Preaching on giants

As some of you know I preached in church on Sunday.....a very scary yet rewarding experience. There were so many things that I learnt about myself, about God and just about people in general. It was based uon the book to the right called "Facing your Giants" by Max Lucado. A book I would highly recommend and could easily be read in day.

It talks about the "giants" that David faced, not only the human one we know as Goliath but also the temptation, discouragment, loneliness etc that were giants in his life and can be giants in ours too. Sometimes I feel like these giants are so much louder in their pronouncements in my life than God is but I know that that isn't true.

The sermon went well (i think!) and I had great feedback from people. I always remember Mike Pilivaci saying that he wanted to graduate from youth preaching to adult preaching, and to a degree I have to admit that I went in with that kind of mindset.....so wrong to have that. With the youth it is a lot easier to provoke them to respond and they're quite used to interactive preachign where they also have to give their thoughts and ideas. It was great preaching to a different group of people with different needs and issues; but you do have to focus on the people that look like they're engaged and following what you're saying. That is not to say that people aren't listening, the feedback implies that are a number of people were; but when your uncle falls asleep for 5 minutes during the sermon and can only tell you that you spoke about 5 stones, you have to learn to laugh it off-don't let that giant tell me that what I had preached was worthless and sent people to sleep!! What was awesome is that my Dad came, my Aunt Mag and Uncle Tom, and my Aunt Lyn.....they all thoroughly enjoyed it and felt that they had been very much welcomed at the church, it felt like a family. Dad is even talking about coming back for Easter Sunday.....praise the Lord!

Anyway I feel like there is so much going on in my head at the moment, yet don't know where to start writing it.....maybe thats why I haven't posted in a while!

~Blessings~

Oops!

.....and I've just managed to dribble tea down my white vest....I think I need to go home!

Mmmmmm sleep!

Woke up this morning with a real feeling of not wanting to face the week. Am not normally like this and don't mind getting up in the morning; especially with the light mornings coming. I think I'm looking forward to the 10 days leave that I'm taking in April where I have nothing planned except lie ins and spending time with friends so am subconsciously winding down for that and I was in Ellel Friday to yesterday and always find that exhausting.

I think I may have been better staying in bed as have just managed to spill my first cup of coffee of the day down my white blouse in work. Praise God I had a white vest top on underneath and have just taken the blouse off and put my jacket back on........do I need to start keeping clean clothes in the office!?!?! With my track record of spilling things down myself I'd say yes!!

Anyway the weekend was good; God spoke to me about loads of different things. Am clinging too them now and not allowing the enemy to steal them away.

Must get back to work!

~Blessings~

You know me so well......

Either that or I'm utterly predicatable. For my brithday, the majority of gifts that I received were jewellery as you can see from the picture.

They are all so different but I love each and everyone of them. Thanks so much.

Had a lovely evening last night at the Siam Tepenyaki restaurant in Chester. Was such a giggle the way they flip all the utensils around and flick food at you which you're meant to catch in your mouth!!! Such a giggle!!!

Today I went for lunch with Dad and my aunts and uncle which was also lovely. I appreciate their take on life sometimes and the hilarious exchanges they have with one another!

Anyway off to watch some of my season 7 West Wing now; my Dad even wrapped it after watching it!! Bless him

Traumatised I tell you!!

OK

You want to know whats just sick sick sick sick sick.......I was in Asda and decided to try on 3 tops that I quite liked so I had a new top for this evening. Anyway i took then into the changing room and was just trying on the second one, when this guys goes into the one next to me and is talking to his girlfried (who praise the Lord at this point was outside the cubicle) saying that he'd go in the cubicle and then in couple of minutes she could slip in and then they could 'get it on', Needless to say their language was more vulgar than this and I didn't end up buying any of the tops as I just wanted to get out of there asap! Am I prude or would this offend someone else as well......I mean come on, get a room!!!

