Wednesday, September 28, 2005

O my!

I am so annoyed. Once again my loan is floating in space somewhere, and its the second year in a row that this has happened, so now I have to draw on my savings to be able to live! Do you think God is teaching me a lesson in patience? The crazy university, my stupid (yes I'm from Essex) LEA and the SLC are all jointly to blame. It's got nothing to do with me, as the lady last year assumed it did. I've done my part. I've registered like a good student who wants her loan. I'm considering not paying back the money that the loans company have given me! Has anyone else had any problems? I doubt it! I know my house mates have got their loans, so why not me? Oh and I need an umbrella now, the weather is definitely autumnal which means getting wet more regularly than being dry! It's also dark all the time, it just makes me feel a whole lot worse than normal. I've also got fresher's flu. A nasty cough and trouble sleeping because of said cough. It's a head cold, great for when you're trying to concentrate in a lecture.

Speaking of which, I missed my first Genesis lecture on Tuesday cos I was sleeping...maybe I should mail my lecturer?? What a great way to start the year!

CU was good last night, loads of people. It's great when you put a positive spin on something. I got talking to loads of international students and there were loads of freshers, hopefully all will be at house party! We filled the end room in the chapel, which hasn't happened in a long time. I will be looking forward to this term so much. God is good. We've had visions of students filling the green outside the chapel and them all worshiping!

I'm ill but hey, I'm happy!

Thursday, September 22, 2005

There are better things I could be doing!

Other than blogging, but I'm not so there. I had a nice chat with the Chaplin, calmed some of my fears about the year ahead and the fact that CU has changed to Fusion now. I'm still not going to do cell groups though, but I am going to help out as much as I can with everything, I need something to do during the week! The next few weeks are going to be interesting. Freshers fair and all. Making sure I get involved again, rather than wondering what is going on!

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Unimotion

It's started. Uni is almost back in full swing. Just a few more days and I will be a fully fledged thrid year who is not too concerned about what lies ahead. I've got a God who will look after me when I need it the most, something that has become a great comfort to me since I began here not so long ago.
So how does it feel to know that I will be graduating in the next 14 months? Scary but theres the thought of 'yes I can do this' floating around. I'm not far off, I'm certainly closer than I was 2 years ago when I sat in my first lecture, unsure of what to think about what was going to happen.
I'm happy, I think thats the main thing. I've got a great house, full of people who love me and I love them back. I've got a boyfriend, someone who has shown his committment to me in many ways and at many times, who loves me so much and I know that I love him. I've got a family who support me and encourage me and of course I've almost got a degree. I'm on my way to finishing and I'm happy that I'm here rather than anywhere else. I don't think I could cope in a different place.

Thinking about it I've been incredibly blessed since I started here. I've got a church and a youth group to enjoy and life for so all is not lost!

Pray that I find a suitible place to do my teacher training!

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

A few things....

I've spent the last week or so just thinking! Good thinking, productive and questioning.

My first question, which has been bugging me for a good while, especially in my current situation, is where is God in your life? Now for Christian I can imagine the perfect answer being 'before me, with me and behind me, in all that a I say and do', but is this really the case. I can see in many people that God is something in the background, an after thought where 'I' comes first. In the world we live in it is difficult to say 'God and God only' - there are so many more tepmting things, friends, money, etc... It should be Bible, Church, Prayer and the Holy Spirit. I'm very blessed that I've spent a year understanding what God means to me, so I rely on him far more than some of my friends do and tend to go to him first when something is troubling me.
For non-Christians, or people of other faiths, I'm sure its a very different story, God is somewhat a mystery. Something they don't think about, something the are challenged by, something that plainly doesn't exist. What's your stance on God? I've been chatting about Alpha with some of my friends and one guy said 'I know I've got to sort my life out but....' I think God is important to him, but he's not sure how to go about finding out about Him! To everyone who reads this, what do you think God is and where should that idea fit into your life?

Secondly, Grace. My Dad and I have both read What's so amazing about grace? and he brought up a very interesting point. Does grace have a limit? If you get the chance to read the story of Ananias and Sapphira, you'll see that God was not too impressed with those two because they lied, He killed them because they lied. That was not long after Ascension Day, God was angry and he used force. What can we learn from this story? How can we learn? well the first is not to lie! And then look at the nature of God. Obviously that story is a one-off, but where are the limits of Grace? I know I lie, but I'm not dead, but I know I'm saved by Grace. Weird. Something to keep you going!

God Bless

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Home Alone

What do you do when you've got a free house? My parents are away for the weekend, dropping my sister in her new foundland that is Cardiff and everyone else has friends or a job that they'll happily be doing and I'm sat at home, doing nothing. I was going to pack, but I did get a better offer. Moving chairs and the tv!

Moving chairs this morning took an age because the admin side of my home church has fallen very short of what is expected. In pure speculation, and tell me if I'm wrong, but surely thats what makes a Church run well. Organisation, a bit of love and a lot of wanting? Wanting to serve the Family as a whole, loving and being loved because you serve and oragisation so you can serve in the best way possible. A way that uses all your gifts and discovers more?

People who don't have to learn on their own are the luckiest people in the world. People who are discoving the Holy Spirit over and over are incredibly blessed. Those who can organise a church are amazing.

I know I am blessed, I got to see some long term friends in a church for the first time in a long time and I got so excited. It felt amazing and they were only there for a band practice!

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Many obsessions!

I'm beginning to enjoy killer su doku. If you don't know what on earth I'm talking about where have you been for the past year? Buy a Times (at 60p, thats not a lot!) and look on the back of Times 2, you will be surprised and blessed by the abundance of su dokus and other puzzles to constructively waste all your time with!
I'm at home at the moment, but as I keep mentioning, only briefly! I'm going to Luton tomoro, to see my wonderful boyfriend graduate. I'm looking forward to spending time with him and his family. I got my watch back from Next, after it broke on the first day I wore it, lets hope it lasts a little longer this time! I also bought shoes and books, plus an awesome Cd, by Hillsong. I've resisted them for so long, but I had to give in when I heard
'Cause I know my God saved the day / And I know His word never fails / And I know my God made a way for me...Salvation is here'.
Although I've just bought it I know its going to grow on me!

One thing I'm going to share with you is something that I really should do something about. Matt 6 v 26 -
'Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.' (The Message)

There is a God looking after us who gives the birds abundance and wants to give us that abundance too! How exciting is that! I know is probably one of the first passages every Christian learns, but look at it! We don't even have to ask (though out of politeness we should). We can be careless in the care of God, there is nothing to worry about, God has a plan and He will provide.

All I need is you...All I need is you Lord...is you Lord...
All I need is you...All I need is you Lord...is you Lord....

Hillsong is taking effect!!

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Knee surgery

Ummm... not me, thankfully. Helen had her knee cut open on tuesday and had her knee cap put in the right place! Hopefully that'll make everything a lot easier in the future. She's having to other one done in 6 months. I've seen the screws that came out of her sisters knee and would not want that done to me! Although now I'm well versed in the ins and outs of surgery and care (cue a family member braking a bone!). I've seen the video too! Bone is very white and scar tissue is very fluffy! (I'm sure helen would love that discription of the inside of her right knee!)

I'm in Southapmton until tomoro afternoon, then life returns to normal for two days! I'm seeing Holy Smoke's soul survivor pictures in all their glory tonight!