Cakes and Champagne....

Elbow - 'Lippy Kids' (Live at Blueprint Studios)

The song above is my anthem at the moment, I heard it the other day on the radio..

It was one of those moments where the song, the lyrics, the melody, literally take your breathe away, it was a crazy day, noise, busyness and tiredness was my state of mind. But I swear the world just became quiet for those few moments of the song. It was like God said 'Claire, this tune is amazing , I know you would love it, so I will make still the world for you, for a few minutes, so you can appreciate it.

I love that God draws so near to us in all different ways, music being an intense and powerful way... and I love the way God says ' I want to be sharing this with you...'

One comment underneath the song on YouTube says 'this song makes you want to smile and weep at the same time' I agree...

Enjoy.xxx

Happy People...

I love it when churches come together and take action. This week In Coventry there was an event, that went on throughout the whole week called 'Christ in the Precinct' where there is singing, face painting, chatting, praying and getting to know people.

Yesterday I was on my lunch break at work and went and joined them for abit.

A Church was signing 'Everlasting God' and they were really starting to shout out a joyous praise. Next thing all Christians in the vancinty started to just spontaneously dance and sing, it was like a praise flash mob, not one to be left out, I got right in there, with my ham sandwich in one hand and a banana in the other and it was brilliant.

People saw that God gives you Joy and happiness and a reason to dance like a loony in the middle of the street. So much so that people walking by, started to join in and dance. They wanted to join in...the happy dancing....

This morning in church my pastor said the Church 'should be famous for love not judgement', what about famous for happy dancing with joy rather than reserved people trying to fit in with society.

There was a moment when I was in the middle of the crowd thinking ' look how I've changed' I was one of the people looking at them thinking 'Muppet's' but also wanting to join in, but never showing that side....

Thank you God that I have the best reason to get up and dance in the middle of the street, and that your sons and daughters are blessed ....

Yes I am a loony, and I gladly am for him....Jesus...

Keep dancing people...
XX

Wait and listen

Wait. Author Unknown.

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master who gently said, "Child, you must wait."

"Wait You say wait!" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word

"My future and all to which I can relate
hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I’m needing a ‘yes’ a go-ahead sign,
Or even a ‘no’ to which I can resign.

"And Lord, You promised that if we believe
we need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I’ve been asking and this is my cry;
I’m weary of asking! I need a reply!"

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate.
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and tout
And grumbled to God, "So, I’m waiting. . . for what?"

He seemed, then to kneel and His eyes wept with mine,
And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

"All you seek I could give and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want – but you wouldn’t know Me.
You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You’d not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.

"You’d never experience that fullness of love
as the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You’d know that I live and I save . . . (for a start),
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

"The glow of My comfort late into the night.
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that’s beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.

"You’d never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that ‘My grace is sufficient for Thee.’
Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,
But, Oh the loss! If I lost what I’m doing to you!

"So be silent, my child, and in time you will see
that the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me
And though oft’ may My answers seem terribly late
My most precious answer of all is still, "WAIT"

I found this poem about 3 years ago in the back of a sale book. And it speaks to me as much today as back then. Waiting is hard, flippin smegin hard, especially when you are having to wait in a place you would rather not be.( and you are a mad head walkabouta like me). Today me and a friend were chatting about Listening to God, we both find it hard to listen clearly, but even more so when we are in a place or season we want to move on from..

And Yet...

I love that it is here that God can do some serious stuff in the season of someone waiting... I admit I Feel like sometimes I must get on Gods nerves with my moaning and groaning and yet deep down he knows, I know, I need to deal with some stuff before I can move on...

arhhh, so lord until you say go....

I Wait and listen......

I am only one.....

'I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.'-
Helen Keller

See Beauty !!!

(saw the above picture, dont know who the artist is but love it..)

I love the below story...robbed it off a random site..


'Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.

One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.

His bed was next to the room’s only window

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end.

They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation..

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.

Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats.. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man could not hear the band – he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days, weeks and months passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.

She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.



