kym brinkley.

2012-02-01T02:37:00.003Z

my word, this beat makes me happy.

bernhoft-c'mon talk.

thanks, lana, for finding this and passing it along.
kb.

2012-01-21T04:31:00.001Z

on tuesday, I will return to "the most magical place on Earth".

I went to disney world for the first time with my mom, dad, and older brother when I was around seven. I remember little other than wearing a red poncho the greater part of the week and eating ice cream on a stick in the shape of mickey mouse.

(sidenote: I am so thankful for my family who loves acting like kids. chad and heather (my brother and sister-in-law) went to disney world every year in the early years of their marriage. they have pictures of the two of them with mickey and minnie dressed in literally every outfit that exists in every "land" within the disney world parks. I do not exaggerate with this statement. the photo albums are hilarious, and they look ridiculously happy, arms swung around the two plush characters.

they were at disney world on sept. 11th and had to be evacuated, actually. eerie.)

thankfully, the mission of young life is 1. staff-wise, way too big to gather at any other venue other than a place las vegas (and I do not see that ever happening.) and b. clearly injected with fun at its core.

next week marks the third venture to the young life all staff conference for me. I feel blessed to have been invited to attend in what will be three distinctly different divisions...mississippi valley (field staff in arkansas), international north (field staff in london), and now colorado camping (property staff at trail west lodge). somehow in all my stints on and off staff, I have managed to be ON when one of these massive events rolls around.

ok, to the fun. the above photo was snapped by a friend 4 years ago. clearly, you can see the utter childlike joy that I am in the midst of as I spin ridiculously fast on the tea cups. yes, the tea cups.

on the inside, I am 6 years old. I would so prefer to spin than to drop. roller coasters? sometimes.

I close my eyes the entire time. I think the drop portion is just a bit too realistic, like turbulence in an airplane.

how often do you spin like a maniac in real life? it just makes you dizzy, and you cannot help but laugh. pure joy. I also have a special skill for maximizing the spin. (we all have gifts.)

much talk in the office this past week about how we feel about the upcoming florida time. anxiousness hovers over the sheer amount of people who will all be in the same space, roughly 4,000. excitement ensues about reuniting with old friends. eagerness and anticipation co-mingle for warm weather and relaxation.

I feel all of the afore mentioned, to be sure. not to mention the prospective giddiness involved in more tea cup spinning...

as I ready by packing my luggage this weekend, I strive to unpack my brain, so full of all expectations, hopes, and potentials. my sweet friend, clare, made a poignant statement in regard to this gathering the other night (thanks to carls for sharing it with us)...

"what we know we can count on is for God to show up."

so rooted in truth is that statement. so my prayer for this next week at our "celebration" is one of expectation to be aware of Presence.

perhaps, this week will help deepen said awareness in day-to-day life, as well.

here's to warmth, laughter, being 6 years old, and breathing deep!

cheers,

kb.

2012-01-17T20:27:00.000Z

today I spend my day off sipping coffee and contemplating/exploring new possibilities.
I find my mind remembering a journal entry I wrote this past november.
the key word of this chronicle...
adventure.

adventure |adˈven ch ər; əd-|

noun

an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity : her recent adventures in Italy.

• daring and exciting activity calling for enterprise and enthusiasm : she traveled the world in search of adventure | a sense of adventure.

the past year and a half, I have been on retreat. yes, that is the most apt way of describing this time in the mountains, I would think. retreat in the sense that it has been easy or without hurt, frustration, drama, or lessons? of course not. as long as we are breathing, life creeps in, no matter what the locale, number of people in your day to day, or level of noise in your surroundings.
however, for all intents and purposes, I have unplugged from the "typical" hustle and bustle of life that the majority of us are accustomed to with social schedules, classes or work to catch up on, phone calls to return, etc.
firstly, let me say that I am immensely thankful for the quiet I have been gifted with here in my little mountain town. its slower pace has allowed me to breathe. I had no idea how long it had been since I just focussed on being in my world of ministry, relationship juggling, and moving.
seasons are on purpose. "a time for everything..."
even kevin bacon would tell you that...(sidenote: really? we needed a re-make? really?! no.)
ecclesiastes 3.

I feel a new season approaching, and as the Lord cannot betray his nature, he is being faithful to continue to affirm this leading. I have no definites yet. the practicals have not been revealed...yet.
but, I know a change is on the horizon, and I am excited about the next adventure.

I am on the cusp of re-engaging into a space to once again utilize gifts that I have known needed to be dormant for a time.
my head feels clear, which is no small feat as those of you who know me well can testify. (God is big. God is intimate.)
I cannot remember leaving a place/job being in a healthy state (in my adult life). exhaustion and absolute necessity have been my indicators in the past...a sense of desperation for change.
I do not feel desperate.
I feel ready, eager, and excited.

I do realize that I am being quite vague, but as I research, explore, wait, and pray for the pieces to fit together, I feel compelled to stay active in keeping record of the continuing movement. also, for those of you who still take the time to read this blog after so many years of my journey here and abroad, it blesses me to know you are walking alongside me in some way, cheering me onward.

I adore this word above. holds within it such empowerment, confidence, and ability.

may your tuesday be filled with moments of personal victory.

cheers,

kb.

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000Z

my word, I am laughing just thinking about these two videos of ridiculousness...
click on the two links below.
firstly, jimmy fallon and kristin wiig, does it get any better? truly.

1920's Holiday Party
don't make me sing...don't make me dance!

secondly, I must preface this by saying that I have decided to learn a new language. I have a fair aptitude and retention for language, in general, so I thought I would try my hand in the new year. (when I lived overseas, I decided I wanted to learn EVERY language of EVERY country I visited. ridiculous, as I visited places like turkey and bulgaria. yep, there is a huge opportunity to keep those up in my day-to-day life. well, what can I say... I get excited about learning, new cultures, and further ability to relate to people.) ultimately, I decided on french. as I foresee most of my future travel being european, I thought I might just have a shot at retaining a bit of what I learn. I ordered rosetta stone. I have talked about doing so for ages, so I have now taken action. so far, I love it! not a lot going on in my sleepy colorado town this time of year, so I have plenty of time to work on it. I also sort of love school. I know. I have just gotten really real and vulnerable by acknowledging that publicly, but it happens to be true. (perhaps I am getting back into the groove for events to come... hmmm... stay tuned...)
when I told my friend, cat, that I was on this quest, she sent me this link.
for anyone who has learned a language, you will relate to the obscurity of the random phrases you learn.
I love that it has all the "lyrics" written below.
flight of the conchords...random and hilarious.

foux da fa fa...

hope you laugh...like to the point that someone from the next room cannot help but come in and ask what is so funny. :)
kb.

2012-01-07T07:11:00.000Z

intimacy with others is difficult, humbling, and often emotional.
however, interwoven with these challenging characteristics, resides a richness beyond description.

the truth will set you free...john 8.32.
amen.

oftentimes, allowing people into the places of my being that are beyond my control, namely where emotions surface as I begin to speak, fills me with nervousness. though the Lord continues to shape me into a braver soul in this area of heart revealing, my nature is to attempt to appear strong, confident, informed, and well-spoken.

a greater inability to "appear altogether" is one of the giant changes in my person since having lived overseas. when I was in england, my day-to-day life held so much unknown that little by little I lost the capacity to fake self-confidence in so many ways. I was humbled at every turn, especially in the beginning. I needed to ask questions, get lost, look silly, and be bold to survive essentially.
also, when I moved from london, I feared that I would be moving "back" to the States...that I would be somehow regressing in growth, as I re-entered so much familiar.
oh how gracious the Lord is to shake his head lovingly in His all-knowing essence and patiently reveal to me that going "back" is not an option.
the changes He makes in our lives are significant, deep, and beyond our explanation.
He has revealed (and continues to make very evident) to me that He is the one who led me away from the UK and desired for me to re-enter the States. I did not leave Him in england. and england is not a magical place. it was the place for me for the time He had me there. it was the setting He used to teach me lessons He needed me to learn there.
now I am in colorado discovering new truths, remembering who I am in Him and learning who I am becoming each day with His hand lovingly leading in this setting.
no locale is more special or important than another.
where He is and desires us to be is the holiest, life-changing "home".

today I truly felt the deeper breathing that arrives when transparency resides in friendship. keeping those around you "in the loop" allows for support, insight, affirmation, and perspective...

I am thankful for such sweet friends who cheer for me with such steadfast spirits.
I am thankful for friends who lead me by living a life striving to be obedient, daring to take risks.
for an impressionable emulator like myself, being surrounded by people of such character blesses me to my core.

happy new year!
cheers,
kb.

2011-12-31T01:29:00.001Z

Janelle Monae...smooth.

today, this makes me dance.
kb.

2011-12-25T22:26:00.005Z

such profound words. oh, lloyd dobler...via cameron crowe. how you have given us such deep thoughts. my sister-in-law and brother gave me these coasters for Christmas. quite possibly one of the best gifts I have ever received.
love.
if you have never seen this movie, please do so.
say anything...
poignant, a bit sad, and full of hope.
happy Christmas!
cheers,
kb.

2011-12-06T21:50:00.001Z

the holidays have begun, to be sure. thanksgiving has been and gone, and now thoughts are shifted to celebrating Christmas. the trees covered in snow are a fair representation of life currently in bueni. the stars cascading over regent street show the year's decor in londontown.

I loved london during the holidays. some criticise the city with all of its sounds, bright lights, and bustle. I relished it. not the spending of ridiculous amounts of money or the elbowing of people trying to get from this place to that one. I love the cheer that truly escalates during this season in a city that most times is filled to the brim with anonymity, the shutting down of oxford street for shopping and munching on mince pies (I do not eat them, as I think them disgusting. but I loved the aesthetic of people walking about with baskets passing them out.), the fake snow shooting out over hamley's toy store as you queue up to get in, the baristas in starbucks wearing holiday shirts in place of their usual black, much to their chagrin...
I am thankful to have gotten to spend so many holiday seasons in this great city.

holidays here in colorado look like a postcard. bing crosby and danny kaye spring to mind (even though they were supposedly in vermont). we literally can walk just about anywhere and cut down our own trees to decorate. the mountains stand less than an hour away, beckoning us to don skis. all the layered, wooly fashion in catalouges of j.crew is appropriate. the quiet of freshly fallen snow surrounds.
I am thankful to be here this season.

wintry, chilly months tend to always bring me joy. cozy sweaters, white lights strung, peanut buttery, chocolate treats made, copious amounts of coffee in favourite mugs brings much needed inner warmth...
nesting seems to take place in my world when the snow begins to fall and mr. buble' serenades on a loop.
as I reminisce of Christmases past and relish days current, I hope all of you do the same, seeing a picture of a plan so much bigger and sweeter than we could ask or imagine.

may your days be merry and bright this season. may joy abound and blessings be seen.
happy Christmas!
kb.

2011-11-29T03:11:00.001Z

oh how I love a soulful song...
a few I have had on a loop lately.
do yourself a favour. listen.
marc broussard...come in from the cold.

amos lee...colors.

the black keys...never gonna give you up.

nickel creek...this side.

kb.

2011-11-27T18:45:00.001Z

full of thanks I am for this little one.
it so evident that children were created by God, who is defined as love.
is there anything better than having a child yell your name and then run into your arms?
not much, I dare say.
may I never distance from children in my daily life. never.
such a sweet, safe, simple place full of joy, in their presence.

this week, I got to spend some quality time with this little one, mg.
we watched a marathon of tom and jerry.
we chewed countless pieces of juicy fruit which she graciously unwrapped and folded before handing to me each time.
we told knock knock jokes that had absolutely no punch line.
she climbed on my lap often.
we put together a puzzle, "100 pieces, kym! this puzzle is ONE HUNDRED pieces."with her advising me on what shape of piece we needed for certain open spots.
we fluffed branches of her grandparents' Christmas tree.
simple joy, full stop.

one day while we were sitting on the couch, she just looked up and said, "I adore you."

psalm 84.1...
how lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty.
phillipians 4.8...
...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent of praiseworthy--think about such things.

these above verses pop to mind as I think on time spent with kiddos.
the common word which appears is "lovely".

lovely is defined as "exquisitely beautiful".
yes. indeed.

across the atlantic, this word is used quite liberally. it is one I have purposefully kept in my vocabulary, as it holds such tenderness, intensity, and lightness.
today, I choose to contemplate the loveliness of life spent amongst children.
thanks be to God.
kb.

2011-11-05T19:57:00.001Z

boston.

it rained the first 24 hours, but it added to the mood. city and rain...a sweet setting for me.
a smaller london...with baseball!
lunch with claire near boston college...perhaps my favourite part of the whole of the trip.
boston. I like it.

2011-09-26T20:18:00.000+01:00

A library. I truly love a library... something about the potential there for learning, discovery, and quiet. Lately, I have been spending a good deal of time in our local building full of books to utilize the internet access, as my current abode is without connection.
The above photo in no way resembles said space, but it is the way a library in mind ought to look.
I currently am sat on a couch, earbuds in listening to "what barnz is spinning...", looking out the window at autumn in full bloom here in Colorado. Yellows and oranges splash here and there in the midst of the ever present greens and browns of the Rocky Mountains.
Beautiful majesty... without doubt.

October is just around the corner, and as many of you are aware, this is my favourite month. I am beyond excited about a trip I have planned over my birthday to NYC and Boston. I get to see my friend Lucy in NYC, and I plan to make a trek to Boston to see some of my London girls. I also have wanted for some time to visit Boston, as I have heard it described as the most European of cities in the States. I have a distinct feeling that I might find a new place of joy. Friends who share knowledge of me and of this city mentioned have said I would love it, as well. I am anticipating a great week.
Though this tiny town boasts such beautiful vistas, I find the quiet to be a bit loud for me at times.
I need some noise, some masses, some exploration. I feel a bit like I am on a permanent retreat here in this oasis. One can only drink in so much until she could use a place to pour it out.
This trip east will hopefully satisfy this desire for a break from solitude.

I hope you are all well, enjoying football (or whatever equals autumn for you), falling leaves, and hot beverages.
My encouragement and choice for my week...
Choose positivity. Soak up the sunlight. Listen to great music. Drink coffee. Look to discover.
Cheers,
kb.

2011-09-10T19:24:00.003+01:00

Adam and Lana are now newlyweds! I went last weekend to their lovely, simple nuptials in Indiana. I was blessed to be able to witness such a sweet, heartfelt joining of two amazing friends. I must mention here that I was mentioned by both fathers...once from the pulpit (Adam's dad performed the ceremony) and once at the reception when Lana's dad did his toast. I brought them together. Adam keeps telling me to take a little credit and not deflect it all. Ok. I introduced them. I cannot wait to see them in Denver in their new place on my next jaunt to the city.

I arrived back in Bueni to cooler temperatures and a bit of rain. My heart was full to overflowing. My coffee tastes better. The sweaters slowly emerge from my drawer. Boots don my feet.
Sigh...
Autumn is quite simply my favourite.
The other noteworthy item is the picture below...my new place, well, as of July. I have moved into a guest house of a friend and am settling in quite nicely. It is cozy and quiet. I love having my own space. I bought this couch a couple of weeks ago, and every time I sit on it, I love it more.
This space is currently bringing me joy, and I am certain this state of being will continue as I transition into the off-season here at camp. It is quiet and at times a bit boring, but having a nest I love makes all the difference, as those of you who know me well know about me.

The Lord has cleared my head and heart over the last couple of weeks. I feel the autumn brings deep breathing, reading of many a book, and a bit of exploration (to be explained in a post in the near future, perhaps...).
I hope the autumn brings you rest, along with loads of warm beverages, cozy jackets, and brilliant time with people you love.
cheers,
kb.

2011-08-09T03:23:00.002+01:00

summer ends in a week.

I realize I have not written here since the summer began. this absence largely is due to the sheer number of people, and with them thoughts, that have travelled through my sphere in the last three months.

yet again, the Lord has surprised and blessed me. summer is not the only season in which he teaches, of course, but as so much of my nature is enlivened and taught through others around me, it stands to reason that the influx of people brings with it a season of discovery.

impression.

I love words and meaning. when I was making literature for fundraising for moving to london, I looked ferociously at definitions of words to frame my goal for said move. what was it that I hoped to do in the lives of kids there?

I chose the word "impression". I loved how it was defined.

an effect produced on someone

a difference made by the action or presence of someone or something

a mark impressed on a surface by something

making an impression does not change the essence of the entity into which it is pressed. a leather belt with a name impressed into it does not cease to be a leather belt after the letters become permanent features on its surface. it simply is changed...added to. it is altered but not beyond recognition of it being a leather belt.

earlier in the summer, my friends and I did a little leather impressing, as we had happened upon a stamping kit. we had varying degrees of "success".

I was pleased with my belt.

carley liked her headband.

elston still sports his hat strap proudly and wears his belt even though he accidentally chose a "q" instead of an "o". it just makes us laugh and adds to its character.

mal, on the other hand, ended the evening in utter sadness not having liked any project she attempted.

sam felt rather lukewarm about his work, if I remember rightly.

I suppose whether impression is good or ill sits in the eye of the beholder. the Lord works everything together for good according to his good purpose, so there is always an opportunity for Him to make all good.

as I think about the summer, I will remember the impressions that have been pressed into me.

I have deepened existing friendships with those who return summer after summer.

I have learned once again the look of unconditional relationship.

I have had fun.

I have had thought-provoking conversations.

I have done crafts for hours in silence.

I have met new people who speak truth, act silly, work diligently, and lead well.

I have had seats saved for me, had coffee brought to me (just the way I like it), and had traditions of saturday morning breakfasts upheld.

I have had people love on me by listening, by asking, and by giving.

I have had shared experiences, shared family stories, and shared hurts.

I have had help in moving, joy in sending, and blessing in simply being.

I have been challenged, convicted, and cared for.

I am thankful.

I am thankful for summer number two here in colorado bringing lessons anew and for it bringing lessons I never expected.

God is good. all the time.

this summer I felt pieces of myself easing back into place. the pieces I only see when I am surrounded by people who celebrate me, not simply tolerate me.

community is so important.

we are not meant to traverse life on our own.

choosing the ones with whom to surround yourself is key to health, I have found.

a good bit of my self-awareness is found in the stillness, yes.

and, as I say, so much of who I am is only revealed in the midst of those around me who choose to observe...who are my thermometers, as a dear friend once termed.

thanks to my friends this summer, I have added to my list of descriptors of who I am. they helped me to discover hidden corners of who I am which were once unseen or forgotten.

thank you summer family. how blessed I am. visit soon.

kb.

