being celebrated

I am a woman of many talents. Technological competence is not one of them. Last week I had to have texted instructions as to how to turn my TV on so I could watch about the election (seriously. It's not just an on off switch like in the good old days. There are two remotes and both need fiddling to something or another). I am now waiting for a month I think they said, before I can access an old email account. I only really want to try and work out how long it is since I first took over the reins of organising the collection in my local area (as it's before the onset of my current email account, which is how I "remember" most things.) I think I've been collecting house to house for the 15 years I've been here, that started with just a couple of streets but of late has grown to 11. I quickly took on the role of co-ordinating my local church which raises around £700 in the week. Then I additionally became the person who resources and arranges the collection and activity in my patch which encompasses around 10 churches. I think this might be my tenth year of that. We usually get just over or under £5,000. Clearly I'm not single handedly raising that, but I am making it happen (when I remember to order the paying in slips. Seems the money bit isn't such a priority for me). So with quizzes and collections throughout the whole of the year, I think it's safe to assume in my time of co-ordinating I've helped amass around £50,000, which is also the amount Christian Aid released immediately following the earthquake in Nepal.
This may sound like blowing my own trumpet - sorry if it does, but I have found it's motivating me when it can sometimes feel a bit much (today for example, my main day to collect and it's teeming with rain). Right now I'm feeling well appreciated following the service last night. I only met the host for the first time last month, and can see that his warm and uplifting way with people is fruitful. I liked his "preach" (I've not heard it called this without the ing before), in which he spoke of how all our potential should be reached not wasted. To make this point he tore up a ten pound note into very small pieces, which I (of course) collected up to see if I can stick together and replace at a bank. I told him I liked his visual and yet was of the theology that nothing is lost or wasted. I've looked up on line and see my 18 pieces can be replaced if it was accidental - I'm not sure what will happen when I say it wasn't unintentional.

Being applauded was embarrassing. And yet I've spoken before of how we might all feel differently about ourselves if we were celebrated more fully, if the whole class errupted in cheers everytime we arrived (there's a guy at choir who is so good at doing this). Having moaned last week about not being celebrated as a good girl, I certainly get celebrated last night. I hope you get celebrated today in whatever ways too. It's lovely :)

My head is pounding after my street pounding. Ironically I think it's probably due to the sun - it stopped raining almost as soon as I moaned about it, and my head doesn't do well in the sun (am I ever happy??! Well, yes, honestly, I am!) I didn't have the best of starts, no-one in for the first dozen houses, but i've had some good listenings since then, and some donations too - not counted them yet. Still have a few more houses to go before today is done. For my first nearly 3 hour stint I had "you raise me up" in my head, whearas post lunch I was humming Bring me sunshine on people's doorsteps. I think i'd best get to the post office first but wonder what my later earworm will be?