Christmas in Redding

Here are a few photos that capture some of Christmas in Redding:



My family decided to dress up for our Skype date - French Magicians, Father Christmas/Shepherd and a Wise Fairy Mother, it was a lovely surprise.



 Christmas Eve and Christmas day were spent with the wonderful Horsburgh and Chadney families. From left to right - Amy Chadney, Mohini Horsburgh, Chia Horsburgh. The 4 of us took a break from Christmas prep and popped in to see a carol concert at the convention centre.



The Christmas tables were decorated with a Gram Cracker Village, complete with Play mobile people and roads



Left to right: Bec Mandl, me (with home made fascinater - be impressed), Amy Chadney

 

Christmas Tree Game. Rules: find a man and dress him up as a Christmas Tree using crepe paper, balloons, and any other objects that you can sneak in. My team dressed up Dan Horsburgh who is in the middle, his daughter Natarnia, is looking suitably impressed I think!

Boxing Day trip to Narnia/Mount Shasta organised by Joy Barham, it really was beautiful, I've never been in snow so thick

1st time cross country skiing, I managed to fall over only a handful of times. The trick is to stay in the ruts created by previous ski's. I couldn't turn round for the photo, hence the slightly disjointed appearance.



Chipmunk reveals changed mindset

Over the Christmas break I've been reading through my journal and taking note of areas in my thought life that have changed. It is often an event that reveals the truth of ones heart and mind, and in a recent opportunity that 'came across my path' I was encouraged to find a change in my thinking.

I had decided to take a bike ride along the Sacramento River Trail, about a 5 mile round trip which goes through beautiful countryside with a backdrop of snow covered mountains.  As I got further along the trail I passed less people and soon was by myself enjoying the sunshine and watching the fast moving Sacramento River.  As happens on such occasions my mind wandered and I imagined myself surprising an unsuspecting bear who was happily munching on a sapling.....instead, as I turned a corner, I saw a chipmunk sat right in the middle of the track. 

Normally they shoot off at the first site of anything, so it was odd that it didn't move. I stopped right beside it and could see it was still breathing, although there was a patch of red underneath it and I assumed it had been injured - HERE IS THE CHANGE OF THINKING - my first thought was....TO PRAY FOR HEALING!  As I got off my bike it suddenly skittered off, clearly not injured at all, and I realised that what I thought was blood, was in fact a red leaf it had been happily sat on! Although feeling slightly foolish at being mislead by a Chipmunk and my usually keen observational skills, I was so encouraged that my thinking had changed to - it being normal for me to pray and expect healing in any situation!

Abundant provision

My Grandmother - Eunice Hazlewood - recently died.  She was 94, a christian and died peacefully in her sleep.  I have many fond memories of my Grandparents, visiting them at their beautiful home in Donhead St Andrews, Shaftesbury. They were both wonderful Grandparents who have left an amazing legacy with God as their foundation and plenty of exciting stories and adventures together.

I had known there was a possibility that Grandma may die while I was at Bethel and had agreed with mum and dad that I probably wouldn't be able to come back for the funeral.  However when mum called and told me the news, my first thought was that I really wanted to be there. My main reason for not going would be financial, and that just doesn't compute in a supernatural environment where you regularly hear of Gods awesome provision.  So I mentioned to Father God that I would like to be with my family and that if I was to go He would need to provide for every area of my journey.

Within a few days of acknowledging my hearts desire:-

1. A friend had offered to pay for the entire flight home, over $800's

2. My Revival Group gave me a handful of cash, which when taking into consideration the exchange rate - was the exact amount needed for the train home from Heathrow

3. Another friend gave me an ipod Touch filled with music and teaching for the journey and for keeps.

I had 5 wonderfully precious days at home loving my family and celebrating my Grandparents lives due to Gods miraculous provision and peoples generosity.

When I was preparing to come to Bethel, I had more than one melt down over finances.  At one point Father God asked me if I would rather have the security of all my finances up front or joining Him in the adventure of His provision - what a choice...I realised that fear would choose 'security' where as faith chooses adventure. Sometimes it feels easier to cling to a familiar fear than launch into a fairly unknown ocean, but the reality is that God is good all the time. With Him a financial need and potential place for fear changes into an opportunity to see His manifest and glorious provision, which is always totally worth waiting for.  Which would I prefer?...hands down, last word said...I want His adventure every time!