Well... the last day of Academy has been and gone....still have Sunday to serve with Konstruction Krew and then a blissful rest over the festive season. Today was a mixture of fun..laughter and tears, presents...food..teaching and lots of chocolate. I thought that as I was "home alone" tonight I would take a little time to reflect on the term and have a look at the "highs " and the " lows " of this Granny's Gap Year.
Let me begin with the "highs "
* hanging out with the younger generation...what a huge eye opener for me to realise they are nothing like my kids were at the same age...a bit of a culture shock for me ( and maybe for them too ) but what a great bunch they are..each of them have blessed me in ways that they may never know and given me a hope for the future ...yay for the students .
* having input from such fantastic teachers..all too many to mention but all of them have impacted me in such a deep way that I am hoping I may never be the same again..altho I have to mention two "legends "...Ben Davies..a personal hero of mine and a new hero to add to my collection ..Ron Bailey who brought what could have been a dry and stuffy subject...to life....yay for heroes.
* volunteering to "preach" in front of Ben Davies and hearing his feedback a real highlight of the term for me plus being asked to speak at the next 10/10 in March 2013..yay for preaching .
* listening to the students ask the questions that I always wanted to ask but felt silly asking...yay to get the answers to some long awaited questions...yay for those who are patient and answer all our questions..
* serving each Sunday in Konstruction Krew...both meetings...what an eye opener !!..Junior Church as we used to call it was NEVER like this...Yvonne and the team are just fantastic and at the beginning of term I thought I would be missing out not being able to go into the adult meeting but I haven't missed it at all !!.yay for kids work
* being a part of the staff team even if only for one day a week has been lovely and chatting to different staff members has opened up some new friendships....yay for chats on the stairs and in the loo.
* having hugs from people on a regular basis...may seem silly to include that in the picture..but with my background having people in my "personal space" hasn't always been easy and some of the students excel at hugging...you know who you are. ..yay for hugs
* being able to share some deep things with the students and to hear their own stories and their struggles has been a real privilege....Gabriele took time last week to pray over me in tongues and I felt the peace of God just surround me .....yay for prayers
* being moved way out of my comfort zone into new technology ..eg my new smart phone and using Word to complete assignment and Internet to study . Still not fully comfortable but moving in the right direction. ...yay for a learning curve.
* finding out that we are to be grandparents again with the expected arrival in April of a little pink one how cool will that be...yay for Andrew and Limara
* having such great encouragement from my friends and family .who have been like my cheerleaders.!! yay for friends. and family .
* studying like crazy for the preaching and for first assignment ...borrowing books and picking brains and surfing the Internet...yay for challenges .
I probably could write a whole lot more of the "highs" but wanted to also give a wee bit of space to the "lows " it hasn't all been easy as some of the list below will explain.
* having a fall right at the start of the term resulting in cracked ribs and bruised lung tissue..this is still not resolved and I still have residual pain for which I take quite strong prescription meds for ..this is despite a measure of Gods healing during the term which actually meant I had a completely pain free holiday ...yay for that...sadly I then had several episodes of heart arrhythmia caused by the intercostal muscles being still damaged...which sent me into panic mode and had the para medics come visit in middle of the night ..so this is an ongoing situation.
* my migraines have increased and this along with the meds I am already taking means I am tired all the time .This is not good ..considering I still work full time as well as serve Academy Hours .I also recognise that if I am not careful I could tip into depression as the tiredness is so oppressive at times.
* sadly I also had to say goodbye to a wee boy who I had child minded for 18mths as his mum needed more hours and I just couldn't commit to them ...this also resulted in a fairly substantial financial loss.
* several personal issues have arisen which were horrid and forced us to throw ourselves into Gods mercy and we are grateful for the support from Simon and our Line Managers Colin and Yvonne.
* finally ..a last "low" ..we got our first written assignment back today and I cant even begin to describe how uptight I have been about it...I left school 42 years ago with six "O" levels (GCSEs) and have had no formal education since then so the written assignments I knew would take me way beyond any comfort zone...I worked my socks off....hours and hours ...ask my husband ??!!..... I did all the right things..asked for help...ploughed my way through Tozer and commentaries and sent drafts to wiser women than me for advice and for the last 6 weeks I have known such deep anxiety...and even before I opened my envelope I was already crying all over Joanne as I shared with her how I was feeling ...we laughingly opened them together (!) but all I could see were
the " numbers."...which were a lot lower than I had thought I would get....and I didnt even read the feedback..I put it straight back into the envelope and headed to the loo in tears . The assignment is still in the envelope...I cant even bring myself to look at it again...the numbers paralysed me....
So...my reflections on the first term of Academy...believe me that despite the last "low" I have loved every second...every minute..every day...every moment of serving and being with the gang and I am so looking forward to next term and all the challenges it will have. I may even take the assignment out of the envelope at some point and absorb it a little better but have to wait till my eyes stop leaking .
Shadow Of Victory
Thursday, 20 December 2012
Saturday, 17 November 2012
Grannys Gap Year (8) on being ill
Well....it seems as if I have been ill / poorly one way or another since my adventure started in Academy. First it was the faint then the bruised lungs and fractured rib then the wrong dosage of meds and light headedness and then of course cystitis creeping in twice !! Oh and now its gastric flu !!
I have had emails and texts and Face Book comments ( thank you ) with all sorts of encouragement and support and loads of advice which have kept me going. The advice has ranged from praying in the spirit to drinking green tea and in between those two I have been told its probably demonic in origin and also that I need to take care of the temple of the Holy Spirit more . The encouragements have ranged from gorgeous flowers to lovely visits from friends bearing nothing other than a smile and a hug. The support has been never ending from the hubster and Elisha's mummy who have taken time off to help me out. The amazing Matt who loves me no matter if we are out and about or if I am laid up on sofa and he got his keyboard or radio he just goes with the flow.
I don't mind being ill....if I am honest;Apart from the boring bits and the actual discomfort of being sick and spending ages on the loo and only being able to drink small cups of tomato soup ( my poo is pink now ) What I absolutely HATE about being ill is both missing out on things and letting people down. This is what really pulls me down over and over again and why I detest being poorly whether it is a tummy upset a migraine or a rib fracture .
So far this last 3 months I have not been able to take part fully in Academy Facility times and in fact have only managed it twice so seeing the others working away when I couldn't has been really hard for me to adjust to. I have missed several Thursdays teaching sessions which is really yuck as its hard to catch up with other peoples notes, I have missed the Advance Children's Conference today which Kerith is hosting so I am once more missing a chance to serve with the Academy team as well as see/hear inspirational speakers and I have also made decision not to go to Konstruction Krew tomorrow as I have been out twice in last 2 days for no more than 2 hours and then had to lay down to recover . Tomato soup really isn't enough fuel to keep you going for more than a couple of hours.
