Quick one paragraph update!
About to go see Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa at cinema with John and Joel(gonna be classic!!). Got home from work about half an hour ago, had my left-over chili and now it’s movie time! John just came back five minutes ago from his Portugal holiday, hurrah! So now I won’t be alone in the flat all the time anymore! And because I really wasn’t lying about this being one paragraph, I’m going to say farewell. Have a most awesome Friday evening, my friends!!
So before I make my dinner tonight(leftover spaghetti and meatballs – fantastic!!), just wanted to write a few words. Thinking more of my upcoming move back to Houston and as tends to happen, worries and doubts creep in. Am I doing the right thing moving to Houston? Am I going to regret this move(this huge life-changing move!)? Am I going to miss my friends here a lot? Well, that last one is definitely yes. As for the rest…I am simply encouraged by the following verses in Jeremiah(props to my dear friend Noemi for the reminder!!). Spoken to Israel in their time of need when they were exiles, yes. But God has also used these words to comfort me. And I am confident in my God. Always.
‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’
declares the LORD,
‘plans for welfare and not for calamity
to give you a future and a hope.
Then you will call upon Me and
come and pray to Me,
and I will listen to you.
You will seek Me and find Me
when you search for Me with
all your heart.’ – Jeremiah 29:11-13
Third update in three days, what!! Just popping in to say hello to you all this fine Saturday morning. It’s a bit grey and dreary outside(and not warm at all – where did summer go?) but that is no matter. I’m inside and enjoying my coffee this day. Just spent a few hours cleaning out my computer and doing random maintenance tasks on it. It may be going on six years old, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to not take care of it. May it last another six! (Ok, that’s extremely doubtful)
Anyways, also enjoyed some sweet Psalms this morning(Psalms 9 and 10 – go read them!) And now before I go get my lunch, think I’m going to finish my mocha and read a letter from a dear friend. And after that, who knows? Should probably go home and do some packing. We shall see. But in all these worldly things I do, let I remember the One who made this world and all it contains. As I go throughout this day and rejoice in the wonderful gifts I have received, may I think on Jesus and the wonder of knowing Him. May I meditate on His beauty. May I rest in His love. May I ponder on all He is and was and ever shall be! And I pray that you all may know the joy I have in knowing my Jesus and my God. Peace, my friends – always.
Now, it is more coffee time. I think I shall be bad and go order another mocha. Mine here is cold. So gonna hop downstairs and get that and then retreat back up here and enjoy another hour here enjoying the beautiful music floating through the air and the comfortable sounds of people talking about their days and the reading I have in front of me. Farewell, yo.
This is a peaceful night. A night of rest.
And I sit here and praise my Father for all that He has done for me. Praise the Lord!!
And I am thankful. For everything. For my hot dinner and comfy couch and the soft whine of the lamp behind me. My friends, my family – have a most beautiful night!!! May your hearts sing with mine!
A kiss upon the lips,
A cup of coffee in
my hand,
and all the colours
glow a little brighter.
And half-sung words
of grasping love
try to touch the stars.
So, it’s random-Tuesday-night update time!!
And seriously, don’t want to write much this night. But just wanted to say how thankful to God I am for a chance to sit quietly this Tuesday night. Thank you, Lord – that I can rest after a long and tiring day. This is such a pleasure!
And also – so so joyous upon hearing the news that Maryanne now has a job!! Teaching third-graders in Gainesville. I couldn’t do it. But you’re going to be absolutely amazing, by the grace of God – this I have no doubt whatsoever!!! (Also, you will be taller than all of them. This is a plus)
And so with my dinner(burritos and my tomato-avocado salsa!) in front of me, I simply wanted to offer up a song of praise to my God this night!! Peace my friends!
Just going to write a few words this afternoon – don’t feel in much of a writing mood, to be honest! But as it is Saturday, thought I couldn’t just leave this page blank. Just got done doing some cleaning around the flat – vacuuming, laundry, etc. Also threw a bunch of old papers out in preparation for upcoming move(current date is set in September – about a month to go here in Scotland). Now, sipping my coffee and debating on whether I want to go out in the garden to sit and read or not. The weather is a bit inconstant, fluctuating between sun and clouds. We shall see. Anyways, for now I write!
This past week’s been another busy week, so having a day of rest today is just oh so lovely. And this morning got to catch up with Jackie at Books and Beans – fantastic! First time I’ve seen her in a while – as always, awesome chat.
And now I sit and ponder on the words I’ve just read in Isaiah – frightening and terrifying and glorious. The judgment of God sits heavy upon the land of Israel(and yea, even the whole earth). It is terrible to think of us, the clay who rebels against our Maker. And we think we know better and we think we are gods. And we are as nothing. We are but dust. And yet we rage.
But then we come to these beautiful words!
Is it not yet just a little while before Lebanon will be turned into a fertile field,
and the fertile field will be considered as a forest?
On that day the deaf will hear words out of a book,
and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD,
and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. – Isaiah 29:17-19
And now I think I may go outside after all! Trying to figure out what to read though – Lord of the Rings is my normal outside-reading book and I finished it yesterday. Oh such a good book!
