Tuesday 24 September 2013

Dear Extroverts

Dear Extroverts,

Please shut up, read this and then go away...

“There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.” Susan Cain

 “Let’s clear one thing up: Introverts do not hate small talk because we dislike people. We hate small talk because we hate the barrier it creates between people.” Laurie Helgoe

 “Evangelicalism has taken the Extrovert Ideal to its logical extreme…If you don’t love Jesus out loud, then it must not be real love. It’s not enough to forge your own spiritual connection to the divine; it must be displayed publicly.” Susan Cain

 “Introverts, in contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pyjamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family. They listen more than they talk, think before they speak, and often feel as if they express themselves better in writing than in conversation. Susan Cain



“…because I rant not, neither rave of what I feel, can you be so shallow as to dream that I feel nothing? ” R.D. Blackmore

Thanks, I love you really - I'm more like you than you realise. 

Sunday 22 September 2013

The beauty's in the detail right?

Remember the days when the smallest thing was the most fascinating thing ever?
Remember the days when what is now commonplace was o so amazing?
Remember the days when what is now a nuisance was actually something you excited talked about for weeks?
This week I had a twenty minute conversation with an 8 year old about the wonders of flying economy class...
"You have a TV in the seat in front of you! And you can watch anything you like, even Horrid Henry. And there's a thing for your drink by your arm. And  tray that goes in front of you like this. And they bring you really good food - two lots of food. Lunch and dinner. And they bring you pillows. And they bring you drinks. And there's even something to put your feet on."
All this from a child I who usually only answers my questions with "Yes" or "No." It's in the detail.
Remember when the world was fascinating?
This week I'm looking into the detail of everyday life to rediscover childlike wonder.

Satisfied in You



I have lost my appetite 
And a flood is welling up behind my eyes 
So I eat the tears I cry 
And if that were not enough 
They know just the words to cut and tear and prod 
When they ask me “Whereʼs your God?” 

Why are you downcast, oh my soul? 
Why so disturbed within me? 
I can remember when You showed Your face to me 

As a deer pants for water, so my soul thirsts for You 
And when I survey Your splendor, You so faithfully renew 
Like a bed of rest for my fainting flesh 

When Iʼm looking at the ground 
Itʼs an inbred feedback loop that drags me down 
So itʼs time to lift my brow 
And remember better days 
When I loved to worship You and learn your ways 
Singing sweetest songs of praise 

Let my sighs give way to songs that sing about Your faithfulness
Let my pain reveal Your glory as my only real rest 
Let my losses show me all I truly have is You 

So when Iʼm drowning out at sea 
And all Your breakers and Your waves crash down on me 
Iʼll recall Your safety scheme 
Youʼre the one who made the waves 
And Your Son went out to suffer in my place 
And to show me that Iʼm safe 

Why am I down? 
Why so disturbed? 
I am satisfied in ou

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Other People's Emails

Every now and again I get emails from Betty.

Subject: From Lanzarote
Hi there
Island tour was great yesterday. The semi live volcano was fantastic. The restaurant there cooks their food over the heat from the volcano. During one big eruptions during the 17th 18th century the only building left standing was the church with the priest inside, who survived. Perhaps it was a good idea you were reordained! After the heat of the volcano we went to a cooling Aloe vera plantation
Did you try to ring us the other day? We didn't have our phone on.
Don't know if you have left for HK yet Rachel, hope all goes well.
Luv
M & D xx


Subject: From Lanzarote
Greetings from Lanzarote. Hope your flight went well Rachel and you are not working too hard! Think we told you about our Montanas del Fuego volcano trip, since then we have been to the yearly Carnival at Puerto del Carman and had a great evening. Costumes unbelievable and so colourful. Procession startedat 5.30 pm and ended at 11.30 pm. Only 150,000 locals live on the island and we think most of them were in the procession!!
Hotel great, trying hard to limit food and drink intake. Not easy! Will have to diet on our return.......
Love to both of you
M & D xx


Subject: From Ditton
Hope you had a good journey home and trains were on time. Lovely to see you over the past few days, we both enjoyed our time with both of you.
Found Rachel's green jacket behind the bedroom door. Popped it in the post today. Addressed it to Dundas Street as it wouldn't go through the letterbox and expect you'll both be out when it arrives.
Enjoy your week..............
M & D x

I've tried letting her know that unless I'm very much mistaken I'm not her daughter but to no avail. You gotta love other people's emails. 


