Patience

'Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of provocation or delay without acting on annoyance or anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance under strain, especially when faced with long term difficulties. It is also used to refer to the character trait of steadfastness'

Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those, who in faith and patience, inherit what has been promised.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future

PJ is at Uni!!!!

Well we've just got back from taking PJ to Uni. All very uneventful, found his halls, and his room, helped him unpack a lot of stuff, and then left him to finish the rest in his own time.

And, of course, it was emotional. I am soooooo proud of him, he is doing what he wants to do, where he wants to do it, and he will do it well. But of course its a huge milestone. I'm seeing him tomorrow (popping down to pick him up and go over and see Hannah in her halls - she moves in tomorrow), and he'll be home in a month - for life guard training. But for now he's gone, so I'm a bit sad. But just a bit.

To add to the tension of the day we got home and someone has had a go at our side window (which is very rotten) and pulled the ledge off. We don't know if they were fooling around, or trying to break in. Paul is boarding it up as I type, and we'll have to get it replaced. And I could've done without it today, especially as Paul goes away tomorrow.

BUT God is in charge. So all will be ok, on all issues :)

A time of waiting

This is a strange time, now that Sarah's birthday is over.

We're waiting for it to be time for PJ and Hannah to go to Uni, with excitement and trepidation. They are both so eager and ready, and I know they will have an amazing time, but it will be different.

And Sarah is waiting for her term to start

And I'm waiting, and am very close, I think, to the fulfillment of some huge promises, but this week everything stalled. It seems to be moving again but its hard to be so close and not quite there. I'm know in my head that God has it all covered, and it will all work out well, I know that He has plans for me, plans to prosper me, and I think I have had a glimpse of what they may be, and I want them!!!! Soon!!!!!! Please? But I want His will for my life more.

And as a minor inconvenience (or 2) my knee is still causing problems, and had a scare with my eye (which is fine I'm glad to say), and Paul has been away (but is back now).

So here's to the next few weeks and the fulfillment of all the waiting.

A very special party :)

If you combine most of my favourite things: - family, friends, sunshine, good food, good wine, lots of relaxing and fun you get a very special party :D

Today we had a BBQ for Sarah's 21st (which isn't until monday) and although there were some notable exceptions -( I hope you know we missed you) it was a great party. I love the relaxed atmosphere that a BBQ brings, and it was great fun.

But - how did the tiny bundle that I brought home from hospital 20 years and 51 weeks ago grow into such an awesome young lady, beautiful, wise, funny, sensitive, just a little crazy (going to Disney for her birthday treat, texting me with excitement because she'd had a hug from Eeyore?!)? I claim a small part of the credit for this, which I share with Paul - the rest God did and is doing, and boy did He/ isn't He doing a great job

An unusual week off work!

I have spent this last week hobbling round the starship discovery :)

For the uninitiated this was our annual holiday club with a space theme. 118 kids, lots and lots of helpers and controlled mayhem. Added to this usual mix was me managing to fall off stage on set up day, collecting bruises all over, and twisting my knee. Hence the hobbling. It meant PJ took over as 'Flo from the planet Glo' our borrowed glo puppet/alien delivering a hilarious version of a message from our Leader. He was amazing, I know I would never have come up with 100ft kangaroo known as 'because' or fly sized elephants called 'belongs' (well have you ever tried to do actions as a puppet?)

The whole week was fabulous, ran like clock work (amazing Val's organisation as always) the stage and quiz and teaching awesome (Clive, Clive, Clive and Sarah P), drama hilarious (Kat - special mention to Dan's voice over) and on and on. Mostly of course was God, who was doing His work amongst his people, most specially amongst the kids. My Sarah had 11 kids ask Jesus to be their friend, one church mum told me that a teacher friend of hers commented on all the teenagers helping, saying that she knows teenagers and our teenagers are nothing like them, that there was something different about them - that's my Lord :D

So as you may have gathered from all the superlatives, it was a great week, and I hope to be back for more next year!

PJ's off to Southampton!!

SO today is results day and PJ needed AAB (that had to include physics and maths) and............he got AABB :D He's slightly disappointed because he missed an A in physics by one point but very very glad to have confirmed is place at Southampton. He's going to be studying Ship Science aka marine engineering and he's really excited about the course, and the uni, and the cu, and the sailing and everything :)

So a good day - now I just have to cope with him going, and Hannah going...................

God is good - all the time!

I've been procrastinating about this next blog because I'm not sure how to sum up New Wine and the other stuff in my life.

New Wine was amazing as ever - great weather, a few sprinkles of rain but the ground was so dry it seemed to absorb anything and everything immediately so NO MUD :D This meant that folk felt inclined to sit out of an evening with wine or beer or whisky, and enjoy fellowship. Its one of my favourite things about New Wine-having time to make and deepen friendships that often only get a few snatched moments on a sunday.

Obviously the other amazing thing is concentrated, undistracted time with God. As ever this can be painful as well as encouraging and uplifting. All those things that in normal every day life I can avoid, at NW I allow myself and God time to face them, which can be painful. Which meant I cried and agonised over stuff, before 'allowing' God to sort them out. Which He did, with the amazing Grace and love and blessings that are unique to Him.

Inevitably monday at home came, back to the real world and a really difficult week at work. I shouldn't have been surprised really, but the immediacy and intensity did throw me for a while. But God gave me good friends to support me, in prayer, on the phone, with coffee, and I survived. And I'm sitting here with my day off intact, which was very doubtful at one point. And I have certainty that God has plans. I'm waiting, and praying and holding on, as they play out, hoping His timescales are similar to mine!!!!

And in less than a week PJ gets his results, and before you know it he and Hannah will have gone to Uni, another huge huge milestone. Which will be ok, cos God has it covered.

I think probably that was the theme of New Wine for me - God has it all covered, with His plans and protection, and love for me and for those I love ( and those I don't - probably more importantly)