Captain's Log August 2014

A different kind of News & Prayer Letter this month as August included a two week holiday!

The transition from Chichester to Lichfield is beginning to take shape and Jane and I spent a weekend in Staffordshire at the beginning of August. Fortunately we saw the area dressed in her best and in welcoming sunshine. It is a very beautiful county and Stafford is an attractive city and even more so is Lichfield.  Lots of bits of history to explore which holds good. The Cathedral at Lichfield is outstanding and I was particularly drawn by the section in the East End with no stained glass just a cascade of light and a view of God’s good creation. (Remember the window episode on Vicar of Dibley!)   On Sunday we joined the good people of Christ Church, Stone. One of the aspects we are keen to get right is that we find a good Faith Community/Church. What we hope and pray is that having got that right we can then try and find a home that is accessible. This is particularly important for Jane who does not have independent transport.  We also visited Jane’s sister, Alison who lives just below Oswestry about an hour’s drive away. Again one of the building blocks we want to put in place is a ‘regular’ getting together with Alison. It is only too easy to move with all sorts of promises to be in touch and visit and then all sorts of other demands creep in and take over.



Remember the story of filling the jar. The big things have to go in first and then everything else fits around them.





Our holiday in Crete was fabulous and was everything about holidays that we enjoy. Exploring historical sights during the day, including on one day the 11 mile hike through the Samaria Gorge, then a swim in the sea followed by a nice meal out in the many restaurants and taverna’s in the evening in the 30+ temperature.  On one occasion we climbed high into the mountains in our hired Suzuki Jimny and decided to try and find our way across the Kathero Plataea. As we zipped around a corner into a small village we spotted a taverna with a local lady beckoning us to stop.  By the time we had processed the information we had gone past and turning back wasn’t such an easy option. But then the tarmac gave way to a dusty dirt track.  We became

hopelessly lost wandering around the tracks and had to turn back as they often ended in isolated farmsteads. Eventually we found our way back to the village and this time stopped at the taverna had a drink and asked if we could get across the Plataea. The young man who served us said if you have a car that can handle the road then all you need to do is to get on the one track out of the village and keep going, turning neither to the left nor to the right.  With time running out and petrol gauge dropping we thought discretion was the better part of valour and kept to the tarmac road and made our way back the way we had originally come! But at least I now have a good sermon illustration out of the experience!