Saskia

A few weeks ago after I’d finished my exams, one of my dear friends Saskia came to visit me in Edinburgh after she’d finished her AS Levels. Without wanting to sound like I’m gushing, Saskia is one of the most incredible people I know. I’ve known her for about 5 or 6 years now and have had the privilege of being alongside her and seeing her grow up in age and maturity in her faith. I loved being her mentor and I am delighted to call her my friend now. 

Anyway, enough of that. Saskia was lucky enough to visit Edinburgh during Scotland’s summer. It only lasts for a week, but when it comes it’s a good one. So we had glorious sunshine all weekend. We drank juice in Princes Street Gardens (Sunshine in a Cup and Whirling Dervish) from Hula Juice Bar, (a recent discovery thanks to my friend Daisy). That evening we made a delicious summer-y dinner and had a few friends over to enjoy it with a movie. 

The next day we explored the National Museum of Scotland, especially the roof terrace where a kind gentleman offered to take our photo. We ambled down the Royal Mile as is customary for anyone visiting Edinburgh. We stopped in at the High Kirk of St Giles and enjoyed their short service of prayer. The lighting was gorgeous streaming through the stained glass window behind the organ. We continued along our way to the bottom of the Royal Mile to have a picnic outside the Scottish Parliament buildings.

Our next stop was an essential. I don’t think I can describe how central tea-drinking is to mine and Saskia’s friendship. Whenever I visit her we sit and drink copious amounts of tea, and I mean copious. I barely finish a cup before the kettle is back on. We are serious tea drinkers. So as soon as I knew Saskia was visiting I planned to take her to Eteaket. It’s a fairly small tea boutique and café just off George Street. I love visiting there for the mismatched tea cups and saucers, proper tea leaves and timers to ensure we brew the perfect cup of tea. I had a pot of Life’s a Peach, while Saskia embraced all things Scotland with the Scottish Breakfast Tea, claiming this made her Scottish now! We enjoyed some of the scrummy fruit tea loaf alongside it. I was so happy to take Saskia there!

That evening Saskia well and truly embraced Scotland in all its glory and went to her first ever ceilidh at my church. We danced the Dashing White Sergeant, the Eightsome Reel and Strip the Willow. Saskia was a pro! 

Her final day in Edinburgh was a trip to my church here and a rest before she caught the train and I waved her goodbye. We had a brilliant time and I loved every minute of it.

The Pentlands

Finishing my final year at the University of Edinburgh seemed like the perfect time to finally explore the Pentland Hills, just south of the city, with my friends Emma and Fiona. Early on a Monday morning the three of us hopped on a bus (£1.50 return, cheap date!) south to explore. 

There was quite a mist when we first arrived, in fact we couldn’t even see the hills! But we didn’t let that stop us. We set off on a walk near Flotterstone, past the reservoirs and some boats, which were unfortunately only for people going fishing! We walked up a (small!) hill, rewarded ourselves with some homemade lemon drizzle cake; ambled back down and had a picnic lunch! 

All in all it was a great way to celebrate freedom from exams, to be able to wander in the sunshine with good friends and only a few miles outside of the city.

Graduand

A graduand. According to the online Oxford dictionary this is someone who is about to receive an academic degree; i.e. someone who has completed the requirements of, but not yet received the degree. That’s me.

Two weeks ago I sat my last exam of my undergraduate degree at the University of Edinburgh. I celebrated with cocktails and a walk in the Pentlands, enjoying freedom and being able to do whatever… until I was struck down with a sickness bug and back to being stuck inside again. Thankfully that’s passed now. Graduand life is a bit strange, there is a niggling feeling of guilt…that there’s probably something I should be doing. There’s a sense of reflecting on all that has been during these past four years, the people I’ve met, the things I’ve learnt, the person I’ve become. Yet it’s also quite exciting, I’m looking forward to the graduation and becoming a graduate. There’s also so much more to look forward to; holidays in Barcelona, mission trips to Peru, time at home with my family who I miss so much, resting, and the internship I’ll be starting in September. 

So right now, I’d say being a graduand ain’t half bad. It seems like the perfect opportunity to look back and reflect and look forward in anticipation. 

History sometimes repeats itself...

...a tale of God's faithfulness and my forgetfulness...

I was sat in my home church a few weeks ago, where I’ve sat for many of the formative years of my life, for the 7pm service. The leader of the service gave us an opportunity to share testimony of things God had been doing in our lives, particularly related to the recent sermon series on spiritual gifts. Having spent the entire sermon series up in Edinburgh, I was happy to sit this one out. Unsurprisingly, God was not. 

I felt a little prod, somewhere around my gut, and I knew I should probably go up to the front to share something. The thing was, at that moment I didn’t really know what it would be. I asked God if there was something he wanted me to share, and I had a sudden flashback. Probably five years ago almost to the day, I was sat in that very spot. I was just finishing off my A Levels at school and had received a rejection from the final university I had applied to – Edinburgh. Rather than feeling upset or angry about this, I had a strange sense of peace about it. That Sunday evening five years ago in a setting not dissimilar, I had felt God prompt me to share this at the front during a testimony time. The words I said up there were not profound, but they had a powerful impact on the course of the following year and consequently, without sounding too dramatic, the rest of my life. I shared with the congregation that I found myself at a loss for what to do and that my intended path to university was, for the time being, postponed. I was excited at the opportunities ahead of me for the coming year and dreamt of travelling to Africa or New Zealand. As the service ended the vicar suggested the possibility of an internship for the year. The rest, as they say, is history… I accepted the offer and worked as an intern in my home church for a year. Once the year was completed I headed to Edinburgh to begin my studies, having been offered a place second time around.

