Room at the inn?

Can't believe it's 3 weeks since my last posting - what a busy time Christmas is, eh? Well, it's Christmas Eve and everything's ready for tomorrow. Lyn's been rushing around like mad and I've chipped in every now and again (!) with a bit of emotional encouragement even if not much practical help.

Salvationists are often accused of being so busy throughout December that we miss the real meaning of Christmas. I don't know if that's true - although I would have appreciated the opportunity to go to a quiet and thoughtful service at a church somewhere tonight - to just sit, with no responsibility or part to play and simply drink in the atmosphere of Christmas Eve. Sadly, I can't. Again, for the 6th year running, I have to attend a midnight service at the Army. I don't know why we hold them - we can't do them as well as other churches. Why don't we give our folks a night of and let them bring in Christmas however they want to?

Last week I was in Sheringham to pick up my Mum and bring her to stay with us. Before we left I made my traditional pilgrimage to the sea front to look at the sea. As I wandered through the streets of the quaint town my attention was grabbed by the windows of a local pub - 'the Lobster'. There in the window was a lovely Nativity Scene, with the Holy family depicted in a stable. Seeing it there, taking pride of place in the 'Inn' came as such a contrast to the Christmas story as we know it - 'no room at the Inn'.

It reminded me that amidst all that demands my energy and attention during this Advent and holy season I must make sure there's room for Jesus.

To any who might read this and those who occasionally cast an eye towards this Blog - Happy Christmas!

King of the 'one-liners'

Yesterday a group of us from the corps rode up the motorbike show at the NEC in Birmingham. We had a fantastic day, despite having to navigate the return journey home in torrential rain. Fortunately I had bought a bright blue one-piece waterproof oversuit at the show. As the rain fell we made a stop at the services. I sneaked into the toilets to don my new suit. Discovering I should have bought an even larger one than the 2XL I had chosen, I eventually managed (with a lot of breathing in and pulling in of stomach) to squeeze myself into the bright blue outfit. Finally appearing from the toilets I was met by Keith Hall with his comment, 'what do you think you're doing - auditioning for Pan's People?' Good one, Keith!

Respect ( - a postscript)

As a follow up to my last posting (or was it a thinly veiled rant?) I report the very positive news that Princes Anne's daughter Zara Phillips received her MBE this week for services to equestrianism. The Daily Mail's reporting of the event was carried under Amanda Platell's column. Commenting on the well earned award Amanda writes 'Zara proves that the dignity of monarchy is hard earned. It is not a birthright'.

Well said!!

Respect!

For those who take the trouble to check my blog site from time to time, sorry it's been 2 weeks since my last posting. Today's thoughts have been rattling around since then - but a TV programme last night prompted me to try and put thoughts into words.

The events of Remembrance Day are now 2 weeks old. While participating in the Concert of Remembrance at Leigh on Sea the concept of 'honour and respect' hit me afresh. As I watched the Whitehall Parade on TV the next day I saw thousands of servicemen, present day and veterans, all willing to make a commitment in service of Queen and country. I marvelled at the sense of respect that has motivated service through the years and which continues to stimulate service personnel to lay their lives on the line for the on-going conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The very same weekend I opened the paper to read the all too familiar reports of Princes William, Harry and friends spending what to most of us is a small fortune (£2,500 being the quoted bar bill that night) on a drunken evening out at a night club. I'm neither a Royalist or a Republican, but I found myself wondering whether respect for King and country will be so easily generated by future servicemen and women once Queen Elizabeth is no longer our Monarch?

Last night Lyn and I had the privilege of sitting in front of a roaring log fire at a B&B on a working farm in Norfolk. We watched a programme on BBC called 'The Royal family at work'. In truth, it was a documentary about the Queen; following her and Prince Phillip as they undertook a State visit to the USA last year.

The money and effort invested to make the event successful by both the British and American people was probably far greater than the annual budget of many small nations. No stone was left unturned to ensure things ran smoothly. Plans were laid months in advance, rehearsals took place and people travelled miles just to grab the slightest glimpse of the Queen of England. The sense of determination to make sure everything was perfect was unbelievable.

Bear in mind that this elderly lady possesses little if no power at all (in the political sense) why on earth should the most powerful nation in the world grind to a virtual standstill to pay tribute to an 80-year old woman?

Interviews with stakeholders and witnesses drew widely varying responses, but the concept of respect for the position ("she's the Queen of England"!) - allied with a similar respect for the Queen as an individual ("she's a marvellous woman"), came through strongly and clearly.

Which brings me to my thoughts (and if you are still reading at this point, thanks for sticking with it!!). Is respect something simply bestowed or something that has to be earned? Initially, when elected into a position (such as Prime Minister or Territorial Commander), or inheriting a title (such as Queen or King) one can be treated with respect. Those around show respect for the title, the rank or the position. But I believe this is a different quality from the respect which is earned as a result of continually demonstrated and displayed qualities of character and behaviour.

During the next month Salvationists will be on the streets again, in public view while carolling or leading Christmas concerts. Many who take the trouble to drop a pound in the collecting box will do so out of a sense of respect for the organisation or the work they think we do. Do we warrant this respect - either organisationally or individually? What do you and I as individualls actually do to warant such respect?

I confess, when I read the antics of our young Princes I struggle to generate any sense of respect. Their position should warrant it but their behaviour certainly doesn't earn it as far as I am concerned and I fear for the future of our Monarchy and the corresponding reduction in respect for the English nation.

How about God? His position certainly warrants our respect. His character, demonsatrated actions and displayed commitment to us surely warrant our respect. Despite this, He never demands it - we have free will and the right to choose.

Joshua 24:15 says, 'But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (New International Version)

I've rambled - and probably haven't explained myself very well. Respect? What do you think?

Last Saturday I participated in a Remembrance Concert at Leigh on Sea. It featured the united bands of Leigh and Southend Citadel, vocal and cello soloists plus contributions from the local corps of the Sea Cadets. It was superb - probably the most dignified and respectful service of it's type I have ever attended in an Army hall. Despite the quasi military style of our church, the dignity that comes with military pomp and decorum is something we seem reluctant to embrace. Saturday evening's concert was respectful, dignified and yet personal.

During the service the poem 'In Flanders Field' was read. I've heard it many times before. Whether it was the presentation or the circumstance, I don't know, but the powerful words of this poem struck me afresh - especially the challenge of the last verse. Written many decades ago by a medic serving in the 1st World War. I share them with you here and ask, if you have time, to read them through slowly and considerately and ask what they say to us in this generation.

In Flanders Fields

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place;

and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.

Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved,

and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands

we throw The torch;

be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep,

though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army

The good Samaritan is not dead!

