In Southampton

Spending a couple of days in Southampton is always a good use of time! I get to shop somewhere different, worship somewhere different, see a good friend and catching up with a youth group who are growing in so many ways. I also get to see how other parishes work and what kind of support Helen is getting.
Seeing Helen and her family is always good fun, we manage to gang up on someone and have a laugh about various things that have happened since the last time I was around! So today we're off to Southampton to window shop, and buy some birthday presents. Then tomorrow we're at church and Holy Smoke.
On monday I travel to Canterbury to see Henry and eventually Lordi!

Orange...

Well almost red with anger actually! Apparently the 291 text messages I was charged for this month was expected. By them, not me. Teach me to look at my plan properly. Also will teach them to make sure they tell people what they are getting and for how long. I wasn't told that 250 texts was an 18 month thing, I would've taken that piece of info in and I don't have my contract, so I can't check that. Surely it also makes sense for them to use the text messages that are stopping half way through the month, before they use the ones that are continuing, then I would've only been charged for 41 instead of 291! It's not justified. Angry, although sweetened by the good will gesture of 250 inclusive texts plus 1000 student text til I cancel my contract with Orange. How I do it?

I wasn't very angry with them today, just have too many other things to do, without spending 20 mins on the phone to a company that I'm not impressed with. The representative wanted to up my phone plan again and add a bundle, which would've cost me £53 a month, instead of the £30 that I'm paying at the moment! I don't think so. I can't wait to get a magic number, but that won't happen til April. I still haven't upgraded my handset either.

Final thought, what is with McFly trying to sound like the Beach Boys and generally being pants?

The Phone bill from somewhere other than Earth!

It's certainly not God sent, that's for sure! Some 22 pages of itemized billing, I have a phone bill that has come to £83! Oh my goodness, I am going to be in touch with Orange shortly (after I have checked that it is right!) and ask them what they can possibly do to drop the cost of my bill, cos I certainly can't pay this much every month. It's just too much. I don't quite know how to react, other than 'that can't possibly be right'. Some how my usage has shot up this month (I don't want to call it a blip) and I've managed to rack up 300 mins and 1291 texts! Insane! In shock still!

Right I'm off to phone my stationers for the wedding, Orange, and the person who is paying me this month so I actually get my money.

Take That, weekend away and Henry

I've justr come across Take that's new video. They are not as clean as they used to be and Gary has taken the lead. Obviously they are minus Robbie, but for him, reforming is a step backwards on the fame ladder really. The boys have done good, but they are clinging onton the fan base that they created over 10 years ago! I was looking for a bit of Girls Aloud, but that didn't happen! Amy Winehouse has just popped on to the screen, reminding me of a certain housemate who would try desperately to copy her! You get one guess!

The weekend away was testing, with just two hours sleep on Satuday morning, the day did not go well. I was just too tired to want to communicate with anyone, let alone have the mick taken because I was falling asleep. I learnt a lot, especially how to meditate, which is always a good thing, though its difficult to keep the concentration going in such a tired state!

All Staints - doing the same as Take that, and get over fighting with Girls Aloud! Yahoo music! Woop Woop!

Sunday was a better day, I spent a lot of time talking to people about life and food. We were all really tired and were beginning to feel it come Sunday lunch, and for some people it showed more than others.

I got some sleep and welcomed Ruth and Henry on Monday morning, to a house that is a tip at the moment, but I have every excuse! Ruth went back to Malvern after trying on a dress that see looked really good in! Henry and I have spent a good few days just chatting and doing 'date' like things, mainly shopping, eating and going to the cinema! I finally know my way around Bristol, where the important things are situated - like the IMAX screen and H&M!! He left this lunch time and I already miss him. Strange what distance does to a couple - for us, it's not so good, cos we're both tired. I wouldn't recommend it.

Bowling and Burger King

Tonight has been a good evening. A little crazy but good! I got to know some more of the kids and they're actually starting to respond to me, though telling some of the girls off is still a chore. Again I feel incredibly sorry for the Burger King staff, who worked their socks off trying to feed 50 of us! They did have some warning, but still I think they need to be slightly more prepared for us! When you say @there are going to be 50 hungry kids in here in less than ten mins' you expect more than just a 'yes we know'!
I'm going to watch csi now and flake out for a bit. I still need to pack for the weekend! Getting up early tomoro, cos it's not anything I can do now.

Ant, you have learnt from the best, but every human makes mistakes! I have rectified both my internet problem and my blog problem, with a little help from my Dad - technical genius! Turning things on and off is a brilliant way to solve a problem!

MSN, Internet connections and lecturers

MSN has been really awful this morning, in fact the whole internet connection thing has been quite bad, I've had to do all sorts of things to make it work. Still...the day is getting better. We don't have to go into school at all today, because Filton is on a half day, due to half term, so I'm going up to Bradley Stoke to pay in a cheque (thank you Karen) and then I'm going to pack for the weekend away.

