2010

What a year!!!...endings, begginings, endings again, travel, love, music, friendship, family, et al! All I can say is God has been AWESOME to me, taking me places beyond my wildest dreams, and teaching me that He got nuthin' but love for me!!

What does the future hold?? Non lo so,...I am learning that it is settled in quietness, trust and thanksgiving!

WITH ALL MY HEART THANK YOU LORD!!!!!

Winter's Here! - 21/12/10

Star takes a bow, drums roll, curtains are drawn,....Let's get ready for the next show!!!

ANCORA!!

Right back at the place I hate to be,...it's all good though since i ain't at the wheel anymore. He is! I wonder what He is up to this time:)??

Nothing like Paris to put things into perspective

Whats the best way to get rid of a thought that nags you the whole day?
a) Play dumb and act like it doesn't matter
b)Worry yourself sick thinking of all possible solutions
c)Take matters into your own hands and try to manipulate the situation to your advantage
d)Pray about it, do what you can, and let Jesus handle the rest

Some solutions are more sensible than others, the sensible solutions are easier said than done and for me it seems that I go through them all before I finally get it!
Well, in the past week I have been to Parigi and despite the biting cold it was well worth it to just leave the norm and for a couple of days live in a dream,...now I am back to the norm,...has the situation changed? No, but a few days of detachement can generally put things into persperctive,...life is to be lived a day at a time, there's stuff out there to be enjoyed and it's all a matter of time before this will be over and i'll be onto the next challenge!

He will bring you before Kings,...

,..to name them,..

1. Mr. Gavel(Egypt)
2. Mafioso(Italy)
3. Shylock(Iran)
4. Patel(he should be the guy from Panama)(India)
5. Jackie Chan(China)
6. Dr. Doo little(Panama)
7. The abostralian(Australia)
8. The Sleepy One/Mr.Wisdom (he should be the guy from India)(Mexico)
9. The Eloquent one/Mr.Questions(Netherlands)
10. Grumpy(Gabon)
11. Trueblood a.ak.a the Absentee (Uganda)
12. The Class prefect(America)
13. Neighbour(but really where was this guy the whole time???)(Sudan)

10/10/10 - 10th October, 2010

Writing for the sake of saving a memorable date,....it would have been ideal to have written this at 10 am or 10 pm,.....a day i dedicate to unanswered questions, dissatisfaction and minor disappointment, but nevertheless the carpet of my life is rolling out as per the course it should (it's a red carpet by the way!!!)

08/09/10

On this day of your life, Jane, we believe God wants you to know ... that as you surrender to divine providence in your life, you will feel lifted and carried and held.
All is well, all is well, all is well.

New Beginnings:A Condensced diary of the last few months.

4 months later and I am in Rome!!! Like i said life with God is a sea of wonderful possibilities:) I'll rewind,....

April 30

Finished off with Medair and i really needed time to realx and re-group but nevertheless i still needed a job

May 17th

I was contacted for a volunteer position in Rome! After sending multiple applications and getting almost no responses it was the last thing i expected,...that just goes to show that God is no respector of persons,...when you decide to throw off the limits and trust Him, He will honor your faith.

May and June

Nice days spent with friends: going to Mr Es to see uncle Rich and Ray, that package included free movie rentals, i am ashamed of how much tv i watched (5 seasons of The Office in less than 2 weeks, finished Pushing Daisies, started Community, watched countless moveis,...), catching up with MM, going to the beach and all the good times spent with Jennie shopping and having delicious treats at the Old Javas.

June 24th

I left Uganda for Rome, ecstatic cos i knew he was at the other end of the flight, nervous about my first day of work and meeting new colleagues, anxious cos i knew i was starting a new life and sad to be leaving my family and friends behind:(

So I left on a jet plane, was a really nice flight(Turkish Airlines) met a guy called Daniel and we went shopping at the duty free in Istanbul together and finally arrived in Roma at 11am! He was there!!!! waiting for me with a bag of cherries and at that moment nothing else mattered!

June 28th

Started work at FAO, 2 months and 2 weeks later i am still learning new things everyday and thats not cos i am dyslexic, this place is a jungle! Atleast now i can find my way to the Casa bar and don't get lost on the way back to my office!Life is a roller coaster: meeting tons of new people, learning new ways to work, learning that when i say caffe that automatically means an espresso, starting my first class of Italian today and most importantly learning how to order a cup of tea at the bar and still insist on tea despite the weird looks and comments from the barista.
Its been been exciting going to the Francavilla over the weekends, getting totally spolied rotten by the Chietinos, learning to swim in the sea, learning to ride a bicycle, going to back to Norcia and seeing all those people i love, eating nice food, doing a thesis on " the gelato and gelaterias of italy", and meeting so many nice people!!

After 2 years and a month of having a relationship over the phone, developing a bond with skype, learning how indispensible emails are, and realising mobile phones are a necessity for this life, we are finally in the same space!!! I don't think its something i can describe well enough. Doing everything together and being together,...it just feels RIGHT!Once again THANK YOU God because no dream of mine is too big for you, thank you for going ahead of me to make all the crooked paths straight and thank you because day by day i learn that i can trust my dreams, hopes, plans, failures of yesterday and wishes for tomorrow with you knowing in your time you make all things beautiful.

