30/1/11

A new year and a new coat of paint for Glasgow Central Spiritualist Church courtesy of Billy Robertson who has put a lot of hard work into the maintenance of this church over the years.   Billy, Betty Hutton, Billy Milligan, Lily, Mabel, May and other hard working members of the committee keep this church open four days a week.  All three services this week were well attended.

I was intending to add a different poem each week but I have decided to leave Annette Lavelle’s “   “for another week.  The reason for this is that Annette is about to have a small book of poems published next month and next week I will give details of where this book will be on sale.

After six weeks of severe winter weather we are maybe getting a bit complacent and thinking that winter is over, but in the past February used to be the worst of the winter months in this area.  But I saw snowdrops in bloom the other day and that is a welcome sign.

The snowdrops remind me of a story a friend told me a few years ago. She was recovering from a serious

Illness and looking out of her window one morning she saw her first snowdrops of the year.  Only four, but

It gave her so much pleasure as she was feeling sorry for herself that morning.

All of a sudden a neighbour’s little girl appeared in her garden and started to pick the snowdrops.  Anne opened the door and shouted to the girl to come back then told her off for picking the flowers.  She was floored by the little girl’s explanation. “I only took one and it was for my Nan who I am going to visit in hospital this afternoon, and I left 2p on your doorstep step for the flower.”  As Anne looked down, there were three snowdrops still blowing in the wind and two-pence on the doorstep.

Hmmm

Still not over the flu bug I struggled to attend the Friendship of Love and Light Spiritualist Church in Foxbar Paisley   on the 17^th.  There was a good turnout for their first service of the year

The founder of the church will be known to many of you – Eddie Docherty.  Eddie lived for his church and the Spiritual movement, he was truly a great Medium.   He always strived to bring help and comfort to many people from all walks of life.  He was a medium of the people

It is hard to believe that it is almost five years since Eddie passed to the spirit world, as he is still talked about on a regular basis by those who knew him  The church is now in the capable hands of Doreen, Annette and other hard working members of the committee who are running it as Eddie would have liked.

I cannot end this blog without mentioning Jordan Rice.  The 13-year-old Australian boy could not swim and was terrified of water, but gave up his chance of being rescued from Australian flood waters so his younger brother Blake could be taken to safety before him...  Donna, Jordan’s mother’s last act was to leave go a rope to try and save her son Jordan but both were swept to their deaths by the raging torrents.  We must not forget the two rescuers who risked their lives in attempting to save the Rice family.

Maybe the next time we go to use words like bravery”, “courage” or “hero out of context, we should stop and think of the Rice family and the rescuers.  They showed REAL BRAVERY, REAL COURAGE, they were ALL REAL HEROES.

Helen McEwen

The New Year was only a few days old when I heard of the passing of a very special person, Helen McEwen. 

The comments about Helen on face book say it all

Medium Ricky Martin “Helen, An inspirational lady who did not let her condition get in the way of running her wee church”. 

Medium David Purdie “she was an Inspiration to us all, and especially to up and coming mediums, as Helen gave encouragement, Helen will be sadly missed, at Toryglen

Kate Walker “Helen was a kind and caring person, she never let her condition get in the way of what she wanted to do in life, she will be sadly missed!”

I can honestly say that in knowing Helen for almost twenty-years I never heard her moan once.  Even being in such poor health in recent years it did not stop her genuinely caring for others. Once you met Helen you would never forget her.  The first time I saw Helen was at the Jocelyn Square Spiritualist Church, she was on the platform.

The Toryglen Church is a small church but over the years it has given a lot of help and comfort to so many people in the area