Tuesday 10 September 2013

I am a Pilgrim

I am a pilgrim.

A resident alien.

Wandering and seeking.

Journeying onward.

Step after step...



Come join the song. 
Don't forget your dancing shoes. 

Sunday 8 September 2013

Prayer For the Bold.

Disturb us, O Lord,
When we are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, O Lord,
When with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst for the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, O Lord,
To dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas,
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.
Prayer of Francis Drake, 1577

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Where did all the water go?

Omygosh! You will never guess what happened to me today! There was no running water in the flat. Like, the water actually stopped running! The tap was totally on, but there was no water! Nothing. Nada. Zip. No water. 

Did you get that yet? There was no water!

So I couldn't get a drink, even though I was parched.

I couldn't cook my dinner, even though I was hungry.


I couldn't water the herbs in the kitchen, even though they were drier than the plain chicken at Nandos (seriously, why is that even an option?).


I couldn't wash the dirty plates and cutlery, even though flies were hovering menacingly around them. 


I couldn't wash my hands, even though they were covered in Public Transport Filth - I dread to think of what I might have caught if it weren't for my trusty hand sanitizer. 


I'm pretty sure that the washing machine wouldn't have worked either - so no clean clothes y'all.



The tap was totally on, but there was no water. For like, at least half an hour. A full 30 minutes. And then, thank God, it suddenly came back. 



Thank God the toilet was still working.


Thank God I didn't have to make the 30 second trip to the corner shop to buy some bottled water (I mean, I don't think they even stock Isklar Water - my favourite Carbon Neutral Norweigan glacial natural mineral water with exceptionally low mineral content. I might have been reduced to buying Evian or something equally mediocre - just the very thought of it will give me nightmares for a week).


Thank God I then didn't have to carry the mediocre bottled water up two flights of stairs. 

Thank God that even if I had bought some water it would have been clean and wouldn't have made me ill. 

Thank God the water came back on.


Thank God the water came back on and I was able to drink clean water from the tap, cook my dinner, wash up and wash my hands. 


#FirstWorldProblems



From Tearfund

The truth is that not everyone has access to safe drinking water - and by everyone I mean 768 million everyones.  This is roughly one in ten of the world's population. 
(WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Report 2013 update)*


The truth is that unclean drinking water increases your chances of developing water related diseases such as diarrhoea, trachoma and typhoid. Some of these diseases can be fatal, especially in children who are less than 5 years old.

The truth is that women in Africa and Asia often carry 20kg of water on their heads, that's the same weight as the average UK airport luggage allowance (UNDP: Human Development Report, 2006: page 34-35)*. I can usually barely lift my holiday suitcase onto the conveyor at the airport, let alone carry it on my head. Every day. And then walk a few miles. 


The truth is that sickness and having to fetch water everyday is a huge barrier to working and education.

But there is Hope - there are some great organisations such as Water Aid and Tearfund who work with communities to make safe and clean drinking water accessible. See how you can support them.


What else can you do?


Buy Belu Water.


Sponsor the 'I carried a watermelon' team. For real, they're carrying a watermelon. 


Tweet about it, facebook about it, instagram about it. Tell people you know - get them to do something about it too. 


*Info from www.wateraid.org


Tuesday 3 September 2013

Where's your phone at though?

Have you seen this yet?


