Did anyone else find that June seemed to fly by so quickly? I’m finding it hard to believe we’re halfway through the year already!
I’ve been a little bit quieter on the blog this month as so much has been happening elsewhere- nothing bad, just a lot happening all at once, which left me feeling a bit overwhelmed at times and having to cut back somewhere.
New Discoveries/ Highlights:
June is always a busy month for music and I had some kind of performance every weekend: symphony orchestra concerts, the Royal Highland Show and of course various local gala days.
When I confessed to being in a marching band earlier this month, Andrew asked for a video. I didn’t have one at the time, but this one from a gala day this month will give you a little glimpse. (Our band comes on just after the 5.30 mark and I am in the back row furthest from the camera.)
I also spent a week away with a group of teenagers moving into Christian leadership for the first time. It was so encouraging to hear their stories and to see them grow over the course of the week through the various leadership tasks they took part in.
After playing guitar publicly for the first time last month, I actually led worship for a (small) group of people this month. It was clunky and imperfect, and I am still only really confident with two songs, but I am enjoying learning, and it is a good reminder of what worship is really about. It’s far too easy for me to fall into seeking musical perfection and miss the whole point. I’ve enjoyed reading the book “Worshipping God” by RT Kendall, which interestingly doesn’t get into talking about music until chapter 18! If you’re interested in exploring different aspects of worship and the heart behind it, I’d definitely recommend this book!
My final highlight of June is also a new discovery: escape rooms. If you’ve never experienced an escape room, it involves being locked in a room (usually in a group of 4-10 people) and having to hunt for clues and complete various challenges in order to escape. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a lot of fun and there was definitely a sense of achievement when our team of 6 managed to escape in 58 minutes! (The deadline is an hour and apparently only around 30% of teams manage that in this particular room.)
My word for the year (Voice):
I’ve been focussing on listening this month. In my previous church I did training in a ministry called Lifecare, which involves meeting one-to-one with someone in order to listen to them and give them space to work through a problem or struggle. (In some ways there are similarities with counselling, but Lifecare is for people who may not need the same level of skilled professional help but would benefit from having someone to listen to them.)
When I moved on from that church, I was unsure what that meant for involvement in Lifecare. Then I discovered that a new friend in my current church had done the training too and that we both felt called to this kind of ministry in our local area. We met and prayed a few times but weren’t sure how to move things forward. However, unexpectedly, within a couple of weeks of one another, opportunities came up for each of us to meet with someone! At the moment this is through the contact at our previous church and is not in our local area, but it is a good opportunity to develop our skills and gain some experience.
It’s been a huge learning curve. No matter how much training you have done, I don’t think you really learn these kinds of skills until you put them into practice. It’s not always easy to know what to say, when to challenge, when to just be quiet and listen.
It has certainly made me realise my dependence on God in a fresh way. It can be easy to drift along doing the things we are used to, the things we know we can do, but when we are taking on new challenges, out of our comfort zones, recognising our weaknesses and our limitations, those are the times we really realise how much we need God’s strength and help.
I am quickly learning that the key really is listening: listening to the person I am seeking to help, but also listening to God, and seeking his guidance every step of the way:
“Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say: “This is the way you should go,” whether to the left or to the right.” (Isaiah 30:21 NLT)
June Playlist:
Weep With Me- Rend Collective
This popped up on my YouTube feed only a day or two after the London Bridge and Borough Market terror attack and it has been an appropriate song considering the many tragic events that have taken place in our nation this month.
Called Me Higher- All Our Sons And Daughters
God I Look To You- Jenn Johnson
How has June been for you? Feel free to share a reflection or highlight in the comments.
You are just expanding your borders in every direction! What a fun post to read and to imagine all the people being blessed by your faithful acts of service and self-giving!
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Thanks, Michele! I didn’t realise I’d been doing so much until I started writing it all down!
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Wow, you definitely have a lot going on! But God is using you for His glory. Escape room—no thank you! I would be screaming to get out in about three minutes. lol
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It might not be as bad as you think. I struggle with small spaces or feeling trapped but there is a worker who watches you on a camera and feeds in various clues from time to time. He said that he’d let us out at any point if we needed it so you’re not really trapped, and once we began searching for clues I got too caught up in the challenge to worry about it.
