Excitement and Anticipation

For the first time ever I got my son-in-law to take a photo of the

three generations of girls

a natural photo - no preening or even looking in a mirror beforehand!  
I did not think of that until afterwards!

The excitement and anticipation of opening presents for the young ones on Boxing Day

What is this?

I did not get to see Oliver's expression when he unwrapped his new bicycle on Christmas Day 

The Lead Up to Christmas

The lead-up to Christmas is certainly a busy and exciting time

We begin at Pilgrims Hall with the tables set ready for a Christmas meal for our volunteers and spouses

and then it is Soul-in-the-City time

a free fun day for families in our neighbourhood

Unfortunately the weather was bad so we had to use a 

local school hall

Children had a free photograph taken with Father Christmas

then we spent an evening next door with our house church, and another one from down the street, putting together hampers with all the goodies we had bought for needy people in the neighbourhood

large ones like this for families of four

and then the younger community children at our school

put on a pantomime

Oliver with a Twist

the night before our house church Secret Santa party

held at our house

Just a few photos of the 27 adults, 7 children and new baby present

We mostly packed out the back of the house

 leaving the front quieter

and not forgetting

Grand daughter Bekah being a Christmas Pudding at nursery

and Grandson Oliver being a Shepherd in school Nativity play

There should have been photographs of our Carol Singing in the neighbourhood (as other years) but we had to cancel because of the appalling weather.

We will however be having an open air Carol Service tomorrow outside the Conservative HQ in town with the Conservative Christian Fellowship and the Salvation Army Band as it is forecast to be DRY

Saturday will complete the pre-Christmas celebrations with our

'all house churches together' Christmas party

a time of worship, food and fun

Unless I post photos of the next two evenings, all that remains is to wish everyone that visits here

A Very Happy and Blessed Christmas

and peaceful New Year

OUTSIDE - INSIDE

The frost in the garden was so heavy last week that everywhere one looked there were broken Spider's webs.

Here are just a few amongst some other delights

The Corkscrew Hazel delights in all seasons

the frozen lawn not to be walked on

A little extra interest with the double mirrored reflections

The Tamarisk on the other side of the fence

so beautiful

but back into the warmth

and last but not least

the card I have just finished making for Alan for our

53rd Wedding Anniversary tomorrow

12.12.12 Global Day of Worship today

12.12.12 Live streaming from our church at 6.55 pm until 9.30 pm

Greenwich Mean Time on the Global Day of Worship Site

The Global Day of Worship (GDW) is a call for a unified, global worship movement so see the name of Jesus Christ lifted up throughout the earth. It will be a day that will unify many denominations within the body of Christ while embracing and celebrating the differences in our expressions of love for Jesus Christ.

Through a unified, celebration and adoration of the name of Jesus, the world will see that we are His disciples.

12.12.12 (7.0 pm - 8.0 pm) in each time zone a wave of worship and adoration will span the globe and unite all believers as one body.

Utilizing 24 time zones, we will agree with and join the 24 elders, spoken of in Revelation 4, who are already worshipping Jesus around the throne.

It is when the worship of heaven meets the worship of earth that spiritual climates of nations will shift as we serve faithfully here and now in preparation for His return.

I don't like a post without an illustration and

it just struck me that the innocence of a child

was apt

Little Rebekah in the park with Grandma

A Sunday Afternoon Drive in July

It is a Sunday afternoon and we are still at our holiday cottage in Lavenham so we decide to drive to a couple of local villages

We stop and park opposite The Peacock Inn in Chelsworth

we walk across this bridge over a river

most of which is owned by the houses that back on to it

We continue walking

taking some photos of the very different and interesting houses on the way

we eventually turn around to drive back the way we came

towards Lavenham

but we will stop off at Monks Eleigh on the way

I ended up walking some way while Alan parked at intervals (not this car) as I love taking photographs of English cottages

I have to walk past this house on the left in order to look at the village church 

On my way back I take a closer look at this interesting porch

which is dated 1682

the decoration in the triangle above the door is dated 1337 

We come to Monks Eleigh with the village green on the right

and guess what? Alan sits in the car while I go wandering

I think the cricket was on the radio! 

The village pump

inscription says this well was made and pump erected 1854

I have never before seen a church bell on the outside of the tower

and looking at the time on  the clock I think we need to be getting back for supper

Don't think anyone is likely to steal this car

On the road again and

next time we will be visiting the Cathedral and Abbey ruins and Gardens in Bury St. Edmonds