Home again

"Attention, this is a public safety announcement: There are heart defibrillators at regular intervals in the airport in case of emergency. Please make note of the green and red signs"

That is just one of the announcements I heard about 50 times while in Logan Airport in Boston. I sure had an interesting time getting home! I remember Anna saying just before I left that she hoped my journey wouldn't turn into a Trains, Planes and Automobiles journey, how ironic! :)

About 15 minutes after I'd cleared security in the Newcastle Airport my mobile phone started to ring and I answered to hear "Jennifer Mosher? This is Air France, have you already checked in?....Oh well have you already been through security?...Hmmmm well I'm afraid to tell you that your plane from Paris to Boston has been delayed so you're going to miss your connection to Ottawa. We'll do our best to get you the next flight home, just check in with the transfer desk when you get to Paris." I knew right then this was going to be an interesting journey. In fact I began to get a bit scared because I was afraid that something like this was going to happen on my way home. I'm a pretty seasoned traveler but I've never done such a round-a-bout journey on my own before. Usually I've had direct flights when on my own and my flights this time were Newcastle - Paris - Boston - Ottawa. So as soon as I received this call my heart kind of took a dive and my palms started sweating. It was actually very trying. When I got to Paris and was standing in the line at the transfer desk, surrounded by very grumpy impatient people, I started to feel a bit of panic rising up in me but I suddenly remembered a verse of scripture, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5,6 and I knew that I could trust God to make this very crooked journey end up straight and to get home safe. I had to remind myself of that promise more than once though!

When I finally arrived in Boston I had to wait in another endless line of tired, grumpy people to get through customs and then another at the Air France transfer desk at that airport. I thought it was so funny they were playing these cheerful, upbeat Christmas songs when really I'm sure everyone was thinking "JUST SHUT-UP ALREADY!!"

I think something that really helped calm me down was the situation another girl I met was during the flight. She was trying to get to Florida for Christmas to see her parents and had missed her connecting flight because of the same delay. In Paris I ended up chatting with her while we were waiting at our gate. She was 19 and had been living in Scotland studying. In a way having her upset beside me when we got to Boston helped me to keep calm and very positive. Comforting her and telling her that it would all work out very much helped me to keep things in perspective for myself. She was very frustrated and very vocal about it so it would have been easy to join in and gripe myself but that would have totally defeated the point of relying on the promise God had reminded me of in Paris.

Anyway to finish this story of endless traveling I ended up staying overnight at the Hilton in the Boston Airport. It was soooooooooooooo nice! Honestly I don't think I've ever stayed in a nicer hotel room. I was a bit disappointed that I only had one night there and I only had 5 hours to sleep in the bed at that - I had to be up to catch another flight fairly early. Honestly the bed was the biggest bed I've ever slept in. I tried to stretch out as far as I could and see if I could reach the ends but I couldn't. It was so comfortable as well. But even though it was really nice, I'm still a lot happier to be home in my own bed....well Phil's bed anyway, mine doesn't exist anymore.

The next morning (yesterday) I got up and took a shuttle to my terminal, checked in and then went through security to find I'd been selected for a random security check. I had to take my shoes off and stand to one side. Then the security guard took me to one side so he could check through my bags. I think he thought I was a bit nervous because he was explaining everything that he was doing but telling me jokes as well. He was really sweet and so I was just chatting back to him. Then he said I could go and as I was putting on my sweater and coat another of the guards came over and gave me a side hug and said " I gotta tell you that you are just adorable!" I kinda laughed and said thanks. It took me by surprise. When I told my brother and Dad and they both asked "How old was he???" He was about 40 or so, so I don't think it was that weird, he wasn't creepy or anything like that so I wasn't too worried.

The rest of the trip went fine, I had an added stop in Newark, New Jersey but I arrived in Ottawa on time according to my flights. I was the first one off the plane, the first one through customs and my bag was the first one off the ramp! Woo Hoo!!! I was in airport within 5 minutes of getting off the plane. How wicked is that?

Oh I almost forgot the other added bonus. Although my family weren't there right away to greet me at the airport I did bump into none other than Don Cherry and Ron McClean!! Who'd have guessed? What a very patriotic welcome back to the Nations Captial. (By the way they the official hockey sportscast moguls for Canada, very well known over here, the equivalent of a famous English football/sports broadcaster.)

All in all it was probably one of the most memorable journeys I've ever had to make but at least I now know that I can do it again if I have to! I'm really glad to be home for Christmas with my family and it'll be nice to have Steve and Heather join us in a few days as well. The squished crickets from the summer have been removed from the basement so they won't be scarred by them.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

The Mysterious Cupboard Cleaner.

Yesterday was a pretty quiet day. Not too much happened. Because clubs are shutting down for the holidays things have been pretty uneventful for us but a strange event happened over yesterday and today that is still causing us to scratch our heads.

We were being very organised and getting ready well in advance for our Wednesday after school club called Xplode. Attendance has pretty much exploded this year too as we've gone from about a regular 25 to 40. What a thrill. We'd done some major shopping for the club since we were throwing our Christmas party for them and had everything ready to go and were on our way out the door when we remembered a few items we still needed. I ran to the kitchen to grab some stuff and then joined Lisa in the cupboard looking for the other items. When I say cupboard I mean big closet...I guess that's just what they call them over here. We were frantically trying to find what we needed but for some reason things had been moved around and we couldn't find anything. We began digging through random boxes and all of a sudden a bin from one of the top shelves came hurdling down and landed between us upside down, the crayons and marbles spilling everywhere! We were lucky it didn't hit either of us. In a fit if hilarious laughter we tried to compose ourselves. We found what we needed and then decided we had no time to clean it and we'd do it when we got back.

The club went fine. It was fun and the kids were pretty well behaved which made it more a pleasure than a chore. When we got back to the church it was well dark outside and the cupboard light doesn't work very well so we decided we'd tackle the mess first thing in the morning. The odd thing was though, when we came in this morning someone had beaten us to it! The bin had been picked up! We looked at each other and laughed at the weirdness of it and then became a bit nervous as to who was going to yell at us for making a mess and them having to clean it! It was one of those moments where you feel a bit like a kid again. You feel a bit of a rush from having made a mess and thinking it was funny but a bit scared because you know you're going to get reprimanded.

We still don't know who cleaned the cupboard but we're going to leave thank you notes on everyone's desk just in case.

Sitting in the office, drinking my water, sending Lisa on a hunt to find me a golden goose on the internet...this has been the extent of my excitement within the past hour. She did find me a golden goose though and within about 2 minutes of my challenge. I was very impressed indeed. Then I sent her on a hunt to find the origins of the word "gratitude" which she also succeeded in doing and I now know that the word "gratitude" originates from the Latin word "gratus" meaning "thankful, pleasing." I think my challenges have been to easy and I'm going to have to start coming up with harder ones.

Challenges...hmmm I could get very deep and poignant with this word and ask myself what have the challenges in my life been lately? It could take a minute of pondering to come up with an answer. I suppose in the most obvious way to me at this moment I'm being challenged to continually put my future in God's hands and out of that comes the challenge to quit looking ahead and focus on what's happening around me now. This is a bit harder than the first of the two because I'm not quite feeling that excited about my life at the moment. I hope that this doesn't make me a horrible person because what I'm doing at the moment is full time ministry and to tell people that I'm finding things a bit mundane almost seems like heresy. So that's definitely a challenge.

The word challenge also brings back many memories of certain people asking me to do the most random things:

"Jenny, go up to that guy and start talking to him like you know him....PLEASE?? C'mon it'll be so hilarious!"

"Jenny, yell out 'TOUCHDOWN' when they score their next goal!" (during a hockey game)

"Jenny I dare you to stick your nose in your glass of orange juice...c'mon all the way!!"

"I dare you to eat that gum off the bottom of your shoe!"

...strange how the requests s that stick out in my mind the most come from a couple specific people! Stranger still is the fact that I'd actually do it! As soon as people find out you don't have that many inhibitions they're eager to start exploiting you. Ah the craziness of it all. I promise I'm much more mature and well behaved now, just ask Steve and Heather!

Anyway, youth alpha is starting soon so I should get going! I need to go and challenge them to all be as mature and as well behaved as myself!

Follow My Lead...

It's Friday afternoon and I'm sitting in the office feeling very much like Josephine March in my wool hat and scarf; freezing as I'm working. All I need now is a candle and a very dramatic story to be writing. Unfortunately all I have are the tales of my daily life which are not as dramatic but at least they're entertaining to some degree.

We had a Christmas party for the first schools club we help Mike with on Thursdays yesterday. There was a pretty highly charged atmosphere as all the kids were like "Christmas and sugar!!!" Always a very good combination for a nice quiet afternoon...HA! We played pin the tail on the donkey and one little girl decided it would be a good idea to pin the tail to me during her go much to the extreme humor of all the other kids. It was actually a pretty cute moment and I had to laugh myself even though I had to question whether she thought I was a donkey....hmmmm.

There have been a few things that I've been meaning to blog about lately but haven't had the time to do so; some thoughts that have been on my mind the past month.

We had a church meeting the end of November and the elders brought forward the suggestion of possibly combining our church with the Baptist church. It was an interesting meeting and I went home chewing a lot over the thought of leadership.

