What a nerve!

I know it's been a fair while since my last post. Usual excuses apply, and maybe a few more! I've decided that this post is going to be mainly about my health. I feel that I really do need try and get some of the feelings, the stress, the pressure, outside. I'm very good a bottling things up and putting on a brave face, and not always so good at expressing my emotions. Bishop Damien and Roy have both commented that they have noticed a change in me. They have said that I seem to smile less! This change has been noticed over the past few months, since my hospital experiences in particular. I recently saw a friend that I haven't seen for ages. He also noticed a change in me, he actually asked if I'd been to war as my eyes seemed "empty". He said that I had the same look as some soldiers do when returning home from combat zones. He should know, he is an ex soldier. I'm not in perfect health. Firstly I have a huge and unsightly scar to my abdomen which also has a big dip in it. This is as a result of the life threatening position that I was in last year. I am developing an incisional hernia in the same area which causes discomfort at the moment, sometimes more so than others. I have been told that they will wait until it is particularly problematic before operating on it, not that I would even want the operation at the William Harvey Hospital. To be honest, the thought of having the operation there actually causes me some concern, and no doubt, causes some underlying stress. Secondly I have type 2 diabetes, although this is generally well controlled, so doesn't cause me any major concern. My main problem is that since having my surgery in July last year I have been suffering from neuropathic pain in my left leg, in particular my left thigh. It would seem that the femoral cutaneous nerve is the offending one! I first noticed a problem when I woke from having my appendix removed. I had a very intense pins and needles type pain in my thigh, at the time I just put it down to perhapos having laid awkwardly during surgery, and so did not report it. Even over the following couple of weeks it continued, although I had other, more serious, problems so did not think to mention it, instead thinking that it would settle. Over the following weeks it did not settle, the sensation changed somewhat, but did not improve. It became increasingly more painful. Painful when resting, walking, sitting, lying doown. Painful to the slightest touch, even water from the shower or bath became painful. Wearing clothing on it or having the duvet on it when in bed resulted in pain. I felt that it was starnge that this should first happen following surgery, it was the same leg that they shaved and attached a diathermy pad to. I decided to look on google for some possible answers. By searching "thigh pain diathermy pad" I started to see some results. In particular there were some forums with people reporting the same problems following the use of a "grounding pad", this is what Americans call the diathermy pad. Some people have reported having problems for days, weeks, months, years. I spoke to a doctor at my GP surgery. I explained to him the problem and he immediately blamed my diabetes and stated that I must have diabetic neuropathy. I would not accept this as a diagnosis as it came on suddenly! I explained that I could not sleep properly becuae of the pain, etc, etc. He prescribed a drug that he thought might help the nerve pain....I tried it....it did not help! I have been back to the surgery many, many times and have seen a variety of doctors. I have tried a variety of drugs and combinations thereof. Mainly without much success. The pain is constant, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It makes no difference if I rest or if I am active, the pain is there. The level of pain does vary, but I would say that it is never comfortable. I was taking morphine sulphate tablets to help with the pain. They were the slow release ones, which meant that you take them every 12 hours. I found that they worked to a certian extent for a while and then stopped. I was changed to taking them every 8 hours instead. This helped a little more, but still not great. My sleep was still being affected, my motivation for life was starting to diminish. I was recently seen by a neurologist who was a nice chap and gave a few ideas, but wasn't able to tell me when or if it would improve. He suggested that a few things might be worth trying such as a nerve block and pain relief patches instead of the tablets. He wrote to my GP with his suggestions. His opimion was that I have Chronic regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), this seems likely according to google! My GP started me on the pain relief patches. The first ones I tried did not help at all, these were Butrans. I was changed to Duragesic patches and these helped a little with some of the background pain (which the tablets NEVER helped with). However, there was still a lot of breakthrough pain and so I was prescribed oramorph. This helped a little, but again didn't take the pain away, just helped a little. I was sent to the pain clinic at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital recently. The consultant wasn't much hep in my opionion. He ruled out trying anything that the neurologist suggested...although I'm not going to accept that without a battle! He has said that I should have an MRI scan of my lumbar back to rule anything out there. I do actually agree with this idea and am surprised that it has not been done already. I have a scan booked for 16th May...a Sunday at 5pm! I have then got to go back and see him 2-3 weeks after. In the meantime my pain patch has been increased in strength, I also take a couple of tablets (3 times a day) and I am now using oramorph on a regular basis, especially at night. Sometimes the pain is bearable, mostly it is not. It is most often a lot worse at night, especially so if I've had anything so much as a semi-active day. i am usually awake for the vast part of the night, often sitting on the edge of the bed, crying, tears not just of pain but also despair. Some nights the pain is so intense that I cannot eveb walk from the bedroom to the bathroom if i need the toilet. Debbie has even had to walk with me, supporting me, as I have been unable to walk the very short distance without support. Although she is my wife and does not mind helping me I feel degraded at having to need such help. Often I am exhusted in the morning when it is time to 'get up', having been awake and suffering through the night. i then have to put on my 'brave face' for the day ahead. At night I often actually fear going to bed because I know what awaits me! Even on my better pain days I feel lacking in energy. I have found that my concentration levels can be affected also, my memory is not as good as it once was, not that I am suggesting that I have memory loss, I think it is just that because I am so drained within that it automatically gets affected. There are 24 hours in a day, many of these have become dark hours for me. The only things that give me any pleasure are my family, Church, my job and my friends, which includes friends such as Bishop Damien and Roy. They have been so supportive over the past few months, which means so much to me. I don't think they realise how much their friendship and support actually means, it doesn't help that I'm not the greatest person at showing my emotions! I'm going to share something here that I really don't know if I should. On more that one occasion, when I have been awake at night, sitting there with silent tears, I have thought about suicide. A few things have stopped me, namely Debbie and the kids, my faith/Church and my job and friends. Firstly, if I were to die Debbie and the kids would have nothing, my small life insurance policy would not pay out, we have no savings, etc. I am the main breadwinner so to speak and so they need my income just to live. Secondly, suicide is a sin, although thinking about it isn't. Thirdly, I do enjoy my job and the challenges which are ahead and I would never want to let the company, and in particular, Roy and Bishop Damien, down. I actually feel that I've let them both down my admitting to the fact that I've had such thoughts. But I hope that it can be understood that the reason I'm putting my thoughts into writing is in the hope that it helps me unbottle some of what is inside me. I fear that if I don't then I will explode. I know that I can be snappy at times, defensive, moody, etc...I'm hoping that this will maybe go some way to explaining why, not that I'm justifying myself. I have been living with this pain and problem for over 9 months now. As I said earlier, it is there all of the time, whatever I do. I can be doing nothing and the pain can be excrutiating, this is what makes no sense and why it is so difficult to live with. If certain things made it worse then they could be avoided, but neuropathic pain does not comply with such rules. Sometimes my leg is more hypersensitive than others, sometimes it has a burning pain, shooting pain, stabbing pain, tingling, throbbing, etc, etc. There is always pain of some type, often a combination of sensations. I have been asked to describe the pain on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being worse), the lowest it ever is falls at about 7, that's with the current medications at their height. Other times (a large percentage of the time) it is off of the scale. I have read that some people often describe neurpathic pain as 15 out of 10...unless you've experienced it I don't think you can actually understand it. Living with neuropathy isn't always a life....it is more like an existence! I'll post more about my progress (or lack of) as time goes on. This Saturday I have an appointment with an EFT practioner. Roy has kindly funded it in the hope that it may be of some benefit to me. He has benefited from it and is convinced of it's potential. I am willing to try anything, so I really do hope that I can get something beneficial from it. I have a few things to look forward to. In June I'm going to away for a few days with my wife and kids, we're also take my mum. Then there is the fact that the shop will be moving premises, Dv, we are also planing to open a Christian tearooms. This will be a fantastic opportunity! Then I have a one week holiday in August, Debbie and I are taking the kids to Minehead. Biahop Damien has also mentioned a possible date for ordination to the Diaconate early next year, assuming my studies progress. Finally Debbie and I have agreed our holiday for next summer, to Egypt. I've also found out that from the resort I may be able to do a day excursion (by air) to Jerusalem...a prospect that I relish!! I'm going to try and do another post next week as I want to write a few things about the Archbishop's recent visit to the UK which went very well, it was great to have him here. Anyway, it's time for me to go to bed. My leg isn't too bad right now, I just hope that it stays that way tonight! Until next time....

