By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
Tag: jesus
Lamb of God
Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For He grew up before Him
like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
that we should look upon Him,
nor appearance that we should be
attracted to Him.
He was despised and forsaken of men,
a man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief;
and like one from whom men
hide their face
He was despised, and we
did not esteem Him.
Surely our griefs He himself bore,
and our sorrows He carried;
yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the chastening for our well-being
fell upon Him,
and by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
each of us have turned to his own way;
but the LORD has caused
the iniquity
of us all
to fall
on Him.
-Isaiah 53:1-6
My heart is saddened as I think of the suffering of Christ Jesus, yet I rejoice. Because truly – through the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s own Son and God Himself – I am counted as righteous in the sight of the Lord God. And the fact that I am righteous and pure before God…how can I not sing to the God who made it so? Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Slain for me. Filthy ungodly unworthy me. And so, some two thousand years ago, God the Father poured out the full and righteous cup of His wrath upon God the Son. And I am now a child of God – countless songs and boundless bliss – how can I not sing for this?? God loved me first, now I love Him – oh those glorious words – He loves me!!!
Three to the Power of Three
Hello my friends!!! I shan’t write too much now, for the hour is late. But I thought I’m required to write a few words, for today I celebrate my twenty seventh birthday. Yes, truly!! And though now I am slightly sleepy, I wanted to chronicle the day. (Shall I chronicle the year? I shudder at the thought!)
But enough rambling. Today’s been beautiful, mostly because it hasn’t been about me. I had a perfectly awesome time at church this morning, worshiping God along with my dear church family. Some quality songs were sung in adoration and praise to God(“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”, “Be Thou My Vision”, “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less”…and “Bless the Lord, Oh my soul…”). A beautiful sermon was preached on the primacy and importance and clarity and power of God’s Word. And then got to eat lunch and talk with lots of people…I have been given many good friends. I am oh so grateful for the goodness of the Lord to me.
And afterwards, Chase was insistent that I come over to his house for Halo goodness! And I couldn’t really say no, so the afternoon was spent in epic Halo battling with Chase and others!! I must say, I think I almost hit my limit for Halo in one day! But it was awesome…I may have even placed second a few times. (No one touches Chase. No one) We ordered pizza for dinner and it was fantastic just being with people.
And then I drove home, talked to Mom and Dad for a bit on the phone(may have been third time of the day I got to talk to Dad!!) and just had lovely chat…again – I am blessed beyond measure for being given parents such as they. Truly.
And now I sit here and reflect(slightly sleepily, I confess!) on the day and the year and on all that God my Father has given me. I think of a year ago, in which I spent my birthday in Aberdeen with dear friends, friends who I treasure. Friends who I miss. I still think back on that brunch at Ruth and Zara’s with fondness, of the time I spent with John and Chris and Jo and Alec and Pip and Ruth and Zara…and we talked and we laughed and it was beautiful. How I was blessed.
And now, I’m living in Houston, and while I do indeed miss my friends, I am here now for a reason, and God has blessed me much here. He has given me friends and true brothers and sisters here, and I cannot doubt my God’s faithfulness to me. Never never. I spent today in the company of such dear people. I have been given much.
And I think of the most precious gift of all, that God has blessed me with salvation through His one and only Son. Who died and shed His blood for the forgiveness of my sins. And who was raised to life on the third day, triumphantly, eternally! I died with Christ. And I have been raised with Him. And so I have been given much. I have been given everything. How can I but love? How can I but offer my being – my very heart – to the One who is Lord of all, God of heaven and earth. I am known by Him. He is my Shepherd. And I follow Him. He knows me. And He loves me. And it is beautiful.
Now to Him who is able
to do exceeding abundantly
beyond all that we ask
or think, according
to the power that works
within us, to Him
be the glory in the
church and in Christ
Jesus to all generations
forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Fresh Fallen Snow
I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD.
How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
and your thoughts toward us; there is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count.
Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
my ears You have opened;
burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.
