New beginnings...again

So this is my new room. I've largely moved out of the room I've been living in for the last year or so - just the last few faffy bits to go but they'll have to wait until Monday.

To be honest I was very fortunate in my last home - I had exclusive use (more or less) of two whole rooms, one of which was almost the same size as the flat I'd moved out of, or at least that's how it felt. So moving into one much smaller room has, as you can imagine, been something of a challenge.

It's a challenge somewhat compounded by the fact that I'm not sure how long I'm going to be here. Since I'm planning to be at Bible college in the autumn, all things being equal, I don't expect to be here more than a few months at the most. Given how much of a hassle it's been packing up all my stuff I'm not sure I can be bothered to unpack and repack it all over again. However, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to live like this...

In other news, tomorrow I'm off to Bristol for the day to have a look at what some of the Baptist College students are up to. I'm hoping to come back inspired for the adventure that lies ahead. I don't really want to think about the implications if that doesn't happen.

Ending well

I think it's fair to say this week has finished better than it started. Last weekend I was struggling with the thought of moving house, partly because it's just a pain in the bum and partly because of what it represents - my life lived in transition.

But some key things this week have made a difference to my outlook this weekend. The first is the simple fact of having started to move my stuff from one friend's house to another.
 
The second is that I've FINALLY finished and sent off my Baptist minister form (only two months after I was given it...). I've found it a really tough thing to do and the relief when I finally put it in the post box was immense.

The third thing is that I've now finished my dull, dull and boring Friday job. I wondered if I'd get all panicky again but I haven't, and I think that's because I've immediately been able to start doing the kind of creative and productive stuff I'm hoping I can invest my time in in the coming months.

The fourth things is that I've taken the decision to start a second blog focusing on baking and fair trade. I wasn't going to mention it yet because I'm not ready to make a big thing of it 'til I've posted some more content, but I've been working on it today and it seems daft not to! If you're not into baking, please don't bother following the link :o) 

And the fifth thing is that my rather marvellous sisters sent me a parcel of nice stuff which arrived today - what's not to love about Jesus soap, plant pot muffin cases, jelly babies, Dairy Milk and a clever book about politics, all topped off with a picture of Cliff Richard?  

I can't guarantee what frame of mind I'll be in this time next week but I'm making the most of a good end to a significant week.

Chaos theory

So life has hit a chaotic patch which includes moving house, leaving one job, finally finishing my Baptist ministry application, a theological college visit, a birthday party, a hen do, making a wedding cake and going to a wedding.

I've had a few bouts of self-pity, and I'm sure there are more to come. Fortunately I've also had some timely reminders of how fortunate I am, and of the fact that others are also having a tough time at the moment.

So I'm trying to get my head down and get on with it, remembering that there are times when it's OK to acknowledge that life as I'm currently living it is probably not what I'd choose.

Pulling focus

I realise I'm at least ten years behind the curve on this, but I've just recently got into reading a few blogs in an intentional way, bookmarking them and having a look every couple of days. It's been fun - they're mainly around sewing, baking and ethical fashion, but there's a couple of more theological ones in there too.

But I've been struck by the fact that all of these blogs have something mine doesn't seem to have - a particular focus, whether it's turning charity shop clothes into new outfits, making cakes and taking beautiful pictures of them, or writing about church from a different perspective to my own. 

But then the more I thought about it, the more I wondered whether actually there might be some themes that run through my blog. So I did a little research - entirely subjective and non-scientific, I should point out. I had a look at the labels I've given my blog posts to see which ones crop up the most - the top five are future (15), work (15), fair trade (11), church (10) and creativity (9) with baking, community, money, ethical and potential close behind.

Now I suppose some would argue that this is a fairly random, incohesive list, but I see some interesting connections (although I would - it's my blog, after all!!).

Eight years ago, this blog started essentially because EVERYONE had a blog (well, at least that was the impression I'd got) but I had no real sense of purpose or direction for it. Now I'm enjoying blogging and I'm finding the stuff that I'm genuinely passionate about, rather than stuff I think I should have an opinion on. So the question I'm starting to ask myself is whether to continue with this blog but narrow its focus slightly, or start a parallel blog which explores some of these ideas (probably the ones around fair trade and creativity) in more depth. Or do I not worry too much because come Easter I'll run out of steam and go another year without writing anything?!

Incidentally, if there are blogs you think I should be reading, please let me know - I have bookmarks and I'm not afraid to use them! Equally, if you have friends who you think would enjoy reading about ethical baking in church, you should absolutely share a link to here!!

