Where were we? Oh yes . . .
Right, so firstly, read my blog Julez Goes For A Walk for details on that ridiculous venture.
Other things that are happening right now are the things I've been doing all year: The Net, Lakesmere, and now an extension of Lakesmere that takes the form of The Silver Ring Thing:
There's been another set of new guys at the Net this term (sort of): one guy from last term who has stayed on - he's a bit of a monkey, but absolutely lovely with a mind as sharp as a knife. The second returner is someone from my first term who is wonderfully pastoral but at the same time a little naïve which lends itself to some noticeably unbalanced mediation if there's a fallout. The other two guys are completely new, and both ace. It was one's birthday on Tuesday and there were depleted leader numbers so he got to take most of his cake home with him (lucky!), and the last guy is in Year 9 and about 5mm taller than me. He's also the most placid person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Onto Lakesmere: Matt's been in India for the last 2½ weeks, and John's in Singapore, so I've been doing both Tuesday and Thursday, as well as The Mess on a couple of occasions (that's a faux-CU thing at Wyvern), and it's led me to see multiple aspects of the Youth Network that I've never encountered before. In just over a fortnight, four of the girls at Lakesmere have come to know Jesus, and what's more have been publicly talking about their faith, which makes them better than most 'churched' teenagers (maybe a reason why the Church is in the not-great state it's in right now). There have also been a considerable number of the guys who have shown serious interest in coming to (and some already booked for) Soul Survivor with us in the summer. Now, I'm no theologian, but to me this appears like a big arrow pointing towards a revival . . . I could be wrong, but either way, it's very exciting what's going on.
This openness of faith and revival movement began with an NHS lady coming to talk about sexual health and all that stuff, and Lauren and I (and the other leaders - I forget who else was in the room) noticed that the underlying message was 'it's okay to have sex with as many people as you like as long as you prevent yourselves from getting STIs or pregnant' and that there was no mention of the alternative of just not having sex (obviously if people are having sex, we totally endorse the use of contraception). Anyway, this led to us getting a Silver Ring Thing pack and putting on the promo DVD in the background one Tuesday night to see if the guys were interested. More than being interested, they actually us about what Christians believe about sex. We began by explaining that Christians do actually have sex (and enjoy it, contrary to popular belief), and then responding to that age-old classic 'how far is too far?' (although the language used to ask that question was a little more . . . colourful). These conversations led to some seriously deep philosophical and theological discussion, covering such behemoths as abortion, killing as part of military service, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, Hebrew law (that's right. Leviticus was discussed!) and various others that I can't fully remember. From there, we have now started to run Silver Ring Thing sessions with the guys who want to come, and, as I mentioned earlier, we've seen four of the girls come to Jesus, and several more girls and guys wanting to come to Soul Survivor.
I'm really sorry that was as long as it was. I'm just hugely excited, and thought it worth sharing with others. Please pray for those who are new Christians, and for those who are on their way!
Much love to you all!
Fin.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Saturday, 10 April 2010
More on that fabbo idea
I made a separate blog about it, so if you don't care you don't have to pay attention to it - I'm that thoughtful.
http://julezwalks.blogspot.com
There it is then. Love you all
http://julezwalks.blogspot.com
There it is then. Love you all
Monday, 29 March 2010
I have had a fabbo idea
I'm considering making a separate blog for it, even though it is part of my gap year...should I bother? Any input on it will be gladly welcomed.
It involves walking a really really long way with a couple of mates, it's inspired by Into The Wild and Geohashing, and I'd probably blog every night to keep people up-to-date (as well as the odd tweet). I'll also make a Twitter hashtag when I've thought of a cool name for the expedition.
So, new blog or keep on this one? You tell me!
It involves walking a really really long way with a couple of mates, it's inspired by Into The Wild and Geohashing, and I'd probably blog every night to keep people up-to-date (as well as the odd tweet). I'll also make a Twitter hashtag when I've thought of a cool name for the expedition.
So, new blog or keep on this one? You tell me!
Monday, 15 March 2010
A Leap of Faith
Some of you may be wondering where I've been for the last...*checks blog time tag*...month and five days! Now I realise it's been that long I'm wondering myself :S
Last time I was saying how the jobhunt had slowed down considerably. Well, last week it got to the point that I was getting pretty down, not because I couldn't find a job, but that I was on benefits because of it and I frankly wasn't feeling the love. In honesty, I've felt pretty horrible about claiming while being as well-off as I feel I am - with good reason of course; tax-payers aren't paying for me to sit and get bored.
Anyway, long story short, I had a chat with JC about it, and got the feeling I should sign off jobseekers. Being a Western Society human being, I naturally wanted a solid bit of evidence that I should be taking this leap of faith that I wouldn't be skint for the rest of the year (I know this contradicts the definition of faith, however...). No sooner had I asked Him for some clarity, I turned on my computer and my Gmail Notifier "pinged" at me saying I had received the latest Miracle Street newsletter, entitled "Leap of Faith!" - clarity I think, yes?
