Quizzes, Schools Work, Group Planning, Uni Reading, Services - I actually am really enjoying my life :)

Today all is grand! I am now over (well nearly) the horrible 'synasy' thing I had - thank goodness, and so have been back into school this morning where I had three highly interesting lessons, the first a science lesson showed me how videos no longer capture young peoples attention, the second showed that silence can be maintained for an hour by a group of year nines (giving me a chance to catch up on some Uni Reading), the third showed me that year ten pupils are quite capable of acting like 8 year olds! AS my father would say it's all part of the rich tapestry of life!

Spent the past two hours putting together quiz questions for FNT as I am not here and they need it all created for them. I find getting questions together for Who Wants To Be A Millionnaire a real hard goer - though the powerpoint with the music and everything is incredible. The reason I'm away for FNT is that I have a conference this weekend at Center Parcs! HURRAH! I am looking forward to that very much.

Finally sorting out all those things that I like to do to fill up my time like 24 hour prayer rooms during half term, a new evening service for older teens 20s and 30s, and a 24 video day (also during half term). All in all everything is grand. I'm now going to gome home and do some more reading! Hurrah! Hope all is well with you all too. God Bless...

Illness is so not fun - In fact it means you miss out on all the fun :(

Listening to the new P.O.D. album Testify which I am really liking (apart from I wasn't too keen on the first track). But who cares about POD when everyone's favourite band 'the renasent' are soon to launch! It's all far too exciting! Just sorting out site, my space and getting ready to set at least the whole of devon on fire! Anyhow as I'm not all that well I need to get some sleep. God Bless...

So the new years resoultion thing fell apart but I shall carry on nonetheless!

Well I didn't do amazingly on the whole blog a day thing did I? That's what happens when a super busy week lands on your doorstep. I don't really have time now but wanted to share some of the excitment that's going on at the moment! Saturdays Soul Exeter was fantastic, everything I said was just right for the situation which is all you can ask for as a compare. The talk and the worship was good as well. Second primary school afternoon was on Tuesday and was again great fun, we also had our first proper bible study in the new flat which was great fun. I had silence at crusaders on Wednesday during the Jonah story which was a miracle to be sure and then yesterday I had two lessons of textiles (ahhhhhhhhhh!) and some people round for dinner to discuss the new 20s and 30s group that we shall be beginning from next week! Anyhow this afternoon I am speaking at Exeter C.U. then coming back to Dawlish to launch the new FNT club! My oh my! Tomorrow is a bit more relaxed - just a party to go to (hurrah!). Anyhoo I shall leave you today with a modern day parable that forms the backbone to my CU talk - the author is unknown. God Bless...

Parable of the Fishless Fishermen

Now it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishermen. And lo, there were many fish in the waters all around. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry.

Year after year these who called themselves fishermen met in meetings and talked about their call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how they might go about fishing.
Continually they searched for new and better definitions of fishing. They sponsored costly nationwide and worldwide congresses to discuss fishing and to promote fishing and hear about all the ways of fishing.

These fishermen built large, beautiful buildings called "Fishing Headquarters." The plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish. One thing they didn't do, however; they didn't fish.

They organized a board to send out fishermen to where there were many fish. The board was formed by those who had the great vision and courage to speak about fishing, to define fishing, and to promote the idea of fishing in far-away streams and lakes where many other fish of different colours lived.

Also the board hired staffs and appointed committees and held many meetings to define fishing, to defend fishing, and to decide what new streams should be thought about. But the staff and committee members did not fish.

Expensive training centres were built to teach fishermen how to fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fishology, but the teachers did not fish. They only taught fishing. Year after year, graduates were sent to do full-time fishing, some to distant waters filled with fish.

Further, the fishermen built large printing houses to publish fishing guides. A speaker's bureau was also provided to schedule special speakers on the subject of fishing.

Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded, and were sent to fish. But like the fishermen back home, they never fished.

Some also said they wanted to be part of the fishing party, but they felt called to furnish fishing equipment. Others felt their job was to relate to the fish in a good way so the fish would know the difference between good and bad fishermen.

After one stirring meeting on "The Necessity for Fishing," a young fellow left the meeting and went fishing. The next day he reported he had caught two outstanding fish. He was honoured for his excellent catch and scheduled to visit all the big meetings possible to tell how he did it.

