Autumn redux: by the end of Autumn we still hadn't...
a) moved to a warmer house with a heat pump on a single level with sensible, sun-drenched under cover drying facilities
b) moved to a warmer state where the overall temp is warmer by several degrees.
Then as winter arrived this last few weeks gone and God in his mercy heard my prayers for contentment I have now accepted that winter is here and that it will :
a) be cold, seepy, drab and dreary
b) that this will involve a lot of work drying clothes, keeping the house warm and dressing an active little person who keeps saying "At! At!" and taking her hat off. Somehow, I am sublimely happy today. This MUST be God's mercy because it is indeed cold and said baby still has a fascination with her hat.
This week I am ruminating and praying alot about:
a) Doing effective ministry:
What is it? how do you 'be authentic' within it when the church you are in already has particular models that you may not have chosen? How do you serve and give when a small child needs a lot of energy, attention and time? How do you use your time more effectively at home without having a messy house and opening a ready-meal for dinner?
a1)Somehow, this is working better. I am trying to have more set activities every week to work around, I am setting the goal of listening to Christian sermons and podcasts more as well as reading more Christian books on our nights at home rather than flaking out - this is hard when I am tired, but God is answering my prayer for more energy and concentration.
b) enjoying God and being content:
How do you praise God when your head is full of 'I have to get Jelly up in twenty minutes and I really need to finish tidying this before we go out and ...' etc. Busy brain is tiring and distracting.
I wrote this a few weeks ago right before school holidays when all the regular activities ceased! Hence this week has been tough but I have discovered a gymn with free child care with nana like ladies running it. Jelly loved it, played intensely for half an hour and promptly fell asleep several hours before she usually does, even though she never usually sleeps without her comforter! Then, miracle of miracles, she still went down at the usual time for her day sleep. I think I have foudn a place to make the week 'work'! So thankful for such gentle ladies who could tell she just needing a little kip.
