Travels and other assorted things...

Travels. I have officially started my vacation. While I took a month off of work - studying French 10 hours a day is not really vacation. On Friday my French class ended, surreptitiously with a picnic in the rain in Parc de Bastions. Then off to the airport. My friends from class accompanied me to the airport to say goodbye and give me one last bisous before we all left to go back to our own countries. I landed about 7 pm in Manchester where my brother and cousin were waiting to meet me. My brother married a nice English lady and now they live in her hometown with their son who is 7. My oldest nephew, so far his favourite game has been pretending to be King Arthur and beating me up with a sword. My cousin, who is 14, is spending this summer with them to get an international experience. (In my family after you've turned 14 you need to get some kind of independent, international experience... I was sent to India and Taiwan for six and two weeks respectively with my two cousins who were 12 and 13).

Saturday was Liverpool. We saw the Beatles Museum and Abbey Road. No one told us that Abbey Road was in London... so we printed off directions to Abbey Road, in Liverpool. After driving around in circles for about 30 minutes we finally found it. It is only about a block long.. and then someone said - oh.. right Abbey Road is in London. ;) We also ate at a French Restaurant.... Go figure.

Sunday was Church and then hiking around here (in the rain - which I was told was British sunshine since it was only sprinkling). Then tonight I'm off to Edinburgh.

But I have also been thinking about things. As my last post evidenced I have been a bit stressed about what I will do next. I finally put in one job application! I also need to just relax. I say I'm a person with faith in God, but then I stress and worry and panic and think that nothing will work out - when I know from experience and from the Bible that God ALWAYS provides abundantly. Two examples - First, I was quite stressed about how I was going to pay for this trip, but it all worked out and I have more than enough money now. Second, my friend who I'm staying with in Edinburgh hadn't got in touch with me since I booked my tickets. I was worried that if she didn't get in touch with I wouldn't have a place to stay in Edinburgh and because it's the middle of the Festival I wouldn't be able to find a hostel and I'd end up sleeping on the street. However, I simply emailed her my phone number and she got in touch with me immediately. Simple - yet I stress and worry and imagine all the worst things possible. I need to trust. This is going back to my future plans. I need to trust that wherever I am, whatever happens God will provide for me abundantly. (This does not mean that I do not need to work too - only I need to be open to God's work too). I am trying to remember that. I suppose that is what it means to have faith - to be open to God's possibilities in our lives and try and remember that we are not the ones that make things happen, but God.