Always room for one more....

Yesterday was chatting to a customer in the bookshop where I work, about how people bash church. (Lets be honest, we all do it at some point, sometimes out of frustration and sometimes just because we are in a bad mood and its an easy target.)

He said to me, that when people moan and bash church and say things like 'Church is just a place full of hypocrites ' in front of him. He likes to reply ' yes it is and there is always room for one more'.

I love this.... He gave me permission to rob this, as he had robbed it from someone else.

Be part of his church. Saints need not apply!

Billy and Rod...

Vintage Bookshop in Camden Market.


Seeing Billy Elliot at Victoria Palace


My Trip to London was very Good, thank you for asking!

We saw Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace, which was flipping Fab. Went shopping in Camden Market and Portabello and went and had Tea and Scones In the Harrods Cafe, where we ended up a pot of Earl Grey with Mr Rod Stewart and his misses...

Whoop whoop! Good Times.

Heading into the big city....

So I am off on a big adventure into London Town For afew dayz armed with my camera, my friend Panda and the air of possibility.

The plans, our random hostel, Portabello road, Camden Town, Tate Modern and the theatre. I would really love to go and see the Sherlock Holmes Museum ( am reading one of his mysteries at the moment )and maybe Kensington Palace.

Its a mini Adventure ( but with no mini car). Yeah !!

Love this!!!! Its so beautifull.

Fog music for teenage angst. Even though I am not a teenager..

There is a good tunes out at the moment. A song that I just can't seem to get out of my head (Stole that from Kylie) is by the Wombats and its called 'Jump into the Fog' its seriously a good tune, and to me conjures up all images like teenage angst. Love it....

(Above is one of my fave films to watch when I am in this mood. Sixteen candles. class 80's film, teenage angst galore! any of the film's by John Hughes, Breakfast Club, Pretty in pink, etc etc have genious Soundtracks.)

(Love this photo !)





Listen and enjoy X

Sunflowers and Birthday Cakes...

A Big Bunch of SunFlowers From Trina..I love them, they are like Small Sun stars full of happiness.
A card from my Young friend Ethan, He made it himself... Very Artistic
A seriously Delicious Birthday Cake, made Just For me from my friend Viva...Ummmmm...
And another One From My mum....

How truely Blessed am I ?

Very !

X

What Three Men are Teaching me!

(Isaac Blessing Jacob By Govert Flink.)

Abraham(Likes to distort the truth.)---Isaac (had a tendency to lie under pressure)---Jacob (robs his Brother's blessing.)

I am reading Genesis at the moment, around the mid 2o mark, and I am just thinking how mad it is. The line of Abraham to Isaac to Jacob has Gods stamp on it. They are all are aware that God is going to Bless them, and through them, bring about many nations, it starts with Abraham and carries on and yet all these fellas seem to mess it up quite nicely and some are even quite good at scheming and plotting.

Take Jacob, he basically gets his brother to swap his birthright for some stew , so he can reign it over him, then years later, when his dad is on his death bed, he tricks his dad into blessing him, not his brother and gets his mum, in on the act. Its crazy. He even wears his brother's clothes, gets his mum to make the Dad's favourite meal and wears pretend skin, so when the dad touches him, he feels like his brother. That is some serious scheming.

But whats most shocking is, through they all seem to get it pretty darn wrong at times, both Abraham and Isaac lie about their wives being their sisters at times. God is still persistent on blessing them and making them the Fathers of numerous generations.

In fact Jacob didn't need to pretend to get a blessing from his dad, as God had already chosen him.

Its mad... To me it's just a sign of Gods Unwavering Love and favour for me, he is going to bless me and bring me through, because he has already chosen to. I am highly favoured even though I at times will and do get it completely wrong.

Its Mad but I love it.

Weekend Maneuvers.....

Fun things I did this weekend with Catherine include visiting the Coventry Herber Art Gallery to see the Banksy style Graffiti Exhibiton and Dress up with some vinatge style clothes in the Dress Up Exhibiton (I rocked the gold glitter dress, fur coat and bizarre selection of Hats).

