Holiday Club for this year is over...which makes me sad because I had a brilliant week and it always goes too quickly!
From the beginning of the week I knew it was going to be good- Mum fell off the stage in set-up day and bashed herself up, team members were ill, I was shattered...all of which meant I knew God was going to work: the enemy always doubles his efforts when a breakthrough is round the corner!
This year was space-themed as we took the kids on the Starship Discovery and told them about Peter who had many adventures with Jesus and how we can also have cool adventures with Jesus.
My week consisted of jumping around doing actions on stage, chatting to my small group about Jesus (11 kids out of our 3 groups became friends with Jesus), and doing lots of delagating to get jobs done.
A few people have been commenting on my ability to delagate...some joke that it means that I don't have to do any jobs myself, some would say I like to be in control, some say it is a special gift. I'd like to think of it as a gift :) I'm perfectly capable of doing most of the tasks that I delegate to others but if I did them all myself then it would take forever- or I could utilise the resources around me (usually a bunch of helpful teenage helpers) and get them to do one or two jobs each and get it all done quickly!
This year at holiday club I had some fantastic teenagers- helpful, willing to take the initiative, focussed, good at building relationships with the kids...and why wouldn't I want to utilise those skills?! Plus it did mean that I was able to get some one-to-one time with the kids and be able to do actions without having to worry about things.
I also had two wonderful leaders who were running the other 2 groups in my larger group which helped alot- we were very proud of our group The Planets and wrote chants for the kids to shout at the other groups- healthy competition!
So basically it was a brilliant week- full of great upfront sessions, dramas, quizzes, fantastic music, funny actions, amazing God-filled small group time...ending with a big family bbq where I got to meet the parents of my kids, some of whom told me how much their kids had enjoyed it which makes it all worthwhile.
I love Holiday Club- it is my favourite week of my entire year because I get to do everything I love, with a huge bunch of kids who I love, supported by a great team who I also love.
I do enjoy the social work thing, but eventually I'd love to do kids work full-time...that would make me the happiest girl in the world :)
Much love xxx
Saturday, 28 August 2010
Monday, 16 August 2010
We're all different...
Recently I've been starting to think about PJ and Hannah going away to university...Hannah going away I can sort of deal with because a) she doesn't live with us and b) she's just been away for most of the last year so it's not such a big change (although I've kinda gotten used to having her around again).
But PJ...that's going to be a tough one. I never really left home so he's always been around and soon he won't be.
I'm also incredibly aware of my own emotions about moving away or more specifically my feelings surrounding halls.
I'm trying to balance knowing that they could have a much better experience than me or that they could possibly experience some of the same homesickness that I did. Either way I'm trying not to pre-empt what they might feel.
I also don't want them to feel like they have to feel a certain way about things or to be influenced by my experience.
I'm aware that PJ deals with things differently and even if he does get homesick he probably won't cry about it like I did.
However I know Hannah is more like me and does feel similar emotional rollercoasters so I want to make sure she's ok.
I want to visit but I know my time is going to be mentally busy, I want to visit enough that they know I'm around, but not so much that I either prompt them to feel more homesick or that I overcrowd them.
Conclusion: I need to stop overthinking things!
Being this sensitive about people's emotions makes me a good social worker but makes my mind a very complicated place sometimes.
I'm trying to trust that God is in control.
Hannah has been away from home for the last year pretty much, she has grown so much and I know she can do this. She will be in halls with other nursing students and in a 2 bed flat which is cosier I think. Yes she may have a cry or two but I know she won't be afraid to ask for help.
PJ is different to me. He is independant and makes friends easily and will do great things at university. He might get homesick but he deals with those emotions by throwing himself into work so I'm sure I won't hear about it. Although I hope he would know he could just give me a text asking for a chocolate brownie delivery and I would be there...and that I would try and resist my need to sort it out.
Either way I'm going to miss them both, especially having PJ around the house, but God will be with them and He knows how to look after them way better than I do.
Much love xxx
But PJ...that's going to be a tough one. I never really left home so he's always been around and soon he won't be.
I'm also incredibly aware of my own emotions about moving away or more specifically my feelings surrounding halls.
I'm trying to balance knowing that they could have a much better experience than me or that they could possibly experience some of the same homesickness that I did. Either way I'm trying not to pre-empt what they might feel.
