Pursuit of happy things

Its been so long since I last wrote and a lot has gone on! I’m engaged, living back in California and getting married in 10 days! I’m just putting it out there but as much fun as all this sounds its been hell all the way through! It was stressful living in London but its been stressful living here. I’m starting to wonder if the pursuit of happiness is this thing you chase your whole adult life but never get. Is this is it… you get a grown up job , you fall in love get married, buy a house , have kids maybe throw a few vacations in there. I mean really is that  it. And of course if you follow christ you know there is a life outside of this but how do you pursue a happiness here on earth and be content when nothing is ever enough. Some people spend their whole life serving christ in other countries  but is even that enough. Why would God instill in us a desire for more here on this earth if never intended to fulfill it. Anyways just a few things I had on my mind the last couple months. Hopefully I will get back to this blog a little more consistently. Oh and all this to say I am so freaking excited to get married in 10 days!

Sad Day

This is just a little something I wrote..its quite vulnerable for me to share my writing but I feel like with the death of my auntie I should.

You were there for my birth
now im here for your death
you were so fragile these last few years
I could see it in your eyes
There was sorrow in your smile but
a fight in your soul

You went into the battle with all of your strength
but enough was enough
you knew what was coming

Blinded by the pain you slowly lost sight
with one eye opened you lost the fight

You are so very loved and your memory lives on
With the birth of one comes the death to another

May you be at peace with the one who created you
I love you Auntie Juss!

Seriously Not excited!

Finally I had my big kick off today with my new position at St. Johns Kingston Vale. I have been working the last few weeks to put together a Halloween party to get the kids together and kick off the small groups for next week. It was a blast. Marc dressed up in an old man mask and the kids loved him. They had to find him in the garden and get treats from him and it was hilarious to see him in character.
Other then that things have been an adjustment like always being back in England getting used to it getting dark now at 430pm. and of course it’s slowly getting more and more freezing out there. I normally would say Im looking forward to whats ahead but im really not. To be honest im really sad that Im not home for thanksgiving, christmas and all the festivities in between. Its my first holiday season away from everything I know… I know I have Marc and my friends here but when it comes to the holidays it’s all about getting together family and friends and making memories and reminiscing on old ones and it’s just going to be really different not doing that with the people I have been around for so long. It will be interesting and challenging to see what God teaches me reveals to me or challenges me in this next term. So, no, im not excited but I will try and challenge myself to look beyond what I know and be excited for new experience, memories, and people!

Another Weekend come and gone

The weekends seem to be going faster and the weeks seem to be longer what the heck?! Work is going good this past saturday we had our commissioning service to introduce the new Gap team and have a time to pray and pledge our unity. It was a good time to get all the staff , family, friends and local supporters together. THings seem to be moving along really well. Just getting into the daily grind of a routine. I was thinking the other day the one downside to working full-time here in London is that its starting to feel like home and not the amazing London I have always heard about. It makes me sad that I dont take every free second I have anymore to go explore and see this beautiful place. I guess not having much money doesnt help either. So my goal is to try to still remember how glorious England is and to try when in my capacity to go and see the sights and not just stay home because Im tired after a long week. Just wanted to write a quickie so you know im good but just really busy!

Whats the Plan?!

Sorry I have been MIA lately. So I started work a few weeks ago and its been nice and busy just the way I like it. Not working for 2 months really takes a toll on your mind. Anyway I wanted to share the theme I will be working on with the kids at St. Johns. Those of you that dont know I got the position as youth director at St. Johns Church Kingston Vale. I love it, its exciting and challenging but so good. It’s really is crazy how God provides exactly what you need and not just financially.
My goal this year is to take the kids on a journey through looking at different ordinary peoples lives and how they pursued passions in life to become extraordinary. I hope that the kids will see a worth in themselves and a worth in becoming something. Hopefully through this they will see there worth in Christ. My hopes are that they will come out of this year feeling secure in themselves and through knowing that, knowing their security comes from Christ and with Christ they can achieve anything! So this year please be praying for this journey for the kids as well as myself. I will be updating you more consistently now that im in a routine. Please if you have any heroes you could share that would be great!

