Monday, 27 January 2014

Don't forget today

Just a thought to throw out there... Don't forget today. Today is important. God has given you today as a gift. Today's never gonna happen again. We can go through the day to day without even stopping to appreciate what gods given us today! the extraordinary days that he's giving us. We can be too focused I what's happening next or what's happening in the future, that we can miss what's happening now.

Sometimes we can be distracted by the 'Grass is greener on the other side' mentality. Ya know, 'what they have is better' their job is so much better than mine' 'their house is so much nicer than mine'. Etc etc, were all guilty of it, but this isn't meant to be a guilt trip! All I'm saying is, if you're always looking over the fence at the other side, maybe you're missing out!

Just a thought...

God's been telling me to do this exact thing...

Pete

Thursday, 23 January 2014

Heres a few crazy things about this year

This post is to thank all the people who made/ are making this year so siiiick! Thanks!

I'm gonna start this years blogging by outlying the insanity of why I'm actually now here in Manchester. God has completely planned everything out to the last detail and I've just realised how amazing that really is.

So it's actually mental that I'm here. I like the most south guy you could come across. Born in Plymouth and grew up in Bournemouth. Very, very south, yet I now live 7 hours north of there.

So God has used so many people to get me to this year and make it possible for me to be on the academy.... I flipping love them all, cos this year is amazing! Here's a few things I find mental about this year:

 So I find it mental that Lindz decided to invest into a silly 15 year old fan boy and let him film his band... And eventually come to manchester and intern in their office/ at their shows. The fact that he persuaded me and other people that I should be coming to Manchester. That my course leaders decided that they'd invest in me and give me a place on the Academy and believe in me! The fact that so many people gave me money to come to academy. That a steward who I met at momentum in the summer, caught the vision and invested in me and the dream of this year, it blows me away!! That so many other individuals give me money every month and have invested in my dream as well. They made this happen (thanks for listening to God!!!!)

That so many people believe in me whilst I'm here. My amazing mentor listens to my moaning, prays for me and listens & invests in me. That the whole of the message trust seems to love us and be behind me, and loves me, even though I'm the annoying 19 year old student! That so many people in Manchester have blessed us with food, support in the house. That my pastor at Sharston seems to do any favour that I ask, even when I forget! That Linz, Remi, Tori, Dave & Nathan let me share their office and give me all the new boy banter! That Bruce and Dave let me join in on the video projects and still talk to me even after I dropped their mac.... That Josh Green gave me a hug when I came back after christmas.... And Ryan is always seems genuinely pleased to see me! That my two house mates are absolutely siiiick! That people who shouldn't care about talking to me... Go out of their way to spend the whole morning, buy me amazing food or take me out to sick burger joints and treat me like a true friend.... people of audacious you blow me  away.... Jamie Hill you rock,.. Your worship leading and wisdom is unmatched!

That non Christian kids from benchill now talk to us.... Even about God and come to church sometimes!! Ahhh! That I've see people come to God all the time. That I seem to meet ex addicts and criminals all the time... that now love Jesus with a passion... And that I get to be a really little part in this!

That no matter what seems to go wrong, no matter how many times I tell God he's screwed it but he turns up and smashes my expectations out the water... in the words of Guvna b.

I'm Blessed.

Woow. It's crazy! Thanks for reading my rant! Looool. Lattaaa! ;)

Tuesday, 17 December 2013

Term 1: COMPLETE.

So,first, I'm so sorryt hat the updates haven't been very constant but I've literally been slammed this term with few days off to think about writing!

I've had some of the busiest but most amazing weeks of my life this term, it's been an awesome journey. I'll give an overview of what each day generally included.

Mon to Friday include at least half hour of prayer and worship before. The day starts, which is just an awesome way to start off any day!
Monday - Mondays include teaching to start the week off, we've had awesome teaching from Jamie hill (department manager) to Marrianna Yates (course leader) to Lindz West (LZ), and many more which could go on for ages... They've all given us insite I many different topics and taught us a lot. Mondays avos consist of music tuition from the awesome Pete Treble, who's taught me to pick on my guitar and Jen out vocal coach, who simply had made my voice better! Then gym... Sometimes. The evening includes a mad youth club in Didsbury, which is always great fun!

