Wake up call

Every Wednesday during term time my slumbers are rudely disturbed as it is Open the Book day, which entails an early start.  I cannot leave my waking to chance, so it is the one day I use an alarm.  At 7:00am it is activated. To be precise two alarms spring into action, as my husband also sets his.  For years my husband has been an early riser.  However, as I am not a lark by any stretch of the imagination, I have perfected my ability to sleep through his automated wake-up call.  When my own phone is suddenly playing a strange tune right next to my ear, I am unable to sleep through that.  My first thought is usually 

"What on earth is that strange noise? I hope someone turns it off before it wakes me up!"

Oddly no-one does turn it off, so I start to wake up thinking 

"What IS that awful sound!"  

Initially, my brain does not even register it as an alarm, I just think that it is some weird noise.

Eventually, I am awake up enough to grasp that it is actually an alarm. My alarm! And off we go into the wonderful world bringing the Old Testament to life to First School children, and today's realisation that I cannot simultaneously hold a script and fire a bow and arrow!  In desperation, I chucked it where I wanted it to go.... 

This evening was our first evening session of the Mission Shaped Ministry Course in Cradley, a call to the church to wake up to Fresh Expressions of church. 

Pink heart-shaped balloons festooned the venue which we assumed that they had been left over from some party earlier in the day.

We were looking at God’s mission, considering how important it is and where we fit in.  The group comes from a variety of church backgrounds, which brings a range of views to the discussions, allowing us to hear ideas we might not have considered.  

The programme this evening included a very moving clip about the work at Zac's Place in Swansea. Afterwards, we were asked what understanding of God shaped this particular Fresh Expression.

 

At the end of the evening, we were each given one of the beautiful balloons to take away.  

Later I spotted some people going into a pub with a bunch of five identical looking balloons.  Was this coincidence, or had love been in action before the participants even reached the end of the High Street?

Love - keep it or give it away?  

Here endeth the third day.