BETHANY NEWSLETTER issue 1 SPRING 2013.pub

Bethany Newsleer
Issue 1: Spring 2013
Welcome to our new Newsleer...
We hope to publish our newsleer on a quarterly basis
and keep you all up-to-date with life here at Bethany.
We need YOUR ideas and contribu!ons please, to make it
your newsleer.
Poems . . . Ar!cles . . . Pictures . . .
Puzzles . . . Snippets… Stories. . .
In fact almost anything, so please let us have your offerings!
Sis Caroline Tomkins
Manager
Contents
T H E D AF F O D I L P R I N C I P L E
The snowdrops have come and gone, the days are getting longer and spring
is here, with daffodils warming our hearts as they ‘flutter and dance in the
breeze’ (borrowing from the imagery of Wordsworth).
This annual renewal of the very first covenant, ‘summer and winter, springtime
and harvest’, reminds us of God’s constancy. In the millennia since He made
that promise of the turning of the seasons God has never failed to keep His
promises. (A theme reflected too in the poem chosen by Sis Val Pritchard on
page 2).
Sometimes when the winter
seems long, the dark nights
unending and the promise of
spring but a distant glimmer it
can be hard to maintain our own
constancy, to keep the faith, as it
can seem that nothing changes.
And the heart-warming sight of
the daffodils emerging yet again
from their winter slumber never
fails to stir our sometimes
sluggish hearts.
There’s a daffodil garden near Lake Arrowhead in California that boasts a
stunning display of daffodils. In swirls of yellow the mountainside seems to
flow with a golden river of warmth. And perhaps the most amazing thing is
that these acres and acres of bulbs were all planted by one single, ordinary
woman - as a poster proclaims to visitors - over more than five decades.
Now that is vision - and that is faith. The vision to see beyond the here and
now and focus on the future - and faith to see that although our efforts
might seem trivial, insignificant and perhaps sometimes even pointless, by
perseverance wondrous achievements can be accomplished by just ordinary
daily tasks. And that is mere human vision, faith in human things and human
achievement.
Caroline’s Welcome
1
The Daffodil Principle
1
Poem
2
Thoughts on Bethany
3
The Lift!
4
Word Wheel
4
Our Bethany
5
In Memory
5
Recipe
5
Knitted Together
5
Word Search
6
Page 2
ctd from page 1...
What might we achieve with our
divine vision, divine faith and divine
support?
So as daffodils burst forth with all
their God-given glory once again,
may they help to renew our vision of
that time when, by God’s grace, we
will be helping to truly fill the earth
with His glory. And may they renew
our vigour and remind us that, while
we wait for that great day, small acts
of faith, blessed by God, can produce
great harvests of glory even now.
Bro Chris Furniss
THE MORNING COMETH
Wilhelmina Stch
“The morning cometh” - what a lovely phrase!
A lile song of hopefulness and praise
“The morning cometh”, yea, though it be late
Have but the courage and the faith to wait.
“The morning cometh” on strong wings of light
Dispelling all the shadows of the night
And each one wai!ng for his morn to come
With heart strings vibrant, though the lips be dumb.
Wilhelmina Stitch was the
pseudonym of Ruth Collie,
born Ruth Cohen in 1888. “The morning cometh” - though you’re wrapped in care
Not much is known about
Companioned by the spirit of despair
her life but much of her
Yet there will be an end to grief and pain
poetry is, like this one,
“The morning cometh” - take ye heart again!
inspirational. Our thanks to
The daily workers in the fields of life
Val for uncovering this
Are weary unto death of toil and strife
gem.
But O my sister, O my brother - Hark!
There is a dawn that will dispel the dark.
Above is a picture of a
plaque that can be seen at
The light is coming, sad at heart rejoice!
the Crematorium in Golders
’Twas very dark, when lo, I heard a voice
Green commemorating her
“The morning cometh”, dispersing all the gloom
death in 1936.
Spring in the heart, life’s roses in full bloom!
Poem selected by Val Pritchard
Page 3
SOME THOUGHTS ON BETHANY...
Having been asked to add a few words to this Bethany Newsleer, I found it easy to write
about so many posi!ve things. Bethany is above all else a home, not an ins!tu!on. Yes, it
is true that the graciousness of the building helps, but the real things are provided by
everyone who works in the home and the residents who live there.
Ge7ng on with each other is easy if we think as the Lord Jesus does. The Lord was always
concerned about others before ever he thought about himself. Even during that last week
of his ministry he was concerned about his
disciples, that they might share the very
same unity as he shared with his Father in
heaven. And that is the secret! Thinking of
the needs of others first. Yes the “needs”
of others, not the ‘wants’, by the way!
Every member of staff shows a proper
concern for the well-being of all who live
under Bethany’s roof. Residents in turn
show a very real
apprecia!on for
not only what is
done for them but
the way in which all the necessary day-to-day tasks are
completed.
Of course there are !mes when this wondrous machine has a few
hiccups - but that is inevitable. What with a brand new li= being
installed and a new staircase being built between the first and the
second floor and decorators being as
unobtrusive as possible. I don’t think
anybody was painted by mistake! It was all a great opportunity
for us to show understanding for one another’s needs - the li=
men, the carpenters, the electricians and the decorators to say
nothing of the cooks and cleaners and carers and everyone who
plays a part in a place which is home to so many.
