Good afternoon!
I'm sitting in my room, listening to Jack Johnson, thinking about how much I like avocadoes (as one does) and writing my blog.

Yesterday Waitrose came by with the shopping delivery. The two year old had just done a big poo on her potty (as one does) which she proudly showed the Waitrose man exclaiming "I done a poo!". He was a bit taken aback but probably felt more motivated to keep going at his job. Waitrose in, waitrose out, thats what its all about.

Its great how children don't seem to be embarrased by the things we adults are. Why should we anyway? None of us are perfect, even if we pretend to be, and we all do poos. Don't hide it, just flush it!

Thats about how deep I am right now. Life is good. Enjoy it and share it! The good and the bad, we all need each other and God to keep us on track.

Hi everyone! Its been a while since I blogged but I want to keep it up and after a bit of encouragement from a good friend I'm finally getting round to writing again.

I am often surprised at how many cool people there are in the world. Some people seem pretty ordinary at first but then the more you get to know them the cooler they become and the more you just want to spend time with them. London has a lot of awesome people that I feel blessed to have met. I love how we all are different and bring out different sides of each other but at the same time we all are surprisingly similar with the same basic needs. People can cause us so much trouble but just about everything we do is for and because of  people. Amazingly I think God is all about us people and that just about everything he does is for and because of us. Don't ask me why!

This week I've been to two goodbye parties for friends leaving London. I've only known these girls four months but we've had great times together and I'm going to miss these awesome people! Its sad to say goodbye but exciting to see how the seasons change and we all keep moving forward with the best ahead. Without change we would never grow. 

There's something about giving 100% in every season and just going all in that I think God loves. Its so easy to hold back, waiting for some time in the future to be all we can be, but we really only have the moment now. I love the idea of living life to the max everyday, taking risks and stepping out because thats usually when God steps in and surprises us with something great. When we do life together with Him we are living for something so much bigger than what we can see. I don't always remember that but when I do it changes everything.

This week I'm especially looking forward to Hillsong's Colour Conference which is starting on Thursday with great teaching just for us girls. There are some power women preaching and I want to learn as much as I can!

Someone once said that the wiser he became the more he realised how little he knew. I love that!
On Saturday a great, new friend of mine and I sat in a café with our journals and Bibles reading, writing and sharing thoughts. It was great having time to slow down and hear from God. I often try to do so much but all in my own strength and just end up getting exhausted without much result. After spending some time with God though I usually realise how small I am, how little I know and how meaningless it is for me to try and do life by myself. God is so big and way too great for me to even begin to understand and the fact that he loves me and that I can somehow connect with Him in my everyday life is amazing! Seeing that makes it seem so stupid for me to even try living without him. I mean, who do I think I am?!

Last night the young adults from Hillsong met for a team meeting and I came along for the first time. It was great to feel a part of things and hear leaders sharing their thoughts and challenging us to really put Jesus first in our everyday lives. It can be hard to prioritize time for Him when everything else around us fights for our attention but it really is so important if we want to grow in our relationship with Him. We become like the people we spend most time with and we decide who those people are.

There is freedom in feeling small when you are part of something so much bigger than yourself.
There is freedom in letting go of the control when you know someone so much more capable is taking over. There is no longer any need to worry, just sit back and enjoy the journey.  

sunshine!

Spring has come to London! I'm loving the sunshine and how it makes everything more beautiful, everyone happier and every moment more enjoyable.
Today two french friends and I went to Richmond and had a full English breakfast with bacon, eggs, baked beans, toast, sausages and half a tomato. Not what I usually start the day with but being in England it seems only right to have eaten it at least once. I was in Richmond for the first time and was surprised at how beautiful it is. Walking by the Thames in the sunshine with good company, pretty houses, blossoming, pink trees everywhere, and time to spend was lovely. I'm so looking forward to more days of sun and warmth!

Later in the afternoon we went to Green Park for a while, joined by my favourite Bulgarian person and then to Starbucks for a drink (although mostly to use their loo). I wanted to spice up my hazelnut latte with a sprinkling of vanilla sugar but the whole lid came off the vanilla and splashed into my cup giving me a very sweet latte and a lid to fish out. It ended up tasting alot more like vanilla than hazelnut but it gave us something to laugh about.

We talked quite a bit about food and the great things there are to eat and enjoy, especially living in london, a city bursting with different flavours. Having lived 21 years I've come to the conclusion that strict, complicated diets are not for me. If I were to create a diet it would be full of fruit, vegetables and lovely healthy things but with the chance to enjoy the cakes and treats you love just not too often and without stressing out about it.
I get to experiment with making some great sallads for lunch each day and I love when the veggies, fruits and cheeses end up getting along so well with each other and tasting great. Goat's cheese with pear and sweet potato has got to be my favorite so far (I haven't tried banana in a lunch sallad yet but I don't think its going to work, unfortunately).

Last weekend was spent with my beautiful little sister, showing her some of my favorite parts of London and introducing her to some of the people I spend most time with. I loved having her around and catching up. We saw Big Ben, Trafalgar square, Camden market and Brick Lane, had some great food, met some lovely people and talked a lot.  

I've had a great week and can't help thinking how rich my life is. Its all about loving God, loving life and loving people... oh and loving lattes too of course

Sunday morning, listening to music, drinking coffee out of a mug that says "Mr Happy" and thinking about all the great things about my life right now in London.

