RSC and trains

The Reduced Shakespeare Company are awesome!! I really enjoyed the eveing! They reduced everything from silent movies to Kung Pow! we even got a bit of the matrix!
I got pulled up on stage with Henry, we were told to do some shopping (walking across the back of the stage) and then a few were picked out for more specific roles. I was chosen for the role of Femme fatal! I've been cast as Sharon Stone!It was so much fun, the guys were really good!

Getting home was a nightmare! I know I've had worse journeys but this was ridiculous. I had to get two buses to get back to cheltenham. So stupid, and I had to pay over the normal price to. Complaining all the way home!!

Oxford

I've spent the day in Oxford, learning, hands on about the Oxford Movement (Victorian England). It was all very interesting, if slightly trying, stressed for all the wrong reasons. Over reaction is never a good thing, and I've seen a lot of that today.

Oxford is beautiful, if you every get to visit, if you have, you know what I'm on about. It's one of those places where you wouldn't dare kill a football or walk on the grass, for fear of spoiling the perfection. It's full of grand buildings and an incredible amount of history. I do love being a tourist, I've seen a side of Oxford most people don't.

I did feel stupid though, it has to be said. Oxford is not a place you can walk around without a few books in your hands!!!

Anyway, I'm happy and I will be out like a light in a few moments!!

Answered

Many things prayed, many more answered!

God is good, most people know that. Take my Dad, he knows and my sister knows too. I'm a stickler for finding God in everything, from my housemates to the news I read every day (even in Sunday match of the Day, the Holy Trinity has just been mentioned, no joke!). It's hard not to see Him in the world we live in, but it is hard to see Him in the natural disasters that we hear so much about. So where do you see God? Is He good to you? Do you thank Him for all the things you see?

I'm going to do some thanking!

Disneyland!

I'm going to Disneyland, Paris in 9 days, I am so excited! I'm going with Henry, so we will be like two big kids the entire week, and it's Halloween celebrations while we're there. Of course I will be praying for all the evil in the park!

I'm working, seriously, I've written something that resembles an introduction and now I just have to type it up!

Write a critical evaluation of two or more approaches to Religious education, showing their strengths and weaknesses

Joy! Any ideas!

Pretty in Pink

Pretty in Pink
Originally uploaded by Colourfultshirts.

This is a picture of me at my 21st birthday party in Cheltenham. The celebrations lasted a little under 3 months!!

Internet at in the house...oh the joy....

... And the pain. Here come endless nights of blogging, shopping and needless searching, playing games etc.... Now where did the spongebob game get to?

The little things in life. I've spent the day in Lincoln, looking at a colloege, with Henry (see below) for teacher training. Mucho impressed, they have a free gym and a wonderful new lecture centre. Problem? There are only ten places for PGCE secondary Religious Education. Scary, but worth while. Its a tiny college, just outside of town, but the Chapel looks so appealing and the CU meet in the Common room - which is huge!! I'm looking forward to applying there though it takes some 3 1/2 hours from Malvern!

If we get in I'm open to anyone staying the night before they have to be in Skegness (Spring Harvest or otherwise!)!!

Pickies!

Henry, my boyfriend
Posted by Picasa

This was taken when we went to see Lee Evans. I like this picture so much, taken with my new digital camera. I promise I won't post too many pictures, most will go on Flickr!!!!

The first of many!

I am officially at the beginning of the end! Sounds dramatic doesn't it?

Well actually its a trifle scary. I had my very first dissertation meeting with my tutor (who else?) this morning! O my goodness! Am I going to go over my word limit or what! And when am I going to write it? I'm far too busy sorting out the internet for my house to care about writing a dissertation!!

We went out last night as a house, for a birthday celebration. But first of all we had jelly and angel delight (try it, you'll love it! Though I think its a 'marmite' food) plus presents and sparklers! Sooo cool! I have the best housemates in the world! Oo we also had pass the parcel! These guys can seriously read my mind! The theme was pink, and everything was pink, I'm not joking! It's a shame the nodding Jesus was dressed in white, but He does have a good excuse!

