When No One Understands

We live in an age of fierce individuality. Whether a result of this era, western civilization, or the impact of technology and social media, we are more and more focused on self than ever before. Sadly enough, Christians are no exception. Our spiritual walk is highly individualized. We want a bible catered to our place in life (Eg: the Women’s Bible, the Grandmother’s Bible, the Couple’s Bible, Bible magazines for teens, the Serenity bible [12 step recovery help]). We don’t want to commit to a local church because our Christian walk is a private issue.  We want to be more ‘spiritual’ than ‘religious’.

We say the right things, speaking highly of community or of ‘doing life’ together, but when it comes down to it, we don’t really want what that involves. Scripture commands encouragement, exhortation, accountability, (Mt. 18:15-20, Eph. 4:11-16, 2 Tim. 4:2-5), and we use those words often, we fall kicking and screaming when someone dares use it against us.

I had the opportunity to have a talk with friends the other week regarding areas for growth in my life. We had set a time to meet, and I was ready, looking forward to the chance to grow. Or so I thought. I was good until we hit the point in the conversation where they pointed out the specific areas I was weak in (read: areas I was sinning in). Instantly my muscles tensed, my stomach knotted, and my guard went up. My head reeled with the thoughts, “They don’t understand! They don’t know what I’ve been through! They don’t know how hard I’ve already worked on this!” My heart cried, “They’re judging me! The bible says not to judge! They need to be forgiving and have grace where I’m struggling!” These are good friends, friends who love me, who want to help me, but as soon as my individualized spirituality was threatened, I balked. When someone challenged me in an area I didn’t want to be challenged, I bristled.

And I think that’s a normal reaction. At least, normal in the sense of common… not in the sense of it being what it ought. You see, we want to think we’re unique. Heck- we’re told we’re unique from childhood—by self-help gurus, school-teachers, even Christian leaders.

We cling to that originality desperately, but it’s that same individuality that leaves us so isolated. Look at the teenager who whines that his/her parents just don’t get them. Or the employee who says no one knows what its like to work for such a terrible boss. Or the mother at home with yet another sick child, believing that nobody understands how alone and tired she is.

It’s not that each of those situations isn’t hard. They are extremely hard! In fact, they’re so hard, that God knew we couldn’t handle it by ourselves! So He left us help.

He left us an instruction manual of what to do and how to respond.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16-17

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Phil. 4:8

He gave us warnings that we’ll feel alone, but not to turn into ourselves but seek others for help.

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jer. 17:9.

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. Prov. 15:22

He gave us the church, a group of people just like us, struggling to make godly choices, to encourage us when we’re doing well and give us a good ‘talking-to’ when we’re doing poorly.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Prov 27:17

If we say nobody understands us, we essentially say that no one has the right to speak into our lives. If we bemoan the fact that what we’re going through is special, then we begin to believe that a new set of rules applies to us, not anyone else’s advice, not even scripture. In truth, we’re not special. We’re not unique.

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Ecc. 1:9

And thank goodness! Because really, who wants to be alone in this world? Who wants to be such a special case that even God doesn’t know what to do with him?

Fortunately, we’re not.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. Heb. 4:15

So be comforted by this, and work towards this. It means we have no excuse. It means we’ll have to work hard. It means we’ll have to endure some tough conversations. But it means we can grow. And it means we’re not alone.

*I’m happy to say the conversation with my friends ended well, and has opened the door for better communication between us. You might even say our friendship is better than before... Imagine that!

How well do you know your London skyline?

Can you name everything in this skyine? Don't worry- we'll give you an intro to some of London's most famous buildings. By the end, you'll be a pro!

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Its been a while since my last post. I'd say it's been just crazy busy but I'm not sure that's entirely true. I've been sporadically busy and alternately lazy. My apologies.