Fisrt time visiting the Transport Museum. FaceMasks. Nando's Chicken... Ummmm and general Chatting and being merry.

I love her, she's brilliant and Generally just fun and easy to be around....

The world needs more Catherine's .

Early Rising time warp !

This morning I set my alarm to go off an hour earlier, as I wanted to have an extended time with God . (I sound like a holy Joe,). So at 6 on the dot my alarm went off and I was flipping exhausted. But I some how managed to pull my body out of my warm toasty bed and grabbed my bible and started to read. Only I wasn't really awake yet, and it wasn't really working. so I decided a nice cup of tea would get me going and focusing.

So nipping downstairs, I put on the kettle and looked up, only to see the clock telling me it was quarter to 7. WHAT! Turns out, my clock upstairs is wrong, so all that effort of getting up, was for nothing. Needless to say, I thought, sack it! I am having time with God and am now running pretty late. So I thought I would become even more, by jumping on here..

So have a good weekend whatever you do. My Mate is coming to visit me, lots of chatting and drinking of tea to be had. whoop whoop!

Whatever you do have a good one.

Much Love. X

Love One, Dislike One....

Today I had some people who I know (I would like to call them friends, but I feel we are not quite there yet...) come specifically into our little Bookstore to tell me, I wont be seeing them for a while, as they are going to Prison . It should be said that these 2 people seem so far, like really decent people, who have just been handed a few bad turns and find themselves on the street. And I generally have a desire to see them free from the cycle they seem to be bonded in.

This is why I love our shop, I could never really see 2 homeless people, just nipping into a church to tell them this. I really love seeing them, even though they must think I am the most bizarre Christian Bookshop staff person going.

At the end of the day, we had another customer who likes to jeer and stare at me, Tell's me his sob story and wants me to tell him my personal details (you get the picture). Now he never crosses lines, (or he hasn't so far, believe me if he tried, just cause I am in a christian bookshop, doesn't mean I won't knee him in the man parts) , but I just feel its easier not to be around when he is. In fact, I don't want him to be in the shop period. He makes me feel horrible when I know he is jeering at me. (I am being very truthful here).

Both groups needs God and a listening ear. But I feel pretty bad that I am so against one and so for the other. It just shows what a hypocrite I am.

What is the christian response to this. I don't know. Maybe I need to try asking for my compassion ? Should I say something to the man, even though he is not really in a stable place...? Does my showing Gods love have to come second to my safety?

Monday Morning Thought !

The world has come to identify us, by what we hate and what we are offended by. Instead of by what we love or why we love.We are the offensive ones. Are we offending away from Christ or Towards him ?

-Starving Jesus By Craig Gross.

The Question concerning the Crossiant.Part 1

(Doesn't it look lovely? It was. Ummm.)


As a little treat to lighten up a dull Thursday morning at work. Me and my co-worker at the bookshop Anne, thought we would have some pastry Treats, to get the day started. So this morning, the first time I saw Anne she was holding a bag, with 2 fresh treats that had our name's on them.

Now mine was a lovely chocolate Croissant, Pain Au Chocolat.... Now before devouring this and a lovely cup of tea. I had to settle the bill for this tasty delight. But Anne, said she didn't want any money for it. We then proceeded to discuss this. Me trying to get her to take some money, Anne saying no. Then in Blow to the discussion she turned to me and said ' Why do you find it hard to take the blessing?'

Ouch! many people have asked me this question. Not just blessing's but compliments or positive words spoken over me. People have recognised this in me alot...and I thought I was getting better with accepting this stuff...

Is this a Claire thing, or an English thing. I know that an English trait is to 'apologize profusely even when it is certainly not your fault'. Does this come under the same category. And can I learn the art of being blessed without feeling like I am taking the P***.

I shall be Pondering this issue for the next few days, and I will let you know, how it goes. (I know you can't wait, its riveting stuff.)

Exposing Truth in Lyric's...

