The start of another week. This promises to be a busy week, but without any medical appointments.

I will be trying to get through a lot of work this week and publish arrangements for some swimming competitions in the New Year.

• On Sunday, the plan for the day includes Church.
• Tuesday is Chris's birthday, but he is busy with Scouts, so we are taking him out for dinner on Monday.
• On Tuesday, I have a clash of Management Committee meetings. I have to choose between the Basingstoke Bluefins Management Committee and the Hampshire County ASA Management Committee
• On Wednesday, there is an Open Group teleconference and the midweek prayer meeting at St. Mary's.
• Thursday looks open at the moment.
• On Friday, Sue and I will be heading to Sheffield for the BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) Swimming Championships.

Sunday

Sue spent the morning at a swimming pool organising lessons. I spent the morning in front of my computer, mostly handling e-mails and actions arising. Chris joined us for roast lunch at The Hatch and I had a really lazy afternoon watching football on the TV.

We went to Church in the evening. The sermon was based around 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 on the subject of Love. At one level, this is a rather sickly sweet text, often used as in Wedding Services. At a deeper level, and that is how our speaker treated it, it is a really serious warning to Christians about not having the right attitude to others.

There were some particularly meaningful words in the songs that we sung, words that sum up my personal experience in the time since I was first diagnosed with cancer.

In every day that dawns, I see the light of Your splendour around me;
and everywhere I turn, I know the gift of your favour upon me.
What can I do but give You glory Lord?
Everything good has come from You.

I'm grateful for the air I breathe,
I'm so thankful for this life I live,
for the mercies that You pour on me
and the blessings that meet every need.
And the grace that is changing me
from a hopeless case to a child that's free,
free to give You praise, for in everything, I know you love me.

and

LORD, Your love will always find me, even in the deepest place;
even there Your hand will lift me up into Your heart of grace.
You have planned and You can see all that I will ever be;
Lord, it is too wonderful for me.

You are the one I'm trusting now; You are the one I'm clinging to.
You are the one I'm trusting now and everything I need I find in you.

Monday

A relatively quiet day. I spent the morning and most of the afternoon working.
At lunchtime, Sue and I ventured out to buy Chris a birthday present and in the evening, we took him to dinner at The Gamekeepers.

Reviews of this restaurant on Trip Advisor are generally agreed that the food is excellent, but not agreed about whether it is good value for money. We had a really excellent meal, beautifully cooked, but it did work out to be more than £50 per head.

Our assessment of value for money? We do go back, but not incredibly often, generally only for special occasions.