Woo hoo... a letter arrived this morning to say that, subject to minor corrections, I have passed my MPhil.

A slightly frantic couple of weeks to get them done (the deadline is when I'm on holiday) but in the meantime.

HURRAY!

BA BSc(Eng) MPhil CEng MIMechE MNucI.... that looks suitably posy don't you think?!

...for the benefit of the lovely people who are kind enough to check up, and will wonder why I haven't posted today.

A bitty but busy day, and some hospital visiting to be done this afternoon, so not a lot to say.

Have a good weekend whatever you're up to and I'll be back to my usual levels of waffle before you know it.

Happy Friday everyone! ;-)

What has been my biggest blessing the last year or so?  I think it is how kind people are, and within that, especially the kindness of strangers.  Maybe you get what you give, maybe it all evens out in the end, but I feel I have received so many blessings from people I've never met in the 'real world' and so many 'fellow travellers' I've met on the way.  Some I know only pseudonymously (my big word for the week), some I met fleetingly in real life, some are now 'pen friends' of the email variety.  Some are even kind enough to read this stuff.

You will know if you are one of them... angels in disguise every one of you... Thank You!

Last night I tested the 30 minute bread recipe I'm using on Sunday.  Despite my scepticism when the dough seemed rather 'wet', and the fact that the baking time was slightly too short (imo), it worked and even tasted reasonably good.

So if you fancy giving it a go you can check here. I would recommend using a little less water and baking slightly longer, but it probably varies from oven to oven and baker to baker...

Yeast, salt, wheat, oil, 'living' water... there are enough Biblical links for just about anyone there!

Have fun!

Some readers may be aware of the bread-making project that is run by some Methodists in Liverpool.  I was at college with one of the folk who originally set it up, and here's a song she wrote (which we will be singing) for them:

Make bread for the table of the Lord,

Come gather all around.

Take time to learn with God,

Together we are bound.

This task of faith and trust,

Accepts us as we are;

Make bread for the table of the Lord,

Come gather all around.

Take bread to the table of the Lord,

Remembering his life.

Give thanks to Jesus Christ,

His way the truth and light.

He feeds our daily needs,

With love that never ends.

Take bread to the table of the Lord,

Remembering his life.

Break bread at the table of the Lord,

Give life to one and all.

Share food along the way

And listen for his call.

Receive and journey on,

In peace that makes us one.

Break bread at the table of the Lord,

Give life to one and all.

Christine Jones © author and The Partnership for Theological Education, Manchester

Tune: Be Still, for the presence of the Lord (BPW 5, among many)

Hot off the press - via email anyway - is the new Mission Scene magazine from the Fellowship of Baptists in Britain and Ireland. So that's BUGB, BUS, BUW, Irish Baptist Networks and BMS.  This seems to me a "Good Thing" and I hope that people across all these groups find it a helpful and useful resource.  It is bright, colourful, imaginative and welcoming.  It has a good 'Baptisty' feel without being exclusive or arrogant.

The average BUGB reader will find it pretty familiar as it reflects the stuff BUGB already put out and, without meaning to be critical, it is very anglo-centric at the moment, reflecting the fact the BUGB is by far the largest (numerically) and best resourced of the national member bodies.  However, there is a lot in it that could readily translate to other UK and Ireland contexts, the welcome is by a BUW person and there are mentions of places north of Watford Gap!

And before the Scots and Welsh sulk about the Englishness of it, spare a thought for those in Ireland who don't even make it onto the map - even though the Orkneys, Shetlands and Channel Islands have all been included.

Anyway, it's on the noticeboard at church now for anyone who cares to read it.  Or it can be downloaded here and will undobtedly appear via the other websites in due course.