Father forgive me!

Ok, it's been four months since my confession, oops, I mean blog post....the usual excuses apply of course!

Quite a bit has happened since then. Firstly my recovery from my operation has been progressing although I still have some problems with my stomach (not the wound) though. I also have some kind of nerve damage in my left leg which is very painful at times. My own research online suggests that this could be as a result of the use of a diathermy (grounding) pad which was used during my operations. Of course my consultant denies this, I am now waiting to see a neurologist and in the meantime I have to take medication to try and control it, including morphine sulphate...so not ideal...but what else can I do?

Early in October we had a Council of Advice meeting in London. I also had my interview with the Board of Ministry. I was obviously quite nervous but I tried my best. I heard some days later that the Board had recommended me to the Bishop with some suggestions attached to their report, all of which can be dealt with. This was a huge relief, and further enforces my calling, the fact that others have recognised this with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. I am now going to crack on with my course!

In October I went to the USA with the Bishop and Roy to attend the ACC Provincial Synod. We went out a bit earlier and spent a couple of days in Key West, Florida. Apart from the rain it was enjoyable, the hotel was lovely. We then travelled up to West Palm Beach to the hotel where Synod was being held. Bishop Damien had a couple of days of meetings prior to Synod so Roy and I kept ourselves occupied.

On one day we went shopping and on the other we went on a Segway tour in the pouring rain around West Palm Beach. It really was great fun, just the two of us and the guide. We got rather wet but I think the rain actually added to the fun, the guide was great which helped make the tour! Roy says that he also had a great time, even though he looked like a drowned rat at the end.

After this we went to Macy's to buy some dry clothes and then went to the cinema.

Synod went well, it was good to be able to see the wider Church and put faces to names. I even managed to conduct some shop business when I was there. I enjoyed taking part in Synod and being able to vote on matters which affect the Church to which I am very proud to be a member of.

I flew home on the Saturday, the Bishop and Roy went on to Orlando to have an extended break with Bishop Starks (a very nice and rather amusing gentleman).

I arrived home on the Sunday morning and drove Roy's Landcruiser home from the airport. I then returned to Heathrow the following week to pick them up and take them home.

Once back from the US I returned to work full time in the shop and things have been going well there since. We have had a very good month in December, so this proves that our reputation is spreading!

Bishop Damien was recently taken in to hospital with a DVT in his leg which had also progressed to affect both lungs. He has been very poorly and we are lucky that he is still with us to tell the tale. He is receiving ongoing treatment and is slowly improving although it will be a long process and he is still suffering.

On 17th December we had an Advent carol service in Church. It was attended by 18 people, so this was really good. I know that it 'lifted' the Bishop to see as many people.

On the Wednesday before Christmas after mass we decorated the Church for Christmas. By the time we finished it looked great!

On Christmas Eve some of us enjoyed a Christmas meal at Michael Caines restaurant at the Abode in Canterbury. It was very nice! After the meal we went to Church and got everything ready for Midnight Mass.

I served for Midnight Mass. It went well, the Church looked lovely and the service was great. Debbie was also there and it was the first time that she has seen me in my cassock, etc!

We stayed at the in-laws over Christmas. So when Debbie and I left Church we drove there to make sure that Santa had delivered the kids presents....of course he had, and the children were fast asleep.

Ethan and Hollie woke up about 8am. Debbie and I went to bed at about 2am, so it was a challenge to say the least. They were excited and really pleased with their excessive amount of presents. Ethan got an XBox 360 as his main present and Hollie got a Little Tikes Wooden Kitchen.

Debbie got me a trip on the London Duck Tour (an amphibious bus) and a trip on the London Ghost Bus Tour on the same day, which will be Sunday 5th February 2012 (day off of Church please Bishop???). She also got me a set of Dalmatics, ready for when I am a Deacon, Dv.

I got her an iPod Touch, DAB radio and a voucher for a meal at a rather good seafood restaurant (on Friday evening) and a few other bits.

All in all it has been a lovely and lively Christmas!

The shop is closed until 3rd January 2012, so it is nice to have a little break and some quality family time.

I hope that you all have a lovely Christmas (I can say this as we are in the Octave of Christmas) and wish you the very best for 2012.

I'll try and post again here before 4 months are up!!

Until next time......

Put thy trust in God!

This is a record for me, posting so soon after my last entry...I hope that it hasn't shocked anyone too much!!

I really wanted to put some of my thoughts into writing, in a hope that they will make a little more sense to me when I read them.

As you know I was recently in hospital in a not so good way. Well this goes back to the Sunday that I was to be taken to theatre for the operation to try and deal with the infection which I had.

I remember receiving many pieces of conflicting information from numerous doctors who presented themselves at my bed. This in itself did not exactly fill me with confidence. Also over the days many of my questions remained without answers, and any answers which I had been given seemed to be out of context compared to the actual questions which I asked. It was clear to me that they were not being totally forthcoming with me. Whether this was puposely done to try not to stress me too much, or as part of them covering their rear ends is still yet to be established, but I will seek the truth!

On the Sunday I was aware that I would be returning to theatre and I had a horrible feeling that all was not well. I remember specifically thinking that I would not pull through, and I rapidly became rather distressed. I wrote Debbie a letter in the form of an email on my iPhone and even recorded a video message for the kids telling them how much I loved them, etc.

Bishop Damien arrived to give me Holy Communion (Spritual as I was nil by mouth), and during this I was in tears. I remember as I received Communion I said "Come into my heart O Lord" and I suddenly felt very peaceful...kind of at one. The tears stopped and I was calm in my heart and mind, but still with a strange sense that my time in this world was coming to an end.

I remember the painful journey from the ward to theatre and then being in the aneasthetic room being prepared. I then did something that I have never done before an operation before. As I was laid there and they were preparing to put me to sleep I said the Lord's Prayer. I had given up the fight, I had given up trust in doctors, I just put all of my trust in God. My life was now totally in God's hands. I wanted God to do what He decided was right.

I then remember (just like a vivid dream) that at some stage during my stay in ITU I had two paths in front of me. It now makes sense when I have heard people say that they have had a near death experience and saw a bright light.

One of these paths appeared smooth and calm, very peaceful with a beautiful light at the end. It was like a magnet pulling me towards it. The other path appeared broken and very stormy, like a dark forest, with a clear sense of danger, but with a light further in the distance. I had a choice to make. Typically for me I didn't choose the easy path. I took the stormy one!

I now believe that the peaceful path was the path to pass from this life. The path which I chose was the path with a battle to be had enroute. Somehow I sensed this at the time and something told me that this was the only chance I had. It reminds me of the saying 'Don't give up without a fight'. Something managed to pull me away from the magnet drawing me to the calm path. It gave me a chance to break away from the forceful pull and get onto the rough path. That something has a name...God!

God gave me a choice, it wasn't easy, but then being a Christian is not about having an easy life is it? God was showing me that there is an alternative. He was providing me with a solution as I had shown my unquestionable faith in Him when being prepared for theatre.

This whole situation has made my faith even stronger than before! In my time of need I had nothing but faith. I put my trust in God and He was there for me, He offered the path and through choice I followed. I made the right choice and that choice was simply to have faith!

Until next time....

I'm just going to take your temperature!

I know, yet another delay in me posting...still, I guess I'm lucky to be writing this at all after what I've been through lately!