This last "missed" is a particularly distressing decision for me me in that I have been helping a young 9 year old to settle in KK...I have managed to get him to be my "helper" a couple of times but then he throws another wee wobbly and we have to start again and each week I see him and we are building a good relationship. I made a promise to him last Sunday that I would ring him in the week to have a chat and we did have a really good old chin wag on Wednesday evening and we said
."see you Sunday " but having made decision today not to go in I felt I needed to ring him and tell him why rather than leave it for him to wonder why I had broken a promise. This more than anything is what I hate hate hate about being ill .
We did have a wee chat and he sounded okay and I chatted to his mum and have let KK leader know so I am praying this isn't a set back for JB...he is such a gorgeous wee lad and full of beans and life and chatter when he settles he is a pleasure to have around so even though I wont be there tomorrow at 11am I will be praying for him ,
With regards to recovery I have also made a couple of other decisions which I haven't wanted to make but just know I need to be sensible. Based on how last two days have gone. As well as not going to KK for tomorrows meetings I have also cancelled my trip to visit my precious Dorset Friend on Monday. Those of you who know who I am talking about will know just how hard that decision has been. I am also not planning on serving in Academy Tuesday either to give me another 3- 4 days for full recovery as well as trying to get beyond the Tomato soup stage no matter how much I love Mr Heinz it doesn't give me much energy.
As to why I have been ill so much in last three months I have no real bias and don't fully subscribe to "you are stepping out for Jesus and the enemy will be against you " I just know that illness is all part of the fallen world and the simple fact is gastric flu is going round . Loads of people have told me that they know others who have been so much worse than me with same flu symptoms. I kinda like to think that I am just one of the statistics that get poorly all at one time rather than being a specific target for the enemy to aim at. Having stated that I am praying daily for healing and protection and asking God to keep me safe and well at all times from the enemy but I do that fairly frequently anyway whether well or ill ....for me and all my friends and family its a regular discussion I have with the Almighty.
I just need to keep my slightly inward poor old me self looking upwards to God and believing that even in this time of illness I am still living in his purpose and still in the right place . Academy Team I salute you all and miss you all so much when I don't get to hang out with you .
I have had emails and texts and Face Book comments ( thank you ) with all sorts of encouragement and support and loads of advice which have kept me going. The advice has ranged from praying in the spirit to drinking green tea and in between those two I have been told its probably demonic in origin and also that I need to take care of the temple of the Holy Spirit more . The encouragements have ranged from gorgeous flowers to lovely visits from friends bearing nothing other than a smile and a hug. The support has been never ending from the hubster and Elisha's mummy who have taken time off to help me out. The amazing Matt who loves me no matter if we are out and about or if I am laid up on sofa and he got his keyboard or radio he just goes with the flow.
I don't mind being ill....if I am honest;Apart from the boring bits and the actual discomfort of being sick and spending ages on the loo and only being able to drink small cups of tomato soup ( my poo is pink now ) What I absolutely HATE about being ill is both missing out on things and letting people down. This is what really pulls me down over and over again and why I detest being poorly whether it is a tummy upset a migraine or a rib fracture .
So far this last 3 months I have not been able to take part fully in Academy Facility times and in fact have only managed it twice so seeing the others working away when I couldn't has been really hard for me to adjust to. I have missed several Thursdays teaching sessions which is really yuck as its hard to catch up with other peoples notes, I have missed the Advance Children's Conference today which Kerith is hosting so I am once more missing a chance to serve with the Academy team as well as see/hear inspirational speakers and I have also made decision not to go to Konstruction Krew tomorrow as I have been out twice in last 2 days for no more than 2 hours and then had to lay down to recover . Tomato soup really isn't enough fuel to keep you going for more than a couple of hours.
This last "missed" is a particularly distressing decision for me me in that I have been helping a young 9 year old to settle in KK...I have managed to get him to be my "helper" a couple of times but then he throws another wee wobbly and we have to start again and each week I see him and we are building a good relationship. I made a promise to him last Sunday that I would ring him in the week to have a chat and we did have a really good old chin wag on Wednesday evening and we said
."see you Sunday " but having made decision today not to go in I felt I needed to ring him and tell him why rather than leave it for him to wonder why I had broken a promise. This more than anything is what I hate hate hate about being ill .
We did have a wee chat and he sounded okay and I chatted to his mum and have let KK leader know so I am praying this isn't a set back for JB...he is such a gorgeous wee lad and full of beans and life and chatter when he settles he is a pleasure to have around so even though I wont be there tomorrow at 11am I will be praying for him ,
With regards to recovery I have also made a couple of other decisions which I haven't wanted to make but just know I need to be sensible. Based on how last two days have gone. As well as not going to KK for tomorrows meetings I have also cancelled my trip to visit my precious Dorset Friend on Monday. Those of you who know who I am talking about will know just how hard that decision has been. I am also not planning on serving in Academy Tuesday either to give me another 3- 4 days for full recovery as well as trying to get beyond the Tomato soup stage no matter how much I love Mr Heinz it doesn't give me much energy.
As to why I have been ill so much in last three months I have no real bias and don't fully subscribe to "you are stepping out for Jesus and the enemy will be against you " I just know that illness is all part of the fallen world and the simple fact is gastric flu is going round . Loads of people have told me that they know others who have been so much worse than me with same flu symptoms. I kinda like to think that I am just one of the statistics that get poorly all at one time rather than being a specific target for the enemy to aim at. Having stated that I am praying daily for healing and protection and asking God to keep me safe and well at all times from the enemy but I do that fairly frequently anyway whether well or ill ....for me and all my friends and family its a regular discussion I have with the Almighty.
I just need to keep my slightly inward poor old me self looking upwards to God and believing that even in this time of illness I am still living in his purpose and still in the right place . Academy Team I salute you all and miss you all so much when I don't get to hang out with you .
Sunday, 4 November 2012
GRANNYS GAP YEAR (7)
I thought I would blog this as soon as I got home from church...altho stopped long enough to have cheese on toast and a cuppa for lunch .....This was my Sunday "off"...in that as an Academy Student I get the Sunday of my Reading Week off serving but to be honest I love doing what I am doing so agreed with Yvonne I would do my bit then go off to main meeting for the preach....
Remember my motto over the decades has always been..."I got through my entire Christian life without ever serving in childrens work "...I kinda thought it would be a pretty cool epitaph for my gravestone. Yes..I have done my share of creche and baby looking after over the years and even led a team of creche workers and have helped serve at 11-14s when my children were in their teens.....so really it was the 5-11s that I have avoided..!
As an Academy Student I am linked with Yvonne Scott the childrens pastor and for 4-5 hours every Sunday I serve the children of Kerith Community Church and the team of amazing volunteers who week by week give of themselves and their time and energy to speak Jesus to 70-90 children over two meetings every Sunday morning.
