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!