This week has been rather crazy... and still has three days to go, if I assume Sunday as its end [discuss].  It has had plenty of good moments and plenty of anxious ones too.  It has been ministry in glorious technicolour, if by that we mean anything but grey (however many shades!) monotony.

My blog.  My rules.  So, OK, it's been pretty stressful one way and another.

It began with news of one friend being diagnosed with secondary cancer, another with a life limiting disease and a third dying, suddenly, of a heart attack.  The fragility of life and the seeming injustice of 'fate' have been writ pretty large.

It has continued with my over-developed sense of responsiblity, and unhealthy enneagram mix of 'loyal' and 'perfectionst' meaning I have over-reflected and taken personally things that other people maybe wouldn't.  With a solid proddy work ethic and enough guilt to make a great catholic, I'm on a hiding to nothing!!

There have been some really good bits - each of the Bible studies went really well, people engaged with the subject matter and we had great discussions.  Coffee Club was as ever good fun and all my many pastoral meetings seemed to go well.

As I type this, I do have a draft sermon ready for final editing and tweaking, before I bake cupcakes and fill goody bags for the student welcome tea tomorrow.  These are all good.

Being a minster-type person is a challenge - you simultaneously need the hide of a rhino with the softness of a kitten, strength with vulnerability, determination without domination.  I suspect that sometimes I try too hard, and that's why I end up stressed, stroppy, sleepless... But, I think I'd rather care too much than not enough.