Blue-sky lunchtimes

I really love working so close to the Botanic Gardens, being able to go for a wander at lunchtimes, to sit by the river and watch the punts glide by. Definitely a nice way to spend an hour. When it's nice weather, that is. Like yesterday. Today, on the other hand, is not so nice. When Dad arrives this afternoon he's going to wonder if this is summer after all. The weird thing is that it's still warm, probably nigh on 20 degrees, but just grey. So grey. It's almost enough to make me feel homesick, clamouring for the grey Februarys of my youth. Almost.

I do hope the weather improves while my dad's here though. January has been such a great month, weather-wise while February so far's been a bit rubbish. And typically, I've been told, February is the better, more stable month. There's so much I've got planned that's weather-dependent.

I relaised yesterday that our six months of being in Christchurch has been and gone. Last Friday marked the six month point since our arrival down here. I've said it before, but time really does fly doesn't it? I've spent a bit of time recently looking over all the old posts from our first few weeks in Christchurch. It's so weird how the words can evoke the feelings from back then as well as the memory of the events. I am so glad I did this whole blog thing. It will definitely be something I look back over in the future. Like reading an old diary, I guess.

This Sunday just gone at church, after the service, a sausage sizzle was organised. Basically a barbecue was fired up and hundreds of sausages were cooked (while the barbecue worked, that is) while the church family and visitors (it was a guest-focussed service this week) can stand around chatting and stuff. A very good idea, I think. The reason I mention it particularly though is that the first time Jo and I visited St John's, three years ago pretty much to the day I guess, was the same sausage sizzle event. Back then we were just visiting Christian family we had been regularly praying for. And now we're part of that Christian family. Three years ago we never would have imagined that would be the case in three years' time. We never know what God has in store for us, eh?

Last night Jo and I met up with Cam and Ryan to discuss the plan and the format and stuff for the Christianity Explored course we're helping lead that starts next week. If you want to pray for us and for the course please pray we'll have time to do the prep we need to thoroughly despite my dad being around, that people who have signed up would come through the door next Wednesday evening, that people would continue to invite their friends and family along to the course, and that ultimately people would come to know Jesus through the course as their eyes are opened and the Holy Spirit works in their hearts. Thank you. If you don't want to pray for us, you can ignore that whole last bit.