Birthday present

OK, you know whats sad......my birthday present from Dad....he's using it before I even have it! Sadly I seem to have got him hooked on The West Wing and he's gone through the first 6 seasons in about 8 weeks. So for my birthday he got me season 7.......which he's now watching as he wants to know what happens and can't wait! I don't know whats worse; that we like the same programme or that he's even more hooked than I am!!! Bless!!!

Looking forward to the weekend....Chinese Friday night, Japanese Saturday night and then British roast on Sunday at lunch! Hmmmmm......this week I only have to fix my own on Thursday!! I am so blessed.

Anyway off to try and grab an early night now!

~Blessings~

DVDs

I have no idea whats got into me at the moment!!

I seem to be buying DVDs like it's gone out of fashion! I managed to get The American President fr £5.99 from play.com. I love this movie. It reminds me so much where the West Wing came from as the director of this movie moved onto direct and write The West Wing as a behind-the-scenes-what-goes-on-in-the-White-House. Secondly, also bought Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants after seeing it with Amy in the States in December. This was also a bargain at £5.99 and is sucha great chick flick........reminds me of true friendship and the fact that it can span oceans and any situation. Then today I was in Somerfield and there was the 2 Bridget Jones DVDs in one package for £6.99!

I love Bridget Jones, there are so many typically British things in there, and so many typically single situations and reactions; though I think the majority of them are just female reactions and fears that we do and have!! I love the fact that she wears the big knickers to pull her tummy in, the way she walks in her dress (thats so me, trying to look pretty but coming off as walking like a penguin!!), the way she just sits and watches Mark sleeping (I can se this being something I do when I'm married), the little white lies she tells of being able to ski (sooooo something that I used to do!), the way she tests him to see whether he's true to her or not. This movie makes me laugh and cringe at the same time!! Anyway going to get back to movie now!

~blessings~

Snow

Thought I'd get a picture of the snow before it's all washed away! We've had a lot for the UK.....many places coming to an absolute standstill.....though i think that has more to do with an inability to cope than copious amounts of snow!

When I look at Jens blog and the post that she has on there regarding the snow they have in Western Michigan, I feel like a bit of a fraud saying that we're having a lot of snow!!!

Anyway they've now said that the temperature is above freezing today which means that all the snow is going to melt and it will also rain.......therefore meaning flooding in some areas!! Roll on the summer I say!!

Church.....

As many of you know there's been a bit of a shake up in our church as our elders are leaving (one has moved to Chester and the other is moving to New Zealand) and so they're putting together a transitional leadership team for the next 2 years while a number of things get sorted out. I was one of the ones that they asked to be on this team along with another wonderful man called Dave Chance.

Anyway Dan and Sharon told the church about 4 weeks ago and as there was no objection to the choice, Dave and I then had our "commissioning ceremony" a week last Sunday where the current leadership laid hands on us and prayed for us. So from left to right they are Dan (Pastor), Dave, Ray just behind Dave (current elder moving to New Zealand), Eunice (Ray's wife), myself and then Sharon.

It is such a privelage to be asked and very scary as well! I know though that this is something that God has been preparing me for and that I can only do it with His strength and Wisdom. Please pray for me over the coming weeks if you remember.

~blessings~

More animals!!

Well, what can I say about these guys!! I received a text message from Joey on Tuesday evening saying that they'd had twins!! I was like "what?!? I saw her at Christmas and she wasn't pregnant!". I then looked at the picture and it was of these 2 little guys! I then went to visit them last night....she lives about 1/2 hour from me and we try and see one another every week/6 weeks. Anyway I arrived to find her opening the door with Echo (the one on the left) in her arms and her boyfriend Damian had Diesel (the one that looks like he's got a burglar mask on!) in his arms. How cute are they!! They were so much fun, so affectionate, so loving and just 2 of the cutest guys that I'd ever seen!!

This second picture of them was when they'd worn themselves out and fell asleep on the kitchen floor! They were so cute with one another and Joey said that as they were brother and sister they barely left one another and if they aren't touching when they're sleeping then they're normally mirroring one anothers poses! How cute!! You wouldn't believe how much I want one!!