tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11176794435809268652024-03-18T16:40:02.454+00:00 Sue Knight's BlogSue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.comBlogger2143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-19781564314343183642024-03-18T14:06:00.000+00:002024-03-18T14:06:43.337+00:00A Dingy Flat-Body<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCW8forgDtet5wMUHJH8o5XQot3aRaKGh8gOop1RwhjSHf_uk_fX2_zKRM_jcsgUk_p-SqpljNOAMxUJI9edH3PbMEzzv5hNyojX5dCj_LGn63WPrHDwmeMgpm9tO2KWmKDFmr5fmNxfY0i8ACwcJIEDudPBsc8Oq8Z8194G5yDgD7AY81yK0AOUzg6I/s3831/Dingy%20Flat-body,%20Depressaria%20daucella%204612.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3831" data-original-width="2708" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCW8forgDtet5wMUHJH8o5XQot3aRaKGh8gOop1RwhjSHf_uk_fX2_zKRM_jcsgUk_p-SqpljNOAMxUJI9edH3PbMEzzv5hNyojX5dCj_LGn63WPrHDwmeMgpm9tO2KWmKDFmr5fmNxfY0i8ACwcJIEDudPBsc8Oq8Z8194G5yDgD7AY81yK0AOUzg6I/s320/Dingy%20Flat-body,%20Depressaria%20daucella%204612.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Taking those invites (to the Memorial of Jesus' death) round our block of flats last week reminded me of just how I am deteriorating. I managed ten in all, yet not so long ago, when we first retired, I was knocking at every door in the flats, then in later years, if we had a lot of invites left I would take a bundle and put one through every letterbox. This year, all I managed to do was to place ten - one on the ledge in each hallway, one with neighbour who I met in the Hall, and I left one with the workmen. I had to do the last two hallways the following day.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The moths have returned to the balcony, including one we have not had before - the rather unkindly named: Dingy Flat-body - see photo above. Could it be called the Velvet Cloak instead?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It makes me wonder what a giant extra-terrestial moth would call me if I went and got caught in its Person Trap... but no, I don't even want to think about it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Appropriately enough for Memorial Week the moth on our wall this morning, under the balcony light, is called the Hebrew Character. It flies in a single generation during March and April, and is attracted to the light.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Col kindly chauffered me to the meeting at the Kingdom Hall yesterday - for the Special talk - <i>The Resurrection : Victory Over Death</i>. It was a wonderful talk, so comforting. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Among the verses the young brother giving the talk, quoted was this, one of my favourites, as it is such a clear promise of the awakening from the sleep of death, and of its being such a joyful one:</span></p><p class="sl" data-pid="678" id="p678" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em; text-indent: -3em;"><span class="v" id="v23-26-19-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> “Your dead will live.</span></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="679" id="p679" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #292929; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" id="v23-26-19-2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My corpses will rise up.</span></span></p><div data-pid="680" id="p680" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p class="sz" data-pid="680" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" id="v23-26-19-3" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Awake and shout joyfully,</span></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="680" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" id="v23-26-19-4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">You residents in the dust!</span></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="680" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">For your dew is as the dew of the morning,</span></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="680" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And the earth will let those powerless in death come to life." - Isaiah 26:19</span></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="680" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><br /></p></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div data-pid="681" id="p681" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p class="sz" data-pid="681" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><br /></p></div>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-50629698465660611452024-03-15T10:43:00.000+00:002024-03-15T10:43:58.527+00:00Queen Emma<p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxjFZKzs3c507EuSPle5zr__oRzJ1_J-ATN8fISZYpdaEEN_cby2H2hH7jXxtw_wQsPAj-sLjzpLHcI9mfnrovoPYDpzGOFSZFY3c4gKTyxo2eXw_NysDEnVbHQNVSvGAnn6Z4JjNJXWXuXxENQenNU4aKxuirtOW7n78d_JqaCJwp38pbPnrBZTYhOs/s1200/Queen%20of%20Spain%20Fritillary%20%E2%99%82,%20Issoria%20lathonia%205598.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxjFZKzs3c507EuSPle5zr__oRzJ1_J-ATN8fISZYpdaEEN_cby2H2hH7jXxtw_wQsPAj-sLjzpLHcI9mfnrovoPYDpzGOFSZFY3c4gKTyxo2eXw_NysDEnVbHQNVSvGAnn6Z4JjNJXWXuXxENQenNU4aKxuirtOW7n78d_JqaCJwp38pbPnrBZTYhOs/s320/Queen%20of%20Spain%20Fritillary%20%E2%99%82,%20Issoria%20lathonia%205598.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We were watching a programme about the conquests of King Canute, when his Viking army/navy sailed to the UK and ended up making him king. The previous Roman occupation made an appearance as London was able to hold out against King Canute because of the immense walls the Romans had built hundreds of years previously. Some of those walls stand to this day.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There is a joke currently doing the rounds on facebook, saying that, if England is to be invaded again, can it be by the Romans, as we badly need all the potholes in our roads fixing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Canute and the rightful heir to the throne, Edmund, fought each other to a standstill in the end, with slaughter and cruelty on both sides. And they agreed to sort of rule together. However, Edmund was very quickly killed - but not it seems by Canute, but by an act of treachery from someone on the English side, someone well known for previous treacheries.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It all reminded me depressingly of some aspects of expat life - well, all life as it is now really. The backstabbing, metaphorical as well as literal - even over the smallest of prizes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Canute himself made a good King apparently. He made a very sensible dynastic marriage with the British Queen Emma - and I had no idea till I saw this that we ever had a Queen Emma! - and England had a welcome period of peace under his rulership.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But what a tragedy it has all been. Human history I mean.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I couldn't find a "Queen Emma" in Col's photo gallery, so I hope one Himself took of a Queen of Spain Fritillary will do. I feel sure Queen Emma was lovely too.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There was a great confusion about my Audiology appointment in Worthing on Wednesday morning. It turned out they had cancelled it, I assume because I had an emergency appointment when my hearing aids failed. Though they assured me at the time that the second appointment was still going ahead. Luckily we checked ahead before we set off. The Captain's idea, and a very good one.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At any rate they have re-scheduled it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I have taken some invitations round the block - just one in each front hallway - and hope and pray that someone will come. I must remind myself to go round again on the Monday after the Memorial and remove any that haven't been taken, which I hope won't be all! and put them in the recycle.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Memorial will be after sunset on Sunday the 24th March at your local Kingdom Hall. You will be so welcome. And there is a special talk about the Resurrection, which will be given here this Sunday at 10:00. If you want to go to that, you will need to check the time with your local congregation.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The title is: The Resurrection, Victory Over Death". And it will be a lovely reassurance that the dead will not be forgotten during the Thousand Year Reign of the Kingdom of God.They have such a joyful awakening ahead of them. I hope I will be there to see it. I hope we will all be there.</span></p><p><br /></p>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-21049730224845324792024-03-12T08:15:00.001+00:002024-03-12T08:15:59.366+00:00POLYCRISIS!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9EzGH5UCp03_hYO7OVxh9W2oziHmc9DT-dmq_IrvistMaumpsPwzOPEU29dluSSZp3OBQwxjE685emmtgs3LIHxKHOMuJ4qgnNqeWIzxDWzrQS-6Jrxj8DRF9voJwph2mxyvcywgHgGjxJgDPpgN0kk9LPOtmb1nh0htjWahON3It-Qj92XEYrMQVSc/s5000/Maldives08%20Paradise%20reef%20(34).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5000" data-original-width="3750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9EzGH5UCp03_hYO7OVxh9W2oziHmc9DT-dmq_IrvistMaumpsPwzOPEU29dluSSZp3OBQwxjE685emmtgs3LIHxKHOMuJ4qgnNqeWIzxDWzrQS-6Jrxj8DRF9voJwph2mxyvcywgHgGjxJgDPpgN0kk9LPOtmb1nh0htjWahON3It-Qj92XEYrMQVSc/s320/Maldives08%20Paradise%20reef%20(34).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Polycrisis is a word apparently coined in the 1970s. It was needed to describe many global threats happening at the same time. And does anyone have an answer to this supercrisis? It would clearly need a united, one-world government to even begin to think of tackling it all. But can you imagine the horror of a human one-world government - George Orwell's 1984 come to life?</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It would probably lead to a new word having to be coined - a Polypolycrisis maybe?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;">Which is why we need the heavenly government - the Kingdom of God - for whose coming Jesus taught, and teaches, us to pray. You can be taught by it and cared for now, if you wish - the good news of the Kingdom is being taken worldwide, as Jesus prophesied it would be: </span><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;">And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"> and then the end will come. - Matthew 24:14</span></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;">The end being the end of the current wicked system of things on the earth, not the end of this lovely planet! And our Speaker at the Hall on Sunday pointed out that the fact </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;">we need a new word to describe the system in which we are now living, surely fits exactly the time of the end as described in prophecy in the Inspired Scriptures. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sadly, although we had a ton of religious education at the Convent, we never touched on the vital matter of Bible prophecy.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The lovely starfish that heads the blog was taken by Himself on Paradise Reef in the Maldives. As the Kingdom of God will soon transform the whole earth <span style="font-family: inherit;">into the paradise it was always meant to be, it seemed appropriate.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The earth is so lovely. I am looking out over a rain-soaked Green with one valiant waterproofed dog-walker and beyond to a grey Channel and sky. And it looks beautiful.</span></p>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-33248720919768240202024-03-08T07:50:00.001+00:002024-03-08T07:50:14.167+00:00Alfred the Great<div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccvxNLBWkMpreHfVWTN4bc5OoOfzo47mhg41fA3qRKM5z8tjxRdM2NvA39Q5-vc0DabEhKoEZVkfaR862Bu8Xl9YmtUq7YkcCssz1T50njxbNbIInPTL1tGqtQ7pyzWX6tD2vRuw_G3SVOYClP1DAFoMzQpUv5ctcmww8lmZl6rd-mFcbH8cZR0S8_cY/s3451/King%20Angelfish,%20Holacanthus%20passer,%20Galapagos%20(180).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2599" data-original-width="3451" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccvxNLBWkMpreHfVWTN4bc5OoOfzo47mhg41fA3qRKM5z8tjxRdM2NvA39Q5-vc0DabEhKoEZVkfaR862Bu8Xl9YmtUq7YkcCssz1T50njxbNbIInPTL1tGqtQ7pyzWX6tD2vRuw_G3SVOYClP1DAFoMzQpUv5ctcmww8lmZl6rd-mFcbH8cZR0S8_cY/s320/King%20Angelfish,%20Holacanthus%20passer,%20Galapagos%20(180).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Alfred the Great</span></i><div><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">by Stevie Smith</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Honour and magnify this man of men</span></i><div><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Who keeps a wife and seven children on two pounds ten</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Paid weekly in an envelope</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And yet he never has abandoned hope.</span></i></div></div><div><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I was reminded of this poem by a post on fb on Tuesday, one posted by one of my great-nieces. It said:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i>If a monkey hoarded more bananas than it could eat, while most of the other monkey starved, scientists would study that monkey to find out what was wrong with it. When humans do it, we put them on the cover of Forbes.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And, yes, we are encouraged - by the world and its media - to adulate the super rich and what I suppose could be called "the designer label" culture. But why, in a world in which some people work all their lives, yet never know what it is not to be hungry? Shouldn't we admire those who cope with such difficulties, such a struggle, for their courage, for their fortitude? So I remembered the poem in which Stevie asked us to admire and honour such a person.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">And here is some perfect advice, from the very Source of wisdom, our Creator, Jehovah:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><span class="v" id="v62-2-15-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Do not love either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; </span><span class="v" id="v62-2-16-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. </span></i><span class="v" id="v62-2-17-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i>Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever. </i>- 1 John 2:15-17</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Would it be fair to say that the Designer Label culture is all about making a showy display of our means of life? The present wicked system of things on the earth will soon be passing away. We need to stand clear of it, and resist all the world's efforts to push or persuade us off the "narrow road" that leads to life. And we need to warn others,</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">On Tuesday I zoomed with a couple of friends in the morning, and made a wokful of veggie curry in the afternoon as I had rather a lot of veggies left over. I had a blood test on Wednesday morning, and two more Zoom sessions, morning and afternoon.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">What did we do before Zoom came along?</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">I couldn't find a King Alfred in Col's photo gallery, but I did find a King Angelfish which will have to do. It looks very fierce and kingly. And I do not think I would like to fall out with it.