On Sunday evening I had been asked to speak at Tarleton YL. My cousin Jill had asked me some months ago when we were at a YL gathering in Leyland and to be honest I nearly forgot. I knew it was in the autumn some time, but I had lost the date as I hadn't added it to my calendar. Thankfully Jill rang me earlier in the week - phew!
It was a busy weekend. I had spent a large part of Saturday preparing to preach at the 4.30pm service at Kew, I then had to take Esther to Blackpool for the evening (now that's another story!!!) and then when we got back we had to go & clean the church at Kew. I was up early Sunday am to finish the sermon, but I was unable because I had needed to go to Blackpool the night before, which meant I had to spend another couple of hours of study on Sunday afternoon. Oh, and did I say I was leading the worship at Kew on Sunday am and needed to spend a little time on that as well, not to mention leading the Lord's Supper after the afternoon service. Well all in all, I had had a good time so far, and the ministry from David Back at our morning service had been so encourging as we looked at Luke Ch18 v 1-8 (now I'll leave it up to you to go & have a look at the text).
So it was a quick exit from Kew at 6.00pm to get to Tarleton as soon as we could. I had decided during the week before what I was going to speak on & had told this to Anita 7 Hannah as we travelled over. When we got to Steve & Jill's the room was packed, with some having to sit up the stairs. I sat down in the allotted place and looked around and felt so encouaged to see so many young people. It was then that I felt that the Lord wanted me to change what I had proposed to do - and so I did. We had a great time & I trust that they were helped by what God's word said. There was certainly some deep thought provoking questions asked afterwards which was great to hear, as we need to be 'thinking Christians' and not just pew fodder.
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Longtime No Blog
Well, it's been a long time since my last blog. I did intent to add apost at least once a month - well the best laid plans & all that!
Quite a lot has happened since February;
Quite a lot has happened since February;
- I got a job! Hurray was the cry, but unfortunately it was in mid Wales and meant working away all week. I sarted work the last week in April and finished the last week in August. The working away thing didn't work out for me or my family, so here I am on the job hunt again and not very successful at the moment. We will just have to trust the Lord again.
- I have been unable to renew my Sale Sharks season ticket this year (boo hoo). Well when it was time to renew I was working away in Wales and I didn't think it fair to the family to literally dash out on a Friday evening to go to the match as soon as I stepped off the train. Anyway as now I'm without a job & just on JSA, the petrol cost would be prohibitive.
- We have all finally left Grace Baptist & settled in at Kew Evangelical Church, which is in a superb location. It is a small struggling work, which was down to one family and two other ladies. But we are certain that the Lord took us out of Grace to plant us at Kew to make Christ known on the estate. We are still settling in, but have begun tidying the place up and planning evangelistic events. We currently have around 20 at our Sunday services and around 17 at the midweek bible study. On Friday evenings at Kids Club we have had upto 26 children! We have just put together a web site which you can view by clicking here http://www.kewchurch.org.uk/
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Six Nations Championship
We are two games into the 2009 RBS 6 Nations and what a start for me. Sometime ago while on the RBS website there was a competition to win 2 tickets to see England v Italy on the opening weekend at Twickenham. I entered and thought no more about it - until I got an email one week before to say I'd won.
It was agreed by the family that Hannah could go with me. There was one catch though! Hannah has friends who live in Twickenham who she had met on camp in Wales - she wanted to meet up with them. As we would only get back between 10 & 11pm I suggested that we got up early so she could spend time with them before the game.
We set off at 5.45am and she was at her friends house by 10.15am. I had to spend the rest of the day prior to kick off by myself. I collected the tickets at 11 am and then had a look around the shop and bought Esther a tee shirt.
I saw the England team bus arrive, but unfortunately I was on the wrong side when all the players got off and couldn't see them. But hey, I was there, the sun was shining and I could see Jeremy Guscott, Jonathan Davis and John Inverdale on the balcony.
Eventually Hannah came back about 2pm. By now there was loads of people everywhere. There seemed to be a never-ending stream coming from the station.
We found our seats in the middle tier of the East Stand near to the new South Stand.