Last night, as Lyn was almost home, she came towards the traffic lights on the A127. Feeding into the 'turn left' lane she discovered her route blocked by a broken down car. The vehicles in front of her just drove around the obstacle. As she came up to the car she saw the driver, an elderly man, stood by the side of his car, looking helpless. As she pulled alongside him she wound down the window and asked if he was OK. He wasn't!

'I've broken down and don't know what to do', he replied.

Lyn pulled around the corner, stopped the car, grabbed a passer by and the two of them pushed the car away from the busy junction and into the forecourt of Kwik Fit, where they called the AA to come and help.

But that's not the whole point of the story.

A man came past with his 2 young children. He asked what was wrong and if he could help. When he discovered what was happening he gave the driver his Nokia N95 phone, showed him how to use it and said, 'hang on to this until you are sorted. Here's my address, just drop it in later when the car is going again'. And off he went, leaving a £300 phone with someone he had never met before.

Lyn came home, made a coffee and took it, with some cake, back to the driver to keep him going while he waited. When she got there she found he was wearing a nice coat.

'A driver saw me by the side of the road, pulled up, gave me his warm coat and just drove off', said the old guy. He was obviously stunned by this unexpected kindness.

Despite the ignorance of those who had initially just driven around the broken down vehicle without offering any help, I was proud of the way people had then rallied around to help.

The age of the good Samaritan is not dead!

Joke of the day

Hi - no 'thought' today - just a quick joke I heard earlier:

A farmer goes out to his field one morning only to find all of his cows frozen solid. As far as the eye can see the cows, are motionless like statues. It had been a bitterly cold night, but he'd never thought anything like this would happen.

The realisation of the situation then dawned on him. With his entire livestock gone, how would he make ends meet? How would he feed his wife and kids? How would he pay the mortgage?He sat with his head in his hands, trying to come to terms with his impending poverty.

Just then, an elderly woman walked by, "What's the matter?" asked the old lady.The farmer gestured toward the frozen cows and explained his predicament to the woman. Without hesitation the old woman smiled and began to rub one of the cows noses. After a few seconds the cow began to twitch and was soon back to normal and chewing the cud.

One by one, the old woman defrosted the cows until the whole field was full of healthy animals. The farmer was delighted and asked the woman what she wanted as a repayment for her deed. She declined his offer and walked off across the field.

A passer-by who had witnessed the whole thing approached the farmer."You know who that was don't you?" asked the passer-by.

"No" said the farmer "who?"

"That was Thora Hird."

Helping 'hands'

Our relief team in Peru have been running camps for 100's of families who lost their homes in the earthquake. Running the camp is one thing, but helping them rebuild their home and leave the camp is another thing altogether.
Obviously, the long term solution is a full rebuild. But there are many obstacles to that - not least the cost.
As a temporary measure, the Army are setting up small wooden homes on the sites of original houses. Families can take their tent and pitch it next to their wooden home. This gives them a little more space than before, takes them back to their own area and encourages them to start working on their plot.
The hardest bit of the process is clearing the rubble from the old house and emptying the plot. The Army have created a partnership with an organisation I'd never heard of before - 'Hands On Disaster Response'. They are a group that offers volunteering opportunities. People pay their own way to the disaster area. Once there, Hands On provide dormitory style accommodation and food, then coordinate their work experience. Most of the team members I met were in their 20's. Some were just backpackers who had stopped off to do something interesting. Others had paid their own way especially to help families in Peru. They weren't doing staggering work - just lifting, shifting and cleaning. They were all filthy from days of hard work in awful conditions. But they were smiling, joking and generally making families in Peru feel good that others were standing alongside them. Speaking to their team leader he told me, 'often people who have lost their home feel overwhelmed - they just don't know where to start. We come along and offer a helping hand - all of a sudden the task doesn't seem so daunting'. Perhaps that's something we can all learn from. We might not be able to do anything fancy or grand, but sometimes just being there and helping is enough.
Hats off to 'Hands On' - I say!
I've uploaded a video (shot with my phone - so apologies for the quality) - showing the first of the Module homes being erected by SA and Hands On team members.

Who do they think we are?

Arrived back from a quick trip to Peru yesterday evening. It was very interesting - I'll probably blog something about it later. The journey home was really long. I left the place where I was staying in Lima at 7am on Monday and arrived home at about 5.30pm on Tuesday. Where on earth did those 2 days go?

On the long flight I found myself sitting next to a young British woman, probably in her mid 20's. She was just returning from a 2 month trip to Brazil - turned out her family had Brazilian links. She was video editor - very bright, personable and chatty.

When I replied to her question, 'what do you do, then?' by telling her I was with The Salvation Army, her response was, 'I thought that had died out long ago. When I think of the Sally Army all I picture is women in bonnets and long Victorian skirts'.

Once I had told her something about us and what we are now she was really staggered. 'Why don't you advertise?- put something on the telly'.

She was obviously worldly-wise but knew nothing about us. Perhaps our advertising and PR departments need a wake up call.

Just one other thought - I spent 11 hours on this flight, mostly sleeping. We wouldn't go into a hotel and say, 'do you have any people only using half of their double bed - if so, I'll sleep in the other half'. It crossed my mind that it's an odd thing that we are happy to get on a plane and curl up to sleep next to someone we've never met before - even a pretty young woman. Still, life has it's sacrifices, eh?

Somebody or nobody?

Today finds me in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I arrived this morning after a fairly long (11.5 hours) flight from Heathrow. as you know, air travel is a normal way of life for me. I suppose I fly long haul about once per month. I try to fly with the same airline - it's good for the air miles and means I am now a gold card holder in their frequent flyer programme. It's a great perk - it means you can use the business class lounge when you fly, even when you are on the cheapest economy ticket (as I usually am!). 'My' airline also has a policy of sending one of the cabin crew to greet gold card holders by name once you are on board, just to be sure you are happy and know you are valued!

But the best perk is that you don't have to queue up in the economy line for check in but can go straight to the First Class (or Gold) desk. You avoid the delay, get treated line you are important and don't have to line up with the riff raff.

But here's the problem. It can lull you into thinking you are more important or valuable than other people. You start to expect special treatment. I confess I have used this to my advantage when I turned up late for a flight one day and was told the flight was already boarded. Without getting upset I smiled nicely and said, 'you wouldn't leave a gold card holder stranded at the airport, would you?' It worked - I was whisked through and the person in charge of boarding the flight even held the flight up in order to come onto the plane to tell me my bags had been safely loaded and all was OK!

