A politically correct greeting

I lay no claim to the following as my own work, I saw it some years ago, loved it and reproduced it. I do not know who the originator was and therefore cannot credit them. I am however grateful to them.

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practised within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to observe religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish that the supreme being of your conscious thought (if you believe in one) grant you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the generally accepted calendar year 2015, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures, understanding, with all due respect, that you may choose not to believe in a higher power or accept positive outpourings from an outside source upon your life.

OR

Merry Christmas

&

A Happy New Year

Finding Peace in a World of Struggle: Prayer for the Troubled Heart

I discovered this article on  the Crosswalk website and thought that it might be a blessing to some:

Finding Peace in a World of Struggle: Prayer for the Troubled Heart

By Debbie McDaniel

This world can be a dark place many days. News reports of shootings, innocent lives being lost too soon, terrorist threats, unrest, and struggle are constant reminders that we live in uncertain times. Past hurts cling tightly, our present reality filled with pressures, the future may seem to loom with fear.

Many times we wonder, is finding peace in the midst of all this even possible?

One quote reminds us, “Peace. It doesn't mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

Another says, "No God, no peace. Know God, know peace."

And both are true.

Without knowing the perfect peace and calm assurance of God Himself in this crazy, mixed up world, we will live forever struggling to gain control, always finding ourselves in the inner battle with stress and anxiety. Yet focusing on God’s words can bring life to our souls, no matter what swirls around us on any given day. He is able to bring security, so we're not overcome with fear, or find ourselves sinking down into a pit of worry.

He's the Answer to our place of refuge. We can never fully escape all the mess this world may bring our way. We live in a fallen place. But in the midst of what life deals us, we can remain steadfast, strong.

How?

Often, living a peace-filled life comes down to a choice. Choosing to come to Him, choosing to set our minds on His Word, choosing to trust Him no matter what, choosing to pray in all that we face, choosing not to be anxious, choosing to believe that He's always with us and in control, choosing to set our thoughts on those things that are true and right.
God reminds us in His word that peace will not naturally just come our way. He tells us to "seek peace and pursue it" Ps 34:14. Some may offer their own advice, "Get away for a few days, relax and be happy, take a vacation, tune out, just don't think about stressful stuff" But it's only temporary relief in a crazy, struggling  world. Vain attempts to cover desperate places of our souls with superficial, external fixes.

But the peace God offers is vastly different. It's lasting. Confident. Real. Breathing deep reassurance in the midst of all that we face – past, present, or future. Rising up against the fear that would seek to choke our lives. Bringing comfort and freedom.

God's words give strength, purpose, grace. They alone are what can bring inner calm to a whirlwind of crazy.

13 Verses of Peace to Guard Your Hearts and Minds in Him:

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“The Lord gives strength to his people, the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.”1 Peter 5:7

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16

“…the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9

“For He Himself is our peace…” Ephesians 2:14

“The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

No matter what we go through in this life, or what we're up against today, we don't have to be shaken.

We're safe with Him.

At rest.

At peace.

He sent His only Son, pure essence of Peace Himself, to give us lasting freedom and peace that only He can give.

Dear God,
Our world is hurting and broken. We pray for those who have lost loved ones even today, please comfort them in their grief and loss, cover them with your peace and presence, as only your Spirit can do.

We know that in whatever we face, you are our Peace and Refuge, a very present help in times of trouble. Thank you that you remind us throughout your Word, we do not face the storms alone, but you are always with us. Whispering calm. Speaking peace. Bringing rest to our souls.

We confess our need for you. We ask you to forgive us for trying to figure everything out on our own, for not trusting that you are more than able and powerful to work on our behalf. Forgive us for picking back up what we already determined to lay down at your feet. Give us the ability to trust you more, give us a heart that finds rest in your presence, give us the wisdom to seek peace and pursue it, remembering it’s only to be found in you alone.

Thank you that your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Thank you that you care for us. Thank you that the peace of your loving and strong presence guards and protects our hearts and minds in you. Thank you that we do not have to walk in fear or live in overwhelmed cycles of worry and stress.

Thank you for your voice that breaks through the greatest wind and storm swirling around us, and whispers “Peace, be still.”

Thank you that you sent your One and Only Son to set us free.

In the Mighty Name of Jesus,

Amen.

Debbie McDaniel is a writer, pastor's wife, mom to three amazing kids (and a lot of pets). Join her each morning on Fresh Day Ahead's facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/DebbieWebbMcDaniel, for daily encouragement in living strong, free, hope-filled lives. Find her also at http://twitter.com/debbmcdaniel.

