Looking to the future

W R IT T E N A N D C O M P I L E D B Y T HE B E T H AN Y P R E S S T E AM

...“At least this Bugle’s in tune!”...

Photo by Stewart Mona-

Edition 19

Summer 2010

Editors Note: This edition has so many differing pieces - from despair to hope, sadness to joy, the funny

to the quirky. Some people look at the world in colour, for others sadly its still grey. We

hope by reading these articles the world will look that little bit brighter, as you see how

many people have come through difficult times, and are not looking for pity but encourage-

ment that they’ve made it through.

Many Thanks, FF.

Som etimes life just didn‘t seem worth it

to Bob. It‘s boring. So he took stuff to make

the time go by. The trouble is whatever he

took it he always ends back into reality,

which meant he had to take more stuff to get

away again. That‘s what‘s usually got him

into trouble. He ended up in prison. He got

clean there but the moment he got out he

was craving a fix again.

He was on his way to his dealer

when something really weird happened.

Suddenly everything around him stopped.

Cars stopped moving, people stood still in

the street, even the waves by the sea were

frozen in time. Everything except Bob was

motionless. But Bob could walk around as

normal. At first he thought he was dreaming,

surely this can‘t be happening. Then he

thought it was the drugs. But he hadn‘t taken

anything since leaving prison.

Suddenly he heard some voices. He

followed them. Someone else was moving.

He suddenly recognised where he was. He

was doon the dam, and there mucking about

in the water was…well himself, but 20 years

younger. A boy playing in the water, having

a laugh. He watched himself

and suddenly remembered that

day long ago. It was one of his happy days.

Bob smiled to himself. He wished he could

have a happy day like that again. Free of all

the sh*t in his life now.

Then suddenly he felt weird again

and the noise of the traffic came back and he

was standing where he had been in the

street. Everything was back to normal.

―What the f*ck was that about?‖ Bob

said to himself. Then he stopped walking in

the direction of the dealer and instead

headed in the other direction. He was head-

ing for the dam. When he got there, every-

thing was normal, no sign of himself.

He sat for a while wondering what

had just happened and why. He found him-

self smiling at a memory and, then the smile

turned to a frown. He had missed his meet-

ing with the dealer. Bob might not get his fix

now.

But then he realised something. He

hadn‘t smiled since whenever, and his drugs

never really made him smile. But he had

smiled that day, a happy smile at himself. It

was a type of fix he hadn‘t had in a while,

and he wanted more..

Bob

Bob‘s New Addiction

Page 1

Lord my God Dear lord my god, I thank thee For the changes in my life since

I followed your son Jesus Christ And found his pathway.

You have given me faith, wisdom And knowledge I would never have Had if I had never picked up and

Read your great book the holy Bible I ask thee lord my God to keep on

Giving me wisdom and knowledge so That I may work and help others

In your name my Lord my God

Page 2

The Butterfly

Slowly she crawls upon the leaf

Delicate teeth nibbling, biting

Almost tenderly, yet hungrily

Savouring the sweet taste it brings.

Dainty feet cling to the stem

With caution, but also skill

And she carries herself to the stalk

Carefully pulling herself up, into

hanging branches.

With the tedious work done

She settles down, curling up tightly

A tiny mouth opens slightly

And out flows a beautiful, silken

layer.

As the silk wraps around her softly

Her still form is enveloped in

warmth

The she waits, closing shining eyes

Waiting, with serene patience.

The sun sets to twinkling stars

Their radiance bringing her tranquil-

lity

With a graceful yawn, she unfurls

herself

Creating a resounding crack on a

hollow shell.

Through this opening emerges a soft

velvet

Tinged with royal purple, and sky-

blue

Following this velvet, she flitters

out

Flying up past the stars to the moon.

Samantha King

Getting my happiness back.

I was on drugs for 17 years of my life, and

the last two years I didn‘t get to see my niece or

Aunty. I had to come off drugs to get the relation-

ship back again. My wee niece is now pregnant

and I am going to be a great Uncle. I don‘t want

that bairn growing up with an addict as an Uncle.

So I need to get back to the Bethany Centre, where

I have never laughed like that in my life, safe and

content amongst the recovering addicts. I just need

to get my happiness back.

James Daly

Cha Maloney

The Dunfermline Toastie Football

Club has been playing for over 5 years-

training and competing in a tournament with

other homeless projects across Fife.

At the start of what looks set to be

another interesting season the team includes

the following players so far; John, Jimmy,

Scott, Chris, Andy, Gus, Elmo and Twiggy.

Unfortunately striker Danny has torn a liga-

ment and will be unable to play for at least 8

weeks so we would encourage any new play-

ers to come forward fast and get training!

Speaking to John and the other guys

involved in the Football has brought back

many memories of previous tournaments.

From fights with local cheerleaders to unset-

tling bus rides with ―Captain Pugwash‖ on

route to last season‘s matches it sounds as

though there is never a dull mo-

ment! If you are interested in getting in-

volved in the Football why not call into the

Toastie Club at Viewfield Church Garage

and speak to Bill or John about training.

(Monday, Thursday & Friday 10-12)

John Dunfermline Toastie Club

Blast From The Past

Kenneth McClean and Rab Whyte

tell us about the Toastie Club Pool Competi-

tions.

Toastie Club is a drop-in centre in

Viewfield Terrace Dunfermline run by Beth-

any Christian Trust. The Pool tournament

has been running for 4 months now. Rab has

recently started organising the order of play

for the competition. Congratulations go to

the winners who have kept the trophy in the

last 3 months :-

Paul Greekan (―Greeko‖)

David Housego

Kenneth McClean

―For those who come along ready to

take part in the pool competition

and enter into the spirit of the it all

this night has proved to be quite a

success‖ See who you recognise in these

photos!