I think the conclusion that I came to and have come to time and time again is that leadership is not an easy position. The year that I spent leading TC was more than enough proof for me. It was one of the most challenging experiences of my life and I don't think that I would wish for another role like that unless I knew specifically it was what God was calling me to do it. There were some days when I would constantly be muttering under my breath either "I'm gonna shoot someone!" or "I'm gonna shoot myself!" People in leadership are constantly facing the disapproval of the people they're leading and every decision they make is scrutinized and even criticized. I can remember being so distraught sometimes because no matter what I did there was always someone who was unhappy and it used to tear me apart. As someone who has a personality that generally likes to please people and can't stand it when someone's upset at me I was going mental some days. But that said, I think that it has given me a real appreciation and understanding of the people I know who are in positions of leadership and what they're going through. It has also helped me realise how important that it is for me to support, encourage and pray for them because it's not an easy task by any means. I think it is especially important to pray because I want my leaders to be hearing from God and following him even if it means doing things that the people don't approve of and that can be so difficult sometimes. I mean look at the prophets in the old testament. Listening to God meant having to run for their lives from angry mobs sometimes! I know that there are things I don't necessarily approve of at times and the way situations are handled but in the end the bible says people are in positions of authority because God has put them there.

Another thing I learned through leading TC is that leaders are not perfect. I know this because hey, I know me, and I am not a perfect human being despite what some people might think! I made so many mistakes and there are so many ways I could have done things more efficiently and effectively. I am so thankful for the grace of God but I knew sometimes I was wishing for more grace from the people I was leading. Not to harp on them at all or say they were horrible. On the contrary it was really great to see how they grew that year in their faith and to see what they're doing now.

We need to extend grace towards people in leadership and understand they are in fact human as much as we are.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

1 Peter 2:16,17 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Anyway, as I have gone on longer than I intended and have to head out for our Friday evening youth club I'll have to blog about the other things another time.

Jennaquebolt*

The Lament of A Busy Schedule

Why oh why does life have to be busy?? Living according to a schdule that runs minute by minute until you have to schedule 5 in for yourself to remind you to actually breathe! Sometimes it does my head in. That is my complaint, bah...I'm looking forward to going home for Christmas.

I had a nice time in Tamworth this weekend. I went down on Friday night and came back Monday morning. It was nice to hang out with the folk down there again. I met some new people, neither of them English. In fact one was American and one was Argentinian. Both very nice people. I was encouraged to create an argument with the American. For some reason people thought it would be fun for us to fight it out as rival nations. Crazy English people. I participated in a pub quiz and the team I was on managed to win. I was very proud although most of the credit has to go to Mr. Andrew Passey and his wealth of knowledge. We couldn't have done it without him. I think he coped surprisingly well considering he was on a team with myself (who's knowledge of English news and politics is somewhat lacking), Noellia who's from Argentina and doesn't speak that much English and Catherine. I think we were able to help when it counted though. Fi and John were lovely as usual in letting me stay with them while down. They even took me to their posh gym where they are members.

Anyway, I'm going to leave this blog at this. I'm feeling a bit unenthused at the moment which could be due to the fact I was up at 4:45 on Monday and have been having late nights and early mornings since....the lament of a busy week yet again. Don't get me the wrong way, life is good just somewhat dulled through tiredness.

Until another, hopefully more alert post, farewell.

Jennifer Beth Mosher

My Friend

My friend,

I don't want you to think that I have a heart of stone because I didn't seem to care when you left. I was impacted more than I myself realized but just couldn't believe you were gone. I thought that I could rejoice and take comfort in knowing that you had gone to your real home and that because I was so far away I could hide my emotions in the distance. I was wrong. So often you come into my mind through memories of the past and I have to remind myself you're no longer with us and it hurts. I don't want you to think that because I didn't call or write to your loved ones that I didn't care. I was so far away and emails and phone calls didn't seem good enough. I was so frustrated I couldn't be with everyone during those days, weeks, and now months that I buried everything inside.

I remember youth convention 2001 how you and I went to a seminar on faith. During the session the speaker pointed you out of the crowd and said you were someone who had great Faith and that God was going to use you to do great things. I think the legacy that you've left behind and the number of people that were impacted by you is a testimony to that. You were always an encourager.

I still remember the first line of a song that you had written during a time you spent with God. It started with "Oh my child..." And you performed it at one of the TPA Youth Group talent nights. Your relationship with God always seemed so precious and beautiful.

I remember the times we had giggling and coming up with plans to invade the boys at the Behrendts and I remember the times you'd ask me around and we'd sit and talk and make supper together.

I miss you...you meant a great deal to me and I wanted you to know that. I'm sorry that I wasn't better at keeping in touch and letting you know. I hope somehow through the wall of reserve I hid behind you knew and that one day I'll be able to tell you in person what a great friend you were to me.

For Heidi Jaremy 1983 - 2005

Snow?

Today I made a very significant accomplishment and I know a lot of you will be very proud of me. Very uncharacteristically it snowed last night and so the ground this morning was pretty icey and frozen. Not much of the snow is actually left, just mainly ice but it's still wintry. My accomplishment is this, I wore my back heeled boots today and had to walk into work and I did so without so much as slipping once on the ice! (Applause is now appropriate) Personally I think I'm growing out of my adolescent awkwardness and gaining a better sense of balance and coordination. Yup! That's right! I'm sorry Ryan Chuckrey, soon I won't have many stories left to tell you about falling down.

This past weekend was very full indeed. Friday evening I had the house to myself so after we finished our manic club I walked to Blockbuster and rented Batman Begins. I got home made myself some steak - medium rare of course and the closer to rare the better - and then sat down and watched my film. I really enjoyed it and thought it was the best Batman film yet.

On Saturday I went shopping in Newcastle with Anne Moore. It was a really nice afternoon. Anne showed up at my door around 10:30 and we made a day of it. It was really sweet of her to take me out for the day. Her and John are such an awesome couple! With my bank account a bit lighter and some Christmas shopping accomplished Anne dropped me off and that evening I went to "A Mass For Peace" which was a choir/orchestra production at the Leisure Centre. It was huge! It was the high school choir combined with another choir plus the tynne side orchestra. Sophie was in the choir along with many other youth that I've come to know while being over here.

Sunday, I'm afraid to report, I slept in and missed church...I'm such a heathen, I know! But I am a gentile after all! The afternoon I went to the cinema with the Hatch women and that evening I went to Durham to attend the advent service at Durham Cathedral. It was amazing! We were a bit late so we missed the choir entering with candles but what we made it in time for was beautiful. After the service the Bishop was at the back shaking peoples hands and talking and I saw him praying for a man in the midst of the crowd. It really touched my heart. Anna was telling me really good things about him on the way home.

So, that was my weekend! This coming one I'm heading down to Tamworth to visit my friends down there which I'm really looking forward to. It's always nice to get away from work for a bit and relax. Fi is always a blast and I have so much fun with her.

I have a cute story from when we were going up to the high school yesterday for our lunchtime drop in. Lisa and I were walking to the door of the school when a piece of gum flew past my head and I heard a very loud "SORRY!" from two lads behind us. I laughed and we kept going and then I heard "EXCUSE ME!!...EXCUSE ME!" so I turned around to see if they were calling us and said "Yes?" and the one lad said "he really fancies you!" while pointing to his mate. I laughed and said "well, I think I'm a bit too old for you, sorry" to which the other lad said "it's not me it's him that fancies you!" and then they rushed off inside the school. I thought it was funny and had a laugh about it.

Another interesting thing happened this morning. The doorbell to the church building rang and so I picked up the phone to answer and it was a man from the Methodist Church. I pressed the button to let him in and went downstairs to meet him and he had a young african looking woman with him. He said she'd gone to the Methodist Church looking for our church so he's brought here over. He then left and I was alone with this girl. She had quite a heavy accent but she told me that she was a born again Christian and looking for a church to worship at and wondered if we had a program. No one else from the church was in so I took her around the building and found a church program for her. She then asked if she could meet with the Pastor and I had to explain there wasn't a pastor at the moment but a grouop of elders. She seemed a bit taken aback that we didn't have a pastor but said she would come on Sunday. I thought that whole situation was really encouraging...to have someone just walk in off the street looking for a church to attend and coming to ours. It's exciting really and it gives you a sense that God is doing something through the church even when it really doesn't seem like it at times. I'm a bit sad I won't be here this Sunday to meet her but I'll talk to some of the other members so they can be sure to welcome her.

Well I'm off to do some work now and prepare for our youth alpha tonight!

Later, JMo* x

My Hope Is Found in Nothing Less...

I had the morning off today! Woo hoo! Aside from a brief surfacing to straighten Sophie's hair, I slept in and then watched tv and ate Jaffa Cakes. Very healthy I know! It was like watching Saturday morning cartoons all over again...except it wasn't Saturday and I wasn't watching cartoons, I was watching Smallville, but you know what I mean. It was the episode where Clark learns to read the symbols in the cave and meets up with Mr. Swan who is played by Christopher Reeves - the original Superman. Very intense indeed, it supplied my portion of suspense for the day!

This week has been pretty full so far. Yesterday was a 12 hour day with youth alpha. We had a Canada meeting Monday evening and then the youth service on the Sunday evening. A very full week. I've had a lot on my mind as well. Many thoughts and questions about the future, where I'm going, what I'm doing, what is my vision for my life? I guess a lot about the past as well, where have I come, where has this journey led me? God what's been happening in my life these past 4 years? Some answers are more obvious than others and some are still shrouded only to be discovered as the days pass. All I know is that God is faithful and that is where I put my hope...

