would you notice it missing??

today i received a letter from my sponsor child in El Salvador!! it's so cute, he draws me little pictures, this time of his house (made of green aluminium and tin), some trees and a little flower that unfolds in a cool way and has a secret message hidden inside!! it takes a couple months for letters to be translated and delivered which means that we need to send christmas cards now! thankfully shops like wesley owen and marks and spencers are slightly insane and have already started displaying christmas stock, a process which distressed me no end when working in Wesley's since it was still the summer!!!

so if u are looking for a great way of spending a tiny amount of your monthly income/ student loan, sign up with Compassion and support a child! The money you send will support and pay for all the neccessities your child should have, including education, health care, food, clothes, vocational training, social and emotional care and spiritual care too!

And it's not just about sending money each month! Compassion encourages you to build a relationship with your sponsor child through writing letters/emails which are translated! it's such an encouragement to hear from the child who is actually benefitting from your sponsorship because you really get to see the difference being part of the Compassion programme makes to their lives!! plus, you get really cute pictures of them- last year wee Erick sent a photo holding a toy car and wearing new shoes that like, a fiver i sent had bought him!

it's amazing, the price of a night out can make such an impact on someone else's life.

sick and tired of always being sick and tired

well, it has indeed been a while since i last blogged here! since having found myspace i have been chattering away there and admit i have neglected my fans here- apologies faithful readers! having an awful lot of time on my hands these days has not really inspired much blog-worthy material- being in the house all day does wonders for killing off brain cells and de-motivating you to complete any useful tasks!

since the beginning of august i have been signed off work and been very ill. it all began with labyrinthitis, a delightful inner ear viral infection that makes you dizzy, nauseous, exhausted and comes complete with vertigo and sore ears!! this developed into post-viral fatigue, and as the name suggests, causes complete fatigue after a virus. it's a very frustrating thing to have- the symptoms are not visible and it takes some effort trying to explain to people that it's more than feeling tired. i have never, in all my days, felt this exhausted. it drains you in every possible way. going out for a few hours becomes a major ordeal, resulting in the need to have at least a full day to recover. at night you can't sleep and wake at all hours. long, frustrated days are spent lying in bed or on the couch, too tired to read anything that involves much concentration. meeting someone for coffee becomes a huge effort and excitement!

i am beginning to feel a little better, but it is a long slow process that does not have a cure. my brother had ME (post viral fatigue that lasts more than 6 months!) for a number of years when he was in his early teens and his recovery began when he started seeing a nutritionist and dietician who was able to put him on a de-tox programme to help his body have the best chance of recovering. it totally worked, so i have now gone to the same nutritionist and have started a de-tox!! the first week was the hardest as i have to cut out sugar, wheat, caffeine and dairy from my diet!! i love the natural treatment in the programme- i am now taking 12 different forms of vitamins and mineral supplements to detox the liver, increase energy and provide the body with all the things it needs!! it's not easy and one of the supplements is flor-essence, a totally rank tea that has to be boiled in a pan and filtered, and contains ingredients including: slippery elm bark, Burdock root, sheep sorrel herb, watercress herb and Turkish rhubarb root!!! it smells like compost and i have to drink it later!!

so we shall see how it goes...
( i also can't seem to insert any pictures, they're just refusing to appear, hmmm!)

Shadow of the Wind (*post 100*)!

in honour of this 100th post i will share my recent pleasure captured within the pages of 'The Shadow of the Wind'. this quickly became a beautiful refuge and distraction from feeling under the weather as i was transported back to early 1900's Barcelona. the story takes us through the life of a boy Daniel, whose father took him to the 'Cemetery of forgotten books', a labryinthine library where his journey began. it is such a compelling read, beautifully written and very hard to put down. Carlos Ruiz Zafon has outdone himself in this book, despite it being his first novel. It was originally written in Catalan (Spanish/ French) and retains the original beauty of the language throughout its pages. it's such a magical and poetic read, i loved it and wished it wouldn't end!

crazy little thing called love...

