Heartbreaking

Heartbreaking scenes from the Ukraine.  And has President Putin under-estimated the strength of Ukrainian resistance?  But who knows what is really going on behind all this?   The world of politics and war is so cruel, so devious.

What we do know is that it is a nightmare for the Ukrainian people, and for those young Russian soldiers, pawns in the cruel Great Game,  and their worried families.  The more this goes on, the more hatred will be incurred.  What will happen next I do not know, but the deaths are mounting.

I was very glad to have the Zoom field service meetings on Saturday  and Sunday mornings - they are an oasis of peace and calm in a frightening and chaotic world.

Here is a very short and very comforting article:

https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/world-peace-elusive/

Col's alarm clock went at 4:30 Saturday morning.  But at least it makes sure I do not sleep in - and I get more done in the morning than I ever do in the afternoon.   We got a bit of a lie-in on Sunday, as the alarm was set for 5.30...  He has no exciting finds for the week, but i was thinking about how many of his finds are ordnance from the wars that have been fought over the centuries.   

We have learnt nothing from our past it seems.

We are all still hooked on Wordle, and I managed it in 2 today!   A lucky guess after I put in my first word.  The only problem is that unless my first test word happens to be the Wordle of the day, it is all downhill from now on.  Which seems a bit of a metaphor somehow.

Civil Wars

Just after lunch on Thursday it started to snow - well, it was a strange mixture of hail and snow.  I noticed on the News that morning it was snowing in the Ukraine.  And Ukraine was on the News as Russia had indeed invaded it.

We - the children of Adam - seem to learn nothing from our past - not even from two World Wars!  Round and round we go, lurching from war to war, from tragedy to tragedy.  The Ukrainian and Russian people have been through so much in the last century, and here it all goes again.

If only people on both sides realised that we are all, literally, brothers and sisters, and that all wars are civil wars.

The poet, Christopher Logue, said it better than I can:

“O come all ye faithful

 Here is our cause

 All dreams are one dream

 All wars civil wars.”

And, in the light of the worsening news from the Ukraine, this was posted on JW.org today:

"Today, warring nations often appeal to God for support. But God does not take sides in today’s wars. Instead, in his Word, the Bible, he clearly states: “Return evil for evil to no one,” and, “Do not avenge yourselves.” (Romans 12:17, 19) Moreover, he has made known that mankind should “wait patiently for him” to take action, which he will do at Armageddon. (Psalm 37:7, footnote) When the nations fail to wait for God to act and instead resort to warfare, he views such wars as presumptuous acts of aggression that bring his displeasure. Thus, at Armageddon, God will express his indignation and settle the nations’ disputes once and for all by “bringing an end to wars throughout the earth.” (Psalm 46:9; Isaiah 34:2) Indeed, Armageddon will be the war to end all wars."

https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/wp20151101/is-war-ever-justified/

And another Scripture on my mind is this famous one from Isaiah. It is a promise that there will be peace on the earth, but only when the loving Kingdom of God is ruling over us.

       "He will render judgment among the nations

 And set matters straight respecting many peoples.

 They will beat their swords into ploughshares

 And their spears into pruning shears.

 Nation will not lift up sword against nation,

 Nor will they learn war anymore." - Isaiah 2:4

And already Jehovah is teaching millions of us - from every tribe and tongue and nation - to learn how to live in peace as the brothers and sisters we truly are. In such a divided world, isn't that a miracle?

  

The Bow in the Cloud

The crisis in the Ukraine, escalates and the cruel Great Game that Satan is playing with all the nations continues.  Is President Putin going for a full scale invasion?  And hasn't the West also invaded and Shocked and Awed other countries? 

So have we, the damaged children of disobedient Adam, learnt nothing from our tragic past?

We need to be "no part" of it.  But I am obviously worried about my Ukrainian brothers and sisters in the congregation there.  Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia are already being persecuted by the Putin regime. I don't suppose he will be any kinder to them because they are Ukrainian.

Jackie's storm-battered chimney stack is now off the roof and piled neatly on her lawn, and Adam will have ensured all is capped and made safe.  It could so easily have fallen and gone through her conservatory.

We are all still addicted to Wordle - and post our scores on fb every day.

Another storm on Monday - Storm Franklin - though it seems to be hitting the North much harder. Nute posted that the Sheffield rivers are flooding, and says there is now a lake (Lake Danuta) in her front garden.  Mind you, Sheffield must be one of the hilliest cities in the world, and she lives high up on a hill, so if she goes underwater it means we would be in a Noah's Ark situation.  And God has promised us that will never happen again.

