There's three of us in this relationship!

Mr Flower and I had an unexpected date this evening!

I got a call at 7:15 ish to say he was back at the station but couldn’t come home as the car door wouldn’t shut!!

It seemed to be a direct protest by Precious (term of endearment – honestly- for our beautiful if temperamental Lotus) in response to the ‘For Sale’ ad going up on the internet and there was nothing left to do but phone the AA.

So I gathered together some yoghurt and granola and a Ribena and drove off to the refreshment of my weary commuter. After the rain stopped (a sudden downpour timed to correspond with my searching the open car air park for Mr F minus umbrella) it was a wonderfully light early summers evening and we conversed pleasantly till a call from Jim the AA man, who was five minutes away.

We actually talked and listened far more attentively than if we’d been at home and although it wasn’t exactly picturesque it was strangely enjoyable, being out on a school night.

It made me think about the challenge of seeing every moment as a gift from God if only we choose to live it with such intension, much happier than seeing it as a darned inconvenience at the end of an already stressful day…and although it’s often easier said than done I think we actually made it this time.

Book worm

Just read a brilliant book…The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. A kind of ‘Spooks meets Harry Potter’ as LiteraTec SpecOps track down evil villains who kidnap literary characters thus rewriting works of classic fiction. It’s ridiculously fast paced and I tonked through it in one (very rainy bank holiday) day.

The characters are gripping, and there are some hysterically audacious names. Thursday Next is our heroine and she goes seeking Archeron Hades, the devilish arch-protagonist. But the tale is packed with villains aplenty, in an almost comic strip stylee. Jack Schitt is one such nasty, he’s from the Goliath Corporation (who seem to own the world) and funnily enough it’s never really clear what exactly he does for them! The second plot line is a will-they-won’t-they story of Thursday’s and her ex-lover Landen Park-Lane. With commentary throughout by Millon De Floss – I kid you not, it’s so bad it’s GREAT!

One highlight for me was when Archeron questions one of his minions about his act of evil for that day…he says he ‘drove at 78 mph’ to which Archeron retorts that’s barely even wicked…then he replies ‘though the Arndale centre’! A literary reference for Luton? Probably not as it’s set in Swindon and the name’s common for shopping centres but it made me laugh.

If you want a ripping yarn of fantastical proportions this will be it! It has to be read to be believed and I can’t even begin to offer it a fair representation here just go forth and purchase…or wait and borrow my copy after Miss LotsOBooks!

This week we're mostly eating...

Hairdressers biscuits!

And they're delicious with either tea or coffee, let me tell you and so much nicer without hair!!

Very excited to find them in the mighty W, as supermarkets don't usually seem to stock them and with all this rain one needs tea and biccy's(sp?) to keep ones spirits up.

Pentecost Resonance

"...I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you".

I was talking in my last post about feeling a heavenly disconnect on tuesday and not really knowing why except that I was wrestling with how my faith translates in different circumstances...like a Vogue party!

Being surrounded by such beauty and brilliance both at Chelsea, then at the Haywood and Skylon I was so mindful of the creator amongst his creation but yet it felt as if he was outside of it, without not within, kind of looking on like one of Gormley's men.

That was not to judge anyone, or to take away from anything and anyway a lot of this I'm sure was suffuced by faith but it was just a feeling of seperation for me that I couldn't (and still can't really) define. I guess a lot of it came from a number of conversations I had that left me really aware of the emptiness, hurt and longing in so many peoples lives.

Anyway, this morning in church the passage from John was read and seemed to take me back to this and make a connection.

W.O.W

Or Wierdest of Weeks. It's been an oxymoronic week to say the least and one it'll take me sometime to process.

I was leading worship on Monday and we were thinking about Pentecost and the difference it makes knowing God is with us through everything...this thought kind of ran all week for me, although there was a heavenly disconnect that I'm still trying to figure.

Monday night saw us off to the royal gala opening of Chelsea Flower Show as guests of Lauren Perrier and to dinner at the Dorchester no less. Their garden was stunning and designer Jinny Blom loved my thoughts about it!!



Then after not enough sleep and far too much champagne back to work in Luton and as many 1-2-1's as I could cram with Young People before heading back to London and to the Anthony Gormley exhibition at the Hayward Gallery and a Vogue party at Skylon the new restaurant at the refurbished Royal Festival Hall.



It's strange that Johnny Baker (his pic of man and wheel) slugs this "exhibit entertaining angels" on his flickr pages because to me the 31 life size figures feel really menacing as they look over London and move ever closer to the gallery.

Blind light was just brilliantly disconcerting...we thought we only went in little way and when I panicked and wanted to get out we retraced our steps (or so we thought)but ended up in the corner of the box hemmed in. To me it was like the visual equivalent of silence...mental and you got bizarely wet from the fog especially your nostril hairs, not exactly glamorous but hey!



We were joined by Thandie Newton (Crash and ER) in there the metal sculptures room (don't think that's the technical term but it was one of just 4 other amazing displays)and dinner star spotting included Anthony Gormley himself, who came for a chat at our table!! Lily Cole the supermodel, Alan Rickman, Terrance Conran, Antonio Carluccio, George Alagiah amongst others and to be honest the only one's I recognised!! But good old George did bid us good night as we left!!

Now I'm back to listen to some wisdom from some veteran youth workers from the US which will be really exciting...then it's off to school for the year 11 leavers assembly can't believe some of my little chicks are flying the nest.

Good job it's a bank holiday I need some sleep to recover from all of this.

Splish, splash they were taking a bath...

I am one of, if not THE, happiest sister in the world today!