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

... A verse that has been very dear to me this week. Hope. I have hope that my future is secure in God's hands. Although there may be days with confusion, frustration and tears of anxiety I have hope in God.

...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Newcastle Christmas Lights

Here are a few pics of Newcastle at Christmas time.

I've Got That Christmas-time Feeling...

...it's a funny thing too, because there's absolutely no trace of snow here and there are still leaves on the trees. In fact, this morning when I was running with Anna we found a tree that still had blossoms on it! It sure was cold though, brrrr. You might be asking how it can get cold in a country that has next to no snow, but there's this damp chill that can get into your bones and you sure feel it!

BUT, that being said, I went into town with Lisa this afternoon to return some DVD's to the library and blockbuster and we came across a market that was set up in the town square. Not just any market, a French market!! It was sooo nice! There were so many things to look at and the food looked fantastic. Everything from a greek stall with olives, garlic and cheese, to a dried sausage stall that held dried sausages made out of duck, stag and boar! There were stands that held watches, purses, scarves,pashiminas and one that had every kind of dried fruit imaginable plus chocolate covered raisins, yogurt rasions, yogurt peanuts, and all sorts of other things. There was a stand that had millions of different kinds of turkish delight and a stand that had a tonne of different types of bread on it with cookies, biscuits, cakes, scones etc. It was great! The best part was they had samples of everything out for you to try. I got to try all the different types of sausages...even the dried boar sausage. One lady also gave me a handful of chocolate raisins and the man at the olive stand gave us a clove of garlic that was covered in this bright orange sauce stuff. He told us that it would protect us from unwanted attention, well, that's for sure because I'm sure my breath smelled pretty garlicy afterwards. It was potent!

Walking around looking at everything, I just started to get so Christmasy and the decorations have been put up in town and Ruthorfords have their Christmas trees outside the stoor...I know it's only November but it's hard to withstand when there's this sort of pressure around you! England truely is lovely this time of year with the old stone buildings and cobblestones and the mince pies and mulled wine come out and I love being here. Although I'm going home for Christmas this year and very much looking forward to it, I think a small part of me is going to miss England at Christmas. Hmmmm maybe the place is growing on me more than I'm fully aware of!

I still can't wait to have a white Christmas and perhaps a good old fashioned snowball fight! I was talking to my mom on the phone last night and she promised that I would get to help decorate the tree this year! Yeeessssssssss (Napoleon Dynamite)

A Tribute to My Canadian Roots

This pic is from the summer past. Gotta love the RCMP Moose!

Quotes and a Recap

I found some funny quotes online today and thought I'd post a few:

• I frankly felt like the reception we received on the way in from the airport was very warm and hospitable. And I want to thank the Canadian people who came out to wave -- with all five fingers -- for their hospitality. -- George W. Bush
  
• I love gentiles. In fact, on of my favorite activities is Protestant spotting. -- Mel Brooks
  
• You cannot make someone love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in. - Author Unknown
  
• A man may be a fool and not know it, but not if he is married. - H. L. Mencken

The last quote is going out to my friend Shawn who has recently been engaged. Ha, no, I'm just kidding. A big congratulations to Shawn!

This past week has been pretty full, not necessarily busy, just full. Makes a bit of a change and I've actually gotten out! Some of the high lights include going to the beach Saturday with Tim, Anna, Francesca, and Tim's family. It was gorgeous out and we went walking in the sand and played cricket. Yep I learned the interesting sport of cricket. I'm not really sure if I still understand everything about it but I'm a lot closer now. The sky was beautiful as we were there towards the evening. A very good place for one to go and have a time to think or reflect.

Saturday evening I went to a gig. A band made up of doctors that Tim and Anna work with were playing a gig to raise money for a charity called PALZ. It was good fun. There was a raffle and I won a "my first jewellrey box," very precious! There was also dancing and Anna, Sophie and I ended up singing backup to Mustang Sally with the band. Tim was telling me last night that the guy he works with that was playing the guitar complemented us on our singing and harmonies and asked if I was a friend of Sophie's. I laughed, that's the 2nd time in a week someone has thought I was in high school. One girl thought I was 18 and now someone else thought I was 16. I'm not complaining though, if this keeps up I can look 25 when I'm 35!!

Yesterday I painted all day and it was great! I made a prayer wall for people to post their prayers on at the school today. It's international pray for schools day in the UK and Europe. I think it's similar to SYATP in Canada. It felt good to get artsy again and I was pleased with how the wall turned out. If I get a picture anytime soon I'll post it for people to see.

Another humerous story happened last Thursday. I was in Morrisons (formerly Safeway) buying a drink and I was standing in the queue waiting my turn when all of a sudden I heard this voice in my ear saying --"Everything's two for one these days...I hear they're doing that with slaves down in the Carribean!" I'm pretty sure I jumped in shock and I turned and there was this old man grinning at me. I just kinda smiled and nodded and crept closer to the person in front of me. Then he turned to me and started talking about Lord Lichfield who never did a day's work in his life. I had no idea what he was talking about! Finally I paid for my drink and left slightly weirded out. You get some odd characters some days!

So that's me in a nutshell! Will see if this week holds any other interesting moments or stories.
Ta

The Cup of Ming

So yesterday, later in the afternoon, I started tidying the office as I usually do when I get fed up of the clutter of papers and mugs everywhere. On a rainy day when there's not too much to do I can end up feeling a tad bit claustrophobic with the mess around and my anal-cleaning personality from highschool resurfaces.

As I was cleaning I made my way over to the window ledge which is where a lot of things tend to get dumped instead of sorted. It is also the new home for Mike's set of teas which are now a year old, the kettle and if we're really lucky a jug of milk that gets left in the office over the weekend un-refridgerated. Luckily today there was no milk but there were several dirty mugs and a mysterious orange cup full of some strange unidentifiable liquid. As I peered into the orange cup a smell of indescribable rankness entered my nostrils and my eyes were met with about an inch of brownish green sludge floating in a slick clear coating. I gagged. Looked again and then gagged some more. Then I shouted at the top of my lungs "EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW WHAT THE HECK IS THIS??"
A slightly startled Lisa and Chris turned around and asked - "what?" I then showed them the cup and Lisa started gagging while Chris, in his quiet subtle manner, said - "That looks like a cup of phlegm"
Well that did it, I started ranting and raving about the inhumanity of something this disgusting being left in an office, and it certainly wasn't Lisa or myself! Then muttering under my breath I braved the cup and grabbed it with the other dirty mugs and marched them downstairs to the kitchen sink, gagging on the way down at the thought of it being held in my hand.
I got to the sink and stood as far away as I could and tipped whatever the heck it was down the drain but it missed and instead of neatly disappearing it spread into the surface area of the chrome. The sight and smell once again assailed me and I keeled over gagging yet again. I quickly turned on the water trying to get rid of it but it only made it swill around more. I gagged again only this time something came up and it really hurt my stomach. I tried to control it but more kept coming up. I dropped the mugs onto the counter and bolted for the bathroom making it just in time. I slowly walked back to the kitchen quite apprehensive of the sink. I'm glad to say that the water had finally washed down the "unknown substance."
I walked back up stairs and snatched the kettle and everything else for making drinks on the ledge, turned to Lisa and said "Mike has just lost his privileges for making drinks in the office!"

And that is the story about the cup of Ming

A little late night blogging

I know, I know! For those of you who actually pay attention to the details of what time a blog is actually posted, I do realise that it's 2:13 am. I couldn't sleep. I promise I won't be on long, not that any of you are my mom, but even if it looks like I type a lot remember that I have an incredibe gift of typing and can do so quite fast.

I suppose one of the reasons that I'm up is I have many things on my mind. Usually I would journal them out and then try to sleep but I figured I just needed to get out of my bed for a while.

I've been reading a really good book lately called "The Visitation" by Frank Peretti. I've read 3 of his other books and I think that this one is my favourite so far. It's about a small town in Washington that is suddenly visited by a man claiming to be Jesus, who performs some amazing miracles and how the town reacts. I think one of the reasons I'm enjoying it so much is because it's told through the eyes of a burnt out Pentecostal preacher. I think that everyone who's grown up in a Pentecostal church should read it because it gives quite an insight into how hype-oriented we can become. Not that i'm anti - Pentecostal at all. I have some great memories from my time at good ol' TPA. I just think that it's a very interesting insight that's all. I think I can understand why a lot of the Christians I've met over here cringe when someone mentions the God channel. Maybe one day I'll write another blog about it.