The on going saga of the changed exam paper is yet to be resolved. I have received the paper back from my lecturer with a huge explanation as to why my mark was only a 38, but not why it has been over written, or how the exam system works. Argh, I am not dropping this!

Good news, my Nan has found my Grandad's will, so we can finally sort that out. Bad news, I have to go bowling with 50 11-14's this afternoon, just because I'm a leader. Shocking, pray for me!

New Blog!

Today has been a day of new things, new clothes, new blogs.

If I could draw your attention to a new blog, by my boss, Ant. It's going to be fun! Enjoy...full of random posts and endless ideas for youth ministry with a difference!

Assembly and blogging

We got hoodies, with www.stmikesyouth.org on them today! They are quite cool, but all of the youth team staff wearing them in school? Umm...I don't know. I think I might change before we leave. Yes we are doing an assembly again, and I don't know if I'm ready for it! Same script though, so it should be a bit better than last time. We'll see.
Helen is most likely out of surgery now, I hope. She went down for her operation at 8.45 this morning. I have been praying all morning for her and I haven't heard anything that says she's in trouble.
Good news is that the youth group might be getting a blog! It could be good, I'll let you know if it happens by posting the link!

The Jam

Not a conserve, but a youth service in north Bristol (almost out of Bristol!), that Mettle @ St Mikes were in charge of last night, and boy, they did a cracking job! I'm really proud of all of them and I hope they're proud of themselves. It's great to see a youth group doing something outside of their own parish. It doesn't happen very often and is a joy to see that they can step out and trust that it will be alright. I'm also very proud of Trev and myself, we did the response after the sermon, which was spot on, according to Ant. It's difficult to stand up in front of people and lead an activity that involves being serious! We did well any way and I can't wait to do another one, but I might be preaching!

This afternoon is going to be spent writing a piece for my 'home' church, because its important that they know what I'm up to, since I wasn't around much of the summer.

Pray for Helen today and tomorrow, she going into hospital to have an op! Slightly scared for her...

In Pain

Ice skating happen yesterday, rather successfully after I had a minor break down, because I was in stupid amounts of pain and had no way of fixing it. The pain killers I am currently taking (only once a month, you figure out why) aren't helping and I don't know why, because they worked last time, and the time before. Perhaps its just a bad month, we shall see. Unfortunately I can't constantly take them to see whats going on. So thats possibly another trip to the doctor within the week to discuss why, but not before I do a bit of digging on the drugs I'm actually taking. Actually Ice Skating is quite painful when you're doing it, but otherwise its ok. I got cramp and bruises on my shins, but enjoyed the whole evening, I also want my own skates now!

Today is my day off, so I'm going to spend some time thinking about tomorrow evenings service and shopping for straighteners. The prayer response thing we came up with isn't going to fit into the sermon so we need to think of something else! And soon!

Party tonight, so thats going to be fun, and it counts as work!!

All hallows Eve

Yes we are preparing for that time of year. Christmas prep can't start until the 31st of October is over. I've spent the afternoon trawling sites for response to this topic, that we can use at the youth service on Sunday... Have I found anything worth while on the internet? No. Actually the bible is more helpful on the matter of temptation and sin than anything I've come across in the last hour and a half!!
Anyone got any ideas (by Friday) of doing something amazing with prayer on the subject of temptation or sin? I need inspiration!!
Thank you Karen for being amazingly helpful today. I've needed something to take my mind off of things.
We did an assembly with the 13/14 year olds today, it was manic but I got a round of applause for my amazing 'impossible' cross and I got my point across as well, but I want to wait a little before I do another one!

Strange goings on

There's a lot of weird stuff going on at the moment. I've just found out that a copy of my exam paper has gone missing in the post somewhere between here and cheltenham. Thanks to my lecturer for following up when he didn't hear anything from me for a month - show you care mate!!
My Dad and Mum went to see Spamalot last night, which for Monty Python fans is its own brand of weirdness really. My mum liked it so I'm on to a winner with sending them into london to do something!! (am I right Dad?)
I figurd out the word I wanted yesterday but didn't get in time - chalice, and I'm not even sure if its right! Trev and I will be helping with communion in december, so I think I'm using the right word.
Other than that, I'm having some worrying dreams at the moment and generally not sleeping well. I have been asked to compere The Jam on Sunday, with Trev, so that should be fun, if not slightly stressful. I love standing up in front of large groups of people when its well prepared and I know the jist of what I'm saying. Reminds me of the time I lead the 11-14's work at spring harvest for one night, I didn't really have a clue, but felt incredibly blessed by the end of it!
Onwards and upwards, I have to figure out how to get the internet at home!