Rab & Kenneth Dunfermline Toastie

Club

Pool Tournament

Page 3

We decided to talk with Peter Anderson the pastor at Leith Destiny Church, and

also runs Destiny Church Gorgie. We asked him what is the vision for the Church and Edinburgh.

He said that the church is a non-denomination church and that every one is welcome with Christian

beliefs. Peter‘s vision is to bring Christ into the lives of people in Leith/Edinburgh. His own Chris-

tian background was from The Church of Scotland, but in saying that it was not until he was 15

years old that Christ came into his life and turned it about. He grew up in Glasgow and was a typi-

cal lad who was a bit of tearaway doing things that young people do. He joined Destiny Church in

Glasgow where everyone is made to feel welcome, from all kind backgrounds in life. ―We help the

people from society who have drug mis-use, alcohol problems, mental health and people who are

homeless and in temporary accommodation as well as ex offenders and current offenders. People

from all walks of life are welcome here.‖ The church is neither non-judgemental nor patronising in any way. We have a large

congregation from old to young with 40 different nationalities. Making a difference to the

community is what Destiny Church is all about. They have a number of commu-

nity projects which they do. One of these projects is their Outreach work which they do on a

Wednesday and Thursday evening. I had the opportunity to help with this. This opened up my eyes

and ears to what homeless people and rough sleepers issues are when out on the streets. It is set up

like visitation schemes where the Outreach go into the streets and make contact with people in the

homeless environment. The workers offer tea, coffee, sandwiches and biscuits, as well as prayers if

they want it. I was surprised of the amount of people who asked us to pray for them in the street and

how the prayers lifted up their sprit. Through this work the outreaches are able to talk and offer

practical advice and prayer and that Destiny Church doors are always open for them where they can

come for a blether and spiritual guidance.

Destiny Church also another service called Destiny Angels which has between 30- 40 vol-

unteers. Their job is to visit people in the community who may be feeling down or just fed up. This

service offers listening or even to lend a hand doing practical things like decorating. They also run a

food parcel service for people who are in need in the city. Another venture that they have is adopt a

block, which is housing buildings in Gorgie and Leith knocking doors and talking with the commu-

nity. This includes doing stair cleaning and tidy ups around the areas, also lifting and clearing nee-

dles. This is only some of the things Destiny Church does in the community. The church has no

special funding but is self-financial (Peter‘s quote ―The gospel doesn‘t change; it‘s how

you present the gospel‖) what better way than going out there into the community!

Peter, other church members and the band have spread the word to people of Leith doing

outdoor church services in the Kirkgate shopping centre which has given people the chance to listen

and talk about going to Destiny church, which I feel is a great idea as people are given the opportu-

nity to discuss Jesus, God and church in a community environment whereupon they have the choice

to either walk on or stop and listen to the service. They also can get the chance to talk with other

people who are members of the church as well and hear the positive stories of how Destiny has

changed their lives in a more positive way. For I know since I have discovered Destiny there have

been a loads of changes in my life which has had an impact on my family, friends and people I

work with, as well as relationships with people in authority.

One of the things I enjoy is the social events and home groups that density runs for you

meet loads of different people from all walks of life. Rich and poor, different nationali-

ties customs and cultures but they all have one thing in common. The Father,

Son and holy sprit. The home groups give every one the opportunity to discuss services on the Sun-

days and any questions they may have or not understood.

Cha Maloney

Destiny

Page 4

So the women are at it again! De-

bating hot topics that got lots of them seeing

green in a different way. Splitting into two

teams, the women got down to business on

whether this controversial statement was true

or false.

Fighting against this statement was a

lot of good arguments, but was it enough to

win the day? The women started off with a

good point, do you really want to keep all

the recycling in your house? If you live in a

large house, yes that might be ok but if you

live in a small house, your kitchen will

surely be filled up soon with bottles, paper

and tins if you don‘t have a recycling bin

near you. Also however much you wash

stuff out, some of it still is going to smell

and may attract insects or even vermin.

Ah but the positive green‘s replied,

there are lots recycling bins around and just

take it with you when your going out, what‘s

one extra bag when your going out the door,

then your kitchen doesn‘t have to get full, or

smell (take a bit of time to wash your stuff

though!). Surely you have time to

save the environment, you‘ve heard of

climate change surely, we can‘t be cutting

down all these trees for paper and just

chucking away endless rubbish and expect

not to have conse-

quences

Oh but you

talk of conse-

quences and the

environment when

putting all our re-

cycling in bins, we

may have to drive there we have collected so

much, surely that‘s extra carbon emissions,

that‘s far from being green. We have

large families, so surely it‘s going to

take longer, going to need more

storage space in our flats and more

hassle. Another thing are those large

trucks giving off twice as much pollution

too, it‘s not worth it is it?

Worth it if you don‘t want prices to

rise as resources run out and manufacturers

put up their expenses. There is not some

fairy tale land that has endless supplies of

resources, that reminds me, there are not

endless landfill sites for our rubbish either

that rubbish fairies take away in the night

either, a landfill could be on your doorstep

soon.

