Moving!!!!

WE'RE MOVING!!!! I've been waiting to write this blog for ages:) In October/November 2006, Dad started exploring the possibility of working at Portstewart Baptist. He went over once in November, our family went over in December, Dad went back in January, and then the church voted a couple of weeks ago to call my Dad to be their pastor, and he decided to go!

Portstewart Baptist Church has always been a treat for us as a family. When we went back to Northern Ireland in the summer, we would usually stay up in the North Coast for one or two weeks, and on the Sunday go to PBC, and we all loved it! I remember getting really excited as a little girl as we would go, walking up the street and into the cute little building (which became the cool big building), seeing all the people, hearing the cool music, listening to the pastor who was a family friend and actually married my parents and dedicated me, and then going out for lunch afterwards (usually to the Water Margin, our favourite Chinese restaurant). However, once, because the church is like a bee-hive in the summertime, there was a huge queue and we decided to go to Morelli's, the local ice-cream shop, instead...don't tell anyone though, dear blogger world.

The church (www.portstewartbaptist.co.uk)is a really vibrant church, whose prime time is the summer as many people stay in that area for their holidays. There are 2 services every Sunday, the congregation being of about 400 in the winter to 900 in the summer. They have so many activities going on (see the website) and the people are absolutely amazing. Going there in December, I had no idea what to expect but EVERYONE was so warm and welcoming and it immediately felt like we had arrived at a family gathering. Throughout the weekend this feeling only intensified, so that everyone we met felt like some family relation...more importantly, everyone we met was filled with God's light and joy. It is going to be such a privilege to be part of the church and part of what God is doing through it. Being there for that one weekend was such a refreshing time, it felt like a week's worth of drinking fresh spring water.

It's still a scary thought to be moving...the place Kiki and I have grown up in will be left behind and we'll set up home somewhere else! I'm so pleased from a selfish point of view, as I would be moving to Northern Ireland anyway for Uni, so now I get to have my family nearby instead of across the Sea! I think it'll be most difficult for Kiki as she will be leaving behind a lot of friends she thought she would see more of in these next few years; thankfully Easyjet is only a mouse click away! It'll be difficult for the whole family leaving the church behind, Westlake has been a very big part of our life and the people in it have been our family away from home. I will especially miss my small group friends...I prayed about joining the group which is technically for 20s and 30s and being 19, I wasn't sure about it, but God worked through a couple of people who encouraged me to get involved and I have been really blessed by it, both by the studies and the relationships formed and developed through it...there will be a lot of skype moments, facebook messages, and visits to come! Thankfully most of my school friends will be going to British universities, so it shouldn't be too hard to keep up with them. Everyone says it'll be hard to leave the Swiss surroundings and life as we know it here, but to be honest although it is a beautiful country, and the peace of it is great, I have always felt more at home in Northern Ireland...whether that be because of our extended family being there, because of the accent:), or whatever, I don't know!

Portstewart is a seaside town in the North Coast of Northern Ireland, which forms 'The Triangle' with another seaside town called Portrush, and a town called Coleraine (where I have applied for Uni). A lot of people come up for the summer and stay in holiday homes, bed and breakfast's, or caravans. It's always a really exciting place to be (well, I find kid's karaoke and fireworks exciting anyway:)). And Coleraine has a Topshop, which is a fact that cannot be overlooked.

Right, I've probably gone on long enough rambling excitedly and incoherently. Here are some pictures of various places in and around Portstewart for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy! :)

Giving in...

...to the blogosphere. I have, at long last, done it! I was told to get a 'proper blog' :) rather than my myspace blog, so here we are. Bear with me, dear readers, as I don't understand how anything works apart from 'Create'. I have posted some old blog posts from over the past few months so to give myself a base to work on, silly I know but hopefully effective as well.

Here's to being a Proper Blogger then!:)

Grammar, please!

Wednesday, 3rd January 2006

Recently I've come across songs with grammatical errors in them that have caused me to wonder about how the English language will survive...2 of these songs are 'Patience' by Take That (the return of which causes me to giggle), and 'Nice, Naive and Beautiful' by Plumb...

''I really wanna start over again,
I know you wanna be my salvation,
The one that I can always depend'' ... on, maybe?

''Cause she's so nice, naïve and beautiful
Why does she get taken advantage''... of, perhaps??

Everytime I hear these lyrics I feel like the whole world is unresolved due to these incomplete and incorrect lyrics. What are our poor wee children going to do growing up in a world like the one these lyrics are leading us to??

Out of this world

Sunday, 8th October 2006

Tonight my dad preached on 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, which reads:

''And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.''

Dad spoke about how the Gospel can seem so foolish and unclever to the world. This passage is from a letter Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, and shows that his focus was the Gospel - God sending His son to live the life we should have lived but couldn't have, and to die the death we should have died but don't have to. He didn't need wise words, clever prose, worldy strength, a confident and shiny image to teach this - it is the power of God!!

