SSBIOY

Since September 1st 2011, I have been reading the Soul Survivor Bible in one year. Some times I have gone about it with the proper mindset, sitting quietly, reading slowly and talking to others about it. Other times I have done my own special brand of skim reading. I am behind at the moment, by about a week, nonetheless, I persevere and I want to keep on track as much as possible over the last 100 days, so that I finish with everyone else doing it this year. Here's hoping.

One thing I don't need to worry about it God speaking to me. The question you could ask is how can God speak to me if I am skim reading? Well, in His own way He does. yesterday evening, I read about 4 days in one go, which is a whole bit of Isaiah and all of Galatians, with Psalms and Proverbs thrown in for good measure.

So I was, for God's reasons, focused on Isaiah - and here's what happened from it.

I found the songs that my church dearly love and know well, from the 70's

How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
    “Your God reigns!”  Is 52:7


You will go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands.  Is 55:12


Both of the songs - Our God reigns and The Trees of the field, were written close together, you've got to wonder what God was doing in the UK at that time among worship leaders and if it still happens today?


The second thing was the prophecy of the servant of god, who I know as Jesus, you might disagree with me, but here it is and it excites me that the bigger picture is laid out before the people to see and that the hope of a Messiah is long standing. I am really excited that I get to share the bigger picture with all the young people. 


The third thing is something that has really spoken to me, and I probably needed it 10 days ago, instead of yesterday! Isaiah 54:1-8


“Sing, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
    you who were never in labour;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband, ”
says the Lord.
“Enlarge the place of your tent,
    stretch your tent curtains wide,
    do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
    your descendants will dispossess nations
    and settle in their desolate cities.

“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.
    Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
    and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
For your Maker is your husband —
    the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
    he is called the God of all the earth.
The Lord will call you back
    as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,
    only to be rejected,” says your God.
“For a brief moment I abandoned you,
    but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
In a surge of anger
    I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
    I will have compassion on you,”
    says the Lord your Redeemer. 

The verses I have highlighted screamed at me as I read the verses. Knowing that God has me, he has called me his own, and he feels deep compassion for me is surprising, it's glorious to know. He has claimed me and will fight for me. Awesome.

And the last little bit is the armour of God, which reminds me that there is nothing new under the sun. 

He put on righteousness as his breastplate,
    and the helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments of vengeance
    and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.  Is 59:17

As I read the end of Ephesians tonight, I will look back at Isaiah and see the parallels. God knows what he is doing. I don't, which is why I find this fascinating. I like the apostles were just saying the things that had already been said, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, they speak to us today.

I know God has a huge plan for everyone, for all of the young people I see, for those who I don't and for the town I work in. I love that I am 'skim reading' the Bible, that I don't need to study it to great depth, but it gives me great depth for free.

I have been thinking about roots, deep roots for the young people that I work with and how we can encourage them. I have also been thinking about generational things. I hope I will get a chance to report all of that soon. Now though, I have to get ready to see my young people perform at school.

Poetry

59 by Harry Baker - YouTube

This is where I have seen Harry Baker before... this is an awesome poem. Quirky and a good one!

I would really recommend that you seek him out and give him a go!

Youthwork Summit 2012 pt 2

Youthwork Summit « youthpastablog

Above is the link to a blog post from a man who was really engaged in the day overall. It is very much short pieces of what actually happened, but well worth the read if you were there and didn't get some of what was happening, it's also great if you weren't there and need to know in brief what happened, without reading transcripts or watching a days worth of youtube clips.

As for me, I have started the process of sifting my brain for bits and pieces about the day, those things that spoke to me, what went over my head and why, and how can I keep my young people in the picture as I think about how the future vision is for the youth work I do in Billericay?

I have started with a mind-map of all of the people that spoke and 2 or 3 words (sometimes a sentence if it struck me) of what was said during the 10 min talk. Then I moved on to what I thought could come from what was said. I managed to do the second bit really quickly as they have been the things on my mind since the summit, but also the things we are already doing and how that is developing the youth work. There is a picture on twitter of it if you click on the side bar and have a look at it! I will post it on here if I transfer the photos to my laptop.

So what does the youth work of Billericay need to look like in the future? What does the education of our young people need to look like? And how do we reach and teach the Gospel in a relevant way for those who have no sense of who God is and what God can do in their lives?

The day has already inspired me and will be gearing us up for all that is to come in the future of youth work. I hope I am doing this proper job, properly and that God is speaking to people through what i say and do.

Youthwork Summit 2012

Youthwork Summit 2013

This weekend - just the last 72 hours has been such a rollercoaster of emotions, I am hoping that once I have some time I can process everything that has happened and encourage those around me who were with and without me during the weekend.

I must say that I am very impressed with how it worked through the day, how well it was put together. It was great that the speakers were referring to each other - not by name, but by things that were said. It was gathered together and well balanced in everything. It was challenging, enlightening and I was just pleased to be there, having missed out twice before.

We're considering next year at the moment (do I make it compulsory for those I work with?) and how the things that we have heard play into what we are doing.

I know I am not the only one who is wondering, I am grateful for those who are going through the same thing at the moment. I desperately want to share with everyone what needs doing, and how to say that will be up to God!

So pray that everything that has happened will be fruitful!

Getting it right

After yesterday's late night rumblings, something else has been bugging me today. I asked a question on Twitter and as yet, I have one response, but that's what a question that is 140 characters can do. It can stump some people...

So the question I asked was this 

How do you feel about going 'beyond the call of duty'?

Does volunteering for things outside of your remit make you a workaholic or a good church member?

As a youth worker, employed by the church, the lines between work and volunteering are somewhat blurred... because as a young person/adult most of my volunteering has been done with church.

Working with young people over 11 in any setting within the parish and with the banner of my church flying, is work... as is doing youth work with other churches taking the lead, but I'm also a Brownie leader for a pack with the church's name, which most people would count as volunteering, but because I am employed, it becomes work and I can count it as my hours for the week.

However, there are things that do count as volunteering, but are in my place of work i.e. moving chairs, cleaning etc. So my volunteering - being the first/last in the building gets labelled 'beyond the call of duty' when really, it is just the normal thing to do, I am fortunate enough to have a job that has flexible hours, so that allows me to do things that those that also have flexible hours/don't work/are retired can do.

So when I do volunteer, I have a sense that I am just being a good church member, I am looking after the building that the young people come into, that people from the outside see, I like the building I worship in, why would I not want to look after it an make it look really presentable? 

Does it make me a workaholic? Probably not, I think if I were filling my time with finding youth and church events to go to, I would be, probably, very annoying to some of my colleagues! 

With everything, it is a balance, when you have clear lines to cross, it becomes easier to say 'no' to things, to guard your time and protect your passions. When I worked for the council I couldn't wait to get home... now I miss the people I work with, I still struggle to get up in the mornings, but for the most part, I come home happy.

What are your thoughts?

What do men want?

Dating Tips

If you get a chance - have a read of the article above.

For a while I have been reading things I probably shouldn't on Yahoo, but this one actually infuriated me. Now i know it's late on a Sunday and today started with me dropping my laptop, then writing a note for a neighbours car that was parked in my space and a finally sweet potato exploding over my thumb, so it's not been the best day for living alone or being single, but life does go on, I have taught the young people how to live distinctively, watched them lead worship and prayed over them for their exams this week. It's been a mixed day - at 4.55pm I laughed aloud as Man City to won the league.

So forgive me whilst I take a moment to tell you that getting that man you like to notice you does not mean you should do 100 things that makes you seem super human and super interesting to him for the brief moment when you're walking past him or at work, or whenever.

The first tip is 'learn about his favourite team', which if you're not interested in sport in the first place is pointless - maybe it should be 'listen and listen well' or 'honesty is the best policy', what's worse, being up front and polite about it or six months down the line, whilst you're stood in a football/rugby/other sports stadium that you've paid a lot of money for, turning to your boyfriend and saying 'you know what, I did this just so I could date you, I'm not really interested'? Of course, by that time you might be interested and it might be doing you the world of good. But if you're bored out of your brain for 5 hours on a Saturday because he thinks you like football and his team, no less, well, who are you kidding? (hence ALWAYS being up front about being an Arsenal supporter, on a first date!)

I could pull the rest of the article to pieces - but instead I will delete it from my browser history and try not to look at the Match/Yahoo website again.

