Back and moved in!

Almost everything I own in back in Billericay and I've done one major thing since I got back on thursday. I've removed the top bunk bed from the room. Which has totally changed the look of the room. There's now quite a lot of wall space, and my bed is in the center.

This is not where the transformation ends, I'm going to do some painting and some furniture moving. I'm hopefully going to purchase some new stuff so there's room for people to stay! I'm also going to put up some shelves and create some art to hang. And its all going to be pink and purple!

So being back at home is good, I've got things to keep me occupied while I'm unemployed. There's going to church, the cinema, and the pub!!

I've been in contact with a few volunteer services and youth work agencies, so I'm happy for mow!

For the very last time...

I'm blogging from Stoke Gifford, because as of tomorrow I will be back in Essex, I am trying so hard not to cry. I've said a lot of my goodbyes today and yet none of it seems real.

But still I have to go and I do so with a smile on my face. It's been a brilliant year!

Thank you...

"For I know the plans I have for you"

declares the Lord,

"plans to prosper you and not to harm,

plans to give you a hope and a future"

Words that I know are true, words that have constantly reminded me that what is going on in my life is right and for a purpose greater than I could ever imagine.

Today would've been the best day of my life, I was meant to be getting married.

Instead I'm sat in the church office, listening to the rain and sorting out plans for our Big Day Out tomorrow. As the school year comes to an end, I've been thinking about the last couple of months. Stoke Gifford feels a lot like home, St Michael's church have welcomed me and blessed me in so many ways.

There's so much to be said about this year - all the highs and all the lows, but there aren't enough words. I guess one big word is THANK YOU. To all the people who have helped me and have been looking out for me. To all of the teenagers who have made my year so much fun!

Seeing how God works in this world always amazes me!

Today's the day...

...I turn 23!

And I feel like a fanatical kid - I got season 4 of CSI:Crime Scene Investigation and a book all about it! So exciting!

I'm also going to see Harry Potter and we're doing the pub quiz this evening. Woot!!

Standing up in church...

I did a lot of it yesterday, and I've not finished just yet!

Yesterday was the first time in 4 years that I'd done a talk. The first time was on ascension day in 2003, to a very small congregation, in a small-ish church. Yesterday was a slightly bigger occasion and with a different message. I spoke on the baptism of Jesus and being a follower, because one of the young people was getting baptised.

Claire's testimony was heart-felt, we were all amazed by her ability to stand up and tell people about her life in such great detail. A true star, I know she was incredibly nervous and very worried about the reaction she was going to get. All she got was reassurance from everyone and a huge pat on the back.

As with all of these things, I don't remember very much of it, and it felt like someone else had done it once the whole thing was over. I was told before the beginning of the service that I was going to be doing power point, which added to the pressure, something which I'd never done in St Michael's from the back of church. I quickly learnt!

Everyone was full of praise afterwards, only one person had a question about what I'd said.

I'm comforted by the comment from my boss this morning as he came into the office 'That was a bit good last night Liz, and surprising, in a good way'. Funny, but I've got a smile on my face.

You can listen to me from the link on the church website - I'm the one that's dated 15 July - Youth service.

On with the week, 2 days to go...

5 days to go!!

You're lucky I haven't started to tell you about my count down before now! If you don't know whats going on, I'm balatantly going to tell you in the next sentence! It's my birthday on wednesday and I've got lots of things planned, so that I don't have to think about turning 23!

I'm definitely going home and getting a job somewhere, I quite like working in the coffee shop, so I migh give that a go. If not I'm already signed up to an agency, so I'll see if I can get some work from them. It's full steam ahead, and I've also been given the go ahead to move my room around and get a new bed! Just got to pack everything up...

Leaving somewhere is always a difficult thing to do, I haven't really given it much thought. I'm still really getting over the other two major things in my life - leaving uni and leaving Henry. Still two weeks and I will be taking my last trip from Bristol to Essex, hopefully with a friend or two to keep me company!

Back to work...it's been an interesting day. I've got a talk to finish.

Football!!

The winning team!! St Mikes Youth FC thrashed St Michaels Church FC, 3-1 on Friday evening. It was part of our RE:fresh 'Night With A Difference'. A brilliant game, and of course, bragging rights are ours until the next match!

The rest of the weekend has been good fun, I spent Saturday wandering around Cheltenham, looking at what had changed and spending money, for various birthdays. I watched a young Harry make his way towards his first meeting with you-know-who (and if you don't know, where have you been?) and then watch the making of the new Potter movie.

Sunday was a regular day. I've started to say goodbye to people now, and preparations are being made for my leaving tea in a few weeks.

Today I have seen my parents, before they jet off to Scilly for two weeks!! They dropped off a couple of books and a present for me. It's nine days til my 23rd birthday. Yeay! (Also nine days til I see Harry potter with some of the girls.) I've been working on the sng books for most of the day and they are almost finished!!

Bloggers back log...

It doesn't seem to be loading properly...but when has blogging ever been easy?

I also haven't blogged for a week, I'm almost certain the lack of posts has everything to do with having only one computer in the office that connects the internet, and even then it doesn't do it very well!

So what's happened... I finished the song books and realised two glaringly obvious mistakes during the weekend, which are going to be fixed before I forget what was wrong. The weekend itself went very well, other than Saturday morning, which was spent in tears - lack of sleep plus harsh reality often equates to me crying. The rest of the time in the Shephard's buildings was really good, it went without a hitch. We got home on Sunday and headed to The Mix shortly after. The Mix is ok at the moment, the worship was good, time to chill, feeling absolutely at peace, with all this noise going on around me is awesome.

Since then the rest of the week has gone well, I'm trying to write my talk for the Youth Service in a week and a half. Despite having a theology degree I still struggle with doing talks. I've not been to vicar college, just regular university.

I'm slowly starting to realise the enormity of how things have changed for me since September, the date for the wedding is fast approaching, and where I should be up to my eye balls in preparation, I've replaced it with application forms and song books. For those of you who know me, you'll know that I haven't talked about it a lot. Truth is I'm still trying to get my head around it all. I know I've done the right thing, that I'm not supposed to be getting married, but 7 months on from splitting up with Henry, I'm still thinking about it all.

Umm... moving on, otherwise I'll cry (again), I've filled out two application forms for jobs in Essex. They are both for youth work jobs, both with training, but in two different areas of the profession. Continue to pray.