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9 February 2012

The slogan 'Keep calm and carry on' is everywhere and has been for some time now, it seemed to take on new life as the mantra to cheer us all up in the midst of recession and winter and any other aspect of doom and gloom. Yet it doesn't cheer me up at all, it seems very accepting, submissive, stoic, I prefer my hope to be served in much brighter colours.

I have been reading Joshua for the last few days , now there is a message of hope and inspiriation- as Joshua faces the battle God tells him to

'Be strong and courageous: I will never leave you or forsake you'

Sometimes God asks us to do something, not just to carry on but to make a difference, not just to accept but to change and that can be terrifying, but then we have a promise, God's promise that he, the maker of heaven and earth, will never leave us.

Never mind just keeping calm, with these words behind us we should be positively joyful.

'Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Posted by Elsie Bouffler at 2/8/2012 6:19 PM | Add Comment

8 February 2012

My daughters tell me that Facebook will now come complete with a timeline, which basically gives your history since you have been using it. I was listening to some debate about this and that given employers may look at Facebook most people may want to change their name by the time they are 20. There are even companies setting up which, for a fee, will wipe out the things you would prefer not to appear.

I have mixed feelings about this, I feel a bit sorry for our young people because every mistake they make can end up in the public domain. Which of us has not done something stupid, but luckily for our generation it is known only to a few close friends, I can't imagine the horror of having my mistakes public knowledge. So I question employers who actually might be prepared to use this against someone, it seems very unforgiving.

God on the other hand has known our timeline since before we were born, every mistake, every secret is known to him - but far from use it against us, he lets us make our mistakes, continues to love us and gives us chance after chance to get it right. I know whose hands I would rather put my future into.

Posted by Elsie Bouffler at 2/7/2012 9:36 PM | Add Comment

7 February 2012

At last the chance to use my snow shovel, that would be the shovel which has been on sale outside the supermarket for several months now and which I foolishly thought when I first saw it meant we were about to have snow.

When I say my snow shovel I really mean the one I bought for my husband to use, but he assures me it made a difference.

I was ready for the snow, I had read the forecast, googled the Met office and I knew roughly when and how bad it would be, and I had made arrangements for my daughters to go out and be picked up before it got bad, so I was completely surprised to hear stories of people stranded, or unable to get back from shopping trips, or home from relatives- how could they not know?

Then it occurred to me that maybe I was just a tiny weeny bit of a control freak, that not everyone does check, that some people actually go about their business without planning ahead or checking out all eventualities and in truth I wish I was more like that,OK so things could go wrong but there is usually a solution isn't there?

Jesus warns us to be ready for his kingdom coming, to ensure we are living in ways that he taught us, but then to leave the rest in his hands. He doesn't want us to waste our energy trying to control everything in this life.

So I'm leaving my Met office app alone, not checking it at all, but not until tomorrow as I hear there are ice warnings for tonight.

'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' Matthew 6:34

Posted by Elsie Bouffler at 2/6/2012 7:32 PM | Add Comment

6 February 2012

I loved the story last week about the artist who painted the murale on the walls of the Facebook office and received payment in shares but was very scathing thinking that they would be worth nothing, now however they stand at $200m

I like stories where we can look back on hindsight and see something which meant very little at the time but made a huge difference in the bigger picture. On a similar theme this week I was reading about Rahab the prostitute who gave shelter to Joshua's spies as they first entered the promised land, in return for her bravery she simply asked safety for her family.

Joshua's men promised her this, and now centuries later every time we read the Christmas story we see her name in the family tree in Matthew's gospel which leads all the way to Jesus,for she had a part to play in the lineage yet little did she know what her actions would mean.

Little do we know what part we might play this week or what our actions might mean -its an exciting thought.

Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.' Joshua 2:1

Posted by Elsie Bouffler at 2/5/2012 8:44 PM | Add Comment

3 February 2012

Yesterday at the airport I noticed a computer terminal which gave an hour of social networking for a pound. Is there really anyone that desperate to stay on facebook while they are travelling?

One of the joys of travelling for me is to buy a book in the airport a large latte and tuck myself away reading, avoiding conversation and using the whole blissful, uninterrupted flying time to lose myself in a book - yesterday it was 'Death comes to Pemberley.' if anyone is interested. There are few times in our days now when we are not available and I think they are to be treasured , so for just a few hours I was back in the time of Jane Austin and Mr Darcy - what bliss.

Sometimes too we need to switch everything off and take a bit of time in prayer. I am slightly suspicious of these shortcut ways to read the bible a minute a day etc, really we need to shift the prioirities and make a bit of time to be in a quiet space, slow down our minds and enter into his presence, then be ready to listen, that we might hear his voice above the clamour outside.

