The Original King

The photos have made a glorious and triumphant comeback! I still haven't put India ones up yet as I'm in the process of editing at the moment. It is a long and painful procedure that usually stops me going to bed until the early the following day. But tonight, not five minutes ago, disaster struck. I go to begin another night shift in my personal editing suite (my Mac in my room) and find that all of the images that I have already edited have gone back to their original form! I've put an example of what an original photo looks like, and what an edited photo looks like.

So, I guess the work's not up yet! But, in some weird yet wonderful way, I find it quite therapeutic. But not tonight. I'm too devastated. What a drama queen I am. Plus, I'm planning on watching the sunrise on Beachy Head in the morning. I find that the morning is usually the best time to watch the sunrise.

So the photos that have made it onto your screens, are as follows:

1. Fidget the cat with the glow-in-the-dark Mother Teresa I got Dad from India.
2. My stitches. It doesn't look it, but there are six of them! Arrr...
3. The original
4. The edited

Talking of Mother Teresa, I found this quaint little statue in a shop that my team and I christened the 'Mother Shop'. It boasted to having all things Teresa - from MT Bibles to MT camera rolls, from MT Rosary beads to MT cold drinks. In fact, I will show you a couple more photos from our favourite shop.

Quite incredible.

I think I'll move on from India and photos now. I've been back to reality for a week now, it could easily have been a month and I wouldn't have noticed. I've been keeping in touch with my team and we all miss each other, but apart from that it has been back to business as usual here in the Bourne. This time coming up to Easter (some may wish to call it Lent) has been very similar to the time coming up to Christmas (some may wish to call it Advent) in terms of work. It's a mix of being busy with some things, and twiddling my thumbs with other things. This week in particular, nearly all my clubs have come to a close for the Easter break. The schools have ended, so my usefulness there is pretty thin. Yet, I've had some extra things than I would usually have due to it being Easter-time and all. As an example, I'm showing the film Passion of the Christ tomorrow night (Good Friday) with a reflection and a time of prayer. So I've had to publicise and prepare the reflection. I doubt we will have many people, but I don't see that as a problem. If I end up on my own, so be it! But on Sunday, I get to have a week off and return to my motherland of Littlehampton!

As a Christian, Easter has always been more than just chocolate to me (though I did eat an Easter Egg that I had bought for someone else yesterday. I'm not saying whose.) But this year, I have felt sad at the punishment Jesus took for me for the first time ever. I haven't just felt sad, it's almost been grief. If you don't know Jesus, this will make no sense to you. And maybe you do know Jesus, but have never felt this way before then that is fine as well. I have loved Jesus and accepted him as my saviour for many years now, but for some reason I have never felt saddened by his sacrifice before. I'm hoping that come Easter Day, my sadness will be turned into joy! I haven't been a constant moper for the last few weeks, it's just when I read it in the Bible or spend some time just thinking about that amazing thing. Is it not just incredible that Jesus didn't just die. He died as a mission, a mission which he accepted for me and for you. But the thing that makes this death different to others is the grave.

You can go to Windsor Castle to see King Henry VIII's [big] grave.

You can go to Graceland to see the grave of Elvis Presley.

You can't go see the grave of Jesus, the original King. There were no bones to bury, no ashes to be scattered. Why? Because on the third day, Jesus was risen!

Happy Easter!

'When the army officer who was standing in front of the cross saw what happened when Jesus died, he said "This man really was the Son of God!"'

Matthew 27:54