I went to a talk by the Prison Alpha team from Holy Trinity Brompton yesterday. They take the Alpha Course into prisons all over the UK, and had come to spend three days with the prisoners here.
All had amazing stories to tell.
I'm amazed and awed - but not by them. I am stunned by the power of God to turn lives around. In some cases, it was instantly; in others, it was gradually over time, after a defining moment of change.
But I was totally impressed by their focus and dedication to the work God had given them.
A wake up call: can I be similarly focused, thinking only of how to please God as I go about the minutiae of my days? What would I do differently?
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
Monday, 14 January 2008
New Resolutions
Looking back over my New Year comment, I realised I had left out my uppermost thought.
It is this: That every day is a new beginning: as the book of Lamentations says, adapted into a wonderful hymn:
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to an end...
They are new every morning,
new every morning,
Great is your faithfulness O Lord,
Great is your faithfulness."
With God, we get a new start EVERY day - we don't have to wait once a year for the first of January.
Better than that, even: we get a new start with God EVERY time we turn back towards him and look for him. He is there, waiting for the moment. Longing to see our faces and not the backs of our heads.
Longing for us.
It is this: That every day is a new beginning: as the book of Lamentations says, adapted into a wonderful hymn:
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to an end...
They are new every morning,
new every morning,
Great is your faithfulness O Lord,
Great is your faithfulness."
With God, we get a new start EVERY day - we don't have to wait once a year for the first of January.
Better than that, even: we get a new start with God EVERY time we turn back towards him and look for him. He is there, waiting for the moment. Longing to see our faces and not the backs of our heads.
Longing for us.
Missing you!
I HAD thought that there was at least ONE advantage to Jonny and Cat's departure for uni: a clean and tidy house. We had had a particularly busy time over Christmas, with lots of visitors, and it had been quite time-consuming to keep on top of all the housework.
So I'm halfway to catching up on the washing, vacuum-cleaning and all those other delightful chores.
But the house feels SO empty without singing from upstairs, music blasting out all over the place, the slamming of doors and the thunder of feet up and down the stairs.
Even the dog seems quieter now without playmates.
I'll get used to it - but boy, do I miss those two!
So I'm halfway to catching up on the washing, vacuum-cleaning and all those other delightful chores.
But the house feels SO empty without singing from upstairs, music blasting out all over the place, the slamming of doors and the thunder of feet up and down the stairs.
Even the dog seems quieter now without playmates.
I'll get used to it - but boy, do I miss those two!
Sunday, 13 January 2008
The New Year
I don't go a bundle on New Year's eve celebrations, or New Year resolutions either - although I can see that it is definitely a spur to action for many. 'Turning over a new leaf' is always attractive.
Yet there is definitely a 'clearing away to starting anew' feeling after Christmas. For me, this comes once all the Christmas decorations have been carefully packed away until next year, and the house cleaned.
I don't usually do this before January 6th, frequently leaving it until later.
This year, I only started on January 12th. After Jonny and Cat had left to return to university.
We were having too much fun to think about tidying up before that.
Yet there is definitely a 'clearing away to starting anew' feeling after Christmas. For me, this comes once all the Christmas decorations have been carefully packed away until next year, and the house cleaned.
I don't usually do this before January 6th, frequently leaving it until later.
This year, I only started on January 12th. After Jonny and Cat had left to return to university.
We were having too much fun to think about tidying up before that.
Thursday, 10 January 2008
Responsibility
One of the challenges of teaching is to help children mature and, in doing so, to take responsibility for their actions.
Another challenge is to get parents to realise that their child can be held accountable.
A natural response is for children to knowingly get up to all kinds of mischief, relying (if at all the possibility of getting caught even crosses their minds) on the power of an apology to get them out of any consequences or punishment. If that fails, they call - naturally - on their parents to get them out of trouble.
