Archive | August 2012

Show Time

Aug30

For the last five years my daughter Joanna has been taking part in the anual shows of The Younger Generation Theatre Group, a Croydon based charitable company. This year, like in the previous ones, I volunteer as part of the back stage crew. After two very busy dress rehearsals at The Ashcroft Theatre tonight the show goes live.

Young performers of the YG cast in dress rehearsals for their show ‘Let’s go to the movies’

I love the buzz and energy that the young people have, full of enthusiasm and sometimes a little nervous, but all keen to give their best despite the odd costume issue. (Sometimes just not cool enough for the modern teenager!)

This year as I call the numbers to the stage door, and attempt to keep each group quiet in the corridor I have been thinking about the cost to put on such a production. Not just in monetary terms which are pretty immense. There are other hidden costs too. For example, my daughter had to choose to make herself available for 18 Sunday rehearsals some compulsory, this meant missing out on her school production for the first time since she started at St Andrew’s. She clearly values the work of YG and enjoys doing the shows as this choice was a pretty tough one.

When it comes to show week the cost is stepped up once again. Costume fittings and final checks, transport to and from the theatre, dozens of adult helpers back stage and in dressing rooms, all co ordinated and with CRB checks and matron licences. The production team work both day and night to pull it all together so that the young people get to perform, with a live band, on a professional stage.

I have to admire their work. Seeing the cast of 80+ young people, (10- 18 year olds) from all over Croydon all happily working together on a common project is special in my eyes. The show doesn’t have a ‘leading lady’ ‘premadonna’ or one big part, all the members are given numbers and on stage time suitable to their age and ability, without raising any of then to feel they are more important than others. The result is fantastic!

This year’s show “Let’s go to the movies” is fast paced, fun, packed full of great music and well worth the ticket money for a night out..not only supporting a local charity (which in turn is raising young people who work together and respect each other) but an uplifting experience for all who participate and come to watch the show.

'Church'

I find it hard to pick up on the negatives of the group as the positive by far out ways any negative thoughts I may have. Just one thing I would choose to mention though, there is, a shortage of lads amongst the cast, come on boys this is for you as well, I have seen friendships made that have been carried forward for many years. Two previous cast members of the 1990′s are now married having met at YG,  with children ready to enroll in the future.

Please head to The Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon this year and support a local group that relies on volunteers, private fund raising and their TICKET SALES to keep their group alive.

 

Doubt and Encouragement

Aug29

We don’t always get everything we want but I truly believe God provides us with everything we need.

So, the email came in last night, 8:40pm (although I didn’t read it until gone 11, once back from doing back stage work at the Ashcroft Theatre with Jo’s Younger Generation theatre group)

I wasn’t successful in my application for the job with Croydon Youth Theatre Organisation. Yes, disappointed, mainly because this was giving me a welcome distraction and focus on something that I could get involved myself, without feeling I was tagging onto anyone else in the family. Something of my own doing through choice that had the potential of becoming more. That’s no longer the case as it is unlikely that I will continue to give my time to CYTO in the future.(Costly in both time and petrol with no real gains in growth, experience or benefit to the family as a whole)

Time is something I now have more of to spend, money however is not!

The fitness sessions have taken a break for two weeks, while the instructor is away on holiday. I have seen general health improve over the last two months and the 46 steps from the house to the car park becoming less of a struggle. My left knee however is glad of the break as it has been painful at times and unaccustomed to the new expectations of doing the extra activity.

So I guess what I am saying is it’s time to choose again, the keeping busy isn’t a problem, (I can always find new things to take on) the keeping busy at low cost is.

In the main, I like to give in any way that I can and would say that I don’t look for anything in return. If I am honest, although I don’t look for anything in return, knowing that the giving is at least appreciated by a kind word, message or thank you does make me feel that my time and energy has been well spent. Not seeking a reward just encouragement.

Today and this week I am challenging myself to give some encouragement to others! With 80+ young people working together to put on their show at the Ashcroft Theatre this week I am sure God is going to give me lots of opportunity to get stuck in!

Staying positive is good but I could not rely on myself and my own positive thinking (knowing all the emotional battles and struggles I face each day) I rely on God through faith in Jesus to keep me overcoming the problems, fears and doubts, one day at a time.

Some words for last Sunday’s sermon have stayed with me this week..
When you doubt, there are some things you think, some things you hope for, some things you know…always head back to the things you know…God is there.
Doubt your doubts, don’t rest on them, build your faith through worship.

1John 5
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.

Cake, Celebrate and Star Wars

Aug24

How time goes slowly when you are waiting for news!
This week has been fairly busy, with two cakes being baked and decorated through my kitchen. I can only take credit for one of them, the other was successfully made by Jo and her close friend Steph. My one, ready for my sister’s 50th birthday celebration at the end of the week, an occasion with all the family to remind my sister how much we all love her and how special she is (something I often feel I fail to do as much as I should).

