Fox cub that came into work today - aww, cute!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Beach, Buddies and Natural Beauty
It's been more fun and games in the last month!
I was well and truly ready for a break by the last week of April, which was lucky, as I was all organised to head to Skegness, on the North East coast with a bunch of great friends from Buxton. We went to 'Word Alive', a Christian convention for Students. It sort of piggy-backs on a bigger family convention call Spring Harvest which runs at that time each year at a holiday Resort called 'Butlins', at Skegness and in the South at Minehead.
I went with friends from church in Buxton - Cathy and Mark are apprentice youth minisers, Vicki is a student at the university, Adam is working in Buxton and about to start the same apprenticeship. Steve and Andy are dairy farmers (the hardest workers of us all!), and Pete is the Youth Minister at the church, with his wife Lucy, and three children Zachary, Ellie and Maisy (and one on the way!)
It was a huge event - several thousand people staying in the resort for the week. There were probably a couple of thousand Students there was universities all over the UK. I was worried about being a bit of an imposter, not having been a sudent for a good 4 years, but of our group there was only really one Bona Fide student anyway, and the sessions were really interesting and challenging.
We went to talks each day on Hebrews and Phillipians, as well as a 'walk through the bible' from Genesis to Revelation, and another series on the Trinity, which was mind-blowing. The Trinity or 'Triune God' is truly the destinguishing aspect of Christianty compared to all other religions and changes the way we relate to God, compared with other perceptions of higher Powers. These talks were very in-depth and the speaker was obviously incredibly well read, and passionate, but he managed to get things across on a level that we understood and really got us thinking.
Between all this revelation, we managed to get to the beach, which was a bit chilly (that didn't stop Vicki taking a dip), swam and played in the enormous indoor pool and water park (slides, flumes, spas, paddling pools, all indoor and heated!). There was also a little sideshow/fairground with rides, go-karts, carosel, which we checked out on our last day - go-karts were definitely a highlight!
It was great to spend time talking about things that really matter, and just to get to know people a lot better and strengthen those friendships. I learned a lot about God, who He is and how He works, and what is important to Him (and what isn't!). It was a well timed refresher in that way.
I spent the Easter weekend in Buxton, basking in lovely sun and catching up with work friends and others. We went to an 'icecream farm', and it was the lambing season, so we watched as a lamb was born (ahhh!), and went for a walk around the farm to see the cows, sheep, ducks, turkeys (Adam made good friends with one of those!). I was reminded just how much I loved that countryside last year after being out of it in London for so long.
It was back to work after Easter, but had some fun on another picnic or two on the weekend, and a great catch-up with a friend from uni, Lara, and two other aussie friends; Claire and Nicola. We went to a lovely restaurant in central London, then on to some yummy desert in Leicester square. Again, so great to just relax and chat.
I've got solid work, doing a couple of weekends in a row - no time off till the 5 of May. I've set a good reward at the end - off to the New Forst with Lara and Claire for a long weekend of relaxation, walking, riding and recharging! Life is so good!
I was well and truly ready for a break by the last week of April, which was lucky, as I was all organised to head to Skegness, on the North East coast with a bunch of great friends from Buxton. We went to 'Word Alive', a Christian convention for Students. It sort of piggy-backs on a bigger family convention call Spring Harvest which runs at that time each year at a holiday Resort called 'Butlins', at Skegness and in the South at Minehead.
I went with friends from church in Buxton - Cathy and Mark are apprentice youth minisers, Vicki is a student at the university, Adam is working in Buxton and about to start the same apprenticeship. Steve and Andy are dairy farmers (the hardest workers of us all!), and Pete is the Youth Minister at the church, with his wife Lucy, and three children Zachary, Ellie and Maisy (and one on the way!)
It was a huge event - several thousand people staying in the resort for the week. There were probably a couple of thousand Students there was universities all over the UK. I was worried about being a bit of an imposter, not having been a sudent for a good 4 years, but of our group there was only really one Bona Fide student anyway, and the sessions were really interesting and challenging.
We went to talks each day on Hebrews and Phillipians, as well as a 'walk through the bible' from Genesis to Revelation, and another series on the Trinity, which was mind-blowing. The Trinity or 'Triune God' is truly the destinguishing aspect of Christianty compared to all other religions and changes the way we relate to God, compared with other perceptions of higher Powers. These talks were very in-depth and the speaker was obviously incredibly well read, and passionate, but he managed to get things across on a level that we understood and really got us thinking.
Between all this revelation, we managed to get to the beach, which was a bit chilly (that didn't stop Vicki taking a dip), swam and played in the enormous indoor pool and water park (slides, flumes, spas, paddling pools, all indoor and heated!). There was also a little sideshow/fairground with rides, go-karts, carosel, which we checked out on our last day - go-karts were definitely a highlight!
It was great to spend time talking about things that really matter, and just to get to know people a lot better and strengthen those friendships. I learned a lot about God, who He is and how He works, and what is important to Him (and what isn't!). It was a well timed refresher in that way.
I spent the Easter weekend in Buxton, basking in lovely sun and catching up with work friends and others. We went to an 'icecream farm', and it was the lambing season, so we watched as a lamb was born (ahhh!), and went for a walk around the farm to see the cows, sheep, ducks, turkeys (Adam made good friends with one of those!). I was reminded just how much I loved that countryside last year after being out of it in London for so long.
It was back to work after Easter, but had some fun on another picnic or two on the weekend, and a great catch-up with a friend from uni, Lara, and two other aussie friends; Claire and Nicola. We went to a lovely restaurant in central London, then on to some yummy desert in Leicester square. Again, so great to just relax and chat.
I've got solid work, doing a couple of weekends in a row - no time off till the 5 of May. I've set a good reward at the end - off to the New Forst with Lara and Claire for a long weekend of relaxation, walking, riding and recharging! Life is so good!
Saturday, April 21, 2007
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