Earth is crammed with heaven

I went to a new hairdresser yesterday. To appreciate the full significance of this you'll need to read my previous post here http://karensandford.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/on-going-to-hairdressers.html Actually I'd been there once before. They send me a text periodically with offers. Money is tight and my hair a bit unruly, so I took them up on the offer of 50% off. When I arrived they brought me coffee. In a cafetiere! On a tray! And the piece de resistance? Two of my favourite chocolates. Hannah, the stylist had cut my hair the last time, so when she asked what I wanted, I knew she'd do a good job. As we talked I decided to mix things up a bit. After 30 years with a side parting and a fringe that sweeps across... I now have a centre-parting.... And a full fringe.... In my previous post about my hairdresser I wrote in praise of knowing and being known. But you know sometimes.... Change can be a good thing. Sometimes it's good to do things differe...

I really like Nadia Sawalha. For those reading who are not from the UK she's an actress/TV presenter/cook. Maybe that's one of the reasons I like her. She seems approachable somehow. You know the kind of person you think you'd like as a friend? Plus she's got a very dirty laugh Which is something I really admire in a person! Anyway, this post isn't just a tribute to her But to a book she's just released. The title grabbed me from the start "GREEDY GIRL'S DIET" This is talking my kind of language... In her first chapter, she talks about the starve, binge, starve, binge phases that have formed most of her adult life. And one day she decided she had had enough.... No more quick fixes.... From now on she was going to cook, and eat delicious food that would nourish her body. She writes about her own body. And she could have written about mine. My body is an amazing piece of machinery. It has carried and borne four children. It cr...

They say you learn something new every day. I was about to blog about the 'Do It Anyway' Poem.   P eople are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.   Forgive them anyway. I f you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.   Be kind anyway. I f you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway. I f you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway. W hat you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway. I f you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway. T he good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway. G ive the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway. I n the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway. ____________________________...

I love the way God works. Take today for instance. I've been tired Anxious Well fed Overwhelmed Shopping Tired Frustrated Teaching piano Tired Angry Jealous Prayed for And did I mention tired? So I escape up to bed. And I write all the questions I have in my journal. There are some biggies It's been that sort of day. And as I transfer the thoughts whirling around my head onto the page I start to breathe again And I note some scripture about peace. I read the verse that just happened to be on today's calendar. About seeing things as in a glass darkly. Then I look at the blogs that have come through to my inbox today. And guess what they're about? Peace in the storm. Trusting those in authority (interesting, that one...!) Bringing my broken pieces to the God who has promised to put them back together. And finally Jehovah-Jireh The God who provides But who often feels like a last-minute God A bit like that ebay app that posts your ...

Today is the kind of day that you imagine a perfect English Winter day to be. Crisp Clear A beautiful blue sky And sunshine  View from my window this morning  On days like today I feel like I could do anything. I feel bright Happy Capable Confident Take me to Black Rock in Derbyshire and I'd absail down it all over again.  My 'absolutely terrified' face  I wish they could bottle days like to day. Or at least the kind of feelings they bring. Perhaps they have. But that would take me down a different road altogether. As I was driving to see my mentor this morning I thought of the question I'd heard at big Christian Gatherings; "What would you attempt for God if you knew you couldn't fail?" The thing that came to mind for me was Preach. It's the next step for me after a year out of the pulpit. It's my biggy. It's also one of the things I love most about Christian leadership a...