October 2011 Archives
Passed the Lifeguarding course and am a qualified RLSS(UK) NPLQ (catchy huh?) who is certified to hoik dummies, and very hopefully not people, from the bottom of the pool when it is 3.5 metres deep or less.
Certainly feeling my age tonight having found the timed swims/rescues a real challenge .... but also quite chuffed, given that I was nearly a quarter of a century older than anyone else on this particular course - but have done everything expected to pass.
Limited amount of blogging this week as I'm on my bi-annual Lifeguarding course. Blogging is being negatively impacted both by the amount of time involved .... and sheer exhaustion!
I'm the oldest on the course by around 20 years (eek) and whilst this does have advantages in terms of experience (or at least this is what I tell myself) it certainly doesn't help with the swimming requirements. Yesterday, in order to continue with the course, we had to swim 100m (4 lengths) on our front, followed by 100m on our back and then (and this was the scary bit for me) immediately swim another 2 lengths in under 60 seconds. Achieving this, especially as we had to be wearing T shirts and shorts was, for me, tough!! Did manage it though.
With three and a half hours a day in the pool though, I am somewhat wrinkly and tired, lol!
I emerge back into normality on Saturday lunchtime, hopefully qualified for Yellow Braces and other camps for the next two years. Prayer appreciated!
More details here
Well in terms of accountability I reckoned I ought to report back on my six week intensive Kayak Rolling Course and the Million dollar question ....... Did I manage to right the Kayak?
Well ..... Almost!
I reckon this has to be about the hardest thing I have ever had to learn and that includes German and riding a unicycle! A counter-intuitive three dimensional balletic challenge that you are attempting to complete in a coherent linked series of movements whilst upside down (and rather further away from Oxygen than you'd like to be), is bewilderingly complex.
Every week has seen me make some progress and grasp some additional part of the challenge. Last night I was within a gnats crochet of getting it (if my instructor is to be believed) but fatigue and time called a halt.
It's been a fantastic course and I have been SO IMPRESSED with the patient and professional instruction from Adventure Dolphin. I'm booking into the January course and hope to finally nail it. (Leaving around 16 other types of roll to learn).
Reflecting on the whole experience has been really interesting too. There is something really humbling and quite tough about putting yourself in a place where you are a total beginner. I think it's been good for me. It's left me wondering about a tendency to stick with what I know.
A flyer for this resource has just crossed my desk* but I haven't actually seen the whole 'thing' ...... Flagging it up though in case it is useful!
* Not literally you understand in some kind of a random puff of wind stylee
Fail!
Everyone is at the Youth Work Summit today and tomorrow. My infinitely sensible decision to 'stay in and do my homework' feels like the wrong choice now, doh!
Every blessing to everyone gathered in Manchester ...... I shall be watching Twitter with interest, #yws11 I see you!
This is the video that went down a storm at our Network day so I'm flagging it up for Youth Ministers everywhere. I think it's ht to TIm Schmoyer
Oh and for the assembled bretherin and sisterin of yesterday ... this, if your brave/crazy enough, is Sonseed:
(**** An Offiical 'you'll be humming it all day' warning ****)
More details here
'Charlie' the age-d V-dub is back at Carls at the moment. Although it was completely de-rusted and painted, some rust around the windscreen has recurred and needs sorting.
(I suspect Charlie has had a windscreen replaced at some stage. When this happens the road side technician often runs a blade or screwdriver around the seal really quickly and this can scratch the paintwork. Cosmetically this isn't a problem as it is all covered up by the new windscreen seal .... it does however begat the formation of rust.
If you've had a windscreen replaced you may want to have a peek under the seals ... or then again, you may not!).
All told though the van is sweet. I'm gobsmacked that I'm getting over 35 to the gallon, and the last tank-full delivered 39mpg. This is deeply impressive for the size and weight of my German mobile tea shack and spare bedroom(s).
Hilariously it seems that whilst some people are able to comment to the blog (Hi Pat and Dr Ian for example) my replies are 'held' for approval. Thus my own blog has excommunicated me ..... doh!
Your comments are, as always, hugely appreciated (apart from you evil spambot). Please let me know if you are not published ...... and please bear with the lack of replies until the problem is fixed.
