Dear family of God,

Firstly, thank you all for the kind thoughts and for blessing us on Sunday. We are deeply privileged to be able to continue in ministry and we see it all as pure gift at this stage of our journey. We would like to share this advent thought with you this week.

There is a momentum in the air.   The nearer we get to the Holy day of Christ’s birth, the more we seem to scurry around with an unending list of things to do. TAKE A DEEP BREATH.  Some of those things are inconsequential and perhaps even unnecessary.   Take a pen and delete the unimportant.   Focus on the essentials of this holy season.

Mary and Joseph had to discard the things that did not matter, such as weariness from a long journey, the lateness of the hour and the lack of accommodation.   They had one single focus – the birth.   Let us not lose the blessing because we allowed ourselves to be caught up in the bewildered current of meaningless rush around us.   Come to the crib with a tranquil heart.

Peace to you all,

Paul and Lesley