Things to be Thankful For...

Pic found here...

• For one glorious year in our lovely little flat! I moved in last year on the 15th June, 10 days before our wedding! This has definitely been the best place to live in our precious first year of marriage, and I keep realising more and more how amazing it is! Fantastically cheap rent for Bath City Centre (and Bath in general), A lovely and helpful Landlord, A stunning view of a bit of Iconic Georgian Bath. Also because it's on the 2nd floor it is almost always filled with light and we hardly ever feel it's smallness because of this. 10 walk to work for Mike and Me, 5 minute walk to Church, by the river, 2 mins from the supermarket!! What a blessing!!!!!

• During the worst cold/cough 'thing' I've had in a few years, rendering me voiceless, I am thankful for cough medicine that works, painkillers and tissues, a comfy sofa for middle of the night when trying not to wake hubby with said coughing, not to mention the blessing of all this falling in a 3 week gap of me not having to do any serious singing.

Pic found here...

• For the privilege of witnessing the AMAZING things God does on a daily basis. Sick friends being miraculously healed, Side-effect free Chemotherapy, Barren friends now expecting babies, Lives restored, Marriages healed, Freedom found, miraculous finances and jobs. Basically - there are incredible testimonies of God's goodness wherever we look! Not to mention all Mike and I have seen God do in our lives. I hope and pray I never take these things for granted... these are exciting days :D

• I know I've said it before, but it's still true... Our church Freedom Bath & Bristol - is FANTASTIC! It's FULL to overflowing of Freedom, creativity, vision, faith, strength, and incredibly humble, inspired and faith-filled leaders. It's real and full of real people so it's sometimes messy but it's a BEAUTIFUL mess in those times. God is moving here, in this place and I'm so excited to be a part of it. The Journey so far has been tough... but AMAZING, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!

• I have now been self-employed for a year and more stuff has happened than I ever thought possible in this time. I have been blessed with the opportunity to start doing all the things I love but also start off slowly as I needed time to figure out what I was doing, how to do it and to get creativity flowing again. However, a year later I have 5 singing pupils, I am teaching weekly classes and workshops for NGM, I've have fallen back in love with music and found my songwriting feet, written my first EP ready to launch in the Autumn. We are also recording our first church album in september. I also nanny for two lovely children, sometimes challenging but more often than not quite fun really! I think that's quite a successful year really!

• Last, but definitely not least, I'm thankful for... beautiful sunsets, talented creative and musical friends willing to give up their time to be involved in my projects, good books to read, cute babies to cuddle, safe deliveries of friends babies, film and TV series watching buddies, holiday plans, 1st anniversary plans, answered prayers, money in our bank account, odeon premier cards, new phones, yummy food in my belly, a free health service, clean water to drink, a home to live in, 2nd chances, 500th chances... A GOD WHO LOVES ME EXACTLY THE WAY HE MADE ME! :D

Things to be Thankful for...

• Charity shop bargains, like this beautiful rug (pictured) for only £8. I have wanted one like this for ages and rugs don't usually come cheap. :)
• More singing pupils and increased teaching confidence.
• My Church. It's alive, full of God and freedom, full of people who are real and roaring, full of music and amazing stories of hope. It's strong and prepared to fight for justice. It has a passion, commitment, energy, joy and atmosphere that I have never found anywhere else. Our leaders are wise, courageous, inspiring, God-fearing and they are not afraid to tell us what we need to hear instead of what we want to hear. I love our church!
• No longer being a student or unemployed, I can now afford things like leisure centre membership so I can go swimming as much as I like. Am aiming for 3 times a week. Got to shift these post-marriage pounds and so far I'm really enjoying it! (Weird I know! lol!)
• Our little flat which I'm realising more and more is perfect for us right now and is feeling really lovely and cosy and very much like home :)
• My teaching at NGM is going really well (I think) and they actually seem to be understanding what I'm teaching and getting close to full marks on tests, whoop!
• Regular weekly songwriting time with a friend - awesome! Feeling very inspired these days and excited about what the future holds.
• Mike, for working really hard to bring home (lets be honest), the vast majority of the bacon. And overall for God, for providing, as always.

2011

2011 - The year of MASSIVE blessings and dreams fulfilled.

1 x Marriage, adventure started

1 x Wonderful Husband

1 x Name change

4 x Countries visited

60 x Hours on a plane

1 x Volcano climbed

1 x Glacier hiked

25 x Whales seen

18 x Hostels slept in

6 x Friends Weddings

3 x New Jobs (at the same time) (Self-employment technically)

1 x Dream career started

30 x Books read

1 x New Flat

4 x Tax Rebates

1 x New Car

Approx 5000 x Photos taken

Numerous x Prayers Answered

Numerous x New revelations had

1 X AMAZING GOD

Plus lots of new friends made, new fantastic music discovered, stunning sunsets seen, board games played, friends and family visited, babies cuddled, happy tears cried, hugs given and received

.... to name just a few things! :D 

Wow! Here's to 2012, hoping yours is full of love, hope, music and JOY!

Things to be Thankful For...

