Friday's Five - Classic Cakes

 

Saturday lunch-time and Sunday afternoon treats

Cakes from the small local bakery owned by Mr & Mrs Barnes,

On the corner of our street in Cavendish Place, Eastbourne was simply the greatest cakes ever made.

My sisters and I each had are favorites and my Mum allowed us to hand pick our delightful treat.

Classic cakes stay with us forever              

Every time I visit a café I recall the taste of those treats.

Here are a five classic from my childhood:

 

 

 

Chocolate Éclairs

My youngest sister, Susan loved these creamy, sticky delights. Choux pastry, fresh cream oozing out the sides topped with chocolate icing that always stuck to your fingers if you held it too long. Licking your fingers was a must and finished it off the enjoyment.

 

 

 

Marble Cake

Marble cake is a classic childhood memory.  Those psychedelic patterns created with chocolate and vanilla. The best cake was light and fluffy with that butter cream taste. I only occasionally see it in shops now.

 

 

 

Traffic Lights

I’ve have only rarely seen Traffic Lights since my childhood. I suspect they were a specialty of the ‘Barnes Bakery’. Puff pastry with a sugar glaze. (Just like the pastry you get with an Eccles Cake) and three flavors of Jam, Strawberry, lemon and greengage. I loved licking out the jam first and finishing off with the sugary pastry.

 

English Madeleine’s

I grew up adoring English Madeleine’s, they were the ultimate Sunday afternoon tea time cake. All the lovely sponge, jam, coconut and a cherry on the top, with a little bit of cream. Moist, fluffy, delicious, mouthwatering cakes of pure delight. My mum bought these to the table in a cardboard box and I can still picture her opening it as all the family waited for these little pleasures.

Viennese Fingers

Lastly, my favorite is Viennese Fingers. If I go a café today, these would be my first choice. Gorgeous melt in the mouth shortcake, buttery, crumbly pastry. Filled with butter cream and dipped into chocolate at both ends. So whichever end you start with you all ways end up with the butter cream, shortcake and chocolate finish. Pure cake heaven.

So there you are my five classic cakes

Beat The Flying Penguin - Premiership Scores Week 3

And so we move on to week 3 of the Premiership Season and the Penguin has been wandering the frozen wastelands of the South Pole looking for inspiration.

But first we take a look to see how the Penguin did in week 2l

 

Swansea City v West Ham United 2-0  Result 3-0

A correct home result here for the Penguin, who was mightily impressed with the Swans. 

Aston Villa v Everton 1-1 Result 1-3

Everton blew Villa away and with it the Penguins prediction, never bet against your own team!

Manchester United v Fulham 3-0 Result 3-2

A correct home win but the Penguin was unimpressed with Sir Alex’s boys, Fulham looked good for a point and they are playing well.

Norwich City v Queens Park Rangers 0-0 Result 1-1

A correct result, the only thing that surprised the penguin was that both teams managed to score.

Southampton v Wigan Athletic 3-1 Result 0-2

The penguin hangs his head in shame, Wigan looked really good and Southampton could not find the edge they needed.

Tottenham Hotspur v West Bromwich Albion 3-0 Result 1-1

The penguin was genuinely surprised by this one, first how inept Spurs were and secondly, how well WBA are playing.

Chelsea v Newcastle United 1-0 Result 2-0

A correct result and much as the penguin expected

Stoke City v Arsenal 2-1 Result 0-0

The penguin fell asleep during this one and woke up half way through Eastenders,

Liverpool v Manchester City 0-2  Result 2-2

Liverpool was the better team and on another day would have got all three points. But Skirtel’s abysmal back pass gave the penguin a year’s entertainment.

So there it is, the Flying Penguin week 2

Exact Score – Nil

Correct scores – 4

Wrong scores – 6

So not a good start for the season, but the penguin is hopeful that week 3 he can turn it around.

