Real Life

 You find  true  joy and happiness  when you give and give and give and go on giving and never  count the  cost........... ( Ellen Caddy)

Well,  holidays  are  long  over,  and  it has been  back to the real world  for the past few weeks,  one thing I hate about going on holiday  is the  197 emails  when  I get back to the office, that  have  to be  answered  and actioned,  and the in tray  that would put the leaning tower  of Pisa to  shame...........  it  is  like  when I am gone  all the  queries  slither  out of the wood work  and breed on my desk,  it is  almost like a conspiracy theory ...... paper  versus  the  empty  in tray.............. and the paper  wins............   so  to catch  up  I  have  to put in  some  serious  effort,  hence  the length of time between  my blogs......    and then .........
my eldest  daughter  has  decided  that a half hour at the gym each night  is no longer  sufficient  so now  we have an  hour each  night  and  as  I type  this, my body  is  so  stiff  that  I  am convinced  that rigor mortis has set in........  can that happen  when  you  are  still alive............ I think i am  witness to the fact that it can.
it  was  great  to go to Sunday service  again,  we are doing a sermon series  on fasting, and I really miss the  fellowship when  I don't  get  to church  when  I am away , I  was so happy when my  minister  said  he wanted  a chat with me...........  I was convinced  that he had  missed  me  and  wanted  to wish  me all the best  for the new year.................  he  asked me  to do the evening  service  on  Sunday evening as he was going away.  For me it was amazing,  I think it was one of my best messages  ever,  and I ended with a challenge  to everyone,  that  we all had to think  and  talk  only positive  thoughts  for an entire  day,  but if you had a great day because  of it,   then  you had  to do it for an entire  week.   Try  it............  not one single  negative  thought  or word  for a week................
My youngest  daughter  is  back at  school after  the long  summer  holiday,  she is   now  in her  final  year  at  school  so next year  is  university,  it was  just  like  yesterday  that  she  was born, and now  she  will soon be  a  young  woman  out on her  own......she was  elected  deputy  head  girl  at her  school,  so she  too has a whole  load  of extra  responsibilities,  are you ever  too busy............
On Friday  I am going to a funeral,  Billy  a  friend  from  work  passed  away  on Monday  morning,  what a shock although he has been sick  for a while,  you don't really ever face the possiblity  of  death.......  gone forever.............. it makes  me realise  just how  precious  life  is  and at the end of the day,  it is not about the worldly stuff, who has the biggest  car,  or  nicest  house,  or  better  job,  clever children,  pretty daughters  or  handsome sons, it is  all about  who you  are,  and  what  you  are,  it is about  honesty,  integrity, it is about being  the  bigger  person.......
  This is the bible  verse that has  been  laid  on my heart for this  year,  I just  know  that the pain of  2010  is  gone,  and  2011  is going to be an absolutely amazing  year for me ............