Sundays...

Do not let Sunday be taken from you. If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan. Albert Schweitzer.

For the next little while, thanks to Ditz's hectic schedule, we have moved our house church to our friend's house. This is a huge blessing for me. I don't have to stress about the housework I haven't got to or preparing the meal. I don't even have to rush to get ready. Much as I enjoy fellowshipping hospitality is not part of my gift mix ~ or anyone else's here either!

Our friends have the gift of hospitality. They also have a unique gift of being able to invite others ~ & have them come. I think I must ask wrong. Too much diffidence or something in an effort not to put my expectations on them. No idea really but I can ask till the cows come home & nothing happens. They ask & the people come!

So our little fellowship is growing slowly but steadily. As none of us have been in a hurry for it to grow & have been perfectly content to keep our fellowship small & intimate, this is rather encouraging ~ especially as our gathering has been referred to as *that evil home church*. Hm. To a cluster of *oldies* we now have a young newly married couple. They have landed in the middle of our investigation of Revelation, which might have been off~putting, but as none of us claims to have all the answers & share the Leadership & reading around no~one need feel left out & all contributions to the opening up of the scriptures are welcome.

We have got a couple of different commentaries to help us negotiate the more treacherous & obscure passages & the Holy Spirit is really blessing our efforts to stay on track. It's amazing how often the Spirit will direct my attention to another part of Scripture for clarification & now we are looking at the fall of Babylon I am so grateful for the earlier study I did on Daniel as I have so many applicable reference points!

I know people who get terribly upset about what will happen in the end times & others who get obsessed about having a correct time~line but being a *big picture* thinker myself I tend to focus on the overall message, which is one of hope & a blessing because so many promises for believers are contained in these passages. Yes, terrible things will happen. The world will spin wildly into complete decadence. Persecution will be rife. What they herald is the return of Christ & that is something to celebrate! We must learn to keep our eyes where they belong, on Christ, & let the rest go. Fear is being replaced by trust & peace.

The girls worship with us in the morning then go over to the mainland for a youth service. Within weeks Liddy rounded up someone else beside Ditz & it is only a matter of time before she has her little car full. Yes, even this week. She rang & told Ditz she would pick her up at the jetty & they have gone on to church together. This is lovely for Ditz on so many levels. She has a measure of independence. She gets to spend time alone with Liddy. She gets to mix with Christian young people. And Liddy has her buffer! lol.

Dearest & I get a few hours alone. After years when we have had a house overflowing with children, ours & other people's, it a rather novel situation. So long as we're around Issi is perfectly happy.