vein as those made by the Dutch Government. I could go on and on. It was an absolute disgrace, a sell-out. A plethora of legal troubles also followed, and have not ended yet. Currently the state of Jordan is litigating against me. Only last week there were renewed security agency reports about a heightened terror alert for the Netherlands because of Fitna.

Now, I would like to say a few things about Israel. Because, very soon, we will get together in its capital. The best way for a politician in Europe to lose votes is to say something positive about Israel. The public has wholeheartedly accepted the Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor. I, however, will continue to speak up for Israel. I see defending Israel as a matter of principle. I have lived in this country and visited it dozens of times. I support Israel. First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years of exile up to and including Auschwitz, second because it is a democracy, and third because Israel is our first line of defence. Samuel Huntington writes it so aptly: 'Islam has bloody borders'. Israel is located precisely on that border. This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating Islam's territorial advance. Israel is facing the front lines of jihad, like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines, Southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan, Lebanon, and Aceh in Indonesia. Israel is simply in the way. The same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War. The war against Israel is not a war against Israel. It is a war against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows that are meant for all of us. If there would have been no Israel, Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest.

Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming. Many in Europe argue in favour of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West. It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behaviour and accept our values. On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed. The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel, they can get everything. Therefore, it is not that the West has a stake in Israel. It is Israel.

It is very difficult to be an optimist in the face of the growing Islamization of Europe. All the tides are against us. On all fronts we are losing. Demographically the momentum is with Islam. Muslim immigration is even a source of pride within ruling liberal parties. Academia, the arts, the media, trade unions, the churches, the business world, the entire political establishment, have all converted to the suicidal theory of multiculturalism. So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islamization as a 'right-wing extremists' or 'racists'. The entire establishment has sided with our enemy. Leftists, liberals and Christian-Democrats are now all in bed with Islam. This is the most painful thing to see: the betrayal by our elites. At this moment in Europe's history, our elites are supposed to lead us. To stand up for centuries of civilization. To defend our heritage. To honour our eternal Judeo-Christian values that made Europe what it is today. But there are very few signs of hope to be seen at the governmental level.

Sarkozy, Merkel, Brown, Berlusconi; in private, they probably know how grave the situation is. But when the little red light goes on, they stare into the camera and tell us that Islam is a religion of peace, and we should all try to get along nicely and sing Kumbaya . They willingly participate in what President Reagan so aptly called: 'the betrayal of our past, the squandering of our freedom.'

If there is hope in Europe, it comes from the people, not from the elites. Change can only come from a grass-roots level. It has to come from the citizens themselves. Yet these patriots will have to take on the entire political, legal and media establishment. Over the past years there have been some small, but encouraging, signs of a rebirth of the original European spirit. Maybe the elites turn their backs on freedom, the public does not . I n my country, the Netherlands, 60 percent of the population now sees the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II. And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest threat to our national identity.

I don't think the public opinion in Holland is very different from other European countries. Patriotic parties that oppose jihad are growing, against all odds. My own party debuted two years ago, with five percent of the vote. Now it stands at ten percent in the polls. The same is true of all similarly-minded parties in Europe. They are fighting the liberal establishment, and are gaining footholds on the political arena, one voter at the time. Now, for the first time, these patriotic parties will come together and exchange experiences. It may be the start of something big. Something that might change the map of Europe for decades to come. It might also be Europe's last chance.

This December a conference will take place in Jerusalem. Thanks to Professor Aryeh El dad, a member of the Knesset, we will be able to watch Fitna in the Knesset building and discuss the jihad. We are organizing this event in Israel to emphasize the fact that we are all in the same boat together, and that Israel is part of our common heritage. Those attending will be a select audience. No racist organizations will be allowed. And we will only admit parties that are solidly democratic.

This conference will be the start of an Alliance of European patriots. This Alliance will serve as the backbone for all organizations and political parties that oppose jihad and Islamization For this Alliance I seek your support. This endeavour may be crucial to America and to the West. America may hold fast to the dream that, thanks to its location, it is safe from jihad and sharia. But seven years ago to the day, there was still smoke rising from ground zero, following the attacks that forever shattered that dream. Yet there is a danger, an even greater danger than terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go out in Europe faster than you can imagine.

An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of military might for America - as its allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs. With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to preserve the heritage of Rome, Athens and Jerusalem.

Dear friends, liberty is the most precious of gifts. My generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with their lives. All throughout Europe American cemeteries remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose memory we cherish. My generation does not own this freedom; we are merely its custodians. We can only hand over this hard won liberty to Europe's children in the same state in which it was offered to us. We cannot strike a deal with mullahs and imams. Future generations would never forgive us. We cannot squander our liberties. We simply do not have the right to do so. This is not the first time our civilization is under threat. We have seen dangers before. We have been betrayed by our elites before. They have sided with our enemies before. And yet, then, freedom prevailed. These are not times in which to take lessons from appeasement, capitulation, giving away, giving up or giving in. These are not times in which to draw lessons from Mr. Chamberlain. These are times calling us to draw lessons from Mr Churchill and the words he spoke in 1942: 'Never give in, never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy'.

