Pat congrats sounds like a very fun evening, Cod or Haddock at the 'posh' fish shop?

I'll have to listen to Kerry post as I'm not familiar with Frankie Valli, I bet you had to dust off the old mini for that show.LoL.

Just listened to Frankie V he wouldn't have been Helen choice, not enough Be bop.
She wasn't into crooners.     

I had cod and chips and peas and a glass of sauvignon blanc while chatting to my family with live piano music played on the grand piano.  Told you it was posh!
Frankie Valli was the lead singer of the Four Seasons who are in the rock and roll hall of fame.

They started out in 1956 while I was still at school, long before the era of the mini skirt. And were never really on my radar back then but I know most of their songs.

I was watching a Gaither video which had the fellow with long hair in it.  No one seemed to have a problem with it.  The church I grew up in did, that's for sure.  They cited Paul:

I Corinthians 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

I find that passage hard to understand.  Was it a "shame" when Samson had long hair, honoring the vow taken by Nazirites?  Why would God tell men who took that vow not to cut their hair if it was a shame? 

I also don't understand his reference to nature.  Male lions have long manes when females don't.

In every depiction of Jesus I've ever seen he has long hair.

Hi Mike,  thank you for all your efforts over the years on various sites.  If you feel you can't go on then do what's best for yourself and don't worry about the site.  Rest yourself, retire gracefully and enjoy your resting. xx

  I went to church on Sunday, a church that had dwindled from 500 members with lots of children to as few as 60 with no children at all; all growing older.  But in recent years there has been a change and now there are at least 20 children who come with their families.  But the surprising thing is that most of the new people are black.  But there is definitely a feeling of moving forward. 

Now it has been a thing for the people of this church who have been there since it's beginning in the 80s to keep looking back to the 'glory days' when you had to get there early to get a good seat.  But as I remained seated during one of the hymns I didn't know I felt that the time of looking back was over and God was moving the church forward.  And I sat and just prayed, as the people around me sang, for the Holy Spirit to take over and guide us into a new era.  And then afterwards a friend said she had a vision of Jesus walking in front of her, leading the way.

The other day I was thinking about how we unconsciously refuse to give ourselves permission for certain things.  With Ray it was to allow himself treats.  He only ever ate when he was hungry and wasn't a one for biscuits, crisps or chocolate or having a glass of beer with a meal or on a warm afternoon. 

With me I've realised I have held back permission to myself to spend money on me.  For many years I dressed in clothes bought at charity shops and felt guilty if I bought anything new.  Even for things I needed for the house I looked in the charity shops first.  But I have now freed myself up and after all these years I no longer feel bad about what I spend on myself.  I still look out for discounts and bargains though.

It just got me wondering if other people have the same 'problem'.

I was watching the semi finals yesterday and they had a number of medical emergencies in the crowd, had to stop the match a few times.Thats happened on other days as well. I don’t think I could cope sitting there for a long time in the heat.

Did you see that they ran out of Evian water?

Listening to ‘ Casting crowns ‘ I have fallen in love with their songs. Sometimes I wake up to songs being laid on my heart - some of their songs just stay with me all day
“ East to west “ “ Voice of truth “ and “ Praise in the storm “ are my favourites at the moment. They all just speak to me so much.

A family wedding is creating a lot of anxiety for both me and Sarah, lots of dynamics between different members of the family, but for me it’s issues between Sarah and her older brother. How I have prayed for a change of heart in him, however as so many issues are arising this week I am wondering if it’s to try and prevent us from wanting to go - so i will persevere as who knows what will unfold.

Thought I had another abscess a few weeks ago, was enduring to pray and keep believing as the pain had eased with no swelling ect. I decided to get it checked, a slight infection is there but not enough to damage the tooth. I have anti biotics if the pain starts again, but I am trusting it will heal and remain ok- this kind of thing just gets me so low because of problems I had a few years ago.Another reason why I haven’t been very active xxxx

It must be horrible to have such tensions in your family Rita.  I've recently been thinking about my own family and apart from the Rachel thing  we are all good.  Which showed after Ray died.  As many of us could be were with him at the end including some of my grandchildren and in-laws.  And everybody in my family and Ray's came to the funeral with there partners, even Jenayah was there.  It's so lovely that they all get on with each other and with me and thought such a lot of Ray too.

Having someone install them might help.  I'm not sure how much they weigh and was wondering if Pat could lift them. I hate doing that so much, I leave them in the windows over winter and cover them up with a blanket and curtains. 

Have you and Helen heard from Mike? It's been a while since he posted.  I hope he's okay what with all the high temperatures in England lately.

Today I have my air purifier switched on and it cools the room slightly but I've also got a large pillar fan which I can use if it gets unbearable which is usually about 24C - top 70s F I think that is.  We're really not used to such high temps.  And there are health warnings now about how this hot weather can adversely affect certain medicines and even cause cancer in such hot conditions.  Who knew!