Conference Clutter

I'm sat at my desk, and it's just swimming with ... stuff. I really don't know where to start.

Most of it is the direct result of Youthwork: The Conference. I'll tell you all about it in a moment, but for now, the only tangible effect is the masses of leaflets, books, flyers, sample resources and free frisbies, pens and car stickers that you invariably get bombarded with on this sort of weekend. It's now my job to sort through it all. To be honest, 90 per cent of it is likely to be of no interest or indeed use, to us here at all but it feels like sifting for gold ... just occasionally there'll be something brilliant!

So more on that conference. Rob Bell is so amazing! The teaching from the early day was just about spot-on for me at the moment, and I know quite a lot of people felt the same. He's a really inspirational man ... such amazing knowledge of, and insight into, scripture and yet so humble and uncomfortable with the fame that his unique gift has dragged along with it.

While Rob Bell was the highlight, the whole conference was, as usual, the spiritual oasis that I have come to expect it to be. Eastbourne is a very cold, windy place in mid-November, and we were staying in a guest-house run my a chap who I strongly suspect is related to a certain Norman Bates (there was even a mystery female that we never saw! I kept my eyes open in the shower, I can tell you!). But despite those things, God's rich blessing was in real evidence. Normally, getting up at 7.30am is an almost-impossible task for me, but during the weekend I just couldn't wait to get started.

It's funny, the clutter on my desk kind of reminds me of my brain at the moment. I feel like I've got so much to think about and do, so many different ideas ... only some of them any good! I need to do some sifting...

I managed to have a night with Laura last night (I missed her so much ... four days is a long-time without your soul-mate) and we went and watched the new James Bond. Highly recommended, although don't go with your wife/girlfriend unless you're okay with her "admiring" Daniel Craig... for two solid hours...

Should be a day off today, but I've switched it so that I can go and visit nephew Zac on Saturday, so it's lunch with Clare, coffee with Kelly and Mettle Group B today.

I'll fill the gaps with some sifting ...