These last few weeks have been very very busy. So, I upgraded which was a tough ordeal...15 minute presentation, what was supposed to be 20 minutes of questions, but was much much longer then that, and then I had to wait outside while the panel decided. They did, and I passed. My professor was happy, he said I did well, and had a way of charming the panel...he doesn't know how I do it, but he said it was a quality that I should keep as it was good to have the academics on my side. He also said the panel were very impressed with my document - he had told me what one of them had said before my upgrade the day before as a way to calm me down. So that was done on Ash Wednesday - a day of fasting an abstinance. So I could not celebrate at all!! I went to seminar then made me way to church.
So I celebrated quite royally the next day...work spoilt me horrendously, and I had a brilliant night, just made mast train home...and had a 10 o'clock meeting the next day..I made it, but the rest of the team who came out were somewhat broken...!

On one weekend I went to the CYMfed congress for youth ministry. I was asked to help out at one of the stands - you can probably guess which one...Taize! I was there with Frere Paolo for the day - it was lovely seeing him out of Taize, and spending time with him (weird texting a Taize brother!). He told me that these type of events were not really his thing, and so he was very thankful to see me there, and has since emailed me to say that he would not have managed the day without me. He also said something along those lines to the organisers who said similar things to me as feedback. I had a good day...speakers variable, ending awful, but it was lovely to see so many friends there, and also to go out drinking with the SCYS afterwards...drinking with Johnny is dangerous.

Then the next weekend was Petts Wood Festival Choruses annual choir performance. This year we sang Mozart's Requiem and other choral works. This year we had the return of Ben who sang for us at our first year we did this...but he was not singing tenor, but he was our fraudulant bass. It was lovely seeing him again, and we got on really well, and shared a good gin and tonic and some wisniowka. The concert was the best that we have ever sang, the soloists were amazing (and I am not being biased), they were amazing, and the choir, we did well too. I struggled to get the Mozart at first, but have ended up loving the music - loved it. Just so moving. And it was great seeing Ben again, and having a giggle, and setting some tongues gossiping among other choir members. The aim of the choir is to get churches together from the community for outreach for the community. This year we sang in aid of the Special Baby Care Unit at the Princess Royal University Hospital. After all the expenses, we raised £2000 - for a bit of singing this was great. I personally love the choir, and got A LOT of it this year - firstly a love for Mozart's Requiem, a beautifully touching piece of music.

This last weekend, on Friday I spent a lovely evening with a very good Taize friend of mine who was in London for the day...Saturday I had a girly evening starting with Gin and Elderflower liqueuer cocktails (thanks to Ben for this delicious treat recommendation) and on Sunday we had our monthly Taize service at St James.

So yes, you will see, wow it sounds like she has had a good few weeks...and in this way yes!

But, there is always a but....my PhD has hit a stumbling block in that people at the trust do not want to be interviewed. There is no engagement from any doctors or nurses,which makes the PhD hard to complete as I have very limited data. I have cried about this, prayed about it, gone into hysterics and hit rock bottom. So, the plea here is some prayer that I actually get some participants soon, so this PhD can actually work.

Also, stuff happened in the last weekend that has thrown me into a whirl wind of confusion, and so I hope that settles soon too. Prayers just to get through would be good, to come out on top will be even better.

for all the praying types - tomorrow I have something called an upgrade - I have to defend my work so far, present it to a panel, answer questions, and then wait to hear what the panel says. This could determine whether people think my PhD is worth it or not, and whether I can continue as I am, or need more focus. So if people can pray that I get through this then I would much appreciate it...i am quite scared!