Warm Clothes

I made a trip to the pillar box to post a letter and my head and body froze. The next time i put opn a hat and a warm coat-thank God foe warm cloths especially in Winter weather.

My Feet

The foot is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of one or more segments or bones, generally including claws or nails.

Human foot Anatomy
The human foot and ankle is a strong and complex mechanical structure containing more than 26 bones, 33 joints (20 of which are actively articulated), and more than a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments.[1]

An anthropometric study of 1197 North American adult Caucasian males (mean age 35.5 years) found that a man's foot length was 26.3 cm with a standard deviation of 1.2 cm.

The foot can be subdivided into the hindfoot, the midfoot, and the forefoot:

The hindfoot is composed of the talus or ankle bone and the calcaneus or heel bone. The two long bones of the lower leg, the tibia and fibula, are connected to the top of the talus to form the ankle. Connected to the talus at the subtalar joint, the calcaneus, the largest bone of the foot, is cushioned inferiorly by a layer of fat.

The five irregular bones of the midfoot, the cuboid, navicular, and three cuneiform bones, form the arches of the foot which serves as a shock absorber. The midfoot is connected to the hind- and fore-foot by muscles and the plantar fascia.

The forefoot is composed of five toes and the corresponding five proximal long bones forming the metatarsus. Similar to the fingers of the hand, the bones of the toes are called phalanges and the big toe has two phalanges while the other four toes have three phalanges. The joints between the phalanges are called interphalangeal and those between the metatarsus and phalanges are called metatarsophalangeal

The instep is the arched part of the top of the foot between the toes and the ankle.Wiki

My Hands

A hand (med./lat.: manus, pl. manūs) is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each "hand" and fingerprints remarkably similar to human fingerprints) are often described as having either "hands" or "paws" on their front limbs.

Hands are the chief organs for physically manipulating the environment, used for both gross motor skills (such as grasping a large object) and fine motor skills (such as picking up a small pebble). The fingertips contain some of the densest areas of nerve endings on the body, are the richest source of tactile feedback, and have the greatest positioning capability of the body; thus the sense of touch is intimately associated with hands. Like other paired organs (eyes, feet, legs), each hand is dominantly controlled by the opposing brain hemisphere, so that handedness, or the preferred hand choice for single-handed activities such as writing with a pen, reflects individual brain functioning.

Some evolutionary anatomists use the term hand to refer to the appendage of digits on the forelimb more generally — for example, in the context of whether the three digits of the bird hand involved the same homologous loss of two digits as in the dinosaur hand.

The hand has 27 bones, 14 of which are the phalanges (proximal, medial, and distal) of the fingers. The metacarpal is the bone that connects the fingers and the wrist. Each human hand has 5 metacarpals.Wiki.

Wow what a gift my hands and fingers are! I wouldn't be able to type this post for starters if I didn't have the use of them, or drive a car, or put petrol in it, or ride my Honda CX500, or lift a cup of tea to drink it, or put my clothes on, or wash my face, or hammer a nail into a wall or a piece of wood, or lift a book to read it,or lock the door at night, or turn the computer or TV on, or lift my kids when they were young, or catch a ball, or lift a dumbell, or use a knife and fork, or post a letter into the letter box-is there more-much, much more!

Thank you Lord for the use of my hands.

Disciple's Prayer- What Can I Do For You ?

What Can I Do For You?
You have given everything to me
What can I do for You?
You have given me eyes to see
What can I do for You?

Pulled me out of bondage and You made me renewed inside
Filled up a hunger that had always been denied
Opened up a door no man can shut and You opened it up so wide
And You’ve chosen me to be among the few
What can I do for You?

You have laid down Your life for me
What can I do for You?
You have explained every mystery
What can I do for You?

Soon as a man is born, you know the sparks begin to fly
He gets wise in his own eyes and he’s made to believe a lie
Who would deliver him from the death he’s bound to die?
Well, You’ve done it all and there’s no more anyone can pretend to do
What can I do for You?

