Plan B....

So today officially we have had to withdraw from the purchase of the house that we thought was going to be our new family home.

There were 2 significant issues resulting from the survey...one of them (roof sagging/strengthening works required) we might have been able to live with, but the other one was insurmountable - an additional layer of bricks on the outside of two walls of the original house for which there was no information available as to why it was built, when it was put up, how the problem was assessed etc etc.
The surveyor advised that it was extremely unusual unless there were issues which were being 'covered up' - in particular structural cracking/subsidence....anyway the current owners were unable to shed any light on the issue so we've elected to reluctantly pull out and go for plan B.  The thought of buying a house which we couldn't sell on in 5 or 10 years makes me very nervous!
The only slight problem is that we don't quite know what plan B is yet !! That said, we're very peaceful that we've made the right decision !

It's OK....Jesus is still on His throne ! So I'm going to watch Reading play at the Madejski stadium this afternoon just to have some fun....looking forward to seeing the victorious promotion boys do their thang (and Kingsley the mascot always makes me smile!!)

Have a blessed weekend x

God's handprints...

Sitting in Devon after 5 days rest...children playing in the garden. I'm reflecting on the wonder of the Easter message, a message of Jesus' victory and triumph over death...a message that Ellie and I live in the good of every day of our lives.

On our wedding day, Ellie gave me an album she'd made entitled "God's Handprints" which artistically recounted all of the scriptures that had so clearly spoken to us both through our journey together, and all the evidences ('coincidences' some would say) of God's hand upon us and our children and upon our relationship together. I brought it with me to Devon to remind myself afresh.

Here's one of them which kinda says it all really....

Running the race....

Saturday's marriage time at the Olympic stadium was simply fabulous…permit me a little indulgence here…I was one of the first people ever to go over the finish line at the Olympic stadium!!…Well, when I say "one of the first"…actually I was 744th after completing the 5 miles in 36:23 I think it was - heho I don't think I'm going to make the cut for TeamGB but I did beat Sally Gunnell and Roger Black on the day :-)

Sunday was my 4th Reading Half Marathon - it was a hot day and I ran a pretty steady pace to finish in a good time for me (just under 1hr39mins).
The day's fun was sadly destroyed later in the day by the grim news that a man had died after completing the event…I found out on Monday that it was somebody from my workplace. Whilst I didn't personally know him, I confess to having "dropped off the precipice" a little knowing the pain that is being experienced by another family whose lives have now been turned upside down on a journey that they hadn't expected or signed up for.
My family came home from the event on Sunday with me. Sadly his family came home without him.

We must live in the knowledge that our days are numbered and that one day we WILL stand before the God of eternity. It's totally inescapable.

Heb 12:1-2
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.