Decorations and "to-do" lists

Yesterday's blog said I was going to carry on till midnight then get an early night - well that didn't happen I was still up at 3. On Wednesday night I popped into GB and Sheila was making Christmas decorations they were great and I asked her to show me how - I am a complete addict the picture on this blog shows one of the decorations I have made this week during the experiments(mostly the others are red and green and more traditional than this one!), One that size takes about 15 minutes start to finish! Some of the smaller ones I've done were more awkward and took a bit longer. I always forget just how much I enjoy creative stuff until I do some and I have really enjoyed making decorations and some presents this Christmas - I've obviously got better at fitting in things into my day that I enjoy as well as work and as the first two bits of work are done this is obviously not doing me any harm.

Next on the "to-do" list is: to start a 3000 word essay on the Incarnation and what it means to Christian Living especially ethical questions around beginning and end of life issues, look at what to do for my service at Crossway on the 27th, finish wrapping the presents, start writing the cards, get my knee sorted out and generally sort out the stuff that needs doing before the kids break up Friday.

Calming down a bit

Yesterday I spent most of the day under a pile of books - working double extra hard to get the two pieces of work due on the 15th and 22nd of Dec done and put to one side so I can get on with the next round of things - my hard work was rewarded and I finished early enough to make an unscheduled visit to see some friends and catch up a bit which was a great end to the day - I fell asleep early, having read my Advent reading for the day which finished with the words - resolve to be still for a while today it was only midnight which some of you might not think is that early and I hadn't written my blog but the sleep was obviously needed.

Today was much calmer - I went for coffee at Church, and caught up with everyone there - went shopping for Christmas cards and dinner - cooked dinner - made some decorations - went to the Local Preachers Meeting - continued with present making - wrote my blog.

It is now only half past eleven and I'm going to carry on with the present making till midnight then another early night.

Busy but enjoying it!

This afternoon, with great pride, I watched my Son as he narrated part of his school production of Hansel and Gretal, he was of course wonderful!! He knew all his lines - spoke slowly and clearly - and with great enthusiasm for what he was doing. He is also playing King Herod in the school choir performance of the Nativity story, his schedule is grueling, he is performing either one production or the other every day for nearly two weeks at the Congress theatre, St Luke's Church, at school, at various residential homes in the town and even in Morrisons.

I realised as I rushed from today's performance to get the train to London that this is the last year that it will be like this - next September my final child goes to "big school" life will take a different turn and for the first time since Ashleigh started playgroup in 1996 (13 years ago) I will have no Nativity to go to - no school Christmas show to watch - how things change.

Things have been busy for me too this month, and I wished that I always showed the same keenness and enjoyment as my Son, for the things I have to do and the being busy - some of the things have been fun, buying and wrapping presents, putting up decorations, spending time shopping with each member of the family and watching well worn films (as I wrap) with the bigs!

Helping out at L'arche, various Christmas gatherings, the Church fair, coffeepot lunch and helping with the wedding have all been interesting, fun even and a chance to catch up with people I don't get to see much these days. College work goes on and I think I'm back into the swing of things (just in time for the Christmas Holidays)

Taking time out in the whirlwind just to write this blog (I have managed 5 out of eight days I think) means that I am at least sometimes reflecting on what is going on this Advent season - last Friday at Homegroup we looked at the Annunciation. This week in those stolen moments of quiet I have spent a lot of it reflecting on that one word that Mary seemed to find so easy to say to God and I often find so hard "Yes" When I take time to consider all that God has done for me and in comparison the little he asks of me it shames me to remember how reluctantly and how grudgingly I do it ...

And so I set out again on another week ...determined to do better......sure that this week I will respond to God's call with good grace.... happier in the business of life...enjoying the moment.....watch this space!!

Present Wrapping

I spent 8 hours today wrapping presents, so plenty of time for reflecting and just being around the family - Keith and I wrapped the kids stuff whilst they helped clear the house up a bit, then I did a whole load more whilst listening to Christmas music with Kate and Joe, watching Santa Claus 3 with Ashleigh and Hana, and then Love Actually with just Hana.

