To all those who are interested in a Christian novel that speaks about everyday trials and triumphs and wants to know how God is mixed into them then please read and enjoy this sample of my book. God bless Margaret.
How to make a
Victoria Sponge
1. Take one recipe book off the shelf and follow
the instructions
2. Pop cake into the oven
3. Trust temperature and cooking skills
How to make Victoria
Sponge
1. Take recipe book
2. Throw it in bin
3. Trust God
Chapter One
Monday
Morning Prayer
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave
them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my
Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.”- Jesus of Nazareth; John 10:27-30
Monday six fifteen in the morning and the alarm wakes me up for a new
day.
My first words are ‘Yes Father’ although I do not know the question.
Then I praise God for my husband Bob and my four children. Henry my
eldest, Gabby and Johnny who are twins and lastly Lily Pink my youngest.
The day begins very quickly with a yell.
‘Where’s my school uniform?’ Henry declares, ‘Where’s my PE kit?’
Of course the items are in the wardrobe, but for a teenager that is like
saying they are on Mars. They don’t see through doors and can only identify
something if it is on their floor.
‘Look in your wardrobe’ I suggest helpfully.
‘It’s not there’ Henry replies.
I wonder if he has actually looked and pop my head into his bedroom.
Henry is still under the duvet.
Oh Lord, give me eyes that can see
and ears that can hear. Give me a love that is patient, kind and tolerant.
I suggest that my son gets up and has another look, this time opening
the door of the wardrobe. I dare not venture inside his room as it is a health
and safety nightmare. First I might catch something and second I may end up in
hospital having fallen over an object on the floor.
Oh Lord, please help me to keep to the
straight and narrow road that you have prepared for me. But when I stumble and
fall remind me to look where I am going!
I hear Henry yelling again, as I descend the stairs. He can’t find his
pants now. Then there is a rather large clonk.
‘Oh that frigging drawer, why doesn’t someone fix it?’ he says
frustratingly.
Oh Lord and carpenter, fix and
heal those things in me that are troubling my soul and keeping me away from
your presence.
From the commotion coming from Henry’s
bedroom the drawer sounds like it is being relocated, probably with all the
contents still in it, to the other side of the room.
Oh lord, may your peace descend on
this household!
With the bacon spitting and the kettle steaming, toast popping up rather
blacker than anyone likes it, I ask my husband, Bob to watch the breakfast
cooking, and then I ascend to the room of another teenager. Dare I knock?
Oh Lord, give me courage in the
face of tribulation and strife, help me to see beyond the darkness into the
beauty that I know is residing somewhere behind this door.
I knock; will it be a good or bad day today? Nothing stirs. I sheepishly
put on the light.
‘Good morning dear’ I say.
‘I’m behind you mum’ I hear. I jump out of my skin; Gabby is already
awake and smiling. What a relief, it appears to be a good day. I sigh and say a
thank you to the Father. Gabby is looking a picture of happiness.
Oh Lord, thank you for this moment
of joy.
The smoke alarm starts to penetrate my being; its ear piercing wail puts
my nerves on edge.
‘Something’s burning!’ Bob yells.
I’m sure it is the bacon. When I return to the kitchen Bob is sitting at
the computer not nursing the bacon, no wonder it is burnt. All that remains are
charcoal remnants. Bob then leaves the computer and places a couple more slices
into the frying pan and cooks up a meal that resembles an edible form.
Oh Lord, help me to rejoice for the help I
receive however late it may be.
Back upstairs I trudge, two more little treasures to awake. I decide to
check on Johnny first. He is still sleeping even though his alarm is trying its
best to wake him up.
‘Johnny’ I say quietly. Nothing.
‘Johnny’ I repeat with a little bit more gusto. Nothing again.
‘JOHNNY’ I yell as loudly as I can. But still not a peep or any sign of
movement, so I pull the duvet off his head. No wonder he can’t hear me he still
has his ear phones in.
Oh Lord, so often I am deaf to your
calling, because I would rather do my own thing. Help me to listen to YOU.
Gabby enters her brother’s room.
