So I just last night finished displaying all of my Chip n Dale pins on a big board I bought from Homebase last week. There are a lot of them and I was rather impressed with the finished item (although technically its not finished - it has all of my CnD pins to date on it)!
Here's some piccies, have a magical day!
Then these 3 are close ups of the top, middle and bottom of the board, so you can see pins up close.
So yeas, you could say I have a fair few! There's a tiny bit of room left on this board, but I bought 2 just in case! Do you like?
Wahey! I've been to Disneyland Paris and now I'm back to share the tale of my lovely holidays with you all! The title of my blog is based on the parade we saw and the song that is played for the parade and also for the thrice daily outings of the Celebration Train. Celebration Train I hear you ask...
Well, this year is Disneyland Paris' 20th birthday and, as the song rightly says, its been 20 years of joy and laughter; two words that were so not synonymous with my personality before I went away. I think work had just all got on top of me, so a break to the Happiest Place on Earth was exactly what I needed! Here's the song from the parade so you can get in the spirit!
Sooo, on with the tale! 17th September: Ashford Int'l > Lille Europe > Marne La Vallee Chessy (Disneyland Paris Eurostar Station) and we're in to Day One...
So yep, half of this day was spent on the train; 5.30am train to Ashford, Eurostar to Lille, TGV to Paris where we arrived around lunchtime, dumped our bags and set off!
We'd planned to do something low-energy, so we decided to do the Hotels. I love the Disney hotels (I've only ever stayed in the 2 cheapest ones, but if you ever want to make me love you forever take me to Sequoia Lodge!!). They each have their own character, theme and - most importantly - shop! As well as Cast Members ready to pin trade!! So we went Disney's Hotel Cheyenne > Disney's Hotel New York > Disney's Sequoia Lodge > Disney's Newport Bay Hotel (and a couple of days later went to the Disneyland Hotel). Basically our mission was to pin shop, pin trade and have a long-awaited look at some of these rather snazzy hotels.
Sequoia Lodge is now my favourite and I have my eye on it for a future stay; it was so peaceful there! Lush greenery, soothing music, rustic feel - perfect! I could go on for quite a while but I won't. Needless to say, we had a nice afternoon, easing ourselves in and also occupying ourselves before check in at the hotel.
Everything was good about our hotel, the Kyriad and if you want to hear more about it, see my TripAdvisor review: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g664935-d487413-r140866970-Kyriad_Disneyland_Resort_Paris-Magny_le_Hongre_Marne_la_Vallee_Seine_et_Marne_Ile_de_France.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT
Otherwise, its on with the show, arrival day now gone we had 2 full days in the parks and another half day before the train home...
Day 2: We spent the morning in Walt Disney Studios, investigating all around, seing all the new stuff they've added!! We went on the Backlot Tour - I still love seeing all the movie props and Catastrophe Canyon is thrilling each time! There were so many other things I wanted to go on: Crush's Coaster (based on Finding Nemo), a cool Cars version of the teacups and a whole play area based on Toy Story complete with a Slinky Dog Ride!!! Totally lots of scope for next time!! We ate lunch mere feet away from the Tower of Terror; listening to all of the screams :) Then it was time to head over to the main Disneyland Park!
Sadly a couple of our favourite rides were closed, so definite need for a return visit methinks. Anyone wanna come along?? Nevermind, we headed for Frontierland, sussed it out for the following day and covered all the shops and lanyards! Then it was on to Adventureland where we rode Pirates of the Carribean twice(!) and Flying Carpets over Agrabah (based on Aladdin). We checked out the restaurant where you eat inside the Pirates of the Carribean attraction, but decided it was too expensive! We ended the day in Fantasyland: riding Its A Small World and then going through Sleeping Beauty's Castle on our way back to Main Street.
We took our places right in front of the Castle, getting ready for the fireworks!! Now this, I was hyped for! In celebration of its birthday, Disneyland Paris (DLRP) welcomes this year DREAMS. A spectacle of water, light and music, DREAMS tranforms the Castle into a backdrop for a great musical show. I videoed the whole thing and may upload it later, it was well worth it!! Well worth the nearly 2 hour wait in the cold to get a good spot, still I got a hotdog to pass the time-it was almost like Bonfire Night!
