why do we do what we do? January 29, 2006

It’s a good question to ask once in a while. So why am I a youthworker?
I could tell you the story of how I came to turn down a physics job to be a volunteer youthworker, but that tells you more how I became a youthworker, not why I am one.
The easy answer is that God called me, but there are deeper reasons than that.

• I love being with young people, chatting with them, talking through problems with them, helping them make decisions.
• My heart is torn when I see young people suffering, struggling and I long to heal their pain. I can’t do that of course, I can just support them, but I can also point them towards God.
• Youth leaders and other adults in my past have believed in me, given me opportunities and now I want to do the same. I want to see young people fulfill their potential.
• I also love seeing God working in young people’s lives and seeing young people change.

Youthwork can be really tough at times, and I do find myself asking why I bother. But for all the hard times when we’re shouting at them, there will be those moments of hope. A conversation, a thankyou, a realisation, a decision for God. It’s these moments that I long for, that I work for, and that I hold onto when times are tough. That’s why I do what I do.

soup fest January 26, 2006

There are three reasons why I’m into cooking soups at the moment.
1) it’s cold outside and they’re warm and comforting
2) they’re generally healthy with lots of veg in them
3) i just really enjoy cooking, and as I’m not allowed cake anymore, I’ve started making soups!

I thought I’d pick one recipe week, and we’d have soup two or three days. On tuesday I made sweetcorn soup. It wasn’t bad, but probably won’t be repeated. But I’m craving more soup, having been to the doctors and told my cough is a virus and I could have it for another fortnight! As we have a large number of potatoes left over from the weekend away, I’ve just grabbed a potato soup recipe off the bbc food website. So it’s potato soup for lunch. Yum.

Back to work! January 25, 2006

After a week’s hol, it’s back to work, checking emails, panicking about the amount of prep for the weekend that I still have to do, PCC meeting tonight …

The time away was great. Cardiff provided us with 3 days of entertainment including a tour of the millenium stadium (suprisingly very interesting), lots of food, a posh hotel and a pharmacy to supply us with medicines for our coughs and colds! We also visited an old friend on the way home, finally meeting his very nice fiancee.

Although I am still struggling with a cough, I feel rested and am glad to return to work.
The PCC meeting tonight will hopefully accept my proposal for a year out worker (especially as the idea originally came from them.)

Amazing Weekend!!!!! January 16, 2006

We had an amazing weekend away. The young people were great, and God was greater!!!!
We tackled some tough issues in their lives, and God was working in the young people. They have all got something from the weekend, and the closing session we had yesterday was great to see just what they had learnt. They were really open and honest with the whole group, and it was a great encouragement for the team too.
Best bit – the saturday night session, after being really open and honest with them about my struggles, it was great to see the young people doing the same, and talking, praying, working things out with God. This weekend won’t have solved issues, but our main aim was to help them find solutions, ways of tackling them, and look at giving ongoing support on return. The whole group has taken on this responsibility of support, not just the leaders.
Worst bit – not being able to sleep Saturday night, and only getting three hours when I had the opportunity for six!

Better get on with the evaluations and thankyous!

THANKS GOD – YOU’RE AMAZING!

All set January 12, 2006

All set for tomorrow. It’s all my mind has focussed on since Christmas! The youth weekend away! I think we’re all set, all I need to do is the shopping and then packing everything into the car!
I really should find something more interesting to blog about. There was Richard Dawkins’ programme on Channel 4, about how we should rid the world of religion. He didn’t seem too keen on actually listening to people and their views, just saying he was right. I’ll still watch the second part on Monday though.
Don’t expect much from me over the next week or so. Once I’ve recovered from the weekend, it’s a week’s holiday for me! I’ll be back though – hopefully with more interesting things to say than I have recently!

just relax! January 6, 2006

It’s been a busy few days. After falling asleep just before midnight on New Years Eve (I was watching a re-run of a magic show on TV), spending New Years Day and then my usual day off seeing family, I came back to work with a bit of a panic. I hadn’t quite got as much done as I had hoped during the days between Christmas and New Year. So the last three days feels like a bit of a sprint, trying to prepare for a youth weekend away and the start of term. And I’m glad to say, that after a few phonecalls this evening I will be taking time to relax! (Perhaps then my body will have time to fight this cold I’ve got!) I hope that I’ll be able to switch off from work and stop thinking of all the things that need to be done – something I’ve been struggling to do the past few weeks.
I can’t wait to go on holiday and relax, at least I hope I’ll be able to relax and forget about the youth meetings I’ll be missing!
Why oh why do I have to care so much?!?!?!?!?
This time next week I’ll be on my way, praying madly that the weekend will go well. In 9 days it will all be over, and in 11 I’ll be on holiday! Hurrah!