Schließlich schneit es

Yup! finally it is snowing, and what's even better, it seems to be staying around at the moment!

Well, a lot has happened since my last blog, the main thing being Christmas! It was a jolly time going to church, eating a big meal of turkey and all the trimmings, including bread sauce (you have to have bread sauce with turkey!) and then it was the tradition of watching the Queen's speech and all the other Christmas 'junk' on the telly. I love it, it's the one day of the year where i don't feel guilty watching tv and not working. For my Christmas I got presents worthy for any granny! I got a blanket, a dressing gown, socks and slippers. Don't worry i love them all, and actually asked for a blanket, it's brilliant especially now with all the cold snow!

I know that alastair (who's blog you can access from the right!) thinks that the week between Christmas and New Year is a weird time of year, but i love it anyway! In my opinion the main purpose for it is to meet up with lots and lots of friends and family, and once again this year i have not been disappointed. Leftovers at the Forbes on Boxing Day, Dinner with the family at the Golf Club (where i work, which was a little weird!) on the 27th and then yesterday!

Yesterday was a great day, it was another mini camp reunion! I picked angela up at 10ish (big emphasis on the ish!) and we parked the car at Kelvinbridge and got the underground into town to do some shopping. At 12 we met up with Dougie and Stuart (who had come all the way from Edinburgh!) and had lunch. Then we sat about and tried to decide what to do, Loch Lomond was decided and we headed back to the car. However we never got to Loch Lomond, we stopped at Angela's and then my house to laugh, i mean look at camp photos. By the time we left it was too late to go to Loch Lomond so we head to Mugdock Country Park for a walk. A walk round a pond, in the pitch black with ice on the ground, and people jumping out on you and tickling you, maybe not the most sensible of idea, but still great fun. From Mugdock it was time to head into town for some dinner. We went to Pizza Hut and Chris and John joined us. We were in Pizza Hut for almost 3 hours, much pizza was had and much slagging was done! Then it was to the bowling alley, where once again there was more slagging and laughing at people, all in good jest (i hope!)

When we took Stuart back to the station to get the train to Edinburgh, i was trying to park the car really quickly and well reversed into a bin on the pavement, i have no idea how i did not see it. But yes i scratched the side of the car, having looked at it this morning and using TCut (whatever that is!) my dad found that the paintwork isnt actually scratched, but there is a slight dent in the door. It was a very sobering experience, but it could have been much worse, still not an experience that i'd like to repeat!

Today was spent studying, or at least trying to! Then i had a shift at the Golf Club (my hands still smell of beer, yuck!) and thats when it started snowing! Twas quite scary having to drive home in the snow, but i did enjoy it. I didn't go faster than 20 mph all the way home. Now im off to wrap up warm and go for a walk to deliver a Birthday Card!

Stay Warm, Wrap up and have a brilliant Hogmany and New Year! Here's to 2006, may God bless you all richly during the year ahead.


Verse for the Blog:~ "Come now, let us argue this out," says the LORD. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. " Isaiah 1:18 (New Living Translation) What an amzing verse, think about it, our sin makes us dark, but God can make us as clean as freshly fallen snow. Pretty cool!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Goodnight! :)

So It's Christmas eve and i've just finished my wrapping! im more in the Christmasy mood now! was at a carol service tonight, and then spent some time with some very old friends, the Campbells! Euan is my very oldest friend, he came to visit me in hospital when i was born (he was only 7 weeks old!) so it was great to catch up with all of them!

My little moan, it was going to be a big moan, but it's Christmas! Tights! the price of tights, i bought 3 pair of tights yesterday and they cost me a total of £9.50!!! and and, what is sooo incredibly annoying is that when i was putting on a pair tonight, which cost me £3.50, i put my finger through it! so annoying, but in the great scheme of things its not! and now after my moan, im going to raise my hat to all you scottish guys! I wore my kilt to church tonight, and found that it was an incredibly itchy garment to wear! so to all the guys who wear them on a regular basis, i raise my hat!

Anyways, am off to watch the watchnight service on TV with the rest of the family! Hope you all have a brilliant Christmas day tomorrow!

luv, hugs and blessings in abundance to you all!
Jilli
x tc n Gb x

Verse for the Blog:~ "While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:6-7 (New International Version). This year remember the true meaning of CHRISTmas!

He's Back!!

Well, hes been a long time coming, we've all missed him dearly! It just wasnt the same without him, we kept arranging to meet him and he wasnt there! But don't fear he is back from his trip to Edinburgh! Yup Donald Dewar is back in Glasgow. check out http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5047117.html# for the full story!