Whatever happened to Slade this Christmas?

One of my highlights at Christmas is to hear some of the great 70's Christmas songs of which Slade's "We wish you a merry Christmas" takes pole position. I always look forward to hearing and singing along with it. After all Noddy Holder's voice is not really much different to mine! 

BUT 

Something has happened. Firstly I have lost the cd that contains the song in our exit from RB to the Seaway and secondly I have only heard it once on the radio and not at all in the shops! the only other time that I have heard the song was by "The Huckleberry Finns" the local blues group in Looe. They were playing at the Christmas celebration in West Looe a couple of weeks ago and performed a great concert to a handful of people. The weather had caused a number of events to be cancelled but nobody seemed to tell the public that our local heroes were hardy enough to brave the elements! 

SAD

Rob the bass player is a friend of mine, it was great to hear them playing but sad that so few benefitted from a free concert in support of their chosen charity.

Back to the point of the blog: The old songs seem to be missing from the playlists. The songs of an earlier generation are more popular but what has been a great surprise is the Carols are much more popular. Another observation is that the tacky decorations that came with the era of Slade, Wizzard, Greg Lake et al have disappeared also. There are no singing Santa's and Christmas trees to be seen. Decorations are far more classy and display the artistry taken over putting them up. Looe is looking lovely and I would like to thank all that have added to the experience of walking the streets especially after dark. It is a credit to you. 

I would like to echo the sentiments of Slade here and wish all a happy Christmas and remind you that Christmas only came into being because God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son in order that through His life and sacrificial death we can be saved from the penalty that sin has upon us. 

The never land of Santa Claus is a fun fantasy but the promised land of heaven is a reality for all who will trust in the Saviour Jesus Christ who was born one day in Bethlehem about 2000 years ago. Why not pick up a bible and read Luke's account of the birth of Jesus or follow the link below:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1-2&version=NIVUK

Come aside and rest.

Come aside and rest.

This photo was taken a few years ago now but it always brings a smile to my heart. It was taken at the river mouth at Ogmore-by-Sea. The reason for it bringing happy memories is that it is unofficially adopted as Pam's and my bench. It has been a place of quiet rest, contemplation, prayer and building up.
Pam and I have often sat there through the storms of life when all seemed as if everything was dark and hopeless.

When Pam was undergoing chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy she was well advised to keep fit and so we took as many precautions as we could in order to keep her away from the coughs and colds of life, along with all of our food laced with garlic. We walked every day as far as was possible whatever the weather, our usual circuit was approximately 5 miles with this wonderful bench and it's beautiful view being our last but most important resting place.

Pam would happily sit there for 'hours' deep in thought and prayer whereas I being a boy sat for a few minutes and then the attraction of stones and water drew me to my own skimming contest. Every stone was another prayer point, some were in desperation, others in anger along with great concern, but mostly they were in praise of the great creator God who provided that place just for us. No matter what the weather God's glory could be seen, even the foggy days were helpful because we knew what was there even if we could not see it.

Even in difficult times, when all seemed lost in the fogs of fear and worry we knew along with the hymn writer that "Behind a frowning providence God hides a smiling face!" William Cowper who wrote the hymn "God moves in a mysterious way" knew full well what it was to go through dark days, he eventually in the depths of despair took his own life even though he believed in and trusted God. Sometimes we need a place of quiet rest where we draw close to God and be still in His presence. Our bench was such a place for us.

We thank God for the provision of a place like our bench in Ogmore but where do we go now?

Looe is so much different to South Wales, it is not open and vast. It is not quiet and peaceful, it is bustling with activity for much of the year and we do not get to see the sun setting over the sea. These are not all negatives because we really do love living here. It is clearly the place of God's provision for us currently and we are grateful recipients of His kindness and grace.

Where do we for rest and peace now?

We enjoy our walks along the seafront with coffee stops along the way. Coffee shops were never an option in Ogmore and so an espresso and a weak Latte on the way are a great addition to our constitutional!

But where is the place of quiet rest that Jesus invites us to?

The Banjo Pier or even the benches by the bridge are often a reasonable substitute to our Ogmore bench for reflection. It is not so quiet there but it is nevertheless a beautiful view of the glory of God in His creation. Wherever there are benches to rest on, Pam can still sit for 'hours' and I, usually with a pocket full of stones can throw my prayers to the One who really cares!

