running into the wind

I am not one for making new years resolutions as I always feel that January is a bad time to commit to giving up our favourite foods when so many Christmas leftovers are lying around, it's a bad time to commit to exercise when the weather is so cold damp and dark. Yet this January I fell ( literally) into a resolution. Marc decided the first Monday in January that he was going running. Sat, laptop on my knee, coffee almost in hand, warm and snuggly with Daniel at Pre-School I didn't like the idea much yet when he suggest I went along I foolishly thought "why not!". My relationship with exercise is poor, I am prone to injury with over extendable joints and bad knees. I haven't run properly since school ( and that was usually only to impress the teacher!!) so what possessed me to agree I will never know.

Anyway a few weeks have passed and I have stuck to a twice a week routine. It's not a lot, just under 5 Km around our locality, sometimes with Marc and sometimes alone . I can't pretend I find it easy, the first session I barely got off the estate and literally crawled back on to it ( meeting neighbours along the way!) My lungs hurt, my knees ached and I wanted to collapse. However now everything still aches and hurts but I can run that little bit further without having to walk for a bit, I can appreciate the view of the fields that just about still exist and I can listen to music and pray for those on my mind while I run/ fast walk/ crawl along.

I do desperately want to get fit, to tone up would also be nice but most of all I have discovered the joy of Blue Sky thinking. I now have 36 minutes to myself to listen, to ponder and to pray. I have 36 minutes to appreciate the place we live and I have 36 minutes to be.

I very much doubt I will love running or exercise but I do love the benefits. It's not a resolution where I will beat myself up if I fail but it's a new start at space for me!

I will keep you posted on how it goes :)

LOVE

Am preparing for my Feb article in our local magazine and wondered if anyone fancied checking it out.....February is coming upon us thick and fast..where has this half of Jan gone to??? HAPPY NEW YEAR and hope things are ok for you all out there x

 

 

“All you need is Love”,  “Love is the sweetest thing”, “ Love is all around”, “Love is a wonderful thing”, “You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” “Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it.”

Just some of the quotes that we may or may not be familiar with relating to LOVE.

February is often associated with love, I love February mainly because a lot of dear friends and family celebrate their birthdays in that month, February also feels special with its shortened number of days. However do we love February 14^th or do we loath it; see it as just another commercial excuse to spend money on tacky cards chocolates and flowers ( if we are lucky!)

When I was a student a friend and I used to get annoyed that Valentine’s was over priced and over hyped and those who were not at that moment in a relationship were made to feel inferior or like they were missing out. Instead we created ‘Friendship Day’ . I am sure somewhere in the calendar one already exists but we felt Feb 14^th really could be  about friendship,  sharing the love friends have for one another and giving thanks for our friends. I must state that I was going out with my now husband at the time so it wasn’t some act of feminism or bitterness.

So what is LOVE?

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails ( 1 Corinthians 13 v 4-8)

These  words from the Bible really sum up how I feel we should treat everyone we care about whether it’s a partner, a friend, a family member, a child or a neighbour.

So whatever comes your way may February be a month of love. A time for you to show those you care about how much you truly love them…money is irrelevant but good gesturers of love can mean the world.

t'was the week before Christmas

Twas the week before Christmas nearly the end of the year,
time off needed to be used was here,
the days were marked out with a careful plan,
with time to spend with my little boy Dan.

To the theatre to Charlie and Lola the show
visiting a friend's new baby..to Tunbridge wells we would go.
A pre school show and Ice skating too
so much for us to enjoy and do.

But things at work came to be
a change in plans was definite for me
A dear strong lady. so brave and a friend
had  passed away and so a funeral we wanted to attend

Observing a family struck by grief
yet knowing her eternal life in Christ was a relief
But Children orphaned and friends so sad
it makes me wonder why the world is so bad.

And so a week of  sorrow and Joy
and round the corner we celebrate the birth of a boy
a child so special a saviour a King
My heart is lifted for the rejoicing He brings.

Life has its ups and downs the circle of life some call it....

I pray that whatever life throw at you this Christmas and in 2014 you will have the courage and faith to face it head on

God Bless

xxx

Precious moments

The job I have is totally varied, full of joys and sadness, tears and laughter. Today has been such a day.
The majority of the day I spent within the confines of a very cold church made warm by the hustle and bustle of school children coming to experience the Nativity Festival. It is a wonderful experience if you have never had the joy of it. The children go around different stations looking  at and experiencing the different parts of the story fully engaging in it finishing with going into the stable and leaving a chosen gift at the manger.

Listening to the children, watching the delight on their faces, hearing the wondering questions and awesome answers is just a delight and a joy to be a part of..and today is only day 1.

And then I was brought down to earth with a crash, the real humbling part of my job is visiting the sick. Being given permission to enter someone's house when they are seriously ill is a humbling experience, being able to sit along side and listen to how people are coping in adverse situations whilst caring for someone sick totally brings life into perspective and its a real privilege to minister in this way. But today it was hard, so hard seeing someone you know and care deeply for so ill, so hard seeing people you see week in week out suffering yet such a blessing to see a family all there together to support and help each through the darkest of times.
Tonight my head hurts my heart breaks but I pray for peace in the lives of those I have met today.