2011-05-17T00:52:00.001+01:00

how long has it been since I mentioned my love of park benches? this image quite literally speaks to my soul. the sunlight shining on this resting place where reflection might take occur, where a silly, serious, or serendipitous conversation might happen, where love might be savoured... the double arch in the distance suggests that just beyond its entry is a potential undiscovered path into a city or a retreat from the harried pace of life amongst buildings and blaring horns... this image fills me with creativity, openness, and peace.

spring has sprung. more aptly, summer has descended upon us here in bueni. the masses are slowly appearing to begin their respective works in the rafting or camping industries. with their arrival, this sleepy town begins to pulse with new life, new faces, new stories. and this freshness enlivens me.

as I sit thinking about how life is beginning to ramp up in relational opportunity, I think of the clear intentionality the Lord puts into seasons. how important and key to health are ebbs and flows of relational interactions with masses and few, of time inside watching snowfall and time out soaking up sunlight to warm the skin, of introspective quiet and raucous laughter over silly banter.
Ecclesiastes 3.1-8 sums it up quite nicely. I suppose Solomon was called wise for a reason, yeah?
I have always been quite clear on which season is at the top of my list...autumn, hands down. I hold firm to this fact, but I must say, that I have newfound respect and adoration today as I sit in the middle of spring which is fastly becoming summer. It is simply lovely.

Change, though at most times scary, is necessary, rejuvenating, and healthy!
Awareness arrives within me in the midst of change. I pray in this particular change of season that I choose said awareness, which is so readily and lovingly available from the Lord, on a daily basis.
cheers,
kb.

2011-04-30T23:02:00.002+01:00

I believe I hijacked this picture from my friend, maxine. it struck me as gorgeous. why am I posting a quite snowy picture when the date speaks of spring? well, I am not sure I know the answer to that question, entirely. I can say that there are days that still feel like this here in colorado despite the page on the calendar. and...I am over it. I said this statement as I got out of my car the other day to walk into subway for a sandwich. I said it loudly to the snow blowing due to the wind gusts and grayness that my small town was wrapped in at that moment. frustration was at a high toward the cold temperatures that still linger here. I know that proper spring is on the horizon, so I have taken deep breaths of mountain air and just made another cup of tea to warm my insides. still...spring, don't be afraid, just settle in. I assure you that you will be welcomed with open arms by all.

my word. my last post was in march.
so, I suppose this fact tells me I could comment on quite a lot from the last month and a half.
let me have a think...
claire and maxine.
I got to pop in on these two precious girls @ wake forest at the end of march. oh how delighted I was to see these two beautiful friends. so fun that these two who I knew in different contexts while living in london now spend time hanging out together in north carolina.
in some ways, it was if no time had passed since I last laid eyes on them. in other ways, I felt deeply how much I had missed just sitting and chatting with claire. we spent so many hours just sitting, chatting from time to time...eating gummy candies, drinking diet coke, and video chatting with micaela across the city. she and I both enjoy just being with people. I miss her.
max and I spent most of our time together in a cabin in either bulgaria or macedonia on our yearly service projects. speaking of, this year's project just finished. my friends, katie and ian, got to go be a part of it this year. katie and I sat just yesterday chatting about bulgaria over coffee. my heart smiles to hear her take on what is always such a time full or richness for all who attend. katie also played courier, bringing me back some go ahead bars and dark chocolate mcvitie's from kerry. I sat in my office sharing these treats, being transported back to my city life. a delectable blessing.
sadly, I forgot to take any pictures during my time with claire and max. but, that time, though short, blessed my heart beyond words.
I also got to see lauren while in north carolina. what a sweet, dear friend she has been to me for so long. I find it difficult to explain how dear this girl is to me. I will not even attempt a description. she knows. I know. so fun to see here and her hubby patrick living their sweet young married life. love.

love, I say? well, I may take a minute here to boast just a bit.
adam and lana.
adam has been a friend for many years, and he and I always fail to clearly backtrack to our friendship's origin. he is a kindred in his deep-thinking, love for english culture, and bent toward counseling.
lana became a dear friend in london. we have arkansas ties, as well, though not when we both lived there, in the way that the world is so small and interconnected.
one day last september, lana came to pick me up from adam's house in denver. lana and I had plans to eat thai food. adam was being my host before I flew out for a bit of holiday. she walked through the door. I looked at adam. he lit up. she smiled. I had an inkling of potential connection...
about three weeks ago, adam proposed. lana accepted. they will be married just about a year from the time they met in the afore mentioned story. they thank me for my part in their meeting. I accept this thanks, as I did have a hand in it, clearly. however, just as clear is that all I did was bum a place to stay and eat pad thai. I love that they love each other. I adore them both, and I feel honoured to have been a blip in their story. congrats, sweet friends!

above is the corner of my room where I spend much time reading, contemplating, writing, watching episodes of tv shows... I don't know that I would called myself a person attracted to the colour yellow prior to purchasing this dresser from the eccentric furniture salesman who sold this to me. however, this dresser is very much at home in my colorado room filled with an eclectic mix of colour.
having a cozy spot to retreat to has always been an important thing to me for as long as I can recall. I made my walk-in closet into a sort of nest when I was growing up where I would sit for hours reading. funny how we change so deeply as we age and yet we still remain who we are in so many other ways.
reminds me of a poignant statement my friend laura made to me the year before I moved overseas..."remember, wherever you go, you take yourself with you."
at times, this truth is frustrating. many moments, however, this phrase wraps me in comfort.
for someone who needs a nest to feel safe and centered, I treasure the knowledge the Lord has revealed to me about myself that help my nest be present no matter where I am in locale. abroad or stateside, I remain in my core, kym. and yet, growth and stretching occur constantly.
how gracious is the Lord to allow the simultaneous presence of core and change. I sit thankful.
peace that passes understanding.
thanks be to God that I can never figure Him out.
thanks be to God.
cheers,
kb.
oh, and yes, I did stay up all night glued to bbc america watching countless hours of the royal wedding happening live. I enjoyed every minute of it. lovely.
happy may!

2011-03-13T23:24:00.000Z

tension |ˈten sh ən|

noun

1 the state of being stretched tight : the parachute keeps the cable under tension as it drops.

• the state of having the muscles stretched tight, esp. as causing strain or discomfort : the elimination of neck tension can relieve headaches.

• a strained state or condition resulting from forces acting in opposition to each other.

• the degree of tightness of stitches in knitting and machine sewing.

• electromotive force.

2 mental or emotional strain : a mind that is affected by stress or tension cannot think as clearly.

• a strained political or social state or relationship : the coup followed months of tension between the military and the government | racial tensions.

• a relationship between ideas or qualities with conflicting demands or implications : the basic tension between freedom and control.

verb [ trans. ]

apply a force to (something) that tends to stretch it.

my word, I love the dictionary. a dear friend and I were contemplating life over chips and salsa that other night. she used the above word to describe some of the feelings I was expressing.

when I got home, I looked it up. and, once again, webster helped provide perspective.

life in progress seems to always have at least a bit of tension.

for such a time as this, I am in colorado. when the next leading becomes illuminated, I will go.

the desire to move, to see more, to experience anew never ceases.

the co-existing of these afore mentioned assurances holds this conflict.

allowing the intermingling feelings of enjoying certain things and being incredibly frustrated by other things is a humbling, muscle tightening, intense journey, but I believe it to be important.

to let go.

to allow for unfolding.

to feel the fullness, and to acknowledge my attempts to control are futile.

as ever, the anchor is trust.

kb.

2011-03-08T00:04:00.000Z

what made me laugh and shake my over-thinking today...
Peter Rollins interview with Rob Bell

of course, the Irish accent helps delight my soul, if I am honest.
also, I like his thoughts and musings...makes me contemplate, laugh, and enter into introspection which enlivens me rather than exhausts.

oh how I love to discuss...
thankful for those who share this love of discovering the depth of the Love.

breathe, kym. exist in the midst of the tension... where tension lies, strength may develop.

2011-03-04T07:34:00.000Z

People energize me. They also exhaust me, at times, but this week, I have been energized.

As the calendar turns to March, I find myself on the downward slope to summer. Preparations are being made, and I look so forward to welcoming back dozens of people who will help staff our camp full of families for a crazy three months.

Weeks like this past one remind me why doing YL in Arkansas and London suited me so well. I love people with all their depth, silliness, care, intentionality, affirmation, and conversation. I laughed a lot this past week. I got to listen. I got to observe. I remembered. I got to help people.

I am thankful.

With these influxes of new and old friends, I find myself being cared for and asked to tell bits of my story. A common question is always, "How long do you think you will be here?". I find that question interesting, as truly almost every person who inquires about me to any depth brings up this point.

I know not the answer. My response is most often that I have seen no other leading today, so I am here for now.

I do feel a bit more settled here. I feel I have let go of many things even in the past few weeks that allow me to feel less stubborn and frustrated in regard to those unanswered questions that still reside in my day-to-day. The question marks have not departed, but I do feel a deeper freedom, if that makes any sense at all.

Being thankful for moments is my challenge and hope for today and the days in the near future. Living in the present, in the facts, in the reality of True leading and not in my own plan or prediction.

kb.

2011-01-13T04:08:00.000Z

mid-january twenty eleven, I sit thankful.
the Lord has chosen to do so much in my life over the past year.
I am a year and a half home from london. today, someone new asked me questions about my time there, and I found myself just as excited and prone to get lost in memories as I was in the fall of 2006 when I landed on english soil. to me, pure blessing abounds in speaking of that home.

last year, I moved to colorado, where I currently reside and started working in a lodge nestled in majestic mountains. the beauty, which each day has a different hue, shade, and structure, is beyond description.
my work calls me to serve, to laugh, to listen, to problem-solve, to engage with people, to organize, to pray, to adapt and flex, to be humbled, to rest, to play...
last year, I was given the experience of peace...the awareness of my opportunity to choose peace...the clarity to discern where peace resides and where it does not.
last year, I was both a barista and a tumbling teacher.
claire and micaela graduated from high school and began university in the states, bringing us back to the same continent.
last year, I spent my first holidays away from arkansas and relied on technology to transport me to my parents' living room.
last year, I got a puppy called charlie.

this year, I sit in anticipation of what is on the horizon. though I am not quite ready for summer to arrive, I find myself eager for its arrival, as it will bring the heart and soul of our lodge back to life...
families arrive. friends return.
I continue to strive toward health in this new year. a few goals have been set that I truly feel can be achieved. my head feels clear and able to tackle said ambitions. I am thankful.
no need to go into great detail here today. just noting.

I will end here with a last note of the latest happening of this january that has just begun.
charlie moved to chicago. the best move for him. the best move for me. (see snap below of charlie and austin, his new owner, who is completely enamoured by charlies' charms)
in deciding to send charlie to live with heather's (one of my housemates) cousins, I have regained freedom and my afore mentioned clarity of mind. my hope is that I use this time, space, and lucidity for my ongoing pursuit of health, as directed by the Lord for my time in colorado and beyond.

thankful. utterly thankful. happy 2011. :)
cheers,
kb.

2010-12-26T22:13:00.000Z

The latest news...well, I got a puppy. He is called Charlie. He is much bigger than this now, actually, as this photo was taken in mid-November, I believe. I went to Arkansas for Thanksgiving, and when I arrived back to Colorado, Charlie moved in. He is adorable, yes. He is a handful, yes. He has altered my life, yes.
Almost a month in to dog-ownership, I am just now beginning to find a new rhythm. I must be honest and say that I am still a bit unsure of how life looks for me, as me that I know, with a responsibility such as he.

I spent Christmas here in Colorado which was white in the degree that I could see the mountains all around me topped with powder. Here in BV, the streets remained clear, which I must say I prefer. Safety first.
Today is Boxing Day, and I miss London. Actually, my former overseas home has received more winter weather than my current one, which is odd.
I do miss the city these days, but that is an old story to those of you who keep up with me on any semi-regular basis. I am sat today thinking of where my spring holiday will take me. I feel compelled to make plans as soon as financially possible. All is well here, just a bit quiet. I am still wrestling with what my brain (and feet) do here in the midst of such deep quiet. Parts of my soul are made for activity, perspective, and diversity. I make spring plans to feed that bit of me.

Definition of oneself is such an ongoing prospect. In each locale I find myself studying, studying... Where is the next adventure? May no one thing define me. May I never cease looking and being aware of people. In the midst of this quiet, may I have balance of introspection and outward notice. I am finding that to be a bit difficult, I confess. May I rest in the deeply held knowledge that the Lord holds the bigger picture in his hands, and I can see only what I can handle today.
I hope your new year begins in a lovely way, friends.
cheers,
kb.

2010-11-07T16:58:00.000Z

"Lest we forget..."
If in England, I would adorn my lapel with a poppy looking similar to the above pictured. 11 November is fastly approaching...a time when we remember our current and fallen heroes in the many branches of military service. Were I going to church @ HTB in London, I would be rising with the congregation and be prompted to sing "God Save The Queen". I remember that first Remembrance Sunday that I spent in London in 2006 when we began singing this song. I wondered then, as I still do, if it is disloyal to my native country to sing said song. I know not. Regardless, this time of year in England was one of the times I was tangibly reminded of my living in another country. I adored it.
The story of the poppy is lengthy and meaningful, and I will not describe it here today. I will simply say that I deeply love this time of year, as it focuses on remembrance. What a deep blessing our memories are.
Today (and this week), I remember...the troops who enable freedom and allow for safety, my sweet time in London, and the Lord's love and faithfulness which are constant.
Remember.
cheers,
kb.

2010-10-24T22:42:00.001+01:00

thirty two today. enjoying the sunshine cascading through my window much like this picture portrays. this october I spend in colorado in a cozy yellow house on a street called cedar. I remember autumns past when I sat drinking a latte macchiato at a kiosk in front of the vatican in rome...when I blew out candles in a flat rented by the addingtons just outside of london...when I walked through hampstead eating falafel with courtney... the past few years might have had a bit of a more foreign locale.
this year holds no less joy, though. difficult to complain when surrounded by the glorious rocky mountains with lovely friends (both local and literally around the world). the Lord is full of goodness.
kb.

trail west staff.2010.

2010-08-17T20:20:00.000+01:00

Breathing deeply, drinking excellent coffee, listening to new David Gray release, sitting on my porch in perfect 70 degree-ish weather...just had lunch with two of my favourite guy friends...
If this is autumn...well, welcome. You are most welcome.

2010-08-16T05:22:00.000+01:00

Camp is complete.
A bit melancholy, as I will miss my friends who have lived life alongside me these last few months. I am equally eager for what awaits in the autumn months that lie ahead. Some have departed. A few more leave tomorrow. A handful will stay on for another week or so to help out and simply play without camp business interrupting life.
As for me, I will be here. A bit odd to be staying as all the rest go here and there. I sit in my room this evening looking back over my day. I began the morning with my last visit to my fave bfast haunt with my "regulars". I finished up a bit of work on the ropes course with my phenomenally helpful friend, Grace, who has dominated said course for me over the summer. Then, Luce and I nipped out for a quick coffee at my clear favourite coffee shop in BV, which happens to be quite literally just beyond my back garden. And the rest of this lovely 70 degree, Simpson-clouded day found me sitting me in my room watching a show that inspires me to live my dreams.
I find that watching people use their giftedness to their fullest extent never ceases to inspire my creativity and giftedness. On my own, creativity seems to elude me in great quantity, but when I am blessed by being brushed by others using their talents, I feel awakened. Lovely. Full of thanksgiving, I become.

So, now that my hectic summer has closed, I am sat contemplating what the autumn will hold. When I ran into my friend, Mack, today, he said something to the effect of being able to just breathe deeper today. With a smiling presence, I agreed wholeheartedly. I feel the same. With this breath...well, I am decided that I will write. This book I have mentioned for such a long time will be worked on in a much more diligent focus.
Interestingly enough, one of my TW family, Anthony, told me earlier in the summer that he thinks I should write a book. I just chuckled. He looked at me a bit perplexed and asked why such a response. I told him that doing so has been a goal of mine for quite some time, and I had one in the works already.
I feel as though now may be the time. So, I boldly post here that I will set this goal for myself...to make progress on my book this autumn. Perhaps by the new year, I will have it complete.
Feel free to ask me when we speak how I am progressing. I give you license to do so.

My hope with my book, I believe, is to further process my journey of life, to by telling my stories, hopefully, empower/enliven the ones who might read it, and to simply enjoy putting pen to paper while playing with vocabulary and language. For so many years, the Lord has used writing and wordplay to love on me. From chronicling in my journals, to listening to hip-hop, to chatting with people with whom I tend to give sit down and get cozy answers rather one word responses...language loves on me. Not a coincidence that He is the Word, I think.
My other hope in writing is that I can do so without worry of what others might think or what opinions might surface...that I would write with a sort of detachment from anything other than what I want to communicate and express.

"and if out of this turning inward, out of this absorption into your own world, verses come, then it will not occur to you to ask anyone whether they are good verses." ~Rilke.

As autumn begins, I surround myself with all things that soothe aesthetically. My soul smiles.
I can see the words flowing when my nest feels safe, cozy, and centered. Thanks be to God for knowing more than I...for an intensely relational summer full of newness, laughter, connection, hurt, healing, perspective, and insight which all led to intense moments of Love.

2010-08-02T05:05:00.000+01:00

sometimes you need to remember to be a kid.

hiking down from mt. antero.

ropes. (full stop)

maybe frolick from time to time.

and, when you get the chance...go climb a mountain.

ROY G BIV off the back deck of the lodge.

antero. thanks to mal for such great shots.

sometimes we square dance. yes, this is my boss. thanks be to God.

ruth is my friend.

oh, lucy. how much fun we have.

what I do now with my athletic training skills.

2010-06-22T07:26:00.000+01:00

Last post I gave a glimpse of the mountains in my backyard. The Arkansas River is also right at my doorstep here in BV. The first snapshot is of said body of water in Salida, a nearby town which is the home both the nearest Wal-Mart and Sonic and Starbucks...all clearly of high importance. Salida also has quite a few cool shops and restaurants that make me happy. Here, you see me with a few of our summer interns, Jessica, Emma, and Shannon, as we enjoyed a bit of a festival in Salida, called FibArk...which turned out to be quite the spectacle. I loved it. I loved the masses of people of all eccentricities. Funny how I now love being in anonymous crowds from time to time...feels like home in a way.
Lastly, in my pictoral portion of this post, you see a bench in the Aspen Grove here at camp. My friend, Stacie took this picture and added the caption, "Reflection". Seeing this simply made me take a deep breath...peace.

Week four is in full swing at Trail West, which means the first session of staff are on their last week with us. An entirely new team will arrive on Thursday, and weeks five through eight will be organized by a whole different crew. I am both sad to see friends depart and thrilled to see others arrive.
It continues to be an odd reality that my "normal" world is now at camp. Bizarre. I do not think I will truly feel I have properly moved into this neighbourhood until August arrives. The summer season is a whirlwind of relationships that grow deep quickly and sometimes leave in a way which seems abrupt. Though I am no stranger to people arriving and departing in my sphere, I know that when August presents itself, I will be sad to see friends (old and new) go back to their respective homes.
Ok, no need to go too far into the future, as I still have 8 weeks of camp crazy that will without doubt stretch, grow, and change me in deep ways through challenging situations and incredibly interesting people.
I continue to be thankful beyond words and blessed beyond measure. I am affirmed more than I can ask or imagine that I am spot on where I am meant to be for this time of my life. Oh, how intentional and loving is the Lord.
Even though I know this life at camp in the summer season is in some ways ridiculously sheltered, safe, and serene, making it feel anything but real, I am assured that it is quite alright to be in such a place for a time. What an expression of love from the Lord to allow me time to rest after life abroad. Simply and deeply thankful.
I pray all is well with you, friends.
Cheers,
kb.

