DMCD Update – Better Late …

I wrote the majority of this at the beginning of March with the intention of just editing it here and there and posting it.  Such is life that time flew by and I wasn’t able to post it, but it’s still very much relevant as an update on where things are now.

No matter how cold it is, and it was rather parky, it is over.  Waking up on the first day of March to a clear blue sky (well as clear as it gets in Manchester at this time of year), I agreed with God – it is over.  Winter is over.  November it is creeping in, December it’s getting comfortable, January it’s at full blast, February it’s easing up so that by March it’s over.  That’s how it goes as far as I’m concerned.  As I said, it’s a bit parky, but I no longer need to go out in as many layers of clothes as I did two months ago.  That’s a good thing.  That’s a sign.  It’s over.

The biggest clue that it’s over is the end of February and what a month it’s been for your man CD.  February is the first proper full month … hold on, it’s the first month that I’ve spent in Little Hulton.  I had to hold on because as we know calling February a proper full month when all the others have either 30 or 31 days is a bit of a joke really, and with the time it gets dark and stuff, February is arguably the quickest month of the year.  For all that, though, it is still a month.  I was here in Little Hulton experiencing life on this side of the vineyard properly for the first time since moving up from Stoke-on-Trent.

It’s been tricky and I put that down to two things.  One it’s still transitional stages of a most traumatic move.  Whereas before I was just moving a few miles in the city and had a lot of creature comforts like the church crew, work crew and the like, this one is in the middle of nowhere relatively speaking without a crew so to speak, whether church or work.  There’s a lot of getting used to things and developing a scheme of life in the circumstances.  Being in between jobs as well has taken some getting used to, which I of course won’t linger on as the point of being in between is heading for the next one.  The bit in between can be challenging for me, as it has been.  It has affected me mood a lot, but I’m settling slowly but surely.

Even the routine of taking the girls to and from school was disrupted for one week when the girls were off for half-term.  Despite being in the middle of nowhere, Authrine still had her people who could come up and create a vibe for her and the girls, but I do as well with crowds at the crib as ambitious politicians do with consciences.  (OK, maybe I do slightly better, but it’s heavy going all the same.)  So getting routine has been difficult in the space of a month.

Authrine as ever has been suffering with the condition from which she suffers greatly during her pregnancy.  She puts on a brave front and keeps her mind active so as not to focus too much on the pain and inconvenience of being virtually immobile.  Thankfully it won’t be long now and faith and experience tells us that it is worthwhile to endure for the joy and delight of the miracle of child birth taking place at the end of it.  She’s doing well as ever and I can applaud the way she’s dealing with her situation.

The rate of consistency in terms of output on this blog and the other place has been particularly pleasing.  It cannot be said that I had the opportunity to be bored over February and that’s a great thing.  There’s been something to write about on both sites and I’m mightily encouraged by that.  I didn’t know I’d have it in me to do so many series over the month.

February also saw the launch of Life’s Journey Notes (LJN) audio that is being written and produced from the beauty of my own home By The Power Of Audacity.  My brother pointed me in that direction and gave me all the top of the range technical equipment to put together the pieces.  (OK, he just brought one of those headphones with the microphone attached, which does the job, but it’s gotta sound good for him.)

I produce these weekly and they are broadcast on GFM on Soul Solutions every Sunday morning.  The host and producer, Natasha, is a friend of mine – having said that anyone who wants me doing audio stuff for them is hardly an enemy.  It’s her first time doing the radio gig and I’ve heard all the shows and she has made astonishing progress.  The key to a good radio show as far as I’m concerned is a host who is a friend and by that I don’t mean your friend, I mean someone on air who is your friend on air and comes across as friendly – it’s not about being informed and cheesy.  It is about yourself and that self being friendly, engaging and witty.  Natasha has that in buckets which makes for good radio, so noting her progress to date makes me very hopeful for her in the future.

As for my pieces?  Well I’m still getting used to everything and I’ve noticed, perhaps because I don’t talk as much as I used to and don’t do public stuff again that it’s actually hard to get my ‘voice’ for the pieces – I tend to talk into myself and need to be even more clearer in how I talk and the such.  I’ve also still got to get a good planned production setting routine up and running.  Thankfully I’m working on the L&O:SI series that I did last month and transferring that to audio.  I enjoy doing that and it gets me closer to realising my desire of audio work on a consistent basis.

I’m working on some video material to go with the audio that I can post on YouTube as well as eventually post here on the blog.  The provisional start of that is the beginning April, but that’s subject to change depending on any change in circumstances (i.e. move from in between jobs to the next one).

The reading has not let up, if you exclude the graphic novels I’ve read the average of one and a half books a week, which is encouraging, but I have a back-log of reviews to post, which I hope to do at the other place over this month.  I had informed the wife that I had gone off the need to purchase books, sadly for her I then came across quite a number that I’d be interested in perusing and possibly purchasing.  Thankfully for her, though, this will almost certainly take place after a few months time, it’s not the pressing priority of life at present.

What remains the pressing priority of life for me at present is discovering the path that God would have me to travel along at this stage.  Still looking for proper Christian community to engage with … kinda … though I’m still desperate for it.  Through everything I’m always reminded that my life is in His hands and so through the wilderness period and in a time of famine and lack I continue to see His amazing presence and provision at work motivating joy from me.  As the LORD lives and should I see the end of March, I hope that I will see more of the incredible things that open up to those who choose to follow Him.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

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