Okay, I don't always remember to take non-plastic bags with me to the supermarket, but mostly I do. Or I take the old plastic bags from the cupboard under the stairs (or the European used plastic bag mountain as it is also known), so they get used a few times before their 400 year wait until nature finally wins.
'Bag for Life' offers at our supermarche are a good idea - but much, much, much better is to use fairly traded jute bags, available from Traidcraft, New Internationlist and other such wonderful places.
I support the campaign to emulate Ireland and begin charging for plaggy bags - we'll soon start to remember to take our trendy fair trade environmentally friendly bags with us. And anyway - your wine bottle's much less likely to fall out of a sturdy jute bag than a thin, poorly made, environmentally disastrous carrier.
visit www.green-england.co.uk/plasticbagpetition to add your name to those who support 'old bags' (you know what I mean) or visit www.mrdf.org.uk for more ideas about tackling climate change.
Thursday, 20 September 2007
Monday, 25 June 2007
Tremendous Truro
I had a great time at Truro Methodist Church over the weekend of 16th - 17th June.
they had a flower festival and concerts, craft fair etc.
They have a great choir, praise band, African drum band and a fabulous director of music.
Most importantly though was the sense of people gathering to worship God with joy, love, care and enthusiasm.
Wonderful and uplifting.
they had a flower festival and concerts, craft fair etc.
They have a great choir, praise band, African drum band and a fabulous director of music.
Most importantly though was the sense of people gathering to worship God with joy, love, care and enthusiasm.
Wonderful and uplifting.
Blogging blues
I think blogging is a great idea - there are just a few draw backs.
One is that my life is too full to find enough time telling the world what I'm up to or what I think about all sorts of things.
BUT the blogging thing that really gets my goat is how rude people feel they can be about other people. I'm lucky - I don't get people saying rude things on my little blogs. But I read other blogs where people are mean and disrespectful about other people and other people's ideas, work, looks - you name it.
So I'm pledging to try and be nice on this blog - does that mean no one will read it? Maybe.
But as wiser people have said - if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.
What do you think? (Be nice - but disagree if you like!!)
One is that my life is too full to find enough time telling the world what I'm up to or what I think about all sorts of things.
BUT the blogging thing that really gets my goat is how rude people feel they can be about other people. I'm lucky - I don't get people saying rude things on my little blogs. But I read other blogs where people are mean and disrespectful about other people and other people's ideas, work, looks - you name it.
So I'm pledging to try and be nice on this blog - does that mean no one will read it? Maybe.
But as wiser people have said - if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.
What do you think? (Be nice - but disagree if you like!!)
Sunday, 8 April 2007
HAPPY EASTER!
A PRAYER
When everything was dark
and it seemed that the sun would never shine again,
your love broke through.
Your love was too strong, too wide, too deep for death to hold.
The sparks cast by your love dance and spread
and burst forth with resurrection light.
Gracious God, we praise you for the light of new life
made possible through Jesus.
We praise you for the light of new life
that shone on the first witnesses of resurrection.
We praise you for the light of new life
that continues in our hearts today.
We pray that the Easter light of life, hope and joy
will live in us each day;
and that we will be bearers of that light into the lives of others. Amen.
When everything was dark
and it seemed that the sun would never shine again,
your love broke through.
Your love was too strong, too wide, too deep for death to hold.
The sparks cast by your love dance and spread
and burst forth with resurrection light.
Gracious God, we praise you for the light of new life
made possible through Jesus.
We praise you for the light of new life
that shone on the first witnesses of resurrection.
We praise you for the light of new life
that continues in our hearts today.
We pray that the Easter light of life, hope and joy
will live in us each day;
and that we will be bearers of that light into the lives of others. Amen.
Friday, 30 March 2007
School Concerts
It seems two minutes since I was happy that Half Term was here and now it's time for the Easter break. Yippee! Hurray! Thank goodness.
This week's not been too bad though - work's been a bit rough but the extra curricular things have made it bearable. Both my children had school concerts to appear in. My daughter was a georgeous ladybird in a comical version of Little Red Riding Hood and was word perfect and had a very red face. My son was in the choir and the samba band in his school concert and both were wonderful.
