meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Hey there folks! Thought I'd update the 'ol bloggy blog while I'm waiting for my lemon cheesecake bars to be done baking.

We last left our heroine in sunny England, where she had been optimistic about walking miles and miles, always in the sunshine. Well, soon after that, the clouds rolled in and have pretty much been dumping rain ever since. She had a wonderful time for a long weekend in Ireland, in June, but even there it was rainy (not a surprise). At least its not cold anymore. I don't know if I would say warm...but not cold.

Anyway, I have an actual newsletter coming out soon, in which I give a small glimpse into my life since I've been on radio silence. It will be going out Monday morning, UK time, so if you are interested, sign up in the bar on the right!

And, for your viewing pleasure, a few snaps from the past few months!

Sycamore Gap, Hadrian's wall

beach at Lahinch, Ireland

Alpacas from Woolfest, a celebration of all things wooly! I really want one, they are so cute!

oh hello sunshine. good to see you again!

Stop the presses! The sun has been out for three days straight! I have been taking advantage of the lovely weather, and have been wearing skirts into the office. Its so nice to wear something other than jeans for a change! I've also been getting outside and walking.

A few weekends ago, some friends from the States stopped by on their grand tour of England, and we went to the Lake District and climbed Catbells. This "fell" (aka mountain/really big hill) is nearly 1,500 feet high, and for me, a really big accomplishment! All leading up to the adventure, the weather was awful. The day of the hike, the sun came out and it was absolutely beautiful. Ah, the power of prayer!

This past Saturday, I went with a group of ladies in the office to walk all the way around Derwentwater, a lake in the Lake District. The nine mile walk took about four hours to walk, plus about two hours of stopping for lunch, photo ops, and a scone along the way! It wasn't sunny too much that day, but it was a nice temperature and didn't rain, so I'll take it!

photo courtesy of Christine! We were about half way around the lake at this point I think...

On Sunday I went some friends from work to Sycamore Gap, which is along Hadrian's wall. It was a bit more walking, which I survived easily even though I had gone nine miles the previous day. I think I am getting in shape, slowly but surely.

I have a goal to walk all of Hadrian's wall in one week. Seeing as it is 84 miles from one coast of England to the other, I have my work cut out for me getting in shape. This is something I really want to do for fitness reasons, and to have a goal to work towards. I am starting to have to ramp up the miles I walk every week, and it is taking time. So today's blog prayer point is that I would continue to be disciplined in my walking routine...and the weather certainly helps!

when He appears

"Now little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming...Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is." 1 John 2:28, 3:2

I've been thinking a lot about these few verses for a little while now.  In Focus (our weekly training session), we talked about Jesus' second coming, which was an interesting discussion. I find eschatology fascinating, and have done several studies on Revelation. But the thing that gets me every time is when it hits me anew: He is coming back for me. He is coming back, and I will see Him face to face. I know for some people this would inspire fear and trembling, but for me, my heart jumps and I smile. The longing to see Him face to face increases as I realize, this is not my home. God gives us things to enjoy and to show us Himself while we are on this earth, but soon we will be Home.

All the more reason to "abide in Him". I want to live a life that is pleasing to God. I don't want to "shrink away from Him in shame" when He comes. That image is just so pathetic. Like a dog with his tail between his legs. I want my heart to be pure, and to know that my life was not waisted on things that don't matter, but was spent running after the Lord and His ways. And I'm not there completely (really, who is?), but I still look forward to His coming with joy and excitement!

How do you feel about meeting Jesus?