Remember More

OK, bit of a cheat as I haven't actually memorised anything but as today is Trans Day of Visibility I've been reminding myself what a brave thing it is to be Trans, out and visible in many areas including in many Christian communities. Even if I didn't have a trans parent I would be standing in unity with the trans community and the LGBT Christian community.

The figures for crimes commited against trans people are deeply worrying, which is why visibility is needed. Trans people are still very much miss represented and miss understood,  in fact the problem is that I'm having to say "trans people" and not just people, which is what we all are. God's people, all one in the body of Christ.

Be More Encouraging

The Monday of Holy Week is usually set aside at St Michael's for a service of wholeness and healing. As we begin to immerse ourselves in the events of Holy Week this encourages us to embrace our brokenness.
Sometimes, for us to be truly whole, and embrace the abundant life and perfect wholeness we can find on Easter Sunday, we must be broken apart.
Encouraging people to embrace their brokenness can be an incredibly painful experience, it's very much part of the discernment process before C of E ministry selection and a thread which runs through the training. Gaining that self awareness helps us to draw closer to God but also helps us to be better servants. Embracing what is broken in us helps us to be more aware of others struggling and hopefully walk alongside them.

Live More Simply

I have a house full of stuff I don't use. Clothes I don't wear, books I won't read again, DVDs I don't watch. We still have boxes in the loft which remained unpacked from moving house nearly 8 years ago. Why?
At the moment, with little to no time for housework, it just feels like "stuff". I often wish I had time to remove everything from my house and only put back the things we really need, but when I do attempt to throw things away a "just in case" mentality creeps in and I worry that as soon as I throw something away I'll need it.
There are probably very few things we're hanging on to that we need and my main goal when my training ends is to declutter the house from top to bottom, inside and out.

Be Aware of Others

Friday was a delightful day. Usually they are notorious for being the busiest day at work but for some reason this week it felt more like a weekend. When we're busy it can feel very solitary, moving from task to task and not being able to chat with colleagues or spend as much time as we'd like with patients.
Yesterday I had time to chat with both and it was a real treat. The team spending time together builds morale and helps people feel valued. Spending more time with patients gives you time to do all the "value added" stuff, or just talk with someone feeling lonely.
I love my job so much, even when it's difficult, and days like this are a reminder of what a tremendous team we have, with the most remarkable group of patients. Part of my routine at night is to pray for the people I've worked with and cared for. Last night my prayers were filled with joy and hope.

Smile More

So I DID forget to blog last night! I'm hoping I gave away lots of smiles, I certainly had reason to. I was on placement today and spent my time in the patient's art group, seeing what they experience and what effect it has on their wellbeing. I was super chilled afterwards and definatly smiling.

Be More Thoughtful

I've been thinking about my friends a lot this week. I don't see them very often but with school holidays looming I'll get to socialise a bit. Being in training and shift changes have impacted on my seeing friends whilst I'm out and about. When we do speak it's often them asking how I am so I often don't know what's going on with them.
To be more thoughtful I'm trying to consider some of the non-material needs some of my friends have right now and how I can help, maybe just by spending time, listening or making them a cuppa.
I'm also continuing to develop my ideas around the needs of the staff I work with, and how these might be met from a spiritual perspective. Helping people feel valued is important in any community - work, family, friends or church.

Be More Welcoming

Another year of failing this particular task. I'm determined that before Easter day I will rectify this...watch this space!
I'm one of those people who believes God prizes hospitality higher than most things...yet I'm still so bad at it. I'm determined to do better.