Movember

This is hugely entertaining, even if, as a woman I won't be taking part and growing a 'tache. x

Visits and Things

London has apparently jumped with both feet into the season that is a hybrid of autumn and winter. Something like autunter. There are piles of leaves outside my door, perfect for running through, and yet it's freezing cold, and I'm still wearing winter gloves whilst on the tube. Funnily enough, I'm actually kind of loving it.

This weekend saw friends visiting from all over the place. The beauties I went to school with were about, and considering I've not seen one of them since June, it was a mighty good chance to catch up. This essentially meant doing what we do best; eating and chatting. Friday night we made a Moroccan concoction, and spent the night discussing the past few months. We might also have watched a lot of David Attenborough on youtube. I feel his voice helped us sleep, despite our excitement at being reunited.

Saturday we visited the coolest exhibition, by someone called Mr Brainwash. Kinda bold, slightly garish, and very, very uplifting. Oh, and it's free. Yes, that's why I love the city. We got to go and have our photos taken with a gorilla made of tyres, and then got free posters. It was a pretty sweet afternoon, made even more so by the wonders of the Fleet River Bakery. This cafe has to be one of my favourite spots in the city. It serves Monmouth coffee and is hidden down an alley not far from Covent Garden. I might have been there twice in the last three days.

And then this morning, some of my closest friends from Citygate in Bournemouth, who've been in London for some things, had a spare couple of hours to catch up. Again, friends I love seeing nearly every day when at home, I've not seen in months, so there was lots to talk about.

My day was completed with Church activities. It was a little bit of a special afternoon, with some training time and another epic Sunday at Christchurch. It seems to be a real time for challenge and change and growth and I'm really loving being surprised by what God does each time.

For the sake of the world burn like a fire in me. Light a flame in my soul for every eye to see. 

The Brilliance of Sundays

With a cup of Earl Grey in hand, I'm looking at my day and am just blown away by mercy. My afternoon at church and evening at Vine Sessions was absolutely what I needed after a fairly rubbish morning. 

Today was ChristChurch London's eighth birthday and it was incredible looking at what has gone before, and what the next year will look like. I cannot wait. There were also Krispy Kreme doughnuts as birthday cake. Best. Church. Ever. 

Tonight was also Vine Sessions, a music night that my friend Raz runs. We have similar music taste so I seriously love the people that he has play. Hilary Repko was one of them (she lives near me and is super cool, with a voice like gold.)

The bar was absoluuuutely packed with people, so it was kind of like playing a giant game of sardines. I somehow acquired a tiara amongst the thoughtful thinking and dancing things. Coming home I was warned that I needed to avoid social media or watch Downton Abbey immediately. Little bit heart broken that I did the latter rather than remaining in ignorant bliss. Still, it's reduced my desire to live in the twenties (I would rather have proper medical care thank you very much!)

So on that note, this tired lady is heading to bed. I have a ridiculous amount of reading to do, as well as phone calls to make. Socialising postponed for now.

Laters alligators xxxxx

Fun Facts

1. My day began with Bon Iver, blueberry & banana pancakes, and a group of friends.
   
2. The District Line has utterly failed me this weekend. It meant I was 35 minutes late today.
   
3. St Paul's Cathedral used to be known as Eastminster (because it's the other side of the city to Westminster!)
   
4. There's a statue of Charles I in Trafalgar Square. Every sign in England uses this as it's central point when directing people to London.
   
5. I have become officially ginger.
   
6. My house is freezing cold unless you're wearing fifteen pairs of socks. No, that is not an exaggeration.
   
7. When it's sunny and raining, there's not always a rainbow. Today proved that.
   
8. The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad holds no appeal at half nine on a Saturday night. 

Jesus like Cocktails?!

People get mad at me when I talk about London. Possibly because it happens a lot. But, I feel I'm justified in blabbering about the city so much because everything I say about it, is true! Don't get me wrong, it's not my universe, I mean, it doesn't have beaches to start with (and no the sand banks of the Thames don't count!) and it doesn't have all my friends, or my family, and you can never really see stars. 

Still, as places go, I'm quite a fan. And particularly of East London. Yes, the hipsters run riot, it's like their not-so-secret hideout, but you've got to grant it to them, they know how to make things cool. There's a place called The Breakfast Club. Looks like a bar or restaurant, and yet there's this uber cool little fridge inside. Yeah, you won't have guessed it...but it leads to a cocktail bar. 

To me, that's what East is all about. The surface is one thing, but it gets exciting when you dig a little deeper. 

This week, last night in fact, was the launch of something called Connect. As part of the student work that my church runs, we've just multiplied our mid-week student stuff (mainly because there's too many of us) and so I and my friend Joel are leading the group out East. It's one of those amazing things that's just kind of happened, and last night was full of surprises, and full of grace. 

