An Old Friend.

Lord I'm really glad you're here.

I hope you feel the same when you see all my fear,

And how I fail,I fall sometimes.

It's hard to walk on shifting sand.

I miss the rock, and find I've nowhere left to stand;I start to cry.

Lord, please help me raise my hands so you can pick me up.

Hold me close, Hold me tighter.

I have found a place where I can hide.

It's safe inside

Your arms of love.

Like a child who's held throughout a storm,

You keep me warm,

In your arms of love.

Storms will come and storms will go.

Wonder just how many storms it takes until I finally know

You're here always.

Even when my skies are far from gray, I can stay;

Teach me to stay there,

In the place I've found where I can hide.

It's safe inside

Your arms of love.

Like a child who's helped throughout a storm,

You keep me warm

In your arms of love.

Amy Grant.

Journey Interrupted.

AArgh! What a week!

Monday : we celebrated Thomas and Elyse turning 9 with cakes + candles and hot dogs for tea - their choice. The candles were a bit chewy though.

They still haven't been on the trampoline yet. Getting up and coming home in the dark - it's horrible...and I've noticed that not so many folks in our street have lit up their homes with twinkly lights yet. Normally, by the 1oth we can rival Oxford Street and I always moan because it seems to early, but I miss it now :(

Tuesday: I attempted to go to Welwyn Garden City and got nearly to the M25 when the traffic news advised me that there was a 10 mile tail back from the A10 and that my other route, A1/M was also blocked, so even if I'd made it that far, I would still have been wasting my time. So I cancelled that visit.

In the evening the Singing Company were carolling at a Gardening Club at a local Corps and I ended up looking after the children that felt sick and eventually called various parents to take them home. However, I did get to enjoy some of the programme and had a flashback when one of the girls was reading the Christmas Story and got the giggles. I recalled a similar experience when leading a responsive bible reading in Sunday School, not long after I had been made a Senior Soldier at the tender age of 14, and had been invited back from the dizzy heights of bible class, I guess to be a good role model. I was rubbish at it.

Wednesday: Christmas Lunch Day and I shared a car on the way to Colchester with 4 of the loveliest people in the world...well on Wednesday anyway! Not really, they still are lovely, even on Friday.

It was a stunning day weather wise, crisp, frosty and sunny, Colchester is quite a nice town to wander round, and we did have a bit of a festive laugh. I can recommend the food in the The Lemon Tree, although we did question the wisdom of the Marquee extension during December. The waiter confessed to turning the heating off, when he returned to see how we were faring and we all had our coats on - not good!

Thursday : Using December at work to get prep done for 2008 events and plans, but forgetting that people I communicate with are really, really busy doing Christmas Stuff and don't want to know about Summer next year just at the moment, but that's fine - still smiling!

Thursday Evening was T and E's Party at the Pizza Hut - brilliant. They had both invited 5 friends each and 4 each turned up, so Thomas and his friends sat at one end of the table, Elyse and hers ( all boys) sat at the other, and Keith, Joe and I were in the middle.

Thomas and his mates were all over the place, chucking crayons about, crawling under the table, not eating their food, until prompted - they were SO into their game, they didn't even realise it had arrived. CHAOS.

Elyse and her friends, on the other hand, were like mini adults, eating with knives and forks, chatting calmly (I know..I couldn't believe it either), laughing politely at each others jokes hahahaha. You see, girls just do have such a civilising effect. She's been invited to Top Golf Party on Saturday - her friends are all members. BIZZARE!

Mind you, when the Party Bags were given out, they all got a bit random and scary, well Keith was scared, I'm a professional!

Joe then had to be back at school for The Christmas Event.

Friday : Another day in the office, but was also looking forward to a visit from the DCO from London South East, bringing SABAC resources and we WERE going out to lunch too. However, she phoned me this morning and cancelled as she's ill. Booo! I text my Boss, as he was going to come to lunch with us. The word 'phoned' in predictive text is 'sinned' so nearly sent - Denise Cooper has just sinned. ( She's a Captain in the Salvation Army - they don't sin!)

Friday Evening - I was really looking forward to visiting Chelmsford Kids Club as they were going to be watching Shrek the 3rd on their big screen, oh and to encourage, equip, empower and enable their team, but I had to come home first and collect my kids in the process as Keith wasn't sure what time he was going to be home.

The A12 was solid from junction 14, so I phoned and said we would be late, but turned off at juntion 17 hoping to wizz down to the Army and Navy Roundabout, but it too was solid, due to some silly traffic light arrangement at the roundabout,which certainly keeps Chelmsford free of traffic, but causes those who eventually get there an hour and a half after they set off, to just turn straight round and go home - nearly crying, but being brave 'cos the kids were in the car.

So, just over a week to go to the big day and it all still feels a bit far away and chaotic, quite a long way from the festive feeling I had this time last week.

Looking farward to a good day tomorrow with another lovely person and then Christmas With The Salvation Army at the Queens Theatre.

It's All About Jesus....it really is!