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-71485776362580536062024-03-04T15:47:00.000+00:002024-03-04T15:47:59.792+00:00APOLOGIES to my Blog Readers<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHuPFLHGDwdSQRh33ZbRiscl7yGPtHtG1kU34EY0T2eG09LWETs9M7Bgyvpy-7-Gp5Sr-RhBibveY9BFny2X13avpgcWyu6iuCOngqQcHZMYkTfsRGKqxmnohHnTsIr3GnfItnH0-9Q1LUwajywuMsYgKCPfJHm0vmHRby9Mhys2GKAwIIZtwASgOqeI/s2577/flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1937" data-original-width="2577" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHuPFLHGDwdSQRh33ZbRiscl7yGPtHtG1kU34EY0T2eG09LWETs9M7Bgyvpy-7-Gp5Sr-RhBibveY9BFny2X13avpgcWyu6iuCOngqQcHZMYkTfsRGKqxmnohHnTsIr3GnfItnH0-9Q1LUwajywuMsYgKCPfJHm0vmHRby9Mhys2GKAwIIZtwASgOqeI/s320/flowers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have to start this blog with an apology - it seems that over the years I have been getting some lovely comments from my readers, but I had not seen them. They were supposed to have come to my email address first so I could decide to put them on my blog - or not. I was alerted recently by Stuart and Boris that they had made comments on a couple of my recent blogs. And yet nothing came through. I have finally found where they have been hiding - for many years! - and have posted them all. From now on, I should be able to see them and put them on the blog.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I appreciate all of them, but this is the first chance I have had to see them, and to say so. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Where were they going? Well, the clue was this, into a box called "Comments".... that I had never even noticed before. "Elementary my dear Watson." - or it should have been... </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At least I can blame it on my age - which is one compensation for being so old. The other compensation, which I have surely mentioned before, is that the gift of life seems more wonderful, precious and interesting by the day. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I put a bunch of flowers at the head of the this blog by way of thanks to you all for the comments.</span></p>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-43298083942472743602024-03-04T08:51:00.001+00:002024-03-04T08:51:06.872+00:00A Lion or a Lamb?<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="sl" data-pid="363" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: NotoSans, Arial, "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em; text-indent: -3em;"><span class="v" id="v20-14-1-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: WTClearText, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a class="cl vx vp" href="https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/dx/r1/lp-e/1001070124/16889" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: NotoSans, Arial, "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif; font-size: 1.74969em; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="tt cl" color="transparent" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: rgba(0, 208, 255, 0.3); border-radius: 1em; box-shadow: rgba(0, 208, 255, 0.3) 0.1em 0px 0px 0px; box-sizing: content-box; content: "m"; cursor: pointer; inset: 0px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; transform: translateX(-0.2em); width: 39.3083px;"></span></a><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHPUHWXYvOF0gauW_Sjwl-WVv9vVLmtFrTy8UYE24ROc5Zfd7qwEkHXCNgjN5pbmkMUS4TH6NZZlLWbe8zB3GtZIM8UJhHcL9h6DkeHnpqOr5Q8Fws1mVK_VNvc0sFcwqD0oOdpbzfjud_N2WqEeENOhkUBvptO2sUGWesRX2T5AajJJkGObFXuUEqYU/s3562/Daffodil,%20Narcissus%20pseudonarcissus%2020240227_105704.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3562" data-original-width="1882" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHPUHWXYvOF0gauW_Sjwl-WVv9vVLmtFrTy8UYE24ROc5Zfd7qwEkHXCNgjN5pbmkMUS4TH6NZZlLWbe8zB3GtZIM8UJhHcL9h6DkeHnpqOr5Q8Fws1mVK_VNvc0sFcwqD0oOdpbzfjud_N2WqEeENOhkUBvptO2sUGWesRX2T5AajJJkGObFXuUEqYU/s320/Daffodil,%20Narcissus%20pseudonarcissus%2020240227_105704.jpg" width="169" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Did March come in like a lion or a lamb? It was hard to tell on Friday - raining hard one minute, then sunny, then quite windy with waves on the Channel. Then it was sunny again. So I don't know how to apply this bit of folk wisdom: <i>When March comes in like a lamb, it goes out like a lion - and vice versa.</i> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Friday was a trip to the Audiologist... which I was very apprehensive about in case he would not be able to fix the hearing aids. However all was sorted there and then, thank God, and believe me I did ask Jehovah about this. A young audiologist with the most beautiful long blonde hair, cleaned the aids and changed a little disc on them and I can hear again! We wished her a lovely weekend.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Wonderful.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And re March, as we got out of the car when we got home we stepped into a violent hailstorm! So I guess March HAS come in like a lion. And the lion of March was still roaring on Saturday morning - wind, rain and a stormy sea - all interspersed with sudden bouts of sunshine.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Col left very early for The Field, well laden with metal detectors and sandwiches. I washed the kitchen and bathroom floors, got the washing done, and joined the Field Service Group in Zoom. And I spent the rest of the morning Zooming with 3 friends, which cheered me up.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And Sunday morning was the meeting at the Hall, and as I can hear again, I was able to go in person, though everything now sounds VERY LOUD. Which just goes to show how brilliantly Jehovah created the human ear. Amazing technology has gone into my aids, and I am very grateful for it. But the original ear cannot be replicated.</span></p>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-55550450596630810382024-02-29T14:42:00.000+00:002024-02-29T14:42:57.556+00:00February Filldyke<p></p><div class="o-grid" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 27.5px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="o-grid-col o-grid-col_10of12" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 27.5px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 638.362px;"></div></div><p></p><div class="o-vr o-vr_12x" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 60px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2;"><div class="c-feature" style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.231; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="c-feature-hd" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: 27.5px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DFh8KFKKxTHMaQCdVZOfiEOe_4S9WQ8P1TsagVPoa86sUW0tFa7mi84BklFWxiWtnTYamaMn2oDrRX3rWeG_yqnc7XUEWE6CqRmfjMcaFPt7ClDwdzALyc1gx1ukAZGpth7ZEJ2wEGy6tDNTmWwiTqwcU5e4YRVpf7KAJlrw8eZgZZ2Ya1fBezdnvA4/s1200/Grass%20snake,%20Natrix%20natrix%20(18).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DFh8KFKKxTHMaQCdVZOfiEOe_4S9WQ8P1TsagVPoa86sUW0tFa7mi84BklFWxiWtnTYamaMn2oDrRX3rWeG_yqnc7XUEWE6CqRmfjMcaFPt7ClDwdzALyc1gx1ukAZGpth7ZEJ2wEGy6tDNTmWwiTqwcU5e4YRVpf7KAJlrw8eZgZZ2Ya1fBezdnvA4/s320/Grass%20snake,%20Natrix%20natrix%20(18).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="c-feature-hd" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 27.5px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="c-feature-hd" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 27.5px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="c-feature-hd" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Acquainted with the Night</span></div><div class="c-feature-sub c-feature-sub_vast" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 33px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="c-txt c-txt_attribution" style="border: 0px; color: #494949; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 1.4px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">BY<span> </span><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/robert-frost" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; transition: color 0.25s cubic-bezier(0.215, 0.61, 0.355, 1) 0s; vertical-align: baseline;">ROBERT FROST</a></span></div></div><div class="c-feature-bd" style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="o-poem isActive" data-view="PoemView" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have been one acquainted with the night.<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have walked out in rain<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">—</span>and back in rain.<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have outwalked the furthest city light.<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have looked down the saddest city lane.<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have passed by the watchman on his beat<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">When far away an interrupted cry<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Came over houses from another street,<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But not to call me back or say good-bye;<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And further still at an unearthly height,<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">One luminary clock against the sky<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right. <br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have been one acquainted with the night.<br /></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="goog_1134184568"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></a></div><div style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, Baskerville Old Face, Hoefler Text, Times New Roman, serif"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47548/acquainted-with-the-night">https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47548/acquainted-with-the-night</a></span></span></div></div></div></div></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Apparently the Romans used to call the British February "February filldyke" as there was so much rain. And this February has lived up to its Roman reputation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So I was looking for rain poems and came across this odd and powerful Robert Frost one - not about rain as such, but with rain in it and well worth a read. And perhaps it ties in with what I am going to say about "the original serpent".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span>Last Thursday I got some energy from somewhere. I finished my study for the meeting, watched the Broadcast from the Governing Body, did a bit of witnessing (letters, fb), and made an apple crumble for himself. </span><span>He had bought some cooking apples in a pointed sort of way when we did our grocery shopping, and so I took the hint. This Thursday, everything is going to be an effort, and I will have to be at the meeting in Pixel Form this evening as given my hearing aids have packed up on me, the only way I will be able to hear is via the computer headphones. This new med, which is supposed to be an anti-depressant (though I am not taking it for that reason) is making me both depressed and tired, even though I am sleeping heavily, as though I had been clubbed.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span>I have an appointment with the Audiologist tomorrow and just have to hope he can fix the hearing aids...</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The photo is one Col took of a lovely grass snake. And like all snakes it has such an innocent face, and is very beautiful. I say that because I want to talk about "the original serpent" - not a snake at all, but Satan the devil - the one who Jesus called "the father of the lie".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The Bible tells us simply and clearly that the whole world, all its institutions, lie in the power of "the wicked one", Satan. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And it also tells us that Satan is deceiving the whole world.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;">So down the great dragon</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"> was hurled, the original serpent,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"> the one called Devil</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"> and Satan,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"> who is misleading the entire inhabited eart</span></i></span><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">h; </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">he was hurled down to the earth, </span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"> and his angels were hurled down with him." Revelati</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;">on 12:9</span></i></span></p><p><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">If those words are true, then Satan is pulling the strings and is deceiving the entire inhabited earth, and we are being lied to a scale we can probably hardly comprehend. Wouldn't it explain why there are so many conspiracy theories? We perceive the hands behind the curtain, and see that they are not benevolent ones, but without knowing what the Inspired Scriptures tell us, we can so easily be persuaded to blame and turn on each other.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">And it is so important to know that, while in the poem Robert Frost talks about being well acquainted with the night, the Inspired Scriptures promise us a wonderful dawn is coming.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">People sometimes see Revelation as a frightening book, maybe all about the end of the world. Whereas what in fact is does describe is the end of the current wicked system of things on the earth, and the restoration of paradise earthwide.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">This is what it promises us:</span></span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="v" id="v66-21-3-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. </span><span class="v" id="v66-21-4-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more,<a class="b" data-bid="585-1" href="https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/1001070170/584" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2878bb; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none;"><br /></a> neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away."</span></span></i></p>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-10740614194140377512024-02-27T10:02:00.000+00:002024-02-27T10:02:55.690+00:00The Foresight Saga - and Prophecy<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBB7k8NFOUtOuFtu-FGIYE2e2YK8C1-jdt5p5_bAMJlPQINwoVsHRs8RPcHKgs2dX8OgbL9sG1L4Ruz85tcxvl0GPVwNWUJUcpFCsM4p8FM04SUdEDdRrt8IYyBvwsvTj3AFwp9WvNPqYtqhF3MFLsEu_ysij92AiYur8qONG6zMtOpS8DpXS7QcS5aSU/s1200/Snowdrops,%20Galanthus%20species%200136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBB7k8NFOUtOuFtu-FGIYE2e2YK8C1-jdt5p5_bAMJlPQINwoVsHRs8RPcHKgs2dX8OgbL9sG1L4Ruz85tcxvl0GPVwNWUJUcpFCsM4p8FM04SUdEDdRrt8IYyBvwsvTj3AFwp9WvNPqYtqhF3MFLsEu_ysij92AiYur8qONG6zMtOpS8DpXS7QcS5aSU/s320/Snowdrops,%20Galanthus%20species%200136.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">