What can I say? One thing that as appeared in my life again is the essay song, Everybody's Free (To wear sunscreen), if you don't know it, Google it, please. It is great advice!

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

I have missed out on a chance this week, but I am attempting to be myself and be true to myself every day, that doesn't mean that I need to find myself in an argument or a pub quiz, trying to show off, just to get a man.

I hope one day, that the advice dating websites dish out are less about lying about who you are and more about sharing the truth's of who you are and how you got to where you are.

Clubbing

At the grand old age of 27 (yes, I know I am not the oldest), yesterday evening, I went to a nightclub, in BasVegas. For me, it is more unusual for me to go clubbing as I get older, but I didn't realise it was unusual for everyone else... On a Bank Holiday Sunday, you would traditionally think that nightclubs or nightspots would be heaving with people who don't have to be at work the next day.

Apparently this is no longer the case, where several Christmas' ago I was stood in a crammed bar, waiting 10 mins to get served, this time, I stood in a half empty nightclub, and waited 20 mins to get served.

I love dancing, I like dressing up a little bit and I want to be able to do those things all in one go.

I can't understand why the place was half empty - maybe we should've gone to the nightclub complex next door instead of going to the one bar, but for £2 entry and £1.50 drinks, why wasn't this place packed to the rafters with revellers? It is the first proper weekend after pay day as well. It was like being back at uni!

As a singleton, it is a place to go to see who is out there... so is everyone all coupled up and staying in? Or am I just too old? (However that is a mute point because I was talking to someone who is 2 years older than me at the bar) Is it geography? (BasVegas is not a uni town)

What stops people of my generation or all the 18/21 year olds going out? Is it about being I.D.'d now? I always carry mine with me and the bouncer didn't even want to see it this time! Do people not like being challenged about how young they look? (We had a joke with the bouncer about that)

It's interesting that we are in austerity at the moment, but how are people enjoying themselves?

Steps

Whilst I catch up with Steps: On the road again let me tell you all about Steps: The Tour (and of course a bit of history).

If you don't know what I am talking about - either you're too young or you've lived under a rock. Steps are a dance and singing phenomenon from the late 1990's. They gave us dances to so many older songs and a lot of new ones too, in short the inspired a generation of children (and adults) to dance. So as I didn't see them the first time around, I was excited to see them on the reunion tour.

Mandy and I started with dinner in The O2 arena after being turned away from the sky bar, sad times, but dinner was a good chance to chat and catch up. I miss my bestie a lot of the time. We like most of the same bands and have been through some great concerts and some not so great.

Steps was one of the better ones. All of their songs are classics, the dances are as well and the way they did some of their dances were awesome. They still know how to work the room as it were, to get the crowd going and joining in. Of course we all danced, we all sung and joined in where we were supposed to.

It had its wow moments - Claire singing her solo was a stand out moment.She has such a powerful voice. The giant screen was awesome too, though from where we were stood, it didn't make the impact it should've done. (Side note - this is a problem with every concert I have been to bar Take That)

The night was really enjoyable, the singing was very good and everyone was really well rehearsed. Of course I didn't appreciate the scantily-clad ladies, but I do appreciate that the band have tried their hardest to give a good come back and say a final farewell all in one show.

There are some bands that have longevity (again Take That) and some that don't, I am pleased that I have seen Steps altogether, but I don't think we'll see it again.

Nomination

Versatile Blogger Award « Voice of A Citizen

Apparently I have been nominated for an award for my blogging - so thank you to Edward (you can follow him on twitter).

I am not quite sure what to do now, because I don't think I regularly read 15 blogs that I can link to/nominate, or have ways of telling those people that they have been nominated.

But I can do the 7 things about me, which you may (if you are close to me) or may not (highly likely) know... here goes (this is very much off the top of my head, as are most of my blogs, I have never scheduled a blog post in my life)

1. Possibly my most impressive moments - two appearances on Blue Peter as a young person, with the orchestra I played with for a few years. Days I hope I will never forget.

2. I love home-baking, but I'm not actually very adventurous. I tend to try things once and never again, despite how well they turn out. (See my twitter feed for things I try out)

3. I can sing and it took me a long time to get to the point where I believed in myself, and really, I am still trying to find my voice. I would love to sing in a choir.

4. I am two thirds of the way through reading the Bible in a year. I am hoping to finish at the end of August along with others. I can't say I understand it all, nor have I taken it in, but i can feel it making a difference to my inner most being.

5. Strangely enough, I am finding this tough. Maybe this is why this is the first time I have done a list like this. It's hard to know what to say when you're caught a little off guard. After all, who really likes talking about themselves when they spend most of the time talking about someone else (Jesus in my case).

6. I am a theology graduate yet found out that I don't know huge amounts about church liturgy. My dissertation was about Women Bishops. I am very proud of my achievements whilst at University.

7. I love song lyrics, deconstructing them and wondering who they are about and how they came to be written in that way. I regularly blog about one song - Carry Me by Sabio. Some times a Bible verse speaks deeply, but this song speaks to my life as a whole.

So there you go! Seven very honest things about me, and hopefully you'll find something of interest here, I will try to write more often.

Boots

The Frye Company

I have some Firetrap boots that are close to death, they are in the 'biker' style but they don't look like I actually own a bike. Anyway, they were a bargain, thanks to BrandAlley and I wish I'd brought two pairs now, because, despite searching high and low for something similar, I haven't found anything close, in looks or price. Sad times.

Lovely fashion blogger Fashion Foie Gras keeps me on top of what is going on and the post about Emily Blunt's choice of boot in The Five Year Engagement got me all excited... I squealed in delight and then again in horror as I saw the style I wanted and then the price.

Why do beautiful things have to be so expensive??  Still hunting for boots and hoping that something comes out of all the discount stores (online) I have my eye on! I wish firetrap and babysham still did the boots I want to replace!

Football

I love football, I love sport - I can't stand horse racing and avoid boxing like the plague.

So this week was a bit of a double whammy for my family, with regards to football.

My brothers have been playing for the same team for about 5 years, they do actually work their socks off for their team, often at practice or actually with their long term friend who they went to school with or play with. They have been promoted several times and this year they won the cup final, which for them is a huge deal, they lost last year, much to everyone's annoyance, so to be in the final again, created a lot of nerves and worry about whether they would win.

Unfortunately due to a training commitment for work, I couldn't be there, but my dad has blogged about it and you can find the link on the side bar. Trinity are winner, cup holders and hopefully defending champions (and yes, I love that they are called Trinity...)

Secondly, my mother, who is prolific in my home town for being a Blues supporter, watched her team gain promotion after a very long campaign - lasting several years. My mum doesn't travel to away games, she sees herself as a bit of a bad omen, as Town generally lose when she travels with them. As it was the day they would gain promotion from a win or a draw (because with one game remaining, no-one could catch them) she decided to travel. Needless to say she had an excellent afternoon and has not shut up about it since. Town are going to be in the Blue Square South Division - we'll see how long that lasts.

And finally, this week, at the last game of the season, we are going to see Nicky Morgan walk out on the pitch, leading the teams after he was attacked before Christmas, causing him to be temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Tomorrow will be a hugely emotional day for players and supporters alike as everyone knows how much Nicky wants to be there.

So if you're sat at home on a Saturday or Sunday and you're wondering what's going on in the world - let me tell you there are men, women (Arsenal Ladies are the best, nuff said!) and children, playing, practicing and supporting a sport that is internationally recognised!

Time to think!

It seems I have important thoughts at 1am in the morning and then through the night, but as soon as I am sat in front of my laptop, I instantly forget what I wanted to talk about. I know one of those things was STEPS in concert - so I will do that when I have a little more time, but whilst it is still fresh in my mine (Tomorrow morning probably) and there was something about singleness as well, a half formed thought, in response to something that has happened recently... but I can't remember it! Also football... that will be a Monday evening thing, probably, I have some catching up to do!

It was something to do with prayer and twitter... leave that one with me.

The Jesus Deck

I highly doubt that if you're reading this you will have come across a Jesus Deck - though you might be looking for more information on it and I can tell you that after my first experience of it, I am astonished.

It was made a long time ago, but like all things that tell the truth of the Bible, it is relevant to everyone seeking. If you're looking because you'd like to know more - seek Penny Horseman, she will tell you all, or ask me and I will try to get you more information.