Last night I wasn't travelling with 'my' airline. I had to queue with everyone else - and it was a full flight and really chaotic. No one came to whisk me past the economy line to a dedicated 'Gold' check in. There was no free drinks and canapes in the lounge - I had to wander around the terminal like all the other poor souls. When I boarded no one greeted me as an honoured guest or came to make sure I was comfortable. Can I confess something awful? I felt frustrated. I felt bad that no one seemed to value me or treat me as significant. What a terrible thing to feel, eh?

I remember watching Will Smith's recent film 'the pursuit of happiness'. It's a fantastic film based on a true story. Will Smith plays a single father of a young child. He's trying to make his way in life, but everything seems to conspire against him. He and his son end up sleeping in the public toilets on the subway. The sense of hopelessness really comes over strongly. Despite all attempts to make something of his life, there seems to be no way out of poverty and desperation. At one point he remembers that a friend owes him a few dollars - so he goes to his home, wakes him up in the middle of the night demanding his friend cough up - even though he's no better off either.

I've watched the film a few times and every time I see it I am reminded that for the vast majority of our world's population life is like that. The poor and vulnerable far outnumber the rich and famous. Many families struggle through life surviving on less than one US$ per day. Even in our work (emergency management) we find ourselves distributing a bag containing 15kgs of rice and 2 kgs of Dal to a family in India who have just lost everything and think somehow we are doing them a favour! Is that really all they are worth? I think it's time for a reality check, don't you?

I remember the story of Lazarus and the rich man - how the values of the kingdom of heaven turn upside down the values of this world.

God, help me remember that the destitute family reaching out in humble gratitude for the meagre ration of rice will one day be the 'Gold card' members in the Kingdom.

'They shall come from the east, they shall come from the west,

and sit down in the kingdom of God.

Both the rich and the poor, the despised and distressed,

and sit down in the Kingdom of God.

And none shall ask where they have been, provided that their robes are clean.

They shall come from the east, they shall come from the west,

and sit down in the Kingdom of God' (John Gowans)

Throwing caution to the wind?

I've had my first e-bay experience today and it's not been a good one. I bid for some motorbike leathers and was pipped at the post at the last minute. Perhaps my cautious (some might say 'tight fisted') nature was my undoing. My natural inclination is to be cautious; I'm not natually bold and confident. I offered a couple of pounds more than the last offer, but another bidder snatched the prize from my hand just as the deadline arrived.

Rather than trying to sneak in with a bid just slightly above the competition, should I have gone in with a big bid and blasted the others out of sight? I don't know, but the result is that I feel disappointed and cheated that someone else got what I wanted - especially when I discovered the winning bid was an absolute steal and well within the price I would have been happy to pay.

There's a time for careful consideration - but, just like e-bay, there's often a time-out limit. It's got me wondering - what else in life we might miss out on, simply by not having the courage to step out and claim it?

I'm off to Brazil this evening and then on to Peru to check out what's been happening with the recovery efforts after the terrible earthquake. We have been blessed with a very positive response to the international appeal for funds to help. We will be meeting with civic leaders, government officals and UN personnel. Many of the big agencies who arrived shortly after the quake have left already. It's down to folks like The Salvation Army to stand alongside the impacted communities. In our meetings over the next few days I'm relying on Him to bless me with wisdom and 'sensible boldness!' I'll let you know how I get on.

Words of the famous

A few months ago I received a very unusual gift. A former soldier of ours at Ilford invited us to visit her home as she wanted to pass into my possession something which had belonged to her husband. It sounded a little cryptic and I spent the day wondering what on earth it would be.

Lyn and I arrived and after sharing a cup of tea the gift was unveiled - an old, red autograph album. It looked fairly insignificant - until I started browsing through it. Names of famous Salvationists who have forged our heritage jumped from the pages. Lesser known names were there, too. Verses from scripture, pithy quotes, all written in flowery script with old-fashioned fountain pen.

As I took in the names the significance of the names began to dawn on me. I took it to work the next day, got out a copy of the Salvation Army Year Book and some post-it notes. The first few pages of the Year Book have a chronological list of our previous leaders. I worked through the list of former Generals and tagged them in the album. Starting with the Founder, General William Booth, through Bramwell Booth and through to the present day - General Shaw Clifton. It became evident that this small book, seemingly insigniicant, contained autographs and messages not only from every General but also every Chief of the Staff.

I don't know if there's a market for Sally Army memorabilia on e-bay, but if there is then this would make a fortune.

Reading the book is a moving experience - to think that its pages have been turned by every single leader in our Church's history. Each of the men and women who have led our church have paused for a few moments to pen some thoughts into this small book. The handwriting sometimes takes some deciphering (!), but to read the thoughts or mottoes that have inspired godly men and women is challenging.

Through the ramblings of this blog I'll share some of them in coming weeks. But as a starter I share the thoughts of Arch. Wiggins, writer, poet and author of some of our best loved hymns. His entry to the autograph album, penned on the 8th September 1930, simply reads:

When the one Great scorer comes

To write against your name,

He writes not that you won or lost;

But how you played the game.

A good thought to encourage us, I think. More to follow.

One for all and all for one

Someone said to me last week, ‘when old people come to the door as I am doing Annual Appeal collecting, they often shout ‘who’s there?’. I reply ‘The Salvation Army’. Wouldn’t they get a shock if they opened it and found all 1 million of us outside’!

We might be just one but we represent the whole.

I arrived in Kenya yesterday, ready to lead a workshop for Emergency team leaders and those who head up emergency work in countries around the world. One of my very special friends, Muntajab, set off on his journey to be here a couple of days ago. He left Iraq, where he leads our partner NGO there. His life is under constant threat because of his work, yet he puts it on the line daily to help people in that country who are poor, marginalised and in need of care.

Because of his sacrifice he was admitted to The Salvation Army’s ‘Order of Distinguished Auxiliary Service’ a couple of years ago. That’s the highest honour that we give to someone who is not a soldier – in other words it’s the lay person’s Order of the Founder. He means a lot to us, individually as a friend and colleague and to our Church, too. Within our organsiation and particularly in Emergency Services circles, he's very highly respected.

He set off for Kenya earlier than others because the journey is difficult, via Syria, Dubai and then onto Africa.

Like the rest of the delegates he needed a visa to enter Kenya. The visa application went in weeks ago. Our headquarters in Kenya had been to the immigration office in Nairobi every day – each visit was met with the assurance, ‘come back tomorrow – it should be ready then’. Sadly the visa never materialised. No one ever said 'no', but they procrastinated so long that our Iraqi friend was turned away from his flight in Syria and sent home.

