Earth is crammed with heaven

I ventured upstream today. Not by much, but there were a few teenagers hanging around where I usually enter the river. So I got in higher up. I've got in there before, and it's a beautiful place to swim. A bit like having my own pool. One of the rules of wild swimming is always find a safe place to enter and exit the water. It's quite an important one from a safety perspective. I'd swum there before so I knew I was ok.   Or so I thought. The problem was that I'd swum there last in the middle of a hot spell. We've had a lot of rain since then. The water level was higher, so the exit was deeper. It wasn't quite as easy to get out as I remembered. Now don't start fearing for my safety. Mum, I'm looking at you... I still got out fairly easily. The bank was a bit more slippy than previously. It was more of a scramble than a dignified exit, and mud was involved.  So my thoughts today are,  don't assume that the old, familiar ways are the best,  or the ...

I’ve just popped out for a bit. It is Bank Holiday after all. As I walked down to the entry point I spotted a woman.  About my age. Dressed the same as me. But it was the woolly hat and gloves that gave her away. I know one when I see one. I can recognise a kindred spirit at fifty paces. We smiled and chatted, and then moved on. I love being part of this group of people. All over the country, all over the world. A group that has that look about them. Something behind their eyes. A knowing. A strength.  A wildness. I see it in Christians sometimes too. Not as often as I’d like. They will know you by your love John 13:35 paraphrased. I hope you’ve had time to do something for you today. Lots of love xx

I saw a goat in a tree today. Not a real one. Well it was a real tree, but not a real goat. That wouldn't have been appropriate in a coffee shop. I'd been for a swim in the river, and was having a coffee and something to eat with my swimming buddies.  And there it was. In the corner of the courtyard. A misshapen tree. (Is that how you spell it?) And as we were pondering why it was that shape, and observing the strength of the branches, I spotted the goat, and pointed it out on request. I'll be honest, only one of my companions could see it. Either that, or she knows me well enough to play along? The other one, who had only met me once before, was just looking at me a bit oddly... So my thoughts today are that we see what we want to see.  We hear what we are listening for.  We speak what we have learned. The challenge I'm setting myself today is to fix my thoughts. Not on all that is wrong with the world. Not on Boris. (Don't get me started...) Not on the things I...

Well that's more like it. Finally something to celebrate. I'm not sure I could have dealt with another debacle. The A-level results have been re-graded, so the affected one in Testosterone Towers is happy. His down-grade, thank you nasty algorithm, hadn't affected his university place, but it's important to have credit where credit is due. And today I've only heard happy reports where teachers grades have been awarded. It makes sense to me that, circumstances being what they are, the one who knows students best, gets to assess their capabilities, and award their final grade. It works for me. Speaking of which, thank you from the bottom of my heart, to all the teachers/teaching staff who have worked tirelessly through lockdown. You have helped our young people in ways you may never be aware of. I see the hours you have worked while being slated by the press. You are incredible. Thank you. And to all of us today, take a moment to appreciate again all we have experienc...

I cried behind my mask today. Not metaphorically, but literally. These were no silent tears, they were loud-ish. Loud enough to bring the lady who’d been, shall we say, unhelpful, a few minutes before, into the room I was waiting for my blood to be taken. She pretended she needed to look at something, but she didn’t. She needed to look at me. And she never said a word. Not one. And the nurse who took my blood didn’t say anything either. Except to ask me to hold my arm out, which I did. She then asked if she could explain something to me. I said no, please just take my blood. I know it’s not your fault. An observer might think they were cold. Callous even. But they did their job. They did a blood test I’d been trying to get done for over a week. They followed procedure. And what I needed in that moment wasn’t someone to pat me on the shoulder, no there, there, there. Not even a hug. I needed to cry. Ugly cry if necessary. Because tears are healing. It’s important sometimes to let our pr...

 They're a bit fidgety I thought as I glanced at the screen. I was playing a piece of music to help us focus, and pray, during our Zoom worship. Then I noticed the little red microphone that was crossed out on my screen too. It would seem that in muting everyone to help us focus, I'd also muted myself. Instead of  being lost in wonder, love and praise, today's worshippers were faced with a picture of Alvin Slaughter. Rather than praying, "Holy Spirit, rain down" along with us, (we could still hear it), they were trying to get my attention while I had my eyes closed. I turned the mute button off, just in case, and a look of relief crossed their faces. I then carried on praying, and it wasn't until much later, I realised one of them had sent me a text saying, "No sound, Karen." Bless them, not one of them interrupted the worship to tell me I'd messed up. They're used to it. My Zoom skills are not great, but I'm grateful for their acceptance...

We have a guest writer at Testosterone Towers today. It's someone I've really only got to know over the past four years or so, but I feel as if we should have been friends years ago. Not just because she is something of a kindred spirit, but also because we moved in the same circles, went to similar places in our youth, and have a lot of mutual friends. I met her as a colleague five years ago, now we're friends. Liz Hall is married to Keith and has three grown children. She, like me, dislikes the term 'new normal', and has started a campaign for 'the new possible'. You can read her post here  Are we there yet?