All go!

Please excuse the fact that the photos are all over the place but I am so not good at my lefts and rights. This is also as technological as I get so I am trusting that as you read you will realise which photo goes with which paragraph. xx

This week has been busy and varied with all kinds of visits from friends and to family. The weeks fly past and we are so aware of the shortness of our time here in Edinburgh. It really is a beautiful city and these pictures are of Tuesday evening when the girls and I were on a bus on our way home.


There is much we may miss about Edinburgh but we are looking forward to the green open spaces again. One of the things we will miss is the friends we have made here. Bethany and Lydia made great friends with Gemma in Penicuik and this week was school half term so she came over on Wednesday for the day. We girls all went to the Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder area. We had a great time and Gemma is a lovely girl that I hope the girls will always stay in contact with.




On Thursday we went off to Fort William. As a family we had got my mum a new computer and sorted her out with broadband so we took it up and also we were able to share in celebrations for my Granny's 99th birthday. She really is an awesome lady and on her birthday when we went into her house she had already hoovered her carpet and dusted around. Oh and taken down all her cards thus having forgot that it was her birthday but I reckon that is allowed! Her house looked like a garden centre by the end of the day!



We had to come back on Saturday as that evening was the rally in Gorgie Mission. It was a bit of a rush to get back and make the sandwiches and get ourselves ready but we made it... just!!! The group that sang were called Ministry in Song and really did well.

On Saturday I had to do a quick stop in Asda. When we first moved back to Edinburgh I was constantly looking for a friend of mine from school. Her name was Julie and she was a twin. We had been very friendly and during our years in school her mum had sadly died of cancer. When we would come back from Ireland I would go to her house and see her but that was the extent of our communication. When we moved I went to her house to find they had moved away. So many times in the street I would think I might have seen her and she was often on my mind. Just a couple of years ago I found out that she too had died of cancer leaving behind a little son. I was devastated that this was the news. On Saturday when I was standing at the checkout in Asda I looked over at another lady standing and just the way she bit her lip I knew she had to be Julie's sister. It wasn't her twin Kerry but an older sister called Amanda. I accosted her (the poor thing) and was able to find out about Julie and when she died and to learn that Kerry is expecting a baby in June. God is so gracious that after all this time of searching for someone and coming up with such a sad outcome that I should find out something about them and be able to pass on my good wishes.
It has been a full weekend again and we are tired today as I am sure many of you are. God is good and He can give us the energy we need to cope with all that life throws our way. I am off to get ready for the home educating mum's bible study on tonight. We are studying a Mission to Motherhood. It certainly is a missionfield right inside our own home. It is important for our children to see us being spiritual at home and not just outside or in church where it is easy to sound holy. We must show Jesus in every situation... even when we drop the pudding on the floor!!!! That isn't always easy and of course we slip up and make mistakes but it is important that we live it out. Talk it and walk it. Let us as we live our Christian lives in front of those we love never have any regrets. Talk about Him more now... live for Him entirely now..... be as holy as it is possible for a saved sinner to be now. We never want to stand in Heaven and say I wish I had given Him more. Give it all to Him today.
God bless you this week. With love, Elizabeth. xx
ps.. please continue to pray for Calum and his family. His blood pressure seems to be stabilising but it is still not perfect. He is in Inverness while I am writing this. Pray for his health to be back to normal and they can return home knowing of the serenity that is to be found in Jesus.xx

When it comes to writing my post each week I have forgotten what has gone on through the past week! My memory is awful but maybe it is something to do with the fact that much happens in a week. This week started with some more snow... it was a lovely surprise and we went out for an hour in the afternoon and made the obligatory snowman of course!


We had our homeschool group again this week and a lady from Sainsburys came and did a demonstration of healthy food for the kids.