I can only imagine the embarrassment and even shame at being refused entry to a flight when you have a valid ticket. How upsetting must it be to learn that a country will not accept you as a visitor to a conference? I’ve tried to reassure my friend that it’s not personal – they are not refusing him entry as an individual – my only suspicion is that they have refused his application because he comes from Iraq.

But isn’t that a terrible slur on the people of Iraq – the vast majority of whom are honest, God-fearing people. So many are living lives of huge difficulties – just surviving each day is a huge challenge. Because so many are desperately trying to flee from the violence and bombing, all people are tarred with the brush of being potential refugees. Even a lovely country such as Kenya, who will warmly welcome the other 27 delegates to our conference, feels nervous about allowing an individual Iraqi to enter.

It reminds me that we are rarely regarded as isolated individuals. We represent others. If someone if praised then we bask in reflected glory. But we also bear collective responsibility. If one ‘Christian’ treats someone badly then others may be put off from attending church. I’m sure you’ve heard the accusation, ‘if that’s how Christians behave then I want nothing to do with the church’. One Salvationist does something dishonest – it makes the front page of the local (or sometimes even national) newspapers and the whole Salvation Army is regarded badly.

It may not be the correct way to behave – but I reckon it’s a fact of life. And a lesson I have to remember is that I am a representative of Jesus and of the church to which I belong. I have a responsibility. If I mess up then the fallout may be that others think less of my faith or my church than they should. If I live out my faith well then hopefully others will see me as a worthy representative and my church will benefit. Lord help me guard my actions and my behaviour and be a good ambassador today.

Look up!

Last Sunday I ventured out at about 6.45am to pop around the corner and pick up my Sunday paper from the local Tesco corner shop. It was a lovely morning, the sun was shining and something prompted me to look up at the sky. It was one of those clear, bright blue skies. But what I noticed was the 3 planes circling above me. We are under the flight path where they stack planes waiting for a landing slot at Heathrow.

I pondered the fact that it's often me sitting in one of those planes, circling around, looking down over Essex. I imagined hundreds of passengers, tired from an overnight flight hoping to land.

It was a quiet morning, no one was about, but there was no sound from the planes. Had I not looked up I would be oblivious to the action going on above me. I thought of the power being generated in order to keep those planes up there; those passengers peering out and scanning the ground for landmarks.

Just for a moment it reminded me that God's presence is with me all the time. His power is evident in the world around me - even when I'm not aware of it. His angels are watching - and I'm sure the saints above are keeping an eye open from time to time, too.

Peru: Update 3

Arrived home safely from Peru last night. The trip certainly didn't go as planned! Chris's very unfortunate heart attack changed things more than slightly. Thankfully, after a few days in a private clinic in Lima he was feeling well enough to be left, which meant I was able to return to the earthquake zone for a better assessment of the situation.

It doesn't mater how many emergency trips I make, no two situations are ever the same - but I regularly leave feeling humbled by the resilience and optimism of people who have suffered tremendously.

On Wednesday I was in a small village called El Olivo. There are 365 houses there - or should I say, there were. There's only 1 left standing now - and that will need to be pulled down because it's structurally unsafe. I met a number of people - but let me introduce you to 2 of them. Annelle lived in the house that's still standing. She's not there now, of course, but living in a plastic shelter on some waste ground. When the quake happened she was in her front room, standing with her Mum at the foot of the stairs. Annelle ran out the front door - her Mum was behind her but couldn't get out. By the time she made it to the door the frame of the house was twisting and buckling as the earth moved underneath it. The door was shut tight and Luvi, her Mum, was stuck inside. Her house stayed in one piece - if it hadn't then Luvi probably wouldn't be alive today.

As I chatted with Annelle I tried to imagine what it must have been like for her as she ran out of the house, scared out of her life. Trying to find safety, what on earth did she feel when she looked around her and saw every single house in her street collapsing around her? I just can't comprehend what that must be like.

Then there was Juana. In her 20's, I found her with a small group of women working at a communal kitchen, preparing food for her friends and neighbours. I asked where her house was. She walked about 5 metres from the stove, stood on a small piece of ground and said, 'this was where my house stood, and this is the spot where my Mum died in the earthquake'. What words can you say after being told that? (the picture with this posting shows Juana and her own daughter showing Major Alex Nesterenko where their home once stood)

Despite their amazing hurt, I saw something wonderful in Annelle, Luvi and Juana. As we talked they smiled and laughed with me. They talked about the things they were doing to rebuild their lives. Despite everything, they hadn't given up!

People sometimes ask me where God is at times of disaster. I see God in people like Juana, a young woman caring for others when she could allow her own grief to overwhelm her.

I feel hugely privileged to meet such wonderful people.

Going the extra mile

Update 2: Chris Mulryne. Today has been a positive day for Chris. At the insistence of the insurance company he was transferred from the Clinica Stella Marris to the Clinica el Golf (sounds more like a country club to me!) On arrival at the new clinic he was admitted immediately to the Intensive care unit for observation -but he's stable and doing well.

His progress owes much to the extra mile service of someone who could be described as an 'angel of mercy'. Dr Hernando Garzon is an American Doctor who normally works as a physician in the ER unit of a hospital in San Fransisco. He's the guy on the right in the picture. He deployed to the earthquake zone in Peru last week on a 2-week assignment to help those injured in the quake. It was Hernando who initially examined Chris and found the abnormality in his ECG test. Since then he's stuck to Chris like glue, travelling with him in the C130 plane back to Lima and being a constant encourager every step of the way.

He has vowed to stay with us until Chris leaves Peru bound for home shores. He's been invaluable, for the medical advice he's been giving, the translation services he's been forced into providing (as none of the medical personnel in either clinic have been able to speak with Chris in English) and the simple care and encouragement. He even smuggled a cup of tea into the ICU this mroning because he knew Chris was really missing a 'brew'.

His motto is 'we need to care for our own'.

At first glance this might sound a selfish and misplaced goal - after all, most of us involved in ministry have it drummed into us that we should be going out into the highways and byways to care for those outside. Caring for our own first is selfish - some might try to argue.

But it's been my experience that we often show far better care for those 'outside' than we do for our own. And I've seen many of our own who have become wounded on the way, or have dropped out through tiredness or discouragement, believing that no one cared for them. If I stop even for a brief moment I can fire off name after name of colleagues who used to serve alongside me but who are no longer in the fight, friends who might still be with us had someone just taken time to care.

This week Dr Garzon has been invaluable in his care and concern - but more than that, he's reminded me that perhaps it's only by protecting the valuable but vulnerable assets we already have that we can reach out with compassion to those others' who God places onto our radar.

Expect the unexpected (and keep smiling!)

