Not always the best sentiment, but it my case, I really think that it's a valid one. Fortunately for me it doesn't involve any Spooks-like decisions about life and death.
Or maybe it does. I've realised that I don't think I'll ever be Rock UK's best paddler, climber or bantermeister, but if I can get qualified in at least the first two, then I'll be able to do what I really want to do: spend time with kids and those supervising them so I can tell them about the good news of Jesus.
We had a weekend in the Peak District (21-23 October) to put some skills into practice on the River Derwent and some real rock rather than the climbing wall here at Frontier Centre - Nelson's Three Ships and the gritrock around the area (just outside Matlock Bath). At neither was I particularly proficient or entirely un-scared - and that's being quite charitable towards myself.
But when we were able to shadow some groups of kids that were in during last week, I started to get a taste for what Rock UK is really all about. Chatting to them at the top of the tower, even abseiling down alongside one of the more nervous girls - this is where faith is supplemented by action and the salt of my life is genuinely ekeing out of the salt shaker.
Of course, discipling each other is great for our personal growth, and opportunities aplenty have arisen for me to give and receive in that regard. On our Thursday night meetings, we started a series on the fruit of the Spirit (using the Galatians 5 passage as a starting-point, but pulling in other references to build up a greater picture of each character trait), and just today we went through several of the 'Spotlight Sessions' that teach moral and Christian values through activities, object lessons and Biblical comment on 'Consequences', 'Trust', 'Our Sense of Place' and so on.
But us being part of the team that puts people in heaven is what I'm driving towards. And that can't just be a pleasant hobby - it's an urgent mission.
Tuesday 25 October 2011
Wednesday 19 October 2011
Falling Asleep on the Pastor's Sofa
...is not the epitome of politeness, but once Ray saw I was nodding off whilst trying desperately to hold my attention together, he very graciously offered me some horizontal down-time.
Thanks to everyone at Grace Community Church, Kempston - it was a lovely day I had with you on Sunday, and I hope to have many more with you in the future.
It's been a return to the training since Monday - rope work back at Frontier to get me set up for climbing, abseiling and high ropes work. Processing all of that information has been a challenge for me, I have to admit. I remember when I was about 15 or 16 working at a corner shop, and failing to tie a knot around the returned newspapers and magazines, and the hoodoo has struck again.
Practice, practice, practice is the key. None of it is particularly intuitive to me, so it's a matter of recalling process and following it precisely - much like how I learned to cook, I suppose. I have to 'follow the recipe' - just with rope and caribiners rather than flour and butter!
Outside of work (it still feels odd to call it that!), I was back with BSM yesterday, trying to finish off learning to drive. It was my first time at 70mph - you can't really reach that on Streatham High Road. Got into fifth gear intentionally, for a change!
We've got a trip to the Peak District starting on Friday afternoon - first white water included! I got told not to tell my Mum that, but the cat's out of the bag already...
Thanks, everybody, for your thoughts, prayers, messages of support, phone calls, etc., etc. I'm going to keep needing them!
Thanks to everyone at Grace Community Church, Kempston - it was a lovely day I had with you on Sunday, and I hope to have many more with you in the future.
It's been a return to the training since Monday - rope work back at Frontier to get me set up for climbing, abseiling and high ropes work. Processing all of that information has been a challenge for me, I have to admit. I remember when I was about 15 or 16 working at a corner shop, and failing to tie a knot around the returned newspapers and magazines, and the hoodoo has struck again.
Practice, practice, practice is the key. None of it is particularly intuitive to me, so it's a matter of recalling process and following it precisely - much like how I learned to cook, I suppose. I have to 'follow the recipe' - just with rope and caribiners rather than flour and butter!
Outside of work (it still feels odd to call it that!), I was back with BSM yesterday, trying to finish off learning to drive. It was my first time at 70mph - you can't really reach that on Streatham High Road. Got into fifth gear intentionally, for a change!
We've got a trip to the Peak District starting on Friday afternoon - first white water included! I got told not to tell my Mum that, but the cat's out of the bag already...
