Link4Change - Chris Ogle

Blaha Lujza Ter - Budapest I don't know what it is about Budapest   ... but it is definitely my second home... and probably my spiritual home.  Budapest is the joining together of Buda and Pest ... Pest is the flat side... Buda is the hilly area on the other side of the river Danube. The castle district is on the Buda side of the Danube on the hill you can't miss it... The Parliament building on the Pest side. There is a small selection of pictures here on this Blog... but please head over to my English people who love Hungary and Hungarians facebook page where I do also post pictures from visits and other interesting Hungarian related info. If you really want to get to know a few Hungarian people then I have a facebook group Anglo-Hungarian Bridge which is there to promote connection between our two countries... ask me one day what the Brits and Hungarians have in common... quite a bit actually, and not what you would think either! So... you are going to Budapest?

Some will argue that this post is somewhat naive...  others that we must work within the confines of the political system we have to effect any kind of change.  Well we are all entitled to our own views... differences in our upbringing, influences, work, study... all define our uniqueness and the rich tapestry of today's society. To have a view is valuable and to be admired... to believe it is the one truth? ... now that is a different question... to be so bold as to state that we alone have the 'right answer' is a brave statement indeed... Anyhow... on to the subject at hand The election of 2017... in reality it doesn't matter who gets in. Haven't we worked it out yet? For as long as I can remember we have been lulled into believing that our vote counts... it's important we're told and that we need to exercise our democratic right to vote. The people who fought for this right are championed as people we need to honour because they effectively br

So I'm approaching 420 days of abstinence from alcohol now ...  Although it might have seemed with a post one Sunday morning that I had succumbed actually it was not the case. The post read "Now I know why I abstained for 397 days". It wasn't from a hangover or that dull feeling of lethargy that normally accompanies the consumption of the night before. No, rather a bit more of a revelation as I pondered a discussion about weight loss and how people will be embarking in a few weeks time on a crash course of slimming in order to attain a 'beach ready' body state by July / August time. So I asked myself why do people actually do this. Starve the body for a while, then 'over do it' again... then back onto the starving... and so the see-saw goes, mixed up with guilt and gay-abandon. But for what? ... deep down is it because we want approval of our 'form' from others? To not be embarrassed? ... so we are effectively doing this to ourselves..

Scraping my way towards 20 words... and today I'm writing about the word 'Tell'. So being as this is a lent list what is that all about in a religious context? Perhaps it is about telling others about the message of Christ and sharing the 'good news'. I'm all for sharing good news... as those who follow my activities in Link4Growth will already know... but... it's a dangerous game to 'tell'. When we tell someone something in a 1-1 encounter there are generally two situations. Where the person we're telling has asked us to comment Where we feel that the person we are talking needs to know something or other In the first situation above we have been invited to share something probably because the person asking us believes we have something useful to contribute, or they would like to know our thoughts on a subject. The second situation is very different. This is where we feel compelled to tell the other person some information based on

So far behind on these words that I am going to be writing them at Christmas... anyhow... Palm Sunday has come and gone... Day 40 or so is upon us and I'm writing day 18...  today's word is REST. We all like to rest... we all like to take a break. Even God after creating the whole world took a break from his labours and a chance to reflect on his work... And he saw that it was good too... no harm in being proud of your work! So let's look at rest... it does mean different things to different people.  Some think of rest as completely zoned out... just eat, drink, have fun and then sleep. Others see rest as doing something creative, painting, making something... perhaps doing something that is so different to the hustle bustle of the normal daily routine and therefore a complete contrast. For others, and I include myself in this I want to occupy my mind with something different which is fun but is also potentially a useful asset in the future. We are here for such

So an interesting word for Day 17 : Reconcile I'm very behind... but I'm not beating myself up! This word has so much depth and I can cite many situations where it evokes different meanings. We can reconcile something to death... we can be reconciled with death... I remember very well the miners strikes and the reconciliation service ACAS being constantly in the the news in the 70's and 80's. When we get under the covers of "reconcile" though what does it actually mean? Coming to terms with something, reconciling ourselves with death or with God for those who travel that road Reaching a compromise, union disputes as mentioned above a great example  Acceptance of a situation, I am reconciled to the fact that this will happen...  Reconciled our differences, perhaps listening and re-establishing an old relationship gone sour I have now reconciled my thoughts in this area... content with where I am on something It's really interestin