I have no doubts that the year I spent as an intern was invaluable, that the way in which that church grew me and loved me is extremely precious. And so, as I found myself sat in a very similar position five years later I couldn’t help but smile.

Here I am, graduating in the summer from a four year MA in Divinity. Once again I am faced with at least one year to fill and numerous possibilities. While things are now becoming a little clearer, I have been blessed again with that peace of God that transcends all circumstances. While others panic about life post-graduation, I have felt at ease knowing that God’s hand is over me. Above all, the thing that was most clear to me was the fact that sitting in that pew I knew that the opportunities granted me by the church family there were rare and precious. Now I see that people took a great risk in giving me the chance to step out, sometimes apprehensively, in my leadership. The way in which they allowed me to try new things and have a go at almost anything was incredible. And I still see it happening there. It is a church family that is so loving, forgiving and willing to allow others to grow. There is no need to be perfect, or get it right first time. We’re a family. Sure, we annoy one another sometimes, but above all we love to see each other shine and grow more into the person God has made them. And for that, I am eternally grateful. I will always look fondly on my church family who saw something in me even when I didn’t. 

And what have I learnt in those five years? Has anything changed now I’m at the next crossroads of my life? I know just how faithful God is and I am encouraged to see young women of God around me being encouraged in their leadership as I once was.

North Berwick

Last week one of my dear friends Angi returned to Edinburgh for a visit. I abandoned the library (almost!) for an entire week and we had a wonderful few days of touristy fun. We drank a lot of coffee and ate a lot of cake in the various haunts of Edinburgh. I could probably write a book on places to eat cake and drink coffee in Edinburgh!

On the Friday we took a trip to North Berwick, just outside of Edinburgh. In the nearly four years that I've lived here I've never made it over there, but have always wanted to. The day was gloriously sunny and incredibly windy! Before we hitched a ride to the beach, we climbed up the Crags and I was certain I'd get blown off at one point!







Then on we went to North Berwick to sit in a tea shop, naturally, and frolic about on the beach. We had a lot of fun wandering up and down the beach and town. It was such a breath of fresh air, literally, to get out of the city and just blow away the cobwebs. I'd recommend it to anyone!







Finally, we had a root around the charity shops. In Oxfam I was delighted to find two lonesome M&S stacking cups to replace two of mine that had been broken... now I have a full set of four again (it's the small joys in life!!) And then I bought an entire tea set of, what I think is fake Churchill stuff, for less than a fiver! It may not be the real deal but I think it's really pretty and I'm looking forward to using it for my birthday next week. Maybe one day I'll get the real stuff.

Calling

A copy of an article I wrote for the P's and G's Blether Magazine last month:

A few weeks ago in a sermon, those who felt a calling to lead the church were told to ‘get ready to die’. Sitting in the balcony as a final year Divinity student and currently exploring my own calling, I felt pinned to my seat.

Exploring ‘the call’ can sound like a pious response of a final year student trying to scrape an answer together to the question ‘So what ARE you going to do with a Divinity degree?’ Yet the fact is we are all called into ministry within the church: our God is a missionary God, Jesus embodied that mission on earth, and the church now continues it.

John Pritchard’s The Life and Work of a Priest summarises the different aspects of ordained ministry under three headings: The Glory of God, The Pain of the World and The Renewal of the Church. While written for those specifically exploring a call to ordination, it is certainly not exclusive. We can all recognise elements of this in our every day journey with God: maybe you long to honour and glorify God in your life, maybe seeing conflict and starvation around the world or closer to home fills you with a pain unrelated to your own circumstances, or maybe you’re frustrated with the apathy towards the church and long to see it reclaim a role as salt and light in society.

Listening to God and understanding where he is calling you to be is no easy task. Some of us may be called full time ministry, others will feel called to their family, a specific career, job, vocation, study, mission abroad… But above all, Pritchard states that we are all first and foremost called to a life of holiness; by spending more time with our holy God we are able to hear his call on our life more clearly – a daunting, yet joyful, task.

day thirty: self portrait

technically I didn't take this photo today, it's the product of a summer sunset cycle around Arthur's Seat a few months ago. I chose it for a few reasons:

i) I'm in my pj's and couldn't face a self portrait

ii) this 30 day photo challenge has taught me to really appreciate the little things every day. I've really enjoyed participating and it's taught me that there are so many people and things that I love very dearly. I started this challenge at home with my family and I'm finishing it in Edinburgh. I love this city so much, and I think you can see that joy on my face in this photo! (besides the fact my hair looks like it's on fire).

iii) right now I don't know where I'll be in a few months time, but I want to make sure I enjoy the last few months of my final semester as a student at the University of Edinburgh, and continue loving the every day joys!

I'll leave you with the song I've been singing over and over again since the weekend away and the Psalm that has always comforted me:

I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Psalm 16:8