Hello and happy Monday! Let’s dive in and check-in on the events of last week.

Highlights include S Club on Monday night, and in complete contrast, the Liverpool Friends of Palestine March on Saturday afternoon (see banner above).

Other lovely things included our church coffee morning and being back at ASSF after two weeks of pulpit swaps. It’s been great to visit the other churches, see how they do things and get to know other people in Crosby better, but there is nothing quite like being at home!

The week also included catch ups with colleagues, our annual tax interview, picking hymns, leading ecumenical prayers, warm space, meeting with the uniformed organisations, sweaty mamas, time in the Hub, Start course, Sefton Faith Forum, Quiet Communion and volunteering at Breastfeeding Support.

My Ta-Dah moment was doing the tax interview – I’m so pleased that’s over for another year!

The Holy Spirit was very tangibly present at church on Sunday morning. I can never quite put my finger on it, but I know I wasn’t the only person to feel it this week! My favourite moment was saying; ‘hey everyone, guess what? The Lord is HERE!’ at the beginning of communion.

A big challenge continues to be the scenes coming from Gaza and the West Bank. I mean, what the hell is going on? But I was able to share something of my feelings about it all at the morning prayer service on Thursday as well as attend a march in town on Saturday. Which leads me onto my Mum moment…

On Saturday, we three got the train to Liverpool for the march. I had explained to Sophia that we were going to walk with lots of other people, and that there would be flags and chanting, and that we were going try to ask people to stop hurting the children. Big concepts for a little person, I know, but I’d rather over explain and let her understand what she can, than shield her from the truth completely.

So we got to the Metropolitan Cathedral and joined the march. Sophia was in her pram, watching and listening and taking it all in. After about 15 minutes, she said ‘Sophia march!’. So we got her out of the pram and she walked. Not all the way, but part of it. I was so proud. I know she doesn’t understand what’s going on. I haven’t shown her any of the images that have haunted me over recent weeks. But in an environment full of passion and noise and colour, she wasn’t scared, in fact, she wanted to join in. And I hope she is like that for the rest of her life.

I think it’s time that ‘new words and phrases’ became ‘what Sophia said‘.

So this week we’ve had see-vire now (CEASEFIRE NOW!), Daddy brought milk (that’s a whole sentence with a tense in there!), I want the potty! (taken from new favourite book called ‘I want my potty’).

I’m especially grateful for date night with Nathan and booking a holiday at our very favourite place in a few weeks time. It’s been quite a season and I know that for Nathan especially, this time in our favourite cottage will be simply wonderful.

Next week (this week) I’m looking forward to a couple of nights at my Mum and Dad’s.