Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
(Psalm 62:5-6)

Hi,

When you next see me on Thursday, I might have developed a weird shudder…maybe more like a permanent twitch! 😊….

Last week I told you we had started clearing out the bedroom to decorate it…..so, on Thursday night the room was in so much of a mess, I moved all my things into the spare room to sleep.

Archie, my grey cat, always sleeps on my bed.

Before him we didn’t let the cats in our room, they had perfectly good cat baskets. There are two problems with this now…..Archie follows me everywhere and Archie is clever!

We have thumb latches on our bedroom doors and he has taught himself how to leap at the latch, pull the thumb lever down and then kick back at the wall……tada!!! Door is open!

If I put something in front of the door to block him, he spends the WHOLE night throwing himself at the latch….a flabby cat, repeatedly, heavily, thumping against the door, rattling the latch…it’s less disruptive to just let him in. Except that he likes to be cuddled as close to me as he possibly can.

To start with, he thought he was as close to me as he could get when he cuddled up in my arms….just about okay, except in hot weather. Now he has other ideas…he thinks it is best to curl round my head so that I wear him like a hat, paws round my ears, whiskers up my nose. A bit too much!

So we spend the night with me prising him off my head, putting him down the foot of the bed, going to sleep, waking close to suffocating and then I prise him off my head again.

Every so often I get really fed up with him and I put him outside the bedroom door, put something heavy in front of it and stuff my pillow as tightly over my head as I can to block out the sound of a rather fat grey cat alternatively throwing himself at my door and warming up his vocal chords so he can practice his opera singing.I moved into the spare room out of the way of the decorating.

Archie walked backwards and forwards with me as I carried through the sheets, the pillows, the duvet, my alarm clock, my phone charger, my bedside light….so many trips back and to. He followed me for every single one.

He sat on the bed. I took him off to put the sheet on. He hid under the sheet. I took him off. I put the first pillow on. I took him off that pillow to put the next pillow on. He pounced, the flying flabby, onto that pillow. I put the other side pillow on. He sat on that pillow. I took him off and put the next pillow on. He raced round the bed with his tail all fluffed up. I took him off and put the duvet on. He leapt on that and raced round til he realised that game was over and lay down exhausted to wash his whiskers and sleep off the excitement.

The rest of the day I got on with everything else but if I went anywhere near the stairs to go up to the bedroom, Archie would turn up, purring loudly, and run up and down the stairs to the spare room.

When I finally went to bed that night he marched in front of me, purring like a motorbike. I got ready for bed. Archie purred louder. I got into bed….oh my goodness, it was like having a pneumatic drill on my head! And he kept it up til morning!

At about 4am I did say to Pete that I was sure that any minute now he was going to run out of purr…how can one flabby but small cat contain THAT MUCH PURR!

He purred so much that he kept on choking on his purr-dribble (gross, I know!!) and then he would stop purring, just to cough, and then start up again, just as loud.

He finally cuddled up round my head at about 4.30am…but he purred just as much. Every last braincell that I own has a repetitive strain injury from being rattled so hard and my ears rang the whole of the next day.

And then last night he thought it was just as exciting and we had the whole performance again, but this time he wailed at the top of the stairs, full-on opera singing diva, from about 8pm in the evening.

Anyone want a slightly chubby grey cat….free to good home?….any home? Any one?

So, this letter will be whispered so it doesn’t rattle my head too much….

Kebra Negast:

32. How the Queen brought forth and came to her own Country
And the Queen departed and came into the country of BÂLÂ ZADÎSÂRĔYÂ nine months and five days after she had separated from King SOLOMON. And the pains of childbirth laid hold upon her, and she brought forth a man child, and she gave it to the nurse with great pride and delight. And she tarried until the days of her purification were ended, and then she came to her own country with great pomp and ceremony. And her officers who had remained there brought gifts to their mistress, and made obeisance to her, and did homage to her, and all the borders of the country rejoiced at her coming. Those who were nobles among them she arrayed in splendid apparel, and to some she gave gold and silver, and hyacinthine and purple robes; and she gave them all manner of things that could be desired. And she ordered her kingdom aright, and none disobeyed her command; for she loved wisdom and God strengthened her kingdom.
And the child grew and she called his name BAYNA-LEḤKEM. And the child reached the age of twelve years, and he asked his friends among the boys who were being educated with him, and said unto them, “Who is my father?” And they said unto him, “SOLOMON the King.” And he went to the Queen his mother, and said unto her, “O Queen, make me to know who is my father.” And the Queen spake unto him angrily, wishing to frighten him so that he might not desire to go [to his father] saying, “Why dost thou ask me about thy father? I am thy father and thy mother; seek not to know any more.” And the boy went forth from her presence, and sat down. And a second time, and a third time he asked her, and he importuned her to tell him. One day, however, she told him, saying, “His country is far away, and the road thither is very difficult; wouldst thou not rather be here?” And the youth BAYNA-LEḤKEM was handsome, and his whole body and his members, and the bearing of his shoulders resembled those of King SOLOMON his father, and his eyes, and his legs, and his whole gait resembled those of SOLOMON the King. And when he was two and twenty years old he was skilled in the whole art of war and of horsemanship, and in the hunting and trapping of wild beasts, and in everything that young men are wont to learn. And he said unto the Queen, “I will go and look upon the face of my father, and I will come back here by the Will of God, the Lord of ISRAEL.”

