NO MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE

 

There is a famous quote about God

Not giving you more than you can handle

Well there are times that I just wish

He didn't have quite so much faith in me

LUNCH TIME IN THE CAFETERIA

 

At a catholic school at lunch time one day

As The children queued up in an orderly way

The first thing that confronted the pupils

On the end of the counter was a large pile of apples

By the apples a nun had written a note saying

"Take only ONE because God is watching."

As they made their way along the counter

The canteen rang out with childish laughter

Chocolate chip cookies stood in a large pile

With a label which made them all smile

A child had written a note for the pupils,

"Take all you want. God is watching the apples."

OUT OF THE MOUTH’S OF BABES – DOWN ON THE BEACH

 

A Dad was on the beach with his children

When his four-year-old son ran up to him,

Took his hand and dragged to the shore

Where a seagull lay dead in the sand before him

"Daddy, what happened to it?" the boy asked

Dad replied "He died and went to Heaven son,"

The boy thought a moment and then said,

"Did God throw him back down here then?"

GOD HELP ME

 

In my latter years I only ask

That God grant me in my senility

To forget people I never liked at any rate

And the good fortune

To run into the people that I do like

And the eyesight to differentiate

OUT OF THE MOUTH’S OF BABES – THE WEDDING

 Six-year-old Ellie was in church

With four-year-old Luke her brother

They were sitting in the church

Attending a family wedding together

Luke laughed, sang, and talked out loud

Pulled faces and generally messed about

Finally, his big sister had had enough

Luke was spoiling her special day out

"You're not supposed to talk out loud in church."

"Why?” Luke asked “Who's going to stop me?".

Ellie pointed to the back of the church and said,

"Those two men by the door are hushers see"

 

FORGIVENESS

 

I find it hard to forgive

But we are taught we must

To be a good Christian

We must first forgive others

Before God can forgive us

But I find it hard to forgive

I cannot let go the bitterness

Or it’s associated baggage

The betrayal of those I thought friends

The deceit of family

The put downs and the knocks

The adversities and animosities

I cannot make that commitment to forgive

All I can do is promise to try

Try to climb that ladder of forgiveness

One painful rung at a time

And if I do succeed

In becoming a better person

A more forgiving person

If I manage to slowly climb the ladder

And earn Gods forgiveness

I will only do so with His grace

And not by some sweaty effort on my part

OUT OF THE MOUTH’S OF BABES – THE LORDS PRAYER

 

Three year old Katie had been learning

The Lords prayer with her mother each night

She would repeat each line after her mother

Practicing and practicing to get it right

Katie’s mum carefully enunciated each word

Going over and over each line in detail

Finally, Katie went solo "Lead us not into temptation"

She carefully recited "but deliver us some E-mail”

THANK YOU

 

Thank you for the morning

For the new day dawning

Thank you for the dawn chorus

Refreshing and delighting us

Thank you Lord for another day

And for tomorrow if I may

OUT OF THE MOUTH’S OF BABES – THE CHRISTENING

After the christening of his baby brother in church,        

All the way home Jamie sat in the car and cries

His father asked him over and over what the matter was

And then still sobbing the boy finally replies

"The Vicar said he wanted us to be brought up

In a Christian home, and I want to stay with you guys."

ONE OF THE TWELVE - BARTHOLOMEW THE APOSTLE

 

One of the twelve

Bartholomew the Apostle

From the village of Cana

On the Sea of Galilee

Witness of the ascension

Who spread the Gospels

Far and wide

After converting Polymius

The King of Armenia

He was put to death

By the Kings brother

Martyred on the cross

In Albanopolis in Armenia

 

Feast Day August 24^th

WE STILL BELIEVE IN YOU

 

Master of the universe

Great architect of nature

Builder of the galaxies

Every facet and feature

Don’t listen to our silence

Most benevolent creator

And think us unworthy

Don’t condemn us like a traitor

We are misguided only

That is just our nature

We will turn to you again

For man is a fickle creature

AN UNDERSTANDING GOD

 

God didn’t say

You must circumcise your children

 God didn’t say

You can have ten wives

 God didn’t say

You mustn’t use a condom

 God didn’t say

You must pray five times a day

 God didn’t say

My priests cant marry

 God didn’t say

Woman must be covered at all times

 God didn’t say

You cannot divorce

 God didn’t say

Divorcees cannot remarry in church

 God didn’t say

You must remove your shoes in my house

 God didn’t say

You must kill the infidel

 God didn’t say

There is only one church

 God didn’t say

You must ritually wash your feet

 Man said these things

These rules were made by men

A GOOD CHRISTIAN

 

Dorothy spinster of this parish

With her sister, taught Sunday school

For over fifty years

Both good Methodists and good Christians

Their lives dedicated to the church

To ensure the future of their church

Dorothy left a large bequest to the church

The church sought to honor a good woman

And dedicated in her name

A room within the church

For ever to be named after her

COULD JESUS HAVE BEEN ITALIAN?