THE FORESIGHT SAGA</span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ebcbc793-7fff-f422-27e0-917f09c69e9b"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">by me</span><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My darling baby</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When you grow up</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Your life will be wrecked</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When your wife runs off</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">With an architect</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">You’ll marry again</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">That’s for sure</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And have a daughter</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">You’ll just adore.</span></p><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I wrote this years and years ago, for a competition. And it got into the anthology. Mind you, I think that every entry did, so I doubt it is a cause for boasting.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Now, I could foretell Soames Forstye's future as I had read The Forstye Saga, as could anyone who had read it. But if you do want to know what is going to happen next, you need to ask the Creator. Only Jehovah can tell us with accuracy. And he has done so in his inspired word - in both the Hebrew and the Christian Greek Scriptures (Old and New Testament).</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">In my faraway Convent schooldays, I had - we all had - an intensive religious education. But tragically we were not taught what the Bible actually says - in fact, often we were taught the reverse. And as far as I remember, we never even touched on Bible prophecy. Yet it is so important. Because, through his inspired word, Jehovah tells us:</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div data-pid="1379" id="p1379" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p class="sl" data-pid="1379" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em; text-indent: -3em;"><span class="v" id="v23-46-10-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i>From the beginning I foretell the outcome,</i></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="1379" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" id="v23-46-10-2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i>And from long ago the things that have not yet been done.</i></span></p></div><div data-pid="1380" id="p1380" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p class="sz" data-pid="1380" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span class="v" id="v23-46-10-3" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i>I say, ‘My decision will stand,</i></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="1380" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span class="v" id="v23-46-10-4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i>And I will do whatever I please. - Isaiah 46:10</i></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="1380" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span class="v" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i><br /></i></span></p></div></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Jehovah can tell us what will happen next. And he alone can fulfill everything that he purposes. So he tells us what we need to know to get safely to the restored earthly paradise. For example we have the promise in the Book of Revelation that God will "bring to ruin those ruining the earth". </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Now surely it is no exaggeration to say that we are close to ruining this lovely planet? And are there really any human solutions to this, especially given how impossible we find it to work together in harmony?</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">This article in the online Guardian on Monday underlines the truth of the Biblical warning that "it does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step"</span></div><div><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/26/world-west-danger-gaza-ukraine-food-global-problems">https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/26/world-west-danger-gaza-ukraine-food-global-problems</a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I am taking no sides in any of these awful conflicts - the current system of things on the earth works to divide and conquer, and sets brother against brother. Our Creator asks us to be no part of it. But how can any human government, even with the best will in the world, get us out of this tangled horrific web of conflicts and ruination that the article describes?</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">So do we have hope? Can we trust God's promises of true peace and security on the earth under the loving rule of the Kingdom of God? You can be very sure of it if you study Bible prophecy, and see how much of it has already been fulfilled. You can go to the site JW.org</span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> and put "prophecy" into the search engine, and find an immense amount of information. Very reassuring information too.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And I thought more spring flowers - snowdrops today, taken from Captain Butterfly's photo gallery - would be appropriate to head this blog, and so hopeful. Up they come each year, each one a little miracle. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">In one of his poems, Dylan Thomas, speaks of "the force that through the green fuse drives the flower". That force is the spirit of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, the Source and Sustainer of all life. The beauty and perfection of his work is all around us, even after 6,000 years of imperfection and human rulerships on the earth.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">There is another factor too, which I hope to address in my next blog. Who is really pulling the strings, which ever government gets elected, or seizes power? These are not human hands by the way.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div data-pid="1380" id="p1380" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p class="sz" data-pid="1380" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: NotoSans, Arial, "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; font-family: WTClearText, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></p></div></div></span></span>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-2440163393472577572024-02-25T07:01:00.000+00:002024-02-25T07:01:58.257+00:00An Ear Fail...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qKLu4xCwTIj-dS_yuEBGvus48fHOJmLLmVeZjso4D_bwQYzPGWzZS16kPgC20HbtFY0YFSaHVaBon45yGmdD3LNmNzY_PZW8PoDNSwt5C_LVMibCjdDjbvhMkuehOHy_Q71hYvLELQp7jt9a_3mHWZOAkTqEi8zb9FUA140dZaAevnb7jK_0U38N0nM/s3264/Crocus%20vernus%20465.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="3264" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qKLu4xCwTIj-dS_yuEBGvus48fHOJmLLmVeZjso4D_bwQYzPGWzZS16kPgC20HbtFY0YFSaHVaBon45yGmdD3LNmNzY_PZW8PoDNSwt5C_LVMibCjdDjbvhMkuehOHy_Q71hYvLELQp7jt9a_3mHWZOAkTqEi8zb9FUA140dZaAevnb7jK_0U38N0nM/s320/Crocus%20vernus%20465.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I chose this photo of Crocus at Small Dole as we drove past some crocus - crocuses, croci? - among the drifts of daffodils, on Friday.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It was a medical day - 2 trips to the surgery - and my appointment at Southlands. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My ears, or hearing aids, or both, failed mid meeting on Thursday night so I heard little of anything else. I could read along with most of it of course, but felt so depressed about it all. Presumably it was my ears, as the hearing has come back - pretty much - but it leaves me wondering what will happen next.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The late seventies is strange and frightening new territory, with that edge - Philip Larkin's "huge and birdless silence" - looming closer and closer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I am on a different (and unexpected) new medication for my skin condition, which is also apparently an anti-depressant, though I am not being given it for that reason. The doctor warned me that a side effect was nightmares, and so to take it a few hours before bedtime.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I did, and had strange and vivid dreams - and woke up with a very dry mouth, feeling a bit as if I had been coshed. Last night I could not sleep at all. I was intending to take the tablets for the prescribed month and then decide whether or not to stay on them - but if they stop me from sleeping, I will have to stop taking them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But on my sleeping-like-I-had-been-coshed night, my dream did not turn into a nightmare, for which I am grateful, as it could have. I dreamt that I saw a gang of ladettes, one of whom set a house on fire. I decided to speak up by giving a witness. And when I revealed that I was a JW, the chief ladette said "Well, I guessed you weren't scouting for a TV Documentary". By which she meant, she guessed I wasn't anything interesting, anything that would interest her.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And the dream faded and vanished. For which I do thank God, as I had prayed not to have any nightmares.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But how I wish everyone would at least hear us out. Because when they do, they will find out what the Bible is actually saying, the wonderful future it promises us, right here on the lovely earth, IF we will listen to our Creator now.</span></p>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-6827502700469281802024-02-21T14:30:00.001+00:002024-03-02T11:06:39.310+00:00Travelling Years<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-PCqjNyGkceFJS7M-mfcYtjTVZDdf8jrwTAwSLbsoOWbkCT0iWWGgHzFj61T_fESEw4NqHTtCujiggVRuLV_Ast0RygKmGZkbw0hmkuBlUn8kdufe1mGAhs7l6kqa0s1D5G6Emj5d0julcdyD1nev5IQDndrnpof_j8MzIRW5xRQ-bzcF4JQzYNx2Z8/s3008/Table%20Mountain%20Sep%203%202007%20(27).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3008" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-PCqjNyGkceFJS7M-mfcYtjTVZDdf8jrwTAwSLbsoOWbkCT0iWWGgHzFj61T_fESEw4NqHTtCujiggVRuLV_Ast0RygKmGZkbw0hmkuBlUn8kdufe1mGAhs7l6kqa0s1D5G6Emj5d0julcdyD1nev5IQDndrnpof_j8MzIRW5xRQ-bzcF4JQzYNx2Z8/s320/Table%20Mountain%20Sep%203%202007%20(27).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRsxEdezGC1ktdzc2c4iVb1_i9H7npyZCjIrkNeF0yYCMoIEVgnXUZmWMxQy1TEZu_yxxpKHDnLEVfxw9uMJviU2GCuZKyvP44IZAY7eqybE_IHmdQcQJnGcWpmRn6T7agojPlm27GUbHCRg4YKEM6DN3pP1ZO6yuoGkHSWMkvCanshsgGS4ag2eYqLE/s1000/Bandos,%20Maldives%202010%20GEDC0501.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="1000" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRsxEdezGC1ktdzc2c4iVb1_i9H7npyZCjIrkNeF0yYCMoIEVgnXUZmWMxQy1TEZu_yxxpKHDnLEVfxw9uMJviU2GCuZKyvP44IZAY7eqybE_IHmdQcQJnGcWpmRn6T7agojPlm27GUbHCRg4YKEM6DN3pP1ZO6yuoGkHSWMkvCanshsgGS4ag2eYqLE/s320/Bandos,%20Maldives%202010%20GEDC0501.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Now I am in my non-travelling years, my housebound years, I suppose, I find I have been thinking about our past travels. So I have searched Captain Butterfly's photo gallery and found a couple of photos for this blog.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have picked one from the Tabletop - the strange and lovely land at the top of Table Mountain. The other is from the Maldive Islands at sunset. I loved the islands at night - hot, but without the fierce tropical sun, and so quiet, apart from the sound of the waves - the sound of eternity. And there was the smell of blossom everywhere. I tried to do the beauty of it some justice in <i>Waiting for Gordo.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I am glad we were able to do our travelling back then, because things were not so crowded, and flying was not as difficult and stressful as it became. In our last travelling years, you had to arrive so early at the airport, and go through so much security - all of it absolutely necessary of course - that I was exhausted before we even started. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I can remember when it was just that bit more informal, more relaxed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">For example, on my one and only trip to Africa - South Africa, after apartheid - just as we lifted off from Jo'burg on our way to The Cape, the pilot of our plane told us the time we would be arriving in Harare, He then laughed heartily at the panic of those of us not used to his style, as we all assumed we had got on the wrong plane, and realised it was too late to get off - without a parachute anyway!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The staff then sang what was apparently a rude song (in Africaans) to welcome a family travelling with us who were moving from Jo'burg to The Cape. It was a jolly journey. And the pilot got us there safely and to time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">On another flight to the Maldives - Air Transylvania(?) - before The Wall came down anyway - one of our party of divers, the prettiest American wife, was actually at the controls of our plane at one stage. You could see her in the cabin driving it while the pilot had his feet up reading his newspaper. While I would like to think they had autopilot, I don't know. It was a very small plane. But the pilot and the diver got us there safely and on time. And who could ask for more?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I did not worry about flying in those days. But I would now. The older I get the more fragile and the more wonderful life seems.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And we got to see some places before they filled up - like Chiang Mai for example. It was not a tourist hotspot when we stayed at the old British Embassy (then owned by our Thai friend's company). We had it to ourselves, apart from the staff, who cooked us a lovely breakfast every morning. We pretty much had beautiful Chiang Mai to ourselves too.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And we got just a glimpse of the old city - no more than that I guess - on our first visit to Bangkok in that the roads were not yet choked with traffic. We could wander down the Soi our friends lived on and watch birds and butterflies, and the waffle man could drive his cart to their backdoor so we could have fresh waffles for breakfast. On every subsequent visit, Bangkok - including the little lane they lived on - was as choked with traffic as every other city is now.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Of course, it is tourists like us who help to cause all this - yet we are needed for economic reasons - which is the central dilemma of <i>Waiting for Gordo</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There are many places I would have loved to have seen of course. and never did. And I had hoped we could travel round the UK quite a lot in our retirement... However, IF we "inherit the earth" as Jesus promised, we will have all the time in the world. And who knows where we might go and what we might see then? There is an immense, ever-expanding universe out there.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But we do need to be meek - not meek as in a character trait, but meek towards our Creator, Jehovah, prepared to seek for him, to find him, and to be guided and moulded by him. He will help us every step of the way.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Today is my Zoom day - two double Zoom sessions with friends, one a.m., one p.m. We had our usual Zoom family get togethers on Monday, and all seems well. On Tuesday, we travelled to Rustington, to do our fruit and veggie shop - no plane journey involved, just a pretty drive past a rather grey and swirly English Channel. The daffodils are everywhere - valiant creatures. And isn't each one of them a miracle of beauty and engineering? How often do we stop and thank their Creator, Jehovah, for them, for all the beauty he has made for us, and for all the beauty he will make for us?</span></p>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-41596995186884195532024-02-18T16:19:00.001+00:002024-02-18T16:19:39.408+00:00Have you Ordled yet?<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNeTKEczTZ-kONK14EyEempj2TSCJkemVGTc410tmiGu1MSzc5LfBZk8hiIJ9cmY7Fo7uEtga6HxDZ7P9jFyM2UtPWVFhGLWR505jC2pqvZy-W2fBvEqPgXiaROrqjutcz_0va28_5ulTBb30iPl77L1j9I4KEvXx-uTnmIiu66ODMl5PahROGzIn4L8/s1000/Daffodils%209058.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNeTKEczTZ-kONK14EyEempj2TSCJkemVGTc410tmiGu1MSzc5LfBZk8hiIJ9cmY7Fo7uEtga6HxDZ7P9jFyM2UtPWVFhGLWR505jC2pqvZy-W2fBvEqPgXiaROrqjutcz_0va28_5ulTBb30iPl77L1j9I4KEvXx-uTnmIiu66ODMl5PahROGzIn4L8/s320/Daffodils%209058.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">I thought it might be nice to see some early daffodils. They are starting to appear both outside and in the shops. Our orchid table is still doing well, though the African violets are not flowering at the moment.