IT Strikes Back

Well! It had to happen. I took all my toys on holiday and I broke a couple of them. Mini Computer, PDA, Smartphone and mobile. It used to be work related books, much to Hazel's annayance, but now I have progressed to IT toys.

My equipent load had a few unexpected problems for us. I had to say sorry to my daughter Jennifer who was carrying my hand luggage through airport security, and was stopped and searched due to the amount of wires in the bag. Over 90% of these wires were mine. I had all the power adaptors a human being could ever need in that bag.

Just after my last post while in Spain on holiday, the computer 'froze' and stopped working. Ever try to get technical support while in a foreign country? Not to be recommended for those who have a problem with patience. Cutting a long story short I had to wait until my return home from holiday to get this problem addressed, but I did correspond with some nice people in the USA and in India to see if I could solve the problem while in Spain.

The computer people told me that I should have the small computer operating next week! That is the promise, but I will wait and see.

After my computer failure I started to use my smartphone and updated some software while in Spain. Only to find out that I had to be in the UK to get it to work when the software was installed. Now no smartphone was available.

The PDA worked well. I use it primarily for E-Sword bible software which is wonderful. However, the screen is so small that it is only useful for 'short' messages. Add to this the fact that I could not get my hands on it due to my two daughters using it for 'Facebook', messaging updates etc, I was down to the mobile phone as a last means for communication to the outside world.

I thank the Lord that communication with Him is available 24/7. No need for hard discs, only soft hearts, no need for RAM, we only have to remember HIM, and we can enter his throne room.

With all our obsession with communication with the outside world, such as blogs, twitter and facebook etc. how easy it is for us to forget the ultimate communication medium available to us 'Prayer'. May we rely more on that perfect and fully reliable heavenly system than the man made communication devices that we use each day.

Finally ................ a thought for to-day

The 'windows' of heaven are always open to our prayers

On Holiday

I am sitting in Southern Spain as I write this. I am looking out over the Mediterranean sea, listening to the sounds of the children in the swimming pool mixed with the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. The photo has just been taken from my room, using the webcam on the computer.

Years ago I would have been thrilled to be here. It would have been magical, but now, I confess that I have become blasé about going on holiday. I rarely every think about the holiday before I get to the airport to catch the flight. I rarely count my annual holiday as a blessing!

I wonder how many other blessings in my life have I not counted lately?

I over heard a lady on the plane saying to her daughter that she could not wait to get into the swimming pool so that she could 'chillax'. That is a new 'combination' word that I had not come across before. Then I was reminded that at the end of the post I made a few weeks ago on the 'Daily Affirmation of Faith', there is a sentence at the end of it which says:-

I now receive God’s promised rest for this day (Heb. 4: 1-13). Therefore, I relax in the trust of faith, knowing that in the moment of temptation, trial, or need, the Lord Himself will be there as my strength and sufficiency (1 Cor. 10: 13).

So instead of continually dipping myself in a swimming pool for my relaxation, I intend (when possible) to quiet my mind and my heart before the Lord and use the holiday time to 'chillax' in thinking about the many blessings that He has given to me, which includes this holiday.

Finally a thought for to-day

Putting Christ first brings a blessing that lasts

A Close Encounter of a 'Bird' Kind

I love this time of year, smelling the cut grass, seeing trees come to life. I have to say that spring to early summer are my favourite seasons.

One morning last week. I was carrying our wee dog Pebbles out to the garden for a run around. (Being a near blind dog, it is wonderful to watch her once her paws hit the grass, her tail goes up and she trots around, nose in the air, off on her adventures).

Well! on this particular morning as I opened the back door of the house I disturbed the birds feeding on the grass. I then spotted a young collared dove heading straight for me on a 'kamikaze' flight path. My reactions kicked in immediately! I blinked!!!

Sometime during that blink and at the last possible moment the bird swerved round me, clipping my leg with her wing, flew threw the utility room and into the kitchen were my mother-in-laws dog 'Pippen' was waiting.

'Pippen' is a half sister of Pebbles, and like Pebbles is 12 years old. We have been looking after her for a couple of years now. When she arrived with us she was a mad and 'hyper' dog. Whereas Pebbles is slow and deliberate in her actions, Pippen is on the other end of the same scale, a 100mph racer.

So this unfortunate bird had flown straight into where Pippen was running around. I heard a bit of a flurry in the kitchen and was expecting to go and see Pippen standing, 'retriever' like with said bird in her mouth. But what greeted me was the bird sitting on the kitchen floor with Pippen's eyes glued to the bird's eyes, nose to nose or in this case nose to beak. No barking, no attack, no aggression, just calm, interested attention. I am convinced that even if I had not been there that the bird would have been left unharmed.

So after putting Pebbles down on the floor, I was able to pick up the young dove, who by this time was minus quite a few feathers that were strewn around the kitchen floor and take the bird outside where she flew off into the nearby trees.

I got a lesson from this encounter. Pippen reacted differently than I expected. Her bark was worse than her bite and I am convinced that she is a real softy at heart. I was sure the young dove was going to be in trouble but I was proved wrong.

I reflected that over the past couple of years Pippen has mellowed and become more like Pebbles and I do not believe that this mellowing is due to her age, she still can move at 100mph. I think it is down to the influence of Pebbles, the 'Mother Theresa of the dog world.

Makes you think that the more time we spend being close with our Lord and Saviour under His influence and His work on our hearts, we become more 'Christ like' in our natures and in our outlook. Putting into our lives His attributes, His love.

Joh 17:21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Finally .......... a thought for to-day

Being Christlike is always in season