"And God added: “This is the sign of the covenant that I am making between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations. I put my rainbow in the cloud, and it will serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring a cloud over the earth, then the rainbow will certainly appear in the cloud.And I will certainly remember my covenant that I made between me and you and every living creature of every kind; and never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the rainbow will occur in the cloud, and I will certainly see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of every kind on the earth.”"  Genesis 9:12-16

So, at Armageddon, the present wicked system of things on the earth will be destroyed, but not by a deluge.  In whatever way he chooses, God will destroy it - lock, stock and barrel - which is why the command to be "no part" of it is increasingly urgent.

Storm Eunice

We woke up on Friday morning to find that Storm Eunice had arrived as promised.  The sea was roaring away under a grey and stormy sky, and windmilling the balcony geraniums.  Col had brought our balcony chairs, table and broom inside.  Just in case, The Thursday night meeting (Zoom) was great, and included our first Update of 2022 from the Governing Body. Well worth a watch, packed full of sensible advice about the current Covid status for example.

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/StudioNewsReports/docid-702022003_1_VIDEO

And we followed the advice we got at the Thursday meeting from the local elders: Don't go out unless you really have to, as Eunice is forecast to be a very strong storm.  And it was - the Channel was spellbinding, all that power and energy.

But it was a serious storm, and apparently has killed at least 4 people.  Down here all I can report is that Jackie's chimney has come down - well its fallen over on her roof, but not apparently gone through. And a tile was blown off our roof.   One of the elders rang up in the evening to check that all was well.

And thank God, it was.  But we appreciated the call.

Stormy weather again Saturday afternoon - and big big waves.  Is this the Daughter of Eunice, as fiery tempered as her mum?

 

Returning my Wings to their Box

It seems as if I won't be needed to speed to the rescue ButterflyMembershipWise.  Another volunteer has been found. Which is excellent.  Because it seems I can barely keep up with what I have to do as it is.  Its not that i am so busy it's just that the chronic arthritis, plus age (I am well over my 3 score years and 10), is making me very tired.

Talking of butterfly wings and flying brings me, not all that neatly but never mind, to Sir Isaac Newton and the laws of gravity - a law we disobey at our peril!

He was a scholarly gentleman as well as a great scientist and he would have been able to read the Inspired Scriptures in both Hebrew and Latin I guess. Wasn't that all part of a gentleman's classical education back then?  Even in the 1960s I, as a grammar school convent girl, had to pass a Latin O level to be accepted for an English degree.  I passed at my second attempt.  "It's a miracle Susan" said "Sister" Monica caustically.

And I guess that was fair comment.

Anyway, to Sir Isaac Newton. I have blogged this before, but it gets more topical, because he understood so much about the Bible.  He understood that the meek (those meek towards their Creator) will inherit "the earth", and will live on it forever. And he understood that a great preaching work - a teaching and warning work - would be done just before the end of the current wicked system of things on the earth.

And he realised that it could not be done in his day - and he understood why.

"The famous mathematician Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) also had a keen interest in the Bible. He understood that the holy ones will be raised to heavenly life and will rule invisibly with Christ. (Rev. 5:9, 10) As for the subjects of the Kingdom, he wrote: “The earth shall continue to be inhabited by mortals after the day of judgment and that not only for a 1000 years but even for ever.”

"Newton considered Christ’s presence to be centuries away. “One reason why Newton saw the Kingdom of God so far in the future was because he was profoundly pessimistic about the deep Trinitarian apostasy he saw around him,” said historian Stephen Snobelen. The good news was still veiled. And Newton saw no Christian movement that could preach it. He wrote: “These prophecies of Daniel and John [the latter recorded in the book of Revelation] should not be understood till the time of the end.” Newton explained: “‘Then,’ saith Daniel, ‘many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.’ For the Gospel must be preached in all nations before the great tribulation, and end of the world. The palm-bearing multitude, which come out of this great tribulation, cannot be innumerable out of all nations, unless they be made so by the preaching of the Gospel before it comes.”​—Dan. 12:4; Matt. 24:14; Rev. 7:9, 10."

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2009603?q=john+milton&p=par

Alarm-ing

I drew the curtains on Sunday morning to find a lovely sunrise in progress over a stormy sea.  It shines, and sparkles and glistens. Jehovah has made sure we wake up to a masterpiece every morning. Col took a photo and hopefully it will head this blog.

Had a long telephone conversation with Bea of the North on Saturday, and also a long chat with Linda (cousin Linda) on facebook.   And I had a productive morning - started by Col's alarm clock going off at 4:00 a.m. - during which I changed the bedding, did a load of washing, spent some time in the field service (Zoom style) with my siblings.  But I did nothing during the afternoon.  The Captain's supper was already made - being the rest of the lamb hotpot, so it was just a question of heating it up when he got back.

