October 18, 2008
Field Hockey
Today I saw my first live field hockey game. My flatmate and also my co-worker, Jane, plays for the Norton Hockey Club and today they had a match on the pitch between her team and Durham University. I endured near hypothermia (the ocean wind blew in my face for two hours) while standing on feet that became so cold I couldn’t feel my toes even though I was bundled in all the warm clothes I brought with me plus my flatmate’s thick winter coat. After all that, the match was a draw as the final score was 1-0 Norton. I found it interesting watching 22 women run around a field the size of a soccer field while chasing a bright orange ball with little sticks but by the end of the match I still had no idea as to the rules of the game. I just hoped I cheered at the right time and didn’t embarrass Jane too much. Hopefully I will get to watch the footie (football) live while over here; I just need to find people with whom to go with as the fans can be out of control at times.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Ok God, I'll trust you but...
October 15, 2008
Ok, God, I’ll trust you, but…
Sometimes I amuse myself and then I think if I find amusement in my own illogical reasoning, how much more God gets amusement out of the silly things we try to do. It seems that whenever I want to trust God for something I always put a stipulation on it. Why is it so hard to simply trust him? God says to have “faith like a child” but I think most of us are very young when we loose that faith in humans. Maybe it was the time I jumped in the pool and my dad let me go all the way under water before grabbing me and then I was always cautious when jumping in the pool if someone said that they would catch me…would they really? Or maybe I lost it when I realized that mommy couldn’t take away the pain when I scraped my elbows when I crashed on my purple scooter…I trusted that she could make me better, but why did my elbows still hurt? Would all my scrapes hurt? I’ve naively thought that in my growth in my relationship with Christ that eventually things like trust would come more easily and naturally, or that I would reach a point when I would have completely mastered faith and could then move on to master other areas of the Christian walk. Maybe, among other things, it is one of those areas that I will always struggle with. It seems that as I’ve become older and the issues in my life and this world have become more complex it has also become more difficult for me to trust God. I find myself in a lack of faith resulting in putting stipulations on my prayers; “God, I’ll trust you to find a mate for me but only if you find one within the next 5 years” or “God, I’ll trust you to put me in the place for a job that you want me but it has to be on the west coast of the US.” My favorite one I caught myself doing was this “God, please keep me healthy and strong physically and be able to manage my weight better but please allow me to still eat icecream.” Huh!? After I prayed that the other night I stopped, thought about it, and then laughed out loud. I imagine God saying to himself, “Oh, my daughter, why don’t you trust me wholly in all areas of your life whether they are major or minor things. Don’t you know that I have plans for you? Plans to prosper you and not to harm you? Plans to bring you hope and a future?” Unlike my experiences with putting my faith and trust in humans, God has never let me down, he has always provided, always been faithful to me. Sometimes I forget about the things which I am trusting God to provide for me on a daily basis; food, clothing, a job, health, a roof over my head, a church family, friendships, finances, safety and protection. I trust him in these areas because in the Bible we are told not to worry about these things because God will provide. It isn’t until something doesn’t match up in my timeline that I start to doubt that God really does have plans for me. This is when I put stipulations on my prayers; maybe I think that I can somehow show God how much I want something, how quickly I want it, and the specifics about what I want as if God was a Santa Clause and I a child afraid that I will be given the wrong gift if I am not specific about what it is I want. How silly I must look to the God who created me and sustains me when I pray these silly prayers out of a lack of faith and a doubting spirit. This is just a reminder to trust everything to the one who provides everything. Man is limited, but God is limitless.
