General happiness

About three weeks into FP and I sort of feel like I'm getting into the swing of things so to speak. I still struggle with the early wake up every day and the trek that is my walk to the office. But, all in all, it's been a good few weeks and I very much enjoy what I'm doing.

After spending a year being a mopey, confused working person and doing some really rubbish jobs whilst my friendies (I really don't know why I keep calling them that) were off having the time of their little lives, it's beyond delightful doing something that I actually want to be doing. What's also great is that I still get to meet new people cos the church is far from a static, stationary place...people come and go, and visit and all sorts. It's pretty epic!

Anyway, yesterday I took the afternoon off as I had some time in lieu and had a delicious vanilla latte and chat with a friend (this was after a slight incident where I fell out of my shoe on the way to the cash point, I'll leave you to imagine and laugh a lot) and then we gathered with some other people for a road trip to Southampton. A great band called Jesus Culture had an event on, and I love both their music and what they stand for so around 20 of us from my church ended up being there.

It was an incredible evening of worship and teaching, and a reminder of what we're asking and what we need to give if we're to see revival break out. Absolutely mind blowing and God was so present with people being healed and stories that increased faith. It was one of those momentous evenings where you really sense that something dramatic has changed, not just in your own heart but in the hearts of the others you were with...

So that was the beauty of last night. At this point I'd like to give kudos to Alex who drove us and in fact drives us about a lot. Much love my friend!

Then today, after an epic drive, sitting in both a lot of traffic and later watching the beauty of the English countryside as mist lifted from the hills and the sun shined on, we arrived at Yeovil for a regional meeting.

Until today I hadn't seen nearly any of my friends who are also doing FP for nearly a month, and whilst that's not that long in comparison to some people, I tend to love and miss people easily. I guess I'm just the mushy, emotional type. So we got to all meet up, chat about the exciting projects we've started, the crazy hours we're doing and the madness that's going to continue to be our lives for the next year. I tell you, being a Christian is NO boring thing. It's not rule following, it's love and it's adventure. There's nothing better. We had three fantastic sermons which once again challenged and inspired and shared lunch before another drive home. AND I got home early.

So yes, I mean everything isn't perfect and I do miss those same friendies I mentioned earlier, rather a lot and wish I could combine everyone I love in the same place at once (miiiight have mentioned that one before :P) but for the time being I love what I'm doing and it's not too stressful or emotionally challenging (YET).

Tonight I'm babysitting my sister so I'm going to catch up on a bit of Gossip Girl and possibly Glee if I can find it. Sleep too. To you students out there, you don't know how good you've got it. Sleep is valuable, precious and in my life, not exactly available.

Happy Thursday one and all
xoxo

Ache

I have a headache :(

I think I'm going to stay in, wear pyjamas, feel a little sorry for myself and watch Spooks and Merlin.

Hugs would be appreciated.
xxx

Autumn

Today I had one of those 'blissfully happy' moments and all it involved was some apples and an open back door. Weirdo I hear you say!

...Perhaps.

Anyway, the smell of crisp, sharp cooking apples being chopped whilst I sat by the open back door, which filled the room with sunshine but also the cool breeze of autumn was just perfect.

It aided the fact I was chopping big infested pieces off of apples so they could be cooked with.

Lots of fun tonight at a friend's housewarming party. There was a little dancing, a little wine and a lot of Ligretto, my new favourite game.



Epic day tomorrow. Farewell and sweet dreams
xoxo

The happy medium

Now I'm one of those people who like to be busy. I get bored if I don't have a project and my head explodes if I spend too much time on my own thinking about things. Saying that, I do like time to myself and being hidden away and watching mind numbing tv or reading books or just listening to music. I can be a little philosophical at times.

However, normally, being inactive slowly begins to kill me. This week therefore has been quite the opposite, I've had things to do every day and am generally quite a busy bee. Next week on the other hand is about as busy as it could possibly be. I actually have not got a free day...or evening. Not one. This is rather scary to say the least. In fact, I think this 'fact' would be enough to make my head explode in the same way as over-thinking... You shall have to see how I fare in a week's time.

I'm not normally too good at getting the right mix of busy and not...especially when I like doing the things I'm doing and want to be around. We shall see. Hopefully I wont find myself having some sort of emotional meltdown. Ha! Or trying to balance an egg on my head...




