A New Season

The Giraffe is back! I have been off the park ranger's radar for some time given some personal life crises and now it is time for this sensitive creature to come out of hiding. Not that it is easy to try and hide given my immense stature, but its amazing how you can lurk in the recesses of an aircaft hanger. At the moment I fear more the missed opportunities than the vulnerability of exposure. So what have I been up to?  For a start trying to fit part time PhD research around a full time job in criminal justice. I am exploring the relationship between faith and Youth Offending, whether faith is a protective factor in young people's attitude to offending and examining how young people make sense of their faith and its connection with their offending behviours.  I have also started attending an Anglican church, fulfilling the inner nudge towards sacramentalism. It's not such a far cry from my charismatic roots.  I love the Eucharist in the round and the quirky nature of the community I am tentatively becoming a part of, including meeting weekly with a group practisiing comtemplative prayer.

I must apologise to family and friends for my absence and isolation, but by nature I tend to draw back into myself when things are tough or I am struggling. I am sorry for my silence.

So now to the future?  To continue to work towards obtaining my doctorate and to look at setting up a business to fulfill my social entrepreneurial tendencies. I want to eliminate my debts and save for a rainy day. Even verdant savannahs have rainy seasons. This is a new season and I hope to make the most it, although tempered by loss. I need to focus and head towards my goals, which I will share with you as my journey continues.