• 4 months of Married Awesomeness!!!
• My live-in husband back-scratcher = Bliss, actual bliss! :P
• Cold autumn mornings, with fog and white breath and sunshine all at the same time!
• Friends having babies - Baby Bella born yesterday and Baby Eden will be born next week hopefully! Beautiful, very excited for them :)
• Time to do a Jigsaw puzzle with friends who are waiting for the imminent arrival of said baby Eden.
• My first ever bunch of flowers from my husband! :D Don't worry though he is romantic in lots of other non-traditional ways :)
• Being able to make the most of last completely free saturday (maybe till christmas), with Mr V! What started with a lie-in became a lovely lazy day complete with Fry-up, PJs, Xbox, lots of laughter, some Alias, and lots and lots of hugs! :D
• A very successful first proper lesson at NGM on thursday, I felt like a proper teacher and everything! 
• Amazingly after pulling a muscle in my back last weekend and having a VERY painful week beginning, miraculously the pain had completely gone by tuesday lunchtime and I have had a brilliant and productive week despite the setback. Thanks for the prayers!
• Constantly finding more in our Bank Account than we estimated having in there.
• Having a fantastically talented Mum who is making me a new winter coat for this year! After having bought her the fabric and buttons, she will still be saving me at least £30, and I get a well-made, designer, original Coat that will last years longer than one from the highstreet! Genius!
• I got to go to the Cinema twice this week. Once for free, thanks to Nannying :)
• After weeks and weeks of my designing, our Wedding Photo Book has finally been printed and is stunning if I do say so myself!
• Being able to hold off turning on the heating that little bit longer due to sharing a bed! 
• Having travel expenses paid for work that effectively covers ALL of our weekly petrol costs as they pay 40p a mile (about double what it actually costs)! TYJ!
• The exciting weekends planned ahead!

Things I am Thankful For...

Original found {here}, also found {here}

• Slowly, but surely getting excited about song writing again! Feeling inspired and excited about ideas and potential collaborations.
• Pinterest! If you don't know what this is then check out my page {here}. Pinterest has seriously helped inspire me this week and I have a new lyric notebook starting to fill up :D
• Hugs that literally physically prevent you from breathing and all the words and feelings conveyed in those few breath-taking moments.
• A taste of heaven whilst at Church last night - AMAZING, beautiful, stunning, tear-bringing, life-bringing, eye-opening, hope-breathing, reality-checking, flaming AWESOME Worship moment! There is nothing better, not one thing, than being in HIS presence! Need to remember that!
• Once again for Mike, who I saw cry (good tears) last night for only the second time. What an amazing evening! So incredibly thankful to be on this journey with you, what an adventure and what a JOY!
• Finding my voice again... thanks to a fantastic new music find, I have been singing all week. And strangely enough, for a singer, that hasn't been very common of me in recent years - ask anyone. Audrey Assad - 'The House You're Building' = AMAZING album! It's hard to pick one song to share with you but here goes...

Things to be Thankful for... During the Lows!

For me it's been a week of both very positive/exciting highs and very confusing lows.
But in the lows I know that speaking out truth, joy, light and his promises over my situation is the best thing to do so I am really trying to remember and hold on to my many, many reasons to be thankful! For there really are, so many, amazing reasons!!

I'm Overwhelmingly Thankful for...

• Music and its power to inspire, encourage, heal, motivate, create atmosphere, bring freedom, bring laughter, bring tears, break down barriers, surprise, comfort and create a cry in me of either complete joy or complete surrender of emotions.
• The very exciting songs coming out of Freedom Bath & Bristol, the plans for our upcoming album, our passion as a team to reveal the heart of our church, the heart of its people - to the glory of GOD!
• I love playing with Lego, playing sporty games on the Wii, searching for conkers and know enough about Rugby and the like to hold a conversation - all very useful when you look after an 7 year old boy 3 times a week!
• This amazing book  'Living With a Creative Mind' by the brilliant Jeff & Julie Crabtree - I have a signed copy as of this week - before it's even published! Hopefully it's going to help me understand myself a little better :D (I must say - so far it's very good!)
• That I have a start date for my new job with NGM! (New Generation Music and Mission) On the 20th October I start as a Volunteer Music Teacher - teaching music theory, songwriting and vocal workshops - one day a week, for this amazing Christian Charity!  It's going to be a steep learning curve I'm sure but a very exciting opening door!
• Lots of people requesting my Singing Teaching services!
• Being born for such a time as this!
• However low I get, or how confusing life is, or how much I doubt myself, or doubt my abilities, or however much I'm overwhelmed by the task ahead - I know that HE is FAITHFUL, HE KNOWS ME more than I could ever know myself, HE will NEVER LEAVE ME, HE LOVES ME UNCONDITIONALLY! In short.... - Every little thing is going to be alright! (Makes me want to sing a song - thanks to Delirious! lol!)

Thankful For...

• The FACT that HIS Love never fails, never gives up and never runs out on me!
• Morning sunshine after a couple of days of rain
• My Husband who still thinks I'm lovely when I'm so sure I'm not
• Having so much singing to do I'm actually losing my voice (need to get training again!)
• For being woken daily with a hug
• Time to pray whilst walking in the sunshine :) After a couple of weeks of distance and confusion it was great to connect again.
• For someone whose only technically 'employed' 9 hours a week - I am feeling really busy!
• Female friend time playing Lego Star Wars on the Xbox! Yes you read that right lol! Jess - we shall do it again! :D
• We looked after our friends 9month old last night and he/we survived! He didn't even cry - in 3 hours! Thank you God! :D Also turns out he loves the camera. Blog, meet William...

