Another Lovely Review - Waiting for Gordo

I have just received another lovely review of Gordo!  Very timely as I am busy worrying about the revisions to my next novel (that I will call "A present from Betelgeuse" for the moment, though I doubt it will be called that as then it would end up on the SciFi/Fantasy shelf, and it is neither of those things.)

It is a modern take on Rebecca, with my granny's house - a somewhat grander version for fictional purposes - featuring as Manderley - the lost Manderley.

I am puzzled by some of the changes my editor wants - though some of them I do agree with, and have done.   But a couple of revisions he wants just do not sound right to me.

Anyway, it was heartening to get this good review for Gordo:

"We've all read apocalyptic tales in which the mistreated earth exacts vengeance on humans, but this novella scores maximum points for several reasons. First, it makes its point using a microcosm, "Small Island", rather than the whole globe. Second, the (doomed?) characters are generally likeable and engaging and the divers love the natural world they're exploring. Third, the allusions to Hollywood super-heroines, the self-indulgent lives of rich ex-pats, Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin, and the Garden of Eden generate a cocktail that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The protagonist, Miranda, prevents the golden cockroach in their holiday-villa bathroom from being swatted, and at the end we're left wondering whether the cockroach has saved her life... but the book ends in a delightful ambiguity. The theme of ecovandalism and waste is clear but not done to death, and above all the story is easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable. Few horror stories are so subtle and understated. I strongly recommend this little book."
.https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/RSZUJUUC6H4N8/?fbclid=IwAR342qZQPe0fGJuud5hvWw3IXjRT5IlBshcyNR73dQRkNh44U-hq0Le4IqA

And I love that the writer found it easy to read and thoroughly enjoyable - I aim to keep people wanting to turn the page.  I want to keep my readers interested and to pull them into the world of the book.

The days race by, happily enough, but then I am by nature a solitary person.   We spoke to Jacks on Wednesday.  She is not well enough to go out even if and when they do release us.  And I have spoken to Jean, who is wondering about venturing into the world of the internet.  The Watchtower Society is gently encouraging us all to do so, as no-one knows how long our meetings will be in Zoom.

Our meeting on Thursday night was great, and I did finally manage to get my virtual hand raised  However, I wasn't called on. And I then managed to lower it again!

Today, for the first time since the Coronavirus lockdown began, the overflow carpark on the Green has cars in it.

I spoke in my last blog about the new heavens and the new earth promised in 2 Peter 3:13.   And they are exactly what we are praying for when we say the Lord's prayer and ask for God's Kingdom to come and for his will to be done on the earth

That Kingdom, the heavenly government with Jesus at its head, is the new heavens, and the earth under its loving rulership will indeed be a new earth.

Waiting for Gordo - a Staycation

I am spending a lot of this week wrestling with the changes my publisher wants in my third (and probably my last) novel.  It's the one I would like to call "A Present from Betelgeuse", but can't, because if I do it will go on the Sci-Fi shelf - and it is not Science Fiction, or Fantasy.  Although it is of course fiction. 

So hopefully this would be a good time to mention my previous books:

If you can't go to a tropical island destination this year, maybe you would like to read about one?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Waiting-Gordo-Mrs-Sue-Knight/dp/1912053667

A review:
"When I first opened the pages of Waiting for Gordo, I was expecting a light-hearted vacation story, good for a few chuckles. While it certainly was that, the novel, like the mysterious island paradise that serves as its setting, turned out to be much more...

...Knight guides the reader along with reserved wit and irony. This is the most fun book I’ve read in a long time. If you’re looking to for an enjoyable read, you can’t go wrong by Waiting for Gordo."

In Goodreads, Curtis M. Urness
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2723920998?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1&fbclid=IwAR1RJk1G_LG0uiuCWAAiLnVir7mnjiwRk4NQ8WQBilSPqumFzhS0GR37L6Y


While I am a million miles from a best-seller, I have got some lovely reviews. And I appreciate every one. To know that someone has enjoyed reading your book, and wants to keep turning the pages... wonderful.

