Singing Star!?!

No one mentions in teacher training one of the requirements of a teacher is to be willing to make a fool of yourself in order to entertain the students or to raise money for charity. Over the years I have been involved in various quizzes, competitions and plays. I try to organise something for Children in Need each year and this week we are having a staff karaoke competition! We are using the SingStar game for the PS2 and at break time each day this week 3 duos or groups get to sing the song of their choice, in front of a crowd of eager pupils, trying to earn the highest score. So far it has been great fun (possibly helped by the fact that I am leading at the moment!) and we should raise a high total for a very good cause. We have the final on Friday, when the top 3 scorers will battle it out to be SingStar Champion! It has been interesting to see the competitive spirit of some of the staff and the ones that, although usually willing to do silly things for charity, won't do singing (no matter how hard I try to persuade them!). I'll let you know how the final goes, but it has been suggested I shouldn't be allowed to win because I've organised the competition. :-(

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt - Growth

Here are my gorgeous niece and nephew (and sister). There is 4 years between the two photos, aren't they looking grown up now? A lot of growth has happened between these two photos, I can hardly believe they are both at school and Ben will be 8 at Christmas!

How to waste time!

What a great way to waste a couple of hours, change the look of your blog. Then realise it doesn't look like you planned and have to try to sort it out. Then, just when you think you have it sorted, you have a look at it in internet explorer and its all over the place. Then blogger decides it doesn't want to save ... Fun fun fun!! Hope you think it looks ok! :>

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt - Window

This is the view through the window in the floor at the top of the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. If you look closely you can see past my feet to the people below!

Song Title Tag

I got this from Barbara at Writing From the Inside Out.

How does the world see you?
Birds Without Wings (David Gray)

What do my friends really think of me?
The Jean Genie (David Bowie)

What do people secretly think of me?
Sulky Girl (Elvis Costello)

How can I be happy?
Fortunate Fool (Jack Johnson)

What should I do with my life?
Hey Manhattan! (Prefab Sprout)

What is some good advice for me?
Deep Forbidden Lake (Neil Young)

How will I be remembered?
Tokyo Girl (Ace of Base)

What is my signature dancing song?
All For The Love (Beth Nielson Chapman)

What do I think my current theme song is?
Heartbreaker (Dionne Warwick)

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (Coldplay)

What song will play at my funeral?
All Mine (Tom Jones with the Divine Comedy)

What type of men/women do you like?
I Need To Be In Love (The Carpenters)

What is my day going to be like?
Blues Before Sunrise (Eric Clapton)

Some of these seem remarkably apt, but others are downright bizarre! If you have some sort of an MP3 player and want to play along, consider yourself tagged. Put your player on random and keep hitting “next” to get the answer to each question.

Robber of the Cruel Streets

I just watched this dvd about the life of George Muller. I grew up in Bristol so I knew something of his story of living by faith alone, never asking anyone for money or support for the orphanages he founded, but it was interesting to find out some more about him. Its well worth watching and certainly challenges the way you think, its very easy to say that God will supply your needs but another matter to live by that principle. Its partly dramatised and partly documentary, narrated by Russell Boulter (I think he's been in a few things, but primarily recognisable as being in The Bill and Casualty). Go out and buy it now, or borrow my copy in the case of any family or friends reading this!

A Prayer

Dear Lord

The bread and wine remind me of the great love you showed for me when you died on the cross. I thank you that you loved me enough to allow your son to die such a terrible death.

Lord, I want to say how sorry I am for doing those things I know I should not have done and for those things I know I should have made the effort to do.

I thank you for the love and strength you have given me through the difficult times and that I have been able to share the good times with you.

Lord, I don’t know what the future holds, anything could happen to me tomorrow, next week, next year. Help me to make the most of every moment and to live for you whether I have months, years or decades left to serve you.

May I be able to say with Hezekiah “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.”

Amen

Pink Day

My sister decided to raise money for Cancer Research UK by dressing up in a pink fairy outfit today. Doesn't she look stunning!?!?! I hope she didn't embarass the children too much!

Congratulations Suzy on being brave enough to look a bit silly in order to raise a lot of money. If you haven't sponsored her yet I'm sure its not to late!

Knickers!

Saw a link to this on Calia77's blog, have a look at how one vicar is serving his community!

This Is Cool!

http://snowflakes.lookandfeel.com/

What's your theological worldview?

