James Bond Day

A British secret agent working for MI6 under the codename 007 is a figure that encompasses all of our dreams of a what a man of danger is.

He is a man of intrigue who always seems to get answers to his questions, and inevitably winds up with the girl.

Every year, on the 5th of October, we get to celebrate this hero of the super-spy genre cinema on…

However, few people know that James Bond didn’t get his start on the big screen, but instead in a series of twelve novels, and two short story collections written by author Ian Fleming starting in the 1950’s.

Men dreamed of living a life of danger, with women swooning at the thought of this mysterious stranger, and everyone spent their days fantasizing about what it would mean to be a secret agent man. Afterall who doesn’t want to Fly through the air shooting all the bad guys?

And what about having all of those fancy gadgets and lovely women? Who doesn’t want to drive nice cars while being impeccably dressed, a smooth talker and a comforting presence after all the violence is over?

But it wasn’t until 1962 that this wildly popular series of books was brought to the silver screen in “Dr. NO” and in that one instance, James Bond was brought to life for people everywhere.

Throughout the ages, some of the biggest names of stage and screen have portrayed this iconic character; Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig are the main six actors who have officially played James Bond in the Eon Productions film series.

It was decided in 2012 that the best way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of James Bond’s arrival on the silver screen was to commemorate a day dedicated to secret agents everywhere. Thus was born James Bond Day.

Throughout the decades the movie franchise has brought us fast cars, beautiful women, and cackling villains that have tried to take down England, and the world.

In every case there was one man, 007 – Bond… James Bond, that would take them down and save the day.

So how can you celebrate this fictional icon in the eyes of the world on James Bond Day?

You can pick up one of the original James Bond books, be it one of the novels or short story collections and start reading. Or possibly you could read one of the many continuation works written by other authors that pick up on the Bond theme / universe.

You can listen to one of the many music soundtracks throughout the day, check out James Bond Radio, do the James Bond Quiz, or if you are lucky enough to have an exhibition or convention in a town, or city near you – you could possibly pay a visit.

Maybe you could have a movie marathon, although this may take a while. According to Google AI Overview the 25 official Eon Productions James Bond movies have a total running time of approximately 53.5 hours (3,207 minutes).

For your information the longest movie is ‘No Time to Die‘ (2021) at 163 minutes (2 hours and 43 minutes) and the shortest movie is ‘Quantum of Solace‘ (2008) at 106 minutes (1 hour and 46 minutes).

So maybe you could just pick your favorite and watch it at home with the family and / or friends. I’m going to be busy on the evening of the 5th – so maybe I can watch my favourite movie the following day.

What is your favourite movie? And who is your favourite actor?

Blessings ’til next time 🙂

Amazed by the little details

Today we went and visited the Christchurch Train Model Show at Cowles Stadium. If you get the chance tomorrow to visit it I would highly recommend it 🙂

You see, I don’t know about you but when I look at the craftsmanship of model airplanes and especially trainsets I’m always amazed by the little details.

Not that you can call what follows in the picture gallery simply trainsets, or train layouts for that matter – as they are so much more sophisticated than that.

They are literally works of art!

The skill required, the patience, a steady hand, a keen eye, and the intricacies involved that modelers have these days – as well as the hours persevering over the smallest of details is absolutely phenomenal.

What’s more these days its not just about the metals, plastics or wood that’s used – it also involves sophisticated wiring, led’s, microchips, electronics and circuit boards so that they can control the tiniest of movement as can be seen in some of these layouts.

The variety of different sizes (scales) made some of the detail even more staggering – the Zuggarnitur layout as pictured below is @ 1:220 scale (the tiny ‘Z’ scale) and it wasn’t even the smallest size on display – I even saw a train layout that fits inside a briefcase for sale 🙂

I especially liked the Twin Peaks layout which is a fanciful Swiss / German border town ‘Winter in the Alps’ scene featuring the Glacier Express & the Bernina Express (N Scale 1:160 N Gauge 9mm Railway) complete with a moving hot-air balloon, gondola, child swinging in a tree, and helicopter waiting on its helipad. All of which is packed in its self-contained display box for easy storage.

Some of the larger track layouts wouldn’t even fit in a double garage which just shows the size of them. The modellers are constantly adding to and tinkering with them and no doubt have invested quite a substantial amount of time and money into their development.

Here are a few more pictures to check out (click on them to enlarge)

I shoulda, coulda, woulda taken more photos – maybe next year.

