Saturday, September 29, 2012

When you get in the shower which bit do you wash first?


DAMN had to have a shave this morning.
My ugliness got to me 
Can't go on forever without one, because
my beard is tickling my toes.

When you get in the shower
which bit do you wash first?

Then the first thing in a morning
is to open my iMac and press a button
and download the music if the day.
Example from today on d right.
ALL these treats go onto to my iPhone(4)
which plays in my car/ears/headphones/office ....
.... anywhere because I walk and breath music.

One of the programmes is called
GAY ON THE INSIDE
about being Gay in prison.
I have yet to listen.

The Sheilas call Mrs Beautiful
'Mother'          !!

Had a glorious evening of Rugby League last evening.
Wigin v Leeds - it was  cracker of a game.
Leeds won by one point 12-13 !

Tonight even bigger semi final
Saints my team
Lance Hohaia reveals the secret to St Helens' success
Liverpool Echo
NEW ZEALAND international Lance Hohaia has told how it took some soul-searching by the St Helens players to turn around the club's fortunes following the early-season sacking of head coach Royce Simmons. Hohaia was recruited by Simmons from New ...
See all stories on this topic »

Be supportive.
If we win we go to Old Trafford next Saturday
for the GRAND FINAL V LEEDS !!!!

MrsBeautiful is buying 3 oranges for £1
and we are having freshly squeezed orange juice
first thing every morning.
HEAVEN.


STAY BEAUTIFUL

Friday, September 28, 2012

As an eighteen month old child I was deserted at the orphanage on Christmas Eve


We are going back a few years now.
Early 1970's when I still worked in the North.
I moved to work and live in London E16 in 1975.

Recently Dave contacted me from back in that day
and he spilled his beautiful story and has given me permission to retell for you.
Dave writes::


***


As an eighteen month old child I was deserted at the orphanage on Christmas Eve, either by my mother or father, certainly not both ..
..... then fostered and later adopted by parents that on the whole were good people, certainly by the world's and my standards.  
To be honest, I remember very little of those early days.

However, what I do remember was the deep feeling and belief that ... "if I was good .bad things wouldn't happen to me".  
I don't really know where that belief came from but it had a profound effect on how I related to others; ..
. it still does.

I had made one of (if not the) biggest mistake of my life by embracing a belief structure that required that I be good ... in order to be loved. 

This led me down a slippery path of pretending to be good ... putting "good" on like it was a coat to be worn for the sake of others to see ... pretending to myself ... lying to myself ...  I became the very thing that neither I, nor others would want ... I became a fraud ... I thought that they required it and the more it didn't work ... the more effort I would put in to ensure that it did.  I believed that if only I could be "good" enough, they would love me ... or at least like me.

What I didn't realise at the time was ... I didn't like myself ... I never had ... I was broken.

Something had closed me up so much that my heart was broken ... I don't mean that I was upset or sad, on the contrary ... It just simply no longer worked properly ... In hindsight, I'm not sure it ever had.  I had become very good at hiding this but when others would openly show affection ... I would withdraw ... Not because I wanted to, but because that's where I felt safe.  I still find myself doing this and have to check myself ... Old habits die hard sometimes. 

I was completely unable to love myself or anyone else at that time.


I remember you as if it were yesterday ... 
You had more of an impact on me than you will ever know.  


I remember the first time that we met ... 
I was trying to get a room in St Helens YMCA, I had already been refused by Fred but not being one to give up easily, I came back (out of desperation) and a really nice lady on reception (I can't remember her name) told me to come back later and see you.  
Anyway, I did and you bounced down those few steps that brought you from the dining room level down to the reception, gave me a light punch on the shoulder and called me a bum ... 
As I remember that was one of your favourite phrases at the time ... I liked you from day one, and although I would never have admitted it at the time, I immediately identified in you what I needed for myself ... It was the love of God that passes all understanding but I understood it from day one because I could see it reaching out to me.  
Of course it goes without saying that you found me a room, I think it was room 6, I remember a brass plaque on the wall outside the room that had the name Christine Pilkington on it ... Little did I know at the time that Christine meant "Follower of Christ" and Pilkington being my name ... You could say ... the writing was on the wall :0)


The me that you will remember is about 18 years old with my life still in front of me. As you can imagine, the years have done their work ... Still feel the same on the inside though.