I shall fill you in with all of the exciting details. On Tuesday 19th July I went to see my GP with some pain in my abdomen which had been present for a day or two. He did some pushing and poking and came to the conclusion that it was most likely that I had appendicitis, so promptly sent me to our local hospital, the William Harvey in Ashford.

They were expecting me upon arrival as he had made a telephone call, so I was off to a good start. I was examined by a couple of doctors from the surgical team who agreed with my Gp's diagnosis and confirmed that I needed surgery the same day to remove my appendix. They inserted a cannula (needle) and promptly gave me some morphine as pain relief which was most welcomed!

After a short wait in A&E I was moved to a ward and after a further wait of a couple of hours or so I was taken to theatre and put to sleep. Later that day I came round and was a little uncomfortable, but nothing that wasn't to be expected I guess. I continued with pain relief and spent the night in hospital.

The next day I woke and got out of bed and sat in the bedside chair for a while, but the pain level was quite high, despite the nursing staff saying that it shouldn't be that bad. Throughout the day there was no improvement and I was becoming increasingly hot and the pain level was increasing, both around the wound but also in my right side. I had a CT scan which showed nothing untoward so I am told, so they told me that I had a chest infection and started treatment for that. I was also told that during my surgery my bowel was slightly damaged, but this was repaired and they were confident that my present condition was not as a result of this.

Instead of getting better I was getting worse. One doctor noticed a redness on my side and drew around this with a marker pen. Within hours the redness had expanded outside of the marked area. The treatment with antibiotics and pain relief continued.

Luckily I had a bedside fan, without this I feel that I would have been totally unable to cope as I felt so hot and sick all of the time.

To cut a long story short I was eventually taken back to theatre on the Sunday evening as one consultant wanted to open me up and have a look at what was happening. I have since been told that three quarters of a pint of pus was drained from me. I was very poorly and was taken to intensive care where i was placed on life support (ventilator, etc). I remained there until the following day when I was taken to theatre again for further debridement, after which I was returned to ITU.

Late on Tuesday I was transferred from ITU to a surgical ward where I remained until being discharged from hospital on 30th July. I have since learnt that I had a post-op infection called necrotising fasciitis, which is basically a flesh eating superbug. It has a high mortality rate, reported as being about 73%. Stopping it has been described as trying to "stop a freight train with tissue paper".

I now have a large open surgical wound, or great big hole, as it is more commonly known, which has a special dressing on it which uses a pump. It is called VAC Therapy, which stands for Vacuum Assisted Closure. It uses negative pressure to drain the wound, promote good tissue and slowly draw the would closed. It is meant to be quicker than more traditional dressings, etc. The downside is that I have a long tube attached to me and a small pump that I must take everywhere, so it limits what I can do.

Needless to say, I am not at work at the moment, despite me saying that I wanted to go back at least for a few hours! Bishop damien and Roy were having none of it. I have managed to persuade them to let me answer emails and try and manage web orders from home though...as this will help keep my mind occupied and I'll feel of some use. They've even kindly provided me with a laptop and printer for the purpose.

The idea is that I can process the order and telephone my assistant, Beatrice, who is covering in the shop, with the details. She can pack and ship the order following my instructions and I can handle the specific paperwork.

I am not going to Church either at the moment, as I simply get too exhausted too quickly and often have to lay down to either recharge and/or relieve the pain, despite taking strong painkillers. The dressing also has to be changed 3 times a week by the district nurses, so again, this restricts my activities.

Bishop Damien visited me in hospital several times and gave me Holy Communion, this was very much appreciated. The visits were important to me and did bring me some comfort. Especially the one on the Sunday of my operation. I was rather upset as I knew something would go wrong (I ended up in ITU), and the Spritual Communion IO received then gave me a real sense of calm.

Roy also visited me in hospital, and his sebse of humour lifted me somewhat, although it hurt when he made me laugh. He has been undergoing some stomach pains himself, and so I realise that he really did go the extra mile by visiting me...so, if you're reading this...thanks Roy!

Of course there was also Debbie, she visited every day and I think that she was worried, although I've since found out that the doctors were not toatlly open with her about things either. It would seem that there was a toatl breakdown in communications and trying to get information from them was (and remains) like trying to get blood out of a stone!

Bishop Damien posted a message about me on the Church website and people have also found out about my problems through the shop. Many have offered their prayers and sent their good wishes. I would like to thank everyone, I believe that faith has played a major part in my recovery. Our Lord obviously still has palns for me in this world, and so I did not form part of that 73% that lose the battle against this condition.

I have got to have the dressing reassessed on 12th August, at which time they will decide whether to continue with it or seek an alternative. It is a very expensive treatment, costing well over £1000 per week! On 9th September I have got a review with my consultant.

I am hoping to get back to work as soon as possible, although it may be on reduced hours to start with. At least I do have Beatrice to assist me. I understand that she has coped well so far, although she is still learning the ropes.

I also want to fully recover by October, as I am still intending to attend our Provincial Synod in Florida.

On the plus side, i have lost just over a stone...but I could think of a fair few healthier ways to lose weight!

Anyway, hopefully I'll continue to make progress. I'll keep my status updated on here.

On a sad note, one of our priests, Father Tim Perkins, lost his battle with cancer and passed away on 4th August 2011. He will be missed. Please pray for the repose of his soul and also for his family, friends, etc.

Bishop Damien and Roy have gone away on holiday to Austria. I think I'm right in saying that Gemima (Roy's daughter) and Margaret and Laurence have also gone. I trust that they'll have a relaxing holiday without all of the recent stresses!

That's about it for now. I will honestly try and update a bit sooner next time, as I'm at home I probably have little excuse to be honest at the moment. So keep a look out for the latest wound updates!!

Until next time.....

It's done!!

I'm back again, only a month since the last posting, so not too bad I guess!

A fair bit has happened recently so it should give me some things to write about here.

Firstly, family stuff. Ethan recently had a review with his hospital consultant, and now on top of his autism the consultant has diagnosed Hypermobility Syndrome with very low muscle tone (Hypotonia) and also Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), he adds that the problems are compounded by his autism. Hopefully we can get a physiotherapy programme added into his occupational therapy programme, as they say 'every little helps'. There is some research to suggest that this could all be linked to his traumatic birth, but for every one piece of research that supports this another suggests something else, so we'll never really know officially, but in our own hearts and minds it doesn't take a rocket scientist to establish the link!

Hollie is still being Hollie, although she seems to be breaking slightly less things lately...the television remains in one piece so far!

I recently submitted a request to our Board of Ministry that they look at a course that I was proposing to study in order to meet the ordination educational requirements. Canon Don put a fair amount of effort into it, and thankfully has approved the course (subject to a couple of criteria), this is great news for me as it is going to save my wallet a lot!! I am now formally enrolled and have started the course. If all goes according to plan it will lead to a Certificate in Religious Studies and then a Bacehlor in Religious Studies, with the opportunity then of studying for a Master's....one step at a time I think though.

As a result of this approval, and following a long(ish) chat with Bishop Damien I completed the application form for a candidate to ministry and submitted it formally to him a couple of weeks ago....now the ball starts rolling. At some stage I should imagine that I will be formally interviewed by the Board, and we'll go from there. I have started my course though, so that is me off of the starting block at least.

Also I have now obtained all of the books on the Board's reading list, and have made a start at them...there are a few to get through!

My 'journey in faith' has really stepped up a gear recently and I feel so much better for it. I know that I am really following God's plan for me now, as everything that is happening feels right in both my heart and my mind. I sense Christ's presence in my life now more than ever before...it is a weird feeling, but at the same time it feels great. I'm still not perfect, and I still think 'why has God called me?', but I no longer ASK why...I just accept that He has and it is my duty to follow His plan which has been laid out for me.

Last week Bishop Damien and I attended the Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park. We met a few interesting people, some of whom will now be suppliers to the shop, including a couple of authors, one of whom lives locally (in Tenterden) and has published a book which recreates nursery rhymes but gives them a 'God twist', very clever, and quite humerous at the same time.