2010-05-25T18:55:00.000+01:00

A bit of an image for you from my literal backyard nowadays. I sort of stole this snapshot from a friend who is taking pictures often of our gorgeous surroundings. I believe this is Mt. Princeton. We are nestled in the valley of the Collegiate Peaks...Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, respectively.

Life in Buena Vista, Colorado is simple. Simpler beyond words from my life in Londontown. I have so much more mental space than I have had in recent years. I am unsure of what to do with all that free energy, I must confess. I know the Lord is calling me to rest and breathe. The above view is without doubt helpful in that quest. I am assured I have many lessons in store for me here. I pray I am attentive.

Summer season begins in tomorrow for us here. The rhythm will be more staccato than smooth, though the lyrics of this melody will be full of excitement, depth, and energy. I am supremely looking forward to the people I will be blessed enough to meet, the behind-the-scenes tasks I will get to accomplish, and the ways I will see relationships grow in richness.

I pause as I ponder what other musings I have at present... My house is adorable and located in the center of town which enables me to walk to almost anywhere (other than to work) easily. I walked to meet some friends the other night, and I just felt more alive. I told my friends that I am reverting to my English nature and am walking henceforth unless I absolutely have to drive. I got my hair cut the other day by my new friend, Andie, who I called randomly at a salon I drove by. Andie is from London. In the non-summer months, I have an office-mate called Juliette who is from where? England. We talk about tea, the newly appointed British Prime Minister, and the "the same but a bit different"-ness of GB. Just a couple little love notes in this Colorado song the Lord is teaching me to sing. The Lord is so in the details and knows my heart.
I bought a yellow dresser from my neighbour, Trader Tad, who is a story in himself. He shook my hand and introduced himself..."Hi, Kym, I am Trader Tad". I just smiled. He helped Leslie and I get it in the house and then offered to be a resource to us for anything we might need as new people to the area.
I find I am incredibly organized these days. I believe I have always been more neat than not since I began life in college and lived with others. Though, I feel my disposition to be tidy has ramped up since having moved to London. I attribute it to moving as much as I did in my three years and to the utterly small spaces that I inhabited, both in my own flats and in spare bedrooms of others' houses. Honestly, if you put a jacket down on the bed, you felt as if you had lost priceless square footage. Truly.
My desk must stay clear to keep my brain clear and focused with as much new as there is to learn. I like my room tidy, so I can spread out on the floor and write, create, or simply sit and type, as I am currently doing.
Ok, for those of you, friends, who like silly details of my world, there you go. I will take some snaps of my room and house for the next post.
Even better? Plan a trip to see me! We have plenty of room for passers-through. And, I adore a pop-in!
Cheers,
kb.

2010-04-30T18:57:00.000+01:00

I am going to disappoint this go around with no visuals of my new home in Colorado. Sorry. I will put some up soon, but for now you will just have to envision it all via my word pictures.

In Colorado I now reside. The parentals and I drove out just over a week ago with both our cars full of my belongings. I took us a couple of days and turned our odometers 1066 miles forward. Aside from a bit of a frightening hail storm/edge of a tornado going over us in Kansas, the drive went well. I have been living in the lower half of a house on camp property since my arrival which makes my commute to work a 3 minute walk up the road. Not too bad, I would say. The one downer at present is that the house sits a bit too deep in the valley, and I only have phone reception in two places in the house, and even those are not terribly reliable. I do not trust the reception enough to make a phone call, as I know it will most likely drop. And, no internet connection in this place, also due to the proximity from the main lodge of camp.
I could go on and on with details of the move and the first couple days of work, but here I will choose to comment on overarching observations.

My state of thanksgiving is immense. I find the details of my new CO life to be falling into place without much effort from me. I continue to be given opportunities and only have to make a phone call to follow up or show up when I am invited to do so. A friend called me a few weeks ago to tell me she thought she found me a place to live. Yes, indeed, she did. I begin my move today into a lovely 3-bedroom house with two girls who are close to my age and happen to work at Frontier, another YL camp just a few minutes away from TW. I wondered how I would work out finances for the first month or so, as I would need immediate access to cash for rent, bills, etc. Before I had time to worry about it or make a plan B, I got a call to report that a way had been sorted out to make certain I could take care of all I needed without delay.
As I sat in our staff devo yesterday morning, I was asked to say a few words about how I have arrived to work at TW. I told a bit of background and then attempted to articulate the deep sense of peace I feel about being here in Buena Vista working in such an amazing atmosphere (scenery and people). I spoke of a sense of life slowly becoming less complicated. My work at camp will be full on and fast-paced much of the time (especially during the summer months), but life in all other aspects appears to be unfolding as rather simple. On a regular work day, I go in at eight and leave at four-thirty. Bizarre and nice.
Work is defined and compact. I am so accustomed to taking 3 types of transport and the better part of an hour to get to a staff meeting. Now, I walk down the hall.
Formerly, I planned my day and spent the majority of time on my own striving to accomplish all the needed to be done to keep things moving. Now, I work alongside people and converse constantly.
I have only two proper days of work under my belt thus far, and I know the distinctions of this new job will continue to surface. The Lord is going to have to teach me how to do life at a different rhythm here in BV. It will be a process, as ever. I look forward to it, and feel it to be not unlike transitioning into life in London. Transition is transition, no matter the locale. Going from one rhythm to another takes time, processing, and awareness for me.
I am eager to see how the Lord continues to reveal more of who I am...an Arkansan who feels more at home in London than almost anywhere who now lives in a small town in Colorado. Each location is a part of me, and I long to learn/grow to the fullest in this new place as much as I did in the two previous, without losing the parts of me that feel as though they belong in my former "homes".

Next post, I will put up snapshots of my new house here in BV. This week I will take on a challenge of decorating a room with odd angles and two-toned walls. I am up for it. I am elated to begin settling in and making the space mine.
Til then...
kb.

2010-04-09T03:59:00.000+01:00

Not a bad view, yeah? I spent the beginning bit of this week in Colorado. I was asked to journey westward to have further conversation about a potential job at one of my favourite places, Trail West, a Young Life family camp. I have spent time at TW the last two summers, and each time I set foot on this property, I feel a sense of home.
I do not believe in coincidence, only intentionality. The Lord has control and a plan He is working at all times (Jer.29.11) whether we are aware of the puzzle pieces being placed with precision or not. I am convinced of this truth. Another fact, in my experience and belief?...(Eph.3.20)...that plan is beyond what we even think we might desire.
So, based on my above statements and on the events of the last month, I share with you the next locale I will call "home".
I will be moving to Buena Vista, Colorado in a couple weeks to begin a job working in what we in YL call, Guest Services. Giving you a full job description is a bit difficult, so I will simply say that the job is much to do with making the pieces of camp come together behind-the-scenes and helping the guests have the best experience possible while on our property.

I beyond blessed and excited to be starting this next adventure, as I am convinced that the Lord has led me to take this job. His fingerprints have been all over the entire process, and I am seeing many similarities in this move and my move toward London a few years ago. Some of the likeness is tangible and explainable and some is simply deep within my spirit and can only be known to me. All of these endorsements are undeniable, and I am thankful.

My time of transition and re-entry very much continues. However, this move will allow for many pieces of my day-to-day to stabilize and root a bit...a huge move forward.

So, my definition of "home" continues to expand. In the next few weeks, I will add Colorado to the list which now holds Arkansas and London, England. I am still scratching my head about the realities of being able to live in such Eph 3.20 type places...only indicative of the Lord being in control and not me.
This girl who in her pre-London nature stayed rooted and still has now become accustomed, even prefers to step out into the unknown and experience a new adventure. Again, I am moved to thanksgiving for the intimate, risk-taking love of God which assures me that he is faithful (Ps.86.14).

Ok, so enough depth...check out my camp... YL Trail West family camp.
Plan a trip to come see me! Buena Vista is near many a ski slope, the Arkansas River, and is simply gorgeous, full stop!
cheers!
kb.

2010-03-13T03:30:00.000Z

Directions. I adore directions. You can see here why London suited me straight away, as the lovely English do the favour of helping people cross the zebra crossing safely with instructions painted on the street. Love.
Tonight I sit at a table at a friend's house who is offering her hospitality for one week more before I move onward thinking of my UK home. It is dark and rainy outside, and the sound of the drops on the windows is quite cathartic. I will not be so overly romantic as to say that I loved the fairly ever present precipitation in London consistently, but now that I am in the States once more, rain soothes in a way in never did before. While others hunker under their coats and sprint in and out of buildings to there vehicles, I walk quite at my leisure breathing deeply and enjoying the familiarity of the smell, sound, and simplicity of raindrops.
Clearly, it does not take cloud cover and drizzle to bring thoughts of London to mind. But, as I sit on the verge of a new move, I am taken back to my last move of significance. I also write here in a bit of a shout-out to my friend, Lana, whose blog you can read on the column link to the left. She is one of my kindred spirits in more ways that I can aptly describe and specifically by way of London love and life. She and I shared the city streets for only about 6 months, but as she spoke about in her last entry, those times had a way of flipping the whole of our lives upside down, sideways, and...well, changed perspective on all things previously thought "normal". By the way, I believe I have found two words that it will be difficult for me to ever write (or even say) without using inverted commas (or quotations marks): "normal" and "home". I am pleased that these words have been expanded and altered in my world. I am eternally grateful.
Having written numerous times before about the specifics of my London-missing, I will abstain from doing so this evening. Instead I will comment on what I learned in a conversation earlier this week about my time in London. While chatting with a friend about "how my transition is going", I began to fall into a bit of a script I have come to follow when asked said question. I began to comment on how full-on the roller coaster of transition, re-entry, and culture shock are and the nature of learning to leave London in London and look ahead to find the next adventure and step in the journey. However, this time when I began to say these somewhat pat answers, I meant what I was saying. It was quite a moment, actually.
I explained that I am learning that London was/is...well, indescribable, intimate, and embedded in my character, heart, and head henceforth. Part of me will always live in London. I will always feel at home there. At this moment, I do not do life in London, however. And attempting to recreate that life lived across the pond here in the States is not a realistic expectation or goal. Were I to hold onto hope for said accomplishment, I would fall short time and time again.
So, I look forward to the next steps, and I do just that...keep stepping, putting one foot in front of another. Whether wearing my American New Balance or my black Camper "English girl" shoes, I keep moving as Kym, the girl who is from Arkansas, who lived overseas for a few years, and who is now looking for where the Lord has for her next to experience and engage in life. What new locale has He in store?
I feel at the moment it will be in Colorado, if we want to get a bit more specific and less theoretical. The details of moving to this destination are yet to be hammered out, but the process has begun starting with a move to near Little Rock with the parentals for a time. I need to touch family home base for a bit before the venture westward.
My time in NW Arkansas has been full of purpose, as the Lord does not make mistakes, in my opinion. Though the time here has been up and down, full of emotion, and frustrating at times, I have simultaneously been blessed with precious reunions with dear lifelong friends, have been introduced to amazing new friends with whom I have lived life full of stories, coffee, and perspective, and have been shown by the Lord changes He has made within my person that I am convinced may have not been as evident to my eye and heart had I been in a non-familiar environment directly upon my Stateside arrival. NWA is not home for me now. As mentioned, I hold that word loosely and only know currently that I need to move onward to find its new definition in my world.
I look forward to the next locale, and I am assured the Lord has gone before and is going alongside me. (Duet. 31.8)
I quote my afore mentioned friend, Lana, below as my heart shares her sentiment:
"I now have a constant ache for a new place, a new city, a new adventure."
Yep. Well said. I recognise this new state of myself, and I am thankful. I also recognise how foreign and puzzling this newfound disposition may seem to others with whom I live life and interact. I find myself at a loss by way of truly "explaining". I can only say how blessed I know I am to have such dear, dear friends quite literally around the world who invest in, take interest in, and love on me as I move here and there in my quest of finding "home". Thank you. Thank you for your loyalty as I eagerly, nay desperately, seek to discover which steps are coming into view in the midst of a literal haze of transition.
Soon...
kb.

2010-03-02T23:55:00.000Z

Have you read any Henri Nouwen? I highly recommend him, if not. I get a daily email from his writings that honestly, sometimes I read and other times I just pitch. One day this week, I was struck by this excerpt I found in my inbox. I hope it blesses and frees you in your pursuit of deeper relationship and intimacy with God, who IS love.

Creating Space for God

Discipline is the other side of discipleship. Discipleship without discipline is like waiting to run in the marathon without ever practicing. Discipline without discipleship is like always practicing for the marathon but never participating. It is important, however, to realize that discipline in the spiritual life is not the same as discipline in sports. Discipline in sports is the concentrated effort to master the body so that it can obey the mind better. Discipline in the spiritual life is the concentrated effort to create the space and time where God can become our master and where we can respond freely to God's guidance.

Thus, discipline is the creation of boundaries that keep time and space open for God. Solitude requires discipline, worship requires discipline, caring for others requires discipline. They all ask us to set apart a time and a place where God's gracious presence can be acknowledged and responded to.

--Henri Nouwen

2010-02-15T01:08:00.000Z

happy valentine's day.

Dave Barnes - Balumtine'th Day

www.youtube.com

we all need thome help thontines

a sure laugh to celebrate today. dave barnes. check out his music and enjoy his silly. :)
click the link above.

cheers,
kb.

2010-02-02T00:07:00.002Z

a bit of a recommendation for a brilliant $0.99 you could spend that would bless, I believe...?

Kirk Franklin...Still (In Control). track 15. worth every cent.

Verse 1:
Lately I've been thinkin'
Thinking 'bout you
And all the things
I've seen you go through
Your mother the kids and
The problems at home
Sorry I wish I could fix what's wrong
I hurt when you hurt and
I cry when you cry
Even the deep ones
Sometimes wonder why am i going through
I'm waiting but still no use

Chorus:
He's still in control
He's soverign and He knows
Just how it feels to be afraid
Have folk you love walk away
Be still and know He's still in control

Verse 2:
Lately depression
Your job and your life
Weighs on your mind
All day and all night
You know every scripture
And what prayer to pray
Only a fool would think
It'll all go away
But there is a use
For you there's a plan
A High Priest who knows
And who understands what you cannot say
Just a little longer can you wait

Chorus:
He's still in control
He's soverign and he knows
Just how it feels to be afraid
Have folk you love walk away
Be still and know He's still in control

Bridge:
Don't know what tomorrow will bring
Or if this sickness will ever leave
You can paint a perfect picture
But will it ever look like it used to be
See, one thing I know for sure
This season made you stronger and more mature
Can't you see how far you've come
And when you look back
It's gonna be worth it, oooh

(Chorus)

He's still in control
He's still in control
He's still in control

cheers,
kb.

2010-01-22T01:01:00.005Z

Someday I want to live here...in Italy. Nothing about this picture pertains to my recent thoughts necessarily, aside from the fact that I am in the midst (in a more full-on way than perhaps ever in my life) of looking for and anchoring to concrete bits and pieces that I know to be true in regard to me.
Transition is a full-on process. I would be willing to say with relative certainty that each of us have experienced a transition in our lives. Clearly, as we grow older, life brings more and more of these times of change, evaluation, and shift. These passages carry within them alterations in what we know to be "normal" or "familiar". These moves require us to navigate a circumstance or world unlike the one we have become accustomed to in our day-to-day. As mentioned, we all have times of change and movement in our lives, some more radical, abrupt and/or manic than others.

My current state is, without question, a time of said flux. In recent years, my immediate reality has held much changeover, so I have become somewhat accustomed to this process. However, the added elements of relocation and repatriation are deeply felt at present.
I am...well, it is difficult to sum up "what I am". But, as I know some of you are wondering, and as I feel the need to process, I will simply say...
I am "in the midst".

Some days are full of joy, laughter, and pure appreciation of my numerous blessings. Other days bring sadness, longing for my London life(which is a such a deeply layered statement-"my London life"), and frustration that I am unsure of where this path I am on is leading.
Keeping proper perspective is key, I know. My world is safe, full of friends, and provision is present, while people in places like Haiti have utterly nothing and are in a state of immense struggle and desperation. I also know that God is concerned with both of these very real circumstances. He cares about the little and the big. I am humbled by and thankful for this truth.

A good friend and I had coffee yesterday, both of us feeling rather downcast. We chatted a bit, and then without intending to, both became quiet and stared in different directions, lost in thought about our own story lines that are in process. One of our observations as we traded tales was that during these times of unknown and confusion are the very times we are reminded that our faith is a choice and not a feeling. Thanks be to God. Love is a choice. Yes, we do feel it, but in the tough spots, in the "I have no idea" moments, in the "What on Earth?!" situations, we ultimately must make a decision. Do I believe or do I not?
Do I believe what I tell people about this faithful God who has protected and provided for me the whole of my life? The God who literally moved me across the world, from Arkansas to England? For that matter, the God who took me to North Carolina to camp and saw me through a "hair-raising experience" on a ropes course?...and, this just in, all the other millions of other loving acts He has done for me along the way? I get to choose. And my choice?...
Yes, I absolutely choose to believe in Love. Though I cannot see or touch love, I know it exists. I am convinced of it. So, all the more in times such as these, I must return to my anchor "in the midst" of the storm and haze...
1John 4.16...
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.

Twenty ten is proving to a new decade in loads of ways. I am finding it to be a challenge, to be full of potential, and to be overflowing with movement.
Funny how truth remains, is it not? Truth is constant. My thoughts are taken back as ever to my favourite verse in Scripture...
John 15.4...
Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
The Lord consistently honours this promise in my life. He teaches me lessons that hold up even "in the midst". Remembering these lessons is how he fleshes out His "remaining".
Cobblestones.
Remember how I love cobblestones...their age, their character, their aesthetic appeal...?
I have photographed these bits of imperfect, unique stones in many different countries, as I adore them. A fact about said broken, flat stones? You cannot walk on them quickly or without careful attention to their contours, edges, and imperfections. You must be present in your stepping. If not, ankles tend to twist.
So, I return to my love of cobblestones and the truth the Lord has revealed to me in this seemingly insignificant component of paths that exist across the globe. Step carefully, and stay present, trusting that the Truth-teller is who He promises to be. Remember.
Psalm 145.13...
The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.
I choose to believe.
kb.

2009-12-29T01:14:00.002Z

I am at a bit of a loss for pictures at present, so I will share this one with you that my friend, CJ, tagged me in the other week. She saw this in Boston where she is in university and captured it for me.

"You follow me everywhere?" was her caption. I loved it! :)

Until otherwise notified, this will be my blog site. I am unsure how often updates will appear, but I hope that as my adventure continues, I will have more to write soon.

Not sure where I will be going next in my journey now that I am living again in the States. As you know, I am currently in Arkansas, but I am feeling beyond antsy...

So, stay tuned...I am doing a bit of research about possibilities...

As the new year is quite literally a few days away, I am in deep contemplation about what I want to be the theme of twenty ten.

I hope Christmas was full of joy for you and your family and friends!

cheers,

kb.

2009-11-29T16:52:00.006Z

And...I am back.

I'm walking...I'm walking...I'm walking.
Walking elsewhere from this fave spot, but still walking and trusting the path will reveal the next step in due time...

Thanks for blog-hopping with me.
Cheers and soon...
kb.