Today I am going to do fun things as it's my day off. I'm going to do some tidying, and then some food shopping and then some baking and then dye my hair and then I'm going to a lovely friendy's new house for dinner before she has a little bit of a gathering.

Tomorrow I'm up early for what I expect is going to be an epic but stupidly long day. If I have energy I shall update tomorrow.

Lots of saturday sunshine love to you all
xoxo




However if you're not busy here's a little cartoon for you to ponder and then go find some friends

Primary school

No, today I was not helping with 5 year olds art classes, I was in fact creating posters for student work at church.
This however involved far more cutting and sticking than I could have ever imagined.

Had a nice walk to and from work. Lots of trees and green and a slight hint of autumn. Almost sounds like a recipe. "Half a cup of green, a pinch of red, then leave to stew until golden brown"...

A little tired so excuse the strangeness.

I like this song today :)

C S Lewis

Currently I'm reading a book called 'Counterfeit gods' by Timothy Keller. It's good but challenging and I have 1000 things to read at the moment. Prioritising is the key...anyway, I digress. In one of these chapters, Keller quotes CS Lewis, and this struck me as a great summary of the life that too many of us lead.

"Most people, if they have really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love, or first think of some foreign country, or first take up some subject that excites us, are longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning, can really satisfy.
I am now not speaking of what would be ordinairily called unsuccessful marriages, or holidays, or learned careers. I am speaking of the best possible ones. There was something we have grasped at, in that first moment of longing, which just fades away with reality. I think everyone knows what I mean. The wife may be a good wife, and the hotels and scenery may have been excellent, and chemistry may be a very exciting job, but something has evaded us."


I know too often in my own life, I'm aware too late that something has evaded me. For too long, I was blind to see that the life I led would not satisfy, that the friends I adored, the books I ate up, the media I consumed did not lead to life.

I am excited to say that I have found life, and hope for that matter. It is not a crutch, it is not a whimsical fancy, it is truth and foundation and most of all, I feel satisfied.

How? Jesus.

Peace and love, over and out. Until next time.
xxx

Sunday Night

I don't really have anything in particular to blog about. I just feel a bit rambly and have a head full of stuff. I spent the night doing a sort of Alpha course type thing and answering deep questions which probably explains it.

It's been a nice day, though a tad long. It was great to see lots of lovely people and catch up, makes me even more excited about the year ahead! Lots of little heart challenges today. I shall update more when I can put it into words.

Study day tomorrow. Not entirely sure where to start, I think I'm just guna do lots of reading. FUN!

Life is good, I miss people though.
Love x


PS Gossip Girl has started once more and this makes me happy inside :D Despite it's ridiculous message about clothes, money and status buying you happiness... x

Taking some time out

It's all a little confusing; being excited and happy about what the year ahead holds but simultaneously sad that my friends have disappeared off around the country once more.

Fortunately, this time it didn't feel as if my heart was breaking and there were definitely less tears. Melodramatic? I don't think so...I just love very easily and my friends make it easy for me to love them. I am going to miss seeing them all the time.

I had a nice few moments today though involving seeing my lovely friend Alex on my way to work and upon arrival at work receiving a gift bag of prezzies!


This is the song I've had in my head all day today.
Peace and love x

Brain explosion

I'm going to attempt to summarise the insane week I've just returned from, however, brain explosion is likely considering all that's gone on.

So last Wednesday evening, I left Bournemouth to begin my first week of training for FP Impact; the year intern course that I'm doing. After a bit of a shaky start, namely because I wasn't very organised and got a tad panicky about packing, I was dropped at the station and began the nearly four hour journey to Bristol. The train was cramped and tiny, I was a tad concerned it may fall apart but fortunately I got a seat and it didn't crash or anything of the like. I arrived in Bristol, made my way to my host's house and was nicely fed on spaghetti bolognese. It was all a little strange, turning up at someone's house whom I'd never met, and was going to live with all week.

Fortunately, she wasn't an axe-wielding maniac and I actually rather enjoyed being her lodger. We had many a laugh so all's good on that front.

Thursday was the official start to FP so bright and early we gathered at The Elmgrove Centre which belongs to City Church. The scared 'Is anyone going to like me?' atmosphere permeated the air but after many a 'get-to-know-you' game, we all relaxed and began to chill out. Thursday was an explanation of what we were going to get up to, followed by an evening with our hosts.

