The Big Questions and who’d eat a wasp?

  Over the past few years, the best selling books have been those which answer those questions that keep some of us awake at night.  They have titles like 'Does anything eat wasps?' and 'Why don't penguins’ feet freeze?' (The answer to both of these questions, is at the bottom of the page.)  These questions reflect humanity's thirst for knowledge and understanding.
  While these questions are fascinating, there are other questions which we ask ourselves more frequently and which are of more fundamental importance like: 'What am I on earth for?', or 'What is the purpose of my life?'
  No matter how old we are, or what life experiences we’ve had, or are continuing to have, we all need to understand what our lives are for and why we are the people that we are. We need to know what the purpose of our life is.
  Without that knowledge, our lives can seem meaningless and our feelings for ourselves can be negative. In extreme cases, this can lead us to despair.
  'What am I on earth for?' can only be answered if we can see where we fit into God's plans for the world. We can only answer the question, 'What is the purpose of my life?' when we understand why God created us and how we can meet his expectations and lead full, satisfying lives..
  Because we all need answers to these questions, we are encouraging everyone associated with the church to use the period of Lent to explore the personal implications of these answers by participating in the 40 Days of Purpose Programme, details of which are elsewhere in this edition of Church Chat.
  By using the best selling book, 'The Purpose Driven Life', and by looking at the issues it raises using insights from Scripture, we will find an answer for each one of our lives and for the church.
  This is not a time of introspection and self absorption. It is a time of looking out to God and listening to what he is saying to us.
  I hope that you will be able to join in, by whatever way you are able, so that we can know the purposes that God has for all of us.
'  But it was to us that God made known his secret by means of the Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, even the hidden depths of God's own purposes.' (1 Cor 2:10)

by Graham Clarke.

According to the "New Scientist" magazine, penguins are able to control the flow of blood to their feet, reducing the flow when it is cold.  Also, at the top of their legs, they have arteries which reheat the "cold blood" as it is pumped around the body.  As for wasps - at least 133 species of birds, plus bears, badgers, skunks, bats, weasels and mice all like a tasty wasp!