catching up

It's a while since I've been here, it is not that nothing has happened more a case of too much happening!
I've been putting the finishing touches to Mandie's wedding dress to be delivered this week, finishing my own outfit, knitting baby clothes for the eldest son's expected, decorating the bathroom as well as taking Sunday services, a funeral service and a service of prayer for healing this afternoon. I do love variety!
While we were on holiday - wow it is over a month ago - I read 'The Horse Boy' ready for our next meeting of the book club. It followed the travels of an autistic boy with his parents to Mongolia in search of healing. The shamans dressed up and made quite a drama often eating and drinking weird concoctions with the parents as well as the boy!
This was in great contrast to the sessions I had with my friend Gretchen who has the gift of healing with gentle touch; sometimes this was done in silence whist at other times we chatted, putting the world to rights with laughter!
In our service today, there were times when we prayed out loud mentioning those who had asked for our prayers, and then with soft music playing, folk would come forward for prayer for themselves or those to whom they were close while others prayed silently.


Next week I go to croydon to deliver Mandie's dress. It was only a few weeks ago that I drove around Reeves Corner, surprised that the furniture shop was still there; an independent store is rare these days - I remembered it from my childhood - a beautiful building, very old and in stark contrast to the concrete skyscrapers in Croydon. Prayers were said for all those involved in the aftermath of the riots.