Lent 2015: things that make me laugh - my husband

My husband, John, always seems to make me laugh. We often laugh at the silliest of things. 

This evening I was eatting some grapes when one dropped from my hands and rolled across the floor. John jumped and said, 'I thought it was a mouse'! How on earth does a grape look look like a mouse? I couldn't help but laugh. 'It scared me' he chuckled. Today has been a good day. All age worship at church and lots of fun. No one really wanted to go home which is always a good sign. 

Worship doesn't have to be always serious, and neither should life. There are times when lament is appropriate such as, when someone dies in tragic circumstances. God has made us as emotional beings and yet  so often we try and deny our emotions. The British stiff upper lip is still alive and kicking in the UK. I am sure other countries and cultures are better at being honest with their emotions that we are here. God likes us to be honest with him and if our worship is to be heart felt then we must learn to laugh and indeed cry as we worship him in spirit and truth.

Lent 2015 21 February: things that make me laugh - Comedy

I found this statue of Charlie Caplin in London. Having my photo wth him was a must. The photo still makes me laugh. Watching Chaplin and Laural and Hardy and their capers was a must growing up. Other comedy classics such as Some Mothers do 'av 'em and Only Fools and Horses will forever remain in my memory. Chaplin waving his walking cane, Laural and Hardy pushing a piano up the stairs, Frank Spenser on roller skates, and Del Boy falling through the bar hatch as he eyes up some young lady all make me laugh. I'm sure we all have our favorate comedy classics. God has designed us to laugh, even when it is at ourselves, so why is it that most of us take life so seriously? Life is for living and enjoyng but why do we so often loose sight of that and whallow in our own sadness and discontent? We may never have any money, we may never meet the man or women of our dreams, we may never have perfect health but we have so many other things to be grateful for. 

So what's your favorate comedy? 

Lent 2015 20th February: Things that make me laught - cats!

Today has been a day of mixed emotions but there was still laughter. The sun was out and so I went into the garden for a short time to play a game with my two cats. Holly is particularly playful and loves to chase a squeaky mouse on a a string that I swing around in circles for her. It's not a real mouse you understand, although I am sure she would enjoy that as well! I have had other cast appear during this game wondering what the squeaking noise was, one even headbutted the back door trying to get in not realising the cat flap had been boarded up. Holly has very bad eye sight, I am surprised she manages to do what she does. Both cats like to turn somersaults in the air whilst running around chasing the 'mouse'. It always makes me laugh watching them having such fun. In case you are wondering this is Buddy in the photo. Yes, Buddy and Holly - that's my humour for you.

Sometimes life seems like you are running around in circles, history of course repeats itself. I hope that today has been a good day for you and that in amongst the racing around you have had chance to pause for a moment and to laugh. If you haven't managed it today why not take some time out tomorrow to have some fun.

Lent 19th February 2015: clowning around

I enjoyed gong to the circus as a child. I'm sure I still enjoy going to the circus but I can't say I've been for vet 30 years. My favourite act has to be the clowns, with their painted faces, red noses and oversized shoes. Maybe I just like seeing people trip up, get their feet stuck in buckets and have custard pies thrown in their faces? Maybe I like them because I to like to clown around and make people laugh.

As a teenager I had a collection of clown glasses and funny noses. I helped entertain a group of children with special needs ones with my clowning skills, or lack of them. Alas my collection of such things is no more, although I do have some spare bushy eyebrows and moustaches in a draw upstairs; best not to ask why... OK, OK... I was going to gate crash a men's breakfast at church suitable disguised as a man but I chickened out. 

It's easy to put on a fake smile and pretend to be happy. It's harder to laugh convincingly when you aren't happy. Laughter comes from deep inside the soul. There is nothing like a good belly laugh. Joy comes from a variety of things but for me true joy comes from knowing Jesus. I am sure he likes a good belly laugh to.

More laughter tomorrow. 

LENT 18th February 2015: The lama visit.

Today it is Ash Wednesday, it doesn't seem five minutes ago since the last Ash Wednesday. Where does time go? Last year I decided to blog every day through Lent on the theme of simple pleasures. You can find last years blog here if you want to have a look. I love to write but often lack the motivation to do so. In the hope of making writing more of a daily habit I thought I would blog every day through Lent again this year.

