Our New Home - The Village of Overton

I've been getting a little grief about putting some pictures on here so I figured it was high time I did something about it. :) We get easily caught up in our daily life and forget sometimes to take enough pictures but recently I did take several shots of our village so here they are. Enjoy! RR

Big Things

I was talking to mom on the phone and she asked what about big things? I didn't know what she meant, big as in the size of the sun compared to the earth, big as in "i have big test on Monday I'd better study" big as in "a big part of our sales are hamburgers and hot dogs" big can be taken in many different ways. I'm looking at big from the standpoint of too much for me to handle or enact only God can do the "big" and I can be there to help. Much of the way of following Christ is looking, seeking and finding where He is already at work and then joining Him. It's not about coming up with a big idea that is near impossible to start or complete, rather it's about joining what is already brewing, or getting a team around to take on a new initiative. Maybe in our lives things look too big because they are not what we are to focus upon, they are too big for us to handle on our own. They aren't too big for us to handle with Jesus at the helm, the ship ain't too big that it can't be steered down the canal, I learned that first hand, even though it was a relatively small boat, you see the analogy hopefully:) When God has asked us to do "big" things at first they do seem improbable and impossible, over time and understanding they don't usually seem so big, in fact they seem attainable and possible. Of course over time we usually see what God is already doing, it's not just us on an island trying to reinvent the wheel again, it's already been invented, we just have to be willing to use the wheel that exists.
In Bible college one of the most important challenges that was laid out to the students was to think big, not settle for the small. This changed our thinking, instead of thinking what can we do, our thinking shifted to what can we do only if God is behind it and through His power. Though that thinking may not seem like a monumental shift try it yourself, you'll realize that when He asks "big" things that they can only be done in His power. This is something we learn all the time, hopefully it is an everyday occurrence, because if so then we are going for it, and doing the big, the improbable and impossible which turns to attainable and possible. thanks for listening, love ya mom
deeder

little things

Ya it's the little things that are usually the roughest aren't they? Small thing in my mind, the leaves changing in Goshen were cool, they were amazing in Elmira, but here not so much. It's not that they are unpretty (word?) but it's more that they are not spectacular. Maybe that's not the worst thing, getting used to spectacular is not the best way to live, in fact it probably sets one up for frustration more often than not. It seems to us if we let the little things get to us, then they get to us. I know that sounds simple or maybe even corny but it is true. If we don't let them get to us, then we're not bothered, sort of like me and brownies. If they're there, I eat them, if they're not I don't remember them and don't eat them. If I'm not bothered then life is easier on the whole. If you have found this confusing count yourself normal, cuz as I write this I'm getting more confused by the sentence. Switching gears a bit, Rebecca and I are involved in a village pantomime this Christmas. For those of you who don't have a clue what I'm on about, it is a like a comical play that local villagers come together to learn and perform, the crowd interacts with the actors/actressess and it pretty much a farce much of the time. sounds fun doesn't it, we're playing ourselves in the story of Alice in Wonderland, that doesn't exactly fit, but ok, it is a panto as they say. Gotta run now, the clock is striking 6:44
e

helping out

One of the areas of life that gives both Rebecca and I much joy is the classroom. We thought that we might have some opportunity this year, but didn't know how that might work out. It has, we are going into the Kings School (the school run by Basingstoke Community Churches) to work with small literacy groups from y3 to y5. This happens to be the ages that I taught at Ox Bow so wonderful memories are being conjured consistently whilst working with these lads and lassess. Today some of what Rebecca did with a group was rhyming, again straight out of her book of past experience:) We each have 3 groups in the morning, I have one of 3, then a group of 8 then another of 6. The 8 is like my own little classroom for a 1/2 hour, oh what fun, today we continued on writing a story based on the story starters from last week. To those of you who are educators you will probably understand that, if you're not you may not care much, but I do get a charge out of it. Rebecca has a group of 2, 3 and 4, it is much like when she used to send small groups out to the para, now we are the people who the small group goes and finds. No it's not heavy duty, but it's like a large Slurpee on a sweltering day. It doesn't last that long, but it is very refreshing and you look forward to the next one. So next Thursday should be a blast, as we continue writing stories, working with rhyming words, a short drama about 4 guys on a ship and creating different types of sentences, the more life changes the more it stays the same.
Mr. and Mrs. Robinson