I have AMAZING siblings, blood, step, half, in-law, you name it I've got 'em and it makes me sooooooo glad! Especially after witnessing a really happy event in the lives of the younger one's yesterday.

Flowers 2 and 3 got baptised. It was a really moving service where they all spoke so eloquently about their journey of faith, with no.3 even singing like a little angel (and joined with Wicked, who has done an amazing job of rearing these beauties along with DaddyF!).

It was such an overwhelming day...both my StepGran and Nan were there to witness it and yet again I was reminded of how powerful and important our family (genetic or chosen) are.

It was also such and incredible honour to be there with three generations who are loving and living for God...even if it doesn't always seem like we're doing such a good job (refering to myself you understand!), He's moving us on teaching and loving us into new creations. Made me realise how important my prayers are for future generations and how grateful I am for all those said by my parents, relatives and grandparents (esp my other Nan who longed so much for us all).

As the 6 young people were dipped last night we sang Amazing Grace...and you know it really is! Off to have a really good sob now!

Happiness can be bought!!

OK so although I was suffering a bout of melancholy the joy was still bubbling away under the surface. But it was helped severely by an exciting parcel that plopped through the post two days after my last post!

Happiness tea...it comes complete with brewing instructions which include "dance like you haven't danced since you were five" and "have a slice of cholcolate cake"..it's also extremely cute packaging with it's little metal tag that says "fun". And what's more it offers wisdom about 'being still' and 'just being'...AND it's organic!

This product is GENIUS!

Although I haven't actually tasted it yet!! Tee hee!! Or is that tea hee?!

Wilting

Bit of a sad little-flower today...lots of stuff seems to be 'happening to' me at the moment as opposed to me being in control and it's really hard to sense a way through it all and what meaning, if any, it has. The cumulative effect is that I'm drooping.

But I've been listening a lot to the new Jars of Clay CD, which although not as good as "Who we are instead" or the hymn one is really growing on me. They write such amazing lyrics and I'm clinging on to one song at the moment; 'There is a river', especially like the imagery of the second verse, lyrics of which below.

And as soon as I figure how I might add one of the others as an MP3, to further enhance your little-flower experience!!

There is a river that washes you clean
There is a tree that marks the places you have been
Blood that was spilled, although not your own
For all of your tears are the wages for things you have done

And all of those nights
Spent alone in the darkness of your mind
Give it up, let go
These are the things you were never meant to shoulder

There is a river that washes you clean
There is a tree that marks the places you have been
Blood that was spilled, although not your own
For all of your tears love will atone

So give up the right
To control the waves that empty out your life
Above wild skies
Are the rays that break the shadows we design

Give it up, let go
These are things you were never meant to shoulder
Give it up, let go

There is a river that washes you clean
There is a tree that marks the places you have been
Blood that was spilled, although not your own
For all of these things love will atone

I know the world can turn in different ways
Most of the time we're simply hanging on
And under the signs of how we all behave
We might find the place that we belong

For all those nights when you cried all alone
All of your tears, love will atone

Authorised version

Me that is!

In a bizarre quirk of faith (oops wierdly meant to write 'fate' but this is kind of freudian so I'll leave it) that proves the church of England is not what it once was! I have been authorised to preach for three years (authorised that is, not talk for three years! Although undoubtedly it could be done!!) by the Bishop of Oxford. And he's coming in June (hopefully with his big pointy hat) to make it all official.

Only slight sting in the tale is that we found out last night this requires three study projects at the equivalent of first year degree level and since we've signed up it's a litttle difficult to squirm out of (even though noone told us this in advance and I only do three services a year!!). So watch this space...Little-flower may be coming to a church near you! (actually relax, I wont it only licences me to preach in our benefice - don't you love red tape!) And before anyone get's all high and mighty I DO think it's a good idea to ensure that people who preach know what they're talking about, so I'm not uppity about that!

All this on the week we discussed women in leadership as a team...hhhmmn!

More food!

Actually that last post reminded me to go and pick up a parcel from the sorting office...pinhead oatmeal from Scotland! We had it as porridge over Easter and it's like nothing else, loads more texture and really creamy. So it's move over Quaker, Spoffs pinhead is gonna stick it to you, Jimmy!!

Only problem ...porridge doesn't really go with 22 degree heat, hey ho it'll keep.

Found some food!

I love looking for new blogs, especially those about faith (or food for that matter!) I came across www.markscandrette.com - via Jonny Baker's blog (I think - you know what these blog trails are like) he has some great thoughts and has just published a new book called Soul Grafitti (what a great title, he was giving 10 away so I asked for one but he is in the US so I'll forgive him if he chooses someone else!!).

One post included this ...thought it was a new way at looking at the stages or changes we go through on our faith journey and I liked the metaphor of conversions!

"Evan Howard suggests that spiritual conversion, rather than being a singular event is more accurately a series of distinctive epiphanies (ie. a conversion to the role of the Spirit, a conversion to social justice, a conversion to contemplative practices, etc). These are not conversions from one system to another, but represent the gradual complimentary and holistic renewal of the soul. These progressive awakenings can sometimes create a sense of grief and regret. For anyone not in a space of liminality, criticism, doubt and risky exploration may seem pessimistic and deconstructive. When we experience the deconstruction of our faith we are in good company with many of the characters of ancient scripture, whose expectations of what it meant to follow God were constantly being challenged and subverted".

It also seemed to tie in with Mark Berry's talk at team retreat about their community life in Telford... he was excellent (if at times uncomfortable for a whole variety of reasons and in different ways to different people - but all good) about the need to prophetically reimagine the outworking of our faith.