Brrrrr! Let's think of holidays & get warmer!

As the weather forecast promises cold weather coming in from Siberia over the next week, so my thoughts turn to holidays as a means of combating what might otherwise cause the gloom to settle. In particular they turn to the little cottage that we have booked for a week in August in one of my favourite areas, Pembrokeshire, which is in the South West corner of Wales. The cottage, which is surrounded by 180 acres of our own organic farmland and ancient oak woodland is on the upper reaches of a tidal estuary, making it very peaceful. Close to the towns of Haverfordwest and Milford Haven, Pembroke Castle is close by. There is a wonderful beach at Sandy Haven should we want to laze in our deck chairs and munch on sand-garnished sandwiches, and although the cottage appears to be in a slightly remote position, we will have the convenience of shops, supermarkets, restaurants and the theatre, within a few minutes drive.

All in all, nice warm thoughts for a somewhat cool day!

Praise Him! Praise Him!

God is good towards us and His gifts are seemingly endless. No matter how dark things seem to be sometimes, there is a silver lining to be found to every cloud. Often the best way to dispel the clouds is to offer praises up to God for His goodness in every situation. As you praise Him, so you will find that your spirit lifts you towards Him as a praise offering. There is nothing better that we can offer than ourselves, and nothing that God wants more than such an offering, confirming that just as He is our God, so we are His people. This is the subject that my friend Joanne Lowe writes of in her Meditation for today. I share it with you, dear reader, in the hope that it blesses your day as you think about it and offer your praises up to our heavenly Father.

THE STORM CLOUDS OF LIFE

“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.”
Psalm 113: 3 (King James Version)

We have a lot of storm clouds in our lives due to the vicious attacks of satan and the world. We have storm clouds of disappointment, discouragement, fear, abuse and depression. There are storm clouds of divorces and broken homes. Then we have teenagers killing other teenagers and even killing their own parents. Our teenagers also taking drugs, drinking alcohol and are involved with gangs. We wonder why our teenagers go astray and sometimes become violent.

I believe with all of my heart that many times it is because of what their parents have allowed them to watch on television. They watch movies where people kill each other and the idea is planted. One of the most frightening and devastating weapons we have is the television. It is full of violence, sex and cursing. However, there are teenagers who are not allowed to watch these things and have been in church all of their lives yet they still go astray.

These things not only break the hearts of their parents, they also break the heart of Jesus. When our children go astray, it puts terror in our hearts and it is a very devastating storm cloud. We now have another storm cloud in our lives because of the lack of money and jobs due to the economy. Yet no matter how many storm clouds we have in our lives, our precious Saviour is more than able to bring us through every one of them victoriously. There is nothing too hard for Jesus. He can do anything!

If ever someone deserved to be praised from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, it is Jesus. He takes our hands and walks with us through all of the pain, the heartaches and the turmoil of our lives. He never leaves us, not even for one minute. At night when we can’t sleep, and the night seems like it will never end and all of our fears and problems return to haunt us, He puts His arms of compassion around us and draws us closer to His loving heart. He whispers softly “I love you” as He gently kisses our tears away.

There is no one like Jesus. No one loves you like Jesus loves you. He loves you more than your spouse loves you and more than your family and friends love you. He not only loves you; He loves you unconditionally. There is nothing you can do that would make Him stop loving you. You will never have a better friend than Jesus. What a Saviour! What a friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!

Are you praising Jesus from the time you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night? Are you praising Him in the bad times as well as in the good times? Do you remember to thank Him when He does something for you? Most important of all, are you telling others about the wonderful things He does for you? If you haven’t been praising Jesus, I urge you to start praising Him from the time you get up until you go to bed at night.

Our precious Saviour is worthy of our praise and adoration. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He is the great I AM! He is the bright and morning star and the fairest of ten thousand to our souls. Thank You, Jesus, for all that You do for us. I am so glad to know that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that You are Lord. You deserve all of our praise, all of our time and all of our lives!

Joanne Lowe
January 30, 2009
joannelowe8@cox.net
www.fromtheheartofjesus.blogspot.com

An Average Little Home in Zimbabwe (Provided you are the corrupt President)

If you are corrupt enough to inveigle and cheat your way into the presidency of a nation, then you too can have a comfy little home like this one. All you need to do is ensure that you subjugate your people to the point of death by starvation and disease and the money rolls in to fill up your coffers. Of course you have to put up with the occasional downside as well, like your wife swanning of to stay in £600 per night hotels in countries that don't allow you to enter them, but that's small change for a despot like Robert Gabriel Mugabe, who lives in this palace.