There are so many great, inspiring people that I get to spend time with! Every person has had different experiences and each one has interesting things to pass on. Yesterday I had coffee with a lovely girl from Finland and then got to spend the afternoon with my beautiful French friend shopping, eating french crepes and talking (I tried out my French but soon got stuck). We pondered on how life can be made so busy and complicated yet its the simple things we appreciate and remember the most.

Last night was girls' night with girl talk (mostly about boys), yummy snacks (I of course brought bananas and chocolate), nail polish and a whole mix of nationalities. We were together in London representing England, Germany, France, Colombia, HongKong, Holland, Bulgaria and a bit of Sweden. How cool is that?!

Last Friday I spent the night at my awesome American friend's place. She made scrummy apple pancakes for breakfast the next morning and we talked about God and small glimpses we have had of who He is. Its so amazing when we get to see even a tiny bit of how great and full of love He is. Its like another reality, so much deeper and more beautiful than the world we can see. Everything else around fades in comparison. She really inspired me to keep seeking out God and listening for His voice in my everyday life. Its not always easy but it is so worth it!

I love staying in a beautiful room so close to the busy city but still in a calm, family area. I love all the new places I get to see and the new things I get to experience. We spent a few days out in the country and had mussels for supper one night which I tried for the first time. Delicious! I also love the fact that the sunshine is back! Hopefully this means spring is here to stay.

What really makes me smile right now is the fact that my darling little sister is coming to visit me next weekend! She is one of my favourite people in the WORLD and I get to show her some of the best parts of London (Starbucks, Hillsong and Brick lane). Whatever we end up doing I'm just looking forward to spending some quality time with her.

I love the fact that I have so much to be thankful for right here, right now!

More from me

Hi everyone! Long time you no hear from me, so I have lots to tell you from the exciting life of being an au-pair. Well, you know, hopefully its interesting for you too.

On Friday afternoon we all got packed and bundled into the family's Range Rover for a weekend out in the country visiting relatives. We arrived at the house two and a half hours later and were met by the friendly butler. Seeing how a country house like that is kept was a new expereince for me. After leaving your bedroom in the morning, you can expect the bed to be nicely made for you on your return, the meals were all delicious, made by a talented chef, and everything was done just right and almost always by someone else.

I got to hang out with the two year old a lot this weekend who is such a sweet girl and fun company. We were bumping down the stairs on our bottoms, discussing what dolly was having for lunch and forever asking "do you need to do one on the loo yet?". I call her "Bumblebee" and she calls me "Hannah Panna".

Sunday morning we woke to a beautiful blanket of snow and I have to admit I was just as excited as the kids at the sight. We all had a disco in the 7 year old cousin's bedroom, breakdancing and spinning around at ten o'clock in the morning to Snoop dog and Rihanna. After another delicious lunch, finished off with a treacle tart , we packed everyone and everything into the car and headed back to London.
Yesterday was a pretty good Monday. Waiting for a friend at the tube station, I started talking to this guy from Texas who was also waiting for someone. We didn't say much before he found his friends and left. Then I had a nice lunch with two girls from YWAM that I know from Sweden and we caught up on all our news.
So today during my morning break I really felt like some alone time with my diary, a good book and a large decaf latte at Starbucks just to recharge and think some smart, deap thoughts. Who walks in? The Texas tube station guy from yesterday with a group of friends. We started talking again and turns out him and his friends are visiting from a Bible school in America and are connected with YWAM. I postponed my deap-thinking-alone time and joined in their conversations instead. It seems the world is a small place, either that or God just really enjoys connecting people for fun.

Been reading "The Screwtape letters" by C. S. Lewis lately, a great book written as letters from a demon to another about how to ruin people's lives. Sounds a bit strange I know but it is well worth reading. I just want to share a part I thought was really good;

"The man who truly and disinterestedly enjoys any one thing in the world, for its own sake, and without caring two-pence what other people say about it, is by that very fact forearmed against some of our subtlest modes of attack. You should always try to make the patient abandon the people or food or books he really likes in favour of the 'best' people, the 'right' food, the 'important' books. I have known a human defended from strong tempations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions."

What he is basically saying is to enjoy the things in life that you enjoy whenever you can. I like that. So now I'm leaving my computer to enjoy the rest of my afternoon off in sunny London. Cya!

There is something amazing about BIG groups of people all getting together for the same cause, all saying the same thing.
Yesterday in church we were so privileged to have Israel Houghton as a guest. He's a world famous worship leader who really knows how to get his groove on whilst pointing to how good God is. The Dominion was packed at the 3 o'clock service! Standing amongst all these people lifting their hands and singing "Jesus, be the centre of my life" for all they're worth was a pretty cool experience. Imagine all those people really meaning those words and allowing Jesus to be the centre and boss of their everyday lives. It's an army of world changers!

I love the great teaching and worship at Hillsong but what's impressed me the most are the people and their way of welcoming others into their fellowship. Each Sunday I leave with some new contacts on my phone. Yesterday I went to church with Kristina, my really cool Norwegian friend who I first met last Sunday. She introduced me to two of her friends Lucie and Dori who immediately made me feel welcome and a part of their group. Relationships are such an important part of church! Its all about people in everything we do. Being new once in a while can be good. It reminds you of what its like being a visitor and how much you appreciate people seeing you and stopping to talk.

Today's been a good take-it-easy day. I've been working, reading, writing, drinking coffee, thinking (not too much mind you) and enjoying the company of the people around me.

Todays tips:
Book: The screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, Lioness Awakening by Lisa Bevere
Music: Bon Iver, Mumm-Ra's "She's got you high"
Film: 500 days of Summer, Shadowlands