Deck the Halls...

Hello lovely friends!

Today in Ambert we are hard at work making our homes and church look very pretty, as Christmas draws nearer... but we have been having far too much fun to be finished! We were joined by a little dog called Scamp, who has had a lot of fun chasing the baubles that Baby Belle has been dropping. Our new friend Buttons the cat, and her sisters Crunchie and Smarties also came in to say hi, but they aren't very festive yet... we hope we'll be able to cheer them up a bit this year, especially now that we are friends!

It is so enchanting to see the little ones play as us grown ups try to tidy up the mess they are making... so maybe it will prove to be infectious? Although I've been full of flu again today, I have been watching little mice running up and down the street and feel very enchanted by it. At least the little micefolk were being sensible though - all wrapped up warm in hats, scarfs and gloves - can you believe that some grown-up mice aren't wearing them? Quite frankly, I'm secretly glad I've got the sniffles, at least I can stay near the fire... enjoying a nice hot cup of tea too! The decorations will soon be complete, and we'll be having a Christingle service in the next few weeks too... oh, those oranges! We mice like a few cubes of cheese on those cocktail sticks, but we sometimes sneak the odd sweet on them too.

In other news, I got a message from Pheasie today via Twitter, because I had been asking what kind of gestures and charitable deeds our mouse community should do (we think self improvement for Jesus' name is always a good thing). She wrote:

"Buy a bunch of flowers for someone who looks sad and see the suprise and happiness on their face"

We thought that was a wonderful idea!!! As I mentioned earlier in this post,our new cat-friends are seeming quite sad at the moment... so we really want to cheer them up! We might even be able to give them some warm cream too when they next visit (but don't tell them, we'd like it to be a suprise!)Thank you Pheasie, you are very right that small gestures make a happier world... we'll let you know how our plan
goes!

Love,

Ella xxx

Poorly Ella...

Ella is a little bit full of mouse flu today, so we're afraid we don't have anything to post tonight... but just to keep you on your toes, we thought we'd post a picture of this unusually elegant feline... Buttons is one of three sisters who our micefolk have befriended and she is... a CAT! We think this must be historical progress for mouse-cat relations... At this special time we would find it squeekingly amazing if you could remember: forgive those who traspass against you. God is with the peacemakers (and, as Ella reminds us tonight, he is with the sneezemakers too). Life is better in love, not war, and so on this note, have good night-nibbley-night. With love from us all, and sneezes from Ella!xxxx

The (Nearly) Ten O'Clock Tea News...

Dear friends!

We have some very exciting news to share with you this evening! The Caerphillian Mice will be holding a very special tea party in the next week or so, as part of Yorkshire Tea's Great British Tea Party! Although originally Welsh, our micefolk have lived in Wensleydale for many years, and are very proud drinkers of Yorkshire Tea! After all, not many drinks go better with Cheese!

Here at Ambert, we are very proud of our community spirit... and very few things are better than when old and young are able to get together around a teapot and share laughter and love (especially for a good cause)! We hope to be posting our cyber invite on our blog very soon, with details of when our adventure shall go 'live' so watch this space! There will be a full story with this event!

We will also be posting our first Christmas mouse tale in the next few days to mirror our excitement over The Frank Buttle Trust's rebranding into Buttle UK. Faith will be writing more about why she is proud to support this amazing cause, so if you find a Christmas card pushed through your door, then watch this space!

For now though, I must bit you all a warm and cosy night. Essays await and there are three cats on the prowl watching us tonight!!

God bless you and squeek you,

With love,

Ella xxx

A cat's life

She sits gazing into the glowing fire, her eyes screwed up at the brightness. Her paws tucked beneath her chest as she sits almost calm, yet still, so silently aware. This is the creature we mice are trained to fear.

Her delicate black nose and fine little whiskers do not deceive us micefolk... she is the one who can steal life in a heartbeat. Her kind, and our kind have been rivals for centuries; since Tom Cat and his decendents waged war on our cheesemakers in Caerphilly all those years ago. Yet as we walk quietly past this housecat today, in the quiet solitude that the winter weather brings, we are not afraid. For as Saint Nibble assured us, in the words of our Lord:

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass by the cat, I'll be with you;

and near their paws, they shall not catch you;

when you fall near the food bowl they shall not see you,
and the cat will not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One, your Saviour,
I gave Saint Nibble for your liberation,

and brought you into safety.

Because you are precious in my eyes,

and honoured, and I love you.
I give edam in return for you,

and fine cheesemakers in exchange for your life.

Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from out of the sofa,

and from the skirting boards I will gather you.
I will say to the kittens 'Give them up'

and to the owls 'Do not withhold;

bring my sons from far away,

and my daughters from the fields -

everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed, gave squeeks to, and made."

(Saint Nibble's assurance - paraphrased from Isaiah 43:1-7)

Introducing... Old Mother Sally Salers.

