Wordless Wednesdays- Week 2

Wordless Wednesdays Week 1

Lion or Lamb?

I went to watch the movie Lions for Lambs with a friend (Bj who promised he would write a post about it on his blog- it should be more prolific than my entry here) on Thursday night. I saw the preview and figured it would be a good movie. i was not disappointed. It was one of those movies that caused you to stop, pause for a moment and think. It brings you to a point of introspection, well that's what it did for me. I left the theater uneasy. The good kind of uneasy. The uneasy that challenges you to think more and then do more.

what part do you play in this universe? Are you a mere spectator to life on earth? Another rat in the maze? Are you the lion who fights for change? Or are you one of the many lambs that maintain the satus quo? Are you living up to your potential? Are you all that you can be and if so are you all that God has made you to be?

We all think of these things now and then but what answers do we come up with? And what are our responses to to those answers. Are we complacent with the present comfort or do we strive to be more?

What is your next course of action and how will it make this world a better place?

A Day in the life of an Election Day Worker...Couldn't

I've got to be honest with you. I've got most of the rest of this story written in a note pad however i just cant find the time to write it! In light of that i was under the false impression that i shouldn't blog anything else until i got the election day worker saga finished. Well thank God i no longer feel 'shackled' in that way and i've resolved to just go on blogging and if that story should ever get out of the note pad then good, if not, so be it!

The long and short of the story though, is that when i finally got to vote, as it was not the official election day there was no external buzz or frenzy. All that ( the buzz and frenzy) was going on inside of me and eventually all i had to satisfy the anticipation was the red ink on my finger. Whoopee ( sarcasm).

On election day now, i was sent to a garrison community and bullied the whole day by the unruly party supporters who knew that their candidate would win even before the election took place. This was evident as at the close of poll only 5 of the over 300 ballots in the box were for the other candidate.

Ok, thats the short version. Glad that's over with, now im free to blog.

Self inflicted mental hindrances are a real pain!

Now im free....

A Day in the life of an Election Day Worker- Part 1

(Ok this is not really just an account of the day but an account of all the preparation that led up to the day and the day itself follow the headings and see.)

The Dream

Well the Jamaican elections 2K7 was the first election in which i was eligible to vote. Yes! Finally i had come of age and was able to participate in the penultimate decision making process of my country. I was so excited and wanted to do even more than vote, so when the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) appealed for 300 more election day workers i answered the call. I was ready to serve my country in the places many would not want to serve and thus i signed up as a specialist officer. Being a specialist officer meant that you would not be able to chose the community you worked in and the EOJ could send you to any constituency they needed individuals ie. garrisons and or volatile communities. Such is my devotion to see free an fair elections in Jamaica Land WE Love. Well that was part of it but also, I wasn't really interested in working in my own community or any where nearby, i wanted a new and unforgettable experience! i wanted to be in the thick of things, the bad and ugly! Sadly i was not going to be disappointed...

See the story unfold in A Day in the life of an Election Day Worker - Part 11 - Journey Toward the Dream...

The Week That Almost Wasn't Part 2

So here i was with a decision to make (see The Week That Almost Wasn't Part 1). Well as i said before i kinda had no choice in the matter. So it was decided i had to leave the mountain top and go back home to the test on Wednesday morning. Luckily i didn't have to take the bus down i was able to get a ride down with Rev. Hyde Riley as she had come to check on what was happening at the conference as it is under her portfolio as JBU's Ass. Gen Sec.

Wednesday morning i reached bright and early for the test. It was far from anything i had ever had to do to proceed to the interview stage of a potential job. I was given two sheets of paper and placed in front of a computer and told to read the question and use the information given to answer the question. The answer was to be typed, thus the reason i was placed before a computer. Now I don't know why but i was so nervous. My fingers trembled over the keyboard as i attempted to type my answer. I was given one hour to complete my answer and i used it all. I completed my answer in one hour only to realize they weren't actually timing me and that they would take another half hour before they would return to see if i was finish. Bah humbug

Well when the personnel came to collect my answer i was told if i was successful i would be contacted for an interview which would take place on Friday. Oh no God apart from the fact i don't think i did so well on the test there is no way I'm leaving nutshell on Friday to come back to this place! With that resolve I graciously said goodbye to the administrator and left the building. Full speed ahead to Duncans!

