Quite Chubby!!

My wife has just informed me that my profile picture shows me as 'quite chubby'.  Hmm, well rest assured that I am on a diet and I don't look like this any more - honest. As you can see from my new picture here, you may struggle to recognise me were you to come across me in the street.
The diet is more of a Lenten semi-fast.  In my attempt to walk alongside Jesus on the approach to Easter in my very imperfect way I (I should say my wife, friend and I) have pledged to eat healthier meals.  In practice that means smaller meals and more headaches.  If fasting is supposed to transform us, all I can say is that I am sorry for my churches over Lent.  I am feeling either ravenously hungry and clock-watching for the next 'meal' or light-headed and not sure of what I am supposed to be doing.  I've not asked for any sermon feed-back of late.
I wonder if Jesus' friends failed to recognise him when he returned from the wilderness
(Matt chapter 4) -  perhaps like the two disciples on the Emmaus road who failed to recognise a transformed Jesus.  I'm looking forward to Easter Sunday as much as being transformed!
Chubby indeed!

May I sit down please?

I'm at the District Minister's Meeting (Methodist Minister's Synod for those in the know) and as such it has some quaint ways.  One is that ministers can't just retire but have to ask for permission.  They call it permission to sit down (presumably from riding one's Methodist horse around the circuit).
One of the retirees (all of which were allowed to sit down by the way - I guess one day we will be refused on account there are fewer and fewer of us now) gave thanks for all those people who had been influential over the years and who had encouraged them and 'I wouldn't be here today had it not been for their support...'.What will people say about us?  Encourager? Supporter? Helper? Friend? I am concerned that with our selfish society (and I include our  churches here) this vote of thanks is likely to be heard less and less.