Travels in Bletchley

Follow my day to day workings of a typical childrens and youth worker in Bletchley

Thursday, April 19, 2007

wow, what a month already!!
You know I totally take God for granted sometimes and then a month like this happens and you go wow!!How great is our God!!
Im sorry but there is no other God like this, a God who can sustain you through major illness whilst doing holiday clubs, a God who gives you the words to speak when you are so tired all you want to do is curl up, a God who cares and provides for you and gives you hope when you think - how on earth am I going to get out of this one!
Let me start at the beginning....

The 20th March saw my new niece come into the world, this is her at 3 weeks, isnt she gorgeous! Here is my bro and his family, cant get over saying that sentence, he's so grown up!!
Seeing a new life puts everything into perspective!




We had our holiday club, it was my first one that I had run by myself and always wonder if I was trusted a bit more at NM would this kinda stuff be easier but through our weaknesses and uncertainties God shines out, and he totally did during this week. I was exhusted with throat, ear and goodness knows what other infections, and had to make 8am meetings and organising this holiday club. Together we put a holiday club together from scratch, I think its actually easier doing it this way but its exhusting!!
Anyway Monday was a killer, but we got through it. I was drugged up and had stashes of tissues all over the place incase I needed them, and I can honestly say I have never had more fun - yes it was stressful but the team were awesome. They really pulled together and we had 90kids in each day and had 30 leaders ranging from 12-60+ it was fab!! Our theme was pirates - check it out...


Easter was great in a way but I was in the emergency doctors for easter sun!haha, oh well. My body was saying, enough is enough, still getting over it but Im more or less back to health.

Yesterday was a full on day but one I thoroughly enjoyed! And again was quite shattered after and still had the older group to go. I had done some prep but just wanted to flop, wasnt ready for a flat full of young people - we were going through the last chapters of ecclesiastes, and wondered where will this takes us!
The study didnt need much leading from me, they began to answer each others questions and interpreations, and they got some fantastic practical applications. We looked at guidence and what discernment is all about etc. It wasnt until prayer time that some thing dawned on me. I have leeaders, visionaries, super gifted worship leaders in my flat and I began crying!! Ah, me crying!! They were praying such wonderful prayers to God and these are truely women of God and my prayer is that they hold tightly on to him as we have had a few drifters recently.
Here are some of them - they make me laugh so much, they are fab!!

And lastly today...got a whoohaa from my car, got to have it fixed, like totally repaired, clutch, brakes, lights, wheels, MOT and tax Ahhhhhhhhgh! I said to myself coming into the office, Im off to rome next week and I have no money to pay for this,or to pay for anything at the mo! its gonna be messy!!Found an envelope on my desk with £300 cash in it?!Saying from St Marys church family - treat yourself! WOW, so im off to convert some of it into euros!And the rest can be put towards my car. And that has been my month!!

Today im off, so was gonna brave the public transport and head into MK maybe see a film then I have coffee with a friend, and time to start packing for Rome!!
Remember when things get you down keep on going because He is our sustainer, provider, carer, our strength and guide :)

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Keeping on top of things - verse for the month is Eph 3:20-21 Sometimes we put God in our own whats possible and not possible box, I have seen so many disruptive and difficult children achieve great things during our kids club on saturdays. They are still very noisy, but they all leave the church beaming - How awesome is our God, keep asking for the impossible...

Have nearly finished writing for the new SU notes, once you get into them its quite easy, dont know if they will properly use them yet!? but it was a great experience meeting the SU team and being asked to write for them - so you never know you might be handing out young people's notes with my name in it! Eeeek, thats kinda scary! I appologise now...

We are currently doing a study on Ecclesiastes, which continues to make me laugh and find my self going - thats so true! Read that Ecclesiastes is like a biblical Eeore (winnie the poo kind...) or maybe im just as cynical....hmmmm

My brothers baby is due in 3-5 days! Eeeeek, its so scary thinking that there is going to be a mini rob running around the place - he is doing really well though, got a new job and is really stepping up to fatherhood so dispite the circumstances we are proud of him.

