funky doo

International Arrivals

I post this cos it's awesome...! Wish I had flown to Heathrow that day! Enjoy...

using Prezi...

I'm just at home, preparing a session for a small youth group tonight down on the Dengie Peninsula that I visit regularly.

I'm teaching and reflecting on some stuff with them about calling, vocation, work and how God wants us to develop and use our skills and called us to work productively. Tough stuff for some teenagers.

The Scripture Union material in the Substance series on 'Calling' has come in really useful and some of the feedback we get from tonight will be fed into upcoming discussion at Diocesan Synod about increasing vocations.

In doing the preparation, I'm also using a form of Lectio Divina to still the group a little and get them to engage with God's word. Prezi is a great presentation tool, mix of powerpoint and keynote but much more fluid in form and creative. 

 

lectio divina on Prezi

I'd encourage you to sign up and have a play with Prezi - it might just change the way you teach, preach, lead and think!

Your Illustrious Diocesan Youth Team!

Have just had the day with Andy P and Rachel, my colleagues on the Youth Team for the Diocese. We were running a training day as part of the CME programme for Year 3 Curates across the Diocese on Engaging Creatively with Young People.

It was a great day and lots of fun, with a small but perfectly formed group!

So in honour of my lovely colleagues I thought I'd just post a pic taken of the three of us on our recent 'jolly' up to Blackpool for the National DYO Conference. Just so you know, we came 2nd in the Sandcastle Competition with our interpretation of the Trinitarian Cow of Wonder...you kinda had to be there...

 The 'three-uddered' cow...we were very proud!

 From left: Andy Poultney (Barking Area), Me, Rachel Brett (Colchester Area)

Have a great weekend with promised sunshine!
 
 

3-0-0

 

 Yesterday's post was number 300 on this wee blog. I began this blog when I started as Youth Adviser in April 2006 as a way to think out loud about what I was learning and to have a place to connect with people from all over. This was all before joining Facebook (shock!) and blogging is now a weirdly important part of my life - sometimes a burden and sometimes a joy but often a creative and useful outlet. 

So now I blog in 2 places (www.funkydoofamily.blogspot.com) just to try and keep some order to the stuff I post!

Just for fun, I put 300 into Wikipedia and came up with a few random things:

• The year 300 was a leap year starting on a Monday.
• A film called 300, about the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 BC. The film follows the 300 Spartan warriors who formed part of King Leonidas army and were all killed in an unexpected move of the Persian army towards Hellas.                                                                                                  

Not sure it sounds quite like my sort of film, but I might just watch it on this occasion.

Actually, that was about all there was on 300 that I found interesting...anyone got any other suggestions?

So another note, what would I like 300 of, other than blog posts? 

£Pounds certainly, or maybe 300lbs less...hmmm. 

300 meals prepared and in my freezer would make a huge difference to my life....as would 300 cups of tea made and served to me. 

300 nights of free babysitting or 300 new tracks to download from Itunes would all be nice....300 more memories with my family and the gratefulness and presence of mind to remember each of them...

But generally, I think I've exhausted the 300 thing for this post so I'll move on and publish post 301 and see how long it takes me to do another 300?? On current form, probably about 2.5 years I reckon...Thanks for stopping by - normal, slightly less random service resumes tomorrow - probably!

why do you do what you do?? and a question for you...

I'm busy preparing for a CME (Continuing Ministerial Education) day tomorrow with Year 3 Curates in our Diocese. I'm doing some stuff on relationships between clergy and young people and why that is important in their faith development. Also inputting on various other things around youth culture and the church's attitude to young people and how we tackle confirmation etc. etc.

Anyway, all this preparation and thinking and wondering and writing always gets me excited - I love doing this sort of thing and as I logged onto the computer again this morning, St Aidan to Abbey Manor blog post struck me as speaking into these exact feelings.

DMK lists some of the things which motivate him to do what he does, in response to a post on Nick Page's blog. He lists competitiveness, making a difference, fun and frustration as some of the reasons why he does what he does...it made me wonder what makes me get excited and passionate about some things and not others. I've come up with this list so far:

1. Perfectionism - this has it's down sides but generally I feel as though I want things done right and properly - especially in relation to young people. I don't like them being sold short and not being given the fullness of opportunity. It makes me want to make things work well in the church and in it's outreach.

