getting back to normal...

So, I'm a week away from returning to work full time...21st June is D-Day and I've spent today in the company of some of the lovely full time youth-workers I'm fortunate enough to work with as well as doing some diary management with Bishop John's PA.
It's good to have these KIT (Keeping In Touch) days in the maternity leave policy cos it's certainly got my juices flowing a bit and made me feel quite a bit more excited about jumping back in again!
We'll be getting used to the new 'normal' over the next few weeks - gradually getting Isaac into childcare and settled with Mel, our child-minder. I'm going back full time but mainly working at home initially so that I can take time to process all that has gone on over the last 9 months. I know I have an inbox full of meeting minutes and bits and pieces to read and I also need to catch up with lots of people. I'll need to be putting in place of working smarter as well as harder - maximising my 37 hours a week, doing as much as possible Monday-Wednesday and also being strategic with what I say yes and no to.

I've also been getting my creative juices flowing with some writing projects - most notably having an article published on the Sophia Network Blog about my journey with post natal anxiety. I haven't referenced it much here; apart from a post back in January when I was in a particularly struggling place, it hasn't felt appropriate to chart it on regular occasions. But writing the article as a summary of where I've been and where I've got to was very helpful and I have been overwhelmed by the supportive comments and emails I've received since it was published.








I always knew that once we had celebrated the Thanksgiving for Isaac on 3rd June, it would feel like a countdown to 'back to work'. We had a brilliant weekend with family and friends who had travelled mammoth distances in some cases to be with us. It felt like a real culmination of 10 years of marriage, together with our 2 children and our special people all together in one room. The rain was a bummer but you can't have everything!
Andy is away this week in Sheffield for a Missional Communities conference at St Thomas' Sheffield (http://pilgrimageuk.org/info/) and Matilda, Isaac and I are heading up there on Friday to join him and probably hundreds of others for The Order of Mission Global Gathering. Very excited about being with our covenant family and connecting in with all that God is doing and hearing from and meeting new people.

So, the new normal looks to be pretty exciting - hard work, busy but good and full of God!