What is actually is - well it's a deck of 54 cards, a full pack and two jokers, that tell the 4 gospels in verses and pictures. You can use it in three ways - either laying one, three or five cards and giving the person you are doing it for to pick a card that catches their eye.

Obviously one sentence is not comprehensive training and I am going to have to spend time reading and figuring out what each card means to me. In my experience so far, God spoke really powerfully to me after the first attempt.

The question is how and when do I use it? How do I, as a young lady, use it to the best of my ability? And how to I teach the church and those around me about it?

If you've seen it, your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Influences

We are all influenced... by what happens to us, what people say, how others act towards us, what we read, what we see, how we interpret things that are going on.

I am currently going through an odd time of waiting for someone to tell me what is going to happen in a week or so, but I am absolutely fine with that completely up in the air feeling about it all, because of my favourite book and what the characters go through. I can't decide if that's unusual or not. I think if I was younger I would want to know exactly what was happening, but because of what I have read, because of what I know of the nature of humanity and of God, I am ok with it.

What will happen, if it does, is not the most dramatic thing ever - nor I hope will it be life changing i.e. that 180 flip we get sometimes, but I hope it will change my life for the better for a bit. Sorry it's all a bit 'coded' - maybe I am a bit confused by it all myself, having never been in this situation before.

The things that I am reading at the moment, other people's blogs on leadership, youth work and singleness, oh and of course the Soul Survivors Bible in a Year (we're nearly two thirds of the way there, it's hard to believe) are giving me a sense of re-evaluating some of my thoughts, trying to understand the mass of history that is behind me and knowing that God has the future all planned out. What will be, will be. 'Can't you see the obvious? God is on our side; he's our leader.' (MSG, 2 Chron 13:12)

This actually happens...

I read this article earlier on this week and I must say, I really do agree with what it has to say, particularly the little caption under the picture - "Girls don't say: "I like the fact that he’s really not sure what he wants.”"

As a single woman, at the moment, I do not really get along with passive people. I understand passionate people!

It's no secret that I have been on dating websites, my ex and I met though match.com and at the moment I am on another one. I get emails from said website, telling me that men 'would like to meet me'... and I do, out of curiosity see who they are and what they are like. Today, I got an email, and clicked on the link for the profile. What I came across reinforces what I read earlier on in the week. The sentence that greeted my eyes was this

'If I've viewed you and you would like to learn more about me, feel free ask'

In most cases I would like to be approached, not do the approaching. The way it works, if you have clicked that button that says 'yes' that doesn't really count as a first move... sending a message does. 

Being passive isn't going to get you a message, let alone a date or a girlfriend.

It's a fine balance between annoying and persistent, I completely agree with you, but at least try to be persistent first than giving up just after you've started.

A night at the Theatre

MONSIEUR DE COUBERTIN'S MAGNIFICENT OPYMLIC FEAT!

In a church... as always.

My theatre attendance is probably average at the moment - I have fits and starts really, if something takes my fancy, I'll go for it - though it took me about 6 years to pluck up the courage to see Chicago!

Anyway, yesterday evening we headed to Emmanuel Church, in Billericay, to see The Riding Light's Theatre Company perform the above show (it's pronounced O-PIM-LICK) and I wasn't disappointed.

The acting is really good, only three people on stage during the whole performance, so that's a lot of lines to learn, a few faults, but that's normal. I won't give away the story, but it is very topical for 2012 and the twist is a good one. If you get a chance to see any Riding Lights stuff, please don't pass up the chance to go, you will regret it!

I have seen this theatre company a number of times - not as many as my parents, but I was taken to see them at Spring Harvest when I was much younger and didn't really get what was going on. I have a vivid memory of it though and my Dad can probably tell you more. I saw Origins and Lemons when that came to Billericay as well, but because it was my own church, I was panicking a bit - there wasn't really a memorable reason. I enjoyed Origins and Lemons - and I enjoyed the Opymlic telling of the story too.

I was sat with the guys from the 20's and 30's group - the Living Room and some of my young people. These people are my extended family, some I have grown up with, some have grown up whilst I have been their youth worker, and it is always good to spend time with them! (that's where the 'we' comes from)

Single Roots

SingleRoots Christian Blogger List | SingleRoots

Blogging about a blog, something I do more often nowadays! This was a blog I came by on Twitter and I have been reading it, in an attempt to understand some more of being two things that define me in society - labels, if you will!

It's some times daunting being both - Christian and single. I guess I don't really think about it until it creeps up on me and I get upset that I'm missing out on some things. But at the same time, I am free to do what I want for the most part. Travelling, Shopping, Work, seeing friends, all becomes really flexible when you don't have to think about someone else, and my choice of what to watch on TV has never been so me-centered!

Granted, I haven't been single for long, and I haven't lived on my own for long either, so it's all pretty new to me... my love affair with twitter continues (8000 tweets in a year and a half, @lizzie_rascal84) and facebook has been great to keep me in touch with those people who are all over the world - particularly Verity, who is not great at the moment, so please pray for her.

Blogging as well, throws up challenges and an outlet for that little bit of thought that just won't escape my mind. For all the times when I have an opportunity to share something exciting in more than 140 characters, or as things develop.

Talking of exciting - we have two babies due in the last quarter of the year - I can't remember if I have told you. I will be an aunty in September - if baby is on time and will have a second cousin as well by the end of October - the family is all going on a little adventure!! My parents, and brother are hugely excited. Watching his girlfriend go through pregnancy is funny, she's tiny, bless her, but so excited at the same time. Thankfully unless I am holding a baby I do not have any motherly urges!

Ok, so single, Christian and blogging are my labels - so I had better get on with it.

SAVANNA PAPER PROJECT on the Behance Network

SAVANNA PAPER PROJECT on the Behance Network

Yet another elephant I want!!!

Eastingle, Easter Day and Easter Bonnet Parade

This year, there has been a lot to do in the build up to Easter weekend. It has mostly involved writing and just generally being prepared for the inevitable busy days.

First of all there was Maundy Thursday - which involved buying salad and driving to and around Billericay. I got a chance to talk to some more new people and our lovely curate - and met his wife, properly! It was a great chance to look at the liturgy and eat together. The church have been doing things around food for 2000 years, so why change a formula that works?

Good Friday was a blur now. Though punctuated by the 10am service at Christ Church, the silent Walk of Witness through the High Street, followed by a short service, an hour at home and then final prep for Eastingle.

Our Eastingle service was focusing on the feelings of the people involved and our own feelings. As always, it was very enjoyable and exhausting. If you want to know more about Eastingle, please get in touch with the Church Office or myself!

Easter Saturday was quiet, with prep for Sunday lunch with the family. Sunday morning was really busy at church, lots and lots of lovely people sharing communion together and a chance to catch up with my surrogate grandparents! Then everyone descended to my flat and we ate and watched football together. The dog seems to feel really at home in my flat - however that does not mean he will be coming to live with me any time soon, he is far too big for my tiny space. Once that was done and we'd watched a bit of football, we went to my cousins to celebrate his 21st birthday. More family time, talking about babies, moving, tattoos and dogs! It was nice, but once again, very exhausting!

Easter Monday was the first Easter Bonnet Parade at St Mary's in the High Street. We had a great time, meeting families that had come from all over Billericay and seeing their amazing creations! Lots of winners and lots of cake! We will definitely be doing this again, so if you're interested, keep Easter Monday free next year and an eye out for the timings!

So happy that this week is really quiet and I can rest up ready for SOLID and Falcon!

On Blogs

swissmiss | Trent Walton on Blogs

“There’s something sacred about reading a blog post on someone else’s site. It’s like visiting a friend’s house for a quick meal ’round the breakfast table. It’s personal — you’re in their space, and the environment is uniquely suited for idea exchange and uninterrupted conversation. In many ways, we should be treating our blogs like our breakfast tables. Be welcoming & gracious when you host, and kind & respectful when visiting.” – Trent Walton

I love swissmiss, and Dudecraft and other people's blogs. Ones that inspire and make me smile and lead me to other fabulous things that I can spend my free time looking at.

And I am grateful for my free time, it's been a busy couple of weeks so a day off tomorrow, not doing very much at all will be lovely! 