‘Uh Johnny, your room stinks, open a window.’
She brushes past me and takes out his ear phones. ‘Its half past eight,
you are late.’
A bemused young man looks up at his sister; she must appear bleary
without his glasses.
‘Stop winding your brother up, it’s not that late’ I say to my daughter.
She prances off to do her make-up and then all hell breaks out.
‘No you can’t borrow my make-up, go and use your own.’ Lily Pink,
Gabby’s younger sister says in an irate voice.
Oh Lord, so often I am late in talking to
you about matters that concern me. I know that you don’t mind being bothered
about my needs and long to hear my requests. Help me to remember that we only
have to ask and we shall receive.
Gabby and Lily Pink have an off/on relationship and today it seems it is
an off one.
‘Well thank you very much, I am going to be late now because I can’t
find my foundation’ she yells. The girls share a room which is divided by a
curtain down the middle to give them each a little bit of privacy. Their make-up
takes up most of the surface of their individual chests of drawers; however
Gabby also uses her floor space too, the carpet having been ruined by spilt or
trodden on remnants.
‘All I want is a little bit, oh, you are so selfish’ she says.
This is not an argument that I want to be part of so I walk downstairs
again and am handed a welcome cup of tea.
Oh Lord, it is easy to become argumentative
and angry during the course of the day. Help me not to be selfish and
distracted from focussing on YOU.
I believe that two elephants are descending the stairs as the racket is
deafening.
‘Mind the light’ the kid’s father reminds them as they jump the last
four steps. Too late, there is a ping and the light blows as Henry head butts
it out of the way. Johnny is the first to the kitchen and picks up a plate with
eggs and bacon on it. His hair is all over the place and it looks and smells
like he did a spot lick instead of having a shower.
Oh Lord, wash me clean from my
sins and renew my flagging spirit.
‘Thanks mum’ he says and opens the fridge. He downs a pint of milk in
one go and puts the empty bottle back. He then takes half a loaf of bread for
his lunch and leaves for school.
‘What about your sandwiches son?’ my husband asks.
‘I’ve got them’ he calls out, not realising that the half a loaf of
bread was for the other sandwiches I need to make for the hungry mob that is
left.
Oh Lord, give me wise words to feed my
children with each day. Help me to point them to your LOVE and quench their
thirst.
I quickly defrost another loaf of bread in the microwave. Henry
meanwhile is bemoaning the fact that Johnny drank all the milk. I reassure him
that the milkman will be here in a minute with enough for everyone. The
telephone rings, it is Johnny; he has left his maths book at home. As soon as I
put the phone down it rings again. Surprise, surprise it is my son again; he
needs his science folder too. My husband and I search the possible places that
might camouflage the two items but we find nothing. Gabby who has vacated the
bathroom and ventured downstairs, holds up a wet plastic folder.
‘Do you think Johnny needs this?’ she asks. Thank the Lord it is the
science project, not only is it wet but it is sticky with some sort of fluid
all over it too, but at least it has been found. Unfortunately, the maths book
is still elusive.
Oh Lord, thank you that you are not elusive.
Help me to seek and find you in all things, both great and small.
Gabby looks like a million dollars and much older than her fourteen
years. My breath is taken away by her beauty. I am not sure if her make-up is
part of the uniform, but she assures me that it is in compliance with the
regulations. I suggest that she pulls her skirt down and she agrees to unroll
it a fraction. Gabby doesn’t do breakfast, but removes the empty bottle of milk
that Johnny left in the fridge, has a cursory glance at the rest of the
contents and then closes the door. Well I suppose she looked at the food. She
stuffs her pocket with snacks for the bus ride and takes her sandwiches and
drink. Gabby air kisses us both, takes Johnny’s folder and departs for school.
Henry meanwhile is still waiting for the milkman.
Oh Lord, you blow me away with your beautiful
creation. You have painted a masterpiece from an empty canvas. Nothing is bland
or ugly in YOUR vision, so help me to see everything through YOUR eyes today.
