Oh and that sister introduced me to some amazing new music today as well.

Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_Zs7XS3XUo

Adele is truly incredible.

I am practising this song already and hope to be able to sing like her one day.

WOW.

How do people make it through life without a sister? ~ Sara Corpening

I hung out with Lea today before she headed back to Solihull.
We drank tea and talked about life and played a bit of guitar. I showed her a couple of my new songs that she hadn't heard yet.

And then we did what only sisters in Christ can do.

We prayed together, and we worshipped God. We encouraged and uplifted one another, and held each other accountable. We were honest and open.

I came away feeling refreshed,

and so excited about what God is doing in both our lives,

and similarly excited that I get to hang out with her again in a couple of weeks and sleep at her pad and we'll play more tunes and teach her puppy new tricks and we'll pray some more and "as iron sharpens iron" so we shall sharpen each other as we do life together!!

I praise God that I have so many great and true friends, and even though I don't live close to them, distance doesn't matter.

:)

God is good!!

And sisters are awesome!!

Emmanuel

God with us.

"Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel." Isaiah 7:14

Today is the day we celebrate that time when God sent His Son.
Jesus. Fully God and fully man. Born of a virgin. The fulfillment of prophesies from hundreds of years before His birth.

We celebrate because it is good news.
God became one of us, that He might save us through a sacrifice of Himself, in our place. It was the only way. And it was God's plan that we might be reunited with Him, so He could dwell with us as we go about our lives here on earth.

The Christmas Story is not just an irrelevant myth about some kid born in a stable in the middle east some where a couple of thousand years ago.
It's a true (albeit sometimes embellished under artistic liscence) story of a King who gave up His throne for a short time, to show us, through his life and his death, how much we matter to Him and His Father.

To show you how much you matter to Him and His Father.
The story is not irrelevant.
Don't miss the true reason we celebrate this Christmas.

Be of good cheer, eat lots, give generously and remember Jesus :)

Friends.

I haven't got anything to say today. Which is a first.

And it's late, so usually by now, if I'm still awake, my head is teeming with words and thoughts and newly acquired information.

But today, apparently not.

But I'll say something.

Because the title of my blog requires me to.

And just in case there was something to say, I'll say something, so nothing goes unsaid.

This morning I handed in two essays and a portfolio (yes, I deleted one of the questions in my portfolio because I couldn't answer it, and I just hope they don't notice. please note, I haven't stooped that low in any of my other work. thank you.)

Anyway, so work finally handed it. Receipts received. Weight lifted?

YES.

Time for a quick load of laundry?

YES.

(Admin and emails and boring stuff - skip that bit!) and THEN my beautiful friend Steffi phoned, coz we needed a catch up before she has an operation on her vocal cords tomorrow and so she can't speak for FIVE DAYS..

*1 hour passed*

And then I went for a spontaneous coffee with a friend. Well, more like a chat with a friend since we didn't have coffee and he had like 15 minutes to spare before meeting his tutor and the person I was supposed to be meeting never showed.

So yeah. By this time in my day, it's 2.30pm, and I realise I haven't eaten yet.

Fail.

But I got chips with cheese and beans (yay for student food!).

Bit of a chill sesh with the Chapel gang... (it's nice to have somewhere to go when plans fall through!!)

*1 hour passed*

..followed by a VERY EXCITING phone call from Jessie, who is back in the UK for Christmas.

*30 minutes and a bus journey passed*

And then went for Coffee with another friend. This time it was planned. But this time was also free from coffee since we both got Earl Grey Tea (it's sophisticated and really tasty. double bonus.) There were smiles and giggles and tears and God talk and girl talk and lots of encouraging words shared.

Good times.

Plus it was snowing heavy outside.

Even more good times.

*2 hours passed*

And so after saying bye, I caught the bus home and waited for 5pm to roll round as I was expecting a call from yet another friend, another catch up.

And there was less giggle and less girl-talk, but more God talk and stories shared and talk of christmas family traditions, and I'm sure many encouraging words too.

*1 hour passed*

And finally (pretty much, finally) - a girly evening out at the Sneyd. Great food. Even greater friends. LOTS of girl talk, reminiscing of high school and odd habits, and about the times of our lives when we never knew each other.

*3 hours passed*

My day today consisted almost entirely of time with friends. New ones, old ones, ones that are far away, ones I won't see for a while, ones I don't know that well, ones I know like the back of my hand, ones I'm looking forward to getting to know a lot better!!

