Are We There Yet?

Day 5 - The Last Day on the Line....for us....for now!

2011-04-21T22:10:00.002Z

The day started early for Keith as usual - he went off to work at 6:30 am with his dry ham sandwiches.

Next was Thomas and me, as he had a dentist appointment and as it was Children's Day, they were giving away fruit and boxes of Raisins - aaarrrrgh!

Thomas took a box of raisins for tomorrow and they are sitting in the fridge next to the chocolate buttons and a cup cake that I was randomly given on Monday!

We went swimming this afternoon and as it was so hot , had the car windows down. Driving past McDonalds was HARSH!

Eventually we arrived at 'tea time' - jacket pot, beans and cheese 44.9p each and began to think about what it would be like tomorrow, when we could eat what we liked, when we liked.

We have not had tea, coffee, sweets.biscuits, desserts, and a whole fruit each all week - a banana is 12p and an apple an enormous 26p, so we have been sharing.

A tip for families attempting this is to buy in really cheap shops - Lidl and Aldi, and then you can certainly get more for your money.

We have all lost some weight and that has not been a bad thing for me and Keith and I don't really want to put it on again and while I have really missed the treats, I know I can go without and currently feel really guilty even thinking about eating a biscuit.

I hope that the residue of that will stay with me - the reason we have undertaken the challenge is to raise awareness of 1) the issue of extreme poverty and 2) what people can do to help i.e sponsor us and in turn help alleviate this issue where it really matters.

The brilliant thing about the Project is that lots of charities are benefitting, and not just overseas, there are some in the UK too.

It was great going to church this evening to celebrate a Love Feast and we had spared some pennies to cover us for bread and juice - our church friends wanted to know how we had got on and I think Elyse and Thomas were a little overwhelmed at the interest shown in them. We were also given some money towards our target of £150 and want to thank all the people who have sponsored us so far.

Please don't stop giving, just because the challenge is over for us. The official start date is 2nd May so you still have time to plan ( very important if you are working as a team or a family)

The main observation is that each of us has come away from this with a different outcome.

I think it will impact Elyse and Thomas, but they are currently looking forward to eating, and so cannot put their thoughts into words.

Keith has struggled all the way through, but today had a proper conversation with a couple of guys at work about it.

Joe would like to do it again, after his exams and we will actively support him, but not take part. It really enforced what he already knows and working towards a single aim has affirmed him yet again in the life choices he is making.

And me, well I now know just how far my family are prepared to go to support each other in what was a really tough task. I'm proud of that and the money we have raised and the conversations we have had with each other ,the way we have dealt with our differences of opinion and the way we have shared.

It hasn't been a blast, but it has been a wake up call.

Keep giving and thanks for sharing this journey with us. x

Day 4 - Planning really is the key.

2011-04-20T16:15:00.003Z

The thing is that you just don't know what it's like and what your reaction is going to be until you are really into it.

For a family, we have discovered that there are 3 ways of doing this - but you will find more:

1) clear out all your cupboards and just spend your money for the week and live on that

2) work out how much everything in your cupboards costs and then live on a £1 each of what you already have

3) Spend your weekly money on staples and try to live on that and soon realise that you ARE going to run out of something and begin to tweak from the pantry.

The tweaking has got more and more throughout the week - we have still lived on £1 each a day, but the lack of variety for most of us who lack the willpower has been really hard.

Reading back on Day one, we were excited and anxious. Today I was just anxious. There is no bread!

Joe seems to be continuing to cope well with the lack of food, but in his enthusiasm, he is policing the rest of us quite hard.

We are all tired and a bit grumpy with each other, so misunderstandings get big pretty quickly. Even I have raised my voice in a fight or flight situation, when normally I would have let it wash over and just walked away.

Keith has really missed out on some relationship building during his first week in a new job, when he could be socialising over a bacon butty. The team know why he is not joining them in the canteen, but he doesn't feel he knows them well enough to ask for sponsorship.

Essentially we have expected Elyse and Thomas to live in a world that they do not understand, one where there is little or no choice and definitely NO chocolate, or chips or chargrilled burgers and all the other delicious things beginning with 'ch'.

The other thing I have noticed is how we use food for entertainment( we eat when we are bored, or just because the food is there) and how much time it normally takes to prepare family meals and therefore how much time we/ I have had on our/ my hands this week. I have nearly read a whole book!

Going into Sainsburys today (to get loo roll) and fretting over whether to buy bread, I became aware of how much stuff there is to buy that just makes life feel better, but isn't really that necessary...but it does make life feel better and, again, how much of it there is - loads!

I bought bread ( Basics 47p for 22 slices).

Day 3 - Choice vs No Choice

2011-04-19T21:47:00.003Z

Elyse was at a Birthday party and Sleep Over last night, and we had already decided as a family that she could partake - it would have been rotten not to let her go as it was a rite of passage for her too - her first proper sleep over.I collected her this morning and she had had a wonderful time and proceeded to tell me about breakfast.......and then stopped.

I told her it was ok, but that she was back 'on the line' from now.

It was a quiet day in all as Joe was revising and has decided that he needs to eat little and often to keep concentrating, so it really now doing his own thing with the £1.

Elyse and Thomas then went off to a friends house and Thomas decided to have lunch at home before they went, whereas Elyse was going to chance it at the friends house. We had a conversation about how she would manage and she said she would stick to the line and tell her friend why - he might even sponsor her. She phoned home a little later to make sure her teaspoon of marg. was also included in the price - bless!

Keeping a track of where people are up to is pretty easy for breakfast and lunch- we have a notice board with the prices of all the foods we have bought for the event and then each person has a countdown sheet where we can mark off what we have spent and most importantly what we have left for our main meal of the day,which is where it gets harder and there are always 'issues'. We are all pretty hungry by then and it seems to take ages for everyone to tot up their food.

The thing is we are still living in the realm of ' what would you like to eat' rather than me saying 'Here's what there is - get on with it'

However, supplies are dwindling and the next couple of days might have to be like that!

Keith didn't get in till 7:15 this evening and we needed to be out again by 7:45, so he couldn't enjoy his meal as he had to eat it quickly, and therefore didn't really feel filled up by it. He and I were off to our Small Group where we had to explain why he couldn't have a coffee - no funds left, but that I had budgeted to have a cup of tea. And we couldn't have cake either, but funnily enough, no one did!

Observations from today:

We are all thinking about Friday, when we are 'off the line' - Joe will have Birthday Cake, Thomas is going to buy a Sharing pack of Doritos and not share them and I am considering what Good Friday Breakfast will be.

Keith has lost 6lbs since Sunday

Joe is loosing 1lb a day

I have no idea about me, but think I look thinner!

I am not looking forward to tomorrow, as I am bored of eating the same stuff and want to get more provisions, but we have spent our £25 and that is that.

The next two days will be tougher and I hope will open our minds to more of the issues.

Day 2 - Reality Sets In and More Questions that Answers

2011-04-18T15:50:00.005Z

I woke up with a splitting headache - surely I don't drink that much tea and coffee that 1 day without leaves me cold..... turkey. ( aarggh)

The other thing generally about today is that EVERYTHING seemed to be about food.

Thomas found it really hard while we were out and about in Maldon in the sunshine as everyone was eating something and tried to find loopholes in the rules - 'Ice cream is definitely not food!'

Elyse was also under pressure and the little local sweet shops with their Easter window displays elicited little moans of despair.

Her reasoning was that surely even the poorest people can save up for treats. The conversation that followed had us going round in circles - if we were in Africa, they wouldn't really know about treats and certainly wouldn't think to save up for something that would mean they couldn't sustain themselves today.

Delayed gratification was the lesson of this day for Elyse and Thomas ' We could buy it today and not eat it until Friday!' ( Readers, this would NOT happen and therefore the answer was NO)

I found myself saying NO a lot and it made our outing slightly less enjoyable than it would have been if I had bought all the snacks they wanted. What it did mean is that we spent time talking to each other ( ok it was about food, but it was enjoyable none the less).

One conversation was about poor people in the UK, which was started by Thomas saying that he couldn't see ANYONE that wasn't eating a snack and therefore there must be no poor people in Maldon. We wondered if maybe people living in extreme poverty just become invisible - particularly families living below the line. Why would mum want to take children to a place that just reminded them of all the things they can't have. Issues of confidence and self esteem stop people ...being people?

Keith also woke with a headache and managed to survive until lunchtime - he went without breakfast! With only 3 pence left after tea, he couldn't have afforded it anyway, BUT the issue of planning is an issue. Did we plan well enough to ensure we had enough variety and range of cost?

In his mind, he is still struggling to see the relationship with our family living on £5 a day and what it really means for those who deal with it in real life. Will we really get to know what it's really like?

We have gone from being able to have what we want when we want it to this - we have suddenly hit ' hard times' and how often is life really like that?

His concern is that there are other implications to take into account, he has just started a new job - he feels tired already, he has struggled with a headache. It is tough.

Joe wanted to postpone celebrating his birthday until after his exams anyway, but it would have been tough to make it different from any other day - I am reminded of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but in our case, the token Chocolate Buttons and any Golden Ticket are remaining resolutely in the fridge. ( 4p each).

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Day 1 - The New Normal?

2011-04-17T18:27:00.002Z

So many observations to make from day one of our challenge:

1) Cereal is too expensive and I will be having toast for breakfast tomorrow.

2) Taking time to prepare a cheese sandwich made it much more delicious, as did eating every crumb.

3) Sharing an apple between 4 of us ( one member of the family declined a community fruit)

4) Meal times are controversial.

Actually meal times generally are controversial in the Hall Household and I guess that springs from a) mum not being a domestic goddess and not having the weekly meals planned out and b) being a family cursed by post modernity where there is no absolute and everyone has a preference. There are other reasons too, but not relevant to this challenge.

I think that for a family of individuals, living on £1 a day is easy, but the challenge surrounding it is not.

Bad planning has lead to issues of people doing their own thing meaning the our main meal this evening was a bit of a mess and even this morning, we began to divert from the 'basics' menu - Can I have Nutella instead of Butter? How much is a tea bag and does a splash of milk count? etc

The other issue is that the rules of the challenge to Live on £1 do not reflect the reality of extreme poverty on the UK, in our experience, while recognising that we have very little experience.

People living on the streets in Romford only relating to the issue of food, often get bought cups of tea and coffee by members of the public and can pop into the SA for a meal and on Sunday Mornings, for a coffee and slice of cake. The rules forbid us accepting food from anyone, and this has been mentioned more than once today. I think that this suggests that we are already missing our tea, coffee and cake!

So we wondered if we were replicating the dilemmas of those living in Africa for example - the families that Joe met in Zambia who eat Sheema every day. Are we prepared to eat the same meal everyday?

We reasoned though that communities might pool their resources and do they measure and cost it out to the last .4 of a penny as we have done today? The fact is, we don't know.

Also, are we working as a team of as a group of individuals and does my need for everyone to 'eat something' mean that I am constantly going to be worried about food and everyone else be just getting on with it?

Then there was conversation about the way we use language and how that reflects 'power'. Who is powerful in my family, and if it's not me, how do I feel about it?

Tomorrow is Joe's 17th Birthday ( but that's on hold anyway owing to exam/ revision pressure, Elyse is off out in the evening for a sleep over and I have holiday time. We are planning to pop down to Maldon and......not go into the lovely Deli for lunch :(

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Preparation for Living Below the Line

2011-04-16T16:12:00.002Z

Extreme poverty is something that I see on TV, read about in the newspapers and think I have got my head around, but it seems far away from where I am....because it is.

How can you get your head around the fact that people live/ survive on the equivalent of £1 a day and that £1 has to cover everything, not just their food. We could say that it's ok for them because they can grow their own food, but they have to start somewhere and that costs too.

So my family have been challenged to go a little way towards understanding the issues faced and try and raise some money to go towards projects that are working full on to help communities move out of extreme poverty.

For about a week, we have been trying to have a family get together to decide how we will pool our £1 each a day, giving us a food budget for the week of £25.

Live Below the Line have loads of suggestions and recipes to help make the money go further and fortunately I have a week off work, so I can give head space to deciding what the meals will include and look like, but if I was at work I can't see that it would happen.

Keith will be going to work and he has said that he will need lots of help and support to stick to the challenge;

3pm cakes breaks and a subsidised canteen will be tempting him away from his meagre lunch of a sandwich, half and apple and some tap water. Tea and coffee are included in the £1 and have to be budgeted for!

Today, after rummaging through the cupboards and seeing what we already have to inform our 'big shop', we set off to Sainsburys.

Armed with calculator ( on my ipod touch), we were comparing and contrasting the cost and nutritional content of Beans - Heinz, Supermarket brand and Basics range, bread, eggs, orange juice,cereal, fruit and veg.

I suggested going to the market for veg, but even Joe was really fed up by then, and he loves a locally produced bargain. It was stressful!

For Joe there are other issues at stake too - ethical shopping has to be put to one side as Fairtrade and/ or Organic are completely out of our range now. Mind you, we are all going to have to be veggies this week, as, on the face of it, so is meat!

We will be donating the rest of the money we would have spent on our weekly shop to The Salvation Army Generation Project.

If you'd like to sponsor us, you can do the same and we are just getting our donation page sorted on the LBTL website. so watch this space.

Response to Mark 6:45-53

2011-03-25T12:22:00.002Z

Jesus says,

' I see your struggling.

I am interceding for you.

I am willing to come alongside you.

I want you to ask me.

Will you recognise me when I do?

Why might I walk past you?

- so that you CAN recognise me.

- so that you will know I can go where you are afraid to go or where circumstances are preventing you from going?

- so that I can show you that I am not afraid to go where you are unwilling, unable to go?

I have already been there!

I intend to go there anyway. Remember that in me all things are possible!

You will be amazed at what I can do, but will you understand why I do it?

Then, when I continue with you in the normal hustle and bustle, when the moments of struggle are over for now, will you see the miracles that I am doing ALL of the time?

Why are you not amazed when I walk alongside you in the everyday stuff?

I am known and recognised, I am effective in your life and in your world.

I can show you what to do.

Will you see me?

Will you know me?

Will you recognise me?

Will you see me in the people that are yours?

Look!

St Theresa's Blessing

2010-02-26T13:45:00.002Z

Saint Theresa is known as the Saint of the Little Ways, meaning she believed in doing the little things in life well and with great love. She is represented by roses.

May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be confident knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

Why I do the Things I Do Part 1

2010-02-22T13:59:00.003Z

Salvation Army Uniform.

So, I am a Christian who serves God through the medium of the Salvation Army which is an international movement, and an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination - save souls, make saints and serve suffering humanity.

I have been a 'soldier' ( full member of the Salvation Army) since I was 14 and have certainly had my ups and downs in the intervening years and reading the declaration below, that I made then, again still do from time to time. Being a soldier entails making promises to God and a declaration as follows:

I will be responsive to the Holy Spirit's work and obedient to His leading in my life, growing in grace through worship, prayer, service and the reading of the Bible.
I will make the values of the Kingdom of God and not the values of the world the standard for my life.
I will uphold Christian integrity in every area of my life, allowing nothing in thought, word or deed that is unworthy, unclean, untrue, profane, dishonest or immoral.
I will maintain Christian ideals in all my relationships with others; my family and neighbours, my colleagues and fellow salvationists, those to whom and for whom I am responsible, and the wider community.
I will uphold the sanctity of marriage and of family life.
I will be a faithful steward of my time and gifts, my money and possessions, my body, my mind and my spirit, knowing that I am accountable to God.
I will abstain from alcoholic drink, tobacco, the non-medical use of addictive drugs, gambling, pornography, the occult and all else that could enslave the body or spirit.
I will be faithful to the purposes for which God raised up The Salvation Army, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, endeavouring to win others to Him, and in His name caring for the needy and the disadvantaged.
I will be actively involved, as I am able, in the life, work, worship and witness of the corps, giving as large a proportion of my income as possible to support its ministries and the worldwide work of the Army.
I will be true to the principles and practices of The Salvation Army, loyal to its leaders, and I will show the spirit of salvationism whether in times of popularity or persecution

Quite a massive undertaking and as a Christian, I know that I can only do this with the help of God and I can honestly say that there are times when I have fallen FAR FAR short of this. The other thing is that I am sure there are lots of people that live their lives in a similar way to this who have never pledged allegience to the Salvation Army.

Wearing uniform a Sunday has been a bone of contention for a while and I have been on a bit of a journey.

It wouldn't occur to me to wear anything else on a Sunday Morning now ( formal or informal ) and when I was leading the Children's Minstry it was functional to wear trousers and a hoodie rather than the embelished jacket and skirt of the more formal uniform, but once, when there wasn't a choice, it didn't bother me either way really.

So now I am wearing my formal uniform again and yes it is a bit tight, and sometimes uncomfortable, but that's becauseI've put some weight on more than anything else, so why bother?

To remind myself that being a Christian is hard and that I don't sacrifice much in my life and that the two 's' on my collar are a sign to me that I am saved to serve. It was and is costly for some people to wear their uniform and looking 'a bit wierd' one day of the week is fine by me.

Does it make sense in 21st Century Romford? Maybe not.

Is it stopping people coming to my church to find out more about God and The Salvation Army?Apparently not, as we have new visitors every week.

Is it old fashioned? Maybe, as smart casual is the order of the day everywhere now, or so it seems.

Has SA Uniform become tainted as a costume to be worn to 'be able to do' something - Maybe, but not in my SA church and so therefore I am free in the knowledge that I have a choice and choose to wear it.

So that's why I do what I do! Part 1

Liz's Psalm

2010-01-25T12:57:00.003Z

Oh God, My God,

I sigh

I cry

I try

I fly

I come

I go

Isee

I hear

I shout

I sing

I laugh

I think

I grow

I know

I show

I hide

I give

I take

I loose

I break

I trip

I fall

at your throne and worship, and love and confess and adore you.

For all the dos and all the don'ts

all the wills and all the won'ts

all the days of my life,

You know

You give

You send

your grace so I

can live.

When is Christmas Really Over?

2010-01-04T16:36:00.002Z

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and the princes are back home,

When the shepherds are back with the flocks,

Then the work of Christmas begins:

To feed the lost,

To heal those broken in spirit,

To release the oppressed,

To rebuild the nations,

To bring peace among all peoples,

To make a little music with the heart

…And to radiate the light of Christ,

Everyday, in every way, in all that we do and in all that we say.

Then the work of Christmas begins.

Let the work of Christmas begin, and let it begin in me.

Anon, but passed to me by Vanessa Stringer 24/7 SA Prayer Network. It may even be her work.

1 Corinthians 13 - The Christmas Version

2009-12-21T19:56:00.002Z

We recieved this poem in a card from one of the venerated olds in our church - a revelation!

