Saturday 10 January 2015

Saturday morning this and that . . . the one where my mind wanders here and there . . .



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The television news stations have been filled with everything that has been going on in France with the terrorist activities over these past few days.   It was a forgone conclusion that there would be no happy ending to all of this.  It breaks my heart to see the kinds of things which happen in the world in the name of God.   That God is very foreign to me.   That is not my God.  My God is kind, loving, just and merciful.   I am not so naieve as to think this sort of thing is new.   Thousands and thousands of Muslims were killed at the hands of Christians during the Crusades.  That was wrong too.  I don't understand this type of bigotry and hatred. It is all alien to me.

People would argue that radicalism doesn't do any favours to Islam, but I would counter that it doesn't do any favours to any religion or faith.  There are people out there that paint all believers in Diety with the same brush and when things like this happen, it only strengthens their resolve to believe in nothing.

I would point out however that it isn't God doing the killing and the arguing etc.  It is man.  God cannot be blamed for what people choose to do in His name.   That's all down to us.  We have the agency to do as we wish here on this earth.  We make wise choices.  We make poor choices.   WE.  MAKE.  CHOICES.   Sometimes good people get in the way of the choices that bad people make.

It's not what happens that counts . . .  it's how we deal with it that matters most.  When we see bad things happening in the name of whatever God, or religion or cause . . .  GOOD people need to stand up and be counted and say it's wrong, and we REFUSE to stand by and watch it continue.  Good people come in every race, colour, faith, sex and walk of life.  Good people doing nothing is what enabled the Nazi's to kill millions of Jews in WW2 for example.   Good people cannot continue to stand by for whatever reasons . . .  fear etc. . . .  and do NOTHING.   We must speak out and be counted, and yes  . . .  if need be . . . act to protect the innocent.

That is what God wants us to do.  God is LOVE.  End of.  We are all His children.   Christian, Jew, Muslim, Budhist, Athiest, etc.  The Insanity must stop.  His heart must break.

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 I can remember dressing my baby brother up in dresses when we were all small.   He never minded.  He was always happy to comply.  I suspect he was only happy to be included in whatever game my sister and I were playing.   Such things never change.  They are eternal.   Cameron was at the end of Maryn's beauty treatments yesterday as she prettified him up with hair accoutrements.   Not Christmas photos, but a photo to be enjoyed nonetheless.

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It does my heart good to see walls decorated with the artwork of big sister Maryn.  I can recognize a few things there, although I could be wrong.  I think I see a dog and a television on a table.  Could that be Baxter?  It just may be.   And I love the bare feet in the picture above.   Not sure whose they are, but I'll take it.

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I love this beautiful photograph that I scooped of my DIL Anne with my grandsons Gabriel  and Luke.  It's nice to see those happy smiles.   They had such a bad year in 2014.  I am praying and hoping that 2015 is much kinder and gentler on them all.

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"Forever is Composed of Nows."  ~Emily Dickenson

I was finally able to get the scanner working.  My latest piece.  Not sure how I feel about it.  Todd really likes it.  Sometimes I feel like I am losing my mojo creatively.  I get discouraged sometimes.  Maybe it is the same with any creative person.  I don't know.    But I keep reminding myself of my word for the year.  Possibility.

Nothing is possible if you don't stick with it.

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Had a lovely facetime with my son Doug and his son Jacob yesterday.   The other two boys were in school.  I am grateful for a son who takes the time to make the time to spend with me in this way.  I don't know if he knows it or not, but it means the world to me.

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Gratful this morning to wake up in the UK and not the land of Oz.   We have had horrendous winds through the night and they continue this morning.  I expect there will be a lot of repairs needed to the back garden and it remains to be seen if the roof to our shed is still there.   Daylight will tell the story.

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We were both really excited last night to discover how we could access Netflix on our television using our dvd/surround sound system.   We've always been using the HTML cable to hook up the laptop to the television to watch conference, films etc.   Last night a light bulb went on and I said to Todd why is the HTML cable hooked to the DVD player when we aren't using it.   That must mean that we can access the internet with the DVD player and so we spent a little bit of time exploring our options and lo and behold!  We've been doing it wrong all this time!  Things could have been so much easier.   WE may be old and grey, but we actually "get it" eventually!  Yay!

And with that I will leave you with a thought for today  . . .


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Courage doesn't always roar. 
Sometimes courage 
is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 
"I will try again tomorrow." 
~Mary Anne Radmacher
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Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Cheese and Onion Muffin Cake.


 Have a  fabulous Saturday!   Don't forget . . .

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And I do too!

8 comments:

  1. Morning Marie.. well we are still in one peiece...I think !!...although like you I havn't really looked out to see what is still standing..and Masy is still grumbling away at various sounds of things blowing around LOL....Poor Lyn my friend and Masy's walker she is so frigtened when it blows a gale like last night I just know she would get no sleep...her house is first to get the fulll blast of the wind as it sweeps down the valley ( I have just had to jump as a tremendous crash made Masy and I jump my bedroom window that I opened just a crack when I got up this morning has flown open and I can't reach to close it, thankfully Peter will be along in 10 mins or so and hopefully will be able to rescue it !!) It...the gale.. really has blown up again in last 10 mins or so...However I still think I will go up to Chippenham just to get out for first time this week and Peter will drive and I do have the chair so no walking involved...

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  2. Good morning Marie,

    If you had awoken in Oz I would have welcomed you with huge hug and a smile and a lot of mess. I am glad you are safe.

    My Miss Pip is feeling quite cross with me as she now has the antibiotic resistant infection. I have watched the cricket for a heap of today.

    As to the terror stories I think this is a war that is waged everywhere now and it is impossible for man to eradicate. It is going to take prayer and a stance that shows the terrorists that man is not in control but rather the God of love reigns.

    God bless you and Todd and Mitsie too.

    suzan

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  3. Yes, the sun is up now Sybil and I see our garden chairs have done a runner across the garden etc. I hate the high winds when we get them. Quite scary! I hope you enjoy your day out! xxoo

    I like that thought Susan, the God of Love reigns. I hope and pray all can see and find that! xxoo

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  4. God is love and certainly more of it is needed in our world. Your art work is always inspirational and I always enjoy seeing it. Hope you have a super Saturday and that the storm didn't cause much damage at all.

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  5. Noah's older sister used to do this to Noah..he's a great sport for stuff like this..when the boys slept over NYE..Oli and Max got rollers in their hair by me..we laughed so hard:)
    Your new artwork is so good:)

    Love Netflix..Love.

    Very sad..Paris..very sad.

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  6. Thank you Pam, you are so kind to say so. We had a lot of things blown around and it's still quite windy and very cold! brr . . . xoxo

    Oh how cute Monique! I did not know you had granddaughters! I thought only boys. How wonderful! Grandson sleepovers must be so much fun. xxoo

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  7. We do live in an unsettled world with much evil. It's all scary and disturbing. I try to just think it means the Savior is coming soon; at least I hope so.
    I loved your new painting; you are just so creative. It's a favorite verse, also.
    I love that your son called. I am trying to get my daughters to Skype or face time with me. It's hard to have them far away.
    I love the picture of your brother with the curlers; priceless.
    Blessings and hugs for you and that sweet man of yours. Hey, and Mitzie too.

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  8. I like to think so as well LeAnn, but then again it says that it will be worse than it was in the days of Noah. I dread to think how bad things will get. Blessings and hugs to you too. xxoo

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