Spring has Sprung, Port Meadow trips have begun

Hooray! It's Spring! This joyous occurrence means that at the end of the working day it's not already dark, and also isn't too cold to venture out in. This wonderful combination, and a desire earlier in the week to visit Port Meadow that was perfect all except for the missed photographic opportunity, caused me to dust off my camera and head out after work today. And who did I find there, apart from stampeding horses, but my lovely housemate Anadi and her fiance, Dave :)

At last, I can complete the third objective of this blog: Photograph it.

Enjoy...

 Port Meadow being beautiful and calm, apart from the horses on their way...

 ...Standing my ground among the stampeding horses...

 ...with more coming! This one on the left ran straight at me for a LONG time before it swerved off...

 ...and off they go...

 ...just leaving their tracks, and a sense of relief, behind.

 Mrs Duck, who enjoys a little croissant of an evening (posh, North Oxford duck)

 Mr Duck

 Particularly gorgeous housemate

 Joyfully watching Mrs Duck eating croissant off Anandi's coat

 Mrs Duck proves just how far she'll go for a tasty French snack

 Cheeky

 This cutie was more interested in my camera than her owner's persistent calls that she carried on

D&A

Hopefully now the camera's been dusted off, and the light is back, and there's life in the city again, 'Photograph it' will happen a little more often...but until then. 

Love, Em x

If I were a butterfly, and other deep philosophical musings.

Hello again! It's been a while, eh? I realised that the last blog post I wrote, and never finished nor published, was about realising you've said Yes to too many things. The lack of post speaks for itself really, doesn't it?

ANYWAY, I've just got back to Oxford after a fantastic long-weekend at home in Northampton, which included an eye-test and the purchase of new glasses (expensive); an MOT (extortionately expensive); coffee, catch-ups and an evening in with Rhoda (excellent); lunch with six other Sturgi [yes, that's the plural of Sturgess] (homely and lovely); a catch-up with Mica (wonderfully weddingy); and an evening in with my parents, my Granny and a few episodes of Pride & Prejudice (bonnetty and swoony). I'm not quite sure where that was going, narrative-wise, but you've now got a comprehensive run-down of what, in my mind, is a great way to spend a weekend.

Now, Dad and I were talking about this yesterday, about how sometimes you get a song in your head for what is apparently no reason, and you're sure it was prompted by something, but you just cannot work out what it was. Well, welcome to my weekend of having the song If I Were A Butterfly floating persistently in and out of my mind, like...well, a really irritating floaty thing. Or even, a butterfly. If you're not sure what the song If I Were A Butterfuly is, and I'm sure you will, these are the lyrics:

If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings
If I were a robin in a tree, I’d thank you Lord that I could sing
If I were a fish in the sea, I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee
But I just thank you father for making me, me.

  

For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child
And I just thank you Father for making me, me.

(also, if you watch the link, you must forgive them the fact that their butterfly is, in fact, a dragonfly, and their 'robing' is some other kind of bird...) 

And so on it goes, with other great lines like 'If I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear I'd thank you lord for my fuzzy wuzzy hair' (a sentiment I'm sure we all share), and 'If I were a kangaroo I'm sure I'd hop right up to you' (as if hopping up to God were within the capabilities of a kangaroo; or, if it were that simple, we didn't have any other means of travelling towards God. Like, in a rocket, or anything.)

But what actually, strangely, struck me was the line 'I just thank you father for making me, me.'

I have to say, I've known this song an awfully long time, and I'm not sure that at any point while singing have I actually been thanking God for making me, me. I'm pretty sure most times, subconsciously, I've sung 'but I just thank you father for making all these cool animals with crazy things I don't have :D'. Ever the Biologist.

This could very easily turn into a self-sepreciating rant, which I will not let it do: but do you ever actually thank God for making you, you? Just you? I have to say, I often don't, but this made me do it, and it was very refreshing, in a very Psalm 139-esque way.

So I challenge you to just take a moment. Think about how God has made you. Think about the passions he has put in your heart, and the dreams in your head. Think about your giftings and talents. [Don't think about someone else's, just yours.] Think about the things that make you, you. Now actually THANK God for them, rather than writing a list of things you need to work on. 

You do that a moment, and I'll sit here and hum If I Were A Butterfly while you do it (I've done mine already...).

Great, well done - we're nothing if not interactive.

Now, treat yourself - if you're anything like me you've been singing If I were a butterfly to the tune of the Pride and Prejudice themetune. Have a little gander at the yummy, yummy end, and let your heart-cockles be warmed.