I'm not generally comfortable with pictures of myself, but here's an entirely spontaneous one taken after the prayer meeting last week.

We are running a Giving in Grace campaign this month, and I am explaining my earlier comments on the treasury. We have very little money, but we have been made too feel for too long that this is a problem and we must on no account spend anything. What we have is a gift, an opportunity, and a test of our courage. We should spend, not frivolously, but carefully and in a targeted, considered way, and in a public and expressive way. By giving like that we will inspire confidence and vision in those around us and encourage others to do the same.

Giving is a gift, a privilege that more people need to realise the value of.
What you give is what you get.

Pleading poverty is a very negative attitude and one that can only re-generate itself.
Like boredom and apathy. Do nothing and you get more tired. Propagating by self-replication.

These people make me feel very special, and in so many ways we are all very good for each other.

Faith and church is about so much more than religion and God. Enlightening, fascinating, refreshing while at the same time challenging, purposeful and complex. The mix of humility and pride is hard to explain, but I feel I have such a long way to go with this. An understanding of people and concern for others that I never even knew I didn't have.
You don't know what it is you haven't got, until you have it. That's what I mean by enlightening.
Self-awakening, self-awareness. Self confidence and self respect.

Selfish arrogance... its a thin line. Prayers for patience, understanding, vision.

Light of the world, You step down into darkness.
Opened my eyes let me see.
Beauty that made this heart adore you
Hope of a life spent with you

I am at a loss to know where this comes from and why this hat feels so comfortable.

I'm two thirds of the way through the book "Northern Lights" for the second time and enjoying it even more than previously.
Seems therefore a perfect time to watch the film Biscuit passed me a week or three ago.

What is it Lyra says on meeting Iorek Byrnisson?
"I was excited. And scared. Now I'm just disappointed." Something like that.
For a film that lasts only just over 90 minutes its heavy going and difficult to follow.
Seems I can review music, but not films. Probably because I don't watch films.
I accept that the film is 'an interpretation' of the book, and there are many events common to both, but there are so many plot lines, key details and character studies missing that I think anyone who had not read the book would struggle to understand it. Maybe that's the case - the film is meant to bring to life the book and is targeted at those who have read it? Well then if that is so, why deviate so much and patronise the (young) audience with this dumpling of a movie. Surely people aren't so stupid they can't follow a story line? Perhaps young film goers are - and perhaps the film is designed to appeal to others who have NOT read the book? Which I'm sure it must fail to do.

It's a shambles. The significance of the daemons are SO understated its almost a nonsense to suggest that being torn form them is such a big deal.
Why is Lyra taken to the ice bears when she's captured by the Samoyed, not straight to Bolvanga? Why is Serafina Pekkala in it so early, and not her goose daemon? Why is the 'ghost boy' Billy Costa? That's just corny...
Mrs Coulter is not nearly evil enough and the film lacks any depth or challenge.
In fact, the introduction of the gyptians in the film is weak and insignificant. Who are these people? The film makes a lot of assumptions.

I also thought the animation was laughable in places. The ice bears really are cheap copies of each other, and Iorek's fighting is so badly done in places that he jumps around on the screen as if half the frames are missing!
Pan's morphing is not well done either. Suggests to me a rather lower budget than was necessary to do it properly.
The scientists running around during the blaze at Bolvangar seems as if it were made for the Benny Hill show.

Five years ago, Lord of the Rings set the standard for this kind of fantasy adventure animation. I think the stories are comparatively brilliant, and the films really could be as well. But the former is heavily 'copied' here and its a poor copy too. The ice bridge that Lyra crosses is cut and pasted directly from Khazad-Dhum in Moria and the battle scene is a direct parody of the Last battle on the Pelennor.
Serafina Pekkala might as well be Arwen.

So its cheap, rushed, too short and patronising. Difficult to follow and lacks any significant drama.
A great opportunity missed.