Soul Survivor

Got back form Soul Survivor yesterday after helping take a group of
young people from Luton, who were absolute pleasure to be with.
(Guess I should say hello to a few - Tom, Simon, Gill, Hannah, Dan, Gareth, Abby, Louanne)

It was an amazing week and God really moved in everyone including
myself! It was a privilege to see those young people move on in
their faith. I went away feeling slightly less passionate about the
year ahead and about the work I do and even low in my faith. I had
asked myself all the usual questions Am I in the right place? Am I
really called to this? And all that sort of stuff. But God really
spoke to me in lots of ways, I feel a real peace about the year ahead
now. I felt God say that He will not leave me and that He will let
me know what he has in store for me when it is time!

He also spoke to me through other people which really encouraged me,
people really believe in me! That to is a privilege!

I am looking forward to hooking up with some churches while I am away
to hopefully do some youth work of some sort! I got quite excited
about that while I was away. I think that because I had got restless
at work as well as everywhere else I had lost a some of the passion
that I had for the work that I do. After being away this week I feel
that I have got that passion back and with going away it gives me a
whole load of new challenges!

Repeated myself slightly, but hey it's my blog and I can write what I
like!

Lifted!

Tonight I had a good time with a good friend. We talked for quite a
while (we have not done that for a long time).

We shot the breeze for a while and then we just started to have quite
deep conversation. They said that I always keep people at a distance
but I let them believe that I have let them into my circle but really
they are on the outside! They said that I do this with everyone and
that there are only a few people that can actually see the 'me'
behind the mask.

This got me really thinking! Why do I keep people at such a
distance? Recently a friend said to me 'I can not tell you what I
know about you!' They have known me for some time and yet they can
not recall anytime that I have shared something with them.

I get a bit obsessive about anyone trying to read my mail, emails or
texts on my phone, but yet I have nothing to hide! Why is this?

My friend tonight said something that really encouraged me. It gave
me such encouragement because they really meant it, what they said
was 'I truly believe in you. You will succeed in all that you do!'

This meant a lot to me because as I prepare to go away for a year on
my own - anyone who knows me knows that this is a huge deal as I
always want people around as I am an extreme extrovert! I have to
deal with the fact that I am going to face hard times, lonely times,
times of just feeling inadequate and not feeling myself. So for them
to say this really lifted me, they said that I may face these times
but they believe I will overcome them. I pray that it will be these
times that will draw me closer to God, that I will rely on His
strength and not my own. That is the other challenge; not being
strong. I am always strong, I try never to let my emotions out.
Sometimes you just can't help it.

I was given a picture of one of my Princesses and I just stared at it
and then thought of what it will be like to leave them, that got me
upset! See even I have emotions.

What will the next 12 months have in store for me? Who knows! What
I do know is that as I a person I am bound to change and I pray that
it be for the better!

I think that this is enough for one night!

Still recovering!

Camp finished last week (Monday afternoon for me as I had to drop a
load of stuff back!), but I am still tired. Each day I or night I
say that I will get up at about 10am, but I actually pull myself out
of my pit about 1!!

Maybe I am just lazy?!

Need to say hello to Sunshine or she will moan, so 'Hello'. So
called Sunshine as she always brings a ray of light when ever she
opens her mouth. Irony is such a great thing!!

Still suffering the post camp blues, missing it all. Also keep
thinking if next year and the fact that I will be across the other
side of the world while it is happening. Always the year after.

Tim has been checking the BBC Talent website (no not for a new Bint)
to see if there is an opening for The Tim and Kieran Show! (Maybe a
more catchy title is needed!).

Who knows maybe we will be famous! Liz I will let you know how far
our tactic gets us!

Home Sweet Home

It is so good to be home again!

I have been away on summer camp for the past week and it has been great! The kids were superb and the leaders were fab!I always get back off camp and actually miss the leaders, I always miss all the fun that we had in the team lounge, giving people nick names like Sunshine, and Hairy, or even Mugarbie!

It was an awesome week, I got to work really closely with a great guy called Martin, he always helps on camps but this time I worked with him the whole week and he is a true legend!

Tim and I ran a Soul Cafe in the evenings which was a chill out and get entertained type of thing! We had a great laugh, we did not plan to much other than what feature would come next the rest we left to happen! It was just how we liked it!

I got a bit sad as I will miss the next summer camp as I will be away traveling, who knows I might get involved on something over there!

The other great thing about camp is that you see kids change over a week. I played basket ball with some kids one evening and after I told them that I would not let them swear or cheat they had a little moan they just got on with it! They let kids play that were not so popular or were not very good and they gave them a chance, that to me was God at work!

I am looking forward to all the leaders going out for a curry next Monday!

Also the celebrations were something different! Churches have a lot to learn from what happened!