As a child I would forever be asking my parents, 'What can I draw?' I am still asking myself that question today as I continue to re-discover my drawing skills. Today I have asked myself the question, 'What can I write?' What would be a meaningful theme to blog on in the run up to Easter? Whilst I could blog on some deep theological subject I think it would be much more fun to blog on something humourous, after all the name of my blog is 'Spirituality and Hilarity'. Ecclesiastes 3 talks about there being a time for everything. It seems it is 'a time to laugh.' It may well also be a time to dance as well but I don't think that will transpose well to writing. I certainly will not be taking any photos or film footage of me dancing! If you are very unlucky you may get a photo of me laughing. Hmmm maybe I can record an audible giggle or two for your amusement.  Watch this space...

Humour is a funny thing. What one person finds funny another does not. What one person can laugh hysterically at another can find crass or in bad taste. I hope I don't offend anyone with my humour, sorry if I do. It is rare for me to laugh much at jokes. It is more situational humour or visual humour that makes me laugh. The sitcom Miranda makes me laugh out loud but so can putting clean sheets on the bed! Maybe I am a little odd, or maybe odd things make me laugh? Maybe you will have formed an opinion on that one by Easter, or maybe you will just have got bored and stopped reading? Let me know, or maybe not. 

Enough rambling lets get to the point of what has made me laugh recently. Today I went to see the lama. Why would a Baptist minister want to meet the lama? Why not. Anyway here he is, or should I say here they are (sorry not the best photo in the world). They didn't say very much, and didn't seem at all interested in me but they made me laugh, even if it was at my own silly joke. I tried whistling at them to get them to come closer (well it works with my cats) but they ignored me. (Yes, I do actually call my cats by whistling.) I tried taping on the barbed wire fence but still nothing. I then became self-conscious and started laughing at myself. I hope no one was looking at the slightly mad women laughing at herself. 

Tune in tomorrow for some more meanderings...

Finding me

It has been a while since my last post so thought I would share what I have been up to. I suddenly realized that I haven't done any drawing since I have known my husband, some 18 years. Where did the time go? I always use to enjoy drawing as a child but going to an academic school I was advised not to study art for a couple of years and to pick it up again at A' Level. I never did. The above is a self portrait and my latest drawing. It isn't perfect, but it is me. I'm not perfect either so a fair reflection I think.

It is strange drawing yourself. I think I may have given myself slight more wrinkles than I have. I am blessed with my mum's skin, as it were, so tend to look more youthful than I am. Not a bad thing most of the time. Blogging like drawing causes for some introspection. I like to think I am very self aware. I don't miss much that goes on around me, but I don't always comment. Maybe that's why I have been quieter on the blogging of late. Honesty is always the best policy but speaking out is not always the most prudent thing to do.

As I think of where I have been in recent years and where I am now I can see a change in myself. I have, it seems, found myself again. I have even picked up my guitar of late. I have also realized how much of a 'Stroudie' I am. Stroud is a rather quirky Coteswold town. It was famous for its cloth (used for military uniformes and snooker tables) that would be made in the mills and hung out to dry on the hillsides. It was also a brewing town but alas Stroud Brewery no longer exists. It is now well known for its farmers market that brings many folk to come and taste and see the local wears. Stroud district is full of artists and writers. Damian Hurts is based here as are Jilly Cooper, Katie Fforde and Joanna Trollop. Other famous writers were Laurie Lee and W. H. Davies and let's not forget Revd W. V. Awdry who wrote the Thomas the Tank Engine books. The sculptor Lynn Chadwick also had a studio here. Keith Allen the actor and musician lives in Stroud and his daughter Lilly was born here and lives near by. Stroud and its five valleys is a beautiful place and perhaps evokes the creative in people. Stroudies tend to be a bit bohemien and eccentric. Being different is celebrated. Maybe you need to be born here or have lived here a while to understand exactly what I mean.

God tends to peel back our layers as we draw closer to him. In my walk with him of late it seems I have lost a few layers, or at least examined them more carefully. I am a bit quirky and like to express myself creatively in worship but this is me and this is how God made me.