hi ya'll!

well, the day that i last blogged we went out to a ranch to put up a tent and i managed to not only get sunburn which is still killing me now, i also managed to get mild sunstroke i think. i really didn't feel very well - i was cold and shivery but with an intense heat coming off my shoulders and back! having underestimated the power of the sun i am now learning to stay fully covered or using massive sunblock! on wednesday evening we went out in 80s prom dress to celebrate mine and derek's birthdays. it was really funny (even though i felt crap) and i wore the most awesome dress with hideous red shoes and white ankle socks with pompoms on! the plan was to get to karaoke but in the end we all went home to bed!

people are starting to head in now for the event this weekend. it feels really exciting but there is a lot of nervous anticipation in the air. it's all God's thing so it will give him glory whatever which is the most excitiing thing. i feel like God is telling me not to build new relationships but to grow the ones i already have. this is really releasing as i've been dreading having so many new people around and now i know why.

i had an amazing day hanging out with God yesterday by myself - all day. caroline, you would have been soooo proud of me!!! he really made me laugh because i had gone into a coffee house to meditate on a verse which han drew my attention to before i came out: exodus 14:13-14, and the last thing i had written in my journal when i turned to it, which was entered in october, was "from a place of rest in God is where you find strength to withstand evil". so God is obviously reminding me that i forgot about what at the time had been a real inspiration to me, but i had forgotton all about it. so now i am going to try and stay in that place of rest and allow God to fight for me.

today i'm heading out to a retreat centre to help pack up food for the weekend - we have this massive party tonight out at the ranch. the weather has cooled down considerably so it feels more like a day in sheffield than one in texas!! bless you...