 

Saturday

West Ham United v Fulham 1-2

This is a difficult one, but Fulham have been very impressive and so should edge it.

Swansea City v Sunderland  1- 0

This will be tight but Swansea are flying at the moment and should edge this.

Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City 2-0

Tottenham will come good and Norwich will find this very difficult

West Bromwich Albion v Everton 0-1

Never bet against your own team

Wigan Athletic v Stoke City 1-1

This has score draw written all over it

Manchester City v Queens Park Rangers 4-0

Enough said!

Sunday

Liverpool v Arsenal 2-0

Liverpool should hit this run running and get the result

Newcastle United v Aston Villa 2-0

This should be a home win for Newcastle as Villa will struggle to get this started

Southampton v Manchester United 0-1

United should have too much but this could easily be a draw

 

So there you are, the Flying Penguin has spoken from his advantage spot on a lonely ice covered hill.

But will he be right and will he do better than his 4 correct results last week?

Blackbird

High in the tree

Hidden away

There he sits

Sheltered from the rain

Still

Silent

Totally secure

Free from dangers

Content

Patient

Perfectly safe

Protecting his feathers

Everything well

Secure in the tree

Waiting for the sun

An end of the rain

When he can fly

Again into the sky

Tuesday's Track - The Endless Enigma by Emerson, Lake & Palmer

This Tuesday let me take you back to the hot summer days of the 1970’s

For those of us around and growing up in those days

It was a time of:

Strikes

Power Cuts and candles

Platform Shoes

Chopper bikes

Curly Whirly’s

Banana Splits

Glam Rock

And

Progressive Rock

And the kings of Progressive Rock was Emerson, Lake and Palmer

The first cassette tape I bought was from a school friend, he sold me ‘Trilogy’ by E.L.P.

And I was hooked forever as I heard the first track, ‘Endless Enigma’

I was just amazing and still gives me goose bumps today.

Enjoy

In an extract by François Couture over at All Music, he gives this appraisal of the song:

“Lake's lyrics are once again metaphysical, something the title of the song already suggested. They imply trust ("You never spoke a word of truth") and the discovery of one's own nature ("I still don't know who I am") through life's stages ("Each part was played but the play was not shown/Everyone came but they all sat alone/Now that it's done, I begun to see the reason why I'm here").

The main part of the piece is the first one. After Lake's verses the theme comes to a halt to make way for a piano cadenza. The "Fugue" has all three musicians playing a slightly jazzy theme led by the piano (the jazzy interlude is a recurring technique in Emerson's compositions; see "The Barbarian," "Take a Pebble," "Infinite Space," and, of course, "Karn Evil 9: 2nd Impression"). Palmer switches from the drum set to the tubular bells and the piece gradually returns to the solemnity of the first section, resuming for one last verse and the finale, superbly dissonant. What makes "The Endless Enigma" a prized number of ELP's catalog is its relative lack of pomposity (something more frequent in the group's latter years) but also of arrogance (which plagued earlier pieces).”

Grace Notes - Hebrews 8 v 12

“I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Heb.8:12).

  

“We are blessed because we are righteous. Christ has delivered us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us so that we might experience the blessing of Abraham (see Gal.3:9-14). If we don’t understand this, every time something goes wrong in our lives we will think that God is catching up with us for some personal sin, or even a generational sin. Many Christians live like this.

God does not impute sin to the righteous. In Romans chapter 4, where Paul discusses our righteousness in Christ, he quotes David who said: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin” (Rom.4:7&8). Under the New Covenant God promises: “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Heb.8:12).

There may be consequences for wrong doing. If we sow to the flesh, from the flesh we will reap corruption – not from God. God does not impute our sins to us because they have been imputed to Christ. Instead Christ’s righteousness is always imputed to us. That’s why there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ – not now, not ever. We are blessed because of Jesus! That’s the good news of the gospel of grace: “…God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them…” (2 Cor.5:19).”