So he quit his fishing in order to have time to tell about the experience to the other fishermen. He was also placed on the Fishermen's General Board as a person having considerable experience.

Now it's true that many of the fishermen sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish every day. They received the ridicule of some who made fun of their fishermen's clubs and the fact that they claimed to be fishermen yet never fished.

They wondered about those who felt it was of little use to attend the weekly meetings to talk about fishing. After all, were they not following the Master who said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men?

Imagine how hurt some were when one day a person suggested that those who didn't catch fish were really not fishermen, no matter how much they claimed to be. Yet it did sound correct. Is a person a fisherman if year after year he never catches a fish?

It's my mums Birthday today - so happy Brithday Mum! And happy unbirthday to everyone else reading!

A very quick post as I am in the middle fo setting up the prayer room for tonights Youth Prayer Meeting. So far the room looks great with all sorts of different areas and provoking pictures and objects and painting area and........it's great!

Got Soul Exeter tomorrow, which once again I am looking forward to greatly - it's really quite exciting at the moment and after the planning meeting on Monday there is lots to be getting done! The most exciting developments for me are Soul Exeter Underground - a new gigbased outreach event, and getting a resident band together!

Finally work on the secret band project is going well. We now have a name (wahey!) which I shall reveal soon, four real decent songs that we've written with basic cords sorted, and I'm really enjoying being part of it! I bet you can guess that there'll be a website starting up soon! God Bless...

I am sooooo tired! The thought that life could get busier than this worries me!

Watched the last two episodes of lost which I videoed off TV last night so I could get some sleep before school this morning (during breakfast) and though I enjoyed it as ever I was shocked that it didn't draw to any kind of conclusion! It was dreadfully annoying!

As well as my viewing of Lost I have also been into School and have at last secured a venue from which to run some lunchtime clubs (though one of the days is one I'm not even in the place!) so our CU should be going from next week (at last!).

Also starting life next week is FNT the new friday night group we're doing for which I now nearly have a team together for the cooking - hurrah! Anyhoo, I've got some OU reading and note taking I want to do (and the rest of a spit-roasted chicken I want to add to some gravy and pasta then eat!) so I had better get going. God Bless...

I'm not going to have antoher Wednesday like this so I've been trying to enjoy it

I was going to attempt to have a day off today (with Soul Exeter coming up and having had lots of extra meetings over the past few days) but it never materialisd! In the end I have been doing some planning, writing a job description, doing flyers, creating letterheads, doing some brainstorming, and thinking that one day I might have a day to actually get my bedroom tidy! In a compromise I managed to give myself an hour and a half for lunch which I ate whilst watching two episodes of CSI on DVD!

Got Crusaders tonight for which I am doing the games which is quite scary as I shall need to quickly think of some (ahhhhhhhhh!). Should all be grand however as I have loads of games in my bank - I shall just grab a handfull (or do a biscuit tin night - WHAT A GRAND IDEA!). Another breaking newsflash is that the secret band project I am part of - working title 'Cider from a Lemon' - has now put together three rather sexified songs 'Darling Angel', 'Smokescreen (Open Your Eyes)', and 'Hey Mate, Fashionably Late'. I am having so much fun writing songs and look forward to some serious jamming sessions. We've now got our drummer sorted so it's just a second guitarist needed (though I would quite like to get some keys/synth too).

Anyhoo, I want to get some dinner before crusaders as I feel so un-energetic it's unbelieveable! God Bless...

Another busy day - however I really am enjoying my life greatly!

Was in school today after yesterdays day of meetings and also had my first full afternoon working in Gatehouse with reception class (its quite something to go from working with 14 year olds who dont want to be there to 4 year olds who dont want to leave!). I got to make salt dough teddy bear with the children and then we did some drawing and played with the water tray! You may be able to tell I had great fun!

Bible Study begins this afternoon, I want to look at breathing in God and base it around the David Crowder track 'I don't want to move' (it has a great line 'breathe in deeper now'). Also this evening Celebrity Big Brother which I am watching - but mainly because of the OU course I'm doing. I'm finding it interesting comparing what the book says and what I'm seeing happening! Grand!

Anyhoo, I better get on, before youth group I have a song writing sess. God Bless...

Sat at the back of a hall during the middle of a lecture to which I am only at because Jerry is doing it and I need a lift afterwards to the next meeting! There has been many meetings today and I am already tired - only one more left I suppose! God Bless...