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! Official Sony Pictures United Kingdom Movie Site

I still love the cinema, I love it even more when it is very empty and not too loud!

Yesterday evening, I went with Lucy to see the Aardman adventure (and dare I say classic), after I put out a plea on facebook to ask if anyone wanted to come with me.

For once the £8.25 I spent, I felt like I got my money's worth. Stop motion animation runs closely with musicals for top space with me, as well as Disney of course and Aardman have not disappointed me at all. The detail is epic, every time the scene changes you have to keep your eyes open for the different things you might see.

We laughed for most of it, and wondered at the detail. There was a pub name I loved, but can not remember. And the monkey... Aardman do very, very well at animating those who don't speak. I see a new sidekick!

I hope that this gets picked up by the British public as a truly British movie. They mess with history a little bit, of course, but that's ok, because it is a brilliant story and a DVD that I will definitely be buying.

Also looking forward to using The Lorax for everything over 2013, looks like a cracking moral movie!

Finishing Touches

I have been in my new flat for a little over a month now. I am just settling in, work has (and never is) not been normal recently, so some days I come home and slump in my chair (sofa is imminent) and other days I am feeling nervous about being on my own. I keep adding things to what I have. Some people have given me things (thank you very much) and I have been buying things as well. So here's a couple of pictures of the finishing touches after my Dad said that I needed something to 'finish off' my bookcase.

Lounge Window

Hall Table (which I know Mandy will love!)

Bookcase a la Elephants (Thank you Kerrie!)

And finally my bedroom window.

Currently I can not decorate, hence the plain looking walls, but I can jazz up the windows, and there's the furniture as well.Also what you can't see and won't see is the mess! Today, I have been unscrewing the stupid bins in the magical cupboard to make way for the hoover. So everything is put away now! And if you only looked in the cupboard you would think I was a perfectionist! and if you looked in the sink you'd think I never did the washing up and lastly if you looked next to the fridge, you'd think I was an alcoholic!!!

Here's hoping for a post-Easter house warming and eventually some colour on the walls!

HELP!

I have made a little video for the Girl Guiding groups in Billericay. They are in need of some help, especially with Rainbows.

It is so sad that packs are closing down because there aren't enough leaders. If you know of a pack, please offer your help, obviously if it is appropriate for your situation.

I am a Brownie leader and I love it, so much. I almost cried in church this morning because I don't want anyone to miss out. Please help where and when you can.

Beautiful Things

Levitate Architecture and Design Studio : Bookcase Staircase, London

Apologies for the silence recently, but I have been taking stock of things, moving house and finding myself in places where I thought I wouldn't really be!

Here's something beautiful for you to cast your eyes over if you have a moment.

And I promise that when I have the broadband installed in my new flat I will show you all how wonderful it is!

On Retreat

This week I have been on retreat. a chance to get away from it all, think about nothing else but me and spend time with God and other youth workers from across the diocese.

After 4 years of doing this and seeing people regularly in that time, we're starting to feel a lot like a family. We are relaxed with each other, we laugh and joke a lot of the time, and I do go back to normal life very relaxed.

Andy, Rachel and Alice do a sterling job as our youth advisers  (and all the other things they do!) and being on a retreat with them makes all of us realise that we are very fortunate to be in jobs that we love doing. We are ready to pray, listen, help each other out in the best way.

It is really nice to catch up with people as well and spend the time getting to know others.

We were really blessed this year by a guy called Andy Freeman, who is the author of Punk Monk, he's involved in 24/7 Prayer and knows one very important person who set me on my youth work way - Carrie Hayward! He gave us time, to sit and listen to God, to go through our thoughts about things, to pray for those things that we had given up on.

I did come away content, happy to move on and ready. There is a lot to do over the next month or so and then we'll be getting ready for Easter!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I had another chance to go to the cinema yesterday - this time with someone - huzzah!!

We had decided that we wanted to see Chronicle, and forgetting entirely that it was Orange Wednesday's, we didn't buy our tickets when we decided, but waited until just before the start of it to buy our tickets, which meant that we missed out. So instead, with caution on my part, we opted for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

We settled with ice cream and a little bit of hope. It started exactly like a Bond movie, and a dark one at that and with Daniel Craig popping up as the main character, it feels like Bond, but without the gadgets. You still fear for his safety and hope that he will come out saving the world in the end, without the world actually being at risk.

A young girl goes missing and the task is to find who killed her and why. Daniel Craig is employed for the task and asks for help, which comes in the form of a woman who is described as insane by the state. These two characters are leading very separate lives, you find out about them, and they are thrown together, they solve the mystery and everything, sort of, turns out ok.

Now, this movie is an 18 certificate and for the first half an hour we were wondering why and then you find out why, it quite a dramatic way. I am pleased I am 27 and not 18, this is not a movie I would watch again, and it does worry me that the scene was allowed into the final cut, but then, it is an 18. I did not look at the screen for the duration of some of the movie.

And the use of the Bible and the law was interesting. I don't want to give too much away, but I can see why the writer has used it and how it will come across that this is a very wrong use of scripture.

A well structured movie, that is easy to follow and pulls together well in the end... could've removed the scene that I have spoken about, but it would still be an 18. Be prepared is all I can say.

The Artist

The Artist (2011) - IMDb

If you haven't seen this movie yet, I would wait a little longer and get it on DVD. It is a piece of genius - but only because it is different from all the 3D out there at the moment. It is not new, it is nostalgic. It is clever, but at the same time there are little niggles. Little niggles like not having enough time to read some of the dialogue and spotting mistakes, because sometimes there is little else to do.

I might just be annoyed because the seat was £8.95, the screen was badly proportioned and the room was so warm, I feel asleep. It takes away from the experience a little. The cinema should be enjoyable.

Anyway, see it, but on DVD, enjoy it for the storyline, the dream sequence, every moment the leads meet and the mild camp-ness that is silent cinema. All that was missing, was the orchestra!

When extreme goes too far

Have a read of this article for a moment and tell me what you think...

Damage To Dummies Prompts Ride Rethink

I am all for extreme rides, I am yet to get to America to try some of the really extreme rides, but this is crazy. Having to re-think a ride because the dummies limbs have been damaged? Surely, in the first place, that is a design failure?

When I first went on Nemesis I though we were going to get smashed into the ground, I still think that we will every time I go on that ride, and that is enough for me. Really.

From the outset rides should be about thrill, closely followed by the safety of riders... if those two aren't at the top of the list, you end up with a boring ride or a death trap!

A reflection

I'm having a moment of reflection, quiet contemplation whilst the world falls apart, financially, in front of me. Debt is the headline and no doubt the world will struggle for a while yet, but as for me, I have looked at a previous blog post and been reminded of the Christmas period, that rushed past me, without much of a comment.

In Blooming Christianity I said that I had never felt what it was like to be in an over-flowing church. Chinese church (Happy New Year, by the way) is experiencing a boom in numbers, which is brilliant news for the people who live there, quite frightening, I imagine, for church leaders. It made me think of Christmas Eve at Christ Church, when we hold our Christingle services.

As a church many hours go into preparing one service, that happens three times. The first one this year, everyone had a seat, everyone, who wanted one, got an orange and it was a pleasant service. The second one was over-flowing. I stood in the corner, by the band, and looked at perhaps 350 people, lots of children sitting on parents laps, and one huge opportunity to tell the message of Jesus' birth. The third one was quieter and everyone had a seat again.

Only now, looking back, I realise that a church that is over-flowing is a beautiful thing. I was happy to be stood up for the whole service, to hear the band play Once In Royal David's City, all the way through, twice, and to see that so many people are coming to church.

It is exhausting, exhilarating and by the end of it, I am often pleased it only happens once a year.

In 2012 we are looking at how Christmas works, with the schools ending so late, we already need to start thinking about it. Forward planning though, means we can have the right conversations with the right people to make the week up to Christmas smooth and as stress free as possible!

Time to Talk

If you live or work in the Diocese of Chelmsford (and that is a pretty large area) you need to have a look at this website

Transforming Presence | Strategic Priorities for the Diocese of Chelmsford

And I mean have a serious look at it. This is what Bishop Stephen is all about at the moment, the discernment process has already started for what the Diocese might be doing by 2027.

Bishop Stephen has written this paper to inspire and begin to instruct the people in his diocese about how we begin to grow, rather than "managing our decline as gracefully as possible".

