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!!

Snails

Quite simply. Snails.

When it's a rainy day we like to peep out of our shells, to explore the dewy grass and damp gravel, to look up at the big wide world and wonder. It's the scent of the grass, the delicate branches and the thousands of flowers, the cottages and hazy pink clouds, that make marvels.

What a wonderful God we have, say the snails, and what a wonderful world...

"good times"

Here's a little taster of what my 'idea' day would consist of! A little insight into my character that's perhaps more revealing than photos or lyrics or stories... Can you relate to any of these?

- have a real (and I mean REAL) laugh with friends.

-talk to someone unexpected.

-wake up to sunshine!

-pray.

-Go somewhere I never planned to.

-Pull a practical joke...

- Find and old song and a new song to listen to.

-Do something stereotypically stupid.

- Time to play music, cook, eat, write, walk, talk, create, do something with friends.

- Read under a duvet.

-Sleet for atleast nine hours. Preferably more.

- Rise to a challenge.

- Time alone to collect my thoughts/ read my bible.

- A spontaneous phone call/ text!

- Do something productive.

-Excell at something.

- Keep God at the front of my mind, actions, words and heart.

- Surprise someone.

- Have a good cup of tea. And chocolate.

-Make up a song.

- Chat and laugh with my lovely twin sister.

- Get to the climax of a good book.

- Make plans. (for coming days, weekends, holidays, movie-nights, camps, sleepovers)

What would make yourday a good one??

The day I saw fox cubs.