And if you can no longer shop till you drop, maybe you would like to read the story of the last shopper left alive?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Till-They-Dropped-Mrs-Knight/dp/1909163813

And here is a lovely Amazon review, from a real author, Stuart Aken:

"Fantasy? Science Fiction? Magical Realism? This book is all of these. But it’s a thoughtful, imaginative, and ultimately terrifying cross genre piece that stirs both emotions and ideas.
We’re plunged into an undefined land, except that it must be the so-called civilised world, in an undeclared time, which must be the future. What is clear quite quickly is the sense of threat, unreality, turmoil and confusion. This is a nightmare place with few answers to the many questions posed.
We follow the progress, if progress it can rightly be called, of the young woman trapped in this consumerist empire ruled by autonomous machines and AI. The suggestion is that society’s overbearing urge to consume, buy, and own, has been usurped by the serving machines and AI, which have initially enabled this pointless activity, then encouraged it. Without the moral restraints of humanity, the machines, guided by AI, decide that consumers may be fair game for consumption.
This world is depicted with great imagination and superb imagery. The relentless attempt to escape the banal but murderous entity that shopping has become is described with brief flashbacks that explain how this all came about.
A nightmare, brought to life, and populated by the innocents left in this world by previous generations of unthinking, greedy, selfish consumers. Beware!"

Or if you want a few quiet moments with some poetry and some verse:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Old-Playgrounds-anthology-edited-Knight/dp/1470139774

I have also been keeping up with my studying, and such witnessing as I can do. 
And we had an extra little meeting tonight to teach us how - when we have the Zoom meetings - to put up our virtual hands if we want to comment.  I seem to have mastered it, but we will see tomorrow night.

Before I finish, and as the door to door witnessing work is still suspended.  I wanted to ask you to think next about these two verses.

2 Peter 2:9 which says:  "So, then, Jehovah knows how to rescue people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people to be destroyed on the day of judgment."

and 

2 Peter 3:13 "But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell."

A rescue is on the way  Jehovah will not allow his beautiful earth to be ruined by the greed and violence of some.   He created us to be happy and to find nothing but joy in our life on this lovely planet earth.

The Trap

I thought I would add another picture from our balcony estate - my precious outside space now I am not allowed out at all. 

Our moth trap is also out there , but its not very pretty - and its large, so I haven't shown it.  I was rather upset about it at first - it seemed like an ugly intrusion on our beautiful balcony. And I hate the idea of traps.   I know the moths only stay in it overnight. But one night is a long long time in a moth's life.  However... I was wrong.  The moths seem to love it. It has empty egg boxes inside and we find them in the morning tucked into their little egg alcoves - cosy, safe and warm. And they stop on, long after the hotel doors are opened again.

And some of them stay for days, travelling between trap and balcony wall.

On Friday I got an email about my new book - not from the publisher - but from someone else who has read it. They loved it and could not put it down!  What more can an author want?  (Well, yes a best seller would be lovely, but ...)

I have to hope now that the professional publisher's reader will like it as much as, if so, it has a very good chance of being published.

Saturday... a field service meeting in the morning; a chat with Jean in the afternoon; study done for the Sunday meeting; and the first Bible study conducted with a friend via fb - private messenger!

And also I had a long chat with the Brighton Branch.

And of course meals were made - a curry veggie soup stew for lunch (it was good with just the right touch of heat), and a chill cabinet supper for Col and diabetes friendly avocado for me.  To think I once thought avocados were a treat.

The blog Bible study has now reached the discussion about free will, via this next paragraph in the brochure Good News from God:

God has granted man the dignity of free will. He want us to serve him because we love him and we love his law.  Do we not appreciate our freedom to choose to serve God?  But many choose not to, so suffering abounds. It saddens Jehovah to see such injustice.

"Now if it seems bad to you to serve Jehovah, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve, whether the gods that your forefathers served on the other side of the River or the gods of the Amʹor·ites in whose land you are dwelling. But as for me and my household, we will serve Jehovah.” - Joshua 24:15

We have a choice.  Every one of us has a choice.

"Consequently, Jehovah saw that man’s wickedness was great on the earth and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only bad all the time.  Jehovah regretted that he had made men on the earth, and his heart was saddened." - Genesis 6:5,6

And it makes our Creator really happy when we freely choose to serve him, because we love him.

Jehovah truly respects the free will he has given us, and will not force us, or bribe us.  But if we turn back to him out of love, he will restore us to the life and perfection our first parents threw away. This will happen during the Thousand Year Reign.  It will be a wonderful time, and after that, who knows?  Except that then our real lives, the ones we were always meant to have, will begin - right here in the restored earthly paradise.  Clearly we will find great joy in caring for it, and caring tenderly and unselfishly for the animal creation. 