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Captain B and I compete at Wordle/Quordle/Octordle every morning after breakfast. So first question of the day is usually: Have you Ordled yet?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I am aiming for a draw - best for marital harmony in my opinion - but Col likes to win. And strangely, given he is the science graduate - I am on the arts side - he often does. Which seems unfair somehow. He beat me on Saturday, though I did win on Friday.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It seems frivolous even to mention this, given the news... the war, if war it is, continues in the Middle East, causing immeasurable suffering. And the headlines yesterday were about the death of Alexei Navalny, a political prisoner, in a Russian gulag. God knows what the poor man went through before he died.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And:</span></div><div><i style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A woman who <span data-track-module="internal-body-link" style="letter-spacing: -0.01em;"><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13092575/Woman-female-genital-mutilation-British-girl-Kenya.html" style="color: #003580; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -0.01em; margin: 0px; min-height: 1px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_self">flew a British girl to Kenya for female genital mutilation</a></span> was defended by the victim in court after being slapped with a seven-year jail sentence.</span></i></div><div><p class="mol-para-with-font" style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.16px; margin: 0px 0px 16px; min-height: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Amina Noor, 40, who was born in Somalia but moved to Britain when she was 16, took the three-year-old to a 'clinic' while she waited outside as the horrific procedure was carried out.</i></span></p><p class="mol-para-with-font" style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.16px; margin: 0px 0px 16px; min-height: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Medical experts who later examined the child found she had suffered severe mutilation of her genitals, which would have caused significant bleeding and extreme pain. </i></span></p><p class="mol-para-with-font" style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 16px; min-height: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span face="graphik, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.16px;"><i>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13094103/Woman-jailed-flying-three-year-old-British-girl-Kenya-female-genital-mutilation-DEFENDED-victim.html</i></span></span></p><div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The mutilated 3 year old, now a young woman, who will have pain and medical issues for the rest of her life, and who must have gone through unimaginable pain at the time, spoke up for the accused lady saying she was not able to resist the pressure from her community.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Which is very likely true. But suppose this had been taken seriously and prosecuted years ago, would that have given her the incentive to stand up to the pressure, or maybe even given those who are pressuring mothers to mutilate their children to have some second thoughts? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Will this prison sentence help, or will it deter other victims from coming forward? I truly do not know. I cannot see the perfect way to deal with this. But doesn't it all, yet again, demonstrate that we, the children of Adam, cannot successfully rule ourselves? As the Hebrew Scriptures (Jeremiah) warn, "it does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step". It is the heavenly government, the Kingdom of God, alone that can and will put things right on the earth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It can and will heal all mutilated children - and it will heal their mental and emotional scars as well! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Here is a beautiful promise from Isaiah 65:17:</span></p><p class="sl" data-pid="1983" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em; text-indent: -3em;"><span class="v" id="v23-65-17-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>For look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth;</i></span></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="1983" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: content-box; color: #292929; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span class="v" id="v23-65-17-2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i>And the former things will not be called to mind, </i></span><i style="text-indent: -1em;">Nor will they come up into the heart.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What human government, even with the best will in the world...?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Despite a bad night I did suddenly get some energy from somewhere on Thursday, but will it last? I made the effort required to contact the doctor, got another sample in, though it has done me no good - no diagnosis or anything. I am wondering if this is going to be my new normal - if it is all in fact caused by my crumbling back.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Then I managed to do some much needed housework, and put the rubbish and the recyc out. Someone has fitted an new handle on our bin store, one that works!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Thanks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And I did the rest of my study for the evening meeting. Plus I had to go to the meeting via Zoom as Captain B and Jim were very late back from The Field and not only did not I not feel equal to driving myself in the dark, but also I needed his help to get dressed to Kingdom Hall standards. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">They say old age is a second childhood. And, yes, there are now times when I need help getting myself dressed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I paid for all the energy on Friday morning as I woke up with a swollen, blistered and painful left ankle and had to lurch from bed to zimmer frame to make sure I stayed upright.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I am in what is a Catch 22 of old age. To support my crumbling back, I need to do regular exercises; but when I do, my other joints become swollen and painful. Heading further into my late seventies is all new territory - scary, painful, strange - but I am so grateful to still be here. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Anyway, I did make it to the meeting today - for some comforting teaching - and even managed a quick shopping trip afterwards, I got some rhubarb and have made a crumble, as the poor Captain is only having chicken veggie soup for his tea, so I think a crumble (his favourite dessert) and custard will make it a much better supper.</span></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-43469878775148883082024-02-15T07:58:00.000+00:002024-02-15T07:58:46.110+00:00A Time Travelling Spider<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sKGvNRMo6EA8WJs-74oMghXxZ3cEvGYXy1MIi8t4hJ-XTw8lOhHUfJ7UnrrFxE-5u65SBOIrUcZmBoZP_Qo2UbAbX4PO4QW83tVgkB1xtbEC8_aSBRT3dJX8_aHXsuSizJEzT6_pta4NyYy_sf493TG2BZRR4Vk2vtx4psVqGF86vSuKy_s25l-jeq4/s1200/Missing%20Sector%20Spider,%20Zygiella%20x-notata%200352.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sKGvNRMo6EA8WJs-74oMghXxZ3cEvGYXy1MIi8t4hJ-XTw8lOhHUfJ7UnrrFxE-5u65SBOIrUcZmBoZP_Qo2UbAbX4PO4QW83tVgkB1xtbEC8_aSBRT3dJX8_aHXsuSizJEzT6_pta4NyYy_sf493TG2BZRR4Vk2vtx4psVqGF86vSuKy_s25l-jeq4/s320/Missing%20Sector%20Spider,%20Zygiella%20x-notata%200352.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Either a spider fell into a glass of wine, wobbled itself out, fell (through a timewarp) into an inkwell, and then, hitching a ride on the Tardis, arrived in Haysbridge and ran all over my Circuit Assembly Programme with its inky feet, or it could be that I tried to take some notes at the time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It's very hard to tell. But I need to know as we are going to be discussing what we learnt at the meeting at the Kingdom Hall tonight. And if I am to contribute anything I need to work out what my spider scrawl says.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The spider heading the blog was taken by Captain Butterfly, of course - locally. I thought it had a scholarly look about it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Assembly theme was "Enter Into God's Rest", and the theme scripture was Hebrews 4:11: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, so that no one may fall into the same pattern of disobedience. </i></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">One thing that the spider and I clearly wrote is that we need to build and keep strong faith in Jehovah's way of doing things. We only see a small part of the picture - he sees the whole.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I seem to have written down "Habbakuk 8:8 Do not harden our hearts but let Jehovah motivate us." Unfortunately Habbakuk has only 3 chapters, so either the spider and I got the book wrong, or the verses wrong, or I simply cannot decipher the reference. Excellent principle though. In fact, without Jehovah motivating us and energising us, how could the worldwide witness to the Kingdom of God be given? We could not do it in our own strength. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">I did not even know what the Kingdom was until those two Jehovah's Witnesses called at my door all those years ago. So how could I have told others about it, even if I had realised I was supposed to be doing so?</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">It has just dawned on me, it is HEBREWS 8:8! Which is about the "new covenant". Now that makes sense though I cannot now remember the exact point being made, but clearly it was hard for some of the Jews of Jesus day to accept the new covenant, bringing Gentiles into the fold. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #292929;"><span style="background-color: white;">And I have also noted Hebrews 12:1, which says: </span></span><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;">So, then, because we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also throw off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;">and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,</span></i></span></p><div><span style="color: #292929;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The sin that so easily entangles us is a lack of faith, a loss of faith. We will need to trust in Jehovah with all our hearts more and more as the current wicked system of things on the earth approaches its end. So we need to strengthen our faith now, by continuing to read and apply God's word.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So there are some lovely points to dwell on. And I will also note that the closing talk was <i>FIND JOY IN YOUR SERVICE TO JEHOVAH.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It would be easy to miss that if we were not careful, and get bogged down in all the difficulties and hassles and stresses of life as it is now. Yet we only have to endure to "the end". And that end comes either at the end of our own life, and our lives are so short now (I cannot tell you how quickly 70 plus years flies by!), or until the end of the current wicked system of things on the earth, at Armageddon.</span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After Armageddon, IF we have the privilege of being here, things will just get easier and easier. For one thing, we will be heading back to life, instead of dying as we all are now. </span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So I look forward to tonight and being reminded of all the things the spider and I seem to have made illegible notes about. As an excuse, I do remember that I was so nervous about my upcoming part on the stage beforehand, and so relieved afterwards, that note-taking took a bit of a back seat. But I did listen, and was very glad to be there.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;">So much so that I am hoping to make it to the next one, via the Room for the Disabled. I will be able to have my trusty Zimmer with me that way, and hopefully will not have the struggle in and out of my seat that caused me such a problem last time.</span></div><div><p><br /></p></div>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-83788222809500147902024-02-12T15:18:00.000+00:002024-02-12T15:18:02.322+00:00The Recorders Conference and the Ruby-tailed Wasp<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XW6eQTpgnSX8DWInP65zDoqsw3WpW6364M7gfk_bByIQ_Mdy2QAh449Ff3JMfr5L7-rtZMFOtcT4__n96l7nO7qNhk9_U-MPqgkGdTO7dYmOTPgUqm8-xnpLtr9OQdZr48rORK7butr3DE3ye-Kat5DFAfS7igsV_8bU-D4V3ypGDU0ew7wFurMhc_I/s1200/Ruby-tailed%20wasp,%20Chrysis%20species%205617.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XW6eQTpgnSX8DWInP65zDoqsw3WpW6364M7gfk_bByIQ_Mdy2QAh449Ff3JMfr5L7-rtZMFOtcT4__n96l7nO7qNhk9_U-MPqgkGdTO7dYmOTPgUqm8-xnpLtr9OQdZr48rORK7butr3DE3ye-Kat5DFAfS7igsV_8bU-D4V3ypGDU0ew7wFurMhc_I/s320/Ruby-tailed%20wasp,%20Chrysis%20species%205617.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It was the Recorder's Conference on Saturday. I was so worried about not being able to go, but after a prayer, and a dose of painkillers (acting in harmony with my prayer) I did make it. It was a good day out, as always. We connected with a lot of old friends: Mark, Nigel, Neil and others. And Michael Blencowe and Clare did their usual brilliant job of organising and compering. Everyone involved did, plus the caterers who produced an excellent veggie buffet.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I was a little sad about the wasp survey, in which the wasps had to be drowned and then sent in to be recorded. Hard to imagine a butterfly, or bee, or fluffy kitten(!) survey being conducted in the same way. But... Mark put me right by pointing out that wasps are not endangered. And we all sometimes have to kill insects.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Which is sadly true. We had to have a bees nest in our Saudi garden destroyed. It was not only their home, but it was a work of art. Our garden was small, but we inherited our friends' gardeners. They needed the work, and they made our back garden their base during the days. They had other employees in camp they worked for, but they kind of came and went from our back garden, so we left it to them. But then the bees turned up. They were aggressive little stingers. One gave me a rather painful sting as I fished it out of our pool at the front - gently and carefully. Which made us worried what a swarm of them might do if they set about our gardeners having their lunch under the wasp nest tree. So we could not risk in on their behalf. Plus they were the breadwinners for their extended family back on the sub-continent - no welfare state to fall back on if they became ill. No sick pay either. I felt very bad about it though.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Anyway, here is a rather beautiful ruby-tailed wasp, photographed by Captain B, if I remember rightly on one of our trips to the Wetland Trust. It will help to show that not only are wasps useful, but they are marvelous creations.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I keep thinking of the restored earthly paradise, when everything will be in its rightful place, doing the job it should be doing, and the original loving harmony of Eden will prevail earthwide.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bees and wasps will buzz happily about our lovely gardens, doing their job, and coming to us for help if they ever need it. That picture of the paradise to come needs to stay in my mind, as I am finding being in my late seventies rather difficult and painful. And, as the Bible tells us, hope is a secure anchor.</span></p>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-84205833904738684732024-02-09T11:13:00.001+00:002024-02-09T11:13:10.581+00:00The Week of Two Cauliflowers<p><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Px_vY__V0xeS7keEuSrbDdNNxW6P1biJvAO6hbM08GQN_gs4Jh5KvE55XMYWpWgiWD9pFNasbEjJeBVjTFO3jCUr8RENDUy1yuvHP22m8HPqpqcmGGRGiqzCDm5_9mVRBfNb9MldnHd4OwWR9eQgXZnscWQ8gKbD0BBl5XTsLCiROo21YwRq_PSLXhg/s3008/Giant%20tortoise%20reserve%20(60).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3008" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Px_vY__V0xeS7keEuSrbDdNNxW6P1biJvAO6hbM08GQN_gs4Jh5KvE55XMYWpWgiWD9pFNasbEjJeBVjTFO3jCUr8RENDUy1yuvHP22m8HPqpqcmGGRGiqzCDm5_9mVRBfNb9MldnHd4OwWR9eQgXZnscWQ8gKbD0BBl5XTsLCiROo21YwRq_PSLXhg/s320/Giant%20tortoise%20reserve%20(60).jpg" width="213" /></a></span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /><i><br /></i></span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>glum cauliflower