Whew! On to Day 3: We were back in the Disneyland Park, to cover the rest of its many areas! We began where we left, in Fantasyland, riding all the other rides we missed the day before; The Carousel, Snow White and the 7 Dwarves, The Dragon's Lair (under the Castle). Then we moved on to Discoveryland - home of a French C-3PO the Little Green Men!! Here's one, incase you've never seen Toy Story :P
So of course, we then rode Buzz Lightyear's Lazer Blast and Star Tours. Love seeing all the LGM and Star Wars merchandise. Did not go on Space Mountain as that's enough to give me a heart attack! We had luch back on Main Street and were pleasently suprised to see a couple of major French pin traders has set up shop behind the Pin Cart. We did a trade in very basic French, but a trade nonetheless! Happy days! I then ordered our Ben and Jerrys in French too. Trying to cling to the last remnants of my Franglais... :( We watched the Celebration Train come past; having a little boogie in the street in the process!
The afternoon was spent in Frontierland and I finally got to go on my favourite ride Big Thunder Mountain! Love it! I could go on it every single day. Back in Adventureland we walked through an Aladdin storyboard before circling back to Main Street to get a good position for the 5pm parade-Magic Everywhere! Oooh I love a good parade! There's only so long you can sit and watch before you cave in to pure excitement and start waving at your favourite characters! Seeing all the Princesses with their Princes is just amazing-I'm not gonna lie! You forget that in your humdrum, 9-5 existance you wear a pinstriped suit to work and sit at a desk all day and you're a kid again; meeting all your favourite heroes!
We were in 2 minds about what to do next: do we attempt to exit the Park at this point and fight the massive crowd or do we go to the shops for a while and attempt to fight the massive crowd?? We opted for the shops and bumped in to some folks we'd met on the bus that morning and had a nice chat with them as well as bagging a few more bits!
:( end of our last full day in the parks :( but we were tired and happy and had acquired most of the pins and other bits we needed. So we spent the evening packing :/
Our last day in Paris, we had breakfast and stocked up once more for the day ahead. We checked out of the hotel, took our bags with us and squished on to the bus. Dumping the bags at the Left Luggage Lockers again we were free until 2pm. We'd decided that since we were without the wheelchair that we'd use the Disneyland Railroad to get around and to see the Park once again, so we boarded at Main Street. This is where we met our favourite Cast Member of our trip. Since I've worked in the hospitaility/leisure industry I always make a point of recognising superior service when I see it; far too many people only complain these days. So when we got back, I made a point of emailing Disney and thanking them-and him-for superior service.
We rode the train around to its last stop, Discoveryland, I rode Star Tours again, and then we walked back on to the train, took it around to Frontierland and rode Big Thunder Mountain again. Talk about oing the highlights on the last day. So we were taking a very slow stroll back out to Main Street for a last look at the Castle and everything when something large and black caught my eye! Oh yeah, there was a pin board outsie the Pin Cart on Main St, so we just had to take a look. And we did maybe 5 or 6 trades off of that board and it was nice to talk to a Cast Member who enjoys his pins and actually knew his fakes! So full of our last-minute pin trading success; we took a last, slow walk out of the park gates and I was marking off the last glances as I saw them. Last look at the Castle, last look at Main Street, at the entrance, at the grandiose Disneyland Hotel, at the entrance to Walt Disney Studios and then our last look at Disney Village before we entered the station.
We had a pocket of coins and so I went in to the tabac at the station and bought some of France's finest exports: Dragibus and Schtroumpfs
Who wouldn't want Smurf-shaped sweets?? Then it was time to board the train. We were unfortunately sharing a carriage with a young couple and their friends who were all very loud and excited and who had bought several large Disney ornaments to use a centrepieces at their forthcoming wedding. They were full of joie de vivre all the way back to Ashford!
Back to Ashford and back to Earth with a bump-I've decided I'm going to be a professional holidaymaker from now on (shame I'm not a lottery winner eh?). Seriously, we are considering going back next year, just need to find a good time to go. I'm also trying to keep a wee bit of magic inside me, so I don't get down in the dumps anymore. Until then, I have my photos, my pins, my memories and YouTube!
All together now: "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Celebrate the magic! Magic Everywhere!"
Oooh I love a good play on words! So I'm now back (via 1st Class train travel) from Keswick 2012!
So the first question you are asking is, did I have a good time??
The answer is most defiately yes, but there is so much more to say, so I'll start at the beginning:
So Friday 13th July:
8am - I arrive at work to have a shower, as our bathroom had been ripped out. I can't get in to my borrowed caravan, so Roma takes pity on me and invites me in to hers. I then make myself all clean.
9am-12pm - I work, then I leave.