On Saturday, nearly 1000 people got together from across the diocese to answer a few questions about our experiences of church, past, present and future, and how we can change the face of the church.

The logistics of the day were the first impressive thing - what a way to start, I found my table and a seat straight away! Very impressed with the way the day was run, we started and finished on time, a few disappointing things though - there was no wifi to tell the outside world, I didn't have a hot drink as a tea and coffee abstainer and we always could've done with more time. However, I made new friends, I connected people so that they could be helped, and I got to reconnect with some I hadn't seen for a while.

The next step is wondering how this will filter down to church levels. Yes, we have a website, we have a diocese newspaper, we have vicars and youth workers, church wardens and readers, but all of these people and all of the congregation are busy with the things that we already do. What questions will the PCC's and DCC's have to ask to re-imagine church? What does it mean for the churches that didn't have a vicar or a representative at the meeting last weekend? And how do we recognize the works that are already changing the church?

The questions could keep on going - there are hundreds, to do with young people, schools, ecumenical views, at deanery level, and communities. There are definitely more questions than answers at the moment, but I hope you'll pray with me as the Bishop begins to meet with those who are boiling down what was said on Saturday, that the main themes will come through and the plan will come easily to everyone involved.

Back against the wall

So I have seen an osteopath for my back. I have never seen anyone about my back problems, but after thinking about it and talking about it with the osteopath, it turns out that my history is longer than I ever thought and probably started with a car accident and therefore is definitely over 10 years old.

That worries me slightly. That something has been wrong with me for that long and I have not done anything about it in all of the time I have been walking around, in pain occasionally, and it could have been fixed with a couple of trips to see a professional.

I facebooked about my neck problem and lovely Georgina, who has been a young person and turned into a friend, through Guides and other family connections, said that I ought to book with her and she could see what she could do for me.

The long and the short of it was that she spent an hour and a half with me - diagnosed my problem - stemming from my breathing and in the end I felt a lot better for being treated as a whole person. A doctor would've given me painkillers and told me to rest, Georgina gave me exercises and offered a follow up appointment in two weeks. And yesterday for the first time in a long time I had pain where I was supposed to have pain! It wasn't displaced, and it made all the difference for it being where it was supposed to be. I felt happier!

I have decided that I need to keep up with this and that private health care, for my toes and back at least, is the way to go about making life easier. I am not looking forward to seeing the podiatrist again, though he was funny and knew exactly was he was doing, it doesn't make injections any easier! I love the NHS, but I don't really want to have to wait - my Nan had her hip replaced last summer and she's only just seeing the osteopath, and only for 6 appointments. I can see Georgina at The Moir Health Clinic for as long as I want and she doesn't currently have a waiting list, though I think she soon will.

What's in an AOK?

With all things twitter - I have come across some lovely articles and some not so helpful - see previous posts!

Some times I have ranted, some times I have shouted 'look at this' and other times I have just smiled as I have shared.

This post is definitely the last two - read 12 Things Happy People Do Differently and you will be uplifted. I need to start doing more of this, particularly acts of kindness and practicing religion! I am grateful for an awful lot at the moment, the new year, the team that I work with and the parents who are supporting me during a transition that will change my life completely!

After worrying about what 2012 might bring, I am now certain that it is a year for moving on to greater things, to a more substantial foot on the ladder of so many things. It is exciting, all terrifying, but mostly a step in the right direction, and I am sure that there are doors that will shut, many that will open and lots of new friends to meet! Looking forward to it!

If you're in your 20's or 30's and want to meet new people and discuss the Bible, tonight, we will be meeting for the first time at St Mary's in Billericay, at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome!

(In other news though, I have a really bad back, so moving and breathing has been a bit tough. Going to see someone about it tomorrow morning who can perhaps diagnose the problem and begin to help me get well again.)

Another week!

It's Friday! Today was supposed to be the day I moved into my new flat, instead, I got all of the legal documents for it. I am happy where I am for now. I am quite pleased that the timing seems to have changed, so that I can focus on what is happening tomorrow instead of running around like a headless chicken trying to get things sorted. This weekend is a surprisingly big weekend, it includes two birthday parties, one diocese meeting, leading worship and a trip to lakeside for the first Nandos of the year! I am going to be tired - and some how will have to catch up with all of the tv programmes I will miss!

Being back at work as been a giggle, seeing the work in Southend that is growing and what just a few people have planned for 2012 has been an eye opening experience. We filled a whole sheet of paper with things that are one-offs but also regular things that are happening. If I wrote a list from that particular piece of paper it would be as long as my arm.

Pleased to say that it is nice to be in school again, catching up with the students that we have known for a very long time. All in all a very good start to term!

2012

For the last couple of days I have been watching twitter and facebook talk about how 2012 is going to be better than 2011 and how exactly a lot of people feel about it. I have also watched the news. This year has not started well for several people, including governments across Europe (who want to skip 2012 already) and families of those who have lost their lives.

As for me, I don't have many feelings about it, I know I have to work my socks off this year, I have to lose a little bit of weight and get fitter for more dancing and dressing up during the year. I will be moving out in January, so I will be living on my own very shortly - and probably blogging more to relieve the boredom to some extent.

I shall probably get frustrated with early morning and mid-evening journeys to and from home. But that's just an opportunity to rant. I shall probably try my hardest to resist takeaway, and fail, but that's just a chance to feel sorry for myself.

I am facing the year as a single woman and as much as I don't want that to be the case, I am trusting that God knows what He's doing.

There's not a lot else to say. I hope twitter and facebook will be as encouraging as they have been in 2011.

There are a lot of things going on this year. I hope I get the most from it.

Single and lonely?

Single and lonely | Christian News on Christian Today

"For those with family, the holiday period can be a manic time offering few opportunities to sit down and take stock.

For Christian singles, however, it can be a distressing time that intensifies their feelings of loneliness, a season of reflection often ending in nostalgia.

Some reminisce about past relationships and feel guilty about mistakes they made. Many are uncomfortable being the only single person in their family. Others feel depressed because they have no one to celebrate with. Everyone has their own story.

For Tanya*, a 39-year-old nurse from London, this holiday has been particularly challenging. Her parents live in Cyprus and their relationship is complicated.

“I have depression anyway. It has hit me. It has accentuated everything, especially as I do not have family to spend Christmas this year. It has caused me to feel a lot more down,” she says.

“It is difficult being on my own, especially in my age. It is a lot harder for me.”

In a way, being together with other people over the holidays makes her feel pressured because “this is a time of family, love and togetherness”.

While others are desperate to get as many days off as they can over Christmas and New Year, Tanya actually requests to work.

“... [T]o put it out of my mind and work instead of sitting on my own at home,” she admits.

Occupational therapist Bethany, 33, believes that this time of “togetherness” is challenging for people who are alone.

“It is more in your face. And it makes me feel sorry for those who do not have anyone. It almost makes me cringe.”

Kimmy, a travelling occupational therapist and single mother from New York says the festive period does not affect her, especially because back home in her native US there are so many singles.

At the same time, the 35-year-old also recognises that one by one, many of her friends are getting married.

These days most of Bethany’s friends are in relationships too and she cannot help but feel a bit “isolated”.

In terms of this New Year’s Eve, Kimmy plans to watch the fireworks in central London. Picturing the midnight countdown, she admits to wishing she could share this experience with a partner.

Bethany and Tanya will celebrate New Year’s Eve together. For Tanya, the last thing she wants is to impose herself on friends who might feel they need to invite her.

“I do not want them to feel sorry for me. I do not like that feeling,” she emphasises.

Her Christian faith though has helped her to maintain a positive outlook on the future.

“God is going to sort it out”, she affirms. “I know He is going to provide me with someone.”

Bethany adds: “It is one area you cannot control. You cannot control when you meet someone.”

She admits that she would love to meet someone but refuses to lower her standards and settle for just anyone.

“The bottom line is if you are really strong in who you are in Christ, you will not worry about it. You will trust that God will provide you with the right partner when it is the appointed time.”

*last names have been omitted by request"


I spotted this article in Twitter - and I have two basic reactions to it - I feel sorry for these women in the first instance, that they are alone and that they find Christmas really hard, and secondly, what are they doing and what is the church doing to help these women out?