It wasn't exactly full speed ahead to Duncans as i had no car and had to head for the bus stop. To get to Nutshell from Kingston i would have to take something to Spanish Town in St. Catherine, then from Spanish Town get something to Ocho Rios in St. Ann, from Ocho Rios i'd have to get something going to Montego Bay in St. James and ask the driver to stop in Duncans and from Duncans i would walk (joke) take a taxi to Nutshell. Getting to Spanish Town was a no brainer. Not something i had done very often lately, mostly during my third year at UWI but nonetheless i knew what to do. After arriving in Spanish Town i had to ask how to get to the Ochi bus stop. So i scanned my environs and spotted a nice old woman who must know where to direct me to th bus stop. My judgment was right and i followed her direction to the bus stop, only asking about three people for clarification on the way :-D Lucky for me there was a bus that had been waiting for over half an hour (according to the disgruntle passengers) that just needed two more people to leave. Well thats not exactly true. The minibus as we call them here in Jamaica is built to seat 14 people including the driver, but here it doesnt leave the bus stand untill it has 20 people inside. Furtunetly we had a "considerate" driver who only waited for one more passenger after my arrival. I was passenger number 18.

We arrived in Ochi during the rain, so i rushed in the rain to the nearby Mobay bus stop and into a Mobay bus ready to leave. It was my lucky day! After telling the driver and the whole bus where i was going (i had to shout) we were off. In less than an hours time i reached Duncans, the rain was still with me. I hopped out and found a taxi going pass Nutshell that needed just one more person. The driver took me right up to the round about where i had received the disturbing call about the job test. I was finally back after missing one day of conference.

Only six people where on site as the rest of the conferees were in Spicy Hill handing out tracks and setting up for the street meeting we would have later. All was back to normal i was at Nutshell.

Midday Thursday between sessions my phone rang, it was PIOJ I had passed the test with high marks and was required for an interview on Friday. I immediately asked if the date could be moved to Monday (this wasn't the best time as i was supposed to be at InterII camp on Monday, but it was the next best thing). I was told that it was a panel and it would be hard to get all of them to reschedule but she would try. Thanks i would really appreciate that was the essence of my reply. I pushed the phone call to the back of my mind as i was not leaving Nutshell until Saturday.

On Friday i had still not received a call from them but curiosity got the better of me and i called them. They informed me that my interview was rescheduled to Monday. Praise the Lord!

To cut an already long story short i went to the interview on Monday it was ok and after that i went full spead ahead back to Nutshell for camp! To date i havent recieved a call from them which means i havent recieved the job. That doesnt bother me the least, i should in fact be upset that this whole thing interrupting my week at Spiritual Empowerment. I chose however to see the positives. I can now confidently get from Kingston to Duncans, I've experienced one form an interview/test for a position in an organization may take so next time no shaking fingers (hopefully). I'd ultimatly like to think though, that i was obedient to God's call to go to the test and the interview knowing it would interrupt my plans with the knowledge that getting this job was unlikely and had i gotten the job and been able to do it i doubt i would have liked to do it.

So that was the week that almost wasn't.

To see pictures of out of session times at Spiritual Empowerment go here.

Bless

The Week That Almost Wasn't Part 1

I've got to tell you God is something else and I will never figure Him out, and in all fairness I'm not suppose to. July 24-28, 2007 will go down in the Y2K7 history of the life of Derri-Ann Palmer as "The Week That Almost Wasn't". Here's how it went down.

