Zoe, our 17 year old has got her A-S results yesterday (penultimate high school year exams), and—phew!!—got all As (the highest possible grade) in all 5 subjects—Philosophy, Religious Studies, English, French and Critical Thinking. She got 100% in R.S. which I guess, incredibly, was the highest (equal) mark in the country. I was in shock, in delight, and in relief!!
We drove to Copenhagen in our new camper van, and I am fast in love with it, as with Stockholm, where we went last summer. Will go again, but take a ferry like sensible people next time. Copenhagen was a fascinating city, and my highlight was the pre-history exhibition in the Danish National Museum.
I am writing an essay for an anthology called “Letter to Myself,” (Christian writers write a letter to their younger selves) and it is taking longer than expected. Please pray for inspiration, and speedy writing. I would love it to be a classic, long-lasting essay after all my work and the rewrites.
So, we’ve played hard in Copenhagen, and I’ve been reading hard, and writing hard, and even walking hard with the Bible and Flaubert on my iPod. The one thing I haven’t done is rest hard, and I desperately need to seriously rest for at least a week to get through the school term. So please pray that I force myself to take a week of serious rest.
I am planning my rest week for next week when we are going to a family camp to listen to Mark Stibbe and Heidi Baker at the RiverCamp. We will be “camping” in our motorhome. I am looking forward to the worship, good teaching, and in particular, soaking prayer, which really revives my soul.
Then two days at home, and we’re off to another family Christian conference, the Revival Alliance, this time to hear some of my favourite and most inspiring Christian speakers and authors (from the Charismatic end of the evangelical spectrum) Bill Johnson, Heidi Baker, Randy Clark, John Arnott, etc. We are staying in a hotel, but taking the motorhome to rest in between sessions of what sounds like a super intense conference. There are special children’s sessions, and I think it will be amazing for the girls. And us!
Irene, 13 has firmly become a Christian. She has printed out Bible verses, and tastefully wall-papered her room with them, and put the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23 on the ceiling above the bed so she can pray them as she drifts off to sleep. I feel a bit nonplussed when the kids have a conversion experience and become super-sweet and helpful!! I hope she maintains this intensity about her faith, as she is loves academics too!
Copenhagen which I could have explored all day had I the energy helped me realize how physically unfit I am, and so I am walking every day, listening to the Bible or Flaubert’s A Sentimental Education. Please pray that I persevere in my goal of physical fitness.
And how may I pray for you?
