Splendid Sunday

What a good day yesterday was.

Jamie and I designed the service in the morning and led worship. Nick Page (author of a stinging rebuke of a book about worship leading) didn't seem to wince once, so I guess it went well! LOL! Lots of new people came because he has a reputation as a good speaker. One new family, whose dad is a musician (bass player) and who have just moved to town, said they will be back. There was a very happy buzz about the place as people drank coffee and chatted afterwards. We've noticed that is usually a sign that the service has met needs that day. It was a very satisfying feeling to know the people had been spiritually fed and watered! Maybe the lack of Christmas carols and all those songs about the Second Coming are brightening spirits! LOL!

Later, Jamie took Grace and Jack to the church in Oxford where they'd been asked to provide the music for a youth outreach event. He stayed to help them set up the PA and stood at the back, watching all the kids (musicians) we'd apprenticed to us the last few years, do their thing. They did an excellent job apparently and played a really rocking set of Soul Survivor/Hillsong songs.

The 'audience' were mostly unchurched younger teens and the whole event was a Let's Look at Christmas And Separate The Myths From The Truths type of evening with lots of food and fun games designed for kids who'd never set foot in a church before. They looked shocked to see our kids playing the type of music they do, in a church! Eyes were certainly opened. Jack has certainly grown as a worship leader. Grace sang confidently.

Ah, it just doesn't get better than this. To know that your kids are following God and serving Him as leaders in their own generation. With minimal involvement now from us. Wow! All those years of home education are paying off bigtime.

I'm also very thankful that none of us has ben hit with any of the bad colds/flu/H1N1 which has struck so many other people around us. Yet! We've been working so hard since September and usually, we've all been struck down with something by this time in the winter. Yay! I know we won't get away without something this winter, but so glad we've been able to tackle so much, without the interruption of illness, up to now.

This time last year, I had been ill for weeks with some sort of post-viral fatigue and the stress of what had happened to us in our last church. We'd been without a proper church home for six months and I was so depressed again that I was just at the point of seeking counselling. What a different year this has been!

I guess this is one of those mountaintop moments, before the next valley, so if this post has sounded a bit braggy, please forgive me. I  just know how many deep, deep valleys there are in life and so I'm just enjoying the view from this particular mountain top, trying to take it all in and savour every moment of the triumph of the climb.