 

Could Jesus have been Italian?

Maybe, as he reputedly used olive oil

He did have wine with all His meals

And he did talk with His hands after all

ONE OF THE TWELVE - THADDEUS THE APOSTLE

 

One of the twelve

Thaddeus the apostle

Also known as Jude

Witness of the ascension

Who then spread the Gospels

Far and wide

Was Martyred in Beirut

In the Roman province of Syria

 

Feast Day June 19^th

 

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS (1958)

 

“The Inn Of Sixth Happiness” is based on the novel by Alan Burgess and directed by Mark Robson, and is a film essentially about faith, but more importantly it’s about having faith and putting that faith to a practical use that will help others.

All her life Englishwoman Gladys Aylward (Ingrid Bergman) knew that China was the place where she belonged, and that God wanted her to be there.

Gladys was a domestic servant and was bluntly told that she was not qualified to be sent there as a missionary, so she worked hard to earn the money to send herself to a poor, remote village where elderly Missionary Jeannie Lawson (Athene Seyler) was turning the Mission  into an Inn.

Gladys slowly adapts to life at the Mission but when Lawson dies after a fall, Gladys finds herself in charge with only the Missions’ servant, Yang (Peter Chong), to support her.

Over time she makes a success of the Inn and even gains the confidence of the Mandarin of Yang Cheng (Robert Donat), the common people and even a representative of the Government, Capt. Lin Nan (Curt Jurgens), but when the Japanese invade China, she and local man Li  (Burt Kwouk) set off to escort 100 orphaned children to safety.

Richard Wattis, Ronald Squire and Moultrie Kelsall also feature in this thoroughly enjoyable film which everyone can enjoy.

 

COULD JESUS HAVE BEEN A CALIFORNIAN?

 

Could Jesus have been a Californian?

Well its true He never cut His hair

He walked around in sandals

And He started a new religion, so Yer

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – BEN-HUR (1959)

 

Directed by William Wyler, Ben-Hur is an epic tale of injustice, betrayal and revenge.

Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is a rich Jewish Prince and merchant in Jerusalem at the beginning of the 1st century and is reunited with his boyhood friend Messala (Stephen Boyd) when he returns to Judea as commanding officer of the Roman Legions.

It is a happy reunion, at first, but their different political views separate them.

During the welcome parade a roof tile falls down from Judah's house and injures the new Governor and Messala sends Judah to the galleys and throws his mother (Martha Scott) and sister (Cathy O'Donnell) into prison, but Judah swears to come back and take revenge on Messala.

He is imprisoned on board the flag ship of Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins) and after years chained to an oar, a great battle is fought and Judah finds himself saving the life of his master, who in time adopts him as his own and takes him back to Rome.

 

Having won his freedom, he eventually returns to Judea to find his family, but finds his home in ruins and he servant Simonides (Sam Jaffe) blinded, and his daughter Esther (Haya Harareet) tells him his mother and sister are dead, but later finds they are living in a Leper colony.

After confronting Messala he decides the best way to exact revenge would be to humiliate him at the Hippodrome racing the horses of Balthasar (Finlay Currie) and Sheik Ilderim (Hugh Griffith) in the epic Chariot race.

 

The whole tale of Ben-Hur is set during the time of Jesus Christ and his life is threaded through the story so therefore it has a miraculous ending, which was enough of a reason for Chairman Mao to ban the film in China.

 

It won a record eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Charlton Heston), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Hugh Griffith), and Best Cinematography – Colour (Robert Surtees)

It’s a truly great movie which everyone should watch if for no other reason than the Chariot Race.