We've been able to take several walks down in the city lately. I say 'down' in the city, and every time, I'm just amazed at the idea. We live 3.4 miles north of London bridge... from some of the most famous landmarks in the world! Granted, there are days the motion of the city are overwhelming and I find myself longing for a cornfield, but I am still shocked to hear myself mentioning places I'd only heard about in books and movies. But its real, its here, and so are we. It really is amazing!

Anyhoo, while walking through these streets, I'm constantly amazed at the architecture all around me. There are centuries of art found in the brick, granite, concrete, and glass that line the streets of London. I thought I'd point out a few we've seen lately. (By the way, these are 'touristy' photos, not art. My camera battery hasn't been charging, so I'm only using my iPhone. Please don't judge me!)

All right, we'll start with an easy one. It's from a different angle, but can you name this building?

I'm going to guess you said either one of two answers: 1. Big Ben or 2. Parliament Building. With which your response would be correct, but insufficient. The building is actually the Palace of Westminster. It is where Parliament meets (so #2 would be correct). For those who said Big Ben, here's a bit of confusing trivia. The tower was originally called St. Stephen's Tower, or the Clock Tower. In 2012, at Queen Elizabeths Diamond Jubilee, it was renamed Elizabeth Tower. Big Ben is the bell located in the top of the tower. Told you it was confusing. 

Here's another angle of the Big Westminster Ben, St Stephen, Elizabeth, Tower of Westminster from the other side. Can anyone tell what famous structure is at the left side of this picture?

It's the London Eye, (or the Millennium Wheel,  or one of three sponsoring names it's had since it was built.) Basically a £30 ferris wheel that gives you a great view of London.

All right, what about this?

Nope. Not London Bridge. Tower Bridge. (Don't you love how these Brits try to confuse us tourists?) London Bridge is actually a very uninteresting concrete structure that looks super boring but connects cool parts of town. Tower Bridge is the famous one, so called because of the Tower of London (aka: Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress), which has all kinds of history locked up in its walls. *Extra credit: neither of these bridges were involved the the collapses of nursery rhyme fame.*

All right, this one is for the movie buffs. It's a side view, but you should be able to pick it out if you know your films!

It's MI6! Can you see the rounded part in the front that was M's office that exploded in Skyfall?! We were surprised how small it was. And how close we could get to it. (We were with 15 feet at one point.) However, I'd assume the blocks/windows are pretty secure. I'm trying to decide if the US takes security more seriously, or if we just have more real estate to play with!

The following tower is the tallest in London (and the tallest in the EU). (Sorry you can only see half of it

The Shard- so named because it looks like a shard of glass piercing the city skyline. At least this name makes sense (and doesn't have 4 other names). I can see this building from my street, and it's a reminder of how close I really am to all the hubbub. Today we walked right past it to go to Maltby Street, a tiny foodie market on the south side of the Thames. So much fun!

Can you pick out the dome in the center? Any idea what that is?

What about in this picture?

That is St. Paul's Cathedral. Well, the new St. Paul's Cathedral. The old one was burned down in the great fire of 1666. Rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren (who rebuilt half of London after the fire), it now sits at the 'centre' of London on the Thames. Off on the right side you can see a few other skyscrapers. Ten points to whoever can name three of them.

Here's another angle:

We'll start from left to right. The curvy block on the left hand side is 20 Fenchurch Street, better known as The Walkie Talkie because of its funny shape. However, this past summer, the architects were in a bit of trouble with the concave glass tiles on the south side of the building reflected light in a concentrated area, melting bicycle seat, peeling paint, and damaging/melting the panels on some poor blokes Jaguar.

In the centre of the picture is 122 Leadenhall Street, or The Cheesegrater. You can't see it so much from the front, but a side view shows you why.

It's due to finish construction this year. And I'm starting to ask where architects are getting their ideas these days? What's next, the colander?

On the far side of the picture was a shiny oval-shaped building. Can you name it? Here's another shot: 

The Gherkin (or properly 30 St Mary Axe) is in the heart of London's financial district. It's faceted mirrors and torpedo shape make it seem to sparkle on sunny days. I like this building!

