Good evening everyone,

My goodness it’s nippy! We had a little blip with the boiler this morning but the church is pretty good with its care of vicarages and someone had come out by lunch time and fixed it! I hope you are keeping warm.

We are just ten days away from Christmas and I am nowhere near ready, how about you? It’s a funny old season isn’t it? I watch some people thrive on self imposed stress, others who just breeze through, and then there are others who are going to experience a different Christmas for any number of reasons, and are therefore navigating new ways. We all seem to get there don’t we? I hope you are managing to find your own direction towards the celebration in a suitable and pleasing way? What is worth remembering is that however your Christmas turns out, as Christians we understand the reason for the festival, but it is only a day, and if we love it, hate it, find it stressful, or don’t want it to end, it is only 24 hours!  We will be a family of eight around the table this year – just us, and that will be quite enough. CHurch, a lovely meal, presents, and then the Boxing Day tradition of a jigsaw in my pyjamas!! 

However you are spending Christmas I hope you will find peace and joy, and that you will spend time with people who are important to you. We have plenty of church services for you to consider, something for everyone I hope, and I am sure I shall see some of you there. 

I continue to pray for all our churches, our communities, and for all of you. Please let me know if there are any specific prayer requests.

In return please will you keep Libby in your prayers, she remains unwell in hospital. She’s trying so hard to be positive but it’s pretty miserable for her.

Right, time for a cuppa and an early night I think!

Much love to you all,

Sally xxxxx

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	Rev’d Sally Ingle-Gillis
Vicar, Heart of Monmouthshire Ministry Area
Monmouth Diocese
07813 264429