This weekend was fairly quiet with some bursts of quick-fading excitement. The youth club on Friday was high paced, manic and a bit dream like! We arrived at the minors wellfare and right in the middle of the hall we use was a full sized boxing ring complete with signs saying "please keep off!" Well that's about the same as giving a 5 year old a chocolate bar and saying - "don't eat this, just hold it till it melts!" Right away there are 3 lads climbing onto the boxing ring and one of the ladies of staff yelling and screaming and asking them if they know how to read or not. Great fun. To top it all off there was scaffolding from renovations in the hall and they had moved all the pool tables and table tennis tables that we use into a heap in the corner. We did our best to try to sort everything and create some sort of order. Maybe next time we should try communism. The best part of the whole night though, and I'm not being sarcastic, this was awesome, was when Mike started breaking apart some of the junkier tables to make some space. At the same time Lisa was setting up another table to play a game on. One boy who was watching from the corner came over uncharateristicaly keen to help. He helped Lisa unfold a table leg and then just ripped it clean off!! Splintered the wood and bent the metal supports and all. Lisa nearly burst a gasket and had to keep a tight reign on her mouth as she turned bright red and yelled "WHAT ARE YOU DOING???" Well, I lost it! I literally keeled over laughing for a good 15 minutes. It was a combination of the chaos, tiredness and the look on Lisa's face. The lad stood there a bit confused and realised that Lisa was not helping Mike tear tables apart. Then the staff lady walked over viewed the scene and announced in a rather harsh, barking tone "well you've broken it now!" which made me laugh all the more. Oh it was good! It made my whole week. By the end I was ready to collapse on the couch at home and for some reason craving a good steak! I was quite happy to find out that Anna and Tim were going to be cooking steak for supper when I got in...honestly sometimes there's nothing like a nice piece of steak (enter Tim Taylor laugh from Home Improvement). I think steak is working it's way up to the top of my favourite food's list.

Saturday was a work meeting from 10 - 4. It was fairly productive but took a out a lot of mental energy.

Sunday was church and then I read my book in the afternoon. The evening was the town bonfire night and fireworks to celebrate the failed attempt to assainate the British Parliament 400 years ago by Guy Fox. He hid a load of barrels in the cellar under parliament and intended to blow it sky high because he was a Catholic and the King at the time was a Protestant. Fortunately someone was tipped off, Parliament was saved, and Guy Fox and his buddies were executed. I think I was told they were hung, drawn and quartered - mmmm pleasent- but I think that being burnt must have something to do with it as well because people burn replicas of Guy Fox in their bonfires. What a great holiday!

Anyway I think on that pleasent note I may head back to my bed and try to get some sleep!
At least my insomnia has been useful in supplying you Canadians out there with some history about England that you may not have known!

Computers, Youth Work and Mutant Blood

I thought that maybe I would try something different today. I thought that instead of having a well thought out post with a specific topic, I'd just start typing and see what came up with. So please join me on a journey through my thoughts!

Ever wonder if typing on a keyboard has taken away the art of the written language? Sometimes I think that. It's so convenient and easy and if you get the knack of touch typing it's a lot faster than writing things down on paper. But as someone who enjoyed making my notes neat and tidy in high school, and who is fascinated with calligraphy and old school writing from back in the day, I wonder if we've lost something to the clickety-clack of the keyboard...Just something to ponder I guess. I'm sure that I could get into some rant about how society today is being lost to the age of the computer and technology etc, but I don't think that I'm going to go there. I will admit that I'm someone who can type pretty darn fast on the computer and it always feels impressive to start typing away and wow everyone in the room with my impressive skills. I have my PLM class in grade 9 to thank for that! PLM stands for Personal Life Management and it was this naff class where you learned about random things like how to make decisions, personal hygiene and of course how to type on a computer keyboard. I suppose it wasn't completely useless because here I am typing away, impressing people left and right!

I'm the only one in the building at the moment. Well aside from the decorator who I nearly ran over this morning. He was painting behind the other side of the door which I didn't know and so when I walked in I heard this banging and a bit of a shout. He just laughed which is a good thing. He seems like a pretty jolly fellow, he must enjoy his profession, we need more decorators like him in the world.

Tonight we have a youth club to go to and it's my turn to do the "talk." The theme which I am going to be talking about is either The Bible, or the Holy Spirit. I'm not sure which one because someone's scribbled out the topics and re-written them. Either way it's always a challenge at this particular club because none of the kids are churched and there is only 10 minutes at the end of the club to try and get the talk in. As well they are usually loud and hyper and a bit rough around the edges so half the time you're telling them to be quiet...Please, and the other half you're trying to talk about God. It's very interesting and it makes you wonder at times whether or not they're actually hearing anything you actually say. One evening one boy was bullying one of the younger boys and pushed him over. Let's call them Jim and William. William came to the table where I was playing a game with some others and burst into tears. I comforted him and then got him settled into the game we were playing and then went to see Mike about Jim. Mike went to speak with Jim and then came back to William to announce that Jim was ready to apologize so William went with Mike. While Jim was apologizing something caught Mike's attention and while Mike wasn't looking Jim started giving William the finger while very sweetly saying he was sorry. William just came back to the table with a sigh an continued playing the game. But I had seen the whole thing so I once again went and reported to Mike about Jim's apology. Mike confronted Jim who started yelling and denying the whole thing. When Mike told him that I had seen him give the finger he started yelling at me and cussing at me. I was then his target from that moment on and was constantly dodging pencils that were chucked at my head. SIGH! Youth work sure has it's moments!

I actually did something social last night! After youth group I went out with some of the older youth for a drink. It was nice to hang out with them and just talk about whatever. I've really missed going out while I've been over here. It's not that it's impossible, it's just that there's really a lack of young adults my age to hang out with, they're all away at University. That's one of the things I miss about Canada the most, the friends that I have back there. One of the other problems is that I do not work regular hours. Sometimes I work weekends and evenings because of youth events such as youth alpha and our youth services and tomorrow we have a "vision planning day" for 6 hours. There is a lot of time and effort that goes into being a youth worker and it overlaps quite a lot with your personal life.

I'm trying to think if there are any other interesting stories that I can share...Well my brother and I decided that there is mutant blood in our family. For starters who has a last name like Mosher?? Now, I googled Mosher and apparently there are a lot out there especially in the States, but throughout all of my child hood years I only ever met one person who had the same last name and that was when we were in Thompson. Other then that we were always one of a kind. Secondly there is an unusual behavioral disorder in my family called insanity. As individuals we are fairly tame although still distinctly unusual but when we get together as a family madness reigns. The only theory we could come up with is that our parents must carry mutant blood and have passed it down into us kids. I will never forget the day I came home for lunch and my mother (she rocks) started dancing around the kitchen with an empty jar of salsa singing "my name is picante salsa"...yep mutant blood is the only explanation I can think of. I think most of the mutant blood was distributed amongst the males in my family. I will admit to the occasional weird streak but my weirdness is nothing compared to my brothers...Oh the inhumanity of it all! I have stories...stories that are sworn to secrecy and must remain locked in the family vault of knowledge...If you people out there only knew! I think Tanys must have a pretty good idea since she married one of my brothers, now her kids will have mutant blood in them as well. I guess that's the price she paid!

Anyway I am going to get working on my talk for tonight, Lisa has come in and told me that I can just pick a topic because we've gotten them out of order.

Until my next ramble
JMo out!

Even Then
Nichole Nordeman

It's a fear that keeps me wide awake
In the middle of the night
When the expectations are too great and the bar gets raised too high.

So I do the best with what I've got
And hope that no one knows
That I strain to see how high I can
Try to stand on these toes
Until I'm measure, but you know better

So thank You, Jesus
Even when You see us just as we are
Fragile and frail and so far from who we want to be
So thank You, Jesus
Even when the pieces are broken and small
Dreams shatter and scatter like the wind
Thank You even then

So I put aside the masquerade
And admit that I am not okay
Which may not be the thing to say, but I'm not ashamed to need you
More each day

We raise the standard and try to reach YouBut we'll never make it, and we don't need to...

So thank You, Jesus
Even when You see us just as we are
Fragile and frail and so far from who we want to be
So thank You, Jesus
Even when the pieces are broken and small
Dreams shatter and scatter like the wind
Thank You even then

Pieces of Wisdom

Last week I went Tamworth and was able to visit the lovely friends that I have down there. It was great fun and nice to get away from work for a bit. I was able to do some shopping, see some films and I even went bowling one evening (without disaster for those of you who know the secret of my grade 8 past)

While in Tamworth I also learned some valuable pieces of wisdom which I'm sure I will carry with me in life forever more:

1. 4 out of 5 people find my honey trap lip balm revolting the 4 of the 5 being males

2. Washing your hands in the middle of the night is not a good idea as you may knock the toothbrush holder into the sink and break it

3. Wine is much more bearable if you are tired.
(to clarify any confusion regarding that statement, Fiona took me to a Dorothy Perkins ladies night where we shopped after hours and they served wine while you wandered the store. I usually can't stand the taste of wine but having dozed off in the car on the way my taste buds weren't fully functioning and it didn't taste as horrible as i usually find it)

4. You have to be very careful when using certain words that could double as an innuendo, especially around English people because they will automatically pick up the innuendo and think that's what you meant!

5. Always make sure that your young persons rail card is up to date when traveling on the train!

Napoleon Dynamite

When I went home this summer I felt a bit out of touch with the youth/young adult culture because it seemed a recent film and it's success had managed to influence EVERYONE. I saw shirts all over West Ed that said "vote for Pedro", people were quoting lines like wild fire and here I was, little ol' Canadian me not having a clue! So I decided that if I ever wanted to feel like I was a Canadian again I'd better watch this film so that I could relate with my people. Sadly I never got a chance while I was in Canada but when I got back to England I spotted it at Blockbuster on the previously viewed film shelf and made a snap purchase. I didn't actually get to watch it until last Thursday and I wasn't sure what to expect. I had heard so much about it, that it was hilarious but not the norm. I brought it to one of our youth group socials and we ended up watching it and I loved it!! Seriously, I thought it was brilliant. The first half hour I was cringing a bit inside because it's pretty slow and very random and I was thinking that everyone was going to criticize me for a bad movie choice but they all thought it was great too. The best part has got to be the dancing at the end, if nothing else the whole movie is worth watching for that one part.