If you read my last blog post you'll know that I arrived in Peru on Wednesday afternoon accompanied by my old friend Chris Mulryne. We are scheduled to be here for a week helping the Divisional Commander put plans together for the relief response to the earthquake which has almost wiped out the town of Pisco.

One thing I've learned in my decade of Emergency services ministry is that life is full of surprises. This trip has been no exception!

After arriving we discovered that the Army has a pretty low profile in Peru, largely because the Catholic church is so dominant. The Army's work for the earthquake had been noticed by the media and the arrival of the Army's International Emergency Coordinator had given them an opportunity to try and score a little more media time. So, for the first time ever, I found myself on the first morning of my assessment visit in the make up room of Peruvian national TV, having my face 'made up' in readiness for an interview slot on their morning show. It was fascinating to see how things in the studio ran - and it helped that the interviewer and presenter was absolutely stunning (don't tell Lyn I noticed!).

After the trip we headed off by car to Pisco - after removing the make up of course so we didn't give the impression that IHQ emergency guys turn up in the field looking like a couple of Nancy's.

When we arrived in Pisco Chris told me he had felt a bit unwell during the journey, but that it was probably indigestion. Next morning we started out tour of the Army's relief camps. Chris was still feeling uncomfortable and I suggested he found a way to get a check up. It tuned out that a small group of American physicians working with Relief International are partnering with TSA and providing clinic facilities for those injured in the quake. One of them offered to check Chris out while I carried on with the assessment.

It came as a great shock when I received a call later to say that the Doc had decided to give Chris an ECG and had discovered an abnormality - which meant Chris had likely had a heart attack!

I dashed back to base to find that Chris had been admitted to the local Field hospital awaiting transfer to the military airfield where he was to be airlifted back to hospital in Lima. So less than 24 hours after arriving in Pisco I was at the military airfield boarding a Hercules C130 cargo plane, with Chris laying on a stretcher.

A few hours later Chris was in the Intensive Care Unit of the clinic in Lima, the blood and ECG tests confirming he had indeed had a mild to moderate heart attack. As I write this he's waiting for a transfer to another specialist clinic in Lima, hoping that a few days to stabilise him will allow him to be medically repatriated home again.

I know I told him that the trip would prove valuable experience for him - little did I know what was in store! When I get time I'll tell you about the fantastic physician from Relief International who has not left our side since he first checked Chris over. But for now I'll leave you with the photo of Chris being loaded into the only vehicle we had which could serve as an ambulance - the emergency services canteen!

Spare a moment to pray for Chris and his wife Gaynor, can you? I know they were value your thoughts at this time.

Update from Peru 1 - pressure....!

Chris Mulryne (a corps officer from Ipswich) and I landed in Lima, Peru yesterday afternoon to help draw up plans for the Army’s longer term response to the recent earthquake. It was a long day. We left our hotel near Heathrow at 4am to check in for a very early flight out to Amsterdam. There we made a quick change and caught the direct flight to Lima, Peru. It was a long flight – although we were fortunate to have a good tail wind which sped us along in 11.5 hours instead of the anticipated 13. Still, one’s backside can get pretty numb after 11 hours sitting in economy. We arrived early in Lima and all our bags arrived, too – which is a minor miracle these days based on the reputations of Heathrow and Schipol airports!

We were met at the airport by Major Luz Nesterenko. She and her husband Alex are the Divisional Commanders of Peru. The country is one division of the South America West Teritory (which includes 4 other countries within it).

It was great to meet up with Luz again. I last worked with them 9 years ago when I was deployed to the Republic of Georgia (former Soviet Union) to run a feeding programme for a month and they were the Regional Commanders. Age must have caught up with both of us – as neither of us recognised the other - not a good way to start off this new chapter in our working relationship!

Alex and Luz are great people. They have 3 kids, the oldest being 14 and the youngest just 4. They’ve been DC’s in Peru for about 3 years and now find themselves leading a response to a major earthquake.

It’s when I come to places like this and see how officers such as Alex and Luz live and work that I understand and see for myself what real pressure is about. They have a nice home, but it’s built on top of DHQ, so they are never away from the work. Life at the moment is absolute frenetic for them. They have 26 officers in their division – Luz wasn’t sure how many soldiers, but they have only 12 fairly small corps so it’s not a huge number. From within hours of the earthquake hitting the town of Pisco, their relief teams have been in place, giving out hot meals, blankets and medicines. They are currently operating 6 distribution kitchens, serving 6,000 people a day with hot food. Early teams were asked by the local authorities to help recover the bodies. I have photos (not suitable for publishing) of SA personnel dragging the bodies from the rubble and bagging them for collection.

Pisco is a town of 120,000, and it’s estimated that over 80% of the buildings have been destroyed. I’ll see it for myself later today as we are heading out there in a few hours – so I’ll post some pics to this blog asap.

Many people have lost their homes and have no where to live. Others still have something but are afraid to live in it because of the aftershocks which continue till now. The relief teams have been given some rooms by the local authorities and are staying there working 20 hour shifts.

Today a team of reinforcements arrive from Chile. They are expecting about 12 Salvation Army volunteers to arrive to provide some relief to the teams who have been working non stop for a week now. But these reinforcements will themselves increase the pressure on Alex and Luz – they will need meeting, organising and accommodating. And of course, Chris and I turn up too, adding to their logistical problems. My prayer is that we’ll be an asset and not a burden!

Alex didn’t get home till midnight last night – he left Pisco at about 8pm to start the 4 hour drive back to Lima. As Chris and I had already been up 24 hours we retired to bed after dinner so will meet Alex this morning and discuss the way forward. We have been asked to do interviews with the State TV station this morning before we head to Pisco at lunchtime.

In the midst of all this chaos, Alex and Luz try to keep family life and routine going for their 3 kids – doing the school run and maintaining ‘home’. When I look at this lovely family I see what ‘pressure ‘ really means and realise that my life is an absolute doddle compared to theirs.

If you read this blog today perhaps you could offer up a quick prayer for Alex, Luz and their 3 sons, that God will watch over them and help them through these day.

Man looks at the outward appearance......but....

Image is everything - or so we are told. That concept was turned on it's head for me over the weekend. On Sunday morning we travelled about an hour north to lead worship at a small corps in Hertfordshire. We arrived really early and found ourselves waiting outside the hall. Well, we thought it was the hall. There wasn't anything which said it was The Salvation Army. the lettering which formerly made up the sign had either been vandalised or just deteriorated. There were only 3 letters left - T E A. At least that summed up what we are famous for, I suppose!