Monday morning was the day that the bus coming from Gregory Park would stop at Linstead and pick us up for our journey to Nutshell, Duncans Trelawny. I was packed by early that morning as i anticipated taking a taxi down to church to catch the bus. I looked forward to the first day of Spiritual Empowerment(SE) as last year i missed all but the last song on the opening night of the conference due to my company law exam that day. I wasn't going to miss the opening this year.

So i reach church, left my bags and went into Linstead town to get a few items i would need like tp ( mom warned me about taking all the stuff out of the house... duly noted). Incidentally it was in my search for these nix nax that i discovered the place to go in Linstead if you didn't want to go all the way to 'dat parish'. Yes this store had the soap dish i wanted and while i waited for it to be sourced, i stumbled upon 'oils' of all sorts. Oil of don't leave me and oil of leave me, oil of success and oil good luck. For those who cant deal wid the oil business there was also a complementary assortment of soaps offering the same services. Lord have mercy! I nearly 'buss up' in di people dem place it was so amusing to me... Anyway i digress.

So i manage to get all i needed and more cause some things cheaper when you buy dem in threes so a went for one rag and come back with three, went for one shower cap came back with three, went for one pair of slippers and came back with thr... no sah mi nuh dat fool, i actually came back wid 2... But that is besides the point, i reached back to church, the bus came, got a seat beside pasta Dimitri and we was good to go!

It was a nice ride and with good road (tanx to breda and sista P) we reached Duncans in no time. There it was, the sign with the words Nutshell, JBU and conference centre on it. As we went up the slope i felt so excited! Sure id been her many times before (in a good Jamaican Baptist) but every time feels so special. We approached the roundabout, stopped, and just as i was about to alight the bus my phone rang. "Hello, good afternoon." Lucky for me it was decent Derri that answered the phone, because on the other end was someone from Planning Institute of Jamaica inviting me to come for a test, for a post i knew nothing about, and had not applied for, which would take place on Tuesday. Ok Tuesday, Tuesday! That's tomorrow! That's in Kingston and I'm in Trelawny! There was no way i was leaving Duncans, i had plan to come to SE 2007 before i left SE 2006! I had no intention of leaving but i asked the lady if it was possible for me to come at another time, she said yes. At that i heard the Hallelujah Chorus go off in my head... You can come on Wednesday the lasted.... Houston we have a problem! The only available time after explaining all this to her was Wednesday....

If it were anyone else they probably wouldn't mind going, hello its a step towards getting a job! But that never mattered to me , my tough head said i wasn't leaving Nutshell for love or money. If it were all up to me there would be no question- id stay at Nutshell!

But then I'm not my own person there were bigger heads to contend with.... What to do...

Full Speed ahead Portia!

On the 7^th day of the 7th month of the year 2007, the 7^th Prime Minister of Jamaica The Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller announced at approximately 7:07pm that nomination day for the next elections will be on August 7^th and that general elections will be on August 27^th 2007. What a whole heap ah 7!

Well that would have been really interesting if that were so, but it wasn’t. What really happened is that on Sun. the 8^th day of the 7^th month of 2007, the 7^th Prime Minister of Jamaica The Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller announced, well after 10pm near or after 11pm ( so dem tell me I was sleeping) that nomination day for the next elections will be on August 7^th and that general elections will be on August 27^th 2007. Still a whole heap ah 7! So much so that the front page of Mondays Observer was talking about “PM under 7’s flak”

When there was not contention Monday morning about the use of so many 7’s there was contention about how long the PM’s speech was and the length of time between the announcement and nomination day, and the length of time between nomination day and Election Day!

Well at least now the airways not just flooded with JLP ads you also have the PNP ads so we will now have more balanced ‘entertainment’ on the air waves. No longer will it be just “Not changing course….” but you will also have “Full speed ahead Portia…” with both party leaders claiming to be di “Driver”

That brings me to another issue. Why are both parties using a song that talks about the transportation of an illegal substance on the platforms of their presentation to the nation? Does the popularity of the song among the masses with its exclamation “Driver! Don’t stop at all.” justify it's use?

