This is my blog update for Wednesday...and yes, I do know that today is actually Thursday!
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Lent. That means that we are now in the preperation period for Easter. Easter does not just mean that it is the time when we get to eat Easter eggs...there is a far more important meaning behind it, and that is that Christ gave his life for us all, and on Easter Day he rose from the dead.
The whole Lent period is the lead up to this important event, and as Christians we 'travel' with Christ throughout Lent on his journey leading up to his crucifixtion on Good Friday.
Lent is quite a sombre time, it is very much a time for thought, for prayer and for contemplation. It really is a great time to re-evaluate ourselves, both as individuals and as Christians, and it is also an ideal time to reaffirm our commitment to God. Remember one of my previous blogs? It is never to late to join the race with the aim of receiving the ultimate prize.
Yesterday I went to church, and as it was Ash Wednesday we had the sign of the cross marked on our heads with ashes. These ashes are obtained by the burning of the crosses from the previous year's Palm Sunday. They are blessed prior to being used on people. This is a very symbolic act, and also leaves a very visible sign of the cross on your forehead....I think Bishop Damien got a little carried away when doing mine!
On Sunday my membership/confirmation classes will be starting, we have no idea how they will pan out, but I am sure that they will be interesting. I'm counting down the days to my confirmation now, which will be on Easter Day.
Roy was acting as Altar Server yesterday, so thankfully was not sitting near me with the bells as he was last Sunday!! He seems to be well on the road to recovery following his operation, he was certainly looking better in himself.
Well, that's about all for now....I'll try and post again on Sunday evening, rather than Monday!
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Sunday, 14 February 2010
The bathroom is free!
It's been over a week since my last update on here, but what a week it has been!
Last Sunday I was hit by some sort of stomach type bug, possibly novo-virus, causing the usual pain and many trips to the bathroom, as a result I was unable to attend church last Sunday. This lasted into Monday and come Tuesday morning I was feeling a lot better, but not quite 100%.
However, early hours of Wednesday morning I woke up and needed the bathroom again...it had come back...with a vengeance!! When I finally managed to go back to bed I was asleep for a while and then awoke to find that my blood sugar level had fallen quite a bit...I was having a hypo, something which I haven't had for ages. To make matters worse I couldn't tolerate the thought of eating or drinking anything, let alone something sugary. Luckily I did manage to drink some lucozade sport drink, so that solved the problem. I then managed to go back to sleep, and between bathroom visits and some sleep I stayed in bed all day. I finally managed a couple of slices of toast at about 8pm that evening, and they stayed down!
Thursday I was running at about 50%, still couldn't eat or drink much, but the day went past without too much of an incident (with the exception of the fairly heavy snow that we had in Ashford and the surrounding area.
Much the same on Friday, except the snow had started to clear.
Saturday was a different story....bad stomach cramps all day (and night), unable to use the bathroom, despite the real urge to do so. I really thought that it was coming back for a third time and was dreading it. What was also annoying me was the fact that I was looking forward to going to church today, and so didn't want those plans dirupted by round three! I got in from work at about 2am this morning and went to bed (still with stomach pains). Luckily I awoke at about 9am and the pain had gone and my relationship with the bathroom appears to be back on an even path!!
So, it was back to church today, which happens to be Quinquagesima Sunday (the last Sunday before lent), it is also St. Valentines Day...I'm sure that I don't need to explain this.
I decided to drive to Canterbury today, nothing exciting happened apart from the fact that I got caught at a red light at some roadworks on the A28...that really was the highlight of the journey! I parked in a public long stay car park in Canterbury and was horrified at the cost...£7 for between 3 and 24 hours...robbery...Canterbury City Council should hang their heads in shame. For up to 3 hours was only £3, so why the huge leap, and why not an option for up to 5 hours perhaps??
Today's service went without too much of a hitch, even though the Bishop didn't have an altar server today. Roy is recovering from his recent operation so is on orders to rest, so he sat at the back of church coughing, etc instead. He did manage to ring the bells a few times though...right in my ear I might add! There is a saying "revenge is sweet"...no, I must behave myself, I am a Christian!!
I shall be back at church on Wednesday (subject to bathroom commitments), and it will be Ash Wednesday...the start of Lent.
Until then...maybe I should buy shares in Andrex...just in case!!!
Last Sunday I was hit by some sort of stomach type bug, possibly novo-virus, causing the usual pain and many trips to the bathroom, as a result I was unable to attend church last Sunday. This lasted into Monday and come Tuesday morning I was feeling a lot better, but not quite 100%.
