I must go to bed, so just a quick post to update y'all.
Am reading Acts at the moment, and it has been really really good! Read Acts 8 this morning, and it brought back so many things I'd learned from it before... It has reminded me that reading something again, not only brings fresh revelation, but can bring back past-but-still-very-relevant revelation :-)
I think the hardest three weeks of my time here ended last Friday. I have a new laptop now. She arrived today, and hasn't broken yet, so she is definitely doing better than the last one. I'm hoping that she will last a good 3 years at least!
I hope everyone in Manchester is doing well! I can't say I'm missing Manchester, but I definitely miss the people there!
Have a beautiful day! And I hope you remember some revelation of old today!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Long time no post...
Sorry! I've been away, then my laptop broke, then I purchased a new one, then that one broke the next day... I'm still trying to get a new one but I have to wait on a refund for the old one... It's been wee bit crazy to say the least!
So... since the last post I've been to Laos, and through Thailand. I caught the travelling bug, so I postponed my flight home, and am going to see Cambodia and Vietnam at the end of term... (I'm going to have to work really hard through July and early August to be ready for my exams in August!) I've done three papers, had huge laptop issues, realised that I've changed, etc etc etc...
Hmm... what's changed?
I've learnt how to be in Christ, well, I'm still learning. Being here, and being in a huge church... not being prominent in it... not doing as much: it's been good to rest, but it was a struggle at first to see where I was in Christ. Although I didn't ever think these things outright, it has become clear to me that my being in Christ is not because I'm on the worship team, or because I'm a youth leader, or because I do all that I do, but rather because of Him, and because of His love and His grace. I am just as much in Christ here, when I'm not doing those things, as I was back home when I was. He doesn't look at me differently, nor does He love me less, nor do I deserve it more back home than I do here.
Ultimately, no matter what I do, I don't deserve His salvation, His love, His grace... I don't deserve to know Him. It's funny (well not really funny) how easily one can slip into finding one's identity in what one does as opposed to what one is.
I think that I've just begun to realise that being in Him, and in relationship with Him doesn't mean just serving Him because I love Him, but that it means loving Him... and that the serving is just something that comes with loving Him. I knew in my head before, but I think I've just begun to experience knowing it.
Honestly? It hasn't been what I expected. I'm sure the rest of my time here will surprise me too. Sorry if I don't post for a while... but no laptop... lots of work... lots of travelling... it means no internet!
Otherwise... I'm really interested and curious to know what has been happening at the midweek meetings at Kings'!!!
That's all for now.
So... since the last post I've been to Laos, and through Thailand. I caught the travelling bug, so I postponed my flight home, and am going to see Cambodia and Vietnam at the end of term... (I'm going to have to work really hard through July and early August to be ready for my exams in August!) I've done three papers, had huge laptop issues, realised that I've changed, etc etc etc...
Hmm... what's changed?
I've learnt how to be in Christ, well, I'm still learning. Being here, and being in a huge church... not being prominent in it... not doing as much: it's been good to rest, but it was a struggle at first to see where I was in Christ. Although I didn't ever think these things outright, it has become clear to me that my being in Christ is not because I'm on the worship team, or because I'm a youth leader, or because I do all that I do, but rather because of Him, and because of His love and His grace. I am just as much in Christ here, when I'm not doing those things, as I was back home when I was. He doesn't look at me differently, nor does He love me less, nor do I deserve it more back home than I do here.
Ultimately, no matter what I do, I don't deserve His salvation, His love, His grace... I don't deserve to know Him. It's funny (well not really funny) how easily one can slip into finding one's identity in what one does as opposed to what one is.
I think that I've just begun to realise that being in Him, and in relationship with Him doesn't mean just serving Him because I love Him, but that it means loving Him... and that the serving is just something that comes with loving Him. I knew in my head before, but I think I've just begun to experience knowing it.
Honestly? It hasn't been what I expected. I'm sure the rest of my time here will surprise me too. Sorry if I don't post for a while... but no laptop... lots of work... lots of travelling... it means no internet!
Otherwise... I'm really interested and curious to know what has been happening at the midweek meetings at Kings'!!!