Johnny appears at the front door, he is worried about his maths book. He
is almost in tears as he doesn’t want a detention. We search the house again
and then I search Johnny’s rucksack. I find it in the front pocket looking more
like a fly swat than a book. His relief is very apparent and he rushes off with
a hasty thank you. He bumps into the milkman who drops our long awaited delivery.
The milk smashes on the drive way and splatters all over our son’s blazer and
trousers. But Johnny just brushes himself down and runs as fast as he can to
catch the bus.
Oh Lord, thank you for finding me
when I was lost and alone. Help me never to lose sight of YOUR way.
Henry is now upstairs on his computer; he loves to cut everything fine.
‘You are going to be late Henry’ I call out.
‘I won’t be long’ he calls down.
The front door bursts open, it is Johnny again.
‘Where’s Henry?’ Johnny asks anxiously.
If Henry isn’t on the bus with Johnny he panics. I am not sure what he
will do when Henry leaves school and Johnny is left to do the journey with
Gabby.
Oh Lord, often the road seems long
and hard when we are frightened. Give me courage to walk the path you have
chosen for me each day.
Henry swings down the dogleg stairs and picks up his school bag and I
toss him his sandwich box and drink. He hugs his brother and tells him not to
worry so much as they have plenty of time. They try to leave the house side by
side, but the door isn’t wide enough and once they sort out who is going first
they slam the door behind them. From a distance I hear my husband’s exasperated
voice.
‘Don’t slam the .........’
Oh Lord, please protect my
children as they start a new day. Help them to cope with the ups and downs of
school life and support them in their friendship issues which will invariably
challenge them today.
I hear a little voice coming from upstairs.
‘Mum, I don’t feel very well, can I stay at home today?’ questions Lily
Pink.
She has the shortest distance to go to school as she is in the last year
of primary education. It is just a short walk away and Lily Pink usually makes
the trip with some of her friends each morning. I take a look at her face, her
tongue, feel her temperature and generally use a sympathetic tone stating that
she will be much better at school if she makes the effort.
‘But my tummy hurts’ she pleads. I sigh, but don’t give in, as I have to
go to work today.
‘Please’ she whines. I stand firm and help her to get dressed. At 10 she
is perfectly able to do this herself, but she likes the fuss and decides that
perhaps she can struggle in today after all. She gives me a hug and a kiss and
says that she will be alright now.
Oh Lord, bless my youngest child
and help her to be brave in all that she does. Thank you for her smiles and
cuddles that light up her face and make me feel warm inside and remind me of
your loving gaze as you watch and care for us in our daily lives.
There is a commotion downstairs, rushing of feet, a yell of ‘where’s my
keys’ and the door slamming again. I look out of the bedroom window and see my
husband with Henry and Johnny. They obviously missed the bus so need a lift
into school. I look at Lily Pink and think how pretty her blond curly hair is.
She is so different from the others, she has brown eyes and an olive toned
skin. I am not sure who she takes after, perhaps she is an off shoot from a
distant relative.
Oh Lord, thank you that we are all
unique.
Lily Pink has a hearty breakfast of bacon, sausage and egg washed down
with fruit juice. So maybe her tummy ache is better now! She packs her own bag
and gives me instructions as to what she wants in her lunch box. All sorted she
messages her friend to say that she is ready. Her thumbs travel over the key
pad at an alarming rate and then stops for a second before answering another
message from another friend. I am beginning to wonder if we will evolve into a
thumb only race. I mean what do you need the other fingers for?
Oh Lord, I am not sure how we keep
up with all the technology that floods our market place. Thank God that you are
consistent and we can rely on your presence in an ever changing world.
The doorbell rings
‘Don’t worry mum, I’ll get it as it is bound to be for me!’
