Place of prayer

I met with my vicar a few weeks ago as we've been in our new church since we moved, and now it's been 8 months I feel pretty settled there and want to contribute more.

In typical church style I've now got three or four things on the go, which is perhaps a bit much to bite off but some are one-off things!

One thing I'm really excited about is our vicar's desire to make our church a more obvious place of prayer. At the entrance just now is a book table crammed full of leaflets, another table full of hymn books and service sheets, and a sign letting everyone know that it costs £300 a day to run the church (stupid beautiful old buildings!)

I've been thinking about how it would be more prayerful (and welcoming and interesting to the community at the same time). The only inspiration I've had so far is from 24/7 prayer rooms I've been to - all the rooms I've been to are such diverse and stimulating places I could spend hours in them, and even if just reading a visitor book or seeing people's artwork it's an amazing encouragement to glimpse parts of other people's journeys.

A few years ago I might have been cynical and said there's something suspect about creating an atmosphere in which we feel drawn to prayer - isn't that fake? But with life being so frantic a little silence is a huge blessing, and there's nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from the world around us to give us a helping hand and keep things fresh.

Spiritual Detox - Day 1 - Eat well

I'm starting this spiritual detox, and rather than just reading through the book and gleaning gems I'm going to be working through it day by day to learn through experience - hopefully making it a more lasting thing.


The book is Detox Your Spiritual Life in 40 Days by Peter Graystone. Normally I'd come across this kind of book and see it as a faddy thing (like the Purpose Driven Life, urgh!) and ignore it. But I read the first chapter on Google Reader and it seemed worthwhile.

Day 1 is to eat well, the idea being that this will be ongoing through the 40 days (which incidentally will end on Ben's birthday!) Today I've eaten good nutrious food and enjoyed it, and feel much better for it. Lately I've been eating junk and snacking at work out of stress, but happily a stressful situation was taken out of my hands today which is extremely cool and conducive to my detox. Very good day :)

Elections

I can't make up my mind at all about who to vote for at the next election, though I have a feeling Tories will win as usual in South Norfolk. It's a bit early on in the campaigns to declare my allegiance anyway, but in the spirit of research I came across They Work for You - it compliles information about MPs to help get a picture of them.

One of the stats they include is how many times the MP has used three-word alliterative phrases (e.g. "she sells seashells") in debates. To find out why see here!

Skirt finished!

Pictures here

It doesn't look fabulous but I'm pretty pleased considering it's my first attempt! Need to find some nicer fabric now, if anyone knows good places to go in Norwich for clothes fabric rather than curtains/upholstery please let me know :)

excitement

Making my first ever item of clothing this week :D I've pinned some material to make a skirt, watch this space for the results - excited but nervous, it might be rubbish!

Oh how fed up of saying this I am, but I'm SO close to finishing my patchwork quilt that I stitched my initials and the year into it on Sunday. That means I absolutely must finish it in 2010. Pictures of that to follow too.


I just finished reading The Time Traveller's Wife - wow. It's definitely added to my list of all time favourite books (not many make this list - Pride & Prejudice and Saturday are the only others there).

On my list to read next... I'm determined to read the The Odyssey, The Aeneid, and (if I can stomach the war bits) The Ilyiad, simply because there are so many references to them throughout good literature that it's frustrating not knowing more. Also AS Byatt has been cropping up on my travels (quoted a few times in Time Traveller's Wife) so I'd like to read Possession, and The Children's Book looks good.

Tomorrow we're going to an Ash Wednesday service at church - I'm really loving church at the moment which is a refreshing change. We've been getting better aquainted with some super lovely people. I'm reading through all the Gospels for Lent which is going to be a challenge (reasons for which I'll blog on another day).

I feel greedy for life at the moment, there's so much I want to see and take in and do!

Goals for 2010

Projects to finish this year:

* interior design course

* patchwork quilt

Projects to start

* learn to sew well (rule my sewing machine, make dresses, household items etc)

* learn to dance

* do some serious Bible study

* work out where I fit in church

* play more flute just for fun
* build up a design portfolio while decorating our house

Things to see and do
* Have a go-away holiday, we're thinking Centre Parcs in September as a good solution for my need for relaxation and Ben's need for being adventurous!)
* Read Julie & Julia and watch the film, I'd like to cook much more too (learn more varity for dinner type cooking)
* Have a day out in London: arrange a visit to Ronnie Scotts for my budding jazz pianist husband, go on the London Eye, see some inspiring design shops