Better yet, not a few hours later I got another email (who says the internet is Godless, really?!) from Tavcom - whom I have worked for a few times in the past - saying they've got a bit of work for me, and on attending that on Friday, they gave me some more.
All in all, God is good.
Aside from that cool story (I'm sure it'd be cooler had I paraphrased it), I'm booked up for Soul Survivor B and C - chyeah! The Miracle Street touring thing looks set to go ahead, but I get the impression it might not be as extensive as I previously thought. I will hopefully be returning to SUbmerge again this year (i.e. I've written and I'm waiting for a reply). And Matt and I are considering a road-trip to Madrid to see Tori in September, but that depends on uni stuff as far as I'm concerned.
I'm sure I've bored you enough now - don't read blogs this long so I doubt anyone else does.
Fin.
Last time I was saying how the jobhunt had slowed down considerably. Well, last week it got to the point that I was getting pretty down, not because I couldn't find a job, but that I was on benefits because of it and I frankly wasn't feeling the love. In honesty, I've felt pretty horrible about claiming while being as well-off as I feel I am - with good reason of course; tax-payers aren't paying for me to sit and get bored.
Anyway, long story short, I had a chat with JC about it, and got the feeling I should sign off jobseekers. Being a Western Society human being, I naturally wanted a solid bit of evidence that I should be taking this leap of faith that I wouldn't be skint for the rest of the year (I know this contradicts the definition of faith, however...). No sooner had I asked Him for some clarity, I turned on my computer and my Gmail Notifier "pinged" at me saying I had received the latest Miracle Street newsletter, entitled "Leap of Faith!" - clarity I think, yes?
Better yet, not a few hours later I got another email (who says the internet is Godless, really?!) from Tavcom - whom I have worked for a few times in the past - saying they've got a bit of work for me, and on attending that on Friday, they gave me some more.
All in all, God is good.
Aside from that cool story (I'm sure it'd be cooler had I paraphrased it), I'm booked up for Soul Survivor B and C - chyeah! The Miracle Street touring thing looks set to go ahead, but I get the impression it might not be as extensive as I previously thought. I will hopefully be returning to SUbmerge again this year (i.e. I've written and I'm waiting for a reply). And Matt and I are considering a road-trip to Madrid to see Tori in September, but that depends on uni stuff as far as I'm concerned.
I'm sure I've bored you enough now - don't read blogs this long so I doubt anyone else does.
Fin.
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
What to tell...?
Well, the jobhunt went well for a while, but has kind of slowed down a little now sadly. A few little temporary jobs in the last month have built me up a little spare cash wish is nice, but your prayers are still welcomed; I'm hugely appreciative to those of you who have been praying for me throughout this year.
I had a chat with Steve Lee on Sunday after he gave an inspiring talk at St Tom's, and we're both super-psyched for the events in the summer, beginning with the Normandy Beach event on the 5th-6th June.
There was a slight panic over some statuses on my UCAS site, but after some hectic emailing and calling the admissions tutor at the Tonmeister course, I am definitely definitely going there in September, so panic over there.
My excitement is growing exponentially for this weekend, which is the Youth Network Weekend Away (which is probably one of my favourite things in the whole year ever), which this year includes lots of awesome things, very few of which I'm not allowed to disclose. There'll be a TV with the Saints/Pompey match for sure, and some new skins on my drums which I put on yesterday and have been breaking in this morning. There will also be a tuck shop, for which Lauren and I are going shopping in 20 minutes.
Minor news, I'm now attending proper Russian lessons (отлично!). Oh, and I've started reading books again, so if you have any suggestions for me, fire away!
Much love, and God's blessings to everyone!
I had a chat with Steve Lee on Sunday after he gave an inspiring talk at St Tom's, and we're both super-psyched for the events in the summer, beginning with the Normandy Beach event on the 5th-6th June.
There was a slight panic over some statuses on my UCAS site, but after some hectic emailing and calling the admissions tutor at the Tonmeister course, I am definitely definitely going there in September, so panic over there.
My excitement is growing exponentially for this weekend, which is the Youth Network Weekend Away (which is probably one of my favourite things in the whole year ever), which this year includes lots of awesome things, very few of which I'm not allowed to disclose. There'll be a TV with the Saints/Pompey match for sure, and some new skins on my drums which I put on yesterday and have been breaking in this morning. There will also be a tuck shop, for which Lauren and I are going shopping in 20 minutes.
Minor news, I'm now attending proper Russian lessons (отлично!). Oh, and I've started reading books again, so if you have any suggestions for me, fire away!
Much love, and God's blessings to everyone!
Monday, 11 January 2010
...And Hello 2010!
It's been a few weeks now...I'm a few weeks older, wiser, I'm starting to get hair in really strange places... Jokes! That was a Wayne's World 2 reference, if you weren't sure where I was going with it.