"In a perfect world we'd all sing in tune
but this is reality so give yourself room" Bragg
The second of the Mend the Gap follow up days happened on Saturday at the wonderful Douai Abbey. The Abbey and surrounding countryside, aflame as it was with Autumn colours, provided a great setting. Also a great deal of humour and a usefully reflective time when it turned out the lunch was a silent one (Guess who got told off?)
Huge thanks to the lovely folk who engaged with and contributed so much to the journey, as promised here are some links.
As promised: I'm uploading the powerpoint slides.
Powerpoint handouts mtgfollow up 2.pdf
I also wanted to flag up some of the key links. This is a really useful rendering of the Frank Lake Acceptance Cycle. The two key books we were referring to were Contemplative Youth Ministry and Practicing Passion.
The ideas around helping young people to get into discussion are here and we also flagged up The Blob Tree and Levels of conversation (Both pieces of work by the wonderful Pip Wilson).
If there is other stuff you are after, the chances are that you can type the subject into the search (top of the right hand column) and I'll have scribbled something .... or just ask.
The three R's sessions that CYM will now be running ... "Refresh Review Receive" ... to support and enable volunteer ministry can be found here
Next of these days is November 12th in Gerrards Cross.
"Britain's youth services are world class. They're far too good to lose. But nearly every project working with 13-18 year olds is at risk"
A National Youth Lobby of Parliament is being held on October 25th
Details here
Arrrghghg! Blog is moderating comments but giving me no access to moderator file.
Enormous apologies. My replies and any comments you've scribbled are unpublished and currently unrecoverable.
Working on it but may not be resolved 'til next week as the webmaster guru is not in today.
Had a great few days off which was mainly 'floor' themed in as much as I re-floored the van and also tiled the hall floor. A rather good day out in Bournemouth added into the mix though plus large doses of coffee .... and season four of Big Bang theory.
I watched with interest the events surrounding the Blackberry server fail in Slough and the resultant Twitter humour; my favourite tweet was the question "Will the Blackberry Crumble effect Apple turnover?"
I'm also amused by the story of the Civil Servant who has been (allegedly) using the bins in St James Park to dispose of important documents. I reckon it's just a misundertsanding caused by business Jargon,
"Look Oliver, we're just going to have to park this one and deal with more important stuff!"
But amusing me most were the photos taken at some sort of tourist attraction 'House of Horrors" place, Enjoy!
Anyway, Youthy, faith and ministerialesque blogging to follow!
Phew, Charlie bus re-assembled and ready to roll. Cutting and fitting 3 layers of flooring and then putting everything back together turned out to be surprisingly time consuming.
All looking good though and sounding great too thanks to the improved sound insulation .... and the addition of speakers in the back.
Major bit of muppetry on my part with the wiring though. Very chuffed to have run speaker cable under the floor, yay! It was only when I'd re-fitted EVERYTHING that I realised I'd used 2 core not 4 core, doh! Mono sound system anyone?
(Now resolved with a mostly concealed additional cable)
Geeky bit warning:
It paid to shop around for the bits n bobs. The 9mm external ply was £100 for 2 sheets from Jewson but I got the same ply from Wickes for £25 each . The most annoying components to source were the three M12 60mm bolts for the seat belts, Halfords wanted £5.60 per bolt and then they weren't High tensile so I had to go to 'Price Fix' who were the only people in Newbury who stocked the HT ones. I had to buy a bag of 50 plus a bag of 50 nuts ...... all for less than the price of three in Halfords.
(If anyone is in the market for 47 M12 Nuts and Bolts I'd love to hear from you! lol)
Anyway ...... tada:
Not a work of art but we are talking Van Go
The EA have put a whole page of stuff together around Halloween and links to creative ideas for doing something different. Scarily well organised I thought :-)
"The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented."
As promised to the folk on the Mission Course last night I'm uploading the Powerpoint handouts. Mission course DCH2011.pdf
We mistakingly talked about Jason Donovan before re-focusing on Vincent Donovan.
We also looked at the work of Leslie Newbiggin.
