Walking with the foxes

Okay, so maybe the title is a little bit deceptive, but today I got up early and went out for some excercise. The streets of Weybridge were utterly deserted (as they should be at 5 a.m.) but I did run into an interesting little visitor. At first when I saw it, I thought it was a stray dog or cat, but having not seen any stray animals since I got here, I thought it was rather odd. When I got closer, I realized it wasn't a dog or cat at all... It was a fox! That's right... just trotting through the middle of town.
I know absolutely nothing about foxes execpt that they are wise and cunning... This I of course learned from fables. I was a little apprehensive as I approached it not knowing what to expect. He stood his ground though... Brave little guy. A few moments later a car pulled around the corner and scared him off.
I don't honestly know what I would have done had I gotten all the way up the street to where he stood. I probably would have tried to chase him off, much like I would a dog, but not knowing the behavior of foxes am glad that I didn't have to do that.
As a result, I am spending some time today studying up on foxes and I am investing in a headlamp so that I can see better on my early morning trots.
Happy Monday!

Commuting in the dark...

As summer has given way to autumn in London, the days have grown shorter and shorter. I have found that I now commute to and from work in the dark. I am told that it will only get worse as daylight savings time ends and winter sets in...
I am not entirely opposed to this, but I suppose I didn't realize how much farther north I was latitudinally compared to Missouri... Regardless, I am enjoying the crisp air and the falling leaves that come with autumn. Another nice thing is that I get to enjoy London in the dark. It is a really beautiful city all lit up in the darkness... I suppose I didn't get much of that in the summer when the sun stayed up until after 10p.m. (seriously)
I don't guess I have much else to write, but for the benefit of Tracey, I am at least writing something :)
Happy Autumn!

Some time at home

This past week I have been back in Bolivar. It has been really great to see friends and family I haven't seen since going to the UK... I think that sometimes you don't realize how much you miss people and things until you get to see them again.

It's Friday and my last day in Bolivar... I know it will be a day full of goodbyes and I am a bit sad already thinking about that...

I am so thankful for all of the awesome people God has put in my life. Could I be any more blessed? I don't think it's possible.

If you are reading this, chances are I love you very much!

Heading Home

On Friday I will be boarding a plane to head back to the US for 10 days. Initially this was planned to be an enjoyable visit in order to get my winter clothes, etc. Unfortunatley, while I am home I will also be moving from my duplex to a storage shed. Sounds like fun huh? I know that it is the best decision, but it is not one that was made with lots of excitement... I am still looking forward to stuffing myself with all of the mexican food I can hold and recieving love from all of my friends and family... I have a feeling that those 10 days are going to pass far to quickly...

Lately I have been thinking of what comes next... What lies ahead? At this point I have absolutely no idea. I am not altogether sure that I would be happy in Bolivar, but at the same time am not altogether sure I want to stay here... I have a feeling that big changes are in the works and I look to them with anticipation. It's funny that I am an adult and have to make decisions... I certainly never would have imagined I'd be in this place... In it all, God is good and he works things together for our good when we love him and follow his purpose for us. Can't wait to see where that leads...

Sadness in the Neighborhood

I just found out today that PBS is planning to limit the showing of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood to once a week during a Saturday time slot. (Thanks Becky for the 411). I don't know about you but Fred Rogers is literally one of my life role models. I think he was an amazing man of God and had a dramatically positive influence on scores of children. How can they take him off the air to replace him?
I have already done my bit to contact PBS headquarters as well as my local station to let them know that I am not at all happy about this. Please join me in petitioning PBS to reconsider. If not for me... do it for Fred. Afterall- he's your neighbor too!

RUGBY!!!

So, I went to my first rugby match this weekend. It was actually a double-header. It lived up to all of my expectations. Rugby is a really great sport! It was really fun to watch the game live because I was able to understand a bit more of what was going on. I still don't really understand the penalties, but at least I was able to keep up woth the game. The first match was the London Irish vs. the London Wasps. The Irish won. The second game was the Harlequins vs. the Saracens. The Harlequins won. I had some rowdy fans right by me for the second game. Luckily they were Harlequin fans so I didn't have to fear for my life when the game was over. Overall, it was a really cool experience. Sorry the pictures aren't very good, but action shots are difficult. Anyway... talk about a tough sport, I can even imagine how intense it is out there on the field. No pads and full body contact. Not to mention, some of these guys are huge. And not just big, but big and agile... Fast and large makes for big collissions.

Rain...

It is raining today in London (big surprise) and as I headed out this morning I thought to myself how I love the rain. I really do love it, just not when I have to walk in it. Well anyway, I walked to the train station this morning and when I got there I was a bit wet, and my back pack was really wet, and I thought about rain and water. It made me think of God and how I treat him sometimes... Let me explain. Water is necessary for survival. You simply have to have it to live. Sometimes you want to bask in it, swim in it, play in it, stand under it, etc... Sometimes you drink it in. Then there are times when you don't want to get wet. You would prefer the water stay off of you, so you carry an umbrella, or wear a raincoat. The interesting thing is, no matter what you do, the water usually penetrates through and gets to you. That's how God is. Sometimes I am ready to swim and play and bask in him and all of his glory and sometimes I get prideful and think that I can do it on my own, so I walk around with my "umbrella". But the awesome thing about God is, no matter what I do, he always penetrates and gets through to me. What a wonderful, patient, loving God we serve.