Elsewhere

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. (C. S. Lewis)

I don't know what it means to not want to be somewhere else.

I feel like there is always a part of me yearning for the comforts of my home with my parents in California, or the stimulation of the city of Oxford, or the love of my friends in Abilene, or the novelty and excitement of traveling in a new place... no matter where I am, I can't help but wonder what it's like to be somewhere else at that very moment.

This is a problem I have always had. I've always had trouble staying in the present. It used to be that I had my head stuck in the future: where I was going to college, what I was going to major in, what career I would have, who I would marry. Not that I have already figured all that out, but I'm just often mentally stuck in a completely different geographic location. I love traveling and living in several places, and as emotionally difficult as it can be sometimes, it always reminds me that this world is not my true home. As Paul said, my citizenship is in heaven. As much as I may want to be in some other place, I know that it cannot bring me the satisfaction and joy that I seek. But I am content. I'm realizing that God is changing my heart because when I am able to perceive challenges as a gift from Him, I am no longer looking through a worldly lens. Fixing my eyes on Him has never been sweeter.

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

[[I thought I should continue where I had left off my last blog. To understand this post better, you may want to read my Tuesday, April 14th post from my Oxford blog.]]

It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness. The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him. Lamentations 3:22-24 (AMP)

Last Sunday I totally got what God has been trying to tell me this whole semester: it's all about Him. No matter what happens with my social world, everything I do - everything in which I invest my time, money, emotions, energy - is supposed to be for His glory.

Soon after I returned home from Oxford, I began to wonder if it had been a mistake. Why was I having so much trouble with life back at home? Then, once I got back to ACU, it got worse. I didn't know how to do these old friendships and I didn't know where my new ones were going. I have made several amazing friends through my Oxford experience, both from ACU and from Oxford. I have become indescribably grateful for my roommate, Rebekah. She is beautiful, compassionate, faithful, fun, encouraging, and an awesome woman of God. I love her to death and she is one channel through which God has changed me this semester.

Here's the revelation: I have been overlooking the blessing that Oxford was. Simple as that. It's like He's put this amazing experience into my hands and I'm just shoving it away. I've been overlooking how God has worked through me and in me, and it's only hitting me now. He has always been with me throughout the whole experience, and I've been learning of His heart, and I know that He is relational and created us to be relational, and He wouldn't want us to be in any sort of unrest because of our relationships. What I've been seeking for myself in my old friends has been nothing to fill this void; He is it. No matter who my friends are, He is the greatest one of all. Of course I treasure my friends, but He turned my world upside down when I went to the other side of it. I'm finally accepting this change. I embrace the changes He's done in me and will use them to worship Him. No turning back -- I've changed, and this DOES NOT mean that I just had a fleeting experience. I feel like He's grown me so much just in these past few days with this knowledge and realization.

Acceptance is a strange thing. I've accepted God's grace and mercy and Jesus' love, but for some reason, I've been blocking out this blessing that last semester was and not letting God work through it. I've been working against it. I've been agonizing over the changes, which is why it was so hard. I wasn't opening my eyes to see how He was at work, and I most definitely was resisting growth by trying to turn around backwards and force things into how they used to be. The truth, though, is that I'm different than I was last year and all my old friends are different than they were last year, and that's okay. God has grown us. He's telling me now to let it out.

Even so, I do count my friends as some of my greatest blessings. I love hanging out with my close ACU-Oxford friends and wouldn't trade them or our experiences together for anything. I'm also realizing that I didn't only make friends in Oxford with the group I went with, but I also formed relationships through God's work with those in Oxford: my friends from St. Aldate's. I knew that, but it's only lately that I've been connecting with them more, and coming to fully realize how grateful I am for them. I'm also beginning to appreciate the Internet as connector of people across the globe. ;)

God was telling me on Sunday, "I love you. I've blessed you with experiences and friendships that mean so much more than you have acknowledged. And it's all because of Me, and it's all for Me."

I am so grateful. Thank You, Jesus.