2. People - are what get me excited. I am an extrovert and thrive on being around others, talking, interacting and relating. As I get older, I do find I need more alone time, but then I find interaction in the form of Facebook and blogs helps me to be on my own but not removed from people completely.

3. Gratefulness - not sure whether this is a real word or not, but it underpins all of what I am. I am grateful that God found me out and brought me home when he did - I could have been on a very different path. I am grateful for the opportunity to do what I do and to be excited about going to work each day (most days!) I am grateful for the blessings of my family, friends, path of life that God has given me and I never want to get complacent about that. I think that transfers into my passion for youth work - I want the church to e grateful for young people in their midst and to never get complacent about what they can offer or how much they need us to love them. 

That's my first 3 - sure I'll think of some more...what makes and motivates you to do what you do?? Leave your comments or link to you blog!

Blessing of Stewardship

I've been de-cluttering my blog feeds and adding some new blogs which I've been wanting to follow but haven't had space to. The time taken to do that soon paid off with this post which is about more than just stewardship, but also the connection between our stuff and our heart and purpose.

http://www.incourage.me/2010/04/the-blessing-of-stewardship.html

Hope it helps

LCGC and Street Pastors in one episode!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00ry9v4/The_One_Show_05_04_2010/ click here for brilliant performances from LCGC throughout as well as a profile on Street Pastors in Derby (my husband is one in Chelmsford) from about 37 minutes.

Great profiling of Christians doing their stuff out there in the world...

 

stream of conciousness

It's a Thursday night and feels very much the end of my week, having worked on Sunday last week and had a busy week leading up to a busy weekend.

Part of last weekend included our first experience of marriage preparation. We were involved in the session at All Saints for four couples getting married in August and November. As we never made it to our Marriage prep, instead having a row on the M1, it was a little nerve wracking and I felt fraudelent...none the less, 8 years of marriage must count for some experience!! We did some stuff on Love Languages and led a discussion coming out of that and it was all nicely relaxed and informal and people seemed to get something out of it.

Next week we are also starting a new small group - just 3 couples and looking to work together through the LifeShapes material and apply that to our lives and faith. Should be good, I haven't led or been part of a study group like that for ages.

Alongside all that, there's a few things pinging round my brain, some personal and some very work related so I'm just regurgitating some thoughts here so I can sleep well tonight!

I've been intrigued by the response in this Diocese to the 'Principles of Deployment' discussion that has been happening in Deaneries and higher up. And I'm pleased about the desire and perceived need for more youth and community workers, which gives some focus and longevity to my work.

It's been a time of disappointing numbers - a couple of Deanery Forum events recently have not been well attended and the numbers for Equipping this year are slow for some venues...it's makes you wonder whether the date or the format is wrong, or whether something else has changed...??

Lots of my life and work and planning seems to be focused on July at the moment - Bradwell Pilgrimage YOuth Zone planning for 3rd July, SOLID Festival Leaders Lounge for 10-11 July, Falcon Afloat camp from 24th July...a busy month. All very exciting though and it's good to be getting out there and getting stuck in, rather than being stuck in meetings.

And just to add some flavour to the blog and a picture of something much more interesting than anything mentioned above, here's a recent picture of my beautiful 3 year old Bean!

8 Things

Mapgie Girl does this great weekly list over on her blog - click the image above.

This week, it's 8Things on your bedside table:

1. Lamp - originally from Wilkinson's with a mushroom shade and brown leather base

2. Bible and books - including Simple Scrapping book, A Royal Murder and The Little Blue Tractor which is to be wrapped up!

3. Vaseline Aloe Vera lip salve - my desert island luxury item

4. Vouchers and receipts from Christmas - must sort and get rid...

5. Hair bobble, nail file and kirby grip - 2 are mine...

6. Mobile phone and charger - mainly to use as alarm clock - generally doesn't work (well it goes off but it doesn't really wake me!)

7. Pen and paper - for making lists and writing notes...

8. 1/3 of a cup of tea from this morning...not on a coaster.

Join me on 8 Things Thursday - click on the link above, get the widget and join the Linky!

Sermon - St Leo the Great

"Nobody is an outsider to this happiness. The same cause for joy is common to all, for as our Lord found nobody free from guilt when He came to bring an end to death and to sin, so He came with redemption for all. Let the saint rejoice for he hastens to his crown; let the sinner be filled with joy for pardon is offered to him; let the Gentile be emboldened for he is called to life"

(Thanks to Paul for this quote, in last year's Christmas card!)