Prepared Uniquely

This week I bought new running shoes for inspiration, and actually joined a gym! No kidding! Ok, yeah, I try to keep up with running or keeping somewhat in shape. However, beyond working out at the gym in college, I've never been a part of something like this. The truth though, paying the money, having classes available, and having someone to pursue the workout with me from time to time, helps in getting me moving! No joke! I can't even believe the difference! It seems I now have more reasons to work out! We can all use a little inspiration now and then. :)
In case you didn't already know, I hurt my feet in a fall down the stairs during my last full day in London that resulted in some interesting "woundage", as I like to call it. I now have one less toenail. It's not just any toenail, it's the big one on my left foot! Don't you wish you could see it?! Anyway, the good thing is that it doesn't hurt, or affect my working out more, though it is not pretty to look at!
At about 2:45am last night, or rather this morning, I got multiple phone calls from my friend Trevor who lives down in southern California. He called me over and over again. With the reasoning that I wasn't very awake, and that he was thousands of miles away, even an emergency was not something I could help out with. So, I turned off my phone after he tried calling five times in a row. I know! I feel like a terrible friend, but at the same time, I know that there's nothing I could really do for him at that time, and so decided to call him during the daytime hours.
At the church I'm a part of, Mosaic, we finished off the wisdom series that we were going through. Today they talked about family, and all that goes into that with needing wisdom. Where does wisdom come from? The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Anyway, it was very fitting with Trevor's phone call, which I found out after calling him back after lunch. He was having issues with his family, so I was able to turn the message that I heard at Mosaic right around and talk with him about it. Isn't God good in preparing the way?
Sometimes I find it hard to believe just how much God has His hand in our lives. What would cause God to even give a second look our direction? It must be love beyond anything we have ever known....
This week I am going to be teaching a new employee. I know my supervisor has confidence in me and knows I do a good job, and so that's why I am to train. However, it slows me down having to think through, be more specific with the tasks to accomplish, and explain what needs to be done. It's humbling. I don't mind teaching, it just depends on what I'm teaching, and if I actually have time to teach. So, doing so at work means I actually have to take a breath and slow the process down, working primarily as an example. Needless to say, I'm glad to do the job, and yet it's hard at the same time. I'm ok with teaching, but it's not my favorite thing in the world.
The older I get the more I realize how God really did make us each individually unique. We were all created with special abilities, giftings that were given to us so that we could work as a whole. If we all had the same abilities, where would that get us? For that I am grateful! And again, it makes me remember just how much thought and love God put into the process of creating us! He really must love us an awful lot!

Awake!

It's 3:30am and I'm awake! Jet lag is a real stinker! I took some Tylenol Pm to help me sleep through the night, but I'm still up early!
The flight home was ok. The first 3/4ths of the trip, my flight from London to Minneapolis was fine. There was a guy named Farhan next to me who I got to talk with. He is a man of indian (as in from India) decent, who has an Arabic name. His accent is very slight and is actually only from growing up in Arkansas! He is from a Muslim family, though is not religious and had never met anyone who had gone through a bible college and pursued the same kind of degree as me, so he was intrigued.
Then I sat gimpy in the airport on the six hour layover. I had hurt my feet by falling down the stairs on Friday, so was unable to do much walking without pain. Don't worry, I'm ok now. It was just hard to sit for most of another six hours waiting for the trip into Portland. Then my plane was delayed 20 minutes.... Traveling can be such an adventure, in all it's good and bad forms!
Got home to find my car broken into. Good thing there was nothing valuable for the guy to steal in the car and that he was unable to take my car without permission!
Though, with all the good experiences, these were just minor details. If that was the worst of this trip, than I really have NOTHING to complain about! It was great!!

Didn't know they were in England....

Wow, ok let's see.... So much has happened in the last two days! Teresa and I went to the changing of the guard yesterday and then bought tickets to see Les Miserables! It was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!! Needless to say we had a lot of fun!!
Then today we took a day tour out to Bath and Stonehedge...both of which I didn't realize were in England! Yeah, I know, not very bright of me! But it was really cool!!!! Stonehedge was great(!), but I think I was a bit more intrigued by Bath, and all the history that goes along with it!
Tomorrow is our "do whatever we feel like" day in which we'll just have fun without trying to get out and "see something" in particular.
Saturday, the return home begins. Oh, but how wonderful of a time I've had here with Teresa in London!