Blessings ’til next time 🙂

Food for thought

Today I came across the below image and wording on my Facebook feed and it has been swirling around in my head for much the day 🙂

Questions such as: Where am I (where are you) at on the road of life? Am I (are you) where I (you) expected to be? Has something unexpected happened that has got me (you) questioning the road that I am (you are) on?

Do I (you) feel as if God’s heart is for me (you), or against me (you)?

Did He really plan for me (you) to get whatever symptoms / ailments etc. I am (you are) having to face?

Are the trials and tribulations, the frustrations, the struggles etc. something that He planned for me (you) all along? WHY? Is He still faithful? Am I still faithful?

Do I (you) believe that there is a hope, purpose and a future just around the corner? Can I (you) glimpse it on the horizon, or is it too far in the distance and just out of eyesight, is there something there that is slightly out of focus?

Are you chasing after something that you thought was ‘the’ plan – but now you are not so sure? Was the plan something that your parents, or grandparents consciously, or even subconsciously placed upon on?

All great and valid questions / concerns and are certainly food for thought 🙂

The thing is, God’s plans are not always what we expect.

We can read of many examples in the Bible that show that what you and I may think as sudden shifts in the lives of people that have had their lives turned upside down, inside out, outside in, turned around – used for His glory (His love, His Forgiveness, His Mercy) to be shown.

Some of them, if not all, questioned and wrestled with what they were going through and God’s plans.

“Here’s what Yahweh says to you: ‘I know all about the marvelous destiny I have in store for you, a future planned out in detail. My intention is not to harm you but to surround you with peace and prosperity and to give you a beautiful future, glistening with hope.’” Jeremiah 29:11 (The Passion Translation)

The book of Proverbs has quite a bit to say about planning and success:

Proverbs 16:3 espouses us to “Entrust everything that you (we) do to the Lord, and your (our) plans will turn out to be successful.” (New Catholic Bible)

Proverbs 19:21 says that “You (and I) may have lots of ideas about what you (and I) want to do. But it is the Lord’s plans that are important.” (Easy English Bible)

Proverbs 16:9 says “A person may plan his own journey, but the Lord directs his steps.”
(God’s Word Translation)

Ultimately, we are reminded that we need to “Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding; in all our ways submit to him, and he will make our paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (New International Version)

I’m sure that I am not the only one that grapples with these sorts of questions – But through it all, through everything that I have gone through and continue to go through I have to believe that there is more – more in store for me, more for those around me, more for those that I interact with, and more for those that I journey with.

God has got this. He has got me!

Has He got you too?

Blessings ’til next time 🙂

World Oxygen Day – October 2

World Oxygen Day 2026 takes place tomorrow on Friday, October 2, 2026 (celebrated as “O-2”), marking its fourth annual global observance.

Led by the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease COPD Foundation alongside global patient advocacy groups and professional societies.

What is World O-2 Day?

It is a day that raises awareness for the millions of people worldwide who rely on short-term or daily supplemental oxygen for conditions like COPD, pneumonia, and trauma.

You see, hypoxemia, or low oxygen levels, can affect people of any age and can result from a range of respiratory, cardiac, and other conditions.

Despite being recognized by the World Health Organization as an essential medicine, supplemental oxygen remains out of reach for a full 60% of the world’s population, according to the Lancet Global Health Commission on Medical Oxygen Security.

Access to appropriate equipment, reliable oxygen supplies, education and support varies widely. Even for those who can obtain equipment, the technological limitations of that equipment can make it difficult – or even impossible – to leave home, participate in daily activities, or maintain their independence.

The four key signs of oxygen deficiency (hypoxia or hypoxemia) include:

Shortness of breath (dyspnea): Struggling to catch your breath or feeling winded during routine tasks or while resting.

Cyanosis: A bluish or grayish tint to the lips, face, or fingernails caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood.

Confusion or dizziness: Feeling lightheaded, disoriented, or having trouble concentrating because the brain needs a steady supply of oxygen.

Rapid heart rate (tachycardia): A fast or pounding heartbeat as your body tries to pump oxygen-poor blood faster to compensate.

World Oxygen Day was launched on October 2, 2023 by the COPD Foundation – it was stylized as “O-2” for the oxygen molecule. The core motivation was due to the COVID-19 pandemic exposing severe global inequities and shortages in medical oxygen; and organizers sought a dedicated platform to advocate for infrastructure and reforms.

One of the aims is to reduce the stigma around the use of oxygen and eliminate the social embarrassment that causes patients to avoid using portable oxygen equipment in public.