2008-09-03T10:55:00.005+01:00

Hey, all!
I am in the process of upgrading my blog. I have made a new one, and I am trying to figure out how to merge the two. I will keep you posted.
Here is the new address...
web.me.com/kymberlybrinkley
Cheers!
kb.

2008-07-25T23:10:00.004+01:00

A little place we call Club Malibu in British Columbia. I have just recently returned from a month as a work crew boss from this breathtakingly beautiful locale. I met some fantastic people, and the Lord stretched me in unexpected ways. I owe you all a major update, but I did want to give you a few snapshots of camp, the fab work crew, 80's night, and the lodge at night.
Cheers!

2008-06-23T19:39:00.004+01:00

Just a taste of Colorado for you. I tried to find a chipmunk running around to get a picture of to enhance my last story, but to honest, I was a bit gun-shy. Oh, and this is my new fun friend, Mallory!
Cheers!
Kym

2008-06-21T06:35:00.002+01:00

Ok, so are you ready for this? I am fairly sure I can answer for you all when I say, "No, you are not". This morning, yes, this morning I was awoken by a chipmunk running across my head. Yes, this is what I said...a chipmunk. At the time I thought it was a rat. I am still not 100% convinced that it was not a rat, actually, but other sightings later in the day were of a chipmunk in the house so I guess I have to go with it. This rodent woke me from a dead sleep by running across my left ear. (I am laughing right now just thinking about it. I cannot truly believe it happened still.) I swatted "it" away and got out of bed to go into my other housemates room calmly, completely groggy. I opened their door and said quite calmly, "I am not 100% sure, but I think a mouse just ran across my head". "What?!", they both squealed. Still trying to fully wake up and come to terms with what had just happened, I tried to decipher if it could have been my imagination or just my hair in my face. No, I concluded. It felt a bit like a spider of something because of its quickness but had a bit of weight to it. Definitely a mouse. Marilyn, one of my roommates, and I braved re-entering my room, and she began to put my sofa bed back together. I had stacked the cushions over in the corner of the room when undoing the sofa bed. Marilyn peered into the sofa and saw nothing as we both chatted about how ridiculous it was that we were looking for said mouse, as if we knew what to do with it. We had both just confirmed that we would scream and run if we did find it when...as Marilyn picked up a cushion, there it was! It moved in what could only be called a scurry across the cushion and disappeared. We followed suit and scurried screaming into the other room. I decided the safest place was standing on Marilyn's bed. OH MY WORD! Needless to say, I have found a new place to lay my head tonight.
As I walked around camp today, people continually asked me to tell the story and inquired about my well-being. : ) So hilarious...and completely...shiver/shudder-inducing. Later in the day, the people staying upstairs spotted him in their bit of the house, trapped him, and he got out away out of the house. I drug some summer staff guy who worked in the kitchen down to the house later in the day with me to watch me pack my suitcase. Just a couple of hours ago, I heard Mr. Chipmunk had returned to the house. I knew better than to stay down there. : ) Just had to share. If I see one and can get a good picture tomorrow, I will post it. I mean, it is not shocking to have critters running amuck when you are at camp in the middle of the nature. I see them around camp all the time, but running across your face? No thanks! Ha! : )
kb

2008-06-12T20:22:00.002+01:00

A night at my brother's house last night to see the kiddos. So fun.

2008-06-03T20:23:00.003+01:00

So, Sunday, I turned over a new leaf in London. I drove. Yes, on the left hand side of the road. I have driven once a day for the past three days. Strange. Shaky. Strange. Now, I must confess that these journeys have been a mile at best down a very straight stretch with only one roundabout. But, I mean, seriously, crazy to be on the other side of the road and in control of a motor vehicle. I only ran up on two curbs and it was only for a brief moment each time. My depth perception issue that I have is not sure how to maneuver with everything flip-flopped. It is an entirely new way to look at things. I feel less like a 15 year-old while I am in the countryside these days. Now, I am not going to necessarily make a habit of driving around Kerry's Bluegeot (Peugeot that is blue), but it is nice to know that if I need to transport myself, I am capable. The necessity these past few days has been to take care of Brooke and Tate's lovable golden retriever, Pacey, while B, T, Asher, and Kerry are away in Paris. And, yes, Pacey is called Pacey because of Dawson's Creek. Yet another reason why I knew I should move here and work with these people when I came to visit 2 years ago to check things out. 1.) Brooke and Tate spoke about the characters on Friends as if they were a part of their lives, intermingling quotes in normal conversations. Ex: Tate: "I mean, I don't know why we are even talking about this. It's a moo point." Me: "It's like a cow's opinion". Brooke: "It doesn't matter". Truly, at that moment, I knew. I knew this could work.
2.) Dog named after Pacey, the far superior character to Dawson who gets the most cred due to the creek being possessed by him in the title. Whatever.
You guys miss me, don't you? Be honest. My random stories...I know. Well, I'll be home in a matter of days. Get excited! : )
Cheers,
kb
word/phrase of the week: "sussed it out"...meaning someone has assessed something. "Yeah, I sussed out the people at the party and figured out it was not my crowd."

2008-06-01T21:59:00.002+01:00

Softball season wrapped up officially yesterday with a 5th place finish at ISSTs (International School Sports Tournament). Our performance was worthier of a much better place in the hierarchy in my opinion, though. We had a very challenging draw in our pool of play. I am extremely proud of my girls and how they played. We had a great time, too! I will miss them greatly over the summer. I am now checking of my rather large to-do list which will wrap up my school year. I leave for the states in 9 days.
A few pics...CJ, one of my sball'ers, the team minus Micaela who I believe may have been taking the picture, St. Johns' Wood High Street-the crosswalk where I saw Sir Paul strolling not long ago, and the cutest little boy maybe in the world, Asher, Brooke and Tate's son, who I just adore. :)
Cheers,
Kym

2008-05-14T18:09:00.001+01:00

(The softball team at our team dinner and a bit of a relay at our Wyldlife cookout.)

Travel stateside commences in less than a month. I will be flying to Arkansas on 10 June where I will stay long enough to get my internal clock adjusted back to American time, unpack, and re-pack. My next flight takes me on 14 June to Colorado for a week to visit YL family camp, Trail West. The week in CO will be a great one undoubtedly, as I rest from this year that has been...less than restful, and get the opportunity to see family camp done YL-style, which I know will be with utter excellence. I feel TW could hold a bit of potential for me in the future perhaps with summer assignments and such. We shall see. : )
Next, I will journey to Seattle to meet my assigned team and work crew kids who I will spend the next month with at another of our YL camps, Club Malibu in British Columbia. I will be a work crew boss overseeing high schoolers who are volunteering a month of their summer to serve their peers who come as campers. I have had only one assignment as a WC boss prior to the upcoming one, and it was one of the best months I have experienced. Needless to say, I am beyond excited. After a month at Malibu, I will return to Arkansas to spend much anticipated time with friends and family for a couple of weeks before heading back to England to kick off the fall with Wyldlife camp in Wales.

Sounds like quite a lot, yeah? Yes, but a good lot! Camp is one of my absolute favourite places to be. Time working at YL property does take a vast amount of energy, but it invigorates my spirit with joy, community, attention to detail, and a tangible view of a job well done, in a way that I am so looking forward.

As I pray for energy and focus for these last few weeks in England, I strive to rest in between each task as to claim His power and hand in all I do. I long to claim that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. As I rest in his promises, He is able to strengthen. I
This year has been an amazingly blessed one as relationships have deepened with kids and parents alike. The Lord has met me in such mighty and finite ways that my mind and heart reels. In the midst of His work and blessing, this human is tired. Having moved here and there for the majority of the year and not having a haven in which to nest is beginning to take its tole on my being. Maintaining work with my high schoolers (FWEL and softball),beginning new ministry with my middle schoolers (Wyldlife events), furthering recruitment of adults who share vision for the ASL community (committee forming), looking for more donors to fill in the gaps in my budget, and continuing to learn how life in England differs from the states brings me to the end of the school year looking forward to some time away.
Ok, enough depth for a bit. I know you are looking from some uniquely British interactions and Kym story-telling... I aim to please. : )

So, the spring in England brings sun and sport. As I am living currently in Surrey with Kerry (fellow staff friend) and commuting into the city daily (about an hour by train and tube), I find myself being even more acquainted with public transport. On any given Saturday, I find the train filled to the brim with rugby fans on their way to Twickenham to see England scrum and try. Twickenham is on my route into the city. Packed trains standing shoulder-to-shoulder with loads of people is not generally the scenario I am looking to spend a tremendous amount of time within, but I must say in some ways these weekend days are quite pleasurable and smile-inducing. Everyone is unbelievably friendly and chatty, smiley even. For those of you who have spent time in England, you will know firsthand that most people avoid eye contact completely and typically only break a smile at dogs or babies.
My journey began on the train standing in between two blokes proudly sporting their red rugby shirts toasting each other with Magners (cider beer). All spectators on their way to the match clutched their Tesco (grocery store) bags filled with Carlsburg, Fosters, etc.-beer) and chatted with every new passenger that boarded about the fact that heat was on on the train when the temperature outside was at least 20 degrees C. "Just like England", one guy said, "heat on the trains when it is hot outside and air conditioning on in the winter". All around him affirmed his statement, including myself. (It really is true.)
Fast forward to the second bit of my commute on my journey into the bit of London called Soho where I was meeting three friends at one of my new fave places, Hummos Bros. As I sit on the tube, a group of Birmingham football fans join my carriage. They are all singing boisterously what I can only assume one of their many team songs. (I heard at least 4 between the time they boarded and left.) I had my ipod on, so I did not anticipate any chatting with these obviously friendly guys. I was flanked from both sides from the group, but I was not bothered. One across from me spoke loudly as to drown out my music, "Don't worry! We really are quite nice blokes.", smiling. This cued the gent sitting to my left to ask me what I was listening to. ipod now placed in my bag, as clearly we are becoming friends, whether I would like to or not. : ) Dave, the inquisitive one on my left, continues to ask me questions about where I am from and asks me if I have ever been to Birmingham, Alabama (which is how I realized he and his mates were from B'ham locally). The combination of his mates singing and his rather thick accent made our conversation quite challenging, but the next stop turned out to be theirs. As they left the tube, Dave shook my hand, leaned forward and kissed my cheek goodbye as he said with a thumbs-up, "PROPER!" (For those of you wondering...no, he was not dreamy. He was probably 50 and just a nice man.) I smiled all afternoon. I love England. Where else would that happen?
Cheers,
Kym

2008-04-21T14:27:00.002+01:00

Happy to report that the sickness has gone. I am currently sitting, as you can see, in the staff lounge at school awaiting three o'clock, otherwise known as time to load the bus for the trek out to softball practice. I am also pleased to announce, speaking of softball, that we won our first game last Thursday by a score of 37-nil. (That means "nothing" or "0", for all you non-Europeans. We say "nil" over here. There is a bit of local flavour for you.) I am loving my new computer which enables me to take pictures as you see of myself sitting wherever I am. Technology is amazing.
I spent last week babysitting for two different families with two very different family dynamics. The first job required me to just be a present adult with two kids, ages 13 and 16. Easy peasy (bit of England, for you). The latter part of the week had me playing every video game on the Wii known to man with a 6 year-old while his 12 year-old brother entertained himself by playing computer games. I was worn out from game-playing by the time I left yesterday. Oh, the energy of youngsters! Amazing how the kiddos change as they age. I saw it firsthand this week. When they are little, they want you with them doing everything! As they grow up, they are more content on their own. I had a great time with all the kids, but I must say that I am glad to have my own world back in my control. Interesting how I have felt so adrift this past semester when in fact I am quite in control of my world more than I realized. God is good and faithful to bring perspective...all the time.
I don't know as I have much to report of any interest in regards to British-isms this week. As mentioned, I have been playing "mom" to kids, playing footie (a.k.a. soccer), and coaching softball.
We did have a committee meeting this morning with some moms that I know, as well as a few moms I met for the first time. I feel good about gaining more direction from our chatting about the community and needs of their kids. I just so love the times I get to gather with people thinking about common goals to gain perspective and direction. Such meeting energize me and clarify my path.
Cheers, and I will speak to you soon!
I need to update you all on my very exciting summer plans!
kb

2008-04-12T20:22:00.002+01:00

I have the flu. Yes. Never have I ever had the flu, but it is official. Actually, I should change that wording. The flu has got me. When I came home from practice on Tuesday evening, the fever kicked in. For the next two days, I was buried in the duvet watching telly, sleeping, coughing, and sleeping some more. As Friday arrived, I felt well enough to exit the flat. Today I even ventured back into the city to check in with some families I will be babysitting for next week. (I have moved out to Surrey with my colleague, Kerry, for the rest of the school year, the next 6 weeks.) The train ride back to Surrey put me to sleep straight away. Clearly, my body is not healed, though I am feeling a bit better and the fever seems to be gone. I do not know of flu and cold season is hitting where you are, but take it from me... do all you can to keep it from "getting you". Drink your OJ. Flee from those who have even the slightest cough or sniffle. Get plenty of sleep. I hope you are stay well this spring season of crazy weather and potential infection! : )
kb

2008-04-07T11:29:00.002+01:00

Will wonders never cease?! It snowed yesterday! The morning reminded me of being home in Arkansas in the winter. I was awoken by a text from Courtney that simply said "SNOW, HUGE SNOW!" I immediately parted the blinds above my bed to see kids throwing snow at one another dressed in so many layers they might have walked right off the set of "A Christmas Story". They looked at me rather peculiarly as I looked out, making be believe my squinting, big-haired self must look rather strange peering between the shades. I jumped out of bed, grabbed my camera, and gleefully snapped photos of the white blanket that covered the ground. Beautiful. As the morning unfolded, the temperature warmed, and the snow melted fairly quickly. But all day long as we went about the day's adventures, the remnants of the sheet of white loveliness that had covered the green were scattered around...a dusted rooftop, a leaning snowman, branches sprinkled in white. The aftermath of the cold front is that I now must confront the chilly winds in a matter of an hour or so as we head to the field for a bit of softball practice. Not so excited about that shivering that is to come, but I love snow, especially when it is so sparse here. It makes me feel like a little kid, and I am ALWAYS in favour of this feeling. : ) May we never lose our "kiddo" inside us.
We had quite a gang at FWEL this past week, and we had a blast playing one of my fave games, Samurai. If you have never played it, ask me next time you see me. I'll teach you. I laugh so hard listening to people scream their own versions of "YAAAH!"
Cheers, friends! Miss you mucho!
kb

2008-04-01T12:52:00.002+01:00

Back from Bulgaria! We had a great time building playground equipment and painting equipment that desperately needed attention. Here are a couple of pictures of my cabin girls. These girls go to TASIS (all except for one who attends school in Milan, Italy now after having moved from TASIS), one of our other London international schools where we do Young Life. I am so blessed to be called in as an extra leader. The Lord used this week to shower me with blessings, laughter, and great new friendships!
Softball season is now in full swing...pun intended. : ) I am currently working on my plan for today's practice. Be back soon...
Cheers!
kb

2008-03-18T22:18:00.004Z

Cheers! Fantastic news... my new computer has arrived! It was delivered to me late last night by some wonderful friends! It is going to take me a bit to transfer all info from old to new, but I had to share as I am so excited! The world has re-opened to me, literally! I love it, and I know a fraction of its capabilities thus far!
You will see some pictures here of my last Wyldlife event...bowling and pizza. Big fun!
I leave on Saturday for our annual Service Project. We are going back to Bulgaria this year to do more work in and around orphanages. Though, I do not have any friends coming with me from central London, I have been asked to go along to help out as an extra female leader.
Have you heard of Rob Bell? If not, check him out...podcast on itunes under Mars Hill Bible Church.
I looked at another flat today. It is quite small, but it might just work. I will keep you posted. I am ready to properly unpack. No question.
Softball officially begins practice when we return from break on 31 March. The season is going to be full of lessons, hard work, and insights, I can forsee. My girls are fantastic, and I look forward to getting to know them all a bit better.

kb

2008-02-26T15:20:00.002Z

Hiya. It has come to my attention that my last couple posts about flats may be a bit confusing. Thought I'd take a moment to clarify.
When I left for the States in January with Mom and Pop, I had moved out of my flat in Camdentown...the one with the blue door marked 9 in a past post. When I returned in late January, I stayed a few weeks with my friends, the Hendersons, a.k.a. Micaela's family. As of a couple weeks ago, I moved in with my friend, Claire, and her family. I plan to stay there until I get a flat or through the end of March, whichever comes first. Last week sometime, I thought I found a flat to move into permanently and put a bit of money down for a holding deposit. After a few days of considering, gathering advice, and praying, I felt a bit ill at ease about taking said flat. I wrote the "I found a flat" post the day of putting down that money. At the time I was beyond excited about the location of this flat (in the neighbourhood of my school) and the prospect of being able to settle into a new nest. Like I said, I just began to feel uneasy and hesitant about making that move for several reasons. So, I passed on that flat, and I will continue to look while I very much enjoy my time over the next handful of weeks at Claire's.
I know many of you are anxious to see pictures as I have not posted any in quite awhile. I am closer and closer to remedying my lack of computer problem, so please be patient with me. All my pictures are trapped on my old computer which has opted out of connecting to the internet indefinitely.
Despite the absence of image, I will tell you we had our second Wyldlife event this past Saturday night. We went to see National Treasure: Book of Secrets and then to Nando's, one of our favourite Portuguese restaurants, for dinner. We had a smaller crowd this time around which enabled us to truly get to know the kids a bit more. Jess (my volunteer leader) and I greatly enjoyed sitting over dinner and chatting with this handful of kids.
Young Life (F.W.E.L.) continues to take shape on Thursdays. We have recently started discussing "Blender Questions". Everyone writes a question about life on a notecard anonomously and places it in the blender. I pull these out and choose which question we will discuss each week. It is quite interesting to see different perspectives and to hear insight from several of my friends. I look forward to digging in even deeper as the weeks progress.
Pause...
Thank you friends for continuing to love on me and support me as I step. through life in London. I assure you your prayers are felt and appreciated beyond words. I am overwhelmed to be living here. I am overwhelmed by your friendship. I am blessed. God is good.

kb

2008-02-21T10:40:00.002Z

Ok, I pulled the plug a bit too early on my finding a new flat. I did find one, yes, but I have reconsidered and believe that I need to hold off for a bit longer to make a permanent move. In order to be financially responsible, to wait for a place that I feel a bit more at home in (if the place were not in the location it is in, I would not have considered it for a few reasons), and to overall just feel more at peace about it, I am going to wait and pray for the correct timing. As my wise Pop has told me countless times, just because an option presents itself, that does not always mean you are to take it. It simply provides the opportunity to choose. : ) I agree. I will keep you up-to-date on the latest.
Soon...
kb

2008-02-18T14:25:00.002Z

Today I found a new home! I move in next weekend. God is good. I will once again reside on the high street in St John's Wood...the perfect location for me. Fantastic.
On the flip side...my computer is barely breathing these days. I can charge my ipod and look at my documents. Any other functions sends it into an scary array of warning messages and dos prompt screens. No internet connecting...too much to ask. And somehow it has erased its audio drive, so I have no ability to have sound. I believe I will soon put it to rest permanently, as I am unsure how to bring it back from such a deep malfunctioning world. I need a new laptop as my old faithful is dead never to be repaired, I fear. I have hijacked my friend Claire's computer while she is at school to do some work and update you guys.
Sigh... I am excited to move into my own space again, truly. I will be sad to leave my families, though, I must say!
Must maximize this computer time with some more work, more soon...
Cheers!
kb