Note that this article is only about women who are single and alone, not about men. I know my fair share of men who are single, and although I can't speak for any of them, I bet some of them feel like this. God calls us to be in community, to be with someone, for life and it does become a struggle to be on your own in the end.

So what are the Church doing to deal with the singles and what are the singles doing to sort it out themselves. Are they spending time out and about with other singles, or with good friends who have good friends who are single? Does the church recognise that community is as important for single people as it is for families?

In my experience, a lot of the older single people in the church are teaching me how to be single, they are independent and they do love spending time with their friends and their church. They are not sad and alone. They don't resent people for feeling sorry for them, they understand that God has put them in a place where they can help each other to feel like a family.

Yes, God has the prefect partner for each one of us who believe and we have to get the fine balance between trusting Him and actually going out. I read a quote somewhere about Disney teaching girls that some day their prince will come - i.e. Cinderella's prince searched the kingdom high and low for her and they lived happily ever after. Looking at the rest of the story though Cinderella actually went to the ball, rather than sitting at home in front of the tv, blogging about being single... oh wait.

Ok, so I am not the perfect example of a Christian single, but I do try to spend time with my friends, with my church and with my Bible, but also making new friends and going on dates (shock horror) to see what works and what doesn't. I guess my profession allows me to meet a lot of new people on a regular basis, for which I am hugely grateful.

For those of you who are really struggling with this time of 'togetherness', it is hard, but at the time when the church celebrates, what are you doing to celebrate being single?

Let me just say...

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the comments on Street Pastoring.

For me, when I have taken the time to reply to questions and opinions, I have prayed, I have considered and often found the answers coming to me. I hope that I have given a balanced view, but also a truthful Christian view.

I am always holding up my hand to say I don't know all of the answers, although it's taken a while for me to get to that point.

I hope that you will continue to read - the journey to here from some 7 (!) years ago when I started blogging has been cautious, frightening and fun, many things have happened and few haven't. I hope you can see the trust I have and that my life is truly in the hands of something greater than I will ever get to grips with.

Here's hoping that as I move out of home permanently and continue to work with young people in Billericay that I will enjoy 2012 and you continue to follow my misadventures!

EssexAtheist

Please can you get in touch again? Thank you.

Here's what you wrote


"And this is what is wrong with religion.

you should keep your religion to yourself, the arrogant view that people are better off with your religion (not any of the other hundreds of religions strangely) is disgusting.

i am atheist, does that make me less of a person than you? no. but in your eyes it does. its a horrible world view to have, and you shouldn't be actively approaching people effectively telling people this. keep your religion to yourself and keep it in your church.

however if i did bump into you in the street im sure i could pose some interesting questions and ideas to you."

Thank you for your opinion, in response to my post about Street Pastoring, it is always interesting to hear what others have to say.

I posed the question to facebook to see what I should do about your post, as I have many Christian and non-Christian friends. The opinions ranged from reply to delete, and one answer caught my eye...

"And this is what is wrong with atheism.

You should keep your atheism to yourself, the arrogant view that people are better off without religion (including any of the other hundreds of religions strangely) is disgusting.

I am Christian, does that make me less of a person than you? no. but in your eyes it does. its a horrible world view to have, and you shouldn't be actively approaching people effectively telling people this. keep your atheism to yourself.

however if i did bump into you in the street I'm sure i could pose some interesting questions and ideas to you."

Thank you for your opinion, because I would not have a story to tell about how I helped a few people on the way home after my work Christmas do, how I wished that I did have a Street Pastors hat and jacket on to help those who were in distress or lost, because before you posted it, all I could think about was getting home to bed, instead it inspired me to remove broken glass from the high street and speak to my friends about how best to respond. 


I feel that Jesus would probably ask if he could come to dinner at yours. 


Thank you for finding my blog and if you would like to talk to me, please get in contact.

Expectations

We're just 10 days away from the big day... so hears something for you to think about, this is some of what I said to the Uniformed Organisations and their parents tonight.

"All of these children have expectations on their lives. Harper is expected to be glamorous, well dressed and sophisticated, like her mum when she grows up and Charlie, he’s got his school and his new club hoping that his skill will carry him though the ranks to an England player. And Jesus? Like Harper Seven, before he was born a lot was written about him, but unlike Harper, those things were written hundreds of years before His birth. He was born with the world on His shoulders. Much like Harper Seven and Charlie, Jesus made headline news. We have sung about angels announcing his arrival to shepherds  in the fields, and what is more exciting than that? Like Charlie, He really did come out of nowhere and gained a whole lot of publicity in a very  short amount of time; for someone so young, he had a king after him and people from all walks of life bringing him presents.

Whatever you are expecting at this time of year, please don’t forget that the reason it all started was because one little baby was born, with the world watching on. Jesus was a very special baby. 

Jesus is dressed as Santa and the line is ‘Go on, ask him for something this Christmas’. Maybe there is something you can ask for, it might be one of those special things I asked about earlier.

Little Harper and Charlie won’t be able to help you with the bigger things this Christmas, maybe not with the smallest things either – Harper is not even a year old and Charlie, well, he’s just started school, but Jesus is the one we can go to for help.

I don’t know if you heard the lyrics of the John Lewis advert, they are really sad – ‘The luck I’ve had can make a good man turn bad, Please let me get what I want, Lord knows, it would be the first time’.  Sometimes life isn’t how we want it to be, but we can pray to Jesus to say thank you for what we get, sorry for the wrong things we do and please for things we need help or are struggling with and He will answer our prayers, often in ways that are unexpected. For a lot of your leaders – they have been praying for new leaders, and they got me this year, so I am an answer to prayer, but perhaps not the one they expected!

But what ever you ask for remember this year that Jesus is ’God with us’ and He was a very special gift that God could not wait to give to us."

There is a power point to go with it - if you haven't seen the John Lewis Advert, you can watch it here.

But the message is simple this Christmas, remember that God is with us, for all that has been and all that will be, with you and those you love. God loves you for the you of you, and whatever you are expecting or whatever is expected of you, don't forget the reason that we're celebrating.

Music and Words

I am a traditionalist when it comes to music... I don't like buying mp3 files very often, I much prefer a CD - ok so it's not vinyl, but keeping music electronically just doesn't sit right with me, plus my car has a CD player and we all know what radio connections are like, even in a tiny spcae like a car.

So recently I started listening to Lady Antebellum after hearing 'Just a kiss' at Jazzercise (of all places) and it is a really good album, if you want to buy 'Own the Night' I would recommend it. I buy popular music, there's not a lot of niche about what I listen to. I am a person who loves musicals, the charts and the old stuff... I think a lot of my friends are the same.

I do listen to Christian music though, a mix of live and music, they are songs that I often identify with strongly, they bring back memories of good times of worship and those of the lowest moments.

One of my bug bares about music though is the way in which words are sung. My dad always said that ABBA were the best singers in English because their intonation was impeccable and listening to some of the recent offerings from the music industry recently I can really see what he is on about - after all no-one sings 'Chiquitita' like Anni-Frid and Agnetha! (I can't even say the word properly!). I brought an album from Hillsong and there is on song that I really like on the album, but I really don't know the words, because they aren't sung clearly.

We are in an age when people need to hear the truth about God and often people will listen to the words of a song more often than not, so if those words are not clear, what is the message the Christian music industry is sending. It seems lazy to me, when words fall into one another and you can't make out clearly what is being sung without first looking online (or in my case on the information sleeve in the CD case!).

Here's hoping things change in the future, that song production never stops and the praises to God become clearer and louder!

Street Pastoring

The first time I heard about Street Pastoring, I thought that I ought to find my way on to a team at some point in my life.

When I started the Course in Christian Studies (CCS) I never thought that as part of it I would be working towards a second certificate in Evangelism and being recognised as an evangelist in the diocese. CCS is a two year long course that is a pre-requisite for other ministries, lay and ordained, in the diocese. Of course you can do it on it's own if you would like to!

So on Saturday morning, I found myself waiting, and waiting, and waiting, for 9.30pm to come round. Then I headed to Chelmsford to meet with the rest of the team that were volunteering over night. There are 6 people on every team, and team members volunteer once a month, 2 to pray whilst 4 others wrap up warm and head into Chelmsford. Before that we read a bible passage (Colossians 3) and prayed. This weekend was a special one for the Street Pastors, they were joined by the High Chief of Essex and the Mayor of Chelmsford. They were discovering what the Street Pastors do in the early part of the evening.