Today was all about Water Baptism....The group had a Salvation Sunday whilst I was on my holidays when 18 children responded to the gospel ( drat I missed it ) and invited Jesus to be their forever friend so my plan was to hang out for the 9am meeting to see how Baptism would be preached and if there would be a response.??.....then to go over for the 11am meeting.
Can I just break here for a few minutes to tell you about the TEAM.....What a gang we have...I am totally in awe of Yvonne...Nicola....Stacey....and others who teach week by week...they all have their own individual style yet somehow God uses them in the exact way that suits who they are . Then there are the group of parents who volunteer...they are also amazing...they lead small groups and get to talk to and pray with loads of children...their own children may be in the group too and get to see their parents being Jesus to others...so inspiring....and then there are also the "apprentices"...this is a group of the older children...who are perhaps year 5-6 and they are AWESOME...they wear their apprentice jackets with pride and step up each week to help...they may be on reception/registration...tech team...drinks and biscuits organiser...small group leaders...just fantastic to see them....what role models we have in this age group...and once a month we have our youth band...REVOLUTION....who come over for the entire morning and lead us in worship....this morning Josh Grimmet taught us a song he had co written with Dave Betts who is the church musical director and wow....what a great song..the kids were bopping all over the place and I was so laughing at three of the ( grown up ) guys who lead small groups who have absolutely no sense of rhythm and I was laughing so much ....sorry guys ...but you made my morning..!!....I am just so privileged to get to be a part of this ministry so much so that I decided NOT to bother going over for the 11am meeting...let me tell you why...
Nicola...who I have only known for a matter of months...she is such a gifted children's worker...she is even more amazing in that she has no children of her own ...YET...wedding bells next year....she doesn't work with children ...BUT God has anointed and appointed her for such a time as this...when she marries Adam I believe God is going to raise up this couple in ways which we cant yet imagine ...so watch this space....Any way....she preached a storm at both meetings and God moved in....I lost count but I think over the two meetings we had something like 18 children respond to "ask more " about baptism and several also asked to pray the ABC prayer which is our salvation prayer....I was once more moved to tears...these children range in age from 5 to 11 and I hardly know any of them (altho slowly getting to grips with their names ) and I have no idea what their home life or family life is like but what I do know is that GOD knows each one of them by name...He knows every hair on their head...He understands their every thought...every fear...every part of their lives. He is very interested in them and for an hour and half each Sunday morning we get to see God reach down from heaven and touch their tender spirits....I am often heading for the kitchen to find more tissues or to the loo to hide as my mascara drips down or my nose snots....
I could write reams about individual children who I see each week ..worshipping..listening...responding...it is humbling to watch a 5 year old raise their hands in worship...or to see an 8 year old dancing before God with no embarrassment..or a 9 year old praying for their friend....and just to watch 50 children laughing as they "gunge " one of the leaders raises my laughter quotient for the day. I get the amazing task of awarding Star Certificates each week to individual children and each week I take note of at least 10-12 children who are stars....and when I get the chance I tell them and tell their parents too what a difference they have made to the morning just by being themselves....
People talk about "being ruined " by this it often means that they will never be the same again...I am pretty certain that once this Academy Year is over with I may never be the same again...my entire idea of what Children's Work is like has been turned upside down ...I have always been of the mindset that to serve in children's work you "miss " the main meeting....well ...after just a few short months I reckon that often the main meeting IS the children's work...
I have just finished writing ..(agonising would be a better word ) a 2000 word essay on The Attributes of a Holy God and one of his Attributes is "Omnipresent "...and basically this means He is everywhere ...at all times ...so I guess the main meeting really is wherever there are believers or faith filled people or God fearing groups...God is there...The Main Meeting is EVERYWHERE...and whats so cool about that is no-one misses out on God.
If ever you want to see God at work in children ..come visit us Sundays 9am or 11am ...I am actively looking to recruit a team to welcome new families...help settle new children into their groups and generally be there at a time when it can be a little scary to go into childrens groups for the very first time...I can promise you..God is there and you wont miss out...email me...leave me a comment...Facebook me..I would love to introduce you to Konstruction Krew...you will never be the same again.
Remember my motto over the decades has always been..."I got through my entire Christian life without ever serving in childrens work "...I kinda thought it would be a pretty cool epitaph for my gravestone. Yes..I have done my share of creche and baby looking after over the years and even led a team of creche workers and have helped serve at 11-14s when my children were in their teens.....so really it was the 5-11s that I have avoided..!
As an Academy Student I am linked with Yvonne Scott the childrens pastor and for 4-5 hours every Sunday I serve the children of Kerith Community Church and the team of amazing volunteers who week by week give of themselves and their time and energy to speak Jesus to 70-90 children over two meetings every Sunday morning.
Today was all about Water Baptism....The group had a Salvation Sunday whilst I was on my holidays when 18 children responded to the gospel ( drat I missed it ) and invited Jesus to be their forever friend so my plan was to hang out for the 9am meeting to see how Baptism would be preached and if there would be a response.??.....then to go over for the 11am meeting.
Can I just break here for a few minutes to tell you about the TEAM.....What a gang we have...I am totally in awe of Yvonne...Nicola....Stacey....and others who teach week by week...they all have their own individual style yet somehow God uses them in the exact way that suits who they are . Then there are the group of parents who volunteer...they are also amazing...they lead small groups and get to talk to and pray with loads of children...their own children may be in the group too and get to see their parents being Jesus to others...so inspiring....and then there are also the "apprentices"...this is a group of the older children...who are perhaps year 5-6 and they are AWESOME...they wear their apprentice jackets with pride and step up each week to help...they may be on reception/registration...tech team...drinks and biscuits organiser...small group leaders...just fantastic to see them....what role models we have in this age group...and once a month we have our youth band...REVOLUTION....who come over for the entire morning and lead us in worship....this morning Josh Grimmet taught us a song he had co written with Dave Betts who is the church musical director and wow....what a great song..the kids were bopping all over the place and I was so laughing at three of the ( grown up ) guys who lead small groups who have absolutely no sense of rhythm and I was laughing so much ....sorry guys ...but you made my morning..!!....I am just so privileged to get to be a part of this ministry so much so that I decided NOT to bother going over for the 11am meeting...let me tell you why...
