Monday 29 December 2014

Christmas 2014

Our Christmas letter 2014:

Turning, in this time of Advent, to the Greatest Story of All. And thinking of our own year filled with stories...a good selection of biographies, comedy, romance, travel  and action/adventure.

Life stories, as we have met up with old friends, shared memories and caught up on what has been happening in our lives. Thank you to all those who have journeyed across the water to visit us: a warm, not watery, welcome awaits the rest of you!

School stories: as Jonny ploughed his way successfully through his PGCE year and got his first teaching job, Angie moved to Year 6 and enjoyed teaching girls again.

Romantic stories: a year dominated by an extraordinarily happy wedding. We shared in the preparations over the months and weeks beforehand: #dryinglavender #rosepetals #organisingelectricity  #orderingelectricals  #fairylights .  Then we spent the penultimate week in a Norfolk cottage with Phil and Judy, #dearfriends #Adelesparents.  Putting the marquee together in a field next to a Tudor mansion was full of fun.

Family stories, as Cat visited from New Zealand, most of the cousins met up for the first time ever and the adults were together for a family occasion which was, happily, NOT a funeral. Someone celebrated a VERY big birthday and also, with Someone Else whose turn it is NEXT year, achieved 30 years of "ecstatically-happy-never-a-cross-word" married life.

Holiday stories...In January, trapped for several days on a remote island with no access to the mainland; Lihou, half a mile of the south coast of Guernsey, accessible only at low tide. Visiting friends in sunny Cyprus during a cold February half term; #blissfulwarmth. Exploring the beauty of Norwich and Norfolk; #officiallyinlovewithEastAnglia. Camping, recharging spiritual batteries at Spring Harvest in France; wonderful cycling as well.

We talk, often, of what our future story may be. Life is changing, as Richard retires officially in May next year.

When I think of all our stories, I remember something I read recently: "The best stories are centered on the hope and gratitude we live out in the midst of our imperfect stories."

Whatever happens, we are grateful to God for His care of us and ours this past year and look forward to whatever is store in the future.

Sunday 28 December 2014

Crazy in love

The Boy and Dear Daughter-in-Love have just left after a week. Their first Christmas together, and they chose to spend it with us.

#feelingloved #veryhonoured.

A wonderful time. Relaxed, chilled and a deep sense of peace.
Celebrating Christ's birth in song and services and shared meals.
Giving, laughing, living.

(With just a little grieving over Dear Daughter's absence in New Zealand. We thank God for Skype and for dear friends there who substitute family for family and give her love and laughter too.)

And now they are gone. The house feels actively calm, as if rooms are springing back into their own emptier shapes now that there are only two of us here. I sense the carpets breathing again, the furniture settling back to normal living. I can hear the dishwasher working in the silence.

The dog gazes out of the window, hoping for their return.

The Swedish tomte on the window sill know better. My heart echoes their woodenness.

And the Father?
The Father, after we have said our goodbyes at airport departures, suggests we have a coffee in the airport runway viewing lounge.
The Father leaps to his feet as they walk out towards the aeroplane, waving a last goodbye.
The Father drives us home for one last look for waves to tell the Boy, the Surfer, about.
The Father goes online to track their flight. He tells me the time they have taken off. He tells me that they haven't yet landed at their intermediate destination. (The Other Channel Island, the name of which cannot be mentioned here.) He shows me where they are as they fly across the English Channel. He wonders why they have to circle the airport before they land.

He is crazy over them.

And as we reenter normal existence, where we live our lives, they live theirs and sometimes we are able to share through emails and Skype calls and occasional texts, I am reminded of how our Father in Heaven, too, is crazy over us. So crazy in love that he knows what we are doing every moment of the day.

He has looked deep into our hearts, and he knows all about us.
He knows when we are resting and when we are working.
Even from a distance, he knows what we are thinking.

He notices everything we do and everywhere we go.
Before we even speak, he knows what we will say.
He protects us on every side.

There is absolutely no escaping from Him and His love.
Nothing about us is hidden from Him!
Even before we were born, he knew everything we would do.


Our Father in Heaven doesn't need flightradar.com to track us. But He is crazy in love, too. And he loves The Boy and Dear Daughter-in-Love and Dear Daughter even more than we - and the dog - do.


Friday 26 December 2014

Christmas

This would normally be a post over at my reflective blog... but Christmas posts usually appear here.

I have subscribed to a blog by a Christian writer, Bonnie Gray, called Faith Barista, for some years. I always enjoy her writing and view on life and am fortunate to have a copy of her book, Finding Spiritual Whitespace. In the run up to Christmas Day, there was time to look at her blog. Christmas Eve was entitled Come. Rest Your Heart. It's Christmas Eve.

Brilliant invitation. And as I read of her visit to her son's kindergarten to tell of how her family celebrates Christmas, her words touched those deep places in my heart.
As she shared her little nativity set and the candles which represented the hope of the star, the peace of the angels, the joy of the shepherds and the love of the magi, she commented: "If we always have Jesus in our hearts, we will always have Christmas."

And of course I agree with that, just as I am encouraged by Nanette Elkins to make room for Jesus in my heart so that I could keep him at the centre this Christmas.

So, on Boxing Day, as I reflect on all the busyness of Christmas, I realised that these wonderful women have sown seeds which did indeed help me do that.

I wasn't consciously focusing on the person of Jesus as I wrapped presents and prepared meals, but the fruits of his presence were evident. Cooking a large roast dinner is something I only do once a year: at Christmas. A challenge to coordinate and have everything ready on time. Would the turkey be overcooked and dry? Could I manage to get the vegetables all ready at the same time? Would I remember to do everything?

With Richard's help in organising the kitchen, laying the table and serving drinks, and the visit of dear family and friends, stress was absent.

Yes, I was slightly anxious: but not stressed.
Yes, I was busy: but not rushed.
Yes, I was abstracted: but there was always time and energy to talk.

All calm and bright, indeed.


Adele and Jonny - dearest daughter-in-law and son
Karyn and Garth - dearest friends for many years