13th August

Today’s been a good day. A bit of a slow start maybe as I had my first lie in for a long time, though I was still awake around 7.30am but chose to read for a couple of hours. So after generally tidying up I sorted the cat out as he still keeps howling and looking for Jane… and yes I still feel like that myself. But anyway I then managed a couple of hours working on my computer which is great for a Saturday morning. After lunch I decided to go for my regular walk through the woods at Kedleston Hall, and my son asked if he could join me, so that was a real treat and we had a good chat about where we’re at for an hour or so. It’s a privilege having kids who can be friends as well as family. He shared a little of the friends he’s made over the years in his internet gaming world. I’m not sure how it could work for me not knowing what people look like and never meeting them ‘in the flesh’ but he seems quite happy just using his headset regularly bursting out laughing sometimes in the middle of the night.  His gaming group has worked as a team for a couple of years and include a couple of Danes and a guy in the navy studying for a degree. I think there was a guy in the Metropolitan Police as well. It’s a whole world that I cannot pretend to properly appreciate or really understand more than just a very little.

Sounds a bit like heaven I reckon… not the internet, the not understanding bit is what I’m talking about! So what is Jane up to today? No idea. But it’ll be something good for sure. I wonder if she’s praying for us down here, I think she is.

Luke 16:19-31 ‘Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’ But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’ Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’ (NLT)