[[I am reminded of the song "For Good" from the musical Wicked. Here is the part that comes to mind:]]

I've heard it said 

That people come into our lives for a reason 

Bringing something we must learn 

And we are led 

To those who help us most to grow 

If we let them 

And we help them in return 

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true 

But I know I'm who I am today 

Because I knew you... 

Like a comet pulled from orbit 

As it passes a sun 

Like a stream that meets a boulder 

Halfway through the wood 

Who can say if I've been changed for the better? 

But because I knew you 

I have been changed for good

Wondering Where Home is Now

I can't believe I've been home for two weeks and a day and I still feel like I can walk out the door and down the street into town, central Oxford. It's ridiculous how fast the time has gone, from the moment I entered the Study Abroad meeting during Passport before college started until this moment, Christmas night, after the semester is all said and done. I really miss Oxford and my friends there, but I think because it's more within my reach I miss Abilene and my friends there more. I'm really excited to go back (January 10th!) and room with Rebekah again. That'll be such a blast! :)

Cornmarket at night near Christmas

Quick update on the last week of Oxford:
- Thursday, December 4th: last cell group, last Risky. Cell was sad, but good. I'm so glad I got a chance to meet those people; they love the Lord so much and are so intent on spreading His word and love. I got a photo of all of us. Risky was good too and afterwards the usual group (me, Anne, Colin, and Ed) went to G&Ds and hung out. I got really sad that it was the last time we were seeing both of them! But fortunately I got a photo of all of us and I can see Anne at school in a few weeks.
- Friday, December 5th: We went to Hyde Park in London to see the Christmas lights and festivities. Then we saw the musical Wicked. It was SO GOOD. It had really cool sets and costumes, the songs were great, the performers were amazing, and it was hilarious!
- Saturday, December 6th: I further explored Oxford with Anne and Rebekah. I had never walked through Jericho just for the the heck of it, except to get to Port Meadow, but I'm glad I finally did; it's really neat. I did a bunch of Christmas shopping too. We ate lunch at this place on Broad Street called Cafe Creme ('tis fabulous).
- Sunday, December 7th: We went to St. Aldate's for the last time and it ended up being the children's Christmas play! It was so cute and it was great that we saw it because we thought we were going to miss it for sure.
- Monday, December 8th: That evening, we got all nice and went to dinner with the whole group at Freud's Cafe. Then some of us were going to go to The Bridge to hang out, but there was something going on and most of us didn't want to wait to figure it out, so we left and went to G&Ds. Then Anne and I parted from that group to go to club outreach, which was fun and kind of sad. I got a picture of our usual team (me, Turlough, Pete, Anne, and Gary) at the end, and I'm so glad because I can now cherish it forever!
- Tuesday, December 9th: I went to lunch with Turlough, Anne, and Pete at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen and to Ben's Cookies afterwards. We were so glad to be able to hang out with them one last time. I'm missing them so much!! At least I'll get to see Anne in a couple weeks though, haha.

I'm gonna miss crazy British signs like this

So...
I really feel like this semester I've gained a lot of confidence, not only in navigating through places I've never been but also in evangelism and speaking about the Lord. Club outreach definitely helped with that (because it was experience) but so did my cell group. Something that Tom, one of my cell group leaders, said one time has stuck with me ever since he said it. It was regarding Matthew 28:19 ("... go and make disciples..."). Usually when we think of this we think of an intentional mission, a purposeful movement out of ourselves to speak about Jesus, specifically. He put a new spin on it: "In your going, make disciples." As you live, with everything you do and say, always be thinking about spreading the Word and be intent on that as you live your daily life doing daily things, no matter what they are. Kind of like that St. Francis of Assisi quote, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words," but I like the Matthew paraphrase better. :)

Under the top bunk in our room

I'm a little nervous about returning back to Abilene. I've missed meeting most of the new freshmen and anyone else that may have arrived at lovely ACU, I've developed new relationships, I've not kept up old ones like I should have, and I'm not sure how things are going socially there. I feel like everything is going to be so different and I'm just hoping I can cope with it alright. I'm scared that good friends that I had last year will no longer be good friends and that where I'll want to be is not going to be possible.