However, early hours of Wednesday morning I woke up and needed the bathroom again...it had come back...with a vengeance!! When I finally managed to go back to bed I was asleep for a while and then awoke to find that my blood sugar level had fallen quite a bit...I was having a hypo, something which I haven't had for ages. To make matters worse I couldn't tolerate the thought of eating or drinking anything, let alone something sugary. Luckily I did manage to drink some lucozade sport drink, so that solved the problem. I then managed to go back to sleep, and between bathroom visits and some sleep I stayed in bed all day. I finally managed a couple of slices of toast at about 8pm that evening, and they stayed down!
Thursday I was running at about 50%, still couldn't eat or drink much, but the day went past without too much of an incident (with the exception of the fairly heavy snow that we had in Ashford and the surrounding area.
Much the same on Friday, except the snow had started to clear.
Saturday was a different story....bad stomach cramps all day (and night), unable to use the bathroom, despite the real urge to do so. I really thought that it was coming back for a third time and was dreading it. What was also annoying me was the fact that I was looking forward to going to church today, and so didn't want those plans dirupted by round three! I got in from work at about 2am this morning and went to bed (still with stomach pains). Luckily I awoke at about 9am and the pain had gone and my relationship with the bathroom appears to be back on an even path!!
So, it was back to church today, which happens to be Quinquagesima Sunday (the last Sunday before lent), it is also St. Valentines Day...I'm sure that I don't need to explain this.
I decided to drive to Canterbury today, nothing exciting happened apart from the fact that I got caught at a red light at some roadworks on the A28...that really was the highlight of the journey! I parked in a public long stay car park in Canterbury and was horrified at the cost...£7 for between 3 and 24 hours...robbery...Canterbury City Council should hang their heads in shame. For up to 3 hours was only £3, so why the huge leap, and why not an option for up to 5 hours perhaps??
Today's service went without too much of a hitch, even though the Bishop didn't have an altar server today. Roy is recovering from his recent operation so is on orders to rest, so he sat at the back of church coughing, etc instead. He did manage to ring the bells a few times though...right in my ear I might add! There is a saying "revenge is sweet"...no, I must behave myself, I am a Christian!!
I shall be back at church on Wednesday (subject to bathroom commitments), and it will be Ash Wednesday...the start of Lent.
Until then...maybe I should buy shares in Andrex...just in case!!!
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Anyone got a strepsil?
No excitment on the train journey to and from Canterbury today I'm afraid. Still we can't have it all can we?
Mass was at 12 noon today, it being a Wednesday, and today we celebrate the feast of St. Blaise. He is widely known as one of the Holy Helpers, and is popular for blessing ailments of the throat. St. Blaise was a physician and also Bishop of Sebastea. I can tell that those of you reading this are impressed with my knowledge of history! If I am wrong then you can blame wikipedia!
On the feast of St. Blaise a rather strange shaped candle is used to bless peoples throats, I must point out that it is not a lit candle! I did not have my throat blessed as I haven't actually got anything wrong with it at the moment. However, after the blessings took place and we were preparing for Communion I started coughing, having developed a tickly throat. Luckily I had a bottle of water on my person. It makes me wonder whether I should have had my throat blessed anyway...just to be sure...next time I think I will.
After the service today it was the normal tea, coffee and biscuits together with a chat. Margaret was asking the Bishop if Mary, Queen of Scots had a brother, as she did in a film she recently watched...we do engage in some strange and rather random conversations at times! Roy popped out to the local pasty shop and returned with a pasty for himself, some honey roast parsnips (which we helped him eat) and the Bishop's order of a sausage roll.
This afternoon the Bishop was due to visit Father Ray Thompson at home. Father Ray had his operation but has some problems with his voice following it at the moment. The Bishop was to take St. Blaise's candle with him and I pray that the blessing of Father Ray's throat has the desired effect and that his voice is restored soon. Being able to talk properly is something that we take for granted, although I sometimes dream that my wife could remain quiet for a while!!
Anyway, I can't think of much else to write here at the moment, so I'll leave it here and maybe try and do a little studying (children permitting).
I shall be back on Sunday.....now where did I put that cough mixture.....
Mass was at 12 noon today, it being a Wednesday, and today we celebrate the feast of St. Blaise. He is widely known as one of the Holy Helpers, and is popular for blessing ailments of the throat. St. Blaise was a physician and also Bishop of Sebastea. I can tell that those of you reading this are impressed with my knowledge of history! If I am wrong then you can blame wikipedia!