I now have a part-time member of staff working at the shop, her name is Beatrice and she is French, although she doesn't commute from France everyday....she lives in Canterbury! She works Wednesdays and Saturdays at the moment, but will also cover for my holidays and things like that. It is really good to see how we have expanded from an empty building to what we have today.

Tomorrow is Debbie's birthday....I've bought her some new shoes...I'm such a romantic!! I suppose I'd better get her a card to go with them! LOL

On 28th May it is our Patronal Festival at St Augustine's in Canterbury, so hopefully the weather will be nice and the turnout good, we're having lunch after at Pizza Express, so my diet will go astray...still it is a special occasion (that's my excuse anyway, not that I need much of one).

Anyway, that's all for now...I've got work to do (just in case you're reading this Bishop!!!)

Until next time..........

Bring me sunshine!

It's a bright sun shiny day in Canterbury!

It's been a month, all bar one day, since I last posted on here. I'm going to blame the pressures of work, the economy, David Cameron, Tonty Blair (well, everyone else always blames him for world poverty and everything else!!) and I might as well blame President Obama....notice how I've blamed everyone and everything apart from myself...maybe I should become a Member of Parliament!

Well, the Diocesan Synod went ahead as planned, and it went well. Roy and I were pretty good as a double act for the purpose of serving during mass, we even made it look like we knew what we were doing! In fact, we nearly fooled ourselves!

During the Synod meeting we heard that the Anglican Catholic Church, Diocese of the United Kingdom has experienced a 12% growth within the last year. That news is very encouraging indeed. Although in real terms it is only a small number of people the fact that in terms of Church growth 12% is very good is very positive. There are many other denominations that would beg for 12% growth, in fact there are some Churches that would beg for any growth, or even just stabilisation without any more losses to both congregations and clergy alike!

We also received the annual accounts, and the figures were good. It clearly shows to anyone looking at us from outside that we are serious. Although again in real terms the figures are fairly small, considering that we are a small Church within the UK it clearly evidences positive growth.

My year of office on the Council of advice was up, so I volunteered my services for a 2 year position and this was accepted by Synod.

Canterbury Church Shop - - is going well, our range of products seem to be ever increasing. We now stock Deacon's stoles and will soon have a range of dalmatics in stock, we also have some more jewellery items and a range of products from the Holy Land, including a small range of Armenian pottery.

Our recent application to Canterbury City Council for a Premises Licence to enable us to sell communion wine, etc has now been approved, so we will shortly be stocking this range of products also. If you are ever in Canterbury then it is certainly worth a visit to the shop. We are usually open Tuesday to Saturday from 9am until 5.30pm...we do close from 1pm until 2pm for lunch though, although often I pop out to grab something and then return to the shop and open early! We're closed on Sundays, Mondays and Holy Days of Obligation. Our website does feature 98% of our products though and they are all available to mail order.

Talking of visiting Canterbury, last week Libby Bova and her husband Revd Jerry Bova from the ACC in the USA visited Canterbury during their holiday (sorry Libby, I mean vacation!!) to England. They visited the shop and purchased a few items which was great. I've met libby before, but it was the first time meeting her husband, who has recently been ordained Deacon.

Last Sunday Deacon Bova was the guest preacher at mass, unfortunately I wasn't at Church as I had pulled a muscle in my back the previous day and was kind of stuck in bed (mainly due to some over effective painkillers!). It went well though by all accounts. I think Bishop Damien enjoyed it as it gave him a rest...some would say taht the congregation enjoyed a rest from one of his sermons, but I would NEVER suggest such a thing!!! : )

Ethan and Hollie are being baptised on Easter Day, Sunday 24th April 2011, which is also Ethan's 6th birthday, it will also me the one year anniversary of my confirmation...how time flies!

I was weighed at Slimming World last Tuesday and found out that I've lost half a stone so far, Debbie has done slightly better and has lost 10lbs to date. It's been a consistant week on week loss so far, so I am happy with that. I want to get to my target by the time I go to Florida in October for the Provincial Synod, at least that way I'll have a bit more room in my seat on the plane and I'll have a bit of extra room for those American portions!! LOL

That's about it for now, so until next time........

Back so soon!!!

I'm back again, I'm actually quite impressed with myself that I managed to remember that I've got this blog...I'm super-impressed that I actually remembered the password to log in so that I could update it!

Well, what's been happening in my world you may be thinking, ok, you may not be thinking that but I'll tell you anyway.

Work...Church...couple of days off...work...Church....that's it really!! Joking aside, I have been working, still at the shop and things there are starting to pick up quite nicely, I'm starting to see the same customers coming back time and time again, I'm convinced that it is because of my happy face, but I'm sure that Bishop Damien and Roy would argue that it is because of our exceptional shop, product range and pricing policy!

Back in February (school half term) I wwnt with Debbie and the kids to Disneyland Paris for a few days. The weather was cold, and a bit wet at times, but we had a great time. Hollie met her hero, Buzz Lightyear (who she calls "Space" for some reason) and we got some nice photos, including a great one of Ethan, Hollie and Minnie Mouse. We stayed in the Hotel New York, which is located at the other end of Disney Village and is only a 5 minute walk to the parks. Debbie's brother and his wife and kids also went, so did Debbie's mum and dad. This was good because it meant that we could go on the 'big' rides, as we had someone to stay with the little ones! I have to say, I do like the Aerosmith Rock 'n' Roller Coaster!!! Space Mountain still tends to throw your head around a fair bit, leaving you with, what can only be described as, a cracking headache, when you alight the ride...or perhaps it's just me! We travelled by Eurostar from Ashford, so, all in all, it was a stress free process...and we spent less than I expected!

Following my operation on my hand I am making a good recovery. It would appear that this operation was a success as the painful problem appears to have now gone...although there is now pain in the palm of my hand, and there is still the pre-existing problem in the top of my finger. It is still early days, so once it has had a chance to heal properly then it can be assessed further...but my eraly thoughts are that it is better than before. I'm continuing to have therapy on my hand....I say therapy....sometimes it seems more like torture!

I can't remember if I mentioned before that I have diabetes. I was diagnosed in 2002when it nearly cost me my life. Well, over the years I have been on all sorts of medications, etc, with varying degrees of success. Following a recent change of hospital consultant my medication has changed again. As I am overweight I had wanted to try a drug called Byetta, my previous consultant denied it to me. This new doctor has agreed to try me on Victoza (essentially the same), and so far, apart from the initial side effect of feeling sick, I am pleased. The drug has the knock on effect of acting as an appetite supressant, and although I have only been on it since Monday I can already tell that it works!

I have also re-joined Slimming World, along with Debbie and in my first week I have lost 2.5lbs...not a great loss...but a loss...if I had that loss every week then I would be very pleased indeed.

This Saturday is our Diocesan Synod in London, so I am looking forward to that, although the Bishop has 'informed' me that I will be acting as a Server at the Synod Mass...oh well...in for a penny in for a pound I guess!

I can't think of great deal more to write today, so I'll leave it for now, until next time.........

All good things come to those who wait!

And what a wait it has been! I've just looked and realised that my last post was on 17th October 2010...that's last year...3 months ago...oops!

I can't even remember much of what has happened in the last 3 months, but I suppose I'd better try and put something on here. Our new television (remember Hollie broke the last one) is working well, and at present, remains in one piece, this is normally the result of Debbie or I shouting "Hollie! NO!!", although she has developed a response to the NO word now by just blowing rather wet raspberries at us, such a delightful girl...I'm sure that her manners come from her mother's side of the family! lol

I am still working at the shop, and things are going very well. The website is now fully live with two forms of secure payments available, both WorldPay and PayPal. I keep adding more products to the site as we continue to develop our stock range. We have recently added a range of Fairtrade Clerical shirts to our available products.

We also have a few new vestments in now and a selection of Chalices, Patens, Pastoral Sets and Presence Lamps from Italy. I'm hoping that very shortly Roy will have some time available with his camera so that we may photograph these items in order that I may list them online.

