Manchester

Following on from last month's post, I have accepted my job in Manchester after lots of hard praying and thinking. It has been a very hard decision to make, but both Lorna and I felt that God was pushing us in this direction, and many of our friends have confirmed this with their advice. Obviously we are sad to leave Bicknacre, but we can't wait to see what's in store for us up north. I'll be using this blog to keep you updated, but due to the obscene amount of stuff we have to do in such a short time, there may be even fewer posts than normal!

Does God read the Independent?

An advert appeared in The Independent yesterday, reportedly from God, speaking directly to George Bush! For the full text go to http://www.forgodssake.org/, and for an amusing comment check out Ekklesia.

I have a job!

I have been offered a job! On Sunday I recieved an e-mail from the North West Deanery, offering me a training post for 6 years in anaesthetics (which would result in me being a consultant at the end!) The job is in Manchester and the surrounding area, which I've heard is a very good scheme, and is an excellent experience.

We're still waiting to find out if London want to offer me one too (which may mean that we could stay where we are currently), but if not, Lorna and I would have to move "Up North", which would be stressful, but exciting too. Of course we'd really miss all our friends and family in the south of England, and we'd probably get very homesick to start with, but I'm sure God knows what he's doing.

The question is, if I do get an offer for a London training job, will it be in a location that means we can stay where we are? If we'd have to move anyway, it would be a real struggle to decide where to go. We're just praying that God will make it really obvious where He wants us!

Do Doctors get paid too much?

A brilliant quote from a GP in the Telegraph...

"Per patient, per year, I am paid approximately £50, regardless of how many times I see them. That's a year's unlimited cover. The cheapest policy I could find for pet insurance - for a hamster - was £65 a year, plus £50 excess. So your health care costs less than your pet rodent's. GPs are excellent value for money."

Suck on that, Patsy!

Still waiting

Sorry to harp on, but we're still waiting to find out where we're going to be working in August - we may not be told until the beginning of June now! I think this is deeply unfair, especially as many people will have to sell their houses and move children to new schools. As junior doctors, we're not seen by politicians as humans, just machines to be exploited. Well I suppose MTAS, the computer applications system for these jobs has at least been scrapped, although the underlying structure beneath it, MMC is still ploughing on through! Lorna and I just have to try and keep our faith in God - that he will make good out of whatever happens...

On another note, Christianity magazine this month is fantastic - if you don't buy it - I'd thoroughly recommend it. I think it certainly has some messages for me, and our church...

Sometimes it rains

Well, regarding the job thing - the government have delayed telling us whether we have a job or not, to try and rejig the computer applications system so it's fairer. Actually what they're ending up doing is changing it so that it's equally unfair for everyone! Therefore, we now have to wait until June for a final answer. Whether they'll fill the posts in time for the 1st Augsut when every junior doctor's contract runs out at the same time remains to be seen!

In life, we find that sometimes it really does rain - burdens seem to pour onto our already soaked backs, weighing us down and dampening our spirits. I want to share our last couple of weeks with you (if you don't mind being shared with!)

It started when our Nissan Micra boot clamped shut - it wouldn't open no matter what we did! Lorna had some important documents in there so we had to weasle our way past the back seats. Then I found out that the Mazda's coolant was still leaking despite having paid for a new radiator to supposedly sort out this problem at the beginning of the year. Then the shower broke...

We've just had a new kitchen fitted. Two days after it was put in the brand-new tap busted and wouldn't turn off. In the process of purchasing a new one at B&Q, I got a punctured tyre on the way home and in the process of fitting it, I put my neck into spasm which took me out of work for three days and was agonisingly painful. To finish off last week, Lorna got one of her worst migraines for years, which laid her out for Friday and half of today.

Whilst none of these things really are particularly disastrous, they add up to generate a pretty horrible time, especially when you're trying to revise for exams, worry about job security and work full time! Without the support of our family, friends and most of all God, we'd be in even worse states than we are. Jesus says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest"  (Matthew 11:28)  The Bible also said of Jesus: "And he will be called...Wonderful Counselor..." (Isaiah 9:6)

He wants to help us with our problems, to be there with us in our pain, and to hold us when we're going through turmoil. We just have to let Him, and to learn to let Him in...

Interested?  Have a look at Rob Bell's short films at Nooma.com particularly at his title "Rain".

Doctors training system falling apart

I wrote recently about the new system for applying to training posts for junior doctors. Well, it has been unveiled, and failed on every level! I won't bore you with too many details, but the computer program crashed repeatedly, lost peoples' applications, the shortlisting process was deeply shoddy with no firm guidelines on how points should be awarded to candidates, and some applications not even being read properly. It now seems that the media (finally) are listening to doctors, and kicking up a fuss. The Telegraph has been especially supportive.

With this weight on its shoulders, the DOH has announced a review and slowly this evening details of the conclusions are coming out. I'm not sure of the details currently but hopefully the process should be fairer. However, the fairest way to sort it all out is to scrap the current process and start again. I have got shortlisted for several interviews but I would happily give them up to undergo a fairer system.

I'd urge you to support us by signing the petition at The Telegraph. Don't do it because you feel sorry for junior doctors - if you do, thanks for the support, but if you don't, consider the issue - thousands of the best doctors are being excluded from working in this country and are likely to go abroad. You've paid for their training in taxes. Some doctors employed by this new system may be unfit to practise. If you care about your family's and your own health, then you owe it to yourself to harrangue the government as much as possible.

Over and out...