Then I said, “Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”
I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, You know.
I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.
You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
they are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
and my heart has failed me.
Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
Make haste, O LORD, to help me.
Let those be ashamed and humiliated together who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored who delight in my hurt.
Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let those who love your salvation say continually,
“The LORD be magnified!”
Since I am afflicted and needy,
let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God.
-Psalm 40
Great and Terrible
Good evening my friends! And Happy Friday!!
I’m sitting on my comfy couch this Friday evening, content and at peace. Content because I have a delicious dinner in the oven and a warm flat and clothes to keep the cold at bay. At peace because, despite what swirls around and within me, I am a child of my Father God. And it is well with my soul.
After that opening salvo, I shall attempt to write just a bit more this night. But first, while I gather my thoughts, I’ll describe my dinner! For I truly am looking forward to it. Lemon rosemary chicken, complete with squash and potatoes. It’s really not as fancy as it sounds, but it does smell delicious. And now with dinner out of the way – let’s get to the heart of the matter!
I just finished reading Malachi(and thus the Old Testament) a few minutes ago, and it’s such a delightful book to read. Truly. And maybe delightful is an odd word to use, yet I can’t think of a better. Just reading the words of God, pondering His coming. Thinking of the return of my Lord – the bringer of wrath and the purveyor of justice – the Lord who cares for the downcast and the humble man – and who despises the arrogant and the unjust. Our God will return, one day. And it shall be most awesome. And I truly long for that day, when there is no more pain or suffering or injustice. I long for that day when all the earth cries out – Glory to the Lord! – and all the nations bow before the King of Kings. What a day will that be. Yet who may abide the day of His coming? Those whom the Lord loves. Who can stand when He appears? Those whom the Lord delights in, because He has chosen them as His own and purified them as purest gold by the blood of His son. For our Lord is like a refiner’s fire – holy is the Lord!
Pardon the above paragraph – I fear it’s a bit disjointed, but thus are my thoughts this night. Also – reading Malachi reminded me of how much I enjoy listening to Handel’s Messiah. There are few – if any – pieces of music that bring as much glory to the Lord as that one. Praise the Lord, my friends. Praise the Lord – all the earth!!
And now my dinner is almost ready, which – I suppose – means this entry should be coming to a close. Just think on the Lord Jesus this night. Think of His beauty. Bask in His love. Fall to your knees and pray to Him. No matter what this world throws at us, no matter how our emotions rage – we are children of the living God. We are known. We are loved. Hallelujah!!
Peace, my friends. Peace and love.
2013, In Memoriam
And so does 2013 end. And so does the year 2014 AD begin – may it truly be a year of our Lord. So it is and so it will be.
And with those words, let us celebrate and praise the Lord who this year has made! Happy New Year, one and all!!!
I have thought about doing a year-review survey, but truly, I think I could get much more words in by just rambling on, and I think my rambling might be more interesting than answering survey questions. Of course, possibly not, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. Anyways – 2013! What a year it’s been. I was talking to some friends at our party last night and was remarking that 2013 was a year of great change for me. And I am most intrigued to see if 2014 will be as life-changing as this past year has been! We shall see. We shall see.
Anyways, before I bore you all to death(already too late? Oops), what’s been the highlights of 2013? Truly, too many to mention. I did a brief review of my journal entries from this past year. My discoveries? Apparently I’ve spent a lot of time in coffeeshops. I’ve drank lots of hot beverages. I’ve often promised to just write a few words and failed miserably at doing so. I’ve witnessed many glorious mornings. I’ve been continuously overwhelmed by the glories of our Father God. And that about sums it up.
And now I sit in a coffeeshop(Beans!!) eating my ham and cheese panini(with tomatoes and onions!). Yes I am a creature of habit at times. What can I say? Truly, though, it’s wonderful to enjoy this day off work and sit here sipping my mocha and thinking back over this past year and thanking God for what He has done in my life.