Back in Novemeber both Hollie and I had birthdays, her's was on the 5th and mine on the 15th. I have noticed that due to the proximity of these dates my supply of gifts has decreased, yet Hollie's has increased...I sense age discrimination here!

The lead up to Christmas was ok, the shop increased it's performance in line with this, however, the snow spell that we had did affect trade, and even led to us being closed for a couple of days as the trains were invisible and the roads not much better. However, online orders kept coming in, so it kind of compensated for the closure.

Christmas Eve a bunch of us from Church went for a meal at Deeson's in Canterbury, and then followed this with Midnight Mass. Debbie came along with me, although I suspect that the meal was the deciding factor there! Church was pretty much full, as a newish chap, Robert, came along with his family and some of their friends. It was a really good feeling to have so many people there, and I'm sure that the Bishop was rather chuffed!

Christmas Day itself was fine, the kids loved it, got far too much, but that's the problem with family and friends...especially grandparents! I had a bit of a cold Christmas Day, so wasn't feeling 100%, it even put me off of my food a bit. Boxing Day (St Stephen's Day), the cold really hit me...I'm convinced that I had swine flu, or even worse, man flu...but did I get any sympathy??? Of course not!!!

the shop was closed from lunchtime on Christmas Eve until 4th January 2011, so it was nice to have a little break, although I did come in halfway through to dispatch some internet orders...that was through my own choice and pure dedication to my job though! : )

My studies are continuing, as is my desire to follow God's calling. It probably wont be much longer before I submit a formal application to the Board of Ministry.

We have decided at the shop that we wish to sell Communion wine, etc. In order to do this we have to be licensed. We need two licenses, I have to have a Personal License in order to be the DPS (Designated Premises Supervisor) and we also have to have a Premsies License. In order to get my Personal Licence I had to obtain a National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders. This meant attending a course and sitting an exam. Luckily I passed with a score of 95%, so it's all systems go now. We have started the ball rolling, so hopefully it wont take to long before we are fully licensed.

I've not got much planned coming up, except I am waiting to have an operation on my hand. It was meant to have been a couple of weeks ago, but a pre-op blood test revaealed that I had an increased white blood cell count, which suggests an infection somewhere, so the surgeon cancelled the op. It is possible that it may be done next week, but I wont hold my breath.

Apart from that, Debbie and I have got a few nights out lined up, minus the kids. Next month we are seeing Jimmy Carr one evening and then John Bishop on the next. In March we are going to see Simon Evans...so all in all we should have a laugh or two!

That's about it for now, I think that this brings me pretty much up to date, you'll have to forgive me if I've missed anything.

I really will try and keep the gap between this posting and the next one a bit shorter!

Until then................

At last!

It's been close on a month since my last blog update, still, at least it wasn't the 2month gap that I had a one stage before. I'm going to blame the lack of updates on two things, one is the fact that I've been working so hard (honest!!) and the other is that since I've had my iPhone I don't actually use my laptop at home as much, and so rarely get round to updating my blog. However, I know that this is a poor excuse really as I could do it on my iPhone, or the Bishop has said that I can do it in the shop.

The shop has been generating a very positive response overall, even from clergy from different denominations, so that is very pleasing. Sales are slowly increasing, so this is also encouraging. I have finally finished populating the website with all of our initial stock (new stock ranges will have to be added as we go). This has been a huge, and time consuming, task...but I have done it, and I have to say that I am quite pleased with myself. We are now just waiting for the final confrmation of the WorldPay payment processing stuff and then the site will be activated, so it really could be any day! Just to remind you of the website address (in case you have forgotten), it is, www.canterburychurchshop.co.uk

So what else has happened of late? Well, Bishop Damien recently attended the ACC College of Bishops meeting in Florida, accompanied by Roy. They were away for a couple of weeks, so this left us without a priest, as a replacement could not be sourced! Howvever, all was not lost, the Bishop had 'persuaded' me to lead Morning Prayer (Mattins) for the two Sundays that he was away. It was a little daunting, but I sttod up to the task and I think (and hope) that I did a reasonable job. Certainly the second Sunday seemed to be a little smoother. Who knows what his Lordship has instore for my next challenge!!

Anyway, they are back now, and so normal (if such a thing exists) service has been resumed, although I have had to act as Server because Roy sustained an injury whilst away. He hurt his shoulder, and so, temporarily, has become known to me as the 'one armed bandit'! He is now recovering though, so alas, the nickname will not survive the test of time! Suggestions on a postcard please for a new one!!!

We had the Council of Advice meeting for the Church in London yesterday, not huge amounts on the agenda this time, but good discussions, etc were had.

I have a day off tomorrow, and I have got to go and buy a new tv. A couple of weeks back my tv at home was broken by a little thing that Roy describes as an angel....I could think of many other names for her...the most polite one being Hollie, my nearly 2 year old daughter!! How she managed to crack an LCD panel without damaging the outer screen thing is beyond me, but she managed it! My tv was my pride and joy...I was not happy to say the least, thankfully it was covered by insurance, but no doubt my premiums will go up next year to make me suffer! As a result she will not receive any pocket money until she is 22!!!!!!!! Or shall I just exclude her from my will???

Oh well, it's 11.12pm, so I suppose I really do need to log off and get some sleep.

So until next time.....if you have kids make sure that you have good insurance!

Are you sitting down???

Hello again! I hope that you are sitting down, otherwise the shock of me blogging so quickly again after my last post (given my recent record) may actually cause you to fall over with shock!!

I forgot to mention in my last post that at church now I have started serving not only at Low Mass, but also at a couple of Sung Mass services, in the absence of Roy. I'm getting there...slowly...the prompts are becoming a little less frequent. However, I did have one, shall we say, incident, involving charcoal and carpet!! Still, I confessed to Bishop Damien, and so I was forgiven...although Roy mentions it fairly often!!

The shop is going well, sales seem to be picking up a little, footflow is still good and we are getting a very positive response in general. Our range of stock is increasing regularly, and this will have a positive impact on sales. I think that we could be, I say we...I mean I!!), very busy with the run up to Christmas.

There have been one or two people that have come in wanting to enter into some kind of theological debate, but I have handled it well I believe. Some rather unlikely looking characters have also come in and purchased items that you would not expect them to. I suppose that we are all guilty of sterotyping people though. Mind you, saying that, one of them purchased a rosary, and he asked me what it was, he just wanted it for his girlfriend because it looked nice!!

We have now started taking stock photos for the website, so hopefully, God willing, it wont be too long before that is up and running.

On a more personal level I have decided that I will shortly be filling in the application form for ministry. I have printed it off of the church's website, and now need to find a quiet time to complete it. Saying that, I first need to find my educational and employment history things at home. They were all kept in a document folder, but I can't find it for love nor money...I reckon that Debbie has either moved it or thrown it away by mistake, although she'd never own up to it! I last had it when I was filling in the application form for this job, and thought I knew where I had left it. I suppose if the worst comes to the worst then I could always ask the Bishop for a copy of my job application, or rather just those bits of it.

Oh well, that's enough for now, if I keep it short and sweet it encourages to update it more often...famous last words!

Until next time......................

Hello Stranger!!

Well hello!! I've just realised how long it has actually been since my last posting, just under 2 months....what can I say??????

It's been a roller coaster of a period though, so I'll try and keep it to the point and try not to waffle to much....well maybe just a little waffle...actually, thinking about it, Belgian ones with chocolate sauce...mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Let's try and start back at the point of the last blog, or around that date.

Everything was going as planned, getting the shop ready, etc. I then had a weekend away at Alton Towers on 29th July. The journey from Ashford to ALton Towers was somewhat eventful though. About 30 miles from the amazing theme park, at a roundabout off of J24 of the M1 we were involved in a car accident. We were stationary at the roundabout and we were hit from behind at an estimated speed of 35 miles per hour....did it hurt?? Not too much initially, but problems have been present since.

