John Birch

Cerne Abbey, Dorchester

An Advent prayer for the for those seeking shelter, a roof over their heads…
#prayer #Advent

St Bride, by John Duncan. Known as 'the foster mother of Christ', Saint Bride is being carried by angels across the Sound of lona in the Inner Hebrides, to Bethlehem. In the distance is the silhouette of lona Abbey.
Edinburgh gallery

It happens, thank goodness, rays of light in often gloomy days…
#prayer

Font at Brecon Cathedral

Apparently it’s #fontsonfriday so here’s one from Brecon Cathedral

cagle.com/topic/ice-ra...

Good point, but the research was done in Japan, and most folks seem to live in apartments from what we saw when we visited son when he was across there. Number of dog owning households has soared since Covid.

Having a dog can boost teenagers’ mental health, say scientists Researchers find children who own dogs score lower for social problems, aggressive behaviour and delinquency

The team found teenagers who owned dogs at 13 years old had significantly lower scores for social problems, social withdrawal, thought problems, delinquent behaviour and aggressive behaviour by the age of 14 than those who did not own dogs. Kind of makes some sense I think!

So, how do you like your eggs?
Old woman cooking eggs, by Diego Velázquez
National Gallery, Edinburgh
#photo #art

Torture is the only way to describe this - but then so was water-boarding of detainees some years back, and nothing was changed or acted upon then….

Garden ponds provide vital habitats – and a revival is under way in Britain Even tiny ponds can create biodiversity hotspots, as well as helping out during heatwaves and heavy rain

Yea! Let’s hear it for garden ponds! Always nice to do a bit of pond dipping in ours with the grandkids, finding newts and all manner of life within the water!

The oxymoron library

A visit to the oxymoron library… feel free to add your own subject areas…

Our words can hurt, cause pain and conflict, if not now, then later… handle with care!
#prayer

Over a pint in Oxford, we may have stumbled upon the holy grail of agriculture | George Monbiot I knew that a revolution in our understanding of soil could change the world. Then came a eureka moment – and the birth of the Earth Rover Program, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

Over a pint in Oxford, we may have stumbled upon the holy grail of agriculture | George Monbiot.
Long article but if you’re into growing food then it’s worth a read

After 900-mile trek, Chicago priest urges action and empathy on deportations "We need to do more than talk," Fr. Gary Graf said. "We need to engage people in conversation. We need to step into the middle. We need to mediate in a sense."

"We need to do more than talk. We are an immigrant church. We are a nation of immigrants. We need to engage people in conversation. We need to step into the middle." #LiveTheGospel #WelcomeTheStranger #PrayForAmerica www.ncronline.org/news/after-9...

One for the many who offer their time, talents, skills, hugs or money to help others in need…
#prayer

Triptych by Bernardo Daddi (died 1348) in the National Gallery in Edinburgh.
#photo #artwork

The A-Z of being a modern Christian

Reform is reporting £331 million in savings across the councils it runs, but Private Eye’s Rotten Boroughs writer Saba Salman says the claims are complete guff.

Watch the full episode of Page 94, the Private Eye podcast, on YouTube.

Our days are filled with choices…
#prayer

I’m sure they’ll have a lovely singalong but I cannot connect Christianity with the outright racism that said gentleman expresses!
As I recall there were at least three foreigners present soon after Jesus’ birth…

A warm and golden sunrise in South Wales

This morning’s sunrise, perhaps an apology for a couple of wet days in Wales… 😆
#photo #landscape

Time to wander back home I think 🌧️
Kidwelly quay, S Wales
#photo #landscape

Pete Hegseth told US soldiers in Iraq to ignore legal advice on rules of engagement Defense secretary shares anecdote in The War on Warriors and rails against ‘rules and regulations’ governing war

Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, told soldiers under his command in Iraq to ignore legal advice about when they were permitted to kill enemy combatants under their rules of engagement.
He wrote about it his book!

Leadenhall Market, London, one of the city’s oldest covered markets, dating back to the 14th century.

Leadenhall Market, London, one of the city’s oldest covered markets, dating back to the 14th century.

You call us to feed the hungry…
#prayer

Don’t know the source of this but love it!

They’re very hardy and grow wild at the end of our garden in Wales

Trump’s pardon of Honduras’s ex-president shows counter-drug effort is ‘based on lies and hypocrisy’ Why has Trump blown up alleged narco boats in the Caribbean and at the same time decided to let a big time trafficker off the hook?

“[Let’s] stuff the drugs right up the noses of the gringos,” the double-dealing politician once allegedly bragged as he lined his pockets with millions of dollars in bribes and turned his country into what many called a narco-state.

A mystery virus and kids falling sick: How the UK war-gamed a new pandemic — The i Paper Ministers, civil servants and scientists have been war-gaming the Government response to another pandemic

A mystery virus and kids falling sick: How the UK war-gamed a new pandemic - seems like a good plan bearing in mind the mistakes made with Covid!