He came back laden with flowers - lilies and carnations - as they had stopped off at Tesco's. They certainly are a cut above the Garage Apology Bunch.  Not that this is an apology anyway - the 4:00 a.m. alarm calls are a vital part of a Detectorist's life - and to be accepted as such. Which, given I do not have to commute to work anymore, seems fair enough.

Every flower is a miracle - lovelier than the most expensive Tiffany jewel, and more finely engineered than our latest (and also eye-wateringly expensive) fighter jet. And talking of fighter jets... will Russia invade the Ukraine, as the news is busy telling us it might... or is this the King of the North pushing at the King of the South, sensing weakness and testing?  I hope for the sake of the Ukrainian people, for the sake of the young soldiers on both sides, that this invasion will not go ahead.

My siblings and I had our usual Zoom chat this morning - and Col was able to show them the piece of Ring Brooch he has found.  It will appear on his blog on time, but is also treasure chest so we may not get to keep it.

 

Membership Secretary - The Return!?

We got an email from El Presidente of Butterfly Conservation to say that the new Membership Secretary has stepped down - after only a few months.  It sounded like it might be a cry for help, so after consultation with Captain B, I nipped into the nearest phone box, put on my butterfly wings and did offer to stand in for a couple of months.  Jess has someone  new in mind to take over, but I am on standby.  So the blockbusting MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY - THE RETURN!! (Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a very large butterfly?) may be on the cards. I am rather hoping not though.  Anyway, it was an excuse to post one of Col's butterfly pics - a Clouded Yellow.  And of course an excuse for him to say gloomily: "They don't make wings big enough."  

At this rate, I may not be the only one in the household with a missing front tooth. Just saying.

Col's alarm clock went off at 4:00 a.m. on Thursday morning. He catapults out of bed the minute it starts to ring, gets ready, makes us both breakfast - he flies the Coffee Machine - porridge for him, soaked oats for me, with fruit and seeds.  He clears up the breakfast stuff - well not mine as I usually haven't eaten it before he hurtles off.   And I provide the packed lunch of sandwiches and cake, and a cooked meal when he gets in - it was lamb hotpot on Thursday night.

As for the News, what is happening in the world, I do not know what to say about it. So I will let the Bible speak."Know this, that in the last day critical times hard to deal with will be here... Wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled." - 2 Timothy 3:1,13

I was thinking of those words - impostors advancing from bad to worse - as we watched the amazing Netflix Documentary "The Puppet Master".  I read Sarah Smith's book "Deceived" about her harrowing experience with the same man many years ago. It is a very brave book.  God's word is a comforting antidote, one much needed after seeing and reading about him, reminding us that when God's Kingdom is ruling over the earth, there will be no more lies, no more cruel deceptions:

Jehovah detests a devious person, but His close friendship is with the upright.​—Prov. 3:32.

The Crisp Packet Poem

In the wake of another attempt at the "Crush the Crisp Packet" exercise:

The Crisp Packet Speaks

by me

I, the crisp packet,

can relax

given that her

who is trying 

to do me down

is as feeble as

Feeble McFeebleface

of Feebletown.

There is a Haiku in there somewhere if I could cut it back to 17 crisp syllables that will still make the point that, when it comes to the Crush the Crisp Packet exercise, the crisp packet is winning. But as I haven't the slightest idea how to achieve that, it is going to remain uncut.  

Nute and Jen were talking, via facebook, of snow in the North.  Hard to imagine down here, so far.  Saturday was cold but sunny.  And there were waves on the Channel.  Col's Sunday detectorist outing was cancelled - CANCELLED!!   He always detectorises on Sundays.  It was because there was some heavy rain forecast, and there were lots of mutterings about "big girls' blouses".  It did rain heavily in the morning, and there were waves pounding the Channel.  I love how perfectly they break and roll along.  The power of Jehovah's creation is very comforting.

There were so many comforting points from Sunday's meeting - public talk and Watchtower - that it's hard to pick one out. But here goes.  Our Creator is aware of our limitations.  He understands just how frail and damaged we are. And he never expects more of us than we can give.  I have found that to be so true. And with Jehovah's help I have found myself doing things that I never thought I could do.

