Sundays

Ahhh, Sundays... I love'em This Sunday was particularly good though, having not been to a Carrubbers service in 2 weeks and Wayne having been away the two weeks before I was away, it was excellent to hear him speak again. We started Acts chapter 22. Amazing! So I saw lots of people and had some excellent conversation - Student Lunch Sunday was today, Leanne and I went to Mikey and Emily's (the leaders at Index) and I got to know them better which was awesome. Discipleship Explored was somewhat depleted in numbers and from a group that usually has 8 people, there were only 3 of us, none of whom were leaders, but we had fantastic honest conversation which was really good, refreshing, and encouraging. Because of Bunac orientation last week I couldn't make it to church, and because of travel times I made it to the first half of church in London and the second half of church in Paris the week before, so to get some good teaching and fellowship was really good. At Index we were reminded about God's wisdom and encouraged to ask for wisdom because it is something to be eagerly desired. I read this comment the other day and have been really challenged by it. I think it is wise. It is the advice of a mother to her daughters. It's challenging but it's also exciting in a really odd kind of way. "Until a young man has come and specifically expressed his interest in you, he should be viewed as another woman's husband."

Plans

May vineyards flow from all the good the Lord has brought to me,
And richest life extend throughout the land for all to see
That not of my good will or sense the plan unfolds this way,
But in the gracious mind of God tomorrow forms today.

Copyright 2000, Kevin Hartnett

In August, I'm going here...

But first, I'm going here :oD

However, I cannot get super mega totally excited yet. Before I go, I need to finish this.


and go here...


The US EMBASSY... or a building like it (this one's in London, I'm going to Belfast), where you are no long on UK soil, and where time stops, or so I'm told. Exciting eh? Now imagine this place with a queue of people in front of it, that will take about a hour to get through. No phones, no ipods, nothing but a body, and paper aloud in. And you come out about 4 to 5 hours later or so I'm told. Wahey, cannot wait! Oh yeah, and my flight leaves Edinburgh at 6:25am on Thursday. My ferry/train journey back (because I will not have a passport to show upon return - they take it for about 2 weeks) gets me to Edinburgh by 11:30pm. 'S gonna be a long day.

Oceanography ruins a beautiful day... or 6

I'm revising for my oceanography exam which is on Friday. Arg, not looking forward to it. I am very easily distracted from my revision and have no motivation because it is so boring and the past papers are so difficult. Doesn't bode well. But I'm trying my best. Bunac orientation (an afternoon of explaining things to do with camp this summer) was super interesting and fun and it made me excited about going to camp again. I've not been very excited up to now because of all the paper work and expensive phone calls and so much other stuff to do I don't have time to think about camp. But the stories and videos and everything just looks so good. I also got my orientation pack which had the staff handbook in it, with a sort of schedule. So exciting! Back at work yesterday. Turns out they missed me alot because it's been a tough week. Again, I will not go into great detail on such a public forum, but we have been left without a line manager. So because I was away last week, Ross and Hanna were the only ones working who knew what they were doing. Maria started work in the midst of this, poor girl. Sheila has jumped in as well, but it's quite mad. Tonight is homegroup so I don't have very long at the library. I'd better go...

Not enough of a good thing

So I had a good birthday. That was a while ago... and actually, I haven't been to work since. I went to England and said farewells to my godmother and her family going to New Zealand, then to my godfather and his wife going to retire on a barge. In between, I saw my friend Ruth whom I last saw 4 years ago when she was engaged. She is now married and pregnant with her second child!! And I stayed with my friend Cecily from France and with my friends Geoff and Joy in London. After London, I got on a eurostar to Paris to spend time with mum and dad. I also saw a little of the boys but they are away this weekend at Fabricants de Joie. It sounds like they're not doing so great there, and are looking forward to coming home. Joseph is excited about playing his first "gig" on the 4th May (pas tout a fait...) so a lot of his focus is on that just now I think. I've spent some good time with Janelle, who's over from the states, Lynsey, her friend from Canada and Colin who's over from Australia. But I've only been in France 4 days, I leave tomorrow morning and I feel I haven't spent enough time with mum and dad, or the boys. I guess I'll be back early June, but still. I guess the other part of not wanting to go back is the facing exams and working out what o do with my stuff and accomodation over the summer. I'm happy where I am, but with Steve and Katy moving to Quatar, on verra quoi! So that's me just now really, not ready to go back. Just a few more days would do, but I'd miss important things in Edinburgh, such as, well, work... missed enough of that, exams (could do without them), foundations, and bunac orientation which is on Sunday. Besides, Arpita needs me! ;o)

Birthday fun to come...

The birthday cake I made to bring into the after school club today.

Haha. Just kidding. It's not nearly this impressive. I made a sponge cake and put cream and strawberries on it. Yumm.
Two of the kids picked daffodils yesterday and made a birthday bouquet for me. How sweet!!
The plans are that David Nixon and his girlfriend Anna are taking over my kitchen for the afternoon while I'm at work and I'll get home around 6, them having baked stuff and other church people are coming round a little later to eat all they made and if the weather stays good we're going to head over to a new swing park and have some kiddie fun. I went there tonight with Nadia and we decided that would be excellent. Photos will be put up in due course bien sur.

Poisson d'Avril!

Last night was lots of fun. Dave cooked platane, which I'd been wanting to try since Nathan told me about it after he got back from Guinea. I met some new people, of which Dave's flatmate, Chris, and Chris' girlfriend, as well as a mate of Dave's called Jean. Good laughs, good conversation, good food.
This morning I met David Nixon's girlfriend, Anna. Finally! I've heard so much about her - it's cool to finally meet her. They're both taking over my kitchen on Thursday afternoon to cook/bake/whatever while I'm at work. People will then come over and eat all they've made! Haha!
It's now the Easter break and I'm working 10 hours tomorrow, 10 on Tuesday, Wednesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon. We're going somewhere cool on Tuesday though I've forgotten where, and on Thursday afternoon we're having a picnic up Blackford Hill so I said I'd bring something unhealthy to share with all the kids to make me feel like I'm a kid again whose mum has made a cake to share at school! Good times! I'm just praying the weather will stay good until then so we don't have to have our picnic in the hall. That woul be quite pants!

It's day 2 of spring here in Edinburgh, or at least of weather that makes you feel like summer may actually come this year. Yay!

Discipleship Explored starts tonight. I'm going. I'm excited. I think I will learn alot. This past year has been a steep learning curve particularly in the things of heaven. Lots of thoughts going on in my wee head.

This is all way too serious for this day of jokes and pranks. Here's something I found hilarious when I listened to it earlier... It's someone reading one of the nine lessons. Ops!

A couple of videos? Yeah, why not...
Here's one classic that got few laughs in our family...

And a few Apple mac adverts...

One of my favorites.

Ok, so there's more than a couple there, but I just couldn't choose. Enjoy!