House of Rous

Hopes and Dreams Update

2012-02-01T19:54:00+00:00

So here we are at the beginning of February and I thought I'd give a wee update on how I'm going with my Hopes and Dreams for 2012. This is as much for my benefit as anyone else's but will hopefully spur others on who are trying to stick to certain plans for this year.

Spend more fun time with my family - not doing too bad on this one! Its been a busy month but I've taken every opportunity to sit down and play a game with the girls or spend time at the park.
Read through the Bible completely - I've got a reading plan on my phone thanks to YouVersion and am up to date with this - at the moment! :)
Do more with my photography (publishing/experimentation/selling etc) - Not had a lot of chance to do much with this yet although I am linked with a weekly photography theme group with some like minded friends.
Stop wasting time in the evenings and do more useful things - Hmmm, least said about this the better!
Stop spending money on unnecessary things. - Money? Whats that?!!
Save at least £1 a day - Haven't counted but I have been putting money into my savings box. Plus a piano playing gig added to the savings. So I guess I'm on target at the moment! Trouble is - if I don't have money in my pocket I can't save £1 a day!
Undertake some formal study through my work - Confession - this was a bit of a cheat as I was signed up to do something but I still had to get started. This weekend see's my introductory Study Weekend for an MSc in Social Enterprise that will keep me going for the next 3 years.
Cycle more - the bike hasn't been out the shed yet. No excuses.
Join a choir or musical drama group - With a friend from church, we have joined the East Fife Male Voice Choir. Been to 3 practices so far and really enjoying it.
Attend more Fife Flyers games - Not had the opportunity yet - keeps clashing with other events :(
Eat better during the working day (less junk) - I think I'm doing ok on this! Not great but a lot better so far
Replace my car - Not yet! Kind of needs money to do that!
Have a decent holiday - Not yet but we have a great family break booked in July to Disneyland Paris :)
Do more with my piano playing - weddings etc - I played for a funeral last week and earned a bit of cash for that. A privilege to play for that one. Need to promote myself a bit more on this front but not done that as yet.
Understand what I'm meant to be doing with my Church life - Still working on this one
Write some songs again (not written any for a few years now) - nothing yet!
Spend more time in the kitchen (even with the kids) making stuff rather than just cooking - Done a few different things on the cooking front and look forward to more spare time to do this.

So thats the story so far. Not bad but still a way to go. Thanks to all those who have been supporting me through this. Any hints and tips will be gratefully received.

Hopes and Dreams for 2012

2011-12-30T20:46:00+00:00

Its the start of a new year - what will be my 39th on this planet. And its a traditional time to look back on the previous year and makes some plans for the next year. Well, I'm not going to do much retrospection to be honest!! In short, 2011 was pretty good: Family...great. Work...great. Church life...good. Social life...ok.

I want to simply make a few declarations in this blog post for the coming year. Things I want to work better at. Things I really want to happen. Things I want to avoid. Things that might be nice! This list is by no means exhaustive and might even be added to through the year. But part of the reason for publishing this is to get some accountability from the readers of this blog and my family and friends (real life and social media). So feel free to check up on me during the year to see how I'm doing. Here's the list (in no particular order):

Spend more fun time with my family
Read through the Bible completely
Do more with my photography (publishing/experimentation/selling etc)
Stop wasting time in the evenings and do more useful things
Stop spending money on unnecessary things.
Save at least £1 a day
Undertake some formal study through my work
Cycle more
Join a choir or musical drama group
Attend more Fife Flyers games
Eat better during the working day (less junk)
Replace my car
Have a decent holiday
Do more with my piano playing - weddings etc
Understand what I'm meant to be doing with my Church life.
Write some songs again (not written any for a few years now)
Spend more time in the kitchen (even with the kids) making stuff rather than just cooking.

There's probably more but that is it for now! I look forward to the journey of 2012 and will report back as these things develop.

Temptation, Love, Surrender (Bible Message)

2011-11-20T15:22:00+00:00

Today I had the privilege of leading worship and preaching to my church, Glenrothes Salvation Army. This was mainly because our Officer and a few others (including Carol-Anne) were away at a Regional Youth Councils event! But it was great to have the opportunity to be in that position again.

The meeting focused on the Temptation of Christ (Luke 4:1-13) and looked at how we respond to challenges in our own lives. The themes of Love and Surrender were explored as part of this message. I'd share the notes with you but to be honest, I really struggled pulling this all together and so just had a collection of scribbled notes plus a vain hope that God had a bigger plan in store which didn't involve writing stuff down!

As it turned out, God did give me plenty to say which seemed to be genuinely appreciated by those present. The recording of the message is shared for you in the link below (mp3 file). It makes reference to the earlier use in the childrens message of the story "we're going on a bear hunt". It'll make sense when you hear it!! It also references songs used in worship: Such Love and What a friend we have in Jesus.