2008-02-08T14:59:00.000Z

Nomadic...\nō-ˈma-dik\;roaming about from place to place aimlessly, frequently, or without a fixed pattern of movement.
An odd sort of reality and sense of normal these days living in London... Depends on the angle of perspective within me in determining blessings in the midst of such movement.
Since my introduction to YL some fourteen years ago, my abilities to both adapt and adjust have increased immensely. We, in the Young Life world, spend quite a bit of time in camp-like situations and learn how to survive with little surprisingly well. : ) I must say that these skills are most certainly ones that have been significant in molding my "default", as I like to call it. (Or, I also think of 2 Cor. 5.17..."the old has gone, the new has come." I believe as the Lord settles deeper into my heart, He continues to fashion the "new" within me.) In my life as a nomad at present, I am finding how true it is that the Lord is faithful, as He continues to provide blessing without fail. ("No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Cor. 10.13.) Were I to be transparent of the current "temptations" that abound all the more without a consistent nest, it might be what we would deem a "laundry list". Though I do value transparency and honesty, I will spare you the entirety of my catalog. As mentioned in entries previous, having my nest to live in and in which to retreat is a key component of my health.
"O LORD, you have searched me and you know me." (Ps. 139.1)
And He does. (full stop)
And now back to the view from which I choose to look into my current lifestyle, where I spy an advantage to unpredictability...
He is quite aware that hopping to and fro from house to house is not my most desired way to live; however, He also knows and is assured of what and how much I can handle. One of the other things he "knows" (and created in me) is my desire to live life with people and to grow deeper in relationship. Without this need for other peoples' shelter, life for me would have continued to be a bit more solitary. (The other laundry list I can make you is one of blessings I feel drenched in as this winter unfolds.)
The news this week...I am, indeed, the varsity girls softball coach for the upcoming spring season. A bit anxiously, quite pensively, and excited exceedingly, I step up to this task. Our season begins with tryouts the last week of March. The girls keep telling me that they are pumped, and I am formulating a plan that I hope will lead us to victory and loads of fun.
Some of you may have seen (and if you haven't, go check it out) that Young Life has gone through a re-branding recently.
Our new tagline? "You were made for this." I dig it. This afternoon as I laid down for a quick nap on the couch, I put the book I had been reading on the floor. The new logoed sticker I was given at our All-Staff Conference fell out of the front of it. As my eyes moved across the tagline, I thought,
"Yep, I was made for this". The grammar-minded part of me has a hard time with the open-endedness of this sentence. But, you know...in this case, open-ended is spot on. Wow, the laundry lists just keep coming, as I think of all the definitions of "this". Specifically, today, I thought... "this" equals building relationships with kids, knowing more about the Lord's character, and showing up to take steps.
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10.10)
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."(John 15.11)

2008-02-06T12:27:00.000Z

Hiya. Though I typically try to avoid leading off any writing with an apology, I do feel it necessary in this case. I realize that my last post was in mid-December prior to the holidays, and I am sorry for my absence. Quite a bit has unfolded since then, and in my chaotic world, though I have thought countless times about sitting down to record events, it simply has just not happened.
Firstly (as they would say here in England), my laptop has died, I believe. At present, I have a computer savvy friend trying to bring it back to life, but I must honestly say that I have little hope. Therefore, you will be lacking a pictoral view of life since December here in this post.

So, Mom and Dad journeyed across the pond for both Christmas and New Year's Day. We had a great time walking and riding around London seeing the sites and taking may pictures courtesy of Dad. Our two weeks here was capped off by making our way down to the Thames to see the fireworks to ring in 2008. Wow! We stood on Waterloo Bridge for three hours in the cold and drizzle to hold our spot in order to have the best view possible. It was quite a show to behold, though a touch frustrating that the cloud cover overhead was quite thick. It acted as a blanket and held all the smoke from the fireworks down making it impossible to see the brightly colored lights being shot off of the London Eye, which was disappointing at times. The real adventure began as we tried to make our way home from these festivities. May I skip to the end and say that we stepped foot inside my flat at half past four in the morning?!! Yes. We walked, and walked...jumped on a bus, sat waiting for traffic to move, went down to wait for the tube and then opted out due to crazy drunken folks and train delays...got on another bus, walked home. (Sigh), my body is tired just re-living it here for you...wow! "Once in a lifetime", became the mantra of the night amongst us all-me, Courtney, Mom, and Pop.
The parents Brinkley and I returned to Arkansas on the 2nd of January. I made a quick trip to Fayetteville where I got to see a group of you guys at Angie and Jenny's ONE NIGHT ONLY gathering for me. I was so blessed by that time as I cried with laughter at each person there. Oh, how I miss my friends! (I am sure I will return once again to this sentiment in the near future to tell you how I continue to learn daily the importance of community...how much more applicable and tangible are so many bits of Scripture these days!) You are all hilarious in your own way, and I love that I know you all well enough to understand what makes you tick. Thank you for being my friends and for being so excited to see me! It delighted my soul, and I only wish the time could have been longer with each of you. : )
From 6 January to 13 January, Orlando hosted me and around 3500 of my Young Life colleagues from literally around the world. We had a fantastically enriching, and of course, hilarious week at our all-staff conference we have every 4 years. What a treat to see the sun after being in England where the light is sparse! I got to see staff friends from years before and spent time with my fellow England staff family away from tasks in our normal world.
Finally, I flew back to Arkansas for a few days to sort out some financial matters both in my YL world and in my personal sphere and to see my sweet nieces a bit more before journeying back to Londontown.
In retrospect, I must say that this most recent time away from London felt a bit rushed and not as restful as I would have hoped. I needed more time in Fayetteville, but I will be able to make up for that lack of time this summer. I suppose the holidays rarely are completely laid back and restful, are they? Loads of people to see and much travel to be done is the typical story for most of us. I hope your holiday time was filled with laughter and good times with your friends and family!
We will call this the catch-up post. A more current one to follow...
Cheers,
kb

2007-12-19T01:51:00.000Z

In trying to keep in step with one, Chris Bowser, (and to give him a bit of a mention), I am blogging away these days. My parents are in the air surely to be crossing the Atlantic in a matter of moments en route to see me in Londi for the holidays. I am beyond excited to show them my city. I had another "I love London" moment today as I took the scary step out my door into the frigid weather and into the hustle and bustle of Christmas shoppers. I chose Covent Garden as my first destination, trying to avoid Oxford Street at all costs. I spent an extremely pleasant quarter of an hour sipping my grande Starbucks and leaning over the red railing in the center of the market area to listen to a string quintet...no, there were six of them... What do you call that? Anyway, I watched and listened to these superbly talented folks play with such joy. If you have ever been to Covent Garden (at any time of the year, not just during the holidays), you can picture this scene of talented street performers. The word that comes to mind? I must say... "lovely", followed by a deep sigh. The guy playing the stand-up bass ran round and round it never skipping a beat. He would carry his bass around the cafe-type sitting area to cajole passers-by to throw a bit of change in their basket or to buy a copy of their cds. He blocked the staircase and stared at people until they caught his eye and made them smile. Lovely.
The day did not start off quite so delightfully. I saw, what you might say, both sides of the coin of a city today. As I hopped on the 247 bus to go to my Lord's Cricket Ground stop, my head turned to the rear of the bus. A seemingly drunken man (I must mention it was barely noon) began to argue with another bloke about who got to sit in a seat on our crowded mode of transport. Pushing and yelling ensued. The bus pulled over at the first stop possible, and the bus driver yelled from his enclosed seat in the front that he would call the police if they did not calm down. The two men paid no mind to the driver's warning. All of the rest of us who were lucky enough to be witnessing this interaction, which was bit unnerving, to be honest, seemed to be staring at and inching toward the closed doors to make a hasty exit. As the bus driver yelled that he was, indeed, phoning the police, those of us longing for escape were given our wish when the doors were opened. We filed out and all stood around watching the goings-on, quite the show, actually. By the time we had alighted onto the curb, another 274 bus had pulled up behind us at the stop (which I must say, is utterly shocking since I rarely see these busses meeting up as they seem to be horribly off-schedule most days). All of the passengers from my bus immediately went to board this new arrival but were halted by the second bus driver leaving his seat to go support his colleague. As these two bus drivers, the two disgruntled men, and the gaping masses waited on the police to arrive, I chose to walk. When I arrived in St John's Wood, my core was a bit frozen, but at least I avoided getting into the mix of that altercation any further. Life in a big city...lots of people equals drama and delight all at the same time. I do love London. If you ever get the chance to visit, do not hesitate! Lovely.

Word of the day? Christingle. Google this. Our entire church service comprised a skit of one of the student pastors standing on stage in a paper mache orange. Hilarious! : )

Happy Christmas!!!!

2007-12-14T16:01:00.000Z

I love London. I have just had the loveliest, most humourous walk home I have had in a long time. Oftentimes, I look straight ahead or at my eye level when walking down my city streets. As most of you know, I stopped growing in 6th grade, a.k.a. 11years of age, so my "eye level" is not all that high. This most recent stroll goes to show me that sometimes it pays to look up and around. No lie, as I looked to my left into a window of one of the many brownstone-esque looking houses (picture the Cosby-style houses with white facades rather than red bricks), I saw a man holding a slice of bacon on either side of his face. Yes, bacon. A woman was standing inches away from him, taking a rather professional-looking picture of his face with the meat bookending his face. She had a stand up flash and light meter...the works. A double-take was necessity. Then, as I popped into the local newsagent to grab a Diet Coke, my entry was blocked by a mum and her two 4-or-so little kiddos trying to exit the tiny shop. I looked down to see a pushchair (stroller) awaiting their return from their shopping. As I stepped out of their way, the little boy looked up at me and said, "Well done for guarding our pushchair!", with a smile. His mum almost fell over from laughing so hard. I giggled, as well, and went inside to buy my soda. I exited the shop to see the mum and kiddos still making their way across the street adjacent me. I could still hear the woman giggling to herself. I love London.

2007-12-13T22:56:00.000Z

As I took these pictures at FWEL (Friends Who Eat Lunch) today, Micaela (a.k.a., THE BOSS) told the boys that they were going to be put up on my blog. Yeppers! She was spot on. We had quite a gang this week for pizza. Sam is sporting Micaela's nod at festiveness, the Peter Pan hat, which she claimed was similar to that of an elf for our Christmas lunch. Ok. : )
The semester is drawing to a close, and I must say that I am a bit sad to see my friends go away for several weeks. I will miss them big time! It will be nice for us all to have a break from daily routine and crazy schedules, though, no question.

My parentals arrive in a matter of days and will spend two weeks here with me in Jolly Ole'. We will be the quintessential tourists, and I am excited for us to spend the holidays in London. Not being home on Christmas will be strange. I cannot recall a Christmas morning that has happened in any other place than in my own living room in Arkansas. We return to the States on 2 January. I will spend most of my January stateside time in Florida at our Young Life All-Staff Conference that we all attend every 4 years. Palm trees, flip flops, and loads of friends run rampant in this massive gathering of over 3,000 YL staffers! I know we will have a blast!
More musings from the semester next week most likely after the school year is officially wrapped and I have no limit on my time for composing...
Oh, the bottom picture is my friend, Courtney, me, and my pal, Lana, at the David Gray concert here in my neighbourhood!!! We were on the 4th row standing! It was AMAZING, to say the least!!!
kb

2007-12-07T23:20:00.000Z

Central London WYLDLIFE!!!
We had our first event tonight which involved watching "a classic", in the words of one of these cool middle schoolers, "How The Grinch Stole Christmas", eating pizza, and doing a little Christmas celebrating by decorating a couple of "trees". :) We had a great time, and we had quite the crew, especially for the first gathering ever! I am thrilled! We hope to start getting together for a WYLDLIFE event once a month beginning in February!

2007-11-16T20:04:00.000Z

Primrose Hill may be my favourite place right now. Fall leaves spread across its grass simply made me want to breathe deep every time I caught a glance, strolled down a path, or happended to crunch a few underfoot. (Sigh) You see a gate here. The other night I stayed over at my friend Claire's house with her and her sister. After they were off to school the next day, I stayed at the house a bit longer. As I was leaving, I seriously stood in front of this gate for 10 minutes trying my hardest not to look like a moron to the passers-by on their way to work. I could not figure out how to open the gate. Yes, that is what I said. Finally, I noticed a button to the left of the gate, and my clearly superior problem-solving skills kicked in. Aha! I was soon free and on the other side. (I just thought that my amuse some of you.) At FWEL (Friends Who Eat Lunch- YL)...Micaela's mom brought her back this excellent turkey hat from the states about a week ago. The amount of fun we have had with it...well, it is astonishing, really. Alexis clearly is a bit jealous as she jumped in the picture. : )
The photo the crimson curtained theatre boxes was taken at Royal Albert Hall. I got to go hear Ray LaMontagne a couple of weeks ago. I felt like at any time I was going to look up into one of those boxes and see the two old men from The Muppet Show pop their puppeted-selves up and make comments. The show was amazing! Check out his music...very soulful and just...wow! Lastly a view that guarantees that I do indeed live in London these days. When my friend Mindy was in town last weekend, we, along with our pal Lana, strolled pass the Thames and this view seemed definitely picture worthy. I, like Brian Dandy, have a phone that takes great shots! In fact, now that I think about it, all of these were taken with my handy Samsung.
I am beyond excited because one of my most favourite people on the planet is on her way to see me...Sarah (Harmey)!!!! She will be here for an entire week to celebrate Thanksgiving with me. Our first Turkey day meal will be tomorrow at my precious pals, Susan and Rudy's house. We are even going to hop over the pond to see some hills that people keep saying are literally ALIVE with music. Look for updates on that trip. : )
A bit sleepy...daylight is precious these days. Darkness sets in properly at 4:30 p.m. Oh, I must mention that I got my hair cut yesterday by a fellow named Dror. Yep. Have you ever seen the sketch on SNL with Nuni and Nuni? If not, youtube it. It makes me cry with laughter...just random. When I heard other people saying Dror's name, when he said it, even when he wrote it down on a card so that I could come back and ask for him, I still couldn't sort out how to pronounce it. Made me chuckle. Just for those of you jonesing for it... I must say, he was a lovely bloke with an eye for styling. I am quite keen to make a return visit when I deem a cut to be necessary again.
"Nothing of any note"... Rather than saying "noteworthy", an English gent chose to say it this way the other day when we were having a staff meeting.
Have I told you my thesis statement for Britain?...
"the same, but a bit different". Truly. Come see me, and I think you will agree.
kb

2007-11-05T14:57:00.000Z

Visuals, as promised. You will see my bday cake with the perfect candle arrangement for my years of life. Can you do the math? I loved it! The group below is the crew who celebrated with me that day after my bday at our Thursday lunch group. Lastly, Micaela almost got third degree burns on her arm from me blowing out these clever candles. : )
Soon,
kb.

2007-10-28T00:28:00.000+01:00

A Saturday filled with laundry, cleaning, and further nesting... just what the doctor ordered, I would say. Have I mentioned in the past that I have a handful of life words that are important for me to stay aware of and in contact with in order for me to feel centered and healthy? I feel sure that it has been mentioned. Words like balance, breathe, perspective, focus... Today I received the gift of time which allowed me to live out and see these afore mentioned crucials , as well as a few more not mentioned. It is easy for me to get lost and bogged down in the moment, in the current issues and situations, in my own world or sphere. I can get caught up in disorder, analyzation, and dirty laundry. In the midst of people at all times, I lose my compass and lose direction to my true north. Noone else knows what I need to feel healthy and in the center of effectiveness in ministry, in relationship, and in relaxation. Well, noone else knows me from the inside as well as I do (and the Lord, of course), that is; I do have friends at home that can tell from a mile away that things are a bit off with my world. Without the luxury of those people seeing me and living life with me here in England, I am realizing that it can take me a bit longer to find my center. Some of you who read this blog are just those people who act as a litmus test at home. I miss you.
The Lord has blessed me immensely with amazing friends in my new home here, but those that have known me for years and weathered heavy storms and light drizzles, along with picturesque days full of sun and birds chirping, are irreplaceable and invaluable. Relationships take time, and close friends are a gift. Thank you for your friendships, those of you who love me unconditionally across oceans and continents.

I need to mention that today, the 27th of October, marks the one year anniversary of my dear friends' Matt and Ginny's son, Eliot, passing away. He lived 99 days. Many of you may know his story. ( http://www.ignitermedia.com/products/iv/singles/570/99-Balloons ; http://mattandginny.blogspot.com ) My heart hurts for my friends as I think of them especially today.

Ministry moves along as the weeks do. Thursday YL lunches are fast becoming a tradition filled with pizza, chatting, and usually something chocolate provided by Lizzie who I fully expect to be find out has become a pastry chef in days to come. She loves to bake and make treats which is just one more reason why we like her. : ) As mentioned, this past week my great friends celebrated my birthday with me which made my heart full of joy! My birthday would not have been complete if I had not gotten to eat cake with these Thurs lunch friends!
We have decided to do an ice skating/bowling/pizza-eating even for Wyldlife kids (middle schoolers) in early December as a Christmas party. I think this gathering is going to be a hit! I hope we have lots of kids come out to play with us, and I look forward to putting a spin on the Christmas story that I predict these kids have not yet heard.
Coaching softball again this spring will in fact be a reality, and I am exceedingly excited. I may even have an opportunity to help coach some cheerleading during the winter. Who would have thought it? After trying out 3 times when I was in school and not making the squad... me, coaching it? Let me just say that I will mostly be supervising and trying to prevent injury if I do end up helping out. (And, I also must say that I would not have picked me to be a cheerleader back in the day, either. I hold no bitterness for not having made any of these squads. Does anyone remember me back then? I wanted nothing to do with being in front of people, and I was fairly quiet. Being the center of attention was never, never my desire. I still would prefer behind-the-scenes jobs, though I have learned I quite enjoy speaking when the right time arises.) I am hoping they do need me, honestly. I would love to get to know a few more girls. We shall see, and I will keep you posted.

I am thankful that I am not the source of balance, breath, perspective, and focus in my life. I am thankful that none of you are the source of these things for me either. Though, you are all wonderful and special in your own individual way to me, you are not, nor will you ever be, the source. I am thankful that the Lord is full of grace, love, and joy. I am thankful that He meets me right where I am and embraces me with His unconditional love every time. Every time. (full stop) Every time I listen or do not listen. Every time I remember or forget. Every time I feel lonely or loved. Every time I am selfish or unselfish. Every time I am lazy or productive. Every time.

Psalm 139 (The Message)
A David Psalm

1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
I'm an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I'm never out of your sight.
You know everything I'm going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you're there,
then up ahead and you're there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can't take it all in!

7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you're there!
If I go underground, you're there!
If I flew on morning's wings
to the far western horizon,
You'd find me in a minute—
you're already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
At night I'm immersed in the light!"
It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;
night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.

13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.