Something I Don't Have to Say

I'm hardly in the mood to update this, as I'm currently in hate with Christmas (the commercialized version of it anyway) and very frustrated, but I figured since it's been two weeks since I've left Oxford and gotten back to Escondido, I should say something. Well. I'll just let "Oxford Spring 2007 KEB" (whoever that was; but thank you if it happens to be you) speak what I'd like to tell future travelers:

From the inside of a wardrobe in the biggest room (ours), House 10

Real update coming soon.

Confession

The Christmas season has hit Oxford hard, and along with it, all these feelings of home. I associate Christmas with home, and this time around, with the city streets decked out in lights, I'm realizing that home to me is wherever loved ones are. I have friends in Oxford, even though they don't live in Oxford; I have friends in Abilene, even though they don't live in Abilene; I have friends in Escondido. I'm really very grateful for anyone who has ever been my friend, because I don't deserve it. Today I had a breakdown and my heart started beating really fast and I thought I was going to throw up in the middle of class (so I just got up and left) because I was thinking about leaving another set of friends I just made in another city (yet again). I seem to always make friends in places where I have to up and leave. Why??? It is so frustrating. Why do I keep making friends, if only to leave them? Then I got to thinking how I make friends and then expect something from them, and that's not how I want to be a friend to anyone else. I realized that I haven't, for a very long time, looked at someone and wanted to truly bless them with no regard to myself. I've been very selfish this semester and I'm sorry for those I've hurt. I love you in my mind but I want to love you with my heart and my life. Please forgive me.

Notable Notes from November (short travel break)

A view of east Oxford

I realize it's been far too long since I've last posted. It's been almost two weeks since our last travel break, of which I just decided to stay in Oxford and go to Bath as a day trip on Saturday. I will briefly update you on that weekend. (And I still have not the energy to write up about Spain... that will come later... still).

Cornmarket (and Tom Tower!) from St Michael at the North Gate tower

Thursday, November 6 --
I left the house at about noon to walk around town. I was also able to get some homework assignments done because of a couple places I went, so that was nice. I went to the Ashmolean Museum and I wasn't thoroughly impressed... the Treasures Room was cool but other than that, I wasn't too interested. Luckily it was free of charge. Than I went and had lunch in Caffe Nero, which is pretty expensive but hey, this was my day out. They have the best tuna melt you will ever eat, and the most amazing white chocolate mocha. Next I went to St. Michael at the North Gate tower and church. It was really cool to be on top of the oldest building in Oxford and I spent quite a bit of time just watching people walk down Cornmarket. After that I went to the Oxford University souvenir shops hoping to find a sweatshirt, but alas, I was too indecisive so I left that purchase for yet another day. It was interesting to be walking around Oxford without that knowledge that I need to hurry up and finish whatever I'm doing to get back to the houses right away to do homework. Well, I did have a ton of homework I could have been doing, but I was giving myself a break (because if I really had gone out of the country somewhere I wouldn't have been doing homework). I walked down Iffley Road and back up Cowley Road and decided that it was a pretty neat part of town, but not so much when it's starting to get dark. I wandered over to the basement at St Aldates' Parish Centre for the 24/7 Prayer Week they were hosting. It was great to be able to participate (again; I had gone earlier in the week), especially since I missed it on campus at ACU this semester. Cell group and Risky Living were next on the agenda for the night, and they were amazing as usual.

Friday, November 7 --

Basically stayed at home and worked on homework and read while the rain fell outside. It was lovely. I spent some awesome time with my lovelies Mary and Meagan; we even baked banana bread! :)

River in Bath

Saturday, November 8 --

I went to Bath with Mary, Katherine, and David. It is a really cute city. Besides stopping in to a little cafe for lunch, before we headed to the Roman baths we also walked a little along the river. The Roman baths were pretty interesting. I'm just glad I wasn't around during that time though. After this, we went and "bathed" as modern day people do: in a spa! The Thermae Bath Spa was awesome... we got to stay for two hours in this multi-story building with spas and scented steam rooms. The rooftop pool was the best though. David had a little trouble relaxing though (that's what happens when swimmers get into a pool), but we girls had it down. The steam rooms were really cool as well: frankincense, mint and eucalyptus, lavender, and mint. The lavender was my favorite while the frankincense nearly choked me to death. After we got dried and dressed we took the train back home.

