Again, again...

I remember being with my immediate family and my uncle Nick at a fare ground (maybe a coastal town?). I felt some pressure to go on the roller coaster with everyone else. I was young and scared and turned down the kind offer! Since then I have been on many roller coasters and other ‘fare ground’ rides that have excited, thrilled and scared me!

Are you like me? At the end of the ride, you find yourself saying “again, again!” despite shouting (or maybe just thinking) “make it stop” or “I want to get off” during the ride!

This month has seemed like a roller coaster. I didn't really want to get on to the ‘January Roller Coaster’ and during the month I wish it could have stopped, and now at the end of the month I find myself saying Again, again!!!

Once you see what we have been up to this month you will probably ask:

“Why would you want to do that all over again?”

First, allow me to take you through the January roller coaster and then let me qualify my statement; ‘again, again’.

This was our January

My regular activities have remained the same as each month and are as follows:

·         Monday: Weekly team meeting with Sydney and Jodi. 3-5pm

·         Tuesday and Thursday: Weekly lectures @ 2 Blackburne Place. 10am-4pm

·         Any mutually free day: Fortnightly one to one with Sydney

·         Saturday: Weekly Elders Meeting. 8-9.30am

·         Sunday: Church services 10.30am and 6.30pm

After seeing in the New Year with our good friends and neighbours, Chris and Graham (along with a bunch of friends), we had a family gathering at Neil and Sophie’s home (Amy’s sister) where we all recovered from our lack of sleep by eating loads of yummy food.

Harry and I had some boy time on the 4^th and had our hair cut together.

On Saturday 5^th the Elders (Leaders) of the Church had a great morning together to talk, plan and pray.

Like many other Churches, we (Grace Church) brought in the New Year with some prayer meetings. We had 3 evenings of prayer where many people came to commit the church and our vision for this year into God’s almighty hands and to ask for Him to guide us according to His good and perfect will.

Lectures began on the 10^th… this is going to be the busiest term and will stretch me big time.

I attended a one day ‘Doctrine’ teaching session from Ted Turnau (One of his books was heavily used in our lectures last term ‘Popologetics: Popular Culture in ChristianPerspective’) on understanding and interpreting our culture from a Christian viewpoint.

Poppy had 7 medical appointments and one hospital admission via ambulance!

• Immunisation’s at the GP
• Cardiology appointment at Alder Hey for a routine check (Echo cardiogram)
• ENT appointment at Alder Hey (Follow up from last month with resulted in an operation being booked for later this month)
• Ophthalmologist Appointment at Alder Hey to look at her eye lashes that lay on her lens
• Community Paediatrics appointment at Halewood medical centre
• 24^th at 1.30am Poppy woke us up choking and struggling to breath. We called the Ambulance, which took Poppy and Amy to Alder Hey where she was admitted and kept in for her planned operation on 25^th
• Operation at Alder Hey (1 procedure, 2 operations and one check-up)
• Special Care check-up at Liverpool Women’s hospital

On the 16^th I started reading “The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness” by Tim Chester with 2 men from the church. I am so encouraged that they are willing to give up their lunch break once a week to meet with me.

Five of us travelled together and braved the snow to attend the FIEC Hub Conference from the 18th – 20^th. 200 people attended the weekend.  I enjoyed chatting to a whole load of different people in various situations – all seeking to serve God in some way. Some were, like me, in the early stages of training. Others were looking at their options for future training.

Throughout the weekend several thoughts whirled around my head; such as “Pastoral Ministry is tough. My training is hard, I want to give up”, my thoughts developed to “Everyone says it is tough but rewarding, but they are smart and intelligent, I want to give up” and I came home thinking “If this is what God has gifted me to do, and if this is where God wants me to be, then I must work hard, through the tough but rewarding situations, disciplining myself to serve God – and don’t give up!”

I am really searching and praying that God would continue to guide me in His time and His ways so that I am doing the right thing for Him.

On the 21^st a few of us started a ‘Discover your Gifts’ course which will be a part of my development process as I think and pray about my future.

Lady Luck or God and answered prayer?

ENT booked Poppy in for an operation to put a camera through her mouth to observe her Larynx and cut off the floppy part that is obstructing her breathing. Our ENT consultant also invited our Gastroenterology Consultant to put in a PEG (Feeding Tube) during the same operation. (He was available and willing) Our Ophthalmologist asked to look at Poppy’s eyes while she was asleep (The other consultants agreed). That was lucky!

One of our biggest concerns for this operation was that it would be cancelled due to a lack of bed space. So we shared this as a prayer request.

As a result of Poppy being admitted into hospital via Ambulance on the 24^th, Poppy had a bed and the operation would go ahead. That was lucky?

Another concern was that she was ‘nil by mouth’ from 7am on the morning of the operation. Poppy was being operated on in the afternoon and we did not know how we would handle Poppy wanting her bottle and not being allowed it! So we shared this as a prayer request.

