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Friday, June 30, 2006

tri deg dau

I cried pretty much the entire way through my last RUCU meeting (last one as a student at least!). Why is this amazin?! Well for a start coz I rarely cry!

But because although some of the tears were because I'm gonna miss these people, most of them weren't shed for that reason. Of course, I'll miss them. So much.

But the reality of leaving them all hasn't quite sunk in yet - that will come later. The main resaon was because God went 'boom' with my heart. I realised just how much He has taught me, carried me, strengthened me, disciplined me, and blessed me over the past four years - and one of the main ways with such amazing brothers and sisters I shared that room with last night - and all so undeservingly on my part and all for my good - and His glory. And me such a sinner. I was reminded of how it's ALL about Him...of how much I owe everything to Him. Of how much I wanna keep on making it about Him.

I'm sorry if that doesn't make sense. But basically it was amazing!

And the cake that Chris and Hannah made me...totally, utterly amazin. As are they.



To have Issy pray for me - Issy who's become such a great friend and who this time last year didn't know Jesus as her Saviour.

To look around at the people in the room and be excited by them - to know that as I leave, God stays with them as much as He goes with me and that exciting things will continue to happen in Reading. To look at them and be so thankful for them, sorry to leave them, but knowing they're in safe hands.

Amazin.

(sob)

Thursday, June 29, 2006

tri deg un

Issy turning up and surprising me - even if I did jump a LOT!

Never thought I'd say this but...the union! Especially dancing with Anna, Jess, Issy and Ed and changing the words of Bon Jovi's "It's my life" from "I ain't gonna live forever...I did it my way" to "I AM gonna live forever...I'll do it God's way!"

Had forgotten how cool it is to be stood in the middle of a dancefloor just praising God...and praying for the people around you who are in darkness, afraid to step into the light (see what I did there?!)

Yeah, amazin'.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

tri deg

God giving me the energy for Nai's hen day, despite waking up feeling rubbish.

Nai's hen day! Picnic by the river, rowing on the river...good times.

'Making friends' with a baby in a shop by playing 'peekaboo' with him - his little chuckle was so cute it made me laugh so much I cried!

Sat on a bench on the high street in Reading town centre with Rosie, eating Doritos and dip...having another great chat about God, learning, the future...and parents!

Beams of sun bursting through gaps in the clouds...it looked pretty amazin'.

dau ddeg naw

Playing pass the parcel! Spending the day with Jo (birthday girl) and others...then on to dinner at the Bish's for graduates going into Christian work.

The look on Rosie's face when she'd just spoken to the people she'll be working with next year and how grateful she is to God for that job.

Playing the longest game ever of Uno Extreme.

The sun coming out in the evening after a day of rain - the way the world looks when the weather's like that. Too tired to describe it eloquently I'm afraid, so I'll just say...

Amazin'.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

dau ddeg wyth

A BIG hug from Steve and Linda (kinda like surrogate parents!) in church when they found out my result!

My last Sunday in Carey. Bittersweet. So many great people, so many memories; excited to go onto the next part of God's plan for me but strange to leave that church as well. Four years.

Discussing Psalm 137 in student group and then lots of laughs over table footy, pool and badminton.

Watching Annie at the front of church tonight and seeing her talk about China. Getting so excited at what God's already done in her and what He will do. Chatting to her before and after the service about the lessons God teaches us/has taught us recently. Annie's amazing!

The sermon. Wow. (Listen to it here.) God is with me. I take that for granted too often.

"Like listening to a drunk man playing the tuba."

Chris dancing like he was falling over a pew.

Chris giving me and Annie a much-needed lift home. Craziness and lots of laughs. Union on Weds Chris - you know you wanna!

da ddeg saith

Rosie being offered a job. Woohoo!

Toblerone Shakeaway. Mmmmm.

Union with coursemates. The energy to go...and stay till very late. Enjoying it all and having a laugh with them. So good for a bunch of us to relax totally after 4 years of always having some piece of work hanging over our heads!

Katie being offered a job. Woohoo!

Katie and Rosie actually being offered jobs in the same place! Wooooohoooooo!