That's all for now.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
Just give me Love
Take away the comfort of familiarity, tear down structures that give security, strip away reputation, place me away from friends and family, but just give me Love! For Love is my ultimate familiarity, the utmost security, the only reputation I desire, and will love me more than any person ever could. All I need is Love. All I desire is Love. Show me Love, give me Love, for all else is worthless without Him. Let Love love me, for His love is greater than any other love one could ever know. Love saves, Love transforms, Love is "the most excellent way". This Love, He is perfect. "Perfect Love drives out fear". Love does not change. He is patient, kind. He does not envy, He does not boast. He is not proud, nor is He rude or self-seeking. He is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrong. He does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. He never fails. Who is He?
"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him".
So take away the comfort of familiarity, tear down structures that give security, strip away my reputation, place me away from friends and family. Shake my world if it will show me all that Love is. Without Love, I would not be, cannot be. Let all else go, in order that Love may prevail, and Love may reign. May I be consumed by Love. May I live in Love, may all I do come out of living in that Love. I can only love because I experienced the love of Christ, who is love.
Bring me back to Love, than I may go on with Him. My desire is not His blessings. It is not His plans.
I know that Love will take me wherever I need to be, and provide for me whatever I need.
So just give me Love!
"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him".
So take away the comfort of familiarity, tear down structures that give security, strip away my reputation, place me away from friends and family. Shake my world if it will show me all that Love is. Without Love, I would not be, cannot be. Let all else go, in order that Love may prevail, and Love may reign. May I be consumed by Love. May I live in Love, may all I do come out of living in that Love. I can only love because I experienced the love of Christ, who is love.
Bring me back to Love, than I may go on with Him. My desire is not His blessings. It is not His plans.
I know that Love will take me wherever I need to be, and provide for me whatever I need.
So just give me Love!
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
At home
Many posts ago, I think I quoted Keri Jones saying "Your home is in God's will." It's pretty simple and easy to say that when you're in familiar surroundings with familiar people around you. Uproot from that and you can become 'homesick'. The best place that we can possibly be is in God's will, because that is home for us. Sometimes I used to wonder whether Manchester had become my home, or if Aberdeen was still home. Now, in Singapore, after a busy day I still come back to my room and feel like I'm home. Prima facie I don't affiliate the concept of 'home' with a place. It appears just to be wherever my bed is! But 'home' brings to mind comfort, peace, rest, joy, love. We can be at home wherever we are, whatever we're doing, just as long as both those things are in God's will, at His timing. This is the only reason I can think of for my (already) being so at home here, in spite of being half way around the world. Of course, everything is new - everything is different. But feeling at home here has helped me to embrace the new and the different and accept it.
I expected to have culture shock, to miss the comfort of roast vegetables which had so become my staple diet in Manchester, to miss the comfort of my now ex-sofa, my housemates too. But everything here has felt so natural, so normal, even though in my head I know and perceive that it is indeed different.
God is so good. I believe that I am just beginning to what having absolute trust and security in Him means for my life. The last term in Manchester was a difficult one for me - just beginning to learn to trust and obey God absolutely. But learning to trust Him, and learning to trust Him afresh everyday as I believe I need to, has meant that He has become the only thing that I view as completely secure and trustworthy. And so it has led me to tentatively conclude that this is why I feel so settled and at peace here in Singapore - because the only thing I put my trust in has not changed. God has not changed. In Him, all that is around me may change, but I am home.
I expected to have culture shock, to miss the comfort of roast vegetables which had so become my staple diet in Manchester, to miss the comfort of my now ex-sofa, my housemates too. But everything here has felt so natural, so normal, even though in my head I know and perceive that it is indeed different.
God is so good. I believe that I am just beginning to what having absolute trust and security in Him means for my life. The last term in Manchester was a difficult one for me - just beginning to learn to trust and obey God absolutely. But learning to trust Him, and learning to trust Him afresh everyday as I believe I need to, has meant that He has become the only thing that I view as completely secure and trustworthy. And so it has led me to tentatively conclude that this is why I feel so settled and at peace here in Singapore - because the only thing I put my trust in has not changed. God has not changed. In Him, all that is around me may change, but I am home.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Hello from Singapore!
