Black tea with milk and honey and toast with clotted cream

HE IS RISEN! Easter has arrived and spring is in full bloom here in the United Kingdom. I was blessed to get to travel to Cardiff, Wales with two friends and I must say that Sunday's service really touched my spirit. I have heard the gospel read probably hundreds of times by this point in my life but the vigor and enthusiasm with which the pastor read the resurrection account struck me. When you hear Bible stories your whole life they can become so ingrained in you that you downplay them, at least I do sometimes. But the truth of the matter is that JESUS ACTUALLY DIED... and HE ACTUALLY CAME ALIVE AGAIN! Maybe to some, even to me at times, this message seems overdone, overplayed, maybe even outdated. But apathy does not negate truth. When Pastor Naumann read the ressurrection account the power of what really happened that first Easter weekend re-hit me like a bag of bricks. Watching 'The Passion of the Christ' again on Friday also helped all this sink into my heart all over again.
Love itself died. Agape died. Jesus, the beautiful and perfect Lamb of God was ripped to shreds and then hung mercilessly by nails for all the world to see him, to see the consequences of its sin, of your sin, of mine. But the story didn't stop there. A Holy and Holey ALIVE Jesus, after stretching His arms out and saying, "Beloved world, pay attention... this is how much I love you! This is my agape!", came back to life!
I think in Advent and Lent all the hype and anticipation can make the post-Christmas and post-Easter seasons seem like a bit of a let-down. But they are ongoing in reality. Easter is not really over. The power of the cross, the power of Easter, the power of Love Himself does not live only one day of the year just as He did not stay in that tomb. Wallow in the truth of the Love our God has for you. Pray outloud knowing He hears you. Sing a hymn at the top of your voice, even if people can hear, especially if they can. Let the sun shine on your face and dance around in circles because JESUS IS ALIVE!!! Greater love has no man than this, that he should lay down his life for his friends.
A prayer from February 24, 2011.
My precious Jesus,
You have given me this new day as a chance to live in your agape love...
to wallow in it in fact.
Grant that my broken and selfish heart may be renewed and sanctified to lavish this love all over the lives of the people in my life.
Remind me always of the endless depths of your agape, that I would not fret over the trivial pursuits of my mortal flesh, but rather that I would be refreshed by the simplicity and imense vastness of the fact that you are agape itself. Etch this truth ever into the stone of my heart...
Weave agape's beauty into the fabric of my soul...
that the tapestry of my life may be woven even stronger and more elegantly into your likeness, so as to bring honor and glory to you alone, Master Weaver, my Joy, my Song, the Agape of my heart. Amen.