I was listening to a song By Sara Groves and I thought I would share her lyrics. I especially love the line' And to say that the devil made me do it, is a cop out and a lie'. I love the way she makes her feelings so bare and exposed in her music, no fear of showing the imperfection's of her character...

'She taught me to fear the serpent
I'm learning the fear myself
And all of the things I am capable of
In my search for wisdom, acceptance and wealth

And to say that the devil made me do it
Is a cop out and a lie
The devil cant make me do anything
When I'm calling on Jesus Christ

Remind me of this with every decision
Generations will reap what I sow
I can pass on a curse or a blessing
To those I will never know.' - Generations By Sara Groves...

Hurry up Spring...

This morning I got up and I longed for it to be Spring already. I was trying to talk myself into believing that the season is practically here, but my mum brought my back to reality. We are still very much in winter...( above are some spring style pictures to keep you going).

I Love spring, I love Hot cross buns and being able to sit outside, flowers in bloom and Easter. The beginning of new life and tweet of the birds outside. Winter has been fun, but I now feel it is starting to out stay its welcome and is being quite rude.

Our birds that come and say visit our bird table in the back garden, I can tell, feel quite fed up with it. I am sure, I heard them tweeting to one another of their annoyance, one seemed to be getting quite peeved with the climate and mentioned something about the south of France.

And if the weather reports are to be correct there is still more snow to come....

The little bird might have been on to something....

Afternoon Tea With Stephen Fry..

Today i just finished reading Stephen Fry's book 'the fry chronicles' its his autobiography up to a certain point in his life and is was a delight to read. Loved every minute of it and even had to google a few things he mentioned as they sounded quite interesting.

This English Eccentric is I feel one of our best treasures over here in blighty and everyone I speak to, all seem to want to marry him even the men. (One sales assistant in well known bookstore in particular). I know I don't have any chance or marriage, but I would settle for a coffee, no wait, scratch that, as I don't drink coffee and I feel it would be an insult to the dream and therefore only right that I drink earl grey using cups and saucers with Stephen Fry...

I urge you to read the book, you will then also want to have afternoon tea with Mr Fry, it's inevitable...

No Resolution's just Growth...

As the calendars are brought and the digits at the end of your phones digital date move up a number, the first rainy day of 2011 draws to a close. One is asked a similar question repeatedly ‘what is your new year’s resolution?’ I reply quite drably ‘haven’t got one’ I could reel off the usual, that people like to say’ lose a few pounds, get healthy’. But I am afraid I am a true believer in ‘Carpi Diem’ ceasing the day, doing it when it need to be done, not because the date fits to start something today. If you want to lose a few pounds you don’t need to wait start today.

As a Christian, I look at this question from a different angle. Dare I say the question should be slightly altered for me from ‘what are your resolutions for 2011’ to ‘what do I want to grow in with God in this season?’ to be honest I could reel off a whole load of stuff. (But you don’t want to hear all my ramblings to God. You do! I will email you.)

I would say something I would love to grow in, is my vision from God and the clarity of perceiving it. And my passion for God. I pray for passion all the time, seriously, I totally hog that prayer, but I still want more. It may be a selfish request, but I long to be aflame with his heart.
But again I don’t have to wait with God, till the proper time matches up, any day i can boldly ask him for this. He loves me coming and chatting to him, to share my thoughts and I listen to what he has to say.It not just for the start of the year but for all the year..

So if you have made a resolution, I hope you stick to it and keep strong in the vision, but I know that a lot of people come February 1st have given and feel guilty. That’s why my way is better (I do sound high and mighty don’t I ) but, I know I am going to screw up with mine, there will be times when I can’t be bothered to pray for passion or want to pray for clarity of vision as much as a school boy prays for the a visit to the headmaster. But God never puts shame on me, he just dusts me off, throws some grace on me, turns me again to the route I was on and picks up his pom poms and continues to be my best cheerleader.

Whatever you look to achieve this year. May God be all over it...and may you be looking towards him for growth...