So feel free to have a listen if you wish. Its about 20 minutes long. Suffice to say, I remembered this morning what it was like to trust God for His Provision. I just need to remember this in the rest of my life!

http://www.4shared.com/audio/NZFI6zDq/Temptation_Love_Surrender.html

A new era for The Salvation Army

2011-01-31T20:19:00+00:00

Today, the senior leaders of The Salvation Army (the High Council) prayerfully voted the next person to be the General of The Salvation Army when the current General, Shaw Clifton, retires at the end of March. Over the last week they have prayed, worshipped, and carefully considered the right person for the job. Nine people were shortlisted and each one had to answer set questions. Today, the voting process began and around 4pm GMT, an announcement was made live from The Salvation Army's Sunbury Court Conference Centre and broadcast around the world via webcast. And the successful candidate was 64 year old Canadian-born Commissioner Linda Bond.

As the Social Media airwaves were full of references to the election and #highcouncil2011 was trending very highly on Twitter, I made this comment:

I welcome a female General. But do fear for the dwindling numbers of males in church and wonder what effect this will have.

From that point on the floodgates opened of people who were misunderstanding the sentiment behind the statement. Sadly, this is one of the downsides of Twitter in its 140 character restriction. Some people did understand where I was coming from and those that didn't were still polite to me which is great, but I felt I needed to write this post to explain fully where I'm coming from on this.

Let me clarify from the outset. I have nothing against a female General and certainly nothing at all about women in ministry leadership roles. Infact, I welcome it and always ensure that when referring to the beginning of The Salvation Army, I list William and Catherine Booth as Founders of the work. I had the privilege of meeting our last female General, Eva Burrows, when I was a young boy, and in later life, have looked back on her term of office with favourable eyes. Also, I was amongst some calling not just for a female General this time round, but a married female, based on the fact that there were a number of married women officers who could really fit the bill for the role. Sadly, that part didn't happen but it was pleasing to see 2 women amongst the list of nominees.

Anyway, after due process, Commissioner Bond came out on top. And again, I have nothing against her. I know people who served under her leadership when she was Divisional Commander (Regional Leader) based in Manchester. Infact, many were sad that she only served around a year before going onto senior leadership in America.

So, where is my comment coming from? Its to do with role models and my perception of how I see the church as a whole, not just The Salvation Army, at the current time. I have seen a real decline in the amount of guys attending church and at times, have even seen totally female attendances on some occasions. I don't know all the reasons behind this trend or have any stats to back it up, but I see it happening nevertheless. And it has to be said also, that within The Salvation Army, other than the brass band, there is often little else for the men to do within church. Again, there is nothing wrong with the brass bands and I am not getting at them, but as someone who has recently stepped down from the band in my Corps, my eyes have been opened to the realities of the situation in that there is little else to appeal to guys. Please bear in mind, I am talking generally in the main and am not getting at our local situation although there is always room for development.

For a while, our division (region) held Mens Fellowships 3 times a year. These involved food and a speaker, and were pretty well attended. But when the organiser needed to step down and a replacement couldn't be found, the events stopped. I should add that I was asked to take on the role but at the time I decided after much consideration that I couldn't dedicate the time to do it properly. That was a very tough decision but I needed to dedicate time to my family and to local issues. I am encouraged by the work of Christian Vision for Men (CVM) who are putting a lot of work into mens ministry. And there are many churches who do great work with men. But I still see a decline in male attendance and it pains me. So, my comment about having a female leader is not necessarily a negative one, but just a point about the increased female presence in churches as a whole. Okay, the Church of England and the Catholic church have male leaders. But are they role models for the men of this world to encourage them to come and be part of a church? Have any of the recent male Generals of The Salvation Army been great role models for men? I dont really know the answers to these questions, but still I see male attendance dwindling.

So what do we do? Sorry, I don't know. But if we truly trust that the Holy Spirit has anointed Commissioner Bond to be the next leader of this Salvation Army of ours, then we can only hope that the plan to be imparted to her involves a more grass roots and all encompassing ministry. One that encourages men, women, boys and girls to be part of a church. But more than that, a General who inspires and encourages local leaders - male and female alike - to reach out to the communities in which they serve with love and acceptance. That is my hope. That under Commissioner Bonds leadership, the Salvation Army will develop and once again become the mighty force for Good that it was created to be.

Male, female, young, old - it doesn't matter. What matters is doing the right thing and reviving the ranks again. Thats what I long for and need personally. Only time will tell...

Factual or Entertainment

2011-01-03T21:29:00+00:00

I've just cast my votes for the National TV Awards to be given out later this month. This isn't an advert, but you can cast your own votes at http://www.nationaltvawards.com/vote

Anyway, for tonights random thought inspired by my voting!

