Aberystwyth Comes to an End...

These past three years have been amazing and have meant so much to me... Let's take a walk through my time at Uni.

First Year

First year brought the joy of a new place, new people and lots of excitement...

'Anti-Halloween Party' (for scaredy-cats)

The St.Mikes' Ball

CU House Party

Whilst I really enjoyed moving to Aber, didn't find moving away from home too hard, and thoroughly enjoyed making new friends and having a new adventure, November 2009 saw my family break up. 

After a difficult Christmas I was thrown into depression. All I can say is a massive thank you to everyone that stuck with me and showed me such amazing love and support over the year! Especially to the amazing Hannah Sweeney... 

and my fantastic boyfriend, Tom Lott...

Thankfully, through His love and grace, God broke my depression in June 2009!

Second Year

Second year was full of change and the joys of cracking down a little bit more with work and growing closer to different people... now for the pictures!

Isaac, Toby, Laura and Me

Me and Laura

Phil, Ben, and Mark - Ali's birthday celebration

Laura and I go to Marseilles

Harry, Dan and Tom playing FIFA

Josh, Tom, Rachel and I welcome the summer with a walk along the sea-front

Third Year

So, third year saw me become a bit more of a hermit :P  I really put a considerable more amount of time and effort into doing my work, but I have had so much fun! I've learnt so much and thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with such amazing friends! So, here comes another year in photos...

Katie

Isaac eating cake off the floor!

Amy and Amy

Laughter in the house with Kirsty, Jo and Chris

Surprise!! Kirsty's 21st

Isaac and Toby in the SUN!

Me and Tom on my 21st

J-Wo!

 

So now all that is left to do is to say thank you to all the amazing people that have made my time at Aber what it has been. 

Thank you so much to all my friends for providing so much fun and laughter over the past three years! It's been a joy :)

And a massive thank you to St.Mikes (both staff and the congregation) for growing with me and encouraging me in my walk with God and being a support in times of hardship. 

Bye bye Aberystwyth... 

Walking with God

Over the last week it's been on the back of my mind that I am not as close to God as I used to be.

I don't know if this an age thing, and in growing up I have become less 'emotion based' and so I don't get the 'bubbly feelings' any more. Or maybe I'm just in a time where I don't 'need' God so obviously. Of course, I always need Him, but throughout my first year at Aber I suffered from depression and my family was going through a really tough time, in this year I felt God really closely. I guess life in general is much better than it was and I'm no longer suffering from depression, maybe then I don't need so much obvious support and closeness to keep me going.

I've just found it difficult remembering walking with Him and being close to Him, being confident of who I was in Him and in His love for me. I know things are always greener on the other side, and I'm not saying it was like this all the time, but I just miss it.

I remember walking around Aber, on the sea front or up Constitution Hill and feeling God there, right next to me. I used to feel Him in my room with me and I'd regularly worship at the top of my lungs in my room and spend hours with Him reading my Bible.

I'm currently in the process of reading three books: 1. Growing in Christ, 2. Knowing God, 3. Disciplines of a Godly Woman. They have already taught me quite a bit. I've finished the first section of Growing in Christ and it was really helpful at looking at the basics of the Christian faith, in a lot of detail. Packer goes through the Apostle's Creed bit by bit and explains it, taking each section back to Christ's faithfulness and love for us. Knowing God looks at more practical ways of getting to really know God and Disciplines of a Godly Woman (which I've only just really started) looks at spiritual discipline that will help us grow.

While all these books focus on the Gospel and God's greatness and are really very great, I've finding it hard to understand the Gospel in its fullness again, I just don't know how. I've been working my way through John's gospel which has been really helpful, but again I'm left with the same issue. - It feels awkward.

I feel really very awkward when I feel like God may be drawing closer, and so I push away. I don't want to, its just a reaction. I find the same thing when I pray with people or talk with people about God, I just feel like 'whoa this is so cheesy and cringe worthy'.

I do know that God is good, and I know He is faithful, but I want to be able to walk with Him again and not feel awkward, not feel cheesy and not feel weird. He is a good God and I know that in His time He will bring me back into His arms.

Ladybirds and Daisy's :)

 I was meant to be studying... I got a little distracted for a while...

Spring is here :)

 

A beautiful friend of mine asked me to place more pictures on here, so I thought that as spring has arrived I would do so.

It's been beautiful in Aberystwyth recently, a definite change of season. And the beauty of it can be seen everywhere and it shines off everyone!

Everyone is so happy :) I love that when spring arrives, it seems to bring a spring in people's steps. People have been flocking to the beach and everyone is so happy :)

 

And nothing can take away from how beautiful the sunsets are...

 

How God has blessed me so!

    Just a little thought to leave you with:

'For God is not a God of confusion but of peace'

(1 Corinthians 14 vs 33)