Boxing Day

I'm writing with a furr ball on my lap :o) I'm so happy that she's a cuddles mood. I'm cold and need the warmth! So, I'm back in Paris for 2 weeks, and am loving it, though it's taking a bit of getting used to the less frantic lifestyle. I slept a whole 14 hours when I got here, probably catching up from having no more than 7 per night for the past 3 weeks. So that was good. On Saturday, I took it easy and left plenty of time to get to the airport, since first of all, last time, I missed my flight and second of all, there was fog and a lot of craziness on all travelling methods or so the news told me. I left at 10am giving me 4 hours before check in even opened, for a 2 hour journey to Prestwick... So I got there well early, though not quite early enough to see my friend Jonah off to Sweden (his plane left 4 hours before mine, so I guess that was a good thing, or his plane would have been one of the delayed ones). I just chilled for a while, which was actually quite nice! When check in opened I went to queue and almost immediately got a phone call from my friend Flo. All she said was "I think I'm behind you in the queue" so I turned round, and sure enough, there she was! She's a friend from my church in Paris and has lived in Edinburgh for 5 years now. So we ended up travelling together. I almost regretted it when she said she got air sick last time she flied, but it was all good. I can't deal with people being sick. That is the one thing my husband will have to do for me when our kids throw up. Can't do it. Anyway, back from that tangent. The whole family met me at the airport, Flo caught a coach into Paris, and we drove to the lovely town, sorry, "town" that we call home, Verneuil. Nathan was feeling very ill, had his covers with him and a bowl to be sick in. So all I could do was pray that he wouldn't be sick in the car. I did. God answered my prayer, we got home and within about 5 minutes, Nathan was sick, but no where near me. Thank the Lord!!! Sorry if this is not the nicest of all stories I have ever told!! Since then, I have celebrated Christmas in a multitude of ways and on many occasions, been to church twice, enjoyed some family in-jokes, slept lots, read some, listened to some good music, sang along to Nathan playing the guitar, cut Joseph's hair (note to self: never do that again), played with Manuela, eaten some nice food, reflected on coming back to Paris, laughed lots, prayed some and walked in the cold. And other stuff. It's nice to be home you know. But I really miss Edinburgh when I'm here, the people there and my church in particular. But it really feels like a rest here. Sometimes like a forced rest, like when I just want to meet up with people and go out and do something but everybody's away or doing stuff, so instead I'm picking up one of the many books I want to read and chill with God. You know, sometimes that can be really difficult to do. But always worth it! Merry Christmas!

My heart is spoken for

Take this world from me I don't need it anymore I am finally free My heart is spoken for Having just taken an exam, my mind is once again in a place of "what next?" thinking. Though I still have 6 months at uni, and then a summer in the US, what after that? I hate thinking like this, being so undecided and not knowing what God has in store. I guess I should be glad I have a plan for the next 6 months. But I wish I knew what after that. Paris? Edinburgh? Bolivia?! I went to the prayer meeting again last night, and though I only missed one week and for a very good reason (Foy!), it was so good to be there again, take a break from revision and remind myself of what should be the focus even (especially) during craziness of exams. And if you ever need cheering up, just watch Mike Pilavachi singing and beat boxing on you tube. Awesome. Now I have a peace I've never known before I find myself complete My heart is spoken for

Foy Vance and Christmas Decorations

There's only one word that can describe Foy: amazing! If you have the oportunity to listen to any of his stuff or better still to see him live, do.

Katie, Nadia, Laura and I drove to Glasgow in Patrick, Laura's Ka. We went to the Filling Station for dinner which was nice. And then, Foy. :o)
A few pictures of the night...

Nadia and Katie, Nadia's friend from Camp (she's Autralian)

Nadia and Laura :o)

Foy!

And I just wanted to show you all my living room with its Christmas decorations. It's pwetty!

Loving the laundry!


This is a light wreath from ikea customised with ribbons by me. I like it! It was also an excuse to get a hiddeous picture off the wall for a while :oS


Arpita and my stockings. :o)

Of Carrubbers and other such good things.

On Sunday an article was published in the herald about the state of churches and Christianity in Edinburgh.

