8.34am

Good morning! After the Chrism Eucharist at the Cathedral this morning, today will mostly be a day of preparation. I’m going to go to Morning Prayer and then get the train to Liverpool. I’m taking Mrs Hinch’s new book to read for a bit of light relief.

9.59am

God I look to you, I won’t be overwhelmed. Give me vision to see things like you do. God I look to you, you’re where my help comes from. Give me wisdom, you know just what to do.

10.47am

The Bishop is giving a sermon to us as ministers. He says that he trusts us. He knows what ministry is like. He knows that it’s demanding. When we were ordained, it was said ‘you cannot bear the weight of this ministry in your own strength’. Never were truer words spoken. Especially now, especially this week.

We are all about to renew our commitment to ministry as those baptised and as those who are lay ministers, deacons & priests. I remember from last year that it’s a powerful moment and it feels really good to take some time to draw close to God at the beginning of this busy week.

5.53pm

Do you ever find that when you should be getting something done, another task suddenly becomes the most important thing in the world? Like when I should have been revising for exams, I would suddenly feel that it was absolutely essential to tidy my room. And when an essay was due at uni, I would be overcome by a desire to hoover the living room.

Know the feeling? Well, this afternoon, when I was supposed to be writing my sermon for Friday, it was absolutely essential that I cleaned the oven (obviously). So, at this point, the oven is gleaming and the total word count for the sermon is: zero.

Poppy the Procrastinator: 1, Poppy the Preacher: 0.

9.26pm

This evening I’ve bulk cooked risotto so we have portions for later in the week and I’ve been to Boogie Bounce at the gym. This was, to my mind, a good use of time because the food will make life easier over the next few days and I feel so much better for some exercise. Especially fun exercise which involves a mini trampoline and Spice Girls music!

Before you ask, the word count for the sermon is still zero.

But if I do little else for myself this week, at least I went to the gym and it was fab.