Lent discipline.

This year's Lent Breakfast series in Balsall Common is on Wellbeing and so far we have heard from a respiratory consultant from the local hospital and a retired psychologist who is also a local preacher. In the Elmdon circuit some of the churches are having a sermon series based on the York course, "A Rich Inheritence" and at Dorridge we are following this up with bible study each Wednesday. This week I had Lent Breakfast last Saturday, sermon on the Holy Spirit on Sunday, housegroup on Tuesday (we are also studying A Rich Inheritence but without the sermon series) and then bible study at Dorridge on Wednesday.  I could also have taken part in Solihull Methodist's bible study as I usually go to Space there on a Thursday morning but Holly came home on Wednesday evening ready for going camping with Misbourne this weekend so I stayed at home with her and while she was home I took her with me to aquafit on Friday to take some pictures of me with my oxygen.



My oxygen sits in a plastic box to stop the case getting wet!



I cannot move too far but I can do all the exercises

 I am trying to cut down on cakes and snacks for Lent and eat more fruit instead - losing weight and exercising will hopefully stop my knees hurting. Aquafit is good because the water takes the strain off my knees.

It's a nice day!

I've realised it is a long time since I posted on here - I've been quite busy! The other weekend we had a weekend in Stratford for Network. Alison Judd talked to us about her time as a Mission Partner in Barbados and we thought about getting alongside women in mission. We had a great time but it was very tiring. Since then I have had a cold and chest infection which does not help my breathing.

Yesterday I went to Papworth for a check up and they seem pleased with the fact that I haven't deteriorated very much and said that my fitness seemed to be improving. The critical thing now for being on the transplant list is my quality of life and at the moment, allowing for winter blues, it is quite good. There are restrictions obviously, but there would be other restrictions if I had a transplant. My osteopath has said that the aquafit is making me more flexible in my chest and upper back area. The main problem at the moment is that I have put on a lot of weight over the winter which I now need to lose.

Today is what my daughter used to call 'a nice day' - cold but with blue sky and sunshine which definitely improves the feeling of well-being so hopefully we can put the winter blues back in their box. We were woken at 7 by a phone call from my niece in New Zealand wanting to sing Happy Birthday to her uncle Nick before she went to bed. My sinuses are feeling more comfortable so hopefully my cold is on the way out and normal service can be resumed. I'm not very good at what the doctors call 'pacing' myself - if I feel better, I do things and then don't feel so good, so today I think I will have a gentle day to save myself for District meeting on Thursday. One thing I need to do today is order my oxygen for a weekend at Swanwick before Easter.

I am reading through a wide selection of study books as part of creating a library for housegroups at church and trying to produce a booking out system. This seems a suitable occupation for a quiet day!

Out with the old, in with the new

So far this year has been marked by a cold which does not want to go away! Every time I think I am getting better, I do a little too much and back it comes. I did use the Magnet service at Acocks Green and it seemed to go down well. I used it again on 6th Jan (actual Epiphany) at Space in Solihull where Deb and I discussed ways of making sure that our services were as inclusive as possible.
Last Sunday was our Covenant Service at Dorridge and straight afterwards I drove Holly back to Cliff. There was a holdup on the A38 south of Burton (which I think in hindsight probably had something to do with the draw for the FA cup which Burton were part of) so we went for a mystery tour through Barton under Needwood amongst other places. Back on the A38 again we made good progress and stopped for lunch at our favourite Little Chef at Alfreton. I was very tired by the time we got to Cliff and really needed the mug of tea and sit down after we had transfered her belonging up to the second floor. I decided not to stop on the way back but trundled along with no problems, getting home by around 6.30.

This week has been the start of my 'new me' resolution.  I have put on about a stone since the last time I was at Papworth in the summer and I need to shift at least some of it before I go back in March. They also want me to improve my fitness. Last year I was attending Pulmonary Rehab twice a week which is an hour of gentle, self-paced exercise but in November I started going to aquafit once a week at my local leisure centre. I found that I enjoyed it (one of the things I have missed since being on oxygen is swimming) and, by using the longest tube I have for my portable, I can manage to work on the spot. I can pace myself and the water supports me. This year I am going to go twice a week, Tuesday and Friday, which means that it is worth me getting a daytime membership. That also means that when I feel up to it (or I want a change) I can use the exercise bike in the gym or go to spinning (indoor cycling) classes without paying extra.

This Sunday I am preaching at South Yardley about whether it is wise or foolish to follow someone as the first disciples followed Jesus. We will be looking at what we are prepared to give up or leave behind and what we will take up as we work to keep our covenant promise.

When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home and the shepherds are back with their flocks, then the work of Christmas begins. To find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among the people and to make music in the heart.

Hoar Frost!!!

The last two days have been very cold and very pretty. I managed to get to Mustard Seed yesterday but forgot the camera and then posted the parcel for New Zealand and bought stamps for the cards. When I got home, I stayed in for the afternoon. Today I got up later in the hope that the car might be easier to defrost (it wasn't) and when I could see out I moved the car to the road opposite where I parked it in the sun and took pictures of the trees.

I stopped on the way to Solihull and took more pictures including this one of the ford at Temple Balsall.

After aquafit I sat in the cafe at the leisure centre with a mug of tea and read my copy of Magnet (which I have had for at least a week) while getting together the energy to drive home. Stopped at Halfords to look for an ice scrapper as Isaac broke mine at the weekend but they didn't have any flexy ones :(

House group tonight and tomorrow really must be spent wrapping presents.

Lots of tea and lots to do!

Today we awoke to a small dusting of snow - not sufficient to prevent Nick going to Buckingham. I was up and out by soon after 9 and heading for Warwick to get the church poster printed. There is a card cum stationery shop which has a copyshop in the back opposite Cafe Nero and they are good value. While waiting for the poster to be printed, I popped into Caffe Chai - a little independent cafe which does proper tea in proper mugs (and very nice carrot cake) - for breakfast. When collecting the poster I couldn't resist a pigmee card about Spine Flu.

(c) Peter Cross - The Great British Card Company

On (or back) into Solihull to Hobbycraft as Christmas preparations are being held up for want of tape pens (two ran out last night!!). On the way drove past a Severn Trent man using a metal detector - presumably to find a stopcock under the snow. Then to Tudor Grange to book into aquafit. Last week there were 27 of us and the pool was a little full so Jo told us to book in early. This week of course there were only about 10. Having booked in, I sat in the cafe with a mug of tea and watched the long-tailed tits in the trees outside whilst trying to pick hymns for my service at Lyndon on Sunday.

Into the town centre after aquafit for some lunch in Starbucks but also picked up a pair of PURPLE LEATHER GLOVES from John Lewis. I wanted some last year but all the purple ones went early on so this year I have got in first and spent my Christmas money before I have got it :0)

Now sitting at home recovering from all the dashing about with another mug of tea - is there a theme there somewhere?