politics test result... (see other blogs for comparison)

You are a Social Moderate (43% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (23% permissive) You are best described as a: Democrat Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

The Power of Positive Thinking

Pick a person and write at least 100 positive points about them.

Practical application of what I was writing about yesterday...

And then try to remember these points whenever you think about them, talk about them, talk with them... to remain in a positive and loving frame of mind.

It's quite fun, remembering...

Person number 1 has 111 positive points, don't know if I'll top that with person number 2, or 3 or 4 etc... may even share it with them at some point in the future...

(another name for this game is, what to do when it's late at night and you don't have to get up for school the next day because you've closed it cos over half of the kids have influenza! - the advantages and joys of working in a close-knit community! Long live my lie-in!)

a lesson...

THE LORD IS GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE,

SLOW TO ANGER AND RICH IN LOVE.

Psalm 145 v 8

I've had this verse in my head so many times, for so many people... Yet tonight it's spinning round in my head, and with it the conviction that it's also been a reminder for me all those times too... I'm an ambassador for Christ here and attempting to live out Kingdom values, being transformed to be more and more like Jesus by the Holy Spirit and here is a classic example of where I've failed to take on God's character of being compassionate, full of grace, slow to anger and be negative, and quick to be positive and full of love for people, to encourage and build up those around me.

Feeling majorly challenged by what God's been saying to me today, despite enjoying an AWESOME time at church in London (www.lifc.org) It's amazingly easy to appear positive about people whilst inwardly wishing they would stop being losers and do what I want them to do. It's easier to be 'amusingly witty' about or with people than to speak the truth and encourage them in their walk with or towards Jesus.

But thankfully for me, and you, our God is one who delights in dealing with 'slight hiccups', by inwardly convicting, then forgiving those who realise and turn back to him, and in giving fresh starts and fresh enabling and power to actually live this out.

I choose to be positive about people, to encourage and to build people up. All people who cross my path and all with whom I'm already in relationship. I can't do it in my own strength all the time, but I'm willing to give it a try and to trust God to fill in the gap.

Join me?

Armour

scanning 'Troy' for Armour Scenes for a talk next week on the Armour of God...

2 1/2 hours of Brad Pitt's washboard stomach... tough life!

but still can't find the correct formation, I suppose these are Trojans and Greeks, not Romans.

Any suggestions of Roman Films with armour in ?

(not 'Asterix' though, because the dubbing is irritatingly substandard and I couldn't ever recommend it)

Sometimes I get up to the weirdest of things... ;-)

I spoke too soon...

... about the disastrous tv situation this evening...

The Sound of Musicals
The Sword in the Stone - classic Disney
AND
The Poseidon Adventure - Gene Hackman at his finest, scenes from this movie still linger in my movie memory - not sure I'll be able to watch till the end - remember it being rather tragic...

but what else can a girl do...!?!

AND Ransom (Mel Gibson gets tough) is on later too, so in the end a quality evening for tv

...on being ill

ok, so now I'm fed up with being ill...

thanks to the 'helpful' Dr, suffering herself with lack-of-compassionitis,
the new medication I'm on seems to have done nothing but help me to know exactly what day my endometriosis will strike... :-(

not good. am now momentarily depressed.

can't even drown my sorrows with wine, doesn't mix well with the heavy cocktail of ibuprofen, paracetamol and codeine that I've currently got whizzing round my system...

and to make matters worse...

there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING OF INTEREST on telly tonight ;-)

(might be time to engage my brain with one of my many foreign language videos that I've not been able to watch until I moved to a house with a working video player! that and many other things I only think about doing when I'm confined to sofa-lounging... )

Time to head back to the Well ( http://www.wellhealing.org/) I think and get a bit more prayer, seems to have more effect than Warwick Hospital has had till now!

cult cartoons continue...

Recovering from a hectic week at school, I discovered this little gem of a tv show:

(CITV 4pm Fridays) http://www.kingarthursdisasters.com/

any cartoon voiced by Rik Mayall and Matt Lucas has to be worth a look at...

and this could be the Dangermouse of the future

There came a time when the risk
To remain tight in a bud
Was more painful
Than the risk it took to blossom

Words by Anais Nin

messages

I think it's still possible to leave me messages/comments without having to write your own blog... you may have to create an account to get a name, but it's not that hard really...
and think of all the fun you can have commenting on everyone else's blogs too!
looking forward to more comments
not that I don't love Martin, it's just I know there are more of you out there reading this!! ;-)

Birthday explanations...

So it's my Birthday on Valentine's Day!
(no-one's up for celebrating on a Tuesday)
Instead I'm having a party on Friday 10th Feb in Leamington.
If you are around, come along!
Details on the invites in the next / previous 2 posts, print them off.
If you live in Leamington, I'll probably have seen you to give you a real (albeit black and white) version of the same thing...
Should be a good night, and you don't want to miss it ;-)
Cx

1st part of invite 

2nd part of invite 

birthday invite 

power of prayer

thanks for all who prayed - I survived my first (of many) injection!

going to a healing prayer meeting the night before probably helped too, and healed me of reaction to another medication I'm on! Hurrah!

some people might be tempted to pass that off as just getting used to taking new pills, but I know that I was feeling sick and suddenly after going to this meeting, I have not felt sick since, so I'm choosing the miracle route and that makes me happy and joyful :-)

now I need the miracle of not having to pay for injections, it still seems that if you are going to work somewhere such as I am, trying to do some good in the world, you have to pay loads for being regularly stabbed, whereas if you are going on holiday somewhere exotic, to lie on the beach, you can get free vaccinations.
HOW IS THAT FAIR?
great NHS this country has dreamed up eh...

timings

yesterday I told me CEO that I am intending to leave in July, to move to S.Africa. He responded really well.. I was amazed. He said he'd probably cry later....
yet today he still hasn't told anyone else... as soon as the other trustees find out, the official game of 'whose child is the sharpest' will begin, as their kids gather to eavesdrop on every conversation...
How long will my secret be safe for?
Who will guess the meaning of the secret TES adverts?
I could put money on it being Yr8 Rory, he's smart that kid and has extremely good hearing, plus his dad's a trustee... but watch this space...