It's a bit 1950's but I thought it was worth sharing.

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,

but do not show love to my family

I am just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas Puddings, prepareing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtimes, but do not show love to my family

I am just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family

it profits me nothing.

If i trim the spruce wioth shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choirs cantata, but do not focus on Christ

I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking demands to hug a child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss her husband

Love is kind, although harried and tired

Love doesn't envy another's home that has co-ordinated Christmas china and table linen

Love doesn't yell at the children to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn;t give only to those that cna give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't

Love bears all things, believes all things hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Computer games will break, cashmere jumpers will wear out and golf cliubs will get lost,

But giving the gift of love will endure.

Anon.

'I wonder what would happen if......

2009-12-09T21:46:00.003Z

....I treated everyone like I was in love with them, whether I like them or not and whether they respond or not and no matter what they say or do to me and even if I see things in them which are ugly, petty, cruel, vain, deceitful, indifferent - just accept all that and turn my attention to some small,weak tender, hidden part and keep my eyes on that until it shines like a beam of light,like a bonfire I can warm my hands by and trust it to burn away all the waste which is not, and never was, my business to meddle with.'

Ivor Smith - Cameron

Children Taking the Lead

2009-11-23T10:00:00.002Z

Child, though I take your hand
and walk in the snow;
though we follow the track of the mouse together,
though we try to unlock the mystery
of the printed work, and slowly discover
why two and three makes five
always, in an uncertain world -

Child, though I am meant to teach you much,

what is it, in the end,
except that together we are
meant to be children of the same Father

and I must unlearn
all the adult structure
and the cumbering years

and you must teach me
to look at the earth and the heaven
with your fresh wonder.

Jane T Clement - Bruderhof Community

From Children's Ministry.com - grab a cuppa!

2009-10-22T14:55:00.002Z

Want to know the BEST way to begin discipling children?

GET TO KNOW THEM :)

How would you feel if you broke your arm and the emergency room doctor handed you a bottle of aspirin and said, “Take two of these and go home and rest”? And as you pondered this bizarre treatment, you notice that the person on the gurney next to you is having difficulty breathing. You watch, amazed, as the doctor prescribes the very same treatment -- two aspirin and rest. So no matter the health problem, aspirin and rest are the answer in this emergency room.

As patients, we’d be outraged.

Here’s what actually happens during doctor visits. The doctor listens to the patient, assesses the patient’s needs, decides with the patient on a treatment plan, and helps the patient implement that plan. When it comes to practicing medicine, it’s just not possible to assess different patients and decide they’re all alike -- or to treat them as though they’re alike.

What kind of teaching diagnosis do you practice? When we have an “aspirin and rest” approach in Christian education, we miss great teaching opportunities. Are you guilty of assessing a group of children and deciding their emotional, spiritual, and intellectual abilities or interests are the same?

To counter this error, the world of education has developed an educational philosophy called Differentiated Instruction. DI, as it’s usually called, is about meeting kids’ individual needs to help them maximize their learning potential. It’s a method of education that challenges kids to make discoveries through their interests, unique abilities, and varied learning styles.

Know Your Children
It’s common for teachers to view children as a group, but this eliminates tons of opportunities for us to connect personally with kids and discover what their lives are like. Here are simple ways to get to know your kids individually.
Be the door stop. As children arrive, plant yourself at the door and smile. Ask each child a specific question related to life outside your classroom: “What’s something big that happened this week?” “On a scale of one to five, how was your week and why?” Such questions give you a glimpse into the backgrounds of your children and help you plan lessons according to what’s going on in their lives.

Give an interest inventory. An interest inventory is generally just a few simple questions to help you learn what kids like to do. Your inventory can be as formal as a questionnaire or as informal as finding out what kids want for their birthdays.

Test the waters. Before you begin a lesson, ask kids questions about the day’s topic: “What do you think angels do?” “How can you get to heaven?” Never correct a child during this pre-assessment time -- just use these questions to gauge what your kids understand.

Differentiate Three Ways

As you relate to your kids, you’ll form ideas about how you can best design your lessons based on what you know about the kids.
There are three points to remember as you differentiate your lessons. Kids learn and understand more when they’re ready to grasp the topic you’re teaching, when they’re curious and interested in learning, and when the lesson is designed to teach them in the way they learn best.

1. Are they ready?
To maximize kids’ learning, make sure your lesson closely aligns with their skills and understanding of the topic. This can be challenging because of vast differences in children’s spiritual maturity. Some children may be new to the “church thing,” while others have grown up in church. Maximize learning, regardless of kids’ backgrounds, with these strategies.

Observe -- As you teach a lesson, watch for different levels of understanding -- you’ll see it in kids’ faces and hear it in their questions. When you move into the application part of your lesson, remember which kids understood the lesson and which didn’t. Ask kids different questions according to the level of understanding they displayed. Ask foundational questions of kids who didn’t seem to understand to help them grasp concepts better: “Why does God want us to obey him?” Ask more advanced questions of kids with a good grasp of the topic: “What happens to our relationship with God when we don’t obey?”

Ask -- Use open-ended questions with more than one possible answer. These types of questions allow kids to make discoveries on their own based on their personal experiences. They also serve to connect your lesson to kids’ unique backgrounds, and they invite kids into discussion. So instead of asking questions that have a “yes” or “no” answer, use questions such as, “What would you have done if you were in Daniel’s situation?”

Partner -- Pair kids with different backgrounds. If you have a child who’s a new Christian or new attender, ask a more “established” child to partner with him or her. Don’t make a big deal about why you’ve paired kids, just encourage them to work together and get to know one another. They’ll learn from each other as they grow closer to Jesus.

2. Are they interested?
You’ll see a dramatic change in what kids understand and remember when they’re motivated to learn. And kids are motivated to learn when topics and learning processes interest them. Different kids want to learn about different things. Alison, whose parents are divorcing, will likely show more interest in a lesson about God’s presence and comfort. But Jackson, who’s moving, might like a lesson on Jesus’ friendship. The good news is you can reach different kids with different interests in the same lesson. Here’s how:

Be enthusiastic. When you’re enthusiastic about what you’re teaching, kids will mirror your enthusiasm. It’s contagious. Be excited they’re there. Be joyful about God’s work in your kids’ lives. Show kids how exciting it is to learn about Jesus and grow closer to him.

Engage kids. Have you ever walked into a room and thought to yourself, I don’t want to be here, then totally checked out mentally? That’s what happens with kids if their classroom isn’t an exciting place to be. Stock your closets with age-appropriate games and toys. Decorate in a kid-friendly, exciting theme. Use a “kid filter” to examine your room as if you were a child. What’s exciting? What’s boring? How can you fix it so kids want to be there?

Differentiate. Focus on different facets of a lesson or topic to help kids get what they need out of it. Alison and Jackson may have different needs, but you can ensure that they’re both interested in your lesson by addressing their needs. Help Alison see that God will comfort her just as he comforted Joseph. Help Jackson see that God is our best friend because he gave Joseph friends in jail.

3. How do children learn best?

Factors affecting kids’ learning might include the physical environment, their ability to work with others, the types of activities they enjoy, or how they use their senses to learn. Children learn best in a variety of ways and under a variety of conditions.

Variety -- Offer different ways to explore one topic. Set up learning stations kids can choose from, such as a writing station, an art station, a listening station, and a hands-on station. If your curriculum gives two optional activities, use both, and let kids decide which one they’ll do. If you can’t have several activities going on at once, be intentional about varying the types of learning experiences you provide for your children. Learn about kids’ learning styles -- auditory (learn through listening), visual (learn through seeing), and tactile or kinesthetic (learn through doing) -- to create experiences in your classroom that address each style.

Ambience -- Your environment matters. Some kids excel in a quiet room with soft lighting. Others thrive in vibrant colors and music. If possible, create different environments in your room. Provide cushions, soft lighting, and muted colors in one corner. Colorful posters, fun beanbags, and quiet music can go in another area. Offer manipulatives, such as clay, blocks, and puzzles in another area of your room. If it’s not possible to set up each environment at once, simply create different experiences in one lesson. The key here is variety.

Big Picture -- Be a facilitator. It may seem overwhelming to have different activities going on at once. Don’t worry -- you don’t have to be involved in each station or activity. Give directions, then let kids make discoveries on their own. Your role is to make sure kids are on task, to answer questions, and to equip them to make discoveries.
By using DI concepts, you can customize your teaching, reach kids where they are, and create a high-impact learning environment. Your kids are worth it!

An Appointment With God
Here’s a sample of what a Differentiated Instruction lesson looks like in your classroom.
Topic: God is with us.Opening: Play a high-energy game that gets kids interested in the topic.
Bible Exploration Stations:
Music -- Sing key verses to music kids enjoy.
Art -- Use different media to express feelings about the passage.
Drama -- Create a skit based on the passage.
Teacher-Led -- Dig into the passage with kids and apply it to their lives.
Wrap-Up: Kids present projects or do an activity to internalize and respond to what they’ve learned. Teacher checks for understanding.

Differentiated Classroom Management

When children are doing different activities at once, you may initially experience a few challenges. Use these pointers to keep your classroom well-managed and running smoothly.
Use anchor activities. Set up specific activities for kids to work on when they’re finished with other learning experiences, when they arrive early, and before they leave. For example, you might have kids work on a progressive mural of what they’re learning during the quarter or semester.

Provide alternative activities. When you differentiate your classroom, you’ll never hear, “I’m bored!” There are always different activities to do. Help kids select activities that match their interests and keep them engaged.

Create written instructions. Children like to know what they’re supposed to do. Never let that be a question. Writing a quick list of instructions for children will help them stay on task, and it’ll free you up to take care of other issues. Post the instructions in multiple locations for kids to refer to.

Scott Kinner has been equipping and training children's ministry volunteers since 1999. Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change.

http://www.childrensministry.com/newsletter/tmp.htm

7 Minutes on temptation in a nutshell...or marshmallow.

2009-08-06T10:44:00.002Z

From Wallowing to Worshipping.

2009-05-29T17:12:00.003Z

It's been so long since I blogged that I had actually forgotten for a moment, how to write a post!

I am on a bit of a journey, have been for a number of months, and finding myself in a place I don't like and am not used to being in - that of feeling overwhelmed. My closest and best are gently 'telling me so'- not in as many words, apart from my mum who said,' Well, we've been telling you for a long time' and not in a nasty way either, but THEY DID tell me so and have, as my mum rightly says, been telling me so for a long time.

So I have to admit to having had a bit of a wallow from time to time, pulling myself together and getting into a vicious circle, but today, in the midst of a reflective wallow that went a bit like this..:

If I had more time I would be more organised.

If I had more time I would be better prepared.

If I had more time I would be working out of rest.

If I had more time I would be on top of the ironing.

If I had more time I would be the owner of a tidy and well maintained house.

If I had more time I would be a more effective mum.

If I had more time I would be a more loving wife.

If I had more time I would be a better friend.

If I had more time I would be better at building relationships with my neighbours.

If I had more time I would be the maintainer of a vegetable patch.

etc....

....I had a bit of an epiphany that went a bit like this:

If I had more time I would be.........thoughts trailed off.... and a question came....the person that God created me to be?

Surely not, surely I don't need more time to be that,because I already am the person that God created me to be.

But at the moment I'm not, because I'm wallowing and I'm not worshipping.

I'm re-reading a few chapters from John Ortberg's book, 'If you Want to Walk On Water You've Got to Get Out of The Boat'. I'm getting a bit of a telling off this time. Last time I read it I was ready to get out of the boat, this time I'm not, mainly because I'm not sure where I should be walking to...other than towards Jesus of course!

So the epiphany was prompted by this found on page 196:

'I need to worship

I need to worship because without it I can forget that I have a Great Big God beside me and I live in fear.

I need to worship because without it I can forget his calling and begin to live in a spirit of self -preoccupation.

I need to worship because without it. I lose a sence of wonder and gratitiude and plod through life with blinders on.

I need to worship because my natural tendancy is towards self reliance and stubborn independance.'

How well John Ortberg seems to know me!

I need to worship because my 'If' list does not start with the important thing, it starts with the Task Related things, the Doing and NOT the Being. Basically,I know that if I had more time, I would just DO more stuff and God knows that too.

I have put myself in this place and it's painful, but I know God will and is using it - nothing is wasted, as I so often tell other people.

So I think I am turning from a Wallower to a Worshipper, which is easy to say on a sunny afternoon in the the garden, and I know I will be tested and soon, but it is a positive move and I am thankful to God for 'passing by' this afternoon and opening my heart and my ears to his still small voice and I had the time to hear it.

Have a look at THIS!

2009-03-27T10:14:00.003Z

Apologies that all my blogs are cut and paste lately - I have hols soon, so will have headspace for deep and meaningful reflection, but in the meantime, have a little think, if YOU have the time, about this article from the Children and Young People NOW daily mailing I receive.

( Italic comments are mine by the way!)

'Acne lights' used to stop young people gathering.

The lights, put up in two underpasses in the town, are the same kind used by dermatologists to show up pimples and acne blemishes.
The project, championed by Layton Burroughs Residents' Association following consultation with Nottinghamshire Police, is set to be extended to a third site.

A spokesman for The National Youth Agency said the use of pink lights was equivalent to treating young people as the enemy. (I know big groups of young people are intimidating but I kind of feel the same way actually)

"Lighting like this does not offer the prospect of a long-term solution to a community problem," he said. "We should be looking to help young people thrive not hurt or humiliate them." ( I really do agree with this, while knowing that some groups of young people will be really difficult to help)

Tony Gelsthorpe, chair of the association, said the intention of the project was never to show up spots, rather utilise the fact pink is seen as "uncool" by some young men. ( Yeah, right)

A member ( name with held) of the association, said: "We used to have quite a problem with large groups of young people hanging around in the underpasses drinking, which felt quite intimidating, but the pink lights have really made a difference. ( ...and I'll bet it's her favourite colur too)
"The groups aren't there as much and it feels safer walking through there now, particularly at night."

Notwithstanding the fact that the Leyton Burroughs Resident Association might all be middle aged folks with families ( like me...ouch!) I wonder how the would feel if a light that showed up wrinkles, grey hair and age spots was utilised around areas when they meet up and 'tut tut' and how I wish that light was not in my bathroom!

Listen Up People!

2009-03-23T10:59:00.002Z

Are you overwhelmed? Hmmmm.
Do you feel inadequate? Hmmmm and nodding a bit.
Are you ready to blow at any moment? NO COMMENT!

You can't love others in a godly way when you're at the end of your emotional rope. How many relationships have been ripped apart because the people involved failed to take care of themselves emotionally?

God's Word gives us three habits that can help us recharge emotionally when we have nothing left to give.

1. Solitude. Mark 6:31 says, "So many people were coming and going...[Jesus] said to them [the disciples], 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest'" (NIV). Jesus understood that your emotions are like a battery. If you plug one lightbulb into a battery, it will last for a fairly long time. If you plug in 100 lights, the battery will drain very quickly. Many of you have so many lights plugged in, your battery is shot. ( OUCH!) You can't recharge anybody else—you can't give love—if your own battery is drained. You recharge when you get away by yourself.

2. Play. The Bible says, "Jesus came enjoying life" (Matthew 11:19 PH). He was the most people-focused, ministry-intensive person who ever lived, yet he took the time to have fun. Certain activities recharge you emotionally; they literally re-create your energy and enthusiasm for life. We all have different activities that recharge us because we're all made differently. Find out what recharges you emotionally and make time for it.

3. Laughter. Proverbs 17:22 says, "Being cheerful keeps you healthy" (GNT). Studies prove that when you laugh, it increases your number of T-cells, which raises your immunity level. Laughter is good for your health. Humor is God's gift to us. Remember, God has a sense of humor—he made you! To be emotionally balanced, take God very seriously but don't take yourself seriously. Learn to laugh at your limitations. There is plenty of material. If you only laugh and enjoy life when your problems are all solved, you'll never enjoy life.

It only takes a minute.......

2009-03-13T09:00:00.002Z

Getting ready for school this morning was quite stessful as it's Red Nose Day and there is a list of 'unfair' rules and regs for dressing down that must be adhered to :

No Red Noses incase you can't breathe
No dyed hair
No trainers unless thay have red on them
etc

So we had a constant rant of complaints which getting dressed and then the phone rang (8:25am)

Joe - I have left my phone on a bus, the 252 and the reg number is.....can you ring and find out where it is please - see ya!

Internet assists me in finding the phone number and E and T are edgey now as they have a fear of being late for school, so cries of 'Please can you ring as we are walking along' echo through my head!

We are walking along, I ring the number and then E panics and says she has left something at home which she needs, so while explaining to the woman on the phone what the issue is, I give E the house keys so that she can go back and get her 'thing'.

The woman on the phone explains that I need another number - do I have a pen and paper? I am walking along the road so no, but I have good memory, so she gives the number and I file it in my brain, where upon T then tells me that E needs a key to get in the house! Um she has the key.

I run back to find that she has got the key stuck in the door and is quite literally trying to knock the door down to get in. I calm her down and open the door, but she then tells me she has her thing - FINE.

We walk along again and I ring the other number, which amazingly I have remembered and a kind guy tells me that they will 'get on the handsets' and see what they can do and will ring me back on my phone which is now running low on battery!

On the way to school we see lots of kids with Red Hair, Trainers and Red Noses which is very annoying to three already highly strung people.

I now have to go to the office to get change for a £5 so the kids can have their donation for the day and go to the Mothers Day Sale which I know nothing about. Also, there will be a cake sale and other fun things which put a strain on the the £2.50 they both now have.

I try to ring Keith to tell him my woes and what to do about Js phone, but my phone now has no image on the screen - trying to save the battery I guess. He then rings me back, but as Ihave no image on the screen I don;t know where to press, so I try him again....and he rings me back and I stab at the screen - lucky guess and we talk.

I have just got into my house and slid down the wall in the hallway in a surrendering kind of way and then decided that the only way to empty my head of this stuff before going to do my job ( yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is just my life - I don't even get paid for this stuff) is to blog it.

Here's to a good day!

The Mom Song.......with the words, but you know them already. You've said them 1000 times !

2009-03-02T11:09:00.002Z

Let your Light Shine!

2009-02-09T16:28:00.004Z

Not sure about the 'drumming actions' but here it is in all it's original glory - enjoy and share with your kids!

Lots to say,but little time atm so.....

2009-02-07T10:26:00.000Z

...read Anna's blog!

Confession : Good for the Soul?

2009-01-24T13:47:00.004Z

Dear Reader

I don't know about you.....which is in fact true. I DON'T know about you at all.
It's another one of those 'Things People Say'
'I don't know about you, but.........'
A device for inviting someone else into your thought process, opening up a way in for them to tell you something about themselves by the response they give to your profound thought.

