This morning's service was based on the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax-collector, but my thinking had got well and trully side-tracked by thinking about the 'I'm OK, your'e OK' thing of Transactional Analysis.  That in itself was a good thing, because it caused me to recognise aspects of my personality and reactions that aren't so healthy/helpful.

As the 'altogether' part of the service we made 'warm fuzzies' and then gave them away to each other, exchanging them over and over.

I loved the general buzz of activity as people made their fuzzies, helping each other with the googly eyes and then deciding who they would give their fuzzy.

It's been a very long day, partly at least of my own making, and it's been a rewarding, if demanding, one.  I have had some encouraging 'fuzzies' and hope that I haven't exuded too many 'pricklies'... still working on the "I'm OK" bit, but that's probably a life-time's work!!

This morning, after I'd completed the formal service prep, and organised the visual aids and interactive bit of the service, I sat down to read these two books, which arrived yesterday.  They are very North American and very dated (even the new edition is about 20 years old!) but they provided a good reminder of the basics of Transactional Analysis to which we were, necessarily fleeting, introduced during one of our pastoral care modules (when, given that was at least fifteen years ago, the updated material was still pretty current) as part of ministerial formation/training.

I learned two new words along the way...

Prinzes which is a (1970s?) gender neutral word for 'princes and princesses' ... I guess it has all the appeal of Ms but has never found the same level of acceptance!  Prinzes are OK.

Frozzie is a word the writers invented for frog, allegedly gender neutral, but then so is frog, at least in English. Frozzies are not OK.

Drawing on the fairy tale concept of wicked witches turning princes into frogs, the books then explore some TA ideas in an interesting way.

Quite shocking to read books that still see spanking children as normative, but even so, was good to be reminded of my own tendencies towards the 'jerk' (good child) and the 'critical parent' (bossy) and how that can play out in stress situations! 

Maybe one day I'll actually read the grown up version!!

Bit of a blog fest this morning!

Postie just arrived with a small package containing this beautiful cross stitch, which is now pinned to the noticeboard of my new office, until such time as I can get it framed.

Whilst it arrived anonymously, I am fairly sure I know who sent it, as I'd admired a photo of it on her own social media page.  Such a selfless and generous gift - and a real blessing.

I will enjoy it, and admire it, but I will hold it lightly, knowing that a day will come when it needs to bless someone else.

Fairly recently, a friend introduced me to this website which has prayer resources based on world news, and to which you can subscribe for a weekly update - can be really helpful when formulating intercessory prayer.

Self indulgent cat photo - though I think it illustrates that the kitties are relaxed and refreshing themselves in my newly completed office!

Over the past few days my loyal laptop has begun to get slower and slower, and the internet browser I use has begun to hang (and sometimes crash) with increasing frequency.  In one of those supreme ironies, in order to find out how to fix the browser problems, I had to use its help facility which, you've guessed it, opened the browser.

So, a good hour and a half this morning has been devoted to clearing out redundant software from my laptop, going through web bookmarks and deleting those I no longer use and, finally, doing the 'refresh' which opens up the browser without all the bells and whistles that have, deliberately or otherwsie added themselves over time.

And now my laptop is a lot happier, it has to be said.

Refreshing and clearing out clutter... that feels like a metaphor for my life at the moment!  Yesterday I threw out another two black sacks full of stuff that I had kept 'just I case I ever need it' and know that, between perosnal and church clutter there will be a fair few more in the days ahead.

I am sure that I will never attain 'minimalism', nor would I want to, there are stories and memories embedded in so many of the things that surround me, and lots of things that undoubtedly will come in useful.  At the same time, it is surprsingly liberating to let go of that I haven't looked at in years.

What has struck me, both with 'refreshing' the laptop and reordering my home (still a work in progress!) is that it demands concerted effort, determination and patience, along with accepting that it may get worse before it gets better...

Learning to work from home again is quite challenging, especially as the kitties have to learn what 'work time' looks like (hence beds for them in the office!) but it is, or at least will be, quite refreshing.

Next job will be the routine back up of all my key files from my laptop... and then from the church PC...