Supplemental oxygen therapy helps people with Scleroderma related interstitial lung disease (SSC-ILD) by easing shortness of breath, improving physical activity, and preventing organ damage caused by low blood oxygen.

Oxygen therapy helps with the management of low oxygen levels and symptoms, but it does not stop or reverse underlying lung scarring. Some people only need extra oxygen during exercise or sleep, while others need it all the time.

In the United States, there are continued advocacy efforts to pass the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act, bipartisan legislation designed to create a more patient-centered, sustainable approach to oxygen equipment and services.

Ultimately, everybody needs oxygen to live. Some bodies need a little extra help.

By supporting World Oxygen Day, you can help improve the lives of those who need it.

Blessings ’til next time 🙂

A Beacon of Hope

In the heart of Galchhi, Dhading, Shree Bageshwori Secondary School once stood as a beacon of hope for 416 students and their families.

Today, it lies buried under thick, grey mud; a haunting testament to the destructive force of the 26 August 2026 Bhotekoshi flash flood.

Miraculous escape

Remarkably, on that fateful day the students of Shree Bageshwori Secondary School survived. When the floodwaters came crashing in, the students were away from their classrooms for their lunch break. Teachers, sensing the danger, had urgently instructed the children to leave their bags and lunch behind and evacuate immediately.

“The teachers said, ‘There is a flood and you should leave bags and lunch boxes.’ That’s how they managed to survive,” recalled the mother of one of the students.

For the families, the survival of their children was a relief beyond measure. Another mother searched in vain for her son’s backpack in a pile of mud-caked belongings but remained resilient: “My son is alive, that is my biggest happiness,” she said.

While the children survived, the school did not. When families and students returned to Shree Bageshwori on the 30th of August to salvage what they could, they were met with a devastating scene:

• School benches and a teacher’s chair lay buried under a thick layer of brown and grey mud.
• Educational materials, including notebooks and desks were coated in sediment.
• A pile of small, mud-caked backpacks, some with colorful keychains, lay scattered on the floors, waiting to be claimed by their young owners.
• Students’ lunchboxes were also found covered in mud.
• The school’s computer lab was completely destroyed; furnishings were ruined and the infirmary room was damaged.

Water lines on the walls stood as silent witnesses to how high and fast the waters had risen, transforming a place of learning into a landscape of ruin.

For the 416 students of Shree Bageshwori, the school is more than just a building. It is their path to a future. Its destruction does not just mean lost classrooms or damaged property; it means a complete halt to their education.

In times of such immense crisis, restoring a sense of normalcy for children is paramount. The school is a safe space, a place of routine and a cornerstone of community stability. Without it, the trauma of the flood is compounded by the uncertainty of when their lives can return to normal.

Nationally, this tragedy is not isolated. Numerous schools across Nepal’s flood-devastated districts have been destroyed or damaged, putting the education of more than 10,000 children at risk. In Dhading alone, Shree Bageshwori stands as one of the hardest-hit, a powerful symbol of a generation’s future hanging in the balance.

The students may have survived the flood. Now, they need the world to help them recover their future. Urgent support is required to clear the debris, restore the classrooms and bring the school back to life, ensuring that the 416 students of Shree Bageshwori can resume their education without prolonged delay.

One month on from the flood the death toll continues to rise, it is now close to 1,500 with well over five thousand people still missing. Some of the roading infrastructure has started to be repaired, making communities accessible so that they can assess where to from here.

Can they rebuild? If so what gets rebuilt first, and if not where do they relocate to? All questions that will be grappled with in due course – Buildings and livelihoods for sure can be rebuilt, but the mental and emotional scars will remain for a lifetime.

The thing is, as Ranjeeta Silwal, a human rights lawyer and Equality Now’s South Asia Regional Representative, explains:

“The emergency doesn’t end when flood water recedes, as the secondary impacts can continue for months, even years. When families lose their house, their income and support networks, women and girls become more exposed and vulnerable to sexual violence, intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation, trafficking and child marriage.”

A post-flood assessment this month by Nepal’s National Child Rights Council and the nonprofit Save the Children has found that more than 1,000 children are living in temporary shelters, including more than 100 who were unaccompanied by any relatives and 439 who were without their parents but had other relatives with them.

More than 32,000 children were unfortunately displaced by the floods, and officials and nonprofits are working to trace and reunite them with their families. So far, only 18 children have been reunited with their parents.

According to UNICEF, across the affected districts, 18 schools have been destroyed and a further 20 have sustained damage, depriving children of safe spaces to learn, play and recover. The futures of these beacons of hope is literally hanging in the balance.