Ok so we get your point, but they

shouldn‘t put so much packaging on

the product in the first place. Hmmm

yes the greens replied. What else would

help? As they started joining together ideas,

they decided that they would recycle more if

they knew what to recycle and it was clearer;

some councils do recycle stuff, others don‘t

and it‘s not made clear enough on the pack-

aging. Well also more accessible buckets or

bins to put recycling in, and once there are

more, we need more regular pick ups, so

they are not overflowing. So should it be

made compulsory then they wondered? Evi-

dently at the moment we have a choice, but

from this discussion our choice would be

made easier if more was put into place.

So what do you think?

Recycling should be made compulsory.

Women‘s group & homelessness debate: A quick sneak preview of next issue‘s women‘s debate - there was a very exciting

meeting with the women‘s group and St Margaret's school. Four students came with their

teachers to listen and discuss the issue of :homelessness and what it is, how you can be-

come homeless and is Edinburgh council doing enough. See the girl‘s articles and pictures

next issue.

Page 5

I was feeling nervous because there

were many people going to be there at church. I

stood up to say something but I was panicking

so I could not speak ! After I went over to the

pool which was quite big. I was the first one to

be baptised,

I had to walk

down the steps in

to the pool where

there were two

men waiting.

They asked why I was getting baptised and then they lowered

me in to the water and said

‗“I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”‘

I felt great afterwards.

Hi my name is Douglas Forbes. I am a Hibernian fan, I go to the football matches at the

weekend. I sit in the West Stand at the front row at the dugout, after the game I go to the

front door to get my programmes signed by all the play-

ers. Derek Riordan and Chris Hogg and Anthony Stokes

And John Hughes the manger are my Number 1 fans.

The East stand was taken down because it was too old

and they took all the chairs down. I am very happy there

going to be new buildings in the new east stand. We are

in the Europe league which starts in July and the new

stand will be finished by August.

My Baptism

The West Stand

Page 6

Get Creative

The Get Creative group took a little trip down to the water of

Leith, and came across a very friendly heron! If you fancy join-

ing the group come along on a Friday at 10.30 at the learning

centre.

Well readers the Election has come

and gone and so are Labour.

As we, watched intently as the results

came through on TV. it emerged we had a

hung parliament as no party had an overall

majority. It was obvious that the electorate

had spoken and were looking for change,

political reform was the order of the day. As

one political commentator quoted what I

thought was a great liner, The people have

spoken , but we are not quite sure what they

are saying! Confused dot com. You will

be .The political wheeling's and dealings

then began in earnest with the conservatives

hoping to do a deal with the Lib/Dems.

In my opinion Condemed talks about

a pact over various issues being thrashed out

but the main stumbling block appeared to be

over proportional representation which the

Lib/Dems are very much in favour of, where

as the conservatives still want to hold onto

the first past the post system which has been

in operation for the past 150 years. The

talks continued late into the night as the

electorate were left confused as to where all

this was going , no direction, no prime min-

ister and no government.

The only message that was

emerging was that the electorate had clearly

voted for a change a reform of the current

political system and obviously proportional

representation playing a big part.

Let‘s not forget LABOUR IN ALL THE

CONFUSION, ALTHOUGH DE-

FEATED , STILL HAD A HAND TO

PLAY IN THIS POWER STRUGGLE

which led to talks with the Lib/Dems to see

if they could thrash out a satisfactory deal to

form a government For this to be viable

they would have to get support and agree-

ment with the S.N.P. in Scotland Cwllyde

Cumrae in Wales and also the Irish parties

which is all very complex but possibly

achievable.

So as we are left suspended waiting

to see how the pendulum

would swing the Financial Markets were

looking for leadership and decisions being

made quickly which would be imperative for

the state of our economy as the economic

mess we find ourselves in needs to be ad-

dressed immediately.

Just take a look at the situation in

Greece, their economy is in a shambles and

we‘re not far behind. In the past we have

managed to pay off our deficit/loans and

have been able to pay these off at a low in-

terest rate, however should the situation de-

teriate we would have to pay off these loans

at a much higher rate of interest and we

could find ourselves in a similar as Greece.

The message that is going out to politicians

is ‗Get your act together‘ form a government

that represents the people of this country

give strong leadership and direction which

the electorate has entrusted in you, clean up

politics , introduce new reforms such as pro-

portional representation and get the country

out of the economic disaster we find our-

selves in and be a great nation again, let‘s

hope common sense prevails.

By Ally Mitchell Our Political Correspondent.

CONDEMNED - Down and Out!

Page 7

The Mystery Tour

The secret garden - Gordon Innes My day out with the Bethany Chris-

tian trust mystery tour. We all started from

the learning centre and took a short walk to

the bus stop and waited for the open top bus.

When we were all there waiting for the bus,

the sun popped out hip hip horray, the

weather was with us, a good start to the day.

After travelling on the open top bus, we all

got off the bus at the bottom of the royal

mile. and we proceeded to wonder from mu-

seum to museum.

I liked the secret garden because it is

my utopia. The garden is kept clean and tidy

and on a nice sunny day it is a good place to

have a picnic and just to sit on the grass and

contemplate things and put the worlds

wrongs to right and listen to the birds chirp-

ing in the trees. All this peace and quiet in

the middle of the hustle and bussell of Edin-

burgh.

This is my little bit of heaven in

Edinburgh.

The open Top Bus:Benny King

It was a great thing to get out and a

treat for me. On the tourist bus we saw lots

of sights and this is an interesting way to see

Edinburgh. We saw the palace, the botanic

gardens, Robert Burns house. One of the

stops we got off at, we stood next to a statue

of Robert Fergusson, who was an Edinburgh

poet who inspired Robert Burns. Later in

the afternoon we were waiting for the next

bus, and it suddenly drove past! Tim had to

phone up the tourist information while we

waited for the next one. It was great being

on an open topped bus.