I have been unexpectedly and quited blessedly tuned in to what people have been saying towards the end of this week,so many inner thoughts expressed in a turn of phrase, and I realise that I have somehow missed listening to what people have been saying. I have become task oriented...a do-er, instead of a be-er.

There are reasons for that, some are rational ones, others are just ( squeezing out the word through gritted teeth) irrational, bordering today, on a kind of psychosis. H- EAVY!

Anyway,on the bright side,an intervention by God; an immediate and undeserved answer to prayer, going to a Fancy Dress/ Joke shop with my children and one of their friends, and a chat on the phone, have helped me see that I do know about ME, and sometimes I project that onto you, dear reader, whoever you are,which is both irresponsible and ( through gritted teeth again)...controlling.

So, if you have experienced the machine that is LIZ HALL lately, I DO apologise and want to reassure you that she is 'in there' somewhere!

The Things People Say.

2009-01-17T19:58:00.002Z

I was in a food shop today, just getting some 'bits', which is always dangerous as I end up buying other 'bits' that we don't really need.

One of those 'bits' was a box of Mr Kiplings Mini Victoria Sponges, and as they went over the scanner, the check out person said,' Oh I really like those, they are quite nice!'

I laughed and indicated that they wouldn't last long in our house blah blah.

When I got home and began putting the shopping away, with an audience looking over my shoulder to see what goodies I had bought, there were squeals of delight as the cakes came out of the bag, and I told them what the assistant had said.

The response was, 'Well, if she really likes them, surely she would say they are really nice or very nice, not just quite nice!'

We agreed that she must have been quite confused and didn't really have a clue what she was talking about and then proceeded the eat the cakes which proved that I did know what I was talking about.

And now...the end is near....and I so reach....

2009-01-07T17:48:00.002Z

SC - reaming point!

I really need your advice - all of you, so FOCUS!

Got a call from the Mill this morning, which I passed up as I was driving. I then began musing about why they were ringing:

Had the original material suddenly arrived?

Had the 'Account Manager' decided that I would have to pay the difference after all

Had the Mill gone into receivership?

Couldn't ring 'til lunchtime, so shelved that thought.

'Mrs Hall' says Stella, 'you won't believe this!'

' Oh, hold on, I know the answer to this', I think to myself and go on to actually begin quoting my list.

'No, none of the above....your second choice is also discontinued!'

Did any of you see that coming?

So here's where I need your advice.

Do I give up with this knowing that I will loose some fairly serious funds if I go elsewhere ....

....OR do I stick with it and venture into the Mill again for a third choice, where I will sit and wait until she has phoned the sheep that provide the wool part of the mix ( I don't know what the mix is to be honest, or if wool would be a good ingredient in a curtain material) to ensure they have enough fleece to continue with the material.

YOU DECIDE...please!

The Final Curtain Call ( thanks D!)

2009-01-06T07:18:00.002Z

The call came, the original material has vanished ( I am not surprised, in fact my heart has now turned to stone and I feel no emotion on this subject whatsoever - I JUST WANT NICE CURTAINS IN MY BEDROOM) and we are going with the second choice:

Natural colour with a smaller waffle embossing than the original.

Thats all for now :)

Probability drive indicates we have reached NORMALITY*.

2009-01-04T15:00:00.003Z

* Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - I was a fan before it became a film and I too, have a brain the size of a planet!

Indicators of normality after the Festive Season:

No tree in the living room!

Being able to see the coffee table as the pile of nibbles is consolidated into one container and a Quality Street Tin.

Having cereal for breakfast ( as opposed to a brunch style feast, coissants etc)

The churning feeling in your stomach as you wake up remembering that there is a purpose to your day, rather than mearly having fun.

The sadness in your heart as you realised that mearly having fun does actually take some skill, although is a wonderful way to spend your days and you are going to miss it.

The hope in your heart as you resolve to make Having Fun a 'thing to do' on your 'To Do' list.

Resolving to do Tesco on line in a much more organised way this year, no more running out of milk or bread!

Getting a bit niggly when someone stops you doing the thing you were doing, because you know you are going to run out of time very soon.

A desire to transfer appointments into your new diary/ filofax or handheld!
...and many more that you can think of I'm sure

Oh yeah...and going to Dunhelm Mill to be reassured that the material is STILL missing, so would I like to choose another and then to suggest to the assistant that maybe they phone the store it was being sent from ( Crewe) to see if they can track it, which gives them a tracker number so they can phone the distribition depot to check if it is still there.

Then showing her the altenative and being told that it might be more expensive than my original choice and reminding her that I am not paying for them as they are remakes - NO LADY, I AM NOT!!!

They have until Monday evening to track the original stuff or go ahead with the new one and ring me to let me know either way.

Normal or NEW normal... you decide! :)

Determined not to spend these last two days....

2008-12-23T17:14:00.005Z

....soley in prep. for the Big One, we ( me and the kids) went for a walk this afternoon.
Keith is at work, and tomorrow too - boo!

As we live in the town, we have to drive to anywhere half decent for a walk and had got a fair way to our destination + getting caught in 'Last Minute' traffic, before Thomas quietly said,
' Did anyone shut the front door?'

No-one could remember, so we had to turn round, go back home and check - it was shut (phew) but see comment.

The reason we couldn't remember was because so much always goes on as we walk out of our front door and today, the precursor to the door opening, was a row about what ball to take and who's ball it was - like it matters, but it quite obviously and painfully does!

As I was going through the rigmarol of 'Finding The Keys' the kids tumbled out into the street, playing with the ball and as I walked out of the door, it became apparent to me that Thomas had no coat on, so I asked him to get one. I then went to one of my neighbours to give them a prezzie ( the guy who couldn't sleep in a previous blog)...it's a book about God! My neighbours wife was emotional.

We eventually ended up in Bedford's Park - a huge expanse of woodland and parkland - we have a favourite walk to a blasted tree which is Monkey Heaven and my monkeys took great delight in swinging about on it. It was getting gloomy at this point and I knew we had forest to walk through, so wanted to hurry along. We saw a dead fox, which wasn't nice, but it gave the kids a sence of purpose as I suggested we should stop in the Visitor centre to let them know.

There was a real sence of adventure too as Joe took us through a shrubbery instead of walking along the path - holly hair was the result ( Hedge Backwards designs)

The Park boasts a huge herd of Reindeer so we went to check them out, to ensure they were ready for the Call Up from St Nick!

It was quite magical really.

As we walked back to the car park, it was quite dark and amongst the trees was a lamp post - Narnia style - lovely. We all stopped to gaze for a moment then walked throught the trees to the car.

One of the most evocative sound tracks to a movie I think there is, is 'The Lord of The Rings - The Return of the King' and it was on the CD player in the car as we drove out of the park and down the winding lanes back to reality. I took my time driving along as the houses, mostly very posh, had put on a fabulous Festive Light Show.

Awe and Wonder were in my heart, Thomas ,Elyse and Joe were in my car and the lights of Romford were glowing in the distance.

...to be continued.

Ok - it's NOT the Real Thing, but it makes me feel VERY festive!

2008-12-21T16:10:00.003Z

Other things that give me that Christmas Glow are:

Hearing a Salvation Army Band play Hark the Herald Angels, but it HAS to be outside carolling!
Christmas Lights on my tree.
The last day of the school term, kids coming home in random paper hats and school bags full of cards from mates that they see every day, but sign the card with their surname too - funny!
The 'pop' that the Quality Street tin makes when you open it for the first time.
All five of us snuggled on a sofa for four watching a daft Christmas movie.
Hearing Thomas confess in a morning meeting that he doesn't ever think about what he wants for Christmas, but that he's just thankful for what he gets!
A 90 year old lady putting £2 in my collecting box and telling me that the Salvation Army looked after her when she was a little girl.
Seasonal Veg Soup (brussel sprouts!) with chestnuts, leek and bacon hand made by two of my lovely buddies.
Knowing that I can have a lie in tomorrow
Singing this, this morning, and getting emotional

Then let us all with one accord Sing praises to our heavenly Lord That hath made Heaven and earth of nought And with his blood mankind has bought. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel Born is the King of Israel!

That's the REAL THING.

The Advent Conspiracy

2008-12-16T18:20:00.003Z

Check out this fab. site, bought to my attention by my cool friend and work colleague Michelle Leeder.

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

...and to help you out with spending less this Christmas Time, have a look at this list which I recycled from Judy's blog :

Christmas Gift Suggestions:

To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect."

Oren Arnold

I'd like to add one more:

To your family, TIME!

Happy Advent!

No time to iron, but plenty to tidy up the Blog Roll.

2008-12-13T08:51:00.003Z

If you haven't blogged since August basically - you're off ( for now)

Check out some new entries Faroe John, Ian M and Carus are worth a browse . Carus will link you to some other interesting types like Glyn and Katie. Steven O is CO at Failsworth in Manchester with his C-razy wife Lynley - she's Australian!...and Judy's is now linking to her new Blogspot Quiet Moments - lovely!

We're off to buy our REAL tree today with a root ball and everything :)

NO IRONING WAS HARMED IN THE WRITING OF THIS BLOG ENTRY.

Curtain Update - because I know you care!

2008-12-09T08:25:00.002Z

So, I got a phone call yersterday afternoon telling me that the curtains were in.

'Really?', I gasped, 'Oh my goodness that was quick....are you sure they are the right ones and not the original ones?'

'Oh, hold on' says the voice,' oh sorry you are right, these one have just been left in the trolley'

I am not too disappointed at this point but then the voice contunues with barely perceptable note of doom.

'Ah, Samantha ( my Nemesis) was just telling me about this one' she continues,' we are having to ring around as the material you want is discontinued, so we are seeing if we can source it from some of our other stores'

*gasp* again.

I go from feeling quite heartened by their service, which, if I hadn't goofed up would have been quite immaculate, to thinking that I reconfirmed my order last Monday and they are only just ringing round to source the fabric + they ring me to tell me that the curtains are 'in', when quite clearly they are not, and they have discussed the issue prior to me getting this call.

So there you go, I guess more will follow at a later date!

Please tell me if I've got the wrong end of the stick here but.....

2008-12-08T12:06:00.002Z

.............I get an email from Children and Young People Now about ongoing and breaking news and quite a lot of it lately and not surprisingly, is about the reaction to various serious Child Protection cases that have been reported over recent weeks and months. This was in todays bulletin:

Kirklees Council announced earlier this week that two senior councillors would oversee a general review of the council's processes and working practices for child protection and safeguarding.

Jim Dodds, cabinet member for children and young people, said: ( italics mine)

"We are not carrying out this review because we have any specific concerns, but because we need to be seen to be responding to understandable and widely publicised national cases, which have an indirect impact on all agencies working in the field of child care, child protection, and safeguarding."

I have a real gut wrenching reaction about people doing things because they 'need to be seen' doing them. I have read this paragraph a number of times, and in the context of the article it was written, to see if I can somehow make it right in this case, to ensure that I am not flying off the handle here, but I just can't!

My question is - What will the review be based upon if they have no specific concerns and how much difference will the findings make if it's seemingly just a PR exercise?

Am I alone in thinking that sometimes I/we/people need to be brave enough to admit they have been wrong and step up to the plate, particularly when the safety of some of the most vulnerable people in our society is at risk?

I know the answer and I know the reality - sad isn't it?

No time to blog? No time to breath.......

2008-12-06T11:50:00.003Z

...but just two minutes ago I had a gift, a gift of an opportunity.

A chat with a next door neighbout as I was unloading shopping from the car - he asked me how we were going to celebrate Christmas this year - how has the credit crunch changed our plans? I had to confess, not that much as we have never gone really mad a Christmas Time anyway.

'Oh' he said, 'and the fact you have a faith probably makes a difference anyway?'

( Thank you God)

YES it totally does! He went on to tell me that he has suffered from ill health lately and isn;t really sure that tomorrow is promised, so when he goes to sleep at night, he's not really sure of his options - calls himself an agnostic and thinks that he'll end up somewhere, just where though?

We talked about the magic of Christmas Eve having kids in the house and here's where God stepped in.

'You know', I heard myself say, 'my faith means that when I go to sleep at night, any night, I have the hope and the anticipation of Christmas Eve in my heart, the promise of something better tomorrow'

He gave one of those lop sided looks that people do when they are maybe pondering something for a moment and don't quite know what to say...

( people DO look at me like that fairly often - is it just a ME thing or does anyone else ever get that?)

.....so I said,'Bless you, it was really good having this chat - hope you sleep well tonight'.

We both laughed and went on our way.

Phew!

Tough week and it's only Wednesday? Pray this!

2008-12-03T16:48:00.002Z

‘…‘I do not [make judgments] out of the narrowness of my experience, but in the largeness of the one who sent me…’ John 8: 14 – 18

God will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love…’Zephaniah 3:17

Verse 1

When the day begins

Let the morning bring

Mercy melodies that feed my soul

When the evening comes

And the day is done

Father, quiet me with songs of love

Chorus

So I can know you

Hear what you say

So I can walk with you

To the places that need your grace

Verse 2

In my hopes and dreams

In everything I see

Your perception is the truth I need

In the things I do

All that I pursue

Thread your presence through the heart of me

Chorus

So I can know you

Hear what you say

So I can walk with you

To the places that need your grace,

Lord I often trust in what I see and what I touch

Let my choices rest in everything you are

Chorus

So I can know you

Hear what you say

So I can walk with you

To the places that need all that grace has achieved for us.

So I can know you

Hear what you say

So I can walk with you

To the places that need your grace

To the places that need your grace

Father this is my prayer today

It's Curtains for Me!

2008-12-01T16:16:00.003Z

As feared, the curtains that were waiting for me at the Mill were indeed made to the original measurements - I take full blame for the wrongness of the measurements.

I visited the Mill this morning with my head so full of other stuff that I suddenly realise I am feeling no anxiety - OR maybe someone was praying for me. Either way, I was fortified.

My Nemesis turns to face me and I smile and say 'Hello, I'm Mrs Hall'. She gives me a blank look. I fill her in on the situation so far and the light begins to dawn. No-one has told her to expect me and I am disappointed, feeling guilty that I have more information that she does, and she works there.

Anyway, I trail behind her to 'The Desk' and she asks her supervisor if she knows anything, at which point I become invisible and the supervisor swings into full supervision by telling my Nemesis that she will have to sort it out.

I invite myself to take a seat and watch as the full horror unfolds - she can't find the paperwork, she refers to the Supervisor again who suggests she should make a phone call. She explains roughly what has happened to someone on the other end of the phone, getting a few facts wrong, but at this point I am beginning to feel sorry to her! The supervisor suggests that she check the curtains to ensure they are the wrong ones, and they are, but even wronger than my measurements. They have added a few centimetres, but not enough to make up the full metres I had missed, unfortunately.

While she is gone checking all this, the Supervisor turns to me to explain that she is encouraging my Nemesis to do this on her own as it will be good for her. I explain that I don't have all day.

Another phone call ensues and meanwhile I go and look at the short version of my curtains and I have to say, they are lovely - I could have cried!

Anyway, to cut a long curtain short, the Curtain Makers have actually mucked up, as the new measurements were sent through, but ignored as they are so busy and so my curtains are now 'remakes'.

The good news here is that I don't have to pay for them - only the wrong ones, essentially getting the ones I want for half price. Very cool indeed.

I am advised that I might not get them beofre Christmas but I don't care and suddenly I am their favourite customer - 'If only all our customers were like you', the supervisor says.

GASP! So, in this chummy mood that is enveloping us all, I begin to share my fears about habidashery and how this has only compounded them and the Supervisor confesses that she is intimidated by it all too, but the girls keep her on track.....on track....!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh dear me, how we laughed.

So yeah, my Nemesis, is just normal and we are now almost mates and I'm really looking forward to going to collect my new curtains - again!

Remember the curtains?

2008-11-28T22:33:00.002Z

The ones that I had cancelled because of my awful measuring due to low self esteem with soft furnishings?

The ones where after I had phoned the shop to stop the order, I actually went back into the shopto the shop to confirm in person that they were wrong and gave then the right measurements that they actually put into the computer while I actually sat there?

Guess what's waiting for me at the shop?

After a fairly calm phone conversation today I have to go back to the shop on Monday to face my soft furnishing nemesis, as she had a day off today!

Hmmm, I actually have no words right now.

Woo Hoo - it's a zipedee do dah day! ( stolen from The Life You've Always Wanted)

2008-11-16T08:44:00.006Z

I'm not massively well read, and it's all pretty mainstream, but a number of books I have limped through since the Summer have all converged today.

Put your seatbelts on and get ready to scream!

'We are in a war between dulness and astonishment. The most critical isse facing Christians is not abortion, pornography, the disintegration of family, moral absolutes, MTV, drugs, racisim, sexuality or schoool prayer.

The critical issue today is dullness.'

So says Robert Capon in The Astonished Heart - I'm currently re- reading Dangerous Wonder by Mike Yaconnelli ....

( I cannot recommend this book enough for those of us that need a reminder every now and again that, no matter how grown up, busy and important we might think we are, that we need to become 'like little children' to catch a glimpse of what God is about...in fact it's because we are so grown up, busy and important that it is of paramount urgency that you read this book!)

Anyway he uses this exerpt, which continues...

'We have lost our astonishment. The Good News is no longer good news, it's okay news. Christianity is no longer life changing, it's life enhancing.

Jesus doesn't change people into wild-eyed radicals anymore, he changes them into 'nice people'.'

I don't quite believe that bit - I think people are still called to be crazy for Jesus, but life, exprectation of others, dare I say church tells us to grow up and conform.

GK Chesterton suggests this:

'It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike: it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. '

I LOVE that.

Naive, innocent, playful, happy, risky, wide eyed - the easy option?

Do you want to change the world? ( one of my work collegue's favourite questions)

If so, I dare you to live in dangerous amazing wonder one day this week, or more if yu can manage it. Please let me know how you get on.

Dangerous Wonder is out of print now, but you can purchase on Amazon or E Bay second hand - it's how I got mine. ISBN 1-57683-128-0

Out of My Depth....in Dunelm Mill.

2008-11-10T17:44:00.004Z

So, for far too many years the curtains in our bedroom have been AWFUL - they actually grate against my sensibilities, but I haven't had the time to sort them out.

Actually that is a huge excuse - what I meant to say was, I haven't had the courage to sort them out. Me and soft furnishings just do NOT go together.

The other issue is that our walls are made from cottage cheese so the curtain track is not at the top of the window, but actually within the window frame, meaning that the header tape needs to be 6 inches below the top of the curtain which equals Custom Made Curtains, which possiby equals a lot of money.