After a few minutes of waiting I began to think we might have the start time wrong. So I went to check the sign on the exterior noticeboard and found it was actually an appeal to help find a missing cat. Having never visited the place before I felt rather discouraged by this downbeat exterior. I even said to Lyn, 'the Army is going down the pan'.

After a while, the officers arrived and we went inside. The place started filling up. By the time we were ready to start the (smallish) hall was pretty much full. And what a great atmosphere - young families and small children mingled with older members of the congregation. The worship was well received - people joined in really nicely. After the meeting we were invited to join in for after meeting 'tea and fellowship'. Guess what, nearly everyone did! They chatted, they laughed and they enjoyed each other's company. I learned the stories of families who had been attracted to the church by the warm welcome and the care of the officer in charge. The 'upbeat' buzz about the place was in complete contrast to the exterior. To me, this was real church!

Being honest, I'd have liked to have seen a nicer exterior and a more welcoming appearance. I would have liked to see the place given a touch of paint and a new sign. But the lesson for me was that church is much more than snazzy posters or fancy slogans. It's about the family of God; Christianity in community. Despite the peeling paint and lack of external SA Shield I'm pretty sure this place will continue to attract new members. If this is what 'going down the pan' looks like in reality - then I hope other corps catch the habit.

It cheered me up, anyway!

After a pretty difficult week, this joke (rather un-pc, I'm afraid) really cheered me up:

A mother takes her five year old son shopping during a busy lunchtime. They end up in in a queue behind a very large woman in a business suit complete with pager. As they wait the little boy says rather loudly, "Mum, she's really fat!!".
Embarrassed, the mother bends down and has a quiet chat with the little boy.
A few minutes pass and the little boy spreads his hands as wide as they can go and says even more loudly "She must be this wide..!!!"
At this the business woman turns round and glares at the little boy. His mother gives him a telling off and tells him to be quiet.
After a brief lull, the large woman reaches the till. Just at that point her pager starts bleeping.
The little boy yells out, "Run for your life - she's reversing..!!!!"

It's a fair cop

What sort of week have you had? I confess mine has had it's real 'ups' and 'downs'. We started our week 'up north' leading the funeral of an old friend. As odd as it sounds, this was one of the 'ups'. He had experienced a full life, the church was packed to the doors and there was a real spirit of celebration for a life lived to the full.

Returned to work and spent the rest of the week feeling like we were under attack and fighting a rearguard defence every day. They were the 'downs' - but even in dealing with those some positive results have come.

Last night topped the week off nicely. As I rode home my mind was full of all the garbage I felt I had been dealing with during the day. I wasn't concentrating as well as I should have been. As I made my way down the outside of a traffic queue I followed another biker around a Keep Left bollard (on the right!). I didn't realise 2 police motorcyclists were following me. You guessed it, immediately pulled over an an on the spot £30 fine. It's the first time I've been nicked and the copper was nice enough about it, but it wasn't a great feeling.

As I rode away I was kicking myself for getting caught. If only I had checked my mirrors. On any normal day I would have done - but the hassle of the day distracted me. Strangely enough, despite having just committed an offence I felt no remorse for breaking the law - only annoyed that I got caught. As I rode carefully away afterwards I was passed by many other bikers, all taking the same (illegal) route around the bollards I had been taking earlier. Made me even more annoyed seeing them on their way home while I pottered along obeying the rules.

It made me think. Is sin wrong only if we get found out? Or does Christian integrity mean trying to do the right thing - even when no one's looking?

I don't believe it!

I was visiting a corps 'up north' recently (no names, no pack drill). Standing outside, I was looking at the notices at the front of the hall. The first thing I noticed was how nicely made they were - I hate poorly produced posters. Note only were they well produced, they were themed 'we are the church that listens'. Matching format - so far, so good.

The first poster said, 'you told us that you wanted parent and toddlers even during the holidays. We listened - we now run parent and toddlers even through the holidays'. Wow, commitment to meeting needs. Still good, I thought.

The next poster said 'you told us that Sundays are a busy day. We listened - so we now have worship every fortnight'. WHAT!!!!! I suddenly went into my Victor Meldrew mode - I called Lyn to loook whilst doing my, 'I don't believe it!' routine.

Am I really turning into a grumpy old man, or what? Now I'm all for valuing family time. The old days of 3 meetings and 2 Sunday Schools every Sunday now seem like a form of torture. But worship every fortnight! Do I assume that Parent and Toddlers are more important than Sunday worship? And we wonder why the church is declining! I'd be interested in your comments - let me know what you think.

Well said, sir!

With all respect to the sensitivities of those poor folks who suffered the flooding recently, I came across a great quote last weekend.

One of the casualties of the flooding in Gloucester was the local football team. Under a few inches of water the pitch was unplayable. On the verge of a new season this was obviously a terrible blow to the club.

In response, their manager was quoted as saying, 'we face many challenges; it's not the start to the season we were hoping - but at least the players remain buoyant!'

Yeah - goal !!!!!

The f*** word!

I've just come back from a walk around the corner to get a bag of chips. On the way home I was followed by a guy who was using his mobile phone. The conversation was liberally sprinkled with the f*** word. I don't think I'm an old prude, but am I the only one who finds the way this word has become common language now really offensive?

Last week I saw and heard a father telling off his young son. The lad was probably about 4 or 5 - yet Dad berated him, shouting the f*** word at him. It won't be surprising if that youngster grows up thinking it's an OK thing to say.

I thought Rod Stewart's recent comments at a concert (he said that if he swore on stage he would give every member of the audience £10) were great. I wouldn't allow people in my house to use the f*** word - but even the mainstream TV channels regularly feature programmes with strong language and swearing.

How about a campaign to stamp out swearing? It's not cool, it's not bright, it's not nice, it's not really how we want our kids growing up, is it?

Through my window

Morning prayers happens at IHQ every Thursday. Now I'm not saying I'm a creature of habit - but I confess that I always sit in the same seat - back row, right in the corner against the window. Those of you who are familiar with the new IHQ know it is a beautiful glass building. If I described it as transparent that would be an understatement. There's no hiding - everyone can see exactly what is happening as there are no walls - everything is glass. So when I sit in the corner I am just a few feet away from the pavement of the very busy Queen Victoria Street. If prayers are a little boring (I know it's hard to believe but even at IHQ we occasionally have some less than stimulating meetings!) it means I can amuse myself watching what's happening in the street. The flip side is that we are rather like goldfish in a bowl and I often wonder what people passing by make of us - we must be a strange looking bunch.

Sometimes tourists come right up to the window and take photos - which can be a bit embarrassing. Commuters heading to work cast a furtive glance - they want to see what's going on but don't want to stare - Brits don't like to appear rude, do we??

