23rd April-must be St.George's Day

                                      Happy Saint George's Day

             The weather looks fine today so, if you are planning any festivities let's hope it stays that way.

Day of Faith and Hope

What is the essential message of Christianity.? This is a question I often ask myself. I studied theology for a while and found it fascinating. However, I also found that many people, especially academics,make it far more convoluted than it needs to be. Maybe it makes them feel superior,or justifies the remittances they receive from universities. 

My own take on Christianity is summed up in the words Hope and Faith, and nothing expresses this more than Ascension Day.The promise has been made to believers.

 Hope, that by faith there will be a renewal, a chance to redeem sins and begin life again, a life lived as it should be and not as it was in the past.

                                     No need to wait for the future. It can be done now.

                                             If you are religious I simply hope your faith is renewed.

The Battle Has Begun

The Future ?

 I  bought one of those new fangled e-cigarettes today. I'd been musing over the purchase for some time. It really is time to stop the tobacco smoking but,I do enjoy it. So, the e-ciggy is the best compromise I could come up with.

These electronic replacements contain nicotine of varying strengths but no tar or any of the other chemicals which really do the damage. Nicotine can be addictive but that's it;but so can anything I suppose if you like it enough. But there's nothing harmful in it:except of course to the anti-brigade, who would ban everything they don't like the idea of.

But they don't count. It's still a free country-so far. And anyway, I'll need to save my money in case the government wants to raid my piggy bank to pay the banks for screwing us into the ground, as they've just done to the Cypriots. Dont'cha just love the E.U.

It cost £20 for the whole kit;nice fruity oil;charger, and the inhaler thingy. Replacement oil costs about £5 and, by all accounts one should last about a week. So that's £5 per week for smokes instead of £6 per day.There really was no choice.


But can I do it? I still have some cigarettes. I've told myself it's the last packet I will need to buy. I started using the e-cig this afternoon and already I've noticed a difference-I actually prefer the taste of mixed fruit to tobacco-so maybe I'm in with a chance.

Wish me luck

2013!!

 Happy

 New Year

     To All

Yule Greetings

Today is the shortest day of the year, a time to look forward to the coming spring. Difficult I know, as we're just approaching Christmas and it's cold, and we might get snow and, according to the news,the heavy rain could cause more flooding.

All the more reason to remember Yuletide. The days will now begin to get longer. So celebrate with food,warmth,a little wine and lots of friends.  may you never thirst.

If you're a Christian, remember Christ was born at the darkest and coldest time of year for a reason. By spring time,which used to be the beginning of the year, He produced a new warmth and a new light through the crucifixion.

Blessings for Samhain

Samhain-(pronounced-s-ow-in-) occurs on 31 St October. A pre-Christian festival and ritual, which sees out the last of summer and acknowledges the coming winter. As with all of the old religions it has a strong spiritual dimension. At this time of Samhain the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest. It is hoped that the spirits of our ancestors may return to renew the ties with the living. However, it is not only good spirits who are able to break through the veil. All manner of mischievous ones come out to deceive, play tricks and frighten all the good people;hence the multitude of mini-rituals designed to ward them off.

This old festival forms the basis for the Christian festival of All Hallows Eve (Halloween) with the first day of November becoming All Hallows (all saints day) Both of them are concerned with the soul of those who have died.

Whether you participate in the Christian or the Pagan festival it is clear both are concerned with life, death and the possibility and, for some, the certainty of an afterlife. It is a time for spiritual reflection as well celebration. To think about those who have died in this context is to think of the physical body as just that, a shell. The person who inhabited that now discarded shell still lives on. How, why and where, provide much 'soul' searching and not a few discussions round the bonfires. It is clear then that both festivals have a serious dimension and purpose.

However, there is another type of Halloween festival which has been developing over a couple of decades in The UK at least. As people lose religion and any notion of spirituality they once had, I have noticed a steady rise in  blatant commercialisation of  the festivals. Clearly people without religion seem still to need some meaning in life.There is a gap where religion used to be, one which is being filled by the corporate money-grabbers. At a trip to the supermarket  last week promotion of Halloween was already under-way. Shelves stacked high with toys and costumes directed mostly at children of course. On Halloween itself I have seen hoards of children being led, snake like by their parents around the streets. The only concern of the children, because it is the only thing they have been taught to think about- is how much can I get in my goody bag. So,what bothers me about it is, they probably don't know anything about the festivals. They're just dressed up, taken round the streets and encouraged to get as much free stuff as they can.

Some people might say it's just a bit of silliness, or it's a free country and all that. Yes, that may be. However, I can't help but think this corporate rather than spiritual Halloween, is just further evidence of the  society we are bequeathing to our offspring; shallow, greedy and empty.


                               I wonder how the ancestors feel.

                                           

Something different- Who says romance is dead

I was presented with these lovely flowers today by my partner. It's three years since we met.

I think it's hard these days for men to know if they should give flowers for fear of being called misogynistic.

 No such problem for me,flowers always welcome.