If you are a praying-type, spare one for me tomorrow (wed) at 4.40pm, when I go for my first Hep B injection. At the best I'll just have to lie down for half an hour... at the worst... well I've already had concussion once from fainting so that wouldn't be pleasant a second time... but I guess I need some courage and some peace about it. The nurse is bound to say 'Now, just relax!' and it would be really nice if I actually could :-) Lots of sympathy would be welcome, but no chocolates, am in training! Although sympathy flowers would be nice...............

hello? 

I'm improving on images, here's a cute GGA child whose name I have yet to discover.
But still no profile picture success...

Recurring quotes...

Back in 1995, on a windy beach at Butlin's in Skegness, I was reminded of, and profoundly challenged and inspired by, the following quote from a missionary called Jim Elliott:

'He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose'

This quote has returned to me several times over the years. Hear that in a sermon and I'm reminded of the cost it takes to be a true disciple. Being a Christian is not easy. Sometimes I'm not that happy about the thought of leaving all the comforts of Leamington Life behind, but somehow there's an inner conviction in me that assures me that this is the path that I should walk.
I often wonder if it's easier to go and do something outwardly obvious such as working abroad for the Lord, than it is to stay and be a believer in the normality, the here and now, the humdrum everyday existence.
I've been in a place where I had to totally rely on God's provision, it was scary and then absolutely amazing when God provided time and time again for everything. He is faithful and when he calls us to do something, he provides everything, even the most trivial aspects.
When God is all you've got, and all other avenues are shut off, that is the place of blessing, as He loves to provide and to be recognised as the provider.
As I start to get organised about fund and support raising,
I have this basic truth in place: God is faithful, he will provide.

If ask you for help at some point in the next few months, financially or prayerfully or otherwise, and you can't help, it's ok. God has it in his plan and he will act to make sure that everything is covered. At this precise moment, I don't need to know where the money is coming from for my flight or the rest. Like the secret service, it's a need-to-know basis... To some that might seem like madness, to me it's cool, it's practical outworking of living by faith.

Which reminds me of the other quote that is relevant to me going abroad, given to me by a friend as I left mission in Italy back in 2001 and which I have never understood until now:

'Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

who have set their heart on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baca (death/weeping),

they make it a place of springs;

the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

They go from strength to strength,

till each appears before God in Zion.'

(Psalm 84v5-7)

Dawson dilemma

Was just wondering, who does Joey choose at the end of the Dawson's Creek?
Dawson (nice, boy next door type) or Pacey (reformed? wild child)...
anyone got the dvd?

fire safety lesson

slept badly and dreamt that all my staff were being awkward and not doing as they were told...

learnt how to use a fire extinguisher today, although the guy spent the whole time going 'if there's a fire, just get out! But if you do have a fire extinguisher handy... ' (essential handbag item - halon extinguisher - now banned but ones already in circulation are rare and precious and can put anything out, hold on to them, they are green)

Reminded of the time in Italy when the students I was working with inadvertently set a pan of oil on fire in the church kitchen, threw it into the sink whereupon a fireball blazed up and then instantly went out, merely singeing the enormous roll of paper towel hanging directly over the sink. Only now realising how incredible it is that the whole place didn't go up, church, and 6 flats above it....
hmm, thanks God for intervening, sorry am a bit late with the gratitude...

new timetable being planned for september already and trustees want 'staff availability comments' by the 18th, guess it's time to tell them... but it can wait till monday

check it out..
day 1 of resolutions, yesterday: I had lunch AND dinner with female friends (hereafter refered to as FFs) and managed a challenging workout at the gym.
This morning successfully attempted 'Fitness Ball', interesting concept of doing usual abdominal, legs, bums and tums exercises but with a giant inflatable ball... quite good fun, definitely felt some muscles that have been dormant a while, will probably suffer tomorrow... ;)
next challenge is to actually stay in my house for one whole evening alone... how long have i lived here for? (just realised that won't even manage that cos lodger is back today...)
feeling positive about life!
tomorrow I may even tell my employers that I'm off in a few months time.

2006 - Year of ACTION

2006 is not a year for reading self-help books and analysing situations to the extreme.
It's not a year for weighing up the minutiae of every social situation and debating how it could have been done better or not.

2006 is a year of ACTION
(but not of action men...)

My resolutions at new year (not new year's resolutions because I'd never keep those)
1. Get sorted for Africa - raise awareness, funds, jabs etc
2. Get fit for Africa - need to be able to run from those spiders
3. Get spiritually sorted for Africa - as much as a place of hope, people are still dying everday and that could be hard to come to terms with.
4. Hang out with more girls.

hmm, a few things to be getting on with then...

A New Year song

'I am unwritten

Can't read my mind

I'm undefined

I'm just beginning

The pen's in my hand

Ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you

Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words that you can not find

Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else can

Speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten.

I break tradition

Sometimes my tries

Are outside the lines

We've been conditioned

To not make mistakes

But I can't live that way...'

(Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield)