winchester

Saturday I took a short little trip south to Winchester. I tried to be sparing with photos, but couldn't resist a few quintessential shots of this quaint but buzzing little English town.

Cathedral? Check.
University? Check.
A river runs through it? Check.
High-profile public boys' school? Check.
Major historical significance? Check.

It's not really a huge list by any account, but somehow it feels like there's lots going on in this little corner of England...

I put a few pictures here, and a little history lesson below.

The history lesson:

• The very large statue in the pictures is of King Alfred. He was all about justice and order, and took a lot of direction from Exodus. Much of the current legal system is based on his foundations.
  
  
• The 'high profile boys' school' (Winchester College) is on par with the likes of Eton (which, interestingly, is modeled after Winchester).
  
  
• Turns out the founder of Winchester College, William Wykeham, also founded New College at Oxford in 1379. Funny name for one of the oldest colleges in Oxford, eh? Apparently, New College's original remit was to receive the boys who passed through Winchester and to support them during their university studies. Handy.
  

Don't feel guilty if you couldn't care less about the history. It's hard to care if you don't experience it...but since I have a friend who went to New College, I had an extra little bit of "oh, that's very interesting" sort of thing going on.

it's all about marketing: example #219

"The Husband Creche"
I'm sure the beer in this pub isn't markedly different or better than the pub 2 doors down, but I'd stop here - even though I don't have a husband to drop off - just because of the sense of humor demonstrated with their sidewalk sign.

And I know plenty of people who would do the same.

Brilliant.

happy birthday daniel jacob!

How can you NOT totally fall in love with this little man?! I can't wait to see him in August! I hope he saved me some cake.

it's a small world after all

This morning, an American in London (yes, that would be me) had Welsh cakes for breakfast with Canadian maple syrup, eaten off a plate made in China (and with a fork made in China).

The weird thing is that I don't actually think this marriage of at least 5 cultures is really all that noteworthy...which is the part that feels noteworthy.

i might need to go to confession

I can't deny it. I'm jealous. A co-worker is marrying a rugby player next year, and because of her fiance's connections with the rugby world, she ends up at events where she often manages to get pictures like this one:

This my friend Clodagh and her "friend" Mike Catt. Mike was on the 2003 Rugby World Cup winning England squad...WORLD CUP, people! And he still plays for the London Irish squad.

I know I have recently pointed people to my friend Tara Leigh's blog, and I really don't want to negate the stuff she's writing there...and I know you're not going to believe me, but honestly it's not that he's beautiful. I mean, I'm not gonna deny that he's not hard on the eyes, but it really isn't about that.

It's that I actually really love the game. It's the only English sport I really fancy at all...and love it (don't panic people) more than baseball, perhaps. And what I wouldn't give to be all buddy-buddy with people in the rugby world, especially when I hear that guys like Mike are actually really nice and down to earth.

Seriously, why am I NEVER the girl who has these kinds of connections? I think it's God's way of reminding me that I care just a little too much. GRR!

warming up for the countdown

The writing has been on the wall for a few months, but I've finally uttered a potential date for finishing my assignment in London with the people who can make it happen.

August will definitely be my last month here, and I'm aiming for a last day in the office during the 2nd or 3rd week of the month. There are a few things I'd really like to see finished by then...but as I'm trying to manage a decent vacation before hitting the ground running in Houston in September, I'll be working hard to keep it to mid-August.

Suddenly I'm tempted to think about things like apartments and neighborhoods I like in Houston...cars, the price of gasoline, the HEAT (oh, the heat.) in Houston, and where in the world I want to go for some R&R before leaving this small island and rejoining the world of baseball lovers and 24-hour everything.

But actually I don't want to think about those things any more than I have to...I want to savor every last drop of England that I have left to enjoy. So as always...I seek to find the balance.

Actually...I seek tension, I think. I need to find a way to happily hold my excitement over going back to my homeland in tension with all that I have to live for right here and right now. Living in the moment and living in the future seem to be two desires that pull in opposite directions. Planning requires you to live in the future a little bit...but oh how easily I let the future consume me...and I forget to hold the line in tension by keeping a good deal of my attention on today.

Here's to tension! It can be good for you sometimes.

i don't get it

The spell check feature in Blogger recognizes the word "blogger" as legitimate (which is handy), but doesn't recognize "bloggers" (which isn't).

in the weeds

I have felt like I've been "in the weeds" at work since the day I landed in the UK. I tend to feel that way about keeping in touch with friends near and far as well. And, as all haphazard bloggers do, I feel the same about keeping this record a current and accurate reflection of record-worthy stuff.