12pm-2pm - I pack my final bits and pieces and head off to the station
2pm-6pm - I travel to Ruth's house in Stoke
6pm-8pm - We eat and catch up, then pack the car.
8pm-11pm - We drive to Keswick, getting stuck in numerous traffic jams on the M6 and making Cam wait up for us, much later than we'd have all liked. Thank you Cam!
So Saturday is Arrival Day for Keswick Team, with most people coming in the PM, those of us there early helped set up the kitchen (Rat Poo Ministry - I'm safe from you for another 4 years!) etc. Then there's lots of hellos and welcomes as lots of people start arriving! By Saturday at 4.30pm almost all of the team is assembled. We meet, pray, give out tshirts and IDs, chat, catch up and begin to look to the week ahead! Then we all go to the first Convention meeting together as a team.
Sunday we're up early to take part in the All-Age Service; lead jointly by the Children's and Youth Teams. Yours truly is up on stage in front of thousands of people doing actions to a song I've never heard before and that the band only learnt that morning! The service is followed by Registration, lunch and then we begin to set up the venues! This involves unpacking sheds full of toys and heavy crates full of supplies; as well as ride-on toys, climbing frames, sand tables and the like! Sunday evening is our first meeting with children: the 8-11s evening programme which every leader is involved in.
Monday to Friday prety much then follow the same pattern each day: get up, shower, prayer meeting, brekkie, walk to Convention Centre, set up for the morning's session, morning session til 12.30, clear up. Walk back to Rawnsley and eat lunch, FREE TIME!, bible study with the main convention speaker (this year: Simon Manchester, a straight-talking Ozzie), dinner, evening programme prep, evening programme til 9.15pm, debrief and pray. THE END! Whew!
What about the weather, I hear you ask! Well it was mainly dry save from the Monday, but today (now I'm back home!) it was sweltering and my office is not a nice place to be in the hot weather! Here's some piccies:
Beautiful sunset to marvel at whilst we were stuck on the M6!
Great bags on sale in Keswick - nothing like identifying your target audience!
Me enjoying my favourite Keswick indulgence, from Java, having an afternoon with Ruth!
So yeah, afternoons in Keswick, our beautiful few hours of free time! I have to say I did spend a couple of afternoons just chilling by myself with my book! Here it is:
Then there is our £20 book voucher to spend in the convention bookshops - the convention is very kind to us; paying our expenses, feeding and accomadating us and giving us money for books/CDs! Then I spent an afternoon down by the lake; feeding the ducks and chatting, then strolling around the shops and eating ice cream whilst having good girly times which were just nice :)
Friday afternoon was just Ruth and I, we wandered around the shops and then settled in Java for a natter. It was good to just chill and chat and we need to do it more often!!
All in all, I loved Keswick, but never has a week gone so fast and I've learnt a lot of valuable lessons from the experience. I was challenged on a few things in my lifestyle but over everything I just want Keswick 2013 to come around NOW and I want to go for 2 weeks at least!
Hello everybody! A special hello from the Lake District and from the Keswick Convention 2012!
I have exactly 5 mins and 32 seconds of internet left so this will be a short post indeed, but I'll post again when I get home maybe...
So, all I'm popping in to say is: having a great time and being really blessed this week and really getting a good sense of perspective on life and been re-evaluating lots of stuff. This is on top of having great teaching and meeting lots of old and new friends up here.
Right, 3 mins left, so I'd better leave it here!
The bathroom has been ripped out whilst I've been away, so I could well go home to chaos..who knows?
Good evening everybody, I can't believe how long it's been since I last communed with you all. Even Blogspot has changed its layout since I was last here and I'm being slightly freaked out by it as I type!
I read through my blog post from March and realised just how much has actually happened since then:
I actually did leave Argos! That day I recounted was actually my
last. Seven years of my life I spent working at Argos and it will
continue to occupy a little corner of my heart for a long time. Plus its
useful to have a friend who knows the Argos catalogue inside-out
right??
The Park opened for the year on 4th March and the season
started on the 23rd and all of the highs and lows will be detailed
below!
People have come, gone and changed over - more below.
We had a Fun Day at work (in the pouring rain!) in aid of the BHF and raised £340
The RBL had its first Coffee Morning, with another one planned for the 26th May (posters designed by moi, coming to a bilboard near you soon!)
We went to Llandudno (a whole other blog for that methinks) and I fell in love with Wales!
It was Ruth's, my Dad's and Tom's birthdays and now its nearly time for my Mum's.