I also don't want them to feel like they have to feel a certain way about things or to be influenced by my experience.
I'm aware that PJ deals with things differently and even if he does get homesick he probably won't cry about it like I did.
However I know Hannah is more like me and does feel similar emotional rollercoasters so I want to make sure she's ok.
I want to visit but I know my time is going to be mentally busy, I want to visit enough that they know I'm around, but not so much that I either prompt them to feel more homesick or that I overcrowd them.
Conclusion: I need to stop overthinking things!
Being this sensitive about people's emotions makes me a good social worker but makes my mind a very complicated place sometimes.
I'm trying to trust that God is in control.
Hannah has been away from home for the last year pretty much, she has grown so much and I know she can do this. She will be in halls with other nursing students and in a 2 bed flat which is cosier I think. Yes she may have a cry or two but I know she won't be afraid to ask for help.
PJ is different to me. He is independant and makes friends easily and will do great things at university. He might get homesick but he deals with those emotions by throwing himself into work so I'm sure I won't hear about it. Although I hope he would know he could just give me a text asking for a chocolate brownie delivery and I would be there...and that I would try and resist my need to sort it out.
Either way I'm going to miss them both, especially having PJ around the house, but God will be with them and He knows how to look after them way better than I do.
Much love xxx
Thursday, 12 August 2010
Back from New Wine 2010
So I'm back from New Wine...have been for several days but I have unfortunately been very bad with my blog :(
New Wine was amazing- good friends, good weather...very good God.
He gave me so many truths and so many promises and I let him in to be my everything. My beloved. Despite being young, I want a husband and a family so badly. I was born to be a mum, if you know me at all then you probably know that. But I needed to let God be enough for me. I needed to be ok with it being just God and me. I think I needed to let this happen before God would even think about giving me a boyfriend.
And I let it happen...I let him in, I let myself feel loved...and more importantly, I felt like I deserved that love. I also decided not to go speed-dating this year.
God has a plan for me, a plan to prosper and not to harm me, a plan to give me a hope and a future.
I trust that. I trust Him.
It's not going to be easy...I often daydream about meeting the man for me...and I think that's still ok. I just need to make sure it doesn't become bigger than God.
New Wine was also a time of great fellowship- late night drinks, boys playing strip poker, pub quizzes. It was full of amazing worship, good talks, interesting seminars. It brought me new friends and reconnections with old ones. One seminar even got me excited about my dissertation!
Now I'm back in reality: a place of deadlines, dissertation work, friendship dramas (although that's been resolved now thankfully!), and stupid laptops that won't work.
I'm glad I delayed writing this blog because reality was starting to creep back in and I needed an excuse to remember all the things I learnt last week.
The most important being: when I'm stressed and trying to control things I need to take a breath and run to my heavenly daddy, put my arms up to him and let him lift me out of the situation.
Much love xxx
New Wine was amazing- good friends, good weather...very good God.
He gave me so many truths and so many promises and I let him in to be my everything. My beloved. Despite being young, I want a husband and a family so badly. I was born to be a mum, if you know me at all then you probably know that. But I needed to let God be enough for me. I needed to be ok with it being just God and me. I think I needed to let this happen before God would even think about giving me a boyfriend.
And I let it happen...I let him in, I let myself feel loved...and more importantly, I felt like I deserved that love. I also decided not to go speed-dating this year.
God has a plan for me, a plan to prosper and not to harm me, a plan to give me a hope and a future.
I trust that. I trust Him.
It's not going to be easy...I often daydream about meeting the man for me...and I think that's still ok. I just need to make sure it doesn't become bigger than God.
New Wine was also a time of great fellowship- late night drinks, boys playing strip poker, pub quizzes. It was full of amazing worship, good talks, interesting seminars. It brought me new friends and reconnections with old ones. One seminar even got me excited about my dissertation!
Now I'm back in reality: a place of deadlines, dissertation work, friendship dramas (although that's been resolved now thankfully!), and stupid laptops that won't work.
I'm glad I delayed writing this blog because reality was starting to creep back in and I needed an excuse to remember all the things I learnt last week.
The most important being: when I'm stressed and trying to control things I need to take a breath and run to my heavenly daddy, put my arms up to him and let him lift me out of the situation.
Much love xxx
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