Amazed & Confused

My Hero

Yesterday I was in London for an IAM5 planning meeting when I had the bright idea of ringing my Dad to see if by chance he was in the city.  I was delighted to find, when I interrupted him in a government meeting (woops!), that he was, and met him at 5.30 in Trafalgar square...

Fairwell sweet Jojo!

Sob! Goodbye my dear friend.  Thank you so much for having me this weekend.  I loved just hanging out and re-affirming that fact that we could talk for England (or Wales for that matter).  Highlights include...

Proxy Christmas!

Last Thursday, for the American population of the world, was Thanksgiving.  Extended families gathered around a horrendous amount of food and stuffed themselves silly, all in the name of thankfulness!  In Chi we like to do things a little differently and co-incidentally this years thanks giving fell on Proxy Christmas... 

Josephine!

Watch out Wales Josephine and Carla are here for the weekend! (Erm, well, Josephine's been here for 3 years so bad Wales if you haven't noticed.)  If Chichester seems a colder place today, it is obviously missing my absence... hmm enough self gratification for one post.

I am indeed in Cardiff visiting Jojo at her spiritual home (H&M) and partaking in bonding activities (pastries and sliding doors).  It's great to catch up as I have (hands up) been appalling at coming to visit such an important person in my life (two times in three years, bad Carla).  I'm sorry for the online silence but I've much to tell you all when I get back,

Love xc

Congrats Krister & Resa!

Wow - guys you did it! You two must be the most rock 'n' roll people I know!  For those of you who are unaware, there was a massive step forward for American-Swedish relations last week when Krister Daven wed Resa Guiterez on a Greek Hill as the sun set.

Cick on the pics!  Resa, you look fabulous!  Krister - very dashing mate.  I pray God blesses you loads in the coming months and years.  Enjoy your prolonged honey moon travelling the world.  I can't wait to catch up with you both when you get back.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

"Time", the Captain said, "is not what you think." He sat that down next to Eddie.  "Dying?  Not the end of everything.  We think it is.  But what happens on earth is only the beginning."

Eddie looked lost.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves

"Having grown up as readers of the printed word (and possibly even scribblers in the margins), we may take for granted the processes involved in the traditional activity of reading - so let us remind ourselves.  The printed word is presented to us in a linear way, with syntax supreme in conveying the sense of the words in their order.  We read privately, mentally listening to the writers voice and translating the writers thoughts. 

Benny Boy's Birthday!

Hurrah, and hurrah again for the lovely, generous and faithful Benjamin McIntyre who will turn the respectable age of 27 tomorrow. Seeing as tomorrow is Monday (boo) and today is Sunday (yay) the Chichester massive (Sven, Ben T, Charlotte, Bex, Ben M, Smiles, Ruthy, Matt H and I) decided we should celebrate with a gloriously muddy walk up, down and around Bignor hill. There's something delightful in being old enough to decide that you want to go and get as muddy as possible, no-one can tell you off! (Keep reading to see just how muddy we got!)

Once upon a Saturday...

This weekend has been wonderfully relaxing! I decided to begin outworking a slower pace of life by re-charging my favourite way... lots of stories. 11am Saturday, Helen and I snuck away and guiltily watched The Princess Diaries 2 (I am well aware that whatever kudos I may have with any of you may be down the drain now but I really enjoyed it and Julie Andrews rocks no matter how old you are.) So what if we were the only people in there over the age of 12! Pure, undemanding, entertaining fun. Next I meandered in the rain, bought some lovely shelves that I'm going to have to recruit someone to help me put up and went home to tidy my room and do all those little things I never have time for.

Sabbath

Had a mild panic attack yesterday when I worked out my work load for the coming months.  Pesky enthusiasm getting me involved in lots of projects, note to self, by a leash.  As I looked from my to do list to my inbox (of 150 emails) and back again a niggling voice in the back of my head started to holler "surely there's a better way!"

Jesus had a lot to do in the three years, he performed miracles and changed lives.  Sometimes he worked when everyone said he should stop and other times he moved away from needy crowds for time with his Father.  Sometimes I think that if Jesus had more than 3 years he may have burnt out, but, being the font of much wisdom I decided to get into bed at 10pm (oh yeah, I'm getting boring and old) and look at what the bible says about rhythm and rest...

Skin deep concluded

About three or four weeks ago I wrote about a little experiment I was conducting on myself.  Concerned by the superficial nature of Trinny and Susanna (hehe - can you believe that was a revelation) I decided that I wanted to make a stand.  I don't want my self-worth to be so defined by what I look like. 

So I took the radical step of not wearing make-up (apart from parties and formal doos; what you expect me to walk into parliament looking like a minger!) because I was concerned by the fact that I didn't really like the way I looked.

Meet the parents...

Being at my parents is like being on another planet, I love it!  I go from a town to a village of about 150 people in the beautiful midlands countryside.  I wake up in the morning and the view from my window is hills and fields as far as the eye can see.

I've been fed all my favorite food (definite advantage of not living at home, they spoil you when you visit), I've had some control over the TV remote and I've so far managed to dodge watching my brother play on his play station.  Hmm I don't think I'll dodge it much longer though.

God save my Queen...

A new desire formed in my consciousness about 4 months ago.  I was reading a distinctly average romance and felt very inspired by the intelligent use of chess strategy to describe the relationship between the main characters.  I finished the book and thought naff plot, intriguing game!