Nicola...who I have only known for a matter of months...she is such a gifted children's worker...she is even more amazing in that she has no children of her own ...YET...wedding bells next year....she doesn't work with children ...BUT God has anointed and appointed her for such a time as this...when she marries Adam I believe God is going to raise up this couple in ways which we cant yet imagine ...so watch this space....Any way....she preached a storm at both meetings and God moved in....I lost count but I think over the two meetings we had something like 18 children respond to "ask more " about baptism and several also asked to pray the ABC prayer which is our salvation prayer....I was once more moved to tears...these children range in age from 5 to 11 and I hardly know any of them (altho slowly getting to grips with their names ) and I have no idea what their home life or family life is like but what I do know is that GOD knows each one of them by name...He knows every hair on their head...He understands their every thought...every fear...every part of their lives. He is very interested in them and for an hour and half each Sunday morning we get to see God reach down from heaven and touch their tender spirits....I am often heading for the kitchen to find more tissues or to the loo to hide as my mascara drips down or my nose snots....
I could write reams about individual children who I see each week ..worshipping..listening...responding...it is humbling to watch a 5 year old raise their hands in worship...or to see an 8 year old dancing before God with no embarrassment..or a 9 year old praying for their friend....and just to watch 50 children laughing as they "gunge " one of the leaders raises my laughter quotient for the day. I get the amazing task of awarding Star Certificates each week to individual children and each week I take note of at least 10-12 children who are stars....and when I get the chance I tell them and tell their parents too what a difference they have made to the morning just by being themselves....
People talk about "being ruined " by this it often means that they will never be the same again...I am pretty certain that once this Academy Year is over with I may never be the same again...my entire idea of what Children's Work is like has been turned upside down ...I have always been of the mindset that to serve in children's work you "miss " the main meeting....well ...after just a few short months I reckon that often the main meeting IS the children's work...
I have just finished writing ..(agonising would be a better word ) a 2000 word essay on The Attributes of a Holy God and one of his Attributes is "Omnipresent "...and basically this means He is everywhere ...at all times ...so I guess the main meeting really is wherever there are believers or faith filled people or God fearing groups...God is there...The Main Meeting is EVERYWHERE...and whats so cool about that is no-one misses out on God.
If ever you want to see God at work in children ..come visit us Sundays 9am or 11am ...I am actively looking to recruit a team to welcome new families...help settle new children into their groups and generally be there at a time when it can be a little scary to go into childrens groups for the very first time...I can promise you..God is there and you wont miss out...email me...leave me a comment...Facebook me..I would love to introduce you to Konstruction Krew...you will never be the same again.
Friday, 26 October 2012
GRANNYS GAP YEAR (6)
Life back to "normal" after our 12 days away in the sun....I didn't make it into the office on Tuesday as we were so delayed getting home it was 3am I think before I feel asleep so spent most of Tuesday zzzzz and sorting out unpacking. But life as we know it resumed on Wednesday...yay...wee boy and me off for a swim together and then Matt and wee boy for afternoon...all well and I was soooo looking forward to Academy day on Thursday after missing two weeks.
It was so fab to see the gang again and be a part of the "buzz"in the room..(note my use of young peoples words .LOL ) but that soon turned to slight anxiety when Ben P announced we were not going to be following the programme but doing somethings different today. YIKES.....I don't do spontaneous and certainly don't do different so anxiety level starts to rise.
Actually the first bit of "different " was great..we got half and hour of silence to "practise the presence of God " and this is my kind of different so was very grateful to have that time just to think and pray and experience God in the silence...Love it.
But then comes the "very different "..Ben announced we were going to have a DEBATE ...yep lets divide into two teams ....be given a topic and have to debate FOR OR AGAINST the topic..so I am already writing words down on my notebook and they say ..
"THIS IS WAY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE "
We settled into our two groups and immediately there are 7 people all talking at once and as we were trying to sort out our thoughts and develop an opening statement I just felt as if the entire world was trying to crawl into my personal space...when I am having to adjust my spectrum of hearing to this kind of setting the actual noise level gets louder...its hard to explain but as each person was trying to be heard and there were several conversations going on at same time as well as the noise from the other group I could feel my heart beat get louder and quicker and then it all goes numb. I quickly realised I would possibly have a complete meltdown if I didn't move out. So...waving my book in my hand I shove it under Ben's nose so he could read it and then made my escape out into garden trying to look cool calm and collected !! Hoping the gang might think I just needed some fresh air !!
Got as far as the steps and the tears just fell out of my eyes...you know the type ..nothing keeps them back ..gravity pulls and down they go mixing with the snot as I fumbled for my tissue....Solitude...quiet....bliss...as my senses calmed down and I felt less panic stricken I just felt an idiot.. Here I am at 57 years old walking out of the classroom in tears...how juvenile is that and worse to come I would have to go back in and face them all...arrggghhhh...where is my car when I need to run away .
I was only out there a matter of 2-3 minutes when the door opened and Ben P and Dan B come out...Rescued by the boys....both young enough to be my sons who just let me be a mess for another couple of minutes ..didn't attempt to fix me..just listened as I tried to explain how I feel at times with my deafness...I immediately felt calmer and more relaxed cos they were obviously understanding me completely.
Strangely it felt absolutely fine going back in after just another couple of minutes....Dan re-assured me I wouldn't have to do anything ..but I could just read the opening statement and the bible verses...he wrote it out for me and let me have a minute or so to get my head round where we were going and what I had to do...then the debate started...I honestly felt complete peace...no-one gave me funny looks..and I felt no embarrassment .!! These students are the best...such treasures ...a generation that God is going to use for great things ..BUT for me ..way more than that I felt they were my family..my friends and in that kind of relationship I could just be myself...didn't have to make excuses or be silly or apologise...just could be me with all my little foibles and hang ups.
I actually enjoyed the debate...but seriously I don't want to go there too often.
It was so fab to see the gang again and be a part of the "buzz"in the room..(note my use of young peoples words .LOL ) but that soon turned to slight anxiety when Ben P announced we were not going to be following the programme but doing somethings different today. YIKES.....I don't do spontaneous and certainly don't do different so anxiety level starts to rise.
Actually the first bit of "different " was great..we got half and hour of silence to "practise the presence of God " and this is my kind of different so was very grateful to have that time just to think and pray and experience God in the silence...Love it.
But then comes the "very different "..Ben announced we were going to have a DEBATE ...yep lets divide into two teams ....be given a topic and have to debate FOR OR AGAINST the topic..so I am already writing words down on my notebook and they say ..
"THIS IS WAY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE "
We settled into our two groups and immediately there are 7 people all talking at once and as we were trying to sort out our thoughts and develop an opening statement I just felt as if the entire world was trying to crawl into my personal space...when I am having to adjust my spectrum of hearing to this kind of setting the actual noise level gets louder...its hard to explain but as each person was trying to be heard and there were several conversations going on at same time as well as the noise from the other group I could feel my heart beat get louder and quicker and then it all goes numb. I quickly realised I would possibly have a complete meltdown if I didn't move out. So...waving my book in my hand I shove it under Ben's nose so he could read it and then made my escape out into garden trying to look cool calm and collected !! Hoping the gang might think I just needed some fresh air !!
