Clever Clogs

Explain to me how one person can be such a disaster?

Last week I broke my laptop and my phone. Laptop mended, phone fixed.Then my Internet dongle gives up the ghost so used up all phone credit using phone for laptop hotspot, phone now has no Internet or calls as no credit ( but 'unlimited texts to all networks').

Then I blew up the iron, shorted the plugs (twice) set off alarm, etc. Ditched iron. Computer guy kindly looked at dongle and says 1) not my stupidity not working, 2) take it to vodafone. Vodafone say they'll send it off, be gone 10 working days and will have to pay for possible repairs. So I said I'd think about it. 

Is it cheaper to buy coffee every day for the foreseeable future to get free Internet or repair the damn dongle- WHICH I would like to say, has given endless and constant problems since I bought it a year ago.

(coffee 5days a week x 4 weeks month = €49.) 

Then.. I had to let painters in to school this morning and discovered that the relevant store keys are missing off the office hooks... and had to start phoning round to find someone who knows something. I phoned the caretaker who phoned me back and is trying to sort out his keys to be delivered as he is...wait for it...in POLAND. AAARGH.

Verily I say unto thou; no good deed will go unpunished. 

Is it just me?

Would anyone else like to join me in this soap-opera?

But then I looked at my emails and a friend has sent me this as encouragement:

MAKE SOMETHING WONDERFUL OF IT ALL

'...Make every minute count' Ephesians 5:16

The Bible tells us that there is a 'time for everything' (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NCV). What are you going to do with the time given to you? In the third stage of its life, a caterpillar forms a chrysalis and, inside, mushes all its body parts into gross bug goo (yeah, don't google 'inside a chrysalis'...) When it's strong enough, it pushes its way out of the shell as a butterfly and uses its wings for the first time. Rush this process, try to help the butterfly out by opening the chrysalis early, and you'll be releasing an underdeveloped bug hybrid with teeny wings. Also you'll be killing it, so that too. We must be wise with our time. It's tempting to take shortcuts even when you sense a chance to grow, but rather try to rush through everything, play the long game. Put the slow work into character-forming and you'll make something great out of your life. When life gives you lemons, it's probably God; so you should probably make, like, a delicious lemon cake. All of the ingredients we get in our life are given to us by Him. Some learning experiences we choose, and others, both good and bad, are thrust upon us. The story of who you are is written in your scars as well as your good experiences. They're not coincidences. God is crafting and making you - Almighty God! - so don't shrink back - make something wonderful out of it all. What now? God has '...made everything beautiful in its time' (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NLT).  Think: have you even considered that this might be you? Soooo....does that mean God considers me beautiful- sorry Lord, but yeah right. Or does he consider me a disaster with potential, as in potential to NOT be a disaster? Yes, I could go with that as a plausible outcome. So I will think present: mushy chrysalis, but future: ...I'll go for moth, no way will I ever be butterfly material. Best wishes from a future Moth.

Ta-dah! The Hub's work bench! (of which he is inordinately proud!)

This morning when the alarm clock went off I was being chased by a lion in a yellow open topped mini, how weird is that? Luckily the alarm scared it off or I'd have been eaten by now.

We had a visiting preacher today as our Rector is on holiday (much needed), and his wife's Father died on Friday so they are up North. All prayers gratefully accepted.

Today's Epistle reading was from Ephesians Ch2 v11-22, about Christ coming to build a new Society working through us as individuals. Rev. Conway pointed out that as far as we Gentiles are concerned the reason for the Jews being the Chosen People was realised in the life, death and Ressurrection of Jesus. Through His Crucifixion Jesus gives everyone the right to be His people and to spend time in His presence through prayer, Bible reading and contemplation. He gives us the privelege of living in hope, coming nearer to Him, the power to destroy divisions and barriers between people and the option of joining together in peace.
To round off his message Rev. Conway quoted John Ch14 v21: 'Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.' That puts loving and obeying together, rather a chicken and egg conundrum- if I don't obey God do I really love Him? If I love Him can I not do as He urges? Think about it!

And now I suppose I'd better peel the potatoes otherwise the chicken will be cooked and the spuds raw, not a tasty combination. Roast carrots I think, and we'll have Swiss chard and spring onion salad as that's all the veg patch is producing at present!