Spring is a-coming....

Bonus night!!

Parenting group finished early. Got to come home early!

It's been a good day - the sun shone although it was cold and the circuit to and from nursery with my son was utterly pleasurable. The dark misery of January has passed and snowdrops and cherry blossom are almost here.

Have some Serious Issues to address with this adorable wee one, given comments made by nursery staff and Sunday team leaders. In consultation and in partnership with my husband, it's Project Behaviour Modification. Consequences will be in operation and enforced as necessary. Bit like the spiel you hear in the pre-flight information about smoking in aeroplane lavvies............

Deadlines

Haven't blogged about bible college for a while now which makes me realise I must have some deadlines due.......yup, it's assignment time soon. Why do college terms finish ridiculously early, before school holidays, and then go back while schools are still off?

The good news is that I am now officially Halfway Through a BA Theology in a very part time mode. Only a few more years to go!!!

Head above the parapet

I was speaking today to around 30 parents and carers on the work of Iris Ministries and in particular on the work in the baby houses in one of the five child care centres run by Rolland and Heidi Baker.

If you don't know anything about this particular couple, let me just say that they have spent most of their time since 1994 in Mozambique facing death threats, sickness, corruption and bureacracy. Iris Ministries now has emerged as one of the leading humanitarian organisations working with the poor in Mozambique (and now expanding into Malawi, Sudan and DRC).

They now care for over 3000 children. They have planted 5000 churches, training pastors and encouraging them to adopt up to ten children (I like that touch! - imagine if that were part of theological training here!)

I was speaking to people in the main who don't go to church. And you know what? I didn't feel like watering down the truth of what Iris achieves. The Bakers deliver "good news to the poor" and as Heidi says: what's the point in saying "say this little prayer after me, if the child has no clothes? or is sick? or can't read?" I showed a little of the documentary where she talks of God caring for the WHOLE person. I know a woman from Birmingham who works in the baby house and I told of the miracles she has seen - food appearing on the table when there was none, presents at Christmas never running out as hundreds of children form queues at the rubbish dump church to receive a gift, deaf and dumb children healed, AIDS tests reversed and - perhaps most moving of all for me - crushed and wounded spirits being restored. Most of the children who come to Iris have been abandoned by their parents.

Someone said to me that I was very bold to speak of such things. That it stirred things they'd rather not think about. I want to cry with frustration. Because we have so much, we believe so little. There is no need. Our lives are crammed with things that entertain much, look lovely, taste yummy, suit us beautifully, pass time creatively and fixate us materially that we PERHAPS don't need and long for the kingdom of God to come in quite the same way as a naked, desperate, lonely, sick child.

I'm challenged to the core.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Still Small Voices

Brodie has posted an excellent response to an article in that bastion of impartiality - the Daily Express.

Please read it here and add your view.....!

http://stillsmallvoices.typepad.com/

Still here

I'm still alive! Feeling that I should be quieter in my virtual world as I feel I have been quite noisy in the real world preparing and leading some services.

Am looking forward to mid term next week - time to sort out the junk accumulating in the dining room - already I have managed to freecycle a few bits and pieces away.

I'm very much enjoying the time I have in my children's theology class (spirituality and additional support needs) as well as running two parenting groups at the mo. - a joint church/health board initiative - so life is busy. But my afternoons with my little boy are very precious as in a few short months he will be off to school and I think, in realisation of that, he has become very cuddly, sweet and affectionate. Challenging behaviour? What's that?!

Off to watch the Devil Wears Prada. You must watch it for the oneliners!!

Not lovin' it

I am not liking the way my blog looks anymore. The more time I play with typepad, the more I like it. I don't care if I have to pay for it. I'm with Guacamole Girl!
I'm preparing to make the Switch to The Other Side.
Please bear with me.

On another matter entirely, I had the most interesting experience at a lighting hire company in the middle of a rough and ready industrial estate. A really huge, tattooed, beanie-wearing man, as I collected a flame lamp, said.....ah yes, you're from XXX church; we know that one.......

I was racking my brains to think who, how, why and when and I guess it was through these guys here who are fairly frequently contacted by me or my colleague for AV advice, lights, data projectors, stuff and nonsense (like explaining how the keystone button works on my projector)

I can't wait to go back on Monday to tell them how the all age service plus 6 foot high flame lamp went!!