Got as far as the steps and the tears just fell out of my eyes...you know the type ..nothing keeps them back ..gravity pulls and down they go mixing with the snot as I fumbled for my tissue....Solitude...quiet....bliss...as my senses calmed down and I felt less panic stricken I just felt an idiot.. Here I am at 57 years old walking out of the classroom in tears...how juvenile is that and worse to come I would have to go back in and face them all...arrggghhhh...where is my car when I need to run away .
I was only out there a matter of 2-3 minutes when the door opened and Ben P and Dan B come out...Rescued by the boys....both young enough to be my sons who just let me be a mess for another couple of minutes ..didn't attempt to fix me..just listened as I tried to explain how I feel at times with my deafness...I immediately felt calmer and more relaxed cos they were obviously understanding me completely.
Strangely it felt absolutely fine going back in after just another couple of minutes....Dan re-assured me I wouldn't have to do anything ..but I could just read the opening statement and the bible verses...he wrote it out for me and let me have a minute or so to get my head round where we were going and what I had to do...then the debate started...I honestly felt complete peace...no-one gave me funny looks..and I felt no embarrassment .!! These students are the best...such treasures ...a generation that God is going to use for great things ..BUT for me ..way more than that I felt they were my family..my friends and in that kind of relationship I could just be myself...didn't have to make excuses or be silly or apologise...just could be me with all my little foibles and hang ups.
I actually enjoyed the debate...but seriously I don't want to go there too often.
Wednesday, 24 October 2012
FRIENDS LIKE THESE
I just read another blog where a friend honoured her buddy and it got me thinking about Friendships in general so while these thoughts are fresh in my mind I thought to blog a little bit about friendships .
I am almost 58 years old so have seen friends come and go and some stay and some wander off and some come to a natural ending and some are doomed for lots of different reasons.
I have no idea where the following quote comes from but it sounds right.!
Some friends are here for a reason
Some friends are here for a season
Some friends are here for life.
I can look back and see where and how my friends have fitted into this wee saying. I have especially valued those friends who have stood by me for decades and seen me at my best and at my worst and still love me and want to spend time with me....they are the ones who are there for LIFE.
As someone whose entire childhood was spent wandering here there and everywhere I rarely was able to keep friendships going but in recent years with the fabby facebook and internet I have regained some of those precious ones who had given me some stability in the middle of my traumas.
Caroline...who I met almost 53 years ago on our first day at school....no matter we haven't seen each other for 30 years ..( she visited me in hospital when I had Andrew ) we have always kept in touch by Christmas letters and cards but now as both of us are Grannys we so enjoy each others lives even tho we may never see each other. Caroline may never know how much I loved her and her family...they were so kind to me and gave me hope for the future at a time when life was bleak. The wee bakery Carolines mum worked ....kept me in pies when I had no dinner money...(pretty sure she sneaked them to us as I never remember anyone paying )
Janie....who I met in my teens...my goodness we had some adventures....didn't we.??.. stuff I wouldn't even tell my kids about but it was the early 70s and life was a gas.!!! we experimented with lots of things including threepenny single ciggies from the corner shop and cider from the Offy when we could sneak it...( not saying any more )...again FBook has brought us back in touch after decades and its been so great to catch up .
Pat....who we shared our boys together for many years...and had so much pain and hurts as we each worked through lives awful happenings...living next door for years and being there for each other when life was at its toughest....and to see her on my last visit to Scotland knowing how poorly she was broke my heart but just to see her again was so precious....
Friends in the early years down here in Bracknell....Sue...Edie...women of God who introduced me to Jesus...showed all my family love and care and invited us into their hearts and their homes...Norma ..a very special neighbour who took time to show me the sights (!) of Bracknell and Maggie who kept me sane through the early years....all very precious gifts to me at the time....and even though I may not see them often or at all as Maggie died earlier this year my heart is full of memories and thanks for them.
There have been friends who I have worked alongside in childminding or respite care and friends who have been the parents of these very special children and young people...Fiona...Lynn...Isobel...all incredible women who have walked journeys with me and shared the good and the painful especially Ofsted moments and Paediatric First Aid courses,!!! How much the poorer my family life would be without their children ( and young adults) enriching my life....
Looking back over the last 20 plus years I can see several friends who have been there for me for reasons and seasons...we have shared children...child care...swapped jobs and church roles...held each others hands when needed and lent shoulders to lean on and cry on when needed.
Linking a thread through these years have been two very special women...Iris and Bren ...who I can honestly say I wouldn't be the woman I am today if they had been missing in my life...they have consistently propped me up when I have been falling...have wept with me...have laughed with and at me...have holidayed with me and mine...have shared Christmas times.. Easters and birthdays...have rejoiced with me at weddings and special times and have prayed for me and mine when I have run out of spiritual steam..Realistically as Iris is older than me and Bren has cancer I am unsure how long they will be in my life but one thing I know for sure I plan to let them know as often as I can and in as many ways as I can think of just how precious to me they are...
Within this season there are also others who I can mention ... friends who I know will take me "up in their lift " you know who you are....I may only see you once or twice a year for a coffee or just the odd time at church or a conference... but we link up as if the gap of time isn't important at all.
Finally....there is the friendship I share with my daughter....Catriona Elizabeth Mooney...altho I share her now with the fabby Mr Nick Kent.... somehow or other God gifted me this precious child. I never had any kind of relationship with my own mum ...so having a daughter was doubly special for me..yes we have had our tough times but we have been refined together over the years and learned from each other how we tick and how we can be friends but also a mum and a daughter. I am so grateful to God for the gift of life....in Cat...also for the precious sons he gave me too in Michael and Andrew..and the amazing women in their lives too...Debs and Limara..you are just the best girlys I could ask for and not missing out Mathilda who I think is just the best grand-daughter I could ask for and for all of them.... I hope we get to enjoy many years of friendship as we all grow old together.
Finally....Finally....the other two "men " in my life...Chris and Elisha...yep...my hubby is my best ever friend...none can come close to how much I value him and Elisha.....I can say nothing more about him other than he makes my heart smile all the time....and soon he will be keeping company with the latest little bean in the belly ...exciting times in the lives of all my "friends" !!
I am almost 58 years old so have seen friends come and go and some stay and some wander off and some come to a natural ending and some are doomed for lots of different reasons.
I have no idea where the following quote comes from but it sounds right.!
Some friends are here for a reason
Some friends are here for a season
Some friends are here for life.
I can look back and see where and how my friends have fitted into this wee saying. I have especially valued those friends who have stood by me for decades and seen me at my best and at my worst and still love me and want to spend time with me....they are the ones who are there for LIFE.
As someone whose entire childhood was spent wandering here there and everywhere I rarely was able to keep friendships going but in recent years with the fabby facebook and internet I have regained some of those precious ones who had given me some stability in the middle of my traumas.