Black tea with milk and two pieces of chocolate banana bread

Ok, so I have a new resolution: actually keep up with this blog and write/document my experiences! I don't know if people actually read what I babble, but if nothing else this can be a record for me to look back on with the fondest of memories.
We had term break here at Westfield so Dorothy, Dehlia and I embarked upon 24 crazy days of traversing Europe... truly an adventure I will remember for the rest of my days. It is hard to even know where to start or how much detail to go into. Hm... well here it goes.
Looking back it seems like eons ago that we were running to the train station with granola bars flying out of backpacks all over the sidewalk. How much ground we had yet to cover. How much salami we had yet to consume (and pastries, and italian toast, etc, etc.). How many unknowns we had yet to face. When you're planning a grand excursion such as this one 24 days doesn't really seem like to much in theory. It was a fantastic trip, but is also a blessing to be back. It felt like coming home in a way, especially because the people here feel like our own little family. I love it and I love all of them... each person adds their own special dynamic to the house and I wouldn't trade the things I am learning and gaining from all of them for the world.
Ok, so I am easily distracted. If you are taking the time to read this blog, odds are you already know this about me, so tough cookies... you're warned. :)
Random lessons learned on my 24 day trek through Italy, Spain, Paris, and Dublin:
1. Don't assume that a car rental reservation assures you a car (especially if you're not over 23)
2. Driving a Fiat Panda stinks... like who even designed that car!?
3. Thank God (for real!) that the European mainland drives on the right side of the road.
4. Random islands full of old folks, bicycles, and fields can actually be quite nice.
5. Clif bars save lives.
6. Mamoria and La Moria are quite different locations.
7. When in doubt, follow a school bus.
8. Boxed milk is just weird.
9. Italy does indeed have snow capped mountains... sigh... :)
10. Rome is just as amazing the second time around.
11. Seeing the Pope is really sweet, even if you're a Lutheran.
12. Just because an airport has the city in its name does not mean its actually anywhere near that city.
13. Couchsurfing saves a schloo of dinero.
14. I could actually see myself owning a dog someday... maybe.
15. Barcelona has billboards in Castillian instead of Spanish.
16. Basically I just need to learn French. Period.
17. Europeans don't seem to dig clothes dryers.
18. Hanging underwear on the rearview mirror to dry while living in a car in Spain makes you look homeless.
19. Salami and chocolate cereal: staples to any pantry.
20. Gypsie kids really like to include you in their playground games... at least the ones we met did. :)
21. I'm so thrilled I stuck with Spanish!
22. Question one: Do you speak English? Question two: Hablas espanol? Question three: *sign* American sign language? After that: shrug, smile, and give up communicating with that person.
23. Bus schedules are hit and miss.
24. Large trucks +winding roads= rapid heartbeat
25. Navigating is not a forte of mine.
26. God really does provide ONE DAY AT A TIME! Trust Him!
27. Don't assume that heating or cleaning is included in the price of your Italian villa.
28. The stars in Tuscany are to die for!
29. Wine really will warm you up, especially if you have no other heating... or you can just buy a blanket at the black market in Madrid... either way. :)
30. In Italy you can buy pre-toasted toast. Who knew?
31. Sarah and Selena are great names for cars.
32. Sleeping without blankets or pillows will make you appreciate them the next night.
33. Look up the names of places you want to see BEFORE you assume its marked on the map, otherwise you'll go to Barcelona and miss out on La Sagrada Familia... fail.
34. Don't hop a fence in baggy sweat pants.
35. The stars at 4 am on the Barcelona beach are really beautiful.
36. Theological and life conversations can pop up when you least expect them.
37. Sea shells can be used for poker chips.
38. Apple hookah doesn't really taste that much like an apple.
39. Roundabouts are a driver's best friend... just drive in circles until you decide which way you should go!
40. Code names=good idea.
41. The leaning tower of Pisa is kinda whatever. Meeting interesting new people and breaching a language barrier: priceless.
42. Every 4th couple in Europe must name their son Alex.
43. Life's grand when random hippie music processions pop up in the middle of the street.
44. The word, "No" must not be as universal as we all thought.
45. Sometimes there are just those people you might remember forever, wonder how they are, and smile.
46. Zaragoza has a stinking awesome basilica. I'd never heard of it either, but you should all go someday.
47. There's no such thing as too much gelato.
48. Everyone in Dublin is Brazilian... ok, overstatement. But globalization is for real, dude!
49. The world is blessed with some incredible houses of worship.
50. Last but not least, God has blessed me so much with all that I have, and with all my incredible brothers and sisters in Christ. I take so much for granted. Would that I learn from my experiences and thank Him each day just for being alive and saved!