In case you would like to know more, I will continue with this little study in my blogs.  And of course any Jehovah's Witness can help you with this.

We can't knock at your door at the moment, but you are most welcome to come to our CyberDoor and knock: https://www.jw.org/en/

National Cake Day in Ruritania (and a small flare-up)

Where are the days going to as they rush past?  And when is National Cake Day in Ruritania?  Where, indeed, is Ruritania?

You will have to read the book to find out:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/National-Cake-Ruritania-Mark-Henderson/dp/1912053829
though I don't think it is in the writer's brief to answer questions about time.

And talking of cake, while many seem to be baking away like mad in lockdown, I still have loads of cake in the freezer as Captain Butterfly is home for lunch these days, and only has cake with his sandwich lunches.

 I carry on in strict lockdown - not at all dreadful for a homebody like myself -  and the Captain is still allowed out for his daily walk.   My main worry is that I will never be able to make myself leave home again. As for driving!

Tuesday morning, we had a field service meeting, just 15 minutes, and I gave one of the 3 experiences.  We are all trying to find ways to tell people about the Kingdom of God now we can't go door to door.

Then I had a Zoom meeting with the Yorkshire and Oz branches of the family.  Then...  well, I got our lunch and supper - veggie soup (as usual) and two chill cabinet meals (Waitrose) in the evening.  I wonder if a few paragraphs about dusting and two loads of washing, plus some ironing would be fascinating... nope, even if I were up to the standards of a Shakespeare and celebrated it in sonnet, it wouldn't be.

My right knee was very painful all yesterday and i am taking anti-inflammatories, and it has not reached the agonising stage.  For which I am very grateful.

Its Thursday, so Zoom meeting night, which i am looking forward to, especially as i don't have a part in it this week.  The Captain and I have just had our lunch- veggie soup (mushroom today) - and I am just trekking off to the Kitchen to make some veggie curry

I am hoping for a photo of our lovely balcony to head this blog. I try to get out there just after breakfast - the light is lovely, its sunny but not too hot, and the scent of the nemesias fills the air.

The Swallow Prominent

Swallow Prominent

Its Moth-istan on our balcony now - an abundance of Hearts and Darts and the two Swallow Prominents from yesterday have been joined by a third - which I spotted.   No breakfast as yet, as Captain Butterfly-Moth is still out there photographing them.

He has created a facebook group:  Sussex Moths.   Our balcony visitors will be appearing on it.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/823879968096842/

Our Circuit Overseer visit ended on Sunday, with two talks from him.   And here is the most important thing I want to take from it.   During his talk:  Do we Feel loved by Jehovah?  he gave us such assurance from God's word that we are loved very much.  And we were reminded about what Jehovah is doing for us, has done for us, and will do for us.

We were reminded how cared for we are within his congregation.   But the C.O. also asked us this. 
Does Jehovah feel loved by us?

And it is quite a question. Do we thank him for this lovely earth, which floats like a blue and white jewel in an immense and awe-inspiring universe?    And, as actions speak louder than words, do we show our Creator we love him by listening to him and obeying him?

In harmony with that talk, the next thing to be covered in the Bible study is the question:   Does Jehovah care about us?

And does widespread suffering mean that Jehovah is a God who does not care about us? Some people claim that he makes us suffer to test us, but this is not true.

James 1:13 says:   "When under trial, let no-one say: 'I am being tried by God'. For with evil things God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone."

God does try anyone, or test anyone, with evil things.  He does not want us to suffer. He wants us to be happy.

Which would bring us to the question of free will - our having been given the dignity - and the joy - of choosing to serve Jehovah freely.

Two Lovely Phone Calls

Thursday was quite busy - we attended The Self-Isolating Bird Club on fb, with Chris Packham and Megs at 9.00 - then I drove my laptop from dining room to kitchen through the rush hour traffic in the hallway to join the congregation in the Field Service.  Just as it finished, and we started to chat in Zoom, and Jean turned up, delighted to be able to talk to us,  the Waitrose Delivery arrived - so I had to hurtle (slowly) off and help with sorting, unpacking and putting away. We got the pizza this time, so that was supper sorted.

