Isn't he just beautiful?

Thing are going well and I am a very blessed lady - I don't even care who knows it!

On Thursday I was downstairs photocopying stuff and came back up to my desk to find these:


No particular reason - just because! How lovely is that and how lovely is he?

I am very blessed!

laters
cx

What a Numpty!

Yes I'm a complete and utter numpty! It's official. Last Sunday I left home at 9am to travel to Poole to do the morning meeting which was the YP celebration. I'm in the process of getting all my stuff out of the car when Mandy comes up to me and says "Clare, you've got the wrong Sunday - it's next week you're meant to be coming!" I did question a number of times if she was joking and then when I finally accepted that she wasn't I had a right strop and threw my stuff into the boot of the car exclaiming "Oh you've got to be joking!" So feeling very foolish, I went into the hall, had a cup of coffee and had a chat with a few people and then made an escape - there was no way I was staying around - how embarrassing! So I wondered what I should do next. Here I was dolled up in my uniform with my army hairstyle. I could have gone back to my own corps, knowing their time keeping the meeting would have only just started. But I decided I would worship the Lord by spending time with my family and went to see Auntie Anne instead as she only lives about 20mins from Poole. It was nice to see her and she made a lovely lunch.

Whilst I am annoyed with myself somewhat, I realised that in all my travelling around for this job doing various things in three and half years this is the first time I've ever got the details wrong and I am so very grateful it wasn't the other way round: to not turn up when they were expecting me. I am also a person who likes to learn from experience and draw out the lessons or the positives from it. It could well be that someone this Sunday may need to especially hear what God has to say that couldn't have been there last week. It also meant that I was able to have a lovely sunday with my Auntie.

Of course people have found this very funny (I guess whilst they're making fun of me, they can't be making fun of anyone else!) and they think it's because I'm in love. Can I just clarify that I did put this date in my diary months ago!!!! A long time before all of this other dreamy stuff happened! Having said that, this week I have missed an appointment with the plumber, got confused about what day I'm meant to be meeting Liz, turned up to do a club with half of my resources missing!

What is that all about?!?!?!

Anyway, I've got my opening line for the tomorrow's meeting all planned. If you can't beat them, join them - so I'll let them have a good laugh at me. I can handle it!

laters
cx

Twitty Twoo!

Well, what can I say.... what an eventful week i have had! You will never guess.... I have been romanced this week! yes romanced! I can hardly believe it myself. His name is Adrian and .... wait for it... he's my boss!! Oh my word! It's all very crazy really.

We've been good friends since he came into this job but I guess the friendship has blossomed over the past 15 months what with working together and having long conversation after work in the office when everyone else has left and I guess it all came to point last week where the relationship changed gear.

So, on Tuesday we spent the day in London together. We went to Covent Garden where we had lunch in a small cafe outside the opera house and could hear the music which was really beautiful. Then we walked around some of the famous sites in London. We walked through St James Park, had an ice cream and sat on a bench opposite the pond. It was so lovely because even though London was very busy - it felt so relaxed as we wandered around, chatting and it felt like we were the only people in the city that day.

In the evening we went to see Mary Poppins at the theatre. Adrian ordered drinks for during the interval and we drank them on the terrace outside. He was such a gentleman and made me feel so special.

What a wonderful day.

On saturday we spent the day at Longleat. We went on Safari, the boat, the railway, the house, the butterfly farm, the secret garden and the maze (that was funny - it said that it was a big maze which could take between 30-60 mins but only took us 10 mins to find the middle). Adrian brought afternoon tea in his rucksack: a flask of earl grey tea, strawberries and muffins. Again, such a gentleman.

Another wonderful day.

It's kind of weird knowing that I am to use an old phrase "stepping out" with my boss and I guess it's going to take a while to get used to that.

What's so lovely is the reaction from people when they hear about it. Most people say that they are not surprised but very excited and delighted and that's really confirming. Lesley in our office is telling everyone because she's so excited! She even told the sandwich lady yesterday!

Adrian is a really lovely, godly, caring, encouraging and supportive man. He is such a gentleman and really looks out for me. We both believe that this is a gift from God and that it is an answer to prayer - it's not like we've rushed into it! And so we're going to make the most of it and enjoy it. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

laters
cx

'It's a lovely day today ...