Earl Grey with milk and a pinch of sugar

What a beautiful week of weather we've had here in Cambridge! Like seriously... I feel so spoiled, especially since it's a grey day again today. This past week has been full of so much sunshine, flowers peeking out, cloudless blue skies, cycling in the increasingly warm breeze, and getting ready to embarq upon our European travel adventure. Dehlia, Dorothy, and I head for Venice tomorrow and have been scrambling to get organized for three weeks of Italy, Spain, Paris, and Dublin... I can't really express how excited I am to explore and travel with these lovely friends of mine.
Yesterday I went to my last Cambridge University lecture... that was kinda weird... just to think that a whole term has flown by already. God had done so much growing within me in the last two months. He's blessed me with some great new friends that I hope can keep in touch in the future. He's protected me while cycling next to double decker buses on the left side of the road. He's teaching me about living in community... how to love genuinely, to forgive, to admit when I am wrong. I admit though, as wonderful as this place is, it is easy to forget that there is an outside world... sorta like concordia in that respect. I think wherever we are in the world, if we become comfortable there, it is increasingly easy to get consumed in our own world.
Hearing about things going on in Japan right now... all the suffering there, things happening in the hearts and lives of my dear ones back in the States, and just getting to meet people from all over the world has me thinking a lot about how the world is so much bigger than me. There are so many people going through so many different struggles and joys... so many people in need of love... so many people, like myself, in need of Jesus.
Those are my main thoughts for now. If anyone actually reads this, I'm sorry you must be really bored. haha
Pip pip and cheerio to safe travels, new adventures, good food, great coffee, sunshine, growth, learning, and trying to remember as much Spanish as possible. Our Heavenly Father loves you! *Rachel

Arabica Coffee in a French Press

 I'm sipping coffee, and I know its clearly not tea, but well... its still a hot drink so it'll fly as a title I guess. So February is here and has not blown in here in Cambridge quite as it has in Chicago. We've missed out on the two feet of snow/ice storm of 2011. Oh darn. Stay warm and safe all my dear ones in the tundra of the States! Going to be honest though, I don't envy you. I love snow... while its snowing, and before it gets slushy and dirty. But I think I've transitioned quite easily to the idea of cutting winter short in exchange for this marine climate of greening grass, windy days (as of late), and the occasional bicycle ride to what has now become my bench. The other day I rode across town in search of the Botanical Garden... turns out I rode right past it twice and didn't even know it. I did end up at this lovely park with trees spindled around themselves like trees from the Lord of the Rings. Some trees here are so huge that their branches are literally growing on the ground! Anyway, so I sat on my "Me and God" bench next to the river. The sky was bright blue that day (don't get too jealous... its a rarity here for now)... a cool breeze was blowing as the sun glistened on the water and sank lower and lower in the afternoon sky. I sat and read a good book from a wonderful soul sister (you know who you are!). Here and there a few people with children, dogs, and significant others meandered by me... it was very peaceful. I love this place and I love these people, but I think that no matter how much you love being somewhere you still need to steal away for some alone time every once in a while. Much of society neglects the idea of this cleansing alone time, myself included I must admit. For the Jesus lover, this is even more critical as time spent in prayer and God's Word is vital to my life, to your life. That particular bench-discovery day I spent reading a lady's memoir about life and faith and God and family and grace and growth. While its a lovely book, how much more profound and healing to the soul is The Word of God! The weeks here seem to be flying by far too quickly. I am a future thinker and I like to feel in control of my life and emotions and actions. I like peace and quiet, but I also don't like to be alone for too long. God always seems to teach me a new level of trusting Him, loving others when it seems hard, and being content in His plan and timing for my life. These are some of the deep prayers of my heart, yet when God chooses to teach these lessons to me in ways that I dislike at the time, I get upset and confused. Isn't that just like us humans? We ask for something, then when we get it we want it in a different way. Good thing we're loved by an amazing God whose love is so unlike our own attempts at love. Agape. Perfect love. Spend a time today perhaps, sitting and meditating on this undeserved love of God. Read about it in His Word... go for a walk in His creation... open your eyes to how He shows it to us every day... open your eyes to the opportunities He gives us each day to pour even a fraction of this love onto others.
I'm so thankful to be in England, though pieces of my heart are with people very far away right now. The differences in seasons between Cambridge and Indiana/Chicago has me thinking about seasons of life. How quickly they ebb and flow... how seemingly swiftly they change. Don't be like me in this, dear ones, don't wish time away by wishing things were somehow different in this moment. God is constantly at work whether we see it or not, and whether we want to hear that or not. He IS agape. It's in every fiber of His essence... and we sit in His hand. So what can man do to us? Rhetorical question. :) I'll try to take my own advice. It's probably not mine really anyways.
So whether you're in a tundra or spring's peeking out already... take a walk today... and remember Who it is that's walking with you. Cheers.