Isla (host) and I, had an exciting evening of 'Save the Last Dance' and about a billion plums... This was the beginning of many a plum comment. Plums have been haunting me ever since...


Friday began with lots of tea and coffee, followed by worship and then some incredible teaching on 'Spiritual Disciples' which covered prayer, bible study, worship, giving and fasting. Considering these are the key foundations, I found this so helpful but so challenging. The evening consisted of an epic social BBQ with the best catering I've seen in a long time and a 6ft BBQ. They sure know how to do Christian food...

Saturday was definitely one of my favourite days. We went on an adventure into Bristol city centre to do some evangelism. This took the form of treasure-hunting where-by you ask God to give you certain pieces of information (which you write down) and these gathered together form a sort of map, or outline, of who you should attempt to find. Within my group, Ali and I had many matching pieces of information that God had revealed to us so we were keen to find the guy 'James' God had told us to seek. Almost to the end of our time treasure-hunting we finally found someone, who fitted the description God had given us. This young guy was astounded that God had sought him out and we were able to pray for him to be healed and blessed. That left my totally buzzing! The remainder of the day was just a great time of looking around and socialising.

We visited John Wesley's chapel, a place of huge historical significance in terms of revival and it was incredible to see where such great things of God had taken place. Along with that, we drank coffee in a beautiful park, visited an old church and crypt and played in the fountains before grabbing some dinner in a trusty old Wetherspoons. A seriously fun day.

Sunday was similar in it's low key approach. We went to church in Bristol, and then some of the guys had a house some of us were able to go back to and share lunch in. Cameron cooked an epic roast dinner and we rambled around in the fields just outside of the city. All very picturesque! And then, their hosts returned home with the most giant mushroom I have ever seen. It was the size of a large beach ball, about 30cm in diameter and called a puffball. The lessons learnt this week are certainly not limited to theology! I feel very well informed on many a theme!! The evening activity was the church prayer meeting!

Monday began our intense training with a in depth study or Romans 1-6, 8 and 12 all based on GRACE. Wow, is all I have to say. Simon Walker, our teacher, teased answers from us and showed us how to look into the scrpiptures for truth. Pretty revealing all in all. Monday evening we ended up in 'spoons again, followed by another pub. Nicely social. Isla and I then may have continued chatting until 2am which hindered my willingness to wake up Tuesday morning...

Nevertheless, it was not a waste of effort and Tuesdays teaching on the Doctrine of Scripture and Hermeneutics was fascinating in terms of history, philosophy and God's sovereignty. Pretty intense stuff so an evening of Independence Day and 'Don't tell the bride' was duly appreciated.

Final day today and we were looking at the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. It was so exciting to see the promises about being given gifts, and about using them. We moved into some times of practical application and the way God moved in the Prophetic was astounding. It bowled me over completely just the way that God unlocks situations, uses other people to encourage you and just generally loves every detail and worry and hope that we call our lives. After another four hour journey but homeward this time, I am now close to crashing.

However, there has been so much going on this week, so much to be thankful for, so many new friends made, so much learnt, that I feel that my brain may indeed explode with the sheer vastness of what has been happening. This year is guna be a little scary and a lot amazing.

Peace, love and excitement.
x

Song of the week

Recommended and appreciated

So September

It is now September and I'm asking myself that all important question that goes, "WHERE DID SUMMER GO!?"

September for me has many a connection with going back to school...although I don't go to school at all, and haven't for a while.
Still, there's that studious atmosphere about; that of shiny new shoes, new stationery and a lack of hatred towards teachers etc. I am basing this much on my own household and my younger sister, but I imagine it's true for many!

What I am enjoying though is the crisp air, the autumnal type shadows and a bit of what is called an 'indian summer'. It may be September, but Summer, for this week at least, has not totally gone walk abouts for another 9 months.

I am looking forward to running around in leaves, wearing scarves and perhaps some boots within the next couple of months.
In other news, I have sorted my life out a little, or namely, God sorted it out because I was too much of an idiot and I am going to be a student and study theology (WOO LEARNING!) and work for my church doing a fair old mish-mash of things. I am super excited.

Life is good however I miss my friends, many of whom are on lovely holidays and shall then be returning to their universities. Maybe I should start some sort of commune where everyone I like has to live within walking distance from each other...

Interesting thoughts...

xoxo