My daughter has a better social life than I do! But it is good to see
her happy and excited about life. My shoulders relax at the thought that I have
managed to complete the first phase of the day without too much hassle. Now it
is my turn. Shower, get dressed, breakfast, teeth, lippy and prepare bag. The
bathroom is strewn with wet, soaking towels thrown on the floor. Shampoo drips
from its container into the bath and the soap is sliding around precariously
close to my foot which is about to step in to the shower. I have let the water
run for a little while to warm up. As I think about the delights of washing
away the stress of this morning’s preschool antics I step under the shower
head. IT IS COLD. I jump back out of the way shaking with the shock of being
drenched by such a stark realisation that my family have left me with no hot
water. I grind my teeth in frustration and mutter impure thoughts about each of
my offspring. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Oh Lord, I understand that the first shall
be last and the last shall be first. But could you organise a warm shower for
me just for once. I have served my family this morning and the least I ask for
is a little bit of consideration. You said ask and you shall receive, well I am
asking for a shower with hot water. It’s not much!
I do a quick over the body flit with a kettle of boiled water into the
wash basin. Spray lots of all-purpose smelly all over, smudge some lipstick on
and throw a few things into my bag. I forget to have some breakfast and open
the door to the outside world. Oh great, God is having some fun because it is
pouring down with rain. By the time I walk to work I will have had a shower.
And who said God doesn’t have a sense of humour!
And as I walk in the rain God says:
Vicki your prayer today was ‘Yes Father’,
even though you didn’t know what the question was. My dear daughter you have
been holy this morning through your service to your family. Be blessed by my
outpouring of the Holy Spirit into your everyday situations.
Eight forty five and the team are nearly ready to open the doors to the
preschool where I work. There is a bubbly atmosphere and the fact that we work
in a church building helps us to focus on our service to the children in our
care.
Oh Lord and teacher, help me to be open to
the needs of the children today. May our enthusiasm rub off onto the children
so that they can believe that they can attempt anything that we have prepared
for them or they initiate for themselves.
As the doors open there are eager faces from both the children and the
adults. The young ones run in and some put their coats on their pegs and others
just throw them at the hooks. The parents follow by picking up their child’s
coat or nipping out quickly after their charge into the main room. All ready
for the action, some have found the activities and start building, climbing or
enthusiastically greeting friends they haven’t seen since their last session.
With the image of a happy child resting calmly on their hearts the adult leaves
content that all is well and they say their goodbyes. Some children are too
absorbed in their world to say goodbye.
There is one child who refuses to leave their parent and starts to
become hysterical. I gently encourage her mother to walk away and look through
the glass door from the hall way. I create a distraction for the little one and
after a few screams of, ‘I want my mummy’, and she slowly looks around to see
what the other children are doing.
Oh Lord, sometimes leaving my
comfort zone is very scary and I would rather not make that move. I might have
a tantrum or thrash about, pushing against the idea. When this occurs Lord,
help me to be brave and take your hand knowing that you would never lead me to
some place that I cannot cope with.
When all the children have arrived we sit them down on the floor and the
manager tells them about the exciting morning ahead of them. The team have already been allocated their
duties so everyone knows the general run of the morning’s session. I get to do
the creative stuff and toilet duty!
Oh Lord, if only my day was
written down in a book with easy instructions of what and where to do and go, life
would be so much easier. Instead my world is crazy and confusing most of the
time. Grant me the flexibility and patience to cope with all the dramas each
day presents to me.
My remit is the Art Room today, making bubble pictures. I sit ready with
a straw in hand waiting for my first three year old to appear. But instead of
one keen pre-schooler, four arrive at once eager to get paint all over them.
One dives straight in not wanting to hear instructions, another asks for help
with their apron, the next starts drinking the paint through the straw and the
last just stands there watching, looking very hesitant. I deal with the paint
drinker and get the first child to put on an apron otherwise he will be covered
in red, blue, green and yellow before he finishes his masterpiece. Then I
gently encourage the little girl who doesn’t appear to want to join in. I take
a piece of paper and blow red paint onto it, then accidentally slip with the
paint and end up with a blob on my face. She laughs, thinking this is very
funny and slowly applies her own finger which she coats in yellow and draws on
my face. The ice is broken and before you know it the shy eyes have gone and a
beautiful picture covered in bubbles produced. My little student is delighted
with her efforts.