23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
get a clear picture of what I'm about;
See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong—
then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Thanks be to God... the one true constant, the true north, the source. For me, some days engaging in relationship takes more choosing than other days. How beautiful to be assured that He chooses me EVERY TIME.

Ephesians 1 (The Message)

3-6How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
7-10Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

11-12It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

13-14It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

Cheers...
pictures to come when own computer connects me to the internet.
kb.

Try saying the word "water" with a British accent today. Or get a friend to do it. If it doesn't sound lovely and make you want to drink more of this essential life beverage, I will be surprised. : )

2007-10-26T20:19:00.001+01:00

My new house in Camdentown. Ok, well more like the path to and the front door of my house in Camdentown. I have been here for right about a month now. I am still in the process of getting settled in. I will say that when you come see me, you will notice quite a difference between the nearest high street to me, Camden High Street, as opposed to St John's Wood High Street where I lived for the past year. Camden is quite a colourful place with people of...well...let me just say every walk of life. : )

Transition...passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another. To adjust...to adapt or conform oneself (as to new conditions); to achieve mental and behavioral balance between one's own needs and the demands of others.
Webster helps me explain a couple key words that keep reoccurring in my dialogues lately. This move to this new neighbourhood has not been exactly as I anticipated. I see no need to go on and on about all the details of my move here in this platform. I mention the transition and adjustment simply to give you a touch of insight, perhaps, into my world for the past month. Most of you have probably moved a few times in your life and can remember all the new rhythms that must be learned.
One of the bits in the transition to Camdentown has brought with it many an issue with technology. Our internet has been in, out, this way and that... We got it up and working, and I thought my world had finally been put back on track and revolutionized. I had around a week of dependable world wide web dependability, and then three days ago, my computer just decided it didn't want to detect our signal in our house. What on Earth? So, my flatmate is patiently allowing me to use hers when she is not in need of it.
I have some great pictures to post of my YL lunch group from this past week where they made me a cake and creatively adorned it with candles that added up to my appropriate age. : ) I also have a couple pics of my new flatmates and my friend, Becky, who came to visit Londi all last week, and was here to celebrate our birthdays together (we have the same bday). Hopefully, I can get those posted soon. I am spending the weekend at home, laying low, and trying to recoop from, well, life, from the last month or so. I will have more ministry updates tomorrow, hopefully.
Thanks for reading, friends, and for being so faithful in prayer and support!
Soon,
kb

2007-10-11T19:48:00.000+01:00

The official first YL gathering of kids from ASL you see to your left! : ) From L to R: Lizzie, Micaela, Claire, Devon, and Alexis.

2007-10-02T16:22:00.000+01:00

Look closely. Can you see the image on the green shirt Brooke is wearing? Gwen Stefani, that is correct. Liz, Brooke, Kerry, and I had a bit of a girls' staff night "winding it up" to a little Gwen. She put on a great show and even ran out into the crowd very near where we were sitting. It was a blast!

My sincerest apologies about the lack of update lately. I have moved into my new abode, and with a move comes many a challenge of setting up life, as you know. Well, in England, things tend to be a bit slower than that to which I have become accustomed to in the States. So, I am told I will have regular, predictable internet access as of next Wednesday, the 10th of October. Keep your fingers crossed, people! : )

My move went super smooth due to a gang of friends who showed up with vehicles and willing arms to carry and many boxes and bags. I truly think it took us something like 45 min to load it all and move it. Lizzie and her mom, Micaela and her mom, Claire, my friend Courtney, and myself moved it all a few weekends ago. I wish I had had a camera ready to have taken a picture of Claire and Micaela carrying the mattress for my futon across the street to Micaela's mom's van. They looked hilarious and dropped it several times. Claire even fell down at one point and stayed there laughing her head off for a few minutes. It was, in a word, awesome. : )

I am continuuing to settle in. It is proving to take a bit more time than I had anticipated. I have moved to another community in London with different shops, restaurants, grocery stores, Starbucks... It is taking a bit of time to get my bearings. I don't know why I always fail to remember that it takes some time to re-nest (Is that a word?) myself, but I do forget. Once my internet/tv/phone is all sorted, I will feel like all the puzzle pieces are in place.

Young Life begins this week with my kids at ASL! A group of us are meeting on Thursday of this week for lunch at Lizzie's house. I am truly excited to start a regular meeting. Thursdays from here on out I plan getting together. We shall see what this time shapes up to look like from week to week. Right now, I know there will be food, kids, me, and good times. This information is enough for now.

I have about 10 more minutes of internet time before I must go elsewhere today, so I will just give you one other snippet...

I am writing a book. Have I mentioned this fact? I know some of you know that I have toyed with the idea and that said book has been on the "Big Life Goal List". But, I have really begun to work on it a bit more as of late. I am enjoying piecing it together, and I thought I would let you know. Hopefully, I can begin to have some discipline about compiling my thoughts. It does seem that I am an intrinsicly drawn to write, so I am able to be more frequent in doing so. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Cheers! More soon... kb

Word/phrase of the week: "Well done!" Have I done this one? I have heard myself saying if far more lately than before. Instead of saying "Way to go!" or "Good job!", I would the Brits say, "Well done!". As far as the words/phrases of the week go, this one may be lame. It is, however, a new phrase in my vocabulary that has become a staple.

2007-09-15T17:21:00.000+01:00

Hi, all.
Just a quick word for you on this picturesque evening in lovely St John's Wood. I have moved into my new flat (pictures to be posted soon), but my internet has not been set up as of yet. I am sitting at Starbucks doing a bit of work. My regular access may not be up and dependable for another week, sadly. So, bear with me.
I am loving my new flat! My room is as big as my entire flat that I lived in the past year. : ) I also have a washing machine! Woo hoo! It is all about the little things, folks.

Today makes my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of living in Londontown!

How blessed, I am! Soon...
kb

2007-08-31T11:16:00.000+01:00

So, tell me that Izzy and Ella aren't ready to come see me. Look at those Wellies. They are ready for London weather! This other picture is at graduation this past spring...my great pal, Leslie, who coaches softball with me, Micaela, me, and Claire.

Happy Labor Day for those of you in the States!!

2007-08-28T13:27:00.000+01:00

My latest adventure?...Wyldlife camp in a place called Kidderminster for 5 days last week with all these crazy people you see above. On the right is me with our silly high school kids who were on work crew. The camp consisted of leaders and kids from three of the international schools (none from my ASL, hopefully next year) and from Hertford where we have ministry with British kids. We had quite a long weekend with the usual camp antics of field games full of water balloons and flour bombs, rousing games of four square, and an opportunity to "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34.7). I made some great new friends that I now treasure, and well...just got to be at camp, which let's be honest feels like a bit of heaven. I always love it! : )

I realise that many of you have been jonesing for an update for quite some time, and I have left you wanting. To be honest, just yesterday, I felt like I have finally arrived back home in London, though technically I have been home in England since 5 August. As soon as I returned from Arkansas, I had friends on my doorstep to stay from the States. We took a short plane ride to a place called Kandern, Germany to visit my sweet pal from university days, Suzanne. Suz is the head of the music department at a school called Black Forest Academy (a school for missionary kids). She plays the piano like an angel. Wow. It turns out that Kandern is very near to both the French and Swiss borders, so we did a little border-hopping. We got to spend an entire day in Zurich, which was breathtakingly beautiful. We drove through vineyard lined streets up to a French castle, and ate food that makes me want to seriously consider living in France at some point in my lifetime. : ) Suz is such a dear friend that I had lost touch with due to life and distance since university days. I am truly blessed to have reconnected with her on this side of the Atlantic. (The first few pictures are from time with Suz.)

Upon our return from everything Germanic, French, and Swiss, I was off to Wyldlife camp to be a work crew boss...one of my favourite jobs. I so enjoy being behind the scenes and helping all the elements of camp come together in a way that dumbfounds those there as campers. What a joy! Despite the unexpected rain and wind that gave us all a bit of a cold, the time there was sweet. You just have to love camp in England where there is a coffee/tea station with a vat of hot water every ten feet in every building. Excellent!

I am thrilled to be back home in London. I am only a couple weeks out from celebrating my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of my move overseas. My friends Angie and Jenny calculated the number of countries I have gotten to step foot in in this past year...drum roll, please, SEVEN! I am dumbfounded. What a blessing! What a journey the Lord is walking with me on. He continues to surprise, bless, and challenge my idea of who He is, how much He loves me, and how much He longs to fight for me.

Psalm 18.1-3...

"I love you, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies."

Zephaniah 3.17...

"The Lord your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing."

2007-08-09T02:21:00.000+01:00

Back home in London after my three week stay in the States. I am posting some pictures of my sweet nieces, Ella and Izzy, as well as, a couple of pictures of Istanbul, where I spent the week prior to going to Arkansas. I do so to accomplish two tasks: 1. to let you know that I am still around, just traveling to and fro and trying to recover from some heavy jetlag, and b. to remind myself what I need to update you about all of the last month soon...next week. Much to say...much to say. I have a friend in town visiting, so to avoid rudeness, I will most likely hold off on the long overdue update until my world has settled back into normal routine. : )

2007-06-26T22:43:00.000+01:00

I had a notable moment this evening, so I thought I would share.
I have not gotten the chance to inform many of you about something BIG happening soon for me here in Londi. I will be moving about 20 minutes away (by foot) in September when I return home to London from the States. My new place is just around Regent's Park from where I live at present, and on the map, it doesn't look all that far.
In reality, it truly isn't, and I will get more exercise...always good. However, I have been a bit bummed about the fact that I will not be living in a flat right on the high street, which is 2 minutes from the school and is 30 seconds from Starbucks where I spend 95% of my time with girls. All the other aspects of this move are complete and utter blessings! Two girls who love Jesus will be my flatmates. Loads more space than I have now (which doesn't have to be much to be much more than now). A garden!!!!...I could, and I will when I see you, go on and on about the exciting prospect of this move that have come together quite quickly...just an immense number of blessings that continue to show me the Lord's hand on and His care for every tiny detail of my life.
The one downer in this new scenario has been the distance of this new spacious abode from where I do ministry.
Tonight, as I said, I went to my home group which meets near where I will be moving. Right outside the flat where we were meeting sits a bus stop. (I must interject here that I have never been to this particular flat where we met.) I discovered tonight that said bus gets me to the end of the high street, where I currently live and have begun mourning leaving its nearness to all that my world encompasses these days, in a matter of four minutes! Until tonight and this discovery of transport, I thought I was going to have to resolve myself to trekking this journey by foot multiple times daily to get to the street that has become so vital to me. I told Becky, my friend and one of my two new flatmates who made this discovery for me, quite enthusiastically, that this find of transport has now "revolutionized my world!" She just laughed at my enthusiasm and walked me to the bus stop.
After my bus ride, I walked down the high street to get to my studio flat where I will reside for essentially another month, factoring in my time abroad this summer, and I thought..."It just keeps getting better..." Sound familiar to any of you? For most of you, it might not, but for a selected few who who wore a red bow and an oversize mouse pin for a week , I know you recognize this statement. For those of you who are not Ouachitonians (what we are called who are alumni of Ouachita Baptist University), this is my sorority's motto. Funny that it popped into my head tonight. I can honestly say that this statement has never come to mind before in post-college life. But, how poignant and appropriate for this evening! I must say that I am not certain if this motto is holding true for my EEE sisters, but I can say with certainty...
Life with the Lord..."it just keeps getting better..."
loveee,
kym : )

2007-06-08T17:32:00.000+01:00

Ok, from top to bottom... La Mer (a.k.a. Meditteranean Sea); a random Frenchman in a shop actually wearing a beret!; my cool freshman pals, Micaela and Claire; Randy Jackson; Roger Moore.

2007-06-03T17:02:00.000+01:00

Nice equals 'NICE'! What a lovely mini-break in the south of France with Mom, Aunt Char, and Aunt Karen! I got to spend 4 days popping around the cobblestone streets, mountainsides, and rocky beaches of the French Rivera earlier in the week. : )

What a gift to get to see the Mediterranean in all its majesty and to get to see my fam on this side of the Atlantic. I also saw a couple of celebs on my plane on the way home to Londontown. Roger Moore, a.k.a. James Bond, and Randy Jackson, of American Idol fame, were both on my flight. Pretty cool! I tried to get some pictures on my phone, but I am afraid my trying to be inconspicuous sort of hindered my photography. I will see if I can post some pics of them so you can see.

The school year is coming to an end here at ASL. All my girls are in the midst of finals and are looking forward to graduation next Friday. I must say that I am looking forward to it, as well. I have had a great time especially this semester here coaching softball and getting to spend fantastic, meaningful time with my new friends high school friends. I am also ready to get to come to the States to see you all.

The weather in Londontown is delightful! In the winter months here, as some of you know, the weather is extremely dark and dreary. On the flip side, the summer brings much daylight, soothing breezes, and smiling faces! The sun rises about 4:30 a.m. and sets near 10:00 p.m. I love it! I am pleased to get to spend the whole of June here to enjoy this amazing city!

The summer months bring time for to relax a bit and time to think about and plan for the upcoming fall. I went to my first small group from church this week, and I loved it! I met a couple of people that I instantly clicked with and look forward to hanging out with more in the future. Over the past month, I have also started volunteering at church with the 4-6 year olds! Oh, my goodness. I cannot put into words how cute these kiddos are with their English accents. I had a little girl correct my grammar the other morning. She was colouring a sheet with Jesus and the man with leprosy on it. I asked her which one was Jesus and which one was the leper. She replied, "You should have asked who are these men?" Oh my! A few seconds later, she was wrapping me in "loo roll" (a.k.a. toilet paper) to demonstrate being a leper. So fun! Such a dose of joy on Sunday mornings for me! The Lord is definitely blessing my pursuit of community, and I thankful!

Oh, one more thing...I saw PAUL MCCARTNEY outside my Starbucks! Yes! I was sitting inside having coffee with one of my senior girls...I looked out the window...and said (a bit too loud) "Hello, PAUL MCCARTNEY!" I was dumbfounded. He has just recently released a new album and was there with a friend to pose in front of the poster advertising it on the Starbucks' window. He stood directly in front of me to pose. I had not the sense of mind to find my phone in my bag to try to snap a photo of him. I mentioned that I exclaimed a bit louder than I intended? Well, at least 3 people around me said, "He's in here all the time. He just lives up the street", nonchalantly. "Well, I have heard that, but I had yet to see him," I replied. Pretty cool.

Back by popular demand...

Word/phrase of the week: "Brilliant!" In place of "great" or "excellent" or basically any other term of emphatic excitement, it seems to be more often than not, "brilliant."

2007-05-27T22:29:00.000+01:00

Just a few shots of our week in Frankfurt. We brought home third place! Go Eagles! Off to Nice in a matter of hours so must get some zzzzz's.
I love these girls! Thanks for helping me get here to meet them! : )
kb

2007-05-22T22:29:00.000+01:00

I always hate to begin a letter, post, or email with an apology, but I am doing so here today. Sorry for not being in better touch over the past few weeks. I am on my way to Frankfurt, Germany tomorrow in the early a.m. for our big end of the season tournament for softball. We would equate it to a state tournament, I suppose. We call is ISST's, or International Schools Sports Tournament. Our hopes are high that we can come back with the title! : )

I will and can only be brief about the past couple of week's happenings... I can tell you that relationships with girls are deepening at a rate that only the Lord can explain. I am blessed to say that I have great friendships with several of the girls on the team, and I am having opportunity to be challenged, to be strengthened, and to become more and more reliant on the Lord's wisdom to show me next steps to take in certain situations. I feel overwhelmed at times and completely humbled to be placed into such life issues as those I have encountered as of late. If you think of it, would you pray for my continued boldness, wisdom, and follow through? Thank you. I assure you that the Lord is being faithful in circumstance and is using me to be his vessel. I am sure that He is doing the work, and I am only the vessel.

I am traveling to Nice, France to see my mom and two aunts almost immediately upon my return from Germany. I will be home in Londontown for the entire month of June, and I promise to work harder on giving you more detail and update. Thanks for being my friends, for being faithful to pray, and for your continued support in so many ways!! I cannot wait to see you this summer! I will be in the states in July. I will send an email update with dates soon!
Cheers!
kb

2007-05-16T10:55:00.000+01:00

Munich equals beautiful. I know that I have spoken many times about visiting Munich, but up until this last trip I had only been to the airport in Munich and then promptly caught a train to Starnberg. I got a proper view of Munich this time around.

I have posted a few visuals of my few days in Germany last week. Liesl, me, and Adam in the English Garden standing in front of a very cold river; Taryn, me, Julie, Liz, Liesl, and Michael at the biergarten near the Chinese Tower; a maypole in on of the "platz"es; Liz, Liesl, Taryn, and me with the Glockenspeil in the distance; a German guy surfing, yes, surfing on a river in the English Garden.

Munich is pretty in a different way than England is pretty. The foliage in Munich reminds me of North Carolina or Arkansas...a bit more of a natural, unmanicured green beauty.

2007-05-08T21:43:00.000+01:00

ASL Eagles in the huddle on Sunday at our all-day London rec league tournament...

We came in 2nd. I even got to play a little 3rd base. If you look close, you can see me in uniform with them. Just thought you might like to see the girls. They crack me up and delight my days as of late. More soon...

Off to Munich for the rest of the week for our last bit of training. Cheers until next week!

2007-05-07T14:56:00.000+01:00

Ever felt like you have too much to do to pray? And then, "something" inside tells you, "You have too much to do NOT to pray!" Yeah. Life overwhelms me and I get tossed to and fro oftentimes, like I am trying to swim in an ocean. As I think about this imagery, which by the way, scares me even more since I don't have a love for the water, I feel beaten down, tired, helpless, and worried. The next thought tells me that the Lord calmed the storm "immediately" when the disciples asked for help (Mt. 8.23-27). I am thankful for that "something" that lives in me that quickly jerks me out of my desperation doggie-paddle. More often than not, I try to do what I can to fix a situation, brainstorm, make phone calls, make lists... My first inclination is to "do", to "problem-solve", to "work harder" to come up with an answer. I know these tendencies like the back of my hand. I carry them with me like luggage from one place to another. I functioned this way in Arkansas as much as I do now in London. A wise friend of mine who lives in Guatemala on YL staff told me months before I set off for Londi: "No matter where you go, you take yourself with you." Yep. Confirmed. I find a lot of comfort in that statement, actually. I also find a lot of frustration and aggravation. What comes after those negative thoughts and emotion about myself?...a thought of a passage in Romans 9 that I remember reading one day in college while sitting by Lake DeGray during a necessary afternoon getaway (I spent a lot of time there.), "But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? 'Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' " I beat myself up for not being gifted in certain areas, for not being able to do certain things well that seem so easy for others. I struggle to ask for help, not wanting to burden or make presumption. I suppose I had figured out how not to struggle there would be no need for Jesus, yeah? Yeah.
I have learned that being alone for long stretches of time intensifies these predispostions to be so independent and self-sufficient. I will say that I feel good about having begun to take steps toward decreasing the alone time as of late. I am doing all I can at a measured pace to begin to build a bit more community. You can pray for that quest, if you think of it. You can also pray that I would not swim so rigourously, that I would wade out bit by bit, and that I would cry out for help when I need it "being fully persuaded that [had] power to do what he [has] promised".

