Da Vinci Code

Just been to see the film and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Went a bit quick though, I was like, oh it's finished!

The first thing that stood out to me was how real it looked when Silas was whipping himself - I couldn't look it was horrible!

I'm still confused as to whether there's anything truth in the book at all, but whether there is or not it won't stop me believing in God and Jesus! It doesn't really bother me whether Jesus had a bloodline or not. So what if he had kids? It doesn't change what he did.

I was sad at the way it made Christianity look quite bad, but then I realised it's reflecting some truths from our past and we've made it look bad for ourselves.

Talked a bit with a friend today about the whole Jesus getting married bit. I don't think he did and I don't think he had children, but for me it doesn't really make much difference. My friend was saying that if he had got married it would have been recorded in the gospels because it would have been a significant thing. That's fair enough. In the film though, it seemed to me that if Jesus had got married and had children it would change the whole Christian faith, I'm not entirely sure how though (well, I can see that a lie could seriously rock things). So what if he got married? So what if he had kids. Can someone explain what's wrong with that? I'm happy to be re-educated.

I may write some more when my brain has filtered it all! I feel a bit naive about it all really.

Summer

Hmmm... what shall I do?

Fun on the buses

Well, it's been a fun week. As promised - here are some pics of me. Unfortunately I don't have full uniform yet, and they didn't have a jacket thingy small enough!



I'm not actually sure how much I'm allowed to say or whether I'm allowed to have my own opinion online! Lets just say, it's been interesting and it was free for most of last week! We now have conductors on the bus.

There are many views/letters/opinions etc on the local newspaper here as you can see, there are many opinions, most on the negative. To be honest, there is more to life than a bus. Yes it's not been perfect, and yes it's been extremely disruptive, but it will calm down. As human's we're not very good at change. But it's a permanent part of life.

Bleh

Bleh - me tired.

Please pray that I can make essays and work all fit together without being too tired.

Ooo... and that the bus customers aren't too horrible next week!

Drums

I want to play the drums.

Ftr Bus Job

Well, in less than 24 hours I have applied for and got a job!

I will be working for five weeks on one of these:



My job will be to show people how to use the touch screen ticket system. Should be entertaining to see how people pick it up.

More information can be found here and here.

Ooo. I've just read that when the Ftr bus approaches a traffic light it changes and goes green! Fantastic! And if you're wondering 'Ftr' stands for Future in text language - I had to be told.

XP!

I am sooo excited!!

Mark's given me his old upgrade of Windows XP!!

*Dances around*

Yes, I know I get excited over silly little things, but Mark - I shall love you for ever! (well, maybe till it goes out of date ;))

Finally, my computer will be dragged out of the deep dark depths of ME, and into the modern world of XP! Oh to have the uptodate version of media player, oh to be able to use the writing tool on MSN - the possibilities are endless ;)

YAY!

Frog - Human

It's ok people! My little friend has kissed me back into being a human again!

Fire!

Well, Julian was driving my bro, sis and I home after band practice this afternoon and we came across a burning car!

I found it highly entertaining that all the neighbours were out watching, but no one seemed to be doing anything. We went and chatted to one guy who explained that the taxi driver (who's car it was) had just got out and watched! So our neighbour had had to phone the fire brigade! Anyway, they toddled along and put the fire out.

A bit of excitement for the afternoon. Why are we all so nosey?

Oooo, and I also got turned into a frog.

I love Emily

Got this from the wonderfully amazing Emily!
I shall also post pics of Keith and my adventuous week sometime after tomorrow.


Two Names You Go By
1. Dorothy
2. Bikey
(Can I have sparkles too?)

Two things that scare you
1. Spiders
2. My mind

Two of Your Everyday Essentials
1. Computer (with internet)
2. God

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now
1. Black snoopy pyjamas from H&M
2. Make-up (shock?!!)

Two of your favorite bands/ singers at the moment
1. Tre Shepherd (sp?)
2. Kelly Clarkson

Two Things You Want in a Relationship
1. Understanding
2. Unconditional positive regard (yeah ok, counselling term, but it covers everything!)

Two Things that Appeal to You
1. Sensing God's presence
2. Hugs

Two of Your Favorite Hobbies
1. Most things to do with the internet
2. Crafty stuff

Two Places You Want to go on Vacation
1. Somewhere hot and relaxing
2. Somewhere full of excitement and adventure

Two Things You Want to Do Before You Die
1. Be the Helen God sees
2. Rule the world

Two Things You Are Thinking About Now
1. How to iron out my brain
2. Why I'm up doing this and not going to bed

Two people you haven't talked to in a while
1. Bek
2. Claire

Two Favorite Sports
1. Badminton
2. Swimming

Two things you did last night
1. Went to Fridays
2. Went to Keith's gig

Two T.V. shows you like to watch
1. Home & Away
2. Casualty

Two things you like about yourself:
1. My passion for learning about myself and God and growing
2. My hair (on a good day!)

Two things you ate today
1. Yorkshire puddings
2. bread

Two people you last talked to:
1. Mum
2. Dad

Pah!

I am greatly entertained, that not only have you not poked me to read my Bible, no one has responded to my last post (which was posted over a week ago!) telling you all off!!!

Update: I am now into Deuteronomy :-P

Telling Off

I just thought that I would tell you all off.

After this post, not one of you has poked me! No one has poked me!!