'But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ' Matthew 6 :6

Posted by Elsie Bouffler at 2/3/2012 11:09 AM | Add Comment

31 January 2012

I keep getting emails from companies I have one time in a dim and distant past bought something from, and it seems all it takes is one purchase for them to never leave me alone. This week I had an email from a company from whom I had ordered a cheap book last year, telling me that because I was such a good customer, they were giving me a loyalty discount. I almost felt sorry for them if I was their idea of a good customer.

It did however get me thinking about loyalty. Loyalty cards are everywhere, and useful too at times I have to admit, but regularly buying ones coffee from the same retailer is not quite the same thing as loyalty. My loyalty to shops is not to be trusted, I will change if their prices shift, if they don’t have what I want or even just if something better comes along whereas I think loyalty is about sticking with something in good and bad times, not for what one gets out of it, but because of love.

Loyalty in relationships carries us through bad times, loyalty to a cause keeps us working towards it even when we are exhausted, loyalty to friends has us doing things we may not want to do, just because we love them. And as for God, well his loyalty to us is unswerving even when we turn away.

Real loyalty is all about love and not really about rewards.

Posted by Elsie Bouffler at 1/30/2012 6:22 PM | Add Comment

30 January 2012

Closing the Gap is a phrase I have come across a lot in teaching at the moment, closing the gap between a child's current grade and their target grade, encouraging them to reach their full potential.

I was thinking about this for my own life and trying to figure out where my target grades are, not for academics any more (thank goodness) but other little everyday things, keeping fit, cleaning the house, making good healthy meals, being good at my work, good at my hobbies and remembering to slot in some me time. I have to say that I set the targets so high I am never going to reach them but continue to strive exhausting myself in the process.

Setting targets for ourselves is something we do without thinking and how hard we push ourselves may be a voice from the past: teachers, parents, whatever, but it occurred to me the other day that there is no gap to be closed for God, he has taken the gap away and we don't have to strive or earn his love. We just have to accept it and rejoice in it- something we are in danger of missing because we are trying too hard.

I quite liked how this was written in the message;

'God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.'

Posted by Elsie Bouffler at 1/29/2012 8:25 PM | Add Comment

27 January 2012

Everyday I walk the fields at the back of my house and this week I have walked them pretty much in rain and gloom. At first glance there doesn't seem much to inspire, yet because I know them so well now, I can see the hedgerow change almost everyday, . This week I took some random photos of the chaos in the hedgerow and I am amazed at how they have turned out, the light and dark, the shapes of tangled branches, the crisscross of the tall grass, it is a beautiful design.

Sometimes we need to spend time really looking to see the beauty that emerges- same goes for people too.

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.' Matthew 7:1-2

Posted by Elsie Bouffler at 1/26/2012 8:54 PM | Add Comment

25 January 2012

I always seem to think I have more of everything in my cupboards than I do. I remember buying ketchup for instance but using it seems to pass me by and before I know it we have run out, in spite of my protestation that I am sure there is more in the cupboard. I read yesterday a quote which made me laugh that if you think you have lots in the cupboard you have probably run out- how true.

I think it applies to other things as well, we are not always very good at seeing when our resources are depleting, when we are getting too tired, or too stressed , or too busy and by the time we need energy and strength there is none left in the cupboard. Sometimes we need to remember to take more care of ourselves, to do a little less, to rest a little more, to make time for our hobbies or just to indulge in something we love to do for no other reason than the fact that we enjoy it.

When Elijah ran away exhausted after all he had done, the angel woke him and gave him the simplest advise to eat and rest, how much better if we remember before we run out.

'Exhausted, he fell asleep under the lone broom bush.
Suddenly an angel shook him awake and said, "Get up and eat!"
⁶ He looked around and, to his surprise, right by his head were a loaf of bread baked on some coals and a jug of water. He ate the meal and went back to sleep.
⁷ The angel of God came back, shook him awake again, and said, "Get up and eat some more—you've got a long journey ahead of you."
1 Kings 19 : 3-7

Posted by Elsie Bouffler at 1/24/2012 7:01 PM | Add Comment

24 January 2012

On Sunday's papers I read a column where the writer was asking the question , what was worth getting up for at this time of year? Its a good question because it is dark and cold and it is still January (which does seem to have 300 days and not just 31- as opposed to July which only has about 5 days in it).

Yesterday , Monday morning my youngest sat huddled on the sofa before school facing the prospect of outdoor hockey first thing, suddenly whatever I needed to do that day just got better because I couldn't actually think on anything worse.

Yet as I walked over the field with the dog, the trees are budding, the hedgerow is sending up red new shoots and in my garden the daffodils are through (which of course may not be a good thing). So its all happening, even through the gloomy days, it is all getting ready and that seemed very hopeful to me. What is worth getting up for? Today is worth getting up for and giving thanks.

'The LORD has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.' Psalm 118:24

Posted by Elsie Bouffler at 1/23/2012 8:57 PM | Add Comment

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