This blog is an outlet for me, a way of sharing my thoughts, ideas, delights and challenges. I expect a lot of myself in many different ways, never quite satisfied with what I have achieved but always the optimist. Allegedly middle age but always believe the best is yet to come. The glass is never half empty but always half full and I cannot function without something to aim for or look forward to.
Now at the start of 2010, I cannot help but wonder what this year will bring; but not just this year but the decade. The last decade - the noughties - has been pretty good; it's certainly flown by.
The noughties started in such a memorable way. Rachel (8 months pregnant) and I were leaning out of our bedroom windows watching the fireworks light up the sky in our neighbourhood. Thirty-one days later our second daughter was born. Seeing her now, what a delight she is together with her elder sister.
During the last 10 years I have felt the stress and pressure of work a great deal. Two episodes stand out. In late 2002 I was suffering much stress from work which led to taking sick leave for a month, the first time I'd ever had a Doctor's sick note. To cut a long story short, the solution was to go for promotion and no sooner than I'd returned to work and opportunity arose. I knew at the time God was at work in that situation; I gained the promotion against the odds although I had no idea where it was going to lead.
The second stressful episode was in 2007-08 with work, once again, being the root cause. I should say that it wouldn't be fair to "blame" the (then) Home Office entirely but better to reflect on my own ability to handle various situations. Again I found myself facing a crossroad but whilst it seemed daunting, it was faith that provided the answer. Through asking "Lord, what can I do?" a whole range of options came flooding through. It is times like this that I do love Rachel so much in helping me work through these things. I remembered when I was in my early 20's getting a real kick out of being healthy and fit - especially pushing myself to breaking point when I ran and then going those extra few yards after the limit was reached. Wow that feeling of elation, nothing could stop me. So, with this in mind in 2008, I put aside thoughts of taking unpaid leave or even resigning and instead joined the local gym. Getting fit has provided a way of dealing with those pressures and strains. Those ridiculous targets and colleagues are still there but at least they're in perspective a bit better nowadays.
Other things to look back on during the noughties....
Our delightful daughters are growing. Our marriage is growing too. Many things have, perhaps surprisingly stayed the same. We still live in the same house, still go to the same Church, our lifestyle and standard of living is very similar. We went to Kenya in 2005 with YWAM and this might have planted a seed in our daughter's minds for later on in their lives. Again, we have faith that God has a plan for their lives.
So, in starting this blog for 2010, we'll see how life continues to unfold.....
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