Oh Lord and artist, how overjoyed
You must be when we overcome our fears and try to bring colour into our lives.
Help me to mirror your beauty to others through the gifts You have given me.
A teenager on work experience joins me and figures that I am not in
control of the children’s play, so she suggests kindly that I might like to go
to the toilets and clean myself up! Several more children arrive in the room
who don’t want to get their hands messy. This time the children and I decide to
produce a collage which, of course, involves me first getting my hands painted.
Eagerly the group slop the colours over my outstretched hands. At this point a
preschool assistant pops her head into the room and laughs at the state I am
in. Surprised at the reaction of another adult to my chaotic condition the
children realise that it is okay to have messy hands, so the aspiring artists
get stuck in. They make swirls and blend colours on a large sheet of paper,
dotting hand prints in any empty spaces. My teenage shadow decides after a
while that perhaps getting down to the nub of the problem means that a hand on
approach can reap many rewards.
Oh Lord, help me not to prejudge a
situation before I have the whole facts. Help me to be humble in my opinions
and generous in listening.
With the art session over the room has to be cleaned up for snack time.
Paint is wiped off all surfaces, including my face and hands; with pots, straws
and other items taken out for washing. The tables are put together to form
little areas for socialisation and eating. When all is ready the children are
seated and we show them how to pass and share the fruit with each other. Some
little ones like to dominate while others sit and survey the proceedings.
Drinks are handed out and a general noise of chomping, slurping and plate
moving fills the air. All is relaxed until someone spills their drink. Chairs
scrape, shrieks are emitted from other children, tears flow, cloths appear to
mop up the fluid, and wet clothes are replaced with dry clean ones. Quick, calm, efficient, loving.
Oh Lord of Calmness, when storms
gather and life seems to take on a wobble or two, enable me to stay grounded
and firm in Your power.
With snack time over the children are taken outside to let off some
steam. There are scooters, trikes, and little cars, push chairs with dolls in
them, a playhouse and a climbing frame. All manner of things to keep the young
mind happy and occupied. Meanwhile I am in doors changing the pull up of a lad
that doesn’t want to wear another one. I try him on the potty and he sits
happily doing nothing. After he says he has finished and with some coaxing I
achieve the job of putting a clean pull up on, only to see the little boy going
red in the face and pushing very hard!
Oh Lord, mess happens. Give me
strength.
I strip him down, trying to keep him distracted with ‘Humpty Dumpty sat
on the wall’ smiling as I sing. He chuckles, is it my singing or the fact that
he has given me a present to clean up?!
Oh Lord, how many times have you
had to clean up after me? Thank you for your patience and love.
Having finished this service, I take the little boy outside where he
instantly rushes around feeling free and at peace with his world. It is truly
amazing to see children with arms outstretched embracing their world. No
worries, just enjoyment of the present. We can learn so much from these young
ones.
Oh Lord, you said ‘bring me the
little children’, and ‘unless you become like children’…. Help me to see and
trust You by embracing the simplicity of a child’s view, uncomplicated and
pure.
With outdoor play over we head back indoors where we get the parachute
out. There is a lot of excitement as the children love this activity. The rules
are explained as usual for their safety and an adult stands next to the
smallest girl to make sure that her feet stay firmly on the ground when the
parachute is in full flight! Hindsight is a wonderful thing! I cannot help but
smile and laugh at the little faces as they ooh and ahh at the rising and
falling of the piece of material. After a bit we let the youngsters go under it
and lie down while we shake it vigorously over them. There are shrieks and
screams of delight, their trust in us complete. They emerge with hair standing
on end and an excited cry of ‘again, again!’
Oh Lord, help me to fly with you
through the winds of enjoyment that come unexpectedly during the day. Help me
to catch these sudden air currents when they present themselves and use them to
glide me into your presence.
We let the children have another go under the parachute and then play a
little game with them to see if they know each other’s name. When the parachute
goes up two names are called out and the two children have to swap places. Davy
looks bemused as Lucy heads for his place. He doesn’t want to move and she
wants his handle. He pushes her and she falls down, tears well up from Lucy and
Davy just looks at her. He doesn’t understand what the commotion is all about
and runs off.