As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, ‘Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'

Beauty is everywhere, take 2 minutes today to stop and see...

xx

Dublin: Post Trip....

Lots of walking... Lots of talking....Lots of good things were seen....Good times. xxx

Dublin...

I am off to Dublin for few days with my mum to see the sights.. Its my mothers day treat to her... How good am I ? (I got them really cheap) even though a bit late...

I am gonna be a serious geek and go and see loads of Oscar Wilde stuff, (if there is any ? need to look in the guide book) 'the Picture of Dorian Gray' is one of my all time favourite books...he is a brilliant writer...(that's him in the top picture) and a famous Library... How rock and roll am I?

see you in a few days....xxx

I am a walking hypocrite !

I read this from a Blog called 'Red Letter Christians'. Its Tony Campolo's blog with friends, The below post is from a post called 'Faithful Christianity means a walking hypocrite' By Andrew Marin and I really thought it was interesting...

Read On....

'I prayerfully wish I had the strength and courage to always practice what I preach. I don’t. I prayerfully wish I had some supernatural power to not get so pissed when I feel stabbed in the back. I don’t have that either. I prayerfully wish I always thought the “right” thoughts – pure and holy on a number of different topics. As much as I seem to try, it never quite works out. I prayerfully wish I had the drive to read the Bible and pray for hours on end everyday (let’s throw physical exercise in that category too). Not so much. I prayerfully wish I had to the ability to take-back a bunch of situations where I’ve deeply hurt people, whether intentionally or not. But that’s not going to happen. I prayerfully wish I could have a Jamba-Juice-style-brain-memory-boost to remember things better and more rightly, so that I would never be embarrassed or ashamed or nervous to speak about my memories. Well, nothing points to that happening either.

I carry a bunch of guilt and shame and doubt everyday of my life. And it scares me to death that I’m leading folks in the wrong direction. It’s been really hard for me to ‘get up’ to teach recently (not normal for me!) because all I want to do is honor God through my actions and my words while simultaneously honoring all of humanity in the same breath; which I know I’m trying to do, but in a God-fearing way not sure I actually ever accomplish.

But the more I think about it the more I am coming to a new conclusion I’ve never thought about before:

You will never feel like a hypocrite if you’re not intentionally, boldly and sustainably living a countercultural faith in real-time in the public. (and by “public” I’m not referring to media or blogs, I’m referring to your own life, family, friends, co-workers and community)

Here’s the kicker: That’s why it’s so easy for the critics and gatekeepers out there to point a finger at those of us who are. It’s because they legitimately don’t feel like a hypocrite because they’re not living a distinct life that puts them in situations where the real-time juxtaposition of life, faith, action and reason all come together in one big cluster-f&%*. And it’s in that moment that the humbly faithful feel like a hypocrite. '

What you think ?

Tiny lights....

So In a few mintues I will be heading out the door, to go into town, to be giving out free hot chocolate and biscuits to the youth that all gather in groups in town. We and some fellow church members go out with a view to just be a listening ear and a person who tells them they are appreciated... which they are. Whats some of these kids go through, I can't imangine.. We don't preach, but we dont hide who we are either.

It always crazy doing this, you always wonder how they will receive you, and you can never judge it, but we just want to go and let them know there is light in their darkness of this night, and carry a bit of Gods light in us, so they feel his love towards them, sometimes you get a chance to pray other times they couldn't give a **** .

I love doing this, its not for everyone, I know.. but I love the thought that there is no place, no darkness big enough for these kids to hide from Gods love and light, I love telling them, Gods love is never unrequited, unlike the world's....He loves them. If I only say one thing tonight, that is it....

May there be a faint new spark tonight in someones heart...

I feel very snail like today...

SLOW...I feel like I have been battered a bit...

Because of my Lack of Sleep, I feel like I just need to sleep for 2 days....

I wish...but its not gonna hapen...

off to bed, goodnight...

Weekend with the family...

Random shots of the weekend . went to the cotswolds and out for a wee drinkie,, which wasnt so wee after all...Spending time with my scottish family .

Happy days..x