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Blessings
Getting old(er), and particularly being fifty, is a little odd. For example, I am now older than Linda's aunts and uncles were when I first met them. That's a very odd feeling. But age also has its compensations - not least being that of having experienced a lot of life, and made a lot of mistakes which I won't be repeating! And life is still fun!
Linda (my wife!) and I were very blessed recently - and still are. A young couple, Rob and Suzie Shearsby, asked us to be god-parents to their daughter, Phoebe. Suzie and Rob are members of our church, and we see them very regularly, so we're able to begin to get to know Phoebe properly. We get regular updates, as well as seeing her at church most weeks, so we feel properly involved, and can pray for the whole family in an informed way. And they seem happy to hand Phoebe over for us to mind, and get to know, which is lovely, because we both love babies! Even better still, Ruth Paterson, with whom we're also close friends, is one of their son Noah's godparents, so we can do stuff together with both kids.
The Great Debate, Part Two
I am regretting having started to think around the 'debate' (if I can dignify it with that name) between the 'biblical literalists' and the 'militant atheists'. It has forced me to try to think out an opinion on things which I was (and still would be) happy to let rest as mysteries until that last day when I meet God in person and can either ask Him, or else it all becomes blindingly obvious!
I was (and would still be) happy to believe that the universe came into existence via some sort of 'Big Bang', though with God saying "Right then, let's get started!", rather than it being through the mechanism of pure chance. That way God is still creator, but the science can still be in there. Similarly with the creation of the earth's living things - I was happy enough for God to have created them, and then allowed them to evolve. But I've been forced, recently, to re-examine these, perhaps somewhat naive, beliefs, and to try to set them on a firmer footing. Oh, how I wish I hadn't bothered - it's given me a real headache!
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