Easter Convention

Last Tuesday night (technically Wednesday morning) I finished marking my assignments. What a relief! I have decided that this will be the last subject I'll mark for a few years. There is just too much on in my life already! I had to stay up very late, many days in a row in order to be ready to go away. I had Wednesday evening and Thursday morning to wash, pack and clean and then we were off!

We stayed with our cousins, the Davidsons, whose company we enjoy so much we ask them to squeeze us in for the long weekend. On Good Friday morning we all, except for Guy and Huw, went up to Katoomba for the beginning of Katoomba Easter Convention to hear the first talks by Don Carson and Dale Ralph Davis. The kids all went to programmes according to their age groups. Guy and Teen took turns attending the talks and Teen very kindly looked after Bethany in the evenings so Andrew and I could both attend the evening talks (primary school has an evening programme so Joss and Tobes came with us).

We have been to many conventions over the years but decided last year that we would attend Easter Convention every year if possible, as a family tradition. The kids saw children they had made friends with last year and all had such a wonderful time. For us, it is a delightful long weekend away - great talks, lovely family and we always run into friends as well. I didn't take any photos! Thankfully, Andrew did.

We had an Easter egg hunt on Sunday afternoon.

Toby and Hamish were distracted from the chocolate by their DS' - they're clearly not girls.

While Briony and I hid the eggs in the garden, the others had to find interesting ways to keep from looking outside.

When all the eggs had been found (we think) we went through the Easter story with the Resurrection Eggs.

It rained two of the four days we were there, which is part of the mountains' charm. When the weather was lovely, the kids played outside. I do wish we had a pretty autumn like this in Wagga.

We went out for coffee one afternoon with our old friends, the Hamiltons. I was very pleased to have a cappuccino as there was no coffee cart at convention this year! There are 2000 adults there (1100 kids in programmes) so I realise it is very hard to cater for coffee snobs. The tea was fine. Jossie had an enormous mango smoothie.

She worked it off by walking home backwards.

With eleven fabulous talks we learnt so much. I'll give you a quick run down in disjointed sentences taken from my notes :)
Don Carson: Hold firm to the gospel without grumbling. Rejoice in the Lord always, being content in all situations. The man's responsibility to love his wife as Christ loved the church, and the woman's responsibility to submit to her husband is dramatically opposed to self interest - it is for the good of them both. Jesus is the conquering king and suffering servant and his grace transforms us.
Ralph Davis (excellent Old Testament teaching): Grace has always come before the law. Sometimes it may look like what is happening just doesn't make sense (Abraham and Isaac) but God knows what is in the darkness and keeps his promises. Don't fuss about God's will for your life in terms of what job, who to marry, where to live etc. - God has been very clear about his will for our lives in the Bible! As for me, I will serve the Lord! God's purpose is sure.
Simon Flinders: There is no condemnation for those in Christ (God is not and never will be angry with me because of what Christ has done on my behalf), the sufferings in this world, no matter how terrible, do not compare to the glory to come (like comparing an ant to an elephant) and nothing can separate us from God's love. If God is for us, who can be against us?

We got home around 8.15 last night and spent today, the last day of the holidays, washing, cooking, shopping, buying uniform parts and then having afternoon tea and a ride with friends. Back to school and work tomorrow but now I need to catch up on Saturday night's Spooks!