One Word For 2012

A friend sent this website to me. http://oneword365.com/

He directed me to it after a long conversation about life and coming into a New Year. I had made the obligatory resolutions yesterday and promised myself that this year would be the year I lost weight and saved to eventually make it to Australia. I read through and started thinking, what one word could be my moral compass, what one word could guide me through 365 days and make me better. Loving? we could all use a little more of that. Forgiving? because sometimes you just need to, especially when it comes to yourself. Patience? Too hard maybe!

So on the eve of a fresh New Year I finally came to my word. LISTEN, because there has never been a time in my life when I have stopped to listen and regretted it. Because my God and my husband and my friends deserve to be heard. Because the most beautiful, powerful and life changing words have certainly not come out of my mouth. Because you can't multi task listening - it really requires slowing down. Slowing down means being patience to forgive to love and to listen.

As this year flies past like it inevitably will, I hope and pray to come back to this in 365 days and after listening and I pray listening well, really know my heart is fuller for it.  

so.....I punched him!

Some shocking things have happened to me over the years but none so shocking as yesterday when I walking with Annette to work. We were meeting a working girl who was pregnant (with her boyfriend) and had decided to keep the baby. We were heading to the doctors to get her checked out when as we were walking a man passed by me, reached out and grabbed my boob. He just reached out and grab my boob! Can you believe it? Can you believe it? So..... I punched him.

I think that if anyone that day deserved to be punched (and there were a few who annoyed me), that sorry excuse for a man deserved it. Yes I am aware I am a Christian missionary (and shouldn't do that sort of thing) but I was completely gob smacked. How dare he think that he can treat women like that. We weren't even in a rough area, in fact we were in a very nice area so I really didn't expect it. In some areas of Athens men hang around just to watch the women and try and get a feel. Not that it is right to do so but I do hang around in areas of Athens that has a lot of prostitution – I guess it's the nature of the job. There instead of punching people I scream at them, but even then I haven't had someone just reach out and grab my boob. How much worse must it be for girls who sell themselves for sex? Just because they do that does not mean that these men have the right to them. I bet many times during the day they feel like punching people and worse. I bet it makes there skin crawl just as much as it did mine. The difference is they can do nothing about it. They have to take it because they offer themselves to it. I however will not take it and I’m glad I punched him. Now I don't want to come off all feminist but I believe women deserve to be treated with respect. We are not sex objects, you cannot do what you want with us. we are your mother, your sister, your cousin, your aunty and we will bear your children. Think of anyone in your life who is a female and then think would you do the same to them? I hope he will think twice next time before touching a women like that again and that the bruise will remind him that he was punched by a woman whom he should not have been touching.

Day 30 - A Picture Of Yourself

Happy anniversary.

Well today is our second wedding anniversary. And this morning you went out for coffee and brought me roses. I love you.

For those of you who know me, can you actual believe it been two years since I said yes to the most gorgeous man on the planet? And for those who REALLY, REALLY know me can you believe someone said yes to marrying me?

Thank you for everything you do for me. I love that my family love you, especially my dad. I love that the day we got married you made the happiest of my life. I love that when we sat in the church and I started to sweat you wiped my back with your sleeve. I love that when I wanted to go to Mexico on our honeymoon you kissed me and said yes without any complaints. I love that when we walked into our new home and I didn't like the paint you painted it. I love that when my back went you helped me off the toilet. I love that when I had a bad day you brought me flowers and ice cream. I love that when we got of the plane after arriving in Athens you held my hand. I love that when I cry, you hold me and patch my feet up. I love that when I ask a tramp to come home with me to use the shower you said ok. I love that when I wanted to go to Romania you prayed for me. I love you and thank you.

The truth is your very easy to love, even though you want to build a submarine. Even though you get sick on fair ground rides and don't talk to me for a whole day because I laugh. Even though you love to make spreadsheets. Even though the thing you do to relax is make arcatm news and build websites.

It been great watching you grow in faith and love this year of our marriage. It been so much fun learning with you. Learning how to cope with difficult people and new situations. I just love to be with you. Your my best friend. Once again thank you for putting up with me for the last five years. I look forward to many more adventures.  

The little things.

Recently I talked to a Christian guy – a 'real Christian does good, works for the Lord, does not swear, does not drink', Christian guy. Now I know what you are thinking... he hated you right? Well maybe, but because he was a good Christian he never showed it. He was on a short-term mission trip to Romania when I was there and we got talking about what we both did. As we were talking, I realised that he didn't believe that God acted in people's lives in small ways, only in big. To be honest I was more than a little shocked. I love the little things that God does for me; a small breeze when it is baking hot; getting a message from a friend when I have had a crap day; even parking spaces when it is really busy and you are late for something (yep that's God too sometimes). These 'little' things occur each day so that we know that He is constantly thinking of us. I wondered where he drew the line between a small thing and a big thing. I was completely knocked back and I couldn't think about anything else other than telling Him about what God had done for me in Athens one day:

A young Nigerian girl we met on the streets one night came to the office. She was tired and didn't want to work on the streets any more (praise God, big thing). Within two weeks we had worked with other Non-Government-Organisations and she was flying home to Nigeria on a Friday morning. As most of you will know, we work late on a Thursday (11.00pm – 2.00am) and normally we get home about 2.30am and often get to sleep as late as 4.00am. We had also had a hugely busy week and was looking forward to a long lay-in the next morning. However her flight was at 12.00pm and we needed to pick her up from the shelter at 8.30am. Tired wasn't even the word! We were completed exhausted. We got to the metro station early and from this station the train normally takes about 45 minutes to get to the airport. It runs every 30mins and in a city over 4 million, this train is always busy. Normally we are forced to stand in someone's armpit, realising as time went on what exactly they had for breakfast. Because most of the people on this train are going to the airport, if you don't get a seat at the beginning you will have to stand for the whole journey. I got to the platform and prayed 'God we are really tired and I don't think I can stand for this long. Please, please, PLEASE can we have a seat? Just one will do' (Annette will give up her seat for me). The station filled up as the train pulled into the station and, as was expected, the train was full.

I could have cried. Most of the time I love working for God and I love being able to see what He is doing in Athens but this was not one of those times, 'God, I am so happy you have saved this young girl, but next time please let the flight be at 6pm and maybe on a Wednesday'. We shuffled and shoved our way onto the train. People were standing, squashed right up to the door. There to my surprise were three seats with no one sat in them. There were people standing all around but it was as if no one else had seen them. We all sat down. Praise God!

So, I wanted to tell this man the most important thing that God has done for me while I have been in Athens, even if it seemed unimportant to him. I told him, I have seen people saved from prostitution, I’ve seen drug addicts cry out to God in desperation, I’ve seen hope restored in people who had lived for years without hope, but the most important thing God has done for me was give me a seat on a train when I was tired.

What little things has God done for you? Do you thank Him for them?

Day 29 - Something You Never Thought You Would Do.

I am the Blue one. 

Day 28- Your Most Treasured Item

It is so hot in Athens at the moment 34c today, going up to 39c on Saturday. This fan is my god right now!