the bench

The first week I was in Oxford, before most students had arrived, I met two of my classmates- Cameron and Sukai. It was a beautiful early autumn day, so we bought lunch at a sandwich shop and sat on a bench near St. Giles church, and talked about what might lie before us in this coming year we were about to share. We talked about our hopes and fears, and wondered aloud whether we'd still hang out when we had other friends...or whether hanging out on this bench would become a regular occurrence or not. 

We decided that in any case, at the end of our time here, we should come back and have lunch together on the bench and reflect on the year.

As it turns out, the three of us never returned to the bench together for the remainder of the year, although we all thought of one another and that special day on the bench whenever we passed by it. Now as we prepare to leave Oxford in the next week, we all agreed we needed to take time to return to the bench as planned, and debrief. So yesterday, the three of us sat on the bench (the guys wrote  me a card and bought my lunch and coffee- they are so sweet!) and discussed our years highs, lows, challenges, changes, growth, and treasured moments. It was a special moment itself, sharing these things on the bench where we first began to share life just shy of a year ago. I went that first time with acquaintances- I went this time with brothers. 

the blackberry days of summer

We've moved from our flat and are staying in a house with some of our former classmates. Its on a tidy little row of British townhouses near the river, just a short walk from downtown, and it is a perfect nest for my last couple weeks in Oxford. 

At the end of the block, the street opens up to an access to the river and the walking paths running alongside.

On the first morning, I made my morning coffee and brought it down to the stairs which at intervals lead down the bank to the waters edge. The sun has been out and I planned to bask, watch ducks, pray, and while away the morning. And thats exactly what I did, on my magical little stair hideaway. But then I noticed berries on an overhanging bough of the thicket covering the steep bank... and was delighted to find that they were blackberries. So i stained my fingers pink a(nd scratched my arms rather badly on the thorns) picking sunrise berries and eating them merrily as the ducks looked on. (They don't much care for them. I tried.) 

There is a whole thicket, dropping over into the river just bursting with berries. I can't reach those without getting serious wounds from thorns and/or falling into the river. Ooo we should hire a punt and come take all the overhanging berries... anyhow, all that to say there is simple loads. More than the birds can eat. More than the birds and me together. None of the cyclists or walkers on the path seem to care about them- besides some elderly residents who have chatted to me and are delighted to see the berries getting use, since so many go to waste. So my new hobby is picking wild blackberries.

This is what I casually gathered in a few minutes time when I was down by the river this morning. They are the sweetest and juiciest berries ever- it took me awhile to learn not to pick them just because they were dark, but to only pick the fat soft ones that fall off into your hand without resistance. They are the sweet ones. They almost taste like cotton candy. 

What to do with the colanders of berries I keep bringing back over the last two days of living in this house? Well, we've talked about everything from blackberry pies,muffins, cobblers, and cocktails, to sauces, smoothies and syrup... blackberry everything. 

I started with a small batch of jam. It called for a ton of sugar, and I think I about turned it into candy or syrup...but it tastes pretty fabulous. So while I will definitely tweak the recipe if I make more, we're hardly disappointed with this bright summery spread to start our mornings. 

The bushes show no sign of stopping anytime soon- there are thousands of berries at all stages of development...my time in England is ending with a sweet blackberry summer.

Belgium!

Me, my classmate Max, and his wife Fiona traveled to Belgium for the weekend for me and Max to speak at a Christian event. We each had several sessions each- Bible teaching, Q & A, youth events... as well as all the informal times of prayer, encouragement, etc. It was a full weekend, but we got time away one evening to celebrate my birthday in village within walking distance of our hotel- which itself was within walking distance of the event site in a nearby nature reserve:)

We took lots of trains. 

Festival site- surrounded by beautiful forests...

 Max and I speaking ...

Some of the youth's questions for Q & A

Preaching Sunday morning for our last session at the event- I received great feedback, the message apparently really resonating with people- praise the Lord!

 Heading home to Oxford...

...but still time on the Eurostar (we went through the channel tunnel!) for a few more pastries from the Continent!

Praise the Lord for an effective weekend of ministry, building up the people of God. Thank you for your prayers! 

celebratory moments

Just a few celebratory moments to share from the past week... blessings of all shapes and sizes.

Handed in my final round of essays and have the receipt to prove it. All coursework officially completed. Now I'm actually finished with the program I already finished:)

The Rusty Bicycle has half price burgers on Mondays. Accordingly, Mondays are now marked 'burger day' on my calendar. Its the little things.

Celebrating Loretta's birthday- we three flatmates went out for croissants and coffees... treasuring these last weeks we girls get to live together. Its been such a blessing. 

bits and pieces... and Narnia

This week the weather has been in and out- cool days and sunny days, wet and dry. I've just been wrapping epodes and ends for my Belgium trip later this week. 

Whenever I'm not occupied, my friends generally still are- pushing hard for the essay deadline now just a week and a half out. I am SO glad to be done with mine. But since that means my social group is a bit inactive, I've had time to curl up and read my way through C.S.Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. Some of them I haven't read in years- or at all. I got swept up in Lewis' other work and never fully got back to explore Narnia. And now, as I sit reading 'children's stories', I frequently have to pause and wipe away my tears. Such beautiful themes and amazing story telling. I just love it. Its been great to pause from working on my talks and just slip into Narnia and be inspired. Its amazing how fresh some of the beauty of the Kingdom comes through, how deeply it hits my heart. And for a delightful change, I don't have to work for it: unlike most the books I am accustomed to working with here, I can easily read a Narnia book in a day!

So, apart from reading excursions to Narnia, its just bits and pieces this week. But I don't mind. The down shifted pace is really pleasant for me at the moment and I am grateful for this interval.

The quality of the camera was poor, but a friend snapped this picture of us walking down South Park hill toward the hazy spires and steeples of downtown. Such a lovely view.