YESHUA (JESUS)

 

Yeshua, you are

Our hope of salvation

Dying for us

Our hope of glory

Living in us

 

Yeshua, you are

Our hope for the future

Living for you

Our hope for redemption

Alive in you

COULD JESUS HAVE BEEN NATIVE AMERICAN?

Could Jesus have been Native American?

Possibly, he was at peace with nature

He ate fish, and had an affinity with birds

And He talked of the Great Spirit in his future

OH GOD IN HEAVEN LORD ABOVE ALL

 

To the tune of “The gypsy girls dream” (I Dreamt That I Dwelt in Marble Halls)

From an opera The Bohemian Girl composed by Michael William Balfe.

Oh God in heaven Lord above all

Looks upon us with grace

He is with us when we triumph

He is with us when we fail

And when the time comes and I join him on high

I will touch his loving face

Oh God in heaven Lord above all

Watch and protect us until that day

 

Please watch us, protect us, until that day

God save us, Lord save us until that day

 

Oh god in heaven always loves us

Even when we may stray

He will support us and guide us
as through life we navigate

And when the time comes and I join him on high

I will take His loving hand

Oh God in heaven Lord above all

Watch and protect us until that day

 

Please watch us, protect us, until that day

God save us, Lord save us until that day

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (1965)

The Greatest Story Ever Told, directed by George Stevens and David Lean, although for some reason the latter was uncredited.

It is an often under-rated movie with an all-star cast, and is a large scale epic movie that chronicles the life and ministry of Jesus Christ (Max von Sydow).

There are so many stars in this biblical epic that it is impossible to mention them all but among the notable performers were Dorothy McGuire (The Virgin Mary) Charlton Heston (John the Baptist) Martin Landau (Caiaphas) Sal Mineo (Uriah) Sidney Poitier (Simon of Cyrene) David McCallum (Judas Iscariot) Donald Pleasence (The Dark Hermit – Satan) Claude Rains (King Herod) and John Wayne (Centurion at Crucifixion).

I can highly recommend the modestly titled epic, which was long, beautifully photographed and was notable as it was the first english-language film for Max von Sydow.

A great, if not the greatest, movie, watch and enjoy.

COULD JESUS HAVE BEEN IRISH?

 

Could Jesus have been Irish?

Well the bible says He never marries

He loved green pastures and water

And He was always telling stories

WHERE WAS GOD?

 

When Haiti shook

And the old colonial

Structures fell

Who was to blame?

 

When the rains fell on Madeira

Making rivers of mud

Where once were roads

Who was to blame?

 

When earthquake and tsunami

Wreaked their havoc

On Chile’s coast

Who was to blame?

 

The zealots speak of God’s wrath,

Divine retribution

Against the wicked of the world

Smiting the transgressors

But it’s not the wicked who suffer

It’s the most humble and devout

The poor and the needy

Who suffer the most

Why would God do such a thing?

What would be gained?

It’s not a Godly act

But rather that of a tyrant

That’s not what my God would do

My God is a loving God

Not a wrathful being

 

The secular blame God

For not stopping natural disasters

They don’t believe in him

But blame him anyway

Where was God?

What was God doing when he was needed?

When something wonderful happens

They praise nature’s ingenuity

Yet when tragedy strikes

It’s “where was God?”

God is not to blame

It is not within his power to prevent disasters

So he does what he can

He comforts and supports

Eases suffering and ends pain

But my God is not to blame

 

Mother Nature is the culprit

The planet is angry with mankind

And unleashes these acts of spite

To punish us for our indifference

Mother Nature roars

And defines our insignificance

When the earth moves

And mountains split

When winds tear up all before them

And the seas rise up

We are powerless

But we are not alone

When we are at our most vulnerable

Who do we call upon? God

Whoever that God might be

Mine is an understanding God

A compassionate God

 

GODS GRACE

 

Little Grace sat hugging her granddad

“Did God make you granddad”? She said

As she stroked his old wrinkled face

Then ran her fingers across his balding head

“Yes sweetheart God did make me”

Then she touched her own face 

“And did God make me too”?

“Yes God made you too my little Grace”

She thought for a moment then said

“Well in that case then I guess

God must have fixed the problems

In the manufacturing process”

COULD JESUS HAVE BEEN A WOMAN?

 

Could Jesus have been a woman?

Well, He fed a crowd as far as he could view

At a moment's notice with little food

He kept trying to get a message across To

A bunch of men who just didn't grasp it.