Hazel got married in the US, on a veranda overlooking the mountains, with wolves present. A ceremony which I'm certain suited her and her man perfectly - she looked great!
Katie got engaged! Jack is, of course, the lucky man and I'm very happy for them.
Here's Tayla (our lifeguard) dressed up as the BHF mascot Arty Beat on our Fun Day!
So now we're in the middle of May and I'm one of those crazy people who is attempting to squeeze the last 2 months in to one post. Sometimes it seems as if mine is the most mundane of all existences; but when you look back, you do re-discover little gems which may be things that were special to many or have significance only to the beholder. Nevertheless they are all parts of that which makes us what we are and when you consider that the actual human will spend over 91,000 hours at work in their lifetime you can't expect it not to be influential.
So the news from Beauport: yesterday was one of *those* days. You know, the one where you say to someone else "I've had one of *those* days" and they immediately know its been rubbish and say no more. Worringly enough, there seem to have been quite a lot of those recently and as each one passes (usually in a big blur) I always catch myself thinking nothing could come along and be worse than that and they always are!! No fair!! I can only register my thankfulness once again for the people I work with - they are only reason we keep going as a business. They know who they are.
I always say that we have succeeded if our guests don't see any of our work. If they have no idea how hard we've worked or how close we came to not getting things done, then we can congratulate ourselves for a job well done. Yesterday was a day where we were less than a hair's breadth away from crossing that line....so close. The tourist industry is the thin edge of the wedge indeed.
When I was a bit down, I started singing (as I often do). My song of choice was Dolly Parton's "9 to 5": like most people I only knew the first line until I listened to it on YouTube and I couldn't believe how much a pop song described my working life:
Workin' 9 to 5, what a way to make a livin' Barely gettin' by, it's all takin' and no givin' They just use your mind and they never give you credit It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it
There are also some interesting thoughts in that same song about who profits from our VERY hard work, which I'll say no more about....
There's another Dolly song I've also become very fond of recently and that's The Sacrifice - its another pop song that is quite meaningful to me right now. It helps me to put things in perspective; looking ahead to the day when I'll be able to look back (if that makes sense) on building a good life. Because that is really the ultimate goal; whichever job I'm doing, wherever I live, whomever I'm with; to have run the race and finished well. That is what I want to strive for.
This week I made a terrible mistake at work that effected people who I've never met - and they got rather angry. This left me very low, wondering just how far the situation would go and if my job was in danger. A couple of days after that I had a really great day; I escaped the office on my buggy, the sun was shining, I helped out a fair few people and everything was well. I felt free, happy and empowered. Then when it all went wrong on Monday, it seemed terrible (say with French accent for dramatic effect) by comparison. And yet...tomorrow is another day:
But sometimes I wonder in the still of the night
Is it really worth the sacrifice
I've often laughed and I've often cried
I've often failed but I've always tried
I made the sacrifice
So there you have it, I do actually like my job: its not for the faint-hearted by any means. Kevin, who was there when I first started at Beauport, got moved to another park. Then we got Eric in his place: such a funny guy, then he went on to his new management post at another park. Louise came to us from HO, then went back there after about a month and her replacement arrives at the end of the month. Ant is going too - to work for Hardings, so at least we'll still see him around. Its tough when people who like and trust move on - new starts are never easy for the people who are left behind, let alone those who are going!
Of course there are some funny moments, like this one here, even more so cos we got to laugh at Paul for it! He was attempting to move the safe from the old office to our new one and the tele-handler broke down in the office doorway!
Outside of work my Mum's been in hospital and out again, we went to Wales of course, we've had a new boiler fitted (and just today, go wrong!) and we're beginning to see real progress in the home improvements department.
So all in all, it has been eventful, even if it doesn't feel that way when I'm living it!
So that ought to bring you all up to date with the life and times of me. All that remains to be said is Welcome Home Sarah from your epic voyage to NZ, you lucky girl you! Right now, I'm thinking of a winter sun break during the shutdown at the park... where to though??
Here is the final figure from the till at our recent Beauport staff open bar session:
Which, when you consider there was about 30 people there, is not bad - and with the company footing the bill, I may have had one too many (about 5 in 3 hours!). It was however a well earnt reward for all of our hard work over the shut down period in trying to get to get the park ship shape. The last couple of weeks - and from now on really, have been hard going. It was nice to have that one evening, to have everyone together and to relax before we move in to the next phase: opening for the season!