We were having a good time and enjoying the atmosphere for our 1st ever live 6 nations game at Twickers. We kept in touch with Esther on the mobile while she watched at home on the TV.
The game wasn't that good to watch, but we won, Mark Cueto from Sale scored a try and "we were there!" I just hope I'll get a chance to go again sometime.
Thanks very much Royal Bank of Scotland!
It was agreed by the family that Hannah could go with me. There was one catch though! Hannah has friends who live in Twickenham who she had met on camp in Wales - she wanted to meet up with them. As we would only get back between 10 & 11pm I suggested that we got up early so she could spend time with them before the game.
We set off at 5.45am and she was at her friends house by 10.15am. I had to spend the rest of the day prior to kick off by myself. I collected the tickets at 11 am and then had a look around the shop and bought Esther a tee shirt.
I saw the England team bus arrive, but unfortunately I was on the wrong side when all the players got off and couldn't see them. But hey, I was there, the sun was shining and I could see Jeremy Guscott, Jonathan Davis and John Inverdale on the balcony.Eventually Hannah came back about 2pm. By now there was loads of people everywhere. There seemed to be a never-ending stream coming from the station.
We found our seats in the middle tier of the East Stand near to the new South Stand.
We were having a good time and enjoying the atmosphere for our 1st ever live 6 nations game at Twickers. We kept in touch with Esther on the mobile while she watched at home on the TV.
The game wasn't that good to watch, but we won, Mark Cueto from Sale scored a try and "we were there!" I just hope I'll get a chance to go again sometime.
Thanks very much Royal Bank of Scotland!
Friday, 16 January 2009
The Last Day!!
Today was my last day as an employee of Kingspan. I am now looking for a new job as I was made redundant due to the downturn in house building.
What will I do?
1 - wait on the Lord for His guidance and leading (you see I do believe the text at the top of my blog).
2 - try and find something in a similar role i.e. on the technical side of timber frame or project management.
3 - 'and now for something completely different'. What that will be I've no idea - I'll have to wait and see!
'How good is the God we adore, our faithful unchanageable friend, whose love is as great as His power and knows niether measure nor end'
What will I do?
1 - wait on the Lord for His guidance and leading (you see I do believe the text at the top of my blog).
2 - try and find something in a similar role i.e. on the technical side of timber frame or project management.
3 - 'and now for something completely different'. What that will be I've no idea - I'll have to wait and see!
'How good is the God we adore, our faithful unchanageable friend, whose love is as great as His power and knows niether measure nor end'
Sunday, 4 January 2009
Welcome 2009
I look forward to 2009 with great excitement.
I don't know what will happen with our meeting on Sunday's at Kew. We will just have to wait on the Lord for Him to make his mind and will clearly known. It is He who opens doors and He who shuts them. Whatever He wills to do, I look to be obedient to Him who loved me & gave Himself for me. We will take one step at a time following Him in faith. In 2009 we are now meeting mid-week every week, alternating between prayer and Bible study.
As for a job, I can honestly say that I am not worried. The God of all grace will look after me and my family, He will not leave us nor forsake us. We cast all our care on Him because He cares for us. I believe that God has brought my current employment to an end for a reason and I wait on Him to open new doors of opportunity - whatever they are.
So come on 2009, it promises to be a great year. A year full of exciting opportunities in the service of our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ. Watch this space to hear what the Lord has done among us.
I don't know what will happen with our meeting on Sunday's at Kew. We will just have to wait on the Lord for Him to make his mind and will clearly known. It is He who opens doors and He who shuts them. Whatever He wills to do, I look to be obedient to Him who loved me & gave Himself for me. We will take one step at a time following Him in faith. In 2009 we are now meeting mid-week every week, alternating between prayer and Bible study.
As for a job, I can honestly say that I am not worried. The God of all grace will look after me and my family, He will not leave us nor forsake us. We cast all our care on Him because He cares for us. I believe that God has brought my current employment to an end for a reason and I wait on Him to open new doors of opportunity - whatever they are.
So come on 2009, it promises to be a great year. A year full of exciting opportunities in the service of our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ. Watch this space to hear what the Lord has done among us.