But the vast majority actually just pass by without giving us a second glance. Despite the unusual sight of about 50 people in funny uniforms, singing, clapping their hands, or sitting with eyes closed in prayer at 9.15 on a Thursday morning, as they head to work or go about their business passing within feet of us, we are a complete irrelevance - an odd group bothering no one in their own little world.

I confess I find myself wondering 'Is that actually what we've become - just an irrelevance'? If so, I don't feel too happy about that. So what am I going to do about it? What do you think?

Others

When William Booth (the founder of The Salvation Army) was on his death bed, he was visited by one of the managers of the telegraph system of London. The man asked Booth if he had a last message he would like to send to his Salvation Army officers around the world. He said, "If you have, whether it is long or short, we shall be glad to send it free of charge." Looking up, the General smiled his thanks and said just one word: "Others."

This old story has been recently revived. That word 'others' was used as the theme for the Salvation Army's ROOTS conference this year. I received a very flash, glossy brochure this week advertising the Hillsongs European Conference which takes place in London in October. They have taken the same theme and quote that old story. It's quite challenging to see how one of the world's largest and most dynamic churches are finding inspiration in the example of our Founder.

But what does 'others' really mean? In a mission sense it has been used to challenge church goers to live a life of influence and impact. But I'd like to give you a real life example.

Yesterday Lyn and I heard that Alec had died. Alec was a soldier at one of our first corps appointments. He's been in a nursing home for the last year and his passing, though very sad, came as a release for him and his family. Alec was one of the churches unsung heroes - he knew and demonstrated the meaning of the word 'others'. He was a hard working man - a former coal miner. His hands, hard as leather from years of mining and gardening, were the tools of a christian who lived out the life of a servant of Christ.

When Lyn and I first moved to the small village where Alec lived we found a community struggling to come to terms with the closure of the coal mine which had been the life-blood of the village for many decades. The village had no gas supply - we all relied on coal and coke boilers. The problem with coal is that you have to keep the fire burning - when you go away the fire goes out. In the 4 years we lived there we never came back from a holiday to a cold house - Alec had been in to clean out and relight the fire - making sure we had a warm welcome back. Regularly I would come home after a morning out and about visiting the 'flock' to discover that Alec, without any prompting, had loaded his lawnmower in the boot of his car and come around to cut the lawn and tend the garden.

The surprise of finding a bag of newly harvested vegetables from Alec's allotment and left as a gift on our doorstep meant we enjoyed the cream of the crop every harvest time.

Alec wasn't a public speaker but his life spoke volumes about his understanding of 'others'. Conferences may never be held in his memory but he enriched my life greatly and the church on earth will be a much poorer place without him.

Tuesday thought for the day (3)

Our emergency service teams have been working in Rwanda for the last few months, supporting a group of 70 refugee families who were recently forced to return to Rwanda after a decade living in Tanzania. We've built individual latrines for each family and installed a borehole and safe supply of clean water. The place has been transformed.

We are now hoping to construct a community centre on the site - from which education programmes and a health post can be run. It will also pave the way for a new corps.

I received a report from the team today. last Sunday they held a worship service on the ground that has been donated by the Mayor for the new worship centre. 197 people attended (135 adults and 62 children). When the appeal was made at the end of the meeting 25 first time seekers came to the 'mercy seat' to claim salvation!

And still I hear people question how Emergency Services contributes to the mission of The Army!!

Tuesday thought for the day (2)

Appropriately named places that I pass each day on my way home:
'Hair Force One' - ladies hairdressers
'Fulfilled' - local sandwich bar
'O my Cod!' - guess, that's right - local chip shop.
'The good intent' - local pub (wonder how many people have gone in there and said 'just one for the road' - and staggered out a few hours later?)

Tuesday - thought for the day (1)

While on holiday in Crete last week I discovered that the average Cretan consumes 1 litre of olive oil per month! How much????? What do they do - wash in it??

(Pr)air miles!

So many things that we take for granted in The Salvation Army were actually years ahead of their time. We had women vicars before they became fashionable, and William Booth's 'In Darkest England' was published decades before Iain Duncan Smith started thinking about social justice.

But what about the humble 'star card'? It was years ahead of its time. If you ever attended Sunday school at The Salvation Army you will remember the star card. Every week when you attended Sunday School you had your card stamped with a little star (hence the name). In the 'old days' we went to Sunday School in the morning and then again after lunch. The star card was so important we even took it on holiday so that we could get our stamp when we went to Sunday School at the nearest corps (church) - something we had to do before we were allowed anywhere near the beach, of course. It was important to get your stamp because the number of stars you had determined the quality of 'prize' that you were given on prize-giving Sunday. As Brucie says 'points make prizes'.

Today my Star Card has been replaced by my Emirates frequent flyer card. I carry it whenever I travel and make sure I present it when I check in. My regular journeys mean that I am the proud holder of a Gold card! Whoooooo!! It means I get better treatment than those who only have a Silver or a plain old Blue card. When I board a plane the cabin crew come to my seat, greet me by name and welcome me back. Why? I'm special - and my Gold card tells me so!

I reckon if William Booth was still around he would resurrect and update the humble Star Card for this post-modern age. We would not only get points for attending on a Sunday but extra points for things such as putting a Bible text on your blog site, or sending one of those 'show a friend how much you love them' emails. Sitting in the balcony would earn you miles + 25%, on the platform and you would get miles + 50%! Responding to the invitation to pray in the meeting would also earn bonus points - regular participants would move up from Blue to Silver, then Gold. A Silver Card would guarantee you priority seating - your preferred seat reserved on the front or back row - in the Holiness meeting. Gold Card holders would have their own dedicated Lounge where they could have their after-meeting coffee away from the 'common people'. We could call the new scheme 'SA Pr-air miles'.

Don't like the idea - well how about an S.P & S Ltd Clubcard then?

Just a thought.........

Do I know you?

This 'Facebook' thing is a bit confusing. Since signing up less than a week ago I've spent hours checking the site, only to see who has become friends with who, who has 'poked' who, and what photos have been added by people I know. But I have a confession - I can't work out what the whole purpose of the thing is - all I know is that it's a very public window into the private world of friends where I can see exactly what time of day people are doing things at their computers. It seems like a nosey-parker's paradise. Have you noticed the very odd times that people make changes to their pages? Don't people ever sleep? The only good thing is that I am encouraged that my list of 'friends' grew very quickly - it's still not a huge number but at least it' nice to know I have some!