Thanks, everybody, for your thoughts, prayers, messages of support, phone calls, etc., etc. I'm going to keep needing them!
Wednesday 12 October 2011
The Purple-Headed Mountain
The third verse of 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' came into my head when I woke up yesterday morning, but not because of the fiery sunrise fringing the eastern sky. Swinging my legs out of bed, I was confronted with the largest, angriest bruise my right thigh has seen since we played a rough Milton Keynes school at football when I was fifteen. It had to be christened 'The Purple-Headed Mountain'. Apologies to all MK residents.
This particular fleshly abomination was the result of about thirteen hours of kayaking over three days, climaxing with rescue drills in the Nene. 'Connectivity' has become a bit of a buzz word - you have to keep the power transfer flowing through your body and into the boat itself, which means a lot of knee braces and pushing with your toes. There's also a heck of a lot you have to do with your trunk / torso - it's really not so much about the arms!
Ditto for canoeing, which we did today. (The rest of the water sports group were on it yesterday, too, when I was in London getting my eyes assessed for laser eye surgery, which will help no end once I get that done, hopefully in the new year.) In canoeing, you kneel, and use one paddle instead of two, steering by using it as a rudder at the back, so you (in general) keep your strokes on the one side of the boat.
Quoc (one of the other trainees) gave us a great morning message yesterday. He took the theme of 'rest' as his way of leading the morning devotions, which we have each day. Physical rest is really important for all of us at the moment, just as much as putting energy into all that we're doing. But spiritual rest is the far greater, deeper fulfillment that we all need, and can have in Jesus - the one who gives us rest in our souls if we come to Him in the faith that He will provide.
This particular fleshly abomination was the result of about thirteen hours of kayaking over three days, climaxing with rescue drills in the Nene. 'Connectivity' has become a bit of a buzz word - you have to keep the power transfer flowing through your body and into the boat itself, which means a lot of knee braces and pushing with your toes. There's also a heck of a lot you have to do with your trunk / torso - it's really not so much about the arms!
Ditto for canoeing, which we did today. (The rest of the water sports group were on it yesterday, too, when I was in London getting my eyes assessed for laser eye surgery, which will help no end once I get that done, hopefully in the new year.) In canoeing, you kneel, and use one paddle instead of two, steering by using it as a rudder at the back, so you (in general) keep your strokes on the one side of the boat.
Quoc (one of the other trainees) gave us a great morning message yesterday. He took the theme of 'rest' as his way of leading the morning devotions, which we have each day. Physical rest is really important for all of us at the moment, just as much as putting energy into all that we're doing. But spiritual rest is the far greater, deeper fulfillment that we all need, and can have in Jesus - the one who gives us rest in our souls if we come to Him in the faith that He will provide.
Sunday 9 October 2011
BTEC, Scouse and Google
It's the phase where nicknames are being tried out to see what will stick. Mine has (astonishingly quickly) become 'Google'. Apparently I 'know everything', and so 'to Google it' now means not to look something up on a search engine, but to ask me if I know the answer!
Somewhat overrated, methinks. However, with me being the aged daddy of the group, at a ripe old 26 years old, there's one or two things I've picked up in my time.
Quite a bit of 'banter' is flying about, together with some developing in-jokes between the Rock SATers. One catchphrase has definitely hit home: 'Open yer eyes!', one of the repeated phrases of the First Aid course. The thick Blackburn accent of the trainer has guaranteed a laugh on any occasion it has been repeated.
The whole experience so far has felt like a bit of a holiday, only reinforced by a big road trip we've just got back from. Frontier Centre doesn't have a pool of its own - one of the few things that isn't at this site - so over the weekend we've been down to Carroty Wood, near Tonbridge. It was only during the journey that I had to realise that this isn't a little adventure, but my life for the next two years.
Little bit scary, and kayaking in the pool at Carroty has left me on a knife edge between excited and freaked out about what awaits around the many corners that will arrive. More water sports coming up this week, and this time the spray deck is on for real in the great Nenebezi...
Somewhat overrated, methinks. However, with me being the aged daddy of the group, at a ripe old 26 years old, there's one or two things I've picked up in my time.
