Apples on apples

After my last post about Apple Cake I couldn't help but share this pic I came across.



A Japanese farmer put the Apple and the iPod logos on the fruit while they were growing, making these crazy fun looking ones! [via Gizmodo]

"Apple"Cake

It was Rob's birthday recently and I couldn't help but make my Mac loving hubby an apple cake to celebrate....



... it's a Victoria Sponge inside (his favourite) so no edible apples unfortunately.

Thank you Mr Jobs!!!!

Hi!

Well it's been a long time since I've posted on here and I'm sorry about that. If you have been speaking to me recently you will know that my iBook was in with Apple getting some much needed repair done to the casing. I was told it would be 7-10 days which seemed long enough already considering I do a lot of work on my laptop. After it was away for 11 days and I had heard nothing I called the lovely new Apple store in Victoria Square to find out what was going on and it apparently needed a few more days work.

After a few more days and a few more calls I was able to collect my wee iBook - except when I called to collect it there was another problem with the casing so it had to be left for a bit longer with them. A few days later I got a call saying it was almost ready and just had a few more things to sort. The day after I got a call with very different news - the guys who were working on it discovered some more problems with the casing and to save me waiting forever and to make up for the hassle of it'll be ready soon/it won't be ready soon the decided to give me a brand new MacBook!!! I was in shock - firstly cos the guy on the phone seemed to think this was bad news to me, but because I never ever expected that to be the outcome!

Th next day I went to the store and picked up my new MacBook that had all my files tranferred over for me and everything! The past few days have been fun on my new machine playing with new features and getting all my music and photos etc sorted.

hurting

The past 3 years at the Youth Ministry Summer School there has been a lot of focus on teens suffering more hurt and pain than they have in the past. The first 2 years we had Chap Clark who wrote Hurt and Deep Ministry in a Shallow World as one of the keynote speakers. Marv Penner, who wrote Help My Kids Are Hurting: A Survival Guide to Working with Students in Pain was a key note speaker at the last Summer School. So each summer school has featured a lot of discussion around the subject, leading us into the thinking that as youth workers we need to set up communities for young people to feel loved, accepted, valuable and worth something. I have to admit that at each discussion on hurt and pain I was struggling to relate personally because I couldn't remember going through anything similar myself.

When we were in the airport on our way to Egypt a few weeks ago I couldn't help but have a look in the book shop. I'm not much of a reader usually but on holiday I read 2 or 3 books - I ended up reading 4 books and got halfway through another. I left the shop having bought 2 extra books to take away with me, one of which was called Loose Girl. It's a book about the author's struggle as a teenager and beyond to feel accepted and loved. She journals how she discovered a way to be accepted, loved and attractive was to use her feminine powers over men. In a search for attention and love she went down a path full of meaningless one night stands and emotionally unsatisfying relationships. Ultimately using and being used in order to fill a void.

As I read this book I couldn't help but think about Summer School and my own experiences of wanting love when I was a teen. I was reminded of times when I felt desperate for a boy to notice me, not just as someone else in the crowd but as someone special. I remember thinking that if anyone ever did want to be with me that I would have to be someone different than who I am so they would like me. I was insecure and rejection made me feel more insecure. I identified with the author in her quest to work out what it meant to love and to be loved. I identified with her as she dealt with her insecurity and compared herself to other girls. From reading magazines, watching TV, seeing movies and more back then I thought love was about feeling loved and thought nothing about returning love to that person too. I thought about how all this made me feel unattractive, unloveable, unaccepted, useless and worthless. Yes, I had friends who cared about me, but this still didn't make me feel like I could be loved. Thankfully I'm past all that insecurity and am a very happily married woman - though I still have my insecurities but they're not related to feeling loved or valuable anymore.

Thinking through all this helped me to identify more with what we have been talking about for the past 3 years at Summer School. It's helped me think more about how I as a youth worker need to get alongside young people and show them a God who loves them and cares for them as they are and not who they think they need to be or act like. It has helped me to see more of how God has created me and is using me to do His will and show His love. I can see more of how He's using me and my flawed humanity to serve others.

Incredible talent

I can barely draw a straight line, but this is incredible. A 3 year old boy with ann amazing talent for drawing and painting

Shine FM shines farther!