Ken Legg

10 Blessings from Ephesians

“In Christ" we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings.

Our Spirits are alive and our old man is dead and has been buried with Christ.

Jesus died as me.

The spiritual reality is that I am a new creation.

As we believe, mediate in all he has done and respond positively to His grace, these spiritual blessings slowly become physical realities in our lives.

The first two chapters of Ephesians give us 10 blessings we can mediate and revel in:

1. We have been adopted as God's children (Eph. 1:5);

2. We have redemption through Jesus' blood (Eph. 1:7);

3. We have the forgiveness of our sins (Eph. 1:7);

4. We have obtained an inheritance (Eph. 1:11);

5. We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13);

6. We have been given the same power that raised Christ from the dead (Eph. 1:19-20)

7. We have been made the one new man (Eph. 2:15);

8. We have been made fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God (Eph. 2:19);

9. We have become a holy temple in the Lord (Eph. 2:21),

10. We have become a habitation of God (Eph. 2:22); 

Friday's Five - Classic Desserts

For some desserts are the best part of a meal

For others it’s the starter

I have friend’s who could easily give the sweet things a miss and always settled for cheese and biscuits followed by a nice glass of Cognac.

We all have memories of occasions when we first tasted the wonders of a taste of heaven.

For me theses five classic desserts have a special place.

Rum Baba

This was a teenage secret treat, a cake saturated in Rum liquor and filled with whipped cream. I could taste the rich alcohol and act all grown up. It was enjoying and savoring something I was not supposed to enjoy and all above board and legal. I remember always leaving a little cream to the end so I could mop the sticky Rum with the cake and finish off with the cream. Wonderful.

Black Forrest Gateau

Chocolate cake, filled with layers of whipped cream and cherries. It was a Sunday afternoon treat from the bakery just across the road. My sisters and I would fight over who got the most cherries from the top of the gateau.

Knickerbocker Glory

I was introduced to the Knickerbocker Glory on a trip to Brighton in the 1970’s. I can remember my Uncle ordering one for me and when it arrived I had never seen anything like it before.

Ice Cream, cream, fruit, meringue. Layers of different sweet tastes alternated and jammed into the tallest glass topped with whipped cream, syrup and a cherry.

It even had its own special very long spoon so to could reach right down into the bottom of the glass and get every last tiny bit of delight.

Junket

I loved Junket, my mother regularly made this milky dessert for us and it was great. I can best describe it as milky custard and she always covered the top with Nutmeg. Great memories of sitting around the dinning table diving into a bowl of Junket

Sherry Trifle

My top dessert is Sherry Trifle.

During my childhood my mother would regularly make the ‘Birds’ instant trifle which I loved. So I had always been partial to trifle. On a holiday to the Isle of Wight I came across a seaside café that specialized in individual Sherry Trifles and I was hooked.

This amazing dessert of custard, fruit, sponge cake and topped with whipped cream is the best. When Sherry is soaked into the sponge it makes the most divine taste. Layers of my favouite ingredients it doesn’t get much better than this.

So there you are five classic desserts

All have special memories

Beat the Flying Penguin - Premiership Scores Week 2

All Right it is time to get the Premiership show on the road and see if you can beat the Flying Penguin!

It shouldn’t be too difficult

It is a Flying Penguin after all !!

Let us start with, the early start

Saturday

Swansea City v West Ham United 2-0

Going for a home win, Swansea should have too much in the tank for the Hammers. But Big Sam does have the ability to pull the rabbit out of the hat, but home advantage and attacking flair should be enough.

Aston Villa v Everton 1-1

Score draw, Paul Lamberts side need to win, but my team are playing well and look good defensively.

Manchester United v Fulham 3-0

Sir Alex will want to get the season going and Fulham will feel the full force of United.

Norwich City v Queens Park Rangers 0-0

Neither side will want to lose

Southampton v Wigan Athletic 3-1

A few goals but Southampton have the edge are looking threatening

Sunderland v Reading 1-0

Martin O’Neil’s team should be able to see off the new boys.