The Museums—Jo Richardson

We visited two different museums

in Edinburgh on the mystery tour. The first

one was the Story Museum on the Royal

Mile. In the story Museum it is about the

past and how Edinburgh had changed. Some

of the things that we saw were the old fash-

ioned fire brigade hats. There was so much

to see you could have spent all day there.

In the second museum when we first

went in there were wax models with old

fashioned clothes on, that looked like they

were real! We saw Grey Friars Bobby‘s col-

lar and license and bowl. I didn‘t know

much about it before. We also saw a recon-

struction of an old jail from hundreds of

years ago, with straw on the floor and no

toilets. There was also quite a lot of silver-

ware with workmanship on each.

I think they need to advertise the mu-

seums more, as they were amazing with lots

of information, I wish more people could

have seen. I didn‘t know the secret garden

or these museums even

existed. Page 8

Jimmy was watching TV when he

saw the nightmare news unfold, he could

hardly believe his eyes, it was dreadful – it

can‘t be true. Football is to be banned, start-

ing Saturday, which was three days away.

The first thing that came into his head was

why would they ban football? He could not

think of a reason. He thought he was hear-

ing things. What would be the explanation?

The whole football supporters club were

meeting in the hall to hear the news from

their football club. The first minister has

made the announcement that in the interest

of safety it has been decided that football

will no longer be played because it is too

dangerous.

The men and boys looked at

each other in astonishment. Ban foot-

ball you must be joking. The first minister

had lots of other things like skate boards,

fish and chips and holidays that he had

banned. Football was being banned as it

wasn‘t safe; you could fall over and graze

your knees, or sprain your ankle or tear one

of your ligaments or even break your leg.

Then one of the women said it‘s about time

it‘s banned, the men never pay attention to

us women when it‘s played. To make sure

no one plays this game all footballs and balls

were to be bought to the school to be locked

up. Is this girl power? Not on your nelly.

Careful the girls are watching us.

It broke all the men‘s and boys hearts

to hand over their favourite balls. To keep

up peoples spirits they were told to

take up stamp collecting or ballet! A young boy came back home from America

where he had been staying and the next day

he sneaked a football into the school and at

break time he got out of his football and

shouted ‗who wants a game of football?‘.

The girls started to scream about was this the

end of girl power? Some men were passing

and saw them playing football, and they got

out their hidden ball too. It spread all over

the city, then all over the land. The profes-

sionals started to play again. Then I woke

up, it had all been a nightmare, I had been

dreaming. Gerry McKenna

The Summer of 2062

A certain man had two sons, the

story tells us that the youngest son asked his

father to give him his inheritance as he was

getting tired and wanted to leave home. His

Father consented and gave his son his inheri-

tance and the son left home to party. When

his money run out and all his friends left

him, he then had to get a job feeding pigs, he

was reduced to eating food that had been

given to him to feed the pigs.

One day as he was feeding the pigs,

he thought to himself, my father treats his

servants better than this, so he decided to go

back and ask his father to make him one of

his hired servants.

His father was

looking out for him daily, when he saw

his son afar off, he ran towards him and em-

braced him, give him a coloured robe and

putting a ring on his

finger. He declared

he was going to kill

the fatted calve and

there was singing and

dancing.

This story is

just like our heavenly

Father will deal with

you and I.

Gordon Cameron

Prodigal Son

Page 9

Lisa stood by the sea. She loved the

sound of the crashing waves. And the smell. It

reminded her of her time she was in the home. It

was a tough time, but the trips to the sea, when

they would have picnics and feel free, well they

were the best times. And so the sea seemed her

old friend. On this day she was sitting on the

rock, listening to the crash of the waves, getting

her feet wet as the tides swept in and then out, as

if the sea was reaching for her. A big wave ap-

proached. It didn‘t look much at first, but as it

approached the shore it started to swell and turn

into a huge white wave, like you see in the surf-

ing movies. Lisa‘s initial instinct was to run, but

instead she stood her ground. She was going to

dare the wave to do its worst, after all she al-

ready had wet feet.

The wave hit the rock in front of her

with such a force that it split into three or four

different angles, but then joined again as it cov-

ered the rock, and it came directly for her. It

smoothed and bubbled as it swept across the

sandy part of the beach and then suddenly lost

force as it approached Lisa‘s feet. ―Typical‖ she

said to it ―you‘re all shouting and aggression but

ye havenae got what it takes tae scare me, ye

must be a man, so ye‘ll hae tae do better than

that!‖ The water covered her shoes but soon

started to retreat.

Then Lisa felt something touch her an-

kle. She looked down and saw a bottle which

had been brought in by the wave and was now

caught between her feet as the sea retreated.

Lisa stared at it. It was a beautifully shaped bot-

tle, slightly weathered by the sea, with writing in

a fancy style. She bent down and picked it up.

Wiping away the wet sand from the writing she

tried to make out the word. ―Perfume” it said.

Suddenly Lisa was taken into another

world. A memory flooded her mind, a memory

of a time she had long forgotten. She was in a

wood, with her Gran. Her long lost Gran. And

they were collecting flowers, and then putting

the petals into small bottles, very similar to the

bottle she now held. Her Gran would then fill

them with water and keep them on the kitchen

shelf, and when Lisa next came to visit there

would be sweet smelling perfume in the bottles.

―She must have swapped the water for perfume‖

she said to herself, and at that moment another

waves came crashing towards her, bringing her

back to the present.