I have now completed my Christmas Shopping! No more run ins with mad Christmas shoppers. I've spent the last few days socialising and cathing up with some friends! Tuesday i went up (or across to be more accurate!) to East Calder to stay at Cat's house and go to their youth groups Kangaroo Meal (progressive meal, grub crawl etc etc etc). It was great fun and i got to meet lots of people that i had heard of. Wednesday i slept late at Cat's house, and she didnt even wake me up! After lunch we did some uni work, there's always a downside to Christmas Holidays! and then i got the train back to Glasgow to meet Angela 'my partner in Crime and secret keeper'.

I now know the real feeling of being a student as Angela and i sat in The Counting House, counting our money and realising that we didn't have anywhere near enough! So it was a trips out to the Cash Machine for us! We went to see The Family Stone, it was such a good film! One minute you're in absolute hysterics and the next minute you're almost in tears coz its so sad, and then theres those cringe worthy moments where you don't even look at the screen!

Today was last minute shopping and then lunch with Beckie, (another trip from the restaurant to the bank machines!!) we had a good old natter and caught up on everything thats happened since she's been back in Edinburgh for uni! And then after that it was to Starbucks to meet up with Noel, and once again a good natter was had, and we sorted the world out... almost! And then (wow i've been busy!) some of the youth group people from my church were round for a 'Christmas gathering' where there was much hilarity and game playing.

During one of my many natters, i found out that im apparently using this blog all wrong! Im not meant to tell you what i've been up to, but just to talk about stuff, or moan about stuff! So... I'm going to tell you all about my Starbucks experience the past 2 days!
When i go to Starbucks (or Costa, or Beanscene, or Cafe Nero, or Tim Hortons (yay! Timmys!!)) i normally just get a vanilla latte. However as it is the christmas season i thought i'd try one of their Christmas blends! So yesterday i had a Gingerbread Latte, which really surprised me as it tasted exactly the same as gingerbread. Then today i had a Toffee Nut latte, i wasnt too sure about this one as i don't know what a toffee nut is, but it was actually alright! and i quite enjoyed both of them, however i dont think i'll be sad to go back to my normal Vanilla Lattes! Tomorrow i think i'll try the Egnog latte, don't know what egnog is but im up for trying anything!

Verse for the Blog:~ "But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people" Luke 2:10 the angel said this to the Shepherds when they were told about the Birth of Jesus. Did you know that it says 'Don't be afraid' 366 times on the Bible! That's one for every day of the year including leap years! what an awesome promise!

The things that make Christmas's memorable!

Many a time a card comes through the door at Christmas and i think to myself, 'that's lovely of them to send us a card, but who on earth are they?!' and then it turns out to be someone that my mum or dad knew at school or from the distant past, who you've never met, or met when you were knee high to a grasshopper and yet they know almost everything about you!

The other good thing is Christmas letters! These come in all shapes and sizes, so far this year we've only had one from 'the dog'. Was reading one today and it was saying how their son (who im thinking is about 15/16) had aquired two guinea pigs ... and his first girlfriend! The poor guy, now everybody and their aunt knows. Hmm, i wonder if thats what my parents do? send out a secret Christmas letter so that all these unknown (to me) people find out whats happening. I may slag off Christmas Letters but i do enjoy reading them and finding out what old friends are up to and seeing the names that have been added (or taken away) from the signings at the bottom of the Christmas Cards.

I shocked my parents tonight by telling them, no asking them, what they would think if i didnt go away with the usual crowd this New Year! They said it was fine, but their faces spoke differently! I'll keep you updated! I'm off to wrap some Christmas Presents before sleeping! :)

Verse for the Blog:~ "They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. " Matthew 2:11 (New Living Translation)
Gifts were given on the first Christmas, so remember to give a gift this Christmas! Think of Mary's face having given birth to her son, the Son of God, in a smelly old stable, and then being given these royal gifts! Don't you love the faces of your friends and family as they open a gift and are thankful for it (either that or confused and working out why you gave them it! thats why i always explain the weird gifts that i give!)

7 more sleeps!

Time for another post i think! where did i leave off last time...
Wednesday, uni was alraight, our tutor had a big (HUGE) tin of Celebrations! Then there was the carol service, which was great fun. Downstairs was full and i had to sit upstairs because we couldn't find a parking space! so i was looking over the church and could only see 1 other Strathclyde CU person there! but, don't worry there were plenty more sitting at the back! there was a really good turn out by all of the CU's and the Mince pies were very good!

Thursday, em finished my big essay bit for my assignment and my Big task small task bit. yay! Then i wrapped Christmas presents for my gran, then it was more shopping before the CU party! The CU party was very jolly! again lots of music (not all Christmas, anyone else remember 'Five'?) and lots of food (how come Christian parties always have food?! not that im complaining! :) ) ooh there was also the 'Prize Stocking' i won a packet of funny orange sweets! Chatting went on late into the night and early the next day!
By the time i drove home it was 1:30am, and then i sat and wrapped my Secret Santa Present for Friday!

