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A Skinny Fairtrade Latte in the Food Court of Life - Page 340

  • #Advent Challenge - My Five Minute Gratitude List

    In no particular order, except the one in which they popped into my head...

    Happy memories
    Friends
    Family
    Sophie and Sasha
    Cats in general
    The NHS in all its forms
    Good health
    My cats' vet
    A safe, warm home where most things work most of the time
    My church - the people
    Democracy, for all its flaws
    Christianity for all its flaws and foibles
    Trains
    Coaches
    Travelodges
    Education
    Electricity
    The internet
    Social media
    The Royal Mail, and for posties who deliver at all hours this time of year
    Supermarkets
    Vision - and for glasses and opticians
    Clothes
    A comfy bed to sleep in
    The people who believe in me when I don't believe in myself
    Colouring books and jigsaws
    Novels and, indeed, all books - and the people who taught me to read
    Hills, mountains and lakes - and the joy of hiking/walking
    Clean water
    Hot water at the turn of a tap
    My red duffle coat
    Music and singing
    Cuddly toys
    Stories

    Time's up - that flew by... must do more as the day goes on, but not here!

  • #Advent Challenge Day 23

    Today's challenge focusses a bit on attitudes and gratitude.  I chose the 'list of things you are grateful for' (don't tell the grammar police!) and in a separate post I'll add my five minute list (I could have spent all day but of course I don't have all day free!

      Dear Catriona

    If marketing experts are right, you will have seen around 5,680 adverts since you started #AdventChallenge. That’s a lot! You might have friends and family who’ll be getting more than you can afford this year.

    Comparison robs us of enjoying the things we already have, and – more importantly – the people around us. The Bible talks of the wonder of a peaceful heart and the destructive power of jealousy. Don’t let comparison steal your joy this Christmas!

    		  
         
    		 
     
         
     

    1 Write a list of all the things you’re grateful for
    Accept challenge >
     

    2 Throw out any Christmas catalogues before the big day
    Accept challenge >
     

    3 Text ‘Supplies’ to 70500 and donate £5 to our team in South Sudan providing food, clean water and Bibles to victims of war. If you don’t want Bible Society to contact you by phone in future, add the words NO INFO to your text. View our full terms and conditions.
    Accept challenge >
    		 
         
         
    		 
     
         
     

    A view from the Bible

    "Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer."

  • You have to laugh...

    Today I called into the supermarket near church and loaded up my basket with:

    • eight bags of oranges
    • four boxes of cocktail sticks
    • their entire stock of own label fruit pastilles
    • a roll of foil

    When I got to the till, the lady said, "are you going to make orange juice?"

    I tried to explain the Christingle to her but she just looked faintly bemused.

    If, however, you are in the Glasgow area and want to find out just what one is, than come and join us at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve... it is our "families watchnight" but Christingle is fun for all ages imo.

  • #Advent Challenge Day 22

    Forgiving others is second nature, and anyway there's no-one I currently feel a need to forgive.  My money is spent up already, so I opted for the middle one, not least as after yesterday's household blitz I have lots of stuff waiting to go to charity shops.  But which challenge is the one for you...?

    Dear Catriona

    How many times have you tried something, not quite got it right, and then done better second time around? In all likelihood, we’ve all had the benefit of being given a second chance on something.

    In a similar way, the Bible teaches us the importance of offering second chances, after all, God gives us ‘second chances’ time and time again!

    		  
         
    		 
     
         
     

    1 Forgive someone who has wronged you
    Accept challenge >
     

    2 Take some items to a local second hand shop for someone else to use
    Accept challenge >
     

    3 Text ‘Refugee’ to 70500 and donate £5 to give Bibles and practical aid to refugees this Christmas. If you don’t want Bible Society to contact you by phone in future, add the words NO INFO to your text. View our full terms and conditions.
    Accept challenge >
    		 
         
         
    		 
     
         
     

    A view from the Bible

    "Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you."

    Colossians 3: 13

  • I Do... Do You? #LoveYourNHS

    The Christmas Number 1 in the UK... always used to be a big "wait and see" with record sales being counted and verified.  Then came digital downloads and the X-Factor and it all became boringly predictable.  Gone are the days of Bob the Builder's version of "Mambo No 5" (a little bit of tiling in the roof...) or Cliff Richard massacring a carol, or some one hit wonder, or a charity single (Do They KNow it's Christmas in its first incarnation) or even (and this remains my all time favourite) Slade with "Here it is Merry Christmas".

    This year there is a bit of a political edge to the push to get Gareth Malone's latest choir project to No 1.  A choir of NHS employees from Lewisham (London) and a pointed message to GM Government to stop privatising/dismantling NHS England... and let's not delude ourselves that all is rosy in NHS Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, the impact of cost controls may just be manifest in other ways.

    The NHS is truly remarkable... and I, along with many members of my family living and dead, owe a huge debt of gratitude (mostly to NHS England but in my case to NHS Scotland) for free at the point of delivery healthcare.  From the presumed still-born premature baby delivered in a London hospital at the end of 1962, I have come a long way... had there been no NHS I wouldn't be here to tell my story.

    If I had my way, I'd increase taxes for those who can afford it to help protect the NHS - but I reckon that is a pipe-dream, since no major party seems willing so to do.  But what I can do, and have done is download the single and up load the selfie... and if you wish to, wherever you may be, so can you.

    Go here to download the single... please!