(NB Just because I realise how a post about babies looks like straight after a post about my wedding... don't even go there lol! Not me, we're not at all broody! We just have lots of friends with very cute babies! Absolutely no need to currently 'watch this space' :P)

Things to be thankful for...

It has been aaages I know, am going to try getting back into the swing of things with being thankful - as usual there is so much to be thankful for...

• A beautiful weekend with family and friends celebrating my little sister Sarah's 18th birthday! A very sunny weekend involving the biggest chinese takeaway you've ever seen for 18 people, an amazingly funny video we all put together for Sarah, Mike experiencing more of my crazy family, wedding talk (can't avoid that these days :P) and lots of fun!

(P.S. My husband-to-be is gorgeous!! :D)

• Spring/summer is most definitely here! We don't really get much of a distinction these days (silly global warming!) and it seems to go straight from freezing winter to blazingly hot summer (well... blazingly hot for England anyway, I know we don't match up to you aussies :P).
• I love summer evenings and blossom and it being warm enough to not wear a jumper. Lovely jubbly!
• Small and large financial blessings - like unexpected free bus journeys, creative contributions to wedding preperations, constantly finding more in bank accounts that you thought would be there! :)
• Finding out my Auntie Rachel is coming all the way from OZ to be at our wedding and represent the Aussie Bunch! Amazing! :)
• The 250 metres of colourful bunting my sister has made for our decorations.
• Potentially huge job opportunities coming my way soon!
• 2 months and 4 days till our marriage begins!!
• Mike being more and more amazing, and supportive and lovely and understanding every day!
• Finally feeling a lot better after 3 weeks of on and off illness and feeling rubbishly low!
• Music and it's power to help me feel emotions I knew were bubbling away in there somewhere!
• My internet stumbling put out to share on my new Pinterest Account :)
• The awesomeness of creation - check out this stunning video...

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Thankful....

• For sunshine! I went out without a coat today! It almost...almost...almost reminds me of the summer I was having a few weeks ago the other side of the world!
• Beautiful Bath. Took the de-tour route home from town today via the Royal Crescent and Victoria Park - it was lovely :)
• That today I actually tried to do a funny blog post about the silly little things that annoy me and after 10 mins I had only thought of 3 - so I gave up lol!
• Unexpected potential music job opportunities! I could actually be employed doing something I love! AMAZING! Watch this space... (and pray)
• After the bargain of £10 wedding shoes last week, I just finished making all my Bridal Jewellery and it cost me a grand total of £8 :)
• The satisfaction of lots of ticks on a to-do list
• Finding just enough to do to stop me going insane being unemployed
• My churches 11th Birthday! Woooooo I love you FREEDOM BATH & BRISTOL!! 
• Lovely girly chats with fellow engaged friends - getting excited now! :)
• A year ago this week - Mike asked me on our first date :)
• 14 weeks and 2 days till our wedding!!!!!!

A little bit of Thankfulness...

Today I'm thankful for...

• Productiveness! WOOOOOOOO! It seems that having an appointment at 8:45 in the morning then getting back home only 1 hour later really sets you up to fill the day with lots and lots of usefullness!
• Several things ticked off on to-do lists
• The NHS - I know the UK may complain a lot about it but GET SOME PERSPECTIVE PEOPLE! We have FREE healthcare and THAT is a blessing! (Not even America has that!!)
• The cute photo on this post today! Amazing! Comes courtesy of www.interfacelift.com - I LOVE THAT WEBSITE! Even better is the fact that Mike and I have been given Salt and Pepper Shakers just like these for our new home :)
• Wedding plans coming together nicely - apparently we're really organised! 
• Hugs, hugs and more hugs!
• Ug boots for use in FREEEEEEEEZING England!
• That I wasn't in Christchurch for the earthquake as the hostel I was in only 3 weeks beforehand is now no more!! 
• That everyone I know in Christchurch is alive and well!
• My band - I love you all - it's a priviledge to make music with you :)
• The UK benefit system. Though flawed, it's allowing me to job-hunt and carry on living in Bath paying rent and bills :)
• Pancake Day!!!!! I'm sure I will be even more thankful for this later on today when my mouth is full of pancake! :D
• Mike - have I mentioned he's amazing!? :P
• That everywhere in Bath is walkable (and when I don't want to walk, my fiance has a car :P shhhhhhh)
• Finding the wedding shoes I wanted online for £9.99!!!!!! WOOOOOOOO!
• Honesty, friendships, hope and an exciting future unknown! 

There's just a few to be going on with :)

Things to be Thankful For... Travelling Special :)

 Well, It has been over a week since my return to the UK. My photos are sorted into albums on my computer, my tan is fading, my summer clothes are washed and put away, my bank account is empty, I am well and truly back on British time and my raincoat is getting a workout! On more happy notes I am HOME and back to Mike and marrying him in 4 months!!! (So a bit more excited to be back than your average traveller :P )
I'm sad it's over but my trip was EXACTLY what I always wanted it to be! I have an unbelievable amount of things to be thankful for about my trip. Let me try and share as many of them as possible with you - the big things and the tiny little things.