She walked slowly back to the sandy

bank by the beach and sat down. She looked

again at the bottle. Then she thought about the

memory the bottle had given her. It was a pre-

cious memory. The violence and chaos of her

heroin habit had somehow made her forget what

it had been like to be an innocent child full of

wonder. She thought of her own children who

had been taken from her because of her heroin

habit and the violence in her life. Then she cra-

dled her tummy and spoke to the unborn child

within her.

―This time‖, said Lisa to her child, ―it

will be different. Me and you will walk the

woods. We‘ll collect flowers and make perfume,

just like I used to do. I‘ll keep you away from all

those idiots and all that crap. I want to fill your

life with sweetness not bitterness‖. She looked at

the sea and smiled. ―Thanks‖ she said and care-

fully put the bottle in her bag.

When she got home she cleaned it and placed it

carefully on her kitchen shelf.

Lisa Sturrock

Gift from the sea

You‘re going to need caring and loving, and that‘s my job as a dad.

So I need to keep out of trouble and change from the life I have had

Can I do it and be the person you need when you cry?

I dunno, but I promise you this, I‘m going to try. Bob Page 10

Wow what a title sounds, a bit dra-

matic, but then what is life

For some more dramatic than others, where

the drama is just a way of life.

So why the title.

It‘s very simple, I should maybe have

died several times over with the amount of

mind altering medication I have been pre-

scribed or self medication with alcohol, or

even just the stress and anxiety of trying to

deal with every day issues and the depres-

sion that sets in due to lack of self worth.

My favourite word is relapse, maybe

because it is a part of my life as it is for so

many people.

I believe that each individual no mat-

ter their circumstance want only to feel that

they have the right to be alive and to be safe

guarded from the emotional issues that so

easily take them onto the path of self de-

struction.

But do not fear our society is set up

to protect and help vulnerable people in their

most desperate times. That is of course if

you can tick the boxes or knowledgeable

enough to know who to turn to.

Then of course we need to be able to trust in

the helping hand to have the ability to help

or if not make sure that you get to be where

you need to be. But what happens when the

helping hand does not listen does not recog-

nise the immediate need or emergency of the

situation, does not know who to pass the per-

son on to.

Perhaps you know the answer, you have

been there and suffered because of a lack of

empathy, you have felt your world coming

to an end and see nothing but suffering to

come. The mind screaming out to you NO

BODY CARES, NO-ONE CAN HEAR ME, I AM

BROKEN, I CAN NOT BE FIXED.

YOU ARE NOT BROKEN

YOU DO MATTER

AND YOU ARE DOING THE BEST YOU

CAN AT THIS GIVEN MOMENT.

Unfortunately it is the lack of knowledge,

listening and communication skills of the

organisations. It is not that they are to blame

it is just that each organisation is caught up

in remits and funding.

But having said all that there is help,

though somehow it has to be found before

you find yourself in that desperate no win

situation.

YOU ARE IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW

WHAT YOU NEED, TELL THEM, TELL,

THEM, TELL THEM.

I know that you are in pain, I have

not lived your journey but I have shared in

many of your issues, I have suffered the

aloneness, the fear, the desperation of hold-

ing on to life, knowing somewhere deep in-

side I deserve to live a life of wellbeing and

harmony.

YOU ARE WORTHWHILE, YOU

ARE IMPORTANT wherever you are, what-

ever you are doing remember only we who

are vulnerable can teach those who offer

help to do so in a way that protects us and

not put us in a more vulnerable position.

So why the title.

I will not die

Even though I have felt alone, de-

serted and have been allowed to sink into the

pits of hell, I have survived and shall keep

surviving, because I believe I have the right

just like you have the right to be RE-

SPECTED, to be ACCEPTED and to be

treated with HONESTY and UNDER-

STANDING.

Today‘s pain can be changed, you

are not alone and I love you whoever you are

what ever your issues.

The one who wont die

Paul Charles

ONE WHO WONT DIE

Page 11

Recently I underwent treatment for

an injury. A board was hung over my bed

stating ―fasting for theatre‖ The first few

doctors confirmed surgery under general an-

aesthetic, finally the surgeon examined the

wound and stated that he could deal with it

under local anaesthetic.

The advantages:

I would have a speedier recovery

The wound would start healing sooner as

it could be done within the hour, rather than

waiting for an available slot for general an-

aesthetic.

I could be discharged that afternoon and as I

was starving and thirsty I readily agreed.

The disadvantages:

The initial injection would be zippy as it

would have to be between the wound and the

eye.

The time in theatre was tremendous filled

with compassion, joking, chatting and com-

prehension of what was occurring. Fifteen

minutes after theatre I was back on ward

eighteen and requested a sandwich, a packet

of crisps and a fizzy drink, sensible eating

could wait until lunchtime.

The mental suffering is tough, a feel-

ing of grief for the end of a relationship that

spanned 30 years and that this friend and

partner had injured me in this way. There

has been tremendous support in many areas

and I feel deep gratitude to all – Al-anon,

Bethany, the Church, Domestic Violence,

Prevention Project, Fresh Start, family,

friends, the police, the Samaritans and many

others. I have overwhelming feelings of joy

and forgiveness. What a wonderful world

where the courage and compassion of a mul-

titude of others far outweighs the destruc-

tiveness of one person.

I do believe God won‘t put me on a

path, that he won‘t carry me through, with

my effort on my part. Who thought an oper-

ating theatre could not be fun and interest-

ing. I didn‘t, but now I know it can be.