Well I feel I have done the 24, the prison break, there is only one left to post at the mo - im sorry Alan - but prison break is moving at a better speed than lost but we are still loving it so here a wonderful picture of the gang to complete my set :)

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Why is it that all things seem to come at once!?

This week has been really good, am starting to feel the strain of holiday club though - this week saw me photocopying 1800 forms and flyers, putting them into groups of 30 (although the guy in the office helped with that part - thank you colin!) and then went round to the 9 primary schools which is fun, but takes up a whole morning!

Just to inform you about STOP THE TRAFFIK: Please look into it and sign up, get your young people involved, its such a good issue and one that as christians we cant ignore. check it out
www.stopthetraffik.org



Tommorw I have meetings and coffee with the older generation which I am looking forward too!! hehe

Tue im at camden market, which i am really looking forward too! lol

And before my battery runs out have a great week!!

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Wednesday, February 21, 2007



what a good show - although season 4 and 5 are my fav :) -

'Just keep swimming' i think is my words of wisdom today!

wow a lot has gone through my head this month, one being that although being single is fantastic its very dangerous cos all i do is watch tv when im in :s which is making me lazy....hmmm!!!!!

Went to the soul survivor in watford, am always quite reluctant in going and I think i figured out why - I dont want to look weak, and sometimes during these things when they ask you to go up to the front I think that people will go -Oooh she has problems! hehe. Anyway....The guy speaking was fantastic, the music was fantastic, it was purely about God and his voice and im so glad we all went. We all had to sort stuff out, for me it was realising that just because things are ticking away nicely doesnt mean that I'm all sorted with God. The dude was talking about Jacob and his wrestling with God. he was saying that its ok to be a loser (like jacob in the end)because God is the winner, and as we are with God..... he also mentioned that God struck jacob's hip and the idea of jacob then having to rely on a crutch (so to speak) and how as people we can get quite controlling of our lives and that God needs to be our crutch. How I apply this is easier said than done...im still working on that, but something was started on sunday, so that was cool :)

I am currently on a break this week! yay, back at home with mum and dad which has been very nice. Brought my laptop up with me so I can work on some stuff. went for a walk kinda along the beach, and a swim at the local pool - have not done that for ages!! like 6,7 yrs or so!!hehe, my arms were aching sooo much!

Slightly nervous about what I am going to go back to on fri....we have started out holiday club planning, and am organising two weekends away, so my week will include the normal stuff plus writing dramas, reg forms, etc! eeek, but we love it!! lol




taken at christmas time - dad and chloe, not a great quality photo, but its really cute!!

Friday, February 02, 2007




what a great programe - sure its slighlty unrealistic, but it does keep you on your toes!

So whats been going on, lots of politics, more than I thought I would get here, am developing a thick skin and quickly! but its been going well - My review went well, had some great reports - it was a little embarassing!! some people continued to be negative and petty which is draining, but things are ok.

36 hours till ground zero - our church coming together, for a 'celebration' I am really looking forward to it think it will be great time for everyone! we can grow stronger this way i think, so we will see who turns up!

We have a social tonight, dvd and pizza night, which is quite good as its been busy lately.
Have started the after school club - 17 of them! Eeek, we are doing creation which has proved to be a good start!
Went to a writers meeting for SU yesterday as well, and they are starting up new bible reading notes for the 'OneUp' age, called SUBmerge and I will be writing in it! How cool is that!! look out here I come! hehe

We are going bowling this weekend as well with the young people which again is great - its good to have these times away from the church buildings and just mess around!

Leave a message so I know there are some people out there who care -if anything answer this question - who would win out of a fight between spiderman and inspector gadget??? it has been an ongoing debate....hehe

Sunday, January 21, 2007

WOW, 2 months have passed since my last confession...I mean blog, I dont know if people still read this but hey it's good for the soul, so will keep on with unloading everything.
Rather than go through all of dec, will just blog what i have been upto recently, which can be summed up in one word -MEETINGS! Ahhh dont we love 'em! I have nothing against them, but sometimes feel I would much rather be going out doing the things that are being talked about when sometimes conversations can go round in circles and you come to the end of the meeting and think 'did we actually have a conclusion to that issue??' Yuck, nah much rather plan, and get out there and DO SOMETHING!