Over 90 presents are now wrapped and I bet it won't take their recipients 8 hours to open them!! It's 1:15 again now so I must go get some sleep and I'll try harder to be earlier and hopefully more able to concentrate tomorrow.

Work, work and writing!

Well missed one day's Advent blogging already!! - which is a shame, I'll try and catch up though because yesterday I had a great day on my final day of my placement at L'arche Bognor, helping in the candle workshop and making Christmas cards, a relatively easy day brain wise, but I have been really surprised from the beginning, how tiring emotionally the placement has been.

I had a hour long catch up with Alex and the first Advent study at Homegroup so it was a good day all round. It's a really shame L'arche isn't closer - I would love to keep going even though my placement is officially over.

Today I caught up with Ali over coffee and then got loads of Christmas shopping done so lots of things are crossed off the to-do list, it's just a shame that the work's not done so that I could enjoy the rest of December a bit - just had an email outlining the Methodist Cohort weekend and the extra work that entails - what joy, more work!! - just as I thought there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. There are still 10 days to go before the presentation and I only have 650 more words to write - which would be fine if there wasn't so much else to do!!

Still the blog is written and it's only quarter to ten!! I did wonder if starting writing again when there is so much else to do was really a good idea - but the discipline is good for me and taking time to recall and reflect on life is good for me too - and then there's the little matter of the training journal being part of what I am supposed to do everyday!!

Tomorrow is Christingle at Chyngton, catch up then.

Early tonight!

Well earlier than yesterday anyway, it's only 1:15. I have no real idea where the day has gone to - but at least I seem to be having an impact on the things that need doing round the house and for Christmas as well as just the external Church and College stuff. I bought a copy of 'The Heart of Christmas' by Chris Morley which is a book of Daily Reflections for Advent and am sorry to say that although Advent only started on Sunday - by Tuesday I was already behind - I am determined now I have caught up with myself to keep the readings up because each day has something to reflect on. I am so glad I caught up with Mondays it said

Reflect - Am I too concerned about doing well in any of my activities?

Remember - that God gives me permission to stop trying to be perfect.

Resolve - not to lower my standards but to be more relaxed about achieving them

Thank you Chris - these were just the words I needed to hear at the start of another unbearably busy month. Now I'm off to do today's reflect question - Am I too hard on myself? whilst holding on to the remember, which is that I am loved by God in spite of myself.

Been a long time

I knew it had been a long time since I had stopped and taken time out to write my blog - which is a shame because I was just managing to write more regularly, which in turn means I was allowing some time for reflecting on things, not just doing them which is hugely important part of what ministerial training is about.

I have decided during Advent to get back to it - reflecting that is and writing it here too if there's time. The trouble is that the diary is so full up with things to do - it being that time of year, that there is very little time to just sit and reflect.

Today is a Tuesday and therefore easier to find time I have a long journey home from college, and I spend the end bit, after the others have all left, on the train alone, so today I reflected on time and space. Advent is a time of waiting on God, yet checking my diary there is no time to wait for anything, let alone God - not a single gap between now and Christmas Eve. I seriously worry that the essential is being squeezed out by the merely important.

So how can I re-find time to wait on God and just listen - do I tell my Son that his school production is being cut from my to do list - of course not!! - do I miss a college deadline in favour of Christmas shopping - unfortunately not much choice there!!

I can make sure that I don't write anymore stuff in my diary - except emergencies (and them seem to creep up with alarming regularity) and I can make the most of the hours I do have and change the usual frustration of insomnia into some good use for a change - right now it's 2am - I have several train journeys - to college, to the hospital in London and car journeys to placement, mentoring and work, maybe I can put these times to some constructive use too.

It's been a difficult week - and that may be because I am too busy to keep all the balls in the air - my reflection at this late hour is that it is time to stop writing now and sleep a bit. Catch up again tomorrow maybe.