A series of reflections during the weeks before Christmas. What do you want for Christmas? What do you really, really want?* I am in danger of following a maudlin, sentimental train of thought here. That or repeating trite truisms along the lines of "It's not your presents I want but your presence." If I am brutally honest, I want both - but please don't try to be jolly with me if I'm feeling low or just sleepy after a full-filling meal!

A series of reflections during the weeks before Christmas. The first edition of our Advent book invites us to do nothing. I suppose this is to avoid being overtaken by busyness and end up piling on more pressure than we really need to in order to do Christmas "well" - whatever that looks like to you. The original quote is "Keep Calm and Carry On".

A series of reflections during the weeks before Christmas. As soon as I heard the title for our Advent study I have had an intermittent ear-worm. You can probably guess which one. There is a link to it below. You do not have to click the link! Happy Kitschmas! There is an irony here. We have brought forward our Advent group because veryone is too busy during Advent (December) to spend time in prayer and study.

It took me a moment to get this cartoon by Nathan Pyle (as seen on Facebook) At the churches I attend we are looking at "Let it slow" by Stephen Cottrell originally published as "Do Nothing, Christmas is coming".

The title of the song is "The Pollen of Peace" which was in this mornings's Daily Service on BBC Radio 4 extra. Its message is a good one and I've linked it below. However, my mischief self immediately went to the undesirable effects of pollen on some people - occasioning misery for a season or two. But then, I thought, at least if you're sneezing someone might say "Bless You." Peace and blessings to you.

A playlist and a prayer Some of these tunes have recently taken up residence in my brain so I thought I'd let them go out for a walk. Almighty God, we pray that,encouraged by the example of your saints,we may run with patience the race that is set before us,looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith;

That public information thing about proactive planning for that emergency that just might happen. #30Days30Ways The way some "preppers" talk it would appear that the best way to be ready for a crisis, is by planning on living off-grid and cutting yourself off from the rest of society. May be that is possible in the wild west, but for the rest of us that is unrealistic.

That public information thing about proactive planning for that emergency that just might happen. #30Days30WaysUK What shall we do if we have a power cut? Where I live that is a rare event so it would be easy to become complacent. No one is bombing our power stations! There is all sorts of advice out there such as getting a wind-up radio, having torches and spare batteries etc.

Does this count as resilience? #30Days30Ways I didn't realise the egg yolk had broken until a glanced down and saw that beyond the paper napkin there was a yellow trail down my nice turquoise sleeveless jumper*. This was part of a late breakfast at the local heritage railway. It was this video from Purple Vision that had prompted me to take a look at the Northampton and Lamport Railways Rail 200 Gala.

That public information thing about proactive planning for that emergency that just might happen. #30Days30Ways The other day we were driving back from one village to another and it started to rain. Much as I do not like getting wet, after a very dry summer the water was very much welcome. As the shower grew heavier and heavier, I remarked that at least we did not have to worry about flooding.

Sisters Bernadette, Regina and Rita needed a locksmith to get back into their convent, defying Church leaders.

That public information thing about proactive planning for that emergency that just might happen. #30Days30Ways I might have mentioned this before - certainly some of my family have heard this ad nauseum - but I remember a time when I was so poor that I drank water in order to stave off feeling hungry. It helped a bit in that I was then able to sleep a bit better.

That public information thing about proactive planning for that emergency that just might happen. #30Days30Ways An example of how it went with the emergency alarm practice last Sunday can be found here: Watch, dear Lord, with those who wake or watch or weep tonight. And give your Angels charge over those who sleep. Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ. Rest your weary ones. Bless your dying ones. Pity your afflicted ones. And all for your love’s sake. Amen. (St Augustine) 

That public information thing about proactive planning for that emergency that just might happen. #30Days30Ways Be alert. Your country needs lerts! I know, old joke. Meanwhile in the UK the Nation Emergency Alert system is due to be tested on Sunday 7th September at 3 p.m./15.00. As I do not possess a smart phone this information is of purely academic interest to me.

That public information thing about proactive planning for that emergency that just might happen. #30Days30Ways If YouTube are to be believed, there is tons of advice - and purchasing opportunities - available to us concerning preparing for the worst. It would be too easy to be overwhelmed by them, thank you Algorithm, and feel bad because you do not have your own garden to grow food and a cellar to keep all your supplies in.

That public information thing about proactive planning for that emergency that just might happen. Jesus said, "Keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour". The context is about not knowing when That Day will come when we will have to give an account of ourselves to God. But he also said, "If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into." (Matthew chapter 24 verse 43).

YouTube video by The History Maker

Day by Day So it has been a while since I last posted here. Suffice to say that other things used up my diminishing supply of energy. It is possible that you have heard of Richard, bishop of Chichester, (1197-1253). I know very little apart from a prayer of his. The long and the short of it is that he was a good person during turbulent political times.