Encounters of a real kind

Today, while dining with work colleagues in the canteen, one of them asked me when I would be moving in with my boyfriend. I explained to her that we would not be doing that unless we got married and I noticed how each of their faces clouded over. Their responses that followed were nothing short of utterly condescending. They continued to hint at the fact that I was slightly mad to think that I could live with someone, once married, if I hadn't lived with them before and how you just can't possibly know someone until you move in together. I stood my ground and informed them that both of us were firm in our beliefs regarding the matter but they just shook their heads to convey a form of pity.

20 years ago I… lived at the beach but the sand gave me eczema…unlucky!

10 years ago I… played the French horn. There, now it’s public knowledge and you can all stop giving me a hard time.

5 years ago I… lived in London and decided it was the loneliest place on earth and booked a ticket to go and live in Australia. Little did I know…

I hope you’re sitting down (If not, how do you work on the computer while you’re standing?!). I have been diagnosed with a rather serious condition, known as ‘hurry sickness’. Don’t start panicking; I’m going to be fine. It was a self diagnosis of a condition of which I was made aware by John Ortberg, author of The Life You’ve Always Wanted. We’re reading the book at pastorate and often the themes are merely just refreshers of stuff I already know, but last night’s talk (and chapter) really struck something in me.

Genesis 3:17-19, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.  It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.  By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken.” (NIV)

Life is hard work. It was never God's intention that it be this difficult. His plan was that we enjoy everything which he created, to perfection, just for us.