One Joy fulled week

Hard to believe I have been here for just over a week. I can send you wonderful news that my cold is finally starting to clear up with a little help from modern medicine I must admit!! (my stubbornness did not last!! after a week of coughing and feeling run down I finally gave in and recalled advice that there is no harm in modern medicine it does actually work! thank you Lord for gifting me with wonderful memories when I need it to recall wisdom) 

Head is still a little foggy however I am on the home straight and nearly back to myself ;o)

The weekend was full of celebrations, on Saturday night I went to Templeston for a celebration at Holy Cross with the priest from all over the country, local lay companions and other people who have been apart of the church on their journeys. You could see the spirit and charism so strongly and the stories… oh the stories some of them have, amazing. I was seated at a table with eight others, including a lady who was the gardener - so got insight into the soil conditions here. Plus her husband who kindly informed me he was missing out on the cycling and hopes to get home in time to watch the australian swimming team. I spoke to him about sport for a bit, he doesn't support Guptill at all so told him that we can't talk about cricket as I don't have much to say about the Australian team, their sportsmanship need a bit of fine tuning to say the least!! So we talked about Hamilton, and he started to talk about the tennis. I need to learn tennis in my down time - I am on a mission...

Then on Sunday I got to experience first communion mass. It was so beautiful, the church was full, there was about 15 young ones dressed in white dresses and black suits. There was a proudness in the parents, grandparents, all with the rest of the family and extended family in some cases, to embrace the children with happiness as they are now able to come to the table to receive Christ. 

Truly beautiful in all aspects, to think that I was witnessing the future church, in all its diversity and growth that is yet to come. Amazing. 

I just hope that the future church is one of celebration, thankfulness and joy. I sometimes look around and wonder if people have joy. (more so outside the walls of the church building itself) I often think that happiness is liking the present moment because it pleases us, whereas joy is not the same. Joy is much deeper and more long-range as it appreciates the past, the present and the future - not just the present moment like happiness yet all because the heart is right with God.  I guess really having joy would mean that everyone would celebrate all the time, what a wonderful thought. 

 ♪♫♪Ive got Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy down in my heart - WHERE - down in my heart …. ♪♫♫