ABC Wednesday,W of Wizard of Christchurch.

When we were in New Zealand in Christchurch in February 2005, we saw this man preaching in front of the cathedral. My daughter told me that he was called The Wizard and a kind of tourist attraction. I looked for information in Wikipedia and found this:

"Ian Brackenbury Channell was born on 4 December 1932 in London. In 1951-53 he served in the Royal Air Force as a pilot-officer navigator and in 1963 he graduated from the University of Leeds with a double honours degree in psychology and sociology. Shortly afterwards he was recruited by the University of Western Australia Adult Education Board to run their community arts programme. In 1967 he joined the teaching staff of the newly opened School of Sociology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney."

"In 1974 the Wizard migrated to Christchurch in New Zealand and began to speak on a ladder in Cathedral Square. The City Council attempted to have him arrested but through ingenious fun revolutionary strategies he out-manoeuvered them and became so popular with locals and tourists that they made the square a public speaking area. Wearing his costume as a false prophet of the Church of England or his wizard's pointy hat, he has been speaking there at lunchtimes in the summer months ever since and soon become a New Zealand icon featured in the guide books." We can find more if we click on

The Wizard of Christchurch

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.We started round 8 of the fascinating meme of ABC. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with W.

Psalms Challenge, Psalm 24

Psalms Chapter 24
1 A Psalm of David.
The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

 

2 For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

 

3 Who shall ascend into the mountain of the LORD? and who shall stand in His holy place?

 

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;
who hath not taken My name in vain, and hath not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 Such is the generation of them that seek after Him, that seek Thy face, even Jacob.
 

7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors;
that the King of glory may come in.

 

8 'Who is the King of glory?'
'The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.'

The verses from Psalm 24 are contributed to Robert's Psalms Challenge meme at Daily Athens. To read more psalms click on Robert

Photo 1: Greece, Mystras
Photo 2: Netherlands, the sea between the Isle of Texel and Noord-Holland.
Photo 3: New Zealand, South Island
Photo 4: Norway,Dale Kyrkje, Luster
Photo 5: England, Peterborough Cathedral

Weekend Reflections, Stratford upon Avon

Canal boats in Stratford upon Avon

Long time ago these narrow boats were used to transport goods on the rivers and canals in the UK. The British canal system was built over 150 years ago. Many families lived on these boats. It was their home and livelihood. It was a hard life as many canal tunnels had no towpath.Therefore the younger members of the family led the horse over the top, while the rest of the family lay on their backs on the roof of the boat and walked the boat through the tunnels.You can still travel from London to Liverpool, and from Hull to Bristol by canal boat.
Now these boats are very popular as holiday accomodations. You can see that from this advertisement:

"Our canal boats are easy to operate and offer a good standard of comfort and equipment on-board.
If you have a free weekend why not hire a canal boat for a short weekend break or a longer midweek break."

Here's a plan of a narrow boat. It's called a narrow boat, because its measurements are: two metres wide and fifteen or sixteen metres long.

Weekend Reflections was started on 27 September 2009, by James. You can join this meme at some time during the weekend. Just post your photo and go to James to tell him that you are on, or click on the logo in the sidebar.This meme is created for any type of reflection.

ABC Wednesday, V for vegetarian

One of my daughters is a vegetarian. She hates to kill animals and eating them afterwards, although she eats eggs and fish. When she was a child, I often cooked for her a meat free dish. Fortunately she liked mushrooms, nuts, eggs, fish and cheese. So I made several times a dish with pasta and cheese and mushrooms.

 

This is what Wikipedia says about the history of vegetarianism:
"The earliest records of (lacto) vegetarianism come from ancient India and ancient Greece in the 6th century BCE. In both instances the diet was closely connected with the idea of nonviolence towards animals (called ahimsa in India) and was promoted by religious groups and philosophers.

“ Indian emperor Ashoka asserted protection to fauna: "Twenty-six years after my coronation various animals were declared to be protected — parrots, mainas, aruna, ruddy geese, wild ducks, nandimukhas, gelatas, bats, queen ants, terrapins, boneless fish, vedareyaka, gangapuputaka, sankiya fish, tortoises, porcupines, squirrels, deer, bulls, okapinda, wild asses, wild pigeons, domestic pigeons and all four-footed creatures that are neither useful nor edible. Those nanny goats, ewes and sows which are with young or giving milk to their young are protected, and so are young ones less than six months old. Cocks are not to be caponized, husks hiding living beings are not to be burnt and forests are not to be burnt either without reason or to kill creatures. One animal is not to be fed to another." —Edicts of Ashoka, Fifth Pillar ”

Following the Christianisation of the Roman Empire in late antiquity, vegetarianism practically disappeared from Europe. Several orders of monks in medieval Europe restricted or banned the consumption of meat for ascetic reasons, but none of them eschewed fish. It re-emerged during the Renaissance, becoming more widespread in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1847, the first vegetarian society was founded in the United Kingdom; Germany, the Netherlands, and other countries followed. The International Vegetarian Union, a union of the national societies, was founded in 1908. In the Western world, the popularity of vegetarianism grew during the 20th century as a result of nutritional, ethical, and more recently, environmental and economic concerns."

