My Favourite Things

Since I started blogging in earnest some time back it has been interesting that people who thought they knew me pretty well have told me that they keep learning new things about me. I think that's pretty cool, but I decided to give you the "speed learning" guide to me favourite things (hence Julie over there) so that you get a chance to learn a bit more about me. After all, I am a many layered being, I am complex, I am paradoxical, I am mysterious, I am profound, I am waffling!

So...yeah, I thought I'd give you a list - by no means exhaustive - of my favourite things, or possibly places, we'll see. I haven't given this any pre-thought to speak of, so I'm just as interested as you are to see what emerges. So, in no particular order:-

Grace
I blogged about this recently, so I don't need to say too much aside from that this is my favourite word. It is the reason we are all here. "For by grace we have been saved..." - Gloria a Dios.

India
Again, the subject of a recent blog here so no surprises there. A huge, sprawling, beautiful, impoverished, proud, friendly, heart-wrenching, mad country that is full of surprises around every corner. I'd go back any time.

Indian Food
Not to be confused with the food eaten in India. This is a common misconception. The only place you will find the food we know as Indian will be in a 5 star hotel restaurant. I experienced some in both Mumbai and Chennai (then known as Madras) and it was delicious, but due to the abject poverty of the majority of Indian people, meat is very hard to come by, and what meat there is is stringy and frankly disgusting. What most people (myself included when I lived there) end up doing is going veggie, since it tastes better.
In the UK (and at the Taj in Ashland, among other restaurants over here, which include an amazing place in LA I was at last year) the curry is rich, full of flavour - NOT hot unless you want it to be, and utterly delicious and I really could eat it every day (except I'd have no friends and very dodgy insides!).
One other thing I would like to mention here is a wonderful drink called lassi, which is a blend of yogurt, milk and ice. You can drink it sweet or salty and it is quite wondrous. I have introduced it to several people here when it's on the menu at Indian restaurants and they love it too.

Audrey Hepburn
Generally speaking, there really aren't too many classy actresses around these days, and certainly none who could  hold a candle to Audrey. She was a goddess before goddesses had been invented.

Starlit nights and wild beaches and oceans
Again, a recent blog subject so not much to say on that except that if I could live at the beach I would as it is one of those places that brings me closest to God.

Connecting with God in Worship
Worship should be an amazing experience. That it often is not perhaps says more about our lifestyle than it does about God, but He is always there, wanting to meet with us, and on those occasions when I get a glimpse of Him, there is no feeling like it on earth. In fact that is literally true. You pretty much leave the earth and enter into a whole new place with God (I hope this isn't sounding too "New Age" or eastern mysticism, because it's not meant to be. It's just very hard to describe those moments when God breaks in.)
Sadly, God tends to be "scheduled out" of our worship times in order that our programs run on time, and being the polite God that He is, he's not about to disturb us. However, I do feel we are missing out (colossal understatement!).
There have been numerous occasions where I have felt the presence of God tangibly, and it makes me yearn for that every single day. Trouble is, I don't make enough effort to seek Him out, so it's my loss. I can remember occasions in the UK when leading worship when God just took over and left me virtually speechless. At the Spring Harvest conference some years back, opportunities to lead worship with the likes of Don Moen, Graham Kendrick, Robin Mark and an incredible worship leader called Geraldine Latty (who was all about preparing yourself to worship so you could help usher in the presence of God) were unforgettable. One time I got the chance to lead a short time of worship in the 5,000 seater Big Top before a morning bible study, and as we sang Matt Redman's "Let My Words Be Few" which is still one of my absolute favourite songs, something overwhelming happened. It was powerful and I'll always remember it.

Music
A no-brainer really, but my parents are/were both musical and it was always around the house. I go to sleep with it on and it's virtually always on in the car. I have perfect pitch so I can remember entire songs easily. I also write internally. Music is a great way to express yourself, and one of the best ways of communicating with God. My musical tastes are ridiculously wide, from CCM through pop, rock, country, funk and fusion, to classical and even medieval. My #1 favourite for many years has been U2. I don't really care what you think about them, I love them and have done ever since I first heard them in 1982. I've seen them live many times in the UK, and at the Rose Bowl last October (DVD from that show out June 3rd!) and am going to see them again in Seattle on June 20th. So there!

Friends
Far too many to list but I am so blessed to have so many great friends both here and back in the UK. If I had to single out favourite people aside from my family, it would be Ben & Lauren (who I blogged about recently) and my favourite twins, Maisy & Maddie

Football
Not talking soccer here. No, I'm talking FOOTBALL. I've loved watching it for years and despite the heartache of being a Redskins fan I can't wait for another season!

Books
I have this weird thing about books. I love them, but I rarely have time to read them. I particularly love biographies but I've got around 2 dozen waiting to be read - and that's no exaggeration, I counted them once!!

Wine
I'm no wino, but I am partial to the odd Red or Rose! 