Roman baths

Sunday, November 9 --

I spent the morning doing homework and procrastinating on doing homework. :) Katherine and I went to the late service at St Aldates because we finally had a weekend without our "house church" worship meeting, 9@9. It was similar to Unite and definitely made me miss Abilene.

Monday, November 10 --

I think I mostly just procrastinated on my Christian Worship paper this day. I don't really remember much of what happened on Monday, to be honest. All I really remember is that because Anne wasn't back from Switzerland yet, I walked down to the St Aldates intern flat alone at 10:45 PM... which was a little unnerving, but not awful. Anyway, yeah, club outreach that night was awesome... a lot of conversations got going and we didn't see any fights break out or anything. This one guy kept coming back for tea, and I think he'd had about 8 cups by the time he left (he was waiting for someone). If I see him again tonight I will definitely remember how he likes his tea!

And Now, For A Limited Time Only...

Parks Road a few weeks ago when the trees still had leaves

I only have six weeks left in Oxford. Well, less than six weeks, because we still have two travel breaks left. This makes me really sad. I don't know how else to say it. I feel like it's all coming to an end just as I'm starting to understand some things about English culture. I feel like all the effort I've made to plunge into it will ultimately come to nothing because I'm leaving. I guess just looking at the end of things has always saddened me (e.g. leaving Abilene at the end of last year). It's just so frustrating because this, too, now feels like home. I'm being torn in three directions and I don't know where to turn. I've got family in each place. But suppose that's a good thing? Maybe this isn't supposed to be painful. Maybe God wants me to see how big He is, how central Christ is to my life. After all, Jesus is the reason for my families. Family. Singular. And to think... I have family celebrating Him along with me, all the way to the ends of the earth... and more and more keep joining the party, even as I type...

Immeasurably More

I sit here in the classroom at 3:30 AM on a freezing Tuesday morning with severe coffee jitters, completely amazed by our Father God, gratefully reflecting on the situation in which I currently find myself. I realize that Jesus has blessed me with people who are on fire for Him, inside and outside of this house. Tonight I helped out with St Aldates' club outreach again and, even though it's only the second time I've done it, I feel like God is helping me to be more open about my faith. This is the most evangelistic thing I've ever been a part of. If we can even give others a glimpse of the love that God gives by giving our free water bottles or tea or coffee or biscuits or conversations or hugs or high fives or whatever, if we can even plant the tiniest seed, if we can even be thin enough to allow God to show through us, to allow His glory, kindness, love, and life to flow from our fingertips and our lips, then I say: all praise be to Him who by His strength we give.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21

It's Been A Week

Unfortunately, I have yet to gather the strength to finish my Spain posts (but don't worry -- it will come in time!!) Here is a summary of my past week...

CS Lewis lived here!

Monday, 20th:
Went to The Kilns, where CS Lewis lived for part of his adult life. It was quite interesting, and visiting students at the University actually live there (I wouldn't want to live there because I wouldn't want tourists tromping through my house!). Behind the house is a sort of reserve with walking paths and foresty trees and logs and it was beautiful because the leaves are changing colour.

