Looking through my Facebook I found a Video of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet and thought I might share it with you tonight. It is played by the London Symphony Orchestra, of whom I am a 'friend', and I think you will love it. The conductor is really passionate.
It is amazing what is available to us on the Internet now and how varied it is. Whilst you keep up with the news you can listen to the best in the world for free. Some of the blogs I find through twitter are highly informative. Feel like I have gone back to school. The people I follow are mainly Christian or Humanitarian with a great love for people. I also love people. The London Symphony Orchestra have programs that they run to help children in poor areas to become musicians or just to love music. Did you know that?
I remember that the leader of the Salvation Army when it began - General Booth had a saying "Others" I keep that in mind along with "Love your neighbour as I have loved you" I can't go too far wrong can I?
The world needs your footprints. lov Jen
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Appearences can be misleading!
Do you have a favourite poem? I do, it is a poem by Oliver Goldsmith called
Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog
Good people all of every sort, Give ear unto my song
And if you find it wond'rous short, It cannot hold you long.
In Islington there was a man, Of whom the world might say,
That still a Godly race he ran, Whene'er he went to pray.
A kind and gentle heart he had, To comfort friends and foes,
The naked every he clad, When he put on his clothes.
And in that town a dog was found, As many dogs there be,
Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound, And curs of low degree
This dog and man at first were friends But when a pique began,
The dog to gain some private ends, Went mad and bit the man.
Around from all the neighbouring streets The wond'ring neighbours ran
And swore the dog had lost his wits, To bite so good a man
The wound it seem'd both sore and sad To every Christian eye;
And while they swore the dog was mad, They swore the man would die.
But soon a wonder came to light, That show'd the rogues they lied:
The man recovered from the bite, The dog it was that died.
Life is like that sometimes the things that we are sure of turn out to be exactly opposite to the way we thought. This poem should teach us to pause before we cast our judgment.
After all we remember what the Lord told us - Judge not
John 7:24 (NKJV)
"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
So this must mean we need to consider all the available facts before we come to a decision and even then we may be wrong.
Have you ever had one of those times when you got it all wrong? I have.
Love Jen
Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog
Good people all of every sort, Give ear unto my song
And if you find it wond'rous short, It cannot hold you long.
In Islington there was a man, Of whom the world might say,
That still a Godly race he ran, Whene'er he went to pray.
A kind and gentle heart he had, To comfort friends and foes,
The naked every he clad, When he put on his clothes.
And in that town a dog was found, As many dogs there be,
Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound, And curs of low degree
This dog and man at first were friends But when a pique began,
The dog to gain some private ends, Went mad and bit the man.
Around from all the neighbouring streets The wond'ring neighbours ran
And swore the dog had lost his wits, To bite so good a man
The wound it seem'd both sore and sad To every Christian eye;
And while they swore the dog was mad, They swore the man would die.
But soon a wonder came to light, That show'd the rogues they lied:
The man recovered from the bite, The dog it was that died.
Life is like that sometimes the things that we are sure of turn out to be exactly opposite to the way we thought. This poem should teach us to pause before we cast our judgment.
After all we remember what the Lord told us - Judge not
John 7:24 (NKJV)
"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
So this must mean we need to consider all the available facts before we come to a decision and even then we may be wrong.
Have you ever had one of those times when you got it all wrong? I have.
Love Jen
Friday, December 4, 2009
We may never go to Tasmania...
In 1988 when we started our church we came back from Ministry Training in Queensland and pioneered a work in Narellan 60 k out of Sydney. At that time my husband Bill was working four days a week then it became 3 then 2 as the church grew. Then the Lord said to him go full time and we looked at each other and I said "Ok darling, we may never go to Tasmania for a holdiay but the Lord will always take care of us."
Then two weeks later it was Easter and we had the meeting in our home, as the council needed our venue that day, and a couple came up to us and said "The Lord told us you need a holiday and we thought you might like to go to Tasmania. We want to pay for your flights and hire car and lend you our video camera."
Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Since then He has taken us to the Ukraine 6 times to South America 8 times. God is no mans debtor. This life of faith is certainly challenging as everything within us wants to be in control of the wheel nevertheless when we let go and let God what a ride He takes us on!
The world needs your footprints - where will He take you?
love Jen
Then two weeks later it was Easter and we had the meeting in our home, as the council needed our venue that day, and a couple came up to us and said "The Lord told us you need a holiday and we thought you might like to go to Tasmania. We want to pay for your flights and hire car and lend you our video camera."
Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Since then He has taken us to the Ukraine 6 times to South America 8 times. God is no mans debtor. This life of faith is certainly challenging as everything within us wants to be in control of the wheel nevertheless when we let go and let God what a ride He takes us on!
The world needs your footprints - where will He take you?
love Jen
Could You Do This?