Across the corner from it stand a building exactly opposite in design. Where The Gherkin stands in sleek minimalistic beauty, Lloyds of London is a complicated steam-punk styled mass of blocks, tubes, and shafts.

Appropriately nicknamed The Inside-Out Building, Lloyds has all its utility workings on the exterior of the building. Plumbing, air-conditioning, elevators... all are housed in tubes and ductwork visible from the street below. It has an industrial flair to it, less artistic, but cool in its own way. The architect, Richard Rogers, also used a similar design for Paris' Pompidou Centre, using a different colour for each utility. The hubby and I thought the Lloyds building looks like something out of DC comics, though we were debating whether from Gotham or Metropolis. :-)

Just a street over is this little corner. In front of St. Helen's Bishopsgate (an evangelical church in downtown London) is this adorable courtyard. I felt like all it needed was a black and white filter and it could have been from a century ago!

Hope you've enjoyed your tour of London architecture. Hopefully with time I'll have some prettier pictures to share of each of these. But I had fun touring and thought I'd pass it on. Now if I can only keep all these names straight!

And... just for the fun of it, here's a picture out my back window.... a rainbow! :-)

I'm so grateful to be here. I can't believe I can call London my city!

Christmas Grotto

Hi Everyone! I HAD to get this post out before Christmas, as I've told a few friends about it, and frankly, its just too good to leave unshared!

Several friends back in the States have asked if Christmas in London is all classy and traditional and Dickens-ian. To which I reply a resounding NO! So here are a few pics to support my declaration.

This is a house just a minutes walk from us. It just cracks me up to see the decorations stop abruptly at the edge of the townhouse!

However, the following house is the real inspiration for my post! Its just a couple blocks away, on a corner lot, and they take their decoration seriously! There are lights all over the house, on the roof, and they even built a 'deck' for their nativity, since they have a wall that would keep you from seeing it in their yard.

But the kicker is the 'grotto'.

To the side of the house, they have a one-room building that they keep decorated. In summer, it hosts a koi pond and plastic lawn ornaments, such as chickens. (I kid you not, plastic lawn chickens keeping watch over golden koi!) For Halloween, they stuck a life-size Dracula in the corner... which freaked me out a little.

But Christmas is their true love, and they go all out, with a Christmas village, polar bears, penguins, wise men, Frosty, and of course, several Santas (because simply one Santa in the room would obviously be insufficient!) all accompanied by a children's recording of Christmas songs. Apparently, its quite well known/loved among the families in the area. The owners used to decorate the whole house inside and out and give tours before Christmas, until the government decided they were pushing the limits of 'residential' zoning and becoming too 'commercial' in their enterprise. :-) My questions lie less in the zoning, and more in the disbelief that parents were actually okay with children going into a stranger's home for the decorations! I assume the children were accompanied, but still... it rings a bit... strange to me. I leave you to judge for yourselves.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you "The Grotto"

And lest you feel like you're still not fully informed, I took a video for you. (Apologies for the car noises in the background.)

I'm sorry, I'm sure they are lovely people, but every time I walk past, I think of this:

** On a happy note, my friend came up with this and I told her I'd post it and make her famous! Don't buy an expensive back-of-seat mount for your iPad for kiddo entertainment. Just make a hole in a gift bag the size of your iPad, slide it in, pull the strings out one side and tie around your headrest! Brilliant!

An Honest Christmas

I have a confession to make: I lied.

Well, not so much lied, as I gave a false impression of the truth. (I know, Mom, same thing.)

But its a Facebook thing, so does that count?

We all know it happens, and I think we all do it at some point or another. You know what I mean- that bit where we take the best of ourselves to post on Facebook while hiding the worst. We post fun, gregarious pictures that make our lives look fantabulous, while in reality, reality is rather mundane. Don't get me wrong- I don't necessarily want to go to a depressing 'realistic' Facebook where everyone posts every bad mood, poor grade, worry, fear, and mess. I've had a few friends who made that their norm, and quite honestly, its depressing. But it's tricky to find a middle ground.

