Wednesday 13 April 2011

Moving on

When I realise that my last blog was on Valentines Day I realise how busy the last couple of months has been and how quickly the time has gone.

So much has changed and I'm still not really sure I've processed it all yet. I've got myself a real job in London and I start next month! I'm going to be working for a charity as an Assistant Trainer on a programme for NEET young people. I will be finishing Uni, moving to London and starting a new job all within a couple of days.

I'm so excited but also quite sad. It's a bizarre feeling really. I can't wait to get into work and church and am so looking forward to living somewhere new and meeting new people. But, I'm really going to miss Southampton, particularly my friends and church family. I just have to remember what an amazing opportunity this is and continue to be thankful that my time in Southampton and all the people I've met have prepared me so well for the next step in my journey!




Monday 14 February 2011

Happy Valentines Day.

Valentines Day. Those are two words which can conjure up such a range of feelings... excitement, anticipation, sadness, dread...

Whether I'm single or not to be honest I get annoyed at the commercialisation behind Valentines and the money that is made out of it. Plus, surely you should show your loved one how much you love them every day?!

 Being single, I can't say I was particularly fussed this year. However, I can officially say it has been one of the loveliest days I've had in a while. There was no pressure to do something romantic for anyone or buy a gift of some kind and it was the perfect excuse to hang out with some of my favourite girls. I was able to cook, entertain, and bake to my hearts content, drink champagne and eat strawberries and be in fantastic company. What more could a girl want?! Thank you God for some awesome friends!

Whatever you got up to today, whether you're single or not, I hope you had a blessed day and felt incredibly loved. I know I did.

Sunday 23 January 2011

Time well spent?

I've been thinking a lot recently about my time and my priorities. As I'm coming towards the end of Uni I'm in the wonderful (yet incredibly frustrating) position of being able to really think about what direction my life is heading in when it comes to my work. I'm so aware of the fact that I don't want work to become my priority.

This entry in my Bible notes 2 weeks ago really got me thinking about what's important...

"He logged twelve-hour days, and sometimes weekends. Even when he wasn't working , he was thinking about work. His wife tried to slow him down. He knew they weren't as close as they once had been. He hadn't intended to drift away, it's just that she always seemed to want time and that's the one thing he didn't want to give. He was vaguely aware that his kids were growing up and he was missing it. They complained about books he wasn't reading to them, games he wasn't playing with them and trips he wasn't taking with them. After a while they stopped complaining or expecting their lives might ever be different. 'I'll be more available when things settle down', he thought. When he felt guilty he told himself, 'I'm doing it for them.' His wife asked him about going to church but he said, 'There'll be plenty of time for that sort of thing when things settle down.' His doctor told him he had elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol - but he told himself there'd be plenty of time for that when things settle down. Quietly, efficiently, irresistibly, his body was preparing to do him in. One morning his wife woke at 3am and he was not beside her. She weren't downstairs to drag him to bed and saw him sitting still in front of the computer, his head hanging low. She touched him but he didn't respond. When the paramedics got there they told her he had suffered a massive heart attack. Things had finally settled down."

Our time is so important and the truth is that we really don't know how much we have. We can't guarantee that "there'll be plenty of time". We just don't know. So, how do we decide on what our time is best spent on? If I use my social work qualification and work long, stressful hours as a social worker, is that time well spent? Or, if I work part-time and spend lots of time with church or friends, is that time well spent?

Ultimately, I know that if we spend our time on loving God and loving people I know we can't really go far wrong. Our time is so precious and I really don't want to waste a minute of mine.

Monday 3 January 2011

Bieber Fever

It's catching.

I have to confess I am only a Justin Bieber fan because it's fun to tease my brother for his uncanny resemblance to the child star. However, after watching this video and listening to the lyrics of the song I think I might be displaying the first symptoms of a fever!

The lyrics are incredibly simple, but the message is powerful.

How many of us actually lose our appetite when we think about children who are starving? Or struggle to sleep because we know things aren't right in the world? I think we should all be asking ourselves how we can make a change. We can begin simply by closing our eyes and praying.

Anyone who finishes their video with a Mother Teresa quote is onto something...

God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer - Mother Teresa

Enjoy.


Losing Control...

I've been re-inspired to blog by my brother. So here I am.

I expected to come back to find posts which were now irrelevant but instead, came back to find I had this draft post saved, titled "Losing control..." Ironically, I think that is exactly what has happened. I started the blog intent on focusing on God and giving everything over to Him. And actually during the process I have lost control because I've given it to Him.

After reading my previous posts, I realise God's taught me so much. I may not have remained single or spent an hour with Him every morning but I have given God my desire to be with someone and get married, I've given Him control in my life and can truly say that I want to just please Him.

So, here's to 2011. With God in control, it's definitely going to be incredible.