New church website

Loads of stuff seems to be happening at church at the moment - Alpha, Lent groups as well as the usual murder mystery and quiz nights! I'm a bit gutted that work and job seeking is so all encompassing at the moment - and work could even take us away from Essex to another part of the country altogether. Still, one thing I've been involved with is the church website at http://www.bicknacrechurch.org.uk. At the moment it's very basic, but we're working on a new improved version which should be online shortly! I'll try and keep you updated...

New job

The government in their infinite wisdom has decided to modify the way doctors train and create a new process called "Modernising Medical Careers" (MMC). So, for the last few weeks I have been beavering away at my application so that I can join this new system. If I do not get into MMC, I have no job in August - no pressure then!

It seems that most of the known world have decided that they want to join MMC too, so there are many more applicants than there are jobs. I'm up against stiff competition, but I'm hoping that God has it all in hand. We're hoping to stay in the area we live now, but with MMC, I have the potential to end up anywhere in the country. Therefore we'd be very grateful for your prayers that we can stay in our local church, where all our Christian family are and where we think God has plans for us. Thanks very much, God bless...

Various pics of Ireland people (mostly Lorna!)

 

New Pictures

Happy new year everyone! I hope yours was as enjoyable as mine (in a pub in Donegal, Ireland!). I've tried out the new digital camera and have posted a few landscapes on pixmania.co.uk's site, so please check them out and let me know what you think...

Ireland

Around Essex

Just click on "Diaporama" for a slide show.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everybody! I hope and pray that you have blessed and peaceful celebrations and a fulfilling New Year.

God bless,

Pete

It's Christmas!

PG wodehouse

For some unknown reason, every time the festive season begins to loom, I always dig out my favorite books - my collection of PG Wodehouse. I can't imagine a better way to spend some time off than with one of his novels or anthologies. For me, Blandings Castle has to be his ultimate creation, closely followed by Jeeves, however, I can be equally entertained by Mulliner, Psmith and the like.

For the uninitiated, Wodehouse was an unparalleled comedy writer, who excelled at creating brilliantly convoluted plots with thoroughly lovable characters, all delivered in beautifully constructed prose. These stories are such excellent escapism, both the Kaiser and one of recent Nigerian Presidents were reputed to take to their beds to read Wodehouse when the tide turned against them! There are thousands of biographies about Wodehouse on the net - try the Wikipedia one for starters. For a taste of his writing, try What Ho! An anthology containing a selection of his best stories.

Labels

Well, you'll be excited to know I have updated all of my bloggings so far with labels, which was no end of fun!

Looking through my old posts, I realised I never updated the blog about my exam progress. I passed the whole of my MRCP (hooray!) and I'm now planning to start the anaesthetics exams (FRCA) in June 2007. Must be some kind of lunatic to sit all these tests...

New Treo

For those of you are familiar with my obsession wth my Palm Treo smartphone, you'll be relieved and delighted (I'm sure) that there are several new Treo models on the market. The Treo 680 is a straight upgrade of the 650 (my current phone) as far as I can tell. The best thing about it - no aerial! Hallelujah indeed my friends. The Treo750v is a Windows based phone which to my eye looks pretty much the same as the 680. For any of you who may like to find out more check out the links below...

Palm's official website: Treo 680, Treo 750v

Treo 680 review and Treo 750v review

Christmas, and those who have none...

At this time, with all the festivities and excess, my mind seems to subconsciously switch itself to thinking about those less fortunate. Maybe God is using my blessings to help me focus on others. It's a good time to review my charity donations. One I recently have started to support is Compassion, which enables me to sponsor a child. Mine is called Mateo and he lives in Equador. For anyone who is not involved in this kind of thing, I can't express how much of a blessing it is. When I first received my information pack about Mateo, about where he lives, what he enjoys doing and so on, I was moved to tears - it's such a privilige to be involved even in such a small way in this little chap's life. Hopefully, by supporting him, I can show Godly Christian love to someone who has so much less than myself. I'm not sharing this to blow my own trumpet - indeed I am so very blessed and so very hopeless at sharing it around - but in the hope that others may read it and consider doing the same (if they don't already do so). We are called to support the poor as Christians, and this really is one of the ways we can do so. Let's not forget (however cliched it sounds) that celebrating Christmas is about the birth of Jesus who has given us the gift of life.

Digital Camera

As part of my gadget portfolio, I feel compelled to share with you my latest purchase (an early Christmas pressie). I am awaiting in barely contained excitement the delivery of a new digital camera, what the magazines define as a "superzoom" or "prosumer camera", the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 (snappy title I know).

Hopefully I'll be able to take some nice pictures once I've worked out how to use the camera, so watch this space for arty landscapes and the like!

Best man

Well, the best manning went ok - the speech was short but amusing enough to keep people entertained, and Jon and Suzanne seemed to have a lovely time. In fact everyone seemed to. There's something about a Christian weddding that just blows me away - I think the fact that the couple are binding themselves not only with legal and emotional contracts but also with a commitment in front of God, asking Him to be centre of their relationship is a very powerful thing, making these occasions an excellent witness of our faith.  I pray that the non Christians at Jon and Suzanne's wedding will begin to notice God's presence in their lives.

Steve's blog

My mate Steve has finally succumbed to temptation and joined the blogging community! Well done Steve! He has a lot more interesting stuff than me to say too, so get on down there and visit his blog at http://champerton.blogspot.com/. Meanwhile, I have the pleasure of preparing for my mate Jon's wedding - he's asked me to be best man, so I have a write a speech. This very difficult task has been made easier by the book "The Best Best Man" by Jacqueline Eames - if anyone out there is faced with this task I'd encourage you to get the book - it makes life a lot easier.