London Underground Map

As a resident of London town I have grown up knowing my way round the underground system pretty well. I was reading in one of the free London papers the other day that the tube map has been re-designed with no Thames and no zones! (apologies for no decent image of it). Boris had something to say about it, along with many other people and the river has now been put back on the map to avoid confusions! From the article I was reading however, there are still no zones. Is this a cheeky ploy to get more money from clueless travellers/tourists?!

Reality Check

I have been very blessed in life to not encounter much first-hand crime. I live in a good area and have good people around me. I was reading my local paper this week and in it were two stories of crimes in the area where I work. During the day there was a minor stabbing in Morrisons and a small time robbery at the bank I use. I was planning on blogging on this regardless, but then this morning I arrived at work to find our office had been badly broken into and trashed. The idiots didn't take much for their efforts to get in. Our local residents who complain about any tiny noise didn't hear a thing! Typical. Then one of the mechanics who works opposite came and spoke to me and told me about a poor girl who was raped nearby a few nights ago. It is all a little bit too much at once for this area.

The Grove

I feel very blessed with the people I have in my life. Some friends in particular are very generous. My friend Phil had some complimentary vouchers for a stay at The Grove in Hertfordshire. We went for two days at the end of June which were amazing, but I had the chance to go back with him again this weekend and see once again how the other half live! It was a good chance to relax and escape my ever busy life. There are no more vouchers now and I would never ever be able to afford to go there. So we made the most of the opportunity we had to stay in a place which costs more than my monthly rent per night!

New Term

I couldn't resist taking this photo as the folders that I had made for the new gap year team sat staring down at me from my desk! I have a new team of students to work with for the next academic year. I have had an amazing first year in this role and I look forward to what my second year will be like. I wonder what they are thinking right now about this unknown year they are about to start?!

Humour In The Truth

I have been watching Live at the Apollo re-runs on Dave recently and last week I caught the Lenny Henry episode. There was a very very brief snippet where he talked about the differences between black-church and white-church names. As usual with stand-up it was funny because it is so true!

(View from 6.04 minutes in)

Fail

Took a day off today for a cinema marathon, due to power cuts and (as always) rubbish staff, my time was wasted and I missed out on Bandslam (no great loss), The Proposal and The Ugly Truth.

GO Festival 09

As I type this post there are numerous mission projects taking place around North London. This weekend saw the start of GO with the festival weekend. All the young people that attended the weekend are now out stretching their faith and taking the gospel to areas where it is perhaps lacking and/or needed. I really enjoyed being part of the team for the weekend and look forward to hearing about each project at the final celebration on Sunday.

Photos from the week can be seen by clicking here for my Flickr account.

Happy times for the top team!!!!

Film Review

Lets be honest, my brain cannot cope with time travel films! The Back To The Future trilogy hurt my brain, let alone films such as The Lake House!

This film was nice and a good one for a girlie trip to the cinema. I think the attempt to make the characters look older and younger throughout the film, and set it in different decades worked well. But I personally cannot get my head around how events from the past and future shaped the current!

Update...

The weight loss efforts are still going well. ☺

Film Review

I can safely say that this film is not for everyone!! I think it would offend quite a few people. I switched from laughing out loud to being jaw-droppingly shocked all the way through! In the same way as Borat, I would like to know how much was set up and how much was capturing peoples real reactions to what they were seeing in front of them!

Upkeep

So I've just been out in my garden. It gets seriously attacked by weeds, slugs, snails and cats. Most plants I buy have died very quickly. I think a big factor in this is my lack of serious watering!! As much as I love my little garden space, I get lazy about it. I only have to go down my stairs, out of my front door and through the padlocked garden gate, but I see this as effort for some reason!! Especially when this routine has to be repeated in order to fill up big watering can in the flat! I find myself buying new plants quite often to replace the ones that are no longer with me!!

It struck me this evening that I think this best sums up my relationship with God. I get lazy! I can't be bothered to make the effort sometimes. I love God a billion times more than my little garden, but my bone idleness (Dad word!) gets in the way and things can get out of my control. I come to my senses and some metaphorical weeding has to be done. Luckily the God I follow is all in support of starting again with new metaphorical plants!