Very shortly after moving into the St.Helens YMCA back in 1973 I started to wander into your office Pip with Roland Burke and Paul Kerr ... You were working on your Fish Wrapper programme at the time.  You had a small plaque with the words:

"He is no fool who gives up that which he could never keep, in order to gain that which he will never lose"  
(or words to that affect)

Some time later I asked you about it but you didn't explain ... You teased curiosity into me a little and gave me one of your John's Gospels in the Living Bible version and told me the answer was in there ... I read that Gospel through tears before gong to sleep that night ... I would never have thought that I could be so moved, and would certainly never have admitted it at the time.

The Gospel was like water to me in a dry land.  God doesn't love me because of how good I am, my ability l to love has nothing to do with it  ... He loves me because of how good He is ... This was beyond revolutionary to me ... Yet I knew it was true because you were demonstrating this to me on a daily basis ... and it changed me forever.

You may not have been aware of it at the time but many of the young people would gather together and talk after reception closed in the late evening.  The most popular subject was just how "off his head" that Pip Wilson bloke was ... Followed quickly by how every problem in the YMCA would be Pip Wilson's fault.  To my shame I was one of this brigade.

One such evening when the main topic of conversation had started to unfold, I found myself defending you ... 
Me defending you ... 
How mad is that? 

There I stood like a proper hypocrite because days earlier I was a fully paid up member of this brigade.  
I was just not prepared to renew my membership anymore ... 
Anyway, after a few heated words the whole thing just broke up and people went off to their rooms. 

You may be interested to see a Christmas card that you and and your lovely family sent me back then.  Also a rent receipt from the St.helens YMCA from December 1973 could be considered a vintage by now :0)



I still had and still have issues to deal with ... I expect I always will ... but one issue I knew Jesus had nailed to the cross that night was my ability to exercise my heart and take the risk of loving someone without fear.  

I went to bed that night with the realisation that Jesus had done something special because ... 

I didn't hate myself anymore. 

I now have five amazing Children and six wonderful grandchildren with a seventh on the way and I love them all more than I could ever have believed. 

Thank you Jesus and Thank you Pip.. 
You will never know how much difference you have made.


*Photo to be added*

I remember the black guy as well ... 
Wasn't he a Muslim or something like that ... 
He used to take a bottle of water to the toilet with him and we all wondered what that was about until he explained it to us ...
 I was a very young Christian at he time and didn't know how to deal with that ... 
I wondered whether you would challenge what he believed but you took him and us by surprise by embracing him as he was ... 
As a result of treating him like that he wasn't alienated from you or the other Christians and he asked questions later that indicated he may be searching.  

I learned so much from just observing you do what always seemed to come natural to you. 

Thanks for the pics Pip ... Very much appreciated ... 
It makes (the nostalgic) me wish I could go back and do it all again ... 
I loved my time at the YM 

I know you were only at the St.Helens YMCA for about two years but of all of the places that I have lived since ... 

No memories are held as dear as those days.


***

Thank you Dave for writing this and sending it to me. 
Inspirational.
I appreciate you allowing me to publish here.
It will be an encouragement to to so many people workers who never get any feedback from their years of faithful work.

A beautiful human you are.

***




Youth Work London E16.


After years of non-communication my past life is catching up with me.
I have recently been able to be in contact young people from my past via the internet.

One I will publish later from when I worked at ST HELENS YMCA running the programme and the hostel - back in the late 60's/early 70's !!

Here I have been contacted via Facebook by loads of members from my East London days - London E16 indeed. 1975/1985.

It was in this fertile ground where I grew in the well fertilised soil and really was forced into the pressure cooker of becoming a Youth Worker.

Strangely all the club members who I knew so well seem to be in their 50's now!!
How can that be when I am so young?

Here Bob Jones has allowed me to use the words he so generously sent to me.
I have said to him that he could write a book.
Here is a small part of that book - I guess it would be a thriller!!


***


Hi Pip.
Don't think you will remember me - Rob Jones from the Mayflower in the early 70s.
I used to come down with a crowd of us from West Silvertown just to run you and big john ragged.