Tuesdays are awesome, I have team challenge in the morning, which have varied from planning assemblies, to a solo performance of our musical abilities. In the afternoon, I work with Message creative, with projects from Twelve 24, LZ etc, which means I get to use my skills on the PC and camera, which is simply just awesssomeeeee! (The pic below is from when I got to help film on Twelve 24's acoustic performance: youtube.com/watch?v=TF1hAB0K6Uo). Tuesdays evening include another sixth form youth group which rocks, apart from when my bike got knicked from the church but hey I live in Manchester and Jesus is still Lord init.

Wednesdays are generally quite tough, cos I am normally pretty tired from the first two days of the week so I. Have to pray a lot into over tiredness! Wednesday start off with more teaching from some of the awesome people I mentioned earlier! The afternoons have been in a justice workshop, learnt about social justice & human trafficking, whilst planning a event to raise awareness for it, we managed to plan and pull off a pretty cool event to do that which was wicked. Avos include fitness with Marrianna whoop (like I said I'm normally tired, so this is a challenge) Lindz came for the last week and killed us all but it is always a laugh :D. I then have a night off!

Thursday rockssss. Tom Butler. The amazing Tom Butler, has come and taught us how to practically be better youth workers, (He's my favourite teacher so far) through biblical truths and practical teaching. Literally so good, I loved it it! Thursday avos I'm with LZ, in the light office which obviously flipping rocks, this goes from lyric and back video creation to filming a christmas vid this week, including egg nogg lattes from Starbucks, flipping love these avos! Here's a pic from when we went to Liverpool cathedral, sickk venue! it was rockiinnn. On thursdays I also have another night off and chilllll or edit videos i'm working on.

Fridays start off with reflections in the week, on what we've learnt, what a Gods been teaching to us! This varies in style from week to week bit is always helpful to stop for a few hours. Friday afternoons have been with Tim or Emma Owen looking at ourselves/ how we present ourselves on stage or in my performance situation, these are always really helpful, lovin these tingsss. Friday evening are the favourite of my weeks, we get to go on the Eden bus project in my area, all the kids are coming from the estate onto the bus, chilling, playing the games and we basically preach the gospel to them each week (even if they're playing FIFA), quite a few have come to church, which is awesomeeeee and some starting to really think about God, which just,flipping rockssss, always the hilight of my week!

Saturdays are my chill days. Well quite a lot of the to me they've been full, I played for brightline on one week, served on the production team at message vision night, loved it! Another included being on the video/ media team at prayer storm <<< This was soo soo sick. I've loved serving on these weekends, when I'm not doing stuff I've been chilling, even went to the cinema last week, whooooo!

Sunday is a lie in! Thanks to our church meeting at 4pm HAHAHA goodbye early Sunday mornings!! I'm either on the worship team or leading on the youthwork, which include silly games and A God slot, to be honest I think I enjoy it more than the youth do, coming up with ridiculous games and then watching the youth do it hahah! We then have food after and I'm loving getting to know people at church! Gooooood times!!

All in all it's been a real journey!! I've had so much fun and experience over the past term, I've been living the dream to be honest! I've had little time to stop, sleep or think but I've definitely had time to get to know God a lot more! I've only been I'll twice and missed just one day ( this is waaaay to good to miss). Pray for me as I now start this new term. Pray for my health to be as good as last term! Pray that I learn to say no this term and make sure I handle my time (& time off) really wisely! Pray that I have a siiiiick term getting to know God even more and that I let him use me the way he wants!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY SPONSORS (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!) You'll making this year possible... with an occasional caramelatte as well... lol. Seriously though you're all SICKK.

I've had an awesome break over Christmas, Here starts term 2 (& a healthy diet again). 2014 here I come. :D


Sunday, 24 November 2013

MANCESTAA UPDATE VID

So here another little video update of what I'm getting update. The clips are in no particular order! Hope you enjoy it. I'm having a blast!!

