Author: Carol Purves

Courage is fear that has said it’s prayers.

Brother Andrew said “If we would understand the potential power of our prayers, we would be on our  knees a hundred times a day and ask Him things that would turn the world upside down.”

Everything is needful that He sends, nothing can be needful that He withholds. – quote by John Newton

The woman had an expensive alabaster jar of perfume and poured it all over the head of Jesus. She didn’t pour a quarter or a half. She poured it ALL. How often do we give a half of our time, money, love or life to God but always keep a bit back.

What a testimony from the lips of Jesus ‘She has done what she could!’

Carol

‘Every cloud has a Silver Lining’ It’s true. It was about 4.30  the other morning. The sun was just rising and there were a few white clouds in the sky. Then I saw it. The clouds which were amid the blue background, had a distinct silver lining. The early morning sun was making it’s presence felt. The edge of the clouds were not white or grey, but definitely silver. What a sight!

I thought of the coming day with optimism and gave thanks to God for all His blessings.

Carol

For those of you who follow my blogs regularly, you might have noticed that I haven’t included any of my ‘doings’ since my holiday. That is because there haven’t been many ‘doings’. Having pulled a muscle in my back I’ve been taking it easily. But there have been advantages.

I’ve had time to listen to the blackbird singing his heart out outside my window. I’ve been able to study the changing patterns of the sky. For many days it was deep blue, today it has many fluffy clouds. The small patch of garden border I’ve been lying back and looking at, is full of increasing blooms. There is something to be said for taking life at a slower pace. I will miss it when life gets back to normal.

Carol

Every day our senses are bombarded through all forms of media about the destruction of our planet. Our hearts break at the destruction of God’s wonderful world and the small amount we can to do help. At most we can give a little money, write to politicians and of course pray.

I give thanks for my small garden surrounding my house. It is full of flowers, soft fruit and small apple trees.  I tend it with love and devotion. I cannot save the whole world but I can care for this small part of God’s world and give enjoyment to others.

Carol

This whole holiday was a journey moving southwards all the time. Along yet another causeway we arrived on the island of Eriskay, famous for it’s semi wild ponies and the shipwreck of SS Politician with its load of 260,000 bottles of whisky, bound for Jamaica. Hence the film Whiskey Galore.

Another ferry, this time to the Isle of Skye, a green, more inhabited island. The return to mainland Scotland was over the bridge, not the ferry which I used last time I was in the area.

Carol

We then moved down to Harris, although it is all one island with Lewis. Here the weather became unkind to us so we were not able to visit any of the beautiful beaches, some of the most spectacular in Britain.. We could enjoy the colours, however, with the sea changing colours with the rhythm of sun and rain.

The north of the island is rugged and mountainous and has a Lunar feel to it. The east coast is more isolated and has some of the oldest rocks in the world. The town of Tarbert led us on to South Harris and then the ferry at Leverburgh to North Uist. We were then able to explore Berneray and Benbecula.

Carol

On our holiday we had plenty of time to explore the ferry town of Stornaway. Then before leaving Lewis we visited the lighthouse on the Ness of the island, a desolate spot with a strong wind. The Dun Carloway Broch was an Iron Age structure designed to impress and defend. A visit to the Black House Village  (named because of the black walls caused by their heating system) showed how the people of the area lived in the last century.

The most spectacular sight of the whole holiday was the Callanish Standing Stones. It is one of the most significant and important megalithic complexes in Europe. It consists of rows of large pieces of Lewisian gneiss arranged in a cross shape. At the centre of the cross is a monolith and a small chambered cairn.(I copied this bit from the brochure).

Carol