Diamond Jubilee Year

Maybe this post is a few weeks late. But this deserves mentioning nonetheless.
It's about the Diamond Jubilee.
Let's get one thing straight: I've never been patriotic as such. I love my country, and I love the monarchy but I've never been a raving luny about England in the way of shoving flags at people and buying up all the merchandise!
That being said- this Diamond Jubilee weekend was absolutely 'spiffing'! We celebrated a delightful Queen who's served us all with dedication for 60 years- if that doesn't deserve a flotilla, then what does?? She's been ever open about her faith too, her protestant roots not just carved from tradition but evidently from a truly Jesus centred heart, (very evident in her speech this christmas.)Perhaps it's fair to say her service mirrors something of Jesus' own character... her service reflective of the greatest Servant King. How exactly has she served? Well she's travelled the globe, the common-wealth, represented us brits, defended the faith, no doubt passed and questioned laws, become the scapegoat, carried the burden of our economic and social failures and lifted us up in our sporting and additional success. She's never cracked under the pressure, dictated, greedily grabbed for power or taken out anger on us, her fickle and capricious subects. We, the people, have been able to look up to her for sixty years- and what an example she has set. Queen Elizabeth II has been the face of the country for some time now, and what we celebrated recently was that it is a face we can be glad of showing not just on coins, stamps, or banknotes- but around the world.
I write in all earnest when I say this: God Save the Queen!
Personally, I celebrated by joining a church 'party', watching the pageant and concert (sadly on TV, we weren't able to travel to London to join the throngs of monarch-enthusiasts!) having my aunt over (who waved flags enthusiasticaly at the Tv!) and strewing the house in cornwall and bath with red, white and blue. I wish I had taken more pictures. It felt unifying to the rest of the country. It felt happy. It felt like we had something to be proud of.

Beauty

Emotions- Lucia's Photo Challenge- my entry...

Feeling Small...

I've had a few moments recently, where I don't quite feel big enough for the shoes I have to fit. They're the shoes of the world, large, looming, and all around me people are trying them on and running off into their sunset... I'm left feeling a little like Cinderella.
Rationally, I know God has things in control. I know he's got my 'glass slipper' so to speak, and whilst it may not be conventional (of course it won't be, as we're called to live in the world but not to be of the world) my calling lies ahead of me like concrete.
But in this world?! In this life?
I feel like when the next challenge will be presented, far from rising to it, I'll try to lean on my own strength and crumble. I'm not as confident as other people, not as out-going, not as beautiful or headstrong, determined or thrill-seeking...
And yet when these doubts were running havoc in my mind, God comforted me by reminding me that I am just a seed.
And seeds are tiny. Am I right?
I may be small, seemingly insignificant, seemingly trodden on, pushed into the ground... but one day that seed will rise up into a tree.
But not by my own strength.
A seed cannot feed itself no matter how hard it tries, all it can do is spread it's roots far enough to catch the goodness from the other things that can. For some people that may be the world, fashion, a new pair of shoes, a sport they excell in, praise from someone they admire... but for me it will be God. God's spirit will feed me, his word will water me, he will pour sunshine down onto me until I shoot upwards into the destiny into which I was called, up into the world and then through this world into the next.
Frankly, I can't wait.

Inspiration taken from: 'I am a Seed' by David Crowder...

What a Gift

There are times in life that you know are a gift. They've been given, for whatever reason, out of love, and as you encounter them, wake up to them, walk through them- you know you're experiencing something special.

This happened to me for five beautiful days. But let me first set the scene...
I'm on the shoreline. I've just finished school. And I'm just starting a year of terror, challenges and freedom. These five days were a golden rest, God telling me to lay down my head, breathe him in, and know that he is God.

I spent it in Cornwall in a house with eight other friends and we had, to put it simply: the time of our lives! From waking up at random intervals, cooking breakfast, pancakes, long long bible studies (we did Galatians) and beach trips and body boarding, surfing in the sea, brilliant prayer and worship sessions, cliff walks, ball games and football, jokes, brilliant sandwiches, barbeques, marshmellows, taking pictures, cliff jumping, dancing, early morning swims, cliff climbing, 'caving', cooking, great conversations, late nights, dreaming up pranks, hilarious, cheesy, and romantic movies- Noting Hill! A Walk to Remember, Little Mermaid two...- many many cups of tea, one tiny bit of piano practise, guitar songs, making up music, competetive board-games, baths (!), popcorn, cleaning up, living in our own 'filth', hahahahah..... sorry I got a little carried away there.

I'm going to miss those wonderful people.

I'm going to miss those wonderful five days.

But if there's one thing it taught me through them, it's that God equips, He speaks, He is ALIVE, His love is so real, He is evident in the bible, in nature, the breeze, the ocean, friendships, loyalty and comfort, prayer, everything good. And we can really live with Him. We can really draw closer to him, anything is possible with him.

I knew it before I set off. But hearing it then and living it with other people, lit a tangible hope in me. When Paul talks about 'hope' he really means it. It made me realise that however well I think I know God's character, I will constantly be surprised by him, his love renewed in my heart, a new side to his massive shape of a nature revealed ...I understood his almighty power, his benevolent grace, his fierce love, and the massive significance that we can call him 'father' and he responds, 'yes my child'. Essentially. How massive it is... that he died for us.

I documented the week in pictures, determined not to forget a detail, determined to show you lovely people when I returned...

Baaaaaaaaaaa!

The blur in the background is, believe it or not, eve holding a surfboard for our first sea-trip of the week!

Let me aquaint you with my sister's chin- Isn't it pretty?!

This documents the aftermath of a feathery and long battle between Abbie and Kate, their only weapons: pillows and duvets...

The grin on my face is deceptive. It took many minutes, a bucket of patience and several charred matches to light this barbeque

Isn't God's world beautiful?!

And so we are now lead down different and estranged paths, our lives doomed to be different and expected to be brilliant, as we live, breathe and hope in our Lord Jesus Christ!!