Haha.. It's been such a long time that i've written on xanga!  It's the first time that i've written on the new look webblog page.

Well, i'm going to run another half marathon.  Have you heard of the Great North Run?  It's a famous half-marathon than takes place between Newcastle and South Shields in the north of england.  You can find more information on http://gnr.realbuzz.com/ 

I'm running to raise money for the cystic fibrosis trust.  My housemate, Janet, has cf and this charity has really supported her and her parents with conferences, newsletters, money etc.  They sound really good.  you can check out the trust on www.cftrust.org.uk.

You can also sponser me online too at www.justgiving.com/duracellbunny  I work at Coventry University and i think that they've agreed to match whatever i fundraise out of their corporate charity giving.  So lets get the university to donate lots of money for a good cause!

So, the story to how i'm running a half-marathon again..?  Well, back in January, my friend liza came up to visit me from Oxford and we met up with another friend, Antony.  We all lived together in our first years.  Over curry, we talked about running the great north run together and what a laugh that would be.  A few days later, i get an email from Liza saying that she's applied to take part in the great north run and now - its our turn!  Eeek - so i panic slightly but sign up anyway with the teeniest bit of hope that maybe my ballot will be refused.  It isn't.  So now i'm running 13.1 miles on Sunday.  I'm quite nervous.  I haven't been able to do very much training for it because i've just come out of working the busiest time of my job - orientation and registration.  But nevermind!

So anyway, what are you doing?  Check out my fundraising page and give Coventry University some real money to match - www.justgiving.com/duracellbunny.

Thanks,

I went to work today in such a mood - didn't realise it was until i went swimming during my lunch hour and got out of it.  Later on, Delphine and I had to do a welfare from the international office presentation and welcome dinner.  Sofeena and I laughed so much - i forget how important it is to laugh sometimes!  I felt so much better at the end of the evening!

Also, now i know how it feels for lecturers or preachers when people fall asleep in your lectures!  We had to do a presentation on immigration, travel, culture shock and one of the boys fell asleep hehehhehee... Bless him, it had been a long day, no doubt.

My sister is awesome.  She just wrote in her blog about love one another.  When you meet someone, rather than trying to think - what can i get out of them?  Think - how can i edify them.  It takes the focus of oneself and glorifies God.

Just come back from watching The Chronicles of Narnia.

  It's fabulous and powerful!  Need i say more?

I'm glad that God does all things for the good of him who love him.  Makes the harder things easier to bear with that kind of perspective.

Today was awesome - 5 people got baptised.  As i looked at them it struck me that all of them became Christians through Alpha.  There is a definite anointing on that course.

But today was also really hard because it felt like people chose this day to have a go at me.. :( 

Later on this evening though i was praying and praising God that one of my friends finally!!! got baptised.  At the same time, realising that who am i not to have grace for people.  God's got ooodles of it!

I'm a wee bit nervous about starting my job tomorrow.  Not sure what it's going to be like but also what path God is leading me.  In all my dreams i never imagined that this is what I would be doing... But it's natural to be feeling a tad nervous though before starting a new job.

Al gave me some pictures of our surfing weekend which i have tried to upload - here's a go:

The waves!  it was such a glorious October weekend - more like July weather than October.  None of our group are actually surfing at this point - we're on a walk spectating and admiring the sunset/moonrise

John, me, Briony, Jo, Jenny, Dave and Chisato relaxing after our first day of surfing:

l-r: random hands, James, Jenny, Jo, John, Dave - doing some definite relaxing at the pub

l-r: Briony, me, Sam, Jenny, Jo, John, Helen, Chisato's head, Dave  Mmmm... chips and cider!  has to be done after surfing whilst sitting in a beer garden