In conclusion I give Napoleon Dynamite 3 thumbs up!

Espionage

Monday morning and it's still raining here in Morpeth, but it's England and people keep asking me what else I expect!

It's been raining all weekend and it's been a fairly quiet weekend as well. Tim, Anna and the girls left Saturday afternoon to spend half term break in the Lake District. For the non-English readers there are 4 terms every school year and every half term the students get a week off of school. With the Hatch's gone I spent the weekend on my own in the house and it was pretty quiet...not much excitement. I did go for a run on Saturday in the late afternoon and a nasty driver decided it would be fun to hit a puddle going 60 miles/hour as he drove by and it completely drenched me! It was like a tidal wave that went right over my head. I wasn't too upset since it was already raining and I was already pretty wet, but still where is common courtesy on the road these days?

Oh! There was ixth hour last night in Newcastle which is always pretty good. They usually have a guest come on the stage and share a testimony for a few minutes and last night they had Fabiano Martell who is an actor from Sheffield. He acted in Tomb Raider 2 and said next he'll start working on a film called Night Vision. He shared how he became a Christian and it was really neat to here this person who's in the acting industry and he was so down to earth and talking about how the people who really have it together are not actors and Holly Wood but people who know Jesus. I was really excited.

But today, I participated in a bit of espionage. It was very exciting!
I had to run an errand to the bank to pay in some cheques. I arrived pretty soggy because of the rain, joined the queue and started filling in a pay in slip. While I was filling in my slip another person joined the queue behind me and since I was taking a bit with the slip he kind of was inching past me so I just turned to him and said "go ahead, I'll be a few minutes."
"Are you sure?" He asked me.
I was completely taken by surprise because the words that came out of his mouth were in a foreign accent, a North American Accent to be exact! This man wasn't from England and my how he stood out! Then I began to think...this is what i must've sounded like to people when I first arrived...wait a minute...this is how I still sound to people when I first talk to them! How weird! Over the year and a bit that I've been here the English accent has become my "normal"

During my wait in the queue I overheard his conversation with the bank teller and it all sounded so familiar. He wasn't sure what he needed to do with his card to get a pin number, he hadn't realized he needed a pay in slip to put cash into his account, he wasn't sure how his statements were going to work etc. All questions and issues I had to deal with when I first arrived in England and was learning how to adjust to life over here. It was so bizarre to listen now that I had become accustomed to it all.

Above all I really wanted to know why he was in morpeth of all places and where exactly he was from. Morpeth is not the most well known town in England. It's crazy how I ended up in this little place on this Island, another story really for another rainy day.

I determined that I was going to find these questions out so half distracted I fumbled my way through my conversation with the bank teller and then went to leave so I could catch him. Unfortunately he hadn't left the bank yet and had engaged a conversation with another employee as to how to change his pin and I was at a bit of a loss what I should do. I fumbled with my umbrella a bit trying to waste some time but that only lasted a couple seconds. I couldn't just stand around staring at him so I plunked myself down in front of a personal banker and asked a random question about my account. He asked for my card and began to look up the information I'd asked about. Meanwhile this foreigner had finished with his pin and was about to leave the bank and the personal banker I was talking to kept waffling on about my credit and the amount I would need to gain an overdraft on my account. The man left and my conversation continued for another good 5 minutes. Finally the personal banker made his point and I was quite relieved to get up and leave, saying a polite thank you and good bye of course. I hopped out the door of the bank and looked left and right to see where this man had gone and I couldn't see him anywhere so I just started walking, not actually thinking about what I was doing. Suddenly I spotted him! He was up near Woolworths with his black and white umbrella and just crossing the street. With my eyes on his umbrella I began to make my way up the street. He then turned into the Back Riggs shopping centre and was lost from my sight while I had to wait to cross the street. It then hit me what I was actually doing...."Oh my goodness, I'm stalking a complete stranger...I'm following them through town! What am I going to say when I catch up with him..hey I heard your accent in the bank and I'm a nosy Canadian who wanted to know where you're from!" The light turned green and the signal to cross began to beep and I walked across the street. "well, even if I don't actually talk to him, this is still kind of fun, I feel like I'm from the CSA or in a James Bond Movie, lets just go with the flow and see what happens!" I mean I figured I blended into the crowd with my black umbrella and my brown coat and I run errands around the high street all the time.

I entered the Back Riggs shopping centre and there was no sign of the man, I walked by the Health Food Store, The Post Office...I couldn't see him anywhere. The Bus Station! He must be going to get a bus! I hurried through the courtyard to the Bus Station thinking that if I missed him I would never know where he was from and my life would...well continue on the same but it didn't matter! I got to the bus station and there was no sign of him. I'd lost him! I was quite disappointed. As quickly as my espionage started it was over. I quickly came to my senses, realized I was traipsing around in the rain, getting wet and should get back to the office and do some work.

Honestly I don't know what came over me. Perhaps my overactive imagination from my childhood decided to make a reappearance, maybe it was the broody mood the weather was creating, maybe it was because I've read too many John Grisham books lately, who knows! It did make for an interesting Monday, that's for sure. I just hope that when I start making Death By Chocolate for the youth alpha tomorrow I don't start to imagine myself creating a weapon for mass destruction or anything like that, I would like it to be edible!

Fall

Fall is my favourite season.
I love Fall.
I love the colours that the leaves turn, I love the crispness that's in the air, I love wearing sweaters and scarves and mittens but not having to wear a winter coat.
I love that when I'm walking outside I can feel the wind nipping at my cheeks and I know that when I get home and get inside they'll be bright and rosy.
I love the feeling of the world changing around me and being able to see the change as it takes place.
I love that Thanksgiving is in the Fall and that it leads into my next favourite holiday of Christmas.
I love getting home on a Fall day and curling up beside a window and reading a good book, it's just not the same in the summer.
I love drinking Chai Tea Lates in the Fall.
I love the piles of leaves on the roads and being able to run through them sending them flying everywhere.
I love making piles in the backyard and then jumping in them and having leaf fights and getting bits of leaf stuck up your shirt and stuck in your hair.
I love standing under a tree when the wind is blowing and having the leaves come down all around me and when the air is full of them.
I love the example that the leaves give us, that there is beauty in sacrifice.
I am so thankful for the Fall that God has given me this year, that the weather has been so mild and that I've been able to really appreciate it this year.
I am so thankful for the work that God is doing in my life and the fact that He is a part of my life and I thank Him for the gift of Fall.

My Brother The Rock Star

This blog is a tribute to my most favourite youngest brother. He is the greatest youngest brother any sister could ever have.

He is super talented, creative and has a very kind heart. He has an amazing range of weird voices and an even bigger range of ideas for coming up to use those weird voices. He is a very deep thinker and a very creative writer. He has a heart for God.

I miss the days when we would watch Snow White together and laugh at all the wierd faces the animals in the background would make.

He is an amazing bass player. This picture is of him playing the bass with Petra in Ottawa at their farewell concert.

I love you Stephen!

Blogging on a Saturday??

'Tis a thing most unheard of for me because it means that I'm in the office at work (gasp! shock!)
Actually I quickly came in to grab something I left here last night and thought that I would check my email, then one thing led to another and well here we are.

This is really going to be a quick one though and I would just like to ask that anyone who reads this before Sunday night please pray for me as I'm speaking at our monthly youth service on the topic of holiness! Yikes!
I'm pretty excited but oober nervous at the same time!!!

I wonder if my voice will still sound like a toad tomorrow...it could be amusing!

Friday Drivel

So it's a Friday morning, oh, wait, correction, it's a Friday afternoon (it just turned 12:00) and as like most Fridays I came into work a bit later because we have an evening youth club in Pegswood. So I've come into work this morning and done a little checking of the email and a little checking of people's blogs and a little chatting with my co-worker Lisa. The chatting is a bit challenging because I've had a sore throat lately and today my voice decided to imitate that of a dying toad. It's quite amusing to answer the phone with though.

During the checking of the blogs I discovered a link that I hadn't tried on one of Tanys' posts: sloganizer.net and I thought that I'd give it a try. It was great fun and very entertaining and I think that Jenny is a great name to stick in any slogan!

So I'm at this site and I'm coming up with all sorts of interesting slogans and it's very entertaining. Here's a few the site came up with for my name...I'll be taking votes to see which is the best one starting now, please have your pin pads ready!

«Jenny, the secret of women.»
«Jenny - go for the game.»
«It must be Jenny.»
«Everyone loves Jenny.»
«You can't beat Jenny.»
«The age of Jenny.»
«Jenny it's a kind of magic.»
«Up, up and away with Jenny.»

The list continues until I stumble upon a slogan which inspires great thought:

«Jenny, the only style»

At this slogan I start to ponder a question which has stumped me over the ages or at least the last few years. What is my style? I've talked it over with Tanys a couple times and phrases like "dressy casual" and "preppy punk" have emmerged but they didn't seem to be clear enough. So, I thought then that I might visit dictionary.com and see what it says about style there, here are a few def'ns I found:

punk (pngk)n.
Slang.
A young person, especially a member of a rebellious counterculture group.
An inexperienced young man.
Music.
Punk rock.
A punk rocker.

prep·py
A student or former student of a preparatory school.
A person whose manner and dress are deemed typical of traditional preparatory schools.

