It feels like an age since I actually wrote something on this ("That's because it is Charlie" I hear you shouting at your screen) Things have been very busy and very intense in our lives for a multitude of reasons. However, though I have not been writing, does not mean I have not been thinking and journeying anyways. I know it is hard to believe, but lifes journey continues whether we blog or not!!!

January was a busy and stressful month for numerous reasons. Mainly it signalled the beginning of a hectic three month period of time in terms of my candidating for the church. I had medical and pyschological testing at the beginning of the month which was then followed by two exams that I had to take to part ensure my entry into university again. The medical was fine and I was not told anything I did not already know. The psychological stuff was fine also, though the result of it I would not find out until February. The exams were okay. I had prepared pretty well (which is a first in my life in terms of school work) in that I had been working specifically for them since the end of November. Paper one went as I expected and I got the questions that I thought would come up and so was well prepared. However, paper two was a different story. I came out of that exam wondering if I had done well at all, questioning if I had even answered any of the questions that were being asked.

So February arrived and I had another hurdle to jump in the candidates procedure. The 'Candidates Committee' is a two night/three day residential that takes the form of intense interviewing by the church of those putting themselves forward to serve as ministers. It was a good couple of days work if not a little draining. I was asked about my conversion and the my perceived call to the ministry, I was asked about my work experience and about my personal spirituality as well as about how Margaret and I would cope with the pressures and rigours of ordained life. I also got feedback on my psychological testing which was interesting. I agreed with some of what the psychologist had to say and did not agree with some. Basically I discovered that I (and some other candidates) read different key words in questions than what we should have. The psychologist made the observation that I reached the top of the scale in the stress test, i.e. I handle stress well. She then wondered was I "extremely emotionally stable or was I so laid back that I was horizontal", and asked me was there anything that causes me stress or anxiousness. I told her that there were things in life that would stress me, though not many. It was an interesting interview and confirmed some things and revealed some others. Mostly though, it taught me that a person cannot be defined or known by the answers they give in a psychological test.

Towards the end of February, Eva got the chicken pox and suffered for a week or so with it. She got them pretty bad and it was painful for Margaret and I to watch her. but she is a wee fighter and took it all very well - they did knock her off form a wee bit but she did not seem to moan or complain much. After she got over the pox, some viral thing found its way into her wee body and she woke up a few night red hot all over with a temperature (fever). This actually affected her more than the chicken pox did. Poor wee Eva, she seems to be over the worst of it all now and is back at her laughing and entertaining best.

In March, I got some good news regarding my plans to study for ministry. On march 12th I got the result of the exams I sat in January and I got an A grade. This is the half way point in the course I am taking to get into university and it is good to be sitting with an A grade at this stage. I also came before the Belfast Synod of the Methodist Church as part of my candidacy for ordained ministry. This involves being interviewed by one minister in front of around 30 other ministers. Again I got through and was voted onto the next stage unanimously. Things are very much on course for university studies and ministry training starting in September of this year.

On the 24th of this month we will be picking up Miss Molly Skinner who is travelling from Florida to visit us and some other friends in Northern Ireland. We are very excited for her to come and it gives us the opportunity to make our first visit to the North Coast of 2007 - it really is beautiful up there.

I had a flash of home sickness for Florida this morning for one reason or another. Margaret and I miss our friends a lot and we miss our church family big time. We always find ourselves reflecting on how good a time we had there. We are glad to be home and we love having our friends and family here close by, but there are just times (like there were in Florida) when you miss people and you wish you were closer to them. Today's homesickness for Florida was one of those times.

That's enough for now. Lisa, if you are reading this, could you e-mail us your new contact details to Margaret's e-mail address?

Blessings