Richard Passmore whose work we explored presented his thinking/work in a session he called Missional Apologetics. Have a look at the notes and the Powerpoint.
This is the way he framed the challenge of escaping our set Christendom/Modernity/Ecclesial mindsets:
"It is surely a fact of inexhaustible significance that what our Lord left behind Him was not a book, nor a creed, nor a system of thought, nor a rule of life, but a visible community. He committed the entire work of salvation to that community. It was not that a community gathered round an idea, so that the idea was primary and the community secondary. It was that a community called together by the deliberate choice of the Lord Himself, and re-created in Him, gradually sought - and is seeking - to make explicit who He is and what He has done. The actual community is primary; the understanding of what it is comes second."
Leslie Newbiggin
Finally finished stripping out the innards of Charlie the Camper Van and here he is in delivery van guise prior to re-flooring and re-building.
The worst part was trying to get the seat belt bolts out which were insanely fused/corroded and cross-threaded to boot. I had hold of a wrench lying under the bus securing the nut whilst my neighbour tackled the bolt end in the back of the van. Every half turn was a massive effort producing a horrible noise ....and creating so much friction that smoke was visible, whilst the heat melted the carpet to the board around the bolt.
Have rubbed down the floor tonight and painted it with 'Hamerite'* so already to start putting in the various strata layers (insultation, ply, then vinyl) with the holes in EXACTLY (eek) the right places.
All this started with what should have been a few minutes job of replacing a section of the carpet. There's a really important metaphor in here somewhere ......... I'll let you know if I work it out :-)
Got to say though that 'Charlie' is in surprisingly solid nick given that it's 20 year this month since he rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg.
Filed under: Nerdy but oddly pleasing!
(Must concentrate on work now)
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*Other direct to rust paints are available .... actually I can't think of any!
The blog has 'lost' about two weeks worth of comments, arrrggghh. Huge apologies BUT know they were all read, appreciated and useful.
Despite my anxiety about the talk for the Harvest 'All Age' Festival I think I got away with it!
I used the re-write I did of "We Plough the Fields" as a top and tail for the talk .... and this is the bit I really loved as the Orchestra backed it, the Choir gave it marvelous oomph and the congregation joined it with Gusto. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Started by asking with "What does it means for us (in an urban place) to celebrate Harvest?
I then used the Pizza stats that Chris blog-comment-linked to as a further illustration of the question about us and harvest?
We then sang the two verses and chorus I'd penned
"We buy our food from Sainsburys
From endless choice on hand
Food that is already packaged
And shaped to our demands
Its just another product
Like 'toasters' that they stock
We don't wonder at the harvest
Just wander well stocked shops
All this food around us
Is endless in supply
We shop and shop
And just don't stop
To wonder at it all
Although it just appears
From countries near and far
Via plane and train and lorries
And picked up via our cars
The miracle of harvest
Still shapes our lives today
But 'busy' and 'prepackaged'
Can push it far away
All this food around us
Is endless in supply
We shop and shop
And just don't stop
To wonder at it all"
Explored the danger of a disconnect given that most of us don't live on the land anymore and that our reliance on the harvest (in the UK) is not as direct. But with so many people growing veg and fruit again ... maybe we were re-connecting again.
Various children came up and talked about what they'd grown and we talked about how that felt, smelled and tasted. I also brought some carrots still with their vegetation atop, and a pot of soil with potatoes in.
We explored 'Wonder' ..... something that was so in evidence when we explored Harvest BUT was also vital for us to rediscover all the time to live from the centre of our lives in relationship with God.
We then Looked at WONDER leading to THANKS. And when we thank we think (about who we are thanking ... used Thessalonians "Give thanks in all circumstances") leading to PRAISE which in turn gives rise to GIVING (responding to all that we have been given)
(As you can imagine various people dotted around the church were then holding up the words ...... predicatable I know).
Finished off talking about how we may better practice "Wonder"
All then summed up by signing the proper last verse of "We Plough" (but beware there are two versions of this verse ... and the one below is essential as it covers the gratitude aptly)
"We thank thee then, O Father,
For all things bright and good,
The seed time and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
For all thy love imparts,
And what thou most desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts"