Frustratingly,I can't just wander into a shop, purchase ready mades and walk out - oh no , I have to speak to someone about it and I don't know the language - it's pathetic really!

So, today I had a day off and I took a deep breath, after spending the morning in prayer - I'm not kidding, but that's for another blog maybe and I wasn't just praying about curtains - I went to the local Dunelm Mill to chat things through.

After explaining what I needed to a helpful and friendly lady and making it very clear that I wasn't at all confident in this area, by actually saying, 'I am not at all confident in this area', to which she responded, 'You and me both, love' , she told me that she couldn't help me because they only did 6 inch header tape at the TOP of their curtains and that facility was only available in the Platinum Range, and something about me must have told her that I just wasn't a Platinum Range kid of girl.

However, she knew some people who could help me and escorted me round the corner to the Custom Made Section - my heart sank!

I had to tell my woeful tale again to a young lady who sucked through her teeth and had to refer to someone else, then beckoning me over to explain for the 3rd time what I thought I needed. I said, in a hopeful way that I couldn't possibly be the only person with this problem/. opportunity, but the looks on their three A level sewing faces told me that I was, and that they would have to ring the Custom Makers in Leicester to find out if this had ever been done before, while indicating to me that the Custom Makers were a touchy bunch who don't like change essentially. They are not even in transition!

At this point, I just want run away and I make the fatal error of telling them that that some other curtains in our house were made by a kind friend who didn't even flinch when I told her my problem - however the curtains I that I now need are really too big to ask her again.

They ask me to wait and slope off!

They return telling me that the Custom Makers are at lunch and can I come back? I know that if I walk out of this place, I will not return, so I helpfully suggest that I will browse around and maybe get a coffee, in their quite nice cafe. ( Another blog...hilarious!)

Eventually, I go back and one of the girls looks at me - she's in the middle of remembering a number - so she points at me and nods, then writes the number down and disappears.

I am asked twice if I need help (!) and respond by saying that I think I am already being helped, but am not quite sure, and then some one shouts, 'Is there a lady in a pink jumper out there?' (A dusty pink hoodie if you dont mind, but there you go)

Hurrah, they can help me,I am asked to go a choose the material I'd like and in a flash, it seems, my order is being taken.

I ask how much, expecting a substantial amount and recieve a lovely surprise - nowhere near as much as I thought, so I check the measurements again and it's all correct.

So, in four weeks time, there will be an update, but I feel quite grown up at the moment - I have ordered some curtains - a milestone!

Remind me why I worry?

2008-11-03T09:31:00.002Z

Surviving Your Schedule by Rick Warren
An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions. Proverbs 17:24 (TEV)
*** *** *** ***
Do you ever get to the end of your day and think “Did I accomplish anything today?” Where does all the time go? ( Nodding frantically!)

If you don’t master your schedule, it will master you. Here are three suggestions from the Bible for reducing the stress of your schedule:

Line up your priorities. Obviously, you don’t have time to do everything. You must make choices. You must decide what’s really important and what isn’t. Take some time to consider the direction of your life.

· “It is stupid to waste time on useless projects” (Proverbs 12:11 TEV).

· “You may make your plans, but God directs your actions” (Proverbs 16:9 TEV).

Lighten up your attitude. Do you really have to do everything on your to-do list? No one is holding a gun to your head. ( PHEW - I needed to hear that!) A lot of your stress is self-imposed. The Bible says that God gave us humor as a stress reliever.

“Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up” (Proverbs 12:25 NLT).

“A relaxed attitude lengthens life; jealousy rots it away” (Proverbs 14:30 NLT).

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength” (Proverbs 17:22 NLT).

Look up to God. Stress is always a warning light that you’ve taken your focus off God and are looking at your problems from your limited viewpoint. I believe the single greatest cause of stress is this: We take ourselves too seriously and we don’t take God seriously enough!
Need more time in your schedule?

“Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short” (Proverbs 10:27 NLT).

“Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a place of refuge for their children” (Proverbs 14:26 NLT).

This helped me today - it might help you!

GOd had a plan when he made me, me because....

2008-10-18T08:12:00.004Z

........
If I were a butterfly, I’d only have about 24 hours to live

If I were a robin in a tree, I’d be a right little bully.

If I were a fish in the sea, I’d .....um....what was it...um?

SO I just thank you father for making me, me.

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile,

You gave me Jesus and you made me your child

And I just thank you Father for making me, me.

If I were an elephant, I’d CHARGE!

If I were a kangaroo, .............BOING!

If I were an octopus, I’d probably end up in a tangly inky mess ( can't cope with two legs let alone 8!)

SO I just thank you Father for making me, me
For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile

You gave me Jesus and you made me your child

And I just thank you Father for making me, me

If I were a wiggly worm, I’d not be tricked into coming to the surface by a bird tapping on the grass - uh uh NO way!

If I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear, I’d be really embarassed, as bears are not generally overly fuzzy wuzzy, would you say?

If I were a crocodile, I’d be a streamline supoer predator related to dinosaurs.

SO I just thank you Father for making me, me

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile

You gave me Jesus and you made me your child

And I just thank you Father for making me, me.

Yeah!

PS I hadn't realised just how resourceful this blog would be when I cut and paste the words to customise. If you click on the coloured words, it'll take you to a little craft idea about that particular animal!

Library Evangelism

2008-10-10T05:51:00.004Z

Watching the news this morning, I was surprised to find that librarys are trying to think of others ways to get people to use them by, for example, putting a coffee shop in them.

One of the tv presenters has JUST said,'I saw the value of Libraries when I was a child, but as I got older, I felt that I didn't really need them any more. However, now I have my own children I really want to encourage them to use the library'

For Library, insert the word the Church.

The Librarian has just said that Libraries and more that just books, there is so much more to a library and people just need to come along and see. Librarians are normal people, just like me and you!

Seems like libraries have the same problem as churches and it's going to get worse for them too. With the internet, a whole generation of children will be raised without knowing the benefit of a local library, until one day, they will just become obsolete....unless..... The reality for churches is that we are a generation along and many parents have never experienced the value of church and a relationship with God, and so are not aware of the choice available.

Coffee - the way forward :)

Safe and Sound Off!

2008-10-09T06:44:00.004Z

For my friends who don't have a clue WHAT hat I'm wearing when they talk to me.

Liz Hall has a problem, she knows the policy and that means she is in a state of compromise the whole time.

As the DCO she sits in her Ivory Tower providing page and paragraph references to folks who actually can't believe what they have been told or what they have heard, and also a little bit of advice here and there....while trying desparately NOT to undermine the policy, as it shapes the world in which she works.

As the Children's Ministry Team Leader, she is trying to apply this policy to her Corps situation and finding it tough ( she's not alone here) so is considering tweaking it here and there, to be best fit....but her integrity is in danger. How can she say one thing from the safety of The Ivory Tower, but advocate doing another because it's what easiest for her, her team, people that support, and those that provide children and young people who attend the programme...parents, and the wider Corps.

As the Parent, she doesn't have a clue what's going on really. She isn't involved in high level conversations with the Youth Team. I suppose she could be, but she can't have her finger in all the pies - because she doesn't have enough fingers, but mainly because she likes pies and it would be a crime to stick your finger in one and not eat it and she's a bit overweight as it is.

HOWEVER she is concerned for the spiritual development of her kids and their friends, and she sometimes wonders why they don't want to be 'at the Army'. She wonders why some things that used to happen when she was a kid, don't happen any more and what might replace them.

While this might not be the best platform for my heartfelt feelings here comes my heartfelt feeling.

The SA Child Protection Policy has been in place for a really long time, but still issues arise around the safety of kids in churches, so it has been revised and the training is now longer ambiguous nor does in rely on people searching for implied meaning - it tells us what to do and how to do it.

For safety read not just physical, but emotional and spiritual too.

YES there's red tape and YES the cynics would say that it is actually only there to protect the SA, but here's what I believe the benefits are:

It means that we now have to think harder about what we provide for our children and young people and the people that work with them and it demands the best. It means that we have to consider recruiting more and better qualified human resources to support them and forces us to think and hopefully have constructive discussions about the way forward. It invites parents to have their say, it invites us to communicate better with parents.It empowers the children and young people and YES it makes us feel irritated and uncomfortable because the things that used to 'just happen' can't anymore, without more planning and provision.

It starts a conversation that might never have happened 'last year'.

On the face of it, it appears to say YOU CAN'T , and in a world where time is an issue, sometimes we may not get further than that but if Churches and Corps want to invest in their young people then this policy could be the tool to materially get us to start doing that, when looking through the sieve of common sence and sometimes under the banner of 'working towards....'

This blog does may not necesserily represent the opinion of The Salvation Army, but I would hope it comes close and it's what I think.

To Do List

2008-10-05T08:54:00.002Z

My 'To Do' list is pretty long at the moment and I'm trying to work out ways to spread this stuff out as there seems to be an imbalance from time to time.

Sometimes, I am figuratively twiddling my thumbs and other times I feel like so many things are coming up at once that as long as I'm pointed in the right direction I'll hit at least a few of them with a resounding YES, and the others will just get 'done'

I'm not appealing for your sympathy - we are all busy and often in fairly unmeasurable ways.

SO, if you asked me,' Are You Busy?' I'd probably say no...which is totally mad.

At the moment I'm blogging, so not busy in real terms, but once this is done and I've crossed it off my list.....*sigh*.....there are other things and people queuing for my attention.

Maybe I should patent a 'To Don't' list, would the Dragons fund me?

That was the week - that was!

2008-09-27T14:21:00.003Z

Saturday - My nieces first birthdays. Kids parties are so cool and man, those babies are cute!

Saturday Evening - Maze at the Apollo. See Mr Hall's write up about that but I agree, it was like being at a party and the worship was GREAT! ( Lost Wedding Ring)

Sunday - Was very tired...and had been given time off on FOJ in terms of leading. Just had to 'be there' and it was good. Looking at the Friuts of the Spirit and Peace was the theme this week, which fitted beautifully with Peace Week.

During the meeting,some of the guys who had gone to Zambia presented their thoughts,feelings and some pictures which was cool.

Sunday Eve - a Corps Finance meeting at our house about the Grand Opening of the SA Hall - exciting, but scary too.

Monday -official Work from Home day, and spent an hour looking around the refurbed Romford SA and meeting up with a couple of FAB people - you know who you are. Too much communication via email leads to a need to get grounded in company sometimes and it had got to 'that point' - again exciting but a bit scary too. Emails continued throughout the week, but I think it is safe to say that progress was REALLY made in some areas.

Monday Evening - Light Party Info Sharing Meeting. We are going head to head with Romford Town's Halloween Celebrations and hosting The Light Fantastic on 31/10/08. Other Churches in the town are supporting too which is really great. ( Wedding Ring found!)

Tuesday - See below.

Wednesday - Back in the office - Tom being looked after in shifts at home. Had a very dynamic meeting in the afternoon. Keith in The Wirral all day, so VERY tired when he got home.

Thursday - In the office again! and also met a buddy for lunch.

Thursday Evening - Classic FM Royal Albert Hall Gig. Brilliant. Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Emma Johnson ( Clarinet) Alfie Boe and Kate Royal ( Vocal) I cried in Ave Maria .Alison Balsom (Trumpet) and hosted by Simon Bates. Finale was the 1812 including fireworks!

Friday - Visit in the morning, office in the afternoon, Kids Club at The Base ( Chelmsford) in the evening - What a team!

I had been wearing my Wedding Ring on my little finger as my proper ring finger was sore and on the train on the way to the concert I realised that it was gone! (the ring, not the finger LOL) I am rubbish with jewellery, but had done pretty well with this ring up to that point! Quite honestly it could have been anywhere, but in Sunday Morning we were out in the garden where I had been hanging out washing, looking in all the places it might have gone- well obviously not ALL as we didn't find it. I had thought that with it being such a special thing it would just be there to find, but no.

ON returning home from the meeting on Monday evening, Keith and Joe had been playing Wii and Keith was complaining about a sore hand, asking me to have a look at it etc. I was telling him to grow up etc, but when I looked, there in his little finger was The Ring.. Turned out that it was in an overnight bag that I had packed for Elyse, as her and Tom had slept over at my mum and dad's. I had unpacked the bag on Sunday, but had mistakenly left her toothbrush in it, so Keith had gone to find it on Monday evening and there in the bottom of the bag was a glimmer of gold.

Hurrah all is well...until the next time!

I Love God!

2008-09-23T21:50:00.003Z

Today, I was overwhelmed with Love for God. Nothing prompted it - that I was aware of - but I suddenly felt really full up with Good and Happy Feelings and didn't even think about attributing it to anything else but God.

I haven't had a particularly easy or reflective sort of day, if anything, it was relatively tough.

Argued with a family member over socks this morning - wouldn't wear them because they had holes in them - IT WAS THE PATTERN! What she really meant was that they were too small, but somehow couldn't say that, so I thought she was just being fussy.
Meeting in the office this morning - got out of it early which was a result and down to the graciousness of Mrs Boss.
Tied up a few loose ends - actually it sounds quite idylic up to this point doesn't it?
Remember to put my potato in the oven for lunch
Prepared for a meeting I was having after lunch
Sat down to eat lunch
Got a call from School - Thomas had been sick, and school is 30 - 45 mins away from work.
Phoned parents for assistance - no answer
Panicked - what to do about meeting?
Person I was meeting with arrived, went to meet them in the car park - had a chat in the car, will rearrange etc. They were very understanding.
Got to school and picked Thomas up,he proceeded to fill me in on how many bowlfuls etc
Got home and Thomas actually went upstairs to lie down. I was worried at that point - Oh he's actually really poorly.
20 mins later he came down, hungry!
etc.

Tough, why?

Oh, that's easy - guilt, responsibility, guilt, resentment, guilt and so on.

However, taking Elyse to Choir later on I just was filled up and started laughing. Elyse wanted to know why, so I tried to explain how I felt - God doesn't just love us, he IS love and I love him!

Her response - Mummy, I God you!

8 Random Facts

2008-09-19T05:58:00.003Z

I've been tagged by Judy, so here goes:

I was the best bottom second trombone player in the world - had to retire to give others a chance!

It was love at first sight for me when I met Keith - he took more pursuading!

My maternal grandma and my great auntie were twins, I have twins and my brother has twins.

When Keith and I were first married, we lived in a little flat in Barking.

I really wanted to be a PE teacher. ( see next fact)

I am a Homebird and the thought of going to Uni freaked me out, so I went to work for LLoyds Bank and spent a year doing Banking exams - Totally random. Passed Law and Economics, failed BANKING and ACCOUNTANCY!

For the first 18 years of my life, we went to Felixstowe for our Summer Holidays - Beach Hut, then moving up the Caravan. ( My 18th year we went to the South of France - SO cool!)

And finally - today I am going to have lunch at IHQ! ( Salvation Army International Headquarters)

People who should follow suit - Jenny Fox, Claire Tomkinson, Ann Borrett,Andy Hill, and Sarah Joy.

XXXXX

- isation or -ization?

2008-09-12T08:22:00.002Z

The spelling is not the point actually. The point is that EVERYONE and EVERYTHING is getting '-isated'...or should that be '-ised?!

Words you can add - isation to :

Global
Container - apparently soon the whole world will be containerised, which is what prompted this ranty response.
Industrial
Agricultural
Forest...ok that's actually Forestation, but you mark my words, soon we'll be Forestised, once a global prgoramme of tree planting swings into action.

There's possibly more and that can be your Friday challenge, but the one that I can't quite get my head round is..... COLON!

I'm off to Clacton now for some Clactonisation - you all have a great day!

Happy B'day! (Revised edition)

2008-09-06T08:34:00.004Z

Yesterday was my birthday and it can be summed up using the letter B!

Barking and Babies - I visited and P and T group at Barking and spent some time chatting with a few mums about starting up a Bi weekly Toddler Church on a Sunday. They are excited and so am I!

Bug - Keith was laid low this week with a Flu Bug that extended to an upset tummy so yesterday morning I was kind of arranging the signing of my own birthday cards ( sad!!) as hde had taken the kids to town after school to buy them, and some prezzies, but the exertion of that had left him too exhausted to follow it through( possibly not a good expression considering his ailment ..eugh!). He was POORLY so, all is forgiven.

Bracelets and Beads - the kids got me some funky jewellery - looks a bit like a string of boiled sweets, YUM!! The kids at Toddlers were fascinated by the bracelet.

Birkenstocks - yeay, I got a pair for my birthday from one of my friends. Turquoise blue to match my toenail varnish.

Buffet - we had a buffet tea last night - for me, by me, as the poorly boy ( I can kind of tease him about it, now that he's feeling better)was still feeling averse to food. He did organise a rather splendid Chocolate Birthday Cake though, which can legally come into this blog as it was BROWN!

Blueberries - still loving them. They DO go with everything. Look great with strawberries and Granny Smith apples and taste just FAB.

( Bad News - a couple of my friends have had a pretty tough week, one thing and another and I caught up with some more bad news yesterday - thinking about you guys X)

So I'm considering having my Birthday extend through the month of September as we have a couple of events to look forward to which are 'Birthday Presents' - A trip to The Hammersmith Apollo to see 'Maze...featuring Frankie Beverly' who is probably about 100 years old now ( see Keith's Blog ).

When I first met Keith, Maze was his current fave band and he would sing and recite stuff from the current album ALL the time at work i.e.( imagine a Southern USA drawling accent)

'This is the place y'all, THIS is the place. ( sound of crowd cheering, yep he made the sound effect too)It's Sunday Mornin' y'all and THIS - IS - THE - PLACE. We're doin' a laav album and somebody said to me....( slightly more high pitched) somebody saaaaid, well waa did ( DID?) a laav album in New Orleens and Aa said well wa not...you dig,,,( high pitched) you dig?'( sound of crowd cheering).

The song was 'Joy and Pain' ( are like sunshan and rain oohh hoo etc ad lib)

I am also going to the Royal Albert Hall with Joe and my mum and dad to one of the Classic FM Live concerts - an enormous programme and featuring Emma Johnson playing Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, which Joe is attempting to learn - so pleasure and education in one evening.

Eclectic just doesn't come anywhere NEAR!

I've just got home from a trip to the town armed with an M and S Voucher and a Next Voucher . In M and S I bought what they are famous for....no, NOT food, and in Next, 2 bottles of perfume, one of which is remeniscent of my mate Fiona and I didn't realise until I got home and Elyse said - Oh you smell like Fiona!

This Blog was bought to you by the Letter B and the aroma of Passion! :)

Wee Meme Too.

2008-08-28T19:08:00.003Z

I have been nominated to fill you in on my recollections of these 5 eventful event and their impact on my life.