• I may have gone travelling on my own but I definitely wasn't really alone! God walked every little step with me, he even went before me and showed me the way for a lot of it. I was half a world away from all the people I love but I could never be too far away for him to be there. Thank you God for being my comfort and guide in new and strange places, my home away from home, my strength, my joy and my story wherever I went! Thank you for sharing this great experience with me, for enjoying my enjoyment and showing me more of your beautiful creation. For hearing my prayers spoken in times of laughter and times of tears, for answering those prayers and for taking me a little bit further on my journey.

• I had very high expectations of New Zealand, and it completely blew them out the water and was even better that I ever imagined! New Zealand is by far the most STUNNING, friendly, diverse, clean, safe, welcoming country I have ever been too and I think you should all go there (though not at once cause you'll ruin it lol!)!

• The trip went off without one technical hitch! I didn't lose my passport, or my money, or my phone, or have anything stolen, or miss any transport, or get lost, or run out of money, or break anything........ or fall in a volcano, off a glacier, into hot mud, or over in an earthquake! None of my flights were delayed and I had no major turbulance. I didn't get too sunburnt, or sick, or devastatingly homesick (I was very homesick at times but it didn't ruin anything). The worst I got were bad blisters, a scraped knee, jet-lag, a little bit of sunburn and two colds! All in all God kept me safe and I am very thankful!

• I lost track of the amount of blessings, answers to prayer and miraculous circumstances I had. Tons of circumstances that just shouldn't have happened so easily. Miraculous early check-ins allowed, aisle seats next to empty seats on planes, money going further than it should have, loads of small-world moments, unexpected free meals and drinks, out of the blue 'deep and meaningfuls', immaculate weather in places where it always rains, countless 4-bed dorms for the price of 8-bed dorms or lower, whale watching of a standard that even the guides were stunned. And SO many more! Not to mention the miraculous recovery of a guy on our bus who by all means should be dead but all he's lost is the memory of 3 days! (For the full story read here!) Wow!

•  I have now... seen active volcanos (even climbed one!!), walked on a glacier, been whale watching, gone travelling, visited New Zealand, visited Australia, had a Wagga Christmas and been in Sydney for New Years Eve. That's 8 things off my Life To-Do List - not bad!!

• The wonders of the internet and Skype in particular! Being away from Mike for 2 months without such technology would have been a lot harder (and it was hard enough as it was!). Through the wonder that is Skype we were able to have regular face to face conversations so clear it was like we were in the same room! In fact it was so easy to talk this way (we had no idea how we'd find it before I left) we often accidentally filled the whole time available with banter rather than talking about all the things I'd been doing! lol! :) Even more of a blessing was the fact that in 2 months worth of skype dates there was only one with real technical difficulties such as insanely slow internet! Miracle!

• Spending time over Christmas with lovely Family who went above and beyond to make me feel at home. Their generosity blew me away and getting to know them all a lot better and sharing their lives and homes for a while was absolutely lovely and a huge blessing! Hope to see you all again soon :)

• That through my powers of organisation and through some very helpful advice from a friend over 18 months ago (thanks Tom!), I easily avoided having to stay in any scabby hostels! Not one! Am very thankful for YHA hostels and lovely little independents, the fact that I bought YHA membership 5 months ago for only £10 and the fact that the membership and bulk-bed vouchers got me $25 - 4 bed dorm rooms in some hostels where the price should have been $35 for 8 bed rooms! Saved me a fortune! Plus YHA hostels are lovely, clean, friendly, have amazing kitchens, are organised and extremely eco-conscious and are full of everyone from young families to pensioners, all whilst still each having their own personal character! Before I started this trip I had no idea how hostels worked and had only heard the horror stories. I am so thankful that in 2 months I have no horror stories to tell you, only lots of good advice to share and lots of lovely memories. :)

• I'm so thankful for all the photography opportunities and fun I had taking them, some of them even came out quite well (maybe there is a little bit more of my Dad's talents rubbed off on me than I thought). But honestly, God provided the scenery and the camera did the hard work, I just pointed it in the right direction! For my beautiful little Camera - you are amazing! Thank you for taking my 3 1/2 THOUSAND holiday photos so beautifully and without any fuss - you did a great job! Thank you for having a stunning Macro setting and anti-shake technology, for being so small and for eating your way through batteries surprisingly slowly for such a lot of use (Box of 20 batteries lasted the whole 9 weeks - impressive!)! Oh little camera I couldn't have done it without you! I shall be giving you a break for a while now, you deserve a holiday... at least until the next good sunset anyway :P

• For my Michael! (If you don't like soppy love stuff then you may want to skip this point or get a sick bag :P ) He waited for me, supported me, encouraged me, got up insanely early countless times to Skype me when he HATE'S mornings,  bought me surprise phone credit, text me back in the middle of the night and loved me just as much over the 11680 miles space between us as he does standing right next to me! I so thankful for him in all his wonderfulness! I am even thankful for our time apart, for how well we pulled it off, for what a blessed time it was for both of us, and even though I didn't think it possible I Love him more now than before I left :)

• That massive, heavy objects like Boeing 747's can make it off the ground and fly insanely high and insanely fast all the way to the other side of the world in just one day - Amazing! I am also thankful for in-flight entertainment. A 28 hour flight home, not being able to sleep, would have been a lot more terrible if not for the 6 movies, numerous tv shows and music I was entertained with! I am even thankful for airplane meals - mad I know! On long haul flights they're really not that bad, even quite nice. And they give you a lot of food (5 meals on my flight home!).

