I love listening to the Newsboys and in one of their songs they use a verse from Romans they sing "you make all things work together for my good" When we really trust that God has things under control then it's all good and amazing things happen.
I had a brilliant day a few weeks ago at a Sunday School workers training day. It was for people from various Churches in my area. It was great to meet people from different denominations who although their Churches were very different in style all had one aim in common and that of course is in having good quality Sunday School for the children who come to their Church that will really engage the children in learning but also having fun too. We had a great day and all make fools of ourselves trying out some of the games and worship dances but I came away from the day really inspired.
Another example of God working, again in Sunday school, was when I had the lesson all planned out but just did not feel like I had the strength to deliver it. I really did not feel inspired. I talked to my friends before Church and they said they would pray for me and one of them said that if I trusted God it would be fine. It really was one of the best weeks I have had in Sunday school I just put the session firmly in God's hands and all the children were really well behaved and really engaged with the lesson I was amazed.
I am involved in a Torch Fellowship group whose aim is to support Blind and Partially Sighted in their Christian journey in my area. We meet every other month and have been doing so for almost a year now. We are having our first anniversary at the beginning of March. The group is slowly growing and although we are of different ages and in different stages in our sight loss and our faith journeys we have a common aim to have good Christian fellowship with each other and our meeting are very enjoyable.
I am hoping to work more closely with Torch Trust over the coming months. I went to a meeting at Torch Trusts headquarters yesterday and I really feel that it was the first step. There are still things to sort out and I need time to pray into the opportunities they have offered me but I am really excited about the challenge. So watch this space for more developments on this soon.
I feel it is an amazing privilege to be able to work with like minded people who really have a passion for what they are doing. I am not sure if this is because these are Christian based organisations or not but I have tried working in non Christian environments and I have on occasion met a lot of conflict.
I just feel that when we do totally let go and trust God to work out His plan in a situation it can only turn out good. When we try to do things our own way and have our own agenda then conflict arises even when our aim seems clear.
Maybe I am over simplifying the situation I do not know but I do trust God's word "For I know the plans I have for you" says the Lord "They are plans for good and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremial 29:11 NLT)
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Thursday, 21 February 2013
Working Life of a VI
I love my job and I have been lucky enough to find work whenever I have wanted it. When I left University I found a job a short walk from my house. When I was made redundant I was only out of work for 3 days before starting a new job. When the opportunity to start my current job came along it was great timing and it works well around my family life.
However my experience is the exception. On the RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) web site it states that in the UK two thirds of people of working age who are registered blind or partially sighted are unemployed. In comparison over 2/3 of Deaf people are in employment. The overall national average being approximately 5% of people being unemployed.
So I ask myself why is this? Are we more stupid then the average person? Do we like being unemployed? Or is it that the right jobs are a lot harder to come by?
With modern technology it is possible, with the right training, for blind and partially sighted people to do many jobs. Of course there are restrictions particularly with the fact that we can't drive that do have an affect on the kind of work we can do but then not all sighted people drive.
I know this may be controversial but I do think that just as in every other sector of society there are some VI people who are more then happy to be on benefits and do pretty well out of the "system" I am not saying this is everyone by any means but there are a percentage who probably could work but choose not to.
I think there is an uncertainty in employers as to whether a VI person will be able to do a job as well as a fully sighted person. I remember the senior Solicitor at the first firm I worked in was I think a bit unsure about me being employed and indeed when my Guide Dog owning sister began work in the same firm a couple of years later. However I feel that although there are some things that we are by necessity slower at doing there are other areas in which we can excel.
I still say that the most useful skill I learned at Secondary School was touch typing and I have certainly made a lot of use of it. However personally I think the biggest thing that has helped me in my working life is the determination to prove to myself that I can do my job well. It is more then just wanting to prove to my employer that I was the right choice for the job, although that is certainly part of it, it's a need to know deep inside that I have worked my hardest to do what is asked of me. In this respect I think I am much harder on myself then any employer might me. I talked to my sister about this recently and she felt the same that we are far more critical of our own abilities then our employers ever have been. I may not be the fastest in all areas of my work but God gave me a brain and I try to use it as best I can.
I would therefore say to anyone who was interviewing a blind or partially sighted person for a job to seriously consider them. There are grants that help with equipment to access the computer if it is necessary and you may be missing out on a dedicated worker.
My current part time job will be finishing at some point this year as the office is moving away from the area where I live. I do not know what will happen then will I be able to find another suitable job, do more voluntary work or maybe take a break for a while I really do not know. I do trust though that God has a plan for me and he is no where near finished with me yet.
However my experience is the exception. On the RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) web site it states that in the UK two thirds of people of working age who are registered blind or partially sighted are unemployed. In comparison over 2/3 of Deaf people are in employment. The overall national average being approximately 5% of people being unemployed.
So I ask myself why is this? Are we more stupid then the average person? Do we like being unemployed? Or is it that the right jobs are a lot harder to come by?
With modern technology it is possible, with the right training, for blind and partially sighted people to do many jobs. Of course there are restrictions particularly with the fact that we can't drive that do have an affect on the kind of work we can do but then not all sighted people drive.