I was convicted tonight of several things. One is how much I rest my faith in the wisdom of men, paying so much attention to Christian speakers, authors, role models, - not that there is anything wrong with these people, but the fact that I base my faith on their words and actions instead of basing it on God, and His Gospel, is wrong. Instead of focusing on the creations, I need to focus on the Creator!

An other was how reserved I can be in my witness to others. How often I have thought myself not prepared enough, and the Gospel not plausible enough and have therefore passed over so many opportunities of sharing this life giving news! My heart cried tonight as I thought of all the people I know who do not yet know God. I've been faced with the death of several people close to me recently and reminded of the frailty and temporality of this life - and that when we die, we will all end up somewhere. I don't want my feelings of inadequacy or my fear of the Gospel not being plausible to get in the way of these people's eternity addresses. How many opportunities to share the good news have I let go by? How many people that I know need to hear this good news? No matter how inadequate I feel myself to be, and no matter how unbelievable I feel the Gospel to be...it is the word and power of God that are at hand! I am so thankful that God works despite me when I don't let Him work through me.

May my whole life be centered on the Gospel. May my thoughts, words, and actions be inspired by it. And may my relationships and my witness be always in its shadow.

Against my nature

Tuesday, 3rd October 2006

''It's against women's nature to want to lead''

By Mary Kenny

''All generations rebel against the one that went before: it is part of the corrective process of social evolution. In women's history, the Flapper Generation of the 1920s was a direct revolt against the previous high-mindedness of the Suffragettes.

The 1960s funky permissives were a spirited reaction against the decorous 1950s, when Grace Kelly was an emblem of femininity because she never failed to wear white cotton gloves at an interview.

It is hardly surprising, then, that an authoritative survey carried out by BBC's Woman's Hour has discovered that the current generation of young women don't all want to be high-achieving career feminists: a large proportion aspire to be married and mothering by the time they hit 30.

Far from regarding the home as the woman's prison and the girl's subjugation .. as that old radical George Bernard Shaw put it .. the upcoming generation show every sign of being deeply into nest-building, home-making and family life.

It is not only unsurprising in generational terms. It is also, to some extent, a reversion to what Nature regards as normality. Perhaps it is what Nature has encoded into the DNA of most women .. that the female instinct is towards the maternal vocation, although that maternal instinct can be expressed in a wide number of ways, from animal welfare to teaching to medical care to nurturing a corporation.

This natural inclination .. as well as the biologically established differences between the sexes .. has for too long been officially obscured.

When the failure of women in general to have attained equal pay or equal leadership in the workplace is publicly discussed, it is still put down to constructs such as "the glass ceiling", or the way in which girls are "socially conditioned" not to aspire to top pay or high leadership.

The evident fact that most women are, by definition, not driven by testosterone-fuelled competitive ambition is seldom suggested. Far from females being "conditioned" by society, it is Nature doing the programming.

The denial of these inborn sex differences leads to all kinds of bafflement and problems, from teenage pregnancies to women's priority lists in the Tory party.

Teenage pregnancies largely occur because once young girls are sexually active, Nature prompts them to become pregnant, and the nearer they are to Nature (the less developed in terms of reason and self-control), the more likely they are to follow its urges.

The Conservatives .. or any other political party .. will never have the same number of women MPs in Parliament as there are men because the majority of women are not sufficiently interested in politics. Women are often engaged by issues .. but even these issues are often linked to the maternal instinct, since they cluster around health, education and welfare. Female conversation is very rarely political.

Sure, every now and then you get an Alpha-Female who has that innate sense of outstanding leadership: Baroness Thatcher being the obvious example, or, in business, Marjorie Scardino, the chief executive of Pearson.

That is not to say that women aren't good at their jobs, and conscientious .. they are often more conscientious .. as employers and employees.

But few women would choose to sacrifice family life and in the real world they know that competitive success often carries that sacrifice. (And in politics women who succeed are not always role models who inspire esteem. I'm not sure Edwina Currie has particularly shone by example; and is Margaret Beckett the least distinguished Foreign Secretary ever?)

I met a racing expert recently who told me about a gifted filly in which he had an interest. She was a fine goer, but as soon as she pulled ahead of the field she would suddenly get second thoughts and fall back with the herd.

She didn't want to lead: it went against her nature. If women pull back from the hard world of career competition it is because we are, in the end, often restrained by our nature: and maybe the rising generation is wisely deciding to go with the flow.''

Dad posted this article on his blog (www.westlakeal.blogs.com) taken from www.telegraph.co.uk, and I know that it will, undoubtedly, cause some of your heads to nod and some to shake. Some of my good friends will outraged at me posting this:) But personally, I am glad this article was published. It's a good change from the usual 'women are better than men' flow we have become so used to today. And I think the article brings up some very good points.

