When the eyes of Blind ones see again...

http://player.vimeo.com/video/103344928

Here is a beautiful link - just four minutes - in which our deaf and blind brothers and sisters take part in the tract campaign and prepare for the International Convention in Seoul, South Korea.  

They are so valiant.  And remind me that I really must get myself back together and get properly back out into the field.   If they can do so well...  I did do the rest of my route calls bar one today.  I have never been so late with them, but its been a fraught month, plus we have been away.   I was invited in for a chat by Christine, though mainly she wanted to compare operation scars - she too has had a knee done.   And I found Tony at home - he laughed at me a bit as usual, but we also had a long chat as usual.   And he who knows just about everything there is to know (he is astonishingly well read) was surprised by the article on the Syriac Peshitta in the September Watchtower.  I had drawn his attention to it, knowing it would interest him, and it really did as he said he hadn't even heard of it.    "I will read this" he said, as I said goodbye and trudged off into the rain.  Which was only a tiny rainshower, before I get too pathetic.  And left a lovely numinous light in its wake.

I will link the article in case anybody would like to read it:
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/wp20140901/syriac-peshitta/

Sue - exPlanetExpat - will be meeting us in Arundel tomorrow for lunch.  She is down for the day. Clearly there is an Aramco vibe vibrating through the ether - we are suddenly seeing, or hearing from, so many old colleagues.

A Cottage Pie Supper

I made a cottage pie for Tom and Jacks for Friday  night - intending to make cauliflower cheese and carrots - which is the meal I used to make every Wednesday night (our Friday in ExpatWorld) during the DartsEveningocene Era.  However, I forgot the cauliflower, so we had broccoli cheese instead. And I made a sort of tomato ketchup, as we have lots of tins of tomatoes in at the moment.  It was nice and spicy.

Well, now that earth-shaking news has been headlined, I will note we seem to be at war again. And brother is killing brother.  I am not sure how you bomb ISIS, as they are not actually a country.   But... for decades we have been telling everyone who will listen what the Bible says is going to happen re the world's religions. And they are certainly goading the powers that be at the moment!

So I hope very much that you will note that in the August 30, 1914, edition of The World, a leading New York newspaper at that time, a feature article in the paper’s Sunday magazine section commented as follows: “The terrific war outbreak in Europe has fulfilled an extraordinary prophecy. For a quarter of a century past, through preachers and through press, the ‘International Bible Students’ (as Jehovah's Witnesses were then known) . . . have been proclaiming to the world that the Day of Wrath prophesied in the Bible would dawn in 1914.”

The Bible has never been wrong about what is going to happen next.  Prophecy is history written in advance.  We are well into that day now, "the increasing of lawlessness" is all round us.  But it is a time of great hope - the darkest hour before the dawn.

And it will be a wonderful dawn, thanks to the incoming Kingdom of God, the heavenly government that will restore the earth to Paradise, and obedient humankind to the life and perfection that our first parents lost in Eden.

At The Lamb

Dave and Maggie treated us - the Captain, Jacks and me - to fish and chips at The Lamb on Wednesday.   Maggie still has her media career - including a very glamorous appearance on the cover of a glossy magazine.  Who says that retirement is boring?

They head back to Thailand in a day or two.   Lovely to see them.  And we hope they might consider a return to the UK at some stage.  They could always overwinter in their place in the Far East, as they are not ones for the cold.  And we can feel the coming Winter round the edges now, though the weather is lovely.  Its a sunny day here.

Back to the Kingdom Hall last night... and hopefully back to the field on Saturday.  

We were studying some aspects of the Mosaic Law last night - as we are considering how perfect Jehovah's law is.

"Even warfare was regulated under the Law. God’s people were to wage war, not to satisfy a mere lust for power or conquest, but to act as God’s agents in “Wars of Jehovah.” (Numbers 21:14) In many cases, the Israelites had to offer terms of surrender first. If a city rejected the offer, then Israel could besiege it—but according to God’s rules. Unlike many soldiers throughout history, men in Israel’s army were not allowed to rape women or engage in wanton slaughter. They were even to respect the environment, not felling the enemy’s fruit trees. Other armies had no such restrictions.—Deuteronomy 20:10-15, 19, 20; 21:10-13.
 Do you shudder to hear that in some lands mere children are being trained as soldiers? In ancient Israel, no man under 20 years of age was inducted into the army. (Numbers 1:2, 3) Even an adult male was exempt if he suffered from undue fear. A newly married man was exempt for a full year so that before embarking upon such hazardous service, he might see an heir born. In this way, the Law explained, the young husband would be able to make his new wife “rejoice.”—Deuteronomy 20:5, 6, 8; 24:5."

I was thinking of the exemption of those who suffered undue fear, and thought how kind, sensible and reasonable that was.    And how different human law is.   In WW1 if some poor shell-shocked young soldier could no longer face the horror of going over the top, he was shot - by his own side - for "cowardice".

Rudyard Kipling wrote this of such "cowards":

"I could not look on death
 Which, being known,
 Men led me to him
 Blindfold and alone."

