I'm so bad at this blogging malarchy these days. Facebook has taken over my life and I am its humble servant (slave!)

So much has happened that I couldn't possibly update it all.
However, I have just, once again, got back from YSCA which has been an awesome experience. With the theme "step up to the microphone" I have been massively challenged both to speak up and to act about a whole load of big issues from the environment to injustice. It was an amazing week and I was honoured to spend it with some incredible people. Special note goes to the "awesome foursome" with added honorary member Lauren and especiall to Emmarrrr who was the highlight of the week. Jill also deserves special mention purely for being so brave

love love love

June!

Not doing so great with the blogging these days...I seem to spend too much of my life on facebook...anyway

The last few weeks have continued to be mental, and now that I sit down to write something, Im struggling to remember what I've been doing, but lots has happened so I shall get my diary out and see what I've been doing

ah yes, I remember

I went to Leeds for a weekend which was BRILLIANT. I had the best time. Arriving at Leeds station was a weird experience and made me cry which I didnt expect. A whole heap of different emotions came up and I didnt quite know what to do with them. However, before I had too long to dwell on that, I was in a taxi on my way to Wetherby where I spent some time hanging out with Beth and Adam who are just GRRREAT! I got time to go to my old church and see some people there and share with some of the people there how great God has been to me in the last few months. Then i headed to Chris' house...wait no, then I had coffee with Pete which was wicked because he always talks to me on a pretty deep level and make me really think about stuff which I need!!THEN i went to Chris' house (Chris is my best friends boyfriend) and me, him, Jill and Jenf hung out and played on the wii and just enjoyed being together...it doesnt happen often enough these days. Then monday was coffee with miss Emilie Smith and then back to London. It was such a nice weekend, and was alot of fun. However, more importantly I think it helped me kill some of my ghosts. When I left Leeds it was really under a cloud, and going back in more positive circumstances was so good for me. It also made me miss Jenny and Jill even more than usual...thats hard.

Last weekend, I sang at the Albert Hall...wow that sounds more impressive than it was really. Basically I was part of a massed youth choir of 500 young people singing at a big Salvation Army do. It was LOTS more fun than I expected and I got to hang out with some of my favourite people again.Electralyte were just...wow...awesomeness...God really spoke to me as they sang! I also saw Callum, with whom I am going to see Bon Jovi in 8DAYS!!!!!!!!!

Also I have a new boyfriend...that is all I have to say on that subject

IM BACK!

So after a little time away to recontemplate my blog, Im back! A few things have changed/happened since my last blog, but as it's all gone anyway I doubt that matters too much.

One interesting thing is that, 2 years after starting blogging, I now actually work for 'Alove' which brings the whole name of my blog into a slightly different focus.

However, the main reason for writing today is because last weekend was ROOTS (which apparently has to be all in capital letters!) and I had an AWESOME (Also in capitals) time! This year I was producing the Parklife venue-as part of my role with Alove-which made the whole weekend experience pretty different. For a start I was in Southport for nearly a week and involved in some of the set-up and pack-down for the weekend. This was actually more fun than I expected, except for Thursday morning when I sprained my wrist and my boss quite seriously hurt her back lifting stuff so we ended up unable to do much!

Another difference to the weekend was that I just didnt see anybody!If they didnt come into Parklife I just didnt get to see them, and even some of my best friends who were around I didnt have time to spend with. I also had some personal rubbish going on during the weekend, and in many ways it was a really hard few days.

However, it was also an awesome experience, I learned lots, saw God do some wicked stuff and had some good laughs along the way. I think a big part of it for me was the fact that I saw the progression over the weekend of the guys in Parklife. Rather than picking and choosing which venue to go to as I usually do, I actually had an investment in the young adults programme and saw the things God was doing there during the weekend. Highlights included

1) hearing the guys in Parklife shouting 'Freedom' during the human trafficking appeal, and hearing stories of people who were crying because they were so angry at the injustice of the human trafficking industry. In many ways this meant more to me than the £800 the venue raised for the appeal because it shows a real development of a heart for justice and a desire to make a difference which goes beyond one monetary appeal.

2) singing 'Lord you are good' on Monday morning and looking around seeing my brother and my cousin engaged in the worship and realising the truth of the words that God has been good to our family 'from generation to generation'...that was totally not part of what was going on at that point but I was really struck by it.

3)YaYA exec lunches...it was so great for me to be allowed to be part of a team with such fantastic Christian guys and to see how they dealt with the various things that happened during the weekend with grace but also with integrity, Matt, Grinner, Phil, Carrie, Sandjea and Steve...it was a priviledge

4)Sunday nights outdoor response

5) Parklife venue meetings-the randomness of Matt Leeder and Glyn when put together is just immense...as was Glyn's ability to wind up our venue production manager

6)Grinners preaching injury!

7)Carrie and Glyn hosting, including Carrie's attempts to read the football scores "Is Aston Villa in England?!"

8) Realising who some of my best friends are, especially Ben K who was there when I needed someone the most...you earned your chocolates!

There are so many other highlights, but I cant remember them right now. Suffice to say it was an incredible weekend, and I'm excited to hear some other peoples experiences, and more importantly to hear what Gods gonna do with those experiences in the coming months/years.