ASHTMA!

Over the last 2 weeks I have had an aggrivating cold, one of those that doesnt really do anything but lingers, makes you sound nasally and is irritating; that was until a few days ago. One night I suddenly was woken by not being able to breath so well I had a spasmodic coughing fit ( my usual sign of an asthma attack!) and it went on and on and on. This happened over the weekend and so by yesterday Marc badgered me into going ot see the doctor. Me being me was reluctant as I seem to live there between me and Dan ATM !
However it was easier to go and get checked out rather than have Marc worry so off I trotted to the sister surgery in Gillingham which was the only place with appointments.

Convinced it would be a waste of time I sat with my book and waited..not too long and went to see the Doc. In a matter of seconds he doctor realised that I had a sever chest infection and needed antibiotics, he then read my history and realised I also would need steroids as the infection was so deep and my lung is pretty rubbish in places.

I went home feel glad Marc had been insistent but also a bit anxious not liking steroids as though I know they work brilliantly, they also send me a bit manic! It however was only when I was driving home that I realsied the last time I felt a bit like this was 9 years ago almost to the day....9 years ago around bonfire night I developed  a cold which turned into pneumonia and resulted in us flying home from our life in Indonesia. Then I understood why Marc was so anxious.

HAving asthma and a weakness is pants, I feel so terrible not being up to speed but I am so grateful that we have an NHS system where I can be seen relatively quickly, for free and get the treatment necessary.
Now all I have to do is go through the diary and see what things are essential and what things can wait...it is a hard lesson for me....

Emotions

Today has been a bit of a strange day...in fact not just today the last few days really.

Daniel has been unwell all week and it has taken its toll on us, sleep less nights, trying to get essential stuff done whilst deciding to put other stuff on hold but today could not be put off today I was dreading with all my might!

Today as well as being Remembrance Sunday is also the one Sunday Marc leads the music part of our worship at one of the churches and also the day our vicar was away celebrating the dedication of his grandson along with his wife (who usually looks after Daniel while Marc rehearses and during the service). So the pressure was on before we even woke up this morning.

Marc and Dan went off to rehearse whilst I went off to preach and preside communion in Upnor. I have to say I was moved almost to tears, the church was pretty much full of men and women who served on the Arethusa, men and women come to pay there respects and remember. It was a delight to preach and administer communion to these wonderful people.
Unfortunately with the set up of our parish we had to dash straight off in order to do an All Age Worship Remembrance service. I have to say it is so hard getting this right....trying to make sure it engages all ages without making it irreverent and loosing the remembrance aspect.
The church was full and as we launched forth immediately there was a problem, no heating and no sound! It was a real battle and eventually we got a hand held mic working.
Again I was moved to tears seeing the uniformed children bringing their poppies, having Daniel sit with me ( still clingy after being ill) and wanting to pray for the soldiers, seeing those men and women wearing medals of honour of wars fought long ago. And then I turned around and saw a whole family sat together a family of a lady who has been battling cancer so bravely still smiling, still entertaining her grand children and still in church.


I have moaned, I have been grumpy and I have sulked this week..Yet today I have seen people put me to shame..our church seems to be experiencing a lot of suffering at the moment and for those we can but pray God's love and peace upon them.

A stressful day has brought me to my knees....we are blessed to be surrounded be true heroes...

LEST WE FORGET!

Sweets and Saints

Last night at 4.45pm the door bell rang, as we opened it we were greeted by a multitude of scary looking children and slightly embarrassed parents...all of whom we knew;
"Trick or Treat" they politely said with big smiles on their  painted faces...
Last year some of you may recall our dilemma of what to do but this year was a no brainer..we had a basket full of treats and also our glow in the dark pencils and rulers with Jesus is the Light of the World written on. Some may feel this is tacky, some may disagree with us giving anything at all but it is an opportunity for us to share with our neighbours and also to get the message of light into the homes..and seeing the delight on the 40 children who received the pencils and rulers was priceless. Unfortunately by 6.15 we had run out of the pencils and rulers so the following 15/20 children just received sweets and a blessing of safety.

Today is Friday, today unusually for me is a working day..why? Because today is All Saints day (All Hallows) our parish church'
s patronal festival of which we are to celebrate a service of Holy Communion. It was a delight to meet together and celebrate those wonderful, faithful folk who have gone before us..

 All Saints Day, a day to remember those ordinary people of extraordinary commitment. Saints are ordinary Christians whose lives reflect the life of Jesus. Recently the Pope has declared a few more people Saints..including Pope John Paul the 2^nd..however those such as Mother Theresa sacrificing everything in life still await saint hood but I believe her life mirrors that of any Saint. An ordinary person doing extra ordinary things for the Gospel. 

So many people in my life have been Saints in my eyes...people who lived faithfully to help me in my life, to help me grow, to help me develop and to give me the confidence I need. Some are still with us and some sadly have departed this world...It may sound morbid but I feel it is so important to remember those who shape our lives and make us the people we are today.

So to you who have been a part of my life whether it is a little way or a major way...you know who you are...THANK YOU!