Chick Flicks
Okay, so I get a LOT of hassle for this, but my take on it is that I'm a romantic at heart, and I'm a sucker for a good love story. If I go to a movie I want to be entertained, and for me that's to laugh or to cry. I don't want to go there and be scared out of my wits, or depressed. Let's face it, you can get that anywhere! So a good chick flick does the job for me. Comedies are great too, of course.
Recommendations? Bella, Last Chance Harvey, Elizabethtown, The Notebook, Sleepless In Seattle (obv), Edward Scissorhands, and then other movies like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Bourne Trilogy and both the Elizabeth movies. Okay?

Bass Guitars
Technically they are called electric basses, but who really gives a hoot?! I brought both my babies over here to the US with me. I won't bore you with too much technical stuff, but my #2 guitar is a cherry red Ibanez Soundgear 5 string, bought at Valley Arts Guitar in Studio City CA back in 1991. I love that bass and am very attached to it. However my #1 baby is my Overwater Custom/Soundgear neck 5-stringer. made by a custom guitar builder in the UK with a body modeled on the Tobias, it's fitted with EMG pick ups and is the sweetest sounding guitar I've ever played and ever want to play. best tone ever.

Swimming
I learned to swim at a comparatively late age - I think I was 14 - but I totally love it. I could literally spend all day swimming (which wouldn't work too well with eating curry every day, but...whatever..) and I wish I had my own personal pool.

The Colour Black
I just like it because it's slimming, and nice and simple. Bad news in hot weather though!

Tea
What can I say? I'm a Brit!! Tea is the BEST. I've tried coffee and I can drink it, but give me a choice and it's English Breakfast - or possibly Darjeeling - all the way baby!

So I think that'll just about do it for now. I'm sure there's more, but that gives you more of an insight into me. If I do happen to think of more, I suppose there will just have to be a part 2, now won't there?! 

Wine Tasting

I like wine. Not in the Alan Partridge way (sorry, in joke for Brits who've seen that show!), but I like it. Last night I went to a wine tasting at my friends Marna & Rachel's place. It was a lot of fun, however I did learn something in the process. More about me than the wine - although I did discover that after you swish wine in the glass the streams that come down the glass are called "legs".

No, what I learned about myself is pretty simple. When it comes to wine I know what I like and I know what I don't like, but beyond that I'm pretty clueless, and I'm okay with that.  Whereas some people seem to be able to distinguish various smells and tastes from each other, and some may even be able to detect a particularly "woody" aroma or a "fruity" bouquet, I was unable to do any of that. Couldn't notice any difference in smell, couldn't distinguish tastes apart from ones I like or dislike. But that I could do.

Of the 5 wines, 3 were not so great and the other 2 were good, but at $18 a pop I wasn't going there. Only a very special person gets wine for more than $10 a bottle (remember that). I wasn't about to pretend I knew any more than I do, and I have no problem whatsoever with anyone who can detect different smells and subtleties of taste. Plus I am totally fine with not being able to do that. Heck, it's all about drinking and enjoying it anyway!

So for future reference, I like medium-sweet roses and reds. Simple as that. Salut!

Pet Sounds

Some may consider this a lazy posting, but I was going through the CDs in my car - of which there are far too many - and I thought I'd tell you a few of them. It all helps in the "getting to know me" process. I think you can always tell a musician by the variety of music in the car, so here goes. As of this evening, among others, you would find....

Kari Jobe ~ great worship, and soothing for traffic snarl ups
Keith Urban mix ~ you just can't go wrong with Keith. Great writing and irresistible tunes.
U2 360 Degrees live from Wembley Stadium, London. Taped from UK radio by my brother. Great reminder of the Rose Bowl show I saw last October.
Journey's Greatest Hits ~ Come on! You have to admit it's great driving music!!
Cloudchase - That's Love ~ They only made one CD but I love it. Again, great driving music.
Delirious Hits ~ My absolute favourite worship band of all time. 'Nuff said.
Various Jesus Culture CDs ~ Energetic and passionate praise & worship music.
Family Force 5 mix ~ Turn it up LOUD!!!!
Led Zeppelin various CDs ~ ditto
Lincoln Brewster mix ~ Second favourite worship band/person

The list goes on and on but there's a few highlights. Maybe that tells you more about me....or then again, maybe not.
So...what's in YOUR car stereo?

Bring Him Your Needs

I love it when friends are able to share wisdom and words into particular situations. That is the body of Christ at work. I was given this piece, originally written by Canadian preacher, theologian and author A.B. Simpson, and I'm reproducing it here simply because it is THAT GOOD and I am sure that besides me it will speak to someone reading it.

"Do you find yourself at this very moment surrounded with needs, and nearly overwhelmed with difficulties, trials and emergencies? Each of these is God's way of providing vessels for the Holy Spirit to fill. If you correctly understand their meaning, you will see them as opportunities for receiving new blessings and deliverance you can receive in no other way.
The Lord is saying to you, "Bring them here to me". Firmly hold the vessels before Him, in faith and prayer. Remain still before Him, and stop your own restless working until He begins to work. Do nothing that He Himself has not commanded you to do. Allow God time to work and He surely will. Then the very trials that threatened to overcome you with discouragement and disaster will become God's opportunity to reveal His grace and glory in your life, in ways you have never known before.
'Bring all your needs here to me'."