Quite a bit of 'banter' is flying about, together with some developing in-jokes between the Rock SATers. One catchphrase has definitely hit home: 'Open yer eyes!', one of the repeated phrases of the First Aid course. The thick Blackburn accent of the trainer has guaranteed a laugh on any occasion it has been repeated.
The whole experience so far has felt like a bit of a holiday, only reinforced by a big road trip we've just got back from. Frontier Centre doesn't have a pool of its own - one of the few things that isn't at this site - so over the weekend we've been down to Carroty Wood, near Tonbridge. It was only during the journey that I had to realise that this isn't a little adventure, but my life for the next two years.
Little bit scary, and kayaking in the pool at Carroty has left me on a knife edge between excited and freaked out about what awaits around the many corners that will arrive. More water sports coming up this week, and this time the spray deck is on for real in the great Nenebezi...
Tuesday 4 October 2011
Can I wear those socks again?
The last few days before leaving Streatham were an operation in trying to judge acceptable levels of laundry frequency as I attempted to juggle packing up with not having to unearth underwear from box 17.
That makes it sound as though I had a packing regime of military precision (oxymoron, anyone?), and, to be fair, it was fairly well organised until the dying embers of my Streatham life.
Now I've arrived, the greater problem is not that things weren't labelled down to the last pencil, but that I've had to transport my whole life here having moved out of London, and I'm not living in a whole house anymore. It's somewhat more snugly-sized than that...and to cap it, I'll have to move it in and out a couple of times in the next few weeks, as it's going to be used for visitors to Frontier Centre.
It's made the settling-in process a little bit bumpy, but it was always going to be that way. Change = discomfort, but that doesn't have to mean I shut down in anxiety. 'Cast all your cares upon the Lord, because He cares for you' is really going to have to mean something at the moment.
We've all got kitted out with more to come in a few days' time - wetsuit included! Still a but nervous about the glasses issue - we're going to be practice kayaking in the pool at Carroty Wood over the weekend - but I should have a sports strap coming in the post, so pray that arrives - and works!
Been doing the first day of a First Aid course today - second half all day tomorrow. Lots of nightmare scenarios to consider, which itself gets the pulse jump-started.
Also kicked off the 'message sessions' this morning before training, Rich Wyatt (SAT co-ordinator) getting us to consider the importance of reaching children with the message of the gospel because of the hardening of people's attitudes once they get older. To complement that, we also thought about the imperative to serve God now, and not wait for a more opportune time - there will always be some excuse to put it off.
So if now is the day of salvation, now is the time to be fishers of men.
That makes it sound as though I had a packing regime of military precision (oxymoron, anyone?), and, to be fair, it was fairly well organised until the dying embers of my Streatham life.
Now I've arrived, the greater problem is not that things weren't labelled down to the last pencil, but that I've had to transport my whole life here having moved out of London, and I'm not living in a whole house anymore. It's somewhat more snugly-sized than that...and to cap it, I'll have to move it in and out a couple of times in the next few weeks, as it's going to be used for visitors to Frontier Centre.
It's made the settling-in process a little bit bumpy, but it was always going to be that way. Change = discomfort, but that doesn't have to mean I shut down in anxiety. 'Cast all your cares upon the Lord, because He cares for you' is really going to have to mean something at the moment.
We've all got kitted out with more to come in a few days' time - wetsuit included! Still a but nervous about the glasses issue - we're going to be practice kayaking in the pool at Carroty Wood over the weekend - but I should have a sports strap coming in the post, so pray that arrives - and works!
Been doing the first day of a First Aid course today - second half all day tomorrow. Lots of nightmare scenarios to consider, which itself gets the pulse jump-started.
Also kicked off the 'message sessions' this morning before training, Rich Wyatt (SAT co-ordinator) getting us to consider the importance of reaching children with the message of the gospel because of the hardening of people's attitudes once they get older. To complement that, we also thought about the imperative to serve God now, and not wait for a more opportune time - there will always be some excuse to put it off.
So if now is the day of salvation, now is the time to be fishers of men.
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