Katrina's Baptism

Yesterday went to see Katrina get baptised.  She attends Hope church in Bangor which is a small fellowship that meets in a school.  For baptisms they either use a brook belonging to a garden centre in Caenarvon or if it's too wet as it has been lately they borrow the baptistry of a chapel close to the university.  There were just Katrina and another girl who was finishing university that month called Sara.  She was from Belgium and her parents had driven up to see her get baptised and to collect some of her belongings to take home.  It was a lovely service at the church and at the baptism.  A visiting preacher was speaking.  He was called Andy Barclay-Watt who was from South Manchester Christian Fellowship.  He originally planted the church from Caernarvon Pentecostal Church.  He spoke from Acts 16 about what commitments Paul made in his ministry. 

1. Paul was committed to working as a team - as he took Silas with him firstly to Derbe and then to Lystra where Timothy joins them.
2. He was committed to following God's leading - Doors were closed v7 "the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to " go in to Bithynia and Paul's dream revealed to them where God wanted them to go, v9 "During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."".
3. He was committed to sharing the gospel - v13 "On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer.  We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there."
4. They were committed to relying on God - v14 "The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message."  God had changed her heart not Paul.
5. They were committed to sharing of lives - v15 "When she and the members of her household were baptised, she invited us to her home."  Living faith.

At the chapel Katrina gave a really moving testimony of how she came to the decision to be baptised and she was moved to tears when she was telling us.  Terry helped baptise her with another girl from the church.  I always find baptisms really exciting and moving to watch.  Not the same with confirmations.

Quite a few of us went to watch.  Of course Terry was there, he'd been camping and fishing in Llandudno the day before.  So he hadn't far to travel on the Sunday.  Theresa couldn't make it due to Daniel not being well enough to travel.  I took my mum, Catherine, Stephen and Heather came and Michael brought Paulina and her baby.  Katrina knew about me and Catherine but she didn't know about Michael.  She was really pleased we'd all gone to support her.

Afterwards they put a lunch on for us all.  It was really lovely.

Early Morning Jog

Last night Isaac was bothered with his teeth and woke at 9pm and 4.30am.  The first wakening I brought him downstairs for a little while to allow the Calpol to kick in and then took him back to bed.  He then settled quite well.  At 4.30 I brought him in with us as at that time his crying would probably waken the others and it would be like flogging a dead horse.  He cuddled up and then went back to sleep.  The problem was I didn't!  I tossed and turned until about 5.30 and decided in the end to get up and use the opportunity to go for a run.  I hadn't been since we went to Spring Harvest with illness and other events preventing me so.  Last time I went round the Trapp, which is about 4.5 miles long and takes you up Slade Lane, across Whins Lane, down Trapp Lane and back up Whalley Road to home.  I nearly killed myself doing that the first time as I sprinted the last 100m and sent my heart rate above it's recommended maximum rate.  This time I went along Blackburn Road, up Simonstone Lane and back up Whalley Road, which was 4.3 miles.  I thought I wouldn't go as far this time with not having been for a couple of weeks but was unaware at the time how far it actually was.  Fortunately, I didn't sprint the end.  I don't think I could have done if I wanted.  I nearly stopped a few times along the way.  I managed it in the end but was reduced to almost walking pace.  It took me about 45mins.

Distances for runs:

Round Main Gas factories 1.5 miles 15mins

Brookfoot 2.5 miles

Higher Whittaker Farm 3 miles 30mins

Stepping Stones 4 miles

Habergham 4 miles

Simonstone 4.3 miles 45mins

Trapp 4.6 miles 52mins

Read & Trapp 5.6 miles

Red Rock & Higham 6.5 miles