Immensity

So much has happened since I last blogged lots of good things, a couple not so good...


I'll start with bad so we end on a high.


I have REALLY hurt my neck...like imagine you have cricked it but now imagine that intense pain ALL THE TIME. It happened when I was in the shower at my friend Josh and Rachel's house in Cardiff...basically I just bent down to pick up my shampoo and my neck went...I just thought it would wear off but hear I am more than 36 hours later and it's not looking so good. In fact its so painful I am going to the Doc's first thing tomorrow because it can't sleep properly and I want them to fix it! 


Over the last 5 days I have been visiting friends all over the place and now that I am back I am just feeling a little bit lonely*. Like I do have friends here around me but when you see deep friends who you have known for ages it just reminds you how much you love them and wish you could spend LOADS of time with them. Getting back yesterday was such a mix of emotions; I was happy coming back as I was pretty exhausted, but I hated leaving the people I had seen. I guess its always the way with holidays, its sometimes nice to come back to home but you always miss being away especially if you see good people.


* So yes I have been hit by a little wave of loneliness BUT today we had my works "Retreat Day". Its where all 50+ of us get out of the office and spend some time praising, learning, and enjoy being together. Anyway there was a part of the day where we had the opportunity to ask God to speak to us on the behalf of someone else and then to feed back. Well when the person who had been praying fed back to me, she mentioned that the word lonely kept on coming up in her head and she felt that God was saying that I will never be on my own, that he is always there, even when I feel far from him. SUCH AN ENCOURAGEMENT.


Good things:
I HAD SO MUCH FUN when I was away!
> Right so saw loads of people all over the place but basically went to Birmingham, Aberystwyth and Cardiff. All in 5 days. boom yea.
> Highlights included: enjoying the hospitality of the Hendersons, Maynards and Kirsty (and her billion housemates), breathing in the sea air, seeing lots of green, seeing the ex-Sabbs, having the most spontaneous boat ride ever, getting a free lift to Cardiff and seeing Josh in a dress.
> It is SO nice to spend time with people who get you...without any effort.


I bought an actually immense book called "the me I want to be" by John Ortberg. I am into the 4th chapter now and it is just such an easy yet meaty book. I am being challenged yet encouraged by it a lot. 


You know that whole thing that God uses us when we're weak and I'm always a bit like "yea he uses us but it's always a bit rubbish"...well today I was just smacked in the face by how gracious God is with us and how he uses us when we're not even that willing. At this retreat day I was supposed to be leading a few parts but when I turned up I found out that I was expected to lead the whole day...ARRRGHH! Not only was my neck hurting but I was hormonal and tired and just not at all in the place where it was ok to drop leading a whole retreat in my lap. But God is faithful. SO FAITHFUL. and so full of grace. He basically made the whole day come together fine despite me being in tears/close to tears for most of the day. Plus so many people have sent me texts to build me up that I really feel totally unworthy of any praise considering I can honestly say it wasn't me but Christ in me. I don't even know how I got through the day to be honest. 


It's been a cracking few days...bar the neck thing. I'll let you know how I get on at the Docs.


Also just a reminder about my giveaway. Only 3.5 days to go to enter...