Then Col delivered letter and magazine to my friend next door and also took Terry his shopping - we add some chill cabinet meals to our order for him - and went off for his walk, while I did my Watchtower study and listened out for the bell, as we had two deliveries coming.  I managed to hear and sort out both. Which is an achievement these days - to hear the bell, such are the difficulties of age.

And I managed to Zoom a friend for our usual Wednesday night chat - held on a Thursday as I could not connect on Wednesday. We managed to sort it it out - without troubling Captain Butterfly - which was another achievement of sorts.

And I had two lovely phone calls - the first was from next door thanking me for the magazine - we had a long chat about it, and another one on Friday.  And the second was a call from our Circuit Overseer and his wife.  We talked about the situation, they checked up that me and Captain Butterfly (or more grammatically, Captain Butterfly and I) are doing OK, which, so far, we are. And then he read me these lovely comforting words at Psalm 31:21:   "May Jehovah be praised, for in a wonderful way, he has shown his loyal love to me in a besieged city."

He  has shown his loyal love to me in a besieged city.  And he talked a bit about the following verses which speak of David's feeling of panic when he was literally besieged by Saul, and how Jehovah heard his pleas for help and protected him.

The next Bible study question is:     Does God have a name?

This is so important as the first thing Jesus asked us to pray for when he left us the model pray was for the hallowing, or sanctification, of his Father's name.

He said: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.” (Matthew 6:9)

Let your NAME be sanctified.

Although God has many titles, he has only one name. In each language, it is pronounced differently. In English the conventional pronunciation is“Jehovah.”, though some people now pronounce it as "Yahweh". 

Psalm 83:18 says: "May people know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth."

Jehovah alone is the most high over the earth.

God’s name has been taken out of many Bibles and replaced with the titles Lord or God. But when the Bible was written, it contained God’s name some 7,000 times. And Jesus made God’s name known when he taught people about God.

At John 17:26. he said: "I have made your name known to them and will make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them.”

So, if we are to follow in Jesus' footsteps don't we too need to make his Father's name known?

My Virtual Talk (during the Circuit Overseer's Visit)

My part in the school, my first one in virtual space, takes place in the week of the C.O.'s visit...   two firsts for me, as I don't think I have ever had a part in the Ministry School during the Circuit Overseer's visit before either.

Anyway, I worked it out in my head, discussed it with my householder on the phone (she was very helpful) and have drafted it out on my blog.  Our Thursday night meeting always becomes a Tuesday night meeting when the C.O visits. I think on the Thursday, half way through his visit, he gets together with our elders and ministerial servants to help and encourage them.  And also, I am sure, to commend them for their excellent shepherding during the Coronacrisis.

I shall be witnessing by phone - but have to leave a contact card.  It is 3 minutes or less, and I am working on Study 6, which is Scripture application made clear.  I have the one Scripture to apply and make clear.

Here goes:

Ring ring.

Sue:   "Hello Jay.  This is Sue, from next door. I am ringing you to say that our supermarket delivery has arrived and the chill cabinet meals you asked us to get for you have all arrived safe.  No substitutes.   But I know you are on total lockdown like me, so if this is OK with you my husband will deliver them to you when he goes for his walk after lunch. He'll ring your doorbell at 2 o'clock and leave the bag on your doorstep.

Jay:  That'll be fine!  Thanks so much. I really appreciate this.  What strange times we are living in.

Sue:  Surreal.  It does make you think and wonder doesn't it?

Jay:  That's true.  I've even found myself envying people like you who have a faith. With all these people dying, everywhere, it must be some consolation if you can believe they are all now happy in heaven.

Sue:  So what you do YOU think about death Jay?

Jay.  That they are dead, that it is the end.

Sue.  Then you might be surprised to hear what the Bible has to say about that.  May I just read something from Ecclesiastes 9:5 and it says:  "For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all". The dead know nothing at all. Or as, some translations say, they are conscious of nothing at all.   They are neither happy nor unhappy.

Jay. That really surprises me. So the Bible says that death is the end, not the start of a new life in heaven? 

Sue.  Yes, it says that our thoughts and feelings stop when we die.  But you might be equally surprised to hear what else the Bible has to say about death. Because if it is like a dreamless sleep, can there be an awakening from that sleep? And if so, where?    I would love to share a couple of Scriptures from Job with you, because they ask that question, and answer it.  Do you have a Bible?

