LizMac's lenses

My first poetry lens which was very well received,much to my pleasure 

Inspirational Meditations

Enjoy thinking about the things which are priceless but can be free to you if you look hard enough. Possessions do not give us lasting pleasure. We are spiritual beings and we need a full spiritual life. Don't be side-tracked by the things you have,...

When my first poetry lens seemed to be getting full I wrote this one 

More Inspirational Meditations

Here I continue to explore my feelings and beliefs about God and our relationship with Him. I begin with a simple poem about daisies with no apparent connection with God, but then God is in everything. Most of my inspirational meditations don't...

One sad event reminded me of some others and they are altogether in this lens 

Poems of loss

I wrote some of these poems for people I know who had suffered a loss. The others are about losses of mine. For some people these might be an encouragement finding that they are not alone when they see the emotions the poems describe. We people are o...

This lens celebrates a life long friendship 

Lasting Friendship

I'm going to call him Bob because he was a very private person, as are his family, and they would not appreciate any publicity. Bob was a good friend to me for most of our lives. Here I celebrate that friendship.

Here I try to get an idea of who God is, taking one poem from a previous lens 

Infinite God

Once again I take one of my poems and explore the meaning behind it. Explaining a poem does not in any way ruin it, it simply makes it accessible to more people, who perhaps would not be able to enter in to its meaning on their own. What could be bet...

A poem and the basis for a sermon 

Stormy weather

In this poem I explore the idea of life becoming stormy within and without. How are we going to cope when life gets difficult and our emotions are thrown hither and thither by the things that have come into ours lives and disturbed the once gentle rh...

A poem about what it was really like that first Christmas 

The first Christmas

In this poem I want to help you think about what the first Christmas was really like and how important it is to all of us. This is God Almighty come down to taste our life and to save us. As Charles Wesley put it "Our God contracted to a span, incomp...

Another poem expanded 

Finding God near you

In my poems I try to capture how great our God is, and when I say "Our God" I include all peoples throughout the world. But, of course it is impossible to do him justice, but I still keep trying because I might help someone else to catch my fever and...

How does Jesus look at people? 

A poem explained

The Prostitute, a poem

This is the first lens where I explore one of my poems. I try to find out why I wrote it and how I wrote it. Was I writing it for myself, or for others? Did I want it to make a difference in someone's life? To get them thinking in a different way and...

Do not judge 

The drunk

This is a lens about not judging other people, because we never know what has happened in someone's life to bring them low and in this case lead them to alcohol addiction. I have a friend who has been through this experience and come out the oth...

Here are my poems grouped together 

My Collected Poems

Here I have collected together all my poems. There are ones about finding God, ones about not judging each other, and ones about losing our friends and loved ones in this life. The losses are painful and yet we learn from them and are able to help ot...

A tribute to my mother who kept going even when times were tough 

My Mum

Born in 1912, my Mum grew up in a working class home when the first world war was raging. Her father often changed jobs and sometimes worked with horses and sometimes worked on laying drains. Apparently he was very good at finding out which way water...

I was involved in the baby boom 

My part in the baby boom

This is my personal view of what's it's been like to be a baby boom kid, and adult with hopefully a few more years to go. This lens is about many aspects of life during the years following the Second World War right up to now. The good things and the...

Some of my story 

A bit about me

This is where I tell you a bit about me,Elizabeth Mackay and what I've done so far in my life and what I plan to do next. I've found it all very interesting maybe you will too.

An important part of life 

Making friends and keeping them

Making casual acquaintances is easy but not very rewarding. A real friend is a gem and truly worth keeping. How do you meet? How do you get to know this stranger who is going to be a friend? I'm going to talk you through it and see if I can help you...

Make more space for creativity 

How to de-clutter your house

We all do it. We collect things, put them in a drawer and then never use them in the next twenty years. Of course it may be true that the minute we throw them out we find an essential use for them. But then we can't have it all ways.Are you one of th...

I love helping others to play music 

Learning the piano as an adult

I'm going to give you all the encouragement you need to do what you've always wanted, play a musical instrument. Look at that piano. Isn't it just inviting you to have a go. If you have lots of determination you will succeed.