Caroline...who I met almost 53 years ago on our first day at school....no matter we haven't seen each other for 30 years ..( she visited me in hospital when I had Andrew ) we have always kept in touch by Christmas letters and cards but now as both of us are Grannys we so enjoy each others lives even tho we may never see each other. Caroline may never know how much I loved her and her family...they were so kind to me and gave me hope for the future at a time when life was bleak. The wee bakery Carolines mum worked ....kept me in pies when I had no dinner money...(pretty sure she sneaked them to us as I never remember anyone paying )
Janie....who I met in my teens...my goodness we had some adventures....didn't we.??.. stuff I wouldn't even tell my kids about but it was the early 70s and life was a gas.!!! we experimented with lots of things including threepenny single ciggies from the corner shop and cider from the Offy when we could sneak it...( not saying any more )...again FBook has brought us back in touch after decades and its been so great to catch up .
Pat....who we shared our boys together for many years...and had so much pain and hurts as we each worked through lives awful happenings...living next door for years and being there for each other when life was at its toughest....and to see her on my last visit to Scotland knowing how poorly she was broke my heart but just to see her again was so precious....
Friends in the early years down here in Bracknell....Sue...Edie...women of God who introduced me to Jesus...showed all my family love and care and invited us into their hearts and their homes...Norma ..a very special neighbour who took time to show me the sights (!) of Bracknell and Maggie who kept me sane through the early years....all very precious gifts to me at the time....and even though I may not see them often or at all as Maggie died earlier this year my heart is full of memories and thanks for them.
There have been friends who I have worked alongside in childminding or respite care and friends who have been the parents of these very special children and young people...Fiona...Lynn...Isobel...all incredible women who have walked journeys with me and shared the good and the painful especially Ofsted moments and Paediatric First Aid courses,!!! How much the poorer my family life would be without their children ( and young adults) enriching my life....
Looking back over the last 20 plus years I can see several friends who have been there for me for reasons and seasons...we have shared children...child care...swapped jobs and church roles...held each others hands when needed and lent shoulders to lean on and cry on when needed.
Linking a thread through these years have been two very special women...Iris and Bren ...who I can honestly say I wouldn't be the woman I am today if they had been missing in my life...they have consistently propped me up when I have been falling...have wept with me...have laughed with and at me...have holidayed with me and mine...have shared Christmas times.. Easters and birthdays...have rejoiced with me at weddings and special times and have prayed for me and mine when I have run out of spiritual steam..Realistically as Iris is older than me and Bren has cancer I am unsure how long they will be in my life but one thing I know for sure I plan to let them know as often as I can and in as many ways as I can think of just how precious to me they are...
Within this season there are also others who I can mention ... friends who I know will take me "up in their lift " you know who you are....I may only see you once or twice a year for a coffee or just the odd time at church or a conference... but we link up as if the gap of time isn't important at all.
Finally....there is the friendship I share with my daughter....Catriona Elizabeth Mooney...altho I share her now with the fabby Mr Nick Kent.... somehow or other God gifted me this precious child. I never had any kind of relationship with my own mum ...so having a daughter was doubly special for me..yes we have had our tough times but we have been refined together over the years and learned from each other how we tick and how we can be friends but also a mum and a daughter. I am so grateful to God for the gift of life....in Cat...also for the precious sons he gave me too in Michael and Andrew..and the amazing women in their lives too...Debs and Limara..you are just the best girlys I could ask for and not missing out Mathilda who I think is just the best grand-daughter I could ask for and for all of them.... I hope we get to enjoy many years of friendship as we all grow old together.
Finally....Finally....the other two "men " in my life...Chris and Elisha...yep...my hubby is my best ever friend...none can come close to how much I value him and Elisha.....I can say nothing more about him other than he makes my heart smile all the time....and soon he will be keeping company with the latest little bean in the belly ...exciting times in the lives of all my "friends" !!
Sunday, 7 October 2012
WILLOW CREEK GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
It was that time of year again when our church hosts the Summit and Chris and I always volunteer to be there serving . Each year we do this God impacts our lives in new...fresh and challenging ways. Several years ago we had the amazing experience of actually going to Chicago and being a part of the live event ...but it is just as new and exciting when seen on the DVD screen.
This year the speakers as usual were a mixture of business and church leaders and I thought I would list some of the "phrases" that I heard that made me stop and think...or impacted me. Being half deaf and relying on lip reading always limits my note taking...as soon as I take my eyes off screen to write I miss the next part of the sentence so I really only write down a phrase that is striking or that immediately seems to resonate with my spirit . ( one day we will have total communication.....subtitles/ sign language interpreters...audio description etc )....I also thought to write about several things that people have either said to me or that I have said to myself over the last 2-3 days..no particular order of importance just as my notes are written.
* Bill Hybels ..( along with Ben D.. is a hero of mine )...repeats his amazing phrase....The Local Church is the Hope of the World.
* 6 x 6 ....Bill talked about planning and preparation ...energy bursts...over a six week period write down six things you want to achieve...do...put into action..over and above the normal "to do " lists.
* When is the "vision" most vulnerable...ie when we make plans ...when do we often want to give up...its usually somewhere in the middle...we have huge bursts of excitement and adrenaline at the beginning of some new venture ...then once its up and running we realise it can be a hard slog....discipline and determination. is so needed to keep us pressing on.
*Condoleeza Rice...spoke so well...I don't understand politics and certainly not American world politics but she spoke from her heart of her time in Washington and the world stage.One quote she made..." every life is capable of greatness "
* William Ury was interviewed by Jim Mellado...about Conflict Negotiation...his quote .."The goal is not just the elimination of conflict...its to find the place of agreement "
* John Ortberg....he spoke incredibly well...but for me was way too complicated in his thinking...I found it difficult to "get" what he was saying...he used words and phrases that held me hostage in that I really had no idea what they meant so failed to process them well....so will need to think my notes through again.
* Craig Groeschel...( another hero of mine ) spoke on the subject of
"Bridging the Generation Gap " which was one of the best sessions for me....his phrase..
"IF YOU ARE NOT DEAD THEN YOU ARE NOT DONE" ...is going to be my life motto for next season. He also said..."If you delegate tasks....you create followers...if you delegate authority you create leaders "....
I missed a couple of sessions as I was counting the offering with Iris....that was so exciting...I had never done this before and I was staggered at peoples generosity...we take up an offering each year to enable leaders from the international community who are unable to finance their own people to come and be a part of the summit...it was also so humbling in that several envelopes had ..eg 2x 50p coins...the widows mite...made Iris and I stop and think for a few seconds that some can give hundreds of pounds and others 2x 50p...but it is all going to make a huge difference in the lives of thousands of people the world over...what was also so amazing is that these 2 x 50p offerings were gift aided...how cool is that !