Casual
suited for everyday wear or use

Glamorous
adj : having an air of allure, romance and excitement

ret·ros
A fashion, decor, design, or style reminiscent of things past.

vintage
Characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic

Rocker
a fan of rock and roll music

Mod
An unconventionally modern style of fashionable dress originating in England in the 1960s.

Trendies
One who is drawn to and represents the latest trends

There are so many! Perhaps too many! Anyway just some random thoughts that arose from some internet Malarky...

...what's your style?

miscellaneous

A brief debriefing of a coupe things that are notably exciting for me:

I was able to celebrate Thanksgiving in England. Turkey!!! I had a thanksgiving meal with the family I'm living with and a few friends and...I even baked a pumpkin pie! Sophie and Francesca went out and collected some leaves for me and I made leaf chains to decorate the cubboards and I made a ring of leaves originally as a centrepiece but I ended up wearing it on my head! It was very festive and Thanksgiving-like.

Also,

I'm coming home for Christmas!! YAY!

(more details on my comings and goings soon)

The Hitch Hikers Guide To England

It's always the same, rarely is there any variety in the questions I get asked when people ask me about Canada. The conversations usually go something like this:

"Are you from America?"
"No, I'm from Canada actually"
"Oh where in Canada are you from?"
"Well, my family lives in Ottawa but I've spent the last few years in Saskatchewan"
"Is that on the West coast?"
"No, it's right in the middle"
"Oh I see, I've been to Canada before!"
"Really where have you been?...They are so going to say Toronto...wait for it..."
"Tornoto"
"....I told you so!"
"So what's the biggest difference between Canada and England?"

And usually at this point I have to explain that there isn't really one BIG difference between our countries but so many little ones that add up to a big difference.
Then I'm usually asked:

"Oh really? Like what?"

So I'm going to list as many as I can think of in the next 15 minutes before I have to leave for Peg-It!
(It is the end of the day so some of the list may be a tad bit exagerated :) )

1. In England they drive on the left side of the road, in Canada it's the right side.
2. The currency is pounds sterling in England, in Canada it's dollars.
3. The cottage cheese is rubbish in England, in Canada it's lush
4. Peanut butter is also sadly low quality in England, in Canada it's mint
5. In England it rains, in Canada it snows
6. On English keyboards the @ sign is where the " sign is on Canadian keyboards and visa versa
7. In England most fast food restaurants cater for vegetarians, in Canada they don't
(I'm sorry Lisa and Kerri!)
8. In England the kids at schools have to wear school uniforms, in Canada they don't
9. In England a private school means a public school and a public school means a private school, in Canada a private school means a private school and a public school means a public school. They also have state schools which is the same as a Canadian public school.
10. In England the principal is called the head master
11. In England people have an accent, in Canada they don't (although that's all realtive I'm sure)
12. In England they have castles, in Canada we have....no castles
13. England is...a bazillion years old, Canada is about 150 (I think)
14. In England everything is small, in Canada everything is big
15. England has a land mass of "very tiny" with a lot of people, Canada has a land mass of "massive" and not so many people
16. In England the pop bottles are tall and skinny, in Canada they are short and fat
17. In England the movie theatre is called the cinnema, in Canada it's the movie theatre
18. In England, when you are throwing a party and want a lot of chips (I mean crisps) you have to buy like a dozen bags in order to have the same amount you would be able to get from 3 Canadaian bags.
19. In England everyone drinks tea, in Canada everyone drinks coffee (okay that's a bit of a stero type but I do get asked if I want some tea at least 3 times a day)
20. In England the pastors all go for a pint after a good Godly service, in Canada they don't
21. In England they think that we sound the same as Americans, in Canada we know better.
22. In England football is the major sport, in Canada it's hockey (Ice Hockey to be exact!)
23. In England they play cricket, in Canada we have more sense!
24. In England they sing the hokey pokey as the hokey cokey...what is up with that?
25. In England they have a load of chippys where you can buy fish and chips, we don't in Canada.
26. In England to switch a light on you flip the switch down, in Canada you flip it up
27. In England everyone has radiators in their houses, in Canada we have furnaces
28. In England the plugs have 3 tongs, in Canada we have 2.
29. In England some of the houses have names, in Canada they are all numbers
30. In England the paper is taller and skinnier than the paper in Canada.

Right that's enough for now, really I could go on forever though!

I'm off to our youth club, where I will no doubt once again get asked by at least 1 youth where I'm from and how Canada is different to England!

Ta-Ta and Cheerio!

Pick a Career, any Career!

Lately I have been reviewing my life, a very deep and meaningful process full of the endless possibilities of options that I have before me...or not! Well, not that I don't have options, the world is my oyster after all right? (I never really did understand that metaphor...anyone care to explain?) but, that reminds me, have any of you ever taken any of those career aptitude test things? Where they ask you all about yourself and then tell you that the ideal job for you would be to become a professional lawn bowler, or in my case a choreographer. Hey! I know! I could teach people the choreography of falling down the stairs properly or in a very extravagant manner. Perfect! I could then implement it into some sort of dating service...how to attract the attention of the man/woman you fancy by nearly breaking your neck! I could make a decent chunk of cash off of that. Like I said I have endless opportunities before me.

Really though, I've been given a list of some questions to ponder about my year with The Mustard Tree Trust which I am to discuss with a Trustee in a week and they are very thought provoking. The one question that is stumping me and has really been a bit of a thorn in my side since high school is "What are your longer term career interests and ambitions?" The honest answer to that is I DON'T KNOW...but I really feel like I should.

Oh *sigh* am I really at this place again?

The Mustard Tree Trust: Extemporaneous Extroidanaire

extemporaneous: Carried out or performed with little or no preparation; impromptu

extraordinaire: French, from Old French, from Latin extrardinrius. See extraordinary

extraordinary: Highly exceptional; remarkable: an extraordinary achievement.

(can you tell what website I went to over my lunch today?)

Last night we held our youth alpha meal. It did not go at all the way it was originally planned, in fact it was a potential disaster but it was turned around miraculously and maybe even for the better. When I got into work this morning Lisa was telling me how she'd opened her bible last night andread "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21 How very fitting for what occurred last night!

The meal started at 6:30 and was being held at The Premier Chinese Restaurant in Morpeth. Lisa and I headed down to the church to print off some more forms for the youth to fill out regarding the alpha course and then made our way to the restaurant. We were running a bit late because we'd been having some technical difficulties with the printer. (GRRRRRR to technology! It's one of those things that goes down sweet but is bitter in the stomach, but I'll get on that soap box and rant on aIother pIst perhaps) We arrived at the restaurant about 10 minutes late to find a massive crowd of youth, speckled with some adults and youth leaders, standing on the street outside waiting. I quickly moved to find Mike and ask where exactly we were meant to be going and he said "nowhere! It's cancelled!" I'm pretty sure that is the exact moment a massive dose of adrenaline was released that continued flowing freely throughout the rest of the evening. In short there had been a miscommunication with booking the restaurant. They thought we meant the 2nd Sunday in October and we had said Sunday, October 2nd, therefore they were not prepared to feed us!

In a flash the youth were directed to New Life and crowded the sanctuary as we took our plan of action from there. I am so grateful for all the help we had. We would not have been able to work everything out had it not been for the amazing youth leaders and adults we had show up to support the meal. We ended up taking orders for fish and chips and ordered in a truck load of pizzas and the youth were as happy as could be. There were a few odd complaints but the majority of them were in great spirits and had great attitudes and managed to have a great time. The evening went as planned with Mike, Lisa and I sharing our testimonies about how Christianity has impacted our lives and Jesus has made a different and we had a good number say that they would be returning to attend the course on Tuesday evenings.

It went really well. It was one of those situations where God says "I'm just going to remind you who's actually in control of things here" not in a rude way, but just in the Sovereign way that God works.

Anyway that's my tale for today. That, and the fact that my pens keep disappearing! It's very frustrating! I think that there must be a pen gobbler that works in cahoots with washing machines that steel socks!

The Conquering of the Worrel Bank
and other tales by Jenny Mosher

For over a year now it has existed in my life, sometimes recognized, other times forgotten. Silently it has beckoned me, called me, taunted me, dared me. I have heard tales of how it has broken others, how it has struck dread into their hearts as they were forced to face it on foot, two wheels, and even four. I have only ever watched from a window I've never had to be the one to actually engage in combat. Once it nearly defeated a friend as she was already in 5th gear when she started to climb. I am talking about the Worrel Bank.

Those of you who live in Morpeth know what I'm talking about, for those of you who don't, the Worrel Bank is a particularly large and ferocious breed of hill. It lies between Morpeth and Pegswood and anyone who has had to make the journey in between is forced to face this monstrosity. From a car this trip is decievingly simple, especially when traveling downhill, but when faced with climbing up it either on a bike or on foot it is especially daunting.