Dear Friends who think it's ok to have your phone out at dinner,

Dear Friends who have to update facebook when we meet for coffee,

Dear Friends who would email the police rather than call them if they ever found my dead body in a recycling bin,

I love you, but please, for the sake of our friendship, for my rapidly decreasing patience, for your personal communication skills, for the children, for Queen and for country, 

put your phone away.

Live your life. Be present in the present. 

And the next time you get your phone out at dinner and its not someone calling to say that your house is on fire and you need to go rescue your goldfish tank and your Extreme Ironing trophies - you're paying. 

With love from Rachel

Sunday 1 September 2013

What are you watching?











From the East Jesus art garden on the outskirts of Slab City, California.

If ever you find yourself at Salvation Mountain in Niland, California, then you should follow the advice of the Liverpudlian hippy who is spending three months driving through the USA and go visit East Jesus.


East Jesus is made up of an 'improvised community of artists, musicians, survivalists, writers, scientists, laymen and other wandering geniuses. Partially an exhibition space for those problematic projects taking up your warehouse space,partially a build space for those problematic projects taking up the desert.' If you want to know what a house looks like when you put three mortgages on it then East Jesus is the place to go.  

Ignore the fact that it's at the end of a dirt track and no-one will ever find your body, let alone hear you scream (I'm sure it's perfectly safe but mate, I'm from Croydon - I don't trust desert hippies).


Make sure you get a guided tour of the garden by the guy who lives there - the art makes so much more sense when its explained to you. 


Don't step into anything that makes a circle on the ground. 


And last of all don't forget to pray like crazy and plead the blood of Jesus over your heart, soul, mind and strength when you leave

Saturday 31 August 2013

25 for 25

A wise woman recently told me, 

“We only have 10 years to be in our twenties.” 

To which I replied “Actually love, you only have nine left and I’m almost down to six.” 
#TooMuchOfARealist

But the fact remains – we only have 10 years to be in our twenties. And so, my fellow twenty-somethings, LIVE IT. Be Young, be Wild, be Free. Just not as young, wild and free as Miley. 

So far my twenties has been Fun. University, travelling, new jobs, moving to the second greatest part of the greatest city in the world (sorry East. Croydon for the win - always) and meeting some bffs. But I have a long list of things that I plan to do At Some Point, and there's no time like the present/your twenty-fifth year, right? So here it is, 25 tasks to complete before I hit 25 - boring tasks I should do to actually deal with my life, useful tasks and Fun tasks (nothing too big, dramatic or travel related - if its that important I'll do it anyway). 




My 25 for 25:

1. Get my self-hosted blog up and running (If anyone knows how to do this then give me a shout).

2. Do some actual exercise. The return to the 'burbs means no more walking to work. Maybe it's time to dust of the trainers and join some colleagues running a 10k? Or maybs I'll learn to rollerskate instead. Or go climbing again. 

3. Go solo to dinner.

4. Go solo to the cinema (in my opinion the ultimate act of confidence/having no mates).

5. Learn to use chopsticks. 

6. Learn to play the Ukulele – it’s been sitting on the top of my wardrobe gathering dust for over a year. I learned to play the first few lines of Stand by Me – thank you Youtube. But it’s time to find an actual teacher - give me a shout if that's you, payment in cake.

7. Turn up at a train station, get the first train outta town (I’m not well moneyed enough to make it the airport).

8. Get a passport to venture to The North. Maybe even Scotland (although technically that’s not really the north is it – its Scotland).

9. Scrap the junk food. Less sugar, less processed foods & more veg.

10. Dream big.

11. Start making the dream a reality.

12. Read a quality newspaper cover to cover (not just the cartoons and captions under the photos) – even the non-essential/irrelevant to my life sports and business sections.

