The title of this entry is part of a song that the train driver on "Trumpton" (or was it "Chigley" or "Camberwick Green"?) used to sing. It has nothing to do with this blog entry except that time has flown by. However I always loved these three programmes and so thought they deserved a mention!
I thought it was about time I got around to blogging again - sorry for anyone who's been waiting for photos of our trip to the Rockies, I never quite got around to blogging it and it's rather old news now - however if you want to invite us round for supper we'd be happy to show you our photos and tell you all about it! Oh, I suppose that could be awkward if we happen to be in a different country to you - well I guess we could chat over Skype?
Anyway, I'm rambling! I suppose that's not surprising as I don't really have any news except to say that it's 17 days (26 June) until we go to Ottawa to visit the Moshers which we're really looking forward to, and it's 22 days (1st July) until we start our flight back to the UK arriving back on 2 July! It's amazing to think that we've been here for almost a year - we flew out to Ottawa from Glasgow on 26 June 2005 and it's now 9 June 2006. It has been quite an amazing year, with all sorts of adventures. It's the first time I have ever lived outside the UK - of course I've been on holidays elsewhere, but never actually lived long term outside the UK. It has certainly been an experience. I don't have any urge to live in any other countries, but I could definitely imagine us living in Canada again in the future.
As for the future, we're waiting to see where God takes us. I have a job to return to in the UK (which I could easily bring back to Canada) and Heather will probably have work with IBOLT for around six months (which she may also be allowed to do in Canada - a work permit being the possible problem) so that side of things is covered. We just don't know where God will want us, whether to remain in Morpeth for the time being, or to return to Canada. I guess those are the two options we see open to us, but who knows what else God may have up His sleeve - always the exciting part of living to please God and follow Him rather than just living to please yourself! We are confident that we shall return to Canada some day, and we expect it may be for another long stay, but when that will be and how many short term visits we will have before this, we honestly don't know.
So our future remains uncertain, and I am confident it shall remain so until we return to Morpeth! At least that's one thing we do know!! :-)
The life you've always wanted
So eyes away from the future, I've been reading a book my sister and her family sent for Christmas (I finally seem to be catching up with my Christmas presents - see my previous blog entry for a CD I just started listening to) called "The life you've always wanted" by John Ortberg which helps you get into spiritual disciplines - don't worry it's not as frightening as it sounds!
I am used to reading through books quite quickly and I realised I'm not taking them in properly so I wanted to do this book differently. As such I am just focusing on the first two disciplines at the moment - 'The practice of celebration' and 'The practice of "Slowing"'. It's funny because the second one is exactly what I realised I needed to do with my reading!
Isn't it crazy that we have to discipline ourselves to start the day thanking God for as many blessings as we can think of, to practise going through the day with an attitude that looks to enjoy as much as we can out of the day rather than looking for things to grouse about? Isn't it stupid that we allow our lives to become so busy that we miss the whole point? Isn't it idiotic that we spend much of our lives waiting for the next thing rather than learning to enjoy what we are currently doing? Isn't it sad that we have to learn to receive the blessings that God wants us to live with - how much we need to become little children again who wake up with a smile on their face and can dance through the day. How complicated we have to make things, how intelligent we have to pretend we are when a child can live in the delight of "Do it again Daddy." Do we think this is childish or childlike? How often does God say to the sun and the moon at the beginning and end of a day, "Go on, do it again" and rejoice in yet another chance to lavish His grace and love upon us?
I cannot hold any credit for these thoughts, they're all found in this book, but these thoughts are impacting my life - I'm already finding myself thanking God for all kinds of things every morning as soon as I wake. If we "enter His gates with thanksgiving" let's get in there first thing in the morning and stay there all day!
It may take me months, maybe years to get through this book in a way such that it truly gets into me, but this is the kind of life I want to live - one where I simply press on to be more and more like Jesus.
Have a think on this one - can you run a marathon at a whim or do you have to train? We can try as hard as we like if we haven't trained, but we will fail. It is not a matter of trying but training! Why do we think we can live the Christian life without putting in any spiritual effort, avoiding these disciplines. Paul writes several times how he disciplines himself and pushes himself so that he might qualify for the prize. No our salvation is not based on our works, but if we truly wish to live the Christian life the way God has made available to us, it comes at a cost - discipline and training. I have been a spiritual couch potato too long - I'm realising I need to get those spiritual track pants on and get my act together! I want to have life and have it to the full.
Well there's a few thoughts to keep you going. :-)
God bless you,
Steve 
