The Balcony in its Summer Splendour

Not that it's quite summer yet of course, but as you see, the balcony is ready - thanks to Captain B and his hard work.  And there was a lovely round yellow moon out over the sea on Saturday night, as we sipped our wine (him) and a decaff coffee (me).

It looks anxious as it looks down. busy with its job of pulling the tides along. But, in the new system of things, in the restored earthly paradise, none of us will have anything to be anxious about.  I have this fanciful idea of the moon sailing along with a big smile on its face.

Let us hope we are all there to find out.

Col's recovery continues, though he did not go out detecting at all over the weekend.  So he is - uncharacteristically - pacing himself, which is good.  But sad too.  We were talking about the past on the balcony the other night - and how quickly life goes.

Keith and Janet have sent me a fascinating book APOCALYPSE, The Great East Window of York Minster by Sarah Brown.  It is all about the restoration of the great stained glass window.

I haven't managed to get near it yet as Col is so interested. He is fascinated by the history of the window and its restoration, but I am hoping it might make him think about what the book of Revelation actually says.

We are living in the events it depicts, so it is very urgent that people do both read and understand it.  Its promise is this, that the link so fatally broken in Eden, will be restored, and that Jehovah "will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”

The "sadness that belongs to the world" will have gone for good.  By the end of the Thousand Years we - IF we are there - will be where our first parents were before they chose to disobey, perfect, effortlessly reflecting the wonderful qualities of our Creator, and living in paradise - the paradise earth.

Then our real lives can begin. And there will be no need for them ever to end. We will be living then, not dying as we are now.

Which could lead me into a saga about my current troubles with my eyes, but I will spare you and end on this paradise note - with the balcony flowers providing a sort of glimpse of paradise, which was after all, a beautiful garden, the Garden of Eden.