Princess Diana's death - 31 August 1997
This was the day after we had travelled home from a fab week in Wales with our good buddies Keith and Fiona Starling.Joe was and Mark were 3, Hannah was 7. I can't recall why I put the TV on that morning, but I did and just sat and gawped at the news. Keith was still in bed, so I shouted up to him and we both gawped. That day was the dedication of our friends Helen and John's baby Luke, so we had a lovely buffet lunch at their house and the talk was all about Diana.

Margaret Thatcher's resignation - 22 November 1990
To my shame, I can't rememeber the shenanegins surrounding this - We had moved into our house that year and were in the process of some rather massive renovation, living upstairs for about 18 months and I became quite ill at one point - this might have happened then - who knows?

Attack on the twin towers - 11 September 2001
I was just going out to get the children from school when the programme I was watching - some trashy chat show - was interrupted with this news. Another gawping in front of the TV moment. All the talk in the play ground was about the crash - at the time it was not known that terrorists were involved and it all began to unfold once we got home, but I had to wait for kids tv to finish before I could catch up!

England's World Cup semi final v Germany - 4 July 1990
This was the Saturday that the Romford Youth were involved in the Territorial Congress doing Drama, under the tutilage of Stuart Grinstead. So, as we were still in The Youth then, we all piled round to Keith and Fiona's afterwards to watch it on their tele - wasn't it the one where Gazza cried and... we lost. I recall Fiona being rather taken by Lothar Matteus ( SP??)

President Kennedy's Assassination - 22 November 1963
No idea - wasn't even a twinkle in my dad's eye till the January of 1964 - WHAT a year that was!

I nominate
Rich Borrett
Ann Borrett
My Bro Jon - if he's still bloggin that is.
Serena Hostler

Camping?!

2008-08-27T08:02:00.009Z

So, there are always a few raised eyebrows when I tell people we have been camping. Some people actually look sympathetic as if it's a bad thing, others just laugh out loud or wrinkle noses in distaste.

I can appreciate that it isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I think camping has really bad press and so while we were away I tried to analyse what the good and bad things are and how, for us at least, the benefits far outway the inconvieniences.

First off, we generally book at a site that has superb reviews and great facilities - one year the Convienience Block ( Loos Showers Laundry etc) had a sauna and steam room!

Yes, you have to to walk to the Loo and yes, it can be annoying at night, particularly if one of the kids needs to go and it's raining and wellies and kagools have to be put on instead of your normal toweling dressing gown.This year the facilites were impecable - the cleaners were the most diligent I have ever met ( bar my mum). Ok, so the showers failed towards the end of the second week and that was just bad luck for us and the site owners , but we stayed clean and fresh smelling none the less.

Zips : can be annoying and there are loads on our tent, so there's a kind of zip symphony played as people go in and out, especially as we were battling wasps - but our tent has insect nets, so we won, most of the time.

The Weather : it rained lots this year and that can be noisy in a tent, but we were warm and dry when inside, which wasn't often as we went out everyday - part of the plan. However, when the weather is good, most things happen outside and that's lovely.

Food - well, we have a hob and grill and rustled up some magnificents feasts and barbequed too - not as much as we would have liked, cos of the weather though.

We never take any media tech with us - TV,Laptop etc, although we do have 'Electric Hook Up', so can charge up phones and DS's, have light at the flick of a switch, have a small fridge, use a hairdryer and have an electric kettle for that urgent cuppa. We nearly bought a cheap toaster this year, but Joe felt we would be selling out too much if we did, so we didn't!

Sleeping on the floor was never something I looked forward to and in our old tent, we were on a raised platform, but I was pleasantly surprised but how ok it was. Air beds are quite comfy and Keith and I use out normal bedding rather than sleeping bags, althought the kids sleep in bags. We have our own 'pods' to sleep in, so everyone has a place they can call their own and retreat to it as and when.

We live from day to day which is cool, and contrived this year to drive past Tescos every day on the way home from places to stock up for tea and breakfast.

So that's the mechanics of it and yes, sometimes you have to be very resourceful and sometimes it can be frustrating.

The benefits for us though are:

the simplicity of life - life at home is so complex
the 'being together' - having time to feedback to each other, playing games that we never play in normal life ( cards, Bananagrams etc). This really is the main thing for me. I appreciate holiday time is when everything gets easier and you could relive this experience in a cottage or a house, but there's a lovely intimacy to camping.
The fresh air !
The lack of pretentions all around - you can't hide much when all that separates you from the people next door is 6 metres of air and 2 nanometers of fabric

So, that's my case for camping and while some of you readers might know totally where I'm coming from, others might never understand, but that's fine - carry on camping, that's what I say!

Clogwyn Station - Platform 9 and 3/4

2008-08-24T16:31:00.010Z

Oh- er Big Hair! Anyway, here's one of the many pics we took on out recent holiday to North Wales - just about to set off on one of the shortest walks in the world, but made up for it in the afternoon by plodding around 6 acres of the most amazing garden and woodland at Glynlliffon , see below and well worth a visit - lovely!

Oh, and here's our new tent - love it!

We visited Canearfon, Harlech and Conwy Castles, went to the beach, walked, cycled a 16 mile round trip from Dolgellau to Barmouth to Dolgellau, spent a fab afternoon on a high ropes course, the grand finale of which was a 3G swing - Thomas's understatement was, 'That was emotional', saw lots of sheep and climbed Snowdon - well, we walked up the 'easy route'

At Halfway house, we had a picnic and purchased some Kendal Mint Cake for a treat when we reached the summit.

Helicopters were buzzing the trail the whole time as they carried stones from the bottom to various places along the path that needed some attention. We had originally thought it was for the Summit Centre, but were told NO - there's no work going on up there at the moment!

We carried on to Clogwyn Station - the final waypoint before the top, when I spectacularly hit the wall with about a mile to go to the summit. Would I have continued if it hadn't been Clogwyn 'Station' ( a misnomer if there ever was one - ok the train stopped there, but it wasn't like any station I've ever been to) - I don't know, but stop I did, got very emotional and sat down on a rock having waved my family off into the thick swirling mists of the summit to wait, like Gellert's dog, for their return.

( The following contains a massive 'spoiler' from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, so don't read on if you still want to read this book)

We had walked most of the way in t-shirts, but had carried plenty of layers to pile on, so I started by putting my thin sweat shirt on and began to take in my surroundings.

The train was in, but was just a shadow in the mist, as were the few people that were lingering near the train waiting to get back on, for it to descend back down to Llanberis. I could just make out a little hut and the track as it disappeared off to the summit, but visibility was poor and I suddenly felt very like Harry at the end of the book, where he meets with Dumbledore in a misty place reminiscent of Kings Cross Station, but not...if you know what I mean.

It felt as if the world stopped where my visibilty failed, and it was especially unnerving as there appeared to be a steep drop opposite me in the other side of the track. My eyes were almost watering with trying to see the track up to the summit and I was thinking that I wanted to go and catch up with my family, but I couldn't move - scary!

So there I was and to all intents it seemed, invisible to anyone else. Another train came along, disengorging it's passengers and the first disappeared down into the mist.

The passengers were mostly inappropriately dressed for where they were, and I guess as they hadn't walked up, were fairly disappointed with the terminus of their journey. The most imaginative comment was from a small boy who exclaimed that it was like being on the moon, ( which it REALLY was) but most others were moaning that there was nothing to see or do and what did 'they expect us to do for half and hour?'

I was cross really, and had bad thoughts about them all being freeloaders and wanted to laugh as they all wandered aimlessly in various directi0ns and vanishing into the mists to find...what? A gift shop, somewhere for coffee? Who knows. I had a vague memory of reading the Pilgrims Progress and thinking that there was a part where Pilgrim was tempted to wander off the beaten track to get totally lost. Would they return in time for the train, or were some going to attempt to walk down in Crocs, wedges, an assortment of flip flops? Who knew and who cared? Not me, I had walked there, earned my place on that rock and my family were currently showing Snowdow some respect - hah!

I put my thick sweatshirt on at that point and the cold began to seep in and with it a whole bunch of fears - stupid ones, but fears none the less. Having said that we had more signal on our phones than we had all holiday, so I could easily get in touch with Keith, but what if it started to rain, what if the last train had been and gone, what if I wasn't able to walk down the mountain....what if?

I eventually put my kagool on and began to wonder how the guys were doing, so text a message to say I was getting cold, so could they please run - they had been gone about 40 minutes at this point and how I began to wish I had gone with them!

Turns out the Kendal Mint Cake was in the bag they had left with me, so Keith phoned to say they has arrived and would be down soon, and I could eat some Mint Cake. You know, that stuff really works. It was the first time that I can recall of being aware that food is FUEL, not just for pleasure and could feel that sugar buzz generate some real heat and I stood up - yeay!!

Trains came and went and at one point a guard came over to make sure I didn't want to get on one and eventually the brave heros appeared through the mist. GREAT.Here's a pic of them at the top.

A group of people DID miss their train, but we managed to get 5 seats on one and began the slow descent. JOe was sad that we weren't walking down, but it was felt that a 7pm eta was not acceptable - however the train journey was awful. 3 of us were BUSTING and a baby was crying the whole time. Cries of ' Look at the lovely waterfall' were not helpful at all!

Anyway, the plan is that we return one day and try one of the other routes up - I will need to get into training and stick with my new found ethos of Food for Fuel, not for Pleasure.

So, the Halls are home and now have a new baby kite to care for -

This is my Mum.

2008-08-08T20:03:00.002Z

She's going to be 70 on Sunday and I can't believe it. Neither can she to be honest.

My dad is not prepared to comment!

Keith...I mean Mr Hall, is Blogging again...

2008-08-07T20:34:00.004Z

...check him out at Mr Hall.

Well, waddya know!

2008-08-05T17:12:00.002Z

I have been visiting Summer Holiday Clubs over the last couple of weeks and have to say that I have witnessed some great and good practise, fab teaching, groovy dancing, LOUD shouting and stacks of fun. I have been really encouraged that folks are actually taking time out of their own holidays to ensure that kids get to find out about Jesus, that Church is a cool place and that people really care about what they ( the kids) think - YEAY!

Today was a bit of a milestone for one Corps who launched their Children's Ministry on the back of their Holiday Club last year, and this year, 25 kids arrived on the first day to learn about the Super Star children in the bible - DOUBLE YEAY!

I also spent some time with a friend who has been on a journey in every sence of the word, has made a pretty cool decision to continue on that journey and who I was able to chat with as an equal, if not the subordinate sometimes, in many ways - the YEAY GOES ON!

Finally, I popped into Tesco on the way home and bought, amongst other things, a bag of caramel coated sesame seed covered peanuts....JUST TO LOOK AT....and was checking out the pack for clues as to the the calorie content. There was no mention, so I am assuming they are calorie free(!) however, and I'm sure many of you have experienced this, but it's my first time, I was warned in NO uncertain terms that the product MIGHT contain traces of nut.

I really needed to know that more than the calorie content.

Juggling, Waiting and Praying.

2008-08-01T21:35:00.006Z

Just an initial though - why is it that even when you....OK, I... get 999 things right, so that life runs smoothly and effectively, people will only notice the 1000th thing that trips you....OK, ME... up.

A second thought is - get a cuppa as this is a long old story, but hopefully entertaining!

JUGGLING
This week as been a lesson in juggling - time , free time, kids time, work time, sleep time ( don't ever even think it's good to catch up on sleep when driving because it's not, and more to the point, don't ever try it) time to talk, time to dance, time to breath and have a chat...Ecclesiastes has a list. The funniest ( ie most frustrating) thing is trying to do two things that don't go well together, together i.e take Elyse and Thomas to work!

Ok, it was Kids Clubs and they can join in and the folks running them are kind and say the kids are great etc, but it feels odd for ME.

I also actually did try to learn to juggle hoops yesterday, and the concept is pretty different to juggling balls and also kids kept wanting to have a go too, which was ....annoying!

What is hard is being able to switch off when you can't quite finish what you've started because someone needs the loo or has spilled a drink etc and somehow, you...OK I...can handle it if it's someone elses child, but when it's mine it's just like being at home and I wonder why I have driven to Brightlingsea, Clacton or Colchester to do more of the same. Am I wrong? I feel wrong, but I know what I mean.

Anyway, I'm not the only person in the world doing this, so hats off to mums who work through the holidays - hurrah!

WAITING
Our walk was great last weekend, but those of us who couldn't/wouldn't do the 17 miles extra had to find something else to do while the others did the walking. It was the most scorching day ever, so after a bit of time in a playground, we took the kids back to our lodgings to freshen up and go meet some more of the Mighty Fox Family, of which we are now Honorary Members, for a limited period of time.To be official you have to marry someone in the family and we can't really do that...although Elyse was getting on quite well with Nathan..hmmmm!

We spent a delightful afternoon siezing up in another playground by a stream and looking out onto the Peaks where our loved ones were being mercilessly burned to a crisp while singing Ilkley Moor no doubt, and where Jenny was driving up and down with supplies, to meet the walkers at pre arranged stop offs. Irritatingly, the signal was awful for mobiles, so there were some anxious moments when we really didn't know where anyone was, but ironically Zoe could get through from Zambia!

It didn't feel like waiting, because the company and the scenery and the weather were fab and I didn't worry that much either - which is amazing ( see praying)

What did feel like waiting though, because it was, was sitting in the most boring waiting room IN THE WORLD for Joe's name to be called to get his lacerated knee stitched up at the Hospital last night. I have blogged about waiting with people who have lost the will to live before, and I guess that the reason the folks were in this particular waiting room was that they were feeling poorly, but COME ON, it doesn't hurt to smile, does it? Obviously, it does!

Queens Hospital is by far and away the most confusing place I have ever been and when you ...OK, I... am a little stressed and all the instructions look like they are in Chinese and Thomas needs the loo and is STILL going on about the ice cream he dropped at the beach 2 hours ago and, Joe's shock has worn off and he's feeling pretty grumpy, and rightly so really, and Elyse is worryingly quiet, a decent waiting room isn't much to ask is it? Obviously, it is!

What added insult to the rather nasty injury was that we had given Joe's name TWICE at reception, but when Keith arrived, the receptionist swore blind that we weren't there, leaving him in a mild state of concern as the last time we had spoken, I was 20 mins off leaving Clacton, and the battery on my phone was running out, and working it all out using math, we SHOULD have been at the hospital...which we were, so the math was good - the receptionst was NOT.

PRAYING
I have also blogged before about an incident where I voiced a need - indoor plastic hockey sticks- and the need was met almost immediately. I recall praising God like mad about that because it was so cool.
My concern was and still is that I wasn't praying about it officially i.e. Dear God what I could really do with are .... Amen' but am convinced by the words in Psalm 139 that God did deserve the praise for that and here are two other examples of what you might call lazy praying, but the outcomes being absolutely worthy of praise.

Number One
The lodgings I spoke of earlier were in Pindale Outdoor centre and were utterly random, but fun. Jen and Den had also bought their tent, so as it was so sweltering, we stayed outdoors with them for as long as we could on the two evenings and shared breakfast on the Sunday. A number of families were camping as a Geocaching Event was taking place ( just google Geocaching, I'm not going into it here) and one family had decided that it would be convienient for them to park their massive 4x4 in a passing bay, thereby causing 'a bit of an obstruction' in the road.

Jen and Den had planted their tent at the top of a hillock over looking this family and SO the following day when it transpired that someone had let this guys tyres down, wrapped the vehicle in red tape and placed a parking cone on the bonnet, we had an ideal view ( this isn't the answer to prayer by the way - and NO it wasn't us) to see how it was all going to pan out.

I am ashamed to say that initially, we were all of the mind that it served him right. However, as time went on, and the jack had slipped causing the side of the car to scrape down the wall, we did begin feel a little uneasy, not least that we were more or less ready to go and would need to squeeze past him to get on our way. I began to wonder out loud where all the grace in the world had gone and then suggested that maybe we should pray, and possibly offer some assistance ( goody two shoes!) I then needed the loo, but Den's brother did go over to suggest a better place to put the jack 'avoiding the diff'.

On my return, I was greeted with - 'Your Prayer worked Liz!'

It just so happened that the Land Rover Club of Great Britain were having a drive out that morning past the Pindale Outdoor Centre and had every gadget this guy could need to jack the car up, crowbar the tyres back on and inflate them. Not just one Land Rover, but about 10 of them!! Lavish and Extravagant God - Bless You!!

I did own up to not actually praying the prayer in the formal way, but hey - the needs of a number of people were met that morning.

Number Two
And finally, I dropped the children off at my mum and dad's today and my dad who is a diligent War Cry ( Salvation Army newspaper) seller enquired whether DHQ, where I work, get a pile of War Crys delivered ,as our Corps order hadn't turned up ( this is a bit jargony , sorry!)

No, was the answer, because it is true.....normally!

I arrived at work to find Natasha, one of our Admin. Assistants standing at the door with a massive pile of War Crys ( LOL) asking if I could 'do anything with them, or might anyone I know need them'

Turns out, there was a bit of an 'oportunity'at THQ for things to go wrong this week and Harlow's papers had got caught up with another Corps, but they had ordered more thinking they had been lost ( which must have happened to Romford's too) meaning that when they came to light, they were returned to DHQ

My jaw is actually still in recovery from dropping to the floor.

Did my dad pray about the papers? I don't know.

What I do know is

'God,I am an open book to you; even from a distance you know what I'm thinking.... you know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence'

Psalm 139: 2 +4 The Message

Time to STOP

Where there's Hope....actually where IS Hope?

2008-07-24T21:27:00.004Z

I know where it is, and me and mine are going there tomorrow - how cool is that!?

Some friends of ours are lovely and mad, and love walking ridiculous distances over tough terrain and some times in the dead of night too and over the last 3 years have tricked Keith into believeing that he will have a good time if he joins them.

He has now tricked the rest of us, his lovely family, that it will indeed be 'bare jokes' if we joined in too.

So, I just found out about 2 minutes ago that the place where we are staying and starting the 'walk' from is in Hope,( which means 'a valley') in Derbyshire.

Apparently the walk is in a figure of eight and about 21 miles long, but it also goes up and down a few miles too - so add in that, plus any weather that there might be and the odd need for the loo and we are looking at a fair old yomp.

Having said that, Elyse, Thomas and I will only be doing the short walk - 3 miles + height and weather etc, along with another member of the mad family who has young-ish children. I have a feeling thought that they will already be accomplished in the walking thing, so fully expect to be bringing up the rear.

Joe and Keith will continue for the rest of the way with the others. Joe has been training and Keith is training tonight by going to play football with the guys from the Corps in the vain HOPE that running round a footy pitch at 10pm at night will provide him with all the condition he requires.

I too, have been training!