My tale really begins when I was in grade 4 attending school at Burntwood Elementary School in Thompson, Manitoba. I would have been 9 years old then. One day an announcement was made over the P.A. system saying that the tryouts for the Knights of Columbus would begin after school and on this particular day the tryouts were for the 300m run. I had just moved to Thompson the summer before grade 4 started for me so I was a rookie in this town and I had no idea what the Knights of Columbus were, but, since everyone in my class seemed to be going I went along as well. We met in the basement of our school where we had an underground track made of ashphalt. I remember it seeming so big when I was 9, but since revisiting at the age of 17 I realised that it was indeed very small. Tryouts began and I was told to run a certain number of laps around the track and that I would be timed. No sweat! I was always pretty active and always came out on top when we had fitness testing in gym class, I could do this. And I did. I really had no idea exactly what I did, only that I did well and came in first. I was then told that I would be running for the school at a city wide track meet called the Knights of Columbus and that I would be running in the 300m run. The track meet came and I ran and placed 4th which meant that I didn't win a medal but that was the beginning of my passion for running.

From then on I compteted in every Knights of Columbus track meet, most years as a student of Deerwood Elementary School since we moved shortly after grade 4. I managed to become one of the top runners in the 300m run and placed 2nd every year with Ladonna Waldner from Westwood Elementary always placing 1st, a very worthy opponent. (Ladonna, wherever you are, I miss you and wish you the best in everything life has for you!)

In grade 7 I managed to get my best time ever in just under one minute and I was asked to attend the Boeing Games in Winnipeg. I won two bronze medals at this meet and proudly brought them home.
I continued on in the wonderful sport of running throughout highschool until grade 10. Grade 10 was a very hard year for me as I was searching for my identity. I was having a tough time with my church youth group and I found more acceptance from my friends at school and so for a time I decided to put my faith on hold. Luckily God never writes us off even though we write Him off sometimes and He brought me safely through that time and I'm still going strong in my relationship with Him. But, because of the rough time I went through as well as a desire to not repeat it and track and field had taken me on many weekends away from my youth group I decided to sacrifice it in grade 11. Instead I became the missions co-ordinator for my youth group and in grade 12 the secretary for our youth group executive.

Even though I had officially given up track and field at school, the passion for running still coursed thick through my veins. In grade 12 I decided to try to start going for runs before school. I had only short distance when I was in track and thought I would see how I could hold up with long distance running. We lived on the treeline and so there were many trails behind our house which were perfect for cross country running. It started with only going for 10 minute runs. I remember after the first few times thinking that I would absolutely die! I'd reach home and be sweating up a storm, panting, and have cramps in my stomache...I loved it!

Some people ask why on earth I would enjoy running. Well not only is it a great way to get exercise but I love the feeling of running. I love the sense of accomplisment after having gone for a run. I love the time to just be me, on my own and think about life and sometimes just sweat out the stress of life. I love the time to take in my surroundings and marvel at God's creation. I love that it's something that I have to work for. I love the feeling of energy that I get from running and the sense of freedom, like nothing can touch me and in the busy, busy lives that we create for ouselves I love the time to just get away from everything and be me. To think what I want, go where I want, to just stop and be if I want. Ok, I'll accept the fact that I may sound like a flake, but it's something that I love. Perhaps it's in my makeup, when God put me together in my mother's womb he said "and she's gonna love running." Above all there is also the comparasion between living for God and running that is made in the bible:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us"

I find that many times when I'm running I think of these words and I think about my life and I'm encouraged to keep going. No matter what kind of situations I'm facing, keep running. No matter how lousy I feel, keep running. On days that I feel great, keep running the race for Jesus and never give up.

I'm afraid that after high school I never fully managed to continue running. Throuhgout the years I have had spurts and phases where I've tried to get back into it. I've amazed myself many times at the distance I can work my way up to. My last year spent in Morpeth there were a few months where it again made an appearance in my life but it was soon squashed out by the amount of work I was doing and the lack of sleep I was getting. However, this summer, while I was back home in Ottawa I managed to pick it up again which brings me back into my story about the Worrel Bank...

...I arrived back into Morpeth, a good solid month of running and having worked up to about 5km behind me, determined to continue on. Anna Hatch, who I currently live with, suggested to me some good routes. One about 4.5 miles the other 5 miles. The route that was 5 miles also included running up the Worrel Bank. I did not think I was ready at all. I had only been running flat distances and had no experience with hills. Still, my appetite was whetted. I set out steadily building up my endurance on the 4.5 mile run steadily approaching the day when I would set out to conquer my foe. It was hard work. Although shorter, the route which I was running was far from flat. England is known for it's rolling hills and although there weren't too many, there was a rather nasty piece of slope-age that I had to run up. I worked on this route for 3 weeks. After two, I was able to run it straight without stopping but I ran the extra week to make sure I was good and ready.
I woke up this morning and decided today was the day! I would conquer the Worrel Bank. I set out, slightly nervous. Would I be able to do it? Would I have to stop half way up to walk the rest of the way? Would I succomb to the hungary jaws of this incline or would I be able to master it? Slowly but surely I set my pace. Reliant K was the music of choice in my discman and as the beat started my feet began to scrape the pavement, I began to run. Before long it loomed up before me, my eyes trailed the road as it increased in height and sloped around the corner, my throat was feeling dry and scratchy and I had to remind myself to breath. One foot after the other I plodded ahead, it was now or never. My feet reached the base and I didn't slow down. Slowly I began moving upwards. Traffic was shooting by and the vehicles made the ground vibrate and the air roar as if the bank itself was enraged by my presence. I kept moving forward. My legs started to tighten as the muscles in my thighs began to tire. I kept moving forward. I was half way up and things were going well. I wasn't out of breath and although my muscles were tight, they were not siezing up. A biker passed me going the opposite direction, I thought about what he'd have to face on the way back. Then suddenly I saw it! The top! I was almost there. A surge of adrenaline was realeased and in a rush I quickened my pace. I was going to do it! I did do it! I made it to the top and in the joy of my victory I continued running. I ran the whole 5 miles and got back home within 45 minutes! I was estatic. I set out to achieve a goal and I did it. It was very rewarding.

I do not know if I will be choosing that route every time I go for a run now but it does hold a special place with me. The Worrel Bank no longer seems as intimidating. In fact would compare it to meeting someone for the first time, someone who intimidates you. Someone who you see and think "gosh! Look at them! I could never just go up and say hi to them!" but as you get to know them you realise that they're a very easy going and friendly person. Although they appear to be one way on the outside, inside they are very different. That is what the Worrel Bank is like. It's very intimidating but once you get past that initial awkwardness you realise you've made a friend for life.

I hope to one day run a marathon, in fact I've said that I'd like to do it before I'm 30. There is also the Great North Run here in England. Maybe if I end up sticking around one day I'll attempt that. It's very true that you can do anything that you set your mind to. A quote that is even more dear to my heart is this:

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength" Phillippians 4:13

Priceless

You know, blogs are funny things. When I write them I can never really get past the feeling that I should be writing in newsletter style, letting everyone know the doings of my life in a very general and objective way. If I'm going to write about something personal I always find that I try to write it in a sermon/story type of way. It's hard to try and write the real me, but there is so much of the real me that I could share. I always have so many thoughts, emotions, and experiences I could write about but I'm always a bit hesitant about how real to make everything because that would be exposing myself completely. There is always a bit of an auto-guard that kicks in when I write that tries to edit everything into a nice neat package to put on display. Sometimes I'm afraid that the moments that I really cherish and think are precious will be watered down and not shared in the same way if I were to share them with everyone. Sometimes I'm afraid that they will become less precious if everyone knew about them, the same way that gold's value would decrease if everyone had loads and loads of it. Sometimes I want to save them to share with people who I really value and who really put in a effort to get to know me, that way I know that they won't be wasted and they'll really want to hear what I have to say. And what about the not so nice things, the things that are ugly and coarse? Would people be able to handle the truth of those things without thinking my life is falling apart? For example here is a bit from my journal on monday:

I'm having a bad day. It's one of those days where I'm finding life hard. I am outside my home country, I do not have very many friends and sometimes it seems like work just consumes my life. It's just a bad day. I have them, everybody has them, they happen. And as much as I'd like to be able to tell everyone around me to back off, would they understand? Yes, it happens to Christians, am I not allowed to have a day where I'm grumpy? I hope tomorrow is better, I'm sure it will be. I do not want anyone to fix anything for me or to be like "poor Jenny" or think I need a load of prayer. I mean prayer is good, but I do not want it out of pity, I want it out of support. I just feel like being able to tell everyone that I'm having a bad day without them thinking that it must be just because I'm homesick and feeling sorry for me and the sacrifice I must have made to come over. It's not about that at all. It's just that it's not a very good day. Why can't people just accept that sometimes?

Sometimes I'm even afraid to journal moments for myself because I don't think that I'll be able to fully capture what the moment held. Like the times when the Holy Spirit whispers in your ear how much He loves you and how much He's rooting for you to succeed when things are hard, or even just because. Or when you're feeling ovewhelmed and you sense His loving arms wrapped around you tight reminding you that He's holding you. Or just when something little in your day makes you smile and He whispers how much He loves it when you smile. How can I put into words the beauty of those experiences? I can't. How can I put into words the reality of those experiences? I can't. And sometimes I think that's why it's so hard when people ask me "how do I know God is real?" Because I can't put into words those moments that I treasure so much that I would put all my faith in a God I cannot see. Of course there are the tangible things, the situations that have come about miraculously out of faith that I can share but they are not what I'm living for. I'm living for those moments that cannot be put into words, that I will not even know fully until I am in Heaven face to face with Jesus. I'm living for the real-ness that even I can't understand.

