Why Mexico?

- Tomorrow I'm flying out to Mexico with my family and some friends. In Mexico we will be building a house, along with a group of people from Plymouth. There will be 3 other builds taking place at the same time, being built by people from all around the UK. We will all be eating together, praying together, camping together and hearing about each other's progress throughout the builds. The building will take 5 days and we will also spend a day either side of the build in Mexico to set up and pack down camp, and to hand over the keys to the families. -

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"Why help people abroad when those on our own doorstep, in our own country, need help too?" The number of times I've heard this response to mission work abroad is countless. So I thought I'd write an open response to anyone who has thought about this question before or to anyone who has no idea how to respond to this kind of question but would like to. -

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There are people in the world who need help and there are people in the world who can help. In fact, I'm sure we could go as far as to say that everyone needs help and everyone can help. You see, the help we all require is different and relative. One woman needs help getting a job, whilst one woman needs help getting to and from her job. One man needs help with childcare, whilst another needs help and support after the loss of his child. Sometimes the help we require can be a long and seemingly never-ending list. Does that mean the list isn't worth denting? Checking some things off is surely better than none at all.  - What can you offer to someone who needs help? A friend is struggling to stretch their finances to the end of the month, could you bless them with a meal? Perhaps you are that friend that needs help financially, so could you invite a friend over for coffee and encouragement? Perhaps you are that friend that needs a shoulder to cry on and a whole heap of encouraging, could you smile at someone in the street to give them a warm and hopeful feeling that everything is going to be okay? Perhaps you are that person who needs a smile, could you bless a family with a meal? These small acts of love really do make the world go round. Not everyone can give everything, and not everyone needs everything but it becomes a beautiful cycle when we all give what we can to the people that need it. - There are opportunities around us every single day to help people locally and, occasionally, the opportunity might arise for you to help someone further afield.  A project abroad has a much bigger impact than the obvious: blessing one family with one house, blessing an orphanage with supplies and volunteers, etc. The 'help' reaches so much further. For the people who receive some help, they get a weight lifted off of their shoulders - an item ticked off of the list of things that they need help with. They feel loved and supported, and they feel safe. For the people embarking upon the adventure, they come home with a fresh new perspective on life, family, and what it means to be happy. They work towards helping a problem much bigger than they can imagine, empowering them to know that they can make a difference in people's lives back home too. For the people at home who have cheered them along, they get to see the fruit of their own hard work and support, which in turn encourages them in knowing that they are valued, needed, and that they have purpose. I could go on!  - Sometimes, no, all the time, the project is about the people. The people who need help, the people who give, the people who are inspired. The people. We're all people on earth in search of love and happiness, purpose and direction. So, let's get the ball rolling! Start helping out and start asking for help this week. - Why Mexico? To make love look like something for all of the people involved. - See you on the other side! Expect a picture-filled post in a fortnight's time! - Amy xo -

How To Fly The Nest

Image Source: Google

'T o   F l y   T h e   N e s t' - (Of a young bird) leave its nest on becoming able to fly. 1.1 informal (Of a young person) leave their parents' home to set up home elsewhere.

Having moved out almost a month ago, I've gained some fresh wisdom on leaving the nest. It's an adventurous task and one I chose to see as something really positive. I'm writing out some of my experiences in this post partly for your benefit but mostly for mine - so that I can look back and show my kids what I was up to! 
P a c k i n g: I began scribbling down a list of things I needed to pack just a few days before I left. Once I'd 'finished' the list I went to bed and woke up with 20,000 more items I'd forgotten to write down! It was a weird process deciding what I would need and realising how much stuff I use throughout the week. It was also the perfect opportunity to leave, at home, the stuff that I didn't use all that often, making my new room so much less crowded and easier to tidy! I packed my stuff into beautiful boxes which have become my storage in my new room. Eliminating the idea of 'living out of a suitcase' for a year!

