09/07/2007 by David.

Just over a week ago we called out the vet to see our ailing dog. His breathing was ragged and shallow and he looked extremely poorly.

The vet and assistant duly arrived - prepared to put the poor animal down. Valerie couldn’t agree to this. She had seen him recover before - even though she admits that he looked very ill indeed.

“Ring the door bell,” she said, “If he barks we’ll not put him down”

I rang the doorbell and Bosley lifted his head ever so slightly and woofed gently. That was it! So the dog’s life was spared and the vet administered an injection to make him more comfortable. By the next day he seemed to have made almost a full recovery!

Today however it is clear that he has further complications with the symptoms of diabetes.

I’m not sure how long we can go on like this, nor indeed if the dog’s quality of life (he is 14) is sufficient. Animals, like people, can be very resilient. Today we will have to consult the vet again about the latest symptoms. I am not looking forward to it.

Can we pray for our pets? Of course. We have to be responsible owners too. It isn’t easy.

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25/06/2007 by David.

I have not written a posting for some days now - and in the meantime the summer solstice has come and gone. I always find that day rather depressing. From now on the summer is in decline and the days are getting shorter again. All over our land there are solid calendars of standing stones pimpled about the landscape giving testimony to the importance of knowing when that day was reached - and, not far away from Weston, Glastonbury has just finished a celebration of music, solstice and mud.

I suppose the problem is my attitude. I don’t believe a Christian should be pessimistic - but I’m one of those who tends easily to see the glass as half empty rather than half full. The reality is that in my little back yard the plants are a veritable forest, and the great tits are busy with a second brood.

So I ask myself again - why is the solstice so important? Why does Stonehenge command so much attention? The length of the days is written into the fabric of our solar system. It is not arbitrary - but evidence, less of the laws of gravitation, and more of the promise of God.

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04/05/2007 by David.

Well the local elections are finished. The councillor who yesterday was a chairman of a committee and someone of significance – has become just another member of the community. It must be hard making the adjustment.

I am concerned because one candidate was a person of dubious honesty and integrity. I raised objections to his being put forward as a candidate of a political party – but the party knew best and ignored his past failings. Now I see he is elected to represent the people of his ward. I wonder about the real value of the democratic process. But there is nothing I can do about it. The people have spoken. The die (however distorted) is cast!

Does being elected make us different people? Does being chosen by a majority mean that I am a better person?

Many would say it doesn’t matter. They would say they are all “rogues”. I wonder what God thinks. I commend to you the story of Haman as told in the book of Esther – and a sermon on Sunday morning.

http://www.bristolroadbaptist.org.uk/Esther%203%20One%20bad%20apple.doc

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04/05/2007 by David.

Picture if you can a Victorian terrace of houses with a lane at the back. It has a locked gate at the end. The back yards of each of the houses in my terrace lead into this lane.

Recently my neighbour kindly replaced my gate with a high gate and a latch and bolt low down so that it can’t be reached by putting an arm over. He made a really good job of it. Trouble is - Val went out through the gate to see a nest of great tits in the big wall that runs along the lane - and the new garden gate swung to with a click.

I was busy in the front of the house and didn’t hear her shouts. My neighbours were out. She had no way back in. Tried the other houses to get attention without success. In the end she entered our other neighbour’s back yard and scrambled over the party wall falling with quite a jolt! (We are relieved we took away the pyracantha bush from that part of the yard.)

Now we have pinned back the latch so that whilst you can bolt the gate for security - you are less likely to lock yourself out.

We take all kinds of steps to secure our property. But as Jesus said of the sheep thief there is always the possibility of climbing in “some other way”. Be advised - don’t let your desire for security catch you out. You might have to fit a door bell to the back gate!

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23/04/2007 by David.

It’s a good day for dragons.

I haven’t discovered yet whether the district council is flying the flag today - but there is generally such apathy towards the English national day that I have my doubts.

I’m not sure why we are reluctant to celebrate a national day. I personally think that we should take up the opportunity to be thankful for England. Despite my earlier posting about wanting to have been born in Wales I think my country has a lot to commend it - especially in spring time.