Well! In Singapore I am. And I am in Singapore! hehe.
I'm here until May 6th, and so I thought I'd blog a bit while I'm here. I say a bit because I can't promise regular updates. It has already gotten so busy!
Thankfully I had a safe trip over here, Emirates was lovely :-). Singapore has been great so far. What I really love is that it reminds me of Korea, but it's really multi-cultural here. So much more so than in Korea. Love it!
I have registered etc... the only eventful happening was that I went to register at the Law School (which has it's own gym!!! And showers!) and they gave me my mailbox key. In my mailbox was more reading that I have ever seen in my life. Some to do for Monday. I'm sure my face was a sight!
I'm asking God to teach me how to study whilst I'm here. I can't wait for all that He has for me here. I have realised that I'm very much outside the safe 'bubble' in which I lived whilst in Manchester. Whilst embracing that, it leaves me feeling a little apprehensive. I know there is much for me to learn here. I hope I learn it all.
I'm here until May 6th, and so I thought I'd blog a bit while I'm here. I say a bit because I can't promise regular updates. It has already gotten so busy!
Thankfully I had a safe trip over here, Emirates was lovely :-). Singapore has been great so far. What I really love is that it reminds me of Korea, but it's really multi-cultural here. So much more so than in Korea. Love it!
I have registered etc... the only eventful happening was that I went to register at the Law School (which has it's own gym!!! And showers!) and they gave me my mailbox key. In my mailbox was more reading that I have ever seen in my life. Some to do for Monday. I'm sure my face was a sight!
I'm asking God to teach me how to study whilst I'm here. I can't wait for all that He has for me here. I have realised that I'm very much outside the safe 'bubble' in which I lived whilst in Manchester. Whilst embracing that, it leaves me feeling a little apprehensive. I know there is much for me to learn here. I hope I learn it all.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
B-e-a-utiful
Today was ace! (This is besides the point, but isn't 'ace' such a 90's word?!)
I met up with my very beautiful and amazing sister Han-Na in Birmingham where we went shopping, ate a Krispy Kreme Doughnut (and now, I can never eat another doughnut again under the pretence that it is a doughnut... it was totally AMAZING! I feel like I'd never tasted doughnuts before!), went shopping again (for about 3 hours) and then went to the sushi bar in Selfridges and ate sushi, drank miso soup, and were generally happy.
It has been so long since I saw Han-Na, it was really great seeing her again. I thank God that our relationship is such that we can pick up where we left off (I guess that you get to know each other pretty well when you share a room for over ten years) but today reminded me of how much better our relationship is when we invest time in each other. As I write, I feel challenged as to the friendships that I almost take forgranted because they have become so 'easy'. I'm going to invest more time into those friendships - I already know that these friends are worth it :-).
A truly b-e-a-utiful friendship is surely one where you know eachother so well that you don't need to invest so much time anymore, but do so because you both want to.
Today was b-e-a-utiful. I love my sister so much!
I met up with my very beautiful and amazing sister Han-Na in Birmingham where we went shopping, ate a Krispy Kreme Doughnut (and now, I can never eat another doughnut again under the pretence that it is a doughnut... it was totally AMAZING! I feel like I'd never tasted doughnuts before!), went shopping again (for about 3 hours) and then went to the sushi bar in Selfridges and ate sushi, drank miso soup, and were generally happy.
It has been so long since I saw Han-Na, it was really great seeing her again. I thank God that our relationship is such that we can pick up where we left off (I guess that you get to know each other pretty well when you share a room for over ten years) but today reminded me of how much better our relationship is when we invest time in each other. As I write, I feel challenged as to the friendships that I almost take forgranted because they have become so 'easy'. I'm going to invest more time into those friendships - I already know that these friends are worth it :-).
A truly b-e-a-utiful friendship is surely one where you know eachother so well that you don't need to invest so much time anymore, but do so because you both want to.
Today was b-e-a-utiful. I love my sister so much!
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