Amazin'.

dau ddeg chwech

Watching the bumblebees on the flowers outside my window. Being able to put my face right up to them, knowing that they can't sting me coz there's a pane of glass between us. Cool to watch them.

Seeing Steph again, after a whole year, and it being just like old times.

Amazin'.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

dau ddeg pump

CU.
Being in a room full of my brothers and sisters; praising God for them, praising God with them. Knowing God is there with us. That feeling you get when you realise afresh just how sinful you are, but how much God loves you anyway. Being reminded that this life isn't all there is. We're only on the title page.

Thank you for saving me...Oh the wonderful cross...I surrender all to you...ALL to you...Yesterday, today and forever, You are the same.

Leaving CU and being struck as soon as I walked out into the fresh evening air by the sky. Or, rather, by the clouds.

A sky pretty much full of clouds rolling over each other, but ripples of blue where they don't quite meet and the sky manages to peek through the gaps.

And the clouds all different shades of pink, yellow and grey...depending on where the light from the setting sun hits them...or doesn't.

Walking off campus and seeing...through gaps in the houses that line the Reading streets, where people are sat watching TV and missing this...seeing the clouds finally give way to sky in the distance. And there's just sky.

And then a little further on I catch a glimpse of the sun...just the bottom half of it that isn't covered by multicoloured clouds. And it's beautiful. It casts its umbrella of golden yellow light down over the sky so that the whole sky is lit up on the horizon.

And round the corner, the light bounces off the windows of the houses and shops. And the clouds keep changing colour. Dancing to the rays of the sun.

Amaaaaazin'. Thank you Lord.

dau ddeg pedwar

CU Ball 2006.

Amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazin'.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

dau ddeg tri

Travelling down the M1. The hard, tarmac, rumbling road contrasting with the lush green fields of Derbyshire (I think) spread out towards the horizon.

The sky - some really low lying clouds, then sky, then clouds above them...makes the sky seem so much more vast somehow. So much more amazing.

Reading a chapter in "The Case for a Creator" which I can finally understand and which gets me so excited about God and just how true it really is that He created us. The Bible's enough for me and my thoroughly non-scientific brain; but how exciting to know that scientists are finally agreeing and deciding science points towards a creator. How exciting that God has given us so many ways to discover He exists.

Nearly the end of a very long journey. Tired and needing home and food. American tourists on the tube, two of the kids just as we go through a tunnel:

"William, check out the scenery."

"Wow, yeah, cool, I think I see some rocks."

Made me chuckle.

Amazing day. Not bad considering I spent the best part of it on public transport.

dau ddeg dau

Abi having a little, much needed nap on the sofa.

Me keeping myself occupied reading a book, and listening to the birds sing in their garden.

Abi's dad coming in and seeing Abi asleep, looking at her with fatherly care and concern and then mouthing some words at me so as not to wake her...only thing is I didn't get what he said. The fact that he left soon after, I think, means he said he was leaving...

dau ddeg un

Being on the fringe of a conversation between Irene (Abi's mam) and Lois (Abi's 16 year old sister) about God, church, the Bible...

I love situations like this - being enough part of the conversation to contribute every now and again but mostly just listening to two people talk about God and absorbing it all.

And I loved this conversation particularly - a mother passing on her knowledge and experience to a daughter thirsty for it, thirsty for more of God; asking questions left right and centre.

Irene's excitement about doctrine rubbing off on me.

Amazing.

dau ddeg

Stepping off the bus onto a Leeds pavement and searching the crowd of people...finally finding Abi, which made the 6 hour journey worth it.

Friday, June 16, 2006

un deg naw

Walking to campus and praying so hard that I'd have the right attitude towards my results. God reminding me that they're meaningless, at the end of the day. Reminding me that what matters is that I'm His. What's so much more important is how I've grown in my relationship with Him over the past four years.

Text from Nathan (brother) - "Results? If you fail can I have the hat?" - making me laugh and putting me at ease.

Waiting for our results. Sat in the sunshine with coursemates, playing with the grass. Chatting about anything other than results. Watching a caterpillar crawl from one blade of grass to the other. Such intricate detail, such wonderful movement, so clever...remembering that God designed that. That's how great He is. And yet He cares about me. He cares about my degree. But ultimately, it's nothing.

