Today is Good Friday. I always find it helpful to challenge myself at this time of year. One of the big problems I have is that when you know the Easter story quite well and hear it year after year after year it can lose some of its power. I can't remember the first time that I realised the significance of it, and I certainly can't remember the first time that I heard it, so I find it helpful to try and keep it from becoming too familiar to me.
I'm sorry that there haven't been many updates in the past few months. I've been really busy since we moved, as I've been trying to finish the assignments that were outstanding for the course. The long and the short of it is that I need to graduate from the course that I came to do to change our visa. As I'm here as a student I need to finish with that visa before we can apply for a new one. I've completed most of everything that I needed to do so hopefully things will settle down a bit over the next few weeks. Having said that, I'll probably get the opportunity to do some teaching in the next few months so I will then have some lessons to prepare.
One of the things that's 'fun' about having three children is trying to get them ready for bed. It feels a bit like taking part in a challenge on The Crystal Maze. "I CAN'T SEE WHAT I HAVE TO DO!" "Just grab one of the children!" "WHERE IS THE CHILD. I CAN'T SEE THE CHILD!" "Over there! By the desk." "I'VE GOT THE CHILD! I'VE GOT THE CHILD! I CAN'T FIND THE TOOTHBRUSH!" "Look under the desk! Try under the desk!" and so on until all three little cherubs are tucked up safely. We try to have a consistent 'putting to bed' routine, which works very well but ensures for a hectic hour between six and seven. It appeals to the 'J' in our nature. If that makes no sense to you then try this Myers-Briggs Personality test. You can then check what it all means at this page here. Just click on the icons and read up about your personality type. If you have never done the Myers-Briggs test then you should. It's really interesting and helps you to understand yourself (and others) a lot better. I found out, for example, that I'm fine and it's everyone else who's broken. Which was nice.
We've had some family here recently. Ruth's second cousin and his family (Pete, Claire and Ben Aston) were in Sydney so popped up to see us for a few days. It was nice to have people from our previous life come and visit. My parents will be coming in about a month and we're really looking forward to that.
I understand it's a bit chilly over there in the UK. It's been really nice weather here since I last wrote. More summer than Autumn. We've only just dropped below 30 degrees here. Not that I'm gloating or anything... Winter is on its way and that's usually pretty nasty here due to the lack of effective heating in the property. That reminds me, I need to get up on the roof and make sure that our chimney is clear of bird nests etc.
I'm going to close with a poem that was written by a member of my congregation in Haywards Heath. I used it at the Good Friday service that I led this morning and it was suggested that I put it on the blog. It was written by Denis Carter and it won a small local poetry competition that he entered. He was very proud if it. I read it at his funeral, and I think it's a great reflection for Good Friday. Until next time, God bless.
THOUGHTS
Another cross for Golgotha Hill?
How I hate making crosses;
Cruel, torturing things.
But you can't say "No" to Rome.
And the price they pay
And the time they give -
Can't do a craftsman's job.
Rough hewn timber,
Splinters, lumps of bark!
Ill-fitting joints
And just a couple of nails
And some binding
To fix the beam.
"Only needs to be strong enough to hold a man",
They say,
"And wood soft enough to take the nails".
Punishment or sacrifice, what do they care?
So long as they get their picking!
Aye, aye, aye
In these days, in this town -
Who'd be a
Carpenter?
Denis Carter, March 1985.
