That was the week that was

This week has been a strange mixture of different things, nearly all of them good, some of them causing some reflection, some a little concern.

At the beginning of half term week, after a very lazy start, we decided to give our two girls a room to share, which means we have gained an office, which is great. However, it took three days, not just the afternoon we expected.

They now have the company of one another which I so loved growing up, sharing with my sister, with whom I'm still very close.

This morning, which was beautifully sunny, was spent delivering holiday club minis (for the under 5s) on Joseph. It was my last holiday club at St Nick's, which feels strange. I have really enjoyed this work but it is time to pass this responsibility on for fresh ideas and energy and I so hope it brings the next leader as close to God as it brought me. Of course, God reaches us all in different ways but there was something very special about the timing of my picking up of this responsibility a few years ago because it was simultaneous with my spiritual reawakening and being involved in this ministry was really nourishing.

This afternoon, we found out my husband has a hole in his heart so he will see a cardiologist. It is probably nothing to worry about but feels a bit daunting, nevertheless.

So life is something of a roller-coaster and we are not really in control, God is. This is what we shared this morning as we looked at Joseph's life. We had a lot of fun, pretending we were on a rollercoaster, using this excellent animation, projected onto a screen.

God is in control. Sometimes it all seems to move very slowly, frustratingly so, sometimes it's all too quick and can, quite frankly, leave you a bit dizzy, as I have felt of late with the journey to the selection conference, which seems to be coming up very quickly, but it's all about trusting that he will bring you safely home to rest in the end.

I hope and trust that this family will be okay. There are a lot of things we have no control over. My husband is between contracts, in effect, he is out of work. I am not in paid employment either because of college. We can not control our health and we are not quite sure what the future holds, only that our eternal future is secure in Jesus and that we all love each other very much.

Ups and downs!