Our friends Stuart and Glenda have been through the mill with Calum again and he was airlifted to hospital on Thursday due to what they think was high blood pressure. It is still high but they have been let out of the hospital today and are staying in Glasgow tonight so they are near a hospital if needs be.
Johnathan, Janet, Paul and Ryan came to visit. Johnathan had to leave to go off to a youth weekend but Janet and the kids stayed and we had a great time together. We miss them a lot when they are not here but it is true friendship when you can meet up and it is easy to pick up where you left off.





This weekend was full of comings and goings. Our visitors who were staying left on Sunday morning and then off to church we went. It is great to see our 7 kids from Sunday school being so frequent at coming and enjoying being there. We The mission have decided to call back the man who spoke for the vacancy in order to chat to him and get to know him a little better. They also have decided very kindly to give us a farewell dinner on the 25th April... boy it is coming close now.
Tonight I am typing this just before our prayer meeting so we will again bring the needs of a Godly pastor before the Lord. He knows our needs before we even ask for them yet He is keen that we voice them to show our reliance on Him. I am so aware of how much I need Him but sometimes I need to be reminded of His desire to give me more than I ever even imagined. What does He have for you this week? Are you seeking to know Him more? He has so much that He wants to give you but is waiting for you to give Him the go ahead. I am amazed at how a God who made the universe is interested in my every need and every moment of my day. The plans He has for me are so much better than the plans I have for myself...so let's be led by Him and seek His will for our lives!

Computers!!!!

Computers huh? I was nearly finished my post to the blog and it has disappeared...aaah!
Never mind, today is our day off so I shouldn't complain really! We have had a good week with some lovely times. Like going to Gorgie Farm to see the new lambs.



Every Friday Samuel comes to spend the afternoon and this past friday we went to the beach... I know twice in the winter. We have been more in winter than we were in the summer!






We meet so many people with difficult family situations and it is heart breaking not being able to do more to help. There are so many situations vacant for missionaries here in my homeland. People need to know about Jesus and the hope that He brings to lives.
I am enjoying meeting with the 2 mums in the Bible study I do on Thursday evening and we have pledged to commit to memory more verses of the Bible. Deuteronomy 6 talks about teaching scripture to your family in the home when you sit down and stand when you lie down and rise. Having it before your eyes and written on your hands and adorning the doorposts of your home. In other words that we may be saturated in His word and able to remember it when we need it to encourage us in our task.
Last night the man who has applied for the vacancy at Gorgie Mission spoke. He is a very nice man and spoke very well. The congregation will see him a few more times and then will make the decision as to the future. Our real desire would be that Gorgie would have two pastors, one like the man last night who has experience and wisdom under his belt for the pastoral side and another young couple for the evangelism side. Am I asking too much? Nothing is impossible for God.
Carole had to stay over last night due to the snow. It still looks like a winter wonderland here but no fresh snow. Some people have had it really terrible though and Jonathan has been incredibly jealous! Well now he can go sledging at last... hope he minds his sore toe.
This week our good friends Johnathan and Janet and the boys are coming up to stay for a few days. It will be great to see them and catch up with all the news.
For now... be a missionary in your own area, don't leave it to someone else. You are called to do whatever you can. Perhaps just saying a kindly word, sending a card to someone who has been missing from church for a while. A phone call to a friend asking them to tea..... there are so many opportunities already there. Seize the day.
Blessings. xx

Kids and Dad. Home and away on Portabello beach!




