my week

Last weekend I had too many things on and so finished the weekend feeling exhausted and wanting to curl up in a little ball in my flat. Most of the activities were good but there were just too many of them. So this week I have been trying to take it slower. I am dog sitting right now and that means that part of my daily rhythm is to walk the dog. For about an hour every day I have been wandering around the neighbourhood finding trials and paths.

Last week at youth group we heard stories from one of the young women in the church who spent the summer in the USA at a camp. For one of the activities she outlined the all the states of the USA with masking tape on the hall floor. At the end of the evening we had to pull up all of the tape. My ball of the tape was the largest but not the most compact, and Yes it was a competition.
I told one of the women at the church that I was looking for a puzzle to work on in the evenings and now have a steady supply of puzzles ready for me to put together. This is a good way for me to relax and to let my mind drift where it will (especially good on days that have required a lot of concentration). When the Bible study group was over at my house the other night they swarmed around my table and by the time they were finished only a few sections around the edges were left to put together.
Part of moving back to Canberra has meant learning again what groups/organizations are doing here and how we can work together. This means that I have been having lunch or coffee with people and talking about what work they do, what work I do, and how we can work together. I am glad to have the space to make these connections and I believe they will be fruitful in the long run.
Tonight at youth group I am leading a Bible Study of sorts. We are going to look at a few of the stories of Jesus’ life and take part in an activity around each one while we discuss. Preparing for something like this makes me glow. I love this part of my work! I just hope that it works when there are youth in the room.
I am looking at a quite weekend which will be nice seeing that next week gets busy again. I am preaching next weekend and so will be able to curl up with my Bible and notebook this weekend and try to figure out what I want to say and how to say it.

Finding balance

Life is starting to find its pace without me racing along. This past week I have felt more at ease in my work. The month after I got back from India felt like I was flailing myself head long at work and was left shaken. The last few weeks I have had time to read my book, walk the dog at the house I am house sitting, make food and generally think about my life here. I am trying to find places to meet people outside of the church. This is a slow process but I found a farmers market last Saturday and I have signed up to usher at a local theatre so that I get my theatre fix and also meet people. Don’t get me wrong, I am not sitting around twiddling my thumbs. I am teaching Sunday School, leading two Bible studies, and still coordinating youth group as well as attending to church meetings, admin and pastoral care. But I think the balancing act of my life is starting to shift in the right direction.

This picture is of me at a youth group event.