Nowadays the flag of St George is pulled out for football matches. English parish churches used to put up the flag on this day - we shall have to have a look round.

As patron saints go St George is shared with other countries including Portugal - but we could certainly do with someone to kill dragons. In modern life there is space for that legend from ancient maps: “Here be dragons” - and scope for some serious dragon slaying. What do you think?

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18/04/2007 by David.

The development at the back of my house is complete. New residents have moved in to what is described as “social housing”. I can see the need for such housing - but when it happens right at the end of your short back yard it is harder to remain objective.

Soon we shall have a chance to elect our local councillors - and I do not doubt that the changes many of us in my neighbourhood have experienced will influence the way we vote. Some folks say that you should keep religion out of politics - but I don’t see how you can fail to allow the greatest influence in your life to define the way you vote or campaign.

Christians need to be seen as those who are concerned for social needs but it is hard, very hard to apply the teachings of Jesus to the issues that can alter our own living conditions.

If my neighbours turn out to be people intent on disregarding the responsibilities of being good neighbours - then I shall be tempted to complain that my rights are being eroded.

Yet the followers of Christ are supposed to be people who set aside their own rights to serve their fellow men (and women)! How far should we take that advice? I welcome your comments.

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29/03/2007 by David.

I came across the work of two very different artists today.

Someone sent me an email illustrating the murals of Eric Grohe and that sent me off on a mural search until I revisited the grafiti master Banksy. Both of these artists set about transforming the dull and the mundane with artisitic flair.

The one is stimulating for its sheer scale and excellence the other for its audacity and political comment.

In the building site at the back of my house work is nearing completion - but the builders have had to redo the front of the building because they didn’t consult the plans properly. A man has been painstakingly sticking little brick slices to one part so that it looks as if made of brick - and another part has been resprayed with imitation Bath stone. The trouble we go to to transform!

I’m glad that I know the Expert at transformation. The Creator is the best at transformation. As Easter approaches be reminded of what He did to change our lives for the best.

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24/03/2007 by David.

There is a ritual in my house just before bedtime at this time of year. All the clocks have to be changed allowing for British Summer Time. I tend to do it at about 10pm - which is really a bit early and generally causes confusion.

Beside my bed I have a small clock that listens in to the time signal from Rugby - or the new location in Cumbria, and adjusts itself automatically. So does my computer.

We all go through this performance marking the “rites of spring” - and those who forget are late for Church - or for their visit to the supermarket. By Monday most people have caught up. “Spring forward and fall back” - how often will that be repeated to remind us which way the hands of the clock go?

I like the thought of a clock that synchronises itself with the immensely accurate atomic clocks - because seconds count.

Keep in step with the Spirit, says Paul. Get your life synchronised with God’s clock.

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23/03/2007 by David.

Near my house is a lane between the houses that provides a short cut out of the cul de sac to the road to town.  At night it has been dimly lit until a few days ago, when the council installed a new lamp which is much brighter.

This now shines into the rooms of houses nearby and is a distraction - but the reason for the new light was a recent serious mugging of a nearby resident in that lane.

I guess a compromise will be reached and the council will install “blinkers” that reduce the neighbourly distraction  but preserve a brightly lit pathway.

“The light shines in the darkness…”   It is not always appreciated - but it brings to view dangers and misdeeds that would otherwise be hidden.

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22/03/2007 by David.

Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the death of my younger son - Mark. Such anniversaries are inevitably painful, so we planned to go out and do something special.

The Parks Department had said it would try to revarnish his memorial bench by this date - but of course they are busy people - so Mark’s bench in the town’s Ashcombe Park was still looking a bit sad.

Nevertheless we did have a different day, and we came to terms with Greek restaurants, enjoying a meal in a restaurant not owned by the fellow who persuaded Mark to invest the proceeds of his house sale… That is a step in the right direction. Coming to terms with the evidence in the community of that particular fellow’s businesses.

We had a card from our Church, and flowers from several people. The day was not as awful as we had anticipated - and for that we thank God.

Memory can be cruel - but some things must be remembered. Easter approaches.

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