Anyway, Christmas brought some fun times - Dan Viv did his annual stint at my house for New Year's Eve and a night either side (which this year included a Lord Of The Rings Extended Edition marathon viewing), an amusing poker game, and eating chocolate liqueurs while pretending they were shots. Heh heh heh.
Of course, the snow last week provided some mighty-fine entertainment in multiple forms, from the obvious - sledging/tea-tray sliding down icy hills at stupid speeds - to the less obvious - laughing at the over-confident Ocado man trying to ascend our road after ignoring our warnings. As is our custom, both Tori and I managed to injure ourselves (Tori slipped and fell, I less-glamorously pulled a muscle in my shoulder) so we spent a nice day or so sitting at home watching films. We'd collectively recommend Garden State (for its arty goodness) and warn against The Heartbreak Kid (which is just awful).
Onto the serious stuff, I am now on Jobseekers Allowance, which if you are unclear means the government pay me to find myself a job. As such, if any of you know of anyone based in my area who have any vacancies please give me a shout with some details (I'll love you forever!).
Your prayers would once again be appreciated, both for my job sitch, and also the matter of selling our house. Thank you for your continuing love and support for the fam and me.
God bless, love Julez xx
Anyway, Christmas brought some fun times - Dan Viv did his annual stint at my house for New Year's Eve and a night either side (which this year included a Lord Of The Rings Extended Edition marathon viewing), an amusing poker game, and eating chocolate liqueurs while pretending they were shots. Heh heh heh.
Of course, the snow last week provided some mighty-fine entertainment in multiple forms, from the obvious - sledging/tea-tray sliding down icy hills at stupid speeds - to the less obvious - laughing at the over-confident Ocado man trying to ascend our road after ignoring our warnings. As is our custom, both Tori and I managed to injure ourselves (Tori slipped and fell, I less-glamorously pulled a muscle in my shoulder) so we spent a nice day or so sitting at home watching films. We'd collectively recommend Garden State (for its arty goodness) and warn against The Heartbreak Kid (which is just awful).
Onto the serious stuff, I am now on Jobseekers Allowance, which if you are unclear means the government pay me to find myself a job. As such, if any of you know of anyone based in my area who have any vacancies please give me a shout with some details (I'll love you forever!).
Your prayers would once again be appreciated, both for my job sitch, and also the matter of selling our house. Thank you for your continuing love and support for the fam and me.
God bless, love Julez xx
Sunday, 20 December 2009
Goodbye 2009...
Ah, I have a little more time to write today, although also a little less to say.
Last Wednesday - as I mentioned in my last post - took me on my first trip out with the Miracle Street mainstage, and it was a really rather fantastic day, despite it snowing/raining/sleeting most of the day and night, and being awake 06.30-01.00. Tiring but excellent. For a more relevant rundown of what happened than I can convey, have a read/watch of Steve's blog. [Bonus points if you see me walking around in the background]
This Christmas is going to be a strange one for me (and my family as well, I'm sure); it's the first for a long time that my dad hasn't been around (he's in Hanoi now...not sure if I mentioned that before or not), and isn't back until February as far as I know. Despite his frequent trips abroad, he is usually around for Christmas. An equally strange prospect, however, is that this will almost definitely be our last Christmas in Willow Grove, a house that I have lived in since I was one year old (except the obvious few years in India), so that's a big change on the horizon.
On a lighter note, I've started using Twitter again so as to voice my random thoughts without clogging up people's Facebook feeds - how conscientious am I? @mulebeatsdrums if you wish to follow me, and I will put a box on this page as well.
That's about it I think. This will most likely be my last post of the year, and certainly the last before Christmas, so I will leave you all with my prayers of blessing for you and your families, wherever you are in the world, for the Christmas season, and you will hear from me again in 2010 (I'm a poet...)
Love to all! Julez xxx
Last Wednesday - as I mentioned in my last post - took me on my first trip out with the Miracle Street mainstage, and it was a really rather fantastic day, despite it snowing/raining/sleeting most of the day and night, and being awake 06.30-01.00. Tiring but excellent. For a more relevant rundown of what happened than I can convey, have a read/watch of Steve's blog. [Bonus points if you see me walking around in the background]
This Christmas is going to be a strange one for me (and my family as well, I'm sure); it's the first for a long time that my dad hasn't been around (he's in Hanoi now...not sure if I mentioned that before or not), and isn't back until February as far as I know. Despite his frequent trips abroad, he is usually around for Christmas. An equally strange prospect, however, is that this will almost definitely be our last Christmas in Willow Grove, a house that I have lived in since I was one year old (except the obvious few years in India), so that's a big change on the horizon.
On a lighter note, I've started using Twitter again so as to voice my random thoughts without clogging up people's Facebook feeds - how conscientious am I? @mulebeatsdrums if you wish to follow me, and I will put a box on this page as well.
That's about it I think. This will most likely be my last post of the year, and certainly the last before Christmas, so I will leave you all with my prayers of blessing for you and your families, wherever you are in the world, for the Christmas season, and you will hear from me again in 2010 (I'm a poet...)
Love to all! Julez xxx
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