On the feast of St. Blaise a rather strange shaped candle is used to bless peoples throats, I must point out that it is not a lit candle! I did not have my throat blessed as I haven't actually got anything wrong with it at the moment. However, after the blessings took place and we were preparing for Communion I started coughing, having developed a tickly throat. Luckily I had a bottle of water on my person. It makes me wonder whether I should have had my throat blessed anyway...just to be sure...next time I think I will.
After the service today it was the normal tea, coffee and biscuits together with a chat. Margaret was asking the Bishop if Mary, Queen of Scots had a brother, as she did in a film she recently watched...we do engage in some strange and rather random conversations at times! Roy popped out to the local pasty shop and returned with a pasty for himself, some honey roast parsnips (which we helped him eat) and the Bishop's order of a sausage roll.
This afternoon the Bishop was due to visit Father Ray Thompson at home. Father Ray had his operation but has some problems with his voice following it at the moment. The Bishop was to take St. Blaise's candle with him and I pray that the blessing of Father Ray's throat has the desired effect and that his voice is restored soon. Being able to talk properly is something that we take for granted, although I sometimes dream that my wife could remain quiet for a while!!
Anyway, I can't think of much else to write here at the moment, so I'll leave it here and maybe try and do a little studying (children permitting).
I shall be back on Sunday.....now where did I put that cough mixture.....
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Tickets Please!
It's Sunday again and here I'm back....I'm actually very impressed with myself in keeping my blog updated!
As usual I caught the train to Canterbury. This morning I caught the 10.22 Southeastern High Speed service from Ashford International, which actually departed at 10.21....now I know that they call it the high speed service, but leaving ahead of time, surely that will destroy the railway's reputation!!
Nothing exciting happened on the journey to Canterbury (can't say the same about the journey home, but more on that later).
On arrival at church this morning the usual faces were all there, but there were two extras that I had not seen before. One was Gillian, who I had heard about, but until today, had not met. Due to ill health, etc she has been unable to attend church as often as she would like, but thankfully today she was able to attend, together with her carer, Maggie, who was the second new face.
Today is Septuagesima Sunday, which is the start of the pre-Lent period in the church. Apparantly everything becomes a bit more sombre, and the word "Alleluia" is now not heard in worship until Easter Day.
I suppose that this period can be seen as a time of quiet reflection and preparation of things to come.
The Bishop's sermon today highlighted the importance of preparation, and how that in order to win the ultimate prize (eternal life) we must take part in the race and finish the course. Everyone who takes part will win, no matter if you cross that finish line first, 14th or last....the important thing is to take part and finish. It does not matter even if you start late....just make sure you follow the course and finish.
Translated into Christian life this means that it is never too late to find God and to commit to life as a Christian. It will of course take some preparation and maybe a few lifestyle changes, just as a marathon runner must prepare for the testing time ahead of him or her. It may not be an easy path at all times, but with preparation and commitment then the finish can be reached. For a Christian the finish is a place in heaven with the Lord....this is the end of the ultimate marathon, the race that has taken a lifetime to achieve!
I will be starting my oiwn preparation soon. On Sunday 21st February 2010 (the first Sunday in Lent) the Bishop is starting a short course of Membership/Confirmation classes. These are designed to prepare me for my own confirmation which should take place on Easter Sunday. Therefore Easter Sunday in future will have extra importance to me. Not only will it be the day that Jesus rose again, but it will also be the day that I took a huge step in my commitment as a Christian!
After the usual tea, coffee and biscuits we parted company for the day and I headed back to catch the train home.
On the train the conductor came alomg checking tickets and he approached a male passenger who presented him with an out of date ticket. Now I have to say that I have an interest in this area as I spent 5 years working as a Revenue Protection Inspector for Transport for London, so I am an authority on fare evasion....not that I commit it I better add!
Being nosey I was listening in to the conversation and it turned out that the ticket expired yesterday, 30th January. The passenger claimed that he purchased the ticket this morning at Bromley South station, paying for it with his debit card. The conductor pointed out that the ticket was actually purchased at 22.30 yesterday evening, the male was having none of it and was becoming rather irrate and defensive. The passenger was insisting that the ticket machine must have incorrectly issued the ticket. Now this claim really doesn't hold much water as it would be one mistake to issue a backdated ticket, but to issue a backdated ticket with also the wrong purchase time on it, this seems a little farfetched!