Tottenham Hotspur v West Bromwich Albion 3-0

AVB will want to have a good home start and his team will be up for this game

Chelsea v Newcastle United 1-0

This will be a tight game, but Chelsea should have the class to edge it.

Sunday

Stoke City v Arsenal 2-1

Tony Pulis’s side is a real handful and Arsenal will be lucky to get anything from this

Liverpool v Manchester City 0-2

Manchester City look good and Liverpool look at sea, so unless the new manager can get them playing in ‘his’ style I think the Reds will struggle

So there it is, the Flying Penguin has spoken

But is he right?

Can you do any better?

The Oil of Your Word

The oil of your word

Drips through my hands, anointing me

Your sweet aroma

Floods through my senses, filling me

Embraced with you love, releasing me.

The wave of your spirit

Pours through my life, changing me

Your divine power

Pierces through my soul, healing me

Filled with your fullness, transforming me.

The realm of your glory

Breaks through my being, connecting me

A river of blessing

Flows through my all, enabling me

Released with your grace, embracing me.

Tuesday's Track - I'm a Believer by The Monkees

Every now and then I get asked the same questions

By my teenage son, Connor

What is your favourite song?

Or

What is the best song of all time?

I have quite a few favourites

But there is one that is definitely right up there,

Top of the pile

I’m a believer by the Monkees

Enough said

Enjoy

Grace Notes - Colossians 2 v 6

Colossians Chapter 2:6; “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him”.

Rob Rufus explains that we walk and live our Christian life by and through grace.

How did you receive Him?

Grace through faith – so how do you continue to live in Him? Grace through faith!

People say “Well you got saved by grace through faith but now you need to be sanctified by coming back under the law!”.

No – it says just as you received Christ so continue to walk in Him. Right believing – not trying to be right living! The sanctification is a fruit of a changed life that believes this message and gets into the Presence and glory of God and God begins to change him. He changes our heart first.

Some Christian behavior embarrasses some people but the Father isn’t trying to say “Stop that! Stop that!”. He wants them to believe this message so He can change their hearts and as they believe this message then the weird behavior will get less and less until it falls away.

I know you know this – but God wants it really in our hearts and He says “Don’t let anyone deceive you with empty philosophy”. “For in Christ all the fullness of the deity live”. Then let’s read from verse 13. “When you were dead … He forgave us all our sins”.

He circumcised our old nature – where did we get that old nature from?

First Adam! What was Adam’s sin? Was it pornography or adultery? No – it was unbelief in the goodness of God because God said “I have made you in My image and likeness” and Satan said if you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil then you can become “like God”.

He was already in the image and likeness of God – so he had unbelief in the truth of God’s goodness and tried to develop self-righteousness apart from God!

When you were born again it was because the Holy Spirit convicted you of that unbelief in grace and He circumcised your heart. We don’t have a sinful nature and a righteousness nature! That old nature has been cut away! Under the Old Covenant you had physical circumcision. I am not trying to be crude – but it was a snip on the tip and then they threw the tip away. They didn’t try to stick it back on again with Bos-Stick or glue! So when your old nature is cut away it is thrown away!

So you do not have a sinning nature on the inside of you! You have a new creation nature that wants to believe in the goodness of God! It doesn’t want to run out and do terrible things! Yes you still have appetites in your physical body and memories in your mind. Some of our appetites want to do wrong things and it is not coming from the old nature but memories of the flesh.

