I do mean to (and will) post a ‘happy christmas’ and general thoughts message at some point later, but for now, just to say congrats to Alice on the birth of her baby boy!!! There are no words to express the emotions produced by the phone call I recieved this morning just before our morning church service started! And how I managed to finish the gospel reading, (Luke 2v1-14); ‘and she gave birth to her first born son’, without crying or grinning too much! The whole day is changed (for the better!) and the emphasis shifted completely, making me understand just a small amount of the anticipation, joy and complete fear of those few hours in the stable 2000 years ago…

I did want to organise a few thoughts before posting again, but I thought I’d just say ‘hello’ from Manchester. It feels strangely different blogging from somewhere other than my room in Swansea! But now that I’m here, I might as well go for it, in which ever way it comes out…

Arrived back on Friday to a cold and frosty manc (yey- see earlier post!), got home in time to see Mum off to a work crimbo thing, leaving me and Dad to settle down with a curry, beer and a film! Saturday continued cold, and we bundled up in coats and gloves and spent a happy few hours wandering round Castleton and admiring the Christmas lights as dusk came. In the evening we headed to a friends house for a Christmas gathering. Good to catch up with people, but a little disconcerting when people no longer ask ‘which school/college/uni are you at?’ but ‘what do you do?’ I must at least look like a grown up then!

Anyway, today was church as usual, and having been in the door 5 minutes I was conscripted into the praise group for a few songs! Always nice to be appreciated! I always feel at home here, immediately I walk in, and this morning I knew that this was what I had been waiting for, and needing for so long this term. To be back here with my ‘family’, and to feel the love of God which so easily and willingly comes form each person there. Not that I don’t find this in Swansea, but this is such a part of coming home, and being home, especially at Christmas. This afternoon was the ‘decorating party’ at my Grandmas, as we covered a modest bungalow with all manner of sparkly shiny things, and enjoyed a glass of wine and mince pie as a reward! Back to church again for the carol and christingle service, and now home again.

Phew, now that I write it all down, that feels like quite a weekend! This is why I love Christmas, and coming home, running round and seeing everyone that I haven’t in a while! Ah well, down to the work again tomorrow hopefully, so I deserved a bit of time off. I was going to try to put into words somethihng meaningful about the services today and being with family, but I’ve been here a while now, and have other things to do, namely Christmas cards to write and post tomorrow!

Well, just a quick one this, as today has been (is still) a busy day and I can’t stop long! I’m heading back home tomorrow (other home, not Swansea, which is also home!) and so the next you hear of me will be from there. Not sure that’ll make much difference to my posts, but it feels different to me! Anyway, must dash, my computer is being whisked away tonight (with the help of a friend with a car!) to a nice man whose going to fix it (it hasn’t been v happy recently), so I shan’t be able to blog later or tomorrow morning when I have more time.

So, there we are then, will write from manc x

At last, the end, which was in sight for a while, has come! Its done, finished, over. Or this terms bit is at least. Apart from the revision for January exams that is. But there’s at least, ooh, a month till then!!! I could and should be more excited about this than I am, considering all the moaning I’ve done about it! But I think I’m just tired. Not surprising considering how much sleep I’ve been having recently. Ah well, its always a bit of an anti climax.

But there we are, its over, the last essay has been printed, and will be handed in tomorrow. And I’m (temporarily) free. I’m not doing anything more that’s work related till Monday! I’m heading off home on Friday (back ‘up norf’ where it be grim!) and giving myself the weekend off. Time with the parents on Saturday, and church together on Sunday (where I’ve been roped into a reading or two already).

Ooh, the excitement! But for now, I need sleep x

And thanks for putting up with the ranting and moaning these last few months, it is good to know there’s people out there reading. If there are.

I wrote that last post about 4 hours ago, so these were a bit more spaced out, in my head at least.

Today (and yesterday) was one of those days that remind me why I love winter so much. When its so cols your ears and nose hurt just by being outside, and you can feel the air biting at your gloveless fingers. When the cold takes your breath away as you step outside, and you can see your breath on the air, and even though the sky is grey and clouded over, its a wonderfull day. Its so hard to describe, but days like these are the best it gets. No matter what’s happening, how down you’re feeling, it can cheer you up. I guess its the same way some people feel about sunny days in summer. Well, I’d have a frosty grey winter morning any day!