Its been mentioned before about Top Gear being listed in the Factual Programme category, and infact they have picked up this award before much to the surprise even of its hosts! So anyway, its nominated in that category again this year. Later in the voting, QI is nominated in the Entertainment Programme category. Nothing unusual in that really as it is a very funny and entertaining show, but it is about facts. So, with Top Gear becoming more about what challenges Clarkson, Hammond and May get up to and less about the car details, I wondered if these two programmes are infact in the wrong categories? Or should both be in both categories?

I said it was a random thought! But, the serious(ish) side of this is that I am someone who quite often will try and entertain people I'm in a room with, usually with silly jokes. Its kind of a nervous defence mechanism thing and I can't help it. So, I think one of my challenges for this year is that as long as I can be true to myself, thats all that matters. If people are not entertained by me, so what. If I can be true to myself, my beliefs, and my family, and still bring light into peoples lives, then I will be a very happy man. Anyone up for joining me in this quest?

Thoughts on New Years Day

2011-01-01T20:15:00+00:00

At the start of this year, I was reminded that 1/1/11 would have been my Nan's 100th birthday had she still been with us. So, as we are currently down at my mum's, we headed to the Crematorium where Nans ashes are scattered. It has been a while since we made this trip and its only at this time of year that floral tributes can be left randomly on the site. Sadly the weather closed in and we couldn't go for a walk to the tree where her ashes are, but we did see the area set aside for people to lay tributes at this time of year as its at the edge of the car park. This was an area of trees that had become covered at ground level, and from the branches, with countless tributes to loved ones in the form of flowers, cards, cuddly toys and so much more. Kathryn, in her 5yr old innocence, simply uttered a breathtaken "wow". You couldn't fail to be touched by the scene. So much love displayed for all to see.

Now, while I will always remember my Nan and she will always be part of who I am, she left this earth 16 years ago. I will never forget her but life has to go on. Similarly, things happened in 2010 that have shaped who I am today - some good, some bad. But all things that are now in the past. I get emailed a Bible verse each day - this one came last week:

"This is what the Lord says, ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." (Isaiah 43:16,18,19)

This is a New Year. A chance maybe to start again? Well, we can do that every day. Promises will be made today that will be broken in a few days or weeks time. So, the challenge really is to live each day as it comes. Yes plan for the future. Yes, look ahead to things that are known or expected. But, trusting in the fact that God is in control and accepting His will for our lives, believe that each day of this year will contain the right things according to His plan. Now, thats a resolution to make this world a better place. Anyone joining me?

New Year, New Start

2010-12-29T22:19:00+00:00

Ok, so how many times have you heard the title of this post said? Infact, how many times have I said it?! Well, this isn't a competition as the unfortunate answer is I've said that for a number of years and, like many others, don't always follow it through. Well, with the help of this blog (which I have been sadly lacking on for a while), I intend to try and write more in 2011. It wont be everyday, but maybe a couple of times a week. It may be deep. It may be light. It may be random. But it will be me (and my family of course) as we continue to journey forwards. So please keep checking in and if there's a blog silence, hold me accountable will you? Drop me a text, email or tweet to spur me back into action again. Lets see where this journey goes for 2011.

Fundraising Bike Ride

2010-08-15T20:50:00+01:00

On Sunday 12 September, me and 2 mates from church are doing a 20 mile Sponsored Bike Ride to raise much needed funds for the ministry of Glenrothes Salvation Army. Its supposed to be a bit of fun and I guess it will be although none of us have done much cycling of late! So to help us along the way, we'd love it if you could sponsor us. You can do it online at www.justgiving.com/GSACycleRide2010. Thankyou so much in anticipation of your support.

New Job!

2010-08-13T20:17:00+01:00

Well it's finally happened - a time to move on in work. Didn't really think it would happen but it has. And to be honest its a bit scary! Anyway, here's the details.

For those who don't know, I'm currently Manager of The Salvation Army's 40:20 ReUse Organisation in Perth, Scotland. I've been there since the project started in July 2004 and have seen it grow to be a major player in the ReUse sector and to have employed and trained a great number of formerly homeless and longterm unemployed people. Our project (I say 'our' cos its a team game) is now renowned throughout the UK Salvation Army as a project that can be an example for existing and new schemes of a similar nature. I am really chuffed to bits with what has happened at this project and Biblically proud of the guys that work on the project and how far they have come in their lives. For some, this is their first proper job ever and they're not all young either! Some have had real chequered pasts and police check documents to make your eyes water - but the clue is that this is in their past - these guys have new lives now and have really blossomed as a result. I am pleased to call my staff team friends, not just employees/colleagues.

So why move on? Well there's a question! If I love what I'm doing so much then why move on? And to be honest, I can't really answer that in this blog. I just simply feel the time is right. Let me explain if I can.