Word/phrase of the week: "unlucky!" Clearly, we all know what this word means. However, it is a true testament to the politeness of the English in my opinion when you hear it on the "pitch" (field) of various sport competions. We (our ASL team, and even I got to play a little 3rd base) played in a London women's league sball tournament yesterday, and I heard it frequently when someone overthrew the ball or threw a poor pitch. I have heard it on the football pitch (soccer field), as well, when someone misses a goal kick..."Oh, unlucky!" Makes me smile.

2007-04-18T22:31:00.000+01:00

I am at a complete loss about where to begin. My week in Bulgaria was, as I said in my email, mind-boggling. It was beyond belief to me that people live in such a place as this orphanage in which we spent the week working.

Before I forget, let me explain the pictures you see above... One of the things that we discovered we could do without speaking the same language was make friendship bracelets. This is one of our girls making a bracelet with a boy that lives in our orphanage. This particular boy loves to say things like, "SUPER!", and the fave word of us all..."WOOOOOOW!" : ) The next two photos give you an idea of the work we got to do. The walls when we arrived were a deep green color like the gate you see in the last picture. The place quite honestly, looked like a dungeon, especially with such little electricity inside. We painted a mountain scene in light colors, which did a world of good to brighten up the place. We also made several picnic tables to put in their dining room in the basement and to place outside for them to sit on.

In the midst of all the work, we did take a bit of time to play with the kids. You see Jon here bouncing the basketball to four of the kiddos. The final picture is my friend, Desi, on the final day during our celebration. He adorned himself with streamers.

In the picture where the first picnic table has just been completed, you see the center room of the building. To the left of this room is the boys' corridor, and to the right is the girls' corridor. Up the stairs you see are rooms that house adults...why?...good question. (I can elaborate on that bit later.) Directly beneath the upper staircase is a staircase that leads down into the dining room and kitchen. In my email, you saw a picture of what that entryway to the dining room looked like...horrid. The dining room when we arrived had 2 inches of standing water sitting in it. The kids would have to walk through this water to get their meals and sit at tables in this room to eat. The drain in the middle of the room had been clogged for 2 years! No one had attempted to remedy that situation. Shocking. There are countless more details I can tell you about this facility...I will stop there for now. Let me just say...no human being should live in this environment. Our biggest feeling of accomplishment came when we unclogged that drain and saw the floor dry when we left! We put 6 picnic tables inside for them to eat on, as well.

Since my return on Saturday, I have been praying that I will not forget what I saw. I am praying that I will know what I am to do to continue to be a part of life at the orphanage in whatever way that is possible.

I found myself overcome by emotion throughout the week. My heart hurt for Bobby, who didn't have people to play football with him. I was moved by Desi, who went to sit and look out his window when we left after our week of work because he seemed overwhelmed by emotion knowing we would not return the next day. As I helped scrub the floor in the dining room that we bleached beyond imagination to remove as much filth as possible, tears surfaced as I thought about these kids not even knowing what "clean" smells like. I laughed with joy as I watched Desi speak broken English to my girls. He gradually showed us that he knew more than he initially let on. He giggled with delight when the girls called him out on how much he knew! I smiled from ear-to-ear as my friend (above making the bracelet) constantly affirmed my painting with a thumbs-up and a "Super!" every few minutes for an entire morning one day. He also helped me tear tape to protect a window. He would tear me a piece and then walk away. I would have to look for him between each piece I needed. (It makes me laugh right now just thinking about it!) I was touched when I saw Bulgaria and America unite and play a friendly game of football, helping each other up when they knocked each other down and encouraging great shots on goal.

So many other memories and stories float around inside me, and I am trying to journal them to avoid forgetting any moment I spent in Tran, Bulgaria. I will tell you that I heard the Gospel in a different way this past week. I heard the message of Hope with new perspective. I am filled with a new, clearer sense of thankgiving knowing that this world we live in is not the end of the story. I must believe in a loving God who did not intend for life to be lived as I have seen it in the past week. I must. The alternative, the hopelessness and utter depair is too painful to comprehend. I choose to believe.

2007-04-16T19:52:00.000+01:00

Delaney, Lizzie, Avery, and Kristen showing off their fabulous wellies. A view of the town of Trun, Bulgaria from the football pitch above the orphanage. Colin and Kristen, two kids who go to TASIS (an international school where Brooke, Tate, and Kerry do YL), putting together a tabletop for one of the many picnic tables that was constructed for the kids. A view of the orphanage from the basketball court that sits out in front. Bobby, one of the kids who lives at the orphanage, and a friend hang out during the day. (Bobby obviously saw me taking this picture...: )

2007-04-05T12:04:00.000+01:00

Sofia, Bulgaria...the capital of the country where will be working with kids in orphanages for the next week. I leave in a matter of hours. This trip will be my first proper work project trip, and I am excited to see what lies ahead. I am not a huge fan of the unknown, in general; however, through many experiences both here in England and stateside, I know that oftentimes the unknown many times holds the greatests lessons, perspective, and depth within its ill-lit existence. I will have pictures and stories to post upon my return to be certain.

On a much lighter, more superificial note, I got to spend an evening with my pal, Angelica, who runs in a crowd that brushes elbows often with all those famous and those who lurk outside restaurants and clubs with cameras, this week. She is a delight! Stories of our evening together are yet to be told as I could not do them justice at the moment. I need to take a bit of a rest before I am picked up to go to the airport in a couple of hours. I will tell you that I got an inside peek at Abbey Road Studios, which was uber cool. From what I understand, this kind of tour is not exactly an easy thing to swing.

Until I return next week, I will leave you with what I know to be a much anticipated word/phrase of the week... "gutted". As in..."My dad was completely gutted that he wasn't able to make it this evening for tea." or "We were gutted that we were unable to make the journey due to a prior commitment." An rather intense way of saying "heartbroken" or extremely upset.

Thanks in advance for all of your prayers and interest in our journey across Europe to Bulgaria. I so look forward to updating you when I return!

2007-03-21T12:00:00.000Z

Cobblestones. Have I mentioned to you all my newfound affection for cobblestones? You can find them everywhere I have been thus far in Europe and the UK. I love them. I take pictures of them in each new place I venture. I believe these are near Trafalgar Square, though I cannot be sure.

You must be careful walking on these uneven surfaces. Heels are a nightmare, as I have learned by trial and error. Most of the time you must walk slowly and watch every step you take to avoid an ankle twist. My mind reels as I think of various analogies and stories to correlate to this visual...hmmm... Today, my thought? I am thankful that I can step. I am thankful that I am not asked to run, but step. I would love to be a runner, but I am not. I need time to think, to exercise caution, and to understand my surroundings. Sometimes, my head gets ahead of my feet due to internal pressure, the world around me, or various other factors. The beauty in the whole of it? Life is not a sprint.

With loads of time lately with my move, to be introspective, I am realizing much about myself. I thought I was fairly self-aware before...nope. I mentioned last post that I miss my friends who know me. Yep, tis true. I have learned a lot of important life lessons from you people. Now, I have started a new chapter of learning, one filled with more solitude. Not better, not worse...different. I feel my thoughts are rolling about in my head, so forgive if I make little sense.

One of the pices of advice I like to pass along to those I encounter is to keep a journal of your life. You will never regret it. I am convinced of this fact. Having words, phrases, paragraphs written down helps give perspective, deeper meaning, and prompts memories...priceless. My brow furrows as I think of how little I have chronicled since my moving across the Atlantic. So much swirling about in my head and heart, that I find it difficult to pen musings which, to be honest, is unlike any other time in my life. Thanks for caring enough to check in on my ramblings from time to time on this outlet for outpouring. : )

2007-03-16T13:44:00.000Z

Sweet Ella Claire is a-ok! The last couple weeks have been quite tumultuous with many phone calls and emails back home to check on this little one's health. She has been given a clean bill of health after the removal of her spleen which contained the mass, which the doctors have now determined to have been a birthmark. Strange, yeah? Yeah. Regardless, all is well with her, and she is back to running around like the goofball full of joy that she is! She will need to take a daily dose of penicillin for the next several years to help her body with immunities that her spleen would have normally taken care of for her, but aside from that, she is completely healthy!*(See below)
Thanks be to God, who is good...ALL THE TIME!

Life in a different country is a funny thing. Interesting how often I have to sort of remind myself that I live in England. Obviously, the accents, the public transport, the Union Jack flying remind me on a regular basis. However, it is amazing how we as humans adapt to our environments. Though I realize that I no longer live in the United States, life does not look all that different in London than it does in Fayetteville at base level. I asked my pal, Alix, yesterday if she thinks she is a different person here than she is in Texas. She thoughtfully replied..."Yes, and no...No, and yes". I laughed and smiled knowingly. Indeed.
Life for me looks much like it would/did at home. I just happen to be able to pop down to Big Ben if I would like on any given afternoon. I can go soak up the sun at Regents Park rather than at Gulley Park. I can sit in Trafalgar Square instead of the square in Fayetteville.
A strange thing happened when I moved to a new country. Feelings of loss of day-to-day interaction with great friends, feelings of excitement of new adventures and new relationships, feelings of disjointedness and awkwardness in new surroundings, feelings of absolute peace being where I am, while feeling a bit lonely for my old life...though knowing full well that I should not be in said old life anymore, feelings that I will never be the same, and I would never wish to be... (the longest sentence ever? quite possibly. But sometimes, a contant stream of thought necessitates a run-on sentence. Especially when grading is not involved.)
I love London. I cannot believe most days that I live here and feel so at ease. I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving.
I miss all of you who read this on a regular basis. I miss the fact that most of you know what bits of this monologue lead me to make certain expressions on my face. I miss the shared knowledge, experience, and laughter that I have with so many of you.
I say all of this not to make you feel sad or sorry for me. I wish to only let you know that I think of you all so often and you are in my prayers. Though I miss my dear friends, my friendship with the Lord continues to grow deeper, and He is faithful to teach me how to more deeply trust Him. I pray this for each of you...

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
(Eph 3.18-20)

On a much less deep note... Please do me the favour of going to see the Diamond Hogs play some baseball this season! I truly believe there is nothing quite as lovely as a Sunday afternoon at Baum stadium watching some Razorback baseball! Soak it up for me! : )

Word/phrase of the week: "winge", to complain or moan. "I suppose I should stop my winging. What good is it doing?" Just another word that I enjoy.

*Dad's update on Ella...
The growth in her spleen was a hemangioma. A hemangioma is a BENIGN growth basically of confused capillaries. If you have seen a person with a large red birthmark, usually on the head or neck, that is a hemangioma. They are not that rare. The unusual (but not unheard of) thing about this one was that it was internal and in her spleen. Though they had a couple more slides to examine, the pathologists are 99% sure that this growth was BENIGN!!!

Growths like this are typically without symtoms and discovered while checking something else. This was pretty much the case with Ella Claire. With trauma, these growths are often susceptible to bleed. As you know, trauma to the mid-portion of the body often results in damage to the spleen. This could have caused serious internal bleeding. So, finding the hemangioma and removing the spleen was a blessing.

2007-02-27T22:35:00.000Z

Kerry and I went to see "We Will Rock You" this past week at the Dominion Theatre. It is a musical based around and intertwining Queen's music. Very entertaining, and just great fun to be at the theatre!

I know I have been a bit absent here on the blog the last couple of weeks, and I am probably going to leave you wanting in this installment, as well. However, it cannot be helped. I spend the next few days in Hertford, a town 30 min north of my bit of London, at my third installment of training. I have many an assignment to fine tune in the next handful of hours before my departure in the morning. I shall be back with you next week with stories of kidsitting this past weekend, my spinning class that turned my legs to utter jello, and a guy called Archie who has spoken much truth into my life the past few weeks.

2007-02-19T11:36:00.000Z

Tis a cloudy day in Londontown today. I would be lying if I said it didn't cause me to be a bit more tired when the sky appears gray. However, I am rejoicing that the 100 days of darkness are over! My colleague Michael in Hertford (an area 30 min north) has affectionately termed the beginning of daylight savings time until about a week ago as the "hundred days of darkness". It applies. This phrase may not have originated with him, but for me it did. So, I will give him the credit. The days have begun to get a bit longer. The other day during a meeting with these girls to the right, I could see blue skies at 5:30! Woo hoo! We are on the upswing and the light only increases from here on out!

So, yes, these are the girls I have been telling you about since I got here. From left to right: Alix, Mallory, Angelica, Lauren, and me. Alix and Mallory are YL leaders on my team. Lauren is from Colorado and has been here working. She was my first pal here. I am so thankful for the family of Young Life. Lauren (and all the others, too, actually, with the exception of Angelica) sent an email to the general inquiry section of YL in London, and we got connected. ("Technology! Name me one thing that we have gained from technology?" "Email and the internet", I add to Meg's reply of "Electricity!". Can you name that movie?)

We actually took this picture last week as it was our last time to meet with Lauren. She is off to see Switzerland, Italy, and then home to start grad school in Colorado. A bittersweet goodbye...sad to see her go and thrilled for her new adventure back home.

Angelica just moved from Arkansas to Londontown to live with her dad and do some studies here. I am so excited that she is here to hang out with us! She has blended right into our group, and she brings such life and stories to our times together. Her dad works at Abbey Road Studios, and she gets to work there in the afternoons. She is living the true London life...going to shows, meeting celebs by just bumping into them... : ) Very fun.

I thought it would be fun for you all to have faces to go with names, so there they are...my sweet college girls that highlight my week by coming to my flat to eat, pray, and laugh!

2007-02-07T21:49:00.000Z

As you can see, Krispy Kreme is alive and well in Londontown, and of course, us European YL staffers from America have found the nearest shop. How many of you have seen "Just Married"? Tell me that this car should not have Ashton and Brittany inside it stuck in a snowbank. If you look close you can see my reflection in the background. Unintentional, and fairly cool. It was parked directly across from my flat tonight as I walked in.

They are predicting a major snow over the next couple days here in London. It is truly strange to see how they prep for a potential storm. In a way , it is a bit like snow in Arkansas. All the sidewalks have sand on them just incase. Though it gets cold here, it rarely snows to any great degree. Like in AR, a few centimeters of white stuff will shut down school and halt most normal life activities.

I started this blog last week sometime, so that is why the date is off a bit.

I must start by saying that last night when I came home, this tiny hi-top car was parked across the street once again, but this time its nose was against the curb rather than being parked parallel. Truly, that is a small vehicle!

I have been venturing on foot through my fantastic city of Londontown. My mom gave me a guide to walks around London for Christmas, and I have been making a concentrated effort to explore. I love it! Wandering about on foot, becoming more familiar helps me feel more at home here. Last weekend, I journeyed from Bond Street to Baker Street which is very near my flat in St John's Wood. The Bond Street station is one of the places you could get off the tube to be on Oxford Street and Regent Street...the area most think of when they think of central London with tons of shops and loads and loads and LOADS of people most all the time. The next day, I went Jude-watching in Primrose Hill, another area just a few blocks away. I will end your suspense now. I had no sightings, but I did walk to the top the the "hill" to see a spectacular view of central London, including the London Eye. Where are those pictures, some of you are saying. Sorry. I am working on my issue of not wanting to look like a tourist. I will get you a picture sometime of said view. : )

I spent this past weekend in Virginia Water (Surrey) where my staff family resides. We had a regional staff day in Guilford, another part of Surrey, which is by the way, the name of the county sort of like Fayetteville is in Washington County. In this bit of Surrey is where those gorgeous scenes were filmed from The Holiday, speaking of Jude. (Zsa informed of this bit of trivia on our drive in. It is about a 30 minute drive from Virginia Water.) On the way back from V.W. on Sunday, I found myself in the midst of 3 couples speaking French as their first language. From what I could gather, one of the guys was English who was fluent in French and obviously married a French lady who did not stop talking the entire 45 minute train ride. If I sound annoyed, I just the opposite. What a beautiful language. I had to try hard to hide my big grin as I listened to them dialogue..."Ah, oui..."is the extent of what I understood. So pretty. No wonder it is one of the romance languages. No wonder Kate fell for Luc.

So, I did not see Jude, but...I did find out through my pal, Mallory, that the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) awards were going on last night. The comparison that was made was to The Golden Globes. She and her friend Beth were queuing (lining up) at 8 a.m. to get wristbands to stand on the red carpet as the stars walked down. Alix and I decided to take our chances around 3:30 p.m. to see if we could get close enough to see anyone. I have never been so smashed between people in my life! My calves ache today from standing on my tip-toes. Why is is that the tallest guys always stand on the front row as if they need to be close. This was the case as it always is at a "must see moment" at a concert of potential star sighting. At least 3 people behind me and on either side were using my shoulders as tripods for their cameras. I guess, the English personal space rule goes out the window when it comes to seeing celebs. Well, actually most of the people nearby were Americans, so I still think the English are more respectful of their fellow man. I mean, who is NOT taller than me? Why can't us short peeps get a break? Anyway, we were squeezed into a mass of people at the very end of the red carpet and saw the nominees getting out of their sedans and limosines. Ok, ok, who did I see? Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen (who waved at me!), Jake Gyllenhaal, Helen Miren... I could have waited around to catch a glimpse of more maybe, but I was literally smashed. We exited carefully and went out to Covent Garden to watch the rest of the arrivals on a big screen set up there. We met up with Mallory and Beth after at a pub nearby and heard their stories and saw pictures which I will try to post next time once Mal sends them to me. It was thrilling! Not as thrilling as it will be when I bump into Jude of Sir Paul on my street, but very cool.

Being proper as I am, I ate my first fish n' chips, served with green peas, since my arrival last October in this afore mentioned pub, called The Essex and something or other. The girls all sort of mocked me, but I felt it appropriate. In the words of Ella, "Hmm...tasty!"

Oh! One more thing, in the spirit of my trying to explore Londi on foot, I walked from my flat to Covent Garden yesterday which I must say I felt extremely proud for doing so. It was easily navigated, but it took about an hour...perhaps a bit more. I would like to write a big Thank You note to the person or people who put together this amazing book called the "A to Z(ed)".

Word/phrase of the week: "all swings and roundabouts" Let's see...how do I explain this one? Mark, our student staffer Englishman, said this phrase in staff meeting this past week. Ok, if you know what a roundabout is..."Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament!", you know you could just keep going and going around and around if you so chose. I would say, it is the equivalent of a conversation "going around in circles getting nowhere close to resolution". I liked it.

2007-02-02T13:29:00.000Z

Is it just me or do the seats on the tube look like they belong in a Dodge Neon? I don't recall why or when, but at some point we had to rent a car years and days ago when I was a teenager. It was a Neon. I remember thinking then how strange it was to put such colorful seats in a car as upholstery. But, then again it is called a Neon. So, I suppose it is appropriate. Perhaps the engineers decided that since most journeys via the underground can be somewhat crowded, too warm, and prone to delay that the passengers needed a bit of brightness upon which to rest themselves during their commute. I had to sneak this photo, by the way, so people didn't think me mad (a.k.a. crazy).