I am engaged! to Chris! since wednesday 26th june at approx. 1700 hours!!

once i arrived back from the states we drove down to Troon beach, where it was beautiful and sunny, altho a little chilly compared to 120 degrees i had become accustomed to! and after some luvly chat he asked if i would marry him!! of course i said.. "oh my goodness, oh my goodness"! and then yes!

so i am now a fiancee! and have a fiance! we're planning the wedding for early next summer and i have now been launched into the world of wedding planning! it's a fun place to be, slightly chaotic, and white, but i love it!

our LA missions trip in a very detailed nutshell!!

now into week 3 of my time in US of A which has so far been brilliant! i love that even though it wasn't in my plans to come here this summer it was clearly in God's, and He has been so faithful throughout everything! today is a bit of a relaxing one before speaking at another youth group tonite- since i landed a couple weeks ago it's been non-stop so it's nice to have no real plans! i have met so many amazing people, and made some really good friends here- i love how u can travel thousands of miles away from home and still find people u totally connect with.

last week i was on the music ministry trip, with 3 other leaders and 10 teenagers from Desert Hills, Phoenix. somehow i'm finding it hard to really explain all that went on-we had an incredible time, with a lot of challenges, and a lot of great things happen. the kids are brilliant, each and every one, and i already miss not being with them! we had a band with steve on bass, tom/ jess on drums, gonzo on guitar, and me and erin singing. it was a lot of fun and the guys worked hard at the songs and sounded brilliant. we led worship at some youth groups and played some outreach gigs too, incl. a water/ theme park! there was a drama involving beth the theif, julianna the slut, ashley the addict, erin the gossip and charlie/ brian as jesus. it was really powerful and spoke to a lot of people. americans are generally very open with their feelings/ opinions and so we actually got some pretty encouraging feedback which i hope the kids hold onto and know they really did make a difference. there was also a dance which allie and carly choreographed themselves- it was really good and added a new dimension to our programme! beth also learned sign language and signed along to a song which was so beautiful, and again another way to communicate with people God's love.

the theme of the week was based around the story of the prodigal son, and we had a few common verses or ideas that kept popping up!

• proverbs 3; 5-6- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will direct your paths." one of the guys spotted someone at disneyland with the verse tattooed on their arm, and none of us could remember what it was (terrible i know!!) then in our devotions time God put this verse in my mind, and all of a sudden it clicked and we were like, oh yeah!
• philippians 4:13- " I can do all things through God who gives me the strength i need." this was mentioned at a couple of our group times, and at the Los Angeles Mission we were each given a bracelet with this verse on it!

we had a plan for the week, but as so often happens, our plans are not exactly the same as God's, and so there were a number of challenges and changes that occurred! here's a wuick rundown of the week:

DAY 1- SATURDAY

we spent the whole day driving from Phoenix, Arizona to Los Angeles, California!! the drive was fun and i was kept entertained by the guys in dick's van!! we checked into our motel, had some fast-food (yuck, i feel like its all i ate all week!), a team time and some fun chat!

DAY 2- SUNDAY

we drove to Lakewood for 9am and spent the first hour or so in their morning service. the preacher was great and very encouraging! our team then led the youth group service- it was our first time and not highly polished but that was ok because i think it motivated everyone to work hard in their role and become more committed to what we were doing. it went really well and we got Krsipy Kreme donuts too! we spent the afternoon there, rehearsing thru our programme, the girls choreographing their dance, and the band learning some more new songs, incl. dick's rockabilly/ gospel ones! i struggled singing them initially but once i got into the swing of things it was fun!!

DAY 3- MONDAY

our van broke down! we had travelled in a minubus and dick's van, and the ignition switch in the van was dead. we were supposed to be doing outreach at the water park, but couldn't get everything and everyone there so our plans changed and we spent the day at disneyland which was right next to where we were staying! thsi was supposed to happen on thurs as a day off for everyone, but i think it worked out better this way as it gave us all a chance to get to know each other and bond as a group! it was such a fun day- i was with allie, carly, steve, tom and gonzo, who are hilarious! they made me laugh all day and they had fun mocking my accent and finding out about scotland! space mountain was the best, we went on it twice! charlie also arrived and met us at disneyland so our team was complete.

