40/365

Answered prayer muchly...

Sandra wants to 121 together!

And had a lush swim in her pool, so cool in this humidity...

Ok, so will catch up on all the lush times and things after holiday and camps... God willing.

... how lush!!

39/365

Was telling Steffy last night about all the cool animals we saw at the zoo - tigers, monkeys, giraffe, zebra etc and some really odd funny looking animals i've never seen before or heard of, and how amazing and creative and imaginative and fun a God we have!

Going on holiday tomorrow for a week, then off to Taunton 2 camp, then back for a week then off to Contagious Camp, then back for 2 days and then holiday club and there passes august! SO probably won't be expressing how lush things are and how kind and generous God is and how thankful i am for his many mercies, regularly for a month!

But hey! Summer...
How lush!

38/365

London zoo today - 1st time i've been to a zoo for like nearly 20 years! (ARGHH!) The lovely Alix tipped a wink at the gate and got us in for free, whihc was so very kind of her!! AND we got her educational speel on some parts of the zoo too! i know lots now about zoo things! Animals!

Lunched on Primrose Hill beforehand, twas gowgous and the view over London from there is awesome! I am learning just how much green space there is hidden in this city! Surreal conversationt hat made me laughed...
Pippa: This is so nice, can't wait to blog about it later

(brief conversation follows about blogs, are they just showing off, if i were still in hull would i be blogging so much etc, appreciating Gods creation and the new adventures here though right guys? Seeing so much cool stuff!)

Matt: Don't blog that we were here or Kate Moss will find out where i live (?) and keep stalking me (??)

Alix: Oh yeah right!

Matt: Seriously, she'll be ringing the doorbell

Pippa: well i'll answer with a saucepan and hit her over the head with it (too much sin, i mean sun!)

Alix : no need, just blow (makes blowing noise) and she'll float away

Pippa: yeah, to never neverland, or greenland, or iceland!

Alix: Erm yeah? That popular holiday destination never neverland!

You had to be there
We were
It was lush

37/365

Today Nigel, Jo and baby Megan came to visit, haven't see them for 10 months so was great to hang out and see how their doodling and watch them as a proper family now!

I thank God for Jo and the amazing impact she had on my life and how God used her to pull me, draw me, call me, bring me into his family and out of dutiful but rebellious religion and trying to be good enough, yet not trying that hard! She is so special to me and so patient and always there and always interested in us and how we're doing. She is truly the godly woman of Proverbs 31 in so many ways and the godly younger woman and yet older woman that trains the younger such as I in Titus 2.

And Nige is as wise and godly as ever and Megan is soooooooooo cuuuuuuuuuuuuute! So pleasant natured and not bratish or over demanding at all. She has the best parents! Who will seek to bring her up to fear and love the Lord.

... How lush!

36/365

Teaching Jonah in Sunday school this morning. Seeing how very reluctant he was for people he regarded as not good enough to hear Gods message. Even though it was of repentence! How he tries to run away from the sovereign God - duh! How he represents the state and standing before God of the hard hearted, disobedient and rebellious northern kingdom. And how i'm just like him so very often!

Sorry God for not being about you and your gospel glory and your sovereign plan very much at all.

35/365

Matts job review going well...answered prayer...

The last youth group of this academic year, and it going well...

The church hall in summer - so cool and not hot at all! SO we're not moaning now!

The girlies bringing me gowgous flowers and Casey's little thank you speech.

A night off and a day off!

... How lush!

34/365

Enjoying a hot summers evening, eating a chinese takeaway and chatting to Andy and Kirsty til late at Oak Hill.

Seeing 2 gorgous flutterly butterflies!

... How lush!

33/365

My last 121 of the year with Kate. Finishing Titus and both of us learning what we didn't expect, seeing afresh in this little letter the emphasis of grace.

... How lush!

32/365

Had my job review today with Al. Praise God that in my weakness and lack of being able to do everything and save the world i am humbled and encouraged that in his grace God chooses to use such as me.

...How lush!

31/365

The inspiration of the wife of noble character in proverbs 31 - instead of feeling down cast and a failure i am encouraged to try and be more like wisdom in this way!

Bethany telling us at 425 that the type of life Jesus offers us is "returnal life"!!

An exposing difficult challenge from my lushly wise friend on the phone this evening...who knew just how far to push it... hard... but the expectancy that God will work through and in these issues i face and sustain me in his grace i cling to!

Confirmation service - getting to see a real life bishop in a funny pink dress (that i SO love) with a weird crook walking stick thing and saying endless liturgy! A very new expereience for me! The joys of working in an Anglican church!

...How lush!

30/365

After a summer evening bbq, Matt and i going on an evening adventure roadtrip with 3 of our lovely friends, taking pimms and lemonade and heading for a country spot. Watching the sun go down by the Brent resevoir, chillin'!

... How lush!

29/365

Wandering down to Goddards Park Avenue (!), i mean Golders hill park with Luke and Alison, watching the sun set on the hill, swinging like kids on the swings and wondering what heaven will be like, how much we will know of our sin and of each other, how old will our new bodies be and asking all those questions with guess answers that we don't need to know right now. We just know it will be glorious as we will be with our God.

... How lush!

28/365

Pomegranate and blueberry juice....mmmmmmmmmmm

A bbq lunch with macey and luke skywalker

Having a great wek with them here in our house

... how lush!