It may even be as cold here as it is at home. If it keeps this up, there may even be snow

Last Thursday was our chaplaincy ‘end of term feed’ (not my words!), a bit of a tradition now to get together at the end of term once everyone’s work is (almost) done for a meal and a catch up. So, with another deadline (nearly) behind me I left the library and followed the smell of pizza to the chapel. Yes, the chapel. Sounds a little unorthodox? That’s students for you! Well, the place has to be multi-purpose! But I noticed, then or later, that it wasn’t that different from the usual Tuesday lunchtime communion we share in the same room. Yes, the bread had been substituted with pizza (though there was still wine!), it wasn’t quite so silent and contemplative, and there were less bible readings and more random chatter. But it was communion. We came together to share a meal. Share problems, thoughts, laughter, and, as usual (we’re a jolly lot) song.

I see most of these people every day, at lunchtimes or between lectures. But things are usually so busy, we’re so concerned about the approaching deadlines, that we don’t have time to stop. So, with the term behind us, Christmas on its way, before we all go our separate ways, we gathered together, in the middle of a deserted university campus on a Thursday evening. And people wonder why we want to be students for ever?

The amazing timing thing? Those things that happen at the worst possible time, just as you’ve got a handle on things? Well, this finally came to a head this week, perfectly timed as ever, about 4 days before my 8000 words worth of assignments are due. Brilliant. When things like this happen, the temptation to give up, on the work, the masters and the world in general, could be huge. But it wasn’t. It has been, but even then, I’ve not done. I’m still here. Struggling, yes, but not giving up.

And this is one of the reasons why I know I was right to stay in Swansea. No, not because things have a habit of being difficult here (!), but because, if/when they are, I’m not alone. Throughout this term, as things have been harder than they’ve been in a while, there’s always been someone around to offer help, advice, a listening ear, cup of tea, chocolate, ice cream, hugs and other such comforts. Today I realised this again, when part of the prayers in the communion service in the chaplaincy included ‘bringing God to others’, or something similar. This brought home to me exactly what I was so lucky to have here in Swansea. People who, by their words, hugs, cups of tea etc have brought God to me, during hard times, when I knew He was there but just needed reminding. In the same way that I never really responded to the ‘bible bashing’ approach to evangelism (the show by example approach always penetrated deeper than any amount of quoting!), when I’m down, He touches me through those around me much more than through the more traditional methods!

So, I suppose this is kind of a thank you. To all those who read this and have been around recently (even if ‘around’ doesn’t mean in a physical, in Swansea sense!), even if you’re not aware of doing so, you have helped, and for that I am thankful.

And you never know, I may even get this work finished in time and to a decent standard! Keep your fingers crossed, and I’ll let you know come Friday.

I’m seeing a pattern on this blog, that as soon as I post something particularly positive, something else happens which I need to get off my chest, which means that I’m currently alternating between good and bad. Hmm. Bit like life I guess, ups and downs.

Anyway, the title refers to that amazing concept of ‘good timing’ (detect any sarcasm here?) that seems to be following me at the moment. You know when you reach the point where enough is enough, you’ve had all you think you can deal with, but are managing somehow? It never stays that way, because life isn’t that simple. There always has to be that one extra diffculty to add to it all. Or so it seems sometimes. Why can’t these things just be a bit more spread out? Bit like buses I guess, none for ages and then loads all at once.

Last night was our advent carol service in the university chaplaincy (which has become my second home and surrogate family over the last 4 years), and as always, was a stimulating, thought provoking, uplifting experience, and now we know that Christmas is on the way. It hadn’t really hit before.

There’s nothing quite like carol concerts for lifting the spirits and making you feel all warm inside! The hymns that are so amazing but you only get to sing them this time of year (which is perhaps the essence of their appeal), the bible readings that convey exactly the sentiment of God’s promise fulfilled, the whole sense of the expectation of advent. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light…for a child has been born to us, a son given to us” Something about those words brings a lump to the throat, and suddenly it all comes alive. I don’t know why, but I hear those words, and I know. Its true. It is.

Advent greetings to all, lets look forward to Christmas, and enjoy this season of waiting x