( Fiona, this will be just a warm up for you) I have been getting up at 6am, flinging on some 'sweats' and power walking for a half hour every morning this week. I think I found my stride today - a moment of suddenly thinking that I wasn't thinking about my technique ( heel, toe, hold in the tummy, swing arms and smile!), but was, infact humming a song. It was a fleeting moment and then the pain returned, mostly down the front of my legs at the moment, but I am advised that this will soon pass and then the real pain starts down the back of the legs. CAN'T WAIT!

Back to Hope then, at the north end of the village are two hills, one called Win Hill, the other called Lose Hill after some 7th century battle and Hope has the uncommon honour of having it's Church mentioned in the Domesday Book, something that no other North Derbyshire Town can claim. there is also an 'abundance of shops cafes and art galleries' . So certainly worth a visit...maybe some other time!

So yeah - three things remain- faith, hope and love. The greatest IS love, but I think Hope is going to be a great, if painful place too.

Am I Obsessed?

2008-07-19T10:39:00.002Z

I bought a new beauty enhancing product a while back, one that needs time to be used properly - male readers, I'm sorry I can divulge no more than that - and have been umming and erring about using it. Oohh it's intriguing isn't it?

So this morning,as I have a 'certain amount of time' I 'm reading the active ingredients list and find that it contains alkali and thioglycolate. So what? you might be thinking.

Here's the thing and here's my concern.

I looked twice at that, because on the first reading, I read it as......

CHOCOLATE!

NOw that IS a problem isn't it?

Sometimes, working from home....

2008-07-17T17:25:00.000Z

...can be SO neat!

It was 10pm!!

Welcome To My World.

2008-07-12T08:55:00.003Z

The title of this blog is prompted by a comment on my previous posting and also is something that I actually wrote in an email this week...welcome to my world.

The email was about the intricacies of Safe and Sound - the SA Child Protection Policy - and I was quoting great chunks of it to a corps regarding how children should be transported in cars. Simple you might think...sit them on a chair, encourage them to do up the seat belt, turn on the engine and go? NO!

As I was writing, I could really sence the frustration that this might be causing and wanted to let them know that I know how they feel, how Safe and Sound shapes my work and how, yes, it feels hard,it IS hard sometimes, but with planning and risk assessing ( BORING, but so freeing!) etc it can all work for the good of everyone. Hence, WELCOME TO MY WORLD. Re- reading the mail ( way too much time on my hands!) I think it might have come over a bit naff, so, apologies to that corps if it did.

However, re: the comment on the previous posting suggesting that my world is, indeed, a strange and scarey place, which indeed, it is, I am going to rewind to Monday and our small group.

We had a very dynamic discussion, essentially about Grace Under Pressure. We majored on homosexuality in the church, as that was what Phil Yancy had set us up to do, but man, there is so much more isn't there?

How do you show grace to someone who just isn't in that zone, either ever, or at that particular moment and will misinterpret everything you say or even don't say as an attack, a judgement or a slieght ( right word??) I find that really hard in every aspect of my life; home, work, church.

I guess also, the times when I am feeling edgy, vulnerable,tired,stressed, bored etc would I recognise grace being shown to me ?

So my own response to my question, and I do that loads and it probably winds up my fellow Small Goupers like mad, was something like:

In the world of me, everyone will be like me...

I think I will make a Sims World of Me!

...which kind of indicates that I am the epitome of Grace and everything good, and my world is best.

Looking forward to any comments in support of this - those to the contrary will be EXTERMINATED!!

How do you know when.....

2008-07-08T21:22:00.003Z

....you're too busy?

How can someone else judge if I/you am/ are too busy?

Surely it's all relative.....isn't it.

The picture is nothing to do with this blog - it's just pretty amazing and I'm still celebrating that I can upload pics again!

For the Viewing Pleasure of my Friends....and then we will move on!

2008-07-03T15:52:00.003Z

For certain folks information, it was actually quite difficult to find a demure picture of the lovely Halle Berry

Fully Clothed - To Redress (!) the Balance.

2008-07-02T17:14:00.003Z

Hmm, just as lovely with a top ON and not a porcupine in sight!( see comments on prev posting to get some context on that)

Normal sensible bloggage will be resumed soon :)

Yeay! Just checking - photo service is resumed!!

2008-07-01T21:05:00.000Z

How to Measure Change.

2008-06-30T09:08:00.003Z

I was just reviewing my blog, my body of work, my journal, my thesis, my LIFE!!...changed the template...hmmm not sure, then checked out my 'About Me'

Surely it will need updating, so much has occured since I wrote it.

No, it doesn't, and I'm not sure how I feel about that!

How Odd! ( See post below one this first)

2008-06-25T16:22:00.001Z

Todays Purpose Driven Email

2008/06/25

We Need Each Other: To Walk With by Rick Warren

Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in Him. Colossians 2:6 (NIV/NKJV)
*** *** *** ***
The Bible often compares life to a walk, because life is a journey; we’re not sitting still. Throughout the New Testament, we are told to walk in wisdom, love, light, and obedience. We’re told to walk as Jesus walked. We’re also told to walk alongside other people. Here are three reasons to walk with other people:

1. It’s safer. Have you ever walked alone at night through a dark alley or down a lonely country road? It’s a little scary. But if you have another person with you, you immediately feel safer.

2. It’s supportive. Life is not a fifty-yard dash; it’s a marathon. Walking with other people gives you the energy to keep on going until the end.

3. It’s smarter. You learn more by walking with others than by walking alone. If you’re walking alone in the wrong direction, you may never realize it. But if you have a friend alongside you, one of you is likely to recognize you’ve veered off the path and need to find the right direction.
We also learn some important lessons when we walk alongside other people. We learn how to get along with others, how to cooperate.

We also learn how to love. Genesis 2:18 tells us, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (NIV). God hates loneliness, and community is God’s answer to loneliness. When we walk alongside other people, we find a community where we learn how to love.
.
Walking alongside other people also teaches us hospitality. 1 Peter 4:9 says, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (NIV). What’s your grumble? What’s your excuse for not opening your home to friends?

Maybe you’ve said, “My home is dirty!”
Well, clean it up!

Or perhaps your excuse is: “My home isn’t big enough.”
Can you put three people in it? Jesus says, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20 NIV).

Everybody has a longing for belonging because God made us for relationships. When we walk alongside other Christians in community, we find that longing satisfied.

Been Walking Long?

2008-06-25T07:12:00.002Z

Just a thought....

Last night Joe was involved in a music event at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank with the Havering Music School and we ( Elyse, Thomas and I) had arranged to go up on the train with another parent, to meet Keith at Liverpool Street and travel together from there.

Here's the thing - I don't know this parent, a mum, very well, and we have never walked anywhere together and on the jaunt from our house to the station we kept bumping into each other or catching onto each others arms. It was totally weird, try as we might, we just couldn't seem to do a straight line between us.
So, laughing by now, we swapped sides, she was now on my right - still no good.

Isn't it odd?

I guess if we walked more together we would get used to each others gait?

Make of that what you will.

PS the event was great, but another very late night!

2 Pints of Milk and a Packet of Ham...

2008-06-23T09:18:00.002Z

...were my souveniers from Camp this year. Some people got sweets, other got baked beans, yet others received baking potatoes. The really quick ones bagsied the pallet of chocolate muffins - for their children - YEAH RIGHT!!

Everyone took home a little bit of sunburn after being surprised by the sun on Sunday, most took dirty wet washing - some ( not many though) left it behind. It's stinking out DHQ as I speak, but I'm ok as I'm not there!

I hope everyone also took a lasting great memory, as we were prompted to in Camp Fire Prayers on Saturday - the LONGEST day for so many mostly amazing reasons, not just because it was the Longest Day - by Ollie, to tied us all over especially today, when everyone will have struggled to get up and get going.

A third of the children who came to KAO this year were new to the event - for some, because of their age, it was their first and last KAO - shame, but just for a weekend we were able to get to know them, value them, teach them, listen to them and watch them find their feet, find some friends( sometimes partners in crime) find out about themselves too.

We saw little worship leaders emerging - ok they were urging on their teams in the Team Song, but the other kids were following them. We saw little pastoral carers, little visionaries, little fine tuners and big picture thinkers. We saw children breaking their hearts on Friday Night and then crying with laughter on Saturday. We saw team members doing new things like making scrambled egg, defying gravity on the high wires and sharing the news that on that very Sunday, their husband was going to the Army in his uniform again for the first time in a long time- emotional!

Lots of lasting memories for me, but the clearest right now was of one young man, an 11 year old tough nut who had fallen out with his brother during Get Out of That and taken it out on anyone who came near and had been confined to 'barracks' for some time out. During the final quiz time, the puppets were handed out and he was very keen to have one - he chose 'Lucy' and as I watched him chatting and playing with what was essentially a doll, sometimes giving it a hug, I saw the anger and frustration drain away from him and could really see the kid, the one whose mum would love him whatever he did ( I hope)

I hope he comes next year and even though I want to take my legs off and throw them away - I can't wait!

Sometimes, You Can Know Too Much.

2008-06-19T18:18:00.003Z

The Final Countdown has begun and I am now less that 24 hours away from the Divisional CM Residential Event of the Summer - Kids Alive Outside: Where The Wild Things Are - based on the book of the same name that was due to be released as motion picture in October, but now isn't - D'oh!

I have fulfilled the DCO bit as far as I am able at this late stage, bar packing the car to bulging point, and having a last minute catastrophe to deal with, and am now being a punter's parent, encouraging my kids to ' pack their own bags so they know where everything is'.Oddly enough, even though I know the answer to this, worrying about who they will be sharing a tent with and who they will be in a Small Group with - maybe because I DO know the answer!

I have planned every move that will be made this weekend if it all goes perfectly,and have contingencies if it doesn't. Then there is an amazing team of super dooper people who actually volunteer to support this event, and have given up hours of time already in planning meetings, running errands and preparation ( I HOPE...nah I KNOW!)and reading all my many emails.
I have even priced whole boxes of sweets at wholesale price, so that if they don't get opened during the weekend I can sell them on Sunday afternoon when it's all over, to Kids Club leaders and folks who might be running a Summer Holiday Club - that earned me some Brownie Points with the Business Department :)

I now want to forget all that and be excited for my kids who are REALLY looking forward to it - scarey!

1 Corinthians 13 - Piece of Cake?

2008-06-16T08:04:00.003Z

I was feeling a bit fragile yesterday and those sitting around me in the meeting would have noticed, as I kept bursting into tears - sometimes in response to what was being said/sung etc and once when the band was playing - um - it was the tune which prompted the tears as opposed to the actual playing! One lovely friend gave me a tissue - kind :)

All kinds of reasons to be feeling this way I guess - a bit tired, a bit stressed, a bit busy with real life as well as work, being a woman of a 'certain age'? etc but also that very morning there had been a bit of a scene over a cake.

Elyse's friend is in a fund raising phase at the moment and her passion is St Francis Hospice, so they had rustled up a plan to sell cakes prior to the meeting while people were having their coffee. Elyse had volunteered us a to make a cake and had found a recipe in a Cook Book someone had bought her for a Christmas some time ago - Thank You Fiona! -The blurb under the title said,' an easy, everyday chocolate cake'

I was rather hoping to get away with some packet mix fairy cakes, but NO!

So on Saturday Afternoon we set about making our cake - I do NOT bake and so, dusty cobwebby ( not good) memories of Home Economics came drifting to the surface as we pondered over the meanings of 'beat' and 'fold'. Elyse and Thomas wanted to help which was lovely, but not feeling overly confident myself, I had to exude confidence and control in heaps, while trembling away on the inside.

Finally the mixture made it to the greased amd lined tin and into the oven - the kids were actually more interested in licking to spoons at that point.

A life time later, it was done and had risen in the middle - not the flat top of the picture in the book -and there was a rather large crack in it too but hey! and was then left to cool, until Sunday Morning when we set about the buttercream bit and the final flourish of frosting of icing sugar and cocoa.

To put what happened next into a bit of context, I have some friends who are great bakers, marvellous bakers, superlative bakers and although it is totally stupid, it really mattered to ME how this cake looked, so when I returned to the kitchen and looked at the cake to find that someone had gone to town with more icing sugar - it looked like Mount Everest had landed on the top - I shrieked, 'Who has done that to The Cake?'

The culprit wrongly suggested that it is only a cake and it doesn't matter how it looks and I made a knee jerk reaction at that highly charged point that we were not going to take the cake, at which point, a quite literally, all hell broke loose.

I have mentioned before that our family have a habit of arguing about the smallest thing and suddenly everyone was having a go and each other about this, while also dragging up any other ammo they could find. I found myself saying that it was ok, it didn't matter, it IS only a cake, and the Phantom Icer was profoundly sorry etc. and then I had to retreat to my room where these words popped into my head,

'Love does not keep a record of wrongs'

and I made up my mind there a then to intentionally live out 1 Cor 13 to my family, to role model love to them until it hurts.

Richard then said in the meeting that he had been speaking to a group of people about being the change that you want to see - or something like that - so I am resolved!

A Bone of Contention?

2008-06-12T08:43:00.004Z

Purpose Driven Daily Devotional today ends with this:

Focus on knowing God – Knowing God is more important than knowing the details. Oswald Chambers says, “Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason – a life of knowing him who calls us to go.”

I have one friend who has profound thoughts on this, - whether they are expressed here in comments remains to be seen.

For me, a big picture person, this comes as a great relief. I struggle with the details; I prefer function over form, I am a do-er who just wants to reach out and know that I am holding God's BIG hand.

For the 'fine tuners' out there, this might seem like a bit of a cop out and it might also suggest that I am fab at living by faith - I'm NOT!

I HATE pardox too!

As an aside - I love holding hands generally anyway. Thomas held mine on the way to school today and I could feel that he has grown since the last time we did that, which wasn't so long ago. The fact that his trouser legs are flapping abound his ankels and his sweatshirt cuffs just about cover his elbows is also a clue!

HInts and Tips on How to Run, Win a Race...and wellbeing generally!

2008-06-06T07:54:00.004Z

The walk to school was very informative this morning as Elyse and Thomas have been trying out for the school athletic team. Well, I say 'trying out'. It seems that everyone has a go during a PE lesson to be fastest, highest, longest and it can get quite cut-throat especially in the final stages when the kids who haven't got though start to cheer for their own personal champion - all of this and more in a 25 minute PE lesson ( taking into account getting ready, getting changed etc).

So, I was educated this morning in the finer points if I wanted to win any race I might find myself entered for.

Tip 1) Keep your head facing forward and look serious
Tip 2) ( this had to be demonstrated) Make sure your arms are going like 'this' - pistons on a train sort of thing
Tip 3) Make your legs go faster than if you were just walking...again with a demonstration.
Tip 4) Try not to be nervous - trembling and feeling sick were pointed out as indicators that I might feel nervous.
Tip 5) Ensure there is complete silence before the whistle blows for Go. If you miss the whistle, you are a loser ( harsh, I thought)

I was then given various accounts of children who hadn't followed these tips and the misfortunes that had befallen them yesterday afternoon;

Matteo fell over
Jake bumped into Jason ( they are joined at the hip anyway, figuratively speaking, so I wasn't at all surprised to hear that)
Faye didn't even start...AND she could hear the whistle and everything.

I suggested that nerves might have played a part here, but it turns out she was cleaning her glasses or something!

Thomas's class have to try out again today as Miss Andrews lost her piece of paper(!), but the tip of the day for all round wellbeing from Thomas was this gem,

' Don't spit into the wind'

and this, apparently, is good even if you are not running in a race.

Back to School, Back to Work.

2008-06-02T06:51:00.002Z

Normality returns to the Hall House as all the things that went missing last week, need to be found RIGHT NOW in order for life as we know it to continue.
1) Where is my PE Kit?
2) Have you seen my wallet?

Responses as follows:

1) In the pile of clothes at the bottom of your stairs waiting for you to put them away ( not MUCH to ask is it?)
2) NO, when did you last have it?

Turns out there was no money in it - phew - but there was the house keys, possibly more important in Joe World, his locker key.
He had looked 'everywhere', but I found it - (yeay!) and he smiled ( double yeay!)

Do you know, the thing is I can remember ranting at my mum about stuff in much the same way, being really annoyed if she moved things in my room ( How can I look under things if I'm not allowed to touch them?), but that in looking under things she would sneakily tidy up too... and now I'm turning into that very person.
As I was searching for the wallet in the untidiest room in the world, according to me, with Joe inspecting my every sleight of hand and returning items to the floor, or making them wonky again as picked up and straightened up I had to laugh, which wasn't a good thing top do in the heat of the moment, but I saw the world through his eyes, just for a mo and understood.

Woke up thinking about work after a rather alarming dream following on from Saturday Night's one where I had planned and prepared for KAO, which is good, only to find that my event was actually Summer School - which is not good. It was only a dream though....I hope!

Am I a Grown Up Yet?

2008-05-23T21:03:00.002Z

So , I have half an hour before I go to collect Joe from his friends house. Have I been counting the minutes? Honestly no, not until Elyse and Thomas went to bed, then YES.

Keith is asleep, but watching Road Wars at the same time,so I'm getting my thoughts down on blog.

Joe mentioned this morning that a group of them were going round 'this mates house' after school for a while. Then at break time I recieved a text asking me how late he could stay out.

Keith has phoned to ask permission to play Golf with my dad after work and I wasn't sure what time they'd be going and although I sometimes leave E and T at home to collect Joe from here and there, Elyse hates it - she worries ...HMmmmm! and it's not fair to drag them about late, so I suggest 8:30. The text comes back,'Later?'

The questions commence:

Where does this person live?
Will their parents be there?
Is everyone in your year?
Will there be older kids there?
etc

I phone Keith who goes a bit mad, but here's my reasoning for 'letting him go'.

I said NO to Camden Market and still stand by that, but this is local and I know location means nothing - kids can get into trouble anywhere. So this is like a test for me and Joe really. It's the start of me being a grown up parent, trusting my son in his judgement and hopefully earning some parenting brownie points along the way.

My stomach IS flipping about a bit though - oh it's so hard !

Where there's a knead.....

2008-05-20T17:22:00.002Z

My job is nothing if diverse which makes it a real joy mostly and a real...um difficult thing sometimes. The joys do outweigh the difficulties though...most of the time.
However, to reflect the diversity, on Thursday the culmination of a number of months planning, on and off, will result in the Parent and Toddler Training Day - ta dahh!

Our theme is 'Helping You to Build' and we'll be learning about various ways P and T groups can be effective mission and ministry in a church situation.There are some quality folks coming to lead the sessions and me! My session is called the Nitty Gritty and is prempted by a creative prayer time where the delegates will be encouraged to 'become like little children' and use various messy and creative media to connect with God. I don't want to give too much away as people who are coming might read this and change their minds...however, one of the less messy things is Playdough and I have just returned from my kitchen having made 2 batches of the stuff. I'm not sure that my saucepan will be the same again.