Me Time,...finally!

Exactly 2 years, a month, and 6 days later and my time is my own, at least for now,...the short version is that the credit crunch didn't just book a ticket to Europe and America, it added Uganda to it's itinerary and while here, decided to pay me a visit,...in short, i got retrenched, at such a young age too!!!

i must admit, after frantically applying for jobs the past weeks, working like crazy, shedding tears as i said hasta luego to my former colleagues, some of whom i had become really fond of, finally putting my belongings in box(like in the movies) and arriving home and literally feeling the emotional and physical exhaustion of 2 years like a physical weight, its simply delightful being able to wake up at my leisure, watch a good movie, read a book, not having to double check my alarm clock is set to wake up early, see my friends without watching the clock, drink lots of tea of course and simply do nothing, nothing!!!

i should be worried about the future and i guess at times i get anxious not knowing exactly where my life is headed from now, what next, where next??,...the usual intrigue that comes from unsolved mysteries.

i have decided though, to give myself a break, enjoy this bit of freedom from the rat race, reconnect with me and simply be thankful for time to do what i like!

what surprises the next couple of months will bring i am trying my best to leave entirely up to God. with Him life is a sea of wonderful possibilities and i am going to walk on water!! thats as exciting as exciting can possibly be,.....i will rest a while at this cross road.

so let the storms rage high, the dark clouds rise they won't worry me, for i am sheltered safe within the arms of God, He walks with me and naught of earth can harm me, for i'm sheltered in the arms of God(thanks Ben Speer)

Habakkuk 3:17 and like C says, don't just stop at 17,...read it to the end!

Aaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhh,...................!!!

yes, me, i hate waiting! i am bad at it, do not like it at all. and yes, i hate lessons in long suffering, they last too long!

ME

I am;

Greatly Blessed,


Highly Favored,


and Deeply loved!!!!

THANK YOU LORD!

My tribute to Awe

Often I am blown away by a thing of beauty, a moment of pure joy, a feeling of being deeply loved and in some cases which I much rather never occurred, times when I feel I am deep down in the pits of the earth. It’s not often though that I consciously realize I am in a state of wonder. So this is my tribute to all the things that leave me in awe;

Flowers, so simple, delicate and beautiful. Looking at the Cana lily or the Iris makes my heart swell. I am amazed at how simple yet intricately complex flowers are.

Clouds that roll out in huge billows of pure glistening white, then roar with thunder, and dark and looming pour down with rain, refreshing the earth and then draw back as a curtain letting the sun shine in all it’s glory! I simply gaze amazed.

Trees, I am not tree hugger but why my heart does cart wheels at the sight of a beautiful tree, I still don’t know. I’d like to buy lots of land some day and plant me some trees so that I can walk for miles and be bathed in the breeze, totally at peace, just the trees and me.

Music!!! It’s my love, it gives me strength just like a can of Red Bull, it is my shrink a.k.a Vicky. That there is a song for every mood is simply amazing. A song can take me on a high just like

sugar for some people, a song can lift me from a low sending me to the heights, a song can make me laugh, scream, shout. And even when I sing off key, I sing with everything within me! Thank God for everyone that has good music flowing through their veins, and today thank God for the Gaither Vocal Band!

Last but not least the wonder of my wonder, C, the joy of my joy, the sun that comes out shining bright from behind the dark clouds. My companion, and the birth of feeling within me. The voice that puts my thoughts into words, the words that give birth to perfect pictures in my mind,, the feeling that I am you and you are me, looking at you as if in a mirror, hearing you laugh and I wish to lengthen that moment for eternity, and wanting to take every dream of yours and make it reality. Bing the luckiest person in the world because I have a gift from God, now this is wonder! I count my self blessed.

If I didn’t say thank you Lord before, Thank you Lord, , thank you because your grace reigns and your mercy washes over me, your love loves me beyond all reason and explanation. Thank you because you make me witness to your glory and thank you because I can say thank you! And thank you in advance for all the times I may forget to be thankful.

150 DAYS!

Its raining outside, I am safe in here.
The company I have, if was up to me, perhaps I would have chosen better,
but I didn’t chose.
So this is how it is and will be for the next 150 days, maybe more.
I wish the days away, longing for the rains to stop,
To get out of this shelter,
feel the sunshine, smell the flowers.
The rain keeps pouring; each day seems like a year.
I know I am in a place of safety, safe from the flood,
and this company isn’t half as bad as I say.
Lord, lead me on, help me make the most of these days,
to rejoice in this safe haven,
Lest when the rains stop and I leave this company,
feel the sunshine, smell the flowers,
I secretly long to be back in the ark.

Thy Word - Amy Grant

This Song has been playing in my head all day for over 2 weeks. Maybe i need to start waking up at 4am.I love this picture!



Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.

When I feel afraid,
And think I've lost my way.
Still, You're there right beside me.
Nothing will I fear
As long as You are near;
Please be near me to the end.

I will not forget
Your love for me and yet,
My heart forever is wandering.
Jesus be my guide,
And hold me to Your side,
And I will love you to the end.