Oh. my.
tomorrow it will be a fortnight since I last posted.
I am still here! Just been so so so busy....just not had the will to blog!
Some snapshots from the month of December -
I've been - Brian McLarening - pouring forth on an afternoon on theology and children at a denominational training conference - struggling with housing concerns - out on trips - bowling with marvellous primary sixes and sevens and taking over warehouses of soft play with 80 younger primary children - trying hard not to over-do Christmas - catering for 9 year olds (daughter's birthday tomorrow) - arranging nationally significant child protection training - pastoral visiting a number of families which has taken up some evenings - planning and preparing for 4 services with SP....everyone loves a Children and Family Pastor at Christmas - have been stressing at not writing Christmas cards; stressing about the essay I have to write; the magazine article I said I would do and the research paper that I kinda shoulda begun (I blame Calvin. I picked up a commentary on Joel and nearly passed out when I read something in it. More about that another time) - meeting with denominational core leader about the future of children's ministry blah de blah
None of that includes my regular stuff - communicating with volunteers as I have quite a lot of new stuff coming up in January and a lot of folks needing drawn in tighter toghether in their respective teams. Plus admin that's suffocating me. Bleuuggh. Pauline - I love you!!! [some readers will understand that reference from days gone by!
You get the drift. It's been a busy month. Doing all age service with a nativity cast of *lots* tomorrow, an increased wattage on the illumination front (your light has COME (flip that switch!!) and several cracking visual clips (why do I choose such challenges....????)
Had to do severe speaking to self this morning. Feeling quite sad and I really shouldn't be. God's been so good to us this past week. Psalms are made for moments such as those. Being sociable in a new city at this time of year requires such effort and the longing to go back to the old place is stronger just now....plus I'm missing my green leather sofa (in the unsold, un-let house) so much. Then you realise how ridiculous that sounds and you get cross at yourself. In the getting cross at yourself, (and at others) sadness follows. And THAT'S when I need to open up the Bible and get some truth in......if you have a moment, please pray that I stick so close to those precious promises.
Thank you!
Poor old Calvin! What's he said to upset you this time?!
ReplyDeleteyes - praying. Know how stressful this time of year can be, especially in new surroundings.
ReplyDelete(Brian McLaren is now a verb! My my!)
Prayer-a-mundo.
ReplyDeleteWe love you and appreciate you so much here in your new home, I hadn't even thought about how you'd be feeling about being away from your old one at Christmas. This last weekend was amazing, and you are changing and developing our daughter's faith life so much. It's incredible and so moving to witness. What a gift you have been given - and how well you use it.
Hope you eventually)find peace and rest this Christmas.
Personally, I am very encouraged at the moment by 'In Him we live and move and have our being"
ReplyDeleteThough my existence is hard right now, and yours is busy and somewhat discouraging, we are still always, ALWAYS, in Christ!
I love you, my friend!
ah Mr Hideous, it revolves around Calvin's thoughts on prophecy being for "mature men" LOL
ReplyDeleteLucy - thank you!
BOTJ - welcome to the blog and thanks for the comment! It's not all down, just that the people who know us best are further away and one feels that more acutely at this time of year when we are all so busy.
Susan, thanks so much for that thought, which is really helpful at this moment. Mine is busy and yeah, house wise discouraging but you are right, God's in control. I have to walk in that every single day so much more acutely here than when I was there (if you catch my drift). I am receiving so much encouragement, like that from BOTJ above, week on week. That has kept me hanging on in there!
Jill the Fletch left a message on my phone that made me laugh so much that I keep on listening to it! Roll on the weekend :-)