You see, dozens of schools are located close to riverbanks in the affected areas and remain at risk. All-in-all an estimated 10,000 school-age children now face an uncertain educational future.

Unfortunately, Nepal is now also experiencing landslides and additional floods in multiple areas around the country following a period of heavy rain, leaving another 21 people dead and several missing. Roads have also been washed out and infrastructure destroyed, leaving residents cut off from essential services.

Emily and Caleb recently returned back from distributing 285 Education Resource Packs (ERPs) to 4 schools in the Helembu Rural Municipality; and they know first-hand how hard it is for children and families in the affected areas to get to school in the first place, let alone before something like this flood happens.

So, if you would like to support the work that Emily is doing subscribe to the website
Child Nepal New Zealand (CNNZ), and/or follow the CNNZ facebook page.

You may also consider donating much needed funds toward getting ERPs into those schools that have been able to restore education to children. Be a beacon of hope today.

Blessings ’til next time 🙂

I wasn’t built for normal

One of the features within WordPress that I am enjoying of late is the daily reminders of what I have previously written over the years – be it a blast from the past, a cracking open of the time capsule, or today’s throwback.

One such example was the post ‘At a bit of a loss‘ which featured an interaction between John Roedel* and God back in early September of 2023.

The thing is, he has a way of expressing stuff that I’m going through that resonates with me on a number of levels and that post has stuck with me for a few weeks now 🙂

Anyhow, low and behold on my facebook feed this morning I read another poem that John has written recently that has appealed to me and has been gnawing away at me for much of the day:

I’m not waiting for things
to go back to normal.

Normal already had too much of me.
It kept asking for smaller versions
of who I really was.

I’m ready for things
to get stranger.
Wilder.
More honest.

Normal played the same few songs
on a loop until we all forgot
how to dance.

But something in us has cracked open.
Something in us is humming.
I can feel it in my chest like a loose spark.

We’re all shaking our old shells off,
turning into these polka-dotted creatures
with new wings we don’t know how to use yet.

Your plain old blood is shifting colors.
Mine too.

You can feel it, can’t you?
That low rumble in your spirit
like a car warming up in the driveway
before a long overdue road trip.

We’re not made to stay the same.
We never were.

Normal had its season.
Let the strange have its turn.

There’s a river of light running in you
that didn’t even exist
before you were born.

You are rare.
You are wild.
You are beautifully off-center.

And this – right now –
is exactly your kind of season.
Because you weren’t built for normal.
You were built for wonder.

Now, some may call it coincidence (if you believe in such a thing) but for me it kinda flows from where my head has been at of late – especially in regards to my ‘new normal’ that I’ve been living with, or shall I say growing increasingly frustrated with (living with a rare disease – Scleroderma).

This is something that I have alluded to within my last few health updates ‘The Cyclical Nature‘ and ‘Déjà vu‘ to a degree. Not that I don’t appreciate routine and structure etc.

But I wasn’t built for normal.

I’ve always tended to live on the edge of whatever the next thing is, scheming and dreaming about a myriad of possibilities, being open to opportunities and looking ahead to what God would have me do. A high-capacity, constantly on the go kinda person that has often struggled with rest.

Admittedly, this has sometimes been frustrating to some of the people closest to me. But it has always enabled me to live within my visionary mindset and stretched my strategic thinking. In Natural Character Development speak it allows me to be fully enthused for renewal (my strongest energy) and passionate about what is to come. Living with a sense of wonder.

Not that I want to strive to achieve something of worth going forward – I want to thrive, doing what He would have me do. For the biblical motto (theme) behind the communal quality of ‘passion’ is: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:11-12 (New International Version)

And I just love how The Passion Translation puts it:

“Be enthusiastic to serve the Lord, keeping your passion toward him boiling hot! Radiate with the glow of the Holy Spirit and let him fill you with excitement as you serve him. Let this hope burst forth within you, releasing a continual joy. Don’t give up in a time of trouble, (or even when ill health afflicts you) but commune with God at all times.” Romans 12:11-12

Blessings ’til next time 🙂

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* John Roedel is a comic, husband and father of three boys based in Wyoming who began talking with “God” in 2015 on Facebook about his ongoing faith crisis.

What began as a flippant way of making light of his doubts in the Divine turned into something he wasn’t at all prepared for:

God wrote back.

Since creating the popular “Hey God. Hey John.” Facebook page, John has tackled such topics as his journey to mental health wellness, his lack of faith, the joy and pain of raising a child with autism, and grief, all in the form of a simple conversation with God.