buds flowers to fractal shoots
it's Romanesco</i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>by John Anderson</i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/fractals_in_every_floret_1370043</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Hold the presses! I got my shopping list in a mess and have ended up with two cauliflowers. I will now have to come up with a couple of recipes to get them cooked asap. But Wednesday was a cooking day anyway in that after my usual morning Zoom with a friend, I made an apple crumble, plus made up Col's packed lunch for tomorrow.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Thursday morning we were up early - the Metal Detectorist had to get to his Field - and it began to pour with rain after 7 o clock - monsooning it down. Will it be falling as snow further North, as they have forecast snow for this week? Apparently it was. It has not been cold enough here for snow, yet. Captain Butterfly rang glumly from his Field a couple of times - rain, rain and more rain, and two bits of gold found - but not by him.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I made a sort of cauliflower curry in the afternoon - using up the older of the caulis - and even doing that exhausted me. Though having had two reasonably good nights sleep has given me back some energy and I managed to get the beds changed, the sheets washed, and a trayful of marmalade muffins made to re-stock the freezer for the packed lunches.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And I finished my study for the Thursday night meeting. We, the congregations worldwide, are just starting to study Psalms - specifically Psalms 1 to 4.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The Book of Psalms begins:</span></p><div data-pid="4" id="p4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p class="sl" data-pid="4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em; text-indent: -3em;"><span class="v" id="v19-1-1-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Happy is the man who does not walk according to the advice of the wicked</span></i></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" id="v19-1-1-2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And does not stand on the path of sinners<a class="b" data-bid="1-1" href="https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/1001070123/0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2878bb; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none;">+</a></span></i></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" id="v19-1-1-3" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And does not sit in the seat of scoffers.</span></i></span></p></div><div data-pid="5" id="p5" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p class="sl" data-pid="5" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em; text-indent: -3em;"><span class="v" id="v19-1-2-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> <a class="vl vx vp" href="https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/dx/r1/lp-e/1001070123/13941" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0.25em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none;"><br /></a>But his delight is in the law of Jehovah,</span></i></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="5" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" id="v19-1-2-2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And he reads His law in an undertone<a class="fn" data-fnid="1" href="https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/fn/r1/lp-e/1001070123/0" id="footnotesource1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 4px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 0px;"><br /></a> day and night.</span></i></span></p></div><div data-pid="6" id="p6" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p class="sl" data-pid="6" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em; text-indent: -3em;"><span class="v" id="v19-1-3-1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> <a class="vl vx vp" href="https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/dx/r1/lp-e/1001070123/13942" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0.25em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none;"><br /></a>He will be like a tree planted by streams of water,</span></i></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="6" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" id="v19-1-3-2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A tree that produces fruit in its season,</span></i></span></p><p class="sz" data-pid="6" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" id="v19-1-3-3" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The foliage of which does not wither.</span></i></span></p></div><p class="sz" data-pid="7" id="p7" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2em 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2.5em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="v" id="v19-1-3-4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And everything he does will succeed.</span></i></span></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This is a lovely simple and powerful image - the tree planted by streams of water, reminding us that God's word is as essential to our life as water is. I couldn't find a "tree planted by streams of water" in Col's gallery. But I did find one of a tree he took on his Galapagos trip, so I thought that might be quite interesting.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I am in the throes of some violent flare-ups at the moment - my "good" shoulder, then my right hand, then my right leg, and now my right hand again. I am going to rest everything as much as I can today, not even getting dressed. I am back on my trusty Zimmer frame.</span></p>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-89471468480113957882024-02-06T07:37:00.000+00:002024-02-06T07:37:36.860+00:00Don't tell him Pike!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-t4_VRqhti76qe66rvnlDl8dMK-SzFz4OibWlsL5yHg2bpVZrCeBZw0WqXLnqFC9K6uFxaAWthl4HhJf12iXWMxt1l2_9TfpNNo2DtvHyeuSwQr8esYcVRJVUcAUfo677LGdlgZVAWN7Bv4MTlojmvZsCs-Cm2iKxJDi9MMhZiSoOlyPz_MMEDUWJcpg/s1200/Pike,%20Esox%20lucius%208248.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-t4_VRqhti76qe66rvnlDl8dMK-SzFz4OibWlsL5yHg2bpVZrCeBZw0WqXLnqFC9K6uFxaAWthl4HhJf12iXWMxt1l2_9TfpNNo2DtvHyeuSwQr8esYcVRJVUcAUfo677LGdlgZVAWN7Bv4MTlojmvZsCs-Cm2iKxJDi9MMhZiSoOlyPz_MMEDUWJcpg/s320/Pike,%20Esox%20lucius%208248.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sad, sad news on Monday. Ian Lavender who played Private Pike (<i>Don't tell him Pike</i>) has died. He was the same age as me. He was a wonderful actor, and a part of many of our lives. He made us laugh so much. And his death only underlines for me how short our lives are now.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The pic, from Captain Butterfly's photo galley is of a Pike, in Ian Lavender's honour.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And I hope that when the time comes, during the Thousand Years, he will be woken from the dreamless sleep of death and see this lovely earth again.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I only just made it to the Kingdom Hall for the Sunday meeting, arriving as the singing began. My left hand was playing me up and it took me a time to get myself dressed in reasonable order. Could not get my socks on though. Col had left very early for The Field, or he would have been there to help.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There was a great adaptation of <i>David Copperfield</i> on the Telly during the afternoon, the one with Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst) as a wonderfully creepy Uriah Heep, and Maggie Smith as Betsy Trotwood. Oh and with Zoe Wanamaker, playing Miss Murdstone, a similarly ruthless character to the one she plays in <i>My Family.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Surely<i> Copperfield</i> is Dicken's masterpiece? I sat spellbound and sometimes sobbing over it all afternoon. And did not fall asleep once!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Apparently Col has sent off for a Contraption to Help Me Get My Socks On. I only hope I can work it when it arrives, otherwise I will be needing a Contraption to Help Me Use My Contraption to Help Me Get My Socks On. And then, if I can't work that, I will need... And so on ad infinitum...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We had our usual family chat on Zoom on Monday - all seem well, and we had lots to laugh about. One of the invisible cats - possibly Abra, maybe Tabs - was visible in bits as she walked all over Nute and did her best to jam her typewriter keys. They were/are such shy cats, yet they settled down so well with Nute. I wish Janet could have know that, she was so worried about them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I hope she will know, one day. And as just at the moment I am really feeling "the sadness that belongs to the world", I must try to keep strongly in mind the happiness, the healing, that lies ahead when the whole earth is being transformed into paradise under the loving rule of the Kingdom of God.</span></p><p><br /></p>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-65654234539850174612024-02-03T18:20:00.001+00:002024-02-06T06:41:50.938+00:00Drab-de-berry<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5JKtMUpadeuCDX5pLmWfo5DSnhBs2cBUDTq8k0pKRyqwMYN6EprP-510uyT1KTSznplgm7OlezUPg5sosMW4V3ZrKs7BB1JnSOgWybO-Bi8rVVJq3Qjszs1vso6RgTluiC9XwDcn9hL_99ximKMKakSKTP1MRmCEV_UyWygndkz79pdx2a79feHM8h4/s2323/Drab%20Looper,%20Minoa%20murinata%204573.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1742" data-original-width="2323" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5JKtMUpadeuCDX5pLmWfo5DSnhBs2cBUDTq8k0pKRyqwMYN6EprP-510uyT1KTSznplgm7OlezUPg5sosMW4V3ZrKs7BB1JnSOgWybO-Bi8rVVJq3Qjszs1vso6RgTluiC9XwDcn9hL_99ximKMKakSKTP1MRmCEV_UyWygndkz79pdx2a79feHM8h4/s320/Drab%20Looper,%20Minoa%20murinata%204573.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">FEBRUARY</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">by Edward Ward <span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">(1667-1731) </span></span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">He who would, in this Month, be warm within,</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222;" /><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">And when abroad, from Wet defend his Skin,</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222;" /><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">His Morning’s draught should be of Sack or Sherry,</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222;" /><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">And his Great Coat be made of Drab-de-berry.</span></span></i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I had to look up "Drab-de-berry", and apparently it is cloth made from high quality French grown wool from the Berry region.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span face="-apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Though whether we are going to need all these aids to warmth I do not know, given January has been unusually warm. Who knows what February will bring? I was hoping to find something fabric-related in Col's photo gallery. He certainly took many photos of Thai silks in the Jim Thompson shop on our first trip to Thailand, but that was over thirty years ago, and all I could</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> find is this rather lovely photo of a Drab Looper Moth - which I think is as close as I am going to get to Drab-de-berry.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My good shoulder is coming back on line, thank God. Life is very difficult without it. I am still getting little done and keep falling asleep though, as I had a lot of sleepless nights due to the pain. Col is at home this Saturday, busy watching two rugby matches. He is not out metal detecting! HE IS NOT OUT METAL DETECTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">That is almost worth a tabloid headline in itself. Although that would be much too positive as the tabloid headlines are so distressing. Where to start... there has been another acid attack in London, this time on a woman and her two young children. They are badly hurt, as are several brave passers-by and police who intervened and tried to help. And the two children, well teenagers, who stabbed and killed one of their teenage friends have been sentenced to whatever life imprisonment means these days. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; letter-spacing: -0.16px;">And the wars go on - with talk now of conscription! Even after two world wars, we, the human family, have not learnt how to stop fighting and killing each other. Isn't it more than time to admit the truth of the Biblical warning that "it does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step"?</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It was back to the Kingdom Hall on Thursday night - and how much I needed to hear that perfect, loving teaching from God's inspired word. We, the congregations worldwide, are just finishing another study of the Book of Job, and I seem to have got more out of it than ever before - a much deeper understanding. And the powerful lesson is to trust our Creator. He loves us and is rescuing us, but we do not see the big picture, any more than poor Job did.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The rescue promised in Eden is so close now. </span></span></p>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-13604730846823981672024-01-31T13:30:00.000+00:002024-01-31T13:30:15.845+00:00By the Sea<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IWKUyXDKJFVFcGoLwbgXVvVeevlaKmdQpt7PEnltI0nFOfE2IvMvWrjwxibTFj0vQFdZdoIc5ZLujXnoh3g3w7fPQACZ5GtjBwCxUj-fg5vqbwP1eqwvYlQulVAbfK3Ku2XSHuM_sJSdglg4hFKfy98XJeSS2fMTme9VNcs2Sx2c0Vwq6VZaKHWhXvc/s1200/Newton%20by%20the%20Sea%20and%20Dunstanburgh%20Castle%209630.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IWKUyXDKJFVFcGoLwbgXVvVeevlaKmdQpt7PEnltI0nFOfE2IvMvWrjwxibTFj0vQFdZdoIc5ZLujXnoh3g3w7fPQACZ5GtjBwCxUj-fg5vqbwP1eqwvYlQulVAbfK3Ku2XSHuM_sJSdglg4hFKfy98XJeSS2fMTme9VNcs2Sx2c0Vwq6VZaKHWhXvc/s320/Newton%20by%20the%20Sea%20and%20Dunstanburgh%20Castle%209630.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><a class="nocolor fn" href="https://allpoetry.com/By-The-Sea" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">By The Sea</span></a></p><div class="poem_body" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="tr_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #141823;"></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I started early, took my dog,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And visited the sea;<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />The mermaids in the basement<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Came out to look at me.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And frigates in the upper floor<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Extended hempen hands,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Presuming me to be a mouse<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Aground, upon the sands.