13.   Conquer the roast dinner and invite some faves over to partake of the feast.

14.   Make peace with the parentals – buy them dinner or something.

15.   Manage my money – not sticking to a budget is the same as not having one.

16.   Identify my biggest fears. Then punch fear in the face. 

17.   Clear out my clothes - if I haven’t worn it in 2 years 18 months  a year it has to go.

18.   Go to a summer festival - dust off the wellies and embrace life in a field. 

19.   Extreme sports here I come – who wants to come hangliding?

20.   Walk in the rain. Get completely soaked. Enjoy every minute of it.

21.   Take a photo a day for a month.

22.   Discover my favourite wine. No, this does not mean drinking my way through Oddbins. I’m going wine tasting, like a sophisticated adult. You're welcome to join me.

23.   Stop pretending I can have a well informed conversation about the Middle East and actually take time to piece together all the random things I know and then find out more. 

24. Yet to be determined.

25. Completely dependant on the other 24. 

So there we go. My 25 for 25. Some boring, some useful, some fun and some Grown Up.

We have only have 10 years to be in our twenties y'all.

Friday 23 August 2013

Today is my one hundred and eleventh minus 87 birthday!!

Ok, I have speech to make - remember in LOTR* when Bilbo has his 111th birthday party with the most amazing/perilous fireworks ever? Remember how he gets everyone together, tells them "I don't know half of you as well as I should like, and like less than half of you half as well as you deserve," before promptly disappearing? Well, this is my birthday speech (don't panic I have no plans to disappear at the end of it...yet).

"Today is my twenty-fourth birthday - one year till I hit the big Two Five. So long early-twenties, it was Fun! Hello mid-twenty something. I have things to do. Most of which I have put off for far too long. And so this year is a 25 for 25 year - twenty-five tasks to complete before I reach 25.

Boring tasks I should do to actual deal with my life (sort out finances), useful tasks (learn how to use chopsticks), fun tasks (who wants to come paragliding?) and anything else that sounds interesting. 

Here's where I need your help -

What should I include as one of the 25?

Best ideas on a postcard/comment at the end of the post/email/carrier pigeon please.

Of course, all 25 tasks will be chronicled and placed on the world wide web for your amusement. In one week I will post the list - and then let the tasks begin. 

Thank's team."




*that's Lord of The Rings for those of you who have been under a rock for the last decade.

Saturday 27 July 2013

Adventures in...Indecision

Shout out to fellow STARTer Jess who let me guest post for thistrainisboundforglory. A wonderful collection of posts chronicling 'Adventures in...' everything from health to hope, and indecision to Iraq. 
Adventures in...Indecision 
A wise man once wrote that an undecided mind is like a storm tossed sea – going one way and then the other, never settled. #James1v8
I’m always undecided about something – move here, move there, move back or stay where you are. Apply for this job, apply for that job or don’t change job at all. Go for a drink, have one more drink or diet coke please. Pizza or Pasta. Star Wars or Star Trek.  Beyonce or Bieber. Marmite or Nutella...
To read the rest of this post click here (even if you don't read my post you should check out the rest of the blog. You won't regret it).

Monday 22 July 2013

Want to know the Truth about the Royal Baby?

I don’t really get all the fascination with the royal baby – I didn't even know it was due any time soon. People have been queuing for hours to be the first to offer Kate some flowers. Some have even camped outside the hospital for up to two weeks (seriously though - they had nothing better to do all summer in two of the hottest weeks of the year?) All for the birth of a stranger. A stranger that they may never meet. Albeit one that has been born into one of the world's craziest circuses.

I think the Royal family are good for tourism – and that’s about it. 

I used to trust them to portray a national image of dignity and poise – Queenie’s been good at keeping that up, but let’s face it Harry’s doing a pretty good job at balancing out all of Kate’s appropriate fashion choices.

The truth is that this royal baby is just as important as you, or me, or all the other children born today.

The truth is that this royal baby is just as valuable as you, or me, or a nameless child born in of a Kolkata brothel.