102.4 Shine FM has moved (no, not the studio!) but its transmitter to a great, high, high position courtesy of Toymaster in Banbridge. The community station which broadcasts on 102.4 FM to the Banbridge area has improved its signal significantly after the move, which has also enabled the station to broadcast in FM stereo. Shine FM

Shine FM is an OFCOM licensed community radio station with a Christian ethos; all its Directors and Presenters are volunteers.

The youth group at Bannside should still be doing a show, but the schedule is getting a major overhaul so we'll have to see when we will be on.

If you're ever in the Banbridge area.... or just passing via the A1 or something, be sure to tune into the station!

Blast from the past

Because of the change in our holiday plans I was able to go to church with my Dad again and visit the church I grew up in. I was so excited to see everyone again, but also cos my Dad brings Wine Gums to church too.

It was strange, because it felt like I'd never been gone, but at the same time so much had changed - kids had grown up, there were more regular family services, there were new groups, new people (and new babies!). I miss my home church a lot, and now I've been back for a visit I miss it more. Please don't interpret that as being unhappy at Bannside because I am happy, and I'm excited about things to come - we'll be officially without a minister this time next week meaning we can start looking for someone new. I'm excited about potential, I'm excited about change, but I know the journey to change will be long and hard.

Imitation

I recently saw this video on YouTube and I have to say I was well impressed by this little bird's skills of imitation. You have to watch it to understand and to believe it.




As I watched it I got to thinking about how as Christians we're supposed to be imitations of Christ which then lead me into a whole line of thinking for a youth talk or childrens' talk. I'll not be posting that talk just yet - need to flesh it out a little more first but I thought I'd share the video for those who may be interested in creating their own discussion or Bible Study or talk of some sort using

Walk like an Egyptian

After all the chaos of our holiday to Cuba being cancelled we got another one sorted and for cheaper than our original plans too. So next Thursday (18th) we will be heading off to Egypt for 2 weeks!!! The place we will be staying in looks gorgeous and the weather forecast.....



Compared to Cuba.....




Just got to unpack now but leave everything ready to pack again in a week!

Weather forecasts taken from Weather Underground

What a difference a day makes....

.... 24 little hours....

On Sunday night I was packing clothes and suncream for going on our long awaited holiday to Cuba on Tuesday morning. Monday night came and so did a phone call from our travel agent saying the holiday was canceled because of Hurricane Ike working its way through Cuba - more specifically the resort we were heading to.

We were gutted - we had been looking forward to this for so long. We spent the rest of the evening trying to find a holiday we could take the next day from Gatwick seeing as we had booked flights with sleasy jet to London and back that we couldn't get refunded. We ended up missing the flight this morning because we didn't find anything, so if anyone needs a flight from Gatwick to Belfast on 24th September give me a shout... otherwise it looks like we're loosing it too.

So right now we're in the middle of trying to get another holiday sorted that will leave over the next week.

It's amazing the difference a day can make.


Image from sxc.hu

I shouldn't have said anything

So I'm back from Summer School where I had a really great time, full of great fellowship and teaching. I've come away with lots to think about and work on implementing in our own youth ministry.

In getting ready to go away I wrote a post about the end of summer and yesterday I was leading the congregation in prayer, introducing it with the words "we're approaching the end of summer". I really shouldn't have said or wrote either of these things because I can't help but notice leaves falling off the trees and other signs of Autumn. Normally I'm not bothered because I love the beauty of Autumn but having not really had any real summer this year again I just don't feel ready for it all.



It got me thinking about the changes we go through in life and how often changes of season come without us being ready for them, even if we have known about the change coming for a long time. I remember being in university knowing God was calling me into a full time youth work job so after university I spent a year at Belfast Bible College preparing for full time ministry, but when that year was up and I got a job I still felt unprepared and a little overwhelmed. Looking back on that time now I can see how God was using my struggle to make me stronger, better prepared for things to come and to make me more dependent on Him instead of me.

I don't feel ready for Autumn, not just the changes in nature but the change back to the routine as our church organisations start up again. I haven't had time to prepare much for it yet or to think through programme much yet but I need to remember God is using this time of change and unpreparedness to make me stronger, better prepared for things to come and to make me more dependent on Him instead of me.

