was a really excellent day. First off, took Mickey for a walk as his owner, Jo, is in hospital having treatment to an eye. She has already lost the sight in one eye and God willing the other eye will be ok after treatment. Jo is the mother-in-law of Pastor Dave.
After the walk it was time for cardiac rehab class at the gym - we were worked very hard but it was worth it. Only trouble is that I think I've pulled a muscle in my chest after doing some exercises with weights! I just don't know when to take it steady and pace myself; I find that I'm doing stuff at a hundred miles an hour!!! After gym it was round to Pinetree House to meet up with the alarm guy to have the system checked as we have had a couple of false alarms this past week. Everything checked out ok and he cleaned out one of the sensors as it had got dusty. He gave this check as a freebie, which was nice. And then it was off to ASDA to do the grocery shopping. Kriss was really pleased when she got home and realised that she wouldn't have to go to ASDA!
Prayer meeting last night was a real blessing. Mahesh Francis, a guy from India who works in a local Indian restaurant shared his testimony and vision. Very challenging and encouraging. He and his wife have a vision for leading and running a church and orphanage back home in India.
And so to today.
Took Mickey for a walk through a local forest and it was a beautiful morning. It was a spring like day and the sun has been shining all day - temperature must have got up to maybe 12/13'c and down south they are still having ice and snow! But walking through the forest gave me such a sense of God's goodness; the promise of good things to come and the knowledge that no matter what happens, He is in control. Spring is just around the corner but I know from past experience that we will have to wait until the end of March to get into gardening mode.
I have been drawn to Psalm 37 these last few days. It's full of hope and instruction for God's people and it confirms what will happen to the wicked. Verse 34 is my favourite verse: "Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exhalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it." I know I can wait on the Lord for whatever job He has already chosen for me and I just need to keep on keeping on. We don't fight for victory, we fight from victory!
Tomorrow, Everton are away at Aston Villa - it's a league game. We really need to win after the fiasco of last weekend so we can build up our confidence again.
While I have been putting this together I have remembered that 20 years ago this month I made my first trip to the USA. It was with the RAF and the squadron I was on went out to Nellis AFB for "Red Flag". We stayed in the Palace Station Casino Hotel in Las Vegas and we had a great time. Since then, myself and Kriss have visited three times together - 1999 to New York for my 50th birthday; Dalton, GA., in 2000 and 2001 visiting friends from our sister Church of God. We would like to do a round America trip as our retirement vacation in a few years time; hire an RV for a couple of months and just drive east west & north south! It's great to have dreams! That's the plan folks.
There is a lot going on in the news again this week but, although I watch and listen, sometimes it's better that I just let it go by. A lot of it is celebrity driven and I really can't be bothered with the way even the BBC slips into tabloid journalism mode and panders to the lowest common denominator. But I guess as a Christian I shouldn't be surprised that that is the type of society a lot of people are not only satisfied with but actually want as well! I feel sometimes that it would be great to just get away from it all - to be on a remote island somewhere and have a news blackout and not be subjected to mindless trivia!
Argh!!! Gotta go.