Jay.  No.

Sue:  Are you on the internet?

Jay. Oh yes. All the time these days.

Sue:  Then let me give you a link to our excellent website JW.org and ask if you would look up Job 14:14,15.

Jay:  Yes, I'm intrigued. But I am just trying to find a pen.

Sue:  No, don't worry about that. I'll pop a Contact Card in with your shopping. It has a link to our website and I'll write the Scripture reference on it.   And I would love to know what you make of it.  Could I give you a ring maybe this evening or tomorrow.

Jay:  Yes. Why not?  But I think the morning would be best - I'm not up to thinking much in the evening these days!

Sue:  Me too.  Lovely. Then I will talk to you tomorrow. And listen out for the doorbell at 2 o clock.

Tabletop Gardening

chilli plant

We  spend quite a lot of time in various Zoom meetings now.  And Captain B has one with his fellow metal detectorists every so often, as for the moment, they can no longer meet in the field.  They all have  gardens, and seem to be very into growing veg and suchlike now that we have all this time at home.  We have no garden, just a balcony, though it does have a wonderful sea view.  So when it was proposed they all post photos of their gardens and their garden produce, I didn't think that the Captain would have much to say,  But he got in first with a photo of the chilli plant that lives on the table in our lounge. I crop it regularly, harvesting one at at time for our veggie soups.

geranium

I have suggested that they have a best balcony geraniums competition.   If so, its Gold cup here we come!

The theme of our one day assembly on Sunday was "Love Builds Up".   Which is so refreshing in a world system that can have such a negative, divisive tone.   So divisive in fact that it managed to turn the people of Europe on each other in two wars so terrible that they are called world wars.   And the world will continue to divide us, the children of Adam, and turn us against each other, unless we listen to our Creator

So the message of the assembly - heard by millions worldwide - was simply this:  To try to let everything we think, do and say be guided by the law of loving-kindness, the law of loyal love.  Our Creator Jehovah is love.  He doesn't just have love and give love, he IS love.   So while its not easy as things are now, he will help us every step of the way.

But how can we draw close to him and be guided by him unless we know who he is?

So, the next question we would consider in a Bible study is: What is God like?

No human has ever seen God because he is a Spirit, which means that he is a higher form of life than the physical creatures who live on earth.

John 4:24 tell us, clearly and simply that "God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.”   Knowing the truth about our Creator is very important.

And we can discern God’s personality from the things he has made. For instance, this lovely earth, the beauty and variety of the Spring flowers,  the ever changing skies, tell us of his love and wisdom as clearly as if they spoke to us.  It was, in fact, the beauty of an Autumn sky in my Northern hometown that made me realise that Someone had made this so beautiful just for us. And I wanted to find him and thank him.

The dizzying size of the universe tells us of God's immense power.

Romans 1:20 says:  "For his invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable."

We know that there has to be Creator, because we see his creation.

We can learn even more about God’s personality by reading the Bible.

Psalm 103:7-10 reassuringly tells us that God  "made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the sons of Israel.   Jehovah is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in loyal love.   He will not always find fault, nor will he stay resentful forever.  He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor has he repaid us what our errors deserve."

What has gone wrong will be put right.  We are not abandoned.  Our Creator truly loves each one of us.

And then there is the very important matter of God's name, a name which has been removed from many Bible translations.  See next blog - hopefully.

Don't Come to me for Safety Pins

During our family Zoom meeting on Tuesday morning - between the two Yorkshire branches, the Oz Branch, and us by the English Channel - we were reminiscing about our childhood and for some reason remembering the craze for autograph books in the 1950s.

The Hull branch remembered the nuns at school coming down like a ton of bricks on some poor child who had got this written in her book:
"When you are married and have twins
 Don't come to me for safety pins."

The anger would have been mysterious at the time I guess - you never knew what would set them off next - but clearly the mention of marriage, followed by twins, implied that S-E-X had taken place.

My granny wrote this in my autograph book, under a tombstone with "Andrew Jay RIP" on it:
"Here lies the body of Andrew Jay
 Who died maintaining his right of way
 He was right, dead right, as he sped along
 But he's just as dead now as if he'd been wrong."