Ok, God, I’ll trust you, but…
Sometimes I amuse myself and then I think if I find amusement in my own illogical reasoning, how much more God gets amusement out of the silly things we try to do. It seems that whenever I want to trust God for something I always put a stipulation on it. Why is it so hard to simply trust him? God says to have “faith like a child” but I think most of us are very young when we loose that faith in humans. Maybe it was the time I jumped in the pool and my dad let me go all the way under water before grabbing me and then I was always cautious when jumping in the pool if someone said that they would catch me…would they really? Or maybe I lost it when I realized that mommy couldn’t take away the pain when I scraped my elbows when I crashed on my purple scooter…I trusted that she could make me better, but why did my elbows still hurt? Would all my scrapes hurt? I’ve naively thought that in my growth in my relationship with Christ that eventually things like trust would come more easily and naturally, or that I would reach a point when I would have completely mastered faith and could then move on to master other areas of the Christian walk. Maybe, among other things, it is one of those areas that I will always struggle with. It seems that as I’ve become older and the issues in my life and this world have become more complex it has also become more difficult for me to trust God. I find myself in a lack of faith resulting in putting stipulations on my prayers; “God, I’ll trust you to find a mate for me but only if you find one within the next 5 years” or “God, I’ll trust you to put me in the place for a job that you want me but it has to be on the west coast of the US.” My favorite one I caught myself doing was this “God, please keep me healthy and strong physically and be able to manage my weight better but please allow me to still eat icecream.” Huh!? After I prayed that the other night I stopped, thought about it, and then laughed out loud. I imagine God saying to himself, “Oh, my daughter, why don’t you trust me wholly in all areas of your life whether they are major or minor things. Don’t you know that I have plans for you? Plans to prosper you and not to harm you? Plans to bring you hope and a future?” Unlike my experiences with putting my faith and trust in humans, God has never let me down, he has always provided, always been faithful to me. Sometimes I forget about the things which I am trusting God to provide for me on a daily basis; food, clothing, a job, health, a roof over my head, a church family, friendships, finances, safety and protection. I trust him in these areas because in the Bible we are told not to worry about these things because God will provide. It isn’t until something doesn’t match up in my timeline that I start to doubt that God really does have plans for me. This is when I put stipulations on my prayers; maybe I think that I can somehow show God how much I want something, how quickly I want it, and the specifics about what I want as if God was a Santa Clause and I a child afraid that I will be given the wrong gift if I am not specific about what it is I want. How silly I must look to the God who created me and sustains me when I pray these silly prayers out of a lack of faith and a doubting spirit. This is just a reminder to trust everything to the one who provides everything. Man is limited, but God is limitless.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Laying down crowns
October 3, 2008
Laying down crowns
Today in church we sang a song with the words “we fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus”. While singing this song I began to think, “this song doesn’t apply to me, I don’t wear a crown, or do I?” I began to contemplate the “crowns” in my life, the things I treasure, the things in which I place my identity, the areas where my pride is found. Being honest here, I’ll list some; having the opportunity to live in England, my schooling and education, being an “almost” audiologist, being a daughter, a sister, my long-term goals in life. All these I hold into as if they were mine to earn, mine to maintain, and mine to keep forever. If I didn’t have a career as an audiologist to look forward to, what would my identity be? Instead, in the words of the song, we are called to lay all these “crown” or things we hold as important before Jesus. Not placing them as equal before him but placing them at his feet in an attitude of surrender and acknowledging his Lordship in our lives. So, as a Christian, what are the crowns that I should have? How about a career Christian; someone whose Christian life is exemplified in everything she does, how she interacts with other, and how she thinks about things. How about as a sister in Christ to the body of Christ and a child of God; someone who uplifts her Christian family, seeks wisdom and guidance from them, and finds encouragement in fellowship. Or, how about as a talented woman who uses the gifts God has given her and the opportunities He has made available to serve and grow while acknowledging who is the author and sustainer of her life. I think I’ll start to take off these heavy and burdensome crowns to put on the one crown of Christ. This has been my prayer this past week; that I would not cling to finding my identity in the temporary things of this world but would lay these before Jesus and seek after things which last.
Laying down crowns
Today in church we sang a song with the words “we fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus”. While singing this song I began to think, “this song doesn’t apply to me, I don’t wear a crown, or do I?” I began to contemplate the “crowns” in my life, the things I treasure, the things in which I place my identity, the areas where my pride is found. Being honest here, I’ll list some; having the opportunity to live in England, my schooling and education, being an “almost” audiologist, being a daughter, a sister, my long-term goals in life. All these I hold into as if they were mine to earn, mine to maintain, and mine to keep forever. If I didn’t have a career as an audiologist to look forward to, what would my identity be? Instead, in the words of the song, we are called to lay all these “crown” or things we hold as important before Jesus. Not placing them as equal before him but placing them at his feet in an attitude of surrender and acknowledging his Lordship in our lives. So, as a Christian, what are the crowns that I should have? How about a career Christian; someone whose Christian life is exemplified in everything she does, how she interacts with other, and how she thinks about things. How about as a sister in Christ to the body of Christ and a child of God; someone who uplifts her Christian family, seeks wisdom and guidance from them, and finds encouragement in fellowship. Or, how about as a talented woman who uses the gifts God has given her and the opportunities He has made available to serve and grow while acknowledging who is the author and sustainer of her life. I think I’ll start to take off these heavy and burdensome crowns to put on the one crown of Christ. This has been my prayer this past week; that I would not cling to finding my identity in the temporary things of this world but would lay these before Jesus and seek after things which last.