*

Reasoning

Command:

Isaiah 60 v1 & 221 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory off the LORD, Emperor Haile Selassie I, is risen upon thee.22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD, Emperor Haile Selassie I, hasten it in his time.

Will:

Job 5 v7-87 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.8 I would seek unto God, Emperor Haile Selassie I, and unto God, Emperor Haile Selassie I, would I commit my cause:

Desire:

Jeremiah 31 v33-3433 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, Emperor Haile Selassie I, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man hisbrother, saying, Know the LORD, Emperor Haile Selassie I: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest Hi of them, saith the LORD, Emperor Haile Selassie I, for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Wish:

Ezekiel 11 v19-2019 And I, Emperor Haile Selassie I, will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I, Emperor Haile Selassie I, will be their God.

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Bible Verse

After the discussion about prayer and giving thanks, I found this verse in Philippians and thought it was an interesting reflection of what we had talked about. This is Philippians 4:11-13….

…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

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Psalm

Here we go with another lockdown….great! So here is psalm 62. It’s a psalm of David and it is one of comfort and hope, definitely one we need as the next wave of Covid begins to wash over the country. I am hoping that you can….

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge

(v. 8)This psalm refers to the hardships David has suffered, but also how God has given him strength to deal with all the bad stuff that has happened….I pray that you can too.

Psalm 62

Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.3 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.10 Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.11 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.

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Words of H.I.M. Haile Selassie l

From a speech made on September 23rd. 1963.

It is education that enables man to harness nature and utilize her resources for the well-being and improvement of his life. The key for the betterment and completeness of modern living is education.But, “Man cannot live by bread alone.” Man, after all, is also composed of intellect and soul. Therefore, education in general, and higher education in particular, must aim to provide, beyond the physical, food for the intellect and soul. That education which ignores man’s intrinsic nature, and neglects his intellect and reasoning power cannot be considered true education…. The true leader is one who realizes by faith that he is aninstrument in the hands of God, and dedicates himself to be aguide and inspirer of the nobler sentiments and aspirations ofthe people. He will kindle interest, teach, aid, correct andinspire. Those whom he leads will co-operate with him inmaintaining discipline for the good of the group. He will instructhis followers in the goals towards which to strive, and create inthem a sense of mutual effort for attaining the goal. ……May the Almighty God be with you in the fulfillment of your duties.

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Prayer

I give thanks for you waking me up on this autumn day, Jah.I thank You for protection, not only over myself, but for my loved ones as well.I give thanks for health, strength, grace, forgiveness, peace, joy and for never failing me, Jah.

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Last night I drove home from a friend’s house late at night and had to stop for a badger who was wandering slowly across the road. He was a big badger, not one of this year’s young. I’ve seen one, probably the same one, just on that bit of road before.

I wish I had managed to get a photo of him for you because he was very handsome.

The journey home takes me down a beautiful piece of road where the banks of earth rise up either side and the trees meet in the middle to make a tunnel over the top. There was a bright moon so I could see for the first time this year the fallen leaves have started to litter the roads and it was down to 6*c….it’s the start of autumn!

The trees in my woodland are stunning….all shades of yellow, orange, red, brown.

Today, one of the less good bits of autumn started….the constant drying of wet, muddy dogs. Five dogs + many trips outside = lots of muddy paw prints 🐾 🐾🐾🐾🐾 and soggy towels!

On Thursday night there will be a full moon, the Hunter’s Moon. I found this piece in the Telegraph online about it…

“October: Hunter’s Moon

As people planned ahead for the cold months ahead, October’s full moon came to signify the ideal time for hunting game, which were becoming fatter from eating falling grains. This full moon is also known as the Travel Moon and the Dying Grass Moon.”

Its on the 1st October which means that on the 31st October there will be a second full moon in the month, a ‘blue moon’ (you know, like in the phrase ‘once in a blue moon’) because it doesn’t happen very often at all.

Most years have 12 full moons in them but years with a blue moon have 13. I don’t know why it’s called ‘blue’…I will have to find out!

The Draconid meteor shower will start ramping up this week, with the peak being on the 8th. It’s one of my children and my best things to do, meteor hunting! We get dinner eaten early, the house tidied up, the fire banked up so it’s warm when we get home, and then the 3 children, me and ALL the dogs get into the car and drive to where there is least light pollution and see if we can see any meteors.

The Draconids aren’t the most showy, there are only up to 10 meteors per hour, but they are usually bright and the really good thing is that instead of being at 3am or some unmanageable time, they are in the early evening just after it’s gone dark.

I know you all have a lot of light pollution around there but these meteors are usually bright enough that it’s worth looking out your window.
It’s getting late, the fire has died down and I think it’s time to go to get my head drilled by a cat! 😊
Blessings,

Elizabeth