And that’s really what this post is about, is it not? I think sometimes we can be so self-centered as we reflect upon our past, but let that not be the case here. As I write these words of memory, let they bring glory to our Father in heaven. So let His praises be sung in all the earth!
And so 2013. I started out this year living in Aberdeen and I have finished it in Houston, Texas. I have returned to my homeland(in a manner of speaking). I have left friends innumerable behind in Aberdeen and I still miss them deeply. But now I am living in Texas and I am determined through the grace of my God to discover all the wonders and works He has in store for me. Texas is my home now. And I have already met and become close to so many people here, I can truly not complain!! Last night, bringing in the new year at the Youth Reach party with all my Bethel friends was simply fantastic. A few minutes after midnight, a few of us(Zach, Angela, Stef…) sang worship songs together as we stood in a field and watched the fireworks paint colours across the sky. Is that not a simply wonderful way to start off 2014? I say it is. (Of course, it was also pretty sweet to be able to go over to Andrew’s place afterward and play cards for a few hours. The girls had never played before, so we attempted to enlighten them in the dark arts of poker!)
But I have got off track. I keep meaning to talk more about 2013, but what shall I say? Shall I recount every shining moment in that year? There were too many. I could discuss what we call ‘highlights’, such as Maryanne and Laura’s trip to the UK and our awesome adventures. I could talk about my trips to Oxford and Northern Ireland. I could talk about the trips I had home for Maryanne’s graduation and later on my repatriation to the United States. I could recount the beyond awesome times I have had at home in Florida with Dad and Mom and Maryanne and Laura…all the ice cream we consumed and the Jack Bauer we enjoyed!! I could discuss the countless conversations I had with my dear friends. Sweet nights with John in the Calsayseat flat. Watching movies with people at Union Square – I think Les Mis was probably the highlight movie event of this past year! Coffee mornings with friends at Books and Beans. Now in Texas, coffee mornings with friends at Beans! I could talk about evenings drinking tea and chatting about life with so many dear dear friends(John, Ruth, Zara – did we not have some awesome nights together??). I could mention the remarkably awesome evenings I had with Chris and Jo(and oh do I miss our times together!!)…sadly no more playing Tomb Raider with Chris and no more watching Lord of the Rings and no more driving home from Gilc wednesday nights together. I could talk about the sweet birthday brunch I had with Ruth and Zara and John and Alec and Pip and Chris and Jo…best birthday ever!!! I could dwell on Gilc and the most wonderful worship that went on there every single week. I could think on all the friends at Gilc who I spent time with and encouraged and was encouraged by. I could think of the sweet times I had with Rosemary and April at their flat, eating scrumptious food and watching quality TV(Sherlock is playing today in the UK and I am missing it!!). I could talk about the breakfasts I shared with Graham and Joel and Ben…praying and talking together. I could discuss the beyond-awesome times me and Graham spent, just talking about life. And I could discuss so so much more. But truly, rather than spill even more virtual ink, just know that God has blessed this past year. And although I have talked mostly about Aberdeen and Scotland and my friends contained therein, my thanks to God for this year also extends to the Houston portion! I have become part of a special fellowship here, and I am oh so thankful to God for leading me to Bethel. My community group is a most wonderful group of brothers and sisters and I am ever so grateful. I greatly look forward to the coming days and weeks and months of getting to know them even better! I can’t wait to see what God will do this year.
And now, I’ve noticed I have created a rather awkward paragraph above, but I will let it stand in all its glory. I realise it may be a bit unwieldy to read. My apologies. I apparently cannot properly structure year-end posts! But this post is already far too long, so let me it end it quickly. You have read some of my thoughts on this past year. You have seen how God has blessed me. Know this – I am ever so thankful to Him for all He has done. Sometimes it is so easy to forget the blessings we are given when we are in the middle of a rough and exhausting day. Sometimes the storms and fog of the present troubles are all we see and we cease to gaze upon the majesty of Jesus Christ and we cease to dwell on His glory. And our world becomes small and mean indeed. But then should we stop gazing inward upon ourselves and our pleasures and our fears. Then should we turn to the most sacred Word of God and marvel at the words contained therein. Then should we turn in prayer to the Almighty God. Then should we think upon the glories of Christ. And then our heart burns in adoration and fiercest love for Jehovah God.