Redcar
October 4, 2008
Redcar trip
Sunday, after church, my flatmate, Jane, and I decided it was time to get out of the house. We
decided on traveling the Redcar; a very working class seaside town 
only 10 miles away. Bundled up in hats, scarves, mittens, and coats, we walked along the sand by the sea, wandered through amusing stores where they sell a little of everything and most of it I’m not even sure what it is used for. Hungry, we stopped at the oldest fish and chip (chippie) take away in England. And, even though it was freezing and our eyes and noses were running as bad as the leaky faucet in my bedroom sink, we couldn’t pass up some England icecream (yes, it is so much better than American!). My adventure filled weekend finally over, I’m back home preparing 
for the week ahead.
To get you all more involved, I decided to implement the “Where should Nancy go next?” game. You tell me where you would like me to go next; it can be a specific location or a site such as a castle, a church, a cathedral, a museum, etc and I will take picture and
then post about the location I visit.
Redcar trip
Sunday, after church, my flatmate, Jane, and I decided it was time to get out of the house. We
decided on traveling the Redcar; a very working class seaside town 
only 10 miles away. Bundled up in hats, scarves, mittens, and coats, we walked along the sand by the sea, wandered through amusing stores where they sell a little of everything and most of it I’m not even sure what it is used for. Hungry, we stopped at the oldest fish and chip (chippie) take away in England. And, even though it was freezing and our eyes and noses were running as bad as the leaky faucet in my bedroom sink, we couldn’t pass up some England icecream (yes, it is so much better than American!). My adventure filled weekend finally over, I’m back home preparing 
for the week ahead.To get you all more involved, I decided to implement the “Where should Nancy go next?” game. You tell me where you would like me to go next; it can be a specific location or a site such as a castle, a church, a cathedral, a museum, etc and I will take picture and
then post about the location I visit. Durham trip
October 3, 2008
Durham trip
This Saturday I decided to brave the Northeast England wind and rain to journey to Durham. I took an enclosed double-decker bus one hour north to the city of Durham and spent most of the morning and early afternoon touring Durham Cathedral. The history of this castle dates back to 1081-1096 and is built in the Norman/Romanesque style. Unfortunately no cameras are allowed because this is place of frequent pilgrimage and prayer. The cathedral is not as spectacular as York Minster
but there is a more solemn and humble feeling to the architecture. As a cathedral, a large portion of the grounds were the housing for the monks who lived and worked there. One of the reasons that it is a place of pilgrimage is due to the individual buried here; St. Cuthbert who died in 687 but whose body was later moved to the site of the cathedral during the Viking raids. In 1542, the Reformation brought destruction to the bejeweled shrine and now only a simple marble marker exists to indicate St. Cuthbert’s grave. St. Cuthbert is known for his gift of healing as well as his communal with nature; being dried by the breath of otters, fed by birds. In his time, many converted persons were reverting back to pagan traditions and superstition so he travelled throughout Northeast England teaching people and praying.
The remaining of the day I planned to visit Durham Castle but lost motivation and decided to wander through the cobbled streets and quaint stores. The weather became more severe and not being able to stop in at the coffee shop due to the queues, I decided to return to Middlesbrough mid afternoon. 
Durham trip
This Saturday I decided to brave the Northeast England wind and rain to journey to Durham. I took an enclosed double-decker bus one hour north to the city of Durham and spent most of the morning and early afternoon touring Durham Cathedral. The history of this castle dates back to 1081-1096 and is built in the Norman/Romanesque style. Unfortunately no cameras are allowed because this is place of frequent pilgrimage and prayer. The cathedral is not as spectacular as York Minster
but there is a more solemn and humble feeling to the architecture. As a cathedral, a large portion of the grounds were the housing for the monks who lived and worked there. One of the reasons that it is a place of pilgrimage is due to the individual buried here; St. Cuthbert who died in 687 but whose body was later moved to the site of the cathedral during the Viking raids. In 1542, the Reformation brought destruction to the bejeweled shrine and now only a simple marble marker exists to indicate St. Cuthbert’s grave. St. Cuthbert is known for his gift of healing as well as his communal with nature; being dried by the breath of otters, fed by birds. In his time, many converted persons were reverting back to pagan traditions and superstition so he travelled throughout Northeast England teaching people and praying.
The remaining of the day I planned to visit Durham Castle but lost motivation and decided to wander through the cobbled streets and quaint stores. The weather became more severe and not being able to stop in at the coffee shop due to the queues, I decided to return to Middlesbrough mid afternoon. 
October
October 1, 2008
Is it really October already?