The truth is that this royal baby has just as much a right to a stable life as you, or me, or a child born in a Syrian refugee camp.

The truth is that worth is not found in titles, or privilege, or ancestry.


The truth is that this royal baby is dearly loved by our Heavenly Father, just as much as you, or me, or one of your work colleagues.



P.S. You gotta love twitter...


Thursday 18 July 2013

How to Survive a Quarter Century Crisis?

Despite being told last weekend that I looked 17 I am, in fact, fast approaching my mid-twenties (#notsurehowtodealwiththis). Any of you fortunate enough to have met High Queen Rachel of Melodrama may remember the not-quite-Quarter-Century-Crisis (read this if you missed out). Well, now that I am more or less recovered I am sufficiently qualified to offer some diamonds of wisdom on how to survive a Quarter Century Crisis (real or imagined)...

It's simple really - Find a friend.

Seriously. Find a friend who gets it. Find a friend to help you plug the leak of your dreams, bail out the sinking boat of your Quarter Century Crisis, fix the oars of your hope and row to the shore of Life As A Grown Up. #cheesybuttrue

Find a friend who not only understands what you’re trying to figure out, but can help you get to wherever it is you want to go – even if you don’t know where that is most of the time.

Not a friend to patronisingly pat your hand, offer you a side tilt look of sympathy and then change the subject to something less..awkward. Not a friend with whom you can become unhealthily dependant – i.e. calling each other to discuss what to have for lunch/what socks to wear because you can no longer face any decision alone is not ok (if this is you, then you need to find another friend to get you some help, and soon).

To survive your Quarter Century Crisis you need to find a friend with whom you can be honest. Find a friend who will help you set goals and ask you why if you haven’t met them. Find a friend to help you keep your sense of humour. Find a friend who will lovingly (and that’s o so very important) tell you what you already knew but where too scared to admit. Find a friend who will bring round the Nutella/beer/comfort food of choice when what you thought was the right track turns out to be a costly dead end. Find a friend who will bring round the Nutella/beer/comfort food of choice when zip-a-dee-doo-dah there’s plenty of sunshine heading your way and a Bluebird singing on your shoulder.

Find a friend like this – and not only will you survive your Quarter Century Crisis, but you’ll have a BFF to boot! #winwin



And everyone knows sharing is caring, so if your friend hasn’t hit their own Quarter Century Crisis then maybe helping you out will induce their own (thereby helping them avoid the ridiculously trendy haircut/sky diving/expensive sports car/excessive plastic surgery of the Mid Life Crisis.) So don’t forget to be there for them too. Bring the Nutella/beer/comfort food of choice. Support them in their laments and champion their celebrations.

Find a friend, survive your Quarter Century Crisis. Simple.


Any way-more-sparkly-than-pearls diamonds of wisdom on Quarter Century Crises you care to share?

Saturday 22 June 2013

I'm Talking 'Bout Those Blurred Lines

There are few things in this world that can make me Hulk angry in a matter of seconds  (excluding the misuse of your/you’re, there/their and LOL. But every now and again I am confronted by something that makes me so angry I turn green and go from zero to sixty in three point five shut up and drive on the Anger ScaleLast week I met with such a thing. And even now, just thinking about it, the red mist of anger clouds my vision and my skin is tinged with green...

But have you seen the Blurred Lines music video?  Sweet bass line, catchy tune and jaunty lighting that makes it look o so Instagram. Youtube hits at this moment stand at 58,015,056 million.

But have you seen this music video? Have you seen the women prancing around in plastic and flesh toned underwear? Have you seen the way the women are passed on from guy to guy? Have you seen the woman on her hands and knees with a car balanced on her back? Have you seen the way the women are objectified into glossy hair, red lipstick, pretty faces and ‘great bodies’? Have you seen how it’s all a bit of fun because look how the guys are just joking around? #lad

But have you seen this music video yet?

