Recently in something new Category

I thought I should probably list my new-year resolutions on this blog, so I can kinda be kept accountable.

I always make loads of resoultions, in the hope that I'll actually achieve one or two of them, and there's usually a combinations of serious, spiritual and fun ones. So here goes.

1. Read through the bible in 1 year (again)
2. Drastically improve my lead (and general) guitar playing!!
3. When offered a choice of desserts, always choose the one that comes with custard.
4. Develop a habit of going to bed earlier (and maybe even getting up earlier too)
5. Read more (especially around the area of spirituality and leadership/management)
6. Find new outlets for playing, encouraging & leading worship.
7. Socialise (even) more.
8. Sell (or rent) our other home in Stoke.
9. Try to use the word "one" regularly when referring to myself (just for fun).

And that's it. Simple huh?

I just started a community blog (where any realyouth blogger can post stuff).

The idea, simply, is to make it the dullest blog in the world, EVER!!

And I honestly think people will find it hilly-areas!!

So, check it out, and if you regularly find yourself with nothing at all to talk about, let me know - I'll add you as an author and you can tell us all about it.

GENIUS!!

Jon.

Happy StarWars day everyone!!

It's been FAR TOO LONG since my last blog post, but here I am, talking to the world again.

I can't believe how busy my last few weeks have been. I mean, I usually like to keep myself busy, but I remember waking up two Tuesdays ago and just thinking "I have no idea how I'm gonna get to the end of this week".

The three big things have been a 2 day event at Lichfield cathedral called "log on 2 God", seeing around 200 high school pupils wandering round the old cathedral and playing giant versions of Rock, Paper, Scissors with them. I also got the opportunity to speak to many of them about issues concerning self image and how the media distorts what real beauty is.

That was the really fun bit. But then, in the same week I had another trip to the north east for the leadership training course I'm on. It was pretty amazing really, but also baked my noggin within 2 minutes of arriving. More about that (hopefully) on my other blog www.realyouth.net/good2great.

It was a cool few days, and my old friend Dave from Scotland came down so he could travel with me, which meant that as usual he stayed till the saturday, (but got the right train this time).  And finally, on the Friday, my other friend, James, came to visit so he could help with a big puppet training day at a church in Market Drayton last Saturday. It was a really good day - but puppet stuff always is. I've developed a bit of a puppet bug again. they're now all over the house. James left on Sunday after printing a few GrannyMechanics T-shirts and missing his train back to sheffield due to annoying roadworks.

Anyway, last sunday we went to our old church, St James, in the village for a christening. It was weird to be back there after nearly a year, but not a lot has changed.

And that's about all - oh, except for producing a new newsletter to send out to friends and family (if I like you, you should get one in the post - if you don't get one, well, that says a lot doesn't it) and the youth leaders' lunch that I organised for this Thursday - a really productive meeting, even if only 2 of the 8 people turned up.

So, I hear you asking, what has any of that got to do with the title of this blog? Well, let me explain...

The worship leader (Paul) of our present church called on Friday to ask if I'd be willing to play at the service today, and of course I jumped at the chance. As it turned out, every (planned) song was in the key of E, so for some variation I figured I'd get out my old trusty Foote Capo. It's basically a Krysler capo, with the rubber that would normally press down the low E and two high strings cut away. It's really fun to play and produces some lovely drone effects. I've played around with it quite a lot since I made it in 2003, but today was the first time I've used it in a corporate worship setting since I first made it for a youth event in Rugby.

Well, I think that's the last 2 weeks covered. I now have to go and re-format my laptop as it's running slower than a sloath snail. Joy Joy.

May 4th be with you!! 

Yesterday I had the ultimate luncheon experience...

Having arrived at work without the forward thinking required to bring lunch with me, by 12.30ish I was really feeling quite peckish, and Tony (the tiger) kindly offered me a pack of his "super noodles", which I have somehow got away with never trying before.

After my initial fear of the cooking (and eating) process, I was guided through the whole experience by the noodle guru himself (Tony (the tiger)) and 6 minutes later was sitting in the NSYFC offices munching down a 1/2 pint of culinary slop (with a slight sweet & sour flavouring).

I have no idea why I decided to blog this, other than the fact that the fear of the noodle was quite a humourous experience and Liz (the boss) said she was gonna leave a comment about it anyway unless I wrote an entry to explain what a noodle virgin I was!!

So there you go.

What I actually should have blogged about is CLOWNS (silly, smelly men in huge underpants and flower filled hats) - More on that some other time maybe!!

1. Find 3 people that may value your prayers
2. Pray for them - into specific things, or general blessing type stuff
3. Let them know you've been praying for them, so they can "pray it forward".
   

Hey, I just invented a new word - "Nink"!!

Having driven into Birmingham to deliver Dave (the MLS guy from inverness) to the mega-bus stop, going to the apple store and getting 5 free Crispy Creme's doughnuts from the bullring, we finally found the place where the bus was due to arrive, said our fond fairwells, and departed for my parents house and a quiet afternoon.

Dave's bus was due @ 2:35, so I texted him to check all was well at 2:40pm to check he was on his way home. But then I get a call...

"Jon, I don't think the bus is coming. I've been waiting here, but it never showed up. I think I might have missed it!!"

And the important lesson that Dave will have learned today, is that bus timetables (& tickets) work on a 24hr clock system. Yes, his bus had actually left 12 hours earlier 02:35 this morning.

What a NINK!!

So now, after going to 2 train stations, and then to a cashpoint, he's (apparently) on a train bound for my folks house so he can come back to stoke with us and get the 02:35 (am) bus to Inverness early on Monday morning.

I'm sure his g/f (sorry, fiancee) is gonna be well pleased with him!!

Really can't help but laugh!!

Total Nink!!