I know this may be controversial but I do think that just as in every other sector of society there are some VI people who are more then happy to be on benefits and do pretty well out of the "system" I am not saying this is everyone by any means but there are a percentage who probably could work but choose not to.
I think there is an uncertainty in employers as to whether a VI person will be able to do a job as well as a fully sighted person. I remember the senior Solicitor at the first firm I worked in was I think a bit unsure about me being employed and indeed when my Guide Dog owning sister began work in the same firm a couple of years later. However I feel that although there are some things that we are by necessity slower at doing there are other areas in which we can excel.
I still say that the most useful skill I learned at Secondary School was touch typing and I have certainly made a lot of use of it. However personally I think the biggest thing that has helped me in my working life is the determination to prove to myself that I can do my job well. It is more then just wanting to prove to my employer that I was the right choice for the job, although that is certainly part of it, it's a need to know deep inside that I have worked my hardest to do what is asked of me. In this respect I think I am much harder on myself then any employer might me. I talked to my sister about this recently and she felt the same that we are far more critical of our own abilities then our employers ever have been. I may not be the fastest in all areas of my work but God gave me a brain and I try to use it as best I can.
I would therefore say to anyone who was interviewing a blind or partially sighted person for a job to seriously consider them. There are grants that help with equipment to access the computer if it is necessary and you may be missing out on a dedicated worker.
My current part time job will be finishing at some point this year as the office is moving away from the area where I live. I do not know what will happen then will I be able to find another suitable job, do more voluntary work or maybe take a break for a while I really do not know. I do trust though that God has a plan for me and he is no where near finished with me yet.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Nothing wasted
I have been thinking about our childhood memories recently after a discussion in a Facebook group about our teens and whether we remember them fondly or not.
I was a very angry mixed up kind of teenager and although there are a few bright moments my memories from that time are pretty dark. I remember at age 11 spending all my lunchtimes talking to the headmaster on the playing field as I had no one else to talk to. I remember on my last day of middle school having everyone laugh at me because I had to use cream for my acne and it make my skin dry and flaky the kids spent the whole day keep asking me if I had Weetabix cereal stuck to my face.
I remember the girls at hight school all telling everyone not to talk to me saying that I was a lesbian and I remember I felt so lonely at times and I used to have really bad nightmares. I don't remember that I asked my mum whether she thought I really was a lesbian though and don't really remember any of the medical stuff like hospital treatment and having braces on my teeth.
I remember my first day in my first proper job. I was supposed to have an interview that afternoon but they called me and asked if I would go in that morning and try out the job as one of the ladies was on a course that day. I am not sure what I did that day apart from a lot of photocopying but I do remember being too nervous to ask where the toilet was.
The thing I have learned about memories though is that we can get stuck in them. We can not trust anyone because of things that have happened in the past and we can try and be someone we think we should be rather then who we really are. I like the film Vanilla Sky and there is a saying in there about not being able to appreciate the sweet unless we have experienced the sour. I think that is true.
Now I am in my 30's I love my life so much. I love my husband, my children, my family and the friends I never had as a teenager. I love being an active member of my Church and although teaching Sunday School is not something I find easy I think I learn as much from it as the children (hopefully) do. More importantly I feel I appreciate the people in my life and cherish them even more because they are so valuable to me and I can use the memories of the bad times to really show the difference between my life now and then.
I love my job, particularly being able to pray with people who are going through tough times and although I can't directly relate to a lot of their problems I hope I have learned to be a good listener and as for the prayers well I have God to rely on for help with that.
So what I am trying to say is that I feel that no experience we have is wasted. Part of my growing in faith has been to let go of the bad experiences in my past. They are not forgotten but they are no longer affecting my life in a negative way. God can use those experiences to teach me and to make me a better person.
If I could go back in time what would I say to my 13 year old self? I asked myself this question the other day and it was tough. At first I thought I would tell her not to worry and that things would be better in the future. I thought I would tell her that she will come to know God and how that will impact on her life in ways she never could have dreamed of. I thought about telling her that she will be a wife and mother some day. The trouble is that I don't think I would have believed myself. I certainly did not believe my own mother when she said things would get better. So I had to conclude that I could not and should not change anything in my past as it's all part of the person I am today. All the good bits and all the bad bits in equal measure with no experience wasted.
I was a very angry mixed up kind of teenager and although there are a few bright moments my memories from that time are pretty dark. I remember at age 11 spending all my lunchtimes talking to the headmaster on the playing field as I had no one else to talk to. I remember on my last day of middle school having everyone laugh at me because I had to use cream for my acne and it make my skin dry and flaky the kids spent the whole day keep asking me if I had Weetabix cereal stuck to my face.
I remember the girls at hight school all telling everyone not to talk to me saying that I was a lesbian and I remember I felt so lonely at times and I used to have really bad nightmares. I don't remember that I asked my mum whether she thought I really was a lesbian though and don't really remember any of the medical stuff like hospital treatment and having braces on my teeth.
I remember my first day in my first proper job. I was supposed to have an interview that afternoon but they called me and asked if I would go in that morning and try out the job as one of the ladies was on a course that day. I am not sure what I did that day apart from a lot of photocopying but I do remember being too nervous to ask where the toilet was.