Anyhoo... here's my boldfaced lie:

Looks cozy, right? A fireplace with candles, Christmas decor, and twinkle lights reflecting in the flame. It was cozy, and it did make me smile to see, so it wasn't all a lie. But let me tell you about the reality behind this photo:  the hubby is off to the side (you can see his arm on the right edge), after having just given up on a project that wasn't working for the evening. Me? I'm on the sofa across from the fireplace, where I've been all day with a cold, in my leggings, mens flannel shirt (that I sewed in hopes of looking cuter in it), and knee socks that are bunched around my ankles because they're too tight to go up to my knees without cutting off circulation. My day consisted mostly of fooling around on the laptop, too sick to be very profitable, too stubborn to actually sleep. (Though the hubster did eventually make me take a nap). After minimal food and various glasses of water, tea, and lemonade (the boring British version of Sprite), I ended the evening by throwing up in bed. Don't worry- I had a bucket.

See? I lied. It wasn't a wonderful cozy evening of reading and cuddling by a fire. I was miserable and searching for something to make me happier. And when I found it, I shared it. Trust me, you didn't want to see anything else described in my day!

I did manage to do a little bit profitable. Do you mind if I share? I promise to be honest in my presentation.

I did get a few more Christmas decorations up. I love decorating, especially for Christmas! There's so much potential for sparkle, and lights, and glitter, and fun! But life doesn't always deliver just that.

*Side note- That eucalyptus hanging is from the Pinterest post that said if you hang it in your shower, it makes your bathroom smell nice. They lied.

Okay, so for the sake of honesty, I admit. I edited these pictures. Trying to photograph a room by Christmas light makes it all weird and orangey-yellow. Oh, and windows... yeah. Not black and lovely, just a mirror for everything else in the room that distracts from the main subject. 

Honestly, I'm pretty happy with our decor this year. It feels cozy and warm. And there's a bit of nostalgia with the paper stars, glittered leaves, and cranberry/popcorn garlands. But can I tell you a secret? I wasn't necessarily going for the vintage look. (I just posted an article about hipsters faux nostalgia). In truth, we have cranberries, leaves, and paper because they're cheap. Christmas decor is stinking expensive until after Christmas, which wasn't an option for this year! So we made do... and its enough.

In fact, that's what I'm working to learn right now-- that concept of 'enough'. I love The Nester's philosophy that "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." I want to believe that. But in a day of Pinterest and Facebook and my natural perfectionism, its darn hard!!!

And by the way, a London Christmas doesn't look like this:

Right now, our London looks like this:

Yep- cleaning crews blowing damp leaves off the grass and cement. Did you know that London doesn't get snow? It'll snow once or twice a year, making the roads a muddy slushy mess before melting away.

Fortunately, we do have pretty things like this house-way, and December blossoms.

Its been an interesting holiday season. I've known about the 'real reason for Christmas' for years and years. We've read Luke 2 every year for as long as I can remember. But still, its so easy to yawn through the story, complain about a Christmas Eve/Day service, and then race back home for the 'real' fun. **Can I admit it, I still LOVE getting presents!** But I feel like this year, God's asking me if He's really the most important. If there's no snow on the ground, no family on Christmas Day, and if my homemade gifts/decor really aren't super impressive and Pinterest-worthy, can I still be joyful? Can I still praise Him? Can I still be thankful for the blessings he's giving, materially and spiritually? To be honest, I've not done so great this year. I've found myself 'bah-humbug'-ing a few too many times.