So we donned jackets, coats, hats, gloves and scarves, and I put on my special bright yellow observers jacket to make me stand out in a crowd. There were too many of us, so Hugh, the leader for the evening, split us into two teams and we wandered around, speaking to bouncers and managers, and the occasional person who recognised 'us'.

I did not realise how big Chelmsford is. when I used to go out at the weekend, we would stay in one area for the most part, so walking up past the bus station and down to Moulsham Street, becomes quite epic. I wish I was wearing a pedometer now, just to count the steps that I did. Chelmsford is a busy place as well. There are lots of young people around, and some older ones too. I was the youngest member of the team on Saturday, so I was unsure about how people would perceive me.

No-one stopped us to say that we were doing a bad job, or it was a bad idea that we were out on the streets, especially after the Brentwood Street Pastors were met with an angry reaction. People in the end came up to us to speak to us, I heard the words 'those are the street pastors, they give out flip-flops to girls' more often than not.

Half way through the night, we went back to the base for tea and toast. it was a good opportunity to sit down, rest the feet, fill up the tank and catch up on things we might have missed. We warmed up enough to feel really cold when we stepped back into town, and then it got interesting. We quickly gave out our first pair of flip-flops, our first gospel (Luke) and a few casualties of the night.

We spoke to the police about how their night had been, how they hadn't really been to busy and how we had picked up over 80 glass bottles (which I am told is unusually high). We finished the night with a conversation about the beginning of the world and handing out another gospel.

Walking back to the base for the final time, I found myself growing really tired, but a quick warm up and a prayer for those we had met changed all that.

I can not wait for Street Pastoring to come to Billericay. I think it will make a difference, like it has in Chelmsford, to the places that are busy and to those who are lost or unwell. if you are reading this and you are part of a church in Billericay, please get people to read this. Street Pastoring is so full of Jesus, his passion for the lost and love for those who don't know love.

It's serious work, but rewarding and wonderfully simple, just caring for people!

Advent

Advent is now here! What we have been waiting for is just four weeks away! It's time to get the cards written, I have already done most of my present shopping and find the tree under piles of stuff in the loft/garage. There is a lot to do, from practising the prefect roast to writing talks.

At Christ Church we are very fortunate that we start advent by inviting the community for carols and story telling and that there are plenty of things going on for us to prepare properly for the birth of a very special baby. It's going to be a good few weeks for all of the things that are going on. Life doesn't stop at Christmas, it is really only beginning of life! I have several meetings, services and meals to attend, hoping that all are fruitful!

Youth work adventures!

This week has taken a much more relaxed view on work. I have started the only Christmas talk I am doing this year and it had come out of the idea of expectancy. There are a few young children at the moment who seem to be in the press a lot for what is expected of them in the future, same with Jesus really... and there's the obvious connection with expecting Santa to arrive as well. So that's well on it's way to happening. There are other things going on at the moment, a stronger connection with school, staff members and some of the pupils. I seem to have found myself with a PA at school of late, they are really so helpful and God seems to put people in the right place at the right time, and for that I am really grateful.

This weekend sees the annual pilgrimage for many of my colleagues to Eastbourne for Youthwork: The Conference. Gary and Ray are both blogging this weekend and you can follow the progress/thoughts on Twitter using #ywc2011 as well. It is worth it for the snippets of things you hear and see. I wish I was with them, but my training budget has been spent and I am feeling the need to spend a little more time with my friends.

As well as that I am with the young people on Sunday morning, helping them to lead worship, we also celebrated Children in Need a little bit differently for the first time... and it really did make a difference. We watched Black Lightning play (our 'local' band) - they were really good, and have a long road ahead of them. I haven't got the right permission for photos - but some might appear over on the church website. We raised £30 through subs and biscuit sales as well. The church do a lot during these times, it is so easy to raise money for a charity that helps British charities.

I have started to finish the process for buying my own place. I will fully tell that story when I am settled.

Evaluating this week

At the start of this week, I headed to Northampton, via Luton (thanks!), to spend time with a whole bunch of people I have never met before, for training in relationship and sex education. Very full on three days of a lot of serious stuff, a lot of listening, but a lot of fun as well. If you want to have a look at what evaluate do, why not have a look at their website. I can't really tell you a huge lot about it, other than it is an awesome teaching resource and worth the effort. I am hoping that there will be a team in Billericay or Essex in the future, it needs a lot of praying about and asking if this is the right thing for the area. It certainly has given me a lot to think about both professionally and personally.

I met some really wonderful people and did not stop laughing from the moment I met everyone, until I had to leave.

One of the things I can tell you about is the Australians that were sharing the conference centre with us. Being the outgoing person I am, I had to find out why there were in dreary England. Of course, if you don't know what King's Conference centre is near, the next sentence is going to be a shock to you. They are the Australian National Trampoline Team! Kings is next to a huge sports centre that also has a trampoline centre. It was amazing to chat to their coach about what sort of competition they face. Apparently China are the ones to watch. Have a look at their website - I've already spotted the people I 'know'!

For the last couple of days I have been thinking about women in leadership and rules in Leviticus. I have come to the very brief conclusion that there is a lot of context involved, particularly for the Jewish people and that God, who has the interests of His people in His heart, taught His people how to be a doctor, to stop disease spreading. As for women in leadership, I am called and equipped to lead in certain situations. My volunteers look to me and the young people as well, so it is difficult for me to say that women should not be allowed to lead. It is about heart, what God wants for those He loves. At the centre of my ministry is love, and that love comes from God. Those young people I pray for by name and those I can't even begin to imagine are all loved by God and they do need to see that in all that I do with them.

It has been good to be away, but also good to be back. I have seen Alice and Isaac again, both are doing really well! That little boy is going to bring a lot of joy to a lot of people.

For your sweet tooth!

In Your Arms - Kina Grannis (Official Music Video) - YouTube

If you are like me and you like jelly beans, you will love this video!

The effort and attention to detail is amazing, the story board must've been immense and the patience involved just blows my mind! Both for the people creating the animation and the artist for waiting so long for a video! Real labour of love! :) Made me smile after a day of highs and lows.

All Saint's Day

The world is getting darker, but there is a promise of hope and light in the future.

In just 7 weeks, we will have the shortest day of the year and then a few days after that, we will be celebrating the birth of the most important man to ever walk the earth.

In the run up to the season that is like Marmite for most, I have found myself heading into London, to celebrate in a church I have known about since I can remember, but have never, ever been inside of, though has recently found itself at the center of the financial world and the church's world for the last two weeks. Standing on the steps of St Paul's, looking out at the tents, that are almost piled high, I wondered what had brought the world to this place - where a sit-in protest is the way for the people's voice to be heard. Anyway, I was eavesdropping - it is hard not to when the people talking are sat under your feet - on a conversation between some tourists and a protester who was commuting to the site every day, the tourists were genuinely concerned and interested in what had been going on. There were reporters and policemen everywhere, including a men in suits with large groups of people around them.

The Tent City at St Paul's

The Church now recognise that they haven't handled this well, but later on, I watched the general meeting and saw that the church had asked for the campsite to provide a group of people to liaise with them on a regular bases - whatever you think or know about the church, let me tell you this - we do things by relationship and you can not have a liaison with a different person every day. The group discussed the idea of having just 4 people to talk to the church, which I think is a fair idea, but because of what they stand for, you can't allow people to feel as though they have more power than anyone else (because that's where the mess comes from as I understand it) though the lady leading the meeting clearly had more power than anyone else! I came away more confused and wondering why it felt like I'd been at a deanery synod meeting for 2 days straight, it is very difficult to listen to something and understand what might be going on, when you have no clue!

A lot of the protesters took the opportunity to video the meeting, a couple had laptops, some were eating, people were coming and going, and there was every opportunity for me to go up to the microphone and tell them all to go home!