Black Tea in a White Mug with a Smidge of Milk

This past Friday Dehlia, Dorothy, and I journeyed to London and what an adventure we had. It's difficult to recall all the minute details, but basically in overview:
 While coming up out of the Tube Underground train Big Ben greeted us. It was like, "Woah! Hey Big Ben, you're all up in our face." Quite the first impression of London if I may say so myself. It pretty much deserved some epic background music as we ascended the stairs. Friday was a beautiful day... no rain... just blue sky. I can't complain about the ridiculously mild weather for late January either... it's pretty bomb.
I wish we'd had a pedometer because I've no idea how many miles we traversed over the two days there... but we covered a lot of ground. Happened upon Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Houses of Parliament, rode on some double decker busses, took photos in front of St. Paul's Cathedral, walked across the bridge that's in the Harry Potter movie when the dementors fly by, attended evensong at Westminster Abbey, hit a really hip little pub, went to an art gallery, went to an ethnic market, shopped, saw Platform 9 and 3/4 and had a few shenanigans in between. We stayed at a little hostal in Picadilly Circus that I'm really thankful for... note for next time... having plans A and B aren't good enough... always have a plan C. haha Mom, if you're reading this, don't worry... we were safe and fine. ;)
Evensong was lovely, though it was apparantly not the usual choir that sings there. As I sat inside that historic abbey that's world-renown, listening to the resonating sounds of Psalms and other hymns of praise to my God, a realization struck me. There I was, little old me inside this huge cathedral shaped like a cross; I was sitting inside a giant cross with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am living, we are living our lives inside the cross of Christ, inside the knowledge of God's amazing and perfect agape love. We are protected from Satan's attacks inside the Cross and because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Inside the cross is where our satisfaction, peace, and hope is found. Through the cross God gives us life. Because of my baptism, I have been crucified with Christ and have been given life in His name because of His blood shed on the cross and His victory over death. I am save within the cross of my Jesus; it is where I ever long to be. I pray that any of you reading this are hit afresh with the realization of God's amazing love and grace, and that you would ever trust that He is keeping you inside the cross of His victory (even if you never make it to Westminster Abbey, though I highly suggest it!). La paz de Cristo sea con ustedes. The peace of Christ be with you all. Amor and cheerio.

Peppermint Tea in a Brown Teapot

Technically this tea was consumed yesterday evening, but it was really lovely so I wanted it to be a title. A few days ago Dorothy, Dehlia, and I went out for one errand and ended up spending most of the daylight hours galavanting about Cambridge. We made it to Primark... the most delightful and cheap cute clothes shop I've ever seen... so potentially dangerous for the wallet. We walked arm in arm down a cobblestone street or two, strolled down Jesus Lane (Wouldn't it be cool if He returned down that street? Haha.), and touched a church that was has stood the test of time. The Round Church (It's really round... who would have thought!?) was built in the year A.D. 1130... so basically this one church is over 600 years older than my native country. This really has me thinking about the concept of time, and how Scripture speaks to how a thousand years to us are as a day to God. What a thought! Here I am in the midst of this town littered with buildings that have witnessed so much change, so much history, and little ol' me gets to pass them on my way to the store or class. Time is an intriguing entity. Is it a thing? A state of being? Perhaps an attitude? Wrapping my mind around the idea of time is difficult enough, but imagine creating the idea of time! Our God did that... yeah... He's pretty awesome like that.
I have spent far too many minutes of my 21 years and some odd months wishing time would go faster... wishing for something different... hoping for what's to come, and sometimes worrying about it. The following I can't take credit for; it is wonderful and was in the front cover of the bulletin at my home church on New Year's Eve. It reads:

