We had a lovely afternoon down at the beach at Broadwater as Sophie got baptised today. She had told us a couple of weeks ago she wanted to and after talking to Noel about it, today was the day. It was good timing because I spoke at church this morning about my job and chaplaincy as part of our regular mission Sundays focus. We gathered at the beach and lots of Sophie's friends were there.Noel explained what was going on and asked Sophie publicly if she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour.Deb, the youth pastor's wife who has been running a group for the teenage girls at church, and I went out into the water with Noel, he said the traditional words, "We baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and into Jesus" as Deb and I lowered her into the water.She came up grinning.We rejoined the group back on the beach and a number of Sophie's friends gathered around her and prayed for her.It was very special to be part of it and to see the way Sophie's faith and love for God has grown in the last few months, there has been a very obvious change in her heart, she's been much more at peace, with herself and with us, she's working and doing a really good job, and there is none of the conflict or tension that we were all living with 6 months ago. She is growing up and maturing into a lovely young woman and getting baptised, which was entirely her decision, is a sign of that maturity.We sat in the park having coffee and ice creams with a bunch of people from church afterwards, a very pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
When we got home Carolyn and I helped Jordan do his junk mail round because he wasn't feeling too well. With the three of us doing it it didn't take long to finish it.
Dominos did us a favour by cooking dinner for us.
Sophie and Clare arrived home just as I pulled up with the pizza saying they'd been craving pizza for an hour and were about to go and get some! I saved them the bother.
I finished a painting while watching TV, my second of the weekend, a more productive period than I've had for a while.
When we got home Carolyn and I helped Jordan do his junk mail round because he wasn't feeling too well. With the three of us doing it it didn't take long to finish it.Dominos did us a favour by cooking dinner for us.
Sophie and Clare arrived home just as I pulled up with the pizza saying they'd been craving pizza for an hour and were about to go and get some! I saved them the bother.
I finished a painting while watching TV, my second of the weekend, a more productive period than I've had for a while.
