Before Tom and I got married, and during the wedding service, a few people had very specific words from god for us about our marriage being used to bring our families to Him and bring healing. I realised the other day that this has so obviously started! Having my parents together last weekend was a momentously huge occasion - it could only have been brought about by His sneaky work, i reckon, in light of how they all felt about each other before our wedding!

This week has been quite hard. Tom's been having to work late most nights (he didn't manage to leave until 9.30pm yesterday) because of a big deal that's going through in his department at the moment. It creates a challenge i guess of how we can creatively have close quality time together when we don't see each other so much and when we do we're both knackered.

It is giving me a bit more time alone though, which is nice in some ways, especially as I'm trying to write a talk for our church meeting in a few weeks time. It's such a long time since i had to do anything like it. It's proving quite tricky. I guess though, as it always is for me, that when I stop trying, then God can do his stuff. It frustrates me that i almost always have to go through a period of struggle, trying to get stuff done, or thought about, or even in terms of trying to sit down with God for a while, then when i let go and let God in, stop trying and relax and see him instead of my feet as i run around focissed on not tripping up, that it all suddenly gets way easier and i meet Him ! I must try and get out of THIS learning circle. Very annoying!

Juat a quick little post as i'm tired and need to go to sleep.

I'm currently in Cambridge seeing my relatives with Tom as we didn't come over for Christmas. It'sd good to see them all. It makes me realise how nice it is to have family you get one with - no dodgy aunts in my family!

Today was also quite a momentous day as it was the first time that all my family (aside from my grandma and uncle who couldn't be here) were voluntarily in the same room (outside of our wedding) together. My parents split about 5 years ago and so for mum to invite him and his wife round was a bit of a huge step. maybe huger for me that mum even. She was ready to move on and so invited them. I needed some time, crying and a gentle push from God to do the same. Hard, but it was actually ok. Thanks to all who prayed : )

Night night

Oh my goodness! It's so long since i posted anything and so much has changed!

I made it through the relative trauma and then the absolute total joy of getting married, of going on honeymoon to the Maldives (not at all traumatic aside from the 2 hour speed boat ride to the island, which sounds ok until you have to do it and after a very long flight too!) and to cornwall. Then setting up home, where Tom and I found the one thing which consistantly makes us snappy and argue - moving furniture around! Strange hey?! Each time we popped to Ikea and came back with a sofa or the like, the traumas involved in getting it in the house almost made it not worthwhile!

BUT now we have almost sorted the house out (the spare room has some boxes still in it) and being married is the best thing ever.

It's also quite hard sometimes, as i think Tom has echoed in his blog, as it does involve adjustment - from having time to have solitude, to wanting it but also wanting very much to be with your spouse; from having time to spend with God when you want to, to not so much; to having to share EVERYTHING about yourself because you're now at the most exposed you'll ever be. Interesting time.

Good time though as it's teaching me so much more about God and his thoughts and feelings about me. That he can still love me when i don't spend so much time with him; that he can still change me and my family when i haven't spent hours asking him to do so. All the things that i have spent so much of my Christian life struggling with have now come to the fore again as things which annoy and frustrate me, but which God, in his mercy and grace and love is using to grow me and change me. How good is our God!