Dear friends,

Today I want to introduce to you Old Mother Sally Salers: the mouse with the house which is never empty. No one quite knows how old Mother Sally is... some say she has been alive since Saint Nibble's time, although she does look too young for that! Whatever her age, our mouse community knows her for her hospitality, love and care. Whenever a little waif or stray is found in the field, it is always Sally who opens her skirting board door, and ushers our new friends into the warmth.

Her home is modest and small, with match box beds, and handkerchief quilts... nothing is ever wasted. The kindly smell of home cooking on the tealight stove lingers through the air, like a hug for her babies returning home, or for the latest addition to be ushered through her door. Her rule of life is a simple one: God has blessed her, and given her good cheese throughout the life. She works hard to extend her fortune to others. After all, what is better to see: one mother mouse feeling happy on her own; or a whole host of little mice who are laughing, playing and growing, blessed with the love God has shared with her? Mother Sally never feels happy when she sees someone else hurting, and I guess it is through her love that she earnt her name as 'Old Mother' Sally Salers... She is so well known in the mouse community, that she even has her own little song that the baby mice in Ambert sing to her:

Old Mother Sally Salers ties her pinny at the front,

she loves baking cookies,

and distracting kittens from the hunt.
Old Mother Sally Salers is synonymous with care,
because when little mice are crying
Mother Sally's always there.

If you ever come and visit us, Mother Sally will be pleased to meet you! Maybe next time you find a friend stranded and in need, you might think of Mother Sally and help them too?

God bless you and squeek you.

With love,

Ella xxx

(PS. We'll try to put a picture up of Mother Sally soon, but she's a little bit camera shy!)

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Dear Friends,

Many of us here at Saint Nibble's Church are finding ourselves snowed in again today... we micefolk often wondered why we referred to 'blankets' of snow, as we don't feel very warm! We have since learnt, however, that snow actually keeps the earth below it warm! I can hardly believe my whiskers, but here is the sciencey bit for your cheesing pleasure.

Anyway, we are very glad to be fortunate enough to have built community cheese stores which are well supplied in this awful weather... most of us are curled up in the warmth, sharing cheese-on-toast, cheese cake, and well... most other things made of cheese! We hope that you are all finding yourselves equally comfortable on this cold and snowy night.

Whilst human world can try to continue turning in the snow, it proves to be much more difficult for us, because we are only tiny mice! One of our mice however has been fortunate enough to observe a snowy Christian love elsewhere in Yorkshire tonight. Samuel Pittance, one of our specialist news reporters, attended the scene where hundreds of tall people and big lorries were stranded on the A57, after severe weather made conditions impossible to travel. Fortunately, kind Methodists in South Anston, Sheffield opened their chapel to provide stranded drivers food, hot drinks, warmth and somewhere to shelter overnight. Samuel reports that the stranded lorries on the A57 have begun to move again this evening, but that the stranded drivers had been touched by the generosity that South Anston had shown. He commented that:

"Sometimes, we must take a step back, and thank God for the adversity we witness unexpectedly... it is in these moments (usually out of our control) that acts of kindness breakthrough and show the world that love can always overcome our troubles. A kindness, which in this case, came so naturally and effortlessly to the community in South Anston has penetrated the heart of all those who found themselves stranded over the past couple of nights. We give thanks and praise for their generosity!"

The Caerphillian Mice here in Ambert would like to echo Samuel's praise of the Methodists in South Anston. We are inspired by your witness and example and we hope you can enjoy some yummy cheese as a reward for your efforts!

God bless you and squeek you,

Ella xxx

Holy God,

Your example shines in witness like star that guided Kings through the sky,

Help us to break through clouds that block out the light.

Be with us and fill us with Your love

which snow can't chill nor rain subdue.

Today we especially thank you for the example set by the Methodists in South Anston, who in loving service bore witness to your love today.

May we all be open to Your ways of working,
however unplanned they may seem.

Shepherd us in, and show us Your will,

in Jesus' name.

Amen x

News of our seasonal adventure!

Dear friends,

Many of you will not yet know that the Caerphillian Mice of Saint Nibble's Church have a special human friend. Her name is Faith, and she works very closely with me (Ella) to help us visit more of the world. She has arranged a very exciting expedition for the Caerphillian Mice which we are now delighted to announce.

With the help of Faith, we will be visiting households throughout the United Kingdom on some very special Christmas Cards. These cards will feature our parishioners here at Saint Nibbles acting out scenes of the nativity in squeekingly special ways. Unfortunately, Caerphillian Mice can not be bought, and neither can these cards... but we will be posting photos of the cards in late December, so that you can share in our exciting adventure.

Faith and I have been making these cards, because Faith felt that so much money can be spend on Christmas products, but the percentage charities actually recieve is minimal. We have therefore decided to donate as much as possible to The Frank Buttle Trust in January, as Faith will not be purchasing cards from local stores. Of course, the charity welcomes individual donations too, so please do visit their page.

In the meantime though, we'd like to hear what ideas you have for our January mission? St. Nibble's Church likes supporting charitable causes and promoting awareness of specific issues, as well as sharing with you our daily news. Please get in touch by leaving comments at the end of this post, or by contacting us on Twitter or on our new Facebook page.

God bless you and squeek you,

Love Ella xxx