Blogcloud

This is a cool geeky thing I got off a blog I read which makes me think sometimes. You can do your own here. I guess my musings can be reduced down to this, which is nice.

not politically correct but accurate...

Not wishing to be drawn into a debate about the pros and cons of boycotting, just made me laugh (and feel a bit sad at the same time).

No time to post properly at the moment. Suffice it to say that my dissertations were handed in on time and one day i may actually have the guts to read through them. Since then I've slept, relaxed, done the Great Escape (more on the later), had lovely times with fathers Steven and Martin, and avoided revision like the proverbial. Exam is Sat afternoon so ought to get a move on...then again...

xxx

New Job!

I have a new job!!! (the clue was in the title)

As of June I will be the new Policy Assistant - Global Climate Change at Tearfund!

I'll be working in Teddington in the strangest looking office you ever did see.

The whole application thing has felt totally right and I had the greatest sense of peace during my interview. I guess finding out my next step 3 weeks before I finish my degree is very much in keeping with God's style of guidance in my life so far. I have wanted to work for Tearfund for years and I'm really excited about starting something new - Thanks be to God!

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. Please keep them up as I enter dissertation mania proper from now until next Monday.

Love to you all,

xxxxxx

random numbers thing

As a random email from someone I haven't seen in several years informed me, in less than an hour the time and date will read 01:02:03 04:05:06! (the exclamation mark won't be there, I added that bit for effect). This will not happen again in my lifetime (Unless I live to be the oldest woman in the world that is). To be honest, I thought it was pretty insignificant but found myself thinking about it on the bus today so it earns a post...So there!

err...

Am off to Matt's tomorrow to prep for an interview on Friday morning. Please pray or do whatever it is you do when you wanna help someone with something. I feel pretty chilled about it at the moment. I figure que sera sera (in a God sort of way).

Also, the task ahead of me over the next 11 days is beginning to look impossible so ditto the above request.

L/xxxx

Dammit Janet...I Love You!

Brad Majors Hey, Janet
Janet Weiss Yes, Brad?
Brad Majors I've got something to say
Janet Weiss Uh huh?
Brad Majors I really love the...skillful way you beat the other girls to the bride's bouquet
Janet Weiss Oh...oh, Brad
Brad Majors The river was deep but I swam it
Chorus Janet
Brad Majors The future is ours, so let's plan it
Chorus Janet
Brad Majors So please don't tell me to can it
Chorus Janet
Brad Majors I've one thing to say, and that's Dammit Janet, I love you. The road was long but I ran it
Chorus Janet
Brad Majors There's a fire in my heart and you fan it
Chorus Janet
Brad Majors If there's one fool for you then I am it
Chorus Janet
Brad Majors I've one thing to say, and that's Dammit Janet, I love you. Here's a ring to prove that I'm no joker. There's three ways that love can grow that's good, bad, or mediocre. Oh J-A-N-E-T, I love you so...

Happy now Ms Aitken?

L/xxx

Harsh words, loudly spoken

Am sitting in my room ostensibly reading about the International Criminal Court but my concentration is faltering somewhat. Someone is having a huge argument in my street. I think it's the couple who live opposite. I hope they stop soon. Kinda want to go and see if they are ok but feel powerless. It's got me thinking...

Why do we shout?
The obvious answer I suppoe is to make ourselves heard. We shout over the music in clubs, roar with the crowd at football matches, shout for joy over something we want to draw attention to, but why do we shout at each other in arguments?

Those of you who know me will know I'm not a very shouty person. I can be loud but I rarely raise my voice in an argument. I suppose when we do it's because we want to be heard. Our communication has broken down so much that our words aren't enough. In arguments we become so overwhelmed by our own emotions that we cease to be able to read what the other person is saying with their words, actions, face, whatever. We become repetitive too, repeating the same words over and over again. If we see (or hear) others behaving like this it speaks so clearly of pain and isolation, but do we recognise that in ourselves when we are like that? When someone shouts at us we feel attacked and become defensive, what would it take for us to be able to respond with compassion and grace at that moment? To recognise that our aggression often hints at fragility and brokenness.

For those of us that shout at God what is it that we really want? Do we want to be proved right in our misery and isolation or do we long for the embrace that knocks down our defenses, holds us close and allows us to trust through all the hurt and uncertainty we so often nurture?

I guess in posting this I hope that I can learn from it. I hope that in my relationships with people I am thick-skinned enough not to balk at harsh words or raised voices but soft-hearted enough to recognise that there is always a part of us that just doesn't know what else to do and is scared, frustrated, alone.

My prayer this evening is that we would all be a little better at meeting aggression with compassion, fear with faith and isolation with companionship.

Procrastinating for sanity's sake

Will refrain from whinging about how much work I still have to do, how my brain simply won't co-operate, etc. etc. It's bound to get much worse before it gets better. But I will share a brief list of things that are keeping me sane:

• The lovely Matthew. He really is marvellous. What else can I say? Arriving on my doorstep on Sat night with hedge trimmer, strawberries and red wine makes me a very happy girl.
• Laura Grossart. Her daily emails and MSN msges are a source of joy and humour. Last night I laughed out loud at my monitor. Apparently Lou is trying to work out which disney song contain the lyrics 'marching on, la la la, buggers'. I love my retarded friends.
• www.pimpmysnack.com Wasted about an hour on this website today. Check out Jaffzilla and the burberry curly wurly. Then (and only then) look at the Creme Egg Disaster. I laughed so much I actually cried and I thought my sides were going to split. Anyone wandering past beneath my window must've thought I was having a breakdown.
• My lovely housemates. Late night wine sessions where we pretend this evil thing isn't looming over our heads 24/7 is the order of the day.
• The hope that one day soon horny pidgeons will stop their illicit rendezvousing on my windowsill.

Here's to the little things that make the world go round!