The conductor was giving the man a chance to buy the correct ticket, pointing out that if a revenue officer found this irregularity later then he would either impose a penalty fare or possible even issue a prosecution against the man. The man was having none of it, instead saying that he would go to court. This I really couldn't understand, as the evidence spoke for itself, and having been the instigator of many such cases before I could see that in the eyes of a magistrate this would be a 'bang to rights case'. It made be realise how much dishonesty there is in this world, even down to a man (who appeared well presented and of means) to be trying to defraud the railway of £12.95.
I get the impression that he travelled to Canterbury yesterday evening on a cheap day return and was returning today after having spent the night in Canterbury. He should have purchased an open return which would have cost a little more. Why he decided to say that he purchased the ticket this morning is beyond me, even insisting upon it when it was clearly evidenced to him that this was not the case. He should have just been honest and said that he purchased the wrong ticket last night. This way the conductor may have been able to sort something out. Or he should have just swallowed his pride and purchased a new ticket at £12.95, instead he will have gone on to have been caught and will be guaranteed to have received at least a penalty fare of £20, or maybe a court appearance, conviction, criminal record and fine! The moral of the story being honesty is the best policy!
So that is the story of the excitment on the journey home, it was nearly as good as watching an episode of Eastenders or Emmerdale on television. I'm starting to feel like a bit of a journalist, because as I was watching the story unfoild I was thinking "this is going on my blog".
So until next time just think about what you might say next time that you hear the words "tickets please".
As usual I caught the train to Canterbury. This morning I caught the 10.22 Southeastern High Speed service from Ashford International, which actually departed at 10.21....now I know that they call it the high speed service, but leaving ahead of time, surely that will destroy the railway's reputation!!
Nothing exciting happened on the journey to Canterbury (can't say the same about the journey home, but more on that later).
On arrival at church this morning the usual faces were all there, but there were two extras that I had not seen before. One was Gillian, who I had heard about, but until today, had not met. Due to ill health, etc she has been unable to attend church as often as she would like, but thankfully today she was able to attend, together with her carer, Maggie, who was the second new face.
Today is Septuagesima Sunday, which is the start of the pre-Lent period in the church. Apparantly everything becomes a bit more sombre, and the word "Alleluia" is now not heard in worship until Easter Day.
I suppose that this period can be seen as a time of quiet reflection and preparation of things to come.
The Bishop's sermon today highlighted the importance of preparation, and how that in order to win the ultimate prize (eternal life) we must take part in the race and finish the course. Everyone who takes part will win, no matter if you cross that finish line first, 14th or last....the important thing is to take part and finish. It does not matter even if you start late....just make sure you follow the course and finish.
Translated into Christian life this means that it is never too late to find God and to commit to life as a Christian. It will of course take some preparation and maybe a few lifestyle changes, just as a marathon runner must prepare for the testing time ahead of him or her. It may not be an easy path at all times, but with preparation and commitment then the finish can be reached. For a Christian the finish is a place in heaven with the Lord....this is the end of the ultimate marathon, the race that has taken a lifetime to achieve!
I will be starting my oiwn preparation soon. On Sunday 21st February 2010 (the first Sunday in Lent) the Bishop is starting a short course of Membership/Confirmation classes. These are designed to prepare me for my own confirmation which should take place on Easter Sunday. Therefore Easter Sunday in future will have extra importance to me. Not only will it be the day that Jesus rose again, but it will also be the day that I took a huge step in my commitment as a Christian!
After the usual tea, coffee and biscuits we parted company for the day and I headed back to catch the train home.
On the train the conductor came alomg checking tickets and he approached a male passenger who presented him with an out of date ticket. Now I have to say that I have an interest in this area as I spent 5 years working as a Revenue Protection Inspector for Transport for London, so I am an authority on fare evasion....not that I commit it I better add!
Being nosey I was listening in to the conversation and it turned out that the ticket expired yesterday, 30th January. The passenger claimed that he purchased the ticket this morning at Bromley South station, paying for it with his debit card. The conductor pointed out that the ticket was actually purchased at 22.30 yesterday evening, the male was having none of it and was becoming rather irrate and defensive. The passenger was insisting that the ticket machine must have incorrectly issued the ticket. Now this claim really doesn't hold much water as it would be one mistake to issue a backdated ticket, but to issue a backdated ticket with also the wrong purchase time on it, this seems a little farfetched!