But I AM blessed. I have family at home who loves me a lot, and technology means I can call them whenever I want. I have old friends and new friends here in London who have opened their lives to us, and invited us to share houses, meals, and parties over the holiday. I have a sweet, newly renovated home, and a church that let me borrow craft supplies to decorate cheaply. I have a Christmas tree with white lights and sweet decorations from our pasts. I have the love and care of a godly man who seeks to serve me and make me smile on a daily basis. And I have the gift of salvation- bringing joy and comfort to my darkest days. His word and His Spirit never fail, never disappoint, and provide peace beyond December 25, if my heart will seek Him.

So here's to an honest Christmas in London, where its grey and wet and 53˚, and God is teaching me about joy more than ever!

Sheer Terror

Yesterday, I experienced my greatest London trauma to date.

I rode a bicycle on the streets of London.

Well, on some side streets in a residential borough of London. My hubby has been riding his bike for months now. Cyclists are everywhere. It can't be that hard, right?

Let me elaborate on my reality:

1. I borrowed a friends bike. (Not just any bike. An adorable vintage style bike that looks basically like this.)

I know, right? Seriously, how could this not turn out amazing? I imagined riding along in a cute sundress, with a basket of flowers, and my hair blowing in the wind. Then I remembered its November, so I re-imagined myself riding with a cute winter coat, skinny jeans, fingerless gloves, a hat, and my scarf flying in the wind. Still pretty exciting.

However... its heavier than most bikes, and the curved handlebars and basket make it a bit more wobbly. Also, said friend is a bit taller than I-- something I hadn't notice till repeatedly trying to get up on the (unpadded) seat. My bum is still complaining today.

2. Traffic is on the wrong side of the road. Ok, the left side of the road. This one I'd prepared for. I've worked hard to notice traffic patterns and intersections. However the idea of opposing traffic making right turns (ie: left turns in America) still frightened me.

3. I haven't ridden a bike in over a decade. Unfortunately, I didn't remember this till after my excursion. If I had, I might have taken some more time to practice. They say it all comes back to you.

They lie.

I survived, which is a sort of success. And I reminded myself (about every 100 feet) that everyone has to have a first time. And God was gracious enough to give light traffic most of the ride. But it was terrifying. Every stoplight meant having to reprocess traffic laws, remember which side of the road to turn onto, get back up on the (hard) seat, straighten out my front tires so as not to hit the parked cars in front, swerve violently to avoid the cars careening up behind me, and then remember to continue pedalling. It was exhausting. I also realised about halfway through my journey that the bike was in high gear, which probably contributed to the botched cross-traffic turn I couldn't get up to speed for, which resulted in my facing the lane of oncoming traffic till I frantically waved at the oncoming car and promptly took myself and my fancy bike to the sidewalk, where I walked it for the remainder of my journey.

I'm still trying to decide whether or not to try it again.

:-)

On a happier note, here are some pictures from the hubby's birthday week! Much fun was had by all!

A big shout out to Rodrigo and Isabella for a great lunch out! It made us laugh that 2 Brazilians and 2 Americans were being served by an Italian waitress at a Cuban restaurant in England. It sounds like a bad joke!

Then the birthday boy and I made potica- a traditional Slovenian Christmas sweet bread recipe passed down through families. Its a November tradition!

Love you, baby! So glad to celebrate another birthday with you!

For the Geeks

Last week, I went for a walk in central London. I had several errands to run (which, by the way, is an expression foreign to the Brits), and I wanted to end up at the National Portrait Gallery, on Trafalgar Square. Trafalgar is one of my favorite spots in London, as it boasts some of the most spectacular views of the city, is central to so many historical places, and provides hours of people-watching entertainment.

Anyhoo, my time at the gallery was lovely- crowded, as it was half-term and full of school children on break, but lovely. However, the highlight of my day was the mile walk between Great Portland Street and Trafalgar. I had no idea I was walking past so many amazing places, so I kept smiling with delight at all the treasures London's streets had to offer!

Not pictured is when I passed Oxford Street, then Berners Tavern- where apparently, George Clooney dined the other week. The name 'Tavern' is misleading though, as its actually a super-swanky restaurant with soaring ceilings inlaid with elaborate moulding and glittery chandeliers. Not exactly a classic English pub. Still cool to see.