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LifeCare ministry definitely sounds challenging! and wonderful for all involved. What a unique ministry! Yes, June was much too swift! But then, it always is. Have a blessed July!
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Thanks, June. It is a good opportunity for people to have space to talk and someone to listen. Hope your July is good!
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Ooh I love Rend and I hadn’t heard this song yet. So so good!
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Glad you liked it. I love their music too!
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This year is flying by, isn’t it? Love hearing what you’ve been up to and watching your video. March on, friend. I’m dying to try the escape room we have here. Sounds like such fun…and panic, but in a good way 🙂
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Thanks, Mandy. I found the escape room a lot of fun, and not as stressful as I thought it might be. I’d like to try another one now!
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I like reading folks month in review posts. It seems to reveal more about you apart from the writing. I’ve not heard of LifeCare but it sounds like something many can benefit from. Listening is harder than it seems and often just what we need.
I’m a fan of Rend Collective too. Their Campfire Christmas is one of my favorite holiday albums. Fun to read what’s going on in your life Lesley. And inspiring.
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I’m glad you liked the update. I’m gradually getting comfortable sharing a bit more.
Yes, I think real listening can be a lot harder than we realise, but it can also be more effective than we expect.
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It sounds as you’ve been busy in the best kind of ways! Internal growth and achievements might not translate into lots of blog posts, but they enrich our lives and thus make our blog posts richer. Have a happy July!
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Thanks, Anita. Yes, and I have lots of blog post ideas floating round in my mind just now. I just need to decide which ones to write! Hope July is good for you too.
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Lesley, love your voice and ramblings about the month here. A marching band, so cool. And now learning guitar. Branching into ministry opportunities. You are busy, but blessing others. Listening is so essential, and something I am trying to develop. Especially with those closest to me who I tend to ignore or half listen to more than others. Sometimes because I think I already know what they are going to say. But surprise, often I don’t.
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Thanks, Theresa. It’s true, it’s easy to make assumptions that turn out to be wrong. It makes a big difference when we really listen.
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How cool to see your marching band, Lesley! I agree with others’ comments … these monthly wrap-up posts provide such fun windows into people’s regular lives! Good for you to try all these new things … playing guitar in public, escape rooms (yikes!), using your Lifecare training … it all inspires me to not shy away from new activities/assignments myself!
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Thanks, Lois. I didn’t realise until I wrote this that I had been doing so many new things but I’m glad it inspires you!
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Summer can be busy for sure. I thought this one was going to be a bit laid back … but not so! All good with grandkids and teaching opportunities, but busy none the less!
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I always expect summer to be quieter but I think it’s just busy in different ways.
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You speak about one of the best features about blogging, Lesley … the ability to write when we want, take a break when we need to, come back and share what we’d like when we’re ready.
;-}
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Yes, it’s good that we can make the rules and adapt when we blog and what we write about according to what else is happening.
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I love the video’s you posted. Beautiful. I love flying, so I especially love the one with the airplane. Flying is my place where I meet GOD. I feel like I can almost reach out and touch him. I look for him out on the clouds. I know silly, but I used to make a flight a week to visit a child that was sick. They were difficult flights, but I was not alone God was right there.
Thank you for sharing. I need to save this one.
Blessings,
Maree
I can’t believe June is gone. Now, I can’t even remember what I did. Haha.
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Thanks, Maree. I love how we can all connect with God in different ways. I really don’t like flying but I love the song! 🙂
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In regard to you point made around Isaiah and listening … I once said that, “the eyes are blind to what the heart can see through wisdom.” Take it from someone who has necessarily relied less on his eyes than other means that God provides.
Thank you for the post. Nice message. Check out my blog if you would and consider following me.
Blessings,
Jeff
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Yes, it is so important not just to base our thinking on what we can see but to listen to the wisdom God is speaking to our hearts. Blessings to you too!
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