The only thing I can say, is thank you:

'Thank you God, for blessing me with good friends. Friends who love and encourage me. Friends who lead me closer to you, and who inspire me to live a life of love. Thank you that I am not alone. That I can share this life with loved ones. Thank you for being the best friend anyone could know. When I have days like this, with amazing friends, I realise how far above it all, you are, God. Thank you for giving all that you are, so that I could be called your friend."

John 15:15 (the words of Jesus)

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Bit of Miss Dillon always goes down a treat!

I love Bethany Dillon.
She, like, makes my day.

I'm not even kidding.

She has the most beautiful voice, it just chills me out.

Tonight, for no apparent reason my head just decided that I was gonna be in a mood and so that was basically it for the evening.

Great.

So instead of going out and having a good night with friends, I came upstairs to bed.

Well, I sat on my bed and wrote songs about how annoying life can be sometimes. And then decided to edit a few photos.

Like, real fun, uplifting stuff, you know?

But I have my iTunes on shuffle, and every time BD comes on, something inside of me is reminded that I'm actually OK. I'm not perfect, and I'm not gonna be in a super-fantastic mood all of the time. But regardless, I am His. I know someone who loves me an incredible amount, and whatever happens, I am forgiven and free in Him.

:) reasons to smile, even when i'm in a bad mood. yay!!

Thank you LORD Jesus :D

This poem tells of the Christianity of Christ, that the world doesn't hear from most Christians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZSz1FDTj2g

It changed my day.

People need to know this.

Less of this 'negative groove', man...

A lady I know who writes the most beautifully eloquent and colloquial blog spoke my mind today;

"The needle of my thoughts is stuck on a negative groove these past few weeks.."

Mine is rather 'days' but still.

I'd like to change that.

Starting now.

Three things I'm thankful for?

- Christmas Quizzes. Because it's almost Christmas, hurray! And my quiz team is amazing. It's made up of all (nay, some) of my newest friends and even when we find it boring (every week) we still love it.

- People who pray for me, even when I haven't asked them to. It's amazing enough to know that my God is with me everyday, everywhere, and that He knows my in-most thoughts and feelings (and yet He still loves me!) but it's also amazing when you get a text with a simple "thinking of you today", and I know how bad my day has been... I love that God prompts other's to pray for me, and care for me even though I'm not around.

- Trains. Going home next weekend, and I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't seen my little bro in ages, and I miss him. I can't wait to hang out with mom, and show dad the songs I'm playing on Saturday night. I love my family so much. I'm so thankful that there are trains which can bridge the gap between Stoke-On-Trent and Birmingham in just 47minutes (plus a 40minute bus at each end). But that's way shorter than long-haul flight from YVR.

I am blessed.

I am thankful.

Thank you LORD.

Rest a while.

The Pulley By George Herbert

When God at first made man, Having a glass of blesings standing by; Let us (said he) pour on him all we can: Let the world's riches, which dispersed lie, Contract into a span. So strength first made a way; The beauty flow'd, then wisdom, honour, pleasure: When almost all was out, God made a stay, Perceiving that alone of all his treasure Rest in the bottom lay. For if I should (said he) Bestow this jewel also on my creature, He would adore my gifts instead of me, And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature: So both should losers be. Yet let him keep the rest, But keep them with repining restlessness: Let him be rich and weary, that at least, If goodness lead him not, yet weariness May toss him to my breast.

I am learning.

We can work ourselves in to the ground.

But there's really no need.

People want us to do that. They don't realise, but they'll ask and ask and ask of us, as long as we say yes. And even when we say no. We're built for community, but sometimes we unknowingly take advantage of other people's kindness / inability to say "no".

Other people probably have no idea of my limits and capacity, not because they don't care, but just because we're all caught up in our own limits and capacities - and they don't extend to other people. They look out for Number 1.

So I can't make that meeting, or juggle four different responsibilities at once, or fit something else into my already crammed day.

I am set free, in knowing that God does not require of me any such thing. He doesn't judge me by how much I can fit in to 24hours. He doesn't love me less if I can't fit everything in and have to say no this time. He doesn't punish me for needing rest.

He asks me to love Him, and to love others.

He asks me to be humble as I walk with Him.

He asks me to not be scared, and to cast my worries on to Him.

He asks me to lay my heavy burden down before Him, and take up His light one.

He asks me to come to Him if I am weary and burdened, because He wants to give me rest.

Sure I have to carry my cross.

But that's something altogether different than running myself in to the ground, exhausting myself, over-working, people-pleasing and wasting time through busyness.

Oh how good my God is.

How kind and gracious and compassionate.

How much the rest of God can give us strength and joy and to ability to carry on.

Are you too busy?

Feel free to say "No" to something, and rest a while.