Winter Food

So, about this time of year in Macedonia, there is a glut of tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, plums and apples. It is an amazing time to visit the market and pick up kilos of these for next to nothing. The only problem is then deciding what to do with it all when you get home. We had a fun day last Saturday making jams, preserving peppers, making soups and sauces and onion marmalade. It’s good community building too. We have an addition to our household – Bethany, from Virginia, USA. We are enjoying the multi-cultural cuisine and having someone else to bounce ideas off, pray with and live life alongside. We also spent the day with Ana, the wonderful wife of Alek who leads the Glasnost church and mother to the most gorgeous boy in all of Macedonia. Goce and Martina, two teenagers from Glasnost also helped; a great way to spend time with new Christians, sharing life together.

This is Goce crying while peeling the onions!

New life

So, I have not blogged since April. Terrible. I am going to start to try to blog more frequently… about normal life, ideas, anecdotes etc. Here’s a new start, starting with a picture of the new life that is growing inside of me. It’s 5cm long, but already has most of it’s important bits. Amazing.

Also, apparently, this now means anyone can touch my stomach. Even though I don’t even have a bump.

I had a revelation the other day about this being pregnant thing. A while ago Phil and I decided that despite my back pain, we would just go ahead and get pregnant and have a baby anyway. We were not going to let this stop us. God has often spoken to me about the image of being pregnant or a being a mother as a symbol of how I am spiritually. I probably will never really understand all of what this means, but I know it’s about me being someone who carries God’s life in me and someone who gives birth to, and nurtures His life through prayer, relationships and just being me. I realised that despite challenges, pain and obstacles, I AM pregnant and I WILL give birth to new life. It is a fact. This is both physical and spiritual. Despite how I feel some days, despite not feeling pregnant yet, or seeing any physical changes, the truth is, that life is in me and growing. And inevitably I will give birth. That is how it is with us as Christians too. We have life in us, and we will see the promises of God come to pass, even if we don’t feel like it, or even though it feels like it is too painful.