DAY 4- TUESDAY

we set off at 7:30 am for the Los Angeles Mission, situated in downtown LA. the area is very poor, run down and there were so many homeless people sleeping on the streets as we arrived. it was a real eye opening day- we were volunteering at the mission and working alongside the other staff and the students on the rehabilitation programme. the work that goes on their is incredible and a real example of serving the community and living as Christ calls us to. we were broken into smaller groups and given different tasks- me, erin, allie and jess were working in the laundry and clothes sorting area where we spent a couple of hours sorting through all the donated clothes and sorting underwear into the correct sizes. as we worked we chatted with Elsa, a student on the prog who is such an amazing person. she has had such a hard life and told us her story of how she began taking mild drugs and how it led her down the worst path- she became a crack addict, a dealer and after getting shot in the leg she realised she had to change. the programme at the missions is intense, involving a 13 month rehabilitation where all rights are basically taken away to give them the best possible chance of recovery. the success rate is very high and as we walked down a corridor i was so overcome to see the 'graduates' of the prog in their year photos, dating back over 20 years. please pray for the work of the LA mission, there;s so much more they do incl. providing a bed, food, showers, clothes, etc for over 180 people every nite. we ate lunch in the hall with some of the other students, and it was just such an amazing time. God is so busy transforming the lives of thousands of people and so often we don;t even think of what goes on outside of our own world.

the afternoon was spent at the Hollywood Urban Project, based in another part of LA, right next to Paramount Studios. Again the area was pretty run down and there are a lot of problems with gangs, drugs, shootings, and graffitti on absolutely everything (some of it was pretty impressive, but the gangs each have their own 'tag' and we learned of the different types of tagging and how locals are forced into one or other of the gangs). HUP do a lot of outreach and are based in the centre of the neighbourhood- they take on year long volunteers but at the moment there is just Sam running everything. they are about to merge with another organisation so they can acccomplish more together, so please pray for the merge and the continuing work and witness of these volunteers.

DAY 5- WEDNESDAY

today we travelled over to Whittier community church and spent time meeting with the youth there and practising through our programme. in the evening we ran the service, and it was a lot of fun- most of the youth workers/ pastors we'v met have been in their twenties and very lively, so the evening was entertaining as well as really meaningful! they played this game ' how well do u kn0w ur bible' where each leader picks a kid to answer a bible related question- if the kid gets it wrong the leader is shot in the arm with this little air gun thing! actually, when i explain it back there it doesnt sound so fun, but it was at the time! God really spoke to a number of people that nite, again on the prodigal son theme, and i think that for our kids, even tho they'd heard the message a number of times before, they seem to 'get' new things from it each time. we had a really open small group time with our girls and God was really working in them too.

altho we were there on a ministry/ outreach tour, the main ways God worked was perhaps in the kids themselves, as they were challenged, stretched and not all of them are strong christians so it was interesting and encouraging to see the changes in them throughout the week.

on the way back from Whittier we stopped at Denny's and a couple of the guys were messing around. one choked the other (to see what would happen) who passed out and cracked his head open on the floor. they had run on ahead into denny's and i got there just in time to see it happen. it was so scary, i got such a fright to see him lying there unconscious with so much blood pouring from his head but one of the customers called 911 and i sat there with him until the ambulance arrived. he needed 6 stitches and is fine now, but it was horrible at the time, and interesting to see the ways it impacted on the group. a number of the girls were really upset and got a real fright seeing their friend like that. we had a really open time of sharing the following nite with the girls and i think God used that whole episode in allowing them to share their reactions which were related to other difficult situations some of them are trying to deal with. please pray for the kids who came on the trip, that God would really speak to them and be real to them in their every day lives, as they go back to school and as they deal with all the things that being a teenager involves.