Keeping In Touch

Arnesby is a small, sleepy village in Leicestershire. Once a vibrant farming community, its population of around 350 people now includes an intriguing combination of commuters, retired farmers, Leicester Tigers rugby players and young families. But demographic changes and a gradual loss of shared meeting places have meant that the village has lost a cohesive sense of community. It does, however, have two churches – St Peter’s, and Arnesby Baptist Chapel (ABC) where I’ve been worshipping for almost three years.

Last year I suggested to Johnny, the pastor of ABC, that the church could run a project during Fairtrade Fortnight, opening the church for a couple of hours each day as a community café, serving fair trade refreshments and selling fair trade products.

The idea was so successful that repeating the project this year was a no-brainer! Last year, the most consistent feedback from villagers was how much they’d appreciated a place to meet up with others to spend time together. Largely as a result of this the most important development this year was the decision to hold the café in the village hall on three consecutive Saturdays (as well as at the church during the week) which meant that we could serve significantly more people (around seventy each week) and make it easier to attract those who were unwilling to be part of something on the church premises. The majority of the customers were village residents, and one of my highlights of the fortnight was chatting to a local man who spoke with real enthusiasm and affection about the role the church has in the village even though, as he laughingly pointed out, 'I only ever come to things when there's food'. I'm not sure that's necessarily a bad thing!

But from my point of view, the value of a project like this also lies in the impact it has on a local church community. Ladies from the church baked cakes and an amazing team of adults and young people served with a smile, while over three Sundays the church’s evening services focused on our responsibility as Christians to live out the reality of our faith in a broken and hurting world, engaging with poverty and hardship both in the developing nations supported by fair trade and in our own context.

Through the window

So the big idea is this...

This summer I will serve you and your friends afternoon tea in the comfort of your own home.

That it's really!

Need convincing? Picture the scene. It's summer. The sun's shining (no, really - use your imagination). You've got a few friends round and you're peckish. But what's this? Your very own dining table laid with glassware and china, plates of sandwiches made from local ingredients, savoury snacks, cake stands with an array of homemade goodies and unlimited fair trade tea and coffee!

All this, in your own home?! But that must cost a fortune! But no, this is the genius bit - your guests get to decide what they'd like to pay, and you not only get your tea for free but there's a gift to say thank you for hosting!

To be honest, I've been pondering this idea in various forms for a while, as a few blog posts from this time last year testify. But with my newly-free Fridays (well, from April), and a slightly pressing need to start saving for college in the autumn (all things being equal) I think it's an idea whose time has come.

I want to do it properly and register for tax and sort out food hygiene stuff which is a bit daunting but, as I said yesterday, it feels like a window's opened and I should do my best to clamber through it.

It's always a bit nerve-wracking asking for feedback on an idea - the risk is that either people won't care enough to respond or they'll pick holes in your idea and it'll all get a bit discouraging! But I'm going to take the risk - I'd love to hear what you think, regardless of whether you think I'm onto the Next Big Thing or I need my head examining.

Closing doors and opening windows

In the couple of weeks that I’ve been absent from the blogosphere, I’ve been busy with a variety of things – Fairtrade Fortnight, work, sermon-writing and delivering, hanging out with family and friends and pondering the future.

My ponderings have taken me on an interesting journey and resulted in at least one slightly scary decision and one window of opportunity (the latter essentially coming out of the former). Last week I decided to jack in a job that I've been doing a day a week for the last two-and-a-half years, working as a shop assistant in a little independent shop in Leicestershire. It's one of those jobs that served a useful purpose for some time and then became something I did just for the money. Over the last few months I'd got to the point where I just couldn't face it anymore so, without any alternative source of income to supplement my (much more fulfilling) part-time job at Just Fair Trade, I decided enough was enough. 

But I was taken by surprise by how I felt about the decision. I'd run it by my parents - not because I needed their permission, but because they're wise - and had concluded that I wasn't being a complete idiot, but rather than feeling relief I felt an almost overwhelming sense of panic. (I should point out that at this point I hadn't told my bosses that I was intending to call it a day, so I hadn't burnt my bridges.)   

I think my very deeply ingrained sense of responsibility had kicked in, and I was struggling to reconcile my moderately perilous financial position and lack of clarity over what the next few months of my life might hold with an overwhelming desire to leave a job that was becoming more and more a waste of my time.

So I spent the next couple of days thinking, praying and planning until, on Monday morning I was able to send my bosses an email letting them know that I'd be finishing on Friday 22 March.

And the window of opportunity? More on that tomorrow!