• I ate A LOT of holiday ice-cream and still managed to get back to England a little skinnier than when I left lol! It must have been all that hiking :P

• I'm thankful for all the time I spent watching sunsets and sunrises, hunting for seashells, walking along beaches and getting my feet wet, reading books, exploring places and towns with no hurry to be anywhere at any particular time, meeting new people. For lots of lazy afternoons in the sun - ah who am I kidding - lazy days, small world moments, the fact that 'one scoop' in New Zealand really means an ice-cream the size of 3 scoops, actually enjoying reading my bible, individual reading lights in hostels, the feeling of bare feet on grass, canned meals that actually taste quite good, free kayaking, free BBQ's, insanely beautiful hostel locations, 'free food' shelves in hostel kitchens, the lovely sound of flip flops! And so many more little things I can't remember them all!

• Hostel book exchanges - brilliant idea! This meant that 14 of the 15 books I read on holiday were free and more than half of them were actually quite good! I even read 'The Hobbit' half way round New Zealand :P

• For having a great sense of direction, a photographic memory and good map reading skills! Without even using a map the majority of the time I managed to explore cities and never once get lost or even worry about it!

• Last, but definitely not least, I am thankful for how things are now, for how I feel now I'm home, for what I learnt whilst away, for things I improved at, for problems I overcame, for passions re-ignited, for new passions discovered, for the break I had, for feeling more relaxed and more motivated all at the same time, for knowing more about myself and actually quite liking who that person is, for feeling more prepared for what is to come both known and unknown, and for standing firmer than ever before in the knowledge that EVERY LITTLE THING is in HIS HANDS and life is going to be brilliant! 

2010

I have never been one to hugely celebrate New Year, after all it's just another day in 365. But this afternoon (whilst stood on Palm Beach, on the north shore of Sydney, with my ankles in the ocean, soaking up the sun - as you do! :P) it has just really hit me, that the past year, the glorious 2010, has by far been the best, most beautiful, most unexpected, most God-led year of my life! And even better, this time last year I had no idea it would even be vaguely significant!

This year I met Mike, found a best friend, found the other half of me, fell in Love, got engaged and planned a wedding! All with more of a sense of God working in something than anything I have ever previously experienced. I could never have planned this, his timing is perfect and in the midst of all my imperfectness and human frailty and inconsistency, this is PERFECT for me, for us, and all planned by HIM - perfect!!! :)

As if that wasn't enough, this year I have also...

Started my own life, independant from family, after uni, living in Bath.
Handled all my own finances
Learnt to cry
Beaten addictions
Had a depression free year
Become more and more happy with being ME
Lost approx 2 stone
Got really good at saving money
Started songwriting again
Learnt lots of new life and work skills
Quit a job I hated
Learnt some HUGE God lessons
Made new friends and become a lot closer to old ones
Become more comfortable with my weaknesses and more confidant at starting to tackle them
Travelled half way around the world, on my own, funded by myself.
Found beautiful, spirit-filled, people in really unexpected places (thank you Bryan!)

So all in all this New Year has to be noted for me because 2010 has been absolutely HUGE!

So tonight I will watch the fireworks and all the people celebrating and be abudantly thankful for all I have been blessed with, even for all the difficult years leading upto this year, for I would be half the woman I am today without them!

I really pray that I can continue to be this thankful and aware of the blessings I have even when the years aren't all that nice! I pray for wisdom and peace in those times, and overall a continued abundance of Love and Hope whatever may come. All praise to you God for your perfect timing, your patience, your grace and your Love. May I never forget it!

Happy New Year Everyone!
I'm getting married in 2011 - I think that maybe enough to make this coming year FANTASTIC! :) :) :)

Mike - I Love You, beyond words, always! :)

Photo Via: http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/photos/2009/01/018235.html

Things to be thankful for...

Have come home from work early feeling ill, hormonal, in pain,very tired, and needlessly quite low.
A thankful list is definitely what is needed right now, It has been waaaayyyy too long!

Things to be thankful for...

• Mike asking me to MARRY HIM...... and for me saying YES! (full story to follow on the blog eventually)
• Having a God who hears prayers and answers.
• Learning to spend time seeking God on my own and with Mike - very precious times!
• Emotion - strange I know, but after years of not being very good at expressing any and keeping it bottled, I am very glad and thankful for feeling them all and being more capable of deciphering them. Especially thankful for being able to cry and that being ok :D
• Coming home to a bedroom that is toasty warm and very conducive to relaxing and feeling a bit better.
• Bryan - the homeless 'Big Issue' seller from outside my shop. He greets me with a smile several times a day, keeps us all very entertained with his utterly brilliant sales pitch (He's top of the Bath Big Issue selling league - yes there is such a thing lol!). For his positivity, his work ethic, his honesty, his friendliness, his hope, that is teaching me humility and to see God working in unlikely circumstances and very brief conversations.
• The ever changing sky, the fact that sunset happens every day and I very often get to see it and get my breath taken away!
• A new work playlist consisting of songs that I actually like and want to sing along to!
• A never ending supply of hugs :)
• Cafe Nero, Mochas with cream, and nice Cafe Nero employees who give me extra stamps on my loyalty card so I get a free drink more often!
• A new Brooke Fraser album - Big Whoop!!! Check out this beauty...