There are a number of differences between what we had before and what we have now but there is one constant, which is, that we are here because it is God's purpose for us. We spent 20 years very happy in Wales and now we are about to experience our third Christmas in Cornwall. We believe that God has led us here to come aside and rest awhile. The best place of rest for all Christians is with the people of God. He has placed us in a fellowship where together we are learning what it really means to come together and rest in His love, grace and mercy. A time of rest is necessary at times because we are in a spiritual battle which at times drains all of our energy. There is much in the bible about resting before God in order that we are equipped for all that the future has for us. God is so good, He is blessing our little Mustard Seed Church in Callington. It is our place of worship, fellowship and service and we love it. Please pray that in all things we will see God's purposes for His church in Cornwall.

This photo is a sunrise over Looe which reminds us that the sun of righteousness spoken of by Malachi the prophet has risen. The Lord Jesus who is Righteous has brought about a day when we can come to Him and rest awhile and through Him find true peace and when we do it really does not matter where we go to rest as He is always with His people. One of the names given to Jesus is Immanuel which simply means that “God is with us” therefore wherever we are, the Peace of God is our constant companion.

One day Jesus said to His disciples "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile>"

He still says that today, will you find time to be with Him alone?

We pray that the Lord will truly bless you all over this Christmas season and for 2016.

Love from Peter & Pam

France under attack.

Such an evil attack is a perfect display of the total depravity of man.

We pray for you!

We will not surrender to the bully boys!

Re-building a right foundation.

I cannot believe that it is now my fifth month as Pastor of the Mustard Seed Evangelical Church in Callington and this is my first post about the church. It might be hard to believe but it is not surprising considering all that has been going on.

This public forum is not the place to reveal what has been happening over the last few months as much of it has been deeply personal and very painful to all that have been involved. 

The church called me to be pastor in May and held an induction service (simply put this is a recognition service) where together before God we recognised that together with His help we would work together as the church.

The above picture to some might appear a bit spooky but all that is happening is that respected leaders of various churches are recognising that this is God's appointment and are praying for the work here at the Mustard Seed and the part that I will take in the ongoing ministry of the church. Without the help of God and the support of His people the church will never prosper and so prayer is vitally important.

J.K.Rowling is a great example of somebody who hung on in there in desperately difficult days and has from great difficulty has been able to rebuild her life. The church reached a very low ebb at the end of 2014 when we became involved but God is good and He loves His church and is building a people for His glory that we call the Mustard Seed. 

But 

How does a church go about raising up when the people are so downcast? On my first Sunday I felt it necessary to begin a series of sermons from Acts of the Apostles called "Building a right foundation" where we are learning lessons from the infant church of the New Testament. The Apostles were being re-commissioned by the Holy Spirit and were having to come from rock bottom to victorious followers of the risen and ascended Lord Jesus. They were now about building His church and so Luke records a wonderful history of how it all took place. Acts is not a paradigm of how church should be but simply a history that reveals the high and low points of the emerging church of Jesus Christ.

What we have most learned is that as we move forward and seek to be more Godly then opposition is always heightened. It is then that we need to be resolved. The devil will not let go of the damage he has caused easily and so will in every way that he can cause grief for the people of God. 

We all agree that the past has been difficult and that there are issues that are still in need of resolution but if we keep on looking backwards we will stumble and fall therefore yet another line is drawn in the sand and we are determined by God's grace to move forward. Scripture is full of wonderful promises of blessing if we look forward and to Jesus only and so we are looking at what can be for the church. We are well aware that the promises of God are that He will bless His people but that His blessing is not our wants. we would want many things but what we need is what he has ordained for us. 

Therefore

We are praying and studying the bible and seeking the way in which He would have us go. there are some very practical issues that first need attending to. Our building had fallen into disrepair and needs some re-vitalising attention and so we have had a good old clear out and have cleaned and are continuing to do so. The entrance into the building is awkward and somewhat dangerous for any with even minor mobility problems and so we are embarking upon re-siting the entrance and making it not only easy access but also attractive and welcoming. This is something that most thought would never happen but is now in progress! 

We are moving forward!

Pray with us and for us that God will be our motivating force, our guide and that all will be for His glory and the benefit of the gospel here in East Cornwall.

FIVE REASONS TO SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONE

One of the blogs that I regularly follow published this article that says just what I would love to have done. It gives a biblical rationale for putting away the communication device that has become all important. I get tired of talking with people who are constantly looking at an electronic device rather than the person in front of them We would count it as the height of ignorance for a person to walk up to us and speak privately to the person in front of us but yet a phone can do just that and so often it does. It is infuriating to say the least and always leaves me with the temptation to get up and walk away. I am now even more determined to be the last man standing that does not own one of the wretched devices.

