The previous idea of pulling in the blog posts as notes wasn’t working as Facebook seems to have sidelined notes as a vital part of the service, much as they have with pages.

Hopefully with this in place things will communicate well but please be aware we are in a transition space with all this and it could fall apart at any point.
but it appears to be doing well so far

the only major problem came at the end of the process.
I had opened a Facebook app account, and set up the app as per the instructions.
I clicked back to WordPress installed and set up the plugin.
then it asked me to generate an access token. (By clicking the link provided)
every time I successfully got this error message.

API Error Code: 191 API Error Description: The specified URL is not owned by the application Error Message: Invalid redirect_uri: Given URL is not allowed by the Application configuration.

Rubbish.
I couldn’t work out what i had done wrong.
as per the instructions I was bang on.

The Solution.
when I had specified this Blogs Address in Facebook APPs, I have put it in as “http://www.schelp.co.uk/blog’
After some internet searching I found the solution was remove the “www.” within the Facebook App settings leaving “http://schelp.co.uk/blog/”
worked first time after that.

honestly, the simple things.

Hot local news.

“Cycle lanes boost safer traffic.

Cycle lanes are to be installed between Lanark and Hyndford Bridge.

New signs, road markings and coloured surfacing will highlight the route to both cyclists and drivers.

The work is the first phase of a project that will create a new route between Lanark and Biggar which will connect to the Tweed Cycleway.

A total of £50,000 will be spent on the new scheme following a successful funding bid by the council to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).

The road between Lanark and Biggar is already well used by cyclists so it is hoped that by providing dedicated lanes to make it safer for cyclists and drivers to share the road network, more people will cycle in the area and encourage more sustainable and active travel.

And even if people leave the car at home just one day a week – it can make a great difference to easing congestion and reducing harmful exhaust emissions.”

point 1 – The work started 3 weeks ago
point 2 – perhaps a better strategy to stop people driving the road, would be to install a pavement? all the way between Lanark and Hyndford Bridge. having walked the road numerous times the bit without the pavement and the lorries is slightly concerning.
point 3 – As I type this, looking at the road in question. the number of bike to have traveled the road today is 0. Perhaps a cycle lane is not the solution to the problem.
point 4 – safer traffic? I was unaware of any cyclist related traffic problems on the road, I doubt the gazzette would have missed such a story.

The problem for most cyclists (I assume) is the number of lorries on the route. one every 6 minutes or so. Its not as bad as main road Glasgow traffic, but it can get quite busy with large vehicles traveling at reasonable speeds.

the news release is here should you care to check i haven’t edited it for my own purposes.
Cycle lanes boost safer traffic

Work
I left a full time job for a mix of part time work, childcare and housework. That has worked well mostly. (my polishing still needs some work…)

Volunteering
I am a volunteer Director of Solas Festival and much of the 33rd year was taken up being site manager and licence holder for our first weekend event. It was busy and hectic, but also enjoyable within it’s hecticness. So good indeed we are doing it again this summer… (you should come.)

Developing
My main learning/thinking has been on the MSM course from Fresh Expressions.I ma enjoying it kind of. It is quite similar to work I have already done, but it is good to keep reminding yourself of good practice and how things can happen well.

Edges
Part of childcare has been transporting my children to swimming.
The boy can swim (kind of) and a huge step forward from being scared of water.
The girl goes to a baby and mother class, where I am the only male. (ditto the mother and toddler group).
I am quite conscious of being a man in that situation and my physical presence, and I wonder about how the woman feel about having a guy there.
It has been fun to be with my daughter though.

Weight
I went on a diet and from the 1st of September to the 25th of December, I managed to loose 3 stone exactly. Only 3 more to go.

Meetings
I enjoyed meeting up with some friends and having good chats. I think I should do more of this.

Reading
Didn’t do enough of this.

Listening
I really enjoyed the music of
The National’s ‘High Violet’
Shearwater’s ‘The Golden Archipelago’
Anais Mitchell’s ‘Hadestown’
plus The Innocence Missions achingly beautiful ‘My Room In The Trees’

I also enjoyed seeing live music close up at Solas 2010
The National
Fyfe Dangerfield
And looking to Hadestown at Celtic Connections on friday…
(now if only I could get access to that after show party!)

I really enjoyed doing the work for the Laconic Hegemony mix. Might do some more of this.

Home
I enjoyed getting the work done in the front room and playing at being foreman.
The double glazing has also been awesome.

In general
Year 33 has had downs as well as ups, but on balance the ups have it.
bring on 34. it can’t be that bad.
can it?

due to adverse weather conditions advent 6 was canceled.

(yes my wife did get home 13 hours after leaving work!)

recently i was asked this question. Please write a few words of your personal story describing something of your own spiritual journey.

recently I have been reflecting on my attitude to work and how this has been influenced and shaped.

