A bit of Christmas-lit London for you. The giant light bulbs hang all along Carnaby Street, a cute little shopping area off Regent Street. The "grotto" sits in Covent Garden. I love that it is called a "grotto". Zsa was with me when I took this picture. "You don't say 'grotto'?", she asked. Nope, we say "workshop" or "village". Most of the time, it is the little things here that make me glad and tweak my norm. I love it!

Speaking of little things...I am unsure if I believe in them. Little things are BIG for me most of the time. A package received from a precious friend filled with songs that delight my spirit, new friends who have so much in common with me and make me LAUGH!, figuring out a way to disassemble a piece of furniture in my flat that has been cramping my space, finding the last switch to turn on my towel warmer (I don't know if I have shared that fact with you, but all the outlets here have switches to turn them on. It took me a week of looking to find the switch for my heater. The last mystery has been this one of turning on my towel warmer!), a tea kettle that boils water in seconds, and having clean dishes...

I spent the past week at some Young Life training in Hertford. I think I mentioned it. I was blessed by knowing eyes. To be with people who you can see and sense understand your inability to articulate exactly how you feel or need to be prayed for in the situation you are in, is huge. Prayer from people who love the Lord and love you...huge. I cannot say enough about how I enjoyed this time last week and feel that I know the Lord deeper after having spent this time.
Do you have people who know you? I mean, people who truly just "get you"? I am blessed to have these people in the states and now abroad. I pray that you take the time to tell these precious friends how much you love them and appreciate how they love you during this holiday season. The Lord knew what he was doing when he told us to "not give up meeting together" (Heb. 10.24) and"for where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them" (Matt. 18.20). We are made to live in community.

Word/phrase of the week: "sorry" "Sorry?", meaning "I didn't hear you". "Sorry", meaning I bumped into you, and I am sorry. "Sorry.", meaning I got close to bumping into you. Whereas we would say "Excuse me", the common way of expressing this is "Sorry".
Honestly, I have said "Excuse me" multiple times, and people have ignored me. I said, "Sorry", and people move immediately and respond with an affirming nod.