This week has been the week for short tempered folk to blow off steam at me, which I know sort of comes with the job, I can understand it if I were working in burger king, or the filling station (terrible food, dont go there) but when you are trying your best for the good of the children and young people - IN A CHURCH!, people have ago at you for something - and it always conflicts, so you cant get anything right no matter which way you do it! Why does this always happen in a church context - I am puzzled and slightly unhappy.
I got a telling off by a church parent because we opened the doors to dream factory 5mins late - Oh Im so sorry, I thought maybe homelessness, war or child prostitution was a worse cosmic catastrophie but clearly I was wrong - Its opening doors to a comfy club 5mins late - terribly sorry. LADY! GET SOME PERSPECTIVE!!

Positive things though have been that a parent came up and thanked me for the work I have been doing with his sons age group, which I thought was lovely, as that doesnt happen often.
Had a great coffee and shopping trip with a young person yesterday after dream factory, Mmmm hot chocolate and shopping, what more can you do to unwind from the day. It was really great as I dont get to see her often so I was really encouraged with that.
This week sees the first week of our after school club at Cold Harbour Primary School. We are calling it Extream! and will start off as a taster session, to see how many people turn up, and what they think of it. So will have to think up some crafts, games and lessons for creation, as I think thats a good a place to start as any!

So thats about it apart from the biggest thing i need to deal with this week... MY REVIEW, dun, dun, daaaaa. I have been assured that I am keeping my job, although I have had a run in with two of the people who will be speaking about me, but hey, stuff happens. Quite nervous as they will be speaking about me to my boss with me in the room, guess its kinda like parents evening, but with my job on the line -Eeeek.

Some thing to look forward to iS the childrens ministry conference that is happening this weekend - should be fab - Eastbourne in the winter, great stuff!!hehe, love these things, get loads of freebies! lol

So thats the low down on my adventures this month so far in bletchley.

Will try and update more regularly!!

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Its funny how the weeks go so quickly... the wedding went fine - was so glad i went. Had a little ARRRRGH on the way back as it was dark and didnt think I would need to see my directions!! Ooops, got back ok though!

What have I been up to... Got into a better daily pattern. If I am working in the evenings, I kinda have a lazy morning, its good that i dont have internet at home as I would be on it 24/7 and not sure thats helpful.

I guess the most interesting thing I have done is go to the youth work conference - it was fab - Caught some of rob bells stuff, got a couple of noomas :)

The main sessions this year we thought were top notch, great stuff, although the seminars were ok, i think last years had more choice and they seemed to be better, but still a great weekend, all the volunteers sorted somethings out, and we are going to have a reflection night about tonight, so will see how many turn up! People give so much of thier time so can understand if they cant make it.

This week it has been the normal rat race, but with a terrifing difference! My weekend is CRAZY - more than normal! I think I am still in a state of shock that panic hasnt quite set in!! I begin my saturday with Dream Factory which is a small feat in its self every week! I then go straight in to band practice - Eeeek, and Im playing drums! We are having a huge youth event, kinda like catalyst and its at our church this time - never been done before, so we are having a cafe style. Will be good, but have to sort out quiz things, aaargh its stresses me out thinking about it. but not only do I have to play, I am also doing the main talk :s

This weekend also includes taking sunday school lessons in one church, and helping with rehearsals in the other church, as well as fitting in more band practices - Were does the time go for prep!? Good question! Please pray, this is gonna be a tough one!

On the upside films have been my refuge (as well as major prayer and God of course!)
Went to see 007 when it came out - great stuff!!It seemed to loose something though, not sure what it was, but i thought daniel craig was very good, maybe a bit wooden in some places, but am looking forward to the next one.


A surprise recomendation for the week - and those who know me will laugh, but i am being serious!! Its really good!!
A film called 'Step Up' thought it would be a silly, sappy kinda film, but they mix the instrumental/classical stuff with the rap and r&b sooooo well, acting could be better but the dancing and the feel of the film was great! A great opening scene as well, thumbs up!


Well I should grab some food -

Hahaha, im not that bad yet!

1 peter 2:9 - LOVE IT!