Living It

I have been technically self employed for 6 years now. I receive donations for the work that I do in Christian Ministry, therefore I declare to the Tax man what income I receive from this. Earlier in the year I started a hobby of Jewellery making, I soon realised there is only so much you can make for yourself, so what are you going to do with the rest? Give it away? Yes but again there is only so many friends I have. So the next obvious answer is sell it. Sounds easy isn't it? Well yes - but you are setting up a new entity. The administration is more than you may think. I am obviously thought online selling is an option ebay. Yes but there is so many people doing that, it tends to sell for buttons , if at all. Your own shop. You can try online carts from google and attaching them onto you blog. Hosts such as Groovycart also make setting up a free shop a simple process but there are limits to the free site and the silver and gold options cost as much as a own website a ...

A few months ago I went to a women's weekend away and during the course of the weekend we were given a piece with lots of statements on it. There are lots of variations of these available, some geared for workplaces whilst others are more individual. This one was individual and detailed. I must say that my results did not surprise me but some of the women with me really struggled as we had to refine the statements down to 3. I know that I am a woman who values my family and I love them to pieces. I also know that I would struggle to be a stay at home mum. Hats off to you ladies, I get cabin fever and I have to work and have a mental stimulus. My kids know that I am a woman who likes Honesty and Integrity. If my kids do something wrong, they know the worst thing to do is lie about it. They are probably going to get more of a row for the lie than what they would for their demeanour. The bit I found hard in the exercise was getting it down to 3 as work and family give me a ...

There is a time for everything... Some people like to keep different areas of their lives in different boxes... Sometimes though you need to "Nail your colours to the mast" and Shout when you think that there is something fundamentally wrong. When I read in the paper the Council was going to close the pool in February I had to get involved. Months later we are still fighting on, hoping to convince the Council to asset transfer the building to us. Some of the decisions have amazed me. The pool has been badly managed for years. In the short time we have been looking we have found businesses willing to let out the pool or the hall, yet they were not given that facility as an option when they asked. The council is now renting time at a pool the police own, rather than use the one they own. They are trying to say there is no demand for it! So the parents are being asked to pay more for swim lessons and have to travel to the next county for the privilege... So that is 2 ext...

Hi this is just a quick plug. I have started making some wee trinkets and Jewellery. If you are looking for a gift, you can support me by purchasing some earrings or bookmarks. I am still in the process of making things and new products will be added. So please keep checking back. The link below will take you to the main page http://www.GroovyCart.co.uk/?d=2240 My site is www.GroovyCart.co.uk/ochiltrinkets

Over the past few months I have been attending the Mentoring school of Glasgow Prophetic Centre . It is a monthly free school that helps you to listen to God and practice skills. If I am honest, I first went along to it to see what it was... I was not too sure if it was for me and I certainly would not class myself as a prophet. I do however volunteer for Healing Rooms Scotland , part of International Healing Rooms . So praying for people is not out my comfort zone. At first I was hesitant....but I have grown in confidence and been open to God. At one session one of the leaders asked me if I had tried prophetic art....I could not help but laugh my art is not much better than stick men that my toddler can manage. But the comment was a seed planted....so a week later I bought a pad and pencils. Now I would love to say I have mastered technique, but alas I have not ....but I am learning to be still before God - draw (even if it is badly) and then writing any words or scripture that has c...

Well I have had an interesting weekend. I have been to our annual staff weekend that we have in YWAM Scotland . What did we talk about - Crabgrass . It is not something I know terribly much about....infact I am not sure I have heard of it before. Crabgrass however is a weed that spreads everywhere. One of the interesting things about Crabgrass is that it will suck up the the nutrients it can get in one area and if that section has enough to sustain it, then the crabgrass will pass the excess nutrients along the roots to an area that needs more. Isn't that a wonderful image for a national mission agency/ church? (not the weed aspect the sharing resources aspect.) Within our organisations we have several locations that work independently yet we are still organically linked as we are one charity. So we have this dichotomous aspect as we are one unit YWAM Scotland, yet we are also location based as well throughout the nation. I have never been big on promoting our YWAM Stirling Name W...

Okay, so the title of this blog might intrigue you. Thinking about what I wanted to write here, my mind drifted to a small snippet of the TV show "Outnumbered" where the young girl comments on how silly it is to have a size zero dress size to her gran....the gran explains that it is just a number but that women can be whatever size or shape they want to be regardless of the popular images.....the little girl responds by saying "I want to be Hexagonal". Its funny, but my question here is Do you/I dare to be different? Sometimes I long to have a normal job that gives be a regular, stable income and a life where I have far less juggling and "stuff" I have nearly been in this ministry for 5 years and still lots of people don't get it....sometimes I think people think I am doing this until I can get a proper job when the kids are older. Some just presume I am a housewife. In fact I don't fit nice and neatly into any "box". Sometimes I like tha...