I hope you like the Christmas blog idea. I started it for you and then seemed to get carried away. There are lots of pages for you to open at your leisure. I imagine that might be AFTER Christmas!
As I look through them myself, and as I prepared them, I realise how incredibly blessed we are. It is always good to look at photos because they are usually of happy events and they lift the soul. It is so easy to become bogged down with all the pressures of everyday life and work.
The photos are primarily of people, because after God, people are the most important thing in the World to me. I cannot express strongly enough how incredibly grateful I am that I have so many marvellous people in my life ... YOU. Each year I try to catch up with more of you. For some I succeed and for others meeting up again remains a hope. If you are one of those, we will get there... I feel so glad that when we meet up after years apart that we seem to be able to pick up where we left off; a true sign of friendship.
This year I'll let the children write for themselves. They are growing up rapidly, learning how to make the transition into adult life, with all the joys and heartaches that brings. Hopefully they will tell you of how they have succeeded, but as their mother my main prayer is that they will grow up into good and Godly people and that they will love others as much as they care for themselves. A tall order for a mother to make, but with faith I know that they can do this.
The photos show highlights and yet I need share the lows too in order to be real. Highlights are all the trips, FAMILY and FRIENDS, my leisure time may be limited and yet when able I enjoy nothing more than locking myself in the roof and quilting. Maybe I should make a quilting page... I am currently making Eleanor a folk art quilt of Plymouth USA, with reminders of key land marks and family members. Eleanor is insisting I add all the dogs, past and present! I'm also making a summer quilt with the gift my brother gave me for my 50th birthday. My other highlight is that I feel incredibly thankful to work with an amazing team of people in EMASS. We have had some changes to staff, but they have fitted in so well together and I feel it is a huge priviledge to lead such a dynamic group. I LOVE working with them. Our Christian and Muslim women's group, Sadaqa, continues and we have met some deeply spiritual women from both faiths, in mutual love and respect. I am also incredibly thankful that I have my faith on firm foundations. When life is challenging, it is so good, to quote a song, to be able to, "take it to the Lord in prayer".
Life isn't all roses and so there are some calls for prayer:
- I need to know God's plan for me in all the changes in my area of work both nationally and locally. Most of all I need to act with integrity and honour;
- I need to learn how to balance the demands of work with the rest of my life. I am not good at this yet and get very tired just trying to keep up with all the demands on my mind, emotions and even physically having the stamina to keep it all up. I imagine this rings true for lots of us. The World is speeding up. I need to hear God telling me what to do and what to leave out;
- I need to be even more patient when my children are pushing the boundaries as they grow towards maturity;
- We need to broaden the membership of Sadaqa. Our core members need to know how God wants us to reach out to more churches and mosques.
- We need to know how God wants Tom and I to engage with church.
That's me and us, but even more important we want to know about YOU. Please let us know how YOU are.
May I close with wishing you every blessing this Christmas and for the forthcoming year. "May you know the peace which passes all understanding" (The Bible, Philippians 4:7).
God Bless and Happy Christmas, Linda