A few blocks later and BOOM! Chinatown! I found it ironic to see so many Asians taking pictures of the three block imitation of their home.

Before I knew it, I was in the heart of Soho (known for its theater district and, um, its interesting nightlife. Look it up for yourself.) However.... I turned the corner and saw chocolate!!! Chocolate everywhere!!!! Colorful candies in piles and piles!!!!! Ok, that's a lie. They're all neatly stacked it tins and boxes and bags, or in color-coded machines that dispense chocolatey goodness at the touch of a £5 note! How did I not know there was an M&M world only 30 minutes from my door?!

Apparently, the M&M corner is better known as Leicester Square (pronounces Lester Square). Its a pretty famous place, but I've only been at its tube stop 60 feet below ground.

I finally arrived at Trafalgar Square, where I always climb the steps of the Portrait Gallery, even if I don't plan to go in. The view is exceptional. This is how it looked when I went in the Gallery.

And this is how it looked with the sun setting as I left. (Which, by the way, was only at 4:00. I didn't realize how much farther north we are here. Apparently, by late December, the sun will set at 3:30. I'm preparing myself for SADs.)

It was a fantastic day with lots of surprises. I love this city and can't wait to share all of it with you!

****** Geeks keep scrolling. The rest of you can stop here.******

****** Keep scrolling....******

******EASTER EGG!!!!******

Congrats to those of you who have scrolled this far and haven't lost interest. By this point, I assume you either truly consider yourself a geek, or just have nothing to do today besides scrolling down a silly blog.

Therefore, I reward you geeks with.......

....

....

....

....

a Tardis!!!!

You're welcome!

For those of you still reading. Check out this spot on Google maps. http://goo.gl/ePKSxW  The user reviews will keep you nerds occupied for hours!

Still here?

Okay, fine.

And for the Harry Potter nerds.....

I give you....

....

....

....

Muggle Quidditch!

Yes, my wizardly friends, with minimal effort, and what I assume is a nominal fee, you can head over to Hampstead Heath, just below Parliament Hill (which for the history geeks still hanging on, is where Guy Fawkes' compatriots assembled to watch Parliament NOT burn), and involve yourself in a rousing game of Muggle Quidditch. I can't tell you anything about the game itself, as all the players were sitting in a circle on the ground for the entire time I was in view. Apparently, quidditch is substantially less entertaining once you lose the brooms.

All righty, folks. That's it for this blog post. Thanks to all you nerds and geeks for hanging in there. I really have a special place in my heart for each one of you. Check back again for less entertaining posts here from the heart of Britain!

No, seriously. It's done now.

Go home.

Autumn Adventures (Hint: It includes a high-flying sofa)

Its a beautiful autumn day today. I went for a walk this morning and took the shortcut through the park, noticing the rows of pillars and doorsteps shaded by colored trees, while falling leaves blow across streets still wet from last nights rain. It's everything I imagined autumn in London would be. My husband brought me to such a nice city. Isn't he magnanimous? I love his beneficence!

On a more.... exciting note, we've moved! Our flat is (almost) finished, and we've made the transition from ground floor to top floor- which is so exciting! They still have to finish up some fixtures and a few other details, but for the most part, we're settling in and finding landing spots for everything we own. Its so nice to be here- knowing that we're here for a while, making a home.

But... not everything went up easily. We had a few large pieces that couldn't make it up the narrow stairwell. The only alternative? The window. Yep. Three stories up. For reference, see below.

That would be Aaron hanging halfway over the roof (you can't see Matt behind anchoring the rope.) Richard and I are hanging out the windows, trying to finagle it into the right window.

A few people totally freaked out when they saw it. One girl walked right under it with headphones on, oblivious to our warnings and the danger she was in. :-)

Our neighbors moved their car, which was probably wise. But in the end, there was no major damage done. So all in all, things went pretty well, I'd say.