The conductor was giving the man a chance to buy the correct ticket, pointing out that if a revenue officer found this irregularity later then he would either impose a penalty fare or possible even issue a prosecution against the man. The man was having none of it, instead saying that he would go to court. This I really couldn't understand, as the evidence spoke for itself, and having been the instigator of many such cases before I could see that in the eyes of a magistrate this would be a 'bang to rights case'. It made be realise how much dishonesty there is in this world, even down to a man (who appeared well presented and of means) to be trying to defraud the railway of £12.95.
I get the impression that he travelled to Canterbury yesterday evening on a cheap day return and was returning today after having spent the night in Canterbury. He should have purchased an open return which would have cost a little more. Why he decided to say that he purchased the ticket this morning is beyond me, even insisting upon it when it was clearly evidenced to him that this was not the case. He should have just been honest and said that he purchased the wrong ticket last night. This way the conductor may have been able to sort something out. Or he should have just swallowed his pride and purchased a new ticket at £12.95, instead he will have gone on to have been caught and will be guaranteed to have received at least a penalty fare of £20, or maybe a court appearance, conviction, criminal record and fine! The moral of the story being honesty is the best policy!
So that is the story of the excitment on the journey home, it was nearly as good as watching an episode of Eastenders or Emmerdale on television. I'm starting to feel like a bit of a journalist, because as I was watching the story unfoild I was thinking "this is going on my blog".
So until next time just think about what you might say next time that you hear the words "tickets please".
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Can someone turn the heating up!
It's Wednesday and I'm updating my blog....no, I'm not late again, it has been planned this way!
Last Sunday there was no mass in Canterbury as the Bishop was on his travels. He was visiting our new mission is South Molton, Devon (the Mission of St. Benedict). It was the inaugural mass there, which, I am told, went very well and was a great success. I hope (and pray) that the mission continues to go from strength to strength.
So, instead of attending church last Sunday I read through the Order for Mass booklet at home, said some prayers and spent the whole day with my wife and kids. I've realised now that not only do I go to church on Sundays to worship God....I actually go so that I can have a rest!! My little girl is 14 months old....and believe me, she is hard work (must get that from her mother)!!
I am now off of work on Wednesdays, at least most of them anyway. This enables me to do a couple of things. One is to attend church and the other is to concentrate a little more on my studies, you may remember that I am doing an Open Bible Institute course.
This morning I decided to get my hair cut before catching the train to Canterbury. When I left home this morning I quickly realised that it was somewhat cold outside, luckily I remembered to take my hat with me, otherwise I think that my head would have frozen and fallen off on the walk from the barbers to the station. Once at the station I had a short wait for the train so I popped into the Pumpkin Cafe and decided that a cup of hot tea was desired. These food outlets at train stations are overpriced, so it does pay to have a 'Bite Card', it gives you a 20% discount which helps. You can get one for free by visiting www.bitecard.co.uk
The train arrived on time and I was pleased to find that it was warm when my cup of tea and I boarded. The journey to Canterbury was uneventful as usual. On arrival at Canterbury and alighting from the train I was quite disappointed to find out that I was not actually in the Maldives, it would appear that the train had been diverted to the Artic....in other words....it was cold!
I was rather early so I had a little walk around the city centre before admitting defeat and needing to find some warmth, so I headed to church. Luckily when I arrived Lawrence and Margaret were there. Margaret was arranging some fresh flowers and Lawrence was about to start hoovering. It wasn't much warmer inside, but then churches are not known for their central heating are they?! The problem is it would be far too costly to have the heating on constantly, so it only gets switched on when people are there. The Bishop did mention the possibility of getting a special timer at some stage in the future, which would help, and of course solve this age old problem of cold churches! maybe this is why churches really use candles....for the extra heat!!
In today's service Bishop Damien used the 1549 BCP Canon and not the Gregorian Canon, this was mentioned after mass during coffee. Normally the Bishop uses the Gregorian Canon and so this was a change that seemed to go well.
Bishop Damien invited me to have lunch with him today after mass and we went to an Italian restaurant in Best Lane (a few doors from the church). The restaurant is called Olive Grove, their website is www.olivegroverestaurant.co.uk It is very pleasant inside and the staff are very friendly. Being neighbours of the church they know Bishop Damien quite well, and they were most welcoming to us both. We both had the Frittata Tricolore (3 egg omlette with ham, mozzarella, mushrooms and tomato), served with chips and salad garnish. I have to say that it was very nice. I will be back, and I'd even like to take Debbie there for a meal, perhaps after church one day....I will get her through the door somehow, even with the promise of a nice meal!! I'm a bit partial to pizza, so I may try one of those next time.
