What kind of Christian ... ?

 

Cartoon: Copyright Private Eye. No infringement intended. 

All Shall Be Well ...

The words of Julian of Norwich (as shown in the adjacent image) have echoed down to us across the centuries. They remain one of the most enduring and reassuring expressions of Christian optimism ever written.

Julian was a medieval English Catholic mystic, who lived in the 14th Century. Her writings, now known as Revelations of Divine Love, are the earliest surviving English-language works ever attributed to a woman. 

Her birth name isn't known. Her recorded name is taken from St. Julian's Church in Norwich where she lived as an anchoress for most of her life (a woman who locks herself away to be closer to God). 

Christian optimism, as Julian expressed it, is the conviction that divine love has the final word. Do you believe that?

God is good - a reminder

For the Lord is good.      

His unfailing love continues forever,      

and his faithfulness continues to each generation.   

Psalm 100:5 (NLT)

A continuing theme throughout today, where so many things haven't quite gone to plan. Still, God is good. 

You Are Not Alone

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. 

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

Goal!

Football (or soccer to those of you across the pond) is a funny old game. You may feel that we Brits take the game much too seriously, and there may be an element of truth in that. I still recall a quotation from Bill Shankly (the legendary former manager of Liverpool FC) on the topic. "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that".  That line that has become the ultimate summary of the sport's emotional grip on fans.

The ultimate aim of Football is to score more goals that your opposition. However, scoring multiple goals by one player brings with it a whole series of terms.And you know how much I like to delve into such words!

If a player scores two goals in a game:

The term used is the word brace, a noun which comes from Middle English and Anglo-French. It originates from hunting terminology, where it was used to describe a pair of hunted animals (such as birds or hares) caught in a single trip.  

If a prayer scores three goals in a game:

The word for this is hat-trick which actually is a term coming from British cricket. In that sport, when a player retired three batsmen with three consecutive balls, the club usually gave him a new hat to honour his accomplishment. Traditionally, a football player who scores a hat-trick is allowed to keep the match ball as a memento.

A little bit of Googling brings forward some other goal terms used (although of course these are increasingly rare):

4 goals by one player is a haul,

5 goals by one player is a glut,

6 goals by one player is a double hat-trick,

7 goals by one player is a haul-trick.