* The final session on day two was again Bill Hybels...he talked so passionately as he unpacked again "The Local Church is the Hope of the World "...
* Chris and I wrapped up our day by hanging out at a final debrief session with the overseas visitors ending with fish and chip suppers....eaten from the paper with our fingers...introducing people from Latvia and Poland to wooden forks and greasy fingers..vinegar and ketchup.
* During this last hour a man appeared at the door of the building...he walked in and Chris had a chat with him...he shared a hard story of what was going on in his life..so we were able to give him fish and chips and a wee half hour of listening to him and show care and compassion...Chris gave him 20.00 and maybe just a wee bit of hope that all was not lost as he went on his way.
Other seemingly small " moments " that touched my heart and spirit and lifted me out of tiredness and into the realm of sharing time with some amazing friends as we served alongside each other...
* Lunch on the window ledge having a chat with Frances R...takes me "up in my lift" every time..
* The singing of Happy Birthday to Sue R the event manager at 7.30am on day two as we had our team briefing...and blew out her candles...( love embarrasing the boss lady )
* A ten minute chat to Jacqui WG who threw into the conversation very casually that her E-Learning company have now had 55,000 people do the courses she has pioneered...Gobsmacking.!
* Listening to my daughter Cat K singing ..keep having to remind myself how talented and gifted she is....
* Hanging out in the crew room with Academy Students..who worked so much harder than me...they are stars.
* Being asked by a visitor..."who is the "girl" on the stage with your Pastor Simon..." .LOL...
the " girl " is of course the amazing Catrina...his wife.
* Finding one of the overseas summit leaders was also called IRENE..we instantly hit it off and kept hugging each other.
* Chatting to Sasha from Macedonia..he shared a little bit of his life with me as he talked about the miracle of his first child when all hope of pregnancy was gone.
* The Academy Line Up at 5.30 pm we summoned up the last shreds of energy for a bit of fun ...and we cheered loads of people out of the building...especially a certain Mrs Iris Joyce who swanned up and down as if she was on the Hollywood Red Carpet no less.! Altho Valentine and Harry with their breakdance moves and cossack dancing were just as crazy.
* I had asked Lee LM if he had any "commentaries " I could borrow for my assignment..he so kindly said...yep in the office...I head up to collect it..only to find it is one of those HUGE books which probably weighs about 10 kilos..I had planned to take on hols on Thursday but hey I only have a 20 kilo luggage allowance...will maybe just photocopy the relevant passages...
Finally....I was up at the crack of dawn yet again to serve for Konstruction Krew.....reminding myself...If I am not dead I am not done...but oh boy was I tired...but as usual...God showed up for over eighty 5-11 year old children...led by our Youth Band ...REVOLUTION..they were just outstanding and seeing the younger children worship once again moved me to tears...
BUT.....I am now weary....and so looking forward to heading to Lanzarote for 12 days with our buddies ..sun and pool...and my 10 kilo commentary...
REMEMBER... ...IF YOU ARE NOT DEAD ..YOU ARE NOT DONE.
This year the speakers as usual were a mixture of business and church leaders and I thought I would list some of the "phrases" that I heard that made me stop and think...or impacted me. Being half deaf and relying on lip reading always limits my note taking...as soon as I take my eyes off screen to write I miss the next part of the sentence so I really only write down a phrase that is striking or that immediately seems to resonate with my spirit . ( one day we will have total communication.....subtitles/ sign language interpreters...audio description etc )....I also thought to write about several things that people have either said to me or that I have said to myself over the last 2-3 days..no particular order of importance just as my notes are written.
* Bill Hybels ..( along with Ben D.. is a hero of mine )...repeats his amazing phrase....The Local Church is the Hope of the World.
* 6 x 6 ....Bill talked about planning and preparation ...energy bursts...over a six week period write down six things you want to achieve...do...put into action..over and above the normal "to do " lists.
* When is the "vision" most vulnerable...ie when we make plans ...when do we often want to give up...its usually somewhere in the middle...we have huge bursts of excitement and adrenaline at the beginning of some new venture ...then once its up and running we realise it can be a hard slog....discipline and determination. is so needed to keep us pressing on.
*Condoleeza Rice...spoke so well...I don't understand politics and certainly not American world politics but she spoke from her heart of her time in Washington and the world stage.One quote she made..." every life is capable of greatness "
* William Ury was interviewed by Jim Mellado...about Conflict Negotiation...his quote .."The goal is not just the elimination of conflict...its to find the place of agreement "
* John Ortberg....he spoke incredibly well...but for me was way too complicated in his thinking...I found it difficult to "get" what he was saying...he used words and phrases that held me hostage in that I really had no idea what they meant so failed to process them well....so will need to think my notes through again.
* Craig Groeschel...( another hero of mine ) spoke on the subject of
"Bridging the Generation Gap " which was one of the best sessions for me....his phrase..
"IF YOU ARE NOT DEAD THEN YOU ARE NOT DONE" ...is going to be my life motto for next season. He also said..."If you delegate tasks....you create followers...if you delegate authority you create leaders "....
I missed a couple of sessions as I was counting the offering with Iris....that was so exciting...I had never done this before and I was staggered at peoples generosity...we take up an offering each year to enable leaders from the international community who are unable to finance their own people to come and be a part of the summit...it was also so humbling in that several envelopes had ..eg 2x 50p coins...the widows mite...made Iris and I stop and think for a few seconds that some can give hundreds of pounds and others 2x 50p...but it is all going to make a huge difference in the lives of thousands of people the world over...what was also so amazing is that these 2 x 50p offerings were gift aided...how cool is that !
* The final session on day two was again Bill Hybels...he talked so passionately as he unpacked again "The Local Church is the Hope of the World "...
* Chris and I wrapped up our day by hanging out at a final debrief session with the overseas visitors ending with fish and chip suppers....eaten from the paper with our fingers...introducing people from Latvia and Poland to wooden forks and greasy fingers..vinegar and ketchup.
* During this last hour a man appeared at the door of the building...he walked in and Chris had a chat with him...he shared a hard story of what was going on in his life..so we were able to give him fish and chips and a wee half hour of listening to him and show care and compassion...Chris gave him 20.00 and maybe just a wee bit of hope that all was not lost as he went on his way.
Other seemingly small " moments " that touched my heart and spirit and lifted me out of tiredness and into the realm of sharing time with some amazing friends as we served alongside each other...
* Lunch on the window ledge having a chat with Frances R...takes me "up in my lift" every time..
* The singing of Happy Birthday to Sue R the event manager at 7.30am on day two as we had our team briefing...and blew out her candles...( love embarrasing the boss lady )
* A ten minute chat to Jacqui WG who threw into the conversation very casually that her E-Learning company have now had 55,000 people do the courses she has pioneered...Gobsmacking.!