It makes me angry. And believe me, you won’t like me when I’m angry (or whatever it is the hulk says – I was never much of a Hulk fan).

I’m angry that it tells our sisters, nieces, daughters, granddaughters, cousins and friends that being objectified to a pretty face, boobs, legs and bum instead of an actual human being dearly beloved of God and of infinite value is OK.

I’m angry that it tells our brothers, nephews, sons, grandsons, cousins and friends that the objectification of women, from human being dearly beloved of God and of infinite value to a pretty face, boobs, legs and bum is OK.

I’m angry that so many people will think I’m over reacting. Because it’s just a music video, right? #banter

I’m angry because the objectification of women is such an everyday thing that sometimes I barely notice it. And the less we notice it, the more acceptable it becomes. And the more acceptable it becomes the fewer inappropriate behaviours we question and stand up to. This is not OK.

I’m angry because I don’t know how we can change this.






Sunday 16 June 2013

Take Heart

How's your week been? 

Good? Bad? Ugly?

To be honest, this has been wearisome week.  

This has been a week in which it has been impossible to hide from the hurt around.

This has been a week where I was so tired I had to get the bus home from work because I didn't think I would make it if I walked (you might think this is a bit melodramatic but I never get the bus home. And it was only Tuesday). 

This has been a week where everything has just been Too Much. 

This has been a week where I have needed a constant reminder that God has overcome the evil of this world. 

This has been a week where I have played this song again, and again, and again, and again...






There is a light
It burns brighter than the sun
It steals the night
And casts no shadow
There is hope
Should oceans rise and mountains fall
It never fails

So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
Take courage again

In death by love
The fallen world was overcome
He wears the scars of our freedom
In his name
All our fears are swept away
He never fails

So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
Take courage again

All our troubles
And all our tears
God our hope
He has overcome

All our failure
And all our fear
God our love
He has overcome
All our heartache
And all our pain
God our healer
He has overcome

All our burdens 
And all our shame
God our freedom
He has overcome

All our troubles
And all our tears
God our hope
He has overcome
All our failures 
And all our fear
God our love
He has overcome

God our justice
God our grace
God our freedom
He has overcome

God our refuge
God our strength
God is with us
He has overcome


In this world you will have many troubles. But take heart for I have overcome the world. John 16:33


P.S. Next week is going to be much much better.

Before the Throne

Watch this:



For real. You will not regret it. Best 41 seconds of the day.*


Poor kid. You can see The Fear. You can see he most definitely regrets his actions. You can see he has an understanding of wrong and right. You can see that he's frantically searching for a way out, anything to help him escape punishment and "the cawps". And then he lands on the one thing he hopes will save him, "I'm your son! I'm your son!" He places his hope of salvation in his relationship with his mother, trusting that it will save him (can you see where I'm going with this yet?).


The fear of God.


Maybe if I understood the Awesome** majesty of God better I would be more like this kid when I consider my actions. Because I'm pretty certain that one day I will stand before God pleading, much like that child, "I'm your daughter. Jesus has saved me. Jesus has saved me." If I were of a more charismatic persuasion I would definitely be 'pleading the blood.' And quite rightly so.

Sometimes its easy to forget that God is Holy - is sacred, is pure, is perfect. Sometimes its easy to forget that a sacrifice was made so that we could freely approach God and ask for forgiveness. 

Maybe, if I had half as much fear as this kid I would examine my motives more often and think three hundred times before making a decision. 

Not that we should live bawling our eyes out everyday. But a healthy amount of trepidation wouldn't go amiss.



*Unless, like one of my flatmates, you just think its horrible that he's so scared. Maybe I just need a Sense of Humour Adjustment. 

** Please note the correct use of awesome. It's not a word to be bandied around for every situation like that Christmas present you keep re-gifting but seems to find its way back to you. 

Shout out to my brother who first notified me of this internet gold. Shout out to the mum who managed to drive and film this, and then uploaded it to the world wide web.