Luckily my wife and son were uninjured, thankfully Hollie was not in the car with us, as the impact was on the rear driver's side of the vehicle and that is the side that she sits. I initially felt a twinge in my lower back and neck, but over the following days this developed and became worse. It ruined my weekend, as I couldn't go on anything at Alton Towers!

My neck now seems better, although I do get the odd spot of discomfort. My lower back is still causing problems, although it is a lot better than it was. I now have a constant dull ache present, which flares up periodically. Thankfully I am receiving physiotherapy, which does help.

The woman that hit us was fine, although very upset. Her insurance company accepted liability within about 2 hours of the accident happening. The accident caused chasis damage to our car and as a result of the reapir estimate our insurance company declared our car to be a write off.

Then started the insurance battle with regards to a valuation figure for our car. They initially offered peanuts, it would not have been enough to buy a suitable replacement vehicle comaparable to our car. After a lot of telephone calls and threats of referring the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service, a figure was agreed, but it took them about 2 weeks to pay out!

Once we had the money we were able to find another car. We purchased this a couple of days before we went on holiday to Lanzarote. We ended up buying an ex-police car, at least we know that it has been well serviced!

Anyway, holiday was nice, but the flights were not, thankfully the medication that my doctor had precribed made it a little easier. The weaher was very hot, and I managed to get sunburn, as did my wife, the kids escaped with a nice tan though!!

By the time that I came back from holiday it really was time to think about the shop opening on 1st September. We still needed to price everything and stock the shelves. Luckily Roy and the Bishop were able to help with this. So we had three or four long days (working into the early hours on a couple of them!), but we did it! Finally going home at 4am on the morning of the shop opening, getting about 4 hours sleep, and then back to Canterbury for mass, followed by the Shop opening last Wednesday.

The opening was a success, we celebrated with a blessing of the shop by the Bishop, and followed this by a glass or two of bucks fizz and a piece of cake (which I had arranged through a cakemaker that I know.

That evening the Bishop, Roy and Gregg had arranged for a meal at Deeson's, which is a very nice British restaurant in Canterbury. It was a multi-celebration event, as we were celebrating the 10th anniversary of Credo Care and the opening of two new Credo Group businesses on 1st September, one being Canterbury Church Shop and the other being Credo IT Services. It really was a lovely evening, and I felt honoured to be part of it. Debbie also came along, and I know that she felt the same. It also had the added bonus of giving her a little break from the kids!!!

I have to say that the food was very good, I even had pigeon as a starter, something which I had never tried before...needless to say that any thoughts of a diet that evening were well and truely dismissed!

The shop is generating lots of interest, and will continue to develop as we increase stock ranges, etc. It is still early days, and the only way is forward. We're hoping that the website will be up and running very soon.

That brings us pretty much up to date now....I'll try not to leave it so long next time.

So, if you're in Canterbury, pop into the shop at:

Canterbury Church Shop Ltd, 13 Orange Street, Canterbury, Kent. CT1 2JA
Tel: 01227 379777 - www.canterburychurchshop.co.uk

Until next time...............

On your marks, get set, GO!!!

Last Sunday was church as usual, only we were joined by Libby and her friend Janet from the good ol' USA! I hope that they enjoyed their visit to our little church, we certainly enjoyed having them with us.

After church, and a quick cup of tea I had to leave as I was meeting Debbie, my kids and my mother-in-law in Canterbury, as they were visiting to do some shopping. This was also a great opportunity to show them the window display in the shop that the Bishop and I created...I think they liked it! The shop really does look different with the display there.

Yesterday I had to go to our web designers, Red Carrot in Ashford for some training with regards to our website...which, I'm sure that you remember will be www.canterburychurchshop.co.uk

The training was quite interesting and they assure me that I am now an expert in being able to upload items, etc, etc....watch this space!

In the afternoon I met the Bishop and Roy at the Designer Outlet in Ashford for coffee and gave them an update, they seemed pleased.

That brings us nicely on to today. I was up at cock-o-doodle-do hours to get to the shop early, as I needed to finish work early today. Whilst at the shop BT turned up and finally managed to sort our phoneline out (by installing a new one)...so we now have a working phone...proof it were ever needed that miracles can happen!!

Also South East Water turned up and confirmed that we can have a water meter fitted, so it seems like we will be paying a lot less than £243 for a years supply considering that we only have a toilet and very small hand basin! However, we now have to wait for them to do the job!!

I also managed to build the shop counter that the Bishop purchased...flatpack of course...I have to admit that I was getting a little stressed as the instructions left a lot to be desired!! Still, I did it...if at first you don't suceed...rip the instructions up and do it your own way!

By the time that was all done it was time to come home. It was my little boy's sports day at school today, so I wanted to be there to watch him. He did very well, he even came 2nd in one race. He did cheat in the ball and spoon (aka egg and spoon) race, as for the vast part of the race he held his ball to the spoon!!! You have to admire his initiative.

I'm still sticking to the diet like glue, some of the products, actually all of them are quite tasty...so far, so good!

Well, that's the finish line for this latest blog post.

Until next time..............

Air Conditioned Cassocks!

Hello again...or should I say hello again finally??? It's been a while since my last post on here, I don't really have a great excuse other than to say that I have been fairly busy with the shop, etc.

The painting is all done (with the exception of the rear courtyard), and then it was a case of building the Ikea (Swedish furniture made in China) flatpack stuff! I wont mind if I never see another item of flatpack furniture in my life, which reminds me I've just got the shop counter to do and then that should be the lot!!

We have decided upon an opening date for the shop...it is 1st September, in the afternoon, following mass at church.

All of the stock that was at the Bishop's home has now been taken to the shop and is being stored there (in my office), this has given the Bishop his chapel back at home. We have also ordered more stock, including a rather large order of brassware which should arrive shortly!

Recently we had a marathon of masses at church, everyday except one Monday, and it seemed to be the hottest week of the year. I am also now serving at low masses, complete in cassock and cotta...and boy, was it hot! So much so that I have come to the conclusion that cassocks should in fact be air conditioned. Still, in the winter I suppose that I'll be saying that they should be heated.

The Bishop had two guests from America staying with him yesterday, and as I popped to Lydd to see him I met them. One of them, Libby, is a follower of my blog and it was a pleasure to meet her...she actually made me feel a bit like a celebrity! It's good to know that my humble blog is read across the pond!

Today I sat my exam for the Open bible Institute course that I have been doing...think I have failed, but at least I have tried. Some of the questions were truly difficult, even the Bishop commented on this. I will find out in 8-10 weeks the result.

I have started a new diet today, as I want to lose weight for my holiday in August. It is called All About W8 and is a combination of soups, shakes and special mealpacks. I have tried similar systems before, but so far this one does seem to have the tastiest product range, and you have the option of adding a meal, which means real food from an approved list. It works by putting your body into ketosis, which is where your body starts to use it's fat reserves for fuel/energy. Weight loss should be quite quick, but of course the long term success is reliant upon you changing your eating and/or lifestyle habits. I'll keep you all updated on how I go. So far I have not deviated from it one iota!!!!!

Anyway, all for now....next time we speak I'll be a shadow of my former self!

Until then......

I'm out of hibernation!

It seems like I have finally come out of hibernation...I've been away from my blog for so long!

I have to say I've been a little busy lately, my first week working for the Bishop was a relaxed one, but then the pace picked up the following week. I was tasked with decorating the shop, as when we got the keys on 6th june it was roughly painted in a very poor quality white emulsion. This was done by the landlord simply to cover the previous colour of it's hairdresser days.....bright orange!!

This task involved removing mirrors, shelves, etc also. One of the mirrors, a 6ft tall one, came off of the wall quite well, but had been fixed on using silicone sealant...this took well over a whole day to get this off of the wall.

Anyway, after the preperations I was able to start painting. We have gone for magnolia on all of the walls, white ceiling and white satinwood for the woodwork. I have to say that I haven't done too bad of a job overall!