Getting Festive.

Yes, it's happening, I can feel it and a number of things have conspired to ensure that the Christmas Spirit is now brave enough to lurk about around me.

1) Collecting while the YP Band were carolling on Wednesday. People were very receptive, singing along, kids were excited - in the band and in the houses - and the band played my fave carol, Hark The Herald Angels, and as it's number one in the Carol book I didn't have to wait long.

2) The Christmas Tree is now up at work in the foyer and the lovely smell that greats me each morning is very evocative.

3) On Friday, a beautiful Nativity scene was placed in pole position in the office. Very serene and peaceful.

4) Christmas Cards are arriving, reminding me that I really should write mine.

5) Thomas and Elyse are begging me to put up our tree, and normally we wait til after their birthday ( Monday) but I am considering it this afternoon after we've been to Tescos.

6) The prezzies are now consolidated - not wrapped, but at least all in the same very safe hiding place - still got some to get and waiting for others to arrive in the post though.

So yeah, the Hall's are getting decked for Christmas - wooohoooooo!

You Are Here!

Today, I had a wonderful day planned, visiting a colleague who has revitalised the Children's Ministry in her Corps. I was looking forward to encouraging and being encouraged.

My Sat Nav has broken, so I had to rely on the tried and tested method of map reading and planned to download instructions from AA Route Master - like in the old days, only the page was out of order.

Not too worry, because I thought I knew where I was going anyway, I set off on my journey having spoken to Sarah on the phone, advising her that I might be a bit late as I probably would get a bit lost. She suggested meeting at the SA Hall, as she doesn't drive and her navigating skills are poor ( her admission) and I knew roughly where the Hall was. Or so I thought.

So I travelled up the road I was sure I had seen a sign to Ware , only to find that I had either imagined it, or the sign had been moved - conspiracy theories sprang into my head but as I travelled further up the road, it became clear that I was in fact on the wrong road.

Turning off into a farm I checked the map - DUR! - and sure enough I was million miles from Ware. However, a small A road not far from where I was, promised to drop me off in Ware and I so I began the tedious journey behind tractors and Late Sunday Drivers to Ware.

I arrived half an hour late, about 11ish and went into the hall to find a Weight Watchers Class in full swing - hmmm, another conspiracy me thinks, but no Sarah.

I phoned her at home, phoned her mobile - no answer - text her and waited. At about 11: 25 my mobile rang. It was Sarah.

'Where are you?', she asked. 'I'm at the Hall', I replied. 'Oh so am I she', she responded.....' at Harlow'

Here's the thing - all I had was her postcode to punch into the Sat Nav and the 1st line of her address, but no town. She attends the corps at Ware, but lives in Harlow!

Big mistake - HUGE!!

Not only can I loose keys - I can now actually loose myself too - ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!

Hallelujah or Hello?

As our Corps/ Church are now in a state of flux, having only one worship service on a Sunday at 2:30 in the afternoon, it's all been rather odd and I don't think we've cracked it at home at all.
If fact, ( see * 'The Problem Is') I don't think we have had a run of normality yet and with Christmas coming, I think it will be January before we recognise a routine.

The Sunday Programme is running nicely, folks are coming and going, some are using the opportunity to take stock and trying other things, but everyone is I think, on the whole, giving it a good old go.

The thing is, at home we really want Sunday to be different from other days so have said to the kids that the tele will not go on in the morning, we'll share a nice breakfast and or brunch depending on whether or not we go for the healthy walk we promised that we would try and do.

*The problem is that other Corps have their meetings and kids programmes in the morning and so, as I occaisionally need to visit them as part of my job, it means leaving the family to it and then bumping into them again either at home, halfway through FOJ ( Followers Of Jesus ) Club or in the afternoon service.

Anyway, all that aside, variety is the spice of life and ....all that.

So today our Corporate Worship was led by Majors Mike and Lynn Highton our Divisional Leaders and they were BUZZIN'. Mike was particularly in an energising kind of mood, but recognised early on that we, the congregation, needed to relax a bit, chill, let go etc

I get the feeling that we didn't ever really get that far and when a particularly challenging 'sound bite' ( I don't mean that, but you know what I mean) was issued, and there was no Halleujah in response, it was noted and I was sad. I'm not one for shouting Hallelujah, but I must admit, it has been a while since I heard one.

What I did hear though was a little boy shouting Hello a couple of times, which really made me want to laugh.

What does God want to hear us shout - an affirming exclaimation or a 'Hello, are you there?'OR a bit of both...and actually who does a yell of hallelujah affirm? Surely it's more than just a hear hear, or encore.

Where are all the people gone that shout Hallelujah or have they lost the fire that makes them want to verbally agree with an inspiring speaker delivering a word from the Lord and if so, then why?

I've Found the Key!

Being a lady of a certain age ( i.e mature...in years), I am pretty sure that there is nothing I have now to learn about myself, the way I react to things, the things I'm good at and the things I fail miserably at and I'd like to focus of the last of those attributes in this honest and heartfelt blog.

