Postman, Postman Don't Be Slow......

I have always loved getting post. I think everyone does really. The 'thwack' as the letter box snaps shut and an assortment of envelopes skids across the floor! When I was a child and growing up I remember the anticipation of the postman's arrival, and the disappointment as he passed by on the other side. Truth to tell, we didn't really receive much post, and what did come was usually the brown envelope type which would often alter my parents' mood for the worse once opened, but that never dampened the desire to hear the 'thwack'! Some days, was it Saturdays(?) there were two deliveries, so the anticipation built twice, and the disappointment stung, also twice if nothing was forthcoming.
It's so much worse now! E mails come in at any time of day or night and I can check for mail whenever I want - so the anticipation and consequent disappointment knows no bounds! 
Both snail mail and e mail are often the same though. Even when the 'thwack' is heard, or the 'You have 14 new massages' is read, the disappointment usually follows, as most of it is guaranteed to be junk.
But when that personal letter 'thwacks' or I see that special name in the Inbox, it is still one of the nicest feelings!

Happy Birthday Duncan!

As I write this blog I am also looking at a photo on my desk, a photo of Duncan on his birthday last year - as happy as Larry in the bookshops of Hay-on-Wye! We had an overnight stay and 'did' all the bookshops and Duncan really was in his element. 
This year has been different - for a start off he is at work three days a week and Wednesday is one of them, so we celebrated when he'd finished a hard day at the chalkface and joined us at the end of our Ladies' Meeting in church for a cuppa and a birthday cake. (See below).
What a lot has happened to us in a year! Birthdays always seem to make one sit back and take stock, don't they?
This time last year Harvester Reformational Church Halifax didn't even exist!
Duncan didn't have a job.
We were wondering what the direction of our lives would be after leaving Elim and spending three months in Cape Town. Everything seemed to have come to a standstill. What were we to do now? 
There were several possibilities but we were praying and expecting God to say exactly where we were to be when all the time, we realise now, God was saying one word: "Reformation!" and as for the where? Well, where did we want to be? 
As soon as we admitted that actually, we wanted to be here, in this place, in this house, everything slipped into place like a well-oiled machine and now we know we are exactly where we are meant to be, doing exactly what we are meant to be doing, in exactly the way we should be doing it! A couple of round pegs in a couple of round holes! And there is such peace in this. 
Oh there are still trials and tribulations - as we were always promised there would be, (1 Peter 4:12-13), but we know we can overcome them and come out better and more mature because of them. We are not standing still; not treading water. We have righteousness, joy and peace! What more could we ask for?


Well, for the calorific value of a slice of birthday cake to be the same as a stick of celery!

Hello, Hello, Hello!

We had our Ladies' Meeting yesterday, as usual, although some rather unusual things occurred! As we were preparing to begin in worship I saw, through the window, a tall, athletic man walking along the path towards the church with a young lad in tow. As the day was so glorious we had all the windows and door open wide. As the man and I made eye contact we immediately recognised each other, I had taught with him at Sowerby Bridge High! He was with a group of staff and Year 7 pupils on a walk around the valley and one of the pupils had a desperate need for a toilet! The teacher was exploring the Business Park and seeing our door open thought we may be able to provide the necessary toilet. He had no idea what the church was, that it was even there and even less idea that I was involved with it and so it was a good time of catch up while he waited for his pupil. Supplying the needs of the community takes many guises!

We then had our meeting and Duncan joined us at the end as he usually does after his day in college. We were having a cup of tea and chatting when we saw two uniformed policemen walking up the path towards the church. "Quick, hide all the stolen stuff!" was out of my mouth before I had chance to stop myself!!!  The policemen came in and joined us for a cuppa and we had a good chat and were able to tell them a little about the church and hear what they had been busy with in the town centre that day. As they left Duncan assured the that we would pray for them and Mohammed, one of the policeman, said he would pray for us. So we were able to meet the needs of more members of the community, albeit only with liquid refreshments at this time. But we are now known by two more groups of people in our community. 

"Your Word will run up and down the valley" was a word we had at the worship conference in June; a word that is now a song in the church thanks to Margaret who penned the lines. It's running! 

Beginning to Feel Confident!

Well, here it is; lurking behind the leaves is the Sonic Cat Scarer! Its manufacturers must be pretty confident of it working as they give a 4 week guarantee. That is, give it a month and if the cats have not been deterred then return it for a full refund.
So we put the batteries in and positioned it carefully and watched and waited.
Over a week has passed and apart from one or two piles at the start of the trial we have seen nothing since. We did test it on our cat and saw her shoot off and has since given the whole garden area a very wide berth. One of the tabby cats shot up on the shed roof and shot off very quickly so we are beginning to feel quietly confident that the device is actually successful.
We can supply the address of an excellent company who produce sonic scarers which do, it seems, work!

Titus Salt : Biography

Titus Salt : Biography

No Bigger Trees!

We went to Salt's Mill yesterday afternoon. We wanted to see the Hockney Bigger Trees Exhibition and were very disappointed that this exhibition is not open on Mondays and Tuesdays. Why not? I don't really understand why a door cannot be opened so that we can wander in and look. What prevents this on these two days? It would only take an extra person or two to keep an eye out for any vandalism wouldn't it? Or is there something about art galleries that I am failing to understand?
Given the number of staff on duty in the half empty Diner perhaps some of those could have been more usefully employed in the galleries as look outs. Well, not all of them, obviously, as they failed to 'look out' and see us for some considerable time, when we were seated and gasping for a cup of tea! 
The Bookshop is very good, though, so we spent a goodly time in there perusing a variety of books from more unusual publishers as well as the ones seen in high street bookshops. (The few that are remaining in the face of Amazon's increasing monopoly!)
The whole experience of being in Salt's Mill is wonderful. It is so very BIG! The heady, pungent perfume of lilies fills the galleries which is wonderful to the point of sickliness! The light and atmosphere are fantastic.
We shall return on a day when we can see the Bigger Trees and I'll write again to report on our experience. 
A very good lace to visit - and when you consider the history of the place, the wonderful Titus Salt who provided so much for his work force it gives much food for thought. (See following blog link.)

PS It isn't this Trees exhibition apparently! This one is too big to be housed in the Mill. The one that is on is 25 Trees! Sorry if I misled you!

Julian Treasure: 5 ways to listen better | Video on TED.com

Julian Treasure: 5 ways to listen better | Video on TED.com