Smiling

Hello hello, this is pretty much how I feel right now. If I was in a country that wasn't England and around the tropics it would be possible that the sun is shining on me... it isn't. Minutes ago the torrential rain started!

Any way, I'm sitting at someone elses desk making notes on how Ican improve life for young people. My job isn't as easy as it sounds.

Wales, sadly enough, seems a whole world away now. I'm having a great time,but I'm slowly coming to the realisation that it is my responsiblity to get 'stuff' done. Already I have had applications for funding turned down and other thingsbad have happened... like the code for the padlock being changed somewhere between monday and wednesday, meaning it was close to impossible for me to get in for Breakfast club...

It was 6am, and brain not in gear meant lots of shouting and eventually realising there are at least 2 other ways into church. God bless the church warden who was in at 7 tosort it! Hurrah, breakfast for the Halyard kids.

Check out Liz's blog for details of the weekend... I'm all blurry, cos it was a bit busy for me.

Met the Archbishop of Canterbury and my Anglican background helped a lot. But it's also really good to have spent the best part of the year in a different church system altogether. To be honest he was really non-confrontational, but the speech he delivered could have been really ground breaking! He could have delivered it in the deepest depths of Birmingham toa multi-faith society and hit home with every single person in the room (not a bad thing, but is it really a good thing?).

And on the subject of a new Prime minister he said 'the right person for the job'. No wonder church attendance has fallen, whilst trying to be all things to all men, we seem to have lost the offence of the gospel.

When will the Archbishop be a women? How do we deal with a community that is following the wrong god? Should we be striving for peace and equality based on false assumptions about other faiths? These sorts of questions I would have loved to hear a response that wasn't so wishy-washy...

Drying up

It might be too early to post something that sounds quite pessimistic, but I happen to be in the process of drying out my office... it leaks a bit. I'm not complaining, just pointing out a fact. As the dust collects around me and Lex sings at me I'm warm and inevitably tired.

I met some new students and some old friends yesterday. The Christian Union kicked off with a BBQ... it was really good to be invited, luckily I really didn't have to do anything, just chill out and look like I knew what I was talking about. Ha!

The practical side of things is going ok... if you are reading this and you ever want to help out with a youth group please ring me... it would be great if you are a boy too! Seriously, I need someone who is cool and isn't a parent.

The admin stuff is going ok too... I'm kinda settling into writind letters and fund applications. I'd better get on with some work.

24

Yes, I finally started the second series on 24 on Friday night. So I watched the first 12 hours while I had a proper day off.

No complaining... day off is supposed to be when you do no work, I did no work at all on Saturday. I even went to a youth event and still did no work.

It set me up for some very harsh realities at Church throughout Sunday. God is good throughout all the tough stuff we face, so I'm learning to pray more. Recognising attack is the first step, and boy did I feel attacked. Sorry to those I ranted at, but you helped me see a lot of stuff.

So here I am, Monday afternoon, trying to trace a CRB form. Which has scarily been lost in the post. I think I may face and have to deal with identity fraud some where along the line. We are praying for miracles daily.

Youth work

I happen to be filling in various grant forms and dealing with money at the moment.

Youth work seems to be getting off to a slow start, especially since the breakfast club has just been cancelled due to them digging up the gas in leagrave high street... bummer. I still have to be here at 8 am on wednesday morning.

Things are starting to fall into place, with the youth group running itself for the moment! Lots of fun.

Having some thoughts about actually being a Lutonian again. Only in Luton can you find yourself at a bar and get told to cheer up by some one on your side of the bar and then the barman makes a comment about how you've pulled! Or to be walking from your car to dinner and get asked about whether you have a bloke! I find it disturbing that being confident and smiling gets that sort of response.

Currently reading a book aimed at girls that mirrors a book for boys. It's very interesting. I can say that I've learnt some stuff and disagreed with other things. But most of all I am starting to realise that I should not be worried about what I am doing so much. I've spent a lot of time focussing on me and am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I am beautiful.

It may sound really big headed, but I don't think that it is. I met some really beautiful people throughout my life and they give me the passion to keep going and striving towards God.

I'm not about to start using really bad cliches because I think we hear it too much, but you are beautiful! God loves you because he loves you because he loves you! Male and female, made in his image, how can that not be beautiful?

Try and say something encouraging to every one you meet today!

Miracles DO happen

Two foot healings in one year! Thats a pretty amazing God.

Believe and pray, I think that may become something of a motto for this year. I got really excited yesterday because of God and his amazing works. I'd forgotten how good God can really really be, a great start to the week when you realise that more than one person believes in you and what you can do.

Bring on the next few months... I'm buzzing, possibly from the caffine. Who knows!