I have taught children who have educated their parents very well. These adults believe their child is incapable of doing wrong. Not only that, but if it is proven that the child has committed some heinous act, out comes the excuse: 'He's only a child.'
Indeed.
Yet a colleague reminded me yesterday that 10 years old (8 years in Scotland) is the age of criminal responsibility in England. In other words, the age at which a child can be held LEGALLY - not just morally - responsible for his or her actions.
Hmm. This does put the homework excuses in a new light.
Another challenge is to get parents to realise that their child can be held accountable.
A natural response is for children to knowingly get up to all kinds of mischief, relying (if at all the possibility of getting caught even crosses their minds) on the power of an apology to get them out of any consequences or punishment. If that fails, they call - naturally - on their parents to get them out of trouble.
I have taught children who have educated their parents very well. These adults believe their child is incapable of doing wrong. Not only that, but if it is proven that the child has committed some heinous act, out comes the excuse: 'He's only a child.'
Indeed.
Yet a colleague reminded me yesterday that 10 years old (8 years in Scotland) is the age of criminal responsibility in England. In other words, the age at which a child can be held LEGALLY - not just morally - responsible for his or her actions.
Hmm. This does put the homework excuses in a new light.
Friday, 4 January 2008
Kenya
The news of the unrest in Kenya is deeply unsettling.
Not so much because of the rioting, looting and lawlessness: we lived through many such situations when we lived in the country. The attempted coup of 1982 and the demonstrations in subsequent years often spawned violence, usually in relatively small areas of the country. It wasn't too difficult to avoid if one was sensible. Then, after a short time, it was back to business as usual.
It seems different this time. So much tribal enmity. Neighbours have turned against each other, whole communities have been destroyed. It is heartbreaking to get emails from acquaintances who are hiding indoors in fear, often with rioting going on around them, and with little food.
I can only begin to imagine what it must feel like. Terrifying is far too mild a word for the intense stress of fearing for one's life. I experienced this once, for a relatively short time. What must it be like to be in that situation for days on end?
It is hard to see a way forward for Kenya which is not paved with further damage and destruction.
Not so much because of the rioting, looting and lawlessness: we lived through many such situations when we lived in the country. The attempted coup of 1982 and the demonstrations in subsequent years often spawned violence, usually in relatively small areas of the country. It wasn't too difficult to avoid if one was sensible. Then, after a short time, it was back to business as usual.
It seems different this time. So much tribal enmity. Neighbours have turned against each other, whole communities have been destroyed. It is heartbreaking to get emails from acquaintances who are hiding indoors in fear, often with rioting going on around them, and with little food.
I can only begin to imagine what it must feel like. Terrifying is far too mild a word for the intense stress of fearing for one's life. I experienced this once, for a relatively short time. What must it be like to be in that situation for days on end?
It is hard to see a way forward for Kenya which is not paved with further damage and destruction.
Cycling
Getting back on my bike this year wasn't particularly easy. It was great to be exercising again - there's such a carefree feel about moving through the air while sitting back comfortably - but the weather was bitterly cold. Brought tears to my eyes.
The wind makes it especially interesting here. Round a corner and you are met by the full blast of an Arctic northerly. Equally, a turn into a quiet lane where hedges and stone walls shelter from all but the slightest of breezes.
Still, it's fun. I got myself up to school, freewheeling home on a sunny afternoon; dodged huge lorries as I took a shortcut through the industrial area; and managed to do all my shopping locally, putting a few items into a small rucksack with the remainder on the carrier. So much more satisfying than stepping into the car.
The wind makes it especially interesting here. Round a corner and you are met by the full blast of an Arctic northerly. Equally, a turn into a quiet lane where hedges and stone walls shelter from all but the slightest of breezes.
Still, it's fun. I got myself up to school, freewheeling home on a sunny afternoon; dodged huge lorries as I took a shortcut through the industrial area; and managed to do all my shopping locally, putting a few items into a small rucksack with the remainder on the carrier. So much more satisfying than stepping into the car.
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