Home sweet home...

'There is no place like home' This is the phrase i have been using almost everyday since i have been home. After being signed off work for a month i decided to head home, what a good decision!
Even though i sometimes struggle a little with being home for various reasons i have so far loved every second of beautiful little H-Town. I am most definitely a social butterfly there is no doubt about that! I just love to be around people! I enjoy nothing better than being with people i love and care about! Being in H-Town has definitely helped with this. I have been home 2 weeks and thus far i have not spent a single day on my own or even said the words 'i'm bored' once! i have something to do and someone to see everyday, from chilling in Hartham to going to my favourite little vintage tea house for coffee dates, not to mention the yummy braai's that i get to enjoy with my south african family from
church!

Getting ready for a Braai

What i have enjoyed most about being home is catching up with people, because i am home for a month it is giving me a nice amount of time to catch up with friends and family and just to be around more, living life with the people i love most. I have also been going to Cell which oh my gosh i have missed there is nothing better in life than being able to sit in a room full of people and know that each one of them loves you for you, and that you can tell them anything and know they will love and support you through it. If it was not for my precious Cell i would truly be lost the prayer and love i receive from them is amazing!

My Bird

Precious Zoe

   

Adventure.... I love a good adventure! I love to just pack my bag and go somewhere, i have managed to go on a few adventures while i have been home which has made my heart happy. Me and jess ventured into London so even though it was not a new adventure it was still exciting because we always do something new! while we were there we got our feet eaten by fish! it was so bizarre but we had so much fun! nothing like making memories!

London, Camden. 

Jessie having her feet nibbled by fish!

'Be Still' this is what God has been telling me for the past 2 and a half weeks. Despite the fact my head and my heart are all over the place i know God just wants me to be still. This is something i find almost impossible to do, I know that as a Christian quiet time with God is super important, i would be lying if i said this is something i am good at because it really is something i need to work on. However despite how hard i have been finding it amongst this storm i know God is still, he does not panic or worry or get stressed out, it is with him my peace will be found. The 2 verses i am holding on to at the moment are 

'You need only to be still the lord with fight for you'

Exodus 14:14

'Be still and know that i am God'

Psalm 46:10

God Bless 

Its been awhile....

Hello there fellow bloggers, it has been a very long time since I've last blogged, I guess i figured it would be easier than I first thought . I know blogging isn't difficult in itself  but remembering to blog can be!

A little update.......

I am still living in the northern part of the country, I am still living with the same family, I am still working for the same church. So not a lot has changed but a lot has happened. life has not been easy, and there are many things I really struggle with. I love adventures, however even the greatest of adventures can become hard, tiring, and rather difficult at times. Its true what they say, life is a roller coaster.

The first roller coaster i ever went on! and it was only last month!!  

Its the little things.... This is what I find myself saying when the people who love and care about me in the south ask me why I find it difficult in the north 'its the little things' i say, things such as not having my own bedroom. This has taken some getting used to but I still find it difficult. It has however made me realise just how important it is for me to have me time, people that know me well know that I am a social butterfly, however if I don't get me time things start to get difficult. The thing I miss most about having my own room is praying out loud before I go to sleep I am a verbal processor this means with people and God, its kind of hard to just chat, rant, moan, thank...well anything really, out loud when someone is trying to sleep next to you.

Other little things like, not having my friends in walking distance, my favorite vintage tea house, my animals, church, my bed! All the things I took for granted. I was so keen to get out of little Hertford and now I miss it. Its true you don't realize what you have until its gone.

What I am so thankful for is even though its been a pretty tough time and I have essentially hit rock bottom and I have even tried to quit, along people keep asking me/telling me to move back home, the peace and assurance I have from God that the North is where i should be is incredible. There is no doubt in my mind that I'm not in the right place which is both great and frustrating at the same time. There is a small part of me that does just want to move home, life would be easier and more comfortable but I think within my spirit I would be uncomfortable.

God uses us when we are uncomfortable and a quote i say to a lot of my Jesus loving friends is 'we gotta get comfortable with being uncomfortable' this is a lot easier said than done. God is teaching me a whole lot and I have a lot of things that I need to do to ensure that I am of use to people and to God. I know God can use us in many ways, however it becomes harder for God to do so when we become tired, empty, resentful, bitter, angry. We have ownership of our bodies this means we have a responsibility to take care of it. I am currently reading a book called boundaries, as you can probably tell it is all about boundaries, this book is such a challenging read and really does help with all areas of life. Not only does it help us to understand where our boundaries lack it also helps us to put in place better boundaries. what i like most about this book is i reminds me that i do have a voice and i can use it so go ahead give it a read and find your voice!

God bless

Student life

So... Life in Lymm is getting easier! starting to get into a bit more of a rhythm, i do miss my family and friends from hertford but i just have to keep reminding myself that God has bought me here for a reason!
The little village i live in is B-E-A-UTIFUL!! Not loads here but it does make me just think God you are amazing! Everything is going well with the Instones i'm fitting in nicely into the family life really starting to feel like home now!

Student life... so i am currently in my first year of studying youth mission and ministry at cliff college. Even though it is distant learning so i don't actually spend hardly any time at all at the college i am loving it. i have made some great friends there, i am gutted i don/t get the whole uni experience but hey at least i'm not left with the debt! If you didn't get it by the title f my course it is a Bible college. i couldn't think of anything better than writing an essay and being able to talk about God in it! although i do find myself going into preach mode sometimes so i do have to watch myself... but i'm getting there.