Psalm 143:8

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.

Sweet Instructions

Pre-diet, when I was eating a few love hearts, I found this one. It made me think about the following scripture...

Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorised and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 (The Message)

Need To Slow Down?

Forget the effects of Red Bull, its all about Slow Cow!

Film Review

I hadn't really heard anything about this remake, but the trailer reeled me in! Denzel Washington has been doing the publicity rounds and I caught his interview on Jonathan Ross the other week. The film was interestingly made. The shots were very edgy and the opening credits moved with the action. I found myself on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next. Towards the end I hoped that the film wouldn't be strung out, and in my opinion I don't think it was. John Travolta played a good role as the hostage taker.

Yes thats right, WE'RE the leadership team!

Here is a photo of our deaconate on an day away at All Souls. Mandy is like a child and cannot sit still and pose well for photographs! Oh how we love our Senior Minister. :-)

Going in the right direction

I had a very good week at 'fat club' this week. My weight loss efforts are going very well. I think cycling 10 miles a day to work and back a few times a week helps.

Sad Times

The academic year with work came to an official end tonight. Despite the rain washing out our BBQ plans, we had a lovely fun evening. (if you are on facebook the photos can be viewed here.) It has been my first year overseeing the GAP Team and I have enjoyed it so very much! With four out of the team of nine going back to their home overseas and one moving abroad for a year, it is sad to be hit with the realisation that I will not be surrounded by this awesome bunch of people each week. They have been a great team and I have shared much fun and laughter with them all. Obviously there will be a new team in September, but the reality of part of my job has kicked in; I am spending a year with these groups of people, investing and helping them to grow in themselves and their faith, for them to move on! I know obviously that is what a GAP year is all about, but last years bunch are all still local and I still see them. It may be years before I see the international members of the 2008-9 team again. Sad times...

Is It Just Me...?

I am going to try and write this without causing offence or confusion! I am writing this post as a single Christian girl. Obviously Christians and non-Christians read this blog, so it wont make sense to everyone! But I would welcome any feedback.

Having faith in God is a massive thing for a Christian, and to be in a serious relationship with someone who doesn't share that can be tough and is generally not advised to make life easier. Over the years that I've been in adult relationships I have been with non-Christians, the longest relationship was two and a half years, so it was a serious length of time. I speak from experience about how a match like this does not work very well. Everyone is different and I do not wish to tar people with the same brush.

People have given me so much advice over the years and I'm slowly beginning to realise that I should have listened! This isn't a rant to say that people are not listening to me, I just need to get some things off my chest! I am starting to share more and more about my experiences and how I personally believe that God would want to see us in equal matched relationships, faith-wise. I was always warned about not hurting the other person. If we decide to start a relationship with someone we don't think is right, but will 'see how it goes' and then God challenges us on this, then we will damage the other person and warp their view on God when we decide to not stay with them. Of course not all relationships work out for a whole variety of reasons, but I made this mistake when I was a teenager and I see people doing the same thing when they are adults. I have a friend who has heard from God this week that she needs to be single; so she is going to end her relationship with her non-christian boyfriend, just like that! No doubt this will break his heart as he has no idea or empathy for the reasons.

I had quite a heated discussion earlier today with a Christian friend who didn't think that what I had to say was fair. We were talking about mutual friend of ours who is entering the same dilemma. We agreed to disagree, but I do not want to see this friend hurt, or for her to hurt the person she likes.

More and more of my Christian female friends are getting bored of waiting for 'the one' and settling for long term relationships with non-Christians. I have to battle quite hard sometimes to not join them in this choice. After all, they have someone to go home to at the end of the day. But they do not have someone to stand next to in church, pray with or understand why they do certain things. I will honestly say that I would like more than anything to find myself a decent partner, but I am trusting that it will happen in Gods timing. It is not an easy choice, but I personally believe it is the right one. I do not want to settle for second best when it is someone I aim to spend the rest of my life with.