Wow, what a week! It was a full, exciting and fizzy kind of a week! Where to start?

Probably, with highlights!

I had a night out with Nathan on Friday. We were due to go snd see S Club. Nathan bought tickets for my birthday back in March, and, as ever, several diaries had been organised so we could go. But… the venue cancelled! It was a shame. I met Nathan back at home at the end of the day and he suggested getting a take away. Absolutely not!, I said! We’d got sitters (thanks Mum and Dad), so I thiught we should go out regardless! We ended up having steak on Bold Street in town, and we even ventured into Popworld! We left before 11, like, but for us, it was a big night out!

Before all that happened, we opened our Hub for hot chocolate and toast as the kids came out of school on Friday. It was a hit, and a couple of people have asked for more! I think the ‘design your own hot chocolate’ bar with two types of squirty cream and 5 kinds of toppings was a big attraction!

I also loved the harvest supper at church last night. I took Mum, Dad, Granny and Grandpa along with me and it was delightful to spend time with them and see them getting to know our church family better.

The service this morning was good, too! We had Guides, Brownies and Rainbows in attendance, and it was a lot of fun. My colleague preached brilliantly, and my prayers included us all decorating large cardboard letters spelling THANKS with sticky labels. Everybody was given a label to write what they are grateful for, and the end result was lovely.

My last highlight is being given one of the loaves of bread that were on display on the communion table this morning. Apparently, the flowers arranger’s husband made them and wanted me to take one! So I made sandwiches for lunch time, some of them using the bread, as well as Nathan’s homegrown tomatoes and some chicken – see the picture at the top. It was delicious!

The Ta-Dah moment was refreshing our notices slightly, and getting publicity made to be given out at our harvest events this weekend. It’s always good to be able to signpost people to what’s coming up. In this case, it’s a family quiz night, Remembrance Sunday, a memorial service, and then… Christmas!

God had been tricky this week. Well, I don’t mean tricky, really. In my corner of the world, we’ve had a brilliant time and seen God at work in lots of ways. We’ve seen new shoots and fruit and deepening of relationship and a wonderful harvest with a table overflowing with donations for the Foodbank. It’s been a great week for me. But blimey, praying this week has been a challenge. The situation in Israel Palestine is just horrendous. I’ve been on my knees, literally, crying. I don’t know how we can go about sorting this out. I don’t know what to pray for specifically, other than to join with millions of others in a longing for, yearning for, begging for, peace. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

I am grateful this week for my lovely family, who come and muck in, take us as we are, whatever we are doing. They help out and they adapt and go with the flow. They don’t add to the To Do list. They stack chairs, wash up, cut up sticky labels for my sermon, mend the loft hatch, and take out the rubbish. They win the quiz at the church social and share the winning tub of Roses. They adore and entertain Sophia. They enter our world and just make it a bit smoother. And I’m so very grateful.

My Mum Moment was taking Sophia for her first proper haircut! I’ve been trimming her fringe for ages but after showing my hairdresser some pictures this week, we decided the length could do with a cut. So on Saturday morning, we walked over to the salon and she had her first trim! It was very cute, and she was ever such a good girl.

New phrases and words include: hello trouble (to the dog), oly spit (Holy Spirit – when attempting to baptise Nathan in the bath), hair tup (haircut) and doo-nut (donut).

Next week I’m looking forward to seeing one of my oldest friends and her fiancé!