It’s Sunday, and what a week it’s been! A Family Quiz night, a halloween party, meetings, prayer, Start Course, a wedding and a three service Sunday!

Highlights include another duck day with Sophia…

…and having my colours ‘done’ with my sister!

The Ta-Dah moment this week was making 4 buttonholes and 3 bouquets for my friend’s wedding. I’ve not got tonnes of flower arranging experience, but I’ve watched my Mum and Gran make lots of beautiful things. I heard the bride say that she was planning to do them, so I offered to take a job off her hands if that would help – and it seems it did! The photo at the top shows the button holes, and here is two of the bouquets.

It was a really brilliant thing to do this week. It’s a creative task with an end point and there aren’t many of those in my life! Not only did it help out a friend, it also made me feel useful when I’ve felt so much of the week feeling very useless and helpless because of the situation in Gaza. I was pleased to shine a small light in my small corner of the world.

After an hour or so with my spiritual director this week, I found praying to God easier this week. As you might have gathered, I’ve been watching the scenes on the news this week. I even found myself in a cafe looking at the #Gaza feed and I saw a video so terrible that I had to go outside for a walk and take some deep breaths. It was awful. I’ve struggled with much guilt and confusion. But she helped me work through it a bit, and I’ve got to a place where I know I can engage with what’s going on but limit it! I also get a real sense of God holding my hand through it, and saying ‘It hurts me too’.

The challenge was obviously that video.

I am grateful for lots of things this week, but mostly that I got to spend most of yesterday with my sister.

My Mum Moment was needing to wake Sophia up from her nap in the car for my service today, and then her letting me get on with it. She was groggy and confused but she just stayed in my arms for a good 20 minutes, and sat and ate snacks for the rest of the time.

New words and phrases. We are having more and more chats all the time! The why conversations continue, as well as her starting to say how she’s feeling!

Next week I’m looking forward to a normal Sunday at church. All these pulpit swaps have been lovely, and it’s been great to get to know the other churches. But I have missed my Sunday mornings at ASSF.