No - not the decorators
this was done for the
Autumn Fayre!
We thank our loving Father in heaven for all that He does for us by
the hands of others and earnestly pray that the happiness and
contentment of all those under that roof may con!nue un!l our dear Lord returns and he
invites us, by God’s Grace, to live and reign with him in his Kingdom and show forth God’s
glory, as we now already try to do by the quality of our day to day living.
By Bro Trevor Pritchard
Page 4
THE LIFT - O MY WORD - THAT LIFT!
The elegance of Bethany was borne throughout un!l you
came to the heart, the very core of its being. Here a grumpy
and extremely unpredictable being existed - a touchy,
curmudgeonly old fellow that went by the name of ‘THE
LIFT’!
A wounded old soldier who grunted and grumbled and
groaned, it had a will of its own. Some days it travelled as
sweet as a nut, others it did nothing but complain! Of a
bygone age, it had two doors to fasten, one like a mesh and
another much heavier door. It afforded really quite
excellent views - of the brickwork in the sha= - as you traversed up and down.
At length we came to a point of no return - and with the incredible support of the Welfare
Commiee we were in line for a new li=. Great excitement all round!
A=er much prepara!on and with several residents taking advantage of the opportunity for
a holiday at Newton Court, we were ready. A huge lorry arrived with a twenty foot
container which was craned into the car park. A large skip appeared for the rubbish and a
team of three workmen arrived one fine, sunny Monday morning. We were off!
So lots of hammering, sawing, cemen!ng, building, carrying down of debris and carrying
up of machinery ensued and the new li= began, gradually, to take shape. Six weeks from
the start we had an opening ceremony when Sis Mary Allison, who was our longest-stay
resident, cut the red ribbon and enjoyed the first journey in our brand-new li=. Hooray!
Now there remained just a lile
maer of re-modelling the stairs . . . but that’s another story!
Sis Caroline Tomkins
A
L
S
E
C
R
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O
E
See how many words you can
find that include the letter in
the middle. Can you find a
nine-letter word?
...I’ll give you a culinary clue!
Page 5
Our Bethany…
We are well blessed with a lovely home at Bethany,
despite recent upheavals from improvement works
and the seemingly endless repairs that have to be
carried out. What we lose sometimes in modern day
convenience is made up for by the sense of grandeur
from the building and the welcoming atmosphere
evident from the moment you set foot inside.
Welsh Cakes
Recipe
Ingredients:
225g Self Raising Flour
75g Caster Sugar
1/2tsp Allspice
1/2tsp Ground Ginger
Pinch of Nutmeg
110g Butter—cut into cubes
1 Egg
2tbsp Milk
100g Sultanas
Here at Bethany, we are not afraid to try out new
things in order to improve our living experience serving teas in the dining room instead of delivering Method
Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix.
them to each room being a notable recent example. 1.
Add the butter and rub together until the
Tea time has now
become a relaxing social
mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the
occasion and the new arrangements continue to be
sultanas and stir well. Beat together the
well supported.
egg and milk and then add to the mixture.
As Spring gets
underway we have a
renewed sense of
optimism with plants
and trees bursting
into life, milder
weather and longer
days. This brings with it new opportunities to spend
time in the garden at Bethany or to venture further
afield on trips and visits.
2.
3.
Work together to form a soft dough.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a
thickness of roughly 5mm. Using a pastry
cutter, cut into rounds. Allow to rest for 20
minutes
Using a lightly greased griddle or frying pan,
fry the cakes on a medium heat for 3-4
minutes on each side until crisp and golden.
Knitted Together
A Poem by Caroline!
In the end though, it is not about the building we live
in or the plans that we make: it is about the unique
contribution made by each resident and each Clackity Clack, Clackity Clack,
member of staff every day that makes life at Bethany Wind the wool front and back.
so special.
Knit one purl one slip one turn
Bro Chris Watkins
In Loving Memory…
We look back over the last few months with sadness at
those who have fallen asleep in the Lord. Though we
miss them greatly, we remember with
joy their time at Bethany and how they
touched the lives of other residents
and staff during their time here.
•
Nellie Green
•
Kath Brown
•
Connie Foster
•
Allen Harding
•
Mary Allison
This is the pattern all knitters learn
From practice pins in wood and steel,
Knitting needles keep their appeal.
The childish hands that pull and tease
With practice now can knit with ease.
From baby garments small and neat
To woolly sweaters and socks for feet.
Of talent there appears no end
The knowing hands with love attend.
Now in this time of peace and rest
The frail hands to love attest,
Working hard for those in need
Showing love by faith and deed.
Page 6
Word Search — Biblical Places
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There are 25 names in the grid of places found in the Bible.
They run right to left, left to right and diagonal.
ASHAN
DAN
HAZOR
PAPHOS
ASHDOD
ELAM
JEZREEL
ROME
BETHEL
EKRON
JOPPA
RIMMON
BETHANY
GATH
LUZ
SIDON
CARMEL
GIBEON
MEMPHIS
TABOR
CAPERNAUM
HARAN
NAZARETH
UR
ZOAR
See how many you can find!
A big thank you to all contributors to this first edition of Bethany News