Sunday

A Clown called Dario - Xtra Special Day





We have various friends throughout the world mostly because we have lived in America and Belgium as well as the UK but also because we have been involved in different Christian Outreach Programs where people from various countries have come to stay with us while they do evangelistic work in association with whichever church we have been attending.







This week there was a solitary visitor to our church all the way from Italy to help with our outreach work during this month.  

He is called Dario and he is a professional clown.







He came to NI to work with children in Lurgan for a week.



Saturday Night we met him as Dario and not "Dario the Clown" while he explained how he came to be a clown and how God was working in his life.








Sunday Morning he came to our morning service at church and centred his actions and words on how God loves us, using imaginary flowers, a multi coloured piece of material, balloons, a suitcase and a young 9 year old boy he picked out of the congregation.








At the end of the service he made balloon animals, swords and hats for the children and they all got their photograph taken with him.








He even made a hat for me especially to match my cardigan.








Then to finish off Fred and I had our photo taken with him too.








Sunday Evening he was with another church who had joined with us to bring Dario over from Italy while we had a special Gospel message more for adults.








Monday Morning & Afternoon he was doing an an assembly and workshops in one of the primary schools followed by our After School Kids Club in another Primary School. 

This time he had an object like a feather duster.

He taught us how to greet a clown sitting down (because it involved lifting your right leg and various other precarious movements and he didn't want anyone to fall over), juggled with 3 balls and then explained how we should pray to God when we cannot do something because God has promised to help us and God had helped him to learn how to juggle with juggling clubs when he had found this very difficult and of course he enlisted the help of several willing volunteers.


Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday were also spent in Schools doing assemblies and workshops with the children



Thursday Evening was a special show in the Town Hall open to any of the children in the town of Lurgan, the hall was full of kids and parents and we had a fun-filled hour together with Dario instructing the children in many things such as how to greet a clown, how to spin plates, walk a tightrope and to know that with Jesus we can do all things.









Of course the balloons made an appearance so that Dario could make hearts for the the leaders of the churches who had hosted him.






Sunday Morning saw Dario at the other church again.



Sunday Evening we were delighted to have Dario with us again where he reminded us all that we are fearfully and wonderfully made by God, using balloons, a wig, a tutu and mime.



Thank you Dario for joining with us and teaching the children more about God.


Thank you God for your love for us, for helping us in all things, for creating us so uniquely and for making Dario such a caring clown.







Have you ever had a clown at your church?

Have you ever met a Christian Clown?

Are you thankful for God's love and for different ways to tell others of His love?





Wednesday

The Waterwheel - A Dose of Encouragement


        Some years ago a friend of ours was going through a very hard time in her life.  


She came to stay with us for a couple of weeks and needed a lot of understanding, sympathy and encouragement to help her see that she was loved.




        
One Sunday morning when we took her to church with us there was a time of prayer and ministry for individuals and my husband Fred asked her to go forward for prayer for God to bless her.  

I stood beside her and prayed that God would use someone there to really pray into her specific situation and that did happen as the Holy Spirit revealed to the people there that she had a great hurt to deal with.  



Then God showed me a picture of a waterwheel turning slowly round 
on the side of an old mill. 



As the wheel turned the sections of the wheel were filled up with water and this turned the wheel round and round.

This waterwheel was moving very slowly and we could think that it was moving so slowly that it would not make any difference to anything.  But something happened as the water was continually flowing through that wheel and turning it - there was energy created.  Even though the water was not very forceful and moving slowly through the wheel, the mill was still receiving power. 







Of course we would think that the mill required either a swift flowing current or a good head of water and with all the sections of the wheel intact the water would then provide the power that was needed.  Also if there were sections of that wheel missing it would be noticeable in the working of the mill. 

However that wheel was gradually going round and round and increasing in speed as it was letting the water do the work it was meant to do.



Sometimes we need to remember the waterwheel



Our friend needed to allow God to keep her in the flow of His love and care and settle in the security of knowing that He has enough love to encourage and keep her going. 

She needed to remember what she had once known but was forgetting to hold on to. She needed to remember that God has promised His Holy Spirit to each of us who have trusted in His Son, who have truly believed that Jesus died in our place, taking our sins on Himself.

When we acknowledge the role The Holy Spirit wants to have in our lives then we will be like the waterwheel gaining strength and power and being used to help others as well as ourselves.

For our friend the hurts might have seemed like they were almost immobilising her and she might have thought she could not cope but with God she could count on the fact that all He did by the work of His Holy spirit would matter and He would help her cope with it all no matter how long it would take.

Sometimes I can feel the same way and need to remember that waterwheel myself.









Monday

#Bigblackwedding - Xtra Special Day


Monday 28th October 2013  was the wedding of our son Daniel.






So what is this #Bigblackwedding all about?


Well our surname is Black and our new daughter-in-law Suzie was so looking forward to becoming Mrs Black that she referred to the wedding as the big black wedding and then they decided to hashtag it and all their friends could use this to post pictures of the event on twitter, facebook, instagram and pinterest.





Suzie also got the cake topping specially made and it was simply the words  

Mr & Mrs Black.


It was obvious to us for quite some time that the two of them were really looking forward to getting married and this was also obvious to everyone throughout the church ceremony and the rest of the day as they were so relaxed and happy together.
(It was also very clear to all of us who had to listen to Daniel when he woke up on Monday morning and came dancing and singing into the kitchen)

It was very special for Fred & I to see our son so happy and to be adding a new daughter to our family.

Our other son Jonathan preached the sermon at the wedding (mostly based on Song of Song 8 v 6).

Our daughter Linda read Psalm 121

Our nephew Glen was best man (he and Daniel have been best friends forever - well since Daniel was 7 months old and Glen was born).


Everything else was done by other family & friends with Suzie's brother praying the final prayer of blessing over them, so it was very much a family and friends affair.


Later Linda caught the bouquet but has since returned to South Korea and had to leave it with me so our lounge is well decorated from flowers etc. from the wedding.






Now Mr & Mrs Daniel Black are off on their honeymoon and Mr & Mrs Fred Black are still trying to sort out their house from the whirlwind of recent events but what is a bit of a mess in your home compared to the happiness and joy in your family.


We are very grateful to God who has been at the centre of our marriage for 36 years 
and who we pray will be always at the centre of this new marriage between 
Daniel & Suzie.