T h e   M o v i n g   I n   D a y / W e e k: I met my host family on the Thursday, moved in on the Sunday, and started work on the Monday. I really had no time to panic, I had jumped in at the deep end and started to swim. All that was new was an adventure for me! Everything that got thrown at me that would usually make me panic, I chose to see as a new adventure: an opportunity to embrace something new. I chose to get excited and rejected worry; I was leaning fully on God.
This first week started very differently to my first week at my internship last year. This year I knew who I was and I went straight in as myself, not as shy as before because I know that God has chosen this place and season just for me. Last year I was constantly scared of not being 'liked' or 'accepted' that I cowered away so only a select few got to know me. I've learnt that that doesn't allow freedom to reign. So this year is a whole new ball game.
E n j o y i n g   T h e   R i d e: Two weeks were spent 'enjoying the ride': I made new friends, met loads of exciting and influential people, realised amazing connections, and embraced new activities. I tried a bit of an assembly ready for my first 'full assembly' in my third week. I got stuck in with after-school clubs and loved helping S in the office with the admin and organisation side of the charity. Totally content with the blissful journey I was on, I felt at 'home' already. 
(M e e t i n g)   K e y   P e o p l e:
You hear all of the time that a big life change shows you who your true friends are... But what if a big life change brings you key people? I'm still back in my 'hometown' every weekend seeing my good friends and making great memories. I have made use of the internet and kept in touch with so many friends. But I've also been blessed with some key people in my new town who are keeping me grounded. Big life changes don't eliminate friends, they add new ones!
A   S p a n n e r   I n   T h e   W o r k s:
Week three and four have thrown various things at me. My adrenaline levels have dropped causing the re-introduction of my high levels of fatigue and pain. I've visited the doctor about a problem that has progressed in my knee and been referred for an MRI. My amazing host family and I have come to the joint decision that it isn't right for me to stay here for now, so I will be moving out this weekend.

M o r e   A d v e n t u r e   A w a i t s:
Never a dull moment, I now have more adventures to get excited about!
* I'll be moving in with a colleague on Sunday night *
She is brilliant, has a lovely husband, a gorgeous dog, and a chilled out tortoise. I'll be staying there for a few weeks until somewhere more permanent is found for me.
* I'll be starting a course on youth mentoring *
* I'll be doing more assemblies with new people *
* We will start planning the Christmas Panto *
That's all for now!  A few ramblings about month number 1 in a new town,

Amy xo

We're All Just Rainbow-Puking Unicorns?

Is the millennial generation a group of r a i n b o w - p u k i n g - u n i c o r n s or are they just mis-guided optimists? (Click to be taken to the full article)
You don't have to look far in the music industry to see that the millennial generation think that they can change the world, shine bright, and make a difference. 

Rihanna - Diamonds
This is a positive thing, though. We were all created to be creators that would dream up the impossible and make it happen though God's awesome power. I take the observation in this article, that the millennial generation are hugely optimistic and look for value in a job in different areas to money, as a great encouragement. They're one step closer to their Creator.
We are a generation that gets everything immediately: instant messaging, online shopping, 'likes' as instant feedback on photographs and videos that we share. This means we know how to 'dream something up' and see it happen straight away. I went to a talk recently with Roy Crowne as the main speaker. He said that when we get dreams and visions from God we need to putting footing on them. In my experience, the longer you leave something without footing, the quicker it rolls away. So, a generation that has grown up with no bounds to the instant success that they can grasp has attempted their 'impossible' dreams and, in cases where God steps in, they have been realised. Another positive to the mindset of the millennial generation is that failure isn't final. On social media failure lasts all of 3 days before it's been forgotten. This opens up the playing field for another try from another angle. Something that could have been lost in the millennial generation upbringing is a strong sense of community. We're all the more cautious of people we see on the street. Are they to be trusted? But we've kept relationships going on social media that otherwise would have been lost. Just last week I met up with a group of friends, one of which I hadn't seen since the summer, to get a drink at the pub. We spoke about life and started straight where we left off from. These opportunities can play a key part in building that community element back up again.
We are not a lost generation; we're closer to finding our identities in God.
How can the millennial generation lead from a position of not being in charge?
"...in order to make anything better you have to think critically..."
Note the phrasing of this quote. The term 'think critically' is very different to the phrase 'being critical'. The latter brings a host of negative connotations.
Leaders within an organisation looking at how things can get better, and speaking about those, help the organisation to move forward. Those that keep it to themselves can fall into the trap of secretly wanting the organisation to fail: 'Well I knew it was bad from the start but they didn't do anything about it...'. This mentality is not ideal, or even helpful, for furthering any success. Think like you're in charge, as if you're the owner.  When an owner sees rubbish on the floor, they pick it up. When an employee sees rubbish on the floor, they walk past and wait for someone else to do it. When you start making the steps to change what is wrong you project your feeling of: "This bothers me, I want this to bother everybody."
In summary to 'thinking critically' as an answer to the question,
Thinking critically = positive. Being critical = negative.
Danger = becoming cynical.