Anyway, let me not get into anything here this entry was just meant to serve as a public service announcement of the election date.

Bless

Derri

Congrats to Rev. Neville Callam

Rev. Neville Callam is the new General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance! Not only is he the first Jamaican to hold this post ( yes, i doubt he will be the last :-), but he is also the first non- European and North American to fill the post. This was announce, in of all the places, Africa, Accra in Ghana to be specific.

Now i definitely must have had a lot of faith in the electorate who would vote on this decision, as i considered him as having received the post from the day his nomination was announced last year. Thus on Friday, while at CCP when Gillian excitingly told me it was now official, I answered with a composed "Oh cool thats good". She must of been thinking "This girl don't have any idea of the magnitude of the situation."

Truth be told i could never claim to fully understand the magnitude of his appointment, but to me i see him as the "Face" of the Baptist movement worldwide. Now thats amazing!

So congrats Rev. Callam and though we will miss you as you take up office away from our shores we look forward with pride at the contributions you will continue to make for the wider baptist community.

The Key to Life

The Key to Life

What I’m about to recall is a rather embarrassing episode but one that someone may learn from so I’ll tell it.

Last Sunday afternoon I returned from Ochi and after having a quick nap I went out to the closing night of crusade at my church. Before leaving the house I used my keys to lock up, then caught a ride with a friend. Well Monday morning I got up in a rush not able to do much of anything ie read my bible. Just trying to get stuff together for work and looking forward to a lime of chilaxing at a friend after work. As I attempted to leave, my keys were nowhere to be found. Oh well I’ll just use Daddy's bunch. So I was off certain I’d find the keys later. Well that night I left my friends house late and reached home late, still with no key daddy had to let me in. The routine of going to bed late and rushing out in the morning continued up to Thursday morning and still no key! Had it dropped on the road somewhere? Had someone found it and now had easy access to my house? I couldn’t let my parents know, how irresponsible they’d think I am. I'd definitely not be getting another set of house keys.

With my hectic schedule from Monday I didn’t read my bible. I consoled myself by attempting to pray long-winded prayers to God each night which would almost instantaneously lead to me sleeping somewhere in the first five lines.... Hey I thought, the communication is still there, like I’m prying to God. It's not like I left him out altogether.

By Thursday I was staying in town with my sis. We shared the same room and as she had just become I Christian. I felt obligated to set the example. (What example? not sure now but that’s another story) So I took out my bible case and proceeded to unzip its contents. As I opened the case, something fell out. Low and Behold it was my set of house keys! What I had been searching for had been by my pillow every night, every morning but I ignored it as I didn't want to make the time.

How ashamed I felt. It hit me that more than not having the use of the keys to my house (sorry the house) for those 4 days of the week, I had made a conscious decision to neglect the key to life, God’s word. Here was one of the proven ways of hearing from God to get the direction I need each day. I was constantly complaining to God that he doesn’t talk to me, yet I reject opportunities to hear from Him.

So that’s the sordid tale. Maybe many of you can’t relate to this as you know the importance of God's word and daily partake in it. I just thought I should share this though and in the same breath thank God for his mercy towards us all.

Thanks God.
Bless
Derri

Ochi Weekend

Hey id like to thank all those who supported our Children's Rally (Sat) and Crusade @ the Linstead Baptist Church. Both aimed to spread the saving gospel of Jesus Christ under the theme "Jesus Christ Hope for the Hopeless" They were both a blessing.

I unfortunately was not at Children's Rally so when i get more details and pics I'll let you know bout that. I was in Ochi for SACABAYA Exec retreat. Nuff work and nuff fun! Will let you hear more bout them when I get more time to write.

