I Love You...

It's our ninth wedding anniversary!  Last night, we had a rare night out to the Apex in Bury St Edmunds, to listen to a fantastic band playing "Django a la Creole".  They were epically talented whenever they picked up their instruments, but the lead clarinet kept trying to talk to us in between songs, which he did in a sort of incomprehensible croonmumble into the microphone.  As he announced their encore at the end of the night,  I was absolutely sure that he had said the next song, a Nat King Cole standard, would be called "I Love You For Several Mental Reasons".  Was quite disappointed when it turned out to be 'sentimental'.

Still, on our anniversary, here are several mental reasons why I love TheRev:

He includes me in his eclectic tastes in music, even though I am still not sure what 'Creole' means musically.

He finances my self-employed career that is at times merely a glorified hobby, encourages me in it as a ministry and proudly tells other people what I do for 'work'.

When he makes me a slice of toast, it always has a bite taken out of one corner.  He calls this 'tax'.

When I'm about to knock the children's heads together, he takes them away and tickles them.

He knows all the jokes and scripts from What's Up Doc, even though he doesn't particularly like the film.

He is willing to sing important conversations to the tune of Thomas the Tank Engine so that we can continue our discussions on car journeys.

No task is ever more urgent than answering a question I have about eschatology.

He agrees to boycott Nestle because I say so, but then forgets and buys me mint Aero because he knows it's always been my favourite chocolate bar.

When I make a deep philosophical comment about the worth of art once disconnected from its artist, he knows exactly what I mean and launches into his quite considerable thinking on the matter.

While at university, he was saving up cash in a biscuit tin under his bed to buy my engagement ring.

Over the course of our marriage he has, for the sake of our relationship, my sanity or the sheer fun of it, appeared on stage acting, singing and doing a dance with a chicken move.  He has allowed me to stage slap him with a beach bag.  He has learned to play the musical saw.  He has become a ventriloquist dummy to entertain dinner companions.  He has learned to ride a tandem.  He has learned to change a cloth nappy.  He has driven a VW camper van.  He has driven the length and breadth of France several times.  He has memorised all the words to You're the Top and Baby, it's Cold Outside.

He is, in short, wonderful, and I love him for far more than several reasons, some mental, some sentimental.  Happy anniversary, dearling.

Halloween

I've just got home from giving a Halloween-themed assembly.  No, I wasn't dressed as a witch or a pumpkin - I took in a bag of things that produce light and talked about how almost every culture throughout time has had a celebration involving light around this time of year.  Some of the children were able to work out why that might be, and then we talked about Jesus saying "I am the light of the world".

In the many and varied discussions going on in the Book of Face at the moment, I have mentioned that last year we went meet-and-treating, giving out heart-shaped biscuits and little messages to the trick-or-treaters we bumped into in the village.  Some people have asked me for a copy of what the messages actually said; I can't find the originals anywhere, but I do remember the gist of them, so I thought I'd rewrite two alternatives in case people find them helpful this year.  The first is for giving out heart-shaped biscuits or sweets, the second is for the healthy alternative of electric candles, glo-sticks or torches.


Hearts:
Nobody really knows where the festival of Halloween originated.  The name comes from All Hallow's Eve, marking a time in the Christian church when we remember saints and loved ones who have died, but the traditions that take place come from much earlier pre-Christian times.  In fact if you look at almost any culture in any time, you'll find that as the nights get longer, a festival takes place with traditions intended to ward off darkness and evil.  It's humanity's way of dealing with darkness, death and the things that frighten us as we go into the long winter.
In our family, we like to use Halloween to remember that as Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ has already dealt with darkness and death by dying and rising again.  In the Bible it says that "Perfect love casts out all fear" (1 John 4:18) so this year, we're giving out heart-shaped sweets to remind us that when we know we are loved by Jesus, there's no need to fear the darkness.
We hope you enjoy the treats, and have a safe and fun Halloween!


Torches:
Nobody really knows where the festival of Halloween originated.  The name comes from All Hallow's Eve, marking a time in the Christian church when we remember saints and loved ones who have died, but the traditions that take place come from much earlier pre-Christian times.  In fact if you look at almost any culture in any time, you'll find that as the nights get longer, a festival takes place which involves light, intended to ward off darkness and evil.  That's where Jack-O-Lanterns come from, for example.  It's humanity's way of dealing with darkness, death and the things that frighten us as we go into the long winter.
In our family, we remember at Halloween that Jesus said "I am the light of the world".  He has already conquered darkness and death by dying and rising again.  This year, we're giving out Glo-sticks/torches to light your way and to remind you that Jesus has beaten the darkness!
We hope you enjoy your treats, and have a safe and fun Halloween!


I hope someone finds these helpful - and at least I'll now be able to find them again next year!