Another instrumental lens 

Taking up the recorder as an adult

The recorder has the advantage of needing little financial outlay. It is relatively easy to start playing but requires much practice to master. It can be enjoyed on its own or in an ensemble. the latter being most enjoyable and also providing social...

Help with theory of music 

Theory of Music (1)

Even if you don't play an instrument you can get lots of fun from learning the theory of music. It's all quite logical and is the culmination of centuries of experimenting with how to express music on paper. I hope you will enjoy this first...

Some more music theory 

Theory of music (2)

We press on with our job of learning theory of music. We consolidate what we already know and move on to new things. We will learn some more scales in sharp keys and then look at some flat keys. Music theory is all about writing and describing music...

Possibly the most famous composer 

Beethoven 1770-1827

Beethoven took music into new dimensions, breaking rules but always with good reason. His influence today is still huge. He suffered greatly because of deafness, a cruel twist of fate for a musician to suffer.Against all odds achieving much during hi...

You don't have to be a genius to enjoy the violin 

Learning the violin as an adult

Have you always wanted to play the violin? Just go ahead and do it. You will never know how good you could have been until you give it a try. It takes a while to get past the scratchy stage but once you do all the hard work is worthwhile. You can ju...

Help for the technically challenged from someone who knows how that feels 

How to make a lens, for dummies like me

Follow my easy step by step introduction to making a lens. I'm learning as I go so tag along, have a go. You can do it. Look how worried I was because I didn't know what a url is. Don't tell on me I'm still not too sure but I get by and you can too....

Do you know where to access all squidoo modules? 

Using Squidoo modules

For those of you who have never been brave enough to click on "Browse all modules" here is a sample of the goodies you have been missing.  After you have clicked on "Browse all modules" you will see to the left of the box ano...

Simple hints for getting you lenses seen 

SEO for Fresh Squids

I'm going to try to keep this look into Search Engine Optimization as simple as possible. It sounds like a very heavy topic but really much of it is quite straightforward and easy to put into practice. I will be starting with keywords, after a few w...

In this lens there is advice for those who feel Squidoo is taking over their lives 

Squidaholics Anonymous and beyond

Look here to see if you are a Squidaholic. Test yourself against my questions. Together we can find a way to keep our Squidooing under control. I am a self confessed Squidaholic. Are you one too.?Will you have the courage to own up? This first step...

All about our chapel at Culmstock 

A little Methodist chapel in Devon England

Chapels seem to have a knack of needing new roofs. It's a big undertaking for a congregation of nine, but we do get a lot of back up from the circuit, that is the other chapels in our area. At this little Methodist chapel we've got a long haul ahead...

I'm learning to be a preacher 

How to become a local preacher with the Methodist Church in the U.K.

A summary of the process of becoming a preacher written by someone going through the process herself.

Here are Bible characters with interesting lives 

Interesting Bible People: Naaman

I tell the story, from the Bible of, Naaman,who is one of the interesting Bible people, who although a gentile found God in old testament times, showing that God always intended to include the gentiles in his plan of salvation. This is a story of a...

Love in a barley field 

Interesting Bible People:Ruth

Naomi lost everything but then found priceless love in her faithful daughter-in-law. One who was prepared to turn her back on her own country and people, to stay with Naomi and follow Naomi's God. This story from the Bible will keep you enthrall...

Sermons featuring Mary Magdalen 

Interesting Bible People :Mary Magdalene

In training to become a Methodist local preacher we learn to write personalized narrative sermons. This means you take a character from a Bible story and use them to speak the story. In this lens I have included three such sermons using Mary Magdale...

Rahab to the rescue, and then she needs rescuing 

Interesting Bible People:Rahab

This is the story of a girl who was a gentile, a non-Jew, who staked everything on joining the people of God, because she saw something she wanted in this God.. She wanted something better in her life and she was prepared to risk all for it.Come alon...

A brave woman 

Interesting Bible People: Esther

This is a story of a courageous girl, who put her life on the line for her people. This is a strange book of the Bible, which recounts Esther's story, in that it does not mention God once. Esther was a glamour girl of her day but one who also had a...

