Stolen child - Pray for Madeleine

Little Madeleine McCann was snatched from her parent's holiday apartment in Portugal 10 days ago. Please pray for her safe return. She had a 4th birthday on Saturday. It is unbearably sad to think some evil people would do something like this. The more prayers, the better. And our blogging world is very good at the prayer part. Very good. So let's make it work for her too. The link is to the latest BBC story and the photo is from the BBC website as well. If I had the vaguest idea how to make a button, I would make one. Is there anyone out there who could? Then we could all have it on our blogs. Especially as this is Mother's Day around the world.

My sister phoned my mother today for Mother's Day (it is in Switzerland too, just not here) and she asked why I had not put it on my blog. I look at the readership on the map and there are people in Europe, both Western and Eastern, who do read it, and so I especially ask them to keep looking, wherever they may be.

We all have so much to be thankful for.

1. Our children
2. Our parents, especially our mothers
3. Our families
4. Our friends

And also for the ability to enjoy the ordinary everyday things in our lives. The simple things.

Like these - my weekend review looks something like this:

1. Go to town to pay bills
2. Take Mum to Traidcraft coffee morning
3. Take Mum shopping
4. Work on allotment between rain showers
5. Dig up half the weeds in the world
6. Plant more potatoes and beans
7. Lose ability to straighten up
8. Lose all strength in hands due to weed removal
9. Go to Eurovision party No 1
10. Shriek with disbelieving laughter at results
11. And songs
12. But the UK did not come bottom
13. 3rd from the bottom
14. Church in the rain
15. Marked books
16. Out to coffee with friend
17. Lesson planning
18. Coursework planning
19. Threw self on floor in despair when saw impossible new teaching scheme handed out by new dept head.
20. Contemplated resignation
21. Again
22. Found chocolate
23. Ate it
24. Sundry meals cooked, washing done, beds changed etc etc

There you have it. I lead a truely exciting life. It is still raining, and the heating is still on. And I have to go to work in the morning. Sigh.

Prayers needed

Geoff's heart valve replacement is leaking, and he is about to go back to Oxford for a second attempt at fixing it, after a week in Northampton General hospital. Please pray for him, and the doctors as well. And for my children in London (Andrew and Ann), Wellington (Diana) and here at home (David).