DAY 6- THURSDAY

after an abundance of phonecalls Brain managed to reshedule our day of outreach at the waterpark, Pharoah's Lost Kingdom. we drove there early, unloaded all the equipment and started setting up on this massive stage next to the food court and the entrance. it was burning hot sun with no shelter so everyone was roasting! we set up, plugged in, turned the system on... and got nothing! our sound board was blown! dick and brian spent a couple of hours trying to fix it, and trying to hook it all up to a sound board the park found (which was from the 70's and not responding either!) while we killed some time in the water park itself! the flumes were fun, especially the black one which u go on in a double/triple inflatable ring! we spent some time praying that God would fix it, and not long after that, he did!!! it was so great, and we then spent the next couple of hours running thru our programme, performing on stage and sharing the gospel with people who were passing by! we weren't playing to a massive crowd or anything but everyone who came or left the park, or bought some food or drink, heard and saw what we were doing, and it wasn't til afterwards we really appreciated the way God used us! a number of folk spoke to our team and said how that was just what they needed to hear or that they had been encouraged, etc! especially one man who was about to leave for Iraq with the army. it was a great time. we then all went on the bumper boats, which have water guns on them (stupidly i didnt realise and had my skirt on, which got completely soaked!!! but the sun is so hot it dried really fast!)

DAY 7- FRIDAY

once again, we had a change of plan! today we were going to travel 4 hours back toward Phoenix but going to Lake Havasu to run an outreach event with a group there, and stay in people's homes. however, the temp. is at an all-time high at the moment, and at Lake Havasu it was 122 degrees! i cant even imagine how hot that is, altho we had 116 the other day! so we prayed and had a number of options. we ended up driving back to phoenix and in the evening we ran our programme for all the parents of the kids on the trip! it wasn't what we had planned, but it actually was maybe the best thing as it gave the kids a chance to show their parents exactly what they'd been doing. not all the parents are christians so it was a great opportunity to share God with them, especially as it came from their own kids! we then stayed over at the church on our final night, and had some hilarious times! we played some crazy games, rocked out to some heavy music, and made a movie which is amazing, if i do say so myself! altho it's probably one of these things where we all find it the funniest thing we'v ever done and no one else gets it! no matter, it's for us anyway! steve also got stuck in the guys bathroom- the handle just completely broke and we couldnt get the door open, so gonzo got a ladder, lifted the ceiling panels out of the girls loo and hauled steve over the roof!!! erin and i could not stop laughing! we then all watched a movie which was really sad at the end, i cant remember the name but keanu reeves was in it as a baseball coach for some inner city kids, and at the end 1 of them gets shot! we were sleeping in the youth building, which has a yucky scratchy carpet and was freezing due to someone turning the thermostat way down! i had no blanket/ pillow/ sleeping bag and got about half an hours sleep all night! at about 20 to 8 gonzo woke and was like, oh there's a spare sleeping bag here- arrrrggghhhh!!! so for the next hour i was cosy and asleep! in the morning we watched our movie, ate donuts for breakfast and had a final team de-brief! i felt so sad, having to say goodbye to them all. i'll hopefully catch a few next sunday at church but a number of them are going away this week so i won't see them again :(

so all in all we had an amazing week! i just wanted to get all this down while it's still fresh in my mind, not even for people to read but so i can have it all here to come back to! i'v been trying to keep a journal but its easier to type it all out!

wow!

a speedy wee blog to update on current events in the life of me!

1- Shop with a mission fundraiser was an amazing success!!! u HUGE thanx to lorna, kirsteen, laura, carole and colleen for all the help in pulling it off, and to everyone who bought a ticket and came along!!! the grand total raised was £321.72!!!! i am amazed and astounded at how generous people were and how God completely provided through this event!!

2- on 6th June my savings account had a total of £ 10.60 in it, and as u could perhaps tell from my blogging escapades i had no idea (not one!) as to how to fund this trip!! someone told me that when God calls us to do something, He also calls the resources, and i have been so excited to see the ways He has been faithful in doing this!! i fly off in less than 48 hours and my new savings account balance is... £1003!! wowowowowow!!!! i am once again astounded and amazed at how God has completely provided everything!!! see, He who has called us will be faithful...

3- i love my job! i'm actually quite sad to be leaving it so soon as i'm really getting into it and am keen to get the project underway! there are so many folk who just need a bit of motivation and encouragament to tackle barriers they have to progressing in life, and i can't wait to help in whatever way i can!!

oops, must rush off, will blog again soon!!

