187/365

I'm not sure this counts as a good thing that happened today because it made me very sad. But sitting around with my housemates this evening attempting to work out when Christmas is going to be, realising that we have no time when we are all in the house, and realising that the sad event of Birgitte leaving is going to come all too soon. We're all crazy busy and I don't like it. Not one little bit. The amusement comes when we realise we are all turning into Joey from Friends and shout at the ceiling. "Why God WHY?". We don't like change. No no. Maybe the delight comes from us being such good friends that we can feel this sad already about something that will happen in 2 months time. I'm not sure, I'm too tired to work it out right now.

186/365

Chatting to Steffy B online this afternoon.

Hoveactually: What are you doing tonight?
Steffy B: Nothing
Steffy B: :-(
Steffy B: What are you doing?
Hoveactually: Nothing :-(

Later that evening, talking on the phone and the door bell rings twice. Who could it be? The one and only Binface on my door step! Steph B came to play, she is Brilliant, as is well documented, but Brilliant because she drove down from Peckham with her guitar and we played beautiful music together, drank a bit of beer, ate nice food, did a pop quiz and enjoyed listening to a sad melancholic song. All the things we love. Hoorah.

185/365

Meeting my Mum for coffee in Gatwick airport. Cuddles, good chats and fun times. I like being friends with my Mum. She's Lovely.

184/365

Getting invited out to lunch with a family from church. Being around family banter and the amusing kind of conversations that only 11 year olds can have. It almost made me miss being 11 (almost mind you...). Reading a Christian Biography and actually enjoying it. And then the ultimate Sunday evening chill out. Ghostbusters on TV tonight. Dancing back from church singing the song and then delighting in the cheesy 80s moviefest that is Ghostbusters. "I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts." So there.

183/365

Having 8 hours sleep on a night of a weekend away! Getting to listen to a snippet of Jonathan Ross as I took people to Tescos this morning. Being reminded that we have a hope that is real, certain and based on fact and in history rather than in philosophical ideas or how I feel. Getting to tell some girls how much God loves them. Being the one who says the scary extreme things. Ceryn. Home to my housemates and 4 Danish teenagers (my housemate has turned into a Danish Maria Von Trapp for the week) playing a massive game of Dutch Blitz.

182/365

Getting to ride the Isle of Wight Ferry again, watching the huge sea, having a few deep thoughts and knowing the love of the maker.

181/365

A whole day in Brighton, walking down to town to sit in a coffee shop and read a book. Watching big crashing waves on the beach. Simple things. An evening in, catching up with parents and friends. Msn chats and the delight of having the South East projector from work so being able to watch things in Big Screen effect. Discovering old songs from my music collection to load up the ipod with.

180/365

Ceryn and Roz's texts in a bleak day. The utter joyous madness of FE work, sitting in a room with three lovely but mad students, reading out the Resurrection accounts from the Word on the Street, cue Kath turning into Geezer Kath, dropping the H's from all words and talking slightly louder, right? Innit. Good. Hmm. Arriving home to the lovely Anna, an ancient oakbeamed Sussex pub, amazing food, good wine and the kind of chats that let in light to the dark pit of my brain. Honesty bringing freedom as ever, getting home and talking to my Father again. Stubborn love is a Good Thing.

179/365

Getting to curl up in front of Narnia for an hour today inbetween supervision and CU.

178/365

Realising that I am a significant part of a friends life, liking that feeling. Talking through wedding plans, daunted and happy by the prospect of seeing old faces in three weeks time. Glad to be part of it all.

177/365

A day off. The randomness of waking up to find Pod on my TV screen talking to Gloria Huniford. Heading off to Seven Sisters country park with good friends, walking down the beach surrounded by massive skies, big clouds and winter sun. Heading back to the pub for a cosy late lunch, fine food and beer. Church tonight reminding me that God is real and that Jesus really has done it all. Small dances at the back of church with Lizzi and sitting in front of the Return of the King with housemates, toasted tea cakes and cups of tea. Happy sigh.

176/365

Foolishness and weakness being all I have and all I can talk about. That being enough. Lots of students getting the message of the cross. Steve's grin everytime I talked about Jesus. Praying that they would all love Jesus more. Realising that's all it's about that. Working with Ceryn and Jess. Coming home to Roz and Mark cooking me dinner, delighting in their cuteness once more. Hehe.

"Tell them God just dropped by to forgive our sins and relieve us our doubt."

175/365

Finally getting to talk about the book.

174/365

"Bongos in church?! How does that work? With Hymns and stuff??!"

173/365

Anna, wine, the most amazing salad, the chats about life the universe and everything, trash TV and the moment when I said: "What's wrong with TV, all it does is numb our brains, what's wrong with that??". A lot of laughter and moments of conceding that probably the one who made the world does know how to run it. A Good Thing.