Believe me, it has been hard work, everyone has been flagging rather a lot in these last couple of weeks and it is far from over! We have just under 3 weeks until the holiday season begins and the park opened TODAY, which is why I'm happy I wasn't at work :-)
Although to be fair, I was actually at work. I was atArgos. It was my penultimate Sunday - yes, that's right I handed in my letter of resignation today and have my last day working day there next week. It was weird to be back at work at first, but I soon settled in and I did get to do my favourite job that afternoon. I wonder if my last day will be as good - probably not, I'll almost certainly get a lairy customer!!
It isn't just me who is saying goodbye either. My manager Jan is also moving on - she is going to another store and she will be sorely missed by everyone at the Hastings store. So that's very sad and we are planning a goodbye meal for her next week.
It was shocking to my system slightly to be back at Argos today, so I'm rather tired now, especially since we go to longer hours at Beauport from this week and then again to even longer hours from the end of this month.
So that's all I have to report for now peeps. I'm rather glad that its Spring now, although the weather seems to not be playing along at all right now. We had one glorious day of sunshine and then it started bucketing down with rain :-(
Unfortunately we don't live in a world where heavy rain, unlike heavy snow, means you have a legitimate reason not to turn up to work!
I am just about a week back from the wild North of Whitby, so now is an expedient time to chronicle our adventures!! It was a lovely time away; wonderful company, fantastic scenery and total escapism!
Here we have the entrance to our cottage!
And the view from the end of the alleyway where our cottage was located!
Our days were spent exploring the cobbled streets and quaint shops, taking rural walks across the Moors, sseing the sea at such scenic spots as Sleights and Sandsend and taking in the history & culture of Whitby. I'll express the beauty of Whitby in photographs:
The Whale Bones, set proudly atop the cliffs, with Captain Cook just behind, speak volumes of a past that draws many visitors here. The iconic coastline is another reason.
Oh that's not enough of a reason, I hear you say? Well how about its incredable seafaring history, Dracula connection & landscape of extremes?
As you might have seen, Whitby is full of hills-they make for great views!
Another great sight nearby is Mallyan Spout - an absolute wonder of a waterfall, reached only by clambering over boulders alongside a flowing river. Its a tranquil spot and I could've spent hours in the presence ofsuch untouched beauty!
The also some popular culture to see. On a visit to Goathland, we saw the station - otherwise known as Hogsmeade! Also Scripps' Garage from the popular series, Heartbeat, as it was also filmed in Goathland!
Views of beautiful Staithes!
We also spent a morning in the grounds of the ruined Abbey.
Its an eerily sacred place, full of the echoes of 1300 years of worshipful community life.
Then there is Sandsend, easily reached by walking along the beach from Whitby (at low tide of course!) for about 2 miles or so. There's no better place to feel at one with the wonder of Creation than with cliffs on one side, foaming sea on the other and miles of sand & pebbles stretching out ahead of you! The views are the main attraction; as you can see here, Sandsend is also an esturary and children play on vast beaches where river meets open sea. There is also a lovely cafe, with wonderful seaside views, where I had a great piece of apple pie!
Alas however, all good things come to an end: holidays are a prime example. Nevertheless this rainbow, which made an apperance on our last morning, is a remider that other things are eternal.
"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the Earth". God ~ Genesis 9:16
I have to say that our week in Whitby was a real joy and there are so many places that as we visited them I caught myself thinking "I would come back here in an instant!". There is so much untouched beauty that words, pictures, even the mind's eye cannot do it justice.
So a big thank you to Ruth and her parents for making it all possible!
I planned and redecorated all of my room, bought all the furniture and accessories
I spent 11 weeks on placement with Tomorrow's People
I met Charlotte online and we grew to be great friends even before finally meeting at Momentum.
I became a squaddie adopter with Adopt a British Squaddie. To date I have had 5 soldiers.
I spent 2 wonderful weeks in Keswick this summer. A*M*A*Z*I*N*G*
I got a job: a job that I am thankful for and that I enjoy. Long may it continue!
There are other things of note that I want to mention too; events that were significant for me:
I met Jenny on my placement and we became very good friends - she now has a baby!
I applied for the CRP for the 3rd time and didn't even get an f2f!
Mum and I went to the Forces Festival in Amesbury - and broke down on the way back...
I spent a lot of periods solidly working; day in, day out. Good for money, bad for soul :-)
And for 2012, I hear you asking/imagining/expecting.... What do I want?
I want to still have my job
I want enough work and enough free time to be/feel free and happy
I want to enjoy my youth
I want to see new things and meet new faces
I want to be the best I can be at all that I do
Any highlights?
