For the mercies we have recieved the last year

We thank our God both kind and liberal,

His grace and mercy does ever endure

He gives sustenation to us all,

To man and beast and every creature,

And He alone, does feed, bath rich and pure,

Therefore to God be glory evermore,

through Jesus Christ we thank him heartily. [From The good and Godly ballads-1578-Wedderburne]

Keith Barry–madman or magician?

I caught a the last few mins of this guy on one of our networks tonight. He was locked into a shed and the shed then proceeded to explode and Keith barry was nowehre to be seen! At which point unfortunately I laughed! I hate it when I do that, but, sometimes, the unexpected or unusual just makes me laugh whether its funny or not. Of course he appeared as large as life, but even the presenter of the Programme, said, “I’m not sure this was planned”. But is he a mad man or magician? But he’s more interesting than David Blane, who I have a job not to doze off while watching! But parental guidance should be noted is needed on the video below.

I must say Golden balls is more my thing!

Readers poll

I had some severe health problems the last day or two, yesterday I thought I was on my way out of here I was so sick. But as folks can see, are still alive and kicking. (Well alive anyway!) So, to start things off, and because my health has not yet recovered sufficiently, a readers poll:

Who is your favourite modern author? (say from the last century (21st) till the current day)

Who is your favourite Christian author.

Who is your favourite Classical author/writer?

Fuller’s Prayer

O Lord God, I find myself in a world where thousands profess Thy Name. All profess to be searching after the Truth; to have Christ and the inspired writers on their side. I am afraid, lest I should be turned aside from the simplicity of the Gospel. I feel my understanding full of darkness, my reason exceedingly imperfect, my will ready to start aside, and my passions strangely volatile. O illumine my understanding, teach my reason reason, my will rectitude, and let every of which I am posessed be kept within the bounds of thy service.

O let not the sleight of wicked men, who lie in wait to decieve, nor ever the pious character of great men (who yet maybe under great mistakes) draw me aside. Nor do Thou suffer my own fancy to misguide me. Lord, thou hast given me a determination to take no principle at second hand, but, to search for everything at the pure fountain of the Word. Yet Lord, I am afraid, seeing as I am as liable to err as other men, lest I should be led aside from the truth by my own imagination.

I pray that I may not only be kept from erroneous principles, but may so love the truth as to never to keep it back. O Lord, if thou wilt open mine eyes to behold the wonders of thy Word, and give me to feel their transforming tendency, then shall the Lord be my God; then let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I shun to declare to the best of my knowledge the whole counsel of God. [Andrew Fuller]

Calvin’s Conversion

Far from being the meglamaniac we often hear John Calvin portrayed as; his own words telling of his conversion speak to the opposite being true. The man was timid by nature, but he was no coward. And yet cowardice, in the form of putting the creature above the Creator seems to be the prevailing sin from many pulpits in our age. Its the biggest temptation to any pastor, the one they must subdue most often. Calvin with his timidity could have quite easily sought the easy way, and he may have been timid, but he was certainy no coward

God by the secret guidance of his providence at length gave a different direction to my course, by a sudden conversion. Having thus oquired a taste of true godliness, I was inflamed with a so intense desire to make progress in that, though not abandoning my other studies, I now pursued them with less ardour.And a year had not elasped before all who had a desire for purer doctrine were continually coming to me, as yet a mere novice and tyro, in order to learn. Being by nature reserved, and a lover of peace and retirment, I then began to seek some seclusion; but so far from being granted this, all my retreats were like publc classes. Indeed while my one purpose was to live unmolested and unknown, God led me by a variety of turnings, in such a way that He permitted me no rest in any place until, contrary to my natural disposition, I was driven into the public light. [John Calvin]

Body parts

I wrote a few weeks ago in this post about Conditioning.

Most people may know someone in their life who has Multiple Sclerosis. There is no definitive test to diagnose MS. Its purely based on symptomatic, plus often the scarring on the central nervous system. However, 15% of MS patients, will have perfectly normal test results, and no scarring, because their lesions are continually movng and rolling so they do not pick up on the MRI scan. MS however, is not really an orphan illness, because its far too common to be one. Have something rarer, then the fun starts.

However, ones ANS failing or affected is something to behold for others reaction, (or often inaction) to it. If doctors do not understand how my body now works because it doesn’t come under any degree of “normal” then Ihave never found it suprising when loved ones or friends have been incredulous. Yet many people whose ANS is affected it will kill them ulitmately. But the thing that suck about it is, you are not only sick, often much much sicker than terminal cancer patients will be, and you not only have to get on with your life feelign that sick for the duration, but, you also have predjudice, disbelief and bigotry to over come, because the ANS by medics, friends and family leaves you out there as not understandable to them, so they will either infer you are making it up, exargeratting, or on the other hand, just ignore that you are this sick, and pretend all is well. I have fallen into the latter catagory, mostly because its not my style to sit around a misery guts all day, no matter what my lot in life may be. I think the years of suffeirng before hand, give me an edge on that. Or if you are perhaps more fragile disposition, or can’t cope with physical illness so well, you may sit and cry alot and be msierable, and that doesn’t make the person who does so weak, or a baby, cos I know from expereince, whether strong and overcoming in what you feel in your body or not, either way, the patient feels bloomin’ ill, often deathly. But if you fall into the latter catagory, then it will often feed the thing that comes out against ANS problems, of “its all in yoru head” or you are exageratting and making a fuss about nothing. If like me, then folks will and do ignore you completely, they of course can’t miss my wheelchair, but apart from that, they will ignore your illness; My illness has been going long enough, for everyone to believe me now, and medics have seen enough outward stuff for their to be no doubt. But, this could come up again, if I have a change of doctor, or for anyone else, so we not only have an illness that will likely kill us at some point, (many of us) we are then afflcited additionally by the people often who are supposed to care about and love us most. I sometimes think the below would be fitting to put on my tombstone when the day comes.

No one should need to either justify or vindicate being legitmately ill. Whether its for a short time or for the rest of their lives. You shouldn’t be put on the defensive because you are sick, because of other peoples attitudes and outlooks or predjudice against something they do not or cannot understand. It’s their problem not mine. And if anyone reads this who I have felt forced to before now, then lets just say, I’ll swap you’re state of health for mine anytime!

Ahh, that’s better…

I feel so much better and so reassured by the Queen’s speech!! Not that I nec think the Queen has been a bad monarch, I think she’s likely the last of her breed we shall have. But, her speech? pfft!

She is now the oldest monarch to sit upon the British throne. But are sooo much better for her waffling on!!

Dec 25th? huh?

Line of the week

“I thought you knew the bloke you were seeing was married?”

“I did; but didn’t think he was in a serious relationship.” [Keeping up appearances]

But aint that the truth so often today? In how sacred things are so poorly estimated, and so easily thrown away, often on a whim, lust, or a variety of reasons.

Commands of God

Concernng remembering Him:

19And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. [Luke 22:19]

8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.[Ex 20:8]

Nowhere does he say make it up as you go along, but if you love me, you will do as I say, and neither add to or take away from the Canon of Scripture. [Rev 22:19]