Who thought in dark times of despair there

could be many avenues of unconditional car-

ing? I know it was there for me and it has

been accepted gratefully.

Penny Walsh

POPAS - Positiveness out of Pain

The Sleep Out at Bethany Was this your first time doing a sleep–out?

No it was my second time.

Why did you decide to do the sleep-out?

To help homeless people by being sponsored.

What was the best part of the night?

Making a shelter which kept the cold out.

What did you make your shelter out of?

Cardboard boxes and plastic sheets hat Bethany provided.

What did you sleep on/ take with you?

Sleeping bag and a mat

Did you enjoy the experience? Douglas Forbes

Yes apart from it being cold.

Page 12

Half way to Hell

T‘was on a night lacking any cheer

I heard a voice whisper in my ear

Give up your life spent doing good

―There‘s more fun in lusting and being rude

And you can relax in the sun

So that when your race is run

I‘ll reward you for all you‘ve done

You know God‘s not listening to you

It really doesn‘t matter what you do

Let me send loads of fun your way

So you can just rest and play

Without felling guilty for enjoying life

And good has always been full of strife

Its failure cuts deeper then any knife

Come let me be your best friend

And those hardships will end

As I bear the weight, you have the pleasure

And me you will come to treasure.

As I fulfil your every desire

You have no reason to enquire

About cost, pain or damnation‘s fire.‖

That was the moment I regained control

And probably saved my immortal soul

For I laughed out loud and turned my back

And took him down my redeeming track,

―Get away from me, for I can tell,

Surrendering to your seductive hard sell

Would make me half way to Hell

So if ever you hear a similar voice

Remember you always have a choice

Be your own man and care

Because it‘s better to share

His promise is a temporary gain

You may end up in eternal pain

The devil‘s the biggest liar and cruelly

insane.‖

Alex J. Anderson

Address To My

Addiction See you, ye ugly leeching parasite,

You took ma life and filled it wi sh*te.

You‘ve spoiled ma looks and you think

it‘s funny,

Ye‘ve made me homeless, and taken ma

money.

All o‘ a sudden ten years huv gone by,

But you‘re still here, sucking me dry.

Now I hae a beautiful bairn, as you can

see,

Ye think yer goanie destroy her, like you

did tae me.

But when I look intae ma bairn‘s wee eyes

I realise she‘s better than all o‘ those

highs.

And so it‘s ma job tae protect her from

you,

She‘ll no be yer victim, of that I assure

you.

And before you laugh and say I havnae the

will

Tae give you up before you make your kill

I‘ll show you the strength that a parent can

show

You‘re oot o‘ ma life, ma bairn you will

never know.

Cause, you b*stard, I‘m showing you the

door,

I dinnae want you spoiling ma life any-

more.

At last I‘m free from your evil control

You controlled ma body, but not my soul.

Nae mair living my life in a haze

I‘m goin to truly live the rest o‘ ma days.

The Bridge Project - Fife

Page 13

Ally‘s Fashion Column

Bloom into summer with flower power

Floral prints are everywhere this summer, from the catwalks to the

High Street.

Yes it‘s flower power to the people!

From frocks, jackets, playsuits, T-shirt dresses to tops— they‘re all

the rage.

Accessories are the big business too—from brooches to handbags.

This season it‘s more about using florals in a fun, edgy fashion way

as against the typical garden party look.

So give your florals a cool new twist, get into flower power and

ditch these winter coats and look

real cool this summer.

Shops to look out for are Dorothy

Perkins, Primark where you‘ll find

a great range.

So give yourself a new fashion ex-

perience and flower to the people.

Not forgetting the guys there! You can dig that flower

look too. From biker jackets to shirts and shorts and even

cuff links. And to look really cool for these heady summer

days, floral print shirts look really great.

So guys get down to your High Street shops and get sun

petal power this summer!

Ally Mitchell.

1 Coffee Mug

4 Tablespoons Plain Flour

4 Table spoons Sugar

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 Egg

3 Tablespoons milk

3 Tablespoons Oil

3 Tablespoons Chocolate Chips

(Optional)

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well, add the egg

and mix thoroughly

Pour in milk and oil and mix well

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla and mix

well

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes

at 1000 watts.

The Cake will rise over the top of the cake, but don‘t be

alarmed!

Allow to cool a little and tip out onto a plate if desired.

Eat!

5 Minute Chocolate mug cake– Lisa Little

Page 14

My Strawberry Sherbet Spice of life I wonder if the Bethany group could

visit a number of beaches in one day,

And perhaps we could change the for-

mat later on to a loch, a river and a

bay.

It would be something different from

the routine day out, and something

more,

And unlike spending the whole day

somewhere we wouldn‘t say it‘s

turned out a bore,

It‘s a great affair to travel into the un-

known,

To gain new experiences and make life

more interesting and not just a moan,

We could enjoy Earth‘s scenery awe-

some as it‘s always been and we could

enjoy it free,

There‘s so many great places to go and

so many wonderful things to see.

Andrew Watt

Oh, what a heavenly smell

Of strawberries ground down to powder

Enticing me with its glittering package,

A small tear granting me vision

Of the fine, silky sand.

Drop by drop the grains fall

Into my outstretched palm

And as my fingers close around them

It‘s like touching smooth silk,

Melting into my fingers.

Slowly and trembling, I raise my hand

And gently pour the magenta powder

Into my waiting mouth...

Whoosh! A huge rush of energy

A strawberry firework exploding in my head.

Slipping down my throat

like yoghurt

Yet also sticking to my

gums,

Slowly melting and siz-

zling...