I believe that men are called by 'Nature' to lead, and women to nurture ('maternal instinct'). I think that men and women are equally valuable and important but that we have been given different life roles.

Our society has given submission to men (husbands, bosses, etc...) the conotation of weakness. Nurturing has become seen as an unnecessary and unimportant activity. But these are not so. How great a purpose it is to care for and support those around us. And I don't think this only applies to being a wife and mothering - I think all women are called to nurture those around them, from 11 year olds babysitting to cooking 3 meals a day for one's family, from being a shoulder to cry on to supporting one's husband in his career...And submitting to men does not only mean following one's husband, I think we are called to follow and support the leadership of our fathers, our bosses, and other men in our lives.

I don't mean by this that we as women are to fade into the background of society...I do believe that we have an immeasurable responsability in this life! And please, please don't misunderstand me by thinking that I believe all women are good for is cooking and taking care of kids - there are so many other things to do - I am all for careers and being 'out in the world' - but all in the context of following the men in our lives, and nurturing those around us.

This might seem strange for me, a single 18 year old, to be suggesting but I truly believe that this is my calling...but I can't wait to be a partner with my husband, whoever he may be, in life, supporting and caring for him and our family, and submitting to his leadership. For now though I can submit to and encourage the leadership of my dad, my boss, and other men in my life; and be a nurturing young women to those around me.

I feel it important to say that this is an idealistic view and that would hate to be thought judgmental or exclusive of women over whom leadership has been abused or for whom nurturing has been made very difficult.

I could go on, but I would rather hear your thoughts on the matter...there are so many opinions out there. So, comment away!

Ubuntu

Sunday, 1st October 2006

Ask someone who has taken a few philosophy classes in this western world to explain existence to you, and they'll bring out Descartes' 'cogito, ergo sum' - 'i think, therefore i am' philosophy. Ask someone from say, South Africa to explain it and they will say 'ubuntu' - 'i am, because you are'...community.

Today my dad preached about community, and its importance in the life of the church. He spoke about the proximity, communication, and purpose in our community with one an other.

The 'proximity section' is what I will mention in this post. A frustration every pastor seems to experience is when church members fail to turn up on Sundays, because of a perfect opportunity for skiing, an 'important' footie game on TV, a weekend away to Paris, etc...and the focus on attending church seems lost, its importance seems faded. We forget the urging of Hebrews 10:25, ''Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching."

Ralph spoke a lot about virtual community, whether it be www.virtualchurch.com, emails, msn...or myspace! We, and this is especially relevant to the younger generations, have replaced actual 'real world' contact with virtual community. We 'outreach' on online forums, have theological discussions on msn, have email prayer partners, etc...None of these things are bad in and of themselves but they have become more important than getting up and going to the physical church. These things have become fundamental, when they should only be supplemental to our 'real world' community. I think this is true even for long distance relationships, as it is vitally important for there to be a 'real world' base to the relationship despite the distance thing. And oh how dangerous these virtual communities we build can be...I think people are so much more at freedom to express themselves behind a computer screen, we say things we wouldn't dare say to people face to face, we create online facades, we pretend to be things we aren't...I've been asked out a few times online, and left to wonder how much it would have taken to ask me face to face, or even just on the phone? No doubt it's easier online. I know I'm guilty of over-indulgence in the online world, rather than meeting someone for coffee I'll just email them; or rather than taking time to encourage someone meaningfully I'll send them a silly comment saying something like 'you're amazing. see you sometime'.
I'm not saying that everything online is bad, and I am very grateful for online communication methods as they are very convenient and great for keeping with faraway friends!! But, they should be supplemental, not fundamental... let's not let the www replace real world contact. Let's go the extra mile that shouldn't be considered 'extra' and meet up for coffee, pick up the phone, give that hug.

ASBO?

Thursday, 28th September 2006

ASBO = Anti-Social Behaviour Order. Has become a popular term associated with rebellious, disruptive, and/or dangerous members of society, known as yobs.


Today I got on the train to come home from school, and as I take it at a very busy time of day, when everyone is coming home from work/school/whatever, I struggled to find a seat. It didn't take me long however to find a 'square' of seats with only one person in it. The guy was what would be a typically looking ''swiss yob'', or as we would say in french, ''un yo''...shaved head, black and dirty clothes, ripped jeans, sitting with his feet on the common 'table' between the seats, and big, scary looking eyes, which had obviously worked at convincing people not to sit with him! :) But I decided that rather than walk around the carriage trying to find a seat I would just sit down. And he shifted to make room for my bag, which I much appreciated as people aren't usually terribly accomodating!.. He then got a phone call from his mum *sorry, I eavesdropped* and was really friendly and polite to her, arranging to meet her off the train...and it's a tiny wee thing, perhaps that I'm reading too much into it, but I was challenged at how I assumed what the guy was like at first glance, and how much I do that with other people - and how often I probably am so wrong, resulting in missed opportunities and relationships. Perhaps his eyes weren't scary, but rather scared...I find it so easy to just classify people according to the stereotypes I know, when just because someone has a shaved head, listens to hip hop, has old fashioned shoes, or fillintheblank, doesn't mean I know all about them.