20120824-230157.jpg

As I am waiting to hear back from the interview I attended last week, I couldn’t help but notice Jo’s attitude to her wait for the results of the gcses that she took earlier this year. The school didn’t give them (in year 10) the option to collect on the day, so she remains in the dark as to the outcome. Jo has taken the position that she did her best and that the outcome is what it is…I find myself needing to take on board her level of maturity as I wait to hear back from my interview. The news won’t come any faster by thinking about it often, nor can I change the outcome, I just need to be ready to accept the result and know that I had done my best. Planning however has to be on hold until I know how much free time will be mine to fill.

I spent some time this afternoon watching Star Wars movies with Simon and Joanna, I have seen these on a number of occasions, one of my earliest memories of a cinema visit was to see the first one released in 1977. A later one I attended on a date with Gary before we were married. Anakin and Padmé fall in love and secretly wed, and eventually Padmé becomes pregnant.

While watching Anakin have a prophetic vision of Padmé dying in childbirth, and Palpatine convincing him that the dark side holds the power to save her life; desperate, Anakin submits to the dark side (and takes the Sith name Darth Vader), I wondered about all the times I have felt that I knew what God wanted for me then it turned out to be wrong…how do we really test prophesy? and how do we discern what is from God and what is of our own imaginations or wishful thinking?
Having pondered on this for a while, the answer has to be a question. Will this direction honour God? If only Anakin had stopped to ask this question the whole Star Wars story would have taken a completely different course!
If God is in the vision or prophesy then He will remain at the centre of it too when it comes to fulfilment and then His name can be honoured and praised for bringing about the new work.

God doesn’t promise us an easy life, but he does promise that he will always be there with us, and in us by the power of His spirit.

John ch14
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

15th August 2012, Waiting.

Aug15

Today is the day of my interview with CYTO, for those of you who don’t know what that stands for, it is Croydon Youth Theatre Organisation. So far, I was up early to go to my fitness class which I am happy to report is again going well. With nine and a half hours between the class and my interview, I was in need of some serious distractions and decided to chill, read, pamper, prepare, pray and eat a very large salad. They all took far less time than I had hoped and I now find myself writing this.

So yes I’m feeling nervous! It has been a long time since I have had a successful interview (or perhaps, I should be saying, any interview) my most recent one having been two years ago and brings memories which are best forgotten, nether the less valuable lessons were learnt by going through the process. For those who don’t know the story, you will have to ask me sometime…but today’s one can’t possibly go so badly.

How I will be spending my time for the next year hinges on the next hour. I will be questioned, examined and judged by a panel of four. I am confident in some areas but the uncertainty of how good ‘the others’ are still leaves me apprehensive. I’m all prayed out. It’s now up to me to do my best and rely on God no matter the outcome. Potential excitement of a new challenge in the workplace being balanced with the disappointment of failure, both character building and a little bit scary!

Time to sign out and get on with it!
All things work together for good for those who love the Lord! :D

Welcome

Aug8

Welcome

This is for the times when I am feeling creative or just in need of sharing some thoughts with the world.

Have had a real bad day today, having eaten something containing milk last night I have suffered all day today and had to cancel a trip to London this evening to see Nik Kershaw in concert at Hyde park with some very good friends. Needless to say it’s been disappointing, the sickness is still affecting me and having not eaten all day I feel particularly weak. I also missed my fitness training this morning, the first one since I started two months ago.

For those of you who know me well I have a strong Christian faith and at the start of the year I felt God had given me the word RUN…after spending six moths ignoring it, thinking God’s having a laugh, He finally led me to a place and time in my life where it could be possible. I don’t run anywhere! well I didn’t until recently, God has found me a partner to run with and a coach and mentor to help me along the way.

I have been encouraged to write down my aims and goals in order to remain accountable and have a clear mindset of what I am trying to achieve. I started the training with Chris Tuck at the start of June and have so far dropped 8lbs in weight and 6 inches from around my body. Physical activity is not something I relish or particularly enjoy, but when you are out of breath each day going up the steps from our house to the car, something has got to give. Last years clothes were all too tight and when it came down to a choice of spending money on new clothes or a new healthier fitter me it was really an obvious choice. With a trip to Australia at the end of the year, the idea of becoming more fit to enjoy it had also been appealing.

So today has been my first blip, but it is just one day out of many and I am still determined to see it through.

My goals are to comfortably  fit size 10 or 12 clothes again, I have plenty of them in my wardrobe! to improve muscle tone and loose as much fat as possible. To not get out of breath when heading for the car and have more flexibility and mobility. I always used to pride myself that I could touch my toes, sadly those days have gone and I find a huge bulge of fat around my waste getting in the way. The ultimate aim is to have the best time I possibly can while in Australia and that includes not being phased when someone points a camera at me or when I have to venture into swimwear.

So if you are happy to support me and encourage me please do so, I don’t take to physical activity easily and I am on a journey taking steps, even if only small ones, to regain control and take responsibility for how I feel, look and move. I have never been one with much bounce (unlike my daughter and son) but I am hoping for this to change!