French Connection UK

It's funny how little differences can make you laugh, not because they are really funny, but because of the difference in itself. For example, here in London they have a store called FCUK, which stands for French Connection UK. From an American standpoint that's quite funny because if you should switch the letters around just slightly you would have a bad word in American English. Everytime I see the sign for this store it makes me laugh! I'm sure, given enough time, that it wouldn't even phase me at all, but for now it's funny! So today I decided to take the opportunity to step inside the store and buy an item of clothing with that logo on it! Sure I'll have to be a bit careful of when and where I wear it, but it will always remind me of this trip.
Honestly, this trip has been absolutely incredible! From being with Teresa, to learning more history and exploring London as well as Ireland, to buying items with FCUK on them that make me laugh, to learning more about faith in the Lord, and walking in freedom in who God has created me to be.
I am so thankful....

Sticking out like a sore thumb

Oh, how wonderful it was to sleep in today! I took some Tylenol Pm last night before bed as my legs were aching from the day of adventuring in Ireland, put in my ear plugs so as not to hear the traffic from the streets in the morning, and slept a long, long time! It was so wonderful!
The family that Teresa is working for and lives with is in Richmond, which is the posh area, the more happenin' side of town. So, there is a lot of people in this area walking, driving, exploring. It's kind of fun to be over here in this different environment. I told Teresa that with my American accent, I feel like a sore thumb, but that was ok 'cause that means that I can't be easily forgotten! :) Would you rather be like all those around you and blend into the crowds without a second thought by others, or would you like to be remembered? There can be benefits to standing out a bit, such as holding the attention of the audience around you...Though if my life isn't in line with the Lord, I'd rather not stand out.
We walked a couple blocks into the business area of town, went into a couple of shops, and then attended a evening church service at a protestant church. Being amongst family members, even if you have never met them, is such a sweet place to be! We have so much within the body because of our Lord Jesus! If he never rose from the dead what hope would we have?
Tomorrow, we are going to begin doing more touring around the main city of London, and learn about the history and culture. Hopefully we don't get drenched, but at least if we do we have a warm house, hot shower, and dry clothes to come home to!

Dublin Adventures

Teresa and I just arrived back to London from Ireland a couple of hours ago. We had a great time, though we are glad to be back so that we can rest a bit before we explore more of London! :) We spent the last two days with our friends Dawn and Justin who are there on vacation as well! Good timing, huh?! So, Teresa and I had a free place to stay! Sweet! Praise God!
Yesterday we went out and explored the countryside, checking out ruins of churches, seeing the tombstones of saints, and learning more about the history of the saints and the church in Ireland. Then today, we went into Dublin after Justin got a good tour of the Dublin firehouse and we met the firemen, which was fun! Dawn has a hard time with languages, and prononcing the words correctly, so when Dawn would say a word correctly as they would say it there, he would correct her with the incorrect pronounciation of the word. All that to say that it was quite a riot to watch him give her a hard time! We spent a few hours on the crowded streets of Dublin, touring and learning about the history on a bus tour, and shopping in the big shopping section of town. I was good, and only came away with a couple of magnets for family members! :)
On the flight back to London, we came across a lady who has some mental issues(?), and perhaps even had some alcohol in her system(?). It provided quite some entertainment on the return trip for the passengers on the plane. She was very outspoken and inappropriate with some of the things she was saying and asking people. Most of the people were kind of making fun of her, but I felt kind of bad for her. I sat there trying to figure out what it was that had gotten her to this state. How do we know the lens people are looking through unless we walk in their shoes? The Lord loves us all, that's all I know.... He even loves me....
Though the trip was great, as I said before, I am glad to be back so that I can rest up for what adventures may come as we explore London this upcoming week!!

What the fancy?

Teresa and I went for a nice walk yesterday afternoon in the sunshine. We had a really good time of connecting and also had a few laughs. She used an British phrase, saying something about "take your fancy". Problem is that I didn't hear what she said before the word fancy, so I asked "what the fancy?" as a serious question to ask her what she said. We were laughing all night about this, because it could be translated in another way, if you get my meaning. So now we have a new phrase! Another one, is when she was saying something about being born and bred, and I thought she was saying it went to bread...like in it went to pot, only in this case bread! Good times! Good laughs!
We're headed off to Ireland for a couple of days. That should be fun! I've wanted to go back there since the last time I was there six years ago, and now the opportunity is here! Woohoo! I can't even believe how much God is blessing this time here so far! The weather being incredible is just a side blessing! Being able to hang out with an incredible friend and share life together while traveling is so sweet!
Be home on the night of the 15th....

London Day 1

The sky is clear and blue, and the sun is bright here in London...well, for today anyway!! Just thought you'd like to know! I arrived here a few hours ago, enjoyed a train ride and a mocha from Starbucks. Yep! They have them here, and boy did I need coffee!