Cliff is definitely challenging me academically i am definitely not an academic person, if it was not for auto correct the spelling mistakes in my blog would be hideous. in fact sometimes i spell things so badly auto correct is even like what you on girl!? I am pretty chuffed that so far my essays have not been to shabby, definitely got something to do with auto correct ;)

God Bless

For the Greater good...

Hey! so its been a little while since my Last post heres an update!

Unite was brilliant! even though it was not packed out with young people God moved in dramatic ways! Chains were broken! I got a chance to catch up with some of the young people from my small group at Re:Act and prayed with one of them! Prayer storm was phenomenal the speaker James did a fantastic Job! he spoke a 100 words a second but the young people really responded! We prayed for areas of Warrington and that God would move in them and we would be united for him! Very excited to see what God is going to do in warrington!

United we Stand.

So now that the church has said yes i have been exploring Lymm some more and it is a beautiful little village! (For the greater good) its small but lovely! Went for a prayer walk around the school with Darren and just prayed God would open and prepare the hearts of the students and teachers for Jesus.

The village (For the greater good)

I have got a great support network around me and i have a brilliant Family at YFC. Everything is going really well here! I am really looking forward to the national day of prayer at Wembley! on saturday the 29th os september. 20 of us young people are going to be in Gidion's army, this means not only that we get a cool free hoodie but we get commissioned and prayed for by Mike pilavachi, the ides is that we would take back the passion and enthusiasm back to our youth groups, towns, school, universities and see God move! Its going to be a great day!

I am back down south after the national day of prayer till the 3rd (wednesday) to pick up my belongings and my HAMSTER :D :D It will be a good time for me to spend with friends and family to say farewell and also my Dad's heart has deteriorated while i have been away so prayer for that would be great :)

thanks for Following me on this new adventure With God!

God Bless

Accepted...

So since my last post i haven't really been up to too much, in a way its been lovely just to not be doing anything and rest but also very odd as i was SO busy during DNA. During the past week or so i have been meeting people in and around the church slowly getting known and helping with things such as toddlers and 2 of the youth groups, its been fab but it gets better.

So i found out on tuesday i think it was that i have been accepted into cliff college! i'm super excited slightly worried about the work load but with support i'm sure it will all be fine! Also tonight was the church meeting to find out weather i would be up north for good and I AM! The meeting went really well! i left and it was just a waiting game! after coming out of church and walking 15 mins in the wrong direction! once i finally got home i got a phone call to say your in! What a relief!! God has totally been in this 100% and i am so excited to see what God is going to do with me here! The people here are so lovely! They have accepted me so well!

I have met the new WYFC worker Darren and i'm super excited to be working along side him doing detached and schools work along with other bits and bobs!! Unite is on tomorrow and its joined by prayer storm! chains are going to be broken! Unite is a monthly worship event for young people and around 70-100 young people will be there im' super excited! Going to be with the team all day praying chilling and just having fun!

This whole journey as really just proven to me if you step out and trust God 100% he WILL meet you and not let you down! Praise God!

where God leads he Provides.

Darren... Bless him.

                                                                        God Bless

                                                             

End of the old, Beginning of the new.

So DNA is over... for those of you that don't know, DNA is "your year in with God" its a discipleship year, its intense and challenging but i promise the best year of your life. It's so strange that its over, i miss the people, the team, the support BUT life goes on and God never leaves. DNA has helped my foundations in God become so much stronger and the love i have for Jesus keeps me going! 

The Family, forever in my heart.

So i did actually attempt to blog during DNA but as you can tell it failed. 

what now?

Well now starts the begging of my new adventure with God, the reason i am blogging is so the people that want to know whats going on in my life can follow!

Im sitting in my new bed well.... i'm just keeping it warm for Charlotte while she's at uni ;)

i'm in a new place, slightly odd place really these northern folk are a bit strange. While i'm full of excitement there is a slight ounce of sadness in me. It's not an easy thing to leave everything, your friends, family, church, town, cat.... With what felt like life just getting into the rhythm of things i felt God call me away. the whole 19 years of my life i have never left Hertford for more then 3 weeks at any one time so this was not easy, But i am not worried for i know God is 100% with on this journey and over the past few weeks the words i have had in my head the whole time are Step out, in fact i have had them words written on my foot for the most part. 

Why are you up north you might be asking.

I am up north with the possibility of working in a church (Lymm baptist church) in a youth/community role. I have met with the church pastor and a few of the elders and now i am just waiting for them to have there meeting and let me know there decision. I have been accepted into cliff college on the youth mission and ministry course, as much as i am excited to learn and be stretched, academic work is not my strongest point so i know its going to be tough but i also know i can do it. The family i am living with are incredible, i miss my host family on DNA ridiculous amounts and it broke my heart to leave such a loving and caring home full of God, but i have to say the acceptance and love i am receiving from my new family just blows me away. 

Sacrifice is never easy, thats why its called sacrifice.

God Bless

Start of something New

Today is the Start of something new, i believe those were the lyrics.

It's so easy to get lost in the simple things, just need to look a bit harder there the beauty lies.

So today i start my Blog,  please come join me on my journey of faith, sacrifice and love.

God Bless