My mission trip & Fundraiser!

(this is the wee flyer i made with information, if u are interested to find out more about my trip!)

Over the past few months God has been really challenging
my whole concept of ‘mission’ work, and what it means to serve him and tell others about Him. For the past few years I have been praying about going on a mission trip and having just recently completed my postgraduate degree (hurrah!) have sensed God’s timing and definite calling to take a big leap of faith!

In April this year a team from the USA worked with us in what was a very exciting outreach week for the young people in Newton Mearns: running music workshops (for 35 local young people), playing gigs, building relationships and sharing our faith with many people in & around Glasgow. As a result we now have 6 successful new youth bands meeting regularly at the church, and exciting prospects for developing this further.

As some of you may know, my passions in life revolve around music, people and travel (and obviously, God!). Having envisioned my ‘mission’ trip involving a 3rd world country, extensive social deprivation and a lot of dirt, I must admit I wasn’t entirely comfortable when I felt God calling me to the USA!! However, I believe God has given me these passions and gifts in order for me to use them for Him, so it is with excitement that on 1st July I am flying out to Phoenix, Arizona to spend almost a month working with Desert Hills Presbyterian Church and Dick Dietrich who brought the team over in April!

Some of the things I will be doing include:
· Being a team leader on a music ministry outreach tour with a group of 20 teenagers, playing gigs and travelling from Phoenix to Los Angeles!
· Helping run a vocational bible school for native American Indians in the local community
· Speaking at a variety of youth events/ young adult groups
· Visiting and helping lead worship at a number of contemporary services
· Meeting and sharing information with the church group visiting us again in October (including their minister Jim Noble), to continue developing a partnership with them

It is such an amazing opportunity and I am excited to see all that God will do. I would ask throughout this time for your support in prayer, as there will be many opportunities for people to hear the gospel, and many challenges which will undoubtedly arise. If you would like to support me financially it would also be much appreciated- please just get in touch, or send any cheques to Maxwell Mearns Castle Church, Waterfoot Rd. Newton Mearns, Glasgow, and mark them for me!

With many thanks and blessings, Lynz xox

And remember to come to what will be a most excellent fundraising evening:

SHOP WITH A MISSION!
CLOTHES, BAGS & ACCESSORIES for sale
LIVE MUSIC, DRINKS & LIGHT BUFFET
ALL FOR £3.50
To raise funds for Lyndsay Camerons overseas mission trip
WEDNESDAY 28TH JUNE, 7:45pm
Basement @Maxwell Mearns Castle ChurchWaterfoot Rd. Newton Mearns
(WISH YOU WEAR HERE!!!)

i am now officially a young professional!

i started my new job on monday and actually *love* it! everyone is really nice, and because i'm the first of the new recruits to start i got to choose my desk! so i now have a job, a desk, a computer, some post-it's and a pen, which sits in my drawer filling the gaping space!
this morning was a very interesting Employment Law seminar, which began with bacon rolls and pastries to go with the tea, coffee and bottled water! i learned a lot, so don't ever try and harrass me at work! or out of work for that matter! i won't start my client caseload until i'm back from the sunny states, but i'm chomping at the bit to get going! the induction is excellent, and involves meeting with people from each project and dept over the next few weeks! already i'm feeling exhausted, but it's a total change, in that my student lifestyle does not compliment the young professional lifestyle i now have!! yes, i can now click my heels across the office floor, with my pen tucked into my bun and my briefcase at my side... well, not exactly! but it's good!
off to Arizona in a mere 10 days! how exciting! it hasn't quite sunk in yet, altho i'v been hearing the temp. is averaging at 110 degrees, and dropping to a cool 80 or 90 in the evenings!! meh! i have my suncream already, courtesy of my luvly man, but i think i'm going to need some shorts, altho i don't like them! maybe some new skirts... shopping anyone!?
speaking of shopping, come and SHOP WITH A MISSION! GO ON, DO IT! it's going to be a great nite, and i started going thru all my clothes and bags the other day and hadn't realised i had quite so much nice stuff, barely worn or still with tags!!
there's loads, so please come and buy it all from me! if u do i'll provide u with a buffet, drinks and live music from me and mark, and also from Jenny Purse! and it's only £3.50 for all that, wow!!