What was great was the amount of work put in by the young people and the teachers. As well as huge quanitities of natural talent there was enthusiasm, commitment, team work and a lot of fun. At a time when young people get a slamming in the press and certain newspapers would have us think that no teacher ever does anything beyond the call of duty, it is great to remember the thousands of kids and staff in schools making an effort and having a great time.
It gives me hope!
This week's not been too bad though - work's been a bit rough but the extra curricular things have made it bearable. Both my children had school concerts to appear in. My daughter was a georgeous ladybird in a comical version of Little Red Riding Hood and was word perfect and had a very red face. My son was in the choir and the samba band in his school concert and both were wonderful.
What was great was the amount of work put in by the young people and the teachers. As well as huge quanitities of natural talent there was enthusiasm, commitment, team work and a lot of fun. At a time when young people get a slamming in the press and certain newspapers would have us think that no teacher ever does anything beyond the call of duty, it is great to remember the thousands of kids and staff in schools making an effort and having a great time.
It gives me hope!
Friday, 16 March 2007
Art and Faith
Earlier this week I had a wonderful day at the Tate Modern with some good friends. Some of the stuff is weird, a small amount is obscene but some of it is truly wonderful. No matter how many times I have seen one of Monet's 'Waterlilies' in books, there is nothing like seeing the real thing. There is a wonderful electricity that seems generated by a truly great work of art - it is as though the artist has left something of their very soul in their work. Being able to see the texture of each brush stroke is such a privilege.
For me visits to art galleries are spiritual experiences - they enhance my faith because I am confronted with artist's questions or perspectives on the world and human existence. For me this leads inevitably to the big questions about God and creation and the relationship between artist and their creation. Even art that has no aspiration to be 'religious' can have a profound effect on me. Is it okay to read matters of faith in the work of someone who would not ascribe to the existence of God?
On the whole I think there are two kinds of art - good and bad. The faith/worldview of the artist is not as important as their skill, imagination and ability to translate an idea into reality.
What do you think.
For me visits to art galleries are spiritual experiences - they enhance my faith because I am confronted with artist's questions or perspectives on the world and human existence. For me this leads inevitably to the big questions about God and creation and the relationship between artist and their creation. Even art that has no aspiration to be 'religious' can have a profound effect on me. Is it okay to read matters of faith in the work of someone who would not ascribe to the existence of God?
On the whole I think there are two kinds of art - good and bad. The faith/worldview of the artist is not as important as their skill, imagination and ability to translate an idea into reality.
What do you think.
Thursday, 15 March 2007
Not having a good day
Today was not a good day.
A situation arose at work that left me really cross and frustrated and no amount of trying to focus on other stuff made me feel any better. I struggle with how to handle these sort of situations because, as a Christian I feel guilty about being cross with someone else and I often end up keeping my anger (even justifiable anger) inside. I also know that there is a spiritual (and psychological) cost in keeping a lid on things but I worry that I'll seem unprofessional, or stroppy, if I let negative feelings out.
How do other people deal with feelings that feel overwhelming, or get in the way? And is 'niceness' a face we hide behind that stops us changing the world into the place God longs for it to be?
I'm probably just making a fuss.... - is it a Christian thing, or a gender thing... or maybe it's just me????
What do you think (and no I'm not telling what happened because that really would be unprofessional!!)
A situation arose at work that left me really cross and frustrated and no amount of trying to focus on other stuff made me feel any better. I struggle with how to handle these sort of situations because, as a Christian I feel guilty about being cross with someone else and I often end up keeping my anger (even justifiable anger) inside. I also know that there is a spiritual (and psychological) cost in keeping a lid on things but I worry that I'll seem unprofessional, or stroppy, if I let negative feelings out.
How do other people deal with feelings that feel overwhelming, or get in the way? And is 'niceness' a face we hide behind that stops us changing the world into the place God longs for it to be?
I'm probably just making a fuss.... - is it a Christian thing, or a gender thing... or maybe it's just me????
What do you think (and no I'm not telling what happened because that really would be unprofessional!!)
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