Apple and Mango

Empowerment

2007-03-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

At my placement there is a group which is for 14+'s and on sunday the group organised a Youth event. Most of the group were doing something from setting up PA and lights to leading worship and leading up front. I thought this was a good example of empowerment but as I looked at it more closely I realised that there were still a few of the group that weren't involved in the organisation or the running of the event. I also discovered later that they had not chosen the subject of the evening and they had not been invovled in the planning before the event.

Though I still feel that it was good that the young people were able to run things on the night I feel that they could have more invovlement in the event before the night.

The Flint Street Nativity

2006-12-09T14:34:00.000-08:00

Well tonight I went home (Liverpool) and I went to the playhouse theatre to see 'The Flint Street Nativity." The Play was really funny and totally reminded me of being in Primary school and doing the Christmas Show (though out schools Christmas Shows used to be very different.)

Anyway that's not why it was worthy of a blog. The first half and most of the second half the actors were the children practising the nativity and actually performing it. When it was time for the Christmas Carols, they sang different words and each 'child' shared what their home was like, which alot of them were quite sad. The Last scene was were the actors became one of the parents of the child that they had been playing and in the song 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' they shared how they felt about their child and what their dreams were for them. I won't spoil the ending for you but it was quite sad and I was actually crying.

Anyway what spoke to me the most was the fact that all the kids had such different backgrounds and how them backgrounds made them how they are. I was thinking about all the people from my school and was wondering why they acted like that. It's shows that there are reasons for children's behaviour and I guess this can be true for young people too. I think as youth workers we need to think 'What is behind this behaviour?'

It was such a great play and I think I may go and see it again! Does anyone want to come with me??

Does God allow....

2006-11-21T14:18:00.000-08:00

Well today in Study Skills we got into small groups and did a theological reflection on one of our experiences. Ours was going to the death camp 'Auschwitz' in Poland. Me and Craig had both been and seen it first hand. I went to Poland in the Summer and the Polish history is so amazing and so interesting.

The thing that impacted me the most in Poland was the visit to 'Auschwitz.' Going round were people had been imprisoned and been badly treated was such a moving experience. Being a Christian I found that there were lots of questions going round in my head such as 'WHY?' which I guess everyone on the planet has that question about it all. As I have been brought up in a Christian home and believe that the jews are 'the apple of God's eye.' I found it hard to get my head round why it happened and also were was God when his people needed him? Things that went round in my head were was it a punishment? Why did God let this happen? Did God let it happen? I wondered if God did stop it before it got any worse.

Seeing the photos of the prisoners and a short film that the Russian made when they libarated the camp made me want to do something, but of course I couldn't it is in the past. The only thing we can to is to learn from History and try and not let it happen again, but it is happening in this day and age.

The most moving part of the whole of the camp is the train track in 'Auschwitz 2' where there is a hut. In this hut the Jew's fate was decided, Children and their mothers and the people weren't healthy enough to work were sent stright to the gas chambers.

Did God allow this to happen?
If he did then why?
Where was God in their pain?
Has good come out of it?

Sex and the Church

2006-10-30T06:17:00.000-08:00

I realised I hadn't actually posted about this because after about half a hour of typing it didn't let me post it!
Anway on Friday we talked about the church being scared of sex and this may have been other people's experience and I do agree that they are, but my experience has been when I was between the ages of 13 - 16 I had heard so many things about relationships (and sex) that I felt like I was a freak because I had never had a boyfriend or that I had never been in the situation of being pressured into having sex (which I guess is actually a good thing). I think you need a balance and also looking back on it all the time I heard stuff on sex there was never any mention on contraception all that was said was that the right context of sex is in marriage. I think the church are a bit niave thinking that because they have told their young people this that they aren't going to have sex! People are still going to have sex out of marriage, there is so much pressure around them, if you listen to just a few songs there is bond to be one that has a sexual refrence!
Society is so much more open about sex than it used to be, maybe it's time that the church was too!

Theology

2006-10-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed theology today I seemed to understand it more and i found it very interesting too. I'm glad i seem to be getting into theology and understanding it more. Hope I continue to understand it and I hope it wasn't a one off.

Accepted

2006-10-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

So I went to see the Film 'Accepted' tonight, it was amazing. Even though not many off you may have seen this film I just felt like I had to write a blog about it. The name of the film kind of explains it, people in this college were accepted for who they were and they contrasted with a conventional college where people weren't accepted for who they were.

It made me think about the education system and whether it was the right way to do things. I had loads to say but I don't want to ruin the film for anyone who wants to go and see it!

I say you should go and see it, it's pretty cool!