172/365

Home comforts. Cuddles with Mum. Banter with lovely parents. Mmmm. And this comment from Binface on MSN:

"Steffy B says:
I must say, I find it endearingly amusing that you make even musings about your socks something to do with heaven

hoveactually says:
only me eh

Steffy B says:
hehe

Steffy B says:
someone's got to do it"

171/365

My new socks (see main blog for more random details). Writing a whole talk this morning in the most productive session of prep ever. Nay Dawson coming to play. Walking and talking on the seafront with big crashing waves, massive sky, vast clouds and sun acting as a highlighter pen across the world. Explaining my brain thought processes to a slightly confused boy. Poor boy. Calling Mum up to tell her about my socks. I shall become a sock evangelist. Oh yes.

170/365

A day off. Cute small children and catching up with old friends.

169/365

Early morning driving, layers of clouds hiding glimpses of worlds beyond where sunlight dances through the cotton wool haze. Autumnal bright sun illuminating the colours of trees, grass and sky, to make all look different, offering an alternative perspective on the ordinary.

As Mr Plass puts it:
"Autumn's burning sadness that has always made me cry
For things that have to end"

168/365

Realising that I'm not where I once was, I have grown over the last few years and the old feelings aren't around at Team Days anymore. Glad to know that change is happening. Glad to know the Maker of the universe. Looking around at the team as we sung Blessed be your name, choked up at the realisation of what it really costs people to sing that. Praying we carry on acting on the reality we know to be true. The delighted conversation on the way home with Ceryn about how brilliant each member of the team is, the constant refrain of 'I love our team'.

167/365

Real praying with the South West girls, lots of realisation that our only hope is God and that I really believe that. I really believe in Jesus. The utter joy of belief. Tears, hope and throwing ourselves into the hands of God again. Walking on the beach in the afternoon, me, Kenny and Bish realising that we were the experienced staff workers (snigger). Marvelling with Kenny and Gareth that God knows HOW many stones there are on the beach. Crazy. The question, 'What is God doing in your life?", lush chats with Bish about that. The best conversation about Neighbours and West Wing with Kenny over dinner. Laughter and family times with the South East/West posse. Beautiful.

166/365

Road trip time with Jess and Ceryn, singing loudly to Five and the Grease soundtrack. The brillance of Marcus Honeysett encouraging Jess in exactly the right way as pretty much the first thing he did when we arrived at Team Days. Teaching from a man who really wants us all to love Jesus more.

165/365

Students at a nameless Uni on their mission speaker: "I was surprised by his youngness and his fineness." Oh dear. Also, laughing a lot with students tonight, hanging out with Ceryn and talking about how great God is with Gareth and Jo.

164/365

Friends on MSN, friends on the phone bringing light into a day of slogging through work.

163/365

Getting to pray this in church tonight
"Help us be people who genuinely love and encourage each other and who remind each other that one day we are going to be with You forever, in a place where there will be no more mourning, crying, death, pain or sin, help us live well as we wait for the intimacy of that moment when you will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Please keep us walking with you until that day. Amen." One day our hearts will weap glorious and we'll be with Jesus. The actual point to this crazy life.

162/365

Sharing in P and K's Saturday morning routine, getting my own breakfast, not being treated like a 'guest', praying together after staring at Hebrews 6 and concluding that we don't really understand it, but that God wants us to love each other, good to be in community together and lush to be invited into their life together. (married people out there take notes!) Pottering around old haunts, hearing good stories of what is happening at Middlesex now and still bumping into people I know on the street and once more a trip to Miracles one of my favorite coffee shops.

161/365

The weirdness and randomness of being at the Oakhill fireworks display (visiting the lovely Phil and Katie) and seeing people from every episode of my life, people from Guildford, Durham, Relay, Cockfosters, UCCF and Brighton. Escaping from all that and drinking red wine, playing cards and catching up on life, reassured that the Sweetings haven't sucumbed to clenchedness. Woop.

160/365

A delightful day in London with Alice and Melinda. The concern of good friends, the fun of walking from one coffee shop to another, the catching up of each others lives, and the reason that underpins all we do and are.

159/365

Sitting talking about God with my housemate, praying and realising that God is very very kind to us and that there isn't a better way but his. Eating big fat pieces of steak, drinking red wine and watching When Harry met Sally. Talk about a good way to spend an evening off.

158/365

Boredom with Soupervisions and the moment when we decided to get Fish and Chips instead. Uber ammounts of food and white chocolate hot chocolate. The blazing sky on my drive home. Too many episodes of the West Wing this evening.