More good food!

All I ever seem to do is eat!

Last night the ladies from our cell group met up with the ladies from the Coventry church and enjoyed a buffet meal. Sitting around a circular table made it easy to chat with several people and we made sure that we sat by people we didn't know well. Several people took to changing seats when they arrived back with food, which meant that we got a chance to chat with even more people!

It was a good way to get to know the other women and a great ice-breaker for when we next meet!

Good Food, Excellent weekend

Ian and I had a lovely weekend in the Cotswolds. It's an area of the country I had never visited before and it was really beautiful.

Sadly we had lots of rain and instead of being able to really enjoy the sites we just dashed from shop to shop. As it was our paper wedding anniversary (1st) we'd decided to buy a picture. We saw lots of oil paintings, but I pointed out they were done on canvas and couldn't count. Thankfully we weren't excited about owning any of them anyway.

I was disappointed that most of the local images were of the villages themselves, but Ian and I are landscape lovers. It's a pity when it's such a beautiful area of the country that God's creation isn't more copied onto paper.

I have to admit that we also ate some amazing food! On Saturday night we ate in the hotel where we were staying and on Sunday morning were unable to eat anything other than a slice of toast with our tea or coffee! The Burford Lodge has recently been extensively refurbished and everything about it was excellent!

On our way home we visited an art gallery which had some delightful paintings in that we had viewed on our way down on Saturday. Together we chose a lovely sea scene! A bit odd when we were in the middle of the country, but Ian and I both love sea and sky scapes.

So we came home with our paper anniversary present afterall.

Special Days

Ian and are are off for the weekend to a delightful small hotel in the Cotswolds. Tomorrow will be one year since we became man and wife and we're looking forward to some quality time together.

The past 12 months have seen a lot of changes in both our lives and ourselves. God is doing amazing things and we are both aware of the changes he is doing in our lives.

Sadly, or maybe not, I received a letter today saying I hadn't been short-listed for a job I'd applied for. I'm not really upset, as I believe that I would have received an interview if the job was in God's plan. It just leaves that further time of unknowingness lying around.

But I know that my God is a God of love. Oddly enough, today's verse from Is 66:13 on our calender is:

As a mother comforts her child,

so I will comfort you.

God is my rock and my comforter, not only when I worry, but also when I don't know where I'm going.

Today though, I know where I'm going.... away!!!! yeah!!!!

See you all after my return!

The Stirring of the Spirit within me

It's been an odd day at work, the phone has been quiet, few people have called in and few have lurked in the reception area.

In place of the distractions has been a compelling desire to read my bible, friend's blogs and listen to a Hillsong's cd.

This afternoon I turned to Psalm 107 and read it through. At present my life is full of changes of direction and the words of this psalm were very reassuring.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—

those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
those he gathered from the lands,

from east and west, from north and south.
Some wandered in desert wastelands,

finding no way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty,

and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way

to a city where they could settle.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for men,
for he satisfies the thirsty

and fills the hungry with good things.

It's great to know that God's love is steadfast. He never changes how he deals with us. We are his redeemed children and we area blessed by his love for us.

I particularly liked verse 7 "He led them straight to a city where they could settle." as Ian and I are in the process of selling our house and moving to a new town/village. We have in our hearts the village he is calling us to, it's interesting how often though the natural way exerts it's power over our search for a new home. We fret and worry about our present house sale going well, that we achieve a good price and then that we find a new home that fits the bill and the bills!

Yet if we trust the love of our steadfast Father, I believe he will lead us straight to the place where we are to settle.

It's an exciting time!

God's People

On Sunday our cell group joined with the small congregation in Coventry. We'll be spending the rest of 2006 worshipping each week with this group of people and it was great to have been asked to join them in their pioneering work.

Chris H-H spoke on Sunday about being joined in unity. We've come together to do God's work and it's important that we are able to join as one and not see each group as a seperate group.

Chris mentioned Psalm 133

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard,

on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!

It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion!

For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for evermore.

For me there was no difference between worshipping in the large congregation at Broughton Astley and worshipping with the much smaller group in Coventry. We were united in praise and we received God's blessing!

So I echo David, How good it is when brothers dwell in unity!

God's Peace

I've been having a great time working with Youth with a Mission at the King's Lodge the past couple of months! I would love to stay there and work full time!

At present I'm seeking God for where I should be after March and oddly enough I've been in quite a turmoil about staying at the Lodge. Yet on Saturday morning I woke up at peace!

Peace - because I believe God wants me to do what I don't want to do. I've started looking for jobs and saw a couple that interested me, yet the job that fascinates me the most I'm not motivated to apply for and another position which fascinates me less I feel excited about!

Life is full of questions and direction changes, yet with God's help we can find the right path. His plan for our lives is for our good, yet so often we try to make decisions without him.

Right now I want to live totally for God and that means seeking his good and perfect will for my life even if it's not exactly what I want to do. I want to do it because it's God's will.

My mind keeps coming back to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemene. He had a choice to cut and run or to go through with his Father's will. In reality, because of his love for his Father and his desire only to please him, Jesus had no choice. The same applies for us. If God asks us to do something we don't want to do, surely if we love him and want to obey him, then in reality, we do must do what he wants.

Word Cloud

Chris HH talked about a word cloud on his site the other day and I thought I'd have a go. It's interesting to see what I blog about! It's also interesting to wonder whether my blog is indicative of my everyday life and chat!

Am I being too fussy?

My husband has just gone into hospital for a knee operation. When asked his religion, we always say Christian. SO why oh why do they always write C of E?

Am I right to correct them? There are so many things in the Anglican church which I object to, such as the appointment of homosexual leaders, that I really don't like being associated with the Anglican church.

Has anyone got a solution for what they ask to be put on forms when they are completed by a third party?