6 years is the longest I have been in one job by far. That's not a bad thing - just a reality! And I could easily have stayed in this job for longer. But I live a 35min drive from work. Again, not a bad thing - I've quite often had a long drive to work. But its starting to get me down and means I am missing a lot of time with my family. I have for a while now been half heartedly looking at jobs closer to home but nothing has jumped out and hit me. Add into the mix big plans that are currently being processed at my work for major expansion next year and the fulfilment of long held plans/dreams. Oh so confusing!!

So, when I got shown a job advert a few weeks ago, I got confused! This was a great job to have. I could do it - not easily but i could do it. But leave the relative comfort blanket of my current job/extended 'family'? Move outside of working for The Salvation Army for the first time properly since 1998? OK, sometimes the system within annoys me to the core, but there is also a certain protection in it too. But still there was an element of restlessness in me. I am naturally an innovator and have developed an entrepreneurial spirit. I had really set the project up to a level that was as far as I could take it. To develop it further could actually damage it and I am not really a maintainer. So to have a chance to move to another development area was very tempting.

In this one paragraph I think you can get a flavour of where my heart and mind have been going for the last month! "Mixed up" doesn't even go close. Anyway, as you can guess, I filled in the application form. Found it hard talking about what had happened at the project using the word "I" and not "We" as I had to sell myself and not the team as I normally would do. But I got the form submitted and in on closing day. It was 8 days before I heard anything and had begun to think that perhaps this wasn't meant to be. But, the letter that came invited me for interview a further 10days later and thankfully, on a day that I was scheduled to be off anyway.

The interview went well considering it was my first one for 4 years (thats another story!!). The panel had heard of me beforehand from another furniture project and liked what they had heard. It was great to share with this panel some of my passion for people and for reuse and to hear some of their hopes for the future too. The Chairman said that I would certainly bring something fresh to their organisation. I took that as a good sign! But still my mind was in the "surely I'm not good enough to do that job" mentality so off I went home with the knowledge that I would get a phone call within 24 hours. That phone call came in the middle of our Corps band practice. The result - I was offered the job. PANIC! What to do. I was given the evening to reflect on a few things and was to call the chairman back the following lunchtime. But basically, piecing loads of factors together, I accepted the job.

Then the realisation hit me. I would have to tell my team that i was going. As I said, these guys are more than just employees - we have been through good and bad together. We have laughed and celebrated, cried and consoled together. How could I do this?!! And it would be another day before I could tell them because of days off etc - I wanted to tell the senior team together. But I went and broke the news to my boss and then asked him to keep it to himself for 24hours. Thankfully he was fine with that and whilst saddened, was supportive of my decision to move on.

So today, I told my team. First thing this morning I called the three full time staff together and broke the news. Now I have done radio broadcasting, public speaking and funding request pitches. But this was the hardest talk I have ever had to give. I was shaking and my heart was racing. Even the guys asked if I was ok! But they took the news in the ways I thought. One looked gutted, one was quite emotional, the other was shocked, surprised but then got up and gave me a hug. The day then was taken up with telling part time staff and volunteers as they came in and having little chats on and off with other staff as and when they wanted. The bottom line they all came up with was that while they were gutted, it was the right thing for me as "I had to think of my family". They really are a fantastic team. They're concerned about who will replace me and what the future will hold but know that the day to day running of the project is done by them already so they hold the keys in their hands already.

So its been a rollercoaster ride - a journey (to quote a couple of reality TV phrases!) But, what is the job I hear you cry! Well, I am going to be Managing Director for Furniture Plus - a ReUse charity/trading company in Fife and based about a 10min drive from home. Basically doing the same as I'm doing now but up a level and without having to worry about some of the basic stuff I have to do now including banking, time sheets, vehicle monitoring, stationery ordering etc etc etc! To be honest, the term "Managing Director" scares the life out of me. It makes me sound grown up and responsible. Maybe I am those things but I'm still a young guy trying to enjoy life (in my head anyway!). Anyway, I will have a strategic development role and be tasked with sorting out and developing this huge outfit. By the way, the link to their website does work but their site is not working - thats one of my first jobs cos it seems the interview panel didn't realise that fact!

I am excited about the new job but have two months before I leave and have a holiday ahead of starting my new role on 1 November. In that time I have a lot of filing to do and a briefing document to write as well as carrying on with the job in hand. So, in the words of one of my team, its the end of an era. There is a huge expansion for my current work all set for early next year. Its the promised land we've been working towards. But like Moses, I will not get to reach that promised land.

House of Rous on the move - edit

2009-12-29T22:01:00+00:00

Sorry for the quietness on this blog over recent months. Other priorities have taken over. May readdress things in the new year.