We got to the club and danced the night away! At one point I thought I'd lost some money, but God was gracious and gave it back to me! Forever Faithful.

One last thing (you know you love it when I ramble) a really cheesy but good thing (I know I can get the word for it, let me know please!)

Called to Relationship with God. God is a good
F aithful - God's loyalty to us is amazing
R ich - His love for us is fulfilling (not money - though He is!)
I ndividual - He calls us by name
E verlasting - Before and behind us
N ear - So close you can breathe Him!
D ispised - He doesn't always hang out with the 'right' people (think earthly, Pharisees and Jesus = lots of anger!)

Cool huh! Start thinking, How good a FRIEND can you be?

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!

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!

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!

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

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!

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!!

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!

Scout Camp

A week in a field, in a tent, with a boyfriend! Equals lots and lots of fun, a wellie full of mushroom soup, flour everywhere and one shower!
I enjoyed myself so much, I thought I never would but when you camp with 20 or so people who have the craziest ideas it becomes probably one of the best camps I've been to! I might even make an appearance next year. All the scouts seemed to love me! And the leaders were just as much fun. Henry was the star of the camp - his 'I'm almost a celebrity scout big brother survivor mole - get me out of here' game was awesome, a lot more fun (and messier) than anything I've done in a long time.
Who could imagine I'd be able to spend a whole week in a field in the middle of nowhere with no running water and sharing a tent with a few exploding bags!?! I did and I recommend you try it at least once (make sure you've got someone who loves you to guide you through it though (HENRY))!
So for the next week I'm looking forward to sleeping and chilling in Malvern and going to see Helen and her knees on Thursday for a couple of days. I don't want to say goodbye to Henry though :(

Just a quicky!!

I'm off to Malvern in little over an hour. I get to see my boyfriend for a whole two weeks! I'm so excited! I'm a little worried about scout camp, but once I get over having to sleep in a field I'll be alright (I know most of you are thinking that'll be the day I get back!). I also get the joys of using chemical toilets and washing my hair in a bucket, if anyone has got Africa (or third world/developing world) memories, you know what I'm talking about! Thankfully this is a little different, but in some ways a whole lot worse (no tin roof, or walls) and a whole lot better (I don't have to eat goat!). I get to spend the time with some fab people though. Henry! (Nuff sed!) Jeremy and Becca - the loveliest people in the world, with their twin girls and some more dedicated (but crazy) lads, who have been doing this type of thing for years!

Anyway, It's going to be fun! :D

Tempting

I'm tempted to tell the whole world something that only half the world knows! But I think I'll keep you guessing...
If you already know my news keep it to yourself!

Ha ha thats got you going? Hasn't it!

I should be somewhere else....

Its that time of year again - Monkton Combe! I should be exhausting myself running around with 40 or so teenagers, learning from them and teaching them. But instead I'm sat at home blogging, preparing to host a BBQ this evening for lots of friends and few family. I'm about to go shopping for plates, cups and food, having spoken to some 20+ people about a small gathering! La la la! I'm so looking forward to it, knowing that I'm going away in three days to see my boyfriend for the first time in two and a half weeks! I'm missing him lots.
Its all good, nothing to report almost. I'm a 21 year old who actually can't wait to do her dissertation, looking at the effect women have had on the church since they were allowed to be ordained.
I've just spent the weekend with the youth that were meant to be at Bredon (previously known as Monkton) dicovering what it means to make poverty history (click the banner, a HTML is too much hassle!). I had a really good weekend and the video and photos are being put onto a disc so hopefuly you'll see some of them soon!

At home...

and bored. I've not done a lot since I got back to Billericay last Monday. I've let time fly really. Not bothering what happens, I can't even remember what i've done!
I sang in church for the first time in ages yesterday, I'd forgotten how difficult it is to worship when you're staring at blank faces. I got to eat chocolate though. Which reminds me that I saw Charlie and the chocolate factory yesterday. A bit wierd, a lot wierd. Tim Burton is probably the scariest man alive - his imagination is far too much for me to cope with!!!