• Only approx 6 weeks left in this 'oh so wonderful' Job!! :D
• Only approx 7 weeks left till my travelling adventure!!
• Planning genius creative plans (Can't say anymore right now as I'm planning surprises for a certain amazing person but these may find their way to the blog sometime in the future :P )
• For being able to buy wedding magazines and web-surf to my hearts content and not feel like I'm being naughty and jumping the gun. It's allowed cause I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!! :D
• Finding a new beautiful song that  inspires me and is re-teaching me to worship God...

• Cooking a yummy toad-in-the-hole from scratch that actually rose and tasted lovely!
• Sharing with friends what we were thankful to God for and massacring a toffee cake with a load of multi coloured candles and melted wax in the process - indoor fireworks!
• All my lovely friends and family who got excited with us about our engagement and sent lovely cards and messages of love ,support and prayer and very exciting homemade presents - yes especially you Leah and Sarah with your hilarious edited and personalised wedding magazines - you will be brilliant and beautiful bridesmaids! :)
• Wedding planning getting off to a relatively easy start! (lots more of this to share with you in future posts!)
• Having hair long enough to curl over my shoulder in a pony tail.
• It getting cold enough for me to break out my rather large collection of beautiful scarves :)
• Having somewhere to live until the wedding.
• Continuing financial miracles.
• Being loved by a God who loves my vulnerability and it being ok to be slightly scared and not have all the answers in life! He will walk with me every step of the way.
• Mike in all his perfectness - I'm not saying he's perfect, neither am I - but we are PERFECT FOR EACHOTHER! Thank you for loving me :)

Sometimes it's the simple little things...

I LOVE...

• Absolutely anything Peacock Blue - it makes me VERY happy! (Photo by my friend Naomi Bennett)
• Singing along to music in the car - especially with other people harmonising. Actually Harmonies and Singing in general - anytime anywhere!
• Sunsets and Sunrises. Sunrises are more effort to see and therefore more beautiful - trust me they're worth it :)

• Lush vocal arrangements (The only reason I like GLEE - I promise :P)
• The seaside in summer
• The seaside in winter
• The seaside at dawn
• The seaside at sunset
• Stargazing in the country - no light pollution = brilliant!!
• Weddings, especially the speeches and watching the Groom during the entrance of the bride - loveliness!
• Waking up and realising I have more time to sleep (I set 2 alarms half an hour apart every morning for this reason - mad I know!)
• 'It's a small world' moments.
• Hearing peoples stories/testimonies
• Photography - I'm not great at it but I do LOVE photos in general!
• A great melody that stays in your head for days
• Hearing someone humming something that you know they sub-conciously picked up from you days earlier :)
• Cheesy disaster movies - I will explain why sometime!
• Milk to drink, avacados to eat! (Not necessarily at the same time!)
• Converse trainers! Oh so many beautiful colours! I own 4 pairs - oops :P

(Photo from... http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs20/f/2007/248/6/f/Converse_Art_by_Aufrah.jpg)

• Having time to blog! (even though right now I should be sleeping! lol)
• Walking around barefoot - especially on grass or sand!
• God's timing, God's sense of humour :)
• Driving under rainbows.
• The smell just before/after it's rained.
• Thunderstorms in the summer - gotta love a good bit of thunder and lighting!!
• The Psalms and their author David. A whole biblical book full of songs and wonderful lyrics that quite often put the prayers I need to pray into words for me :)
• Lying in bed when it's pouring with rain outside!
• Eating ice (Weird I know lol) - the crushed stuff is the best (best thing about Nandos is that you get free re-fills with crushed ice on tap hehehe!)
• Writing lists - only recently discovered this one in my boredom at work. Lots more list blog posts coming up I feel :)
• Film music. Linked to my favourite video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk5_OSsawz4
• Quoting funny lines from films with my sisters - especially Shrek, Ice Age, Finding Nemo etc
• Disney - I won't deny it any longer, this is my childhood, Hercules is the best!
• Solo Piano music to work to. Anything by Ludovico Einaudi or on Whisperings Solo Piano Radio.
• Making Mix CDs for people I love :)
• How holding his hand is enough to make my day!
• His smile, his honesty, his integrity, his faith, his passion, his hugs, his bad jokes - Him in general :)
• Romans 8 v 31-39, Isaiah 43 v 1-4

That's all I can bring to mind right now, pretty sure this could flow into a second blog post sometime down the line. I love being thankful for all this stuff and realising how much of it there is :)

Incredibly Thankful For...