Read your story of Ziggy.
So sorry to hear that mate.
Nothing i can say will make it better.I know as i had to have my german shepherd put asleep a few years ago and was deverstated.
We had 16 great years,i got him at 2 as a rescue as he was half timber wolf,half german shepherd and a completly out of control,like we were in canning town.
He calmed down with my other shepherd and became a good citizen, bit like you done to us kids.
Both dogs had to be taken, by me,to be put asleep, and i still hurt now.
I have another shepherd now, he is 4 and he gets all the love i can give.

I have worked in the building trade.
I was a doorman for over 20 years, venue security, boxing security, concerts.
Met loads of famous people and loved every minute of it but cant work now as my back has gone and my knees are shot.
If i wrote a book it would be very, very long.

I now sell football & boxing signed & framed memorabila as i have got to know many people in that trade, but only as a hobby realy.

Not read your latest book but will try to get one.
Cheers pip and thats for your help and patience all those years ago.
Don't think you relise how much you and others at the Mayflower,helped so many.
I've only just relised it.

Didn't know it then but you must have given us kids something from the Mayflower days mate.

Thanks and be strong Pip & family



The greatest friend of the soul is the unknown.

"The greatest friend of the soul 
is the unknown.

Yet we are afraid of the unknown
because 

it lies outside our vision 
and our 
control.

We avoid it or quell it 

by filtering it 
through our protective barriers
of domestication and control.


The normal way never leads home."



by John O'Donohue
Speaker, writer,wordsmith - a friend
who died January 3rd 2008

*

The Rugby League of the Extraordinary

BASKET BALL WITH STOMP

Do you think MrsBeautiful loves me enough to buy me an iPhone5 ?


Albums I desire
I have Coexist and ordered Flying Lotus

Why am I talking like this when ...........

Do you think MrsBeautiful loves me enough to buy me an iPhone5 ?


*

RUGBY LEAGUE MAY SLIP FROM THE BACK PAGES but never from my SOUL.









St Helens and Warrington to clash again on the road to Old Trafford


Tomorrow  for the second time in just three weeks, St Helens and Warrington come face to face, for a place in the Super League Grand Final.
St Helens have made the final for the past six years, even if they have lost the last five, and will be eager to set themselves up for a seventh, by making home advantage pay.
Warrington will be no pushovers and will be looking to avenge their loss earlier in the month, to pursue their dream of doing the double.

BIG GAMES THIS WEEK-END.
Only three more games in Super League and then the season is complete.
Tonight The Pie Eaters play Leeds.
Tomorrow Saint/those in my SOUL/ play The Wires =  Warrington.
The winners of both games play in the final next week at Old Trafford.

*

the same desire to grapple with impossibly big terms like "sincerity" and "belief," that U2's music





I'm not a practicing Catholic now, 

but when I hear Mumford & Sons or the Avett Brothers, I recognize the same internal fights, the same desire to grapple with impossibly big terms like "sincerity" and "belief," that U2's music helped me through twenty years ago. 

The frame is different: today's churchy music has more traditional trappings, connecting it with other trends like the crafts revival and sustainable living practices. But the deeper motivations, I think, are the same.
see this open reflective honest article::

Thursday, September 27, 2012

YMCA Unique POSTER


LOVE WINS in YOUTH WORK


It's not just about providing more activities for young people 
( they always  say they want more- its a human thing right?) 
it's about engaging with them, 
asking them quesitons, 
believing in them, 
trusting them with responsibility
creating new experiences with them
and love & acceptance 
beyond behaviour
because

LOVE WINS
in YOUTH WORK

*

Youth Workers run activities with no purpose.


Seems to me that 
ACTIVITIES are GREAT 
but often Youth Workers 
run activities with no purpose 
NOT 'thought out' 
BUT if we.............. 
facilitate activities with development in mind 
- GREAT-

 Lots of activities like week-ends away are fab in terms of relationships and development. 
It's making Shalom - the wholeness - the potential - the becoming .............. 


*

Pip Wilson. The best BOOK not written by him.

*

The best book I have ever published because it is mainly written by Bobby Hossain.

It is not written as a book - it is authentic letters written to and from prison. REALITY.
We met on a Developmental Week-end which I led for the YMCA in England.