Anyway, we're going to be moving house soon. We're staying in Glenrothes but getting more space for our girls so they can have a room each. Its a lovely house and is closer to church and our child minder! We just hope everything goes to plan over the next few weeks. Yes - few weeks. we move on Jan 22nd!! Having had the house on the market for 8 months, its all happened a bit fast but hey ho. Here's a countdown to move day.

******UPDATE******

due to a small problem with the purchaser of our house, we will now be moving a week later. Not too stressed about that. There's no upward chain from the house we're buying so it just gives us an extra week to pack!! Countdown duly updated!

Countdown To House of Rous moving day

5 years ago today....

2009-09-18T08:00:00+01:00

Please excuse the self-indulgence of this post!

5 years ago today, Carol-Anne White made me the happiest guy around by becoming Carol-Anne Rous in a lovely service at Perth Salvation Army, led by our great friends Captains Iain and Alison Hudson. Many people thought we would never last as a couple. Many wished we wouldn't last. But more people - friends - saw what we had and celebrated the chance to witness God placing His seal on our relationship.

So on Saturday 18 September 2004, our time came to celebrate our union, give God thanks, and have a great party at the start of our married lives together. The day was not without disasters, none more so than the hotel where we were having the reception suffering from a flood the night before. Thankfully, by the time they phoned us on the wedding morning, they had sorted another hotel out for us with the same menu we'd chosen. What was even better was that we knew the other hotel was £5 a head more expensive but our original hotel was picking up the tab!! There was a heavy rain storm while we were in the ceremony, but on the whole, we had a lovely day weather wise. And we had a great time of worship and celebration too.

The stand in hotel did us proud. Considering they found out about the wedding at about 8am on the day. Nothing was a problem for them and we were so happy. It made the day even more special for us.

So, here we are five years and two children later! And we are just as happy if not more so. Yes we've had our bad days and our difficult situations to get through. And whilst we are full of joy with our two gorgeous girls, we would be lying if we didn't say they had changed our lives in many ways. But, God has held us together and we have enjoyed working for Him as a couple and as a family. As we embark on new adventures together, we look forward to many more happy and exciting years together.

Finally, i want to put on record my thanks to Carol-Anne for giving up so much to be with me. I want to thank her for her love; for giving me two lovely girls; and for being my best friend. She is amazingly special to me and I know I don't deserve her sometimes. But she has stuck with me and I am forever grateful to her for that. I look forward to so many more adventure with Carol-Anne. Thanks babe. :)

Kathryn is 4!

2009-07-18T05:33:00+01:00

Today, my firstborn, Kathryn, is four - yes FOUR! I really can't believe it. Four years ago today we were experiencing so many mixed emotions. The waiting around as Carol-Anne was induced; the excitement when things started to happen; more waiting; then the amazing sensation of the birth of our firstborn; more waiting while they sorted her out from mild distress; then the joy of holding her. Kathryn was and still is an amazing gift from God. Okay, she annoys us sometimes, but she is a wonderful blessing and has brought us so much joy. Here's some pictures that give a snapshot of Kathryn's life - there's loads more over on our Flickr pages. And of course, dont forget to check out the wonderful sayings of Kathryn, captures over on the Kathryn Kwotes page of this site

We are so grateful to God for both our children, but as its her birthday, we give thanks to God today for 4 wonderful years with Kathryn, and look forward to everything that is ahead.

Kathryn's Birthday Party Performance

2009-07-15T20:29:00+01:00

Last Saturday we had Kathryn's birthday party. Due to what she wanted, and when it could happen, we had to have this a week early - its her 4th birthday this coming Saturday and a later blog post will talk more about that. Anyway, the party:

Each Saturday, Kathryn goes to Ballet/Tap class and really loves it. When we found out they did parties there too, it seemed an obvious choice (apparently!) and something a bit different to just booking time at a play centre. So with another 9 friends in tow, the party began. We didn't really know what to expect to be honest but this is what happened. The girls went off to the dance studio to do some ballet stuff while the parents sat and drunk tea and ate nibbles in the waiting area. Then the girls came through for party food and cake and then went back through to do some more dancing and get all glittered up! Parents could observe a little bit but then got shut out for secret time. After a short while, we were all invited through for the grand performance! Seems the girls had been learning a short routine. It was so great to see them doing this together and a lot of oohs and aaahs were heard and tissues were needed!! Even the dance school leader was impressed at how the girls had done. So, the girls had a great time- Kathryn especially enjoyed herself. And the parents sat back and chilled out for the best part of 2 hours. You can see some pictures here which include a fair few of Hannah who entertained the parents in the waiting area! But more importantly, here's a video of the performance itself. Enjoy!