Bless
Derri

Colour Blind

Now they say that dogs are colour blind, and that males don’t know any colour apart from the primary colours. What they do say, is that females see all sorts of different colours like avocado green, rose apple red and sunshine yellow. What I do know is that I’m a female who is not colour blind and the colour of my blog is Purple not Pink! Let me explain it to you. I’m not into the girly pink thing, all the colours on this blog are shades of purple. Purple, that’s bold and beautiful. I just thought I should make this clear because certain people are saying that this blog has a pink theme, No it doesn't its Purple and that’s final!

Now you may say what’s all this uproar for over colour? It’s just a colour. It’s just a social construct, something we have decided to add our own meaning to and can do no harm in and of itself. Its just a colour man, it doesn’t matter! Yet we would be deluded if we say colour doesn’t matter. How many people have died and are still dieing because of the colour of their skin. Oh well, you may say, that's not about colour, that’s racism.

Well what about what is prevalent in some Jamaican constituencies, where people mark their communities with flags of specific colours, orange/red or green. These are not just simply colours, as the meanings ascribed to them are those of affiliation to some political party. So strong is the meaning attached to these colours that someone in a red, yellow or green t-shirt in the 'wrong' community during this 'election season' may end up 'nearer my God to thee'.

So what should we leave with from this discourse? That colour is important? That some people in Jamaican communities mek politics turn dem into idiot? That this blog is purple? (though it is purple) No! What we should leave with is the fact that we have the power! All these things I have noted about colour, it being a social construct and people ascribing meaning to colour, all come back to us the community of human beings, we the individuals. We are the ones who determine what society thinks and the meaning that are ascribed to things.

Would it be naive if we chose to be 'colour blind'? Not like dogs, but like people who make a conscious effort to put aside biases, prejudices and social constructs that seek to divide individuals, and instead deal with individual as persons who are worthy of our interaction for the basic fact that they are human beings!

If we do decide to be 'colour blind' I don’t think we would be alone. Indeed I think this is apart of what we do when we become a part of Gods family. As we are being "renewed in the knowlege of our Creator, ...there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." Col. 3:11

In light of this if you say this blog is pink and I say this blog it is purple no problem! As one who is daily being renewed I’ll choose to be 'colour blind' :-D

Bless
Derri

Spock

Have you heard about Spock?

Well I've just recently heard about it. To me it just seems like where a profile about you is placed and you are tagged under various headings which people may use to search for you. A link to the different places they can find you online is also shown on your profile. Currently you can only appear on it through invitation. So i'm on it because i was invited. If you want to be invited to be on it then post a comment and i'll send you an invite i've got a good amount of invites so im sure all who comment will be able to get one :-D

Here is a feel of what you'll see on a profile:-


So thats Spock according to me.
Bless

Mission Conference

The Jamaica Baptist Union Mission Agency (JBUMA) will be hosting its Mission Conference on Wednesday October 24, 2007 – Sunday October 28, 2007 at the Holiday Inn, SunSpree Resort, Montego Bay, Jamaica West Indies. All the information you need to know about this can be found here. For all those interested in missions (like me) this should prove a wonderful experience!

Now you dun know since the venue is a hotel it gonna be pricey $$$ So the cheapest, a mean, most economical option, would be the day pass for US$70 right? Wrong! If you take a quadruple occupancy room each of the four persons in the room would pay US$80, that's just US$10 more than the day pass with all the benefits! Thus more economical :-D This is also chea.. ahem, more economical than the single occupancy which is US$150.

So here's the thing, I need to find three people who are coming to the conference and are interested in paying US$80 for a room. That's right I need three roommates for this here room! Any takers?

Now don't worry about the fact that the date to register has passed, I've got three free beds that equals to three places at the conference. So email me and let me know if you wanna bunk with me,
Ok roomy :-D

Link me!
Bless

Conceited Me

I'd like to think that I'm artistic :-D Here is a poem I wrote that I think is the best poem I've ever written. It depicts an aspect of my life I'm still working on. As I seek to overcome in this respect, I remember Luke 9:23, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (NIV)

Conceited Me

Lord You see the real Me,
The Me inside.
The Me that I try to decipher.
But that is not all there is to Me.
There is the Me You want me to be.
The Me you have a plan for,
The Me you want to use.