If East is all about digging deeper, I reckon it shares a lot of parallels with Christianity. Most people assume on the surface that it's kinda boring, not really the place you want to live. And if you talk about it, they think you're a bit nuts. And then you dig deeper, and discover that it's not about the restaurant on the surface, it's all about the secret cocktail bar behind the fridge. Getting to know Jesus is a bit like cocktails. It's this blend of wonderfulness, this constant surprise, and you just keep wanting more. 

All we'll be doing out East is focussed on showing people that there's life in Jesus, and he promises that it's life to the full. And if he promises it, then we want to pursue it, digging through all the surface level stuff to find that epic Mojito hiding just out of sight.

So with all of that in mind, you should come along. We'll be meeting at The Williams pub in Liverpool Street most Wednesdays. It's going to be a good time, and if you're really lucky, I might just buy you a cocktail one of these days. 

Big love! xxx

Tea Cups and Grace

After what has been an absolute mad week, full of illness, visits, dinners, parties and, of course Uni, I was all set to have a bit of a restful weekend. 

Unfortunately I had plans that meant I needed to be the other side of London by 9.30am on Saturday. Doubly unfortunate was the fact I slept through my alarm, to be awoken by the friend I was travelling with, calling me to ask where I was. Needless to say I was late, but said friend was an absolute BABE and came to my house so I wouldn't be late on my own.

Now that's friendship.

It was a great day of training though, and the team I'm doing some things with this year get on so well that it was an absolute joy to spend time planning things, even though it was a tad intense. Still, there was a continuous supply of coffee and pastries, and I came home with a plate of cake, so I definitely shouldn't complain. 

My evening was gloriously chilled. I watched Notting Hill for possibly the hundreth time, and laughed at the naked welsh man just as much as ever. 

Today was another busy one, with things to do, and Church to be at. Still, with so many new people about at the moment it was great to get to meet some of them! The night was finished off with a sweet potato and chick pea curry (an attempt to boost my terrible immune system) and then some Downton Abbey and the first new episode of Homeland. Bit of a contrast, but equally loveable. Downton has the affect of making me 'oooh' and 'ahh' and pine for the twenties. Homeland just has meet falling off the edge of my seat. And possibly flinching in fear. 

The result has left me feeling somewhat alive for the early hours of the morning. Yet I'm in charge of letting the gas man in tomorrow morning and looking after the TV delivery, which means being awake and probably dressed by the time that either of those things is possible. Woops. 

Still, the highlight of all that's gone on, is just the assurance of grace. The past few weeks it's felt as if I've been stacking plates on top of tea cups, higher and higher, and ever more unstable. Too much on my plate. Try too many plates. And yet, life continues, and has yet to crumble or collapse. That is grace. And it's grace that I'm even aware how blessed I am. Days like today, I count my blessings and marvel at where my life is.

Despite fresher's flu, a tower of things to read, and a kitchen that desperately needs a good clean, I'm feeling like life is fairly sweet. 

Icelandic Fairytale

Sometimes, this looks like my absolute idea of heaven.

Catching Up

Whether it's a hangover from being ill earlier this week (and no, I don't mean an alcohol inflicted ill), or perhaps just the volume of things I've agreed to do or am being forced to do with my course, but I have a great desire to curl up into a ball and catch up with a number of things.

Top of this list would be friends. Not all of my favourite people live in London, and that's sad. I desperately need a few hour-long phone calls and skype conversations. Not far down would be reading. My reading load for this year is impossible. In fact, I think I'm going to alternate which module doesn't get a look in. But, that doesn't stop my inner people-pleasing-self desperately trying to cram two huge, hefty novels into two days that are filled with lectures, people, and meetings already...

Also on the list is New Girl. Everyone needs some Schmitt humour to lighten up life, and I'm definitely craving a bit of that right now. I'll also add baking - I've invested in ingredients, but am awaiting more than a spare twenty minutes where I might get to do some actual cooking. This is also true for washing. My lack of clean clothes is going to prove a problem, in about three days. And by that, I mean I might need to leave the house in my onesie.

There's also a concern that I might collapse from rickets, or some other malnutritious-type disease because there are NO vegetables in my house, only carbs, Mainly in the form of frozen bagels. Not even good bagels.

And well, in amongst that list, one could always do with a light nap, some time off, and some real relaxing. I wont be adding those to the to-do list though. Lets keep things reasonable hey?

x

Sicky

I don't get sick very often, which makes me even more angry when I do.

Stupid monday, stupid feeling ill, stupid amount of reading.

I've come over all sulky and shall be retiring to bed with the aim that it'll feel less like the world is ending, come morning. Or at least, I'll want to throw up less.

Laters

Love plague face x