My week at Junior Camp

2009-07-13T19:42:00+01:00

Well, here I am, safely returned from a week with 41 7-12 year olds at Broomlee Outdoor centre in West Linton, Nr Edinburgh. And let me say right away - if anyone says "I told you so" they'll get told! You will know from the last blog post that I wasn't really comfortable with the week at Junior Camp. The 7-12's are not really my age group of choice so it was with real trepidation that I joined the staff team. But, yes, I did enjoy the week. And as one friend said, yes, I was pleasantly surprised. So here's my brief diary of the week:

Sunday

Most of the staff team met at the venue to start setting up resources and bedding. I was mainly involved in helping to put up the techy stuff and other items needed in the main hall. It was the first chance for me to see the venue and get a bit of a feel for it. Seemed ok but I was still quite nervous. We got through stuff quite quick though so headed home via Pizza Hut and tried to get some rest.

Monday

After getting a few final bits, I headed to Glenrothes SA hall with the minibus to collect the kids. We were to drive to Edinburgh Gorgie SA to meet up with all the other children, then all head through to the camp together. Bit of waiting around etc but all seemed ok. We then set off for the camp and the rain started and got heavier and heavier etc etc. By the time we were on the winding roads to West Linton, the roads were turning into rivers and any fears I had for camp were overshadowed by trying to get us there in one piece! Anyway, we arrived and proceeded to unpack the coach and minibus - Wet, Wet, Wet!!!

And so to the welcome meeting; chance to meet the "team" I would be co-leading; food; then part one of holiday club. Holiday club basic plan was this: Intro-warm up game-songs-video. Then in groups: Craft-games-activity-mystery(teaching). Then back together for testimony-thought-song. All seemed to go well. At the end of the night, we eventually got the kids settled, and after a brief staff meeting, headed to bed. Day one - survived!

Tuesday

Cereal and a bacon and egg roll for breakfast - you can't argue with that! And into day two we went. During this morning's Holiday Club Session, it was my turn to give my testimony under the heading "speak of a time when you listened to God". There were many times I could have spoken about, but I referred to my last blog post and how I had to listen and trust in God in order to actually join the staff team at this camp. Seemed to go down well. Felt good being open and honest with the kids. After a lovely lunch (soup and main), the kids in their groups went off to do some outdoor activities with the centre staff. I was released from that to go and gather wood for the campfire in the evening that I was co-leading. Had a great time walking around the woods (even though my feet were getting soaked due to leaking cheap trainers!) and gathered plenty of wood for the campfire. Spent good time on my own building the fire up and dealing with my thoughts. Felt nice and relaxed as I went for another good meal (main and pudding this time!). And so it was campfire time. Thankfully the rain held off for the whole time and it was a lovely evening. Really enjoyed the time with the kids (in 2 groups) as we played games, sang songs, and toasted marshmallows. Forgotten how calming sitting round a campfire can be. A very special evening indeed. Day two - feeling settled.

Wednesday

Morning was pretty much the same as yesterday. All went well and the weather was even starting to improve. After lunch it was time to take everyone to a local swimming pool!! Yes, all of them! Would have been great if the staff there hadn't confused the swimming pool with a concentration camp! Our senior leaders were not impressed. Most of the kids seemed to be unaware of the problems and enjoyed their time swimming so that was fine. After tea, it was time to settle back for film night - Madagascar 2. Prayers, kids to bed, staff meeting, bed. Feeling a headache coming on. Day three - good relaxed day.

Thursday

Disaster. I wake up with a thumping headache. Comment to my staff member room mate that whilst its bad, at least I haven't got wavy lines on my eyes. Spoke to soon - 15 mins later and the lines began. Really gutted especially as this was the morning chosen to get the boys up early to wake the girls up with a song!! They still did it with my colleague male staff leading them on! I heard them singing nice and loud but sadly from the relative comfort of my bed. Missed breakfast and morning prayers. After a long shower, I forced myself outside - too stubborn to be knocked down by a mini-migraine. What a day for the weather to improve - the sun was quite bright and it hurt my head! It was my turn to lead the warm up game this morning. A colleague could have covered but I wanted to be there. Got plenty of sympathy though!! A laid back morning followed. Still a bit rough at lunch so forwent the food and prepared to accompany my group as they did more outdoor activities in the afternoon. Fresh air seemed to do the trick and thankfully, by tea time, I started to feel better and even felt like eating some food. So I did! And because I couldn't decide, i took the kill or cure method and had 2 puddings!! This evening was party night followed by a water fight. I ducked out of the latter and helped start the big clear up including pulling down some of the decorations in the main hall to save time on the last day.

Friday

We woke to the best day of the week. Clear blue sky. A really beautiful morning. And because I'd had so many painkillers the day before, I was a tad hyper this morning! Our final trip through the holiday club was great and ended with a short response time. (I've heard since that one of the 13 kids we took from Glenrothes is seriously considering giving his life to Christ - fantastic!) Then our last lunch and time to pack the cars, minibus and coach. Somehow we got everything in, although if the minibus had been stopped i think we may have been in trouble! But the journey home was good and we reunited our charges with their family and unpacked the resources we'd taken.

