2 Blogs in 1 Day

I know this is monumental, but yes it is happening. I went to Bath this past weekend and I thought I would share some pictures. It was a beautiful day and we couldn't have had a better time.
To the Left is Pam, Jesslyn, Me, and Beth at the Roman Baths. It was very historical and very interesting. These baths are fed by a natural hot spring.
This is me with some of the wonderful armor (which apparently I've been in the UK too long because I spelled it "armour" originally.)

Ok, now I know this picture is 100% inappropriate, but if I didn't put it up, you wouldn't get the full experience we had. These men were outside the Roman Bath Museum doing acrobatics, in nothing but these thongs. It was (and still is) HIGHLY disturbing. Nonetheless here there are, the not really dressed acrobatic men posing. I apologize if I have offended anyone.

The trees are turning colors around here and here is a picture of some of those wonderful colors.



This is us eating our "Real Italian Ice Cream." It was delicious!

This is the park we spent the afternoon in taking naps. :)

This is the view from a mountain (Or hill) we climbed, in search of a castle that we never found.

This is me when we were lost and after we had been walking for over 2 hours and still hadn't found our castle.

Holy and Anointed One

I have been having a hard time again today. I want to be at home with my family, but I know that the Lord has me here for a reason. I found it hard today to have my mind completely where I was and not to wander off to other things. I noticed that I was very distant from everyone and I'm sure they could tell as well that something wasn't the same, I that was mentally removed from where I was. Then I met with Hannah, one of the other gap year students who is from Cardiff. We were planning the worship we are leading on Thursday and speaking with her really encouraged me. She is full of the Lord and it is evident. She really just opened up her heart to me and was talking about bringing an offering before the Lord. It really spoke to me and made me begin to think, "What am I holding on to that the Lord is asking me to give to Him and allow Him control over"? "What do I need to bring to the Lord and offer to Him as an offering?" We were reading through Mark 14:3-9 "While in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, 'Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor.' And they rebuked her harshly. 'Leave her alone,' said Jesus, 'Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. Buy you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." This woman had nothing but this perfume and she gave it all to the Lord. Who of us, including me, would break our finest perfume to pour over someone? How many of us would give one of our most prized possessions up? If we really look at this though this woman was giving all she had to the Lord without asking or expecting anything in return. She was willing to lay it all out so that she might honor the Lord, she might bless him in some way. She didn't care what the others were saying or that they mocked her, she humbly did what she could for Jesus. Jesus blessed her for what she had done, say that this story would be told forever. I would just challenge you today to bring what you have before the Lord and truly give it to Him. Don't try to hold on to anything or try to keep some control over a small portion, but give it ALL to the Lord and allow Him to do His will in your life, without trying to be in control. Trust in the Lord and allow Him to show His power and grace in your life, so that you might reflect the beauty of Christ to others.

Run Fat Boy Run

Well the many weeks of sun has left us and it is a rainy day today. I remember hearing it start to rain right before I feel asleep last night around 11, and when I woke up it was still pouring rain…and it has been misting all day.
Last night my family made tacos for me! It was so delicious! We had some “minced” meat aka ground beef, taco shells, beans, hot sauce (which confused Marilyn when I called it that because the jar says cool salsa…ironic), and of course chips (which weren’t normal tortilla chips, but sweet chili flavored tortilla chips) to go with that cool salsa, cheese, and last but not lease Jalapenos. I had to hold in my laughter when Warren brought home the jalapenos for the first time because he did, and still does, pronounce it with a J sound, and not an H sound. Now I don’t really enjoy partaking in jalapenos because they are hot, and I don’t particularly enjoy hot things, but when Warren brought them home I knew I was going to have to eat them because he bought them specifically for me. So last night at dinner I enjoyed some spicy jalapenos, which made my eyes water the first time I ate them, but my 2nd and 3rd helping of them weren’t bad at all. I think I actually might choose to put them on my food sometimes now. Who knows? If this trip does nothing else for my life, it has made me healthier and try and enjoy new foods that I wouldn’t have tried before.
This morning I went into town because it turned out that I didn’t have anything to do. I decided I was going to get Amy’s birthday present. I did buy her present, but I also did a bit of Christmas shopping. That’s right folks, I am half way done with my Christmas shopping and it’s the beginning of October. Well I mean I’m not sure how I am getting anything I own back home because I have purchased a few things here that I didn’t have room for in the beginning, but that is something I will worry about in December.

In motivation for the half marathon that is quickly approaching Marilyn and I watched "Run Fat Boy Run" tonight...slightly rude at parts, but very funny. That is where this title for the blog came, in case you were wondering.

Some days I sit down and think at the end of the day and I wonder if I have really made a difference during the day, if I have really made a difference at all. Today I don't really feel like I have and I wonder why God brought me here, don't get me wrong I love being here, I just don't know what I'm doing. On days like these I wish God would just drop something in my lap or send someone on my path that says, "Here is your purpose and here is what God is expecting to see at the end of the day from you." I know it sounds kind of stupid, but I learn by seeing, more than reading a book or something. It is times like these that I wish I wasn't such a visual learner.

If I'm Brave

I'm not very good at coming up with titles for my blogs, so I decided that I would start my iTunes and the first song it played would be my title for this blog. It was "The Legend of Miss Baltimore Crabs" from the musical Hairspray. I have decided that's just a weird title, so I decided to hit the next button and that is where the title of this entry came from, in case you were wondering!

I haven't been blogging as much lately because all of my spare time is consumed with The Mark of the Lion series books. I am hooked. I have finished one and am already 100 pages into the second. For those of you that really know me, this is huge! I have completed 2 books while I have been here and have begun my 3rd, 4th and 5th. (The 4th and 5th being books for class, but once again still more better than I ever did in college...those books just didn't seem worth my time).

Last night I waited at the bus stop slightly annoyed that I had to wait at yet another bus stop. It was then that I began to hear someone singing. I looked around and realized it was the other lady who was also waiting on the bus. I began to listen, and she hit some notes, but I don't think she was even near the right note most of the time, yet somehow it sounded beautiful. As I really began to listen and hear the words she was singing I realized she was singing praise songs! How wonderful to hear something like that at a bus stop! It seems like sometimes the people here don't really care about God. They are satisfied enough knowing that you believe and if that works for you, ok then, but it's not for me kind of attitude, if that makes sense at all. I was very encourage by this woman and her singing praises to the Lord out in the middle of a fairly populated street. How powerful to hear this and be reminded that God calls us to praise him in everything, everywhere, even if it may seem uncomfortable or awkward.