Taking Advice

October is here! Wow! The year has gone so fast for me. I have had such a busy September with our Regional Director's conference, preaching at church and my own conference that I organised for my staff. I have also had various meetings about my new role and lots of advice. 

Despite this, I still found time to bake Lavender Biscuits, Cholla Bread and Chorizo and Onion Empanadas. This morning I made Paul Hollywood's Plum Pizza. It is really a plum tart with a pizza base. Making it is timely because it was 'Bread Week' on the GBBO and the bakers made all sorts of pizzas.

One of the things I have realised about cooking is that you need to take advice. Apart from following the recipie which is obvious, there is also quite a bit of advice in recipes which sometimes is optional and other times gives freedom for individual style. When making something for the first time I always try and follow the advice and the recipe as closely as possible.

I also like the way there is so much advice from former GGBO bakers and from other bakers too. I love following Jamie Oliver on social media and I am a member of his cookbook club. When people share their photos of what they have cooked there is always some kind of advice about the experience such as ingredients that were adapted, different timings, favourite recipies and things that didn't work out. It is good fun and helpful.

I am also preparing for my new role. According to William Bridges book on transition there are three stages to any transition. 
1. Endings 
2. Fallow or empty time
3. Beginnings 

I am finding that my fallow time isn't as empty as I would like. Instead it is full of advice and preparations. Some advice is very helpful and is from people who have real experience of the role I am going to and the place I will be working. It has been helpful and fun. Other advice is from concerned friends and family. Most of it is speculative but it still stems from love. So I have listened to everything because here and there are pearls of wisdom and at the end of the day the support is great. I am still determined to enjoy my fallow/empty time but I will also listen to advice.

I wish our government would listen to advice. I don't understand how a government can develop policies that give more to the wealthy and take from the poor and do it in such a way that the entire economy is affected. 

I believe that we are blessed in this country with a well informed civil service and various think tanks and professional advice. Then there are all the global institutions like the IMF, World Bank etc etc. Advice abounds and yet this government ignores that advice. Or maybe they are listening to flawed advice after all advice isn't always helpful.

My prayer for the government and myself is that we may find wise counsel and have the humility to follow it. 

In the meantime there is plum pizza.

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