At last

It's taken me forever to get here so I can only be brief! I've spent the whole day in prep mode and I'm pretty much ready for the run up to Christmas now, which is amazingly efficient of me, don't you think.

I spent the weekend doing a lot of things that I've done before, namely watching football and eating with my old Uni mates and doing a youth service (with some really adventurous things) so I'm having flashbacks from years ago, regarding how we used to do things and actually how not a lot is different from Christ church youth services.
I spent Saturday lunch time in Worcester, planning wedding invitations and discussing numbers with the lady who is going to be making them. Its a little on the expensive side, but I can assure you that its well worth the money, if you get an invite you'll know!! I'm really happy with the service I'm getting, its only a two person business, but they are the most professional people I've met so far, and their business is established and well run.

Saturday afternoon was brilliant, just sat watching the football, and despite the way England played (no we don't need Beckham back in the team, that is not a solution), I had an awesome time with Lisa and Orla. We went for dinner afterwards and talked about various people, before I had to catch the Bus back to Gloucester. On my way back to Bristol I met someone who was going back to Parkway and we had a really long chat about Cheltenham and Bristol, which was cool!

Sunday was uber busy, I had some sleep in the afternoon to catch up with what I lost on the Saturday. The youth service went extremely well, and I'm really proud of the whole youth group. They did a brilliant job, got a good reaction from the congregation when they sent te creed to everyone's mobile in text form (must share that with you some time!!), and the drama was a big hit! People are still talking about it and probably will for a while! The next one is a big event for two members and Trev and I are up for serving at communion (Dad, help me with the jargon!).

It's difficult to be brief when there is so much going on! ;-) Back to a properly empty house now, for the first time, and it will last for two months.

Paper kisses

I'm going to Worcester to see a company who are (hopefully) going to do the stationary for my wedding. So I'm a little bit excited. I'm also going to see some of my uni friends. So just a little bit excited about that too!!
Today is Globe cafe! Looking forward to it, soup and food, for free, and a chance to help some international students practice their english. All in the name of God, ow amazing is that. I also have the house to myself until sunday evening. So thats going to be fun (and scary!).

Beehive

I've just done my first ever story for Beehive, which is a playgroup run by members of the church. It was the strangest thing I've ever done, because I've never told a story to the kids and parents in one go. I got scared for once! Actually seeing parents from a child's point of view is quite intimidating. I was sat on the floor with some of the older children and trying not to look at all the mums, because although my eye natually falls to the people who are paying attention, it the kids I was telling the story to.
All good fun though!!

Filling time

Just a brief post, while I wait for the next thing to happen. One-to-one meetings are important in this job, but so it speading them out, so you can do all the important things in between.
I spent time talking to my boss and the curate yesterday, so of which was really hard, but mostly useful information for the future. I have to learn to count to ten more often.
I got paid the other day, so I have a little bit of money, yeay! I have to start being economic soon, otherwise I'm going to struggle!

Southampton and other things

I am currently sitting in the office, checking my email and all of the other websites I have on my favourites list. It's a moment of calm and a chance to get back in touch with the world after what has been a long and strange day already.

I've been up since 8am, with the knowledge that I had to attend the 9am service, to show my face and be welcomed in by the half of the church that I hadn't seen yet. So that's why it's been a long day, already, and there is still a good few hours left on the clock before I can relax and sleep. The reason why it is strange is because the vicar officially leaves today, him, his wife and children are heading to new pastures this week, so while I'm being introduced (I have been here a month already) they are saying goodbye to 14 years of ministry in Stoke Gifford. Their longevity and love for this place is an inspiration to me, and although I may not get as attached to the church, I will make a good amount of friends this year, some of whom I will keep in touch with for a long time I hope.

Yesterday was a day in Southampton, with Helen, at Paulton's park. Free tickets from her sister made the day thoroughly enjoyable. We spent a few hours going round the park, and went on the Cobra quite a few times, its by far the best ride and didn't make me quite as sick as some of the others did. I think I suffer from a mild from of motion sickness - I actually need to be looking at the horizon when I'm moving, and when you're sat on a pirate ship that swings and spins, that's a little difficult! We went back to Helen's and watched Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist. It is a good book, but this interpretation of it didn't speak to me in the way the musical does! The characters are weak at times, and although you get the force of Bill sky's being a horrible piece of work, you don't really get anything from Fagin about his schemes.

I got on the train and got as far a swindon, only to be told over the intercom that something as wrong with the engine. I thought I was going to get home, but thankfully we pulled into Bristol parkway, and stepped off an oil streaked train. I don't know what happened to the people who needed to get to Cardiff, so I prayed all the way home for them!

The rest of today is going to be spent with Mettle, encouraging them to say goodbye to David and Becky. I also have to say goodbye to them even though I don't know them. That's a little unusual for me, I'm going to spend a year without a vicar but I'm going to see some of how a church goes about recruiting someone, for such a large job!