Saturday 30 January 2010

Busy couple of weeks again


I seem to spend my life trying to slow down and take things a bit easier and then I end up writing on here that it's been really busy and I've had no time to write. Since the day of the scan, it has been all go again as I try to finish another college assignment - the write up to my pastoral placement, before I start my next placement in March. Three months at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church in Brighton. I have three more services to take beforehand -
Tomorrow I am at Uckfield - talking about Jeremiah following his call, being chosen before he was born and how God wants us all to be more confident about our skills and gifts rather than saying - "I can't do that......." and offering a heap of excuses.
Someone once told me that we should start by preaching to ourselves and I think that tomorrow's sermon is one aimed as much at me as any member of the congregation.
I am at my own Church on Valentines Day and at Cafe Luke on Feb 19th with a talk called '25 things to do for Lent instead of giving up Chocolate"
Hopefully February will be a bit quieter that January - because I need to get some work done, and once the bathroom is all in next week, it will need decorating before the new flooring arrives.

Tuesday 19 January 2010

London Again


Today I went for a second MRI scan on my broken bionic knee, as the one taken in Eastbourne was not in the right direction!! So I travelled to Stanmore to have it done the other way!! I left home at 11.30 and got back at 9 all for a 40 minute scan. The RNOH was just as spooky as I remember it being when I was there for my operation although it did seem to have endless work going on. When I got there I was told they were running half an hour late and did I want to go and get a coffee - I found a really old fashioned "cafe" just like the WRVS ones used to be before they were themed up. The elderly volunteer made me a black coffee "be careful dear it's hot!!" and a strange cheese and ham toasted sandwich in a strange bag!!
Knee pictures are safely done though and now I have to wait to see the big guy next month to see the results.(that's him in the picture!) Back to London tomorrow!!

Monday 18 January 2010

Back at the GCC


The Methodist Cohort met this weekend - a group designed to gather together the Part time students in our area who attend Anglican institutes to learn some just Methodist stuff and have a chance to discuss some of the joys and hardships of training as a minority group. It was really good to catch up with old friends, but very strange to be back at the Guy Chester Centre without the rest of my Foundation Training group - Methodist weekends are always less pressure than SEITE ones as there are no essays attached and there is as much emphasis put on socialising, talking, praying and walking alongside each other as on formal lessons. It seems a shame that we are only meeting twice a year, but it is nice that the Church have recognised some of the added pressures of training part time and funded something to help. We did do some work - some reflective practice and some Methodist history.
Today I led the evening service at Greenfield, only three more services (well two really and speak at Cafe Luke) to do before I go on placement in the Brighton and Hove circuit in March (can't wait!!)

Wednesday 13 January 2010

More snow


Just as life was beginning to get back to normal and the colour of the world was reappearing, we have overnight had another heavy snowfall and the disruption of normal life continues. Joe's school is shut again, Kate's is too, my study lesson is back to email - which isn't as good for getting things going!
Yesterday in the clear, thawed bit of the week I went to college and my train broke down and was stuck just outside Cooksbridge for 2 hours in the cold and dark - friends on the two trains behind all got to London quicker than I did, it took me four hours in total.
My weekend away looks uncertain - unless we get another thaw, but it hasn't stopped snowing yet!!

Thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the earthquake in Haiti!

Saturday 9 January 2010

Snow and stuff


It's been a strange week because it's been completely disrupted by the snow, the children have all been off school and college again on what has just felt like an extension of the Christmas holidays. Monday and Tuesday they went back and they have been home ever since. It wasn't a great help with the essay writing, but it is all done now and safely posted, whether it gets there or not is a different matter we've had no post for three days so far!
Tracey and I are doing the worship next Tuesday at SEITE and that has all had to be done by email, we were supposed to have a meeting Thursday to do it. The reunion of our Methodist training group has been cancelled, as was homegroup, coffee morning and my study lesson (essay was checked by email) so apart from sitting here writing I haven't done anything, I haven't been anywhere (except a brief trip to Morrisons today with Keith)and apart from Keith and the children I haven't seen anyone.
I have a reflection on people's behaviour at Christmas, and a service to write this week as well as a weekend in London for the Methodist Cohort. Hopefully either the weather will improve or we will learn to just carry on despite it - the holidays were nice but term time is nice too for very different reasons - some normality back would be good.

Wednesday 6 January 2010

New Year

The new windows are in(and the house has warmed up again), Joe is now 11 (even the cake turned out ok in the end), the decorations are down (just the outside lights to do tomorrow) and packed away for another year. The essay is nearly done just needs some editing with Julie tomorrow and the children are safely back at school (well for now, the snow may change that!) All the excitement and build up and Christmas is over and done with and the New Year has started. I have been to my two favourite services of the year this week (it seems a shame they come so close together) New Year's Eve we had a Watchnight service and Sunday was our annual Covenant service, both services are very Methodist and always give me a great sense of belonging and a feeling of what it means to be Connexional.
The Covenant prayer has become so much more real over the last few years as I have been training.

'IA covenant with God am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing,
put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you,
or laid aside for you,
exalted for you,
or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty,
let me have all things,
let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours"


Sunday 3 January 2010

Wii


Several people sent me money for Christmas some rather unexpected and I decided to treat myself and the children by buying a Wii. It is incredibly good fun and has given us another thing to do together. I really am very blessed to have such a lovely bunch of children, they all join in and have fun whatever we are doing and it has been nice to be able to treat them a bit - they have all sacrificed a lot during my training both in time and in material things. The Christmas holidays have been real fun - I love having my children around and enjoy catching up a bit with my wider family. This year I may see a bit more of them my cousin will be 40 and Ashleigh is going to be 18 and I think they are both planning parties then in October my Mum will be 60 and I think she might be persuaded to have one too!!
Tomorrow the business of life returns - the children go back to School/college and I return to studying. Three of the windows in our house are being replaced(so today I had to take some of the bathroom tiles off) and some last minute things need doing before Joe's birthday on Tuesday - like making a cake!! - and wrapping the presents!!
I took the Christmas tree down today but Joe would like the lights left up for his birthday, so they are still up - it was nice to get a bit of clearing up done though there is plenty more to go hopefully in between essay writing some of it may get done this week as my diary is quite busy for January already!!(no surprise there then!)
I have a new book for my Bible reading it's called "Purr-ables from Heaven" and is devotions for cat lovers - today's reading looked at curling up on God's lap when things get tough and taking time to rest - so that's what I'm going to do - night all x