Anyway, back to standing on the steps - 5pm arrived and it was time to go inside for the start of the Sung Eucharist, now walking into St Paul's was immense. I have been inside 3 cathedrals in my lifetime, that I can remember - my parents might correct that, but since being a youth worker, I have had the opportunity to stand in Ely, Chelmsford and Canterbury cathedrals - and I now realise that all of these buildings blow me away. I am by no means the most clever person on the earth, so that these buildings have been constructed, leave me in so much awe and wonder. St Paul's just has a majesty about it. It is clean and feels uncluttered, leaving all the glory to God. Even walking down the isle felt different from every other place I have ever been in and sitting under the dome, looking at the paintings, the carvings and the length of the building makes me feel insignificant, but it was All Saint's Day, so there was an overwhelming sense of love and hope too. The sound just carries so much in that place too. I came away feeling really pleased that I had spent time, doing what God has called me to do, in a place that has been a beacon for many, but also wondering about the relevance for the younger people in the church, of participating in a service like that. Who knows I might be bringing my young people into London for an All Saints Day service in the future!

I am off to find out about the benefits of an oyster card...

Time for TinTin

This animated clip is an absolute stunner and has a wonderful story attached to it.

I wish I had this sort of level of creativity and forcefulness (you'll have to read the whole article to get that!).

I will buy this movie when it comes out. I'm over 3D and back into musicals again.

In other news, buying a flat progresses, though it still needs your prayers, and hoping that I can move out soon after Christmas, but we will see how we go. speaking to estate agents and the like is teaching me a lot. Some people have very cautious stories, others are full of hope for me.

Happy to say that the bible reading continues - we've made our way through genesis, exodus and job, with Matthew. We're only 60 days in, but the reading is relatively easy for me. I have read the law books before, so I know what is coming, but it does mean I skim read when I know it gets repetitive, especially in Leviticus. I know I shouldn't do it and I need to take slowly. Still, the psalms and proverbs are delightful at the moment and we're half way through Mark. Keep going if you've started. It will be a fruitful end to the year!

Something amazing!

You know how I like Disney, right? You know how I like Disney re-imagined, right?

Have a look! This is simply awesome. A good opportunity to find the real life versions of these characters, surely there must be women that look like this?

Time to get all legal!

So I am continuing the journey towards house owning... well flat owning. There is so much to think about, legally and just being in a place on my own. How do I work out so many different things to make this work? I have wanted to do this so desperately and now as it draws into my reality, it becomes so scary and so unreal, all at once.

So please pray for me. So far I have come across some wonderful people who have been very helpful and I know the right people will cross my path if this is what God wants. That is the important thing... what does God want for me?

Work is going well at the moment. We had an interesting Friday night, praying for the people that I came across, well that came across us, I don't go anywhere on a Friday night, once I am in church. And this has also been the week that the churches in Billericay have attempted to read the Bible, in it's entirety. I think we have done well. It is always difficult to figure out how long it would take, but as far as I know, we did it and hopefully made a difference to some of the people who listened to it.

The scarecrows are still in place, in church, though I think many may have been dismantled and certainly the winner's scarecrow - a boy on a scooter called Bob - has been taken away. I have had a chance to scare myself witless. if you've ever stood in a room with 30 scarecrows in the dark, you'll know that they can look quite human, when they are just shadows!

A lot of my twitter friends have spend this weekend at the youth work summit - I have been catching up with what went on, it seems that it has been monumental for some. So I will be looking forward to catching up with some of you, to find out out thoughts and if it is worth going in May! I missed out, but I did get to spend time with friends and family who I have missed a lot. I hope all of them are well, some of them have been really stressed out recently, so it was good to have a chance to let our hair down!

I am now on holiday for a week and I will be doing various things like my third ever tweetup and a chance to see Kay for a bit in Bristol, and meet her boyfriend! :)

All New to me!

MYSTERY MAZE! (interactive YouTube game) - YouTube

Have you ever read a book where you have to make the decisions? This is the youtube version of that, and well worth a go! :)

Harvest Festival

This weekend was the Scarecrow festival and Harvest celebration for Christ Church Billericay.

I had the privilege of being involved from the very start, and the only thing that stopped me from attending absolutely everything was a stupid cold that has found it's way to beating my immune system for the first time in ages!

So we had a lot of people at the Scarecrow making workshop on Saturday and have already learnt so much more about how to build a scarecrow, what to stuff it with and how to stand it up. My young people created a scarecrow of me and did a very good job in such a short time to make it look like me. It's pink and grey - with jeans, which is a little bit of a signature look for me!

About 30 scarecrows appeared during the day, most made at the workshop, but some had been dreamt up at home and constructed in the hall. I am told (via Facebook) that the barn dance was awesome and everyone seemed in high spirits this morning in church.

Today we celebrated harvest in a short service with a baptism as well. It was a lot of fun to see families interacting with each other and voting was well under way by the end of the service. I know I didn't win, but when community is involved, it is definitely the taking part that counts. I hope that we covered all parts of our community over the time and the food offering we gave will go to the womens shelter at Basildon.

I will be eating the jar of beetroot chutney Mollie was selling, when I find a brie to go with it! (and a crusty roll! It smells yummy!)

It is good to celebrate all of the things we have an opportunity to taste, see, smell through out the year. Harvest is an important time for a lot of people around the world still. We must not forget the people who don't have enough, or the freedom to make their own way in the world.

Today, I also had an opportunity to pray for all of the young people (and their families) that we see throughout the year.  As a youth leader, how often do you name your young people before God? It is becoming increasingly important for me to pray with team members and my boss as we see the church grow and the young people develop. The Spirit really did take over tonight and I found myself praying with a sickness in my stomach that there were still so many young people in the town that don't know God and what He can do. Fan into flame please God. Help the young people that know you to be radical for you.

A short personal aside. I am single. There is plenty to say, but not here. Thank you for all your support, Chris.

One Day

If you have read the David Nicholls book and my blog, you'll know how much I love stories being told in different ways. Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveller's Wife absolutely captivated me, and really still does. I have read it several times and will continue to read it again and again.

When I saw the advert for David Nicholl's One Day, I was intrigued.  I think I also saw an interview on This Morning with the lead actor. So I thought I ought to buy the book before I saw the movie, I'd seen started for ten a few weeks earlier with James Mcavoy and really liked that, so I was expecting something that spoke to me.

I was not disappointed. I almost wished that I hadn't started it. Thankfully I was reading during the holidays, otherwise I would've had a very sleepy and unproductive few days. I have the sort of imagination that gets me deep into a well written book. I can see characters and places. Some of the places mentioned in the book, I have actually been to, so that helps a lot.

It is well written and worth a go, easy (for me at least) to read and all the twists and turns you might expect from a story about two people who remain friends through their life.

One day, I will also have my own house, and the process has started, but I am struggling. The website that is available has a lot of properties, but when I ring to ask for a viewing, I am finding that the property is sold or under offer. So pray, that I can find a good estate agent, or someone who can really help me out. I'm finding that people are making judgements about me as well, being rude unnecessarily, because they assume that I am something I am not. Hopefully I will get to talk to my parents financial advisor. It's a scary and exciting, daunting that I might be living on my own in the next couple of years. Here's to making space in the diary to view properties!

Please be careful

Tragedy as teenage girl dies minutes after applying hair dye - Yahoo!

This is the reason why skin testing is such a good idea. For the most part, people are not allergic to hair dye, but just in case, please skin test, every time you go to dye your hair - professionally or at home.

Harvest 2011

This year, Christ Church is celebrating Harvest as a family and for the most part I am involved in one way or another.

I have enjoyed the new ideas that have come along since joining the leadership team. This year is no different, we are into our second year of scarecrow making and I have a title to defend! We will be scarecrow making on Saturday, with a dinner and barn dance. On Sunday we have got a special service and any food we receive will go to a local charity, as well as the judging of the scarecrows! I have to buy a bale of hay - which is something I have never had to do before!

It should be a good weekend, the third and final one of a very 'churchy' time in October. The first weekend was last weekend (which technically started in September) when we spent time as a church, at High Leigh Conference Centre. it was a really good weekend and the Holy Spirit is definitely resting on the church, waiting for God's timing to bring the church together. I really love the church I worship in, the people who lead and serve, and even those who don't yet know how they fit, but still feel part of the family. It's great to see the holy Spirit at work in the people you love and trying to understand our future as a church is going to be a lot of fun.

This coming weekend, I have 14 young people to teach about being a young leader in the place that they are in a discovering their 'SHAPE'. I know most of them well enough to know that as leaders, Lucy and I are going to have a lot of fun!

So that's my October, some time off at the end of the month to take time out and think about other things that have happened. Reflecting on recent event.