Natalie Thinks

So after 40 years of ‘religiously’ attending church every Sunday, I find myself re-thinking how I’m going to do this church thing.     The last 10 years have made me re-envision church over and over again. Now I’m wondering whether to give up on it altogether. When we found ourselves living in a rural area, a few of us began to meet  as a small fellowship, first in our house and then in a school hall, at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon.  It was relaxed; it had that ‘ come as you are’ end of the weekend feel about it.  Then we caved to pressure and desires for growth in numbers and changed to a traditional morning meeting.  It was good, but it had that, ‘ have to get up early and get ready and nag the kids ’ kind of feeling. And then I after a total of 6 years I came down with an attack of spiritual fatigue.  The people were there, some were doing stuff, but mainly it was I who had to produce the goods week after week and whether it was a failure on my part to develop leaders, or to

I’ve always been aware that when I say “I don’t have time for something.” I’m not actually stating a fact, I’m stating a priority.   I don’t regard that particular thing as important enough to ‘make time’ for it.   But recently I realized that there are a few more layers to the whole issue of time management. I’ve been wanting to make time in my schedule for writing.  It’s a priority for me.  So as I’ve had free moments I’ve thought, “Now I can write!” Not so simple. These moments are frequently just when I’ve come home from a tiring day of teaching and I have an hour before I need to make a 80km round trip to fetch my son from school, knowing that when I get home I still have to cook a meal, help with homework, listen to my children’s stories, chat with my spouse and get myself and my kids to bed.  At this moment I’m tired and my body rightly tells me that I need to take this hour to have a coffee, relax and allow my body and brain some down time. Most of us lead very busy li

Jesus, please lead me to the place Where each day is holy; Set aside for You and Your kingdom. I want to know each moment Infused with Your purpose and vision. In my empty moments Please bring to mind those I can pray for. In my busy moments May I consciously serve others, my family, my colleagues, my customers, my friends. Grant me times of godly rest Enjoying the beauty of your creation and the inspiration of a creative spirit. Keep my busy times in line with  Your purposes so that they may not consume me. And lead me beyond my circle of comfort  So that I can bring justice and mercy in Your world. Amen.

I always seem to get so many more hugs and cuddles from my kids during the holidays. Hugs are the family equivalent of ‘stopping to smell the roses’, and holidays give us just such an opportunity.   I’m particularly blessed to have long stretches of these with my job as a teacher. The mornings are the best time of all. Just this morning my three-year old son woke next to me at about 7am (he had crawled in during the early hours of the morning) and said sleepily, “What are you doing here, Mommy?”  Next he wanted to know, “Where is Daddy?” “At the office.” Pause. “Mommy, does Mr. Frumble have a house?” (Richard Scarry character) Once I had answered this to his satisfaction, he wanted to know, “Can owls talk?” What a precious conversation this was to me!  Next followed the game with has become our holiday ritual these two weeks. I am addressed as ‘Mommy Chicken” and must hug and nurture my baby chicken.  He will crawl into a ball and then prompt me, “Mommy, say what is in t

Are kids more whiny (whinier?) today?  I’ve been teaching for four years now and this group takes the cake.  And honestly it wears me down.  Each lesson begins with my pet peeve, someone walks in and asks, “What are we doing, Natalie?” “Wait, I’ll tell you all when everyone is in and seated.” Then if I introduce anything that requires a modicum of effort (anything other than reading our setwork) I’m met with, “Aahhh! Do we have to?”  Talk about a downer!   Over the past few years I’ve been told by various children on various occasions that my lessons are varied and that we get more done in my lesson than in other subjects.  So presumably my lessons are fairly interesting and time is well-used.  Heavens, some children have even enjoyed my lessons!  But this class regularly threatens to dent my confidence in my teaching abilities.  The lesson is an exercise in motivation; I feel like a running coach running alongside exhausted runners going, “Come on, you can do it, just one more ki