Over the weekend an odd thing happened, though. I received a 'friend' request from someone I don't know. What a dilemma! Is there an etiquette to these things? Should I blindly accept, knowing that this so called 'friend' will be invited into my world? I'm not sure that I want someone who I hardly know looking into my world. I could easily reject the request - but what will that do for the esteem of the person who wants to be my friend? In my work I travel all around the world and meet many people. It could be someone who has met me on one of my trips. They might think we already know each other as friends - they might be mortified to discover that our meeting left no impression on my life whatsoever!

It raises a thought - are our relationships as deep and meaningful as we think they might be? I've heard many people drop names into conversations to show how well connected they are - perhaps I've done it myself from time to time - but what level of relationship do we really have?

It had me wondering, is my relationship with Jesus as real as I think it is?
21-23"Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.' (Matthew 7:21 - from 'the Message')

Potter mania hits the Hills house

Well it's finally here - the thing we've all been waiting for. I'm speaking of the latest (and last?) Harry Potter book. I'm not sure whether I'm a good Dad or a 'mad Dad' but at 10pm last night I headed off for Lakeside to take Rebacca to join the queue outside Waterstone's to pick up her copy. Rachel came along to show sisterly support. We expected a crowd to be there already and were surpirsed to find ourselves only about 15th in the line. But as the time drew nearer the crowds grew and the line snaked around the Debenhams end of the shopping centre. I don't know what I expected - but it was surprising to see the age of the waiting throng - older teenagers and early 20's -all those who had grown up and spent their teenage years with 'Harry'. If JK keeps her promise and makes this the last, will life ever be the same?

Waterstones did the waiting throng proud - free sweets, games and even magicians on hand to entertain. The magic guy was brilliant. Some of you may know that I have turned my hand to a little magic over the years - this guy was superb, with sleight of hand stuff so slick that he left us literally 'spell bound'. Midnight arrived and staff tried their best to whip up some excitement with a countdown. By 5 past midnight Becky emerged triumphant with her personal copy. She's determined to read it before she goes to church on Sunday (700 pages!!!) so we expect a nice, quiet day.

Frustrations at the Harvester

Isn't it frustrating when you spend 15 minutes carefully looking through the menu, the waitress comes to take your order, you give it and she says, 'we don't do that any more'. Ahhhhhh! If they don't do it any more why don't they cross it off the menu. Sounds simple to me - just takes a felt tip pen - not too hard for anyone.

You don't get that problem with Ronseal - it always does what it says on the tin. Simple! I'm having my next meal out at B&Q!

A seemingly odd habit!

I have a habit - well one of many, actually! I thought it was one that most people had but I am beginning to wonder. It started about 25 years ago when I was working as a trainee manager for Curry's (a national chain of electrical retail stores). I discovered that if a customer sent to head office a letter mentioning you in a positive light you received a rich fruit cake (in a tin) on the next delivery lorry, along with a note of commendation. On the very few occasions when I received an unexpected 'thank you' bonus it really made my day.

As a result of this I developed a habit. Over the years my kids have poked fun at me often for it. My habit is that when I receive good service in a shop, from a company or even another department at work I try and remember to drop them a little note of thanks. This habit has had interesting results. A few years ago I bought a new CD player for my car at Halfords. A special tool was needed to remove the player fitted as standard. Rather than sell me the tool, a young salesman offered to remove the old radio for me using one of the shop's tools. It saved me a few pounds and did me a favour. When I got home I went on-line and sent a note of thanks to the Halfords Head Office, mentioning by name the young man who had helped. Later that day I visited the retail centre again and parked up near to Halfords. The young lad recognised my car and ran out to tell me that the message had been immediately forwarded to his branch manager and he had been presented with a large bottle of Whiskey! Whether that's better than a rich fruit cake depends on your personal tastes.
It's nice to receive a thank you. I'm not always good at it - and particularly bad when it comes to writing thank you cards for Christmas and birthday presents. My brother and sister in law put me to shame every year. A few days after each birthday or Christmas we receive lovely handwritten notes thanking us for gifts we gave them. They have even trained their children to be as thoughtful and each of my nephews and nieces send similar thank you cards. I should learn to be more thoughtful in showing my gratitude to family and friends for what they do for me.
This week Lyn and I returned from our summer holiday. We had a wonderful week in Crete - the sun shone gloriously every day, we relaxed and unwound in a setting that can only be described as idyllic. The hotel was wonderful, the flights ran on time and all for what we thought was a bargain price. I decided to drop the holiday company a note to say 'thanks'. What has happened since has rather surprised me. Within 24 hours of sending it I've had 2 e-mails and a personal telephone call from different staff at the travel company all thanking me for thanking them. They all commented that customers only ever write to complain - a word of thanks seemed so unusual.
Are we such a miserable lot that all we ever do is complain? I think that's kind of a shame, really, and it's made me more determined to try and show my gratitude more frequently.

Thursday morning musings

Thursday 19th July: Enjoying my last few days of holiday (at home) I decided this morning to go on a motorbike ride. Lyn had to go to a funeral - so it was a great chance to take my newly cleaned and polished Blackbird out for a spin. Heading out through Brentwood I took the road to Ongar - not a road I use often but a great back road for a Bike. I was rather surprised to see a sign for the 'Secret Nuclear Bunker'. It wasn't a 'hidden' sign but one of those brown, tourist attraction signs. Seemed a bit odd, I thought. Surely if you advertise something on a brown, tourist attraction sign you can't call it 'secret' any longer. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to rename it the 'once upon a time was a bit hush hush, but now known by millions nuclear bunker'! Not content only to advertise the secret, the next sign directed me to a car park to accommodate all the people wanting to see the 'once upon a time was a bit hush hush but now known by millions' bunker.
I pondered this as I rode (as you do) and wondered if they would get as many customers if it wasn't advertised as 'secret'. If it was any old bunker would people want to see it? Probably not, eh? I thought some more - riding a bike is a good stimulus for thinking, obviously, and wondered if this is perhaps the same attraction which makes gossiping so interesting. If you are reading this thinking 'I don't find gossiping interesting', I'm afraid I don't believe you. We love it when we have a secret which we can share (confidentially, of course) with others. If the secret is a bit 'juicy' then all the better. It's my experience that the church is certainly not immune to this attraction. I thought some more (that's 3 thoughts in one day - pretty good, eh?) - and recalled the advice I was given when I joined the Rotary Club a few years ago. Rotarians call it the '3 way test'. Actually, it's the 4-way test (I almost forget one of the tests, sorry).

These are:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL & BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
It's not a bad test for all church members to sign up to, is it? Perhaps some of our secret 'bunkers' should actually remain that way?
Anyway - that's my Thursday morning 'ponder' - I share it with my friends (and I'm pretty chuffed to know that I have 6 since setting up my Facebook page!!) for your edification. Have a nice day!