We had a general chat over lunch, which was enjoyable. After lunch we popped back into the church as the Bishop needed to get a book that he has lent me. It is the Peoples Anglican Missal.
After this I headed back to the station and awaited my (delayed) train back to Ashford. Debbie and the kids met me at Ashford station and we then went to do some shopping at Tesco. My wife is clever like that. By waiting for me to return before going shopping means that we will pay using my money rather than her's....I fall for it every time!
That's about it for now, church again on Sunday, so I'll post again after that.
Until then....turn up the thermostat!!
Last Sunday there was no mass in Canterbury as the Bishop was on his travels. He was visiting our new mission is South Molton, Devon (the Mission of St. Benedict). It was the inaugural mass there, which, I am told, went very well and was a great success. I hope (and pray) that the mission continues to go from strength to strength.
So, instead of attending church last Sunday I read through the Order for Mass booklet at home, said some prayers and spent the whole day with my wife and kids. I've realised now that not only do I go to church on Sundays to worship God....I actually go so that I can have a rest!! My little girl is 14 months old....and believe me, she is hard work (must get that from her mother)!!
I am now off of work on Wednesdays, at least most of them anyway. This enables me to do a couple of things. One is to attend church and the other is to concentrate a little more on my studies, you may remember that I am doing an Open Bible Institute course.
This morning I decided to get my hair cut before catching the train to Canterbury. When I left home this morning I quickly realised that it was somewhat cold outside, luckily I remembered to take my hat with me, otherwise I think that my head would have frozen and fallen off on the walk from the barbers to the station. Once at the station I had a short wait for the train so I popped into the Pumpkin Cafe and decided that a cup of hot tea was desired. These food outlets at train stations are overpriced, so it does pay to have a 'Bite Card', it gives you a 20% discount which helps. You can get one for free by visiting www.bitecard.co.uk
The train arrived on time and I was pleased to find that it was warm when my cup of tea and I boarded. The journey to Canterbury was uneventful as usual. On arrival at Canterbury and alighting from the train I was quite disappointed to find out that I was not actually in the Maldives, it would appear that the train had been diverted to the Artic....in other words....it was cold!
I was rather early so I had a little walk around the city centre before admitting defeat and needing to find some warmth, so I headed to church. Luckily when I arrived Lawrence and Margaret were there. Margaret was arranging some fresh flowers and Lawrence was about to start hoovering. It wasn't much warmer inside, but then churches are not known for their central heating are they?! The problem is it would be far too costly to have the heating on constantly, so it only gets switched on when people are there. The Bishop did mention the possibility of getting a special timer at some stage in the future, which would help, and of course solve this age old problem of cold churches! maybe this is why churches really use candles....for the extra heat!!
In today's service Bishop Damien used the 1549 BCP Canon and not the Gregorian Canon, this was mentioned after mass during coffee. Normally the Bishop uses the Gregorian Canon and so this was a change that seemed to go well.
Bishop Damien invited me to have lunch with him today after mass and we went to an Italian restaurant in Best Lane (a few doors from the church). The restaurant is called Olive Grove, their website is www.olivegroverestaurant.co.uk It is very pleasant inside and the staff are very friendly. Being neighbours of the church they know Bishop Damien quite well, and they were most welcoming to us both. We both had the Frittata Tricolore (3 egg omlette with ham, mozzarella, mushrooms and tomato), served with chips and salad garnish. I have to say that it was very nice. I will be back, and I'd even like to take Debbie there for a meal, perhaps after church one day....I will get her through the door somehow, even with the promise of a nice meal!! I'm a bit partial to pizza, so I may try one of those next time.
We had a general chat over lunch, which was enjoyable. After lunch we popped back into the church as the Bishop needed to get a book that he has lent me. It is the Peoples Anglican Missal.
After this I headed back to the station and awaited my (delayed) train back to Ashford. Debbie and the kids met me at Ashford station and we then went to do some shopping at Tesco. My wife is clever like that. By waiting for me to return before going shopping means that we will pay using my money rather than her's....I fall for it every time!
That's about it for now, church again on Sunday, so I'll post again after that.
Until then....turn up the thermostat!!
Sunday, 17 January 2010
It hurts but I'm carrying on!
