Last week at Sandown....

Taking a break from the exhibition - overlooking the paddock at Sandown Race Course

 Last week I spent two days at the Christian Resources Exhibitions and had a great time.  The first day I attended a women's conference with various speakers and worship.  I found it all very uplifting as well as fun - lots of laughs and (another friend will hate this but I've not told her yet) I entered into the spirit of things with the raised arms in worship!  I then had an hour to do a quick tour of the main exhibition and managed to struggle home with five books, my goody bag from the conference and one for my friend who couldn't get a ticket.  Two days later I was back this time meeting the friend who I got the goody bag for.  We attended two seminars.  One was Paul Kerensa who is a stand-up comedian and writes for the likes of Miranda Hart and Not Going Out.  He was very funny and ended with sketch on the book of Exodus - the highlights (Moses in the bulrushes to the parting of the Red Sea and the wilderness years) all to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody and a backing film.  You needed to see it to get it.  Who says Christians don't like fun?  We can laugh at ourselves with the best.  The other seminar was about Christian films and we saw a clip about footballs clubs and how so many began from Sunday Schools or have Christian roots, even ManU.  We saw the section about Fulham FC.  After this we saw a clip from Africa United which I have seen.  It's about a group of African kids who travel to South Africa for the World Cup.  Each child has a story - two are HIV positive, one is a child prostitute and one a former child soldier.  The company who made the film are now linking to HOPEHIV a charity which goes into school and churches working with secondary school children.

In between the seminars we wandered through the main exhibition halls chatting to people and were offered cake at some stalls (never to be missed!).  I came home with a further five books so that's my faith reading for another year sorted....okay, mainly sorted - I'm a sucker for a book.

All last week I was fighting a cold which has turned into a nasty chesty cough (sorry I nearly went into the one about the Russian spy - Chestikov) and I can't sing.  Does't look like I'll make it to choir this week at this rate and I don't feel 100% either.