“One of the best reasons for being a Christian, as with a socialist, is that you don’t like to do any work.”(Terry Eagleton, Reason, Faith & revolution: Reflections on the God Debate. Yale, 2009)

Yet the understanding of work has been changed and taken beyond the way Jesus lived to become more in the image of Paul. I have respect for Paul he was a great organiser, preacher and worker. Yet I find I cannot square the accusations leveled against Jesus of being a glutton & being an layabout, and fraternising with low in society with a work ethic which seems to encourage a drive towards self improvement and a burgeoning middle class aspirationaism.

I believe there is nothing wrong with being middle class.
I believe there is nothing wrong with self improvement.
I believe there is nothing wrong with work.

However there does seem to be a disconnect between an example of the word becoming flesh, which took time to travel with people, and spent time with the people no one else would, and faith community which implicitly, and sometimes explicitly esteems high paid jobs, professionalism, and a ‘protestant’ work ethic.

I see the faith and beliefs I hold as something integral to me and as I reflect and think about who I am, and what that means for myself and how I act, I find more incongruence. As such I have decided to make a change, to live life differently to follow Christ and his example in a different way. And see how that goes.

So I have quit my job.

And work/ faith/life may never be the same again.

(NB On the notion of spiritual Journey, I find it unhelpful. I think that it can lead to a sort of spiritual tourism. I think our theology (belief/understanding of God) is very influenced by our place. Where we are, how we engage with the world and conversely how the world engages with us. Unhelpfully spiritual journey seems to transcend reality and condemn our life experience as a moot point, unless it can be spiritualised.)

Of course I could be wrong on this and reserve the right to be wrong!

MY life is changing for the better, of this I am sure. Yet i find it hard to adequately explain whats happening.

the headlines.
I have stopped working for The Salvation Army In Easterhouse.
I have accepted a part time position at Greyfriars Church in Lanark.
I am going to become a stay at home dad for my children.

Who?
me, scott paget I wrote a letter of resignation to The Salvation Army, Easterhouse.

What?
I am stopping work for the Salvation Army. This is good, and hopefully a good thing which will have a knock on effect to the work i can and will do, moving forward the future i hope i will have.

why?
Cause it will be fun.
Over the last few years, in discussions with my wife, I had said it would make sense for me to be the one who stayed at home. Money wise that made sense. But working worked for me. it forced me to interact. It gave me a sense of joy, something to do and do well. I wasn’t able to opt out of life. I have to be careful about who and what I am.

So when this wee job came up, i went for it. I got it and start soon.

When?
In about a weeks time.
About 4 months ago i discovered my boss, who had been joking about moving was actually moving. (we had suspected!)
Then 2 months ago I spoke at Third Sunday, the plan was to have a pretty straight church style service, but it was on one of the 10 commandments, “do not lie”. Sounds pretty straight forward right, do not lie. I couldn’t do it straight forward, How could I stand in front of a group of people I cared about and tell them not to lie when I do lie. As I thought about it I felt honesty would be best.
So I took it as a confessional/analysis talk, where i discussed and looked at why i and others lie. How we can change and the place of grace/Holy Living. It went well, I felt, it provoked questions in those that were there. Some people were complimentary and some wanted to chat further.

As a planning group we met to discuss what had happened and how people had felt about it. By the end of the meeting I was left doubting my approach, where I was and what I was doing even attempting to talk to others about this stuff.

It was clear I needed to review what I believed, why I believed it and what that meant for me as a worker. As a reflective practitioner i took this opportunity gratefully and used it as something helpful and useful. I went through that process I realised that working was a not something I wanted to continue. That changing my life would be beneficial for me, my family and for those I worked with.

How?
Stopping work will be hard, but will give me more time, and space to be, within the family, and myself.

As i write, I wish I had more answers, but I am in a place of reflection and change.
“Isn’t this the place we’re practicing belief
Seems we’re always looking at the door In hopes for so much more
And the stories in my pockets are the best I’ve ever lived”

so I am almost home,
I am excited about the possibilities it can hold.
I am excited about eh new job.
I am sad to leave somewhere i did a good job.
I am sad to leave something i had committed to.
I am hopeful & unsettled.

If you are passing, knock the door, or ring the bell.
It would be good to see you.

I do have to say though, it is lighter, faster, somehow it looks more compact than the previous one.

A big thank you to my wife for such a wonderful surprise. it really was quite amazing.
It is quite wonderful.

all i have to do is save up for a new laptop bag for it to fit in,
one of these would be nice…

Changes.
They come in some unexpected places.

You came to take us
All things go, all things go
To recreate us
All things grow, all things grow
We had our mindset
(I made a lot of mistakes)
All things know, all things know
(I made a lot of mistakes)
You had to find it
(I made a lot of mistakes)
All things go, all things go
(I made a lot of mistakes)

I lost my password.

Found it now.

More later.

1 – writing a book.
2 – writing a panto.
3 – learning to use Drupal.
4 – redesigning my website
5 – possibilities for future Professional Development
6 – listening to Opera
7 – finishing a book (reading 4 currently), before I buy another one.