This week has been a really good one with lots happening and some other things that were supposed to be happening having to be cancelled.
These cancellations though, resulted in my poor kitchen cupboards finally being cleaned out! I find it very therapeutic to get things back in order. Although I don't advocate that this is the way it should always be because I know some find it better to be higgledy piggledy. I am function better with an organised life... that will never come to fruition unfortunately but the cupboards were a start.
Tomorrow evening we have our prayer meeting which I am looking forward to as these days we need a lot of prayer. On Sunday coming (8th) the speaker who is coming is the man who is interested in the vacancy at Gorgie. We are very much looking forward to meeting him and are prayerful that he will be the right man for the job!
I am enjoying studying with a couple of the young mums from the church the Elizabeth George book, A Mom after God's own heart. It is a very challenging book which deals with our responsibility of being a Missionary to our own families. They really do see us as we are and therefore we must seek Him to be more like Him.
Our programme this week is busy enough with all the regular events. I am also going to Falkirk on Tuesday to meet up with a friend from Bible College days.... years ago!!! I will let you know how I get on and if we see much difference in each other after 12 years!
Jonathan has been able to buy himself a computer which he has been waiting for for a long time. God enabled us to find the deal at just the right time.... Jon is a very happy fellow! In these days of credit crunch be assured that our God, the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, is able to provide for you and me. Sometimes He allows these situations to occur knowing that it is only to Him that we can turn. Don't let a situation get too desperate before you give Him His place at the helm of your life.. Do it now. I know He will keep on leading, protecting and providing. What an awesome God we serve.
Blessings to you this week! E. xxx

Sporadic blogging!

Well I am sorry it has been so long but it has been another busy period. After new year we went off to Limerick to see our friends The O'regans and see the Limerick New Testament Church that they have just started over the last few months. It is amazing how God works and we have known this family for about 7 years and have seen God moving through them to this point.
We are back into the work again and doing ok. Sometimes I just feel that there is so much to do that it is hard to do anything well. I am realising that for Skye I need to be careful as to how much I take on. I am confronted a lot recently with the thought of how much I do supposedly for God and yet where is God in it all? I take it on myself and forget to include Him and maybe even some of the things I take on are not even God ordained.
I am learning each day to ask God to help me do only that which is in His plan and no more.
Our friends Stuart and Glenda from Skye have been through a really tricky and testing time with their little chap Calum not being well. I have so seen what I have believed to be God's grace in their lives. As hard as it has been to watch them, Glenda being like my own sister, I have been challenged in my own spiritual life to see that God carries us just when we need it. They have now got out of hospital and are on the road back to recovery. There is a link to their blog on my links thingy. Check it out!
Ok. I am off as Jonathan is out at the Bible Study and I am hoping to use this time wisely in cleaning up. May God bless you!!!

Well Christmas and New Year have certainly been an adventure. Not a quiet one either but we have very much enjoyed both. We had Christmas at home in Gorgie just ourselves and one of the wee girls from Church came along for the service we went to and then to our home for lunch. Out of all this wee girl got she still wasn't happy with her Christmas. Our children aren't really looking for stuff but really time spent with us.
Next we went to Fort William to spend sometime with my mum and Gran. She is doing well at 98 and 11months but you can see her getting frail. The scenery there was amazing though with temperatures as low as 7.5 degrees.




We had a blast up in Skye for new year and really enjoyed the company!!! We are still house hunting but very aware that God has it under His control and so we are not worried at all. He will sort it out in His own time.




Now we are in Ireland with our friends Garrett and Jackie. They have been friend with us since we were in Cork with the Faith Mission. They have moved to Limerick and now just this year they have started Limerick's New Testament Church. www.limericknewtestamentchurch.com Copy and paste that into your address bar. (Cos I don't know how to do it for you and make it a direct link thing... sorry). They had a Bible study here last night. It is great to see a young new church made up of mostly men. They sung For He alone is worthy at the end and I felt sorry for the neighbours as all these powerful manly voices were booming through the wall.
So we will let you know how we have got on. Will speak to you when I get home. Looking forward to sharing this week end with our friends and the fresh new church. May God give us the freshness of new faith in Christ. Be His! Love Elizabeth. xx

Happy New Year!!!

We are moving to Skye this year and we are very excited about it. As I type we are spending New year with Stuart and Glenda and family in Skye. We have had a great time and we are so looking forward to being here for good. Even though it is a tad colder here than Edinburgh. I hope all has gone well for you this new year and 2009 and will be a great adventure with God. I will write more when we get home on Monday and share some of the pictures with you. See you then... Love Elizabeth.xx