Summer Holidays

The school holidays are underway and unlike the theme tune to a children's cartoon, we don't have "104 days of summer vacation" but we do have the whole of August stretching out before us.



Souda Bay

We have just returned from two weeks in beautiful Crete, soaking up the sunshine, history and geography.  We also enjoyed the sunshine here in the UK before we went away and treated ourselves to a pool in the garden, very welcome in the heat.

We are busy preparing for our Church Holiday club next week and will have lots of news about that in the next blog.

In the meantime we have drawn up a list of things to do this summer in a "summer bucket list".  We draw out one activity each day to fill up those moments where I think the boys have spent enough time in front of the TV.  This week's craft was decorating the bucket, so that it looked "summery".

Drinks bottle waterfall - summer bucket list

This week's Bible verse is from Corinthians, and is a timely reminder that we need to be careful what goes into our bodies, including our minds:

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit,

 who is in you, whom you have received from God?

You are not your own; you were bought at a price.

Therefore honour God with your bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Our prayer as a family this week is for all those preparing to bring God's word to their community over the summer, through their mission activity.  We pray that people will be ready to hear God's message for his broken world and will want to know more about living His way.

With God's blessings from our family to yours,

Jo x


Spring is sprung

Well  I didn't mean to leave it so long between blogs.

Word of the month for June

Spring has finally sprung and summer is on its way.  Garden preparations have begun and in door jobs have been put on hold.  We have even managed to eat outdoors a couple of times.

Potatoes beginning to grow

A sheltered sunny corner

Josh is into his final week of exams next week and then secondary school is finished.  I can't believe where those years have gone since I took him to school for the first time 12 years ago.  In between his revision session, Josh has taken up bread making and this week I bought him Paul Hollywood's "Bread" book.  We have been enjoying a white bloomer, which is very nice and goes well with dips on these warm evenings.

A white bloomer by Josh

I have found a new approach to spring cleaning.  I have developed a card file from organized home where you list all the jobs that need doing to run the house and then divide them up over the month/year accordingly.  It means no matter how busy I am I know what jobs need doing and can keep track of them.  It also means the boys can help by looking at the cards for the day and choosing what they want to help with.

SHE cards - sidetracked home executive -
Mission Control for the Vizor household

Craft has been enhanced with a new gadget and we have been preparing a welcome bunting for this year's summer holiday club.  More details about holiday club in a later blog.

Cricut Robotz for Holiday club bunting

The Bible verse selected for today is :

Go in through the narrow gate.

The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow.

A lot of people go through that gate.

But the gate to life is very narrow.

The road that leads there is so hard to follow that only a few people find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

 

This reminds us that as follows of Jesus Christ, we are not promised an easy ride, that it is hard to follow in his footsteps but the journey's end leads to our Fathers house, where he has prepared a place for us in eternity.

Our prayers as a family are with all those taking exams at the moment and for their families supporting them through this stressful time.  May they know God's peace in their revision and strength in their exams.

With God's blessings from my family to yours,

Jo x

Easter Holidays

It would appear that Spring has finally arrived.  Not that winter gave up its grip on Britain too easily.

We have spent a very cold week in Minehead celebrating Easter with over 5000 other Christians at Spring Harvest.  We have been looking at what it means to "Be, Say and Do"  the Gospel, that is the good news that Christ died for our sins and reconcile us with God.  We also spent the week studying 1 John in detail and reminding ourselves through the words of this book, that God loves us and therefore we should love others.

I have felt challenged to explore how we bring the message of Jesus to the children I work with during holiday club through out the year.  Currently I am talking to our congregation about how we extend our messy church service to the wider community.  I'll keep you updated!

My main craft this week has been Easter cards:

This week's Bible verse follows the theme we were looking at while at Spring Harvest and is:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, 

but Christ lives in me.  

The life I now live in the body, 

I live in the Son of God, 

who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2: 20

Our prayer as a family this week is that God's word placed on hearts over Easter will find fruition at this time of new beginnings.

With God's blessings from my family to yours,

Jo x