27/365

Honest and challenging grace admiring 121

Afternoon tea and praying with the godlier, older and wiser Jean!

Being treated by lovely friends to go and see Pirates of the Carribean 2!

... How lush!

26/365

Today Richard Coekin came to speak to us as a staff team. What he said was truly inspirational, and to top it all he's down to earth and eager to get to know us, who he'd never met before and may not see again til glory! His insights on church planting and strategy were challenging and action provoking. Matt and i get so inspired by people like this that we just want to go straight out with God and do these great gospel endevours.

He spoke of how important it is to identify godly men who have ability to teach and mange the household of God and to train them and have them as elders and pastors. Though I fully agree it did make me think that we mustn't be guilty of favouritsim in our churches, we mustn't make those who don't fit this gifting feel inferior or unwanted. We must love and applaud and encourage the servant hearted and the humble of faith, we must rejoice in them as trophies of grace, as much as the loud, confident upfront Mr Evangelical Super star! We must hold in tension desiring the greater Word gifts but being God like in our thinking of our brothers and sisters, remebering 1 Corinthians 18-31.

Also great things today were enjoying chicken enchaladas (or however you spell it) cooked for us by Luke and Macey, chatting for the 1st time on msn to mum (she's finally cracked it!), and getting to Sainsbury's to find that white choc chip cookies, ribena and pomegranate juice are all on special buy 1 get 1 free type deals!

...How lush!

25/365

Small children at youth group, four and five years old, wanting to write on their pictures and asking "how do you write Jesus is amazing?"

... How lush!

24/365

The days and times are all weird on this thing and i don't know how to fix them!

Having a great sunday school today, where the kids really got the fulfilment of the temple in Jesus and in us, the church!

... How lush!

23/365

Wow - what a great day! Not only do i get to spend 24/7 with my ace mates Alison and Luke, but this morning Alison and I set off for an exciting time in Shaftsbury Avenue, at studio 52, a photographic studio, to have professional modelling pictures taken! I had won a prize to have a champagne filled, makeover and pampering and then photo shoot!

It was amazing! I am gonna try and post 1 of our photos on here but it may be too big so will have ot get hubby tohelp downsize it! Then we went to Camden to buy nose studs form silver susie and generally chill, then we had dinner at Wagamamas, which was divine, and finished off at a pub/bar called Lush!

... How Lush!

22/365

The grace of God that trains us to say no to ungodliness and live godly lives now while we wait for our dear Jesus to appear and take us home.

Doing good to my friend and hairdresser Emma, pleading with God to save her, also enjoying her doing my hair!

1 day til Macey arrives!

... How lush!

21/365

When things are not lush, when my body is weak and prone to sickness and fatigue, in my frustration and sadness at this, I rejoice and long for my perfect body to be revealed and to be in it for all eternity.

20/365

So great to be reunited with very dear friends and to see and hear about the work of God in their lives. Also to be stirred up to pray and maybe oneday think about going to the dark oppressed country of Italy, where Emiliano looks round and sees so little happening in most places for the true gospel and the true and living God. hmmm...

Our lovely homegroup, and the beneficial studies in 1 Thess we've done this term. Praise God that He will do it, it ebing i guess everything but here our sanctification!

... How lush!

19/365

What a weekend! An awesome study morning at church yesterday on Heaven and Hell, amazing danish pastries there that Brenda made!! MADE!!!!
Then seeing my lush bro and shizza, and going to Graham and Ali's leaving party as they say goodbye and head to Tazzie. Alys and Rosie had grown so much in 10 months! Very sad to know we probably won't see them for a few years, but great to see them start a new chapter of their lives, serving God at this new church family in Hobart.
Church family picnic today in the garden, a great time in Sunday school! Watching the O.C and BB new house twist! And to come, Abi and Emi staying over tomorrow and Macey and Luke arriving friday! Isn't God sokind and loving, providing these Christian family just when i need them...

... How lush!

18/365

A friday night with Sushi, good wine, great friends, the view from the top of the OXO tower, a romantic walk along the south bank, with all the lights of London glistening on, stumbling across a jazz band in the open air, the city that never sleeps...

And a filthy kebab on the way home...classy? no. tasty? yes. regret the chilli and garlic sauce tomorrow? maybe!

... How lush!

17/365

God is teaching me so much right now, i can barely swallow it, let alone digest it...

Jeremiah 32:36 - 41, through the new covenant this promise is for new testament believers also. And what a promise! V41 - God says " I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul". Hang on a minute! God, is so concerned for us to make the land and so to persevere in his sustaining grace, that WITH ALL HIS HEART AND SOUL, all Gods heart and soul, he will get us there!

What more can he do? If i did something with all my heart and soul that's be quite intense, if we took all the desires of the world and all the heart and soul energy behind those that'd be very intense! But all Gods heart and soul! Could there be any intensity of desire greater! NO! I will still be a Christian tomorrow, next year and beyond (if Jesus hasn't returned) because God will get me to the land of heaven, with all his heart and soul!
... HOW FLIPPIN' LUSH!!!!!

16/365

In the midst of the darkness, the depths of doubt about my whole life, my ministry and my future, sustaining grace is there, holding me, reminding me to dream a dream of perseverence, when i feel like throwing in the towel!

...how lush