The Avett Brothers.

Today has been a GOOD day. We rearranged the office so that we have one long desk, and a massive space in the middle that wasn't there before. I think it looks so cool, like a space station. I can't wait to see if we can get all five of us on the mega-desk now.  I wish we'd taken pictures- maybe someone else will and I can steal them for here.

I've had lots of late nights lately- including staying up until 5am and getting up at 8am. That hasn't happened for years- I feel so sad and old because my body can't take that kind of abuse any more. But I'm still in a weird teenager-y mindset, so I can't get up very easily in the mornings. What I really want is to be able to fall asleep early and get up early ( REALLY early, 5am-ish ).

I've also been thinking about my best friend who's been up in Oxford at her uni interview, and is now in Berlin on a college trip. My lovely landlady has also been off on Christmas Holidays, so I've had people round quite a bit, which has been really really fun. It also means that I've been spending a lot of time with this cool cat:

And this real cat:

Raawr!

I just wish I felt a bit more Christmassy.
Any ideas?

Yunupingu

This week has meant some seriously good family time, and some even more serious belly laughs thanks to the wonders of photo booth. Here are some of my lovely family: 

Mathew & Michael

Ben

Frankenstein's monster?

Kim & David (plus a flat-top)

'Children fight back against the childcatcher?'

I haven't seen some of them in months so it was so good for me. 

I have also been brought into the world of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. He is a singer and guitar player from an island somewhere near Australia. He sings these beautiful songs about his homeland, this is such a strange concept to me. The closest I've come to caring much about my heritage is the time I smacked a rhubarb and custard pasty to the ground. (Pasties are savoury, always.)

But the songs are beautiful and you don't have to understand his language to fall in love with them.

Also I've found myself thinking about the future and the big stuff. 

What the heck will I do after this year?

Am I going to travel?

I want to see the world. 

Where will I live?

Before this year I didn't even consider the idea of living outside of Cornwall, (I'm still one of the simple countryfolk really). I love little villages. I love the crazy people that live there. I was only back in my little village for two days and I saw a woman wearing two different shoes on her feet. But now I can't help thinking that I've lived in the same little cul-de-sac of the country my whole life. And if I'm not careful I won't ever leave. 

Will I have my own family?

I love children, I love the whole point of having a family. But the idea of doing it alone is also exciting, and less scary or sad than I used to see it being. 

The only way I can sleep at night, with all of this in my head, is knowing that I don't have to trudge my way through it on my own. I am never alone. Even when I've been a bad egg. "Jesus commands my destiny'. I am never alone. Sometimes this year I have felt so excited, at the edge of new beginnings and exciting adventures. Sometimes I've felt rubbish, sometimes stressed, sometimes miserable, sometimes out of control. A lot of the time I've gone off in the wrong direction and completely messed it up. But like it or not Jesus has been there, constantly interceding for me. He has been there through it all, and I'm coming to realise that its an amazing, heartbreaking, thing to know that by the power of grace I am adopted. I have an eternal, faithful covenant because of His undying love, and not because of anything I've done.  

"Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from

your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed

in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the

uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me,

and your right hand shall hold me."

Goodnight

x

Coldplay.

I had to put in some of the lovely knitting moments of the last few weeks. 

I'm so glad I learnt to knit, its such a nice lady thing to do, especially now that I've gone all butch. ( I think its having to wear bulky winter clothes). Not that I'm pretending to be a pro at this. I'm definitely nowhere near as good as the absolute Queen of knitters, Holly Brannigan, or my Mum who must be some sort of champion. She knitted her own school jumper when she was eight!

Its also brilliant for car journeys, I think the ride over to Friday morning training sessions in Lostwithiel are great for it, like today:

In other news, I have loved listening to old Coldplay songs that make me feel so happy. And the best part of this week was definitely Impact training in Bristol. Church history, The Life of Jesus and The Story of the Church. My favourite part was being shown even more how as a church we get knitted together to be part of the body- and all connected to Jesus. And how Jesus gave everything for the church, his bride. Amazing!

Have a beautiful weekend.

The Killers.

The last month or two has give me some of the busiest and most exciting times of my life.  In between some not so nice days, there have been lovely ones, which I'll explain once I've gone through all of the new things that have happened.

The working life.

• The FP Impact year has begun- ( I found out that FYP or Frontier Year Project also stands for Find Your Partner. This made me feel a bit sick). A year of meaty theological training, getting to know new people and growing your character in God.  I'm going back to Bristol again tomorrow;its nice to know there are twenty-odd other people dotted around that are getting ready to go as well. Impact also means:
• Working for my local church, Blaze Newquay, which has been sometimes challenging but always wonderful. I am slowly getting my head around things like the News-page and Dropbox! Its also meant working with boys most of the time which has involved crossing paths with some interesting smells. I'll leave it at that.
• Moving. I am lodging with a lovely lady called Lynn who has a cat called Homer and a rabbit called Random. 
• Home-group. One of the many great things about being in church is homegroups. Every other week we meet up for cake and to build each other and do some 'one-anothering' (one of my new favourite words). We pray and worship together and look at what was preached on Sunday mornings.  My home group (led by Richard and Kay Lettington, also nicknamed 'The Bronx' is really, really good.) We had a social yesterday where we had jacket potatoes and chilli, and went for a walk to Kennel Vale. I think its a bad sign that fresh air felt painful, so I'm going for a walk today.
• Drawing class. Running alongside home groups, we have 'tracks'. I am going to the drawing class. I'm no sure if I will ever be able to discipline myself to draw properly but its so much fun and really nice to have an activity.
• A new computer. A lovely couple from church completely blessed me with a mac for church work. It was such a wonderful gift and has really helped. 

Its also been so nice seeing my best friend more recently, she has started a foundation year at Falmouth so is probably busier than me. She's the best. 

Happy Mondays

I've never had such a good Monday as this Monday just gone. I went to see India at work in her shop, and then went for a mammoth walk to fill out the time until she finished. I'm surprised I still have legs left. I went from Fistral, through the headland, through the harbour, across the beaches to Great Western and up to Aldi for some pancakes and grape juice. And then I did that circuit three times.
Here are the best bits of the most contented, happy day I've had in months:


1. Seeing India for some lovely chats and laughter
2. The sun on my neck and shoulders- for the first time since the tan lines of summer 2008. (They were made even worse by outdoor exam revision this year)
3. Being on my own, and it feeling really peaceful.
4. Aldi cementing its place as my number one, absolute favourite shop of Newquay. Bargain prices. I just wish they'd let me work there.
5. The happiness of knowing that in just over a week I'd have the freedom of walking like this everyday if I wanted to.
6. Walking with my feet in the sea.
7. A lovely meal with my best friend's family.

Next Monday is (hopefully) moving day. I'm also seeing a good friend from sixth form before she goes off to Plymouth Uni, coffee and a catch-up. So another exciting and activity-filled Monday awaits!