Lovely to wake up and find oneself at Champney’s although I didn’t sleep too well last night. I think it might have had something to do with the vast quantities of water I drank yesterday! For some reason, I always seem to drink litres and litres of the stuff when I’m here. Started the day, after a cup of tea, with half an hour in the pool, steam room, sauna (not yet hot enough to do any good) and finally a proper lunge in the cold plunge pool – nowhere near as frightening as I expected – in fact rather nice leaving me with a warm feeling on getting out. I shan’t shun it in future. A healthy breakfast followed – fruit (including a rather bland example called dragonfruit), cottage cheese with fruits of the forest and a bagel. I also took a banana for later. I hired a bicycle this morning and set off on a 2-hour bike ride around the forest. I cycled to the main road at the entrance to Champney’s returning via the lakeside path and finding this had only taken half an hour decided to be a bit more adventurous and turn off left towards the O2 transmission mast on top of the hill overlooking Champney’s. I was amazed at the ease in which I took the hills on this bike – it was light and had 21 gears – and realized that just how poor my own bike is – 10 gears and a heavy frame. I now know that with a better bike I could really cycle long distances to keep my weight down. Must look into the possibility of changing it. At the top of the hill there was a very encouraging sign – “MOD Land. Do not pick up military debris as it might explode and kill you”. In fact, I was on land belonging to the Longmoor Military Camp made famous by the comedy film St Trinian’s Train Robbery when the old Longmoor Military Railway was used. I met a jogger who directed me to the golf course (at the entrance to Champney’s) except the golf course he directed me to was on the other side of Liphook. I cycled a good 2 miles before arriving at the golf course and a pub on the Longmoor Road! I stepped into the pub to find that I was a good three miles from Champney’s and had to cycle through Liphook on the main road to get back or come the way I had just come (back up the hill!) The pub (The Deer Hut) had some good beers on draft but fortunately for me I had no money to be tempted! I eventually got back to Champney’s in time for lunch – Chinese noodles cooked to order. I spent the whole of this afternoon going through the Selection Interview questions, reading my application form and reference and reflecting and praying. By the end of the afternoon I felt very comfortable and at ease with myself and relaxed about Saturday. I feel that everything is outside my control other than ensuring that I am myself and am honest with the selectors. God has called me and it’s always going to be his call! I spoke to Sara who was entertaining her niece and family who have decided to move from Worcester to Salisbury. I think that it is good for Sara to have family so close. When I first knew Sara she had no family at all close by. Now she has her own family here in Winterslow, her niece (shortly) in Salisbury and the love of a whole family of friends and colleagues in the village. We are truly blessed. How great life has become since those dark days of 1994/1995 – for both of us. I realize just how true is the phrase – it is always darkest before the dawn. I enjoyed a lovely meal this evening – seared salmon on a bed of asparagus and sugar snap peas, pan fried lambs liver – cooked to perfection – the way I like it – and a very naughty apricot custard tart slice! I spoke to my sister this evening who confirmed that Mum was well and that she had had a good day with her on Saturday. Mum had been shopping and done some gardening. I was pleased to hear this news. Spent this evening re-reading Steve Chalke’s book “The Lost Message of Jesus”. It is on my reading list and felt I should remind myself of precisely what the lost message is. Ironically, I got a Twitter message (tweet) from Steve to say he was appearing on the Chris Evan’s Morning Show on Radio 2 tomorrow morning. Must listen to it.