Be still, my friends – and think upon all God has done for us.
Happy New Year, my dear friends!! I am now off to do some shopping and try to decide upon the dinner menu for tonight! I wish I could watch some of the Outback Bowl(Iowa-LSU – currently wearing my Hawkeyes shirt!!), but no TV. Ah well. Michigan St. plays Stanford in the Rose Bowl, and I won’t be able to see that either. Alas – guess I’ll just have to get my updates from Dad!!
Hot Soup
Happy Monday, my friends! This entry shall be brief, but I thought I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to write a bit, since Monday afternoon updates are so rare! And for good reason, since I’m usually at work, correct? Well, this day is a most wonderful day off, for which I am exceedingly grateful. I’ve enjoyed a nice morning of coffee and reading and random internet errands. Soon I shall go and do some real errands and then back to my apartment for a productive afternoon. It is cold and drearily wet outside, but that is no matter.
Now my hot soup has arrived, mm!! It looks to a be a delightful amalgamation of chicken and rice and celery and carrots and onions and good broth. Delicious. So just took about ten minutes to dig into my soup, and I’ve made good progress! But really, I should finish writing this while I wait for it to continue to cool down…what shall I write about? Ah – yesterday! It was a long day, but a most wonderful one. Met Will at IHOP for breakfast before church – yes!! I haven’t seen Will since over a year ago, so the catch-up was truly deserved. And as always…great times were had. Sadly we’re not at the same church anymore, but we decided that doesn’t mean we can’t still hang out!
And church – to be with my brothers and sisters and worshiping God. That is where it’s at, my friends.
The afternoon was spent Christmas-decorating and cleaning(my living room is finally free of boxes!! Not my bedroom though. Shush) And then Sunday night – Christmas pageant at church! We sang heaps of Christmas carols and heard God’s Word read and it was delightful. But after that, did the night have to end? Certainly not! Zach had a great idea – we needed to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” And so we did! A few of us went over to Sarah’s apartment and spent the rest of the evening watching that movie(which some had not seen!). I haven’t seen it in a while myself. So much enjoyed. I’m not certain where it ranks in my pantheon, but it’s certainly up there. Finally made my way home late at night…but joys – it didn’t matter because Monday is no work day! Sadly, I have done some work today(emailing and such), but that’s alright.
This is much longer than I anticipated, and I want to get back to my soup! Just know that God is good. I’ve had some rough times lately, but in midst of it all, God has reminded me of all He has done for me. Simply thanking Him for all the things He’s given me…it does wonders for the soul. So be thankful to our God. Let your hearts abound with joy and praise and thanksgiving, my friends. No matter the wilderness we walk in or the darkness that plagues our souls – give thanks to our God and Father. And He is with us. Always. Always always.
And now, I’m away. To finish my soup!!
Violetta
Happy Saturday!! I’m here at Beans Cafe – already had my breakfast an hour ago or so, and now I have my Earl Grey sitting in front of me and I thought – no better time to write a bit! I wanted to begin this morning by something I’ve been reading – thought it was simply wonderful and I couldn’t not share. I’ve been reading in Acts lately. This is such a fantastic book, one that I always enjoy reading, because the power and Spirit of God is working mightily in the early church – and seeing how God works through His people is something to behold. So encouraging. And so I come to Acts chapter ten today. This is one of the first recorded instances of a Jew preaching to a Gentile audience. Shocking!! So God calls Peter to go and share His gospel with Cornelius. Peter obeys God. Peter goes to the house of a non-Jew, and there – he preaches the Word of God. This is truly remarkable. It’s a bit hard to convey how earth-shattering this moment is. But for a Jew who had considered Gentiles to be implacable enemies of God and totally undeserving of any grace, the fact that Peter would share the gospel of God with ones such as these…this account is stunning. Let me just share Peter’s words, because I think they are far better than any words I could say! From Acts 10, verse 34 on –
Opening his mouth, Peter said:
“I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality,
but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is
welcome to Him. The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching
peace through Jesus Christ(He is Lord of all) – you yourselves know
the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the
baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth,
how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He
went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for
God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things He did both
in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by
hanging Him up on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day and granted
that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were
chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He
arose from the dead. And He ordered us to preach to the people, and
solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as
Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that
through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
And this is the gospel of God. Love it. And just the fact that this inaugurates the preaching of the gospel of God to all peoples makes it even more awesome. Right after Peter says the above words, the Spirit falls upon all who were listening to His message and they believed and were baptised and were rejoicing and praising God. Hallelujah!
