And several more months on!
I have now been ordained and in post as the minister here for 8 months. I am asked regularly whether I have settled in yet and I think the answer is yes but at the same time there is still a lot to learn about the parish, the congregation, the things that have "aye been". I have started a couple of new Christmas services (a Blue Christmas service for those who have been bereaved and a family Christmas eve service to supplement the watchnight) and I hope they are both positive contributions which compliment the other things that are happening here. We are also inviting the young folk to join us for Communion on Sunday. Something new here but which I have seen done very effectively elsewhere.

I do feel rather work focussed at the moment but I think at this time of year that is to be expected! I am excited about my first Christmas in the parish.
At the same time I am counting down to BE5 (less than 2 months now!)

But someone was talking to me the other day about a minister they knew who regularly said I wish I was still in my previous profession. I can honestly say that not once in the last 8 months have I said I wish I was still an accountant. Surely that must say something!!

Back to Blogging?

It has been so long since I started this blog and so much has happened in that time.
I was going into my final training placement and now I have been an ordained minister for 3 months. And the time has flown!

It is interesting to go back and look at my reflections then. I have generally been good at taking time to reflect, although not so good at writing it down! Now I am finding it harder to take that time so perhaps going back to blogging is the answer.

I sent off my registration form to REv Gals this week too for BE5. I am going with a friend and am so looking forward to it. But I am a lurker on Rev Gals, not a contributor and I love reading their blogs and comments so maybe that has prompted me to think about the blog again.

Anyway, maybe this is a momentary blip, and maybe I'll be back. Does that sound rather uncommitted? I'm not sure!

A is for ...

Nik At Pilgrim's progress has inspired me to develop an attitude of gratitude based on alphabetic prompting. I will try to regularly move to the next letter of the alphabet (although my frequency of writing this blog has been sporadic to say the least so far).



So what am I grateful for:

Attitude: A generally positive attitude and remembering that I am able to choose my attitude. I cannot blame others for my attitude. It is controlable (and that appeals to the control freak inside me!)

Abilities: Mine and those of others. Between us we are able to achieve so much, change things and that is amazing.

Aims: without which we have no purpose. From the daily "To do" lists to the big life goals, these are the arrows which direct our ways.

goodbyes

Well, almost everything is packed and moved to the new house. I have (I hope) only one carload still to move and I start my new job on Tuesday. I have not given the new job much thought because I have been so busy dealing with packing and cleaning the old flat. The flat feels pretty empty, which is strange because it is rented furnished and I have everything provided which I need. When I consider how much other stuff I had in here I realise how much we surround ourselves with which we consider necessary. I have spent 3 months packing. That must be so much more than one person needs.

On a less pholisophical level I have been saying a lot of goodbyes. It is a bit strange to say goodbye when I am not leaving the country but realistically I won't see some of these people for a while. Today I went to see a lady I visit every week. It was my last visit to her before I move. She is a good friend. She is also 91 and I am very aware that by moving so far away I may not see her again. We focussed on the good times we have had but nevertheless it was a sad day. I also heard other news which has been difficult and made me think more closely about things.

Goodbyes are difficult but they are also a part of relationships. If we don't want to have to face difficult goodbyes then we have to avoid getting involved in relationships. And the joys of friendship are more than worth the agony of goodbyes.

Hut BBQ

I took time out from the manic packing today to go to a BBQ with people I used to volunteer with. The BBQ is an annual event put on by a couple of the volunteers and is for the other volunteers. It has been some years since I did any voluntary work with the young people but I have remained on the management committee as that seemed to be maangable with all the other changes in my life.

I was in two minds about going as I have so many things to do and so little time to do them in but I remembered that it is when I am stressed and don't think I have time for friends that I need them most. boy, did today support that! I can't remember when I last laughed so much. It was a wonderful afternoon. I am going to miss these people.

endings (and beginnings?)

I am preaching tomorrow at my home church and I knew fairly early in the week what I wanted to say. I have had the themes for the next 2 weeks' services in my head for a while and was planning to go off lectionary to fit them in. I don't usually do that - I do think I should be looking at what scripture says and not deciding whatI want to say and finding readings to fit it. But the lectionary seems to fit quite nicely with what I wanted to do so I have decided that God wants me to stick to the themes I was thiniing of. Not sure if that is holy Spirit or my arrogance!

The reason these 2 sundays are different to usual is that they are the last time I will be preaching at the church I have been attending for 12 years. In 6 weeks I move to another part of the country and there will not be the same opportunities to take pulpit supply among these people who have supported me so much during my years here. I am moving to a new stage of my training. It is a new beginning. But at the moment packing up (it feels like hundreds of boxes) and starting to think about saying goodbye is sad. I am moving about 2 and a half hours away so it is not like I will never see people again. But it is definately the end of an era and the beginning of another.

Spring is in the air

Maybe it is the fact that we have had a few days of sunshine. Maybe it is having booked a holiday to look forward to. Maybe it is knowing that when I open my e-mails there is less likely to be somthing there which will raise my blood pressure immediately. Whatever the reason, I feel good just now. I know I have a succession of deadlines and they are not everwhlming me. this is the time of year that can be an issue. SAD combined with essays and exams looming is not a good combination. But a bit of sun can do wonders. I had a ice cream walking down the road at uni yesterday, watching students lying on the grass sunning themselves. now that is the Uni experince they try to sell. And not at all like it usually is. But it was great to have it even for a day. Everyone was smiling and laughing. Today looks a bit overcast but I will try to keep a sunny disposition.