By His Grace

By His grace, He has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every blessing in Christ

By His grace, His divine power works in our lives

By His grace, He works in us to act and to will according to His good purpose

By His grace, He has filled every one of us with His Holy Spirit

By His grace, He has united us to Himself

By His grace, He has placed the fruit of the spirit in us

By His grace, He produces every good thing in us

By His grace, His life comes bursting out from us

By His grace, He gives us the same power that raised Christ from the dead

By His grace, we are partakers of His divine nature

By His grace, we are being changed from glory to glory

By His grace, we can do good works

By His grace, we are made holy

By His grace, we can live pure lives

By His grace, we have joy

By His grace, we have peace

By His grace, we have forgiveness

By His grace, we have freedom

By His grace, we are healed

By His grace, we are restored

By His grace, we are free

By His grace, He lives in me

By His grace, He works through me.

Friday's Five - Classic Soft Drinks

Today it’s Pepsi Max

Or Cherry Coke

Soft drinks have been the stuff that afternoon picnics and parties were made for

I once had a Boss who was addicted to Iru-Bru,

On his advice I tried it, but I hated it.

I was also recommended Vimto

Which was slightly better, but still wasn’t as good as Ginger Beer.

So here are five classic soft drinks that I remember and loved for very different reasons.

Creamola Foam 

Creamola foam came in the form of colourful crystals which were dissolved in cold water to form a sweet, effervescent drink. It was packaged in a small tin labeled with a cartoon girl and boy drinking with straws. The drink originally came in raspberry, orange, and lemon flavours; cola was a later addition.

My Mum always concocted this up as a Saturday morning treat after the Cinema. 

Tizer

Tizer was a very popular drink with all my school mates. It was one of those after school, at the playing fields, when we were playing a game with jumpers as goal posts.  It made a comeback a few years ago and you can still buy it at the Supermarket. The advert I recall had the Catchphrase, “We can tell it’s Tizer when our eyes’re shut!”

Corona 

This was very popular when I was growing up in the 1970s and was famous for delivering its product door to door by "the Corona Man"., much like a milk round. The drink was available in several flavours, including the original orangeade and later lemonade, limeade and cherryade. One of their advertising slogans was "Every bubble's passed its FIZZical!"

Cresta 
This was one of the most popular soft drinks I can remember. It had a great taste and a even better catchphrase (“It’s frothy man”) with an Elvis-impersonating polar bear. A creamy Strawberry flavour also, Lemon & Lime, Orange and my favourite Pineapple.

Great adverts that produced classic lines: “Do you know what all the bears up at the North Pole drink when they’re thirsty? It’s the sea man — the Arctic Ocean! Now me, I’m really into this frothy Cresta — like this strawberry flavour.”

I loved Cresta!

Peardrax

My top classic soft drink was Whiteway’s Peardrax. A pear-flavoured, sweet soft-drink that my Parents kept for a Christmas treat. For me the memory of Peardrax is that magical time of the year, presents, turkey, crackers and Peardrax.

Five classic soft drinks of my childhood years in the 1970’s.

Each has special memories, for different reasons but they all had great taste, as far as I can remember.

2012-13 Premiership Predictions

The new season is also upon us,

New managers in post,

Established managers sharpening their knives,

Owners getting ready to find an excuse for the first sacking.

And its time for me to make a complete fool of myself

And upset most of the football world

With my Predictions for the new season.

So who will win the Premiership and who will be relegated and who will be the dark horse?

Firstly the big prize

I don’t think the Big Boss Sir Alex will miss out again and I wonder if the Sky Blues can hold it together as Champions.

So my top 5 is:

1. Manchester United
2. Chelsea
3. Manchester City
4. Arsenal
5. Liverpool

And My Relegation fodder is:

1. West Brom
2. Reading
3. Norwich

Dark Horses this season are: Q.P.R and Southampton.

My team Everton I predict a 7^th place .

And the FA Cup team is Arsenal

League Cup team is Newcastle.

Just to make it interesting in the Championship

My two teams for Automatic promotion are:

Bolton

Birmingham

Playoff Champions are Burnley.

And who will be the first Premiership manager given the boot:

Steve Clarke at WBA (sorry)

So there you are

Don’t get too upset

I’m very rarely right,

But it’s good for a laugh!