You have given all there is to give
What can I do for You?
You have given me life to live
How can I live for You?

I know all about poison, I know all about fiery darts
I don’t care how rough the road is, show me where it starts
Whatever pleases You, tell it to my heart
Well, I don’t deserve it but I sure did make it through
What can I do for You?

Copyright © 1980 by Special Rider Music

A New Morning with You.

God as Our Father

What a privilege and joy it is to be able to call God 'our Father who is in heaven'.To come to him each day as a thankful child, to trust in the goodness of his Fatherhood, to sit at his feet and worship and adore him. To trust each step of our earthly pilgrimage.

My task, possessing nought, to give;
No life to have, yet ever live--
And ever losing, gain;
To follow, knowing not the way;
If He shall call, to answer, "Yea--
All hail all shame and pain!"

Where silent in His Holy Place
I look enraptured on His Face
In glory undefiled;
And know the heaven of His kiss,
The doing nought, the simple bliss
Of being but a child.
Tersteegen

The Surpassing Greatness of Knowing Christ Jesus my Lord

'What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ'

In this exercise of writing things that I am thankful for it should be noted that these posts are not written in order of priority, hence today's post is not the first one!The words above are taken from St Paul's letter to the Philippians and echo in the hearts of all those who have tasted of knowledge of Christ.

My own experience of God would have started as a child when I heard the wonderful stories of Jesus at Sunday School and at the 'wee' meetings that were taken by faithful Christian workers in the green field in the middle of the housing estate where I lived. Also my mum and dad would sing hymns and in particular an old time favourite which had the chorus 'Tell me the old old story of Jesus and His love.'As a child God was very real to me as I would talk to him each night. I knew he was real, I knew he was my friend and I knew he was good. But as I got older I became more crafty and lost childlike faith. I became a practical atheist, my god became football and I 'went astray'and drifted from what I had once held to be true.

God then sent people into my life: B.B. officers, Crusader leaders,certain school teachers and finally two young evangelists who arrived at my door one Saturday afternoon in 1973. I responded to the message but did not at that time experience the joy of that relationship.After about a year and being influenced by books such as God's Smuggler and against the tide the biographies of Brother Andrew and Watchman Nee the famous Chinese Christian along with the hymns and poetry of Wesley and Tersteegen God revealed himself to me in an incredible way. My life became simple yet I knew God was so close to me.I was not immune to trials and tribulations and was buffeted by Satan's attacks when I believed that I had committed the 'unforgivable sin'.But God in his grace preserved me and was able to use it to strengthen me in the same way a footballer in days gone by would use a 'medicine ball' to strengthen the kicking power of his weaker foot.

George Verwer

George Verwer is the Founder and former International Director of Operation Mobilisation, which is a ministry of evangelism, discipleship training and church planting. George led Operation Mobilisation for over 40 years before stepping down in August 2003. George has a burning concern for vital, propagating and revolutionary Christianity in his own life and in those he meets.

Saved at the age of 16 in a Jack Wyrtzen meeting, in which Billy Graham spoke in Madison Square Garden, New York, George returned to his school in northern New Jersey. Within a year about 200 of his classmates had found a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ. Shortly after his conversion he said to God, ‘Only one thing I want in life – I want to learn to pray, to love you, I want to know you and commune with you.’ He has not moved from that principle.

George had a growing conviction to share the Word of God on foreign soil. He started with distribution of Gospels of John in Mexico along with two friends. This continued with others during summer holidays - beginning in Mexico in 1957.

Attending Maryville College after high school, he transferred to Moody Bible Institute where he met a girl, Drena, who was a fellow student and later became his wife. They went to Spain where in 1961 the work of OM was born. The goal, always the same, is to get to know God together in discipling young Christians while concurrently carrying out a rigorous programme of world evangelism.