Please read what Janet Denison has to say and even if you are not a Christian take note even if it is only when you are talking to me.

Written by Janet Denison on her blog: Focusing on God's word. 06 October 2015 10:00




Sherry Turkle holds an endowed chair at MIT and "serves as a kind of conscience for the tech world," according to a New York Times article. Her recent book, Reclaiming Conversation, is a self-help book for people who overvalue technology and undervalue the fundamental art of meaningful conversation.

This book lists important reasons to consider quieting our technology that every spouse, parent, friend, and family member needs to pay attention to. I'm writing about this topic because I think that the conversation crisis in our culture will also dramatically impact the church. Did someone text you the plan of salvation, or did you come to know Jesus after deep and meaningful conversations?

Even as I type I am picturing a large number of cell phones that are buzzing or dinging or ringing—right now. If that just happened, look Satan in the face, tell him to flee, and keep reading.

The NYT article summarizes the conversation crisis, saying, "Our rapturous submission to digital technology has led to an atrophying of human capacities like empathy and self-reflection, and the time has come to reassert ourselves, behave like adults and put technology in its place."

We all know what it is like to be speaking with someone who regularly glances down at a cell phone during the conversation. We don't mean to be rude, but what if the phone call is from…? Looking down at a cell phone says that whoever might be calling is more important than whomever you are actually with.

If you were sharing the plan of salvation with someone, would you interrupt that opportunity for a text message? We might not ever have the opportunity to share Christ if we treat our other conversations with that person any differently. Philippians 2:4 reads, "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." When we speak with people, do they think we are more interested in them than a message on our phone?

Sherry Turkle lists five reasons why we need to carefully evaluate the impact of cell phones on our lives and our relationships, and I've listed some Bible verses to ponder as well.

1. People have adopted new technologies in pursuit of greater control, only to feel controlled by them. Ephesians 5:15-16: "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." Do we spend time we should be walking with the Holy Spirit on our cell phones instead?




2. Idealized selves that are created with social media leave real selves all the more isolated. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Looking down at a cell phone might seem like a way to look busy, important, or popular but it is really just another way to isolate yourself from someone God might have wanted you to connect with.


3. People communicate incessantly but are often afraid of face-to-face conversations. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Almost everyone is more careful about what they say to someone's face than what they put in a text message or email.


4. Children develop better, students learn better, and employees perform better when their mentors set good examples and carve out spaces for face-to-face interactions. 1 John 2:20 says, "But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge." The Holy Spirit is the most important source for information in our lives. In my own experience, he has never spoken to me in a text message.


5. Through conversational attention, people acquire a sense of enduring connectedness and a habit of talking about their feelings, rather than simply acting on them. One of the first verses in our Bibles is Genesis 2:18. God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." The Lord God was not referring to a cell phone.


Stop and look around the sports arena, the school cafeteria, the mall, or even the church parking lot. As Christians, called to share our lives and our witness with others, are we connecting with people like we should? Does a small electronic device seem more interesting than the child at your feet or the spouse at your side? Does your cell phone exert too much control on your life and drain too much of your time each day?

People matter most. When we stand before the Lord on the Day of Judgement, not one of us will glance down at our cell phone. A challenge: Leave that phone in your purse, your pocket, or—better yet—at home or in the car. You might have a meaningful conversation with God or someone else as a result. Why did I think it was important to write this blog post?



"So you will find favour and good success in the sight of God and man" (Proverbs 3:4). Amen??

www.janetdenison.com/blog/378-5-reasons-to-silence-your-cell-phone

My aversion to facebook.

A number of years ago now I opened a facebook account for the sole purpose of being able to contact a member of the family whilst they were is a heavily censored communist state. They had a link through facebook that was via a close by open country. Facebook at the time meant that I was able to keep abreast of their work and security without the inconvenience of opened or disappearing post or the telephone going suddenly dead.

Facebook to me at that time was a very useful tool but very quickly I learned what a silly and potentially dangerous thing it really was. Not only is it childish, playground and geeky stuff it is a replacement for the old garden fence for gossips. I found so much of it to be trite tinged with all sorts of foolish and dangerous content.