Judgements

2006-10-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today was really interesting even though at first I didn't get the hang of it to start with. So it was Key Issues today and we all got given a label, mine was '18yr old Christian homosexual.' At first I didn't really dwell on the word 'Christian' so didn't think they would have much issues because I've known homosexuals who are very much accepted for who they are at the age of 18. Then I realise the 'Christian' part was probably the most important issue and then I really started to see how this person may feel.

I feel they would feel so confused, scared, rejected. If they had grown up in Christian family they would feel like they were on their own with no one to turn to who wouldn't judge and condem them. The church seems to have such a negative view on homosexuals, well this is what we see in the media. I think I would be questioning God about it all. The rejection would be very hard and painful. As they may not be just experience rejection from Christian friends and the church but they could also face rejection from they're non-christian friends.

This activity gave me a few questions too:
1) How should the church react to homosexual christians?
2) How do we go about supporting a young christian who is homosexual?
3) Is being gay a choice? If it isn't does that mean God made them gay?

Tuesday!

2006-10-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

Well I had a good day yesturday :) though it was very long!
In the morning we had study skills which was good because we found out how we learnt and what type of person we were. I'm never saw about these things because I never seem to agree with them. I find it hard to put my finger on the best way I actually learn, I think I learn quite well when I read and when people are up front teaching me and when I'm taking notes.

Then we had a tutorial with Rich were we talked about Muslim Youthwork. I think it's great that they are asking for advice about the course and why turn them away, who else are they going to go to? Also if young muslims don't want to talk to non muslim youthworkers then why not have muslim youthworkers after all they may not end up working in a mosque where they would be teaching Islam.

Then it was theology which I think I'm beginning to understand a bit more :). I think I will enjoy it as it seems a bit like sociology in a bizare way and I miss doing sociology.

So after a day of uni, I went round to Jenna's before we went off to CU. CU was good I'm glad I went, I got quite a bit out of it too. Shame I couldn't stay for the social side of it as I had to get the train. After CU Emma gave me a lift to the station and waited with me until my train came, we had a good chat until my train came.
Then I got home about 11:20pm and went to bed!
So I had a very long day but it was good!!

Today I woke up feeling horrible with a cold, so I just kinda sat around and done work and things. I looking forward tomorrow :). I love uni at the mo I mean when i was feeling like this when i went to school i would be like 'I'm staying off' but I can't wait till uni tomorrow!!

Hope everyone had a good day 'off'

How I got to uni!

2006-10-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

Well I've just finished my 2nd week at chester university, seems strange saying that. It's been good and I've enjoyed it, getting to know my classmates and tutors has been great!
It's strange how God works really, because I remember when I was 13 going on a Christian Youth camp and one of my Dorm leaders went to Chester College (as it was then). I remember saying to my friend who i went with that i was going to go to Chester for uni. Then when it came to applying to university I wasn't even looking at Youthwork (even though God had put it on my heart to become a youthworker.) I was looking to do Photography because I did it at A level and fell in love with it. Went to an open day in Derby and was looking into doing Photography, when one of the tutors there said that I would have to do an Art foundation course and as I am no good at all other art apart from Photography that was just something I couldn't do. So there I was crying my eyes out about the fact that I couldn't do Photography at university.
We went home, when my friends rang me and asked me if I wanted to go and see our Pais worker from our church in Manchester as there was a service going on there. I went along and the speaker talked about our dreams that God had given us to do, and even though I had totally forgotten about becoming a Youthworker, it poped up into my head! I just felt like this whole thing God was invovled in it and at first I was like well I'm not going to uni I wanna do Pais for a few years, then hopefully that will help me become a youth worker.
Luckily my mum and dad pushed me to apply to uni but at the time I had no plan on going.
I applyed to 3 different uni's Chester, Lancaster ST.Martin's and Manchester MET. All to do youth worker but only Chester did Christian youth work. I got invited to interviews for each one and I hated Manchester Met., and I wasn't too keen on St.Matin's, but when I came to Chester I just fell in love with it, it felt so right and now I'm here it is right and I know God want's me here.

So that's I got to be here, but I'm worried about all the work as I've not done work for the past year well not to do at home!
I better go because this is now quite long.

Apple and Mango Juice

2006-10-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

I think I will really like this blogging lark! I think quite a bit but don't often write the things down. This is just a quick blog before I go to bed. After going back to wonderful Huyton for the afternoon/night, I had to come back to Port Sunlight (where I am staying at a friends). When I get to Lime station I grap some Apple and mango juice (and pay) then go down to the underground. I open the carton and take the 1st sip and I think 'it tastes so great.' Then I went on to think 'wow God made this drink with it's wonderful taste.' Then of course I just started thinking about the whole of creation I mean how many people do you know who could invent a new fruit of the top of his head?? Could you have imagined the elephant if they weren't around?
God is so amazing : ).
Anyway I may sound a little crazy now but my brain works strangly, well it was the story of why my blog page is called Apple and Mango I guess