Chapel Update

Photo taken today. We're now waiting for the slates to go on. It looks more like a bungalow than a chapel now! But then again our early Baptist forefathers refused to call their places anything other than Meeting Houses to avoid giving people a false impression of what a church really is. I find it still needs regularly and patiently explaining.

Jeremy

Unsearchable Riches

'Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you'
What a perfect rest do we get when on coming to the Lord Jesus we take His yoke upon us, the yoke which He Himself ever wore, and which He now lovingly imposes upon all His people. O, it is an easy yoke and a light burden. Love joyfully accepts what INFINITE LOVE imposes. We then are satisfied in knowing that every interest of ours is unspeakably precious to Him: that every hair is counted: every tear put into His bottle, and that every sigh is noted. Nothing can harm those whom He keeps as the apple of His eye. Our one and only danger is, that we begin to plan for ourselves, and thus virutally take ourselves out of His hands. He will bring us at whatever cost of suffering to us, to commit ourselves ABSOLUTELY to His loving and perfectly trusted hands.

Extract from 'Unsearchable Riches' by John Dickie,

(19th Century Scottish evangelist and tract writer)

I started this book back in June on our holiday and have since used it as daily readings because of its short chapters and devotional nature. John Dickie spent the majority of his life in ill-health, and this book contains the short meditations and letters he wrote to friends during his times of affliction. Well worth careful reading.
Lorna

Freight Cost Explosion

The US Postal Service (USPS) has left us scratching our heads. Without warning the cost of all overseas mail from America has been trebled - yes, you read it rightly. It seems they are now sending everything by air. The knock on effect is that the cost of US published books in this country is likely to increase. It is hard to judge just how much in the longer term because international carriers like UPS, DHL and Fedex for example are swooping in to get a slice of the cake. This should moderate the effect, but it is still going to be painful. Our own intention is to absorb as much as we possibly can on the Gospel Mission books we distribute.
I would genuinely like to be given a reason for the USPS decision. It seems crazy. What's suddenly wrong with ships? Do they want to make their carbon footprint smudgier than ever for the sake of it? Can anybody enlighten me pleeeeeease?
Jeremy

Off to Devon?

North Devon in the early 19th Century was a miserably superstitious and poorly educated rural community, in contrast with its natural beauty. Here John Winzer was born, born again and became one of the despised ‘Anabaptists’. Not a preacher, but an earnest prayerful farmer, he was central to the work of God in the area which brought spiritual light and led to the establishment of several chapels. If true zeal for God is to be measured, this book will put many 21st Century Christians to shame.

If you're heading to Devon for a holiday this summer, be sure to pack a copy of 'John Winzer', and look out for the places mentioned in the book.

Make John Winzer your alternative for Harry Potter! It's far cheaper at £2.50 and a hardback. You had better get in early and get it from us - we're cheaper than Amazon!!

Jeremy

Adventures

I'm enjoying reading through 'African Adventures' to the boys at the moment. It's well above their reading age (Matthew is 4, Euan 2), but the chapter lengths are about right to retain their attention. They are fascinated to hear about lions etc, and I'm learning about the Turkana tribe in northern Kenya who the writer Dick Anderson evidently worked amongst as a missionary doctor. The story reminds me a bit of the 'Adventure' books written by Willard Price which I read avidly as a boy, and there is also a similarity to the Jungle Doctor books but with a clearer Christian message woven into it. I recommend it. I look forward to moving on to the other books in the same series done by Christian Focus. The first they did was 'Rainforest Adventures' I believe, which on glancing through looked better if anything. There is a wealth of education here for all via family reading - everyone will take in something at their own level. A friend has also read 'Great Barrier Reef Adventures' and liked it. We find they are popular for Sunday School prizes if those who look out books for this purpose in our shop are anything to go by.

Jeremy

The Rebuilding Work

On this very blustery and rainy day I am glad I'm not a joiner! Those chaps have been up on the top of our new chapel braving the wild winds of the north to put up the trussed rafters... they deserve a medal!

Lorna

Doctor Adrian by Deborah Alcock

This was my third book of the holiday last week and for a couple of days, I'm afraid Jeremy got very little conversation out of me. I just couldn't put it down! Okay, it is in the 'Young People' section of the shop, but I can unashamedly say that it was perfectly suitable for someone of my own age (uhem, 30-ish). Reminiscent of G A Henty, this book weaves a fictional story around a certain 'Dr Adrian' into the factual events of the sixteenth century persecution of Protestants in The Netherlands. It tells of the conversion of Dr Adrian and his contact with William, Prince of Orange. The theology underpinning the story line is soundly reformed and there are many moral and spiritual lessons to be learnt through following the distressing events of these times and how the characters involved dealt with them. This book is evidently suitable for a wide age range as Jeremy reckons he was only 12 yrs old when he read it!

Lorna