Bye Bye 2008
Well it's good bye 2008 and I'm quite glad it's over.
After a optimistic start things generally got worse. Order books at the factory were looking promising and a bumper year was forcast. I had an Assistant Technical Manager start in January with good knowledge of the business and experience to go with it. This was a long awaited appointment after many many months searching for the right candidate. But soon the orders were cancelled due to the credit crunch and optimism gave way to pessimism.
Church life was not what it was either, after 7 years as a Deacon at Grace I resigned, as I was not happy with the way the leadership was going - by August I had stopped attending altogether and was going elsewhere. This was one of the most difficult times I had experienced as a Christian.
The employment situation was also getting worse. As the year progessed so the orders began to dwindle. In august after reurning from 2 weeks holiday I had to make staff cuts in my department. I was able to keep them to a minimum as we had a large block of flats that needed designing. I resisted pressure from my Director to let my Assistant Technical Manager go and so only lost one Designer. This was mainly due to the fact that one Designer had left in the spring and one in the summer, neither of which I had replaced. Four other office staff and about 6 - 8 in the factory where also made redundant.
By the 2nd half of the year church life was beginning to move forward. The church I was attending on Sunday mornings was providing excellent ministry and fellowship. While every other Tuesday evening we have been meeting for Bible Study & prayer with a number of other people who have also felt it necessery to leave Grace. As the autumn came we began to feel that the Lord was beginning to call us to start another work in Southport. The Lord confirmed this to us at a meeting we had one Friday night in November. The Lord then opened a door for us to meet in a little chapel on Kew estate on a Sunday afternoon. Our first meeting was on 7th Dec, the preacher was David Back and we had a congreation of 37 including young & old, familes & singles. The Lord truly blessed us that day and has continued to do so.
Early in December I advised my Director at work that I should reduce the staff in my department as I was now struggling to keep them all fully employed and the prospect of enough work coming in was looking bleak. On Tuesday 16th December all the staff were called to a meeting to be told that our factory was being closed. We were all sent home on 7 days notice of redundancy. The factory would not reopen after the Christmas shutdown. I am now looking for new employment.
After a optimistic start things generally got worse. Order books at the factory were looking promising and a bumper year was forcast. I had an Assistant Technical Manager start in January with good knowledge of the business and experience to go with it. This was a long awaited appointment after many many months searching for the right candidate. But soon the orders were cancelled due to the credit crunch and optimism gave way to pessimism.
Church life was not what it was either, after 7 years as a Deacon at Grace I resigned, as I was not happy with the way the leadership was going - by August I had stopped attending altogether and was going elsewhere. This was one of the most difficult times I had experienced as a Christian.
The employment situation was also getting worse. As the year progessed so the orders began to dwindle. In august after reurning from 2 weeks holiday I had to make staff cuts in my department. I was able to keep them to a minimum as we had a large block of flats that needed designing. I resisted pressure from my Director to let my Assistant Technical Manager go and so only lost one Designer. This was mainly due to the fact that one Designer had left in the spring and one in the summer, neither of which I had replaced. Four other office staff and about 6 - 8 in the factory where also made redundant.
By the 2nd half of the year church life was beginning to move forward. The church I was attending on Sunday mornings was providing excellent ministry and fellowship. While every other Tuesday evening we have been meeting for Bible Study & prayer with a number of other people who have also felt it necessery to leave Grace. As the autumn came we began to feel that the Lord was beginning to call us to start another work in Southport. The Lord confirmed this to us at a meeting we had one Friday night in November. The Lord then opened a door for us to meet in a little chapel on Kew estate on a Sunday afternoon. Our first meeting was on 7th Dec, the preacher was David Back and we had a congreation of 37 including young & old, familes & singles. The Lord truly blessed us that day and has continued to do so.
Early in December I advised my Director at work that I should reduce the staff in my department as I was now struggling to keep them all fully employed and the prospect of enough work coming in was looking bleak. On Tuesday 16th December all the staff were called to a meeting to be told that our factory was being closed. We were all sent home on 7 days notice of redundancy. The factory would not reopen after the Christmas shutdown. I am now looking for new employment.
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