I'm not really sure where I'm going with this:) But this mini-event today has challenged me to think differently about how I see and treat people.

Goodbye

Monday, 18th September 2006

September is always a strange time here. Living in an international community, which is so often simply a temporary placement for people, people come and go all the time.

So this month, I've met a lot of really great people who I am very excited about getting to know better! But on the other side of it are the people I have to say goodbye to, even more than usual because a lot of my peers are going off to Uni! Fiona, Kerstin, Eli, and Corinna are all amazing girls I have had the chance to know for a number of years and would consider some of my closest friends. Funnily enough they're all going to the UK for uni!!:) Corinna and Kerstin are leaving on Saturday, then Eli and Fiona are leaving the following week. It's so difficult to say goodbye to them...it feels, and probably this feeling will get even more intense when they actually leave, like a piece of my heart is being ripped out saying goodbye to each one. Sometimes having to say goodbye to so many people makes me think that maybe I should be guarded and not invest in people I know will be leaving so to save myself from the pain, but then I realise how precious each of these people are, and I never have regretted getting to know someone! I've had the privilege of shopping trips, dancing sessions, prayer times, baking, manicures, 10 year old birthday parties, spiritual discussions, giggling fits, dreaming about 'what it'll be like when we grow up', singing, book discussions, learning to breathe, and countless other times with these girls. Each will be sorely missed by so many people.

Thankfully Christmas holidays and cheap easyjet flights ensure that this isn't a final goodbye:)

This also makes me think of my own time of leaving coming soon - and questions like will I be missed? What will people remember me for? This is my last year and I want to do as much as I can in people's lives, for God's glory. I don't want to waste time, rather I want every moment to count, every word I say to be uplifting, every hug to be loving, every step I take to be progressful (is that a word?) ...everything I do to be purposeful.

Because when I say goodbye to these girls, it won't be a final goodbye, ever...because of the promise of eternity we share. And when we get there, I want to look back on my life as a testimony to God's grace and a sculpted piece of clay to his glory...what you do in life now echoes in eternity.

When I grow up...

Tuesday, 8th August 2006

We went to visit our old church on Sunday. It's now called Silverbirch but it used to be called Holborn Hall, and it is where my parents went as a newly married couple up until we moved to Switzerland. So we went and met a lot of old friends ('my goodness you've grown', 'how's the boyfriends?', 'you look like you've got the sun' *yey for Johnson's Holiday Skin lotion:)*) As it is a rather old-fashioned church, most of the congregation is over 60 although that is changing through a new pastor they have had for 2 years who has done a lot of community and youth work. It's always really nice to go because the people are always so warm and welcoming.

It's tradition for us to go to Tommy and Ena's for Sunday lunch after the service. They are friends of ours in their late early 70s who have come out to GVA to visit and who we regard as part of our extended family, really! They have a son who is always there with his wife and their 3 energetic boys! And this year, their daughter was there with her partner and their daughter. My dad officiated at this girl's first wedding, but a few years later she asked for a divorce. Her ex husband is now re-married with 2 lovely wee boys who we get to visit in Edinburgh from time to time, and now she is 'with' someone and has a daughter. It was strange seeing them at first because we hadn't really been in touch since the divorce. But it went really well and it was great to catch up. The one thing that was difficult was that Tommy has had Alzheimer's for about 2 years now and it is getting worse. He didn't remember us at first and apologised for being stupid, but once we talked about where we lived he started to remember things. This has put a huge strain on the family as he is out of character now, calling his wife fat, not remembering some members of his family, swearing which he never did, etc...You can see that he struggles with it and is aware of it, but most of the time it just seems he's in a bubble. This just leads to the family, especially Ena, being under a lot of pressure. But she is so courageous in that she takes great care of him, she is so patient with him, she does her best to get on with life with the family, and always has a smile on her face. I don't know how she does it.

We then went to visit Debbie who we have known also for a very long time. She used to have me over when I was 2 and feed me 'blapes' - grapes. Her husband Alec died last summer. They had been together for 64 years. They met and started dating when she was 18 and he was 20, and got married 4 years later. He was unwell for a very long time before he died, and she, much like Ena, took great care of him, and always had a smile on her face and welcome us into her home. She talks about him, their 60th wedding anniversary (right before he died), other memories with such fondness and still with a sparkle in her eye. They really loved each other.

When I am Ena and Debbie's age, I hope to be like them. To love and care for my family, and to always leave the door, and my heart, open to people.