Chris writes: have been thinking a lot about sacrifice and giving up recently. As a Christian of course we ask what can we give up when we have everything in Jesus - and indeed that is the ideal but for how many of us is it really true. How many of us can say we are totally fulfilled by our relationship with Jesus? Not with our ministry or anyone or anything else. We can have total fulfilment in Jesus! How amazing! Look at Jesus in the Gospels - he sought to meet all the needs which were presented to Him. He healed (there is a study in itself - the complete person eyes, ears, legs, hands and so on....) He raised the dead, cured the lepers, He fed - physically and Spiritually - was there any part of the body which Jesus did not touch?? As a Christian a relationship with God includes Him as friend, provider, parent, Saviour....and so on - another study there! I am reading one of Yancy's books, entitled prayer and this quote jumped out at me from a monk he was visiting: "if you need anything let us know and we'll teach you to live without it!" What do we need and what do want? what are we willing to give up? I got this other great quote from our daily reading notes recently questioning how you know it is God asking you to give up something when 'you are willing to leave behind those things which now mean nothing in order to live for those things which now mean everything'. So is God everything to you? For me coming over here has really moved me along that road - I guess to the place where I have been able to let go of 'those things which mean nothing'. The truth is of course as i am sure someone said around 2000 years ago after the death of Jesus - the more you give up the more God gives back to you - finances, friends so we don't really go without - its a bit of a pardox I suppose. Wow! Amazing God! Or Awesome! As they say in USA.

Things are going well here. The Snow has almost all melted and it is so good to see some green again - although our lawn looks like it has been attacked by a large family of moles! Going well with the roles bit and learning what each others role is. We have now started back with the nursery after an extended break and are just trying to get to know the staff and the children more and trying to be good role models but maybe Rainie will tell you more about that.
Thanks for reading :)