Dear friends,

This Friday we visited Petworth.
It was a beautiful morning with blue skies and a light haze in the distance. Things turned a bit wet later but we really enjoyed those few hours of sunshine. Today’s pictures were taken in the grounds. Inside the house has been decorated for Christmas and I have a few lovely pictures for you to accompany the notes in the coming weeks.

God bless,

Dineke van den Bogerd

Notes-20251207.pdf

Weekly Notes
Readings-20251207.pdf

‘Unto us a Son is born’

The Christmas 2025 issue packed with regular news, articles, puzzles, letters and a 2025 Quiz to enjoy!

Happy Christmas to our readers!

december_2025_website_compressed.pdf

Dear friends,

Like many, I find that the time leading up to Christmas inspires me to create treats.

The photo today shows just such an attempt and the experiment failed spectacularly! I’m pleased to report though that the chocolate fondant shapes I made prior to this fruity variety were successful and are unlikely to survive till Christmas. In fact, chocolate fondant hearts are a traditional Dutch Sinterklaas (St Nicholas eve) treat so these ones may just about make it to 5 December.

God bless,

Dineke van den Bogerd

Notes-20251130.pdf

Weekly Notes
Readings-20251130.pdf
Weekly Readings

Dear friends,

Look what I found: in the verge just outside our house there were two drinking glasses. A little bit dirty but undamaged so I ran them through the dishwasher and we have started to use them.

It’s bad enough that people throw rubbish out of their car windows but this was obviously just left there. Would it not be nice if we could educate people to keep our living space (and that of wildlife!) clean? Suggestions on an email on how we can achieve that!

God bless,

Dineke van den Bogerd

Notes-20251123.pdf
Weekly Notes
Readings-20251123.pdf
Weekly Readings

Dear friends,

On our travels earlier this year we came across these lovely street decorations. I hope that they are real and that they will lights the streets in the time leading up to Christmas.

God bless,

Dineke van den Bogerd

Notes-20251116.pdf

Weekly Notes
Readings-20251116.pdf

Dear friends,

This adorable blue tit was one of a small flock that was going around the garden feeding. They landed on this roof and browsed around the tiles and the window before taking off again to a different feeding patch.
They don’t worry about what they will eat but just take what they need day by day. What if we all did that and left enough for our fellow humans and the rest of God’s creation?

God bless,

Dineke van den Bogerd

Notes-20251108.pdf

Weekly Notes
Readings-20251109.pdf

Dear friends,

Autumn is here with a stunning display of colours.

Today’s picture of a carp pond was taken a few weeks ago but I feel it captures the season beautifully.

God bless,

Dineke

Notes-20251102.pdf

Weekly Notes
Readings-20251102.pdf

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning.
We will remember them”.

Issue 97 – Remembrance 2025.  Lots of the usual articles and puzzles and find out more about the wording above with the article on the Kohima epitaph.

November_25web_compressed.pdf

Dear friends,

Another glorious day albeit chillier than we have been used to.

The photo today is of firebugs we noticed on one of the last days of our holiday. The top one with the spots is an adult and the plainer one is a nymph.

Don’t forget that the clocks have changed and enjoy the lovely weather.

God bless,

Dineke van den Bogerd

Notes-20251026.pdf

Weekly Notes
Readings-20251026.pdf

Dear friends,

We’re just back from a trip through France and I have managed to take some lovely photo’s to show you in the next few weeks.

Today’s picture is of some lovely street decorations with Amiens cathedral in the background. Taken only yesterday morning, it already seems longer ago.

We visited the cathedral and it is stunning inside and out. We tend to visit churches when on holiday as there is always lots to admire, only this time I had an overwhelming sense of the hardship most people would have endured whilst fortunes were being spent on decorating this building. Let’s keep admiring the works of the past and do our utmost not to make similar mistakes again.

God bless,

Dineke van den Bogerd

Notes-20251019.pdf

Weekly Notes
Readings-20251019.pdf