Life in Slow Motion

Hey, it's Rebecca here, reflecting a bit on our new life in England. I'm going to try and describe how I am feeling but not sure I will be able to articulate it exactly. God has been up to some incredible things and I feel like I am just sitting back and watching Him do such cool stuff and He is allowing me to be a part of it. One thing that has been incredible is our neighbors. Since we arrived we have been warmly received by the people around us. We had 22 neighbors at our open house a month ago and the friendliness has continued. God has blessed me with an American friend right here in the village that simply knocked on my door one day out of the blue right after I had had a bout of homesickness. This friend has introduced Earl and I to numerous people down at the pub and it just makes everything more familiar. Two weeks ago we had the privilege of being asked to lead an Alpha course. Alpha is an 11 week course where people come to learn and discuss the Christian faith to see if they want to be followers of Jesus. It is an informal and engaging time. We are leading this course at the home of some of our fellow church members and it is great fun! It seems wherever we turn God is allowing us to experience Him in some way or another. One day out of the blue at the pub someone started asking me questions about my faith, it was cool to be able to share what God is doing in my life. I can't wait to see what will happen next! RJR

a rainy day

This is not all that uncommon in England to have "a rainy day". There is a saying "into one's life some rain must fall" how true is that, without it there is no growth. I have been working on a teaching series from stories of Elijah and one of Sunday's points was how important rain was in the culture of the Israelite people. Of course it is important now as well, but maybe we take it for granted though. Ya it is a bit grey, maybe unpleasant to walk in, and can make things sloppy but the alternative of hard-baked ground, brown grass and dust is not that great either. My mind has floated to thinking about what the rain in our life that falls is. I think in the saying it means rain is a bad, unfortunate, untimely happening that takes place, I would rather flip it the other way and say the rain is a wonderful, God-given provision that elicits life and growth. I have been known to enjoy an overcast day, somewhere in the 50's with a bit of wind, so maybe that's weird, maybe that's why a rainy day in my book is a good one, just so long there aren't too many in a row:)
your weatherman

Keeping Up

I know I know keeping up with a blog should not be very difficult, but go ahead and try it, you'll find that it's not that easy. Rebecca and I were talking the other day, we do much of that these days:) and realized that our day to day life was not very normal, it changes, shifts and looks different all the time. As a result routine which is something teachers get very used to has been somewhat tossed out the window. A typical week for example will have us in the town centre on Monday morning for prayer, then coffee with a friend. Often then we'll be home for the afternoon with either a men's discipleship group meeting or a leaders meeting at night. Tuesday's usually don't have too much although yesterday I was visiting a friend, we had lunch guests followed by a planning meeting, then we're going to see a Abi from KBC (that was pushed off until today) then we fit in a walk between the raindrops, a leftover based supper and a leaders meeting at night. Today now for example I am not leaving the house hardly at all, but know of 3 people stopping in at some point. All of this to show that routine is all but impossible for us to fall into, so things like writing consistently, playing guitar consistently, keeping up with friends all over the globe consistently fall away a bit, hopefully not too much though. One aspect of life that we are desperatetly trying to maintain is the idea of not being busy, but rather being intentional with our time and sometimes that means being busy but not running on a hamster wheel to accomplish it all. I realize there are only so many hours in a week, and Rome wasn't built in a day. With all that being said, i ought to get a move on with the day, working on a message for Sunday from I Kings 17:1 where Elijah confronts Ahab, oh it is soooo juicy, what a great kickoff to amazing stories from the Old Testament. So have a wonderful and find some time to step out of your routine and do something different!
edr