Journal: up to scratch

I've been feeling a bit ??? For a couple of days now and it seems people have been noticing this if the couple of emails relating to me looking 'tired' are anything to go by. Yesterday I bumped into a woman I met at a service recently - she pointed to a spotty, miserable tot, and said, "He's got chickenpox and he's not happy!"

But I was because I realised that that was the cause of the itchy spots I've been slowly growing and the caus of the itchy eyes and the tiredness and everything else!

So I'm hiding from people as I am usually around quite medically vulnerable types and although I have been told that I'm 'probably' not contagious, I cannot take that risk with the elderly and medically 'at risk' types.

So having just woken up (yes I know it's almost seven the next day) I'm writing this journal well after the day has bolted the stable to say how good the day was anyway. I did loads of (long-distance) pastoral stuff  and a bit of stuff behind the desk and put a bit of shine on the Hustings and the Dying - in the Ditch and more besides. Polished off a couple of things on the way to getting a new minister in St Chad's and am content. The only sadness came in my encounter with one of the 'little people' - the sort who challenge me because I can tolerate people who are inept and generally a bit useless, but get frustrated when the get in the way of sharing the Gospel. hey ho, guess they're sent to make me a better and nicer Christian!!!

So this is here a place marker - let's see that today brings forth :-)

Journal: Ok, where did the day go?

had it all planned but - a day off, but then there was a little website management followed by a lot of admin that needed to be done for the weekend followed by a couple of articles for people and some stuff surrounding the Tamworth Hustings on June 5th and some prep for the diocesan event tomorrow and before you knew it - the work day was finishing and it was almost 10pm and it had been something like a fourteen hour (working) day!

Finished tired and yet strangely satisfied - which is why I guess I keep on doing long hours - because if the work is there then I'll plough on!

So, a great day, albeit almost totally office based, with much to show for it and much to be grateful for.

For the conversations by telephone - glad I've abandon email for telephone, nothing better than hearing a voice and bringing about a solution in real time - I'm grateful. They were a blessing to the person at the other end of the wire and to me.

For the planning which appears to be coming together - always surprised and always blessed.

For the day gone - a big smile and gratitude for a productive day.

Yeeha!

Tamworth Hustings - 9 Days to go

And, according to the pundits, the battle is hotting up and the latest polls see it like this:

Conservatives 34%

Labour             33%

UKIP                13%

Lib Dems          9%

Green Party      5%

It's so close that people I've spoken for today were telling me that they didn't know who to vote for. The answer is simple:

Then candidate who answers the questions and says what you think is right!

Bt if you don't ask, you won't get to find out, so make sure you are in St Editha's, Tamworth on Thursday 30th @ 7.30pm and perhaps you'll hear an answer that convinces you (or turns you off).

And on a lighter note:

An MP dies and finds himself at the pearly gates before St Peter who tells him that the has two choices: Heaven or Hell (please note this is not a theologically accurate joke). 

To aid those who come to the gates unsure of where they ought to be, the powers that be have decided that the deceased can have five minutes viewing time in each of the two venues.

So our parliamentarian jumps in a lift and descends to take a look at hell. When the doors open he sees many of those he knows from Westminster and they are waving, cheering and in between sips of champagne and obviously enjoying the experience.

The the doors shut and he presses button for 'Heaven'. The doors open and before him is heaven and it's full of people singing Graham Kendrick songs, eating soggy biscuits and drinking weak tea (just like after the service on Sunday)! 

Before he has fully recovered from such awfulness the doors close and he's back in the foyer with St Peter who asks him, 'Which is it to be, heaven or Hell?'

Without a moments hesitation he chooses Hell and no sooner than the words leave his mouth he is taken back to the life and the button is again pressed. As the doors open he is met by something awful. The people there are screaming in pain as the flames lick their bodies and there's such an awful sound that it makes his blood run cold.

Then, seeing satan, the politician rushes over and asks him, "What's going on, it wasn't like this when I looked around earlier?'

'Ah yes,' says satan, 'But that was before you voted wasn't it?'

The Tamworth Hustings - 2015

The evening will have two sessions:

Session One
Will consist of questions sent in by members of the public. These will be given to the candidates before the evening so that we can have proper answers rather than leave them to give their party manifestos.

Session Two
Will feature questions taken from those who are present on the evening.

It is anticipated that the evening will end at around 9:30pm

To submit a question beforehand:

email: tamworth2015-hustings@yahoo.co.uk


Don't miss this opportunity to quiz the candidates in this vital piece of democracy in action.