Let's focus on the good things going on. I'm tired of the things that take my focus away from the only One who should matter at all to me. I wish I could just focus on Him the whole time without any problem. But my impatience and my own selfish desires come in and mess up any of my best intentions. And then I just get frustrated at myself. I spoke of this to my boss some yesterday but He didn't really know what I was talking about. He tried to understand, but his vision of the world is a lot smaller than mine simply because he doesn't know of the things of God.

I made an advent callendar for the after school club, it took me 2 whole afternoons to make, with some of the children's help. So a long process, but so much fun and it looks amazing now, all hung up on the wall. I took pictures, but they don't really do it justice. It's giant, and child friendly and with stars and snowflakes, it looks magical. I'll put the pictures up sometime. I was quite proud of the result, it was beyond what I'd imagined, which is very rare with me and arts. Very rare with me and anything actually. I usually have pretty high expectations.

Saturday I went to Foudations and talked about our position in Christ, which was really good. Then people from homegroup came over which was really good fun - was great having kids in the flat!! Some good fellowship. Then in the evening we had our staff christmas party which was ok.

On Sunday, the morning service was good, then there was nothnig to do between the services so I went home and studied with Arpita and snuggled in the duvet on the sofa because the boiler broke again - it's been repaired now :o) - and then faced rain, wind and generally gross weather to go back to church. Good service, it was communion and we sang Shine Jesus Shine (not that that's a good thing, but it hasn't been sung in a while so it was ok!!)

And then Index, we talked about God as judge which was pretty challenging - this subject always is for me, but I think it's because we look at things from the wrong perspective. People say "If God is loving, why does He send people to hell?" The thing is, we all deserve to go to hell. Not one of us is worthy of heaven, because each one of us has sinned. But because God is loving, he sacrificed his only son who was perfect so that we could go to heaven, and so that we could know God.

So yeah... just a few thoughts there...

Advent, Advent

My friend Ben Bell made this advent card... I like it! Thought I'd share.

Last night I spoke to mum, Nathan, Joe and Ben on the phone. It made me that much more excited to go home for Christmas. In spite of being on the phone for about an hour and a half (oops!!) I still had so much to discuss, with Nathan in particular, and I'm sure mum and I could go on chatting for a while, and Joe and Ben aren't so great to talk to on the phone. Plus I don't think I've spoken to dad since I went home in October, which is pants. But, I did get a comment from him :o) !! Before I go home, there are exams. Principles of Ecology and Global Environmental Processes. Sounds fun, no? Yes. Revision's not going so well - I keep getting distracted. There are so many fun things to do around Christmas time. And I've found that the best distraction of all is reading my Bible - it's a lot more interesting than the nitrogen cycle. But the nitrogen cycle isn't hard to beat on interestingness. The Bible is even more interesting than Dinosaurs. There we go. Dinosaurs is hard to beat. So on Wednesday morning I was determined to do some revision, but then wanted to do a Bible study to start off the day. And an hour later, I only had 1 hour left to do revision before getting lunch and going to work. So how do I say this to God - I love you and I want to learn more about you, but if you keep this desire in my heart, I'm going to fail my exams, and leave uni without a degree. Or maybe it's just another excuse I've found - a pretty good one, you have to admit!! So tomorrow is a good day. It's Saturday. Not any old Saturday. A Saturday with Foundations, this course I do at Carrubbers about the foundations of discipleship. I love it. So that's in the morning. Then, Homegroup people are coming round for mince pies and the like, and in the evening it's my work Christmas party, with the secret Santa exchange of the presents and other such fun things. It'll be good! And then, Sunday. I love Sundays. Nothing unusual this Sunday, no student lunch, no baptisms, no going to Wallyford (although you never know, I'll probably end up getting roped into doing something!!)... Sunday morning service with Wayne talking on, guess what, Acts (this sermon series of going through Acts has been going on for about 3 years - seriously - this will be Acts, part 105!!!) Then an afternoon still to be determined, Sunday evening service and then Index. I love Sundays. And then, it's Monday. Revision. Speaking of which, I'd better grab lunch at the cafe and go back to my notes on the phosphorus cycle, the origin of skeletons and find some past papers - that's what I was no the computer to do in the first place... procrastination!!