And now that I’ve written the above, I’m not sure what else I can write, but I suppose I can let you know that yes – I’m still settling in to Houston life! Me and Alex hit up the opera last night and well…it was quite good. Just because I don’t want to plagiarise myself – I’ll excerpt a review I wrote on another forum:
La Traviata dir. Enrique Carreon-Robledo. So, my first few weeks back in Houston, and I was able to get a ticket to see my very first opera! Background info – I’ve always said I never like opera, mostly because my only exposure to it has been random video clips or music on my iTunes that I’ve just..never found enjoyable. So I said yes to my friend’s invite, but went in expecting not to like this. Instead…the only word I could think of to describe it at the time – magnificent.
I didn’t know the story ahead of time, and so watched it with my heart in my mouth, wondering what was going to happen – and how it would end. The venue was a small theatre(probably less than 200 people, but we were at full capacity), and somehow me and my friend had scored front row tickets. Not quite ideal, since the translation screen was a bit hard to see from our angle, but in actuality, this was perfect. Being front row(touching the stage with my feet!!), I felt part of the performance – totally enthralled by it. I didn’t always know the exact words they were saying, but it didn’t even matter. All of the talent was simply top-notch. I was stunned by how good the performance was – Violetta was simply amazing – and I was in love with the way her voice spiraled and dueled with the orchestra. Magnificent.
I really shouldn’t make this review any longer, but just know that my opinion of the opera has been changed. I think I’m going to have to see more. I also really loved the intimate nature of the venue – afterwards, some of the cast came down to greet us – I really should have gone up and thanked them for their performance, but was too shy! As Americans are wont to do, we gave a standing ovation as well. I thought it was deserved.
So there you go – magnificent. Beautiful. I really should make a point to go to more fine art performances, whether it be music or theater. My problem is, I never like to go to things like this alone, but I simply will have to find people to come with me!! Anyways, it was great fun being with Alex again, and enjoying a fine performance…I can’t complain, even if it was a late Friday night!
And I don’t think I wrote about last weekend – I spent Saturday night last week at Abby and Claire and Charlotte’s house! It was grand – they threw a “Welcome back to America” party – slash game night. Really, just a good excuse for a party. I actually didn’t know half the people there, but that wasn’t a bad thing. I also saw again some people I haven’t seen in over three years! So we played lots of games(Signs, Balderdash, etc…) and laughed heaps, and enjoyed quality time together. I have good friends, what can I say? God is good to me. Always.
And tonight I’ll be going to the Jacobs for dinner! Will be awesome – was so great seeing them this past Sunday – and I’ve not been to their house in over three years! So looking forward to a good evening there(I’m quite positive there will be some ping-pong played, definitely ready for that!).
