This Past Week

In the last week or so:

We had our Sing For Your Supper event at home. It was hard work but fun and cemented friendships in the worship team.

Jamie worked a week of nights and was On Call the rest of the time. This is always tiring for us both.

We had our Keepers of the Faith Awards Evening. It went well and the kids enjoyed themselves. It was a lot of organising and work too, though.

We had our Big Day of Sports which involves lots of driving and hassles as I sorted out various problems at the sports centre with instructors and parents and money and waiting lists etc.

Jamie went to visit 2 other local churches to observe the music they have. This is in his quest to improve as worship leader for our church and as he thinks about putting this new band together.

I organised an art workshop for secondary age kids, then it snowed and the whole country came to a complete standstill, so I had to cancel the workshop and then re-arrange it for another day.

A very kind friend blessed us with a second-hand computer, monitor, keyboard etc for the kids. They think it is only for games but actually, I plan to make them do school work on it too! Right now, Jack is upstairs killing Orks with his mouse.

We led a really good worship session with some terrific songs last Sunday. Everything seemed to click last week. We played, sang well. Jamie did a good job leading prayers and encouraging some different worship activities. The people entered into worship and we all felt that God had blessed our efforts.

Grace went to a new youth Bible study group at the Oxford city church and the kids her age crowded round her to welcome her and encourage her. She was so happy. What a difference to our small town church where they ignore her in their little cliques. We are praying this works out for her.

I made buttermilk! I am unutterably pleased with myself about that! I used a small amount of cultured buttermilk and added fresh milk, leaving it out overnight and lo and behold, in the morning I had a whole jug of it. I've done it twice more now and have made some lovely things from it including pancakes today. Thank Hillbillyhousewife.com for that!

We made lots of snowballs and a couple of snowmen.

Jack improved a lot on his asymetric bars work at gymnastics!

Jamie went to a men's breakfast.

I cooked ALL DAY yesterday. I made
a nutloaf,
a turkey meatloaf
2 soda breads
2 teabreads
20 buttermilk biscuits
2 herb rice casseroles
a fruit salad
a quorn, mung bean casserole
a spinach casserole
What we didn't eat this weekend went into the freezer.

Jack and Grace both went to their small groups.

I caught up on some emails and did some moderating tasks at the several yahoo groups I moderate. I've been neglecting them lately as I blog now!

We listened to a terrific sermon on Revelations from a member of our congregation who is the baptist equivalent of a bishop. He is the 'regional minister' for the Southern Counties division of the BU. I wish he could preach to us more often but he's very busy.

Beat Jamie twice at Carcassonne. Mind you, he beat me 3 times.

Had a lovely Shabbat meal.

My plans for next week include:

Catching up with my books' business as it's half term.
Finding out what else you can do with buttermilk!
Doing some more personal Bible study.
Making sure the Art workshop goes well!
Planning the next half term's home-ed work.
Contacting the local colleges and make appointments to look around.
Making eye appointments.
Exercising at least twice. (I know, but that would be an improvement on last week's once.)
Renting a DVD version of Richard the 111 for the kids, prior to them going to a Shakespeare workshop.
Doing something special for Valentine's Day, though I know not what.

You know it's always nice to know who is reading my jumbled jottings. Do leave a comment in the comments section occasionally, just so I know, won't you!