Oh Lord, it is so easy for me to
misunderstand other people and to feel hurt by their actions. Please heal my
lack of understanding and help me to discern their true intentions.
An assistant leaves the parachute activity and sits down close to Davy.
He is standing with his arms folded and tapping his foot. He is confused and
angry by the situation that has just occurred. He doesn’t want to hear about
his actions and closes down his receptors. My colleague is gentle and
compassionate towards him and diverts his attention by bringing out a little
puppet from her pocket. She talks to the
puppet and uses it to talk about being kind to other children. Davy slowly
unfolds his arms and makes a request to see the puppet. He talks to it, vents
his anger at what has happened and then punches it several times before
throwing it away. He is a lot calmer now and moves towards the assistant laying
his head in her lap and closing his eyes.
Oh lord, sometimes a problem seems
too large for me to handle when I cannot see a solution. When this happens help
me to rest my head in your lap knowing that you are the answer to everything
and can bring healing and solace during these times.
The fun with the parachute is nearly over and Becky, the manager of the
preschool, suggests that an adult crawls under the colourful material. The
children are allowed to choose who. A chant goes up and it appears that it is
me who they want for this treat. I get down on my hands and knees and crawl
into the middle of the parachute. As the swishing and laughter grows louder the
air underneath builds up and it sounds like there is a storm brewing above me.
The parachute goes up and down and side to side wriggling over my body. It is a
funny sensation knowing that you have no control over what is happening. By the
time it all stops I am completely blown away and my hair is standing on end. I must
look a state but the children all think it very funny. When the parachute is
folded up and put away, some of them come over and give me a hug and tell me
how funny I looked when I emerged from the experience.
Oh Lord, thank you that I am able
to laugh at myself, even when it puts me in a vulnerable situation controlled
by others. Help me never to lose that trust in YOU knowing that you always have
my best interests at heart, and are in control of my life even when I am not.
We sit the children down for a quiet time with a story. As I make myself
comfortable on the floor several children come and lounge on me with big
smiles. Everyone loves story time. What will it be about today? Oh, it is my
favourite, ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’. The children join in with the verse
that runs through the book, ‘you can’t go over it, you can’t go under it…..’ it
is a wonderful end to a fun filled morning. As the mums, dads, grandparents and
carers begin to filter in to collect their charges, we see the excited faces on
the little ones as they scan through the expectant faces looking for a familiar
smile. They run to their adult with outstretch arms and full of news about
their morning. One child hugs her mum and then decides she has forgotten
something, she turns and looks at me and rushes back to give me a thank you
cuddle. A perfect end to a morning full of service.
Oh Lord, how you delight when I
rush to you with all my news whether it is good, bad, celebrating or
complaining. You love to hear all about my day. Thank you for always being
available when I need to share.
But this is not quite the end of the session for the rest of us, who
have to tidy away all the efforts of the day. All the outside toys need to be
stored in their shed and the indoor toys stacked neatly away in cupboards for
another day. The floor needs to be hoovered and records written up. I share
with the other members the highlight of my art morning and they talk about
their experiences. We eat chocolate and relax, happy to be in one another’s
company. The team is supportive and challenging towards each other. I enjoy
their company and the time spent in this way. It is a different kind of busy
ness in my life as it is not in the confines of my home. I can leave it behind
me at the end of the morning, hoovered and clean, and find it in that state the
next day! It is an atmosphere of sharing with everyone helping, supporting and
carrying the load together.
Oh Lord, thank you that You see me
for whom I really am. You see the beauty and the warts and You still love me.
Even though I hoover on the outside there is so much to spring clean on the
inside; but You are gentle and kind, encouraging and compassionate, patient and
challenging, always prepared to support me when it is time to spring clean.
And God said:
Vicki, you have delighted me all morning
with your smile and laughter, what a wonderful daughter you are. I am so proud
of you. Thank you for bringing me to work with you today. For some people the
only Bible that they see or read is you.