I have been busy of late updating my church website. I am sure I have got a lot to learn about such things. Whilst I am not a technophobe I do get rather frustrated by technology and in particular computers. They are fine as long as they are working but I often seen to get in a pickle with them. My normal course of action is to ask my husband, John, to sort out any issues and then if he really can't fix it to bite the bullet and sort it out myself. This worked really well until I ditched the windows based operating system laptop, invested in an Apple Mac book, and started fiddling around with Internet templates, not to mention Facebook, Blogger, and Twitter, all of which he knows little about. Today I picked someone's brains about the website. - Please understand this is a metaphor and I am not Hannibal Lecter and eat people's brains although I do admit to once eating Brain's Faggots (remember them?) As I am writing this I am wondering if I should be worried about their kind invitation to a meal and whether they will be serving faggots. For my American readers I ought to say that faggots are a traditional English meal made from meat offcuts and offal that use to be very popular.
On the subject of food I finished off a jar of Branston Pickle today. I have previously mentioned earlier that whilst I was at college I would often sit eating Marmite on wheat-free toast wondering where God was calling me to pastor a church. Burton upon Trent is the home of real ale, Marmite (made from the yeast extract from the brewing process), and Branston Pickle! If you want to know more about the history of Burton as a brewing town have a look at the Burton and South West Derbyshire Campaign for Real Ales website. I would also keep a bottle of Branston Pickle on hand and if I wasn't eating Marmite on my toast I would be eating pickle on my cheese and rice-cakes! You may have worked out by now that I have a wheat intolerance hence the need for taste toppings. Branston Pickle was made in Branston which is a small suburb of Burton from 1922 until 2004 when the factory relocated to Bury St Edmund's, Suffolk. I am sure God was having a laugh with me as I was searching for an answer to my prayer as to where he was calling me to. When we are looking for direction as to where God is leading us there are often clues along the way and confirmation that we are on the right path. We just need to open our eyes and see them. In case you are wondering no, I don't like real ale, I am more a West Country cider girl.
A couple of days ago I even managed to use Twitter correctly. I have had an account for a few years but could never get to grips with it. I have a tendency to use my iPhone (I am such an Apple junkie - but at least they are healthy!) for social networking which is fine as long as the app is easy to understand if not I get frustrated and put things on the bottom of my to do list. One of the big mistakes I made with Twitter was to follow too many people. Having culled those I follow, hopefully it wasn't painful, I added a few extra ones which has a knock on effect of them sometimes choosing to follow you. (It seems Twitter is just one big game of follow-my-leader.) It amused me somewhat that 'Russel Brand Fans' are now following me. Surely they should, by their nature, be following Russel? It made me laugh anyway! Following people is all well and good as long as they are not lost or misguided. Whilst I may follow people on Twitter I choose to take my lead in life from God. I am one of His many followers.
Earlier today my Mac decided to black screen on me even though it was powered up and I nearly didn't blog again. This is the first time in three years that it has thrown a tantrum so it has done well really. I really do feel called to write much more than I have done of late and not be put off by the technological glitches. I thank God for friends who have encouraged me to continue. Today's blog has been a bit of a ramble but then spirituality is a ramble to. Experience tells me I draw strength from God in the hard times and through adversity. Life can seem a pickle and difficult to work out but as we ramble through the thorn bushes of life it is important to smell the roses and enjoy the blackberries on the way. Branston Pickle and Marmite may not be your call but pause for thought and you will see the path God has made for you.