Of course, it was never never Jehovah's wish that we should fight and kill each other.   But he has let us live for a while - only 6 days in his eyes - with the terrible decision our first parents made in Eden. The questions raised there are being fully answered before all intelligent creation - man and angel - and when the issue is settled, at the end of the Thousand years, "distress will not rise up a second time".   We should already clearly be able to see that we cannot rule ourselves, but need our Creator's loving law.  

Revelation tells us that Satan will be let loose for a little while at the end of the Millennial Reign, but he will never again rule the world, and he will be destroyed, everlastingly.

And, with the formation of the new Christian congregation in Jesus' day, a new situation came into existence.  Followers of Christ would be "sheep among wolves" - they would "study war no more".

The First Day of Autumn

Autumn started officially today, having given us plenty of warning of its coming, in the colours of leaves and the soft September sunlight.

We went to Pulborough Brooks today for lunch - cottage pie and veggies for Himself, macaroni cheese and salad for me.  It was a Dragonfly day - and we also saw a Clouded Yellow.

Dave and Maggie are coming tomorrow - there must be an Aramco reunion vibe going through the world.   We are going to go out for fish and chips. Jacks will join us. We wanted to go to the Arun View, but its still not open, so I don't know where we will end up.  Chip shop chips at home, if necessary.

I want to say something brilliant about Autumn - but will only say just look at it, the beautiful way the leaves die and are shed, the joy in seeing it all.  And maybe you will want to find and thank the Maker of it, as I was inspired to all those years ago on a September afternoon in Sheffield.

If you search for Jehovah, he will let himself be found by you.

Here is the promise, in Paul's speech to the men of Athens:

“Men of Athens, I see that in all things you seem to be more given to the fear of the deities than others are.  For instance, while passing along and carefully observing your objects of veneration, I found even an altar on which had been inscribed ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you are unknowingly worshipping, this I am declaring to you.  The God who made the world and all the things in it, being, as he is, Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade temples;  nor is he served by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives to all people life and breath and all things.  And he made out of one man every nation of men to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he decreed the appointed times and the set limits of where men would dwell,  so that they would seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us.  For by him we have life and move and exist, even as some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his children.’"

The Triple-Headed Whippet

We got back here at 4.30, via a trip to Derby to see the new Martha.   We delivered our baby presents, and left with a bag load of apples from their tree.

Yesterday we saw the triple-headed whippet!!  It was coming up the road on its three leads with its whippet like owner in tow. We didn't have Ollie with us - we were driving to the shops - so there was no opportunity of a dramatic confrontation for his facebook fans.

I was tempted to leap out of the car barking and see what drama occurred.  But, sadly, my leaping days are long gone.

The Moon on a Stick

It was very misty on the high moortop as we drove over the Snake to Bea's this morning - appropriate for the "seasons of mists" as well as "mellow fruitfulness".  Then as we came through the fog and started down to Glossop there was soft September sunshine.

Bea's September garden was stunning.  We caught up on things, she gave us bean and veggie soup for lunch followed by tea and cake in Marple Bridge. And we visited the second hand bookshop there. And bought some books.   And Simon and Phyllis popped in to say hello and goodbye as they were just off to Scotland.

Talking of Scotland, the No vote won, though not by a large margin, so they will not have to take passports.  But Brit politicians promised the voters the moon on a stick if they voted No.  So they will now be under some pressure to deliver said moon on said implement.

We shall see...  

We met Janet for lunch at The Fat Cat yesterday.   We had quite a problem finding it - the Captain, Ken and me - the city has changed so much. A new ring road has sprung up from nowhere.  And it ran rings round us.  We had gone to the Millennium Gallery to see the Exhibition there first.

Anyway we did arrive. On time. The Cat is as lovely as ever.  Better if anything.  The landlord is the same and so, judging by our lovely lunch, is the cook.   Nute arrived just as we were ordering drinks and Janet arrived 10 minutes later.  The boys had steak pie with roast tatties and veggies; Nute and I had mushroom and leek pie with the same, and Janet had a lamb and mint burger.

A nice lunch.   And fun to see Janet after such a long time.

Scooter, Enraged by her Tail (again)

Scooter was enraged by her tail last night.  It kept lashing and lashing - and the crosser she got, the more it lashed about, and the crosser she got, until it was like a whirlwind. Both the Captain and I got a mini-clawing, though why we got blamed for it all, I do not know.

We were talking about the Scottish referendum last night - I think its any day now.    Both sides seem to have done a dismal job.  I must stay neutral and as far as I can tell (the human heart being "treacherous" at the moment), I am.   I would hate to lose Scotland - but do think it has to be up to the people who live there. This is supposed to be a democracy after all.

However, I can't compute the financial ramifications, and hope that the politicians and voters can.   Will they keep the pound?  And what would that entail?  And, if they do go for independence, why not have their own currency, which would surely be the Groat?

We are picking up Kathryn and heading off up to Jen's for lunch - everyone hoping that I can make it up and down the steep steep slope that leads to the Jen Chateau.  Sheffield is a very hilly city.  We have know Jen and Kathryn for nearly 60 years now.

Will we still be getting together for lunch 600 years from now?  I hope so. And of course, if we are, there will be no health problems to contend with.