Spiderman's Day

“I love you, Reuben”
“I love you more, Grandma,
more than coffee, more than tea, more than cabbage.”
“More than Spiderman, Reuben?”
“Oh, no, not more than Spiderman Grandma.”

No, please, go away, I think I can handle it, after all Spiderman was new that very day!

Walking with History

This weekend I have revisited the past.

It is 140 years since Hudson Taylor started the China Inland Mission now called the Overseas Missionary Fellowship, the organisation under whose umbrella I go to Thailand.
The story of Hudson Taylor is a must read for any Christian. His life was lived for God through great hardships but with great success. Now there are 80 – 100 million Christians in China. In the 1950s when all missionaries were asked to leave China the feeling was that, without God over ruling, the Church would die. But people prayed and God multiplied His Church so that when the borders were reopened a thriving Church had been established and the number of Christians greatly increased. On Friday night James and I attended a Chinese Banquet in clelbration.

On Saturday in Ashburton we celebrated Jeannie’s 90th Birthday.

Jeannie is one of the very nicest people I have ever met, she is thoroughly good through and through and has a wonderful sense of humour. She is a cousin, but as close as a sister, to my Mother and Aunts; they all lived next door to each other throughout childhood.

Jeannie introduced me on Saturday as Kitty McLaren’s daughter, and at times she thinks she is talking to Kitty when she talks with me. My Aunts and I have lunch with her every couple of months and I love her sense of fun.

Now let me think, Mum married in 1938 and became Kitty Knox, yes, to be Kitty McLaren’s daughter that is history!

I hope I can find 100 friends to celebrate my 90th with me! You have done well Jeannie! It is more than just your children who will 'rise up and call you blessed!'

For Mature Women ONLY

EXERCISES EVERY WOMAN SHOULD DO BEFORE HAVING A MAMMOGRAM

Many women are afraid of their first mammogram, but there is no need to worry. By taking a few minutes each day for a week preceding the exam and doing the following practice exercises you will be totally prepared for the test and, best of all, you can do these exercises right in your own home.
EXERCISE 1.
Open your fridge door and insert one breast between the door and the freezer box. Have one of your strongest friends slam the door shut as hard as possible and lean on the door for good measure. Hold that position for 5 seconds. Repeat again in case the first time was not effective enough.
EXERCISE 2
Visit your garage at 3am when the temperature of the cement floor is just perfect. Take off all your clothes and lie comfortably on the floor with one breast wedged under the rear tire of the car. Ask a friend to slowly back the car up until your breast is sufficiently flattened and chilled. Turn over and repeat for the other breast.
EXERCISE 3
Freeze 2 metal bookends overnight. Strip to the waist. Invite a stranger into the room; press the bookends against one of your breasts. Smash the bookends together as hard as you can. Get an appointment with the stranger to meet next year and do it again.You are now properly prepared.

It's that time again! :-(

Divine Appointment

I had an appointment with a professional first thing in the morning, I knew her well enough but as an acquaintance only.

She told me to sit down and asked how I was; I said I was fine thanks and how was she. As I glanced at her I thought to myself how good she looked, her makeup was perfectly applied, she was tastefully dressed with just the right amount of jewelry, the whole effect was to make her look really something. She said she was good and I followed it with a small remark, which I can’t even remember.

Next thing I glance at her and she is quickly wiping tears from her eyes. This lady is in charge, she does not show emotions, I wouldn't know she even felt them, but yes, she was crying. Something inside was too big for her to handle and God was bringing it to the surface during my appointment.

I stayed half an hour and we talked it through, we took another step in her journey together as she gained a vision of what could be, I prayed for her before leaving and hugged her close.

I think I should take her an orchid and tell her again that God cares.

I am glad God can use the small events in my day, and yours, to reach into another's heart.

PS In case you are guessing, in any one week I can see my female doctor, blood lady, x-ray lady, mammogram lady, physio, and Spiritual adviser and I have Helen's email address for when she needs my advice so please don't even try.

Thanx Mum!

Mum and Dad were watching TV when Mum said, "I'm tired and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed."
She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches.
Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for dinner the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and made ready the electric jug for tea the next morning.
She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washing machine, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button.
She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry.
She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom.
She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a textbook out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse.
Mum then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night Solution & Age Fighting Moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails. Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed.""I'm on my way," she said.
She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on.
She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and TV's, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework.
In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list.
She said her prayers and visualized the accomplishment of her goals.
About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. "I'm going to bed." And he did...without another thought.

It's over 40 years too late but THANX MUM!

Aw shucks, its nothin really

I lost 3,3 kilos last week, which ended last night.

The secret seems to be keeping track of food intake plus a little daily exercise........... plus we pray for continuous inspiration to keep going.

Sermons In The Night; You Must Ask For Your Own. Take #2

I have known Gill for nearly 40 years.

It is good growing older together.

Gill doesn’t know if she is repeating herself and I cant remember whether she has told me the story before anyway!

That’s funny, did you laugh?

But during last night as I lay half asleep, God opened up His word to me. He reminded me of a Scripture in the Gospels and as I thought about it I marvelled at the reality and application of it.

He continued opening my eyes to His truths by reminding me of a similar Scripture from Isaiah so that the two seemed dovetailed together strengthening my relationship with Him.

As I meditated on the application of these two verses so separate from each other yet so well coordinated He brought to my attention a verse in early Genesis, which reinforced the message of the two previous verses. I lay in wonder as God preached to me this sermon from His Word, beginning, middle and New Testament. It filled me and enthused me, I felt so alive in Christ enjoying living fellowship, I felt so energized by what He was feeding me, this is the fullness of the Christian life, this is the bread of life feeding me, food for the hungry to consume and grow stronger in Him, a fabulous experience in the Living Word.

I am sorry, I forget the subject and references, only the infilling experience remains today.

Nope, not so much fun growing older after all.

A radiant one plus one of the flock!

I read his blog all the time
It’s one of the first I turn to
He makes me laugh with his clever wit
Even just with his comments on other blogs.

He came to me this morning,
He is tall, blonde, intelligent, personable,
He says he reads my blog and likes it
I like him.

I really like them both but hardly know what to say when we meet.

Wonderful how blogging can connect generations and genders!

A Missionaries Farewell

Elaine Paton ~ Final Word!

And finally, on the lighter side, to excuse all my typing errors over the years: Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in what order the ltteers in a word are, the only iprmoetnt thing is that the frist and lsat lttreer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can still raed it. This is bcaseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itself but the wrod as a wlohe. Ceehiro!