Late Monday night/Early Tuesday morning, 20th-21st:
Anne and I decided to get involved in the club outreach ministry with our church, St Aldates. We just signed up for it and didn't even know exactly what was involved except that we were supposed to be handing out bottles of water in front of clubs in the middle of the night. It sounded so intimidating and I still cannot believe I agreed to do it, and we were both so nervous before that I don't even know how I actually ended up at the meeting place that night (it definitely wasn't on my own). We met with 5 other people who were going to do it, 4 guys and a girl. The night began with a time of prayer and then we set out. We split up into 4 and 3; I was with the group of 4 and we set up outside this club nearby. The others set up at a different one a couple streets over. All we did really was offer hot coffee and tea, bottles of water, and cookies. It was definitely a unique experience and definitely one I wouldn't trade for anything. I plan to keep doing it. Most of our offers got a warm reception, while others were simply ignored. We even got some conversations started. The question of "Why are you guys doing this?" came up quite often. At first I didn't know how to answer it, but then after thinking for a second it was obvious: we were just worshipping God in a simple way by showing love to people around us. I think it's really significant that something like this is going on because it's a very relevant way to serve the Oxford community. Night life is vibrant here (sometimes a little too lively, as evidenced by the couple of drunken fights and almost-fights). It made me kind of sad to see hundreds of young people wobbling about unsteadily, the scantily clad young women in their high heels on the cobbled driveways and the young men in their collared shirts. I think most of them were probably students. I was saddened by how many people were out getting smashed just at this one club (oh, and the ones across the street).

Thursday, 23rd:
I went to my first student cell group with St Aldates! It was so good. It's co-ed, which is a new experience for me, but a great one so far. The sort of focus for our group is evangelism, which I think is so ironic because of the club outreach I did earlier this week and the fact that that area is where I scored lowest in this "spiritual life" worksheet we did in Christian Worship the night before. It was actually only the second meeting for the group so I only missed the first one last week. We discussed what "evangelism" means and plan to get deeper as the weeks go on and eventually I think we are going to get into the practicalities of it and are going to practice it. After cell group was Risky Living, the student mid-week meeting for St Aldates. This was my third time to go and I didn't meet as many new people this time as the first two times because I was sitting with people I had just met at my cell group... Except for one guy. And this guy made me laugh because he goes, "In America... They have free refills!" And the rest of the table was in awe. Hahahaha!! Anyway, Risky is beautiful because it starts out with a meal and a lot of things can be learned and shared over a single meal. It moves into worship and then from that into the message and then prayer and worship. There are normally so many students there... I'd say probably 130ish? I may be completely wrong, but there are a LOT. It is so encouraging to have a place where there are students my age but they're not American! I love it.

"A piece of Texas in the heart of London!"

Friday, 24th:
London! Our class took a trip into the big city. This was my first time to go and from what I experienced, it was great! There were tons of manuscripts in the British Library to keep us busy for a much longer time than we had (everything from the Beatles to the Bible to the Magna Carta to da Vinci to Shakespeare to Jane Austen to Mozart...). Then we went to Westminster Palace (Big Ben, Houses of Parliament) and took a tour. Afterwards, a few of us wanted to tour Westminster Abbey but, much to our dismay (but to our wallets' rejoicing) it had just closed half an hour before. So we kind of wandered about... Through the orange leaves and lazy river of St James' Park to the official-looking Buckingham Palace. Once we got there, we realized that we needed to find something to eat... So we headed towards Trafalgar Square and had a little bit of home! We found the Texas Embassy Restaurant and it was like a little piece of Texas in my tummy. Even though it was Tex-Mex and not real Mexican, it was still so so so welcome. The most exciting part, though, was the fact that they had an ACU flag upstairs! I even signed the wall (they have this wall where people from Texas sign - I know I'm not Texan but I go to ACU... So there). Then we had only a 1 minute walk to Her Majesty's Theater... Because our show Phantom of the Opera was starting in half an hour! Haha, and when Rebekah and I went to pick up the tickets, my friend Spenser and his friend Cory who are both studying with Pepperdine in London were there and I actually had to do a double take when Spenser asked if he could take our photo for us because I didn't recognize him (and it's only been, what, two months since I've seen him). Anyway, the show was amazing! Beautiful... Pleasing to the eye and ear. Every time a scene ended I would think, "Wow, that was great - that was my favorite." Then the next one would start and I'd change my mind... And it just continued. Haha. It was so much better than I could have imagined. So much better than the movie, and I love the movie!

Before the show! So excited!!

Beautiful Big Ben and the Underground sign

Saturday, 25th:
Spenser and Cory came into Oxford and we hung out pretty much all day. We walked around town... Cornmarket, Merton College, Radcliffe Square, Eagle and Child, University Parks, ACU houses. It was a very pleasant day. I haven't had a day I could just wander about Oxford in a really long time, and this time I got to do it with an old friend from home (and his friend who is now my friend, because Facebook makes everything official, right?).