So, in typical "catch-up" fashion, I offer a few bits and pieces:

I have been reminded yet again this week that I have very funny, wise and deep friends...which I count as a huge blessing. Amen.

I miss my best friend tremendously. Grr. And I hate that her little man is almost a year old and I've only seen him twice. Double grr.

Louie made a point of saying "thank you" to me. Honoured.

"Summer" is a relative term.

Dr. Pepper can bring joy that one never knew was possible.

Having a "clean slate" is under-rated. Highly under-rated.

I like church at Hillsong London. They love to celebrate Jesus...and I DO mean celebrate. And they're authentic. And friendly. And helpful. Every time.

I made two successful first-guess identifications of band names for over-head music in public this weekend. This is NOT something I'd list as a skill on a resume for ANY job. Gold star for me.

Someone from my pastorate (read: church community group) at HTB called me today to get the specific words from a quote I used in a little talk I did last week. She said she'd been thinking about some things I said all week. Floored. Thankful. Cheering for God.

That'll do for now.

how did that happen?

Passion:London has come, but it hasn't gone. Thursday was a long day, but it was gone in a blink...all at the same time. I want to have some pithy words to describe it, but I'm at a loss.

I don't know why I'm always amazed at how much we can actually accomplish in just a short space of time. And when you put the 'God fact' on top of that...well...indescribable things happen.

I'm so thankful to have been a part of what God did through a few hours of time in so many lives - not just the students that attended, but the volunteers and hopefully some of the venue staff as well.

I didn't get to interact with many of the students, but the few I did were so fired up to be there. And the volunteers. The volunteers were incredible. I'm so thankful to have been part of it.

But 'it' isn't over. Not by a long shot.

Passion:London - almost there!

It's been years in the making, but the Passion World Tour is now well under way, and has already made stops in Kyiv, Stockholm, Sao Paulo, Kampala and is be lighting up the night in Paris tonight.

On Thursday, Passion:London will come to life.

If you're not already following along, check out the 268 blog to see some pictures and read about the events held so far, or the World Tour site to see where else the tour is headed.

Pray for health and endurance for the volunteers (it's gonna be a LONG day).

Pray for the traveling World Tour team...they've been on a long journey, and our weariness due to one event can't compare to what they're working with.

Pray for the students coming to the Hammersmith Apollo on Thursday, and for a new awakening in the university generation across the UK.

Pray for a full house - not because I'm hung up on numbers, but because I long for ever seat to be filled with a soul that gets exposed to the hope of the Gospel light-years beyond 'fire insurance'.

Pray for the students to fall in love with Jesus in a way they've never imagined.

Pray for dramatically changed lives.

Pray for students to be awakened through the Spirit with a longing to live a life of total abandon for the name and renown of God.

So much hope...so many more prayers...not enough words. If you pray...I don't know what else to ask for...just...go for it.

plug

So, my friend TLC is amazing.

And I don't think she's starving for publicity...but I can't not point you to her blog.

I mean, it's already on my links over there on the right, but that's pretty passive, whereas I am going for a more blatant approach here.

She sings, she's got mad guitar skills, she writes...she's one of the few people I know who is actually really good at actively maintaining long-distance friendships...and so much more.

The reason I'm pointing you to her today is because she's writing some great stuff there these days, and I basically just think anybody I know would benefit from (or at the very least enjoy) reading it, especially (but certainly not ONLY) anyone in a pre-married state.

a sigh of relief?

"The urgent need for the church today is not for more clever people to explain Jesus better, it is not for more attractive people who by their looks and personality will make Christianity suddenly more trendy and appealing. It is not even more committed and disciplined people who will advance the cause of the kingdom of Jesus by grit and hard work. The great need today is for deep and authentic people."

Taken from Wasteland by Mike Pilavachi - quoting the British evangelist David Watson)

time to make the donuts

Everything seems so crazy right now, I'm sure I'm going to meet myself coming in the door one day soon, just like the Dunkin' Donut guy.

Anybody remember him?

hmm...interesting...

As it's been over a month since my last plug for Stott, I thought this little snippet was worth sharing. Much shorter than usual (and certainly much shorter than the novel of an entry from yesterday).