Rhoda the servant girl who believed 

Interesting Bible People: Rhoda

Rhoda takes part in only one story in the New Testament. Nevertheless she has a place among the other Interesting Bible People She is a lowly servant but has her part to play in the growing Christian church. We will let Rhoda tell her own story.

Bible characters altogether in one lens. Easy to find 

Bible Characters

Here in one place I have collected together my stories of Naaman, Ruth, Rahab, Queen Esther and Mary Magdalen, along with the lens which gives little snap shots of Job,Jonah and Paul, all from the Bible. I hope you will find this useful in your searc...

Play this fascinating game. Including a website for advice 

Short mat indoor bowling

Find out about what a great recreation short mat bowling is and that it is suitable for all ages and particularly favourited by the senior citizen. I don't know if it has reached America yet but if not you are missing out on a great game. It appear...

Philippa Gregory's moving book about Katherine of Aragon 

The Constant Princess - Philippa Gregory

Katherine is the most neglected of Henry's wives in historical books. Philippa Gregory puts this right by painting an in depth picture of this Constant Princess. Throughout the book between the narrative Philippa Gregory allows Katherine of Aragon he...

What was it like to be a Tudor woman? 

The Other Boleyn Girl

This is a great book by Philippa Gregory where Mary Boleyn tells her story and inevitably tells Anne's story too. I'd never heard of this sister of Anne Boleyn. Mary is Anne's younger sister and becomes Henry VIII's mistress and gives him two childr...

Charlotte Bronte's masterpiece 

Jane Eyre

It's lovely, it's so romantic. Poor Jane in that horrible Lowood school. Then she finds a perfect job as a Governess and meets Mr Rochester and loves him and then shock, horror she is marrying him when his wife's brother turns up, but there is a happ...

Charming Devon villages 

The Culm Valley

This is a relatively unspoilt area of countryside, where little villages nestle beside the river Culm as it takes its journey down the valley through Hemyock, Culmstock, Uffculme, Willand and Cullompton and then joins the river Exe to flow through Ex...

More of the Culm Valley and its villages 

The Culm Valley (2)

We visit the villages of Uffculme and Willand and the town of Cullompton. Together with Hemyock and Culmstock these make up the larger settlements along the river Culm. It is a beautiful part of Britain and well worth a visit. The upper half of the v...

Flowers galore 

A feast of flowers

I have used many flower pictures in my lenses and I thought it would be fun to have a feast of them altogether. Flowers are wonderful in their variety of shape and colour but their time with us is short before they wither and die. Happily they will b...

A stroll in the country 

Down a Devon Lane

I'll show you some of the lovely things you can see in a Devon lane. Walk with me and see the wild flowers and maybe I'll add a poem or two. It's a beautiful day so let's start. Put your best foot forward.

Devon in the fall 

The Devon lane in early Autumn

To be precise these photos were taken on a lovely sunny afternoon on October 12th. The previous night had been wet and windy so leaves had fallen from the trees. We had a very wet summer, in South West England so the Autumn colours do not promise to...

More Devon scenery 

A tram ride

On a lovely sunny Saturday in June, a party from my church circuit took a ride on a tram from Seaton to Colyton up the Axe estuary. Here I share the adventure with you.

He loves to have adventures 

Woolly Doughnut on an adventure

Woolly lives on my book shelf. he has been in my household for thirty three years. He first came to us as a Christmas present for my son. Later he was inherited by my daughter Meltedrachel. He is a simple little fellow but so cute. One day I decide...

Our lovable friend again 

Woolly Doughnut on a walk

Woolly Doughnut first belonged to my son, but he grew up. Then he belonged to my daughter, Meltedrachel, but then she grew up too. So now he lives with me and I take him on adventures because it is boring just sitting on a step all day.

It's that little rascal again 

Woolly Doughnut on a rainy day

It's rainy and Woolly Doughnut is bored. What will he find to do in the house? You'll be surprised at how many things he can enjoy. In fact he keeps really busy and enjoys himself a lot.