Guy Fawkes Night

*

 Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
    The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
    I know of no reason
    Why the Gunpowder Treason
    Should ever be forgot.
    Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
    To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
    Three-score barrels of powder below
    To prove old England's overthrow;
    By God's providence he was catch'd 
    With a dark lantern and burning match.
    Holla boys, Holla boys, let the bells ring.
    Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
    And what should we do with him? Burn him!

It's a long way from 'Little Boy Blue,' isn't it!

Guy Fawkes Night, Bonfire Night, or Fireworks Night, it's the time when Britain remembers the 1605 attempt by a group of Catholic conspirators to blow up Parliament and King James I (who was also King James VI of Scotland, who had succeeded the throne of Elizabeth I two years earlier) on opening day of Parliament. Wanting to restore a Catholic monarch to the throne, they'd managed to smuggle gunpowder into the undercroft of the House of Lords, but someone leaked the story to NBC and  word got out and they were caught.

Bonfires were lit across the country to announce 'The King Yet Lives.' I'm not sure how anyone was to deduce that from a bonfire, unless they were sending smoke signals, but that's the tradition, as I understand it. Throughout Britain, there are fireworks displays, 'Guys' are burned, and people have parties. I hope J will correct me on this stuff if it's inaccurate!

From Wikipedia: 'In the weeks before bonfire night, children traditionally displayed the "guy" and requested a "penny for the guy" in order to raise funds with which to buy fireworks. However, this practice has diminished greatly, perhaps because it has been seen as begging, and also because children are not allowed to buy fireworks. In addition there are concerns that children might misuse the money.'   

Good grief! Being a kid just isn't what it used to be!

So, to all of you Brits (and Anglophiles) out there, Happy Guy Fawkes Night!  We have friends coming over to help us burn a huge bonfire tonight, unless the corn hasn't been picked. In that case, we don't dare light the bonfire, lest a stray spark ignite the cornfield! And if we do have the bonfire, we'll be standing pretty close to it, for it's supposed to be down to 25 degrees F. tonight. Brrrr.

Stay tuned... 

Have a great weekend!


*picture from the web

Don't forget to make Grandma's Bonfire Parkin for tonight!


This post is linked to Friendly Friday Follow
and Friendly Friday
and Home and Family Friday
and I'm Lovin' it Friday

Zooming In

Google Earth

I still haven't learned how to use Google Earth properly, but I've enough experience to be able to zoom way out and zoom way in, something that could keep me entertained for hours. I'm still trying to figure out how to make that little yellow man get out of the corner and walk around on street view.

And that, oddly enough, leads me to the subject of regrets. Just bear with me, for it's the way my mind works. I remember that when I was younger, I actually perused my past and told myself that I had absolutely no regrets. Right. I must have been delusional. I'm attributing it to the naivete of youth. I think it was because I could Zoom Out and be in the company of many others like myself, feel the security of standing or sinking with them, and could always find someone among my peers who was worse than I was. Or at least I thought so.

We all have sins, big and bigger, in our past (and present), but as long as we stay Zoomed Out, looking at our sin in contrast with that of those around us, we might delude ourselves into thinking that we're okay, that we have nothing to regret, that we're doing just fine, thank you!

But then one day... 

I Zoomed In. I Zoomed In so far that all others - all my smug co-sinners - fell into the background, far far into the background, and suddenly it was just me, standing all alone before a holy God. 

And that's a very different perspective. 

A God who knows my every thought. A God who knows my selfish motives. A God who says that hate is no less than murder, lust no less than adultery. A God who created a perfect world so that I could walk with Him and delight in Him. 

But I didn't. I found my delight in just about anything BUT God.  

So there I was, just Him and me. And suddenly, this person who foolishly thought she had no regrets could think of nothing but regrets.

It was then I knew that I needed peace with this God who made and owns the Universe, this God of justice, this God whose laws I'd broken, this God I suddenly wanted more than anything to know, to walk with and delight in.

I learned a lot from Zooming In.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sin, (that bloody death on the Cross that many don't like to talk about anymore) to bring us into fellowship with God, to clothe us with His righteousness, so that we, undeserving as we are, can stand righteous before God, rather than condemned.



II Corinthians 5:21 God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin be sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.



Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

My trust is in Christ alone, not in what I do or don't do, for I'm always going to find myself doing things I'll later regret. But now, I can Zoom In and delight in spending time with God, my Father. He loves me, He cares for me, He is no longer my judge. Now I am safe and happy. I have peace. I have joy, for Jesus is my righteousness, my Redeemer, my Savior, my King.