As the Psalmist says:   "As a father shows mercy to his sons. Jehovah has shown mercy to those who fear him. For he well knows how we are formed, remembering that we are dust." - Psalm 103:13,14

On Monday, Col nobly took me for a walk to the sea.  I could not make it to the pier, but I was able to sit on the wall and watch the waves. The sun was shining on the piles that mark the river mouth, but all round was a wonderfully ominous grey sky - a snow sky had it been cold enough.  He took the photograph above.

Barton in the Beans

Here is another poem that I love.

Barton in the Beans by Joanne Limburg

For comfort on bad nights

open out a map of Middle England

and sing yourself to sleep

with a lullaby of English names:

Shouldham Thorpe, in gentle sunshine,

Swadlincote, in a Laura Ashley frock,

Little Cubley, veins running with weak tea'

Kibworth Beauchamp, praying on protestant knees,

Ashby-de-la-Zouch, saying 'Morning',

Wigston Parva, smiling - but not too widely,

Ramsey Mereside, raising an eyebrow,

Eye Kettleby, where they'd rather not talk about it,

Market Overton, echoing with the slamming doors

of Cold Overton, where teenagers flee every night to their rooms,

screaming that from Appleby Magna to Stubbers Green

they never met a soul who understood.

They never met a soul.

At Barton in the Beans, the rain says Ssssshhhhh...

A quiet week so far.  For which I am grateful.  The metal detectorists were out in the vast Wiltshire plains - near Salisbury Plain in fact - and one gold coin was found, though not by Himself.  The wonderful comforting structure of Zoom meetings continues, with a change coming up.  I am moving to a new field service group today.  But on my computer, in my own dining room.  I made a carrot cake yesterday and re-stocked the freezer with cake for the Captain's packed lunches. That is about it  for my headline news I think.

The Winter Olympics have started... and although I love them,  I don't intend to watch them this year.  

The news is full of such cruelty and sadness I thought it would be great to put this clear, simple and well known promise into my blog.  It's recorded at Isaiah 11:6-9.  It is a poem in itself and tells us what a loving, peaceful place the earth will be when God's Kingdom is ruling over us.   

"The wolf will reside for a while with the lamb,

 And with the young goat the leopard will lie down.

 And the calf and the lion and the fattened animal will all be together;

 And a little boy will lead them.

 The cow and the bear will feed together,

 And their young will lie down together.

 The lion will eat straw like the bull.

 The nursing child will play over the lair of a cobra,

 And a weaned child will put his hand over the den of a poisonous       snake.

 They will not cause any harm

 Or any ruin in all my holy mountain,

 Because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of   Jehovah

 As the waters cover the sea."

The knowledge of Jehovah is already being taken worldwide - and in so many different languages.

Do have a look at our website:  https://www.jw.org/en/

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The February Calendar

“There is always in February some one day, at least, when one smells the yet distant, but surely coming, summer.”

— Gertrude Jekyll

But, Miss Jekyll,  I like Winter too, and Spring and Autumn.  

This Greencheek Parrot fish - from the lovely Indian Ocean - is our calendar pic for February.  One of Col's photos of course.  He has done a fish calendar this year, portraits of fish taken during his Diving in Tropical Waters Years, as he is not really photographing much at the moment. Metal detecting possesses him  

Divers say you can hear the parrot fish crunching on their coral dinners when you are underwater. They clearly have strong beaks.  As soon as we came out of the airport on our Maldives trips,  and started to make our way over to our waiting boat, I would look over the harbour edge and always always - except for the very last time we visited - see at least one lovely parrot fish.

How amazing and how wonderful the creation is.  Isn't this fish telling us that it was made by the greatest artist, designer and engineer of all - our Grand Creator, Jehovah.  Also though we will see the awe-inspiring power of the creation even clearer than we do now when paradise is restored, we will have no reason to fear it. I say that as I was remembering our very last trip to the Maldives, and our last boat ride back to Airport Island, because it was a very stormy crossing.

We were thrown about all over the place and I was only kept from panicking and screaming "We are all going to die!!!" by the fact that there was a young child being thrown about in the seat in front of me, whose mum was working hard to keep him calm and reassure him. I prayed to Jehovah to keep me calm so that I wouldn't let her down.  And we got there safely and on time.

Apparently storms still range in the Northlands - but its calm here so far. And still much warmer than it should be.  I love to hear and look out on a stormy sea.  It's a wonderful sound, like a thousand freight trains roaring straight at us.  But of course I don't want the power going out, as has happened in Scotland, nor do I want our roof blown off.  We get the full brunt of it here, when it happens, yet our balcony geraniums sail serenely through the storms - sometimes with their leafy sails at full billow, and probably will sail calmly on even while the roof is being blown off (though I hope that hypothesis will never be put to the test).

But how is that for some perfect design?