Sanctuary

It is almost a year since I was last at the ocean. I'm craving it again. I find God in a starlit night sky and in the ocean and everything about it. Always have done.

When my mom was here from England last year, we went over to Brookings for the day and the sense of equilibrium and well being from just being by that huge expanse of water was overwhelming.

The year before that I spent 3-4 days with my dear friends Jeff and Cheri and their kids at Pacific Beach, near Aberdeen WA in the most gorgeous house next to THE most amazing beach. You might think I am exaggerating, but it was the closest thing to heaven I'd seen in ages.

Be honest now, how often can you truthfully say that you are able to "Be still and know that (He is) God". The journey that life inevitably drags you on is relentless, and catches you up in it's allure and it's perpetual motion. It isn't until you reach the point of no further passage that you have to pause and take stock, and when you get to the ocean, that's where life - temporarily at least - ends.

Psalm 62 verse 1 says "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him." May you find rest for your soul wherever it is that God chooses to provide it. But may you seek it too, because if you don't, you will never stop running.

Lauren

People often ask me if I miss being back in the UK, and if so, what I miss most. Family is a given, and obviously comes first but otherwise I would say stuff like Fish & Chip Shops, Curry and Kebab houses and watching rugby and soccer on TV. Oh and of course the Eurovision Song Contest (ask me....). However, those all come second to good friends and of all my beloved friends in the UK (and there are many) the ones I miss the most are Mike & Cherry and their kids (well, they used to be!) Ben and Lauren.

I've known Mike and Cherry since I was maybe 16 or 17 (and Happy Birthday Cherry, while I'm on this!). We just hit it off. In fact I knew Mike before Cherry appeared on the scene as I used to hang out with his family. Together we shared a love of the absurd in life; the movie Airplane, Bryn Haworth, Guinness, canals, Guy Rope & the Tentpegs, The World's Worst Record, and of course, kitchen tables.

When Cherry came onto the scene, she fit in perfectly and after she and Mike married I'd hang with them a lot. We'd watch all kinds of TV (Eurovision and Hustle spring to mind instantly), drink wine or Guinness and talk about pretty much anything.

The great thing about both Mike & Cherry's kids is that I have known them since they were around a day old. For both Ben and Lauren I held them that early and because of that I think we've developed a special bond. Over the years as they've grown older the bond between us has never loosened and to me they are as close to family as you can get.

I should add that both kids avoided the "difficult" teen years when young people can easily become bolshie and monosyllabic. Both have - so far as I can tell - remained outgoing and fun people, and never rude or awkward. I have to put that down as much to good parenting as anything else.

I guess what I'm doing here is something I have not done before, and that is to acknowledge them as probably my best friends, period, pay tribute to them for their friendship, support and prayers over the years, say thank you for the honour of being part of the family for so long, and tell them how much I miss them.

Incredibly, Ben was 20 this year, which blows me away. He's turned into a highly resourceful, loyal, ridiculously clever guy who I wish I had spent more time with. I have to say I have a soft spot for Laurie. Always have. She's always been cute as a button and hysterically funny. Without taking anything away from the rest of the family I think I miss Laurie the most. She was (and I still cannot believe this) 16 recently, and as you can see from the picture, she's a total heart breaker! What's more is that, like Ben, she's just the same person that she was - except she knows more words now and her music tastes are hard to keep up with. It breaks my heart to have missed her growing teen years - she was 13 when I left the UK.

So there you go, that's what I miss most. I had no idea when I started this post that this was all going to come out! And please don't misinterpret this as homesickness. It isn't. Just to say that I love talking on Facebook with Laurie and by email with the family. I'm just sorry I'm so bad at staying in touch  with them.

The family will probably be rather embarrassed by all this attention, but frankly I don't care. I love them; I miss them more than words could ever say, and I can't wait to see them again someday. I just hope they'll remember me!!

A Wonderful Exchange

I've been thinking quite a bit recently about Grace. It is my favourite word. Someday if I have a daughter I would like to name her Grace. What I like about the word is that in just five letters it effectively sums up what the Gospel is all about.

I've often heard grace defined by the mnemonic

God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense

That goes some way to expressing it. Sinead O'Connor (probably) unwittingly put it very well when she titled an album of hers "I Do Not Get What I Deserve". I guess to complete her take on the definition you could add "I DO get what I DO NOT deserve".

Martin Luther put it this way: "This is the mystery of the riches of divine grace for sinners, for by a wonderful exchange our sins are now not ours but Christ's, and Christ's righteousness is not Christ's but ours."

As far as I am aware the concept of grace is totally unique to Christianity and it flies in the face of perceived wisdom that to get anywhere in life you have to work your way towards it. Like it or not, God has reached out towards us through Jesus and all we have to do is accept.

Jonathan Edwards the theologian said "Grace is but Glory begun, and Glory is but grace perfected." Will you take God's hand of grace as He reaches out to you.