Once the painting had all been done it was time to buy the shop fittings, book cases, etc, etc. This involved hiring a van last Saturday and Roy and I taking a trip to Ikea at Lakeside. The finish that we have gone for is beechwood, this does seem to go well with the oak effect floor and the magnolia decor. Roy also needed to get a few things for his new office at Credo Care in Lydd...so one transit van full, an tired credit card, lunch....and 5 HOURS later, we were on our way!!!

Firstly we had to drop some bits off in Lydd, then we called into the Bishop's home for a coffee, and to pick up a couple of items for the shop which were being stored there...and then off to Canterbury to deposit half of Ikea's warehouse into our little shop!!!! Finally we were finished, both for the day and, I think, physically!!!!!! We took the van back to Maidstone and then Roy dropped me off at home.

I took that Sunday off of church as it was Father's Day, and my little boy wanted to take Daddy out!! Strange how I had to pay....don't quite think he has the concept here!

The Bishop offered me the Monday off, as a reward for my hard work over the last week or so. Whilst appreciated I decided to crack on. So earlier this week I built the office desk and chair and also some of the bookcase extenders. Sadly, I could not get on with the book/display cases as the boxes are too heavy for one person, and to attempt to do it would probably damage them. So it was decided to get me some help.

Last Wednesday was mass, after mass I met up with a carpenter who came to have a look at a few jobs that need doing in the shop. After this the Bishop kindly treated me to lunch. I then had to go and collect my new glasses from Specsavers whilst the Bishop returned to church to prepare for future events (inc. today). Once I had my glasses I returned to church and had a server's lesson. By the time all this was done it had just turned 5pm, so we both walked to Canterbury West station to catch the train to Ashford, from where I rode my motorbike home and the Bishop got a taxi back to Lydd.

I should have been in work on Thursday, and there was also due to be a mass. However, the Bishop was unwell, so emailed me early to say that mass was cancelled. He also suggested that I should have the day off. So I took him up on his kind offer, and for once was able to walk my little boy to school.

Friday (yesterday) was different altogether. It was Credo Care's annual Beaumont Grainger Awards presentation, to which I had been invited. This took place at Bridgewood Manor hotel in Chatham, and consisted of the awards ceremony followed by lunch. It was great to see so many people there. There were three awards. One was for Foster Carer of the Year (title may be slightly wrong...sorry), one was for External Professional and the other was for Staff Member of the Year. This award went to Roy Hipkiss, which was great, as it was he that originally had the Credo Care vision....a vision that became a reality and celebrates it's 10th year this year! The awards were presented by a special guest, a young guy called Jack, who was the very first child that Credo Care placed when then started out!

Today is mass at 12 noon...and it is going to be the ordination of Father Michael Clothier (from South Molton in Devon) to the Sacred Priesthood. Tomorrow Father Michael will celebrate his first mass, this will take place in Canterbury.

You never know, I may even get round to updating my blog tomorrow, to cover today and tomorrow.

Until then.......or should I say "until when"???!!!

Open all hours....well, not ALL hours....and not quite open yet!

It's been an eventful week so far. I officially started work for Canterbury Church Shop (which is another company that has been established by the Bishop Damien, Roy and their co-director Greg).

Tuesday was a fairly relaxed day, they are probably just trying to break in in gently. The Bishop and I went through some of the stock which has been purchased for the shop so far, and started looking at comparisons with what other chucrh supply companies stock and charge. I was also introduced to the staff who work for their other companies based in Lydd. This was partly so that I can feel part of a bigger 'family' and also so that they know me, as I will be, from time to time, in those offices using the facilities, so it is important that they don't think that I'm a stranger who has just walked in from the street and started to use the photocopier!

Yesterday was Wednesday, and we met at just after 11am in Canterbury, at church. The Bishop also expanded my role yesterday and appointed me as the church sacristan. A sacristan is responsible for the sacristy, the sacred vessels, etc. Duties range from dressing the chalice to changing candles, with everything in between! Obviously I'm having to be trained in this role, but, of course, liturgical training is essential for my future, and so it makes good sense to do it this way.

After mass we had lunch and then visited a few shops in Canterbury....checking out the competition!

Today is Corpus Christi, and because of this mass was held today at church. So we met at church again today. Mass was followed by Benediction of the Holy Sacrament. This was then followed by the usual tea, coffee and biscuits. I had a shorter work day today as the Bishop and Roy had to make an early escape from Canterbury, and so let me go home!

With regard to the progress of the shop, we have just agreed a temporary lease whilst the solicitors carry on doing their slow soliciting thing with respect to the longer term lease and all of it's small print. Hopefully we can get the keys on Sunday from our landlord, and then on Monday we can start by decorating the shop in order to get it ready for the shop fittings, etc. It all seems to be coming together now....it's all rather exciting! So work proper starts on Monday it would seem!

I'm in Lydd again tomorrow, I think that we are going to establish our final suppliers list and start preparing more orders, etc.

I'll try and post again on Sunday, but you know me!!!

Until then......whenever that may be...........

3-in-1......and no....I'm not on about oil!

This is actually intended as a double posting, it was going to report yesterday's events and those of today...but today kind of changed, but I'll tell you all about the changed events...but first, yesterday!

Yesterday was Trinity Sunday. It is slightly different to most of the church Kalender (and yes, that is spelt correctly). On Trinity Sunday we do not celebrate a feast as we normally do, instead we sort of celebrate a doctrine. The doctrine is that of the Holy Trinity, the 3-in-1 God, being Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I have to say the Holy Trinity is certainly more powerful than any oil that I have ever come across.

After mass it was tea and coffee as usual, together with biscuits. I was a bit of a rebel I have to say. Instead of having my usual two cups of tea I went out on a limb and had one cup of tea followed by a cup of coffee! I know, I certainly know how to live life on the dangerous side!!

Now we move on to today. The Bishop had planned a parish outing to Walsingham in Norfolk which is the home of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. Today marks the annual National Anglican Pilgrimage to the shrine.

Unfortunately the Bishop sent me an email last night (which I got this morning), saying that he was unwell and it was likely that our trip would be cancelled, as it was he, Roy, Jemima and I going. He sent a further email this morning confirming that he was not feeling any better, so he reluctantly called off the trip. I know that he did not want to do this, as we were all looking forward to it, however, he did not plan to be ill, and his well being is far more important than any trip in my opinion. I do hope that he is feeling better now.

So, today I spent the day with my family. Debbie and I took Ethan to Dover to the raceway there for the banger and stock car racing today. Hollie spent the afternoon with my mum as it isn't really suitable for kids her age.

We also took Deb's mum and dad and our friend Simon. It cost a total of £22 for all of us to get in and was a great day. There was a total of 12 races, including 3 demolition derbies! The last race was a demolition derby with bangers towing caravans...Jeremy Clarkson would love that!!!! The day started a 2pm and finished at about 7.30pm, so this represents a great value day out...fun for the family, oh...and very dusty!

Tomorrow is a big day for me. I oficially start work for Canterbury Church Shop, although it is not fully operational yet, so it will be a case of sorting out the stock which has already been obtained, etc, etc. I'm really looking forward to it, and want to prove myself, although there is a lot for me to learn!

Oh well....I'm off to bed now....early start tomorrow, I've got to be at work, in Lydd, for 10am!!! That will be my first lay in for about 2 years!

Back soon...............

Oink!! Oink!!

So what has happened to the sunshine? It has been going downhill since Tuesday, maybe it's preparing for a fantastic summer...or maybe not!

Yesterday was Wednesday, so it was mass at 12pm as usual. We seem to have a new attendee in our midst. Her name is Nina and she is originally from South America, and she has joined us a few times now. She is, of course, more than welcome, as is anyone!

I even remembered the right point at which I needed to go up to the altar to assist with serving for the Bishop...a long way to go before I can do it all or am anywhere near competent though! That reminds me, it wont be long before our cassocks arrive, Roy will be happy then, when he is no longer wearing polyester!!!!