Tckets for the Olympics in August!!!
Going to Whitby in February and Llandudno in April
Practically >
I want to be able to commit to a church family
I want to sort out my charity giving into regular and organised payments
We need to sort out all of our stuff and generally be organised & have routines and motivation to do all sorts of things that I'd like to; go to the gym, not hoard stuff, be tidy to all hopefully contribute to a carefree life :-D
It won't be perfect but I'm quite looking forward to it: here's to the leap year, the year of 2012!!
What I love most about rivers is:
You can't step in the same river twice
The water's always changing, always flowing,
But people, I guess, can't live like that; we all must pay a price
To be safe, we lose our chance of ever knowing
What's around the riverbend: waiting just around the riverbend
What I like most about life is that there is always something, someone new just around the bend, in the next street. But people I guess can't live like that - always in a state of flux, always looking away from the now to the "wish it was" or the "that person has". Striving to have better is one thing, but to forget to give it all where you are, right now is something different. As Dumbledore tells Harry: It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. There are some dreams we have in this life that we have to put to bed because they simply will not come to be.
I look once morejust around the riverbend
Beyond the shore, where the gulls fly free
Don't know what for
What I dream the day might send
Jut around the riverbend for me...Coming for me
In my life I have dreamt about being a teacher, about working in Disney World, about being a social worker, about being a foster carer, about working in a museum, being a librarian, living with Uni friends, doing postgraduate studies - of gaining a doctorate.
I don't think any of these dreams are meant to be - some of them are hard to part with, but we don't have to trample them down entirely. Moving the goal posts is somethimes enough to ensure that our dreams, hopes, aspirations and heartfelt longings follow us through the constant ebb and flow of life!
That is the main thing; Jesus said "I came that they may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance: to the full, till it overflows" [John 10:10 Amp Bible]. Sometimes doors are closed and others open as He guides our true path through life. How grateful am I for that! He doesn't mind what we do, it is how we do it that counts!!!
I feel it there beyond those treesor right behind these waterfalls
Can I ignore that sound of distant drumming
For a handsome sturdy husband who builds handsome sturdy walls
And never dreams that something might be coming?
Just around the riverbend, just around the riverbend
After all He gave us the desires of our hearts in the first place; they're an important part of us and I like it that way. On the flip side of the coin however, is what Pocahontas alludes to here. Can she turn away from the mystery of the distant drumming and the promise it brings of exciting adventures and turn to the safety, the security, the future that is promised in marrying Kocoum? Can I, can anybody? Can we have a bit of both maybe? That is what I hope. Looking back at my blog from Sept where I list all the countries I want to see (the list is not exhaustive btw) I realise that by moving the goal posts and breaking that list down into smaller sections I could for example do a little Europe tour for a couple of weeks etc.
I look once more,just around the riverbend
Beyond the shore, somewhere past the sea
Don't know what for ... Why do all my dreams extend
Just around the riverbend? Just around the riverbend ...
I think what Pocahontas is alluding to here is quite applicable in life: we often wonder why our dreams don't match our current circumstances; ie "why do I not feel fulfilled in my current life"? Thankfully God's Word is on hand yet again to steer our course: advising us against letting our dreams become ambitions and our ambitions leading us to jealousy.
Paul teaches the Philippian church and Timothy teaches the Ephesians that 1. Contentment must be learnt and 2. "Godliness with contentment is great gain" 1Tim6:6. Contentment is an active act of trust: God works in everything for the good of those who love Him (Rom8:28) and "those whom God had already chosen he also set apart to become like his Son" (Rom8:29 GoodNews Bible). If we, as Christians, don't think that becoming more like God Himself is not the best thing ever, then we need our predestined heads testing!!
Should I choose the smoothest curve, steady as the beating drum?
Should I marry Kocoum? Is all my dreaming at an end?
Or do you still wait for me, Dream Giver, just around the riverbend?
I like this passage at the end. Should she choose the steady secure life, or is big adventure just around the corner, just where we are. That is a powerful thought. Another powerful thought comes from Helen Roseveare (courtesy of Ruth sending me her amazing little book Enough) - these circumstances of our lives: family, relationships, finances, careers, acheivements; the ones that we can often moan about the most?? We are there, it is this way or that because God trusts us enough to be the bearer of His light just where we are.
With this in mind, I shall make a separate blog post with my reflections on 2011 and my thoughts and feelings about 2012. Happy New Year everybody.
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