"More to come soon.
I promise."
That was the sign of in my last update. I think that technically I lied. not even technically - I just lied. It is nowhere near soon. Last update was in mid September and it is now 6 days until Christmas. Excuses? I have loads of them, mostly attached to my starting university, then there is Margaret and Eva, rugby world cup, my own rugby playing antics, Christmas, university placement, etc, etc, etc. Now there are those of you who read this who are much busier than I and who still find yourselves disciplined to make the time to blog regularly - and that is very cool - but I simply have not been able to.
Anyway, enough excuses. Lots has happened in the last three months; so much that I really don't know where to start. normally I can work through things chronologically but I think it better to just write as it comes into my head.
I suppose the dominant thing in my mind is college and my ministerial training. It has been a roller-coaster for me over the last three months. In late August I was very excited to be starting things of and was anticipating my return to student life with enthusiasm. As things started this enthusiasm was maintained - until about the third week of term. It was at this point that Greek started to get harder, deadlines started to approach for assignments to be handed in, I began to realise that I was not going to get as much time in the library during the day as I had intially anticipated which meant more work at home. All this plus the fact that two of my modules were almost exactly the same as the curriculum that I studied last year. Half way through the semester I was a mixture of bored, stressed and resentful of being put through it all. Thankfully, we got a break half way through. I got a couple of assignments done and had a lovely few days in Portrush with Margaret and Eva. It is amazing what a wee break will do for you. I got to refocus and as the assignments went in and test scores came back, I started to see that I was actually doing okay. The other key thing I realised was that all the stress and resentment was likely just my inner reaction to all the change in my life. Think about it - I have worked hard for a number of years and a decent pace in the world of youth ministry and then I have 18 months off where I am studying one course and looking after Eva and the house. Things have been done at my own pace and I have always set the structure. In starting university I have had to get used to a different pace and work within a structure that is not set by me - big changes. Change is hard and stressful but it can also be survived and can teach a person big lessons. My lessons? Change is okay and when it is stressing me or causing resentment a good thing to do is try to take a break and get refreshed so that things can be achieved with the right attitude.
I have finished up the term as I write this. My assignments have all come back and my marks are good - there is room for improvement as always but like any good sportsman - I want to peak at the right time and not too early. It has flown in an d that makes me think how fast the whole three years of training will go. Kind of scary to think that at the end of that I will be out in a church (or churches) of my own. In the meantime the next thing for me is three exams in January. I am on break now but will be starting my exam studies in the coming days.
On a much more joyful note, the biggest news of the last three months is that Margaret is pregnant with number two. We are very happy and most excited. At the time of writing Margaret is twenty weeks pregnant. She had a few weeks of pregnancy sickness in her first trimester and unfortunately since then has been plagued with an infection that seems to be moving around her body - it started in her chest and ended up in her ear. This pregnancy is very different from the last one in that Margaret is the breadwinner for the house and has to keep working as much as she can. She is very tired in the evenings but in her usual fashion gets up and keeps going each day and the bills get paid. Eva is very excited about the new arrival. When we ask her if she wants a baby brother or a baby sister she always says baby sister. She knows that the baby is in mummy's tummy but this does not stop her climbing all over mummy!!! She is practicing hard to be able to help mummy after May by playing with her baby dolls a lot.
The other exciting thing is that Eva has been potty training over the last couple of weeks and has taken to it extremely well. After a tough first day where daddy nearly gave up she took to it very well on day two and accidents have been minimal since then. We are very proud indeed.
Christmas has been and gone now - it was the first one for Eva that she has really understood. She does know that it is Jesus' birthday but of course she is more interested in Santa and what he has to bring. She seemed to just keep getting presents this year - a kids kitchen from Santa as well as lots of little extras to go with it from friends and family, a mini trampoline that she loves to bounce on and cool little chalk board easel that she is enjoying drawing on. She was very excited by everything about Christmas this year and Margaret and I certainly had a lot of fun watching her face light up with delight at every stage.
On reflection, 2007 has been a very busy year in many respects with new starts and life changes coming thick and fast. We are thankful as a family for God's grace that has brought us round each corner and most of all for the life growth inside Margaret. 2008 will be another year of busyness and change for us and we covet your prayers at every point. I have exams and assignments in January and then my second semester starts, we are arranging a nursery place for Eva to start in September, then we are on new baby watch and in the middle of all this we are trying to put in place a return to Port St Lucie, FL so that I can do a placement with the church. Yes it will be a hectic time over the next months but God will bring us through it as He always does. Our prayer for you as you read this is that you will be refreshed this year by the presence of the living Christ and that you will find His sustaining hand at each point of need of the coming year and each day know His powerful and unconditional love in your lives.
Blessings
