what's love got to do, got to do with it.

once upon a time there was girl called Helen who was a rather remarkable young girl, she had this ability to not back down, she held her ground and stuck up for what she felt was right even when people disagreed with her, which inevitably they did.

In fact more often then not, but hey that's my job right. I had a number of disagreements with people yesterday. Only one resulted in a shouting match and by that I mean I got shouted at. I hate people who resort to shouting in disagreements its pathetic and belittling and just makes everyone feel worse and the person shouting more angry. Just because you can shout the loudest doesn't mean you are right.

However that wasn't what I want to write about. Today's topic is love, tis the season and all that jazz. Everyone has been writing new years greetings on facebook and twitter and now I am bored of it. So my starting process comes from one of my disagreements I had yesterday and well any time the subject is broached with Christians. The subject is homosexuality, its one of those things that most (not all) Christians have an opinion and as far as I can tell most aren't particularly loving, the most common one (after all gay people are of satan and should be burnt at the stake) is this idea of well we shall love them but hate what they do. But in this case I often find those that say that don't understand homosexuality, they are afraid of it and they have no desire to know more.

So my (view on it is more to the "liberal" side, and I am totally cool with that.) But for me I am all about the love and acceptance that Christ is about the more I have grown in my faith the more I am convinced that God doesn't hate gay people, that he loves them unconditionally, as much as he loves everyone else. And i think so many people are wasting their breathe, their efforts and their passion on something that doesn't matter. So often we christians get caught up in the condemnation and the little issues that we can't look beyond our own front doors, if those christians who waste their breathe on abusing abortion doctors, gays, democrats and all the rest, focused their efforts on things that actually mattered the world would be a better place. if instead of wasting time and resources battling these "evils" and i don't know focused on some bigger evils say poverty, dirty water, prostitution, drugs, bad education to name a few. God's love should inspire us to live out justice to make it part of our life, because a believe in justice comes from love, Brooke Frasers sings "faith without deeds is dead" and I think she is spot on. Faith, and love should inspire us to make a difference, but to things that matter, not to thinks that bring more fear and hate.

Well that was a bit of a ramble and I apologies, I guess I'm just frustrated that so many people have the passion and capability to change the world but use it to damage it further. I finish with this http://davejohnlucas.wordpress.com/ Mr Dave Lucas blog, he is deep and profound and often writes about the little (or not so little) things he does to change and challenge the world.

driving home for christmas

Am off back to the shire for Christmas. we are going via Newport so as to see the eldest female Sare child .. and then home. "God wills it" (that one was for the guys)

its sowing again and this does not make me happy. But I did get some news yesterday which did make me happy but alas I can not tell you yet I can only tease you! bahaha so have pondered many deep and profound things which I will at some point get round to sharing with y'all but until then I leave you with the happy thought that this Christmas will be a moaning free question, that's right folks, you wont have to read my insipid waling about all that is wrong with my life.

i leave with you this happy video, which we were delightfully shown at carols by candle light last night.

my year

In the last year many things have happened, by far the most important of these was most recently when William and Kate announced their engagement and decided to get married on the anniversary of Hitler's wedding to Eva Braun. Just saying.

erm of not.

This year has been odd, and most definitely had its ups and downs.

This however was possibly the highlight of 2010 after 69 days these Chilean miners were rescued. this is the joy that came with that.

ooooh i'll get by with a lil help from my friends

a few years, the summer i started my degree in fact, i prayed.

That's it end of story.

really no, what i prayed was simple, i wanted more friends, friends my own age, friends who shared my faith, my love of being challenged in that, and friends that were girls. My best friend is Peach and i love her an all but neither of us are remotely girly. We mainly have guy mates. Which until then i was fine with, (and i still love you guys.)

I had spent my first year in Bristol with a lot of 30 year olds who were married and had kids, well not all as by far the best people were the Shaw's. But it was a hard year for so many reasons, i didn't have a social life and when I did go out i had to consider if my friends had babysitters, and so on.

I was really lonely.

I loved my year at St. Marks, but i was seriously lacking in friends with whom I could share my journey. OR with whom i could just hang out.

So like i said that summer i prayed. i prayed for friends, good female Christian friends, ones who would challenge me and support me and share in life.

wow did God amaze me with an answer. Into my life i found an abundance of strong women who have made me a better person.

Debz and Val who constantly challenge me and mock me, who share my joy and love for youth work but remind me to be less snobby and cynical.

Nic who has the most beautiful heart and just cares for people, who will push me in my faith and isn't afraid to challenge that.

Afee who reminds me that i am a girl, as much as I doth protest, she sees beauty in so much, including me and yet is so gentle and wise.

Clare, who is funny shares my love of scrabble, and justice, wh wants to see a nation changed but is starting with herself, always the first to be honest.

Ruth, the Kirk to my Spock, the girl who reminds me that emotion is just as valid as logic. the woman with who my vision is shared, who wants change to help to share the love of Christ in such a real and tangible way.

But the best friend I got that year, was my mum, she became my best friend, i have so many incredible friends, and this blog is dedicated to those strong women with whom i have shared my life, those that i have mentioned and those that i have not but my mother is the most incredible one she never ceases to amaze me, she loves unconditionally, a love that shakes you to the core, that changes the person you are. If anyone was close to showing how much God loves us it is my mum. She astounds me, she inspires me, and challenges me. She is a mother after God's own heart.

Tomorrow will be a year since the worst night of my life, and these woman as well as Josh, Peach, Roseanna, Emmy, Elene Charlie, Jackie, Rachel, Sam, Sam, Elaine, Jenny, Jemma, Sian, Sarah, Abbi, Sarah, Katie, and countless others have stood by me held me when i cried, distracted me and made me laugh when i was indeed, they have gone above and beyond.

I believe God answers prayers, and these women are proof of that. I am so blessed and i want to thank you guys for changing me and making me the woman i am today.

Friendship is important, community, fellowship, love. My friends mean the world to me. i hate that i don't see a lot of my friends as much as i wish, but i know that when i do see them it is worth the wait.

Ok sloppy over and done with. I need to go be manly.