Getting a text from dad - "Any news yet? Love you lots anyway! Dxxx"

Making daisy chains with Jo while we're still waiting for our results. Making a crown out of one and sticking it on my head to make my coursemates laugh and ease the tension, just as one of our lecturers tells us they're ready.

Checking the board 5 or 6 times in disbelief. Seeing the joy and relief on my coursemates faces and being there to give them hugs.

Ringing mam, and then promptly hanging up coz I had to go and check the board again.

Champagne and strawberries with coursemates and lecturers. Hugs all round and wonderful speeches from Susan (Year Tutor) and Heather (Student Rep) which finally brought the tears to my eyes.

Text from Nathan - "2.1? I was expecting at least a 9.9".

The joy in my family's and friends voices when I tell them.

Susan grilling Jo over her recent engagement - "Is he worthy of you?!"

A meal in town with some coursemates and then off to Revolution for a bit. Writing "BSc (Hons) MRCSLT HPC - WE DID IT!!!" on the paper tablecloths at Old Orleans.

Really good times. The pain staying bearable enough for me to do all this. The surreal feeling of four years being over. The look on someone's face every now and again as the reality of what they've just achieved hits them.

Having a great chat to Rosie about God and life on the way from Old Orleans to Rev's.

Coming home to a very welcome bed.

What an amaaaaaazin' day. Praise the Lord.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

un deg wyth

Watching RUDS perform Much Ado About Nothing with Jo, Jen and Rich...outside on what turned out to be a chilly but nice summer's evening...laughing a lot...savouring what will soon be another memory of my last weeks at uni.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

un deg saith

Sitting in Cheryl, Nu and Hannah's garden with them, Annie, Jess, Karen, Hoops, Katie, Drew, Rachel, Helen, and Tim...laughing till my stomach ached. Enjoying fellowship in the evening sun. Playing silly games...like clapping out 'Edelwiess' in a circle and racing to eat those lace sweet things. Really good times.



Amazin'.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

un deg chwech

Walking down the street, few other people walking in my direction. Postman comes towards us. "Happy Tuesday folks!"

Spending the day with Kat, Issy and Zarah.

Getting a lovely card from Issy.

Monday, June 12, 2006

un deg pump

Unable to focus on running through stuff for my exam I just stopped and praised God. It was cool :-)

Oh the wonderful cross...

dancing round my room (granted, not the best idea) to 'You are Holy', trying not to sing too loud so I didn't wake the guy above me...

and I can't sing. But what a way to leave for an exam.

Total peace as I walked across campus. The ability to walk across campus!

Suzie saying it'd be nice to see more of my smiley face now exams are over. Awww.

My exams are over!

Standing by the lake and taking off my smart speech therapist professional type boots and putting on my £2 Asda flip flops almost as soon as I came out of my exam!

Chilling in the sun outside Mojo's with Jen, Rosie, Naomi and Jo. Lots of laughs. Good times.

Being told off by the barman in BOB's! Probably shouldn't have made me laugh but it did!

The guy vacuuming his window. Oh yes!

Sunday, June 11, 2006

un deg pedwar

All the different colours in the trees. I love colour.

Tears in my eyes as we sang 'Before the throne of God above' in church.

Looking round at people in church...so many that I don't know but I've come and worshipped our God alongside them pretty much every term-time Sunday for the past four years. Thinking: It's a shame I didn't get to know more of them better. But what a blessing this church has been to me. And how cool is it to know that we'll be joined together again one day, forever worshipping God like we are right now. But better.

Amaaaaazin'.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

un deg tri

Speaking to Abi on the phone (thanks Kat)

Hearing that Jo and Adam are engaged!

Issy's blog - hearing her so happy and determined to follow Christ.

Issy!

And this...and the girls in it!


Amazin'.

Friday, June 09, 2006

un deg dau

Getting a great night's sleep :-)

Walking along a shady bit of path on the way to Psychology. Enjoying the shade, and then a gentle breeze causing some leaves to fall down around me.

