Today was the day of the Ofsted pre-registration visit, where they come and spend a couple of hours checking you have child locks, know which end to put a nappy on a bay, and are aware of how to spot a toddler terrorist. I may be kidding about some of that...but only a little!
Anyway, the lady who visited us was very friendly, and encouraging. She waded through all my paper work (3 folders of paper!) and did the tour of the house, and said...she would be recommending me to go on the register! Ofsted now check her report and make the final decision, but I feel like it's done now! My new career as a childminder will be starting very soon!
So all this creating a good environment and 3 files of paper has left not much time for other creativity, until tonight when I finished something I started over the weekend.
Here it is...
It's a Bible journalling page which I've had a mind for a couple of weeks. We're working our way through Luke's gospel at church and hearing about the stories of the rich ruler and of Zaccheus helped me make some links and comparisons.
The rich ruler thought he was perfect. He had obeyed the law entirely since he was a boy (our vicar pointed out that the rich ruler was lying about this, and for some reason that had never occurred to me!) and he wasn't prepared to change his lifestyle and give away his wealth to follow Jesus. Zaccheus knew he needed Jesus, he knew he had done things wrong, but he was prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to see Jesus. He was a man of wealth and power but he shinned up a tree! He gave away his wealth by his own volition, Jesus didn't have to ask him.
What a contrast! I know I sometimes forget I'm a sinner, just like the rich ruler, I know I can be unwilling to give away the things that hold me back, just like the rich ruler, but I hope I would also be willing to shin up the nearest tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus, just like Zaccheus, and that an encounter with him would inspire me to change my life, just like Zaccheus.
The image shows Zaccheus up the tree, which is all my own, and the rich ruler in the front, looking sad because he was very rich and did not want to give away his wealth. This image is copied from this website http://ministry-to-children.com/skit-the-rich-young-ruler/
I'm pleased with the shading, with the composition and with making a link between two bible stories that I have known since I was a child, and had become probably over familiar with. A new insight always feels good, like a precious nugget of something wonderful that has come your way.
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