Neil's blog

Just back from a week’s holiday in a cottage, north of Aberdeen, near Huntly. We were with our friends the Blackhursts & able to see Amy in her new surrounds at Hillhead Halls of Residence. Who’d have believed, almost 30 years on from my first year at Aberdeen Uni, that my 17 year old daughter would be looking out of her (en suite! We had to queue for the loo in my day!) flat window directly across at the window I looked out of in Adam Smith Hall in my first year of theology; truly gobsmacking! As expected, Amy’s settling in well and making new friends.

David & Gavin Blackhurst are preparing for their EMMS sponsored cycle in Jordan & Israel so I was happy to join them in a 40K + cycle through the spectacular Aberdeenshire hills. We also travelled home on Saturday via Deeside & Glenshee through the glorious sunshine, “From the rising to the setting sun, God’s love endures for ever!” We passed thousands of hay bails & felt inspired to take the attached photo; indeed a local fermer was passing by at just the right time to get his son to take the picture for us, tickled by our whackiness.

I’m not looking for sympathy after being 3 months in Oz, but during those 13 weeks I really only felt on holiday during the one week we were in Queensland, so it was fantastic to get completely away from all things work related, especially the web & emails which so easily suck you in. Taking total time out is so important that we might return renewed & refreshed, ready for further service & sacrifice. In Aberdeenshire we saw numerous fermers ploughing their fields & marveled at the patience required to be a fermer, long line after long line, then into the next field to do the same long line after long line; then comes the seed planting, waiting for growth, harvest, bail gathering, & so on. Mind you Jesus did tell us that sharing the ‘good news’ requires similar stickability & persevering love. We have to do a lot of pre-evangelism ploughing these days, helping remove the boulders that block people from receiving the good news of Jesus gladly. Lord may you send many more helpers to sew the seed & bring in soul harvest! Amen!