MOVING IN - AT LAST!!!

Today we moved into Sunflower Cottage in Hedge End after much waiting and messing around. The whole process was like walking on ice, never knowing when something may happen. Even this morning when we were preparing to move out of our borrowed accommodation (thanks Dave & Katie) we got a phone call from our solicitor saying some important paperwork hadn't been signed! When I phoned back with fax numbers I was then told that the keys were at the Estate Agents and that we could pick them up! What happened to the important papers that must be signed??

Oh well - Lottie, Flo and I (the boys were at school) went to pick up the keys very excited about getting into our new home.

Unfortunately when we arrived at Foord Road with keys in hand at around 11am the road was full of trucks, one ours and two the previous owners - aaaargh!! There was nothing we could do but wait... and wait... until 3pm!! Crazy - and then we had to go and get the boys from school.

Still it was great to get in to our new house and start setting up home. We are only the third owners of the property since it was built in 1900 so people obviously stay here a long time!

It's a lovely house with an amazing garden and we can't wait to start making it our own. Just one question - who invented woodchip wallpaper? It's everywhere...

PERSEVERANCE

A couple of weeks ago I spoke at Central Hall on "Becoming a People of Perseverance" (you can listen to it here). The main point was that God calls us to be people of faith, persistence and perseverance and not necessarily successful. We have a responsibility to be a faithful servant with what God has given us and not to 'become the best and beat the rest'. As always when you speak on a topic within days God was allowing me the opportunity to practise that which I preached!

The last two weeks of finalising details on our house move has become very stressful. We have had FOUR surveys on our property for damp, a tree inspection, an electrics inspection, woodworm inspection and two roof inspections! Our buyers then wanted money off the original asking price and then to cap it all the people whose house we are buying couldn't move out of the house in Hedge End until 25th Sept!!!! Aargh!

I tell you this now, because yesterday we exchanged contracts and we will be moving out of our home of the last 8 years next Wednesday 29th August and moving into our new home, Sunflower Cottage on 10th September. All our stuff will be going into storage and some kind friends at New Community have offered to put us up (or put up with us) for the interim period. Which means we will be in Southampton for the start of school and the start of my new job (just) and although everything is not totally buttoned down things are starting to take shape.

Moving is not for wimps, it should be registered as an extreme sport...

Thank you God.

GOOD FRIENDS AND GOODBYES

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted anything. Although I finished work last Thursday it has been non-stop since. Last week there was a whole bunch of leaving meals - Monday lunch was the formal one with the Church Leaders at the Oystercatcher (not good food!), Tuesday lunch was at the new over-designed seaside Cafe fondly known locally as "The Turd" (although Steak Sandwich was excellent), Wednesday evening was my highlight with all the staff that I work with at Wickbourne, Sure Start and the Church. We had a buffet at the local Indian Monsoon which was superb. At the end of the meal a number of staff made speeches and provided me with certificates for different achievements I had made (some serious and some humorous!). Sally & Wendy from the kitchen wrote a poem and Sonia had 3 pages that had me on the verge of tears! Around 25 of the team turned up and it was a great night - what a privilege to be part of such a great group of people. Thursday was my last day and Sure Start had laid on a surprise buffet and Sally had made a goodbye cake (with Fire Engine).

What an incredible week - it has been so good to work with so many amazing people, they will be missed...

AND LASTLY...

This week has been a real "lasts". Last Friday was the last Connect Group (a small cell group/post alpha kind of thing) - they bought me an intriguing cake, some socks and one of those really annoying cards that sings to you every time you open it!

Sunday was our last ever morning at Arun Community Church which was really special. They put up some photos on the screen of Lottie and I over the last 11+ years and read out all the different things we had been involved with and then people spontaneously stood up and gave a standing ovation. I must confess I had a few tears in the eyes and declined to say anything (which is difficult for me!) as no words could really sum how much Lottie and I care for our friends and family at ACC and how much we will miss being with them...

Monday it was my last Sure Start AGM which was an incredible line up of people sharing how the Centre had transformed their lives in some way. If it was in a church it would have been testimony night. The church and God hardly got a mention but I am sure he smiled when the teenage parents got up and danced their hearts out, when the Mum who had suffered post natal depression talked about the caring staff who helped her through it and when the Nursery children sang their songs at the tops of their voices. But the highlight for me was when the Creche Manager (not a christian) told the story of "The Three Little Pigs" and brought a moral to the story of building our lives on good foundations. Now where have I heard that before?

Today is the last day my boys go to Rustington Community Primary School (the same school Lottie went to - some of the teachers are the same!) it is also my last day as Chair of Governors as I have now resigned officially.

Today was also the last Launch Pad Breakfast Club of the year with a well deserved summer break coming up for the staff. This was a project I started working on at the beginning of 2006 with my friends Rosie and Jon and it is brilliant to see it up and running and completing its first year. The children who attend are referred for different reasons and come with all kinds of home lives and backgrounds - but watching them this morning celebrating together on the bouncy castle followed by party food (!) you would not have realised how much transformation has taken place...

But the end of a chapter in a good book leaves you excited and impatient for the next chapter and I guess that is where I am at the moment. Sad to be leaving so many good friends behind but excited by what God has in front of us...

WHY DOES ANYONE MOVE HOUSE?

Apparently moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do (next to changing job) and we are doing both!

The last house in West End sadly did not work out and so we have changed tack and explored the village of Hedge End. We found a lovely semi detached house built around 1900 with an incredible south facing garden on Sunday. Today we put an offer in and (after a little haggling) had it accepted - hurrah!

The local primary school has space for both Levi and Zak and so things are starting to come together - Thank you God..

On a completely different note we heard yesterday that the school bid in Southampton has been completed and the partnership that New Community Church are involved with have been successful in taking on the running of BOTH new Academies - wow!!! Exciting stuff - not sure exactly what it will mean for myself and the church but it is definitely an excellent time to get involved and I am looking forward to seeing how the future will pan out. More on this to follow...

NEW HOUSE (possibly...)

We have had an offer accepted on a lovely 1920's cottage in the village of West End just outside Southampton. It has been quite a stressful week with Estate Agents telling us different stories on different days. They keep making promises and then pretty much never deliver!

If they say "I will ring you in 10 minutes" you would like to think that you wouldn't have to ring them over an hour later to chase!!!! Aaaaaaaargh!!!

I am reading the Little Red Book of Wisdom by Mark DeMoss at the moment - excellent, great reading and very practical advice. Need a bit of wisdom right now...

Please pray as we try and sort out this move, getting to know new people and get our kids into the right schools, etc.

I am also now on Facebook - not sure how it works, but I seem to have gathered 24 friends in only a couple of days - so it can't be all bad. Join in the fun via the link and come and find me!