Image Source: Google

Jesus walked around with a towel not a clipboard.  Thinking critically is about finding out where you can help, not giving a score.
"Reject passivity... go make it better"
Passivity is allowing others to do things to you without complaining or pushing back (Google definition). When we're not in charge we can begin to follow this trail of thought: 'When they get their stuff together, then I can get on with what I want to do, until then I'm going to have to wait.' There has to be an organic origin to the way we make things better for furthering the success of the organisation. If we act out of spite and become negative about the things we are changing then we are being less helpful than if we were to stay passive. Spitefulness could lead to tension and stressful work relationships. LIE: "When I'm in the leader's seat, then I'll have influence" TRUTH: "Everyone has influence" Passivity is not a good leadership strategy. If a babysitter was passive, the children would never go to bed, tie her to a chair and all she/he would respond with is 'please stop mis-behaving'. "When there's something to blame, there's nothing to work on." The minute we shift the blame to someone or something else the problem is no longer our own. Just like with thinking critically we need to take ownership and not pass the baton. "When I'm only waiting for someone to hand me something, I have the potential to become someone who won't be handed anything" In other words, if we take ownership and start to show what we can do with what we've got then we will be handed more. But, the more that is on your plate, the less you will need to be handed because you've taken ownership and started making changes by working on the things in front of you.

Image Source: Google

^Parable of the Talents^
Focus on making what you have better, not making the boss happy.
'Give your best people the best opportunities, and your best people are those who make the best out of the opportunities they've been given." (para-phrased Jim Collins).

Full podcast information:
"How to Lead When You're Not In Charge" > Lead yourself > Choose positivity > Think critically > Reject passivity

H o p e ⚓

Imagine an ideal world; a perfect place. What does yours look like? A collection of beautiful waterfalls winding through a peaceful planet... no, perhaps that's too picturesque. Is it loud or is it quiet? Is it bright or is it plain? We all have places where our mind aspires for us to be. Be that your own ideal world, or your favourite place already on earth with your favourite person. H O P E 1. A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen. 2. A feeling of trust. 3. Want something to happen or be the case. In essence, 'hope' is quite a big word with not very many letters and only one syllable. 'Hope' encompasses the desires of our hearts.

Image Source: Google

'Hope' brings new beginnings and new light into a place of seemingly-eternal darkness. "HOPE: Remains upbeat - Ignores doubters - Is future focussed - Stares down discouragement - Survives obstacles - Inspires others" - Brian Houston If hope is all you've got, hold onto it like an anchor, because it can take you to positive places that you never expected you'd get to.  Amy xo

A BIG Dream

What's your house dream? Your ideal home? Your perfect future dwelling place? What does it look like? A place in the countryside? A place close to town? A place not too far from where you grew up? Does it look like this?

Image Source: Google

No? Mine didn't either. But it might do now. I had no idea how cost efficient these things are for a home! I'm not talking about buying a shipping container and a mattress! I'm talking BIG!  Perhaps this might give you an idea...

Still not convinced? Take a look inside one of these homes:

Image Source: Google

Feeling a little bit more inspired now? One step even further:

Image Source: Google

There are so many things that can be done with such small spaces. To quote a man in the first series of George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 'we want to make this small space a big place'.

What about not using this idea for a house? How about thinking one step further? To create a community hub where everyone gets to play! A place with pool, darts, sofas, vending machines. A place with an indoor cinema screen. A place that can be rented out for use by local business meetings or baby clinics at a cheap rate.

For a while the word 'community' has been on my heart. Creating a space that can be replicated all over the place like this is ideal! It's a movement that can spread!  We hit 1111 page views today which is a very nice number but also looks like the side of a shipping container! Coincidence? I think not. Amy

Image Source: Google