Time management

I have learnt loads over the last couple of years about how to manage my time better, especially with a job like mine when you have to be flexible, work crazy hours and keep a check on how many hours you're actually working. However I made a mistake when I said to a GB leader "if you're in need of another leader to stay at the sleep over just let me know" and didn't actually look at my calendar to see what else I had on.

So on Friday I ended up helping out at the GB Christmas sleep over party where there were about 40-50 girls, we did crafts, had some chips, did a secret santa, had a fashion show (the girls were split into teams and had to make dresses out of Christmas wrapping paper - some incredibly creative dresses were made!), sang carols, watched movies, drank hot chocolate and eventually everything was quiet at 4am and we were all up and away home again by 8.30am. Not a lot of sleep, and on a hard wood floor: I'm actually yawning thinking about it.

Saturday I met with some of the young people at church to spend the afternoon cooking food to serve that evening for the church elders. We made 3 shepherds pies, a huge pot of bolognese with spaghetti, some thai green chicken curry with rice and 2 crispy chicken bakes along with side salad and coleslaw, then dessert was meringue, fresh fruit salad, cream and ice cream followed by a cup of tea or coffee and a quality street or two. It was an incredible day, we had loads of fun shopping for the food, cooking, serving, eating and even cleaning up afterwards. A fantastic bonding experience not just for the young people but also for the elders in our church. However I got home about 10.30pm and was absolutely knackered.

This morning was our Christmas family service with lots of the children involved in doing various things for it, which was all rather stressful but when there are fantastic youth and children's leaders involved in the planning and preparing there's no doubt it will all come together in the end: and it did. It was a great service, but again made me feel extremely tired.

Tonight is youth group where I'll be playing guitar to lead praise but tomorrow I'll be sound asleep..... at least I planned that in my time management!