High Leigh and All That....

A really quick update – just got back a few hours ago from the Church Weekend at High Leigh. Brilliant time – great fellowship, conversations, atmosphere, and worship from the band – superb, guys!

Nigel and Rachel Tween's teaching on “Thanks God it’s Monday” was timely, funny, thoughtful, and inspiring. Best bits all round, but the sense of the Holy Spirit on Saturday night was truly awesome.

Busy and tiring for the Tech Ministries Team – special thanks to those, including hubby.

Very Special and deep appreciation to Annie Bolitho for managing the whole event, and to Nigel, obviously the next Brad Pitt!

Am signing off for supper and a much-needed rest!

Appraisals...

It was the first stage of my annual appraisal at work yesterday.

Had not really been looking forward to it, as the last year has been “turbulent” to say the least. A lot of staff changes have meant that I'vehave had to have a series of different supervisors since my last appraisal – actually 5 in total – which means that the one I now have has not been with me very long, and is very unsure of our particular polices and procedures on many things, including appraisal protocols.

Sounds a lot of waffle, but the upshot is that I had to challenge much of what she said, and that is never easy. I now have the second stage to follow, where I meet my Line Manager. Politics are playing a very large part in this right now, and although my competence is not being challenged, my working hours are under threat, so this could mean a huge wage-cut.

I know God has things in control, and I am so encouraged by what God has done for Helen this last week, but I have been in a very similar situation once before, and it took months to sort out.

Sometimes we get very direct attacks on our sense of security. For me, recently, the house feels like it’s been under attack. John and I have spent time in prayer over this, but now it feels like my job is under threat as well.

Your prayers for wisdom and strength would be much appreciated

Pat’s Thought for the Day
“My people will live in peaceful dwelling-places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest”. Isaiah 32:18

Spiritual truths....

Reading Tracie’s blog earlier today I was reminded of how incredibly spiritually aware children can be.

Not long after my Dad died, I wanted to place some flowers at his grave. Andy was with me in the car – only about 8 years old at the time. I asked him if he was OK to go. “Yes” was the simple reply. I wondered how he would take it, as this was the first time he had seen Dad’s grave.

As I bent down with the flowers, his little voice said “You know Gramps isn’t here, don’t you, Mum?”

I was wondering how to explain things to him, fearing that he might be in denial or something.

“No. Gramps isn’t here. His old body is, I know, but Jesus made him a new one, which was waiting for him in heaven, and when Gramps got up there, Jesus just poured Gramps into his new body”

If that isn’t the finest teaching on the existence of a soul and our glorious hope, I don’t know what is……

Out of the mouths of babes….

Things can only get.....(Part 2)

Just when I thought that nothing else could break down on me - on Sunday night , smoke emerging from the back of our microwave hinted that there just might be a reason why it wasn't working anymore...

After some researching on the net, (in the few hours we had before John left on a business trip to Cyprus) we decided on one we liked, which was at Comet - but getting it, well - thereby hangs a tale.

At Comet, there were 2 of the ovens we had looked at in boxes, underneath the display oven, so I could have a play around with it - only
opening and closing the door and having a good look at the stainless steel interior, but enough to assure me it should be OK. I then went to lift it, and decided that, although I could probably get it to the front desk, why bother when there were staff lounging around? So I went to the nearest workstation, with a man and a woman pouring over a monitor, waved my piece of paper, and started to say, "I wonder if someone could help me carry..."

"No need, madam - we just need the paper you have with the spec number"
"But it's only over there..."
"That's fine - but we'll get one out of stores for you"
"But …"

Onto the phone she goes, orders up the oven, and asks me to wait at the front cash desk. I duly walk to the front, and the cashier asks if he can help.
"They're just bringing a microwave out of stores for me"

So I wait, and wait, and wait, and wait....

And his phone goes. It was Stores

"Do you happen to have the paper with the spec number on it, madam?"
"Yes, but honestly, I only wanted someone to help me lift it from the shelf."
"No need, Madam - he's just bringing it down"

A grunt comes out of a door - with nothing in his hand.

"Which microwave did you want?"
" The one on the shelf over there" says I.
"What was the spec number?"
At this point, I smiled and said to the grunt "Come with me". He followed like a lamb, as I explained the problem.
"Which Pratt told you it was quicker to ring through?"

