Jono Miller

HOUSE WIFE FOR RENT

A while ago I watched the movie Julie and Julia. I’ve discovered how therapeutic cooking can be. On the odd occasion that I don’t eat up the road at Ruth and Jon’s, I’ve enjoyed trying to cook with a bit of creativity. Last week I decided to make bread. It came out perfectly. Nice fresh homemade bread – it rose so high it nearly hit the top of the oven. So today I tried again. Igor and I ate a slice of the rocks I produced. What went wrong? I don’t know. I used the same recipe, same ingredients. I tried to copy exactly the same methods as last time – but this time it all went pear shaped.

WHAT CONSUMES YOUR TIME?

I ask this question to you and me – but not in a sense of what you do – but what you think.

Last night I was at a party and wrote down something someone said to me

“If you judge people, you don’t have time to love them.”

Not a new concept, but spoken in a fresh way.

TIME

Both judgement and love start as thoughts. What consumes my thoughts? For my spiritual family and for all my neighbours. Do I harbour thoughts of judgement, and how that person could be better if . . . . or do I store up thoughts of love – thoughts that will most likely spur me towards deeds of mercy?

Don’t let your time this week be filled with

WHEN I BECOME MAYOR OF RZHYSHCHIV . . . .

Last week I wanted to start a survey of the top 5 things you will do if you become Mayor of Rzhyshchiv. So maybe all Rzh readers (both of you) can give me your responses.

1. Round up stray dogs
2. Turn on the streetlights at night
3. Scrape the snow and ice off the road
4. Cable internet
5. Rubbish collection

So where does this come from? Occasionally something (usually small) annoys me enough that I have a spout off about it. Usually Ruth and Jon are the recipients of my bursts of indignation. I guess it happened again this week as I got splashed by a passing truck walking home on a dark unlit street, and I couldn’t get out of the way in time because of the metre high wall of snow and ice in the way.

7 AM

On Friday I thought about the story that Jesus tells in the Bible about a man who goes to visit his friend at midnight. And he keeps on banging on the door and eventually the friend lets him in, not because he is a friend but just so he’ll stop banging. Finding a friend whose house is open at 7 am in the morning is also difficult. I woke Sasha with a phone call but he said come over later. I rang the doorbell twice at Yura’s place. Eventually I ended up at Micah and Christy’s. I had arrived in Kaharlyk early but the building where my office is was closed. And when it’s raining ice and below zero you don’t really want to stay outside. Sorry to my friends to whom I was an inconvenience. I guess there is a culturally acceptable right time to call on people.

Isn’t it great to know that we can call on our God at ANY time. The God who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is on hand watching, leading, guiding, comforting, protecting. That is a great thought to take into any week.

A REAL WINTER

My flat mate (house mate) Igor commented that he was very happy to have a real winter. That means lots of snow and lots of cold temperatures. When I asked him why, he said it felt right to have a cold winter, not a mild one. Weak answer!

Highlights of this ‘real winter’ include:

• Frozen pipes – mine and many of my friends
• Buying more thermal underwear – I now own a pair of ‘stockings for men without socks’
• My van hasn’t gone anywhere in well over a month
• Taking about 15 minutes to get ready to go
  
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