One morning when opening up my page I learned what colour underpants a member of our congregation had gone to work in that day. That was enough for me and I vowed to never look at it again. I have kept that vow for the last 5 or 6 years and am resolute to keep well away from what I now refer to as Facelessbook:

It therefore gave me great joy when I received the following by e-mail the other day.

Facebook.. in real life...

For those of my older generation who do not really comprehend why Facebook exists:

It's a way of sharing your life with thousands and making new friends.
 Presently, I am trying to make friends outside of Facebook while applying the same principles.

 Therefore, every day I go down on the street and tell passers-by what I have eaten, how I feel, what I have done the night before and what I will do tomorrow night.  Then I give them pictures of my family, my dog, and me gardening and spending time in my pool.

I also listen to their conversations and I tell them I love them.

And it works.

I already have three persons following me:  two police officers and a psychiatrist.

This seems to put all in context to me!

Testimony part 3

Throughout the pages of this blog I have written posts concerning my relationship with the church. the blog started in the days of my Pastorate in Ogmore-by-Sea and has ended up with us now in Looe in Cornwall. How that all works out is by God's gracious guiding hand.

We had a wonderful time in South Wales and have many great friends from those days but there came a time when we began to feel unsettled in the knowledge that God was moving us on. Jo & Jim our daughter and son-in-law were called to pastor Grace Community Church in Morval, Looe at the same time as circumstances were leading us where we did not know.

Some members of Grace Community Church were involved in a very attractive Christian resource centre right on the sea front in Looe. they were looking for a resource manager and we were immediately drawn to The Rusty Bucket Christian Resource Centre. You will find  many postings concerning the work there on this site, it was a great opportunity but sadly due to issues well documented throughout this blog it did not work out for us. I eventually resigned after 6 months hard labour within the charity. 

This left us somewhat confused as too what God was doing through the whole experience.

I found myself for the first time in my life unemployed and unsure of what the future might bring for us. Upon my return from the most difficult meeting with representatives of the trustees of the RB Pam asked how I felt. the honest answer was ecstatic and exited. 

BUT

How were we to make ends meet? The answer to that is "God is good." We have some lovely friends amongst the trustees of the RB but in all honesty the way that employees and volunteers were treated was a poor witness to Jesus and as such I have had to spend many heart searching hours in dealing with issues. There are many hurting Christians that have sought counsel from their own experience.

That is now behind us and we wish the new RB venture no ill.

We however were put in touch with a church in Callington called the Mustard Seed Evangelical Church. they were on the verge of splitting due to heavy handed leadership but we were immediately drawn to them and them to us. Over the last year they have become our spiritual family. they have appointed me to be pastor and we truly love each other. They do not replace Ogmore but they are the next phase of our experience and we are so pleased that God has worked it out this way.

the upshot of all of this is that we are so grateful to God for the past, both the good and the bad. We thank the faithful members and our friends in both Coventry and south Wales for your love and prayers. Thank you for the experience of serving jesus alongside you!

We also thank Grace Community Church for their patience and love over the last 2 years. And we are grateful to the RB for being the vehicle for bringing us here. We do hope that your new venture will be God honouring and as such blessed by Him. A special thanks to Ralph and Clare who we count as very special friends and I am so sorry for any hurt that I may have caused you both as I dealt with a situation that was painful to both you and I.

The Mustard Seed?

That is the next phase of what God is doing through this now aging old boy that some are pleased to call pastor. Please pray that we will always only glorify Him who holds our future in His hands.

It seems fitting at this point to change the name of the blog to callington Calling.

Looe Music?????? Festival

It is now 1:15 Saturday morning and the festival has been on the go approximately 9 hours. I first experienced the festival 2 years ago and was pleasantly surprised at the atmosphere and the excellent way in which it was organised. Last year I was away and so this is my second experience.

The two experiences could not be different.  Leading up to the start the townspeople of looe have had to put up with arrogant organisers who have no problem in driving their trucks and vehicles down one way streets the wrong way, the police and traffic wardens ignoring people parking in ridiculous places sometimes two abreast opposite the  entrance to the Quay car park. People who legitimately have to drive through the town have been attacked and told by pedestrians that they have no right to be there. Some residents have gone away because they cannot cope with the noise and mess that the festival brings. 

I am not naturally a moaner But!

This weekend has become a monster.

There is a pretence made that the festival gives a boost to the local traders. Ask the folk in the "bucket and spade"  shops about that. The only businesses that are boosted are the cafe's and pubs and even they are somewhat compromised by the vast array of outside caterers who have gained pole position and have squeezed our faithful businesses into the background. They may well do better but at what cost. The mobile food joints are peddling their overpriced and underwhelming wares and swanning off with the so-called boost for Looe.