Early September

Okay, I'm going to be honest here: I really do not feel like blogging right now. However, seeing as I'm about to be out in Ireland and Scotland in a couple days, I decided I just need to sit down and overview a few recent things before I come back and need to write about that trip. So here it goes...

I was quite pleased when the St Giles Fair came into town last week, especially since I was missing the West Texas Fair (ahh fond memories of last year...). I didn't ride anything (the only ride I wanted to ride on was 5 pounds - that's almost $10!), but I did buy some delicious fudge, rhubarb and custard candies (I had no idea what they were either; they're really good though!), and ate half of Anne's YUMMY chocolate and strawberry crepe. It was really neat seeing the contrast between the old buildings and the new fair equipment. The fair took up all of St Giles Street, which is huge, and it stopped traffic and everything. It smelled so good: you'd walk five feet and be smelling donuts (which they had a lot of... it seemed to be their version of funnel cake, hah), then you'd walk another five feet and smell meat, then another five feet and the scent of sweets would engulf you.

Last Friday our C.S. Lewis class walked down to Magdalen College and wandered around the grounds for a while. It's amazing to me how all these buildings can be so intricate. I wonder why people would have taken so much time and care just for a building. However, I do like them a LOT more than any modern building. The other day I was walking down a street with newer buildings and it just felt wrong... it didn't feel "Oxfordian." It did make me feel more like I was back home though... which was good and also not good.

Okay, so like the past two days we've been having amazing weather; meaning, in the 70s and sunny. So a group of us decided to go to the Botanic Gardens (partly because it's for a class and partly because we couldn't pass up the opportunity to be outside). At the garden, there were different little houses, each with a different type of climate and the plants that grew in that climate. I was excited to see a Venus flytrap, because I think they're cute. Also, out on the grounds, we saw J.R.R. Tolkien's favorite tree... which is kind of random (that he even had a favorite tree there) but really awesome. It was this huge old tree and quite majestic. I have a picture down below.

I have this song stuck in my head from church yesterday... at St Aldates, they seem to have this practice (at least, the two times I've been there) of getting all the children up in the front with the band to sing a song or two and perform the motions that go along with the song. So, they sang this song yesterday that went something like this: "My God is big, my God is great, my God is fab and He's my mate..." I don't remember the rest of it, but that part just keeps playing over and over in my head. I think it's really funny that they'd call God "fab," first of all, and then "mate"... I felt a little strange singing it because I don't think I've ever really thought of God that way before... I mean, He's my friend, but I wouldn't necessarily characterize Him as "fab" (whatever that means --- I associate it with phrases such as "Fab Four/Five" or other silly monickers preteen girls give their group of friends). I dunno, maybe it's just that connotation of the word that makes me feel funny about that song. I am, however, realizing that God is in control, even here. Psalm 139 (my favorite Psalm) reminds me that He never leaves, even while I'm thinking that He's not here, even while I'm having trouble finding Him, even while I keep focusing on myself. I guess it's just been a little difficult to find time and place to really get into the Word and to pray deeply like I used to. I feel like I've been disrupted. I really miss the Quiet Place - that was my favorite place to pray. Even though we do have amazing places outdoors here, such as University Parks, I sometimes just want to be completely alone, without any distractions.

Alright, so that wasn't too bad. I took 43 minutes to type/think this up. :) The next time I post it will be about Dublin/Edinburgh! Be ready! haha

peace

This Is Actually An Assignment, But I Am Posting It As An Entry (ignore the citations)

Before Saturday, I had never thought “strolling across the countryside” (Bailey) to be a definition for a particular activity. Although I had read that “rambling” was the action in question, the idea served only as a label in my mind of an English trademark. After Saturday’s ramble, however, the words were brought to life, and I realize that the reason for the origin of the delight makes sense. Bailey tells us that rambling birthed from workers in industrial cities who sought a “perfect recreational antidote” to their bleak working conditions. Even though I have not been in harsh working conditions, this weekend’s walk surely did some good to my own mind and body; I can hardly imagine how the original ramblers felt at their escape.