Today OM reaches across the world through the ministry of their ship Logos Hope and over 6,100 people working in over 110 nations to make Christ known in the lives of all they meet. For many years George served as International Director of OM and helped raise up dedicated leadership to pursue this task across the world, freeing him to travel and speak, helping many find their role in extending the Kingdom of God.

George shares the Christian revolution of love and balance right around the world. He starts at home emphasizing the need to worship God, live in fellowship with one another by walking in the light, and live a disciplined life of victory as forgiven, repentant, Cross-centered Christians.

George and his wife are now involved in Special Projects Ministries (still part of OM) full-time. They have three adult children;five grandchildren and make their home in England.


I met George the other night at the Belfast Bible College. He is in his seventies but still as passionate as ever about mission as he was when he started out.He has been a friend to me for the last twenty years or so, sending me books and inspiring and encouraging me through his many letters-as he has also been a friend to countless other Christians throughout the world.I'm thankful to God for him and whenever I think of him I want to go out and talk to others about Christ- may some of his inspiration and passion rub off on me!

The Mountains Of Mourne

The Mourne Mountains (also called the Mournes or Mountains of Mourne – pronounced morn ) are a granite mountain range in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland. It includes the highest mountains in Northern Ireland and the province of Ulster. The highest of these is Slieve Donard at 852 metres (2,795 ft). The Mournes is an area of outstanding natural beauty and has been proposed as the first national park in Northern Ireland. The area is partly owned by the National Trust and see a large number of visitors every year. The name Mourne (historically spelt Morne) is derived from the name of a Gaelic clann or sept called the Múghdhorna.

The mountainsThe Mournes are visited by many tourists, hill walkers, cyclists and rock climbers. Following a fundraising drive in 1993, the National Trust purchased nearly 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) of land in the Mournes. This included a part of Slieve Donard and nearby Slieve Commedagh, at 767 metres (2,516 ft) the second-highest mountain in the area.


The Mourne Wall, looking towards Hare's GapThe Mourne Wall is among the more famous features in the Mournes. It is a 35 kilometres (22 mi) dry-stone wall that crosses fifteen summits, constructed to define the boundaries of the 36 square kilometres (8,900 acres) area of land purchased by the Belfast Water Commissioners in the late 1800s. This followed a number of Acts of Parliament allowing the sale, and the establishment of a water supply from the Mournes to the growing industrial city of Belfast. Construction of the Mourne Wall was started in 1904 and was completed in 1922.

Some of the mountains have names beginning Slieve, from the Irish word sliabh, meaning mountain. Examples are Slieve Donard, Slieve Lamagan and Slieve Muck. There are also a number of curious names: Pigeon Rock; Buzzard's Roost; Brandy Pad; the Cock and Hen; Percy Bysshe; the Devil's Coach Road; and Pollaphuca, which means "hole of the fairies or sprites".

How I love the Mourne Mountains! Driving to Newcastle and coming into Dundrum fills me delight in any season as I look upon this little mountain range.I remember being up in them every Easter when I went to the Crusader House parties in Newcastle which were often led by Mr Joe Campbell now a missionary in Nepal. In the mountains all your problems would dissipate amidst the beautiful scenery. God's glory. My wife lived in the beautiful town of Newcastle before she met me and it brought me great pleasure to to visit her parents each Sunday- the place where the mountain of Mournes sweep down to the sea.

That 'It is well with my soul' when things are hard.

"It Is Well with My Soul" is a very influential hymn penned by hymnist Horatio Spafford and composed by Philip Bliss.

This hymn was written after several traumatic events in Spafford’s life. The first was the death of his only son in 1871 at the age of four, shortly followed by the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer). Then in 1873, he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the SS Ville du Havre, but sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sailing ship, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford's daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, "Saved alone . . .". Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.

Bliss called his tune Ville du Havre, from the name of the stricken vessel.[1]

The Spaffords later had three more children, one of whom (a son) died in infancy. In 1881 the Spaffords, including baby Bertha and newborn Grace, set sail for Israel. The Spaffords moved to Jerusalem and helped found a group called the American Colony; its mission was to serve the poor. The colony later became the subject of the Nobel prize winning Jerusalem, by Swedish novelist Selma Lagerlöf.