Today I wrote 1/10/2008 on a form (yes, this is the way they put the date in England) and I couldn’t believe that it was already October. Have I already been here just over two months? The time is flying and in just over two months I’ll be home for Christmas. Is it just me or does time go faster as you get older?
Is it really October already?
Today I wrote 1/10/2008 on a form (yes, this is the way they put the date in England) and I couldn’t believe that it was already October. Have I already been here just over two months? The time is flying and in just over two months I’ll be home for Christmas. Is it just me or does time go faster as you get older?
Praise the Lord!
September 26, 2008
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
The words of the song To God be the Glory have been my first thoughts on waking up in the morning for the past few weeks. I have a heart full of praise because after much discouragement the Lord finally put me in the church I have been attending the past few weeks and is already giving me the Christian family and support I have been desiring since moving to England. I’m attending Middlesbrough Community Church which is the first church I have visited that has been alive! The diversity of individuals in the church is such an encouragement; intergenerational, new Christians, seasoned Christians, all worshiping together, encouraging one another, and reaching Middlesbrough for Christ. My first Sunday there I made the acquaintance of two girls my age and have since had dinner with them during the week and attended one of their lifegroups. One of the girls is from North Ireland and grew up attending a Free Methodist church there…so fun to meet another Free Methodist here in England. I hadn’t realized how discouraged I had become in the search for a church. I visited churches that preached God’s word but they weren’t alive, they weren’t growing, and they almost seemed to have become complacent and given up on making an impact in their city. I realized that I had begun to doubt that God would provide; but of course he would! To honor him with our worship and fellowship with other Christians brings him so much pleasure that who was I to doubt that God would take me to England and then leave me without my brothers and sisters in Christ. With a thankful heart, Nancy
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
The words of the song To God be the Glory have been my first thoughts on waking up in the morning for the past few weeks. I have a heart full of praise because after much discouragement the Lord finally put me in the church I have been attending the past few weeks and is already giving me the Christian family and support I have been desiring since moving to England. I’m attending Middlesbrough Community Church which is the first church I have visited that has been alive! The diversity of individuals in the church is such an encouragement; intergenerational, new Christians, seasoned Christians, all worshiping together, encouraging one another, and reaching Middlesbrough for Christ. My first Sunday there I made the acquaintance of two girls my age and have since had dinner with them during the week and attended one of their lifegroups. One of the girls is from North Ireland and grew up attending a Free Methodist church there…so fun to meet another Free Methodist here in England. I hadn’t realized how discouraged I had become in the search for a church. I visited churches that preached God’s word but they weren’t alive, they weren’t growing, and they almost seemed to have become complacent and given up on making an impact in their city. I realized that I had begun to doubt that God would provide; but of course he would! To honor him with our worship and fellowship with other Christians brings him so much pleasure that who was I to doubt that God would take me to England and then leave me without my brothers and sisters in Christ. With a thankful heart, Nancy
So now I know
September 29, 2008
So now I know
It took me awhile but I think I finally figured out why the hospital residences are so far from the hospital but right next to the mental hospital. When the employees start to go crazy they just escort them from their residence and next door to be admitted! There have been times walking back from work that I have seen individuals I would classify as slightly “strange”; they mutter to themselves, they stagger around, they are dressed oddly, and sometimes I wonder if they have escaped from the mental hospital or are hoping that some passerby will put them out of their misery and just admit them. It does bring me comfort that people like my house mate works there; he is a 6’5 300lb Scotsman that can appear quite intimidating if you are meeting him for the first time. Or maybe they just put him in our house since it seems that we are dubbed the “stressful jobs house” with my house mates working as surgical nurses, ward nurses, and then two audiologists under pressure to see all the patients on our waiting lists by Christmas. Just some humor for your day…got to love England!
So now I know
It took me awhile but I think I finally figured out why the hospital residences are so far from the hospital but right next to the mental hospital. When the employees start to go crazy they just escort them from their residence and next door to be admitted! There have been times walking back from work that I have seen individuals I would classify as slightly “strange”; they mutter to themselves, they stagger around, they are dressed oddly, and sometimes I wonder if they have escaped from the mental hospital or are hoping that some passerby will put them out of their misery and just admit them. It does bring me comfort that people like my house mate works there; he is a 6’5 300lb Scotsman that can appear quite intimidating if you are meeting him for the first time. Or maybe they just put him in our house since it seems that we are dubbed the “stressful jobs house” with my house mates working as surgical nurses, ward nurses, and then two audiologists under pressure to see all the patients on our waiting lists by Christmas. Just some humor for your day…got to love England!
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