Snapshot

Take a random photo and what have you got? The answer is a snapshot that samples an exclusive view. I’ve been trying to put my computer photos into some sort of order, and a great number of them are of boats; in fact the majority. So what does that say about me? Obviously I’m interested in boats, but that does not mean they are the most important thing in my life. Well, while I was sorting my photos I came across the one shown above. It is a snapshot of a corner of my computer desk. An analysis of what you see can provide an insight into some of the things that interest me and are of importance to me.



So what does interest me and what is important to me? Disregard the ‘Next’ CD, since it is only on my desk because my wife happens to love Next - more truthfully she loves the products that Next promote and sell, i.e., mainly clothing for skinny girls, not that she’s a skinny girl, far from it. I use the CD as a coaster, which puts it in the right perspective, because clothing does not captivate me whatsoever. My laptop and mouse occupy the foreground. Yes, they are important because through the screen of my computer I can enter the world which is full of distractions and loads of nonsense, often biased towards commercialism because of the way the Internet is used by those who want to take our money. I make every effort not to go down that route.



Beyond the laptop there’s a mug stuffed with pens and a pair of nail scissors, but do you notice what is printed on the mug? The words are Emmaus Bible School U.K.. Yes, at one time I did a correspondence course to understand the Bible better. To the right of the mug there’s a packet of rubbers, which is a gift from one of my granddaughters. I think she realised that I don’t always get things right, like Gordon Brown who admitted he had made a mistake when he referred to a lady he had been speaking to during the current election campaign. He called her a ‘bigot’, but didn’t realise that what he was saying was being recorded. He dutifully apologised to the lady, and she forgave him, but the incident will remain in the memories of those who are not so forgiving.


You’ll note there are two dictionaries on my desk: one is an up-to-date Concise English Dictionary and the other is a Reverse Dictionary, which is most useful for finding words that elude the brain at a particular moment – for me this frustrating experience happens frequently! Understanding the language we speak, the language we read and the language we write is of paramount importance. Therefore these books are essential for my interpretation of what people say, read or write. In the same category of related knowledge there’s a book with the title, ‘What is this?’ Broadly, the subject of this book is a guide to Britain’s wildlife, plants and flowers. I have it because in my travels around the UK I come across wildlife, plants and flowers that I do not recognise and my natural curiosity leads me to learn more about them. God’s creation fascinates me; it’s so mind-blowing that I cannot comprehend it.


Having read so far, you may not be surprised to see a large world atlas propped in the corner by a bundle of papers. Well, the world is where we live; therefore for my better appreciation of it, I have an atlas packed with information. There’s a tiny white book hidden beside the Amplified Bible which has the title, ‘Evangelistic Sermons’ by D M Lloyd-Jones. This gem of wisdom is there for me to delve into when I feel like it.



Altogether there are three Bibles on my desk; the most used at present is the New King James Study Bible, with notes by John MacArthur. The Amplified Bible is an excellent explanatory version which helps the reader to understand the true meaning of various texts. My NIV Bible has been so well used that without the sticky parcel tape holding the spine together, it would fall apart.



You may be puzzled by the fact that only one of the books shown in the photo has a connection with boats - the one in question is, ‘Voyaging on a Small Income’, by Annie Hill, and I must say for anyone contemplating world voyaging in a yacht, read it before you go. You will find a wealth of helpful knowledge within its pages that will save you unnecessary expense. There are other books that are not featured in the snapshot, but the ones shown will suffice to give you an insight into what is important in my life. I may spend a lot of time, thinking and dreaming of boats, but they are not the most important thing for me.


Links


Emmaus Bible School
http://www.emmausbibleschooluk.co.uk/

Martyn Lloyd-Jones
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyn_Lloyd-Jones

John MacArthur
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._MacArthur

Brown’s Blunder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFl_evwML2M

Brown’s Apology
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3F_ly9xSqQ

Annie Hill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Hill