About God's presence in troubled times

In times of sorrow - and despair
remember God is always there.

About life and death and the moment of truth

The gate through which we must all pass at the moment of our death 
will be at the end of this world of space and time.

It came to me that what we might then enter into
is the dimension of Truth.

Is it there that we shall have to come to terms and deal with
who we are and what we have done, 
for good or ill or both?

Perhaps it is only when we have passed through this dimension
that we will be able to pass into the final and eternal dimension of Love.

About caring or not caring about wrongdoing

Do we care? Are we sorry? Does it bother us?

The sad people are those who don't care, aren't sorry and aren't bothered.

To anyone who never thinks about God

These words are obviously from the point of view of someone who does think about God - a lot - and are meant to be, and hopefully are, encouraging, supportive and consoling.

You may not think about God but God thinks about you - at every instant of your existence. In fact, if God didn't think about you, you wouldn't exist. 
It is because you are a thought in 'God's head' that you do exist. God thinks about you, has loved you into, and holds you in, existence.

Any love in you is of God, from God and through God.
Any truth in you is of God, from God and through God.
Any creativity in you is of God, from God and through God.

Love, truth and creativity are in us all and are from God.

About 'the quality of God's mercy'

The quality of God's mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath.
(cf William Shakespeare, "The Merchant of Venice")

but we put up our umbrellas,
of pride - hurt or otherwise,
stubbornness, arrogance
and the rest of them!!

They are not the pretty colours of all the 'umbrellas of Cherbourg';
no, our umbrellas are stone coloured, dirty browns and greens.

Help us, dear God, to take down our umbrellas 
and turn our faces towards your gentle rain
and see the glory and splendour 
of the rainbow of your love
which overarches the world
and bathes us all in its warmth.

About a video on youtube

I have recorded 7 songs based on 3 poems I learned at school, a harmony to a John Denver song, 2 prayers and a carol and had a video made to accompany them.
They can be found as
jan poems prayers and harmonies
If there is anyone among the people who read my bits and pieces who would like to look at it, I should be very delighted.
I am truly grateful to you all and wish you a very happy Christmas.
The video is the fulfilment of a lifetime's dream.

About what to do when a minor crisis occurs

Said, off the cuff, to H who was struggling with something or other on his laptop or iPad
(not an unusual occurrence, I might add!):

Don't despair,
say a prayer.

I don't know if he did
but it did make him laugh.