The first leg of our journey was from the town of Dorchester to Little Wittenham. We walked through some kind of garden, where a man was tending the plants. The flowers there were beautiful. I had never before seen a sunflower as big as my face! We then walked “around” a field with huge, cylindrical bales of hay. The path we followed made it so that, being behind the rest of our group, I was able to see the single-file line we made. I found it quite humorous, actually, because it reminded me of a chain gang, only we were doing this for enjoyment (and we weren’t actually chained together). I wondered if the English ever ramble with this many people at once or if they keep it down to a smaller number. Personally, looking back on the entire experience, I would have rather rambled alone. I find it more difficult to enjoy the outdoors purely for its sake when I’m with others. Maybe it has something to do with nature’s special sacred silence, which is not really silent at all.

All the while, we were walking through green. The intensity of the greenness everywhere, topped off with the rolling clouds, formed a sandwich, with us in the middle. We crossed the Little Wittenham Footbridge and soon we were at a field. There were a few people there walking with their dogs, and one man was even jogging with his canine. I noticed a single wooden bench facing the area from whence we had come and realized that we had gradually climbed above much of the land of the surrounding area without even knowing it, due to the slight slope. The bench symbolized, to me, the English people’s love of nature. It said that, although they love walking out in the open, they also love to just sit and meditate on it, soaking it all in. This love brings them to advocate and participate in conservation institutions, such as the ones Pickle writes about in his paper. I am thankful for their efforts and appreciate their tenderness towards God’s creation. I can only hope and pray that they hear Him declaring His glory through it like I can.

I think the hardest part of the entire journey was from this field area up a ridiculously steep hill to one of the Wittenham Clumps. After an agonizing half an hour (okay, it was a lot shorter than that), we were at the top, and were rewarded with a delicious view of the Oxfordshire area. I say “delicious” because I felt like I was eating a Thanksgiving meal with my eyes: the differing shades of green and yellow fields, the varying textures of the land and vegetation, the hydrating splotches of water, the power plant (which was like an unexpected and more than unwelcome splinter of bone in the turkey). Reluctantly, we descended this miniature mountain and slid down its side, on to the last leg of our journey.

In this last segment of the ramble, we specifically employed the footpaths that were created as a response to the Battle of Kinder Scout (Pickle). Our jaunt along the Thames wasn’t hindered a bit by the fact that it sprinkled; in fact, it is partly because of this afternoon ramble that I no longer view rain as interference. I have been learning in our less than two weeks in the country that rain and gloom is an intrinsic attribute of English weather, and I am starting to embrace that difference between here and home. We passed fields of wheat and fields of cow patties, as well as people boating along the river. We came across a WWII pillbox, from which I ran because a big, furry, yellow and grey spider had found its way onto my leg as I was about to go inside. This made me question whether or not spiders are included in the British’s love of nature.

After feeling overwhelmingly lost simply because we missed the sign that led us in the direction of the correct footpath, we eventually found our way to Shillingford, where we caught the bus back to Oxford. After a day of natural cleansing, I can see why Rhondra Brandrick would create a counseling program based in the outdoors (Pickle). The movement works the body, the senses work the body and mind, and all together, they work the soul.

Finally Here

Oxford is amazing. I still can't believe I'm here.

I can't even begin to describe the beauty of this city. The cobbled streets. The old, tall, brick houses. Port Meadow, which is land that has never been ploughed on. The cars that are smaller than the beasts we use in the US. The huge, ornately-designed churches that loom at every other corner. The bell that sounds every hour from the church down the street from us. The clouds that came in heavily today and are now releasing water upon us. The beautiful University Parks, with their many grasses strewn with napping bodies. The paths that go around Christ Church Meadow and run alongside the Rivers Cherwell and Thames. The little boy in the window in the house across the street, who was waving to us yesterday. St. Aldates church, where I attended service this morning, and all their children who understand that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who takes very good care of us. My fellow classmates.

I am eager to discover more to be thankful for.