So there you have it. Its taken 3 evenings to type this report as my brain was so mushed! I was physically and emotionally drained by this week. But I am so glad I went. Yes it was a steep learning curve, but a good one. Thanks to the rest of the staff team and all the kids for making this such a great and memorable week.

Here's some pictures - see more on our Flickr page (not all are public-if you want to see them all you'll need to request Flickr friendship!)

My week ahead

2009-07-04T21:25:00+01:00

This coming week, I have a week off work. Now whilst that would normally be a fantastic thing, this week has a slight edge - I will be part of the staff at The Salvation Army (East Scotland Division) Junior Camp. A residential 'fun' holiday club type week for 7-12 year olds - 45 of them!! We'll be at the Broomlee Outdoor Centre in West Linton (just south of Edinburgh).

I have to be honest, its not really my idea of fun! I'm happy with babies. I'm comfortable with teenagers and serve at church as part of the Youth Club team. But the lot in between - nah! Carol-Anne works with them on a regular basis at church - but for this camp they needed extra male staff and so i got the short straw. I am not looking forward to it.

But, I want to say here on record, that I am doing my best to shake this negativity from within. I want to do my best in this important work for the Kingdom. I want to feel positive about it. And I am, in the main, succeeding in this quest. But I know there is a fear within. I guess thats not a bad thing because then God will be able to be totally in control of me - if i let Him.

So, we head down tomorrow to set up, return, then go there with the kids on Monday. And that will be us til Friday. Craft, sports, games, food (!), Holiday Club material, and prayer. Thats the basics. And I know God will bless us. I just hope and pray that I'll let him. Best I can say is that I'll report back next weekend!

"Fathers Day" weekend

2009-06-21T18:42:00+01:00

Not only did I have a Saturday off this week, but we had nothing planned for it. So it meant that after K's ballet/tap class in the morning, we were free to do something as a family. We decided to head off to Cairnie Fruit Farm and Mega Maze. This blog spoke about this wonderful place last year. Its just a few miles from us and is a real favourite. We had a lovely lunch, picked some strawberries in the PYO section, then went into the play bit for some great family fun. You can see pictures of the day here, but here's one of my favourites, showing a rare moment of affection between K&H!

Today, being Father's Day, I was given some pressies and an unexpected lie in :) My girls (well, mainly K) drew me a lovely card and showed off some great writing inside. I also got a TShirt and a 5CD set of Classic Crooners. Here's a pic of the gifts

So its been a lovely weekend and I want to put on record how lucky I am to have such a great wife and 2 lovely daughters. I don't know what I've done to deserve them, but am so grateful to God for his wonderful gift of family. So, to celebrate, Strawberries anyone??!!

My morning

2009-06-15T11:14:00+01:00

What a morning I have had so far today. Wouldn't normally blog this stuff but felt I needed to write it all down.

Had received news over the weekend that a neighbouring business to where I work had been broken into for the 3rd time in 8 months. Its a Garden Machinery place and each time a supply of brand new strimmers, chainsaws etc has been taken. The owner is my age and his kids used to go to the nursery Carol-Anne worked at so he's more than just a neighbouring businessman. And he was in hospital at the end of last week for a small operation too so this news really didnt help him. So I went over to see him this morning and had a chat with him and his dad (who used to run the business). Nothing I can do of course, but just felt the chat was needed and appreciated.

Then one of my staff, who has been signed off the last 2 weeks, came to see me as he's been signed off for another week. He explained all his situation which we knew anyway, but also explained a change in medication that will hopefully help him now. He's still paranoid about losing his job but was hopefully able to get through his head both the official side re sick entitlement, and the personal side that I will not let him leave! We have seen him come through so much and are not going to let go of him now.

That done, I was speaking with a customer who's wife, we know, has had a recent health scare. She's in denial at the moment pending results coming, but he's kind of stuck for what to do. So, had a chat with him as best I could and know that she gets the results at 11am on Wednesday.

So, a large pastoral load this morning - don't mind but its not even i the job description and all the stuff that is gets left. Especially now as I feel drained from giving out so much this morning. I can't really complain as we've always said that although this is a furniture project, furniture is only half of what we are about. We are about people. And its great that we have this opportunity to share with people in this way.

Just to give a lift at the end of this piece, I then received a call to tell me that a friend had a scan this morning and after many problems, is 2 months pregnant with a healthy looking baby with a heartbeat. Cant say too much about that but suffice to say, that is very good news indeed.

So thats been my morning. Too much to share in the 140 characters that Twitter allowd!! Too much to leave unsaid. Please, if you do, join me in prayer for Neil, Andy and Mrs Doyle, and also for my pregnant friend.

Now - to the paperwork....