There is a stern Victorian lesson there - but a good one. It is not always the wise thing to insist on our rights.

Lovely to have all the siblings in one room, even if in virtual space.

There is lot of talk now about how to get us all out of lockdown...  we cannot lock down the economy for ever.  But I am indoors for 12 weeks anyway, according to the letter I got.

A very sweet young girl called Emma from our local council rang me the other day to ask if I was coping in isolation and if I needed any help. If so, she could arrange it for me.  I thanked her for calling, and we had a little chat. She clearly wanted to find out how I was doing.

She will ring again next week.

Which doesn't really bring me to the question Who is God?  Except I guess I can go back to my convent schooldays and note that, sadly, in spite of the intensive religious education we got, they did not teach us this.

So, in our study, we would then ask this question  Why should we worship God?

The true God is the Creator of all things. He had no beginning and will never have an end.

Psalm 90:2 says of our Creator  "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the productive land, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God."

From everlasting to everlasting... God is the one who never had a beginning.  He always was, always is, and always will be. 

Being a part of the creation myself, I simply cannot understand the concept of having no beginning. yet I can also see that for anything to exist all, that has to be the case.  If there is a Creator, an Almighty God, then he alone was not created, but he always was.  Which is as near as I can get to an understanding.

And we know there has to be a Creator, as we see the creation.  This immense awe-inspiring universe did not come from nowhere.  It was created.

The true God is also the One who inspired the Bible.  So he is the Source of the good news found in it. 1 Timothy 1:11 speaks of "the glorious good news of the happy God"  with which he was entrusted.

And it is glorious good news, and we long for everyone to hear it.

And since God gave us life, we should worship only him.  Revelation 4:11 says:  “You are worthy, Jehovah our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they came into existence and were created.”

The next two question we would at look are:

What is God like?
and
Does God have a name? 

A Shout out for Butterfly Conservation

Today we have our One day Assembly - in our homes, on our computers - or by phone for those of us who are not on the net.  And we will join each other in our congregations for a shortened Watchtower Study.

I am looking forward to it.   Very much.   The theme is: Love Builds Up.  The key scripture is
1 Corinthians 8:1:    "... We know we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up."

We are going to be unlocked and unmuted from our pods at lunchtime too, so we can talk to each other. But I will be getting lunch for the Captain and me, and trying to do some walking round and lying down to rest my poor arthritic joints for an afternoon of sitting in front of the computer.

I hope to post some highlights in my next blog.

Chris and Megan, his stepdaughter (not the princess!). gave a shoutout for the Butterfly Conservation Organisation on The Self-Isolating Bird Club (facebook) this week.  There was a little clip in which we talked about our work, and Chris praised us as an effective organisation.

Which we are.  And there are so many sincere, hardworking, often unpaid, people working away to help and preserve the earthly creation in all sorts of conservation organisations.   Even my Zimmery-self can be useful and tackle some of the boring paperwork that is required (in my role as Membership Secretary).

But...  it is trying to swim against the tide, a tide of destruction. The whole world system is set up to plunder and destroy to such an extent that we are burning down our rain forests, our lungs.  It is only the Kingdom of God, the heavenly government, that can and will restore the perfect balance of the creation, restore the link so fatally broken in Eden, and restore faithful mankind to the life and perfection our first parents so tragically lost.

And we are so close to the end of the current wicked system of things on the earth now. Which leads me on to the questions I posed in my last blog.

When we see these conditions increasing worldwide, what should we do?  And how can people seek for Jehovah if they do not know him?

We should learn about God from his Word, the Bible. It is like a letter to us from a loving father. It tells us how to enjoy a better way of life now and how to enjoy everlasting life on earth in the future. True, some may not like it that you are receiving help to understand the Bible. But the opportunity of a better future is too good to miss

Proverbs 29:25 warns that "Trembling at men is a snare, But the one trusting in Jehovah will be protected."

And Revelation 14:6, 7 tells of the great Kingdom preaching work that is being done before the end of the current wicked system of things on the earth:  " And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, and he had everlasting good news to declare to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation and tribe and tongue and people. He was saying in a loud voice: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of judgment by him has arrived, so worship the One who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the springs of water.”

And how can people seek for Jehovah, and find protection, if they do not know him. Which brings me to the question:  Who is God?"