I’ve been listening to U2’s No Line On The Horizon again this week, and one particular song is grabbing me…
She’s a rainbow and she loves the peaceful life
Knows I’ll go crazy if I don’t go crazy tonight
There’s a part of me in chaos that’s quiet
And there’s a part of you that wants me to riot
Everybody needs to cry or needs to spit
Every sweet-tooth needs just a little hit
Every beauty needs to go out with an idiot
How can you stand next to the truth and not see it?
Change of heart comes slow..
It’s not a hill it’s a mountain
As you start out the climb
Do you believe me or are you doubtin?
We’re gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I’ll go crazy if I don’t go crazy tonight
Every generation gets a chance to change the world
Divination that will listen to your boys and girls
Is the sweetest melody the one we haven’t heard?
Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear?
The right to be ridiculous is something I hold dear
But change of heart comes slow…
It’s not a hill it’s a mountain
As you start out the climb
You see for me I’ve been shoutin
But we’re gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I’ll go crazy if I don’t go crazy tonight
Baby, baby, baby, I know I’m not alone
Baby, baby, baby, I know I’m not alone
Ha, ha, ha
It’s not a hill it’s a mountain
You see for me I’ve been shouting
Let’s shout until the darkness, squeeze out sparks of light
You know we’ll go crazy
You know we’ll go crazy
You know we’ll go crazy, if we don’t go crazy tonight
So, in case ya missed it, I celebrated my 22nd birthday yesterday… mostly by enjoying the most amazing food & drink!
I enjoyed feeling like I was 12 again, by staying up to midnight so I could open presents! I made some white chocolate brownies & some pink lemonade also, which I enjoyed sharing with my flatmates as they watched me open pressies. I don’t ask for presents, and I don’t expect them… but there are a few of my best friends who still buy me some… and it’s so beautiful. To receive gifts from girls who know me so well is such a joy – in fact, I got several things for my birthday that I either did buy or almost bought for them!
After work I went out for dinner with my flatmates (who also gave me beautiful gifts), then to one of my favourite pubs for a few drinks with whoever showed up. Oh my word… the food…. soooooo good. Rosie also made me the most humungous cake. Death by chocolate anyone?
It’s truly been a day to rejoice in friendship. Spending time with my flatmates, as I draw to the end of my time living here, leaves me feeling so privileged & so thankful for the years we’ve spent together. I feel so unbelievably blessed by the people God’s put in my life. Checking my facebook & finding all these little notes of love & hope from around the globe… you guys blow me away. Thanks for being a part of my story.
Blessed beyond belief. This last year has blown me away. It just keeps getting better. More difficult, more painful, more joyous, more frustrating, more obvious… complex and simple at the same time.
A few weeks ago I went to see my friends, the Potential Strangers, play at Brel. We had a lovely little night enjoying some good music and beer or two. Check out their music on Myspace.
Today I’ll be attending my first wedding this year. I’ve hit my first wave of friends getting married now – a somewhat scary thought. I missed a few weddings in Australia earlier this year, when Ross & Mel, Cam & Erin, and Eli & Lauren got married.
Today I’m in Bristol for Joe & Hannah’s wedding. I can’t wait to witness them start out on married life together!
I’ve been listening to the latest Paper Route album on repeat this week. The opening song grabs me every time.
Fell into a hole my ears were ringing
Followed every rule and kept repeating
Could I be a fool?
In the silence, you’re the first one that I turn to
You’re the first voice that I turn to
In the absence of my own
There’s an enemy among us
There’s an enemy among us
And he stole as best he could
He stole as best he could
An enemy among us
There’s an enemy among us
He stole as best he could
Our hearts like an enemy should
And when I awoke my friends were sleeping
I put on my coat to keep from freezing
Something isn’t right
I spent a couple of days at the start of the week in London, having lots of meetings to kick off my new job. By the way – I love my job! I’m doing online PR stuff now, in the same office as before, and I’m so excited about the level of freedom I’m being given to try new stuff.
London is easily one of my favourite cities in the world. Every time I go back, I have this increasing desire to live there for a period of time. I’m sure I’ve talked so often on here about my love for big cities: I adore the hustle and bustle, the interaction, the stimulation of it all.
You might have noticed a theme in my Oxford trip, and in my trips generally: food.
I love food. Love the different textures and tastes, the sights and smells. Love how a simple smell can get me salivating.
Oxford was no different than my usual trips. A milkshake here. Some Moroccan tapas there. A fresh cookie here. The best ice cream I’ve ever tasted there.
We sat over a late night coffee ice cream & hot choc fudge sauce on Saturday night, talking about life. Chit chat. Deep chat. Everything in between.
And I got called out. Caroline asked me questions I wasn’t anticipating. I won’t go into the subject matter here, but she pulled me up on something I’ve continued having & doing; about whether it’s good for me, for my heart. She suggested giving my heart some space by stopping/ removing it.
I resented it. I glossed over it. I defended it.
But really, she’s right. It’s been months, and she’s been the first person to suggest it, to ask me about it. It was painful, and I wanted to move off it quickly. My words and my actions still don’t quite match up when it comes to honesty, to making myself vulnerable before people.
I am so grateful for friends who call me out on stuff, who are not afraid to tell it like it is.
So yea, there’ll be some changes in my life. Minor ones, that you’ll probably never see.
I spent the weekend hanging out with my friend Caroline in Oxford. We’re so different, and yet get on well. Another reminder of how diverse the world is and yet how beautiful it is. Caroline had this whole little list of stuff she thought I’d love… genuinely one of the sweetest, most thoughtful people I’ve meet in a long time. I fear she may be a little disappointed when she visits Glasgow next month – I’m not as good with planning things in advance! But hey, she likes me for me – even when it is last minute, blow-with-the-wind me! We saw a couple of great exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, including Mapplethorpe’s Polaroid exhibit, and ate a lot of great food. Our mutual friend Cat also popped over and joined us on Sunday… love celebrating friendships over food!
Can I suggest you all go have a look at the latest message from Christian Aid here? I’m so proud to work for these guys… will you join us in ending poverty?
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