Today on TV (Australian)I watched a program on Yosemite National Park and its history. The camera work was phenomenal and the scenery breathtaking. But the story of a Scottish man John Muir and his love of the area as he pawed over nearly every inch having a love affair with God's creation there, was so inspiring to me. His determination to protect and promote its beauty. His desire to share this with others and show the tourists there all the best bits.
He had a running debate with a well known Geologist of the day as to how the valley was formed and was finally perceived right after being derided and maligned as a crank.
Psalm 104:7-8 (ESV)
At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
8The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place that you appointed for them.
We can often feel like this, like the last one standing, surrounded by opposition or our intelligence questioned, nevertheless the greatest inventors and world changers faced these same issues. The question is are we prepared to weather the storm to see our dreams realized? The world needs your footprints.
Lov Jen
He had a running debate with a well known Geologist of the day as to how the valley was formed and was finally perceived right after being derided and maligned as a crank.
Psalm 104:7-8 (ESV)
At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
8The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place that you appointed for them.
We can often feel like this, like the last one standing, surrounded by opposition or our intelligence questioned, nevertheless the greatest inventors and world changers faced these same issues. The question is are we prepared to weather the storm to see our dreams realized? The world needs your footprints.
Lov Jen
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
I'm Dreaming Of....
My last entry was about Aurora Borealis and how a British Personality had dreamt all her life of seeing the Northern Lights. Which set me to thinking, what have I dreamt of all my life?
I would have to say SNOW! - Especially, snow at Christmas - which is rather ludicrous because I live in Australia though have Welsh ancestry.
My family all insist on having the baked dinner on Christmas day even if it's 40 degrees centigrade so we all sit while the oven burns away having a contest with the air conditioning and I dream of a castle in Scotland surrounded by snow - all the family together. Building a snowman outside and having a snowball fight or making angels in the snow. An open fire is roaring inside while we toast marshmallows or in America you'd make s'mores. I suppose all of you who have these conditions would think me crazy BUT the dream persists.
I'm dreaming of a White Christmas
There is something about the White of it all Picture Postcard white I love it and conversely in the Spiritual I love white too. I love the thought of being 'clothed' in glory like the Bride in Revelation, like Moses I want God to "Show me His Glory".
Revelation 21:1-3 (NKJV)
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John,[a] saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
And this is the most exciting dream of all and judging by the transfiguration there will be plenty of White around we will be aglow.
What are you dreaming of? What pictures fill your mind? - The world needs your footprints.
Love Jen
I would have to say SNOW! - Especially, snow at Christmas - which is rather ludicrous because I live in Australia though have Welsh ancestry.
My family all insist on having the baked dinner on Christmas day even if it's 40 degrees centigrade so we all sit while the oven burns away having a contest with the air conditioning and I dream of a castle in Scotland surrounded by snow - all the family together. Building a snowman outside and having a snowball fight or making angels in the snow. An open fire is roaring inside while we toast marshmallows or in America you'd make s'mores. I suppose all of you who have these conditions would think me crazy BUT the dream persists.
I'm dreaming of a White Christmas
There is something about the White of it all Picture Postcard white I love it and conversely in the Spiritual I love white too. I love the thought of being 'clothed' in glory like the Bride in Revelation, like Moses I want God to "Show me His Glory".
Revelation 21:1-3 (NKJV)
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John,[a] saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
And this is the most exciting dream of all and judging by the transfiguration there will be plenty of White around we will be aglow.
What are you dreaming of? What pictures fill your mind? - The world needs your footprints.
Love Jen
Monday, November 30, 2009
See the Light
Today I watched a documentary on The Northern Lights ( Aurora Borealis). It was very well presented by a well known British personality who was charming and made every moment a delight to watch.
As she traveled to different towns in the Nordic countries in search of her beloved lights. She told the story of a young girl who at 5 years of age read a book, with a penguin on the cover and a picture of the Lights inside, which was to set off a lifelong longing to see them.
As the story developed, we went from town to town and it seemed like we were not going to see the lights as the clouds kept rolling in. The tension mounted by the time we reached the last of many destinations and climaxed with the amazing visage of the Aurora Borealis which was incredibly beautiful even on television and the experience of being there could only be imagined.
She laid on the ground in the freezing cold ecstatic and said Thank You!
Why have I told you this story? Only to say that she did not seem to know to whom she was grateful. And something else occurred to me - that God wanted her to find her precious lights and was almost playing with her hoping she would realize it was He.
And the verse that came to my mind was......
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (NKJV)
I believe that God wants to show us all amazing things about His creation that will delight our heart.
What have you been dreaming of? What would you like to see? It seems to me if we are prepared to investigate and explore our desires the Lord is thrilled to meet us there and play with us.
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