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />But no man moved me till the tide<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Went past my simple shoe,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And past my apron and my belt,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And past my bodice too,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And made as he would eat me up<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />As wholly as a dew<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Upon a dandelion's sleeve —<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And then I started too.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And he — he followed close behind;<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />I felt his silver heel<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Upon my ankle, — then my shoes<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Would overflow with pearl.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Until we met the solid town,<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />No man he seemed to know;<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And bowing with a mighty look<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />At me, the sea withdrew.</span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Emily Dickinson</span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span face="Roboto, Droid Sans, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://allpoetry.com/By-the-Sea">https://allpoetry.com/By-the-Sea</a></span></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As we have lived beside the sea for all our retirement years so far, with a constant view of the English Channel, this charming Emily Dickinson poem seems a must. It is yet another one I would have loved to have written. The sea is very inspiring, but I haven't really written poems for years, apart from trying (and failing) to hitch my thoughts into a Haiku. The beauty of the Indian Ocean was of course one of the inspirations for <i>Waiting for Gordo</i>. Anyway, I hope to find one of Captain B's sea photos to head this blog.</span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This one is of the dramatic and lovely Northumberland coast, where some friends of our from our Uni days used to live.</span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Having expected to wait two weeks for the results of my diabetes eye test, the results actually came in two days - last Friday morning to be exact! And all is fine. Any good health news is a rare treasure these days. And it makes me feel that I am sticking well enough to my new way of eating. I do still have my little treats - for example I have a mini choc ice every day - but maybe as long as they stay little treats, it will be ok.</span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What will perfect health be like? It is something we, the damaged children of Adam, have never yet known. But we can hope to, under the loving and perfect rule of the Kingdom of God.</span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">One thing I think about is having energy again - lots and lots. And nothing hurting. And just at the moment, everything is hurting squared in the wake of my day at Haysbridge - especially my one good shoulder, which is worrying - even though the seating is comfortable, and I am glad I went. </span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #141823;">As I said in a previous blog, this has made me want to get back to the one-day assemblies, but I must make slightly different seating arrangements, via the Room for the Disabled, as I think it was the struggle to get in and out of my seat that has done for me. I do not want to go through this pain again. Also I am anxious in case my one good shoulder does not come back on-line. </span><span style="color: #141823;">I have been reminding myself that at my age - late seventies - I should be grateful to still be here. </span><span style="color: #141823;">Because, at the moment, as I said to the nice nurse at the Eye Clinic when she asked me how I was: "I am past my sell-by date, and feeling it."</span></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The news is so awful, it is often best not to think or read beyond the headlines. Yet more young man have been stabbed to death on our streets. The Middle East seems to be going up in flames. Though prophecy in the Book of Daniel, which covered both world wars assures us there will not be another one. Which is logical as surely if the superpowers go to war again throwing everything they have at each other - which would include chemical and biological weapons as well as nuclear - the earth will be ruined.</span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And Jehovah assures us, in the Book of Revelation, that He will "bring to ruin those ruining the earth". And for sure it would be somewhat difficult for "the meek" to inherit the earth and "live forever upon it", as the Bible promises, if it had been ruined!</span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="orig_8441867" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-17911282927701104292024-01-28T19:33:00.005+00:002024-01-29T08:25:54.480+00:00A Standing Ovation<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfa8MxIGSyLf5CmqzwyCO75OOSNBMJIDuJgswvsNKMC7TL4qj3KeyfuKanSMD6EkIOsNGnO5X8rX0z9PDKmBkj60Pg_I_8W7pZ6FbxN8cUMYoIOYG4p3lbGD-HJ1eqVNxPXK3W8edpOFGSD96fRm9NXZmK3E0jJeFCG61ybpqVJgjdivtvw82wDq19P1Q/s1200/Bluestripe%20Snapper,%20Lutjanus%20kasmira%206470.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfa8MxIGSyLf5CmqzwyCO75OOSNBMJIDuJgswvsNKMC7TL4qj3KeyfuKanSMD6EkIOsNGnO5X8rX0z9PDKmBkj60Pg_I_8W7pZ6FbxN8cUMYoIOYG4p3lbGD-HJ1eqVNxPXK3W8edpOFGSD96fRm9NXZmK3E0jJeFCG61ybpqVJgjdivtvw82wDq19P1Q/s320/Bluestripe%20Snapper,%20Lutjanus%20kasmira%206470.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">How did my part in the Circuit Assembly <b>Enter Into</b> <b>God's Rest </b>go? I was assigned the first answer in the Watchtower Summary. And the Watchtower article was <i>You Can Remain Confident During Uncertain Times</i>. <br /><br />I was given the first question on the considerate grounds that it is painful for me to stand for long these days. Here is the question: <i>What similarities are there between our situation and that of the Jews who returned to Jerusalem? </i><br /><br />And this was my answer:<br /><i><br />There are many similarities between what they faced then and what we are facing now. For example, many of us are worried about how we can provide for our families in these difficult economic times - will we be able to keep our job, will we be able to find another one if we lose it? That must be a worry for so many heads of households. We may well be worried about our family's safety because of political turmoil and wars. We may be facing persecution, because of our religion or our ethnicity. We may be facing strong opposition to the Kingdom preaching work - work in which we all want to have a share. So it is going to be beneficial and reassuring to be reminded of how Jehovah helped his people deal with these same problems back then.</i><br /><br />If you read the first paragraph of this Watchtower on the website JW.org, you will see where I got my answer from. I did not rely on my own wisdom here!<br /><br />Anyway, how did it go? Well, think: standing ovations, bouquets hurled at the stage, cries of Encore Encore, and a beautiful creature (me), very similar to Kate Moss only lovelier, stepping forward to take the applause with a modest smile... "Wake up, you're dreaming!". That was Captain Butterfly interrupting my reverie.<br /><br />Actually, it went very well. I managed to get on and off the stage without fainting, nor did my two new front teeth fall out and land with a clunk on the stage the moment I arrived on it. I managed to get my answer out correctly without losing my voice through sheer panic and standing there like a foolish goldfish* opening and shutting my mouth but saying nothing. And all of us involved got kind applause from our friendly audience afterwards.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And my partner, though very nervous herself, was a tower of strength, and sailed through her part.<br /><br />I feel very happy to have done it, even though today I am in such pain I can hardly walk round the flat. I am so glad that the young elder in charge patiently coaxed me into doing this. And SO grateful that Jehovah supported me through it all. And it makes me realise I will have to find a new strategy if I am to get to the next Assembly. There is I think a special room for the disabled and I must ring up and ask about it at some stage. I would need to have some kind of special chair plus my trusty zimmer frame, as I think it was the painful struggle to get in and out of my seat that has done for me.<br /><br />*No offence intended to Goldfish by the way, who are intelligent creatures, sensitive and - as I am sure an offended goldfish is pointing out even now - much lovelier than many of us damaged children of disobedient Adam, "while mentioning no names", with a meaningful fishy look at myself. I found some golden fish on Captain Butterflies' website gallery to head this blog - though they are not actually goldfish. They are blue-striped snappers I believe and are probably from the beautiful Indian Ocean.</span></div>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-57568416957978116912024-01-25T07:45:00.001+00:002024-01-25T13:13:42.593+00:00Walking on the Grass<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxdcWI7k_nhEw7_LWhen5Y4_CFfe5FRvypwW1k-Yzja9CUCdQdOKsWrEwv44ANRBDbQPRDt44lbdY4CXOMgZ45GZOiJ15jhluqN1Icy6DGXoCSnCu328-BAQPLv7a5QDDrJPqpf2o7g-x5WoTpetOxIIckXJgwiQztUaFS9pHQ4akpv9vwcADQzZ22bA/s1200/Tulip,%20Tulipa%20species,%20Arundel%20Castle%20gardens%209150.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxdcWI7k_nhEw7_LWhen5Y4_CFfe5FRvypwW1k-Yzja9CUCdQdOKsWrEwv44ANRBDbQPRDt44lbdY4CXOMgZ45GZOiJ15jhluqN1Icy6DGXoCSnCu328-BAQPLv7a5QDDrJPqpf2o7g-x5WoTpetOxIIckXJgwiQztUaFS9pHQ4akpv9vwcADQzZ22bA/s320/Tulip,%20Tulipa%20species,%20Arundel%20Castle%20gardens%209150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wednesday morning was my diabetes eye test - won't find out the results till later, but will hope for the best . It was my usual Zoom session in the afternoon, and the Brighton rehearsal in the evening. I was given a lift there and all seemed to go smoothly. We all went to time - slightly under, which is the ideal really, as it means none of us has to rush through our answers.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Though even that tiny outing - a tiny bit of walking and standing - has left me in such pain this morning - left knee. I have to pray that I can make it on Saturday and not let everyone down.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We were talking about the earthly paradise in the meeting at the Kingdom Hall on Sunday - paradise meaning a beautiful park or park-like garden, just as the Garden of Eden was - and I was thinking about the parks of my 1950s childhood. Sheffield was - and is - a city of parks and trees, and us kids used to take ourselves off to the parks to play regularly, and probably more and more so as the bomb sites (our original playgrounds) began to be cleared and re-built. Though I seem to remember it was the Town Planners of the time who devastated a vast area of lovely stone-built houses and gardens to build a monster high-rise hospital just at the end of our road.<br /><br />For sure, it was needed though. I just wish such lovely houses hadn't been demolished to build it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Anyway, what I was remembering was that there were acres of well-groomed lawns in these parks, but we the public were not allowed to tread on them. There were signs everywhere saying: "Keep off the grass". And we did.<br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Then one day, the signs came down. It was quite strange at first, being able to walk on the forbidden grass.<br /><br />I also thought of how we do try, as best we can, to carry out the commission our Creator gave us - to turn the whole earth into a beautiful garden. In spite of our imperfection and living in such a destructive world system, we have made some lovely gardens. My father always made his garden beautiful, and productive. It makes us happy to do so.<br /><br />So the photo above is of the beautiful gardens at Arundel Castle, in tulip time. And the question is: If we can make such lovely gardens even now, how beautiful will the earth become during the Thousand Years when the whole earth is under the loving and perfect rule of the Kingdom of God?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span>Why not be there to find out? Jehovah is extending his invitation to everyone. As the last book of the Bible tells us: </span><i>And the spirit and the bride keep on saying, “Come!” and let anyone hearing say, “Come!” and let anyone thirsting come; <b>let anyone who wishes take life’s water free. </b></i><i>- Revelation 22:17</i></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><br /></div></div>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-25373725335876793562024-01-22T10:53:00.000+00:002024-01-22T10:53:21.770+00:00Important Research - Sofa-ology<p> </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_Q-OX6unZfZCPNk5vAMpVW3KQNY2s8Wzyf2z62XvXQL6K3GKXwivE6iZ7Sj0yMpkMbRYXL_JGiHFePiLaE-mvhJkTxdkzlFaIH5eNdmYUVb7Mb_ZK9eTMVY5KTvNxk0kX5QNz6AvaRgtnMr3LEAbccgB4l-WI9B0V77L1cLs48dqPWkkVgEvS6blKOI/s5000/Galapagos%20(158).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3750" data-original-width="5000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_Q-OX6unZfZCPNk5vAMpVW3KQNY2s8Wzyf2z62XvXQL6K3GKXwivE6iZ7Sj0yMpkMbRYXL_JGiHFePiLaE-mvhJkTxdkzlFaIH5eNdmYUVb7Mb_ZK9eTMVY5KTvNxk0kX5QNz6AvaRgtnMr3LEAbccgB4l-WI9B0V77L1cLs48dqPWkkVgEvS6blKOI/s320/Galapagos%20(158).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span>Afte</span>r some intensive sofa work, I can say our newly foamed cushions are working well. We had a bit of drama though as Col decided that the risers on it - which were put on for me - are too high, and I know they are not comfortable for guests. So as we had newly risen plumped up cushions, the thought was that I could probably manage without.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">With a team effort - effort being the word - we got them off. I sat down. I tried to get up... a hopeless struggle, but I could manage it if I propped two cushions against the arm and sort of levered myself from there. Col then decided the answer was to buy more risers, but half the size. He ordered them online, they came the next day and, after another titanic struggle, they were fitted. I can now leap on and off the sofa like a gazelle - an elderly arthritic one, but I can do it. And it will be now be more comfortable for our rare visitors.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We were quite hospitable in our day. But times have changed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And if my blog readers have dozed off during this dullard bulletin, then I plan to be joining you in Slumberland, at every opportunity, as I continue my intensive research into the new sofa cushions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We had the rehearsal at the Hall on Saturday, after the Training Session for the Literature Carts. It all went smoothly - and the Training was interesting and fun as it involved lots of little role-playing scenarios. Those on the literature carts need to be able to deal with any situation that comes up - but always with, as the Bible says, "mildness and deep respect".</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Anyway, I will be very glad when it is next Monday, and my moment on the Big Stage has come and gone. As long as it has gone OK of course and I haven't fallen over, forgotten my lines, or disgraced myself in some way... oh dear. Clearly I was not made for a career in the Theatre.