A dog lying in one of the corridors in the Psychology department. Random.

Lying on the grass in the sun after quite an annoying day generally fighting with technology and just chilling, enjoying the sun, eating an ice cream and chatting to friends before heading home to do some work.

Amazing.

un deg un

Being unable to sleep between 2:45 and somewhere after 5am, which was annoying, but hearing the birds sing outside my window as the sun came up was pretty cool.

A couple in town laughing over summat. That making a guy on the bus smile, which made me smile.

Ice cream. Mmmm.

Getting to CU, I've missed it!

Walking back from CU, the leg of the Piglet on my keyring sticking out of a hole in my carrier bag. Laughing at it and pointing it out to Issy. That look on her face that says "I can't believe you find that so funny. It's not funny. But I want to laugh. But I won't." as a little smile creeps in...

Amazing!

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

deg

Speaking to Ros for over an hour: reminiscing, talking about the future, having a laugh. It's been too long!

Kat reminding me of the truth of the gospel exactly when I needed to hear it.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:3-5

"Blogger is unavailable due to an unforeseen error."

Amazing.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

naw

Going back to bed for a nap this morning coz i was tired and I COULD.

Having a nice relaxing day before cracking on with work again tomorrow.

A plane flying really low over Sherfield...was really cool to see it!

Monday, June 05, 2006

wyth

The fact that the title of this post is gonna have so many people pulling funny faces at their computer screens trying to pronounce it.

FRIENDS!!!

From the MSN messages I had last night offering help/advice about my exam;

to the texts I had this morning from people praying for me;

to Jenny drawing amazing pictures for me...
and taking books back to the library for me...
and frantically searching my room when I got to my exam and realised I'd forgotten my badge...
and just being so lovely and thoughtful and helpful;

to Kat meeting me after my exam...
and helping me carry everything home...
and tidying my room(!)...
and making me lunch...
and making me just stop...
and listening to me talk pretty much the entire way from psychology to here...

God giving me these people, and giving me access to a relationship with Him. Jesus is my bestest friend! (Cheesy but true.) And looking after me all day and reminding me that everything is in HIS hands.

Amaaaaazin'.

Sunday, June 04, 2006

saith

Jenny drawing pics for me for my exam tomorrow.

Getting nervous and worried about my exam tomorrow and God going 'Oi, you're my child, remember? I brought you here, remember? 3 weeks ago you weren't anywhere near well enough to do this exam, and now look. So don't worry!' (Ahem, or, er, words to that effect...)

1 John 3:1

Getting to church this morning and just about managing to concentrate for 30 minutes of the 45 minute sermon...

Amazing.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

chwech

The sun bursting in through my window as I opened the curtains this morning.

The clear, CLEAR blue sky with just a few wispy white clouds.

A cheque from my Nana in the post. How when I ring her to say thankyou she says, "Well, I was given a gift so I shared it".

My Nana! She's such a gift! And such an example of godliness...but in her own, quiet way.

The strength and motivation to go to the library and work when it's properly summer outside and pretty much everyone else has finished their exams and is enjoying it.

The guy stood in the middle of the sports field on campus, all on his own, practising Diablo.

Daisies.

The librarian who said 'bless you' when I sneezed, even though she couldn't see me!

Buttercups.

The feel of the grass on my feet as I walked through the sports field back home, flip flops in hand.

Dropping ice cream on my top and chuckling to myself at what a big kid I am.

The lump of chocolate at the bottom of a Cornetto.

Praise God...it's all amazin'.

Friday, June 02, 2006

pump

Picture the scene:

A short walk to the shop and back exposes you to some fresh air, takes you on a break from revision and to say bye to a friend who's just visited. You feel the warm afternoon sun, a gentle breeze, sip on a cold Irn-bru, smell the freshly mown grass, hear a helicopter overhead; and as you look up you notice the sky is such a sparklingly clear blue and there are lots of fluffy white clouds making different shapes. You look back down and around you and notice some kids running round playing, with not a care in the world and an infectious laughter...

Amazing.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Pedwar

Spontaneous Cedars all day breakfast for lunch.

mmmmmm.