So, it’s very possible in my view

And then even when He was dead, He had

To get up because there was still work left to do

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE ROBE (1953)

 

The Robe, Directed by Henry Koster, is set in the Roman province of Judea during the 1st century, where Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio (Richard Burton) is ordered to crucify Jesus of Nazareth, but is tormented by his guilty conscience in the aftermath.

After the Crucifixion he gets drunk and wins Jesus' homespun robe and suffers nightmares and delusions after the event.

After a period of time in Rome he hopes to find a way to live with what he has done, and although still not believing in Jesus as a Messiah, he returns to Palestine to try and learn what he can of the man he killed. 

It’s a poignant script powerfully acted by Burton, while the lovely Jean Simmons is incredible as the young woman he loves, Diana. Michael Rennie is a quiet but forceful Peter, but Jay Robinson steals the picture as the depraved Emperor Caligula, and as he normally did Victor Mature played himself as Demetrius and there were a host of competent performances in the minor roles.

The cinematography is quiet magnificent filmed in Cinemascope, while the film is graced by Alfred Newman beautifully and eerily haunting musical score.

A very watchable movie that stands the test of time but is not given the exposure it so richly deserves, perhaps because programmers are of a more secular bent.

 

Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (24) The Christian Lady and the Pagans

It was in the middle of the 7^th Century when 17 year old Olwen, the youngest daughter of King Osric, was pledged in marriage to young King Ryce of West Untenena.

King Osric’s tribe was in the east bordering Cantwarena and the marriage was designed to affect a treaty between the two tribes and preserve the peace by forming a mutually beneficial alliance against West Sexena.

 

Osric’s tribe in East Untenena were Christina converts and because of her faith, Olwen only agreed to the union if she could be married at St Augustine’s Church in the place of her birth.

 

The citizens of East Untenena were very pleased with the union as they hoped it would lead to a lasting peace.

Olwen was very popular among her people and the wedding was the cause of much celebration with seven days of feasting.

 

It was a joyous occasion and when it ended Olwen and her new husband then travelled under heavy escort to her new home.

Soldiers of both East and West Untenena made up the escort as an act of solidarity.

Olwen was also accompanied by her maids Esme and Elwin, and by her priest Father Audley.

 

Her new home was the great hall of King Ryce which stood in a settlement at the head of the Lake Tåre Drape on the edge of the great forest.

 

Although the marriage was forced upon her she was not disappointed with the union, Olwen liked Ryce and in time she grew to love him very deeply.

And she also grew to love her new home very much.

But she came from a Christian realm and she had married into a pagan one.

Though Ryce was prepared to adopt the new faith his subjects and more importantly, his chieftains, were not.

Although most of his subjects took to the new Queen and loved her almost as much as her own people did.

Though not all of them, in fact two of them were openly hostile to her and a third, Holt had threatened to kill any Christians who dared practice in his lands.

 

For the first year Olwen was content to have Father Audley attend to hers and her maid’s spiritual needs in her private chambers but she was not prepared to deny herself a place of worship forever.

 

So at the beginning of her 19^th year she broached the subject with Ryce when he asked her if she was happy in his kingdom she replied rather unconvincingly

“Yes”

“You are unhappy?” Ryce asked

“No I’m not unhappy” she replied “but...”

“You still miss your home” he said

“A little yes” she admitted

“But really I miss my Church”

“I see” he responded “the one thing you miss is the one thing I cannot give you”

“Not even a small Chapel for us?” she asked in her most feminine voice.

“I can’t grant you that” Ryce said

“It’s doesn’t have to be grand or ornate”

She pleaded

“If I was to openly build a Church in this settlement it would give Holt the excuse he needs to move against me” He said and Olwen was crestfallen.

“I’m sorry” he said

“What if we built one in secret?” she asked

“Where?” he asked

“In the forest” she said

The King was very thoughtful for a few minutes and then he said

“I will give it some further thought”

Then he took his leave.

 

Olwen took that to mean no, but she left it at that for now, she didn’t want to back him into a corner.

But that didn’t mean she would give up.

 

After several days Ryce gave Olwen his decision as they lay in his bed.