• Firstly, am thankful that in 2 weeks I will be living in a new house with internet so will be blogging lots and lots more than I have been, so sorry for my prolonged absence!
• Am soon going to be living with another gorgeous couple from church - really looking forward to getting to know these guys better :)
• That for the last 9 months I have been living with the absolutely wonderful Jones family, can't begin to explain how much of a blessing they have been. I haven't been around much recently (I am always with a certain someone :) ) and still they have been incredibly lovely and always there for a lovely chat, family meal, BBQ and much laughing! I am going to miss living there!
• I am beyond thankful for the totally amazing, generous, handsome, romantic, funny, strong, talented, thoughtful, loving, huggable, honest, open hearted MIKE VYCE. I LOVE HIM!! (manic little joyful outburst teehehe)
• Getting excited about the future
• The beautiful sunshine and amazing BBQs with friends - complete with Salmon, Venison Burgers and Bananas with Mars Bars :)
• Actually having a little bit of work to do at work! A real novelty! I like work, much better than hours of doodling, blue-tack art or spider solitaire lol!
• Friends weddings! Jess and Toby got married on saturday and the day was very them and soooo chilled out and beautiful, here's a couple of pics...

The Best Thing That Could Be Happening

The Best Thing - Relient K (Capitol USA (new release) (P) 2007 Capitol Records, Inc.. All rights reserved)

This song just about sums it all up right now, If I could write how this feels it would go something like this...

Please note: Mike and I are trying to ban the word cheesy from our vocabulary (at least all it's negative connotations), so what if it's been said or done before or it's a cliche, sometimes it just needs to be said or done :)

It's been a year
Filled with problems
But now you're here
Almost as if to solve them
And I can't live in a world without you now
All my life
I've been searching for you
How did I survive
In this world before you
Cause I don't wanna live another day without you now

This is the best thing
The best thing that could be happening
And I think you would agree
The best thing is that it's
Happening to you and me

All I'm gonna have
Is all that you can give me
And I'll give right back
Everything I have in me
Cause nothing ever felt as right
As this does right now
I'll go back to before we met
Try and erase the past
Try harder to forget cause
Nothing will ever be as good as here and now

Cause when I looked into your eyes
And you dared to stare right back
You should've said "Nice to meet you, I'm your other half"

And this is the best thing
The best thing that could be happening
And I think you would agree
The best thing is that it's happening
Happening to you and me

Always knew
I'd find someone
I never dreamt
It'd be like this
You've surpassed
All that I've hoped for and ever wished
And I'm tryin'
So hard
With all my heart and mind
To make your life
As good as you've made mine

This is the best thing
The best thing that could be happening
And I think you would agree
The best thing is that it's happening to you and me

The best thing is that it's happening to you and me
The best thing is that it's happening to you and me

There Are No Words...

I have nothing more to say right now other thats it's been an amazing week! Bring on more and more...... and more...... and more........ :)

Photo found: http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs13/f/2007/063/5/e/Heart_Cloud_2_by_HalitYesil.jpg

Massive List of Things to be Thankful For!

I am back to the world of blogging - oh yes I am! So sorry it's been an age and my life has changed a significant amount since I was last here. So much in fact I think I will have to update you a little at a time. Am going to start by sharing some lovely things :)

I am incredibly and wonderfully THANKFUL for......

• Becoming more and more aware that I am where I am supposed to be in the world for such a time as this! Bath is HOME this has never been more clear to me, a home I have made for myself, a place I miss if I am away for more than a few days, full of people that I love, an incredible church, wonderful friends! Thank You God that my degree brought me to this wonderful place where you clearly wanted me to be :)
• My two beautiful sisters! It's amazing how living apart has made us so much closer, I love catching up with you and sharing life with you, you make me laugh so much and bring me tons of joy - Thank You!

• Right now I am holding the hand of someone very special and wonderful and lovely. That's all I'm going to say about him for now :)
• Significantly changing lots of my travel plans (will update you all on this when I get more of a moment with the internet) hasn't cost me half as much money as I feared, in fact I have hardly lost anything and gained a whole lot - financial miracle whoop whoop! (these financial blessings seem to follow me around a bit - Thank you God that you are bigger than money - YOU OWN ALL THE DOUGHNUTS!! lol!)
• I really intensely dislike my job right now but I am incredibly thankful that at least I have one. It is allowing me to live in Bath and save for some wonderful things. I also work with nice people and we have a great laugh quite frequently. The things (i.e. cards) we sell in my shop also make people laugh and smile a lot - and that's nice :) (Must....try.....and.....find....the...good.....in......bad....situations......more!)
• Cous cous salads with lots of yummy veg for packed lunches! Very very yummy, cheap and something to look forward to in a long work day.
• Smiling - it's underrated, stress relieving, joy bringing, truth speaking and heart revealing - lets do it more!
• Walks in the park in the evening sun.
• Movie nights... lots and lots of movie nights.
• I had a steak for the first time in my life! YES Shocking I know lol! It was nice but not life changing I'm afraid though. Coincidentally (I am sure) my life does seem to have changed ever since I had that steak......... hmmmm interesting lol!
• For discovering that weird doesn't mean bad. I am very weird(i.e. amazing) but I am an original and I'm happy with that. 

'Today you are you that is truer than true, there is no-one alive that is youer than you!' 

- Dr Suess

• Finding more time to start songwriting again and enjoying it :) Watch this space...
• Finding lots of lovely free downloadable fonts on the web (www.dafont.com), and getting lots of ideas for lovely creative projects to use them in funfunfun! :)
• Two more friends weddings are coming up soon -  I Love Weddings!
• Wispa bars - Thank you Cadbury for bringing these back!
• Two of my cousins are having babies!! Let the next generation begin!
• Amazing friends
• Lovely family
• Knowing more and more that I am not in control and I don't know where my life may lead but that that is OK! Feeling strangely free because of this revelation, literally Thanking God for being in the driving seat!
• Peace, freedom, grace, breakthough, love, music, passion, friendship and cheese and marmite sandwiches!!!

