Thursday, September 21, 2006

Testimony


So, testimony. If I thought writing it was hard, I should’ve thought what it would be like actually *doing* it…
Anyway, apparently I’ve got to tell you how I got to the point of wanting to be baptised. Well, I guess you could sum it up with the 3 stages of my Christian life…
Looking round the church, I can see the 3 distinctive groups of people who were involved in each stage, and that is partly why I wanted you all here – so you can understand how you helped me get to, well, right now I guess!!
I first became a Christian in Anna’s Sunday School class when I was about 11…Introducing group one – Everyone here at Drift Rd – Anna, Paul & Sandra, Stan, the whole church family. Everyone.
But then somewhere along the line between 11 and 17, various things meant that when I was ill during the winter of my Upper 6th, I decided, in response to a long talk with my mum about how God would never give me more than I could cope with, that I should "put in some effort on my part". I guess that’s a fairly unorthodox approach to a relationship with God, but there we go!! Mum & Dad aren’t the only people in group 2 though…about the same time I had this discussion with my mum, I was also having some extra physics lessons with Mr Hoe for my retake, and although a couple of people had told me he was "religious" and "did all that church stuff at the weekends with his wife and kids", I’d never asked him about it. The day before my retake, I was very scared (just ask him; I’m not the world’s best physicist) he asked if it would be ok if he prayed for me that night/the next day "because he believed in all that stuff". Something prompted me to tell him that I did too, but the thing I remember most is how impressed I was that he could speak out like that with no idea of my reaction, and I decided that I wanted to be able to do that. One day. I’m still waiting, but I’m sure I will one day!!
So, group 3. Group 3 nearly didn’t get me. I mean, its been said to me so many times now that going to uni will make or break your faith, and when, before I went, Mum & Dad were looking up churches and trying to find out about the RHUL CU, I was less than half-hearted in my reaction. I went to St Johns on my second Sunday because Mum & Dad had found it and it looked alright, and as soon as I walked in, I got pounced on by Susie. I’ve never seen anyone so excited to meet new people, but her welcome meant that I never looked anywhere else AND that I kept going to church. There was definitely some sort of God thing happening in my first few weeks at uni, and when I stop to think about it, I’m still amazed but VERY thankful. Little did I know that less than a year later, I’d be elected President of the Holloway CU and would be helping plan the Student Alpha course for the coming year that had made such a difference to me when I was a Fresher. Mark, Tim, Steve & Alison, Lani and SO many more…I can’t thank you all enough for how you’ve all helped me.
I told my Dad last week that my testimony was turning into an Oscar speech, and I was only half joking. There are so many people who helped me on this journey from the kid who could take or leave church to where I am right now. Looking back, I can see all the people God put in front of me and how patiently he waited and kept giving me these people, knowing that one day, I’d be standing here doing my testimony in front of them all…that’s pretty amazing. So now, trusting the Lord as my Saviour, I want to take the next step in my Christian life and be baptised.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

The Future Of The Blog...

So I'm just sitting here, blogging away. But am starting to wonder...how relevant is my blog anymore?? I mean, since Facebook has added it to my Facebook page, no one comes to the proper blog page, no one sees it in all its pink and purple glory, no one comments on it anymore :( Has facebook casued my blog to die a slow and lonely death. Or do I just need to get out more?? lol.

Having put a lot more thought into this blog than the last one (and also being slightly less exhausted than I was for the last one) means that I might be able to write in more depth about what I got out of the Holiday Club. I mean, yeah it was great fun, and was really nice to spend a week living with Lani and Jo, I made so many friends that week, with both the kids and the adults, and some of those friendships I hope will last long past the end of the summer and hopefully in some cases even longer than my time at uni. I am really beginning to feel a part of St Johns now. I've always felt part of the student group, but now I feel like I'm becoming a member of the church community as a whole.

But on a not-quite-so-deep-and-meaningful thought, Rome was AMAZING!!!! Was really good fun...I was amazed at how big St Peters and the Colisseum are...and how dirty your feet can get walking around barefoot on your breakfast terrace *sigh* jetspa baths...lol.I love it. And ohhhhhhhh, HOW lush is Italian Ice-cream??? And *how* lush are Italian Policemen?? *AHEM* I meant Pizza. Italian PIZZA... "uno proschiutto e mozzarella pizza per favore??" good times. And just as a point of information for anyone whom this may concern (bridesmaids, husbands etc etc), I'm going to Rome for my honeymoon. After watching a guy propose to his girlfriend in front of the Trevi Fountain, I've decided its the most romantic city in the world and I want to go back :)

And since Rome?? Not so much!! lol. Lots of faffage in Egham with house stuff. Lots of faffage at home with CT stuff. Back in Egham for good now with lots of faffage for everything. But I love it.

The Royal Land Of Holloway still rocks. So do the people. So do I

xx