The Bison Farm

We visited recently the Bison Farm at West Knoyle (just off the A303 near Mere). Well worth a visit! Click on picture to enlarge it.

Dick Prior

Dick was another of my parents’ generation who died recently, aged 91. He was my father’s cousin, a fine dedicated Christian (doubtless yet another beneficiary of Pamela Ann’s prayer: see my blog entry on 14th June). He was a maths teacher and housemaster at Kings School, Canterbury. Subsequently he was a headmaster in Nigeria and then at Oxford, with an interlude in between when he taught at Bradford Grammar School. I met him for the first time whilst he was in Yorkshire, but did not properly renew acquaintance until nearly 40 years later when he and Joan moved to Shaftesbury.

Dick in the RAF in 1944

With Dick and Joan in 2005

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, immediately below St Peter's Church where the thanksgiving service for Dick was held on 15th June 2007

Aunt Grace

Aunt Grace was very special to me. She departed this life on 13th June 2007, on her 94th birthday. What was particularly special about her was that she walked with Jesus in her daily life and was therefore a woman of prayer, in tune with her Lord. She was a great comfort to me when I was bereaved. Over many years she had used what she called our ‘family prayer’ as she prayed daily not just for her own children and grandchildren but for nephews, nieces and their children too, “…that not one of them should be missing on the coming day of glory.” (a reference to the day when the Lord Jesus will return for his people.) It was a prayer known to be used by Pamela Ann Prior (1790-1858) and subsequently taken up by later generations of the family with greatly positive outcomes for many of us.

A thought for today….

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11.28

We were listening recently to a talk on ‘Stress’ when this quotation by Jesus was mentioned. It took me right back to my childhood as I remembered that this text hung on the wall of the church which we attended. It had a comforting ring about it, and still does.

He says “Come unto me” – a beckoning which tells us we can have a personal relationship with Jesus, a privilege which so many people have no experience of, because they have not responded to his invitation.

He says “My yoke is easy” - a metaphor of a double ox-yoke which suggests that if he is the other one pulling on the yoke, our burdens will be greatly eased. Had he been speaking today he might have used the metaphor of one of those tandems that has a child's saddle and pedals at the back. The child pedals away busily, but the real burden of the journey is being taken by the parent on the front saddle.

Whatever the metaphor, the invitation made by Jesus is open to all of us.

Grandchildren

Andy with Rosie

Isaac and Lubin in their canoe

Grace, Eva and Jacob

First Leila was a pheasant-charmer; - now she is a snake charmer too!