We Are All Just a Bunch Of Little Stubborn Old Men…

I was sitting at Starbucks the other day people watching…what I love to do the most. But there are these benches that sit right outside and its a perfect place to watch people taking a break from there hustle and bustle..weather there meeting friends or taking a rest from there long journey. Well it was a super gloomy day and so there weren’t quite as many people out as there normally would be but I saw this old man sitting there on the bench alone he was so cute he had one of those old style news boys hats and a cardigan and grandpa pants just so cute but anyway he apparently had just bought a new pair of shoes because he was trying on of the new shoes and seriously watching him do this was the cutest thing I have ever seen. He had one old shoe on and one new one and he jumped up and down for a minute looked at them analyzing what the difference between this new one and his comfy old ones were. The other thing is they looked exactly the same as his other ones ha! But in the end he ended up putting the old ones back on anyway and then another little old Asian man walked up and they shared a little banter and then they walked off together.

Watching this got me thinking about life and how we love what we know and whats comfortable to us. We love the feel of it the smell of it and even though what we have is old and dirty there might even be holes in we cant let it go even when we have a brand new one of the same thing. Shiny and beautiful full of life and reliable for many more years to come. It just got me thinking how often do we do that with things in our life. Whether it be shoes, your favorite sweats, or letting go of the old life that we used to live and not realizing that God has a whole new life filled with adventure, new smells and all. We are a bunch of little old stubborn men that wont stop wearing our old dingy shoes and move onto the new shoes that will be so much better for our feet. This is why I love people watching because it stirs in me thoughts about life and how God relates to us even in grumpy old men. Or maybe this is just how random my thoughts are ha!

Visit Home

Sitting in Sacramento airport right now waiting for my long flight! All I have to say is what a fast trip home I didnt realize a month can go by so quick! This trip home was a hard one filled with a lot of family time and thinking and just getting back to the place I needed to be. I feel so encouraged and loved and I love how God loves us. I love that he brings us full circle back to the place we first fell in love with him. Im so excited for this next term with Oxygen and Im excited to see the work that God is going to continue to do in and around London. I’ll keep you guys updated on whts ahead. Be praying for the rest of my visa process to go through and that I would be able to stretch my finances until I can get all this stuff situated. Love you guys and thanks for your prayers and support!

Starbucks=Indulgence

Ok heres the deal as much as I love anything free escpecially if its something glorious like Starbucks Im not ok with free pastry day. Let me explain free pastry day = free fat day. Some may say you need to have self control but I say you cant offer a glorious Lemon Pound Cake for free and not expect me to devour it ha ha! Why God Why? Why did you create us with no self control? Love you guys now I feel like I need to do 50 laps around sacramento airport to get rid of that glorious lemon pound cake!

Just a Quick Update and things you can be Praying about for me!

Okay friends so saturday is my appointment to turn in all my paperwork and have my biometrics interview with the visa people as far knowing anything about if I get it that day or have to wait for a response I have no idea im sure I have to wait for a response they said min. of 10 days max I think 30 but Im praying for a miracle here.

Along with that can you guys please be praying for the rest of the finances to continue to come thru. I still need to raise about 900 to 1000 dollars visa costs are adding up and so are bills that are waiting for me in London not fun coming home to that. I need 5 people to step up and donate 200 dollars each. That seems so attainable so please be praying that this all comes thru. Thanks again for your love and support and I pray that the Lord is continuing to challenge you and wait on him and have faith as he has been challenging me to do in this process. Love ya and I will try and give you an update as far as leaving on the 21st or not! ahhhhhhh!

Goodbye London… Hello California!

Ok so I fly home tommorow and I will be giving you some fun updates of my time at home just give me a little time to get back into things. Please be praying for a safe flight and just a good journey home. I love flying you meet the weirdest people… Goodbye rain hello sunshine!