ange's musings

Apparently Taylor a Captain or crew member of a ship travelling from Australia came in a little too North and landed at what is now known as  Taylors Mistake Beach.  He believed it to be Lyttleton harbour which is the main harbour of Christchurch where the first pioneers landed or so goes the story. It seems a rather vague one and no one knows quite whether Taylor was just a member of a crew or a captain but regardless of the extent of the truth of the story the name has stuck. I live about a twenty minute walk from this beach which has breath-taking view all around - took myself down there yesterday for the afternoon with wildly ambitious plans to read and pray but ended up doing some idle lying in the sun. The lack of cloud cover in NZ seems to mean that you really do need your sunglasses - have never quite experienced that feeling of your eyes being overwhelmed by the brightness before yesterday. Although I have no camera I just discovered an application called 'photo booth'...

I feel like I should be embarrassed about the fact that I watched 27 dresses  for the third time this evening and enjoyed it more than my first time but I am of course completely not! I particularly like that through the film I encountered a song I actually love by Elton John and Bernie Taupin composed in 1976 - slightly before my time I guess hence the late listen. I think the main reason I like it is because it sets up a great scene between Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. Heigl is an absolutely amazing actress which helps me like this movie than I might otherwise - if you haven't seen her talent rent Grey's Anatomy out. How music can bring people together - gotta'  love a good song.

 Just wanted to say thank you to those of you who have been reading and praying for me, it warms my heart to think of loved ones back home when in such a new land and I wanted to share a few of the dozen or so answered prayers. First of all have moved to a new home with a view that of the ocean which on my first morning brought me to look upon Psalm 65 and the verses below: You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Saviour, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas... When I went to Nepal 4 years ago my housemate for those 2 months left that verse in my room and today I am comforted by its truth again today. Feeling incredibly spoilt and overwhelmed by the fact that not only am I living in this rather unbelievable location but also managed to pick up a car for 800 pounds which actually seems like an amazing car - considering it is 18 years old - talk about the impossible becoming possible. Also starting to meet people in church one of which is go...

Am sitting in an internet cafe in Christchurch city centre which is a place I have come to frequent since I landed here just 9 days ago at noon. That was a day filled with excitment, apprehension a bit more adrenaline and clear blue skies - I was thinking today about how filled with energy I was not so very long ago. More recently I have felt like decisions (although totally believing they were right, God-led and just the next part of my journey) made may have been done in a naivety and although prayer-filled I may not have considered the full blown somewhat harsh realities I would face when moving somewhere so new and different. In short this has been a hard week and I am sad that I have had a lot of self-doubt and still do so early on but knowing that I have a bunch of people praying for me and a God who is God of the impossible helps me look ahead with hope and a confidence not from within me. The experience so far has definitely opened my eyes to how easily I have forgotten the for...