ange's musings

thats what i have been up today and it has been so goooood, such a good day. the kind that makes me so thankful to be alive TODAY! quite ironic really cuz if i just looked at the potential its fairly bad weather outside especially for june 30th (my american friend casey is probably crying over it as i write!) and really i haven't any huge exciting plans today, but its just one of those days, when life makes me smile! lots! basically ended up making a wee pink and white bracelet for 4 year old laura who i live with who is at her birthday party right now - bella of the ball, she looked so cute in her pink fairy dress as she left today. knitting can only be explained in the fact that i have been knitting a baby blanket for my new niece isabelle rose gooding for too long, and to be honest she'll probably have learnt to knit herself by the time i finish it!!!! but the fact i managed to do some is a miracle in itself cuz i can only do it when chatting with friends or watching a movie

watch and remember

Prayers like gravel Flung at the sky's window, hoping to attract the loved one's attention . . . R.S Thomas still slowly reading and thinking about prayer a lot at the moment. i loved this quote from yancey's book, placed at the beginning of the chapter entitled 'why pray?' ultimately the chapter pretty much rounds up that we pray becauses jesus prayed. the time when he wept tears of blood was not on the way to golgatha or during his agonizing death but in the garden of gethsemane as he prayed - that was where the action was for jesus, so i think thats where i want to be most passionate too. jesus also prayed very little for himself but rather more for others - a challenge for sure! as yancey states although jesus prayed lots, his prayers as god in human form didn't remove the 'unknown and unpredictable elements' in his life. the disciples regularly surprised and dissappointed him - think about judas and peter. yet somehow those unpredictable elements a

been reading this really great book called 'the bumps are what you climb on' - its just got lots of little chapters of encouragement. today's was the last one and quite rightly was challenging us about our contentment and where we get it from. do i get it from my circumstances or am i more like paul? "there is not growth without challenge, and there is no challenge without change. if our lives are going to be isolated and insulated we will never face any challenges, but this means we will never have opportunities to mature. for mature people, life is a battleground, but they are willing to face the battles and, by faith, win the victories. for immature people, life is a playground; and they want to avoid battles but this means they hever have the joy of winning victories and growing in the lord" challenging stuff hey? recently i have been thinking a lot about my contentment and i know this year more than any other year of my short life so far i have had to face th

this evening i just had some really sad news from a friend who's had such a hard year that i haven't often known how she's coped. its news that seems unbelievably sad and unbelievably hard, trying to pray for her seems even harder, knowing what to say, knowing that really i can't say anything, i'm lost, confused and know that my only hope for her is found in Him. this song by rita springer, brings me to my knees, as i think about her. i have to believe that He sees my darkness. i have to believe that He knows my pain. I have to lift up my hands to worship. Worship His name. i have to declare that He is my refuge. i have to deny that i am alone. i have to lift up my eyes to the mountains. it's where my help comes from. He said that He's forever faithful. He said that He's forever true. He said that He can move mountains. And if He can move mountains. He can move my mountain. He can move your mountain too. i have to stand tall when the wind blows me over.

so i've just started reading a book by Phillip Yancey on prayer, his exploration as a pilgrim thinking about that great and mysterious thing we do all the time - prayer. just wanted to share some comments and quotes from the first couple of chapters which describe a little of why we all yearn to pray, to be in connection with the uncreated one, so here they are. "The reason why we pray is simply that we cannot help praying" William James "After twenty years of listening to the yearnings of people's hearts, I am convinced that human beings have an inborn desire for God. Whether we are conciously religious or not, this desire is our deepest longing and most precious treasure". Psychiatrist Gerald C May Confession: "God, if these people knew about me, what you know about me, they wouldn't listen to a word I said" Hadden Robinson "I cannot receive healing unless I accept God's diagnosis of my wounded state" Phillip Yancey "On

Until today there has been a definite lack of posts because facebook really is taking over my life - its worrying! What I first joined I was verbally damning and thought it was just another annoying thing to deter normal lovely communication but its turning out to be rather dominating and I need to set that right. Will endeavour to in the next few weeks.

Just made a great discovery - I have to believe an album by Rita Springer, an amazing solo singer who worships like she knows Jesus so intimately and so passionately. Her voice is beautiful and I am excited cuz I'm leading worship tomorrow morning and we're gonna listen to her for 20 mins. Her lyrics are so heartfelt its great. At church Andrew's been speaking on the presence of God and focussing on how God's power is in his presence............isn't that amazing? Beautiful! Astounding, absolute wonderful. He loves us, though he doesn't have to, he saves me from myself, he blesses me with his presence and gives us his power. What a God I know!

Wooo hoooo! Very excited at the moment as I've just yesterday in fact booked a flight to Chile, el loco geographica as people call it, meaning a crazy geography mainly due to its unique shape and diverse geography. Anyways I am leaving on August 24th for just over 5 weeks of fun and frolics, practicing medicine whilst exploring the fabulous country and enjoying its varied delights at the weekends. The even more exciting thing about the whole trip is that I will be staying with a vineyard family from the vineyard in santiago - i think I am almost more excited about this part of the trip. Having got to know Bristol Vineyard and now the vineyard in Ukraine, learning more of the South American Vineyard in Chile will be an amazing experience - i cannot wait. In an hour to prepare I am off to a local Chilean-run cafe la ruca on the gloucester road, a favourite haunt of mine, where tonight I will endeavour to improve my espanol over coffee and conversation with strangers who may well b