After a few enquiries I found a willing teacher in the infamous Sven Hardini (hmmm I'm slightly suspicious that he may be teaching me just so he can beat someone for a bit).  I set about looking for a board and pieces (gulp - expensive) and even debated buying a travel set just to get me started.  Hardly conjures up images of whiskey, cigars and a battle of wits, more tea, biscuits and clumsy fingers that knock the board askew.  It was within this dilemma that Operation Chess Mate was born.

If I wish to learn the ways of the force, why not construct my own light saber as training!

Seize the future

Had a lovely coffee and a great chat with Roger today.  It was a good chance to talk through a lot of things I've been mulling over about sustainability and depth.  I'm a very lucky lady to be part of a community where people care for each other and want to help you grow and learn.  (Roger, and all the core team for that matter, thank you for always encouraging me and being my friends!)

Oh what a night!

You wouldn't think it possible but last night a small group of us discovered just how good at lieing and sneaking we are, by throwing a surprise Birthday party for Charlotte and Bex!  They were totally gobsmacked, really shocked; mainly because their birthday's had been and gone at the weekend, but that was all part of the cunning plan!

Being John Malkovich

Hurrah I say and Hurrah again!  My movie club met for the first time in 3 months last night to watch and discuss "Being John Malkovich" (gosh I'm having a bit of a Charlie Kaufman month!) 

Our film club is not for your namby pamby stella swilling movie lout!  Oh no!  It's for those of us who are truly geeky about movies, who obsess over upcoming films and wax lyrical about the most moving cinema moments of our lifetimes.  (Well actually we just all like film and bore most people silly wanting to talk about it... we truly find solice in each other...)

Lucas I am your Father...

OK, I dispair...  I'm trying my darndest not to get too excited about the upcoming Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (released May 05).  My parents competently raised me on a healthy diet of Star Wars, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica so I have been deeply dissapointed with Lucas's latest offerings...

Pilgrim's Process

I was writing in my journal as I jumped on the train Friday night.  It struck me that even though I have travelled a lot in the last two weeks, I haven't felt this relaxed or comfortable in who I am, and where I'm going in ages.  I'd anticipated returning from my travels frazzled, but oddly I feel refreshed and like I've had time to take stock of my life.

I feel like I've been on both a physical and spiritual journey.  The act of travelling away from my everyday life toward different cultures, old friends and new, gave me space to reflect, process and dream...

Jet lag a go-go

Hehe, what a great weekend. You never feel more loved than when you've been away for a couple of weeks and everyone's chuffed your back! Saturday I slept, mooched and hung out with Smiles, Ben and Dave. We went out for dinner and had our own fireworks party up the Trundle.

I was in full on overtired-hyperactive mode talking utter rubbish and laughing like a hyena. As we watched the boys burning their fingers and launching sparkling rockets into the Chichester sky I felt inspired to sing. I opened my mouth, took a deep breath, and stopped mid note...

Home Sweet Home

England smells good.  I noticed it as I stepped off the plane at Gatwick on Thursday.  There's a crispness and familiarity to the air that imediately makes me feel at home.  I must have looked like a loon as I tavelled back to Chi last night on the train, grinning at the rusty autumn landscape; being away always reminds me how beautiful Sussex is.

So I've done it!  I made it back in one piece!  I've travelled from Chichester - Plymouth - Northamptonshire - London - Berlin - Dresden - Essen - Cologne - Seville - London - Harpenden - Chichester, and I had a fantastic time!  Surprisingly I'm tired but not exhausted. I've had fun, I've made new friends, saw new sights, learnt a bit about Germany, ate great food, drank lovely whysky, spoke to God a lot, done something that scares me and taken time to reflect on the last year.  I feel more myself than I have in ages...

Check out my Dresden04 photo album, most of my pics are in there now... Thank you for your prayers! 
xc

Meet Baby Worthers!

Hurrah! Nathan Samuel Worthington was born at 12.35am by c-section! All reports say Mum and baby are doing well. What a beautiful little boy! For more pics go to www.worthers.com/baby Congratulations Pete and Kate!
xc

Guten Nacht Desden

So my trip to Dresden is finished; here are my highlights...

***Getting to know Markus and Andrea better. Guys it was fantastic to just hang out and have fun. I can't wait to see you again hopefully very soon!

***Seeing Moneybrother live. If they aren't huge in the next 5 years I'll eat my jumper.

***Relaxing and spending time with God. Been journaling lots and taking the oportunity to review the summer. 2005 has been strange; lots of changes. Been quite a sad and stretching year for me; it was good to process that with God and start to look at the future.

Oh the shame!

Embarrassing moments seem to have followed me safely to Seville! Not content with announcing that I'm going out with Markus Laegal by accident in German, I just made myself blush (for the first time in years) in a Spanish shop...

I had one of those do-i-actually-like-the-jumper-i-just-bought-or-does-it-make-me-look-like-a-heffer moments. Jim and Andraes had just picked jonah and I up from the airport and the boys had stopped for a drink to let me nose round a discount village (those rare gifts from God). I was going a little bargain crazy (I am now the proud owner of fabulous Spanish clothes not available in UK:) when I had an attack of buyers remorse.

You know the feeling ladies. In the shop it looked like the best thick knitt jumper you've seen in ages, but when you've owned it an hour you start to realise it makes you look quite round and a little podgy!