I suppose the council will rake off a tidy sum as will the Quay and Harbour people, the rest of us are simply compromised and all in the name of music. anybody that knows me recognises that I love a vast variety of music. The Huckleberry Fins (above) as on other occasions opened the festival and I have to say well done to them. I loved your rendition of Breathe! This was followed by some run of the mill band and later on the Proclaimers who in my estimation are good for 2-3 songs and then you have heard it all. A couple of hours of that caused me to turn on our television, only the second time in 12 months! The Rugby settled my nerve and cause me to reflect.

Does it really matter that the beach is almost inaccessible?

Does it really matter that I cannot walk along the banjo Pier as is my custom?

Does it really matter that I have had to put up with some kind of "Umpah band" playing what is best described as a cacophony of discord less that 30 feet from my very sleepy head?

Does it really matter that revellers are now entering into the Admiral Boscarn and will be kicked out onto the streets in an hours time with a belly full of ethanol and whatever else was available? 

Does it really matter that at 1:30 am there are people outside of my window shouting expletives and arguing at levels that make your ears bleed?

Does it really matter that the road to home is closed from 6:00 -12:00 midnight, locking me either in or out?

Does it really matter that I have to work on Sunday and cannot return home until after midnight and that I am going away before 7:00 the next morning?

Does it really matter that I am now getting out of this madness tomorrow and having to pay for bed and breakfast because the council, the harbour commission, the love Looers, the singers in the rock and roll bands and all and sundry are exercising their rights to hold this festival on my very doorstep?

Of course it does not matter because who am I and the other residents of this little town? Our rights are not taken into account. We really do not matter in the grand scheme of things!

I am so grateful that somebody loves Looe but what about the residents. Do they love the people or just the coffers that come in?

I will tell you that Jesus loves you and He also loves the festival goers and organisers. Instead of the chaos of discord He brings peace to hearts and souls of all who will call on His name and in this:

My Rant is Over.

Training terrorists!

It seems to me that the number 1 enemy in Cornwall is the common seagull. Here in Looe there are a number of warning signs that they are dangerous but yet people can be seen on a daily basis training them to do what they were created for but in a wrong way. Gulls are the scavengers of the coast, they should be about the business of cleaning up dead and unwanted sea creatures but humans have encouraged them in land to scavenge on open tips etc. Now they have become a danger to people old and young due to their fearless thieving of anything edible out of the hands of infants to adults. They can be seen to stalk their victim swoop and steal leaving open wounds on many. Just last week there were reports in Cornwall of a dog being attacked and killed by a number of gulls and then a pet tortoise being savaged to death.

How long is it going to be before a person is seriously injured by one of these flying terrorists?

Many of the seaside towns in Cornwall and elsewhere in the UK are overburdened by these birds who have exchanged cliff faces for our rooftops for their nesting ground. the result is an unacceptable level of noise at dawn and even worse dung dropped from on high everywhere. Nobody is safe and nothing is sacred from their aerial bombardment. It damages everything that it adheres to and is at the least somewhat unsavoury to see all around. If unfortunate to be hit then it is a violation of your personal liberty. 

These birds are out of control!

What can be done about it? Humans who train them to steal ought to be dealt with severely! We cannot blame a bird whose nature it is to scavenge when they are regularly tossed chips in order that (mostly) tourists can marvel at their exquisite flying skills. It might be holiday entertainment to them but it is just training the birds to become an even greater problem. Those guilty of feeding them should be fined handsomely and the monies gathered used to clean up the mess and devastation made by these invaders of our towns. 

I am not campaigning against gulls, I love to watch their aerobatics, they are fantastic flyers and are one of the most photogenic birds in our land. They are part of God's wonderful creation and bring pleasure to all who watch them but they have been in the terrorist camps of humanity and have been trained to be a pest. We deal with those who are trained to be terrorists and we do all that we can to stop the trainers, when are we going to do something serious about the feeders of the gulls? 

I have one last suggestion that will be unacceptable to many I am sure. In Genesis God told Adam to subdue and care for nature. Nature is now fallen and is out of balance and so we have colonies of birds that are out of control. There is nothing wrong with reducing (not devastating!!!!) the number of gulls in our towns both for the safety and security of the population and also for the sake of the gulls themselves. If that offends you why not contact me and we can chat about it. 

Public enemy number 1?