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this. Emergent/Postmodern 75% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 68% Neo orthodox 57% Modern Liberal 50% Classical Liberal 46% Reformed Evangelical 46% Charismatic/Pentecostal 43% Roman Catholic 39% Fundamentalist 32% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

Weekend Away!

Just got back from a weekend away with a group from church. We had a great time but I'm shattered and will be pleased to sleep in my own bed. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad I went but I think tomorrow at school will be hard work!

Don't Worry

The reading this morning was from Matthew 5, the passage entitled "Do not Worry" in the NIV.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 5 v 25-34(NIV)

Now I have to say of course I agree with the sentiments of this passage but the logic of the passage sometimes grates on me a bit - not worrying about what I wear because the flowers don't worry! Surely that suggests I should go out in all the natural beauty God has given me, why worry about clothes!! (Don't be scared, I don't plan to do this!) However I now have a parallel TNIV and The Message Bible so I was able to read the version of this passage in the message and it made much more sense to me and has made a passage I have heard many times before more alive to me.

"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. " Matthew 5 v 25-34 (The Message)

Another Night Out!

Last night I went to see Thea Gilmore (I know, my life is sounding a bit too interesting, out 2 saturday nights running!) and she was great. So was her support act Dan Arborise, who I've never heard of before but is a very good guitarist and singer. Much quieter and more reflective than most of Thea's songs, which to be honest is more my usual sort of music. I have to say I preferred Thea's quieter songs, the best were just her and her guitar, but her band were good too (but I'm getting old, they were too loud!). Considering she is 35 weeks pregnant she coped very well, only nipping to the loo once in her set!

Looking forward to a powerful October!

Your Birthdate: July 19

You are resilient, and no doubt your resilience has already been tested. You've had some difficult experiences in your life, but you are wise from them. Having had to grow up quickly, you tend to discount the advice of others. You tend to be a loner, having learned that the only person you can depend on is yourself. Your strength: Well developed stability and confidence Your weakness: Suspicion of others Your power color: Eggplant Your power symbol: Spade Your power month: October

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Not quite that boring!

Actually I'm not quite that boring, I did go and see The Poozies on Saturday night. I bet no one has heard of them! They were fantastic, well worth seeing if you get the chance.

How about a question to my readers (just to prove that I have readers!), who's the best group or singer you have seen live?

Nothing much to say!

I realise I haven't been writing much in my blog lately, I'm not sure how some people manage to blog every day, or even several times a day. Not much of any interest actually happens in my life! Got up, went to school, taught lessons, came home, marked, watched tv, went to bed - doesn't really make exciting reading does it? I guess I could write something deep and meaningful but to be honest I don't feel too deep after a day at school! Maybe I'm just too boring to blog!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Pleased with myself

I mentioned in my blog in the summer sitting for hours in the exam hall watching the girls taking A levels and GCSEs had made me think about doing further study. I did look at the Open University but its a lot of money and a big commitment so I decided to go for an A level and am now studying Accounting by distance learning. I'm enjoying it so far, its nice to study something different instead of the same maths topics that I teach day after day. I had my first assignment back today and I got 95% so I'm feeling rather pleased with myself!

Back to school!

I'm exhausted, but I made it through the first week back at school. We had to be in on Tuesday and Wednesday for INSET, meetings and induction for the new pupils. I don't enjoy these sorts of days, usually we are being told about some new directive we should be implementing, some new policy decision for how we should conduct our lessons or a different way we should be teaching our lessons. I come away wondering why I bother as I'm obviously doing it all wrong! The girls were back on Thursday but no lessons, we had form time and individual interviews. Today we actually started teaching, which is far better - although I had to prepare lessons its good to be back in the classroom. When I'm in a lesson it feels right, I am a teacher and the girls are learning and for the most part enjoying it, though obviously most of them would never admit to enjoying a maths lesson! For many of them I feel good if I get "It was ok" or "It wasn't as bad as I thought"! It was a bit of a struggle today because the whole structure of the day has changed so I had to keep an eye on the clock all the time to make sure I got the lessons the right length, I'm so used to the old timings they have become automatic. Even though its only been a four day week, I'm tired out, I'd got used to the holidays and I'm not used to getting up early. The sad thing is I know within a few days the holidays will be a distant memory and it will be as if we had never been away. Still its only 6 weeks to half term!!!