1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Subservient Chicken

This morning as we were planning for an assembly I was flipping through a youth work magazine for some ideas and I stumbled upon an article that gave some cool websites. The Subservient Chicken website happened to be one of them and with such an interesting appeal I just had to check it out for myself. I mean the amusement coming from typing commands for a man dressed in a chicken suit and watching him perform to your every whim could last for hours! Anyway I figured that my since my research into youth resources was so successful I should share it with you all: www.subservientchicken.com Have fun!

ps - there is an actual object lesson that can be taken from this website. It could be used as a very good example of obedience and freedom. Just thought I'd let you know.

JMo out.

Another..

Another Monday, another weekend past,
Another early morning, from the shower another cold blast,
Another high school assembly, and another this coming pm
Another collective gasp at my accent, and another again and again,
Another blog on the computer, another water in my cup
Another meeting in an hour, and another soon after I sup
Another day that is cloudy, another day that is grey
Another day to sigh and feel mundane, another day, another day, another day...yet,
Another breath full of opportunities, another day in which I can recieve a gift,
Another way to praise my Saviour, another way to show an act of love in how I live

Smile

Yay! After I wrote my last post we went to do an after school club at a first school and I was sitting on the side while Mike was doing his assembly first and one of the teachers came and sat down beside me and said to me "I just have to comment on your posture! It's lovely! Do you do yoga or pilates or something?" I guess I'm not completely hopeless yet! To borrow the phrase from a dear friend " it made my heart glow!"

Posture:

1. A characteristic way of bearing one's body; carriage: stood with good posture.
2. A frame of mind affecting one's thoughts or behavior; an overall attitude.


I think that my good posture is starting droop.
I used to get compliments all the time on how I had such good posture. I remember one time when I was in a Walmart McDonalds with my brother and while we were eating one of the workers came over and explaimed that I must be a piano player because my back was so straight when I sat. It was always something I was kind of proud of. Anyway, I think that I've started to slack off and slouch all the time and I don't like it. For one thing my back starts to get sore because of it and it makes me think that I don't have as much stamina as I used to. Also, I don't want to be someone who has what I like to call the "terredactal" neck when I get older.

I think sometimes spiritually I can very much start to slouch as well because life can just become a bit too heavy on my shoulders. It's like when I was in high school and I had a picture at Hard Core Prayer one night. Hard Core Prayer was on Thursday evenings at my church and it was just an hour in the evening for youth to come and pray at the church. I was sitting on the floor at the front of the church not really praying but just sitting with God and I saw a road which I was walking down and I had a back pack on my shoulders. Sometimes while I was walking I'd see a little pebble in my way and I'd pick it up and put it in my bag. It was so little that I hardly noticed it and as I found these pebbles I just kept collecting them and putting them in my back pack. But, eventually, the bag began to grow heavy with all these little pebbles and it started to weigh me down and my back started to slump but I just kept picking them up. Finally I just couldn't walk anymore and I started to cry because it was so heavy. Then Jesus came and He took the bag from me, emptied it and I was able to walk on again.

The little pebbles were situations/problems in life that I didn't think were too big and figured I could just handle on my own. And as these situations kept coming and I just kept handling them on my own the more they all just weighed down on my shoulders until I was carrying this huge burdon that I had to have Jesus lift off my back. The thing is that God doesn't want us to wait until we have a huge burdon, He wants to handle every little situation in our lives. I don't have to pick up the little pebbles. It's hard though isn't it? I mean I'm someone who likes to be able to be in control and do things, but really I guess there's no freedom in that, that's the attitude that causes me to get weary and burdoned.

I guess ultimately it's about surrender. The more that I bow down and give my life to God the more I'm free to stand up and walk with good posture.

Hello my name is _____ and I have an addiction...

...well, no, not really, I just thought that it sounded like a catchy title. I do not nearly straighten my hair as much as I used to. I used to have a routine where every Friday after school I'd come home and straighten my hair before youth group and it used to be the only way I ever did my hair when it was down. Later on I realised that wavy hair could be worked with and there was such a thing as a diffuser which is equally as great as the straightner, although I don't know if I'm as affectionate about it.

I was first introduced to the hair straightner when I was just 16 years old, it was during a night of teenage girliness and beautifying at my friend Leanne's. My hair was straightened for the first time and I fell in love. Where had this device, that had the ability to turn my frizzy, puffy hair into soft sleekness, been all my life? --I'm sorry, I have the ability to go off on tangents of verbal rambling sometimes...there is a point for my reminicsing though I promise!

I'm living with a family this year while I'm in England and they have two girls ages 12 and 15. I'm having a great time living with them and I'm really enjoying the girls' company. I never had sisters, just 3 brothers, and I'm enjoying the experience. Anyway, a couple days ago Sophie, the 15 year old asked me if I would straighten her hair for her and I was more than happy to do it. I really do like doing people's hair and all that kind of girly stuff, I really think it's so much fun and love blessing people with anything like that. We had a great time and I felt like I got to know her a little more through it. When she came home from school and told me that everyone kept complimenting her on her hair I was totally thrilled.

I know it was just a little thing but sometimes when you can do a little thing that you really enjoy for someone else it really blesses you. I don't know if I'm getting across the meaning of what I'm really trying to say...but yeah, I know what I mean.

Airport Madness

Hello, well I'm back in England! Things have been a bit of a whirlwind these past few days as I've been rather jet-lagged and was back in the office on Monday. It looks like this year is going to be a pretty full on already as we booked in 8 high school assemblies yesterday....8!! They're all this month as well, yeesh! Hopefully I can muster up some creativity despite the fog in my brain.

My flight over went really well. It wasn't that long, only about 6 1/2 hours total with a stop in Halifax. It seemed to go by really fast. I had a bit of an adventure before I boarded the plane though. It goes something like this:

After a rather emotional and tearful good bye with my parents I made it through security and headed towards my gate. It took me a bit to get there because I kept turning around to wave good bye to my parents who were watching from the floor above through the glass. Eventually I got to gate 14 and sat down. I looked around and took in the people who were going to be on my flight with me. A pretty average crowd I figured it'd be a pretty regular flight. I then had a lady approach me and ask me "is your last name Smith?" ( She didn't really say Smith but I can't remember the actual name she used.) I let her know that it wasn't my last name and she went on to say "oh, I'm supposed to find a young girl traveling alone who's last name is Smith, you're sure you're not her?" I assured her that it was not me and she smiled and left. I thought it was a bit funny since the last time that I flew to the UK I had a guy ask me if I was Michelle from Timmins, Ontario and if I had gone to the same high school as him.

Anyway, I looked at my watch and realized that I still had about an hour left before the plane was supposed to leave and I was way to ansy to sit still and wait. So, I decided that I would go and get a bottle of water and maybe try to find a book because I had not brought either with me for the flight. I picked up my bags and headed back down to the Relay store to poke around. I found the water easy enough but it took a few minutes for me to browse through the books. I was debating whether or not to get a John Grisham book when I saw "The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency" and I remembered my mom telling me that it was a very good book. I picked it up and headed to the counter to pay but there was a bit of a dilemma. The store's interact machine was on the blink (not working, but those who read my Canadian/English Dictionary would know that) and the girl working the till didn't know what to do. She ended up getting on the phone and as all this was happening I was realizing that the minutes were quickly slipping by and that my plane would soon be boarding. I decided just to drop it and I had to leave without my water or my book. I was pretty disappointed.

As I was walking back to gate 14 something of interest caught my eye, a currency exchange, and in a flash a thought process coursed through my brain. It went something kinda like this:

"hmmmm don't have any Canadian cash but I do have some British Pounds with me, if I was to exchange a few pounds I would have enough Canadian cash to go back and buy my water and my book. But would it take a long time to exchange? No, I don't think so it's pretty fast...the question is how much time do I have before I have to get on the plane? Well maybe I'll just look around the corner and see what the status is..."

So I looked around the corner and the seats surrounding the gate area were completely empty and everyone had joined a line to board and there were only about 35 people left to get onto the plane. My brain started whirring again:

"YIKES! I didn't realize that they'd started boarding, what do I do? Common sense would tell me to just forget it and join the line, but I really want some water and a book and there is still a chance. If I run I could have time...do i do it or not? If I keep standing here trying to decide I'm wasting precious time to actually go and get the book so what do I do? Right I'm just gonna go for it!"

I dashed back to the currency exchange and asked the man to change my British Pounds for me - I think he thought I was a bit odd converting back to Canadian since it was obvious I was leaving but he did it anyway. As soon as I had my cash I ran back down to the Relay store and made it to the counter just in front of someone else who was about to pay for something. I asked the woman if she had put my book and water away yet and said breathlessly that I had cash. My adrenaline was really pumping and my hands were shaking trying to get the change for her. All of a sudden I heard them announce the final boarding call for my flight and another surge of adrenaline was released as I said "don't worry about the change, I have to go!!" ( She was counting it out sooooo slowly. She insisted that I take my 30 cents so I grabbed it causing a few coins to fly loose, and charged back down towards gate 14 making it just in time with only 5 people ahead of me in the line! My heart was absolutely pounding and by the time I got to my seat I was very hot and sweaty but very triumphant!

I sat down on my seat with a sense of the risk I'd taken as well as deep satisfaction that I'd accomplished what I'd set out to do. I also noticed there was a large lump that I was sitting on. I stood up to find that the lovely people on Zoom Airlines had provided me with a bottle of water for my journey.

That was very sweet of them but my race was still justified because they had not provided me with a book.