Leaving a bittersweet aftertaste

Of fresh, ripe strawberries.

But suddenly, the taste is gone

And the strawberries have disappeared

My stomach settling comfortably...

A blissful sigh escapes my lips...

As I reach for another glistening packet.

Samantha King

Which way do you go

which way how you go

which way why you go

that you may see were you are going

how you go which

Were you are going and

how you do so may

the gods word you follow him

how when were

how you go

when you go

were you go

now you feel better

and you can do things for you.

Susanne Richards Page 15

EPHISISANS 6:14-17 NKJ

Stand having girded your waist with Truth. You need Gods truth first to be able to apply the whole Armour of God effectively. Gods truth sanctifies, sets you apart. Gods truth turns the worlds beliefs and ways on their head, His truth opens your spiritual eyes and ears. Jesus in John 17:17 asks in prayer „‟Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth‟‟. God wants you girded in sound doctrine, that there is only one Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 Paul exhorts you not to tolerate any other Jesus, Spirit or Gospel that deviates from Gods Word. Let there be no compromise, keep it simple. The Holy Spirit whom Jesus sends from the Father {John 15:26} is not only known as your helper and comforter but also the Spirit of truth which testifies of Jesus. The Breast Plate of Righteousness. Jesus is your righteousness. Your own righteous good works will not get you into heaven, be obedient but it is Jesus Blood and righteousness that God sees. You do not have to fulfil the law, Jesus done that for you. Galatians 2:21 reminds you ‟‟do not to set aside the Grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law then Christ died in vain‟‟. The Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel are those who bring the good news that reconciliation with has been accomplished through the shedding of Jesus Blood, the Cross and Resurrection. God knew you couldn‟t work your way to peace with Him so He came to you. 2 Corinthians 5:17 - 21 John 3:17 tells you that ‟‟God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world , but that through Him the world might be saved‟‟. Do not ever be afraid to approach Christ with your wrong doings, no matter what they are, remember He already knows them and paid the penalty so that you might know God as your Father. Jesus is the only way to God. The Shield to Quench the Fiery Darts of the wicked one. Hebrews 11:16 tells you ‟‟That without Faith it is impossible to please God‟‟ therefore, if you have Faith that pleases God you can be guaranteed there will be many nippy, fiery darts being aimed at you. These „‟darts‟‟ are not thrown at random but are deliberately aimed at the believer. The wicked one is attempting to per-manently damage the only thing in Gods eyes that can contribute to Righteousness, that being your Faith in Him. Remember Christian Soldier that Faith in your Faith is not the Shield, only Faith in His Faithfulness will protect. Hemet of Salvation, other wise known as the Helmet of Hope. Hope in Christ that He can and will save you from an eternity spent separated from God! He will keep you and deliver you as it is written in 1 Peter 1:3-5. Jesus is the resurrection, Jesus lives and He certainly did not die on the Cross and leave you here, stranded without hope in this life or the next. Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Here we have the spoken Word, the power through proclamation. What‟s on the inside spills out. Speak with all authority Gods Word to every temptation and everything that exalts itself against God and His truth. The Armour of God is an attitude, a condition of the heart. We can only ever dress our-selves in the Armour from the inside out. When Gods Word is to you the indisputable truth, then your ready to get dressed. 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 amplified version „‟And He will establish you to the end {keep you stead fast, give you strength, and guarantee your vindication; He will be your warrant against all accusation or indictment so that you will be} guiltless and irreproachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ {the Messiah} God is faithful {reliable, trustworthy and therefore ever true to His promise and can be depended on}; by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

AMEN

THE ARMOR OF GOD By Alison

Page 16

CULLODEN 1746 &WORLD CUP 2010-WHAT A JOURNEY Being keen on history in general the chance to visit the historic site of Culloden had

been something on my ―to do‖ list, for a while. After my 3rd or 4th visit to the Acorn Cen-

tre‘s Men‘s Club run by The Bethany, I was delighted to hear that a trip to the Scottish

Highlands including Culloden was to take place. The trip also included visits to Killiek-

rankie and the famous soldiers leap. A stop off near Aviemore for a picnic lunch with a

stunning view of the famous Cairngorm Mountains was popular amongst our group of 30.

The remainder of the journey North through some superb scenery was made more enjoy-

able and entertaining by our very knowledgeable coach driver. With stories and tales of

legends, heroes, battles, wars, invasions as well as some other lessons in Scottish history,

the long journey didn‘t seem to take too long at all. I now take great pleasure knowing that

the present Queen and previous Kings and Queens laying a claim to the Scottish Throne

have had to sit upon the lid of a cesspit. I do believe this to be true after our driver (Tim)

told us of the history of the famous Stone of Destiny.

I can honestly say that my knowledge of Scottish history from school was pretty

limited. I can‘t remember having history lessons in primary or secondary schools, so I am a

wee bit confused as to where I have gained information on Scotland‘s rich history. A lot of

visits to Edinburgh Castle during the school holidays, when it use to be free to enter, made

me take notice and pride in being lucky enough to live in such a great city. Having lived in

various parts of England over the years, as well as having English born family the feeling

of pride in my nationality tends to come out more than if I was living in Edinburgh. Having

also lived in Ireland for 8 years this pride in being Scottish became even stronger. I was

constantly being asked questions on Scottish History not only from Irish friends but also

visitors to Galway where I lived for 5 years. These tourists were fascinated by both Irish

and Scottish history. There are many connections between the 2 countries particularly to

views and opinions on the English.