While his people starve, and die because of no medical help....and we are asked to help his people over and over again...he and his family live like this.......his GREED kills his people.....

Lobby your elected representatives continually until this evil tyrant is deposed. That's the very least you can do for the impoverished people of Zimbabwe.

Sights, Sounds & Smells : More Memories from a Corsham Lad

Memory is a strange thing, isn't it? There you are, happily going about your business, when suddenly some small thing can trigger a memory about something from many years ago, easing it from the deep recesses of your mind and hauling it out into the light of day once more. Smells do this in particular, I find. I don't even have to actually smell something, for often simply recalling the smell is more than sufficient to trigger a memory.

For example, yesterday I was driving in the afternoon towards Llandudno in North Wales, to attend a meeting, and the sun was flickering through the trees to my left as I drove, reminding me of autumn days long ago when I was a child, unwell and in bed in the nursery at my home. I could look across and out of the window, beyond the little paddock that lay parallel to our rear garden, and towards the woods that stretched from Lacock Road to the parking spaces in front of St Bartholomew's church and Corsham Court entrance. As the sun began to set so there would be a range of golds, reds and yellows that seemed to filter through the trees, casting a kaleidoscope of patterns across the window and into my room. I can still hear, in my mind, the sounds of people in my father's shop downstairs, a medley of the voices of shop staff and customers. I would often try to figure out whose voice belonged to whom, attempting to identify anyone whom I might know. But the thing that I remember especially is the smell of it all. Warm, smells of wine, of wet floors, and of the shop itself; and when I remember them the memory brings with a comfortable feeling of security and family.

Musing on the subject I remember other shops in Corsham at the time, recalling the distinctive odours that identify them now so readily in my mind, and with the memory comes a recall of the individuals, most now long since passed away probably. The fragrance of cigar smoke reminds me of MacMillan's, the ladies' and men's outfitters diagonally across from the Methuen Arms Hotel at the top end of the High Street. Even now I can transport myself to the shop, standing on the linoleum floor with its strip of olive green carpet stretched in front of the counters, and look upwards to the stacks of hat boxes which contained a variety of men's hats. As you entered the shop, the men's side was to the left, the women's to the right. I don't ever recall going into the latter, although maybe my mother might have taken me in once or twice. No, it's the men's side that I recall; the cloying smell of stale cigar smoke seeming to cling on to everything in the shop, as much a part of the shop itself as the fixtures and fittings were.

Just a couple of doors up was James' Hardware, and I remember the bare wooden floors, aged with the dirt of thousands of feet over the years, as Corsham folk shopped for a bottle of paraffin, a few nails or screws, or something for the home. I remember Joe James with his dark moustache and friendly manner. Joe was a leading light in the local amateur dramatic company, and interested in everything about Corsham in general. It was a shop where the customer was king, and where Joe, and I believe his father before him, ensured that they supplied every need. A shop where, should you so require, you could buy just one 6" nail, or just the right quantity of screws for a particular job. Certainly, in those days, quantities were not arrived at by accountants in the way that they seem to be today. The shop smelled of a mixture of metal, polish, paraffin, dust and old buildings.

Halfway down Station Road, next door to the chapel, was a convenience store, and it was there that I would go to buy broken biscuits by the half-pound. The biscuits were kept in square tins to the left as you entered the shop, glass lids on the tins lifting to get at the biscuits. The floor was given a fresh dusting of sawdust each day. I remember bacon being cut on the slicer, cheese being measured by eye, cut with a cheese-wire, and weighing virtually the exact amount requested when it was popped on to the scales. The shop smelled of a mixture of sawdust and assorted foods, and was always a pleasant place to visit.

One of the places that I never found so pleasant was the Dry Cleaners, of which there were two, Bollom's and Johnson's. I hated the smell of the cleaning fluids which always gave me a problem with my breathing, and so I always tried to avoid going to drop off or collect things for dry cleaning. Similarly, although I never had to go inside the shop, I remember the chemical smell that was emitted from the ladies hair salon next to the SWEB Showroom in the High Street. It must have been from the concoctions used for perms, and to this day I find that ladies hairdressing salons, especially the older-fashioned ones, are best avoided!

Some things good, some things not so good, yet all of them a pot-pourri of sights, sounds and smells that make up so many yesterdays, and each remembered for differing reasons and with different degrees of pleasure or distaste, primarily the former rather than the latter. there are many more of course, far more than I have either room or time for today, and even if I did, sometimes I think that it's better to eke our memories out a little sparingly and enjoy them even more.

I wonder what you remember in this vein, dear reader. Why not leave a comment and share it with me and with my other readers.