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.We started round 8 of the fascinating meme of ABC. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with V.

Monday Doorways, Great Britain, Oxford II

 

Another building in Oxford in the area of the University buildings. I don't know what the name of this building is. Maybe one of you knows what it is?

Inspired by a post by Eric Tenin of a Parisian doorway, «Louis» began posting on Mondays photos he had taken of doorways in Paris.To participate click on
Monday Doorways

 

Whitsuntide

 

On Sunday, 12th June and Monday, 13th we celebrate Whitsuntide.
Whitsun (also Whitsunday, Whit Sunday or Whit) is the name used in the UK for the Christian festival of Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples (Acts of the Apostles chapter 2).
Wikipedia says:
"The name derives from the white garments worn by catechumens, those expecting to be baptised on that Sunday, when infant baptism was still uncommon. Thus it is centuries older than the tradition of the young women of the parish all coming to church or chapel in new white dresses on that day. However, Augustinian canon, John Mirk (c1382 - 1414), of Lilleshall Abbey, Shropshire, had a different interpretation:

Good men and wimmen, this day (Dies Penthecostes) is called Wytsonday by cause the holy ghost bought wytte and wisdom into Crists dyscyples, and so by prechying after in all Cristendom and fylled him full of holy Wytte

Thus, he thought the root of the word was "wit" (formerly spelt "wyt" or "wytte") and Pentecost was so-called to signify the outpouring of the wisdom of the Holy Ghost on Christ's disciples."

Psalms Challenge, Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

 

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures

 

he leadeth me beside the still waters.

 

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

 

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

 

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

 

The verses from Psalm 23 are contributed to Robert's Psalms Challenge meme at Daily Athens. To read more psalms click on Robert


Photos 1, 2, 3, 4 in the surroundings of my hometown.
Photo 5 taken in Egypt
Photo 6 taken in Norway

ABC Wednesday, U for Unicef

UNICEF works with children in over 150 countries around the world. These post is devoted to the work of UNICEF in many of them.
An example of what UNICEF does:
In 2007, an estimated 9.2 million children worldwide under the age of five died from largely preventable causes. Some are directly caused by illness such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. Others are caused by indirect causes including conflict and HIV/AIDS. Malnutrition, poor hygiene and lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation contribute to more than half of these deaths. Two thirds of both neonatal and young child deaths — over 6 million deaths every year — are preventable. Half a million women die in pregnancy each year, most during delivery or in the first few days thereafter.

But what can we do?
I always buy UNICEF articles for X-mas or ST Nicholas( 5th December). For my birthday, which is in December too, I like to get things from UNICEF or Oxfam.
Here are a few of the things you can buy in a UNICEF shop.

Apart from toys, there are x-mas cards, calendars, diaries, jigsaw puzzles, candles, candle sticks and lots of other beautiful things.

A box containing Unicef cards.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II. In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations System and its name was shortened from the original United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund but it has continued to be known by the popular acronym based on this old name. Headquartered in New York City, UNICEF provides long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries.

UNICEF relies on contributions from governments and private donors and UNICEF's total income for 2006 was $2,781,000,000. Governments contribute two thirds of the organization's resources; private groups and some 6 million individuals contribute the rest through the National Committees. UNICEF's programs emphasize developing community-level services to promote the health and well-being of children. UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 and the Prince of Asturias Award of Concord in 2006.


With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.We started round 8 of the fascinating meme of ABC. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with U.

Monday Doorways, Great Britain, Oxford I

 

This is a doorway of a University building in Oxford which was used as the library of Hogwarts in the books of Harry Potter.


Inspired by a post by Eric Tenin of a Parisian doorway, «Louis» began posting on Mondays photos he had taken of doorways in Paris.To participate click on
Monday Doorways

Psalms Challenge, Psalm 22

A psalm by David, Suffering


1 My God, my God, why have you

deserted me?

Why are you so far away?

Won't you listen to my groans

and come to my rescue?

2 I cry out day and night,

but you don't answer,

and I can never rest.


This psalm ends in praising God. Many people don't come further than the first two verses. I hope that somebody post the praising verses at the end of the psalm.
Jesus on the cross spoke the first verse and when he died he praised God. Amazing!
The song on the video deals with the first two verses and the melody sounds very sad and appeals to me now.



The verses from Psalm 22 are contributed to Robert's Psalms Challenge meme at Daily Athens. To read more psalms click on Robert