Author: Carol Purves

Compared with some of your countries, England is very small. It’s only about 600 miles from north to south. Last week I travelled from Carlisle in the north to Bridport on the south coast, a journey of about 450 miles. What struck me was the change in the weather. In the south, spring was definitely arriving. Daffodils, snowdrops and celandine were growing in abundance. The walks we had in the beautiful area were warm and sunny. We even managed to see some tiny lambs.

I then travelled north. Snow on the hills and in my garden greeted me. The next morning I had to scrape my car because the frost was so thick. The daffodils and snowdrops are just daring to show their faces. Out came my gloves and scarves again. Next week I will be in Edinburgh, just 100 miles north. I wonder what kind of weather I will find there.

Carol, the traveller, north and south.

I was discussing with my older friend, Nancy, changes in styles of worship that have happened over the years. She remembered the days when ladies wore hats and gloves and never took part in the services. Nancy talked about the hymns which used to be sung, while today these old hymns are interspersed with modern Christian songs.

Children were definitely ‘seen and not heard’. Not like my service last Sunday when the children drew, cut and pasted at the back of the church and then paraded round the chairs showing what they had been making.

Plenty of changes, some for the better and some not. But one thing never changes. God is still the same, yesterday, today and for ever.

Carol, follower of the everlasting God

It is only the first half of February.  My thirty mile journey along the Cumbrian countryside was full of promises of spring. The sheep were feeding happily in the fields. No sign of lambs yet. The sky was blue flecked with patches of darker blue clouds. I don’t know their names, but they looked like good weather ones. The bushes were sprouting with buds. All a portent of the coming spring.

Then in a garden I saw a large hydranga in full bloom, while looking at the mountains in the distance they were snow-capped. I now have to look at the calendar to know which season we are in.

Carol, an admirer of the countryside.

It is lovely to visit and have coffee with friends who live right in the heart of the farmlands of Cumbria.  As I approach the houses, the road become narrower and more muddy. Pheasants or rabbits are sometimes seen. The sheep or lambs in the fields stare right through me. When I turn off the car engine I can hear the birds tweeting in the trees.

God has certainly given us a beautiful world and sometimes it’s great to be able to stop, listen and look at (and sometimes smell) the wonderful countryside.

Carol, the country lover.

What fun we had at our meeting when we wrote about ‘The Red Sky’. Out of seven people who had written on this subject, we managed to visit five different countries. – Switzerland, Skye, South Africa, India and Palestine.  One subject with many different approaches.

There was poetry, references to the rhyme ‘Red sky at night, shepherds delight, red sky in the morning, shepherds warning, in South Africa the longing for a red sky to indicate rain. They have a drought at the present time, the shepherds at the nativity scene (except for the youngest shepherd who had to stay behind and mind the sheep. Don’t feel sorry for him he had a special adventure.)

One member had written a whole book for her grandchildren entitled ‘Red Skye.’ I wish you could read it, it was lovely. Another member told of the red sky on her holiday in Switzerland.

Carol, the writer.

Snow has arrived in Carlisle. I apologise mentioning this to those of you who have inches of the stuff.  Ours is not much more than a dusting and it is vanishing fast. Just in case we have a lot later on or if we have no more, I thought I should record this fall.

Carol, looking for snow

Once the excitement of the New Year is over life can be an anticlimax. I can’t write about any exciting things I’ve done during these few weeks, so I’ll do a typical British thing and tell you about the weather.

We are into the ninth day of the year and it has rained every day so far. Some days not very much but other days there has been rain all day. Fortunately our river is now back to being a river instead of wet fields a couple of miles wide.

The mop up after the flood continues and we feel for those towns which are currently under water or still draining out – Aberdeenshire, York, Kendal, Dumfries and Galloway, Keswick and many others.

Here in Carlisle instead of greeting each other with the words, ‘How are you?’ we now say, ‘Are you flooded?’ I know the time will come in the summer when we’re crying out for water. It just reminds us the weather is not under our control!

Carol, the soggy

May I wish you all a happy new year wherever in the world you are.

What do I mean by ‘happy’? Well, not everything you want, but everything you need. Sufficient food, shelter, friendship of family and friends, a measure of good health freedom from aggression and war. What I mean is the Christmas message, ‘peace on earth.’

Carol

When I visited Bethlehem a couple of years ago, so many Bethlehemites asked us to pray for peace in their town. When there were the ‘troubles’ in Northern Ireland, the inhabitants just wanted peace. In our troubled world it is needed that we still pray for peace.

Although most of us can do nothing about the state of Syria, Nigeria, and so many other places in the world, we can sow a little peace where we are.

We can be kind to our families and friends. That’s fairly easy. What about showing a kindness to a lonely neighbour, giving a smile to those we meet as we go about our daily business. I’m not one for making new year resolutions, because I break them so easily, but what about a resolution to spread peace and sow kindness. Peace is not just for the Christmas cards.

Carol, the smiling neighbour

The floods that have hit Cumbria are having along-lasting effect. Bridges have collapsed, roads have been closed and hundreds of families have been rendered homeless.

It is heart-breaking to walk along the worst affected roads and see people’s lives discarded as their possessions, all ruined by the flood water, lie discarded along the pavements and gutters. An odd shoe here, a broken picture frame there and everywhere a damp and decaying smell in the air.

Our church at Hebron have been privileged (yes that is the right word) to help. What we have done is what Jesus would have done. We could not hold back the waters or return the homes as they were but we can offer a hot meal, a place to warm up and time to listen.

With so much sadness all round the world, it is good to have been able to help in a minute way.

Carol