Another year older !

So, today I am another year older ! I've been having a really great birthday so far, having spent time with family this weekend, and played lots of music yesterday, and I will be celebrating with friends tomorrow evening! But most importantly, for me every birthday is a time when I celebrate again how amazing God is ! I wonder at the fact that He's taken care of me and loved me for thus many years, even when I wasn't aware of it or when I forget, and that He's going to continue to walk beside me and love me into the future. I've recently gotten Vicky Beeching's latest album, "Painting the Invisible", and listening to it the last song on the album really sums up how I feel today (and have been feeling in the run up to my birthday). I quote the lyrics for you below (the song is originally entitled "Twenty-Six summers", but when I play it on guitar I change the lyrics slightly...)

"I don't know what the future holds
Or what lies beyond my horizon
The years ahead are just out of sight
Well, I think sometimes that You hide them
So that I'll walk by faith not sight
So I'll take Your hand, holding tight

Through twenty-four summers
And twenty-four winters
I've laughed in the springtime
I've cried in the rain
Though I've questioned the meaning
Of some of life's seasons
It's true that they've left me holding on
Tighter to You

My one desire for the road ahead
Is that we would walk it together
Friend and King, You're my everything
May I stay by Your side forever
For when my heart's afraid, You're near
Whispering to my soul, 'don't fear'

Through twenty-four summers
And twenty-four winters
I've laughed in the springtime
I've cried in the rain
Though I've questioned the meaning
Of some of life's seasons
It's true that they've left me holding on
Tighter to You

And I will trust in You alone
For You're the hand leading me home
Leading me home.

I've spent twenty-four summers
And twenty-four winters with You
Through all of the seasons
And my search for reasons
You've carried me through

These twenty-four summers
And twenty-four winters
I've laughed in the springtime
I've cried in the rain
Though I've questioned the meaning
Of some of life's seasons
It's true that they've left me holding on
Tighter to You

I will keep holding on to You"

- Twenty-Six Summers
off the album "Painting the Invisible" by Vicky Beeching
(slight lyrics changes in italics mine)

Happy Easter !

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and a

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Fireworks

The University of Surrey held a big fireworks display last friday evening, to which I went along. It was great ! Fireworks are so pretty. I love them - although, I love the colours more than the noise. (Also, it does seem a little odd that we celebrate the fact that the houses of parliament weren't blown up, by blowing things up ! But hey.) This is probably the best photo I managed to take over the evening. Not too bad. (Note all the lights - from cameras and mobile phones not glow sticks, lol.)

HAPPY 2007 !!!

Well, another year gone by. It's now 2007 ! (And I'd only just gotten used to writing 2006 on everything!) Happy New Year ! I hope that you have all had a good Christmas and New Year. Mine has been a little mixed, but good mostly. Has been good to have some time at home and I had great fun at a friends' party last night for New Year.

I always find it strange at New Year, cause I tend to think of the beginning of a new year in September, i.e. the new academic year, and so do the whole 'reflecting on the past year' thing then, but I guess it can't hurt to do it twice ! I hope you all have a good day today, but in that, I challenge you all to think about what your best moment(s) of 2006 were. I was challenged to do that by my small group (aka Huddle) at the Woodies staff Christmas lunch a couple of weeks ago. I had to think quite hard to narrow it down, but was a good thing to do as it brought back a lot of memories (both good and bad). And I think (to get everyone started) I narrowed mine down to two very good moments:
1) In the Easter holidays when I gotten a lift back with a friend to Bristol after a week in Skegness for Spring Harvest, I stayed the night in my house at the time, and the next evening went to the last (with their current line-up at the time) New Root gig, at the Fleece. It was the first time I've actually gone with a group of people, rather than just seeing other Rooters there. And I just really had such an AMAZING night; listening to the New Root and seeing how much they were enjoying playing, and spending time with so many good friends :-)
2) Seeing the Grand Canyon in the summer. It's just amazing ! It really showed me the literal meaning of the word breathtaking. People say seeing is believing, but I couldn't even believe it when I saw it with my own eyes. So huge and amazing. Can't be described. Was altogether a great holiday this summer. Was great to be with my family and the Grand Canyon was only one of so many amazing things we saw.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2006 !!!

