25SOLTIMES JULY 2013www.soltimes.com

pause for thoughtNow my last item may have seemed a bit negative, quoting

St Paul listing all the things we shouldn’t do. But before you conclude that Christians are all kill-joys, let’s carry on looking at how Paul continued. For after listing all the selfish and wrong things we naturally want to do as pleasing ourselves, he continues by contrasting these with the positive, writing “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; attributes that hurt no-one.” Now doesn’t that sound a bit more positive.

And interestingly, St Paul is actually suggesting that we shouldn’t have to struggle or work at being loving, joyful or peace-loving people, but that this is the natural result of being a Christian. That the Holy Spirit, available to all Christians, will ensure that we become more loving, more joyful (something much more than mere happiness), more peace-loving and patient, kinder, better, more faithful, gentler and controlled people without really trying; just as fruit grows on a tree without that tree having to work at it.

So why are so many of us so unloving, uncontrolled, impatient and unfaithful? Well, whilst we may not have to do anything to allow the Holy Spirit to bear this fruit in our lives, we do have to let it happen and not actively oppose. And so many of us are so selfish and self-centred that we remove any traces of that fruit as soon as it appears, for each of these characteristics allow me to benefit others rather than myself.

But the fact remains that if we are true Christians, filled with the Spirit, then we will be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled, and that any lack of these attributes in our lives, implies that we are preventing the Spirit from working in us. So whatever we may claim for ourselves, the acid test of our spiritual status is how well we display these characteristics, for as Jesus said “By their fruits you will know them”.

Further information about the Anglican Church and details of forthcoming events may be seen on the web site www.

mojacarchurch.org . Duncan Burr is Licensed Lay Reader for the Anglican Chaplaincy of Costa Almeria and Costa Cálida and may be

contacted at djburr@avired.com

A soldier surprised his wife and family on his return from Afghanistan - by suddenly emerging from the water in scuba gear during a day at the beach.

US Air Force captain Hyrum Bronson’s wife Bethany thought it would be another three weeks before she got to see her husband again.

She and their children were recording a video message for him at their home in Okinawa, Japan, when he sprung his surprise.

Captain Bronson appeared from beneath the water, saying: “Mrs Bronson, your husband’s here, reporting for duty.”

As his children rush towards him, an emotional Mrs Bronson remains speechless in the water before receiving a warm hug.

She commented on YouTube: “We thought he was coming home three weeks from now, but he is sneaky. We can’t believe he is finally back home with us!”

Soldier’S SurpriSe Scuba return

Candice Parsons is a writer and avid Spain and Spanish culture lover

from Melbourne, Australia. ‘Like’ my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pandemicrhapsody and follow

me on Twitter @MiLlamoCandi

THE SPAINIAC | El RASTRo | CANdICE PARSoNSHistorically home to a number

of tanneries back in the 15th century, El Rastro was once a commercial area, used for buying and selling second-hand clothing, with a flourishing leather goods trade.

‘El Rastro’, translating to ‘the trail’ in Spanish, is said to have derived its name from the trail of blood that used to be left on the streets by cattle being transported from the slaughterhouse in these days.

Nowadays, El Rastro is one of the largest and well-known open-air flea markets in Spain, which attracts both locals and tourists in the capital city of Madrid.

Located in the La Latina neighbourhood, the main street of the market, Calle Ribera de Curtidores, follows from the main hub, Plaza de Cascorro, downhill to the river Manzanares.

Around 3, 500 stalls fill this

vicinity and its adjoining streets

from 9am to 3pm every Sunday,

as well as on public holidays.

Crowds tend to stem not only

from the bargain-hunters raiding

the El Rastro market stalls, but

also from the tapas bars that line

its streets.

These bars also become similarly full of crowds on the days of the markets, with people stopping and bar hopping for tapas and beers – a staple custom to the El Rastro experience.

Almost anything, both second-hand and new, can be found amongst the El Rastro markets. From furniture, clothing, jewellery, music, art, and souvenirs, to antiques and trinkets of all sorts; haggling is generally the norm with the

sellers here.

As the case with most crowded places, pickpockets also thrive at El Rastro each week. It is encouraged to take caution and be wary of any valuables being carried whilst wandering around.

Although over recent years, El Rastro’s typicality of Madrileño culture has slightly dissipated, it is still one of the oldest traditions in Madrid that is worth experiencing at least once, even if just to catch some rare market finds and worthwhile bargains.

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Firemen reScue elderly woman From deckchair

Firefighters have rescued an elderly woman who was stuck in a broken deckchair for an entire day.

The lady in her 80s from Polruan in Cornwall is believed to have been trapped for most of Monday until she was discovered

in her back garden at 9pm by a neighbour who had come round to water the plants.

The neighbour called the fire brigade who arrived shortly afterwards. She was removed

from the chair and taken to hospital as a precaution.Polruan fire station manager Peter Ripley said: “It was one of those metal deck chairs with a

canvas seat. The canvas had broken and she slipped right down in the seat and c o u l d n ’ t move.

“She hurt her right leg, as her legs had been over the bar. She was in the sun all of the time too so she was

dehydrated and quite brown.”