Anyway, with God's help for the last month or so I have read my Bible everyday (minus one) and I have read all of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Job and most of Numbers. It is really exciting and I'm really enjoying it and learning what went on in those times and how God works. I'm reading the Bible in chronological order of the events it describes (roughly speaking!). I'm hoping it will continue to broaden my horizons and perspective of God.

I feel no pressure about reading it, like I have with all Bible reading materials. I just read as much as I can each night, and it doesn't matter whether that's one chapter or ten. If I miss a night, then nevermind - there is noooo pressure!

Thank you Lord!

Duck Duck Goose

Although this week has been quite stressful, today I successfully managed to make my whole class including the tutor sit on the floor in a circle and play duck duck goose! Although I hate the stress leading up to them, I quite enjoy presentations - I'd almost like to practice talking infront of people more and really get into the swing of it.

Today I made the decision to say yes to Bek about being a Christian Union small group leader next year! I am so excited now and she almost jumped out of her chair when I told her! I think it will challenge me and develop me and help my relationship with God - so yey.

Week of fun

Yey Keith's coming tomorrow! :D

We're going to Paul's wedding first, and then driving back to York for a week of fun!
I can't wait to just spend some time going out and about in Yorkshire (please keep the Sun up God!) and just generally chilling with Keith.

Unfortunately I have an essay due in and it's really hard. I'm trying my best to finish it before he comes, but I don't think that's gonna happen. Grr! So please pray for lots of concentration and productiveness!

Fountains Abbey

It was my friend Bek's birthday on Thursday and we went for a trip to Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire.

It was a gorgeous day!

Trust

Have you ever felt like God is teaching you so much at once that you're gonna explode?!

It's kind of an exciting thing, but scary and hard work at the same time.

The biggest thing he's teaching me is trust. To trust him. To trust his timing, to trust his will and his decisions and his plan and his control.

Timing is a big thing. I like to know what's happening and when. I liked to know when I'm next seeing people. But actually, it doesn't matter. God's plan is bigger than that, he's got it sorted. I don't need the rest of my life mapped out or just the next week or tomorrow - he's got it sorted so I don't need to know. In the same way, I need not worry about tomorrow. (Somewhere in Matt 6 or 7) In fact there's no need to worry about anything. God will sort things in his own time and in his own way not mine.

Another thing I'm learning is that God will work through anything and everything. I'm doing a Freedom Course with church and it's about being free in God and taking things to the cross (and leaving them!) and learning how to help others in that way. My friend and I were feeling quite pressured that we'd got to get something from this course and be changed in some way. But then we realised that the course is nothing. God doesn't need the course - it's just he may use it to bring stuff up, but if it doesn't, that won't stop him. If it wasn't for the course he'd just bring it up another way.

In the same way, if you miss church, or a big conference or prayer thingy, it doesn't mean that you'll miss out on something amazing God says, because if it's that amazing he'll tell you some other way. Therefore, for example, there's no need to run around like a headless chicken at Soul Survivor/Spring Harvest or equivilent, trying to get to every seminar, worrying that you may miss something important - because God will tell you things when he wants to. He will tell you what you need to know, when you need to know it.

There's more - I shall post more later

Module Results

Although I've known my results for a while, I've just received a letter in the post from uni congratulating me!

'At the School Assessment Panel held recently, marks for assignments for the above modules were confirmed, and the Panel was delighted to learn from the module director of your outstanding performance on these modules. It is with great pleasure therefore that I write to offer you personally my warmest congratulations on this significant achievement revealing a positive, thorough and conscientious approach to your degree studies.'

blah blah blah

Wow! That's quite cool. I'm quite impressed that they send you a letter. Would have liked a present too ;)

I have since heard that they very rarely give these out and it's generally to people that think are in line for getting a 1st!! And it goes in my file. Although they don't say that to us. Wow. Pressure! I never thought I could be capable of a 1st. I'll be happy with a 2.1 so yey.

In the Air

Well it's been a stressful week, with threats of being blacklisted, housemates leaving and general life! But hey, it's the weekend and now I almost have a 4 bed house to just the two of us! Plenty of space and plenty less disturbed nights!

God's teaching me a lot at the moment too. Especially about asking him about things and trusting him rather than asking everyone elses' opinion. Don't get me wrong, there is a time and a place for that, but I often fall into the trap of just asking everyone else and not thinking for myself. One reason being that it takes the responsibility off my shoulders and another being just that I haven't learnt to have confidence in my decisions and God.

I feel like a lot of things are up in the air and I'm being forced/encouraged to go to God, because he's the only one with the answer - so that's a good thing. I think I am being mature about things and I think that God is helping me to be insightful.

But I have to make decisions. I cannot sit on the fence and take the easy options to avoid being hurt. Life is full of risks, and we won't get anywhere or live very fullfilling lives if we don't take risks.

La la la hmmm....

CU website

We now have a CU website!!

It is up and running complete with a discussion forum - and one person has already turned up to CU having found out about it from the website! How cool is that?! Thank you Lord!

If you want to take a look... click here

Discernment

You know how you get really heated about things and annoyed with people and what they think and stuff? And then it calms down and drifts off into the past and you never think of it again?

Well that's what happened with this post.
But this evening I was talking to my church leader this evening and she was telling me that I have quite good discernment and gave me this situation as an example. Although they never told me this, my comments to them about all church socials needing to be outreach really hit home. They realised that I was right and that God was speaking to them through me.

So yey.