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I searched the Captain's blog picture gallery for: sofa/pillow/cushion, and came up with the Panamic Cushion Star, taken on his Galapagos Dive Trip. It is more spectacular than our cushions, which are a dark blue.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Storm Isha seems to have come and gone locally, causing wonderful stormy seas here, but doing a lot of damage elsewhere.</span></p>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-77374865126132578612024-01-18T14:43:00.000+00:002024-01-18T14:43:13.157+00:00Bittern!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmg_87_4ENtsSD-rZZVafldwUs04VuHBNHwt3xmuvt47uwNXEQZMhx8n9P-A4uJ-R5f4DRWEBNujX4uKsR_3mvt7wb5Jd4mGwWLpS7Ez8dBOXhmRHE2LofgeOPBBzH9p_DwG6Jai_Dqqc7fp8IQLlvpg8H_CDnk1H9xPtMTJVx-bCUavzDg9mELv0mDs/s1200/Coral%20fungus,%20Ramariopsis%20species%207488.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmg_87_4ENtsSD-rZZVafldwUs04VuHBNHwt3xmuvt47uwNXEQZMhx8n9P-A4uJ-R5f4DRWEBNujX4uKsR_3mvt7wb5Jd4mGwWLpS7Ez8dBOXhmRHE2LofgeOPBBzH9p_DwG6Jai_Dqqc7fp8IQLlvpg8H_CDnk1H9xPtMTJVx-bCUavzDg9mELv0mDs/s320/Coral%20fungus,%20Ramariopsis%20species%207488.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">IN THIS OLD HOUSE</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">by me</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">In this old house all is still within</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">And nothing moves inside us</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Except the thing that eats the bones</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Can they isolate the virus?</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">She pulls the skirting board away</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">To show a heart stopping display of white</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">So we’ll call the specialists to her home</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">As the deadly stuff eats up her bones</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">But if Rentokil will not suffice</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Her bones will lock in blocks of ice</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The value of her house will tumble in a trice.</span></i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">I wrote this poem many many years ago, when my mother, crippled by the family arthritis, was still alive. I had been staying with my parents in their retirement bungalow and had just visited a Uni friend who had lived in Thailand for many years. We had stayed in her old house in Jesmond, which she and her husband had kept as a student let. And we found that it was full of dry rot - we found this fierce white fluff behind the skirting boards.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">So, as that was in my poetry writing days, I conflated the two things in the poem. I am not saying it is a wonderful poem or anything - I feel I should have drawn more of a poetic conclusion from it somehow. But there it is, what I wrote at the time. Plus it seems a good excuse to blog one of the Captain's amazing fungi photos - a white one - a Coral Fungus.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">My mother, when completely crippled and effectively living and sleeping in one of those special chairs, said that she sometimes used to dream that she was a child again, running and skipping about. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">And I so much hope those dreams will come true when and IF Jehovah wakes her from the dreamless sleep of death. Then she will be completely healed and full of energy.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">As Isaiah promises:</span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-size: large;">"At that time the eyes of the blind will be opened,</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> At that time the lame will leap like the deer,</span></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"> And the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy..."</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> - Isaiah 35:5,6</span></i></span><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the restored earthly paradise, the lame will leap like the deer. It will be such a joyful awakening when it comes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">However, at the moment, I, as a damaged child of Adam, am creaking about like well, not at all like a deer - an elderly tortoise maybe? And Captain B sent me a short video - very short - about Psoriatic Arthritis, which it seems I have - along with everything else. It's getting to the stage now that when they ask me at the hospital to give them a list of the conditions I have and the medicines I take, it might be quicker to list the ones I don't have and the medicines I am not taking.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I do feel guilty about what I am costing the NHS and try to do what I can to keep as healthy as I can. And, interestingly, by sticking to a diabetic diet I am also (apparently) doing the right things for the P.Arthritis. Apparently it is a good idea to avoid wheat completely... so maybe my occasional treat of a slice of wholemeal bread (Abel and Cole) will have to go. Apparently Vitamin D and K are very important too.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We both take a Vitamin D tablet every morning, and looking up Vit.K it seems to be leafy veggies that are important. I am fairly good on my veggies - veggie soup for lunch most days - but can certainly try to up the total. I have a lovely stir fry cabbage and carrot recipe from Madhur Jaffrey that I have made for years, and have already made a couple of times this year. I must keep at it. Maybe it is something I will make weekly from now on. Especially now I have found some lentil rice in Holland & Barrett that I like.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Our sofa cushions came back from the Stuffers on Tuesday. I spent some of the afternoon on the sofa giving them a test run. Exhausting work, but someone has to do it. All seems good. While I dozed over my testing work Captain Butterfly escaped through an open window and flew off to the Wetland Trust where a bittern - a bittern! - had been seen. He managed to see it, twice, and even snatched a photo.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you want to see it, it is on his current blog - linked to this blog via The </span>Captain's Log.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have never seen one - or heard one. I would love to hear a bittern BOOM. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Talking of such things, Winterwatch and Chris Packham are back. Something positive amidst all the tragic and gloomy news. The natural world - the creation - is so wonderful, so interesting, and there is so much to learn about it. We, the human family, are only at the beginning - well, in fact we are still waiting to be got back to the beginning, the starting line of perfection and paradise earth when our real learning, our real accomplishments and our real happiness will begin.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Not long now hopefully.</span></p></div>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-80770769330442947002024-01-15T09:37:00.000+00:002024-01-15T09:37:22.859+00:00Dust of Snow <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9nmUn-3MszXgKhZdyRGD042_Uq_7rX2m-3EE0mECzA_KRWRNufelxtUOw4s9L9avMYTvJN5f445KnRRr4p_EHVwDXz_BlNNs7rc1l7_bNQkjHtf2YDxdZjM0Z6HMuPqrm28xUoPznNXYrp6cr7XWaE1Ynb_l3jQP7oBWi8aR5wQSaqG6trGk715PwxI/s5823/Littlehampton%20snow%20scene%205769.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3882" data-original-width="5823" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9nmUn-3MszXgKhZdyRGD042_Uq_7rX2m-3EE0mECzA_KRWRNufelxtUOw4s9L9avMYTvJN5f445KnRRr4p_EHVwDXz_BlNNs7rc1l7_bNQkjHtf2YDxdZjM0Z6HMuPqrm28xUoPznNXYrp6cr7XWaE1Ynb_l3jQP7oBWi8aR5wQSaqG6trGk715PwxI/s320/Littlehampton%20snow%20scene%205769.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGI3yiw64Ay8cFWbg_Nde1sZeO4RsD2xDFIShyRfkpLJ3gxGu4h_nwq0G_a2Zca-p8x-6bH5K1QQcw5EeoQRNfcWF0JMVgnWRTlRVfGX48Ox4TYgyN0PyH0MieBSXCoCnATVtwfsUqvk6k7Lgd0XIH2U3yTq6qFhF5WMp26JCRjEV6XsR8iIq4dMKr4Ls/s1200/Carrion%20Crow,%20Corvus%20corone%203328.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGI3yiw64Ay8cFWbg_Nde1sZeO4RsD2xDFIShyRfkpLJ3gxGu4h_nwq0G_a2Zca-p8x-6bH5K1QQcw5EeoQRNfcWF0JMVgnWRTlRVfGX48Ox4TYgyN0PyH0MieBSXCoCnATVtwfsUqvk6k7Lgd0XIH2U3yTq6qFhF5WMp26JCRjEV6XsR8iIq4dMKr4Ls/s320/Carrion%20Crow,%20Corvus%20corone%203328.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /> Dust of Snow<br />by Robert Frost</span></span></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>The way a crow<br />Shook down on me<br />The dust of snow<br />From a hemlock tree<br /><br />Has given my heart<br />A change of mood<br />And saved some part<br />Of a day I had rued.</i><br /><a href="goog_1012096272"><br /></a><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44262/dust-of-snow">https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44262/dust-of-snow</a><br /><br />This seems to describe another paradise moment, when the beauty and the grace of the creation reached the poet's heart and gladdened and comforted him. So I will search the Captain's Photo Gallery and see if I can find an appropriate photo. I did manage to find one of a crow in snow, on our beach, though not this year, not yet anyway. And I added another crow pic as well.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">He - Col, not the crow - was off early on Sat, a'detecting as usual. I have started my third course of antibiotics, and so did not feel wonderful. Will they work this time? If not, what?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It was a cooking day in that I made a wokful of cauliflower curry in the morning and an apple crumble in the afternoon. That is the Captain's favourite dessert. And I also did my Watchtower study for the Sunday meeting.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">From Sunday's Scriptural thought for the day: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>By giving Elijah these assignments, Jehovah helped him to focus on positive things.</i></span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #292929;"><span style="background-color: white;">Yes. One of the many ways in which Jehovah looks after his people is by keeping us foc</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;">used on the positive.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Given that the Captain and I are now past our sell-by dates and into the death zone, I have some powerful negatives to dwell on, if I am not careful. And as for the news... we seem to be at war in the Middle East again, as the troubles there spread and spread. Knife crime is rampant on our streets. And the whole sordid Jeffrey Epstein business, of which I read only the headlines, ought to be demonstrating to all just how corrupt the whole system of things on the earth is. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Which is exactly what the Bible has warned us - from Genesis on. If people don't see it now, will they ever be willing to see it?</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">To come back to the positive, the Book of Revelation also assures us that our Creator will restore the whole earth to paradise and obedient humankind to the life and perfection our first parents so sadly chose to throw away. We are not abandoned to this tragedy.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">It is a good thing that the dead are, as the Bible assures us, "conscious of nothing at all". Because if our first parents could have seen what has happened, what is happening, to us, their damaged children... well, I can't imagine. But they will never know the full scope of the tragedy, which is a mercy. And we will never know them, our first parents, which is a sadness. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Well, it is Monday morning and no dust of snow as yet - in fact it is a sunny morning down here on the Sunshine Coast. And I ask myself yet again how it was that my gloomy weather-loving self ended up down here with all this sunshine. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-68461511312095234652024-01-12T10:53:00.000+00:002024-01-12T10:53:45.819+00:00Anxiety Dreams<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAMoaLOifbUKZ3_eyUZMkQrVWHBHhyphenhyphen8BKB2NSEc5rzT2_eUhtDjhPmp7bKTdbBVFVUkm4cP4GIwrVuDsMm2A7ogYbz_-eV8tOTzhmY6Um0KaWzU5SnG8Q11N0KwtmwCMM8QydGh2tGct1EDRyZmvAychGzt344wLNEcnSwktakf9n95AVSagFbFo45g4/s3760/NZ%201mar08%20(97).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="3760" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAMoaLOifbUKZ3_eyUZMkQrVWHBHhyphenhyphen8BKB2NSEc5rzT2_eUhtDjhPmp7bKTdbBVFVUkm4cP4GIwrVuDsMm2A7ogYbz_-eV8tOTzhmY6Um0KaWzU5SnG8Q11N0KwtmwCMM8QydGh2tGct1EDRyZmvAychGzt344wLNEcnSwktakf9n95AVSagFbFo45g4/s320/NZ%201mar08%20(97).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ahead of my part in the School last night, I had an anxiety dream, one in which I was at the Hall and realised, 5 minutes before I was due on the stage, that I had forgotten my script. In my travelling years, I used to have a regular dream about getting to the airport only to find I had forgotten to bring my passport.<br /><br />Why? Why do this to myself? <br /><br />Anyway, here is my script. It was for the Informal Witnessing part. And I found it quite difficult to do. For one thing, the partner I was allocated was my age (i.e. like me she is Youthily-challenged, or, in OldSpeak, she is old.) And the remit was: <br /><i>Show a person who has young children how to find information helpful to parents on jw.org. </i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I guess I could have begun my talk with: "Aren't you the lady I read about in the tabloids who gave birth in her late sixties?" </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But as you see from the script below, I didn't. Wisely I suspect. The photo that heads the blog is from my faraway travelling years. It is of me (I guess) in a swimming pool, with an amazing view out over North Island NZ, on what I think was our last trip there. We had the pool to ourselves. We were the only guests and the owners had gone out for the evening. We had the run of their house. There was a level of trust there then that I remember from the England of the 1950s, when you could still leave the milk money out on the front step.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Anyway, as we are trying and trying to tell people, paradise, the paradise earth, lies ahead of us - so we need to look forward not back. And here is the script I prepared for last night. My partner and I practised and practised.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-d0f9a662-7fff-4452-eac8-2c79c8b8bf33"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sue: Are those lovely little girls on the swings your grandchildren? </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Partner: No they are my great nieces actually. Twins. Cute, but quite a handful. We are just down here for the holidays and I thought I would give my nephew and his wife a day off to do their own thing while I entertained the girls. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sue: That was thoughtful of you.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">P: But I am feeling a bit anxious about it now, as clearly there is another storm brewing. I was relying on the beach to entertain them this afternoon. We were going to look for shells and look in the rockpools.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sue, Yes, children love the beach at any time of year don’t they. It is the best playground there is. But I see what you mean. We are in for yet another storm. It’s going to rain non-stop apparently, starting any minute now, looking at those clouds.