Tuesday 23 December 2008

Volunteering

THIS IS GOING TO BE A POSITIVE POST.

A few weeks ago my NHS Counsellor suggested I have a go at volunteering in order to build up my self-esteem and prepare for being in the workplace. So I did two things:

1 I started going to the Looking Well in Bentham. This is a sort of drop-in centre for wellbeing of people in the Bentham area. As part of this I have attended a writers group, an art class and also volunteered to help older people learn to work on computers.

2 I also offered to drive for Community Transport, taking people to the doctor's surgery or the hospital.

Well, amazing things have come of this today.

1 A man and his wife whom I took to the hospital yesterday rang Community Transport and told them they had enjoyed the trip very much. This has led me to hopefully having three more opportunities of transporting them again.

2 I was challenged in the writers group to write a 450 word book review for the magazine A Single Step. This I did and read it out to the group. The next step was to send it in to the editor.
Today I hear that it will almost definitely go into the next issue.

Amazing, or what!! My self-esteem has really been boosted by this. Thank the Lord for His mercy.

Saturday 20 December 2008

Energy

I haven't got much energy these days. Or at least I only have it every other day.

On Thursday I went to Liverpool to see my aunt who lives in a home there. I was away all day and then in the evening set about organising readings for the upcoming carol services.

On Friday I was so tired I didn't get up till 10.00 a.m. and spent all day just reading stuff off the internet and watching a two hour special about Helen of Troy.

I will just have to pace myself.

Tuesday 9 December 2008

Surprised by Green

This morning I was surprised by green. Why? Because I have been living in a white world for over a week.

Here in this little corner of Northern England we have had ten days of frost and snow. I can't remember the last time we had wintry weather for this long. But last night it thawed and everything looked green again.

When I looked out of the window and had a shock at this strange colour, it made me think. How soon we get used to the unusual. The older we get, the more we hate change. And yet, when it comes we take no time at all to get used to it. Then we find it a shock to get back to normal.


Monday 1 December 2008

honesty

When people ask me about my life at present and how I feel about it, I tell them honestly. Often they finish the talk by saying something like: "I appreciate your honesty." or "Thank you for being so honest with me."

When they say that I think to myself that this is a code for "You've told me too much. A man should not feel like you do, and even if he does he should not talk about it."

Well that is how I feel, and if I'm honest, as I hope I am, I have to tell them the truth. Ah, but as Pilate said when he stared it in the face, "What is truth?".