Played wonders of the world monopoly - made my day

Church was good this morning - both services were looking at re-dedication and renewing of baptisimal vows and involved us all getting a little wet! Also got to play wonders of the world monoploy which was grand fun! I bought out everyone but one player and then beat him (mwwwwwahahahahah!), first the monoploy board, next the world....... yeah. God Bless...

Trip to Exeter was enormous fun - now it's back to my early spring clean!

I love cleaning! It's so much fun (can anyone feel my sarcasm, because if you can't it's meant to be flowing thick and fast!)! All the flat is pretty much tidy (apart from cleaning up after myself as I go along) that is minus the bedroom, which is still undergoing substancial work! The news is good though, I am starting to get somewhere with it - the wardrobe is now clean, and all eroneous drawers have been emptied and their contents lie either in the bin, or on the surrounding carpet!

Enough of tidying though, it is afterall a most forlorn subject for a Saturday evening! Yesterday I went into Exeter which was once again a grand evening. A short trip to Wetherspoon with some catching up, followed by some Celebrity watching (for which I am now being challenged about by my OU course) made for a fun time. Sleeping on sofas does however hurt my neck (especially when they are shorter that me!).

Anyhoo, I want to watch some CSI and then get some study in before bed. Goodnight & God Bless...

The Christmas decorations came down yesterday :( Doing some early spring cleaning and sprucing up the place greatly!

Sorting out my flat at the moment, making it all super tidy and looking fantastic! The main task is sorting out my room which for some time has been the dumping ground for everything else in the place - it now needs to be a place where I can get on with my studies and have a beautifully calm, chill out atmosphere.

I've got a super busy week coming up (mainly due to a volumous amount of meetings and the very exciting Soul Exeter on Saturday). Tonight, I'm meeting up with Nadine for a night out with her and her flat mates in Exeter - hurrah, and during the day I've got some Soul Exeter stuff to sort out including some planning for a meeting on Monday with Jerry and Robert and the college C.U. So no time to waste, I had better get on! God Bless...

Today I learnt how to make scrambled egg in the microwave!

Truely exciting day - learnt how to make scrambled egg on toast! Mmmmmmmm. It means that sausages, chips and scrambled eggs is alltogether more tasty now (and prepared with more ease)! Been into school today which was grand - good to be back and working, seeing all the staff and stuff. Anyhoo, I tired! God Bless...

Preparing to Study again - after a year and a half break this is quite a shock to the system!

Wednesday is one of my new 'OU' days as I begin my studies into Understanding Media! It's ever so exciting, I've been buying some extra books on Amazon this morning (like The Good Study Guide, and Good Essay Writing A social sciences guide) and have even printed off the PDF booklet about taking good notes and reading well - I'm a bit worried that I may have forgotten!

I am ever so excited though, in the VERY quick flick through that i have performed so far, I have been really interested by the material that the course is covering - yeah! It'll be nice to look at something outside of the sphere of Christian Youth Work as well - though it is my passion, I think having a bit of diversity is also important!

Anyhoo, I'm going to have my mug shot taken for my NUS card and then I get to meet up with Grandparents and Suzie who are staying near by so are coming to visit. Might convince them to take the trip into Exeter (better food!)! God Bless...

The church office is very cold this morning!

I am currently freezing to the chair but the heating has now gone on so I should breathe back into life soon! Listening to David Crowder Band once again, fantastic stuff - you can read a review I posted on it by clicking here!

Last few days have been great - started a bit of a Risk marathon with Sim and Dave last night - was very tense - I seem to be playing a loosing strategy which invovlves trying to hold Asia. Not good really. We're carrying on the 'battle' today later on so that should be grand. Apart from that got lots of groups to plan, starting dates to sort out etc. and a bit of sorting out to do in my flat.

Brrrrr. It's soooo cold! Anyhoo, I'm going to get going! God Bless...

An uber quick post...

An incredibly quick post to exclaim that I am a gastronome (def. a lover of good food and drink). That has made my day! Hurrah!

Sat in Spoons in Exeter enjoying lasagne & chips before returning to Dawlish. Launched www.bigfattoothbrush.co.uk (its fifth year in action) with a lovely new look and feel to it! Looking forward to being back in Dawlish - got my OU course starting this year and I'm really excited :-) also this year I'm also aiming to post on the blog every day! Lets hope I keep that one up :-) anyhoo, God bless...