I just wanted to wish all readers of this blog a Merry Christmas !!! I hope you all have a good day on monday; enjoy all the festivities and also take time out to think about what Christmas is really all about. I'll see you all on blogger again in the new year (or after Christmas anyway) :-)

p.s. I've now been home for a few days, and it's been great. Really good to see family and have also appreciated all the sleep.

p.p.s. Try a quick prayer this Christmas, asking God to open your eyes and help you to see something new of him in all the well-known songs and carols. I find I can too often just sing words for the sake of it, cause I have sung them so much before. But I find that God does really answer this prayer !

1 Year Old Today !

My blog is 1 years old today ! And this is also my 100th post ! Two milestones in one post :-) In a way a year seems not very long ago, when I read back on my posts. But in another way it feels a world away. Who'd have thought a year ago (apart from God that is) that I'd be where I am now. IN some ways, reading back over my old posts, I haven't changed a lot in that year. But in other ways, I think I am probably more aware of things which I'd like to be changed. And who'd have thought just how widespread blogging would become. In a year so many other people have joined the blogosphere, especially from Woodies. Well, at least I can say I wasn't at the beginning but I wasn't at the end !

Anyway...enough of reflection and rambling (as the title of my blog allows). Today is going to be a busy but good day. On duty today at church, then in the hours inbetween the services I'm (hopefully) going with W3, my new pastorate, on their pub lunch and walk. It will be nice to have a chance to get out of Bristol for an afternoon and to be able to spend more time with W3 people. If I take any good photos I may even share them on here !

Another one down.

Viva has been and gone. Wasn't as bad as it could have been. Prof Rivett was really nice, even if the viva was a bit intense, and she did ask me lots of things which I had to try and think quickly for. Anyway...main thing is that it's done. Now have to concentrate on finishing revising hard for next lot of exams, despite all that's going on in the next few days.

Actually, although the viva was tiring and intense, I came out of the department really happy today - mainly cause it gave me an excuse to see my supervisors and some of the other people I worked with in the lab. They're all so lovely and I do miss them ! They were all really encouraging, and trying to give me lots of advice for the exams etc.

Also, it feels really strange in a way (for me). There seem to be so many people who have such confidence in me, and such high expectations - more than personally I see in me. That includes supervisors, family, friends...I can't really think of a way to express myself, I don't mean that in a negative - oh there's too much pressure - way, but just in a - I have quite a responsibility, and even if I don't see it in myself, other people think I've been entrusted with a lot, and I want to live up to that - way. I had quite an appropriate card actually from my godparents in the states for my birthday. It said: "On your birthday, you should realize just how special you are...everyone else does". Well, for the moment, just knowing that everyone else does will have to be enough to keep me going. I'm just going to keep trying to do my best, which is all I can do, and to keep letting God be "my strength and my song".

I'm old(er)

Well, I'm now officially 21 ! (As of about 9.09am this morning). I have to say, I don't feel 21, in fact I don't feel any different from yesterday. (I think I'm actually still stuck with thinking I'm about 16 - I now have to think hard before I answer any questions from people who ask me how old I am !!) But then, I think that's probably always going to be true !

I had some time off this morning, and went shopping with Mum. Will have tonight off too, and tomorrow evening we're going to the theatre. But for just now, I have about 4 hours or so in which to get some more revision done...back to ABC transporters, woo !!

p.s. I hope everyone's enjoying the AMAZING weather !!! (Makes me wish I'd brought some of my summer skirts back home with me !)

p.p.s. I haven't opened many presents yet, but Mum, Dad and Al did get me a REALLY cool helium balloon (haven't had a helium balloon for a long time !) See the photo for yourself :-)

My housemates are amazing !

(It was maybe just as well I didn't get to go to the Louisiana gig tonight). After Vicki 'subtly lured me' downstairs at about 10, I found that they'd made me this amazing cake, and blown up lots of balloons, and got me some presents, and made me a really cool card (with a tail on it - not many people can say they have a 21st birthday card with a pink tail on it, lol.) Was so cool. Completely unexpected, but amazing. We then remained downstairs for the next few hours and they proceeded to introduce me to this programme called Lost - which a few of you may have heard about recently ;-) It's very weird...but strangely addictive too. I had resisted throughout series 1, but I may have to give in to series 2 - especially if it's going to continue being a house event, which is quite fun really. However, not really what I need during exams - another TV programme to get addicted to ! Now to get some sleep, before getting the train home tomorrow morning, so I can have another 21st birthday on my proper birthday on friday :-)