HOME AND AWAY?

WELL TODAY I definitely do not feel as if I am on a 'Picnic'.     DOWN in the woods - or is it the 'dumps' today, and no other 'bears' in sight - ALL ALONE.......my wife has GONE and departed 400 kilometres AWAY and left me all alone!     It has not happened often, but each time it has I know how lonely I am without her.     So strange don't you think?  And she will be back, God Willing, on Sunday!!

And sometimes,s even when she is with me these days I feel STILL alone, just because she is on the phone, or spending time in some other corner of the compound talking to others.     I must be entering into my second childhood........BUT I am jealous for her company always.    Am I being over 'romantic' or 'Idyllic'?    No - it is just that I have got 'used to her face'.   I know her 'step', her voice, her laugh, from far.    She fills up my life, and completes it.    Recently I read that a man alone is like a 'vase without flowers'.     And yes I can identify with this for I do today feel empty and unattractive without her who is my one true earthly companion.     Without her around to tell me she loves me, to chide me and even encourage me I feel definitely 'down in the WOODS' alone and rather futile.       When we are together she is my sounding board, a stamp of confirmation that I am right or wrong  -  my critique and my commentary.     But when I am alone in the woods my words and thoughts remain unheard by her and fall unnoticed, quickly swallowed by an enormous silence.
I am speaking as if I am ALONE WITHOUT GOD, but of course this is not so - I KNOW God is with me always - BUT there ARE times when HE is silent, then I am the MORE alone, and King David knew this and often cried out to God, saying -

'..be not silent to me:

lest if thou be silent to me, 

                 I become like them that go down into the pit. - Psalm 28v1

Castaways, separated, cut off!    He hated to be in that condition and situation, because he KNEW  how different it was when God was WITH him, close to him, in communion and in love.   YET there are times we DO 'feel' His 'silence' and wear it like a garment of discomfort and neglect.

She has just rung me up - she will ring again later.     I cannot phone her since my phone is dead to outgoing calls since last week.    I can only receive calls.    Bit like that with FATHER this week as well - Quite a lot going out but nothing coming back in.......but HE is still there and thinking of me, just as SHE, by little Esther, is there too.     Sunday will soon be here.

WHAT AM I DOING crooning over wives and women?     Surely not in character with my usual stance against - for example - women in the church -  the dominance (over men) of women in general.     I am one of the LAITY that cannot agree with women bishops, even pastors - as a rule.
YET I began this Blog today insisting that men are ALONE without them.........What would my wife say about that..........I think (as a woman who has in the past taught high school and headed a Primary School) she would at least be tempted to believe she could pastor a church.......but she also feels that this would not be God's will for her.       At least, if nothing else, for the sake of the 'angels' and the 'powers' above!

THE LATEST GOVERNMENT APPOINTED  Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby (left) has just 'INSISTED that women will eventually be ordained as bishops despite the Church (the laity) being against it.'    I find this very interesting.      I personally feel it WILL happen, and I do not see the general climate changing that applauds the equality of women - lock, stock, and barrel  (body, soul, and spirit).       I think it is not necessarily RIGHT.      Basically the doctrine of our 21st Century is that there must be NO DIFFERENCE between the sexes - and already this has opened the door to same sex (homosexual and lesbian) 'marriage'  -   a variation of 'marriage' or human union, that was never purposely contemplated by GOD.     It is unnatural, and I believe that this alone should alert men and women everywhere in taking care just how equal they should be.
C.S.LEWIS, the well known Christian writer and theologian writing in 1948 was of the opinion that if ever the Church of the England (the Anglican Church) allowed women to be ordained priests it would split it asunder - but they have managed to do so without a 'split' so far.    LEWIS did not consider that 'equality' of the sexes necessarily implied interchangeability, and he spoke and wrote as a Christian from a Christ centred perspective.      He also touched on the impropriety of women acting as priests on the basis that God did not send His 'daughter' but His SON to die on the cross, and that this needed to be appreciated and demonstrated clearly in the Church which is the Bride of Christ!!.       Arguments not expected to cut much ice with non committed Christians, but surely ones that still ought to be considered seriously by those that are.
The Church worldwide is on a slippery slope downwards.      The Foundations are shaking.   If Christ does not come there may soon be NO Church.  NO TRUTH either.   NO respect for Man or Woman, but instead only a devalued appreciation of both together with an intrinsic LOSS in our idea of humanity as a whole.

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AND HERE IS MY ESTHER, with our Little daughter of 23 years, Helen at her Graduation yesterday in Nairobi.     She now has her DIPLOMA in Early Childhood Development which we trust will open the door to a good post as a Nursery School Teacher.    She did not know Esther would attend the function, so I guess she got a surprise.    Esther looks a little travel worn - they left here at 5a.m. to travel up to Nairobi in time for the Graduation at about 10am.      Daryl drove the VOXY up with Esther, two of Helen's friends from the homes, and also Jesse and Jeremy, Daryl's two sons.

Quite a posse.    Carol was left behind to finish up on her Vocational Bible School week for the children from the Homes and locality.   Final Day Will be tomorrow.

The new School building is almost finished, and the Swimming Pool is being excavated as I type.   Almost three quarters of it has been done already in about a day.   Will send up to date photos next week.     Should also be admitting three more children on Monday as well.

Locally Esther and I, and Daryl and Carol, all share in a Missionary Fellowship from the locality which meets weekly in each others houses.     We are a fraternity of about 30 from many nations - mainly American.    Thus on the 22nd we all came together for the USA Thanksgiving, and shared a meal together.     There must have been more than 80 present!!      Actually I did not attend this year as our Secondary Form 4 Examination Class were having their Farewell, and I always attend it.    This year it was later than usual and coincided with Thanksgiving.      It was a good time, and we were proud of these students, some of whom had been with us in the School from Nursery - almost 14 years.     Now they will wait for their Results in February next year and hopefully find a place in College or University.     Wow.

God Bless you all.    Time is moving fast.    Soon be Christmas!!      

John and Esther & Daryl and Carol