In HIS strength

2009-06-10T19:57:00+01:00

Shared this in devotions at Band Practice tonight and thought I'd share it here too. Its a message for me as much as anyone else - I hope I was listening to me!! Anyway, here's the basis of what I said:

Many of us have been struggling with ill health lately, including me. Its a weird time of year when winter has gone, we've had Easter, and now Spring has come bringing, amongst other things, POLLEN!! And all the different types of pollen seem to bring different illnesses! Then its hot one day, cold the next day, tshirt, coat, umbrella--we never know whats going to happen. And on top of that, we keep doing everything that we fill our diaries with!! So we're not 100% healthy and we're still working all hours and so we get run down.

There's a verse in the Bible (Philippians 4:13) that says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". Now here's the problem. We could say - well, why am I getting ill if i'm doing Gods work - He should be giving me the strength I need. And here's the problem. That verse does NOT say "I can do all things I think I should be doing because Christ will give me the strength to do them all". It says that He will give us the strength we need to do the things He wants us to do - not what we think we should be doing. And that sometimes means making tough decisions and saying NO to some tasks even if (especially if) we enjoy doing them. Its easy to turn down bland boring stuff and easy to say yes to the fun exciting stuff. But God wants us to do a bit of both and will make clear to us what we should be doing - then He will give us the resources emotionally, physically and spiritually.

In the Gospels, we see Jesus going about His ministry - healing, teaching, performing miracles, bringing people together etc etc. But at the end of a busy time, we read how He went away to be by himself to spend some quiet time with His Father God. Time to relax, recouperate, regenerate. Time to be refreshed and time to hear God speaking. And thats the key. Because when we're running around doing what we think we need to be doing, God is desperate for us to just sit in His presence so He can show us what we should be doing. Hey, if Jesus needed to stop, rest and spend time with His Heavenly Father, why do we think we can do without that timeout??

So thats the thought to leave with you. Yes, God will strengthen us to do His work. But how do we know what His work is unless we spend quality time with him? I'm not saying thats the recipe to not getting ill, but it will certainly help us to stop feeling so drained. And the end result - more power to His Kingdom.

Salvationists

2009-05-29T09:00:00+01:00

A quick, but a bit deep, thought to stir your mind this Friday.

Was doing some work for Catch the Fire last night, and typed the word "Salvationists" as you might imagine I would. Now, I obviously haven't typed this before, or just never got round to over riding spell checker and adding it to the dictionary. So, I looked at the alternatives that Open Office Writer was giving me. This is the choice:

Conservationists - Preservationists - Liberationists

I must stop thinking this way, but I wondered which of those three words, if any, I would like to be identified as. I know the answer but wont share just now. I guess other similar words may be appropriate too, but these were the three that came up. So come on, lets have your thoughts! Appreciate any thoughts you have on this possibly trivial, yet important, discussion as to who/what we in The Salvation Army are called to be.

Isaiah 55

2009-05-17T20:11:00+01:00

Today, we had the privilege of leading morning worship at Edinburgh Gorgie Salvation Army. Our good friends Iain and Alison Hudson are the Officers there at present - they did our wedding back in 2004 - and somehow they persuaded us to lead a meeting there. Gorgie is a larger Salvation Army Corps and is different in style to what we are used to but, God has provided us with the opportunity to minister locally so we are pleased to exercise that calling whenever and wherever possible.

Today, the chosen text was Isaiah 55 - a powerful chapter which could be broken down into many different sermons but today, I had simply prepared an overview of the chapter and the messages within. We started worship with words from Psalm 98, then our sung praise used the songs "Praise to the Lord the Almighty, the King of Creation", "Come on and Celebrate" and "Such Love". After a time of prayer, the Young Peoples band brought us their message before Carol-Anne gave an All-Age talk involving some throwing practice, and the reminder of how many chances we should give people to do right, based on Jesus' command to forgive "Seventy times seven" times. We then listened to the Singing Company before joining together to sing "You shall go out with joy". After giving in our offering, the Senior Band reminded us of why we were there, by playing an arrangement of "When the music fades". We sung "I serve a Risen Saviour" before the Songsters led us to God Word by singing a lovely song that I've forgotten the title of! (oops!)

It was then my privilege to share Gods message and you can read or listen to it by downloading the files linked below:

Isaiah 55 PDF Text

Isaiah 55 MP3 Audio

Our response used the lovely Salvation Army song "There is a message" before we ended our worship singing Amazing Grace.

It was different to our normal style of worship, but we still gave of ourselves and the people of Gorgie Salvation Army seemed to appreciate that. We had many lovely comments afterwards with some people genuinely blessed by the message. Once again, we give thanks to God from the very depths of our hearts for having this opportunity, and to Him we give all the Glory.

We hope you're able to read/listen to the sermon and would love to hear from you after you've read/heard it. Thanks to all who continue to support us in whatever way that may be.