Some of you may recall the Shower Quiz that takes place in the hall household most mornings when I - NEVER Keith - get into the shower and suddenly everybody needs to know where all their illusive stuff is and yells their requests through the door into my water filled ears for me to dicipher and then provide the correct answer.

I will digress here, because I don't want you to think for one minute that Keith never has a shower, far from it, he has a very relaxing shower without the anxiety of 'THE WRONG ANSWER', in fact the children will do anything to avoid asking Keith any favours or questions because he is consistant, or at least they assume that he will say no.

So if I am upstairs getting ready for example, and Keith is downstairs IN THE KITCHEN, generally a small person will come up the stairs and ask me what is for breakfast or can they have a drink etc.

I will exclaim that ' Daddy is downstairs, why are you asking me?' to which the response generally is, 'He's getting ready for work' I will then ask, 'What do you think I am doing then' and more often than not, the response is, ' I don't know'

I have asked him what it is he does that makes it so obvious to them that he is indeed getting ready, and why they can't seem to grasp that me drying my hair while applying make up and sometimes ironing a top at the at the same time, does not give them some kind of clue as to what I am doing - maybe I am doing too much at once and their little sensors become overloaded?

Which brings me to the point of my blog - doing too much at once!

One of my worst failings, and here is where the Shower Quiz Event is SO funny, is that I really can't very often remember where I have put something. I mislay stuff all the time and almost have a reputation for it. People give me things and ask if I will be ok with them and it's got to the point where I will say something like, 'You'd really better not give me that because I WILL loose it'

So it was with great fear and trepidation that I took responsibility of The Key To the YP Cupboard at the URC. There is only one key and Dawn has very capabily has held it for 4 weeks and she knew as she handed it over that it was in grave danger of getting lost, we even joked about it - haha!

I placed the key in a fail safe place, my uniform pocket, knowing that I would be wearing it again the following week and would not need the uniform at all in the intervening days. The key was safe - Ha HA!

When I went to give it to my dad, as I realised I would not be at the URC in time for the start of FOJ Club this week, confidently going to my pocket, can you imagine the horror, when I found that The Key was gone! Boo hoo!

Panic gripped me as I mentally retraced my steps; where had I been, where could it have fallen out? I did that odd thing where I kept going back to the pocket in the hope that the key would somehow reappear.

Another digression - I was walking into the town on Friday afternoon and saw a lady trip up, which was funny because, well it just is - she didn't fall over anything, but she did turn around and give the offending paving slab a good hard stare. Why?

Anyway, we had been to a party on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the dedication of Ellie and Daisie and I had got changed at the venue, so I phoned my sister in law to ask her if a key had been found - NO KEY!

The following morning, before confessing my misdemenour to Dawn, I checked in the car. It was such a thorough check that anyone walking past might have mistaken it for a drugs bust ( I've seen them on the tele!!) - the whole inside of the car was out on the pavement - NO KEY - or at least, not the one I was looking for!

Confession time, not only to Dawn, but to Ann and Richard and the Minister at the URC. She was out, so I left a message, in the slim hope that she would ring back and tell me not to worry, they actually have hundreds of keys because people loose them ALL the time.

I spent Friday in a state of real anxiety.

...and then, in the early hours of Saturday morning, as I was drifting off to sleep, I had a vision of me slipping the key onto a keyring and shot out of bed and downstairs to my bunch of keys only to find................ that it wasn't there. ( yep, I felt just the same as I'm assuming you do now at this gripping point of the story - totally deflated)

I went to hang my keys on the magnetic key hook on the fridge door - they don't go there often and what do you think was hanging there?

( it was the key by the way)

Well I was jumping about, squealing as quietly as I could and whispering excitedly to Keith that I really must ring everyone and tell them, when he very gently reminded me that it was 1:45 in the morning and they probably wouldn't be that bothered. I fell asleep grinning like mad - which must have looked really very odd indeed, but I didn't care!

At some point during the week I had moved the key from the safety of my pocket onto an accessory made especially for looking after keys and I had NO recollection of doing it. It is at this point in the blog that I am considering deleting the whole thing because I do infact, sound like a mad person, or someone on the edge of dementia, which I may well be, but might not want the whole world to know about it just at the moment.

I think I do just do too many things at once and don't log what most of them are and I'm not being a martyr to that, it's just how my life is and why I am rubbish at being a guardian for things.

The minister at the URC did ring back and I told her the good news and she said that as I was so good at finding keys, perhaps I could find hers to the actual church - huh I really had her on a pedestal and now I know she's just a normal person!

I have since recalled the parable of the woman and the lost coin and can relate completely to her experience and have a tiny little inkling of how delighted God must be when someone who has been lost is found.

I've found the key!

PS I can't seem to make the spaces happen here, so that's why this posting is stripey :)

Oh WOW!

I am just googling for churches in our area who have a children's ministry of some sort - I googled 'Kids Worship - Romford' and the second entry is MY BLOG!!

I am VERY EXCITED!