After church I had to be home on time as Debbie, I and the children were going to Tunbridge Wells to the theatre there (Assembly Halls). We had booked some time ago to see Peppa Pig Live, we even managed to get front row seats.

The theme of the show is of it being Peppa Pig's birthday party. The characters are puppets and you can clearly see the puppeteers who also do the voices for the characters. I have to say I thought the show was great, as did Debbie.

Hollie, our 18 month old was fascinated, and had a big, big smile on her face throughout. When she first saw Peppa she was shaking with excitement and shouted out "Peppa" at the top of her voice!!! She was even dancing along and joining in with clapping, etc!!

Ethan, our 5 year old, also loved the show. He really enjoyed taking party in the audience interaction activities, such as dancing, etc. He appeared to be very happy indeed.

All in all the show lasts about an hour and a half, and at just £12.50 per ticket I thought was great value. The theatre was packed, so this is a clear sign of Peppa's popularity.

As we were sitting in the front row we even managed to get wet with a little help from George's (Peppa's little brother) tears....this surprised a lot of people!!!

We saw Peppa, George, Mummy & Daddy Pig and several of Peppa's friends....can't remember all of their names. We also saw Grandpa Pig's train, I think the train is called Gertrude. Their is also a human friend who kind of leads the focus of the show called Daisy, she was great and really got the audience involved!

All in all I would highly recommend this show to any Peppa fan....or maybe even any adult who is still a kid at heart!!

After the show we went for something to eat at Cosmo, which is a chinese 'all you can eat' restaurant. The food there is very nice and not bad value, they even have soem rather tasty desserts! I think that they are a chain, I know that they have another restaurant in Hastings which we have been to a few times before. Ethan likes these, as he loves the chow mein type noodles...Hollie eats anything, so she is not an issue. Ethan even ate soem jelly for dessert, which is a huge step for us as he is very fussy about what he eats and will never try anything new. This is associated with his autism. So the fact that he tried (and liked) jelly is great, as it is now another food that we can add to his rather limited 'comfort zone' list. One small step for Ethan....one giant leap for us!

Anyway, I'll try and update again on Sunday....or maybe Monday!!

Until then....in the words of Peppa "OINK OINK"!

I could never run a Swiss railway!

Late again! Actually, if I want to get picky with myself then I should mention that I did in fact miss a whole week out...not quite sure what happened there...time does indeed fly by when you are having fun!

So a quick update, to try and bring you up to speed....

Sunday 16th - Church as normal.
Wednesday 19th - Had bad toothache, so instead of going to church I had to go to that torture chamber, more commonly known as the dentist. Two injections, some drilling, grinding and filling later and the pain had gone!
Thursday 20th - My wife's 33rd birthday...I'm younger than her!!!!!
Saturday 22nd - Church for our patronal in celebration of St Augustine of Canterbury (our patron). We had mass followed by a parish lunch at Pizza Express, followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

That brings us up to Sunday 23rd, which was Pentecost, also known as Whit Sunday. It was church as usual on a Sunday. Pentecost falls 50 days after Easter Day. According to scripture it is when the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost (also known as the Holy Spirit), it descended upon them like tongues of fire.

This is what the bible says:

Acts 2: 1-6

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

I find that quite descriptive of the Holy Ghost actually at work so to speak, but I can't help wondering whether or not they were scared, and whether or not the tongues of fire were hot or not. My mind really does work in strange ways sometimes!

Anyway, that has now played catch up with my blog and the next update should be on Wednesday....please not that I did say "should"!!!

Until then....................

The future's bright....the future's Orange!!!

I know that this is a day late, but what is a day between friends? And don't answer by saying 24 hours!

On Tuesday Bishop Damien, Roy and I went to the Christian Resources Exhibition, which was held at Sandown Park. It was certainly bigger than the vestment exhibition that the Bishop and I attended last week. Actually I thought that it was really good, and we made some rather handy contacts.

Roy also booked a stand at the next few exhibitions (held at various venues) for Credo Care, which is the fostering company that he and the Bishop, oh, and Greg, operate. The exhibitions could possibly be a good place to recruit foster carers for Credo Care.

At the exhibition Roy and I were also measured up for cassocks at one of the stands. We are having our cassocks made to measure, and Roy is rather proud of the fact that they will not be made from polyester!!! This is a long story, so I wont go into it. I actually can't remember what they will be made from, but I am sure that they will be good and last for some time. The purpose of them is for us to wear as servers, and mine will then be able to be used if and when I become an ordinand.

On the way home we went to Ikea to look at furniture and we also ate there. I had their famous Swedish meatballs!

We had a reason to be looking at furniture. Bishop Damien and Roy (with Greg's support) recently decided to set up a further business, selling various church supplies and certain religious items and gifts. It was decided to have a website and a shop, in Canterbury. They decided to offer me the post of manager. I am thrilled with this, so of course, I accepted their offer. I start on 1st June!

We have aquired a shop also. It will be at 13 Orange Street, Canterbury. This is just around the corner from our church, and a stone's through from the cathedral.

The business will be called CANTERBURY CHURCH SHOP and the website is currently under development, this will be www.canterburychurchshop.co.uk

We will sell a range of items from books to vestments and candles to statues!

This is a fantastic concept and a great opportunity for me to actually do something with my life. God has given me this opportunity, and it must therefore be part of His plan for me!

Anyway, I will post more on here as it happens!

On to Wednesday (yesterday)....I went to church as normal and mass started at 12pm. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. We had coffee afterwards, only today we had a latte from the shop at the end of the road, as we had no milk. We had a general chat and then said our farewells.

After church I had to go to Argos to buy a Peppa Pig bedding set for my daughter...she is made about Peppa, we're actually going to see a live Peppa Pig show on 26th May at Tunbridge Wells!

Today is Ascension Day, and as such there would have been mass at church. Sadly, I was unable to attend, due to work, but once the shop is opened then hopefully this will be a problem of the past!

Oh well, that's all for now. I'll be back on Sunday.

Until then...............

Ask and ye shall receive!

Today is Rogation Sunday. The word 'Rogation' stems from the Latin verb 'rogare' which means 'to ask'. So Rogation Sunday traditionally was a day when the parishioners and the minister would carry out a ceremony known as "beating the bounds". They would process around the boundaries of the parish and pray for Gods protection for the forthcoming year. This applied, in particular, to crops and new born animals.

God, being the one who always listens to us and our needs would no doubt answer these prayers and provide what was needed.

Indeed God continues to do this even in our modern times. Fair enough, if we pray to win the lottery then He is unlikely to answer that prayer (as it is somewhat selfish), but He will always answer our genuine and heartfelt prayers in a positive way, this is evidenced in the bible "Ask and ye shall receive" (John 16:24).

Prayer is an exceptionally important part of being a Christian, it is not good enough to just pray every so often, regular prayer is the way to go. We must remember that God wants us to pray, He likes us to talk to Him, He likes to know what we are doing, just as any good parent wants to keep posted on what their children are up to even if they have grown up and left home!

God doesn't have a telephone, nor an email address and sadly there is no postal service between heaven and earth, so our only means of communication is by prayer. The prayers do not have to be formal or prepared, they just have to be genuine! Remember the Lord does not demand anything from us, He will only take what we are prepared to give, and is a few minutes a day through prayer too much to give? Not in my opinion! The Lord gives us so much more than this!

So, be more like the chicken (from last Sunday) and look up often....and talk while you're at it! When I say talk, this does not mean that you have to speak out loud, it is perfectly accepatable to talk through your heart...just make it a regular thing! Give Him thanks for His goodness also!

I had better mention that I did go to church today, that's why I know that it is Rogation Sunday....I'm getting good at the church thing now....it has become a very important part of my life, the people there are not simply churchgoers, they are faithful people who I am proud to say are my friends! I thank God for this! I thank God for connecting me with the ACC....and I make sure that I remind Him of this thanks every single day!

Until Wednesday..............