Doing the truth

Everywhere in the New Testament God's truth is something to be *done*, not something only to be believed. It carries with it demands, duties, obligations. The evangelical faith radically transforms those who believe and embrace it.

--From "Make the Truth Known" (Leicester: IVP, 1983), p. 12.
----------------------------------------------------
--Excerpted from "Authentic Christianity", p. 129, by permission of InterVarsity Press.

this is (now) a grumble-free zone

"Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life..." Philippians 2:14-16 ESV


Someone from my church Pastorate (read: community group) shared this verse as part of a testimony of her journey to/in faith in Christ, and I was immediately mindful of the fact that I have been doing a LOT of grumbling recently about how much stress I'm enduring at work lately, mostly because:

• I feel 100% personally responsible for the success or failure of a major project that affects every single person in my office
• I have to rely on some people outside the company to hold up their end of the deal, and I have no real bargaining position or recourse for their poor performance
• I'm generally stretched for time due to other equally pressing projects

But everyone is stressed right now. So it's not like I'm the only one waving that flag for whatever reason. And other people aren't holding my feet to the fire anything like to the extent that I am.

So when my friend read these and the surrounding verses, I was captivated. It dawned on me that I used to let all the stress roll right off my back, or let off steam within a 'safe place'. But now, I get a bit defensive and am always at the ready with excuses. And people don't need or want to hear defensiveness and excuses (no matter how valid).

My main problem is that I've been too transparent with people along the way, so the fact that the project completion date keeps getting pushed to the right makes me feel like I look incompetent...whether or not that's actually true. (The phrase "under-promise and over-deliver" comes to mind. This is not the tack I've taken up to this point. Note to self for future projects.)

And thinking through dropping the excuses, etc., I'm having to eat the words which I've uttered many times to many different people: "You have to be willing to be misunderstood." Ouch. And then when you throw that "shine as lights in the world among a crooked and twisted generation" bit in, there's even more consequences (tangible or not) of being a grumbling Christian.

I sense there are two trains of thought running here, actually...but it's all related in my mind.

Regardless, I have a new sense of perspective and am feeling rather chilled about the chaos that ensues around me. Gold star for the readers that powered through to the end of this stream-of-consciousness brainstorm.

musical recommendation

Most of you know that I'm more often on the receiving end of this deal, but I've found, of my own accord, a new musician I'd like to recommend.

Admittedly, when I asked a few of my UK-based friends about Duffy, they all already knew about her. BLAST and DRAT!



However, I'm hoping (with fingers and toes crossed) that some of the rest of you won't have heard of her, and I'll get credit, possibly for the first time in my life, for recommending a new up-and-coming music artist to my home country.

i love christopher walken

So, I'm totally ripping this off (well, the link, anyway) from a friend of a friend, but I can't not...

The best line, as the aforementioned friend of a friend also notes, has *got* to be: "Exit Pig One. Pig Two...same story."

Classic. Beyond classic, actually. Whatever that means.

second brush with fame

Some of you may remember that during my first week in the UK, I came very close to meeting the queen . I maintain it as a real possibility that we may have been invited into Balmoral Castle for tea if I'd just thought quickly enough to bump her car ever so slightly with mine.




Today, as I was walking to the Texas Embassy to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, I looked up as people were shouting "Boris! Boris!" to see London's newly elected Mayor ride by on a bicycle. It all happened way too fast to pull out the camera, so you'll just have to believe me on this one.

for michelle

bits and bobs

Today is my cousin Lori's birthday...and she's in Canada, alone. Boo on that, eh?

I went to the store today, twice, and both times, as I was walking back in the door to my flat, I remembered something I forgot to buy...but I couldn't be bothered to go a third time, even though it's only a 2 minute walk down the road.

The one thing I went back for the first time was milk. Just so I could have a cup of tea. Mmm...tasty.

I "made brownies for the office" tonight. Translation: I wanted brownies but want to keep myself from eating the whole pan, so I made them on a non-weekend to be sure others could help keep me from consuming 100% of gooey chocolately goodness.

Yesterday I found out for sure that two good friends are coming to visit me! YAY!!

Some people were not wired to work from home. I'm one of those people.

Today we passed the 1,000 tickets sold milestone for Passion London. The venue capacity is 3,600, so there's still plenty of room, but we're praying for a sell-out. We need more volunteers, so if you want to come and serve...let me know if you're going to be (or be able to be) in the London area on June 5th.