I often wonder about this Me.
When will it be revealed to me?
When will it be discovered?
When will Your grand plan unfold?

Do I think too much of this ME?
The ME I hope for You to reveal to me?
Dreams of this Me being Gods gift to man,
As if Jesus had not already done that----Is that!
Dreams of being someone important in Your Kingdom.
Am I following in the footsteps of James and John,
Wanting to be at Your right and left?
Lord forgive me.

Have You already shown me Your plan
And Ive rejected it as it is not to my liking?
Am I doing something wrong by demanding
that You tell me Your will for My life?
Am I ignoring Your still voice showing me the way?
Is it I who hinders the communication?
Is it the me who is scared and afraid?
Or is it the me who is proud and weak?
The me who knows everything yet nothing.
Is it me, me, me or me?

Could it be that I focus too much on me?
Unable to hear and see You reaching out to me through the needs of others.
Could You be speaking to me right now as I focus on Me?

Written September 1, 2006

Blog Editing

Cool, i just edited the section of the sidebar called links to add some of my links to this blog so you guys can view some of the stuff on the web that i view. Hey the editing was a little difficult because my template isn't so user friendly for those of us with limited programming skills.

Anyway here's a breakdown of the links.

First there is Marvia's Panama Journal :- This is a blog by the Rev. Marvia Lawes who is the First Jamaica Baptist Union (JBU) Female Missioner Pastor presently ministering in Panama. Through this blog she chronicles here thoughts and experiences in her new 'home', her insight on current affairs and a host of other information thats great reading. Let me tell you there is never a dull moment on this blog!

Jay's Diary:- This is a blog recently set up by my sis Jay. Though it just has one post now im sure in the near future she'll have so much to share with us through her blog we wont be able to keep up!

Dimario Writes :- That he does! This budding Pastor/Journalist/Teacher/My Friend :-D has posted some of the stuff he's written here. They are worth the read.

JBUYD:- This is the website for the Jamaica Baptist Union Youth Department of which all Jamaican Baptist youth are apart of ( we even adopt some non Jamaicans too right BJ) My vision for this website is that it will keep us abreast of not just JBUYD news but the news of individual Youth Fellowships. It will be a place where youth can come and discuss issues or problems facing youth and come to practical steps forward. Right now its trying the news aspect to an extent, but its early days yet, and with the help of all our vibrant youths it should soon surpass my limited vision.

FiwiVoice :- This is the site to go to make your voice heard as a Christian yute. Its non- denominational and you can find info on whats going on with gospel music in Ja and the dates for gospel events. This site is growing from strength to strength...

My Web Albums :- Well this is pretty self explanatory, its My Web Albums. Here you can see some of the stuff friends and i have done that I've been able to catch on camera. I try to tell a story with each album, but go check it out for yuself.

Ok so those are my links so far. Hope you get to go to them, and when you go, dont forget where your coming from(thats here by the way) k .

Bless
Derri

A Blog?

Hey all i'm just considering what i've gotten myself into, setting up a blog? Derri are you crazy? Well i realized there are a lot of things i want to share with my friends online and a lot of things id like to get their feed back on and email just not cutting it. So i figured that this would be the ideal place to put all the info i want you guys to see without having to post it in 6 different places on the web. But then there is the challenge of getting you guys to come to view my blog. If you're reading this now praise the Lord that at least one person has seen this :-D

Now what can you expect to find here? Every and Anything! As one of God's pickney (oh 'pickney' is the Jamaican word for child) all that i do daily, the people i interact with and the experiences i have all impact and are due to my status as God's Pickney. So all i put here will deal with my life and if you post, your life as God pickney.

So dats it for now. If you read this just comment and hail me so that i know that ppl actually visiting ma blog :-D

Thanks in advance

Bless
Derri