Merry Christmas

Rudolf, last seen in Gateshead...


Merry Christmas...

Faith

Something to think about from Oswald Chambers...

Faith based on experience is not faith;
faith based on God’s revealed truth is the only faith there is.

This is just wrong

Mint choc chip white stilton - that can't be right!

Think mint choc chip ice cream made with 3 week old cream, and you won't be far wrong...

Available now from a Morrison's near you.

Oh the shame of it

I popped out to the sorting office at lunchtime today with two bags of parcels and 63 Christmas cards to post. Too late for second class - note to self - must be better prepared next year and save myself 30% on the postage...

I had just about come to terms with the additional cost, when the Royal Mail employee uttered the unforgettable words... 'we've no sticky stamps left - just the licky ones.' The full horror of what was about to befall me was just starting to sink in (having to lick and stick almost 90 stamps), when it got worse. The stamps he gave me were those huge square ones, with a surface area of approximately two and half times that of normal stamps - and they all needed to be licked.

I thought this was as bad as it could get - but no. I looked at the stamps with disbelief. The shame of it. Not Christmas stamps. Oh no. These were 'let's celebrate England being in the world cup and let's remember they won in 1966' stamps.

So, shamefully, I must admit that I licked, looked at, and stuck every one of those stamps onto the corner of the envelopes containing our Christmas cards.

I apologise now to all of my Scottish friends and family who may be offended receiving such a stamp through the post. But I can assure you that the indignity of having such a stamp fall onto your hall carpet is nothing compared to the pain of having to stick each and every one of them to the envelopes.

Doglet is ready for Christmas

Proper ladgeful, that!

I learnt a new word last night.

Walking the kids home after Kidz Klub, we were discussing the lack of confectionary available at the close of the party, meaning that a couple of kids didn't get a box (although I think Shelagh had an extra secret stash so everyone got one in the end)... Anyway, I suggested that perhaps maybe the lack was caused by some children taking two boxes (I don't believe this for a minute - just simply more kids than boxes!)... well, this was greeted by a shriek of 'eee, that's proper ladgeful, that!'

Us leaders looked at each other, looked at the girl in question, looked at each other again, and then enquired as to the meaning of the word just uttered... And so, the definition...

ladgeful (a): disgraceful, really bad, shameful

I believe it is a geordie word, probably most use by the chav population... but I think I like it.
So - task for the day: to correctly use the word 'ladgeful' in normal conversation.

Cheesy wotsits

It's amazing what you can do with cheesy wotsits - apart from the obvious eating them...

We came up with a new thing to do with them at the Kidz Klub Christmas Party last night. Mrs D boldly (foolishly?) volunteered (was volunteered?) to be one of the recipients of said cheesy wotsits...

The kids loved it, and I think the results speak for themselves...



As my lil sis said when she saw the photo... 'properly rank'!

Water water everywhere....

It seems that it's been raining hard almost everywhere in the country apart from Geordie-land... rivers have overtopped their banks, lakes are brim-full and water is standing in fields everywhere (apart from here)... it seems to be particularly bad in Scotland and the north-west of England

The BBC website has some brilliant photos sent in by the discerning public...
Cumbria
Tayside

Details of flood warnings abound - such as those in...
Perthshire
Dumfries & Galloway
The Midlands

Unfortunately I am unable to post any photos as it hasn't been raining enough here - plenty of wind, mind you... but not much rain...

I'll just have to make do with the photos posted by my roving camera-man...

Hope for the Ozdemirs

Some renewed hope for Hatin, Susan and Denis - their solicitor is preparing an application to get them released from Yarl's Wood, and hopefully returned to Newcastle... This should be submitted on Monday. We must keep praying...

Edinburgh again...

The Salisbury Crags were looking particularly lovely this afternoon...

The Ozdemirs

Good news of sorts.

Hatin, Susan and Denis were not deported yesterday, but returned to Yarls Wood - apparently Hatin was taken ill and so they wouldn't let her go. She's also making an asylum application on her own behalf. But they're still at the detension centre - I just hope the authorities will let them come home to Newcastle while things are sorted out...

But Hidayet was sent back to Turkey - how can it be right to separate the family like that? It all just seems so unfair.

The Ozdemirs

At 1145 this morning, Susan (11) and Denis (7) and their mum and dad, Hatin and Hidayet, were forced onto a plane at Heathrow, deported to Turkey. They were taken from their house before school on Monday morning. No warning. No time to pack properly. No time for Denis and Susan to say goodbye to their friends. They'd been here for 5 years. Denis speaks Turkish with a geordie accent. How can sending him back to a place he has no recollection of be right?

Mrs D and I visited the family every week for the past 2 years - Susan and Denis were two of the most regular Kidz Klub members. They are lovely kids from a lovely family.



Memories will include...

• Denis always starting his sentences with 'do you know what...'
• Susan gaining so much confidence after her surgery...
• Denis' 6th birthday party - we were invited - what an honour - dancing to Kurdish music in their dining room, complete with hanky in hand...!
• Eating home-made baclava on one of our visits...
• Praying with Hatin when she was having nightmares...
• The trip to Cragside last year with Hub International...
• Seeing them run up the path to Kidz Klub every week - usually the last ones there - but full of anticipation of the fun they would have...

and so much more...

We'll miss them - but we can only hope (and know) that God will keep them safe, protect them from harm and guide their steps. Psalm 121 seems an appropriate prayer for them...

I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you - the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Winter is here

but doglet loves the fire...

Everything's gone pink

This year, the powers that be at Newcastle and Gateshead decided to celebrate winter (yes, that's right, winter - not Christmas, as that would presumably offend non-Christians...) by lighting up some of the city's buildings in pink. And so Glow was born.



To go along with the pink winter theme, they have also set up a vampire rabbit trail, where the kids can look out for pink vampire rabbits projected on to walls around the city. Just a wee bit surreal for my liking... what do you think?



Anyway, after a coffee and muffin in Costa Coffee, and a visit to Fenwick's window (Gulliver this year - why?), Mrs D and I decided to go and have a look at all the pink buildings...

Bonus day for doglet

I took the afternoon off work, much to doglet's delight, and headed for Druridge Bay, one of our favourite places - miles of golden sand and crashing waves... and lots of bunnies for doglet to chase!

Celestial painting...

How big is your God?

Housegroup tonight -

discussing how sometimes we limit what God can do in our lives by limiting how big we make Him... and how difficult it is to make the jump from knowing what we read in the Bible, to outworking that in our lives... we know God is big, but somehow we don't live our lives as if that were true...

and thinking about times when God appears not to answer us - when what He is asking us to do is to wait... and trust in Him...

These are some of the verses and promises of Scripture we read and meditated on...

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. (Ephesians 3 v16-18)

So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ...but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6 v31-33)

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40 v31)

Then Job replied to the Lord:
“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you..."
(Job 42 v1-2)

At the foot of the cross...

Some song words which had new meaning for me yesterday...

I exchange all my sin
for the promise of salvation
and your name across my brow...

My name is graven on His hands
my name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart!

To think that my name is tattooed on God's hands - what a truly amazing picture - but it's not just a picture... it's true! God will never let us go!

"Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands" (Isaiah 49 v16)

Sunday afternoon perambulations with doglet

Jesmond Dene on a damp but bright November afternoon...

Number 3 godson is 1

isn't he gorgeous...!