The end of summer...

..... is now taken over with the Youth Ministry Summer School run by the Presbyterian, Methodist and Church of Ireland Youth departments in Ireland. This is the 3rd year of it's existence but it seems already to be "the norm" for me. So tomorrow morning, bright and early, I'll be leaving Rob and Stewie (and Boomer - my sister's hamster who we're looking after while she's on holiday) to look after themselves for a few days while I swot up on youth ministry once more.

This year Marv Penner and Kenda Creasy Dean will be the keynote speakers. I'm quite excited to hear from Marv about family ministry as that's part of my role in Bannside and something I really want to develop more. Mind you I'm also real excited about meeting with other people who love working with young people too.

I'll be back in a few days but I'm sure I'll be way too tired to post for a few days!

You spin me right round....

...though maybe not with this worship. Yes I'm sure God is pleased with this worship, but I'm not sure I could praise by singing this and being able to focus on God too.



HT to me in my small corner

I'm such a wuss for puppy eyes

I've mentioned before how fond I am of my wee pup (yeah he's a fully grown dog now but he still acts like a pup): I've made him Doggie Treats and Birthday Cake. And spoiled him with other treats like bones, pigs ears and toys and even little bits of bacon buttie. He gets great big long walks and lots of mad fetch. He is a spoilt wee boy who has taken over our sofa, well not only the sofa but the whole house and garden, and often takes over ownership of my lap.

I've become such a sucker for big puppy dog eyes and it turns out it's not only Stewie's eyes I fall for. In the past I've fallen for dogs who've been lost and followed me like "Mustard" and Digger who I couldn't help but try to get back to their owner. In fact I did the same once about 12 years ago when I first had a dog (a cute and chubby little Jack Russell called Mutt) and an old english sheepdog pup followed us home one day - my sister and I loved this wee dog but couldn't help but try and get them back to their owner again.

Today I was driving home from the holiday Bible club and almost ran over a little Jack Russell. I had to pull over and see if I had and if he was ok. As soon as I got out of my car this little dog came running over to say hello. I didn't see anyone around and I couldn't find a tag for a name or number on him so I decided to take him to the vet to see if he was chipped or anything. He was so cute and tiny and kept trying to sit on my lap (I don't think he liked the smell of Stewie on the passenger seat).



It turned out he wasn't chipped, the vet couldn't take him in and the dog warden wasn't answering the phone so I decided I'd bring him home and call the warden later after lunch time, but I ended up driving past where I had found the dog again and found someone who knew where the dog was from. I couldn't help but like this wee dog, he was so friendly and sweet and I admit I did ponder how Stewie and Rob would react to this new dog, but then I remembered how spoilt Stewie is and I'm not sure he would cope with the competition.

Mega Quest

This week our church is running the annual holiday bible club for primary school kids. The past few years I've always felt a bit panicked about it and rushed about prep at the last minute. This year for the half hour before we started on Monday I stood in the middle of the hall and couldn't think of anything else that needed done and it made me panic that I may have forgotten something. The thing was that this year I was much more organised than the previous 2 years. Maybe it was experience or maybe it was that I have become better at planning my time but either way my lack of last minute panic made me panic anyways. Funny isn't it? Perhaps next year I'll have learnt from this and won't be panicking.

We've been using a resource called Mega Quest which we've mixed a little with Desert Detectives. Monday we covered the story of creation, Tuesday we looked at Moses receiving the commandments and today we heard the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. Tomorrow is the disciples on the road to Emmaus and Friday is about what heaven will be like. We're basically covering the Bible cover to cover - something which some of the parents have really appreciated this and how a couple of the kids have been asking where other Bible characters fit into the story. A couple of the younger kids are experiencing worship led by a band playing songs they know for the first time and they've been excited about this - one was asking his mum "will the big boys and girls be playing the fun music again today?" It really excites me that kids are engaging and are excited about what we're doing and it excites me to see what God is doing through our club in these kids' lives. Another thing I'm excited about is how our young people are getting involved and gaining leadership experience through it all too. I need to work on ways to continue developing and using the talents they have and finding ways they can serve God more.

I came across the cartoon on Geek and Poke and couldn't help but add it in here.