..... and whatever you've got to do, it's a lovely day for doing it that's true.'

So the song goes. Today I have been on our office outing. We've been to the Isle of Wight. It was very very busy because it's the weekend of the Isle of Wight festival so there were also many interesting sights to see. We made our way from Ryde Pier passing through Newport where the festival was being held, down to the Needles (a collection of rocks right at the end of the IoW)


When we got to the Needles we went down to Alum Bay where there is a beach and cliffs which have lots of different coloured sand which is beautiful. We went down the the beach on the chairlift which was wicked fun.



See how steep it is?! When we got to the bottom we sat on the beach for a while and soaked in the sun - it was lovely:


When we finally got back to Gunwharf we went out for a meal at the Water Margin restaurant which is a chinese buffet place. It's well nice. We went out for the meal as a sort of leaving do for Chris and Ian Barr who are moving to London:

They have been our divisional leaders and are great and lovely people. They are in the words of Linda:
Professional
Astute
Looney
Spiritual

Which all spell - Pals and that is what they are to us. I decided at the dinner table tonight that I was unable to cope with the leaving of so many people in the office over the next few weeks (Chris & Ian, Ken & Hazel, Ian, me) and so wanted everyone's move to be forgotten about or put on hold. We've been a really good team and I've enjoyed working with everyone so much. We have had lots of fun and laughter. Unfortunately I know that we all have to move on to the next chapter in our lives and I believe that God will amazingly bless but challenge us.

And finally ... I need to make a positive comment about my boss because apparently so far the couple of comments I have put in have been harsh and not an altogether true picture of who he is (well that's according to him!) Therefore, I'd like to document that he is a vey very good boss. He is very caring and encouraging and supportive. He is funny - even when he's winding me up! He is a very very good officer and has been a good example and influence to me with regards to my future officership. God really shines from him mot of the time - except from when he has his grumpy pants on! So I'd like to propose a toast to my Boss (or my bo as the mug which I gave him says because the cleaner has managed to wash off the 'ss' to make is spell 'bo' instead of 'boss'). I would put in a picture of him so you can toast him more directly but I fear I may be sued for not asking permission from him first!

Well I'm off to London tomorrow - not to see the queen but to take part in the Gospel Arts Festival in the Royal Albert Hall - along with a whole load of other youth choruses in the territory. I've got to be a DHQ by 9:30am!!!! Quite frankly currently I feel abit like I would rather eat my gallbladder than go tomorrow - especially as I don't know the songs.

Oh well another weird day in my life!

laters
cx

You Tarzan. Me Jane!

So NRGize happened lat weekend. I cannot believe the weather. The week before the forecast was rain on Friday and Sunday but there was none the whole weekend - it was absolutely beautiful the whole time. So I am very grateful to God and to all those who prayed for good weather. It really was amazing.

Well, with the lovely weather I never got a chance to wear my gold-plated waterproof trousers. I went to take them back today but they only do either exchange or a credit note - bummer! I did however, wear my wellies as the ground was still quite wet in places from the rain during the week. I loved wearing my wellies! The are cracking!

The kids all did various activities mainly on the Saturday. One of the activities was the high ropes. This is various things you need to climb in the trees. One of the climbs was called the chopsticks. I did this climb in record time with my wellies on:


I was very proud of myself - it was very high! Ian also did this climb but not as fast as me. My boss was too chicken to do it (I said I wouldn't tell anyone but he's been winding me up over the past few days so I've decided to let all know! as payback)

On Saturday Ian also felt really unwell in the morning. So he took some drugs and had a lay out in the sun. During this time I sent text to some people to get praying for him as he was due to do the evening session. About 10 minutes later he got up and said that he felt perfectly fine! It was amazing! God transformed this situation. As soon as the evening session finished he bagan to feel unwell again and in the morning felt so unwell and Louise had also text him to tell him she was ill as well that he went home.

The theme for the weekend was 'transformation' and we looked at how Jesus transformed situations and people through miracles and talked about how God can transform different situations that we may face in our own lives. God certainly began to transform many live this weekend and for that I am very grateful and amazed. Rob, one of our staff sent me a text on Friday morning which said that he had just prayed for NRGize and felt God was saying to him "be prepared to be amazed" God really did stay true to this and did some amazing things.

To all the kids and staff of NRGize 07 - cheers!
laters cx