And that's how we met.I led a course he attended - sponsored by the YMCA. But soon after he was in WORMWOOD SCRUBS and the letters started to flow - all in this book.

It speaks a lot about prison
a life of crime
the possibility of change
and 

the beauty of becoming.

I love it love it

VIEW/PREVIEW/REVIEW/BUY
HERE
http://bit.ly/NztA8R



*

G I A N T Blob Tree Poster


Giant Blob Tree Poster


    £10.00
    +VAT
    ISBN: 
    9780863889356
    Published: 
    Feb 2012
    Code: 
    0035811
    A ‘no word’ tool to aid communication.
    The original Blob Tree was created in the early 1980s by Pip and Ian as an effective way of communicating with young people and adults who found reading difficult, and quickly proved to be accessible to children and young people of all ages. The Tree stands for a group, a family, an organisation, in fact any gathering of people. The Blobs are representative of two languages used by people throughout the world – feelings and body language.
    Have fun using this effective and innovative tool when working with groups or individuals!
    All ages

    MAKE BEAUTIFUL TODAY


    Wednesday, September 26, 2012

    A big developmental QUESTION.


    "Казано е, 
    че обичаме истински само 5 души през целия си живот. 
    Мислиш ли, 
    че зададох въпроса, 
    дали един от тях ще бъдеш ти?"


    FISSION a great software to edit music

    Fission 2 Has Arrived!
    Our biggest news came earlier this week when we finally released Fission 2. This is a major update to our popular audio editor, representing many, many months of hard work and now, it's finally available.
    Fission Image
    Fission has always been great for quick edits of recordings fromAudio Hijack Pro and Piezo, as well as creating iPhone ringtones, editing iTunes Music Store files, and tweaking any other audio files you have. With this new version, we've packed in much more.

    Key Features in Fission 2:

    • Export any file to MP3, AAC, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AIFF, or WAV
    • Batch convert dozens of files at once, with the Batch Converter
    • Share audio to SoundCloud.com
    • Chapterized AAC files make creating enhanced podcasts a snap
    • A gorgeous and easy-to-use new interface
    Fission 2 has been incredibly well-received, including 4.5 mice from Macworld and a rave review from TidBITS. If you're looking for a tool for all your audio editing needs, take a look at Fission. You can learn more, and download a free trial, right from our site.
    When you're ready to buy, you can purchase Fission directly from us or via the Mac App Store. Fission joins Piezo as our second application in the Mac App Store. Unfortunately, Apple's many restrictions prevent our other software from being in the store, but we'll always continue to sell all of our applications directly.
    As always, our previous customers are eligible for a heavily-discounted upgrade purchase.* if you purchased Fission 1 in the past, visit our site to download Fission 2, then upgrade through our store.
    Summary: Fission 2 is now available, and it's a heck of an upgrade!Visit our site to learn more.
    * Unfortunately, Apple provides no way for us to move existing customers into the Mac App Store. To purchase a discounted upgrade, you'll need to stick with the direct version.

    BEAUTIFUL HUMAN TEACHERS/they need our love at the moment!


    Gove looks set to alienate another vast swathe of potential voters yesterday after appointing a new adviser who has previously suggested abandoning large parts of northern England.


    LATEST YMCA ENGLAND VACANCIES



    LATEST 

    YMCA ENGLAND

    VACANCIES

    BLOB TREE - Training Manual.


    The Blobs Training Manual


      £35.95

      Phase: 

      • All ages (4-18)
      Code: 
      77-10432
      Blob Trees and Blob Characters can be used in so many ways and in so many environments. Making sure that you get the best out of the resources you have will be made easier with this inspiring book to hand. From a really detailed look at how to approach using the Blob Tree to a thought-provoking theory about relationships developed by the authors, this book will ensure you make the most of your group sessions.
      Contents include:
      • Introducing the Blobs
      • Blob retention – ways of learning
      • How to use the Blob Tree
      • Level 5 theory
      • Session ideas.
      Also included are brand new Blob scenarios, brand new individual Blobs and a whole A-Z of emotions and feelings.
      Ideal for anyone new to the Blob resources, this manual also provides background information and additional ideas for those familiar with this engaging series.
      All ages
      122 pages