SHOP WITH A MISSION!
CLOTHES, BAGS & ACCESSORIES for sale
LIVE MUSIC, DRINKS & LIGHT BUFFET
FOR £3.50

To raise funds for Lyndsay Camerons overseas mission trip

WEDNESDAY 28TH JUNE, 7:45pm
Basement @Maxwell Mearns Castle Church
Waterfoot Rd. Newton Mearns

(WISH YOU WEAR HERE!!)

truth at the core

tonite i was workin the bookstall at an event where Josh McDowell and Roy Crowne (YFC) were speaking. it was really interesting, the main message being that a child's relationship with their father has the most significant impact on how they turn out. they had a lot of statistics, many of which surprised me, incl. a scientific study which found the most significant predictor of 5 diseases was the person's lack of closeness to their parents - it related to stress and the findings that those who had a close and secure relationship coped much better with stress, which in turn reduced the risk of these diseases.

an interesting point made was that nowadays a lot of parents attach more value and worth to education than on their child's spiritual development and relationship with God. this is a sad reflection, perhaps not specifically of our times, but of the state of our world. there's always something more important or more pressing, that is given too much weight and can have an adverse impact on a relationship, causing it to strain and become weaker and even to end. over something which in the grand scheme of things has no great bearing on the important issues and relationships in life. like little fights over small stupid things, which build up and begin to trickle into every encounter with that person, whether its with a parent or sibling or friend or b/g friend or colleague. don't let the sun go down on your anger is a pearl of wisdom from paul there in his letter to the folk in Ephesus. (eph 4:26)

one of josh mcdowell's key points he returned to and built on was that:

our beliefs form our values, which drive our behaviour, and these initial beliefs are grounded in relationships and ultimately, truth.

Absolute, or universal, truth is that which is true beyond yourself. one of my friends at uni asked me out of the blue a few months ago if i had absolute faith. at the time i said yes without hesitating, but to really consider absolute faith in relation to absolute truth is a bit mind-boggling! tonite the meeting began with the speaker asking who could really give true reasons for their faith, why they believe the Bible to be true and the Word of God... what are we basing our beliefs on? how do we know what is real and absolute truth?

i have seen and experienced God working in my life, and the lives of others. i have prayed and seen and heard God answer. i have asked for help and guidance and received so many that i cannot call it coincidence. i have questioned and doubted 'christianity', but my doubts returned void because there is too much proof to deny the existence of God, and the resurrection and hope to be found in the person of Jesus Christ. i am now trying to help other young people ask the challenging questions and not to become comfortable with church, and God, because when we get comfortable we get lazy and complacent and we stop pursuing God with a passion and risk becoming happily settled rather than good or honest or Christ-like. Happiness and comfort have become core to who we are, rather than looking to reach others with the truth of Jesus, if it means becoming uncomfortable or doing things we don't particularly like.

grand finale!

no, not of the world cup (more's the pity as we have now to suffer weeks of football obsessed boys re-arranging their priorities and lifestyles in order to fit around the excessive schedule of 3 games a day! ever heard of too much of a ... thing!?)

anyway, today was the grand finale of my 6 years at University!! i can't quite believe it's all over! as of 12 noon today i am now a fully qualified careers adviser! we had a nice wee morning of celebrating and saying nice things to each other, all very lovely and encouraging, before hitting the pub for the afternoon! it was another beautiful sunny day and i have a nice tan from sitting out on the picnic benches! it's surreal to finally have completed my postgrad degree, this year has actually flown by and it's crazy to realise i am now ready to start a career! we don't graduate officially til november tho, but still...

..."about time", to quote a friend who also said i can now stop sponging off his taxes and start paying for his pregnant wife's maternity leave!

speaking of which, i'm going to be an aunt!! exciting congratulations to my bro matt and his fiance billie, expecting their 1st baby in december!!