Say I love you with Bananas

 How do you declare your love?

Is it with a card?

A present

A note

A text

Flowers

An act of sacrifice

An act of kindness

There are many ways we can show our love

Make someone we love feel special

It doesn’t take much

Now my 8 year old Dani is constantly surprising me

With her innovation

Her latest way to show her love

Was to write it on my Bananas

There in the fruit bowl, covered in little messages

Were her messages of love

HUGS

KISSES

LOVE  SWEETS

ENJOY

LOVE FROM DANIELLE

So every time I picked up a Banana I got a message of love

Wonderful

What a treat

Love by Banana

Tuesday's Track - Homeward Bound by Paul Simon

I love this song

Ever since I purchased Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits

It was reported that Paul Simon wrote this on Widnes Railway Station

I worked in Widnes many years ago, so the song has always had great memories for me.

Whenever I am away from my family and friends

I think of this song and sing it to myself.

Enjoy.

Simon talked about this song in a 1990 interview with SongTalk magazine:

"That was written in Liverpool when I was traveling. What I like about that is that it has a very clear memory of Liverpool station and the streets of Liverpool and the club I played at and me at age 22. It's like a snapshot, a photograph of a long time ago. I like that about it but I don't like the song that much. First of all, it's not an original title. That's one of the main problems with it. It's been around forever. No, the early songs I can't say I really like them. But there's something naive and sweet-natured and I must say I like that about it. They're not angry. And that means that I wasn't angry or unhappy. And that's my memory of that time: it was just about idyllic. It was just the best time of my life, I think, up until recently, these last five years or so, six years... This has been the best time of my life. But before that, I would say that that was.

Grace Notes - 2 Peter 1 v 3

"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue."

2 Peter 1:3

Andrew Wommack explains that God has already given us everything we need to live a victorious Christian life. We just have to believe it and change the way we view the grace of God.

“This verse says that God’s divine power has (past tense) already given to us all things. Most people want God to just come with His power from the outside, in. They pray, “Oh Lord, stretch forth Your mighty hand and touch me!” They’re looking for God to send a spiritual bolt of lightning to hit them and then—BOOM—they’re healed, prospered, delivered, or whatever they need. However, this scripture says that all things that pertain to life and godliness come through the knowledge of God. This includes healing, prosperity, deliverance, joy, peace, success in business, good relationships, and anything else. Everything that pertains to life and godliness comes through the knowledge of God. This means that the born again Christian already has the peace of God in their spirit. As they renew their mind to who they are and what they have in Christ, they draw that peace out into their experience.

The dominant experience of your life is a reflection of the way you are thinking on the inside. (Proverbs 23:7.) Instead of looking for a change to take place externally in everybody and everything else around you, the first thing you need to do is recognize that change begins on the inside of you. This occurs according to the knowledge that you have of God.”

London 2012 - 10 Memorable Olympic Moments

After two weeks of unparallel excitement, the emotional rollercoaster of London 2012 comes to an end.

I have cheered on team GB, shouted at the TV, pressed the ‘Red Button’ more times than ever, cried with the medal winners and commiserated with the losers.

It was an experience that I have, much to my bewilderment thoroughly enjoyed.

There have been many ups and downs and I am sure that all of us have their favourite moments and medal winners.

So, here are my personal 10 outstanding moments from the 2012 Olympics.

10.    Ed KMcKeever winning an exciting Kayak Gold medal – A very exciting race in a sport I had never watched before.

9. Tom Daley winning his Bronze Medal in the 10m Diving – The delight on the young mans face was absolutely infectious. What a great result for him and great to see such happiness in winning a Bronze.

8. Spain’s Bronze Medal in the Synchronized Swimming - Once again a sport I have not seen before. I thought that the ‘Sea Monsters’ routine was just stunning and to a complete novice I was just amazed,

7. Andy Murray winning the Gold Medal in the Tennis –  What a great achievement for the Scot as he put to rest the ghosts of the past. Roger Federer came out of this with great respect as he relished his Silver medal and acknowledged that Murray was the better player on the day.