I could definitely write more, but I have suspicions this post is quite long enough as it is. Enjoy and God bless you all, my friends. Just know that despite my sometimes sighs as I think back on my time in Scotland and my dear friends there, I have no doubt that God is with me and leading me in every step I take. His Word is indeed a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path. He takes me by the hand when I stumble and leads me in paths everlasting. So I have no fear, no worries. Well actually, I do at times when my flesh is weak and feeble, but then my Lord reminds me that He is the one who holds my hand. Even youths may grow tired and weary, but those who wait on the Lord will gain new strength and will mount up on wings like eagles…y’all, like eagles! So let us – like eagles – soar on the wings of the dawn and look to the heavens, where Jesus sits at the right hand of God Himself. When we fret and sigh at the miseries of this world, look to Jesus and remember that He is Lord and He is God. Worship Him, and all else fades away like the early-morning fog into the grey of the sea with the rising of the sun…
Peace, my friends.
Little Flock
So just reading some fantastic verses here – Luke 12 is really a great chapter! I’m not even done with it yet, but so many good parts – I’ll just excerpt the following:
‘But seek His kingdom, and these things will be
added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for
your Father has chosen gladly to give you the
kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity;
make yourselves money belts which do not wear out,
an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief
comes near nor moth destroys. For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also.’
-Jesus Christ, Luke 12:32-34
I could quote a lot more, but you’ll just have to read for yourselves! Anyway, just good to ponder these things, especially living in a city and culture consumed by the longing to make itself happier by the gaining of material possessions. Truly, these things matter so little – when we know our Lord Jehovah is coming back someday soon, how can we be so enthralled by the things of this world? I know not, but it is good for us to remind ourselves how important it is to dwell on the things of God instead, and to follow His commandments and to love as He has loved us.
And now I say – I did not mean to write so much, but I will not take it back now! I am currently sitting here at Beans Cafe Coffeehouse…in Houston, Texas. Because yes, I am truly moved back to America and I am no longer in Aberdeen, my friends. I must confess – this coffeehouse is only a mile away from my apartment, yet I drove here! I was going to walk, but it was raining and so…yeah, I crumbled. Oh well, guess no Saturday morning walk for me.
And this place is fantastic, even if it’s no Books and Beans! It’s only one floor, and it’s much smaller than Books and Beans, but it looks like it offers lunch too, which makes me happy. I’ve already read a bit and posted some pictures on facebook and now I think it’s time to read some emails from some dear friends and respond to those. Maybe I’ll write more here later?
We’ll see. For now, farewell, my friends. Farewell from Houston.
Glorious
And now I sit at work with my coffee, a few minutes before eight. Time to start work soon, but I wanted to write just a bit. I’ve been meaning to write more for a while now, but I simply have no time!! I’ve been spending all my free time with my dear friends. And this is not a bad thing at all.
And as I begin my final day here in Aberdeen, I do not know what to say. Other than I must and shall praise my God for all that He has given to me. Praise Him with great praise!!
I think on the past few days and all the glorious times contained therein. A most lovely dinner at Lairhillock with John and Ruth – friends eternal. Hanging out with John on Friday night, watching Batman(oh no, now Batman music is stuck in my head…) and just relaxing together. Glorious.
Sunday. Would take far too long to describe now, but being in my church. Being with my family. Saying farewell, but never forever. Praying and thanking our God and Father for his boundless blessings to us. Worshipping together and hearing the Word of God preached. Saying goodbye to far too many dear friends and being crushed by the kindnesses and encouraging words lavished upon me. Yesterday stopping by Chris and Jo’s for one last cuppa and chat. Oh how I’ll miss them. Then being with John and Andrew Wilson last night, enjoying some classic frozen pizzas(baked in our shiny oven – finally clean after what John aptly named the Great Calsayseat Oven Cleaning Debacle of 2013!).
And I’m just writing what I’ve been doing, not what I’m feeling. Because I don’t quite want to delve into my emotions at the moment, but suffice it to say that I feel my heart swirling in a maelstrom of love and longing and joy. So so happy to be going back to America – to see my family!! So so sad to leave so many friends back here. But what can I say? I am blessed. I am blessed.
And today, driving to work for the last time, listening to Classic FM and watching the blustery skies and the brilliant sea flash by as I pondered these last few beautiful years…
And now, it’s time to go and take cakes out to the guys in the shop, say my farewell to them!
Peace, my friends. Always.
