lizblog

The World's Shortest Personality Test - in response to Andy

Your Personality Profile

You are pure, moral, and adaptable. You tend to blend into your surroundings. Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends. You believe that you live a virtuous life... And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye. As a result, people tend to crave your approval.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Very quick. Accurate? To some degree maybe.

Spiritual searching

Church is a funny thing. I think most people, when presented with the word, would have some sort of image similar to one of the ones above. Maybe that's not exactly how you would picture it, but most would see church as a building I think.

For me, church looks more like this.

Because I've moved to a new area the thoughts of a new church family has been on my mind.

In Huddersfield I had been involved with a number of churches, but of late I've gone through a pretty low time spiritually and my church attendance has been sporadic to say the least. It took some time to think through where I am at. I wasn't sure whether I felt ready to become part of another new group as I was already struggling at times with getting to know all the new people I was already meeting.

After going to a church or two, we seem to have lighted on one where we can both feel at home. It's called The County Church and is a church plant of the NFI group of churches. It meets in a place called Bedlington ... I think of terrier fame ... which is about 6 miles away from Newbiggin. We've been there a couple of times now and have felt very at home and welcomed.

So maybe this will become the group of people that I will become part of. It doesn't have a church building, but meets in people's homes and a community centre when a bigger space is needed.

For the first time in quite a while, I have actually felt as though I wanted to go to church and looked forward to meeting with the people there and, most importantly, with God.

My first week

Well, I've just completed my first week at school. I've really enjoyed it, although it has been hard to get out of bed each morning in the dark.

The staff there are really friendly and have made me feel both welcome and a part of the school. My new class are lovely too. Not without little problems, but none of them horrid or stressful. Next week I get to do the choir and recorder groups, that will be fun.

I've discovered that the caretaker is in a brass band that practices at the school. He plays the cornet, so I'm hoping to get him to come and play for the kids and tell us a bit about it ... hopefully he could show us some of the larger brass instruments too.

My only sadness is that I am only to be there for one term. Still, onwards and upwards ... if they like me then maybe it will be like a stone dropping in a pond ... the ripples will spread.

Looking back ...

We spent Christmas Eve with Andy's dad and family. It was lovely to begin to get to know the extended family a bit more. We had good food, prepared by Beth, including beetroot soup with horse raddish sauce ... it was very different and very good.

I had a lovely time joining in Lydia's preparations for the arrival of Father Christmas. The reindeer were very well provided for with three huge carrots and Santa himself didn't do too badly. After a quick check that there was really room for him down the chimney, Lydia went off a happy child. I hope what he brought her made her very happy.

She drew this lovely picture of Andy and me, which she presented as we left.
Andy's the small, thin one with love in his eyes.

Flowers of hope

It's been beautiful to see the two plants above coming into bloom.

The white one was given to me by a very dear friend. It's been hard to look after as it needs lots of watering and often it's been drooping and looking half dead before I've noticed and watered it. It's survived the move and seems to like its new position on the hall window sill.

It feels a bit like real friendship. Sometimes I let friendships droop a bit, I don't make the effort to keep in touch as much as I could. However, it's never too late to make that call or write that email and the friendship springs back to life and can even bloom again, despite a move!

The pink one was given to me about three years ago by an ex pupil. It has faithfully flowered each Christmas and continued to be in bloom for several weeks afterwards. It looks rubbish most of the year and sometimes I wonder why I keep tending it, somewhat spasmodically, and giving it house room. Then, at this time of year, when it is a mass of flowers, I'm glad that I did.

It feels like this last year has been a bit like this. It has been filled with many happinesses, but lots of disappointments and unsettledness too. Sometimes things have looked pretty bleak and I have wondered why I made the decisions I did. But now I have a job, at least for a term and more people are beginning to want to look at the house in Huddersfield, so I am beginning to feel more hopeful. I'm settling into life in Northumberland and beginning to feel more relaxed with the friends I am making here.

Here's to the the New Year and everything it will bring.