“You may have your secret Chapel” he said

“Thank you my King” she said excitedly

“But it must remain secret” he reiterated

“If Holt or his kinsmen find out, there will be open revolt”

“Yes my Lord” 

“No materials or craftsman from my realm can be used”

“I understand” Olwen said

There was a regular caravan that travelled between East and West Untenena so over the following 18 months Stone was brought in secret from Thanet Island in small quantities and an Alta stone was transported from Lindisfarne via a circuitous route.

 

Firstly a large area of forest was cleared and building began on a small timber Chapel to Olwen’s specific design.

The Thanet stones were placed around the outline of the building in the traditional cruciform shape and some locally acquired flag stones formed the floor and the Lindisfarne Alta stone was given pride of place.

The Chapel walls and roof were made of Dancingdean timber and only a small number of trusted woodsman knew what was being built in the woods.

There was also a large baptismal bowl set into the floor of one side of the transept where Olwen’s husband Ryce and their children were baptized.

Its Water was drawn from a natural spring besides the Chapel clearing which the faithful claimed only sprang forth when the church was completed.

 

The first service was held on Olwen’s 22^nd birthday and monthly thereafter so as not to draw attention.

This went on regularly for four years without incident until one spring when her brother Hugh and his wife Henrietta were visiting with her for Olwen’s confinement. 

She was six months pregnant with her third child and she was praying this one was a boy.

So she made more regular visits to the Chapel so she could pray to God to grant her wish.

 

It was on a bright spring day when Father Audley led Olwen, Ryce and their daughters, Lucetta and Annis, and her brother and his wife along the hidden path to the Chapel.

But as the priest stepped into the sunlight Ryce was struck on the side of the head with a sword hilt and fell to the ground.

“You will die for this Holt”    

Olwen screamed as she saw the face of her husband’s assailant.

“I think not” Holt said as he brandished his sword “You will all die here today at your holy place”

And his kinsman Irwin drew his sword at the same moment.

Thankfully Godwin the woodsman who had been instrumental in the Chapel’s construction was already inside when the attack began and without thinking he took up his axe and charged out and cleaved Irwin’s head in two. 

As Irwin fell down dead it distracted Holt long enough for Hugh to burst out of the trees and thrust his sword through Holt’s throat, and he turned to look at Hugh with a look of surprise and then dropped his sword.

“God has spoken” Olwen said and he fell dead to the ground.

 

It was all over in a trice, fortunately Henrietta had taken the young girls away at the first sign of trouble, so were spared the bloodshed.

Ryce was helped to his feet as Father Audley gave the dead men the last rites and Hugh and Godwin went in search of the chieftain’s horses.

 

The bodies of Holt and Irwin were draped across their horses and then Godwin led them into the deep wood and the bodies were never seen again.

With the resistance to the new faith gone the following year work began on a new Church adjacent to the great hall.

There were mutterings from those close to Holt about what had become of him and his kinsman but they were silenced when rumours spread that the one true God must have smite them down. 

 

The Chapel fell into disuse after the new Church was built though Olwen would visit it from time to time but no one went there after she and Ryce had died.

And ten years into her son Hugh’s reign a war began with West Sexena and Hugh had to abandon the Great Hall and the Church which were then destroyed.

By the time West Sexena were defeated and driven out 20 years later by Olwen’s grandson Edric all memory of her Chapel had faded and was all but forgotten until early in Queen Victoria’s reign.

WAS JESUS MARRIED # 2

 

Was Jesus married?

Was a she behind his success?

That might well explain

Faking his own death

THE WISDOM OF MY MIDDLE YEARS # 6

 

I have discovered

In this life of ours

That singing “Amazing Grace”

Can lift my spirits for hours

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (1973)

 

Jesus Christ Superstar is based on the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice Rock Opera of the same name, directed by Norman Jewison.

It tells the story of the final 6 days in the life of Jesus Christ (Ted Neeley) seen primarily through the troubled eyes of Judas Iscariot (Carl Anderson)

Being filmed entirely on location in Israel lends the film an authenticity and the anachronistic manner of the sets, with contemporary weapons on display, such as at the Temple Market work like a bridge spanning two thousand years.

The songs are memorable and well performed in particular by Ted Neeley (Jesus) Carl Anderson (Judas) Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene) Barry Dennen (Pontius Pilate) and Josh Mostel (King Herod)

It’s a must watch movie whether spiritually inclined or not.

WAS JESUS MARRIED # 1

 

Was Jesus married?

Was she behind his success?

That might well explain

40 days in the wilderness