Before I do go outside and enjoy the sun…I leave you with my latest CD, “The Homestretch II”:
1. Let There Be – Gungor
2. Build Your Kingdom Here – Rend Collective
3. In Your Sleep – Andrew Belle
4. Lover of the Light – Mumford and Sons
5. Maybe They’re On To Us – Needtobreathe
6. Hello Again – Lost Prophets
7. Taikatalvi – Nightwish
8. Storytime – Nightwish
9. Stars – Philip Quast – Les Mis
10. Night Castle – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
11. Butterflies and Hurricanes – Muse
12. The Scientist – Coldplay
13. Never Grow Up – Taylor Swift
14. Make My Life a Prayer to You – Keith Green
15. War – Trip Lee
16. It is Well with my Soul – Bob Kauflin
17. This is Not the End – Gungor
18. Finish the Fight – Martin O Donnell – Halo 3
Now – time for garden and sun and being with my Lord.
Peace, my friends – and much love!
One of my favorite passages recently…witness the grace and compassion and fierce anger of our Lord Jesus – marvel at His love and almighty power!
He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. He said to the main with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?”
But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.” – Mark 3:1-5
Don’t have too many comments to add…just wanted to say how much I love reading about Jesus. I hope y’all feel the same!!
And now I guess I can write a few more words – chilling at Books and Beans(literally, instead of going from out in the cold to the warmth of this coffeeshop, I came from out of the heat to the coolness and shade here. Yay summer!!). I’m enjoying the remnants of my mocha(yeah, it’s definitely not hot anymore) and trying to persuaded myself to budge from my chair here. I shall soon enough, because it is a marvelously hot and sunny day outside and I need to soak it in. But for now, I want to finish writing this and then maybe write a couple letters while I have my lunch.
Anyways – I’ve had quite a busy week both at work and with people, so suppose I’ll share a few highlights! Working backwards…last night was most lovely and awesome – went over to Chris and Jo’s for a most fun evening involving delicious lasagna and salad and some yummy Tokaji as well! Besides just hanging out and eating and talking, we also watched “Princess Mononoke”, a delightful Miyazaki film. Oh gosh, how I’m going to miss these guys.
Thursday night – me and John and Rosemary went to cinema to see “Now You See Me”, a fun magic/heist/action movie. Morgan Freeman and Jesse Eisenberg and other fine actors made for a good movie, and of course being with cool people didn’t hurt. Wednesday night was bible study! Still studying Elisha, and as always, Dominic spoke with power and our prayer/chat time was oh so encouraging!!
Tuesday night! Hm, trying to remember what I did this night…did I just stay at home and have a quiet night? I think I must have, hah, seeing as I can’t recall what else I did. Monday night though, me and Mike and Chris and Phil went and saw “Pacific Rim”, which was ridiculous and gorgeous and crazy and really really fun. It was basically a movie about the end of the world and giant alien sea-monsters and mechs and really really amazing battles. Coolest scene – a mech riding a sea-alien into outer space and then pulling out a sword and slicing it in two. I think that sums up the movie. Anyway, we loved it. SO MUCH FUN.
And working backwards a bit more, while I don’t think I can do it justice at all(and this entry is already far too long), last weekend I was not here in Aberdeen, but with Joel and Graham, rafting the River Tay and enjoying the countryside in full summer bloom. We spent most of a day building our raft(felt a bit like Huck Finn!! Our raft – so much better) and then sailed a bit down the river…had a few adventures(like swamping our raft and almost losing all our stuff to the bottom of the river) and eventually we finally set up camp along the riverbank. Took us a few hours to properly set up and get the fire going. Finally, we were watching the sunset over the river and enjoying the first few bites of roast lamb…when we got an angry estate-keeper who kicked us off “his” land. Sad day! It was pretty late, but thankfully the cavalry(in the form of John, Duncan and Russell) arrived pretty much at the same time. After we delivered the sad news, we broke down camp and headed off to Graham’s house in their cars. Not quite the camping we had planned, but hey. An epic weekend was had.
Now, it’s really time to get going! Don’t know how much of my planned letters I’ll get written, but I’m really hungry for lunch. I’m in a soup mood – carrot and coriander today, methinks. Peace my friends!!
Before I start work this fine morning, just wanted to say how awesome a good thunderstorm is! We rarely ever get thunder and lightning here in Scotland(this may be the third time in my three years here?) so waking up today to the rumbling of thunder overhead…brilliant. And having to dash through pouring rain and flickering lightning to get from my car into work? Awesomeness. Who cares about getting a little bit wet?? So this morning, as I sit happily with the pattering of rain on my window and the promise of thunder in the air, I rejoice and praise the One who made it all.
Just thought I’d write a few words this foggy Tuesday night. I feel like I haven’t written in a while, but alas – I do not feel I’m up to writing much tonight. A long exhausting day at work, so now, I simply look forward to eating my dinner(chicken and baked potatoes and salad!) and reading a bit this night. A relaxing evening. And luxuriating in the fact that I am a child of God. And as I think on the love of my Father, I cannot help but rejoice! With purest music does my heart sing. Peace, y’all!
Something Weird 