On Tuesday I had a wisdom tooth removed by my dentist, really it should have been done under general anaesthetic at hospital, but their waiting list is longer than the roots of siad wisdom tooth!
instead my dentist offered to do it under sedation, and as I had been suffering with the pain of the tooth for some time I decided to take him up on the offer. So, it was done, and Tuesday after the sedation, etc wore off it was agony. I ended up getting prescribed some tramadol by the doctor...thankfully it takes away the pain, but seems to me me feel rather rough!
Anyway, I wasn't feeling too special this morning, but still went to church (remember last week's blog about putting God first??). To be honest, during the service I really thought that I was going to pass out a couple of times, and at one stage I even had to stay seated whilst the others were standing, but rather this than collapse on the floor I suppose!
I'll be honest here, because of the way I was feeling today's service didn't all 'sink in'. I think the sermon for today was about making the commitment to God, there was emphasis on the fact that is not just a case of being baptised and thinking that this is a guaranteed ride to heaven. It is important to commit, in terms of being confirmed and remaining commited. Speaking of which, I am now starting to think about formally applying for membership of the ACC, which will mean me being confirmed, this of course is one of the sacraments.
There is no mass in Canterbury next Sunday as the Bishop is visiting South Molton in Devon as the ACC have a new mission there, the Mission of St. Benedict. I would like to wish Father Michael Clothier (the Deacon there) every best wish, and of course he and the mission will be in my prayers.
I was going to attend our church in Rochester next Sunday, but there will be no service there for a short while as the priest there (Father Raymond Thompson) is due to go into hospital very shortly for an operation, it goes without saying that he will be in my prayers aswell.
I can't think of much else to write today, so I think I'll leave it here and go and get all woozy on painkillers!! I'm overdue some more and the tooth (or rather lack of tooth) is starting to give me grief again now.
Until next time...God bless!
instead my dentist offered to do it under sedation, and as I had been suffering with the pain of the tooth for some time I decided to take him up on the offer. So, it was done, and Tuesday after the sedation, etc wore off it was agony. I ended up getting prescribed some tramadol by the doctor...thankfully it takes away the pain, but seems to me me feel rather rough!
Anyway, I wasn't feeling too special this morning, but still went to church (remember last week's blog about putting God first??). To be honest, during the service I really thought that I was going to pass out a couple of times, and at one stage I even had to stay seated whilst the others were standing, but rather this than collapse on the floor I suppose!
I'll be honest here, because of the way I was feeling today's service didn't all 'sink in'. I think the sermon for today was about making the commitment to God, there was emphasis on the fact that is not just a case of being baptised and thinking that this is a guaranteed ride to heaven. It is important to commit, in terms of being confirmed and remaining commited. Speaking of which, I am now starting to think about formally applying for membership of the ACC, which will mean me being confirmed, this of course is one of the sacraments.
There is no mass in Canterbury next Sunday as the Bishop is visiting South Molton in Devon as the ACC have a new mission there, the Mission of St. Benedict. I would like to wish Father Michael Clothier (the Deacon there) every best wish, and of course he and the mission will be in my prayers.
I was going to attend our church in Rochester next Sunday, but there will be no service there for a short while as the priest there (Father Raymond Thompson) is due to go into hospital very shortly for an operation, it goes without saying that he will be in my prayers aswell.
I can't think of much else to write today, so I think I'll leave it here and go and get all woozy on painkillers!! I'm overdue some more and the tooth (or rather lack of tooth) is starting to give me grief again now.
Until next time...God bless!
Friday, 15 January 2010
Terrible Events in Haiti
It's unusual for me to blog during the week, but like many others I have been affected by the terrible eartquake in Haiti. Obviously I haven't been affected as in the true sense, because I wasn't there. I have been affected emotionally though.
All disasters like this have some impact on me because as a Christian I hate to see anybody suffering. However, this has hit me particularly hard. Let me explain. My absolute favourite place on earth to go on holiday to is the Domican Republic (Haiti's neighbour), the place is amazing, the people are so friendly and the rum very cheap!! Many people in the Dominican are from Haiti and many of them have relatives there. My wife and I have always felt a very special connection with this island, it is where we spent our honeymoon. We purchased some pieces of artwork which were either painted in Haiti or inspired by Haitian style, one of these takes pride of place in our living room, and the others are waiting to be hung.