The thing I have learned about memories though is that we can get stuck in them. We can not trust anyone because of things that have happened in the past and we can try and be someone we think we should be rather then who we really are. I like the film Vanilla Sky and there is a saying in there about not being able to appreciate the sweet unless we have experienced the sour. I think that is true.
Now I am in my 30's I love my life so much. I love my husband, my children, my family and the friends I never had as a teenager. I love being an active member of my Church and although teaching Sunday School is not something I find easy I think I learn as much from it as the children (hopefully) do. More importantly I feel I appreciate the people in my life and cherish them even more because they are so valuable to me and I can use the memories of the bad times to really show the difference between my life now and then.
I love my job, particularly being able to pray with people who are going through tough times and although I can't directly relate to a lot of their problems I hope I have learned to be a good listener and as for the prayers well I have God to rely on for help with that.
So what I am trying to say is that I feel that no experience we have is wasted. Part of my growing in faith has been to let go of the bad experiences in my past. They are not forgotten but they are no longer affecting my life in a negative way. God can use those experiences to teach me and to make me a better person.
If I could go back in time what would I say to my 13 year old self? I asked myself this question the other day and it was tough. At first I thought I would tell her not to worry and that things would be better in the future. I thought I would tell her that she will come to know God and how that will impact on her life in ways she never could have dreamed of. I thought about telling her that she will be a wife and mother some day. The trouble is that I don't think I would have believed myself. I certainly did not believe my own mother when she said things would get better. So I had to conclude that I could not and should not change anything in my past as it's all part of the person I am today. All the good bits and all the bad bits in equal measure with no experience wasted.
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Be bold, be strong
I had something all worked out to write about today but am going to save it for another day. That's because today I'm going to write about my experience at our ladies prayer breakfast this morning.
I am not a morning person it's not easy getting up early on a Saturday morning when there is no school run to do but I headed off just after half past 7 for the walk up the hill to Church. The sun was shining it was a lovely winter morning. I just love it when the sun shines it just makes my spirit soar.
The bacon rolls were as delicious as ever after a coffee, a juice and fellowship with the other ladies I was really relaxed.
Over the last couple of weeks I have been thinking a lot about prayer as I have been talking to my after school club children about the different ways we pray and last weekend I attended a Sunday school workers training day at which we looked at different and creative ways to engage children in prayer. At our quarterly prayer event last weekend we focused on praying for our community and in particular areas of our town that are the most in need and areas that do not have housegroups.
We talked more about this today and different people shared experiences of where they have prayed for other people and seen positive outcomes.
During our time of prayer I had a word from God for the group. I have not had such a clear word come like this and I was a little bit nervous about speaking it out loud in front of everyone. But the word was that we should be open to accept God's help when we speak to people. That we should accept his advice like when he said to Joshua to be strong and courageous because God is with us and if we call on Him he will help guide us. We should be bold and not afraid to step out in faith.
I feel this is a great challenge to me to have faith to trust in this way. To be open to guidance in our conversations and relationships with people. It reminded me of just before Christmas when I thought it would be nice to send my mum a bunch of flowers as a Christmas present. It was about a week until Christmas but I felt it in my heart that if I was going to send flowers it had to be today. So I looked online and was able to get same day delivery so I did it. I did not know it but it was just what my mum needed that day to receive those flowers another day would still have been great but would not have been the same.
It was amazing to see God's hand in that situation and I look forward to more experiences like this.
I am not a morning person it's not easy getting up early on a Saturday morning when there is no school run to do but I headed off just after half past 7 for the walk up the hill to Church. The sun was shining it was a lovely winter morning. I just love it when the sun shines it just makes my spirit soar.
The bacon rolls were as delicious as ever after a coffee, a juice and fellowship with the other ladies I was really relaxed.
Over the last couple of weeks I have been thinking a lot about prayer as I have been talking to my after school club children about the different ways we pray and last weekend I attended a Sunday school workers training day at which we looked at different and creative ways to engage children in prayer. At our quarterly prayer event last weekend we focused on praying for our community and in particular areas of our town that are the most in need and areas that do not have housegroups.
We talked more about this today and different people shared experiences of where they have prayed for other people and seen positive outcomes.
During our time of prayer I had a word from God for the group. I have not had such a clear word come like this and I was a little bit nervous about speaking it out loud in front of everyone. But the word was that we should be open to accept God's help when we speak to people. That we should accept his advice like when he said to Joshua to be strong and courageous because God is with us and if we call on Him he will help guide us. We should be bold and not afraid to step out in faith.
I feel this is a great challenge to me to have faith to trust in this way. To be open to guidance in our conversations and relationships with people. It reminded me of just before Christmas when I thought it would be nice to send my mum a bunch of flowers as a Christmas present. It was about a week until Christmas but I felt it in my heart that if I was going to send flowers it had to be today. So I looked online and was able to get same day delivery so I did it. I did not know it but it was just what my mum needed that day to receive those flowers another day would still have been great but would not have been the same.
It was amazing to see God's hand in that situation and I look forward to more experiences like this.
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