So I followed some instructions for the first batch, which I chose to colour pink, but could tell from the start that it wasn't going well - a bit dry really.So I added more water cooked it some more and turned it out onto the worktop to knead , decided to push it to one side, no further comment required.

Fot the next batch I made it up as I went along - to be honest you don't have to be Gordon Ramsey to make this stuff, but it did feel pretty nifty using a pinch of this and a handful of that etc. I chose to colour this batch blue and it is rather lovely. Turned out onto the top, responded to the kneading beautifully and is now cooling off rather smoothly and proudly.

I returned my attention to the pink mass - don't know if you were bought up on Dr Suess, but in one of the stories, the Cat in the Hat comes to help clear away the snow and somehow mums' dress ends up being washed in the bathtub, leaving a pink rim around the bath which proceeds to colour everything as the Cat attempts to clean that too - soon the snow is completely pink.
well I had a vision of that as I watched this stuff try to hide behing the bag of flour and slope off behind the microwave.

I started to knead it some more and you know, it's still pretty dry, still needs some work, but is responding to the kneading and it's not rocket science to relate that to us is it?

Mostly people respond to feeling needed - simple really :)

Sometime people need to be kneaded too - but that's for another blog I think.

PS My little old lady was visited today and one of things 'they' were planning to do on the basis of what she told them on the phone is get her a grant to install central heating - cool...or rather, hot!

Little Old People are little and old..and sometimes scared.

2008-05-15T23:19:00.003Z

This evening on the way back from dropping the kids at karate, I stopped to chat to an old lady standing in her front garden. She always used to chat to me when I walked the kids past her house to playgroup. She's lovely, but tonight she was scared.

She thinks her neighbours hate her and that they want to deface her house - she showed me some damage where she is sure someone is coming and picking the cement out from between the bricks. She tells me they are stealing the plants from her garden.

I told her to ring the police, but she didn't think they would bother to come.
I asked about her family - she has a daughter who lives away and doesn't visit EVER.
I told her to go back inside, she was freezing, but she was afraid 'they' would come back.

I told her I would pop along a see her every evening to make sure she is ok, but it didn't feel enough, so I made a phone call to get some advice from Social Services. They were really helpful and advised me to phone the police who would make sure she is safe and carry out a sort of assessment on her health.

Here's the rub - I don't want to freak her out with the police arriving at her doorstep, but she is scared and she might be ill.

What do I do?

2008-05-07T17:27:00.002Z

So, I paid my fine today with one day to go, using the automated payment system that tells me my debt ( to society) is paid - I love that!

Short sharp response to Roots and the 'command' to go public - Maybe I should spend MORE time in that dreadful place where I bought my permit!

Today I went to Welwyn Garden City and it took me 2 hours to get there and after my 'meeting' I popped in to Somerfields to get a sandwich and was aware, while standing in the queue that someone really smelly was behind me. I chanced a look and there was really elderly man and a not quite so elderly woman and they were both 'dishevelled' and arguing over which newspaper to get - the Sun or the ...whatever. Anyway, he asked if I would put his basket onto the little shelf prior to him unloading it and he smiled at me - it was horrible .......... but I nearly cried really.

2 thoughts:

a)Who is looking after him - surely NOT the quite so elderly woman! If so, who is looking after them?

b)I'm not ready. ( nah, I don't know what I mean either!)

The Car I Drive!

2008-05-01T13:57:00.004Z

Somehow I seem to attract the attention of speed cameras by driving too fast and traffic wardens by parking in a contraventious ( new word?) way.

My second from latest contravention was parking in a loading bay to 'unload' my daughter for her keyboard lesson. The irritating little SMART car with the camera ( SPY!) provided glorious evidence of that.

My latest misdemenour was failing to renew the parking permit that allows me to park at least 50 miles away from my house in the evening and only outside my house if I am ill or working from home, when no one else wants to park there anyway.

This really sticks in my throat - I don't benefit from the £13 a year it costs me, ( £17 for a second vehicle, £20 for a third etc) even though the man at the LBH office assures me that if we didn't have Resident Parking in my street, people would indeed, flock from miles around to park there and take the convinient 15 minute walk into the town to buy all the stuff they need and stagger back - I DON'T THINK SO. Even I drive into the town sometimes!

However the oversight - it ran out on April 1st, IRONIC - has cost me £50 and to my shame made me say a swear word.

So I am going to wait til the last minute to pay it, but I then had to make the trip to the horrible LBH office to renew my Residents Parking Permit. It is dire to visit and must be even more awful to work there.

They have done a good job at making it seem like an inviting place, but I'm guessing that most of the folks that visit there have problems and attitudes that I have no idea of and so the people behind the desks have learned to treat everyone with suspicion and ...yeah contempt!

You have to take a little ticket and go and sit in a holding bay until they call your number - I say 'they', it's a computer really and quite clever, but again lulls you into a false sence of security. You think that all the people there will address you in the same sing song welcoming way - this is a lie!

And so, you wait, listening to all the various desks that people might be invited to i.e

Ticket number 43 please go to desk 3
Ticket number 679 please go to window 19
Ticket number 3248( seriously) please go to desk 12
Ticket number 2 ( obvioulsy a new department) please go shopping you are in the wrong place etc
Each announcement causes all the 'ticket numbers' to sit up expectantly, only to sink back into the waiting stupor when it's not you. I tried to catch the eye of a fellow 'waiter' but it seemed everyone had lost the will to live, added to by the fact that the computer for printing to new permits ( hence the price increase from £10) had broken.

So anyway, eventually I arrived at 'The Window' presenting my documents and last years permit only to be advised that everything is not in order and I need a letter from the SA proving that the car I drive is indeed the car I drive. I point out that last years permit has the same registration number on it and that they took a copy of a letter last year, but NO. I even still have last years letter in my filofax and uncrease it before their very eyes, but NO. I need a new letter.
I am storming out of the office when a really lovely lady who must be new there asks me if I am OK. I am nearly crying, as this adventure has taken me a hour already, but bravely explain the problem. She, who must be an angel, suggests phoning the SA lease company and asking them to fax a letter. I refrain from telling her that I love her and with hope in my heart, make the call.

I speak to a guy , quite clearly over worked and underpaid, who advises me that YES that can do that, but he is alone in the office, the phone keeps ringing and he can only type with two fingers. I nearly laugh at this point,but play my best telephone flirting card, suggesting that it would be so helpful if he could do it asap as I am about to get another ticket and be returned to the holding bay. His response,
'Did I tell you I am on my own here today?'

OK, so I return and my number is called again about 5 mins later - I appraoch the window where the guy I saw only 20 mins ago max looks at me as if he has never seen me before in his life, and I repeat my story, advising him that a letter is being faxed and suggesting that he might add that to his list of helpful things to say to people in a similar situation to me ( not really, but would have loved to!)
He returns from the fax machine with the awful news that there is no letter. I suggest making a call and he asks if I can do it away from the window as he can't sit there doing nothing, plus the phones mess with the system - that's BROKEN anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr Overworked says he will do it as soon as he can and I thank him profusely, retuning the to holding bay WITHOUT taking another ticket because I have been advised that I will be 'called over' when the letter arrives....................which it does......................eventually.

My 'call' is a cheery wave! and I respond with a cheery skip over to the cheery window, where the man and I are now best mates, because all is in order and the machine is fixed - hurrah!
I have a rant about permits generally and he rattles off his script. I notice that my permit has a shiney hologram and suggest that the £3 price increase really is making a difference already.

His repsonse?
'Yes, it certainly is!'

I am going to get my permit by post next time, put a reminder in my diary and NEVER go to that place again EVER.

Words of Wisdom on a Friday

2008-04-25T06:28:00.001Z

Dream are NOT real, so don't let them intice you into getting up half an hour later than normal!

bonus Thought on A Thursday

2008-04-24T16:48:00.002Z

It's funny in an odd way, but I always think of Jesus being older than me, but something I have just read reminded me that he only lived as man for 33 years - I guess that's evidence enough that he was God too because he had an Eternal head on young shoulders.

Words of Wisdom on a Thurdsay

2008-04-24T05:47:00.002Z

Do not let Facebook Chat distract you from the important task of Updating Your Status. Facebook chat is not good, potentially thousands more blogging hours will be lost to the instubstantial chat bubble - boycott Chat!!

Words of Wisdom on a Wednesday

2008-04-23T05:37:00.001Z

Two slices of thickly buttered granary toast are not part of any calorie controlled diet that is going to help you loose weight...and I'm not even joking!

Words of Wisdom on a Tuesday.

2008-04-22T06:13:00.001Z

Get more than 5 hours sleep on a work night, especially when it's only the beginning of the week!

Words of Wisdom on a Monday.

2008-04-21T12:48:00.004Z

Beware of feeling like you are on top of things.

One little wobble, a tiny one really, it could even just be a 'wob' rather than a fully fledged wobble, in the well stacked pile beneath you can make the whole lot come crashing down...right on top of you again.

An Uneasy Truce

2008-04-20T08:57:00.003Z

Dear Reader,

It has been a while ( something that I notice appears to be a standard opening line for bloggage these days) and for those of you who have missed this intellectual and articulate occasional series, you have my...deepest sympathy and profound apologies.

I have returned for now, gentle and kind reader and hope to stimulate, challange and entertain you with my acute observations and controversial satire and wit.

Hey!

I have been continuing in my attempts to read GK Chesterton, hence the archaic prose above. Bluds, it SO ain't easy.

So, initially a little round up:
Elyse has to have minor surgery to remove a splinter from the back of her leg.

Jude and Zoe had a party, 21 and 18 repectively, which was fun and groovy.

I had a week off with the kids -We did the pictures, etc and went to the King Tut exhibition at the O2 with my mum and dad. They funded the Gift Shop Challenge and I am grateful to them for that. Can highly recommend the exhibition. It kept us entertained for a couple of hours...well I say us....my dad flew through it and then went to scale the o2 venue, abseiling down one of the sides, before doing a double back triple helix dismount from the top of the Amen Ra statue, as is his want these days in his dotage. It must have been to two Dolce Lattes he had drunk at lunchtime ( extra syrup and sugar!!)

Me, Keith, Joe and Frank ( K's dad) went to watch Arsenal loose to Liverpool at the Emirates courtesy of our good friends, The Starlings. It's brill going there - even if you don't support the home team, it's an astonishing stadium.

Keith and I then had a weekend away in Woodbridge Suffolk courtesy of Tesco Vouchers. Lovely place, lovely hotel, cold weather and Keith was poorly, but to was good to chill ( literally) sleep, read...fast forward to our old age really.

Back to work - good things happening.Amongst other things, ran a training day which was well supported and feedback was encouraging.

So - Joe turned 14 last Friday and his prezzie was to go and fly hawks at Eagle Heights in Eynsham Kent ( great day out).

I went as his guest and six of us were rattled around the Kent countryside in a built for purpose RED minibus to the flying spot. The Hawker ( or Awlstringer) was a very down to earth Indiana Jones type who really knew his stuff - which was good - and he made it very clear that we were there to entertain the birds, not the other way around. He was very entertaining though as were the Hawks who basically had us wrapped around their talons, apart from the times they got literally wrapped around gloves in their Jesses ( baiting).

The technique for getting them out of that was to stand still and hold your arm up and the birds would sort themselves out. One lady really couldn't get the hang of it at all and in the end, her bird just gave up and hung upside down like a bat. She had it confiscated and later the Hawker had one of them land on her head as punishment - oh we laughed!

History lesson:

IN the old days, hawking was a skill that knights cultivated and generally as the sword hand is the right hand, the birds were trained to fly to the left hand. Left handed knights didn't last long
as it was thought they were aligned to the Devil, so were.....got rid of. So the tradition continues and obviously they land on a glove for safety reasons as their talons can puncture a rabbits head.
However, our Hawker was a contrary guy and he had trained on of his hawks to fly to the right hand without a glove. It was pretty amazing - we all had a go. At the same though, there was still an awareness that this bird could, if it wanted, rip into my hand and cause some damage.

Which brings me to our title - 'An Uneasy Truce'

Behaviour is learned and becomes habit and it seems that our family have learned a behaviour called 'arguing about every little thing'. So this weekend was an uneasy truce in terms of us wanting Joe to have good time, so T and E had to let him 'get away' with things that they might usually winge about. Joe was really grateful for his prezzie and so had to toe a party line some of the time which was hard for him - you could see it on his face sometimes - grinning and bearing it. Even Keith and I had to take a deep breath sometimes and 'let things go' to encourage this all age harmony to thrive.

Yesterday Evening Joe and I cooked tea - Stuffed Aubergines - it was really fun and delicious too. I don't cook properly,way enough, so this was re learning some behaviours for me too.

However the truce was broken when the question was asked, in all innocence,
' Do we eat the skin'

Some thought it was good, others didn't even want to try, but really couldn't see the other person's point of view at all.

Happy Days!

MyPersonality.info Badge

2008-04-04T12:41:00.001Z

Death by Keyboard

2008-03-26T21:41:00.002Z

Perfidia - sounds like something you need a good strong dose of antibiotics to get rid of doesn't it? If only it were so easy.

It is in fact, a song, a popular Mexian one about love and betrayal, made famous by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in 1941. In 1960 it was re-released ( why,oh why?) by The Ventures and reached No 4 in the UK Hit Parade.

It's quite a catchy Big Band tune to be honest, hence it's poularity I guess, but my problem is that Elyse is learning to play it on the keyboard and it's killing me!

Left and right hand working in perfect harmony....is the aim. The reality is somewhat different and yes, it is hard, that's why 'we' have to practise, but why does 'our' practise always end up and sometimes start with tears.

Accusations against me are as follows:

You don't understand!
You don't understand!
You're not listening to me!
You just shout at me!
You don't understand!

I do understand.You might hear her where YOU live.

I do understand, really, but it's death by keyboard and it hurts!

Just a glimpse.

2008-03-24T23:39:00.003Z

This Easter has been amazing for me and I really thank God for that from the bottom of my heart. I caught a glimpse, one of my crystal moments I guess, of Jesus risen, the cross standing empty to the skies and I am amazed - has it really taken all this time to sink in - God forgive me!

I want to stay amazed for ever.

Joe wanted to watch the Passion of the Christ tonight, so, after a big think, we did. He has gone to bed without saying a word.

...to be continued...?

Why is Water Wet?

2008-03-20T17:35:00.002Z

Elyse was chatting away and mentioned that she had read this very question in a book.
'Oh,' I said, 'and why is water wet then?'

Her response as follows:
Well, IS it wet? I mean people come of of water wet, which means the people are wet, but IS the water wet? How do we know that?

I said,'Well, it's not dry is it, I mean....,'trailing off thinking, 'Yeah how DO we know?'

I searched the CSE Chemistry area of my brain ( before G you notice, just plain old CSE) and was about to launch into the molecular structure of water, but she was off onto the next loosely related thing,'Well anyway, why does the hair on the right side of my head dry off quicker that the hair on the other side?'

My response? 'Dunno!'

Wholly Weak!

2008-03-19T07:36:00.002Z

My testimony so far for Holy Week is ( quite clearly) a play on words, but completely true.
God in His awesome wisdom has revealed to me that I am weak without Him, it's as simple as that.

The thing for me with 'God Reveals' is that although I knew that already, suddenly and, in that paradoxical way that God does thing, over a period of time, I believe it
- I know it to be true.

I am really looking for Jesus this week - in the Passion on Sunday
the Chief Priest character challenges Jesus, when he talks about being sent by God but that God us also with him. 'How can your father have sent you, yet be with you too' and in the same way, why do I have to search for Jesus when I know he is already with me?

However, I found him yesterday in the most unlikely place.

I was paying a parking fine using the Havering Borough Council Automated Payment System over the phone. I had pressed all the right numbers and was just waiting for the voice to say, 'I'm sorry, this system is broken beyond repair and you will have to come in person to our scary office and pay in cash' .What it actually said was...........drumroll..............

Your debt has been paid in full.

...and in the little Prayer Room at DHQ, where I had gone in my shame to pay my parking fine, Jesus was there reassuring me that my debt was paid in full.

Look to The Little Things.

2008-03-06T20:40:00.004Z

What now feels like 100 years, but was infact only 2 years ago, I was at a conference and was able to indulge in some real long quality time with God and among some of the revelations that came to me that day was the title of this blog - not that I knew at the time I was going to blog about it though! I wrote it in the back of my bible along with another gem which was Challenge Mediocrity, a very noble phrase which was actually confirmed to me the very next day. I guess only other people can know if I do challenge mediocrity as it's not something I particularly set out to do.

However, I took Look To The Little Things to be a command about my ministry in working with and for children - little things ahh!

It turns out that what it really means is that the details are important. For me as a bigger picture person, that's a hard lesson. The minutes that make up the hours, with words that make up the email, letter or blog, the words that I actually SAY, although never as eloquently as I could write them - which, funnily enough, as a slight digression, is what we found out about Joe this week at parents evening. He can write like a dream, but needs to be more confident in delivery.

Anyway, this week I haven't felt too well, and as well as working to a deadline at work for an Event, doing the normal day to day work,re- learning how to set up the DHQ PA sytem ( and only for the cost of a packet of Munchies - Matt Leeder is SO cheap) there has been loads going on at Church and at home and school for the children too, making me feel as if I have been dragging an elephant around with me.

This morning really was the last straw, as my normal plans to get the children to school and me to work were thwarted yet again although, somehow, I managed to get to work earlier than I usually do, only to find a refuse truck blocking the entrance to the Car Park and really feeling like turning around and going home and it was only 9:20a.m

So I went into the office, after finally being able to park the car, ranting (politely) about feeling as if I was in some kind of reality TV show and the challenges were to 'See How Resourceful Liz Can Be'. My colleagues listened and were really supportive and then we had to get our heads round a meeting which was going to happen in about half an hours time, so life went on.

Later in the afternoon, I was in the shed - pulling together various resources for the Kid's Event and rummaging around for sports equipment and thought, 'I wonder where I am going to get some plastic indoor hockey sticks?' This was one of those little things that had been in the back of my mind for a couple of weeks if I'm honest, but somehow, I hadn't got further that the wondering stage.

As I was dragging my piled up trolley across the car park, back to the office, my boss, ( The DC to those who know, so you can picture the exchange) was just reversing his car out of a parking space, when he stopped, wound down his window and said,

' I don't know why I have just thought this, but could you use some plastic indoor hockey sticks, only our son has given us some in a net bag and everything'

Seriously, my jaw hit the floor.

