37 hours

I'm about to be out of the country for over a week, first to Italy then via an overnight pitstop here, to England.

I'm looking forward to seeing my sister in Italy (she's generously flying me over to join her for a couple of days of her holiday) as I haven't seen her since one day in August. I'll also try to meet up with the IFES Milan team while I'm in the area. Plus big sis' has just signed me up for a first skiing lesson, which is quite exciting.

Then to England for a job interview which I'll say more about if successful; suffice to say that I'd appreciate your prayers that my attitude to it, communication in it and reaction to it would be God-glorifying. Then it's a chance while in the country to see friends (also for the first time since August).

However as much as I'm looking forward to those things, this involves around 37 hours of travel in the course of the next 9 days, most of it on coaches. About which I confess a certain apprehension particularly regarding tiredness and how tiredness easily leads to un-gospel thinking. If you would, please take a moment now to pray that in the many hours on coaches, strange waking hours and accompanying tiredness, I would keep seeking joy in God through his word and prayer, keep living the gospel of grace and that I would be an encouragement in grace to the people I'm with.

Completely unconnected to the above, a friend showed me this from a German company: be amused. [Opens a media file.]