Amy fed Poppy at 6.50am and winded her. Poppy fell asleep at 8.15am and did not wake up until 1pm (that never happens!). The anaesthetist came soon after 1pm and told us that Poppy was first on the afternoon list. She was given some Calpol which pacified her until she was taken down to Theatre for 1.30pm. That was really lucky!

Another of our prayer requests was for Harry. How would he react to Poppy and Amy being in hospital and away from home? This worry was added to when Poppy was taken into hospital a day early and kept in. Harry has been really great and coped so well. Grandma and Grandad (Scarisbrick), along with the help of Uncle Adam and Auntie Ruth, had Harry for 2 sleep overs, which kept him entertained! (He didn’t earn many stickers on his reward chart that weekend though!)

Harry loves Poppy so very much and is very gentle with her.

Poppy’s operations went well and we are monitoring her continued recovery to see how she improves (or declines). Amy and Poppy stayed in hospital until Wednesday 30^th. The doctors and nurses were excellent and so very helpful by providing excellent care for Poppy and providing her with everything she needed. (We could have come home sooner but the doctors and nurses, in their wisdom, kept us in which meant that we were able to be seen by various doctors/teams who would be caring for Poppy, much sooner than if we were an outpatient.

I don’t subscribe to Lady Luck or Karma… rather I believe in a creator God who weaves his will and purpose into the daily fabric of our lives, causing a whole load of situations and circumstances to occur at the right time to bring about His desires for his glory. It is not random or luck, it is His plan.

Sometimes His plan seems strange to me, but then, I am not God and if I were, I would make a rubbish God because I am selfish!

Amy has been excellent. This is a verse from the Bible that I put in her Christmas card.

“Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Proverbs 31:29

God has given her to me and I am so thankful for her.

I asked her this question this week while we were in hospital.

“What kind of husband do you want me to be and how can I love you, support you and be a Christ like example to you better than I am now?”

I am yet to get an answer from her but when I do, with God’s help, I will try to be the husband that she wants me to be (within the Biblical definition) because she is my standard of beauty and she sets the boundaries (in line with the Biblical teaching) for our relationship. If she likes it, I’ll wear it. If it makes her happy, I’ll do it. If it smells good to her; I’ll spray it on myself! She’s a real answer to prayer. (p.s. Amy proof reads this before it gets published and I’ll let you know if she adds anything to this!!)

Again, again? “Why would you want to do that all over again?”

There are various situations or circumstances in life that might challenge us in one way or another. January has certainly been challenging and February doesn't look too promising either!!! So why do I say “Again, again?”

Am I a masochistic fool who loves to face trials? Am I an adrenaline junky who lives for the thrill of the moment? No, I am neither of those.

It is in and through times like this ‘January Roller Coaster’ that I have had to cling to the promises of God in the Bible. January has tested my faith in God. This roller coaster is stretching me to the limits of being able to cope with the ups and downs of life, but I can say “Again, again” with confidence because I have proved God to be true on this roller coaster. He has been my seat belt and kept me down, He has been the pleasure in the pain as He has been sanctifying me. God will not allow me to go through anything that I cannot handle with the strength and resources that He has given to me.

I DO NOT want to face any trial, difficulty or hardship – but I know that they will come, and I know that when they do, God will be all that I need to survive and prove Him to be faithful and true. I do not ask for the roller coaster, but I am prepared for it because I:

"Count it all joy,... when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4 (Read on if you have time)

Not a lot planned for February

Our Church has a Holiday Bible Club during half term, 19^th – 22^nd. I am not on the team but may well help out at some point.

Matt Chandler is at the Kings Centre; Chessington on the 28^th, a few of us from Grace Church may travel down to hear him.

This month Sydney, Jodi and myself have been reading 1 John. My favourite verse and the one that I memorised as a child was 1 John 3:1a

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”

It reminded me of the song that I learnt as a child from the Psalty cassettes that my parents played to us.

Please pray for us

Jamie

My self-discipline and things that I can put in place to help me organise my time.

To be a wise parent and Christ like husband.

To seek God’s will for my future and training.

Harry

Our parenting of Harry as he deals with Poppy being at the centre of our attention for a lot of the time.

Harry’s behaviour is up and down as a result of the amount of time that we are able to spend with him.

Poppy

Poppy continues to improve and we are getting used to feeding her orally and via the PEG.

For Poppy to defy the odds and to develop well.

Her feeding, reflux and breathing to improve

Amy

It is Amy’s birthday on the 26^th – pray that we have an opportunity to celebrate as a family

Please pray that Amy is able to balance being a Mum and a Doctor.

Amy hopes to return to work before the summer, pray that things will fall into place for Poppy and Harry’s care that will put Amy’s mind at rest while at work.