As we passed said Pratts, hiding behind their monitor, I quietly pointed them out
"****** typical" the grunt said.

I showed him the microwave, apologised that I didn't want to risk lifting it by myself (on my current form, I would have probably dropped it), and he smiled saying "That's my job, my love". He carried it to the cash desk, where in about 15 seconds, I was the proud owner of the oven I had seen 20 minutes previously. He then escorted it to the car, smiling, whilst the original hapless duo around the monitor were nowhere to be seen.......

'Aint technology wonderful.....

Things can only get better....

Things are slowly improving this week.

John and I spent a fair bit of Saturday trawling around shops for various pieces of equipment. So far we have;-
Purchased a dishwasher (able to bring home from the store)
Ordered new kitchen taps (not available “for a few weeks yet”)
Bought some new telephones (the ansaphone system on the last one was completely shot)
Got my car into the garage for the hydraulic system on the clutch to be replaced - (forget such simple things as clutch cables – this is a LOT more complicated! – hopefully it might get done tomorrow (Tuesday)
Tried to find a mirror for the hall (unsuccessfully)
Tried to find lights for the hall and upstairs landing (Oh boy! This is gonna take a while….)

Got home from all this, fearing that the credit card company would think our cards had been stolen, as there was so much activity on it in one day! John said that fixing the dishwasher should be ”a 5-minute job”.

Well, unfortunately, it isn’t - not because John can’t do, it, but because this particular dishwasher uses non-standard connections. As we were expecting company that afternoon (who stayed overnight and through to late last night) he hasn’t had a minute to do things. He is plumbing in as we speak, but the one thing more frustrating than having a dishwasher in your kitchen that doesn’t work is having TWO dishwashers in your kitchen not working (yet!!)

So apart from having to use jugs to get cold water from the basin in my downstairs cloakroom every time I want to fill the kettle (the kettle won’t fit in the basin!!) things are looking up!

Pat’s Thought for the Day
Sometimes it scares me that I put my trust in fragile earthly things, yet baulk at trusting the Creator of the Universe, believing that I can possibly do things better, or in my own way, or in my own time. In His Grace, He does not tell me off, or refuse to listen when I come with such a doubting attitude. He does not hold grudges, or pout, with a “ You didn’t believe me last time, did you?” attitude.

Awesome.

Great Date!

Just been surfing a bit - had not realised the date...

At exactly 3 seconds and 2 minutes past one o'clock tomorrow morning, there is a brilliant date.

You could write it as 01:02:03 04/05/06

That kind of string doesn't happen very often.

Might stay up to enjoy the moment, 'cos it will only last a moment, you know......

Ordeal by Machine...

There is a saying, that when things break down, they often come in threes.

Well, we are having a serious run of things breaking on us. On Monday morning, just as I was about to set off for the Country Show in Knebworth, the clutch on my car failed. Foot went straight to the floor, and nothing but a huge grating noise. John kindly loaned me his car for the day… and the rest of the week… whilst I try to get it sorted….

Then the cold-water tap in the kitchen just kept going round and round – something broken there. …

The strap came off my handbag, and it had to be professionally repaired with an industrial sewing machine in town. I only actually possess one handbag at a time, so I considered getting a new handbag, but those of you who have read my blog will remember that this one replaced the one I had stolen, so I’d got seriously attached to this one…

The 4th thing that has “crashed” is our dishwasher. It started making some seriously bad noises last night, and was not doing a thing to clean the contents inside. It is a luxury, but with our very hectic schedule, it is a significant thing not to have working…

My “street” trainers (as opposed to the pair I reserve for the gym) developed a hole in the left sole last Friday. I therefore got a new, cheap pair (can’t be spending £60+ on a new pair) and tried them out. By the time I had finished my walk, I had developed a blister the size of a £2 coin. Forget any advice on puncturing it with a needle or anything. Although the trainer pinched a little, I had not realised that the skin had been ripped right off – looks not too good at all, so gym work has been out this week…

Would like to say that I rose to the challenge, but instead indulged in quite a bit of self-pity. Something about feeling a bit insecure and fragile, I think

Pat’s Thought for the Day
When the Word says that we should count it joy when we face trials, (James 1:2) and that when we are weak, God is strong (2 Cor 12:10), we must take this on faith. Joy is only truly possible in the middle of a trial, and strength is all the more potent when we allow God to flow through the weakness and frailty of human bodies.