Today I had a short meeting with a couple of Gideons; they were basically trying to recruit new members as there are very few of them left in this area.

I have a soft spot for Gideons.  When I was thirteen I was given a Gideon New Testament... I still have it somewhere (I saw it the other day so it's not exactly buried).  For a long time I used the daily reading guide listed in it and dutifully read the allotted passages.  Whilst I'm not convinced it's the best way to read the Bible, it got me into practices that have served me well for something like (eek) 36 years.  I am pretty sure that being given my Gideon NT was a significant part of my faith story.

When I lived in Dibley, one of my congregation was a lifelong Gideon, an elderly man (well into his nineties) somewhat crusty but with a mischievous sense of fun and an indomitable spirit.  He was a great encourager to me in my time there, and I was pleased to support his work in Bible distribution.

So, even though I have difficulty with their stance on women (only men can be Gideons; only wives of Gideons can be directly involved) I retain my soft spot for them.  That they give out Testaments to any or all who will take them, without charge, without strings, is something I deeply admire.  To open the drawer of a hotel room, or locker of hospital ward, to enter an unfamiliar place and find 'my' holy book already there... that's a great gift.

I'm not sure if this is vaguely a sign of having achieved some level of something or other, but I was amused today to find myself being misquoted in an essay a URC minister had written.  I can see how the misquote arose, but it amused me... I had quoted a 'Sunday School hymn' which the author assumed I learned as a child, erm no.  Although it would be plausible - I was 9 or 10 when the hymn was published - I did not learn it until my early twenties when I was a Sunday School teacher.  The author could not have known this.

I kind of feel I have somehow arrived... but as what I don't know!!

Amusing, especially in the light of some of what we considered on Sunday.

Today is the last of my catching up days off from Easter... it is wet having rained all night and now the sun is engaged in a tussle with some VERY black clouds outside my house (the clouds seem to winning just now). So glad I made yesterday the fun day and today is the catch-up the housework day.

Later on I'll be off to the recycling centre - seem to go there every couple of weeks with four bins full of stuff... what did we do before recycling?  And how much of this packaging is REALLY necessary? Scary.

Then it's back to normal - well for a week or two anyway.

Italian ice-cream... the great British passion... When I was growing up in Northampton it was Gallone's, who ran a fleet of ice-cream vans to whcih we childrne were drawn like moths to part with our pocket money in exchange for a 3p cone or a 5p 99 or, for those who were rich or rash, a tub, on oyster or a double-nugget wafer...  I was the 3p cone kind!

Fast forward four decades and a new ice-cream parlour has opened up round the corner from the Gathering Place.  I went with a friend a week or two back and we could not get in, it was packed out.  I had a hunch that this morning it'd be quiet - it was.  So I bought the biggest, most expensive ice-cream I've ever bought (one of the cheaper ones they sell!) at £6.75...

I had to smile to myself, as when I ordered it the girl behind the counter had to get the menu to find out what was in it and what it was meant to look like!

It was VERY yummy but at that price not a treat I'll be repeating in a hurry!

Today I wound up both leading worship and singing alto for a couple of choir items ... not sure it was such a good idea as I kept moving from place to place.

Chilli chocolate fish went down well though!

I had a good morning.  Hope other people found it helpful/useful/enjoyable.