6. The Brownlee brothers winning the Gold and Bronze in the Triathlon -  I cheered  Alistair and Jonathan all the way through this excellent event. I have nothing but admiration for the courage and athletic prowess to take part and win in this event.

5. Sir Chris Hoy winning the Gold Medal in the Keirin – This was a magnificent achievement, in his last Olympic race. A great moment of personal and national pride, I think everyone was willing him over the finish line.

4. Italy winning the Gold Medal in the Team Archery – The name Michele Frangilli will be a name I remember for a long time. It what can only be described as ‘nail-biting’ he managed a 10 point ‘Bullseye’ with his last arrow to take the Gold Medal for Italy and relegate the USA to Silver. It was an amazing, breath-taking climax to a fantastic competition.

3. Shim A Lam a South Korean Fencer – I sat through 70 minutes of heart-break as I watched Shim A Lam a South Korean fencer sit on the piste, with her elbows on her lap as she waited the decision of the fencing authorities. Her only consolation was a bottle of water given to her by a female attendee. To lose a match when the clock was reset by one second was the cruellest blow and I felt her pain as she sat and waited for the decision that went against her.

2. Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking – These two ladies epitomised all that was great about the London 2012 Olympics. The look of astonishment on their faces when they won Gold in the Women’s Lightweight Double Skulls will stay forever in my mind.   

1. A magical Saturday night in athletics - Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah’s Gold medals all on one incredible Saturday night, is one of the greatest moments I have witnessed on TV. Just wonderful

So there it is, my 10 memorable moments from London 2012, I know there could have been plenty of others, but those are the ones that affected me and made the Olympic Games so great.

Saturday's Song - Oh, How He Loves Us

Picture from : The Blog Around The Corner

I love this song.

I first heard it on the ‘Passion’ Album and it is one of my most listen to songs.

The line I revel in is :

If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking

The imagery of sinking deeper and deeper into the infinite ocean of God’s grace is one I mediate on whilst relaxing away from life’s pressures.

The unmerited favor of God freely given to me through Jesus is far greater, deeper and vast than any ocean in creation.

And He is jealous from me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree

Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy

When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions

Eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are

And how great Your affections are for me

And oh, how He loves us, oh

Oh, how He loves us, how He loves us all

And He is jealous from me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree

Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy

When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions

Eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are

And how great Your affections are for me

Oh, how He loves, yeah, He loves us

Oh, how He loves us, oh, how He loves us

Oh, how He loves

And we are His portion and He is our prize

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes

If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest

I don't have time to maintain these regrets

When I think about the way

Oh, how He loves us, oh

Oh, how He loves us, how He loves all

Friday's Five - 5 Promises from Psalm 91

Psalm 91:

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High

will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.

The New Covenant believer is seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.  He is living out of his re-born Spirit from the eternal, spiritual realm into the physical, temporal realm.

When we are born again we are seated in Christ Jesus and our life is hid with Christ in God. It is being in Christ Jesus through the grace of God that we can live in the shelter of the Most High.

There is no more secure place to be than to have your spirit united in Christ, with Christ living in us and Christ working through us.

It is a place of intimate shelter and perfect rest.

As Rob Rufus put it .

“you dwell in the shelter of the Most High not because you have earnt or deserved it but because you are in Christ and your life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is your life appears, you too will appear with Him in glory.

Therefore as inheritors of all the promises of God through Christ’s finished work, we can believe and revel with total confidence that by God’s unmerited favor towards us, Psalm 91 five promises are strongholds for our faith and food for our meditation.

1. For he will rescue you from every trap
    

2.  Protect you from deadly disease.

3.  He will cover you with his feathers.
   

4.  He will shelter you with his wings.
   

 5. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

 Therefore I shall NOT

be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
 I shall not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.