Although the original manuscript reads "know" at the end of the third line, almost all recordings and written reproductions read "say".

The Georgia Southern University marching band Southern Pride plays the song at the end of each win. Christian metalcore band, Haste the Day, named their band after a verse in the hymn.

"It Is Well with My Soul" was recorded and released by Christian rock bands Audio Adrenaline and Kutless in 1999 and 2009 respectively. The Kutless version, which is the title track of their 2009 album, is played and sung in a Hard rock style.

In 2008, Kristyn Getty sang it at a confrence in the US, becoming a hit on YouTube.[2]

In January 2011, Hillsong Music recorded a version of the hymn after singing a "version of the old hymn" in church on January 16th. The song was recorded in Sydney in three days, mixed in England overnight and finally mastered in LA. All proceeds from the recording go to help the Queensland Flood Relief Effort. [3] This version of the song features Darlene Zschech singing solo and an added Bridge written by Reuben Morgan and Ben Fielding.

Footwear

Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for fashion, protection against the environment, and adornment. Being barefoot is commonly associated with poverty, but some cultures chose not to wear footwear at least in some situations.

Socks and other hosiery are usually worn between the feet and other footwear, less often with sandals and flip flops (thongs). Footwear is sometimes associated with fetishism, particularly in some fashions in shoes, including boots.

Durable shoes are a relatively recent invention, though many ancient civilizations wore ornamental footwear. Many ancient civilizations saw no need for footwear. The Romans saw clothing and footwear as signs of power and status in society, and most Romans wore footwear, while slaves and peasants remained barefoot. The Middle Ages saw the rise of high-heeled shoes, also associated with power, and the desire to look larger than life, and artwork often depicted someone barefoot as a symbol of poverty. Bare feet are also seen as a sign of humility and respect, and adherents of many religions worship or mourn barefoot, or remove their shoes as a sign of respect towards someone of higher standing.

In some cultures, it is customary for people to remove their shoes before entering a home, and some religious communities require shoes to be removed before entering a building which they regard as holy, such as a temple.

I think of the old saying: I thought I was poor when I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet!Yet today in the UK and many places throughout the world we have as our own possessions numerous pairs of footwear whether they are shoes (black,brown,white), slippers,training shoes, cowboy boats,sandals,clogs,Chelsea boots,Wellington boots, walking boots,football boots,safety boots and Motorcycle boots -have I missed any?.Certainly I appreciate being able to go outside my home and put on a pair of warm waterproof shoes. The thought of walking out in my bare feet, or an old leaky pair would fill me with dread!

A bed

A bed is a large piece of furniture (or a location) used as a place to sleep, relax, or engage in sexual relations.

Most modern beds consist of a mattress on a bed frame, with the mattress resting either on a solid base, often wooden slats, or a sprung base. In North America many beds include a box spring inner-sprung base, a large mattress-sized box containing wood and springs that provide additional support and suspension for the mattress.

Most beds have a headboard for resting against, with others also having side rails and footboards.
Headboard only beds often incorporate a dust ruffle, bed skirt, or valance sheet to hide the bed frame.

For greater head support, most people use a pillow, placed at the top of a mattress. Also used is some form of covering blanket to insulate the sleeper, often bed sheets, a quilt, or a duvet, collectively referred to as bedding. Bedding is the removable non-furniture portion of a sleeping environment. A bed can be thought of as a body, and the bedding its clothing.

Also, some people prefer to dispense with the box spring and bed frame, and replace it with a platform bed style. This is more common in Europe, Australia and Japan.Wiki

How great is a bed to lie on when exhausted after a long day. I wouldn't be too keen to lie each night on a hard floor or an uneaven piece of ground though I have done my fair share of camping. Perhaps camping has evn given me an appreciation for a soft bed especially with my beloved beside me- I think it's time for bed now!