I said 'I LOVE YOU and I LOVE GOD' and we both laughed really out loud!

Now I know that in the grand scheme of things, there are bigger and better miracles God could have chosen to perform at that time, and to be honest He was probably doing those at the same time, and it might well have been a coincidence but here He was, indulging my little 'I wonder' and giving me a much needed boost to my confidence and my pants week.

So I started that day with a rant and ended it praising God like mad and driving everyone in the offices nuts with having to listen to my testimony until I was sure they'd all heard it!

A little thing that made so much difference to me and a feeling that I want to hold on to for as long as I can.

There and Back Again?

2008-02-20T22:34:00.003Z

When I was a kid I always dreamed that I would end up in some far flung place - Australia was favourite - and return home having discovered some thing amazing or be really grown up or some other thing that would have massive impact on the the people who stayed behind.

I haven't been to Australia yet, Keith would love to go to Canada, some of our friends at Church have really exotic holidays and it's that which has prompted this blog, because to be honest, I just like being home and this revelation has left some people astonished ( Richard have you closed your mouth yet?)

We had a truely amazing holiday in America, but I felt odd - I used the phase, 'I feel so far away from home' during one very wobbly moment and my friend said,'Well that's because you are!'

It's not that I really love England - it's a bit rubbish sometimes and the old Australia urge reared it's head last week when there was an announcement in a paper that the entrance criteria for Poms was going to be less stringent - but I would hate it I think.

We once had to consider moving to Feltham, because of Keith's job, when Joe was little and went looking for houses and driving down one street and made a startling observation, 'No one in this street knows me!'

It's not that I particularly like living in Romford either - that's a bit rubbish too sometimes. Most evenings we can't park our cars anywhere near our house and we pay for the privilege of that.

I don't know what it is, but it's really annoying in many ways and now some of my friends think I'm a bit of a freak - ahem what's new there maybe??

Still can't load pics and that's very cross making - yuk!

I'm back!

2008-02-11T20:13:00.001Z

Well it's been a while and yes, while I have been busy, the pc has also been broken, which has been a blessing and a frustration. There were times when I felt quite claustrophobic, not being able to open my window on the world here at home ( you can't open the window quite as wide at work due to content blocker and please believe me, the sites I view are ...conservative to say the least, but somehow considered a threat to my 'save' or the SA generally. However, either way, doing the ironing just wasn't enough, but man did the ironing get done.

So a quick update - YP Annual at Romford, YP Annual at Letchworth. The week inbetween saw me spend some time with Benedict the SA Children's Advocate. He made a very neat impression on the officers in the division, I think. He's a great guy,a great Children's Advocate and very ( a word I am using loads at the mo) affirming.

Last week was fairly normal - had some great chats with people at work - there are some GOOD people at work which is great and on Wednesday went out for a meal with some people that I used to work with when I first left school, when I was just 19, so a fair while ago.

Funny thing is, I have worked with lots of different people since then, but these guys are really special. I guess we have stayed in touch because we have shared many life experiences, not least Keith and I meeting, and in those days, working for Lloyds Bank was loads of fun! Our Branch Manager was the least threatening Bank Manager you could ever hope to meet. I had been at the branch about a week before I saw him wandering about and I asked someone who that old man was! Our lives became really intertwined and we have shared really great times and really heartbreaking ones too in the intervening years. We had a great evening together and everyone wanted to know how the old Sally Army was, so I told them, as you do!

However,prior to actually getting into the restaurant, I had to negotiate the car park entrance and after a senario worthy of an old TV show called Butterflies, managed to drive through the entrance into a low brick wall, smashing up the passenger door - again.

Telling the people I was meeting up with what had happened was quite funny and they all laughed and said - Well you haven't changed a bit have you? Not that I was known for crashing cars although I did have rather a nasty car accident while working there, but I was a rather dizzy employee and all the old tales of cash differences and triple standing orders were rattled out.

I had to let the insurance company know about the prang and for a while was fearing for my identity, the guy was asking for so much info. Name, address, DOB, phone number(s) driving licence number, employee number, car reg number, kind of car, where the accident happened, was I arriving or leaving the venue ( I told him I was arriving, because it was true, but added that it meant there was no danger of me being drunk, he didn't laugh). I couldn't remember the name of the road the restaurant was in, so he asked for the restaurant name at which point I had had enough and asked if he needed to know what I had eaten too.It wasn't fair on the poor man, but he did laugh at that point and apologised for asking so many questions.

Anyway, that's it for now, other than for some reason, I can't load pictures on to my blog - any ideas why?

Round Up? Wound Up!

2008-01-23T21:09:00.000Z

On the domestic front, we had a mad Saturday. Joe went to fooball kick about with some of the guys from church - bought half the park home with him too - lovely.

Meanwhile, Thomas was at a party in Chelmsford, so I took Elyse with me to drop him off and we then hit the shops to spend Christmas Gift vouchers but especially indulge in a brilliant little shop called Tickety Boo - all things girlie, pink and fluffy. We also had lunch together in Pizza Hut, which was really lovely, just me and my little girl, pizza and salad!

Keith was doing Dad type things - getting his hair cut, going to B and Q to 'get stuff' (snappy mouse traps actually, we celebrated too soon!), buying locusts for George the Lizard etc.

Joe then went to the pictures with a friend and then they both came back here to chill out while his parents were out with the songsters.

Dawn then came round for coffee and hugs - see her blog- and didn't go home til 1:10 am, promptly finding herself locked out by her housemate who assumed - wrongly- that she was already in bed!

...and that's just Saturday!

Sunday, I was leading worship at Harlow and 5 new kids with their mums came along , as well as 3 others who hadn't been to the SA for ages. WE had a good day, but I was gutted to not be at home, as Ann and Richard were sharing the new the new Romford SA Mission Statement with the congregation - we had spent a day together last weekend really getting to the bottom of why we do what we do and why it's so hard to do what we should be doing and aren't at the moment.

The meeting was a legend apparently, and people went forward to pray for the first time in ages - it was emotional, and very stirring.

Monday a.m. I was back in Harlow meeting up with Sarah - she was telling me about the relaunch of the kids work at Ware, Son Daze! She's so enthusiatic and spontaneous.
Monday p.m I started sneezing and by Monday evening had to go for the Lemsip Buzz to make it through House Group, which I really enjoyed in a challenging way, but had begun to feel a bit groggy.

Tuesday, I fully intended to go to work, but the lemsip didn't hit and so I worked at home secure in the knowledge that I could look like Rudolph and blow my nose as hard as I liked without interfering with anyone else's day.

Today, I went to the office to find that 2 of my collegues were ill, one having gone home, the other braving it out and me having things to do to catch up and meet a deadline - great, head down and......ring ring. It was school telling me that Thomas had had an incident with the gym floor during PE resulting in a split lip, and a great issue of blood and was probably in shock. I rang all the grandparents on land line and mobiles to get one of them to collect him no avail. What DO they get up to when I need them??

So I had to drive back and pick him up, bring him home and 'keep an eye on him'. He was in a state, but after a couple of frubes, back on the mend. However, in my haste to leave work, I must have hurried in shutting down the laptop, as when I opened up my files - I kid you not- they were all empty!

So I spent today phoning people up asking about possible support for an event and getting loads of info in the process.
Tomorrow I am planning to get in early, as we have a large meeting in the afternoon,and I really must make some progress and get some product out of all the process. (Ohh, aliteration!)

'Be still and know that I am God' - I'm trying, I really am!

Where does the Time Go?

2008-01-17T21:30:00.000Z

Nearly the end of another week and this is the first opportunity I've had to take stock - poor me! Where does the time go?

After spending all last week in the office, this week, my car has become an extension of myself as I have embarked on a three day road trip - going home eventually- inbetween each visit. I guess, looking back on the last three days, fitting in two visits each day wasn't the wisest thing to do, but it has been worthwhile and hopefully for the folks I have visited too.
However, driving leads to thinking and thinking leads to scarey places sometimes, and I have had a couple of questions lurking in my head and my heart too.

1) Why is night time radio SO pompous and/or boring or is it that I just haven't found the right station for me - suggestions please.....and
2)Does what I do for my employment have worth, make a difference, add value, light someone's blue touch paper, reach people....really?

In the grand scheme of things, where does my 'thing' appear on other folks radar, or am I just another 'box to tick'. person to keep happy, pat on the head, smile and wave at and go back to the REAL work when I'm gone.

I suppose after doing my job for 2 years and 7 months, it might have been good and quite strategic to have dealt with this question earlier on - again, where does the time go?

I am not writing this to get loads of affirmations and there are some people who I can see reading this saying - 'You think I was going to affirm you? Think again, you chose to do this remember!'

Anyway, that's what I've been thinking for some of the time this week, most of the rest of it, I've been thinking, 'AAAArrrrrgh!'

Ding Dong the Wicked Mouse is Dead !

2008-01-09T18:08:00.000Z

Once upon a time, an important adviser to a certain king was on his way to a meeting with the king and other advisers. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dead mouse by the roadside. He said to those who were with him. "Even from such small beginnings as this dead mouse, an energetic young fellow could build a fortune. If he worked hard and used his intelligence, he could start a business and support a wife and family."

A passerby heard the remark. He knew this was a famous adviser to the king, so he decided to follow his words. He picked up the dead mouse by the tail and went off with it. As luck would have it, before he had gone even a block, a shopkeeper stopped him. He said, "My cat has been pestering me all morning. I'll give you two copper coins for that mouse." So it was done.

With the two copper coins, he bought sweet cakes, and waited by the side of the road with them and some water. As he expected, some people who picked flowers for making garlands were returning from work. Since they were all hungry and thirsty, they agreed to buy sweet cakes and water for the price of a bunch of flowers from each of them. In the evening, the man sold the flowers in the city. With some of the money he bought more sweet cakes and returned the next day to sell to the flower pickers.

This went on for a while, until one day there was a terrible storm, with heavy rains and high winds. While walking by the king's pleasure garden, he saw that many branches had been blown off the trees and were lying all around. So he offered to the king's gardener that he would clear it all away for him, if he could keep the branches. The lazy gardener quickly agreed.

The man found some children playing in a park across the street. They were glad to collect all the branches and brush at the entrance to the pleasure garden, for the price of just one sweet cake for each child.

Along came the king's potter, who was always on the lookout for firewood for his glazing oven. When he saw the piles of wood the children had just collected, he paid the man a handsome price for it. He even threw into the bargain some of his pots.

With his profits from selling the flowers and the firewood, the man opened up a refreshment shop. One day all the local grass mowers, who were on their way into town, stopped in his shop. He gave them free sweet cakes and drinks. They were surprised at his generosity and asked, "What can we do for you?" He said there was nothing for them to do now, but he would let them know in the future.

A week later, he heard that a horse dealer was coming to the city with 500 horses to sell. So he got in touch with the grass mowers and told each of them to give him a bundle of grass. He told them not to sell any grass to the horse dealer until he had sold his. In this way he got a very good price.

Time passed until one day, in his refreshment shop, some customers told him that a new ship from a foreign country had just anchored in the port. He saw this to be the opportunity he had been waiting for. He thought and thought until he came up with a good business plan.

First, he went to a jeweler friend of his and paid a low price for a very valuable gold ring, with a beautiful red ruby in it. He knew that the foreign ship was from a country that had no rubies of its own, where gold too was expensive. So he gave the wonderful ring to the captain of the ship as an advance on his commission. To earn this commission, the captain agreed to send all his passengers to him as a broker. He would then lead them to the best shops in the city. In turn, the man got the merchants to pay him a commission for sending customers to them.

Acting as a middle man in this way, after several ships came into port, the man became very rich. Being pleased with his success, he also remembered that it had all started with the words of the king's wise adviser. So he decided to give him a gift of 100,000 gold coins. This was half his entire wealth. After making the proper arrangements, he met with the king's adviser and gave him the gift, along with his humble thanks.

The adviser was amazed, and he asked, "How did you earn so much wealth to afford such a generous gift?" The man told him it had all started with the adviser's own words not so long ago. They had led him to a dead mouse, a hungry cat, sweet cakes, bunches of flowers, storm damaged tree branches, children in the park, the king's potter, a refreshment shop, grass for 500 horses, a golden ruby ring, good business contacts, and finally a large fortune.
Hearing all this, the royal adviser thought to himself, "It would not be good to lose the talents of such an energetic man. I too have much wealth, as well as my beloved only daughter. As this man is single, he deserves to marry her. Then he can inherit my wealth in addition to his own, and my daughter will be well cared for."

This all came to pass, and after the wise adviser died, the one who had followed his advice became the richest man in the city. The king appointed him to the adviser's position. Throughout his remaining life, he generously gave his money for the happiness and well being of many people.

Taken from a Bhuddist website and the reason for sharing this with you is that my sences tell me that we now have a dead mouse that needs getting rid of, so if anyone wants to give me a couple of pence for it, please let me know.

Yeay - the mouse is dead....we just have to find it.

More of Less...or not?

2008-01-01T12:29:00.000Z

I have a list of titles to blogs not yet written, More of Less is one of them, and in the the very FAT frame of mind I'm in at the moment, I figured ( when I find it again) that a good resolve, at least for January will be to have more of less particularly relating to fat enriched food, um but not on the 1st Jan as we have guests today...... :)

Then I read Dawn's blog and was blown away by her resolves and a little doubt crept in.

More of less in a spiritual sence might not be a good thing and I really am going to resolve to look for more JOY in every situation. I'm not going to be a victim of no JOY, I am, God willing , going to be more JOYFUL, experiencing more JOY that transcends circumstances, and little gift I recieved is really going to help me. It's going to be a visual reminder. It's a little snowglobe, tiny, titchy even with a festive tree in it surrounded by swirling glitter and on it's base is emblazoned the word - JOY.

Christmas Joy, January Joy, February Joy, March Joy etc.

More Joy to the World?More Joy in the Salvation Army? Time to go to work - is there a Joy Monkey commission do you think?.

An Irony...but not for for those of a weak disposition!

2007-12-30T10:34:00.000Z

We have lived in our house for 17 years and apart from the furry mammals that we have chosen to share their lives with us, we have never had what you might call a rodent problem.

We live backed by allotments so the opportunity is certainly there. Our neighbours constantly seem to suffer, although there are plently of cats in the area - one of our neighbours has 5!

For 16 of the 17 years we had cats too - Smudgie going to cat heaven this time last year and, while he evidenced that there were mice about, bringing little dead gifts back now and then, we had never had any in the house until last week, when I saw one.

A trip to B and Q ensued and I purchased a humane trap and 2 death traps ( poison bait). The children begged me not to use the death traps so we persevered with the humane one, really looking forward to the time we would then have to take the trapped mouse 'up to a kilometre away to release it' to ensure it wouldn't come back and hopefully all its friends and family would leave too in a grand expedition to find it.

The humane trap appeared to have a mind of its own however, and tricked us on numerous occasions into thinking we had caught the mouse. At one point the mouse had been in, eaten the bait and gone again before the trap politely shut, leaving me with Tom and Jerry images of accomplices and orphan mice etc.

So we gave up on the trap and didn't check it for a couple of days. The instructions say you are supposed to check it ever 6 hours so that the mouse, if captured does not become traumatised inside the trap.

DRUMROLL............

On Friday evening, Joe came in to the living room to announce that the mouse had been caught, the trap was sprung and it felt heavy. I was astonished as I hadn't set the trap properly at all and certainly hadn't checked it since Weds Eve when Keith and I had decided to make 'other arrangements' mwahahahaha!

I was not going for a kilometre drive or walk so suggested the kids take it to the end of the garden to let it go.

Shock horror - the humane trap had become an inhumane trap and the mouse was ever so horribly dead. Joe gave a blow by blow description and we all felt sick, Elyse was broken hearted and Thomas was delighted to have found her Achilles Heel, whispering 'Dead Mouse' at every opportunity - kids are so cruel.

Still having Fun?

2007-12-28T11:35:00.000Z

I like the way Christmas has fallen this year because I seem to have ended up with a couple of chill out days on the process, days where some manner of consolidation can occur before the next onslaught and today is one of them.

Christmas Eve we went to see Enchanted and it really is a lovely movie....nice even, but just what you need on Christmas Eve. I cried a whole lot because it's such a happy movie, the heroine is so fundamentally happy ( she's a Princess you know) bringing cartoon standards into the 21st centuary with hilarious results....and SO MUCH LOVE. AAAhhhh!

Joe went out with the Youth Group Carol Singing dressed as one half of the Blues Brothers ( Mark was the other half) and they looked really brilliant. They were accompanied by an elf, a fairy, Rocky Balboa, some extras ( hmmm more like couldn't be bothered) wonder woman etc.

Christmas Day after we'd opened gifts from Father Christmas, we went to church, which was still standing after the Candle Light service on Sunday ( woah, what a potential blast that was!). It was a great service and always good to share Christmas Morning stories with other families - what did YOU get etc and especially as there were three congregations sharing the service that day. Keith even met a guy that he used to work with at the Post Office, Mr Tom Dingley ( what a great name) who, funnily enough married someone I used to go to school with who is the daughter of the manger ( now retired) of one of the Lloyds Bank Branches I used to work in. The whole family attend the URC - small world.

We went home for our lunch, after another present fest, and then all piled round to my brother's where my mum and dad were spending the day, for tea and other present fest. My nieces are gorgeous - Libbie was very excited and Ellie and Daisie were too although they couldn't quite communicate that, but they were. They are getting all smiley and very fat which is great

Boxing Day we visited Keith's sister and family, where Keiths mum and dad had gone for Christmas and enjoyed another present fest and Gillian's legendary Boxing Day Mashed Potato. My niece and nephew are lovely, really grown up now and very into debating stuff, so we discussed destiny ( by way of the String Theory - trouser legs of time etc) and bringing up kids and according to a 16 year old girl, how random that is, why would you want to put yourself through all that and how some people research buying a fridge for longer than they might consider the implications of having a child. TRUE, but then I introduced the concept of love and we went off down that rollercoaster ride. It was good stuff.

Yesterday was Consolidation Day 1 and Keith and I went for a romatic trip to B and Q and bought a new bin with a voucher and some light bulbs, but I dropped the box and they broke....but we laughed out loud. My dad popped round to sort out some stuff on his laptop and my nieghbour knocked to remind us that it is Bin Day today, because she had noticed that we didn't put any rubbish out last week, which is kind, but a bit worrying at the same time.

We also used my mum in laws amazing Vax machine to clean a rug that is going into Joe's room - it was incredible.

When the kids went to bed we watched the Bourne Ultimatum - great movie and very satisfying conclusion.

Which brings me to today - washing machine has been on, ironing pile growing nicely, Keith has gone in to work for a while and in a mo we're off for a walk.

Tiddly pom!