Saturday, 16 November 2013

SORRY FOR DELAY!

So I haven't posted for a few weeks, really sorry, there is a few reasons... First off, the last week of october was half term, which meant i got to go home!! Which was awesome!

Second I've been slammed since i arrived back in Manchester! Its included a busy schedule of placements, a lot of fireworks and bonfires, awesome teaching, plenty of planning for events/ performences, bit of tour filming with LZ and when I can Sleep!! Hah

I will fill in the gaps with the videos I've been shooting whilst doing all these things, will post as soon as I edit them together, hopefully tommorow!

all in all the course is throwing a lot at me,which is aweome and God is testing my character, which is brilliant , cos its what i signed up for!

today im throwing my self off the Manchester velodrome to raise money for the message in a 100ft absail, whooooo. Pray i don't die hahaha. Peaceeee!

Thursday, 31 October 2013

VIDEO UPDATE MARK 1.

Last week I did a video blog to mix it up a bit. I filmed when I could! Obv when on youth placement, I couldn't film - but I am working - I promise, hah!! On half term at the moment but will catch you up again next week sometime!


Sunday, 13 October 2013

COMMENCE

So this week we commenced on the first of  proper Message Academy! We started working at our placements and teaching continued!

Monday we started with Chris Lane, who gave us a complete overview of the Old Testament, which was a crazy amount of information but did open up the bible a bit more for me, which is ace. We also continued with our tuition, I learnt the picking pattern for Bones by Hillsong and did more vocal things! In the evening me and Matt shot straight to 'Thirst', a youth event in Didsbury, just up the road from the message, I played drums hahaha, I loved it, the youth are brilliant, they literally run the whole thing, lead it, speak at it, do the worship, good tings.

Tuesday was sick, we did a group challenge, which we will do every Tuesday, to get started we had a random task of presenting about cheese, it was a laugh, getting out presenting skills to improve! In the afternoon, I'll be on placement in the creative department, doing video work!!! Yessssss, it felt so good to be back on a computer!! At the moment I'm doing visuals for Twelve 24's (Mission Band) live shows, can't wait to get stuck in! Loveeeee ittttt! In the evening me and Andy went to the hub, which is a sixthform hangout/ study, it is brilliant!

Wednesday we had the second but of teaching from Chris, on the second half of the bible, this was a little less heavy but I not gonna lie I was so tired from the two previous days, so I struggled a bit but it was brill! We then started on our Social Justice section of the course. I flipiinnn love this! If you know me, I hate injustice, so this fires me up fammmm!! Cmoonnn! We then moved onto Wednesday Fitness, I loved it, keeping fit for Jesus. C'mon no one wants to see a sweaty youth leader out of breath #JUMPONIT #NoPainNoGain hahah. Wednesday night, NIGHT OFF YEA.

Thursday we started off with a youth work workshop, WE DID SEX. Well we  actually got taught about the biblical view on it/ Gods proper plan about it/ how to respond to kids questions on it, during youthwork/ outreach. Awkward but necessary. Thursday I had my placement with Light/  LZ. Worked on a lyrics vid, flipping loved it fammm!! So good to be in the office, it's a nice office. NIGHT OFF MARK 2! I went to the gym and nearly chucked up, ahahaa!

Friday we reflect on various things throughout the week. We did that, good times. In the afternoon, we had our drama workshop! again flipping sick, we created and performed "Thundercats: The musical", to all the other staff, don't ask, it's a message thing. We then went onto the evening, where we staff on the eden Bus on our estate, it was brilliant, some of them came to church yeaaaaaa! C'mon!!

Saturday I chilled and then we had a load of people from academy/ message, we watched Iron Man and played some random games, great evening!! Sunday I played bass in church which rocked, haven't played it for ages but went really well.

Prayerr - Please pray for the whole academy team, were getting tired and that can lead to miscommunications and a few fall outs - so pray we get nit together even stronger and that when were off (which isn't a lot) that we would get some great downtime!! Its going great, will post again soooooon, reppppppp!