A lot has happened since my last posting towards the end of March, but April has been a good and exciting month in many respects.
During the Easter Weekend at the end of March I became an Octogenarian, and was kindly feted by many cards and gifts, not to mention two birthday parties and birthday cakes! I am most appreciative of all the love and kindness so many have shown. It surely is a blessing to have such a family and friends. It has not been possible to say a personal thanks to everyone, so please accept from me this big THANK YOU!
So what is it like to be 80? Well by God’s Grace both Muriel my wife, and I, keep well, apart from the usual aches and pains that come from such activities as gardening, so we are thankful for each day and are still busily engaged in many endeavours. We like to remind ourselves of biblical characters like Moses and Caleb who started their main endeavours for God at our age! 🙂
This month I made a serious attempt to get the garden knocked into shape, in spite of the rather treacherous weather. The lawn treated with ‘feed and weed’, followed later with a first cut. The greenhouse planted up with all kinds of seedlings, the vegetable bed weeded, and one of the borders tidied. And today the new fence was given its first coat of paint by our son Cameron. This year I’m using more expensive tomato seeds in an endeavour to beat the blight problems the plants suffered last year.
It was a great pleasure to have James McKerlie as my guest on the ‘Extraordinary Stories from Ordinary People’ video series. James is such an enthusiast, and is a man with a given record of service to others. If you would like to see his video you can click the link shown here – https://youtu.be/BDDGz_Ep2nE
This month I also enjoyed reading Philip Yancey’s book ‘Rumors of another world: What on Earth are we missing’. which was certainly very thought provoking. I’ll try and do a book review later.
April started and finished with two great Christian events here in Glasgow. The special services at Greenview Church over Easter were just that – SPECIAL! http://www.greenviewchurch.co.uk
And then last weekend Christian Men Together had the annual ‘Commission Event’ in the Southside of Glasgow. More than 300 men attended to hear Professor John Lennox of Oxford University speak on the subject of ‘Creation’, and renowned speaker and pastor Jeremy McQuoid from Aberdeen on the subject of ‘The Cross’. It was a powerful combination of subjects, which I found moved me in my soul as I reflected on the awe inspiring material we covered. Not to mention the pleasure of hearing 300+ men in Scotland singing God’s praise.
As I write this I’m aware that for many people around the world this month has been heart breaking and horrendous. I think particularly of the conflicts in the Middle East and watch with dismay as world powers and dubious world leaders vie for supremacy in the region. Sad to say, it’s difficult to know who to believe any more. Our thoughts and prayers are with ordinary people who have died and others who were maimed, and many who fled their homes and suffered endless loss and bereavement, as each side in the conflict boasts their support for them. I pray that God may help all who reach out to them with love and compassion.
Well April has gone, and already we are into the first days of May. I trust that the month will be a blessing to you and your family. Some other exciting things happened this month, so watch out for the next update!
Matthew McKinnon's Blog 