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">P It’s difficult to keep them entertained indoors, especially in a holiday let. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sue. I don’t know if you have ever played Consequences? It’s a paper and pencil game and needs no space at all. My nephews and nieces used to love it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">P. Yes, We used to play that when i was a child. I had forgotten all about it! Thanks. I think I will give it a go.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sue, I hope they will like it. The only problem is that if they do, when you have done it ten times and they want to keep going, the novelty does wear off.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">P: Well, I can sit them down with their computer games, or in front of the telly at some stage of course. If I can find anything suitable. It all seems so violent, or really just so awful these days, not what you want for children at all.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sue: I know what you mean. It’s as if a bit of poison has been added to everything.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">P Do you know, that is right! But I wonder why so many people don’t seem to notice.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sue: Looking back, I think because it was done gradually, bit by bit. You and I can remember the earliest childrens’ TV programmes for example. Think Muffin the Mule.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">P: Yes, I do (laughs)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sue The contrast between now and then is shocking. But the main reason I notice it is that I am a Jehovah’s Witness and we are taught from God’s word all the time, and it is so loving and so perfect, and as the Bible tells us, it always benefits us. So I notice how the world and its media seem to be constantly trying to lower our standards and pull us away from our Creator. And listen, if you are looking for something for the children to watch this afternoon, we have an excellent website JW.org - and we have a lovely series of short videos for children. Can I give you the link?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">P. Thanks, but I don’t know if they would be interested in anything religious.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sue: May I just show you one. See here. It’s very short, from a series called Caleb and Sophia. it’s called Love Your Neighbour.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">They watch it</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">P: Oh. That’s very good actually, very well done. I think they might like it. And they will learn something good too!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sue: There are so many lovely videos for children on here. They might like the one about Noah’s Ark for example. I love that one. May I give you this card with the link on it. I will just write down that you go to JW;org. Then to Library, then to video, then to the children’s sections. And I have put my email address on the back and I will add my phone number in case you have any questions about accessing the site. In fact, if you have a moment, I would love to know if they enjoy Caleb and Sophia.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">P: Thanks. I will. Oh - is that the rain starting. Come on girls, we will have to go. And thanks again. You might have saved my afternoon.</span></p><br /><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><div class="du-margin-inlineStart--5 du-margin-inlineStart-desktopOnly--6" id="tt35" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 24px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="du-color--textSubdued du-margin-top--1 du-margin-children-vertical--0" id="tt36" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--du-color--textSubdued,#626262) !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 4px !important; padding: 0px;"><p data-pid="22" id="p22" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p data-pid="22" id="p22" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><br /></div>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-89278703849418503172024-01-09T13:50:00.002+00:002024-01-09T13:50:41.006+00:00Herding Cats<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaS7Xt6GHnf7xjxayfRHKp9biqemT6Ry7wx4jWk4bh9OOlztCNPWa9GycRhF0Yl71S6xyOK97QRM5QO5v0PH-nh7c630sVc6HP-_oNaQtPyrnPWzNzGq01lSn114mMzMdW_SV66tEbN3XIkK6nJNNURp4vaI9n5dUnht2qT15NSEhM4BivT9DSDmw4glo/s1674/Whites,%20terror%20of%20Dhahran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="1674" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaS7Xt6GHnf7xjxayfRHKp9biqemT6Ry7wx4jWk4bh9OOlztCNPWa9GycRhF0Yl71S6xyOK97QRM5QO5v0PH-nh7c630sVc6HP-_oNaQtPyrnPWzNzGq01lSn114mMzMdW_SV66tEbN3XIkK6nJNNURp4vaI9n5dUnht2qT15NSEhM4BivT9DSDmw4glo/s320/Whites,%20terror%20of%20Dhahran.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The heading of this blog gives me an excuse to post this photo of our lovely fierce Whites once again. The collar is because he had to have a rabies tag. And that means I can also mention - again! - that he features in two of the stories in my recent collection <i>The Umbrellas of Hamelin</i>. He is in fact the star of <i>Talky Tin</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But the main point of this blog is that one of our recent Scriptural thoughts for the day really underlined for me the strangeness of the intensive religious education I had in my faraway convent schooldays.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It said: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I will put enmity between you and the woman.—</em><a class="b" data-bid="25-1" href="https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/1102024200/24/0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2878bb; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Gen. 3:15</em></a><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">.</em></span></p><div class="bodyTxt" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="section" id="section1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="pGroup" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p class="sb" data-pid="19" id="p19" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Soon after Adam and Eve sinned, Jehovah gave hope to their descendants by means of a remarkable prophecy. What he said is recorded at <a class="b" data-bid="26-1" href="https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/1102024200/25/0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2878bb; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Genesis 3:15</a>: “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head, and you will strike him in the heel.” The prophecy appears in the first book of the Bible. But in one way or another, all the other books of the Bible relate to it. Just as the spine of a printed book binds all the pages together, the words recorded at <a class="b" data-bid="27-1" href="https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/1102024200/26/0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2878bb; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Genesis 3:15</a> bind the content of every book of the Bible into one united message, namely, that a Deliverer would be sent to destroy the Devil and all his wicked followers. What a blessing that will be for those who love Jehovah! A study of the Bible will help us see how the prophecy is fulfilled and how we can benefit from it.</i></span></p></div></div></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So I had this intensive religious education within Christendom, Catholic wing, yet I was taught nothing at all about this vital prophecy in Genesis. In fact, I knew nothing about the Bible prophecy in the Hebrew Scriptures, which we knew as the "Old Testament". We knew about Noah and his Ark of course - my sisters and I used to play Noah's Ark with those shoeboxes you used to get - maybe still do. (Its a long time since I bought a pair of shoes.) That was a great game, loading our collections of china and glass animals into our shoebox arcs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I lost my whole collection when we moved back to Sheffield from London, including my lovely pink glass horse, when I was in my thirties. We picked the wrong movers, and quite a lot of stuff "disappeared". </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But - back to my religious education at school - we were given no defence against the powerful currents of "the world", which have been so tragically successful in persuading people that Genesis is just a "creation myth" and that the flood of Noah's day was simply a local affair, not a worldwide one as the Bible makes very clear it was.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">That way people miss both the warning and the promise of the wonderful things to come. They are not warned, and they are not comforted.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sunday morning Col left early again, but not before he had cleared my windscreen of frost and also got me into my socks. Which is why I was able to drive to the Hall, and why I did not appear at the meeting with one sock on my head and the other on my arm. They call old age a second childhood - and, well, yes, alas, so it is. Yet again I need help in dressing myself.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Monday afternoon it started to snow. Lightly - but it was snow. And I got together with a congregation sibling to practise our part in the School on Thursday. I feel nervous about it as (a) I am so tired from this wretched infection that I found it hard to write, and (b) we are now using a different format/approach. I have read all the instructions, but am not confident I have got it exactly right. Anyway, it will all become clearer as the year and the Ministry School continues.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The young elder in charge of those of us who are answering the questions at the Assembly Watchtower managed to get us all together for our first rehearsal. There are two more to follow.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It must be rather like herding cats, trying to get us all in the same place at the same time, outside the usual meetings. </span></div>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1117679443580926865.post-74146558727375094812024-01-06T08:33:00.000+00:002024-01-06T08:33:30.310+00:00A Haiku Attempt for Twenty Twenty Four<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOUoeO9Z-3lGsIGo0S_a3nzSeVWRpJDdovEgVkB9UH9KGiLvjn2g1LgLfTckEBfFX7zMarm5gGW2lnMIFM47Iz5mgXtZs3r7ukuQ15iFktThKq2M-QJSeOcd4LprKfsPGqxVtRyNFkpJWP4vIYyNrMMJKKR8fshu6Pp94OASjtYNu3fSwfKOBzfNalr8/s1200/Endcliffe%20Park%20P1240415.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOUoeO9Z-3lGsIGo0S_a3nzSeVWRpJDdovEgVkB9UH9KGiLvjn2g1LgLfTckEBfFX7zMarm5gGW2lnMIFM47Iz5mgXtZs3r7ukuQ15iFktThKq2M-QJSeOcd4LprKfsPGqxVtRyNFkpJWP4vIYyNrMMJKKR8fshu6Pp94OASjtYNu3fSwfKOBzfNalr8/s320/Endcliffe%20Park%20P1240415.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">I have chosen a wintry scene - Endcliffe Park in the snow some years ago - for this blog, as I am in my winter season and I am feeling a bit down at the moment. I am in my late seventies now, and in my family we do not go much beyond eighty, if we even get there.</span><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The beauty of Winter, of the creation, is so reassuring though, telling us as it does of its Grand Creator, who made this so lovely, just for us. But but but - age and medical matters are making me feel a bit melancholy. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Hence:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />A Haiku (failed) for 2024</span><div><span style="font-size: large;">by me</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">Twenty Twenty Five </span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">waits in the wings</span></i><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">of this new year</span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-size: large;">when it comes</span></i></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i>will we be here?</i><br /><br />Could I shrink that into a Haiku? For sure Matsuo Basho could. But I fear it is beyond me.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Medical matters : finally the hospital lab has found what is ailing me, and I am back on the antibiotics. The doubleplusgood is that they did use the right ones the first time - just not enough. So it's more of the same. But the saga of getting the things so I could begin to take them took all day Thursday and many phone calls - and culminated in Col and Jim calling in for them on their way back from The Field in the evening, in the dark, in a raging storm.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Yet it should have been such a simple arrangement. The GP rang me the night before and assured me she would email the prescription to the Pharmacy next door so I could call in after 9.00 on the Thursday morning, pick them up, and start the course.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ha!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The girl at the Pharmacy was very sympathetic - and knew me quite well before the day was done.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It was all complicated by a violent storm - still Henk I suppose - and my car developing a worrying light on its dashboard. A stressful day altogether. And we woke up on Friday to the news that there is flooding everywhere. I also got another email from the remote pharmacy to whom my prescription had been sent asking me plaintively when I was coming in to pick it up. It was supposed to have been cancelled Thursday morning, In fact I stood there at reception watching the lady at the desk cancel it, at my request, and re-route it to the local Pharmacy - the one in the same building.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It then took the rest of the day to get the prescription re-routed to the pharmacy next door - within a few feet of the reception desk. Or possibly a few metres or litres or whatever it is we are to call them these days.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But these really are "first world problems", and I am very very grateful to have the NHS to do all this for me. The GP I dealt with - everyone I encountered - was lovely. And kind. So even if it does take time and doesn't go to plan I am so grateful for it. But what is happening to the world? Or is it just that I am now so used to the gentle efficiency of Jehovah's organisation? Talking of which, it is the first rehearsal of my part on the Big Stage at noon today. There will be at least two more I believe, so that - please God - all will go smoothly on the great day.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And also I need to pray - I do pray - that I will make it as far as the Kingdom Hall today to be at the rehearsal. I have been woken by violent arthritis pain and hope I am not in for one of those debilitating attacks that mean I can't even make it to the front door of the flat if anyone rings the bell... let alone drive myself to the Hall.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Col left very early to join Jim and the lads at The Field - for metal detecting purposes. He helped me on with my socks before he left. It is quite a tricky and painful performance when I have to do it for myself - if you ever saw the Prince Regent trying to dress himself when Blackadder wasn't there to help him you sort of have the idea - and today I don't even think I would be equal to it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I am starting to wonder if the poor guy is not entitled to a Caregiver's allowance...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><br /></p></div></div></div></div></div></div>Sue Knight's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12597157298218651144noreply@blogger.com0