* Listening to my daughter Cat K singing ..keep having to remind myself how talented and gifted she is....
* Hanging out in the crew room with Academy Students..who worked so much harder than me...they are stars.
* Being asked by a visitor..."who is the "girl" on the stage with your Pastor Simon..." .LOL...
the " girl " is of course the amazing Catrina...his wife.
* Finding one of the overseas summit leaders was also called IRENE..we instantly hit it off and kept hugging each other.
* Chatting to Sasha from Macedonia..he shared a little bit of his life with me as he talked about the miracle of his first child when all hope of pregnancy was gone.
* The Academy Line Up at 5.30 pm we summoned up the last shreds of energy for a bit of fun ...and we cheered loads of people out of the building...especially a certain Mrs Iris Joyce who swanned up and down as if she was on the Hollywood Red Carpet no less.! Altho Valentine and Harry with their breakdance moves and cossack dancing were just as crazy.
* I had asked Lee LM if he had any "commentaries " I could borrow for my assignment..he so kindly said...yep in the office...I head up to collect it..only to find it is one of those HUGE books which probably weighs about 10 kilos..I had planned to take on hols on Thursday but hey I only have a 20 kilo luggage allowance...will maybe just photocopy the relevant passages...
Finally....I was up at the crack of dawn yet again to serve for Konstruction Krew.....reminding myself...If I am not dead I am not done...but oh boy was I tired...but as usual...God showed up for over eighty 5-11 year old children...led by our Youth Band ...REVOLUTION..they were just outstanding and seeing the younger children worship once again moved me to tears...
BUT.....I am now weary....and so looking forward to heading to Lanzarote for 12 days with our buddies ..sun and pool...and my 10 kilo commentary...
REMEMBER... ...IF YOU ARE NOT DEAD ..YOU ARE NOT DONE.
Thursday, 4 October 2012
GRANNYS GAP YEAR ( 5 )
I am almost speechless...those of you know who know me well ...may wonder if I have Laryngitis.!! I am rarely without a verbal collection of words and often I think I have verbal diarrhoea and at times it does spill into the written word too...BUT today ...right now....I am trying so hard to find the right words to convey what today has been like....Actually not just today but the whole experience on The Academy so far.
Instead of trying to make sense of it all and write coherently let me just make some statements.
* I have realised that I have allowed my spirit to get stale and old.
* I have realised what a privilege it is to be able to take time out and give a year to serving and getting to know more of God for myself...
* I am amazed at the excitement that is surging its way into my head...heart...soul..mind..emotions.
* I am humbled...big time...at the young men and women who are teaching at The Academy...most of whom I am old enough to be their mum and possibly even old enough to be their Granny.
* I am eternally grateful to Ben D ...his preaching... decades ago resulted in my salvation and his ongoing leadership...and lifestyle examples continue to influence me ...he is my all time Hero.
* I am sensing a similar gratefulness to Michael Ross-Watson....who is a story teller par excellence and his smile lights up my heart.
* I am challenged daily to press on into God....Today's teaching from Ben D was particularly challenging.
* I am having to change the way I see young people....I can be an old fogey ( try explaining that to our Lithuanians and Estonians )..and hanging out with the Academy gang is opening my eyes to this emerging generation.
* I am really beginning to "get " Liam P...this is related to above point....!!
* I used to sort of boast that I would have it written on my gravestone that " I got all the way through my Christian life without serving in children's work" and yet here I am week after week...for 5 hours on Sunday mornings...seeing God break in to children's lives.
* I am increasingly grateful for Chris...who has released me and encouraged me and supports me in this Gap Year....to my friends who are my biggest fans and noisiest cheerleaders...and to my daughter Cat who continually encourages me.
* I am so grateful to the mum of the young man I care for ...being flexible ..so I can do this year....
* I am thankful for Cat and Nick who give me the joy of caring for Elisha as well as do this year....
* I am looking at this year...not just as a filler ...not just as something I could do...not just because I was bored and thought what a good idea...I am looking at this year to be life changing in so many ways and oh boy...its looking good so far.
Finally....today....during one of the teaching sessions...God broke in and one of the students...Siim...sensed that God wanted us to pray for healing ...again those of you who know me will know I have had cracked ribs and bruised lung tissue for some weeks and been on fairly strong meds and Anti Inflammatory drugs....The whole Academy prayed for me and ...
God healed me..
Later I was able to drive without wincing when I used the hand brake...push the shopping trolley and carry it into the house...pick up Elisha and play on the floor with him...all with no pain....
God is good....What other words are needed .
Instead of trying to make sense of it all and write coherently let me just make some statements.
* I have realised that I have allowed my spirit to get stale and old.
* I have realised what a privilege it is to be able to take time out and give a year to serving and getting to know more of God for myself...
* I am amazed at the excitement that is surging its way into my head...heart...soul..mind..emotions.
* I am humbled...big time...at the young men and women who are teaching at The Academy...most of whom I am old enough to be their mum and possibly even old enough to be their Granny.
* I am eternally grateful to Ben D ...his preaching... decades ago resulted in my salvation and his ongoing leadership...and lifestyle examples continue to influence me ...he is my all time Hero.
* I am sensing a similar gratefulness to Michael Ross-Watson....who is a story teller par excellence and his smile lights up my heart.
* I am challenged daily to press on into God....Today's teaching from Ben D was particularly challenging.
* I am having to change the way I see young people....I can be an old fogey ( try explaining that to our Lithuanians and Estonians )..and hanging out with the Academy gang is opening my eyes to this emerging generation.
* I am really beginning to "get " Liam P...this is related to above point....!!
* I used to sort of boast that I would have it written on my gravestone that " I got all the way through my Christian life without serving in children's work" and yet here I am week after week...for 5 hours on Sunday mornings...seeing God break in to children's lives.
* I am increasingly grateful for Chris...who has released me and encouraged me and supports me in this Gap Year....to my friends who are my biggest fans and noisiest cheerleaders...and to my daughter Cat who continually encourages me.
* I am so grateful to the mum of the young man I care for ...being flexible ..so I can do this year....
* I am thankful for Cat and Nick who give me the joy of caring for Elisha as well as do this year....
* I am looking at this year...not just as a filler ...not just as something I could do...not just because I was bored and thought what a good idea...I am looking at this year to be life changing in so many ways and oh boy...its looking good so far.
Finally....today....during one of the teaching sessions...God broke in and one of the students...Siim...sensed that God wanted us to pray for healing ...again those of you who know me will know I have had cracked ribs and bruised lung tissue for some weeks and been on fairly strong meds and Anti Inflammatory drugs....The whole Academy prayed for me and ...
God healed me..
Later I was able to drive without wincing when I used the hand brake...push the shopping trolley and carry it into the house...pick up Elisha and play on the floor with him...all with no pain....
God is good....What other words are needed .
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