Friday, i handed in my Technology assignment! woohoo! and went to a really really really boring optional maths class. So wished we hadnt gone! But then it was to Pizza Hut to exchange Secret Santa presents with the uni girls! I got a book of card games, a pen, some bath stuff and knee high socks that are stripey black and sparkly purple! (i love knee high socks, especially stripey ones!) Friday night was more Present wrapping (im doing some present wrapping to raise money for the Romania project that im helping the local BB Company with!).

Saturday, Tesco 8 till 12, it was extremely busy, not too many stressed customers tho! Then it was to see Narnia in the cinema with the Post Youth Fellowship group. It was a good film, but i thought it was a bit long and was getting restless! (the Birthday Party of 16 little kids weren't really getting restless but i was!) Saturday night i helped with transport for the Youth Fellowship Christmas night out, and got to go bowling with them! twas great fun! After watching the finals of Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor, i went to another Christmas bash for a bit basically to pick the rest of my family up, but it was fun to catch up with all the people and i got to hold little Gail who's 8 weeks old! whilst i was rocking her, i thought that i would fall asleep quicker than she would!

and Then came Sunday. Twas the sunday school service this morning! and they did great, mainly because i was back stage keeping them right! (well... at least trying to look as thought i knew what i was meant to be doing!) they're all gr8 kids and they didnt need me at all!

so hope u're all ready for Christmas, im not! early mornings this week for shopping in Glasgow me thinks!

Verse for this blog:~ "I came so they might have life, a great full life. " John 10:10 (New Life Version) Enjoy the Festive season whilst you can!

So, its 12 days to Christmas and my true love gave me nothing!

So its Tuesday a total of 2 days since i last blogged! I can see myself being a very regular blogger, but don't really want to bore you all (all em, 2 of you maybe!) with my silly ramblings!

Well, it is 12 days to Christmas, and i did put my true love gave me nothing, but (big deep theology alert!) to be honest, since my true love is Jesus, then he gave me everything! wow, that certainly beats a partridge and a pear tree! and as the great song says:~"What's a Partridge? What's a Pear tree? I don't know so please don't ask me, but i can be those are terrible gifts to get!"

So to my day today, classes were alright at uni. I helped hand out mince pies and leaflets with the JHill CU. The leaflets werer for the Carol Service, Wednesday 14th Decemeber 2005, Tron Church on Buchanan Street at 7pm, free mince pies and hot chocolate! Singing by fairy light, instead of candlelight (afterall this is the 21st centuary!) hope to see you there!! :)

The lecture i had this afternoon was about asylum seekers and refugees, and it was sooo interesting! you know how in Britain we put electronic tagging on criminals, mainly sex offenders and murders, well did you know that there are 75 asylum seekers in Scotland that have electronic tags simply because they applied for refugee status. It's not fair, why should they be treated in that way? they are first and foremost people, human beings!

Im in the mood for a moan, traffic! argh! well not really, but it was rather annoying that it took me over an hour to get from Jordanhill into the centre of town, when it's normally about 20 mins! there was an accident on the M8 and the Expressway was blocked!

Away from the moaning, Christmas shopping was followed by a 'gathering' at Alison and Louise's flat (it's Katie's flat too, but she wasnt there!) where we sat and chatted on listened to ooh so much Christmas Music and ate ooh so much food!

ok, so here are my counts for the day:~
stalling the car= 5
seeing foxes on the way home=4
cups of tea=2 so far and one to come!
Number of Sudoku puzzles=2
Words for assignment to be handed in on Friday=0

And so to bed...

Verse for the Blog:~"It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones." Psalm 127:2 (NLT version) theres a verse for all those students out there who are desperately trying to finish assignments before Christmas! so 2moro night for you're rest, come to the carol service! :)

So yeah, how did this happen?

I always wondered if i should start a blog... and now i have (only because i was tricked into it, i couldnt make a comment on someone elses blog unless i joined!)

I shall start off with how today has gone! i didn't get in until 4am this morning, because i was helping at the Strathclyde Christian Union Toastie Bar. It was great fun, and a really practical way to show God's love. I then got 5 hours sleep before getting up and going to Finlay Memorial for church. Karen had invited me to meet her parents, which i did! Then i came home, and right now i should be doing my technology assignment, but the magnetic force on my computer has dragged me here once again!

Hope you'all are having a great day, and here's to the beginning of a long happy life of blogging!


Verse for the blog: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9