This brings me to the question I was asking myself after the trip to Culloden. Did

the Jacobite rebellion and the events leading up to the battle at Culloden and the

eventual slaughter of those fighting the Jacobite cause make me resent the English?

Although I already knew that Culloden was not all about the Scottish fighting the English.

The battle and the Jacobite cause was a much more complicated issue than that. Not only

were there some English fighting with the Jacobites there were Scottish clans fighting for

the English. Lowlanders and Highlanders fighting on both sides. Clans against clans. Reli-

gious divisions also a factor in choosing who you fought for or against. Clan chiefs also

having the final say on whom they fought for and their reasons could be for either one or

two of the above reasons. There was also, for me the most horrific situation, of brother

against brother. This battle was like no other before in terms of what was at stake for both

sides. There was so much to gain in victory and in my opinion this victory for the redcoats

and in the manner it was achieved has been the cause of many of the modern day feelings

of an anti-English mentality. Yes, the battle took place over 250 years ago and there have

been many other conflicts and battles throughout history which still cause resentment and

total dislike between nations even to this day. The events at Culloden with the myths and

legends which come with this have given the Scots an identity. I tend to think that as a na-

tion we are pretty tolerant to others and have a reputation for justice. These ideals may

come from the events of Culloden. A gradual acceptance that war should be the last option.

It almost tore a nation apart yet Scotland and the Scots take there national pride from a be-

lief that the defeat at Culloden eventually brought about a stronger nation. The history of

the clans is famous throughout the World. An identity few other countries can come close

to matching. Page 17

This is a continuation from my last

article. I was getting ready for a night out at

of all places the Gorgie suite. It was Friday,

this January at 2.p.m. and my phone rings.

It was my daughter Sharon and she says

Hearts manger Saba Lasion has been

sacked. We both say together,

‗Jim Jeffries is coming home, our

own prodigal son.‘ I arrive at the Geor-

gie Suite at about 6.30. I walk into the bar

and I was told Jim Jeffries has been ap-

pointed manager again. I refer back to my

last article regarding Hearts over Vladimir

Ronavon.

I felt he owed the supporters after all

the promises he has failed to keep. I feel this

appointment was planned, as he left as Kil-

marnock manager, only a fortnight before.

I went for some fresh air and saw a

large crowd forming, so I decided to join

them at 7.45. Jim Jeffries walked through

the main doors to a massive cheer and the

press were all over the place.

The feeling amongst the Hearts fans

was that something had to be done. Lying

almost bottom of the league, the appoint-

ment of Hearts most famous son really ap-

pealed to us.

There was no talk about people not

renewing their season tickets, almost

immediately morale had been

lifted. The

saying around

Tyne castle was ‗if

Jim Jeffries can‘t

do it nobody

could.‘ That was

where I get the

statement the

prodigal son.

Bobby McLean

The demise of Heart of Midlothian Football

We feel the need to hold on to that identity and maybe deep down feel threatened

by our neighbours. Those who came close to almost destroying a nation just happen to be

from England therefore the anti-English sentiment is understandable in those terms.

As I mentioned earlier, I have lived and worked in England and have English born family

members and the question I asked was, did my visit to Culloden make me resent the Eng-

lish? It certainly made me angry that so many people were slaughtered and brother fought

brother, so in that sense I did resent the English. I don‘t think anyone would be able to say

for certain which side they would have fought for or believed in unless you lived in those

times. We can make informed decisions now with the facts available to us but we don‘t

have the emotional option available to us.

What on earth does this have to do with the World Cup then? Whether or not you

have an interest in football or even sport in general it will be all around you when a big

sporting event is taking place. All over TV. And the newspapers so you are really unable to

avoid it. Is the hype sport receives and any England team so annoying that you shout at the

telly? Is this the reason you want England to lose? I can say yes to this quite freely and ad-

mit I do not want England to win. Am I anti-English? Not at all. It is in the Scottish

mindset to wish that your nearest rivals lose. Rub there noses in it. Ask any Hearts or Hibs

fan who they like to beat the most? Why should that be any different because it is England?

Did this resentment I spoke of earlier regarding the events at Culloden still have a bearing

on my way of thinking? This time I can admit that it does. That makes me anti-English,

doesn‘t it? I resent the fact that the Jacobites didn‘t challenge those fighting for the English

cause to a penalty shoot-out. The English would definitely have lost and the rest they say

would have been history. Bill Tully

Page 18

Written & put together by the Bethany Press Team.

The Bethany Press Team puts together each edition of The Bugle

magazine. We meet almost every Wednesday from 1.30p.m.-3.30pm at

our Learning Centre at 65 Bonnington Road, Leith

What is the Bugle?

Well the dictionary says that it is a musical instrument like a small trum-

pet. Our Bugle is a quarterly magazine.. As beginners we at The Bugle

are first learning our trade as reporters , editors or just plain gofers. In

time we hope The Bugle will become a much read and much sought

after local magazine that people will enjoy and discuss until the next is-

sue.

Where is The Bugle available?

From hostels, drop-ins, libraries, churches, doctor and dentist waiting

rooms… look out for it!

Who are we looking for to write for The Bugle?

Anyone! But especially people who are or have been homeless. Most

members of our Press Team have been, or are currently homeless.

The views expressed in The Bugle are not necessarily those of Bethany Christian Trust. If you have any comments on The Bugle or would like to get involved

give us a call or write to:

Felicity Fyall

Bethany Community Education

32 Jane Street

Edinburgh

EH6 5HD

felicityfyall@bethanychristiantrust.com

0131 625 5411