Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud?

This last bank holiday weekend saw myself and a bunch of family and wonderful friends pack our bags, tents and wellies and head to Cheltenham Race course for The Greenbelt Christian Arts Festival.

We have been going to Greenbelt on and off for many years ( my first visit was when I was 3!) and I love the eclectic mix of people, passions and experiences that can be found in one place. The music, the art, the creativity, seeing old friends and the Jesus Arms ( beer tent) are great ingredients for a brilliant weekend...normally..

This year was quite a challenge..In true British Bank Holiday weekend style the weather was a great challenge! In fact it rained and rained and rained. It rained so much at times it looked like we were sat in between a waterfall with thunder and lightning all around us. For those of you that know me will know that I am terrified of thunder but having a 2 year old I had to try and be brave!Once the rain eased however the problems did not ease..we were left with a massive mound of mud that in places came well over my ankles.

It was hard going, battling the rain, mud and camping but it was also a real witness to camaraderie, team spirit and a chance to "jump up and down in muddy puddles!"...Daniel thought it was the best thing ever and had a whale of a time.

I can not lie and say we had a wonderful time despite the weather...some of our group really did struggle and when your last pair of socks are soaked because your wellies have broken it is very difficult to put on a smile!

However, it really was a lesson in how we deal with adversity...do we throw in the towel and take shelter in the nearest travel lodge at the first sign of rain or do we face the eye of the storm and stay strong through thick and thin?

I like to think that I am a tough cookie and can cope with most things but this nearly had me beat....but thanks to a happy toddler, a great talk from Frank Skinner ( yep the Frank Skinner is a Christian!) and a good old session of Beer and Hymns I got through the weekend with a smile on my face ready to book again next year :)....anyone want to join me?

A matter of life and death

This week has been a week of funerals, planning, preparing and delivering, church services, cremations and burials. Any kind of funeral and every kind of funeral. The last few weeks have seen a lot of the deanery clergy on holiday so all local funerals have come my way.

It has been an emotionally challenging week, any funeral no matter what the circumstance or situation is a sad and difficult time to all involved, but so many at once certainly take their toil especially when one is someone younger than yourself.

Many people say to me that funerals must be the one thing that I hate about my job yet it is one of the things I really enjoy doing . That may sound sadistic but I find at the time of someones death family and friends are much more open to talk to you about life, the world and the universe, they want you to be there, they want comfort and they want hope but most of all they want you to listen and to guide them through one of the most difficult experiences of their lives.

This week saw our church bursting at the seams with young people trying to find a way to grieve, this is the second experience in a year I have had of such a mega funeral for one so young and both times I have been amazed by the response of friends desperate to show their love and their grief to their friend who has died and to the family. This week the tribute was made via an enormous array of flowers, bouquets and wreaths of all shapes, sizes and descriptions, it was also shown by a uniform of flat caps and an array of colourful socks....
These experiences make me feel so privileged that I have a faith, a hope that this world is not the end, it makes me feel privileged that I have a family who cares so much for me, and it makes me feel privileged that I for a few hours can be a part of someones difficult journey.But it also makes me think about how those with no faith, no hope cope, what do they cling to and what do they look for to survive each day....because of this I do my job to share hope in Jesus and just pray a tiny seed may be sown at these difficult times. A light can be shone for them in their times of darkness.

Footprints in the Sand

Footprints in the Sand

THis summer has been the busiest that I can ever remember. It has been a summer of excitement, achievemnt and hard, hard work!

We started the summer with a lovely if not very hot and exhausting trip to Los Boliches in Spain. 10 days with my parents playing on the beach with Daniel and watching him take in all things Spanish, including the food (tapas, calamaries and Paella where his favs!) the language...(gracias, adios and por favour!) and the way of life ( siestas and staying up late!)

It was a different kind of beach holiday having a toddler but a real delight and a joy and great to spend family quality time together.

But since we have been back so much has happened work wise it has been quite crazy...experiencing the Olympics ( a blog in itself) a wonderful holiday club and conducting my first wedding; All really exciting and wonderful events that helped me to engage with so many different people yet very energy consuming making Spain seem a distant memory...

The saddest part of the job though has really been the focus of these summer months, that of funerals. I find funerals such a blessing, to be with people at there most difficult times and to be able to walk along isde them in their grief and just be there to help them try and create a memory in the form of a funeral service. The funeral services usually try and give people a flavour of that person, what they were like as a yongster, the jobs they have had and the family they have left behind, along with a few amusing anecdotes along the way. However this week I am preparing the funeral of a 27 year old man who died tragiclly leaving a 2 year old and a 3 month old baby. Such a short life lived taken so suddenly. It has made me think about what mark do we leave behind when we are gone..what effect will our eventual passing have on those around us....will it be a clear mark like a footprint in the sand.

I hope and pray that your summers have been eventful yet restful, exciting yet enlightening and for those whose summers continue as any other season may you find refreshment when you can!