On being in transition

Tom and I are moving out of our house on Saturday. It's a strange old time. We're very busy packing up our lives here but still without anywhere permanent to go as we still don't have a visa for the US. Tom finished work 2 weeks ago and we've been steadily boxing things up, getting rid of much, selling other things and holding onto sentimental stuff. We are moving just up the road to stay with some great friends until our visa arrives and we find ourselves in an odd place of flux - of wanting to make the most of the time we have to 'be' as a family, but also being unable to make concrete plans as we don't know quite how long we do have; of wanting to move onto our new place to do life but also not being able to let go of what we have here yet either physically as we still have to be here and emotionally as we love the people here; of living with very little but knowing that we have some things in storage; of knowing how much we have but feeling poor in worldly terms; of feeling unsettled and trying to let go of needing to know what's happening!

there. that's it for now...

(Barleycup post-script)

Tom has now joined the band wagon, come out of the closet and announced he is a secret fan of Barleycup too. 

Momentum is building. 

It could be THE cool new drink!! 

How very exciting!!

barley cup, barley, cup, ooh barley, barley cup 

(to be sing to the tune of lollipop by The Chordettes)

I have found a fellow afficionado on loving barley cup - hooray for Jacqui!

At the moment I am wrestling with remembering who I am in God and letting him again do some nice work deep inside. I am re-reading (again) one of the most influential books I have found and today am focusing on this bit:

"As the Beloved of my heavenly Father, "I can walk in the valley of darkness; no evil would i fear". As the Beloved, I can "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. Having "received without charge," I can "give without charge". As the Beloved, I can confront, console, admonish, and encourage without fear of rejection or need for affirmation. As the Beloved, I can suffer persecution without desire for revenge and receive praise without using it as proof of my goodness. As the Beloved, I can be tortured and killed without ever having to doubt that the love that is given to me is stronger than death. As the Beloved, I am free to live and give life, free also to die while giving this life." (pg 39)

Nouwen is a good man.

A Brave Attempt

I found myself laughing very much today because of this news article. Can't really say much more about it except that it's always worth a go!