The people in that part of the world have so little, but offer so much. As a rule they are so friendly and warm. The Dominicans and the Haitians are the same, with the exception that the Dominican have a little more and a slightly better quality of life, largely thanks to the tourist trade. Sadly, the Haitians have not had this benefit and their past oppressive governments still have lasting consequences to this day. The country is exceptionally poor, yet the people are somehow very strong, they have survived dictatorships and they will survive this latest tragedy.
But they need our help. If we all donated a little then the relief effort would be even better, and the people of Haiti could see how much the rest of the world care.
I only found out yesterday that the Anglican Catholic Church (my church) actually have an orphanage and mission in Haiti, in Port-au-Prince. It was destroyed by the earthquake, but by the mercy of God the children and the caregivers escaped major injury. According to the Vicar General in Haiti, Father Bien-Amie, many of the people of the parishes are still unaccounted for. We have all read the headlines and seen the images on the news, the likely consequences are devastating. These people have so little, and now it would appear that they have lost so much of that, yet we have seen them on tv singing hymns, etc....despite everything they still have faith, this must serve as an inspiration to us all.
I urge anyone reading this to do a couple of things. Please pray for the people of Haiti, for their friends and family, pray for the souls of those who lost their lives, pray that the suffering may be eased. Please also pray for all of our friends in the ACC, in particular for Father Bien-Amie and all of the priests there, that they may be given strength to help those in need. Pray for the caregivers and children at the orphanage.
Please also donate anything you can. You can make a donation through the Anglican Catholic Church website. Click on the 'News' link and follow the instructions www.anglicancatholic.org.uk The Anglican Catholic Church has launched a formal appeal, so please, please help!
I appreciate that some of us may have very little to give, but they have even less.
That website again is www.anglicancatholic.org.uk click on the 'News' link, and follow the instructions, donations can be made by cheque or postal order, or via PayPal. It is also worth mentioning that the ACC UK is a registered charity and you can also gift aid your donation, all of the details are on the website.
All disasters like this have some impact on me because as a Christian I hate to see anybody suffering. However, this has hit me particularly hard. Let me explain. My absolute favourite place on earth to go on holiday to is the Domican Republic (Haiti's neighbour), the place is amazing, the people are so friendly and the rum very cheap!! Many people in the Dominican are from Haiti and many of them have relatives there. My wife and I have always felt a very special connection with this island, it is where we spent our honeymoon. We purchased some pieces of artwork which were either painted in Haiti or inspired by Haitian style, one of these takes pride of place in our living room, and the others are waiting to be hung.
The people in that part of the world have so little, but offer so much. As a rule they are so friendly and warm. The Dominicans and the Haitians are the same, with the exception that the Dominican have a little more and a slightly better quality of life, largely thanks to the tourist trade. Sadly, the Haitians have not had this benefit and their past oppressive governments still have lasting consequences to this day. The country is exceptionally poor, yet the people are somehow very strong, they have survived dictatorships and they will survive this latest tragedy.
But they need our help. If we all donated a little then the relief effort would be even better, and the people of Haiti could see how much the rest of the world care.
I only found out yesterday that the Anglican Catholic Church (my church) actually have an orphanage and mission in Haiti, in Port-au-Prince. It was destroyed by the earthquake, but by the mercy of God the children and the caregivers escaped major injury. According to the Vicar General in Haiti, Father Bien-Amie, many of the people of the parishes are still unaccounted for. We have all read the headlines and seen the images on the news, the likely consequences are devastating. These people have so little, and now it would appear that they have lost so much of that, yet we have seen them on tv singing hymns, etc....despite everything they still have faith, this must serve as an inspiration to us all.
I urge anyone reading this to do a couple of things. Please pray for the people of Haiti, for their friends and family, pray for the souls of those who lost their lives, pray that the suffering may be eased. Please also pray for all of our friends in the ACC, in particular for Father Bien-Amie and all of the priests there, that they may be given strength to help those in need. Pray for the caregivers and children at the orphanage.
Please also donate anything you can. You can make a donation through the Anglican Catholic Church website. Click on the 'News' link and follow the instructions www.anglicancatholic.org.uk The Anglican Catholic Church has launched a formal appeal, so please, please help!
I appreciate that some of us may have very little to give, but they have even less.
That website again is www.anglicancatholic.org.uk click on the 'News' link, and follow the instructions, donations can be made by cheque or postal order, or via PayPal. It is also worth mentioning that the ACC UK is a registered charity and you can also gift aid your donation, all of the details are on the website.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)