"An anxious patient, lying on her sickbed asked her doctor, “How long will I have to lie here and suffer?”  “Just a day at a time,” replied the physician.  Just a day at a time!  What a wonderful philosophy of life – especially as we turn the pages of our crisp new calendars and scan the 365 empty boxes into each of which, God willing, we will pour 24 hours of living.  Just a day at a time the new year will come to us with its new challenges, its new tasks, its new hopes, and its new fears.  Thank God that we do not have to live the entire new year at once!  It comes only a day at a time.  Even tomorrow is never ours until it becomes today.  It is a blessed secret to be able to live just a day at a time.  Those who have seen the crushing burden of sin lifted by Calvary’s cross can carry their little burdens, however heavy, until nightfall.  Those who know that their Savior has completed the tremendous work of redemption can perform their own tasks, however hard, just for a day.  Those who have seen the patience of their Lord and Savior can live patiently, lovingly, helpfully, until the sun goes down.  God gives us night to shut down the curtain of darkness on our little days.

We cannot see beyond, nor do we need to.  Tomorrow is in God’s hands – He is asking us only to live today.  So we stand on the threshold of a brand-new year – a year that will record great changes in the history of our world, in the history of our families, and in our personal history.  But we don’t need to be frightened by the overwhelming possibilities.  Instead, we can find comfort and strength in the fact that God has cut the coming year into smaller pieces, and we will live it just a day at a time.  God has promised us that our strength will equal our days (Deuteronomy 33:25).  We have God’s assurance that each day throughout all the coming years, will find us equipped with the strength necessary to meet the challenges and more than overcome them.  We don’t need to live February in January.  We don’t need to live tomorrow today.  Above all, we don’t need to fear the prospect of an unknown future.  Our all-wise, almighty, eternal God – in Whom there are no yesterdays and no tomorrows – has gone ahead.  When we reach our own tomorrow, we will find Him there."

My prayer for us all is that we would be given the peace and strength that only our Precious Lord can give, and that we would cling to Him always, trusting that the Author of time has our times in His strong hands. He is outside of time, the great Alpha and Omega, and is already in our future. What can there possibly be left about which to worry? Pip pip and cheerio to you. :)

Tesco Black Tea

So Dorothy, Dehlia, and I have safely arrived in Cambridge and have nearly finished our first academic week here. Its so strange to sit down and realize that I'm actually going to be living in England for the next half year of my life. I'm curious as to the places we're going to see, the experiences we'll have, the people we'll meet (have already met most of the community here at Westfield- so nice and welcoming!), and the things that God's going to teach us and work in us. When I went to Colorado last summer not knowing anyone it was such a great for God to grow me and cause absolute dependence upon Him. This is my prayer for my life in general, but specifically for this trip. I don't want anything about this experience to distract me from pursuing to know Jesus deeper and serving His people. My prayer is that being far from home for this long would again teach me a deeper dependence upon His agape love and providence and that He would grow in me a deeper trust in His plan for me in this life.
Cambridge is just so quaint. A few days ago the three of us and a new friend went walking about the town to explore and find out where the university libraries and lecture halls are. Lectures start up on Monday. It'll maybe take a little bit to get used to riding a bicycle on the left side of the road... I still catch myself looking left when crossing the street when I should look right. There are churches and cathedrals older than the U.S. at what seems like every corner. King's College chapel is BEAUTIFUL; I can hardly wait to go inside and attend evensong next week. We girls did errands around town yesterday and bopped into little shops along some cobblestone streets. Hm.... :-)
Today we had Pericope Seminar over the Old Testament reading from the lectionary for this coming Sunday. All the discussion about the translation of and nuances of the Hebrew in Isaiah makes me wish I knew the language. It gives me some extra motivation to learn Greek though. I'm of the school of thought that there's something just so beautiful and amazing about the concept of reading the Word of our amazing God in the original languages in which it was written.
Well... I'm running short on thoughts for now. Cheers to a fun weekend! The Father's crazy about you all... for real!