Its a good time for Bittermints..

Bendicks  are definitely the best. The members of the  Homegroup that meets  in our home gave us a huge festive bag of  gourmet Christmas foods, including a box of these mints. 

What a great time we've had. This has been the busiest few weeks I have had for many years, all children , partners and progeny  and assorted aged ones have been coming and going here . I have made Yorkshire Pudding with Turkey gravy, as a separate course , by request , 3 times. I have washed what seemed like every towel and pillowcase I possess twice. No dusting has been done , I am so sensible, and cover every available flat surface with gaudy trash and artificial poinsettas making cleaning impossible until 12th night.

Today was my last day of doing  happy hostess. On Christmas day I made life easy by not doing Turkey but doing 1/2 Chicken breasts with bacon round, but I still managed to forget to put on my best top and appeared at table still with apron and no lipstick . My collection of small children who love Grandma because she lets them go on miniclip do not eat mints . They say they are spiky (spicy). C and I have eaten  the rest of the box. They are such adult mints, delicious and good for ones digestion.  We kept them to last ,as aged parent gave us Thorntons Mint selection (all went Christmas Day) and clever Arty Son gave us Marks and Spencer Marzipan Mint Selection (all went Boxing Day). 

 The hit food this Christmas has been Beetroot (Raw and grated , and covered with horseradish sauce and mayo, thanks to Hairy Bikers I think). Today plain bread and butter , that staple of my 50s childhood is once again tempting the palates of small children who are all stollened out. By 7 oclock everyone had gone home, as a Disney Nothing finished and C and I fell asleep in the sitting room . We  came round to Eastenders, with a remarkably hale and hearty looking Pat dying of cancer , wearing earings and support for her bust under her night gown.  This woke us right up.  BUT it made me think. 

How easy it would be to fall out with those who are our  relatives.  I know 2 people  who have children and do not know whether they are alive or dead, they have not communicated for many years.   Many of us have relatives who are difficult and awkward. (Many of us are difficult and awkward ourselves). This whole season just reminds one of the stress that just coping with relationships may bring. Pat was reconciled with David before she died, but that was just fiction. Eastenders is not real, but its exaggerated reality  won a ratings war.  I don't DO resolutions. I do  DO Thank Gods . 

Here are my recent ones

• Thank God I managed to keep my mouth closed most of the time and did not upset my children
• Thank God I was honest  and did not pretend that I was not tired when I was 
• Thank God that I managed to hear the Archers Omnibus ( I was going to pray for Pat and Tony then I realised they are not real)
• Thank you God that all my children said 'It was our best Christmas Ever!'
• Thank God that I realised that I do have to pray for the gift of FAITH for Sir Terry.  

Simple Pleasures

It was a joy to walk back from Tescos  this evening. I say evening , it was dark before 4 so 5.30 seemed like evening. I'm not a lover of Shopping. I like looking at the shelves groaning with plenty and thinking 'I don't need any of that!' as I pass 20 varieties of ham and 15 different Washing Powders all claiming to do the same thing. Actually OPTION EXCESS as it is known , must seem obscene to those who have spent any time in the 3rd World  where 1 variety of soap is a luxury and just meat occasionally  a real treat.  

I'm not going to go on about   being blessed with Plenty  and Choice, it brings with it other sorts of stress, unknown in the 3rd world.  Neither am I appalled that seeing Magnums at 2 packs for £3 , and then buying 4 packs was a moment of weakness. The weakness will pay dividends when I find a quick and luxurious  dessert for  12  on Boxing Day. What's more they can remain in the freezer and not waste if not wanted until New Years Day. Last year my raspberry (from our own garden)and Sherry Trifle (no Jelly)  was not wanted for several days after Boxing Day, and had to be eaten before the Custard disintegrated.

This post is not about anything related to SHOPPING really. Its about the sheer joy of walking around an almost empty supermarket , with no ghastly musak , where I got just what I wanted for Birthday Dinner tomorrow, and a walk home loving the full moon lighting up the buildings in the night. 

Filey Methodist Church

Home 

Dear Daydreamer

I feel I must introduce myself to you. My name is Samson and I live with the Rowlings in Filey now. I used to live in the south , Brighton and then London. I really think you ought to get another feline companion. I have really improved the quality of life for THEM. They are much more rounded now THEY have me to care for. I reward them well with loving glances occasionally, and purring, and the odd baby sparrow or mouse. 

I am in HER bad books today because I rested on the table for a while. I like to see the coming and goings during half term as everyone is coming and going. 

I do write a letter home to my real owner Ben , most weeks.It is called Samson http://kiaoracat.blogspot.com/

 If you do get a new cat friend  I promise I will be HIS cyberfriend.

with best wishes from Samson Rowling 

Mark and Iona Birchall and the Old Geezer

Mary Fuchs, Maisie Holding and Dorothy Thiajaraj and Ray Smith, Mark Wigglesworth; my list could go on. These people all had or have something in COMMON.

Barnabas people

Filey Beach 1937 Where Ray Smith became a Christian

Small girl MargaretViola Holding, my mother, at Criccieth Beach Mission (Hudson Pope)1926

Since Ray Smith came to St Oswalds Filey on Sunday last and told us how he became a Christian in Filey 74 years ago on August 15th -he even remembers the date, I have not been able to get it out of my mind. We think that it must have been marvellous that 200 people attended each CSSM beach Mission Meeting in 1937. My aged parent became a Christian in 1928  at a CSSM beach Mission in Criccieth North Wales after hearing Bryan Green give a talk.

Not everyone has a story (testimony in church speak) of the day they became a Christian, but everyone has a story of their faith Journey and the people they met along the way.

When  my own faith came ALIVE FOR ME after going to church for 20 years, Dorothy Thiajaraj  told me that she and Iona Birchall had been praying for me for 3 years! All I did was say to God 'if there is more of you I WANT IT', and I was filled with the Holy Spirit in a new way on a March 25th (Lady Day and my aged parents birthday1978ish )

My spouse has a similar tale to tell. He walked to the station at Wandsworth Town  every day in his City Gent days . Often Mark Birchall would catch him up  and talk. Colin said he had a job keeping up with Marks fast pace and strides (M was very tall). Mark encouraged Colin to go to the  lunchtime Service at St Helens Bishopsgate. The church was full to busting with solicitors clerks, stockbrokers and Gnomes of Zurich  Threadneedle Street. This became the grounding , the teaching and the sowing of seeds that would bear fruit 20yrs later when Colin amazed me by saying  that he had in fact that day PRAYED THE PRAYER. He had been going to church for 40 yrs  , he would say now that like me HIS faith had come 'alive'.  Mark Birchall died in 2004. I know hundreds of people will tell of his part in their pilgrimages.

Beach Missions and Youth Camps like the one here Filey , Criccieth and my own Sutton on Sea (my Childhood holiday place) still go on. Mark Wigglesworth , one of our Filey Parish church family , is as I write,  at Criccieth  helping to lead a Christian camp . He sent an email from his iphone in his tent -sending us all in Filey some  encouragement. 

I have said often how much I appreciate  the sheer audacity and encouragement to all Christian Bloggers given by the Old Geezer. His story may be read here  as he is one of the  Christian Bloggers that  has a link to his testimony.  He too is a Barnabas, an encourager. I felt so good when he became a follower of this blog. I had been blogging for 3 years without even realising I could have followers.

We all , if we are on a Christian Faith Journey have Barnabas friends.

  Thank God for them.