That's all for now. Will post more soon :)

Thankful

Today I am thankful for...

* The amazing cleaning power of Vanish - because without it a white work shirt covered in tomato salsa would have been a disaster story! lol!

* Walking home straight into a lovely sunset! (just walking home in the light is a bit of a novelty at the moment!)

* Last week was a really good week, lots of little and big breakthroughs, tons of laughter, lots of friend time both with old and new friends = brilliant week!

* Painkillers that worked a lot better than they usually do, helped my day an awful lot! :D

* A headful of lyric/melodic ideas! yay! Watch this space..........

* Understanding a little more how my Father see's me and that what the world thinks doesn't matter!

Thankful

It is so easy to moan and find fault and I often go the whole day and sometimes a whole week and realise that I have moaned about so much and been thankful for so little! So here I go... here is a list as big as I can bring to mind at this very moment - hopefully this will help me start to counteract all that is in me that is ungrateful, selfish, self-centered, negative, stressed, worried and critical.

* I am loved unconditionally and perfectly by my maker. Continuously forgiven for all my stupid mistakes and inconsistencies, saved by Grace and living in Freedom. I am on the path to knowing life in all it's fullness and I know the Author of truth, light, hope and love. I will never understand or comprehend it all fully but the beauty is that I don't have to, this goes beyond any form of earthly logic or law and I don't have to worry for I am safe in the arms of the one who knows exactly how I work, think and feel and still loves me!

* I have a flippin' awesome church where I love being rooted, connected and part of building the Kingdom surrounded by the wisest, kindest, most inspiring and passionate people I know; people I am honoured to call my friends. 'Freedom Bath & Bristol' has done so much for me over the past 3 and a half years, they have helped me with spiritual and emotional breakthroughs, taught me how to cry, stood with me when it seemed like all around me was falling, celebrated with me when God made a way and provided answers to prayer, encouraged me, raised me up to use my giftings more confidently for the house, laughed with me on numerous occasions, taught me to have fun and enjoy this life as we live it all together whatever that life may bring our way!

* I have been blessed with a job with a paygrade and responsibility that I never expected for this season of my life. It is earning me enough to be living in the city I have grown to love and with the people I love, and enough to be paying for my fast approaching adventure! It is not always easy or fun but it is pushing me, shaping me and giving me skills that I'm sure in the future will help open doors!

* I have a home in Bath with an absolutely Gorgeous Family (Big up the Jones Family!). They have blessed me so much with their 'food-included' rent, home cooked meals, unlimited washing machine use, dinner time banter, family life (cat included!), a beautiful bedroom, big words of wisdom, prayer and love! Choosing to live in Bath would not have been possible without these guys!

* I have parents that have always been supportive of my dreams and passions, built me up, trusted me and rejoiced with me. In my newly independent 'left-home' situation they are always only a phonecall away and available for a catch up chat. I am so blessed to have parents that know God and therefore sort of understand where I am at and when I need prayer. I have two beautiful, talented little sisters that I adore and are always prepared with funny film quote banter when I need cheering up. We are so different yet so similar and I LOVE it! I also have an amazing wider family and I love the banter between me and my many many cousins! Whoop whoop for family!

* I have brilliant friends, both in Bath and further afield. People who I love spending time with through good times and bad who put up with my annoying habits and are always there to support me. We're are not blood related but we are family just the same!

* I am so thankful for the gift of music and for living in a world full of it! Music helps me convey my emotions and passion and joy in a way that I couldn't express otherwise!

* I have just bought a beautiful new camera and it will be arriving later this week!!! I love photography and I can't wait to get super creative with my photos! This was also a financial miracle as on Amazon this camera was £85 cheaper than it's RRP! A beautiful camera and a bargain - whoop whoop!!

* I am thankful for Porridge breakfasts! Breakfast is by far my favourite meal of the day but my recent discovery of porridge has taken this to a whole other level!

* I am thankful for and am loving the fact that I have lost a stone in weight!!!! OH YES!!! Only 2 more to go!

* I am thankful that I live in this modern tech-loving age, how did people survive without the internet!? I know and agree that technology hasn't always been for the better and in lots of ways has ruined our relationship and communication skills. But just the sheer fact that I can post this message and it can be viewed by people all over the world and how much smaller the world is with this tech simply astounds me - I am in awe!

* I am extremely thankful for consistent re-runs of friends on TV. There is nothing like relaxing after a long day at work in front of something that you really don't have to think about. I know it's a bit trashy and americanised but it makes me laugh and I am not ashamed lol!

* I am thankful that I am me, I am an original and I fit right here, right now exactly where I am supposed to be. I am full of hope and anticipation for the things ahead and excited to see what may come out of this little life of mine, and all of this because of the freedom I know in him - Thank You JESUS!

I am thankful for many many many more little things that fill my life, too many to mention. But it has worked, even writing these few things down I am already feeling a lot better. This little list is already a lot longer than the list of things I was moaning/feeling negative about before! Thank You God for everything!!