I suppose I should be taking pictures outside today what with the weather being rather mild and the sun shining beautifully. The blustery winds have calmed, and the sun has emerged much to my delight. I am sitting in my flat listening to some Lionel Richie and trying to be inspired to formulate a talk and a Bible study I am presenting at the end of this month. I am looking forward to creating said assignments, to be honest. It has been awhile, and I have missed writing/presenting. Who would have thought I would miss speaking in front of people? Not me, I assure you. Not a few years ago. It is truly amazing how the Lord works.

I have been a fair bit nesty this past week. I know you are thinking, "Is 'nesty' a British-speak word?". Could be. It is Kym-speak, that is for sure. I have been working a bit more on my flat, making it warm and welcoming. I spend a good bit of time in this space, so I feel an extra need to make it "homely". : )

I had coffee yesterday with one of my new high school friends. She is going with us on the Service Project to Bulgaria in April! She is super sweet, and I so look forward to getting to know her. I also got set up to kid-sit (all teenagers, so not "babysitting") a couple times in the next month for another family! It looks like as of right now, all is going to go smooth with my helping coach the varsity girls softball team, as well. My thankfulness abounds as the Lord works on His own timetable and teaches me to TRUST. Isn't that what it is all about, anyway? I believe it is, don't you, Pop? Everyday I believe and embrace that truth more. TRUST, full stop. (In England, instead of saying "period" for emphasis at the end of a sentence, they say "full stop".)

Hope your are all well this week!

Word/phrase of the week: "mac" , raincoat. Go listen to "Penny Lane" by The Beatles. I learned this one while comparing words with Zsa one day. "And the banker never wears a mac in the pouring rain...very strange." Zsa and I were talking about definitions of words, and this one came up. The next time I heard "Penny Lane", I almost yelled out loud, "Hey! I get it!". I refrained, but I grinned big with new found understanding.

"Would you mind waiting until next week for another word or phrase?" A bonus...every little thing here is completely polite. In church, instead of saying, "Be seated." or "You may be seated.", they say, "Would you mind taking a seat?". I love it!

2007-01-25T21:07:00.000Z

Back from Munchen.

We had a great time in Starnberg, a town about an hour away from Munich. All of the international staff in Europe and beyond gathered for the YL European Winter Staff Conference. Our week was full of fellowship, learning, encouragement, and much laughter. I got to see old friends and make many new ones. I truly now can say that I have friends all over the world...from Japan to Madrid, from Munich to The Netherlands. It truly is encouraging and amazing to see how these friends are building relationships all over the world with kids. We went to eat a couple of nights at true Bavarian restaurants where the waitstaff donned true German dress from head to toe, did traditional dances, and played accordians and autoharps. This guy pictured with the accordian was a bit of a flirt, winking at any girl who would hold glance with him for longer than 5 seconds.

I am pleased to be home in England. I have no trips planned of any substantial length until April, so I look forward to staying close to home for a few months. As I had suspected, my arrival back to Londontown has brought me much more clarity and presence of mind...a more centered feeling. The staff conference brought great encouragement and provided a spring board into ministry for the semester. I look forward to doing a bit more exploration of this fair city so that I am more versed of its charms for when the guests start arriving which I hear will be soon.

Exciting news! I have mentioned our Service Project that we are taking in April with kids from all over Europe? I got my first sign-up yesterday! I am thrilled, and we are praying for nine more to decide to journey off to Sofia, Bulgaria with us. My brain is feeling dry of bits and pieces to report this day, so I will get back to you soon. I am out the door shortly to have my "induction" (walk around the facility to get acquainted with what it has to offer) to the leisure center I joined yesterday. Perhaps getting some treamill time will stimulate my thoughts, and I will report more this week. I have added a "subscribe" option to the top of my page for those of you that want a reminder or just a personal update of when I update. : )

Cheers for now,

Word/phrase of the week: "homely", or what we would call "homey". I know. These two words appear to mean the exact opposite of each other, but this is why I felt obliged to share with you this definition. I was sharing with a friend how much "homier" my flat seems now that I have put up more pictures and decor when this word came up. She told me that someone here had come into her home and described its furnishings as "quite homely" in a kind, complimentary tone. She checked her immediate reaction of being offended and realized the meaning is different in England. : ) Funny. Oh, the Brits! I love the constant learning.

2007-01-10T21:30:00.000Z

Back home. As I heaved my enormous suitcase into my flat yesterday, I had an overwhelming sense of being glad to be home.

What a great time I had back in the U. S. of A. over the last few weeks seeing family and friends! I got to see loads of friends, and my heart warmed as I walked through their kitchens and saw a magnet of me on their refridgerators. I was blessed to be reminded that though at times I feel by myself in this move and ministry, the fact is that many, many people are a vital part of what the Lord is doing in my life. I am quite visual, so that image of so many fridges will not soon leave me. Thank you!

I wanted to post a bit so you knew I arrived safe and sound. I am leaving today for Germany for a week to go to a winter staff conference. I am just about over jet lag, I think, but it has been a tad difficult for my body to figure out where in the world I am over the past week. When I get back from Germany, I will get back in the groove of Thursdays.

Waiting to hear back from the authorities that be, the visa folks, concerning approval to be able to coach in the spring. You can pray for that approval to come along speedily!

Word/phrase of the week: "fancy". "Do you fancy him/her?" "Would you fancy a cup of tea?" As you can tell from these examples, it is another word in place of "like". As ever, it sounds more pleasing to the ear, does it not? I suppose this word might be used in the way we would think as Americans here, but I have yet to hear it. Monica would use it to name several categories of towels, for example. : )

2007-01-03T23:04:00.000Z

A view of London celebration for you! One of these coming years, I am going to make sure I am back for a personal look at this amazing display!

A few recommedations for the new year? This album was introduced to me by my precious pal, Kristen several years ago, but I recently happened upon it again. I love it just as much as the first time I heard it! I think you might dig it. It brings joy to my spirit and makes me groove! What could be better than that?

I am rereading this book this month. What a fantastic reminder of the definition of GRACE! Truly sufficent and amazing.

2007-01-03T22:04:00.000Z

Happy New Year!

Have you made any resolutions? I just looked up "resolve" in Mr. Webster. Basically, he says resolving to do something requires determination and decision. A decision to be determined about doing something or not doing something.

My resolutions always seem daunting at the beginning of new year filled with pressure and potential for failure if I miss a day of being "determined". I would like to resolve this year to have more grace with myself in these lofty goals. Be honest, aren't your resolutions lofty? I mean, if they were easy and took little work, we would just do them and not have to write them down, making a point to remember and reach. Fantastic! Make your resolutions large, vast, and great! Reach beyond yourself and believe you can achieve your greatest desires! My word of encouragement? Take each day as its own entity. We are human, and we will drop the ball, our resolve waning, from time to time. Have grace with yourself. Expect some lapses. But, don't throw in the towel or beat yourself up. Start again tomorrow. Baby steps and process teach the greatest lessons, ones that we will remember. A challenge? Grow this year. Whatever that means to you...just strive to grow.

Ok, I will now update you a bit on me. I write that paragraph of admonition above to myself just as much as to anyone else. I constantly need reminders of perspective and healthy expectation.

As you can see above, I had some good quality time with my nieces, Ella Claire (the eldest) and Isabel (Izzy), over the holiday here in Little Rock. We made my favourite Christmas treat with our hands, laughed a lot, and did a bit of work cleaning the floor. : )

I have a handful of days left here in LR before going back the ville to jet back home to London. As with any trip home (where the fam is) since leaving for university, my heart always looks forward to returning to "my" world I call home. Strange that this time around I call England home. Still surreal, but oh so lovely! As I have mentioned several times to many of you, I feel the haze has lifted a touch, and I look forward to feeling more like "Kym" in London over the next several months. I am making lists like mad, preparing for projects, and getting excited about formulating talks and reading books.

Happy New Year, friends!

May the Lord bless your days, one day at a time!

2006-12-22T04:34:00.000Z

Arkansas. I have returned to "the states", and I am pleased to be here. In the words of a great friend from years past, I will give you a few "snapshots" of my time thus far. While finding a table outside at the neighbourhood Starbucks with my slice of lemon cake, I look up to see a dear friend sitting at the drive-thru window. Correction...I hear her before I see her. I hear: "OH MY GOSH! IT IS KYM BRINKLEY!!!!" Now that is a greeting that I have definitely not heard in 3 months on the other side of the ocean. Wow! Some the best hours have been spent with a boy named Drew, who one afternoon while we were hanging out told me, "Kymmy, you are best girl I know." (Yes, Drew is 4 1/2 years old.) Drew and I made my favourite Christmas candy and took a walk around his neighbourhood picking up sticks. His reaction to the gift of a toy London taxi and double decker bus..."Mommy, this is amazing!" I mean, come on. Wow. Multiple meals have commenced that have included tacos, Rotel, and salsa, and though my stomach is trying to remember spice after having being immersed in such bland English food for a while, I have thoroughly enjoyed some Mexicano flavor back in my diet. Friends gathered around a table eager to hear stories, to listen for words that I have added to my vocab since moving abroad, and to make me laugh delighted my spirit beyond my ability for description. Christmas classics watched with my extended family while eating tasty treats and singing at the top of our lungs to R&B favourites. Nice. Time with the family has begun, and I appreciate it deeply. Time to rest, to read, to sleep, to turn off my brain for a bit. Time to chat, laugh, play, and be in the land of familiar.

Christmas will come in a few days. Presents will be unwrapped. French toast will be eaten. : ) After the festivities, my precious friend, Sarah, is visiting from Texas for a few days whom I have not seen in way too long who makes me laugh, reminds me of the definition of "real", strengthens my faith, and challenges me to be a deeper person. I could not be more excited!!

I do miss this hallway that you see above these words. Or as my vicar in London would describe it, my "corridor". I do love that word. It rolls out of the mouth a bit sweeter, does it not? When you walk into my door off the high street you walk down this corridor to reach the door to my flat. I miss London, which I think is a good sign. I am convinced my place of residence is at the end of that corridor at this time of my life. Surreal. True. I look forward to going back without doubt.

At the same time, I love being here with my friends and family. I know I write about it often, but I am so beyond thankful for them. This appreciation grows and intensifies inside me more than ever with an ocean between us. What a blessing to be able to come back and spend time with so many people who long to know how I am and how the Lord is working. They(you) humour me with my endless references about "in England, they do this" or "in London, it is like this..." I appreciate that love and know that you genuinely enjoy hearing me go on and on as you continue to ask questions. Thank you. I am humbled to have difficulty seeing all the people that would like to see me and hear stories. Thank you. I am overwhelmed by blessing and thanks.

Christmas is my favourite. Ok, birthdays are my favourite, too. Well, truly I like to celebrate, in general, let's be honest. But, I love Christmas. I love watching White Christmas with my pop, singing along with Bing and Danny. I love listening to Harry Connick, Jr. sing "Ave Maria" and "I Pray On Christmas". I love watching my family open gifts and holding up said gifts making the same goofy expression we always make. I love laughing my head off with my brother as he...well, just as he is himself. : )

This year, I especially love that I get to be here with my family for Christmas. What a gift! Truly, as I am continuing to discover, the gift of relationship with people...people whom you love and people who love you back...is the greatest gift of all.

Thanks be to God. kb

(I will ask for a reprieve from my normal "word/phrase of the week" segment, as I am not within country for the next few weeks. I will pick it back up when I touch back down onto English soil.)

Oh, and I just realized that the option to comment was not possible on my page. I think I fixed it, so if you want to try to comment, feel free! : )

2006-12-07T17:17:00.000Z

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.

2006-11-25T13:57:00.000Z

So, I am reading this book at present on the recommendation of some American friends here in London. If any of you have any interest in behaviour of the English, you would truly enjoy this read, I think. It is quite interestingly done. Kate Fox is English, so it is the real deal. I have found that as I co-exist with natives here that many of these observations are quite true and add humour to my world.

I left some of you wanting if you checked on Thursday for a posting, but since it fell on a holiday, I thought you might be otherwise engaged. I spent the day celebrating, as well, though it looked different than any day o' turkey I have spent previously. I attended a church service at St Paul's Cathedral with quite a few Americans, sang God Bless America, and got to hear the American Ambassador speak. I enjoyed it, and the aesthetics of St Paul's could only be topped by some of the churches in Rome that I saw a month ago, though I believe I prefer the more understated "Paul" to the extravagantly ornate "Peter". I finished my day with Brooke, Tate, Kerry, and their friends who visit every year at Thanksgiving. We feasted as is appropriate on this American holiday that seems to focus on good eats! : ) We even watched a bit of NFL to truly remind us we are Americans.

I am on my way out the door to have feast, the sequel, with my friends who live around the corner. What a blessing to have multiple people to celebrate with, especially when I couldn't be home with my own fam on this weekend.

Sad to read about the Hogs getting beat by LSU, but hey, on to the title game, yeah?

GO HOGS GO!!!!!

I started this post the day after Thanksgiving, so clearly our Hogs did not pull out the SEC title. Sad again. But, I left that little bit in because, I mean, no matter what... GO HOGS! : )

I have spent the last week in a little town called Hertford (pronounced "Hart"ford), which is about an hour commute for me from my flat in central London. Young Life goes there as well but differs a bit as ministry is done with nationals, a.k.a. English kids. For three days, I attended some YL training, the second installment of the year. (The first was in Munich when I first arrived.) Wow. What an amazing time of rejuvination and uplift for me. Being with people who are experiencing the same struggles, joys, are of the same heart and mission...priceless. Truly. To be prayed over, to laugh LOUD, to be moved by wisdom and insight that Scripture and years of life and experience of others...priceless. I hadn't even realized that I was in need of some of those things mentioned prior until I received them. It is truly a great gift that the Lord is omniscient and knows my thoughts, needs, and desires even before I do. I continue to stand amazed.
I deepened some friendships with some people and began new connection with some fantastic new folk. : ) I am so energized by other people who love the Lord. We talked a bit this weekend about how truly awe-inspiring friendships are that begin so quickly, grow so deeply, and bond us so closely when we have the common denominator of a relationship with Jesus. I hope and am assured that many of you have experienced this phenomenon in your own lives. I was reminded again this week.
After training, some of my pals came back into the city with me, dropped off their luggage at my flat, and we ventured off to see the lights of London. I loved it! We laughed hard. We shopped, looking longingly at shoes, clothes, etc. that exceeded our income. We walked by the Thames, looking at the city lit up in beauty. I had a couple girls stay with me in my flat on my snazzy Ikea sofa bed. I loved having people stay with me even though we realized quickly why I am the only one who lives in those small quarters. So fun! We went back into the city and met up with the boys and a friend of theirs (who is now friends with us) to do a bit more sightseeing. Such a delight to play with friends. Fun for friends to come into my flat and compliment it. Fantastic to navigate the tubes with me and be silly. A stake digs in this past week as a time of ease, a time when I have truly begun to feel like myself here. A burden of...something has fallen off my shoulders, and I have busted through a wall of realization of my home being in England. I struggle to find the words to express all because I cannot really explain it. I just feel good, refreshed, full of joy, and encouraged to love the Lord more deeply.
I went back to Hertford after my day of play with friends in the city to attend the European Women's Conference. Also amazingly refreshing and uplifting to see and relate to women in the same situation as myself. I am thankful. Closer connection with my fellow staff women that I work with here in London is a blessing. I love my England family.

So, I come back to Arkansas in a week and a half. Wow! I am baffled a bit about that fact. I am excited! Though I love it here and am assured I am in the exact spot where I belong, I miss you guys! I am pumped that my annual Christmas gathering where we watch Christmas classics such as "Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is planned and on my calendar! I cannot wait to see my family and sweet nieces! I am excited to see many of you!

Oh, can I just say that my internet is not only working at my flat, but it is crazy fast! It takes me less than 15 minutes to download my weekly "Grey's Anatomy". Woo hoo! : )

Word/quote of the week: "loads"(in honour of stef), meaning "a bunch"
or "lots". As in...I love you loads. I have loads of friends and family to see when I get home. I have loads of things on my to-do list to accomplish before leaving England.

2006-11-22T22:54:00.000Z

In the top right hand corner...the gang that took the trip to Roma; Kerry, me, Stacy, and Chris. Adjacent you will see us smiling after my birthday dinner at this great little restaurant called "The Yellow Pumpkin". Next, you see me enjoying a Latte Machiatto that I got as many days as possible. I found it at a little sidewalk cafe across the street from the Vatican. (I went so many days that I figured out exactly how to order from the Italian man behind the counter...when to pay, when to step aside and wait. My travel companions laughed at me. Hey, when I find something I like...well, I like it A LOT! Next to my coffee bliss, a street with cool trees that I saw all over Rome. Here I am at the Trevi Fountain (on my birthday!). Also, me in front of the Pantheon. (It is enormous!) Lastly, me inside the Colosseum, and to your immediate left...ancient Rome.

I am happy to give you a proper slide show and narrative when I come home for Christmas, but I thought I would share a bit now.

2006-11-16T23:58:00.000Z

Connection. So, as per usual, I looked up this word in Webster. Would you believe how appropriate definition number five is? "5 : to establish a communications connection ". I mean, come on, could that express my newly acquired internet capabilities any better? : )

Yes. It is a reality, and keeping with the spirit of previous posts, I feel "complete" as a person, no having internet in my flat to use at my whim. In my email to my fellow London staff today, my comment was, "(Sigh)...So nice!" I think that pretty much sums it up.

You are looking at the view from the platform at my tube stop, St John's Wood. (I took this picture actually a few weeks ago. All the posters are changed often, so it no longer looks exactly like this when I wait for my train.) I spend quite a bit of time standing and waiting for the tube to transport me to and fro around the city. I quite like this form of transportation for the most part. Rush hours (a.k.a. work traffic in morning and evenings) cram people in like sardines inside these trains, and I like to avoid carrying loads of any great size...but all in all, I appreciate public transport a great deal. So there is a bit of a glimpse into my world.

A friend of mine here, Min, invited me to attend a class with her being offerred through All Souls Church (one of the churches I have mentioned visiting in posts prior) entitled "Engaging Islam". I must say I am enjoying it quite a lot. As many of you know or may have interpreted, I love learning, studying, and absorbing information especially about belief and people. What amazing opportunities I am finding here to feed that part of my person. Perhaps these kinds of opportunities have been at my fingertips in the States, and I have not taken advantage due to my comfort level and lack of awareness of my need to be continuously learning. I know not. (I do know, however, that my brain has not turned off since landing on this side of the pond....which is ok, fun, difficult, challenging, exhausting, and a blessing. I can see it as a pendulum swinging amidst all of these descriptors.)
So, this class... The instructors are intensely knowledgeable about the topic of Islam and the Muslim community. I could give loads of information that I have learned in the few hours I have sat in the church soaking in all I can and scribbling frantically trying to write notes that will peak my memory when I read them again, but I will refrain for the moment and focus in on my "take-away" from this evening's time. I felt sad. I felt sad that this community is told not to question. I feel like that takes away a key part of our identities as people, our ability to think, ask questions, and discover why we hold fast to something or someone. I am even more convinced that LOVE is the answer. Always love. Part of the focus of this class is to learn how to effectively minister and express Christianity (Jesus) to our Muslim friends. Respect. I love that our teachers are placing high value on respect for the Islamic culture and their beliefs. I believe that the truth should be spoken/expressed in love. If I am to tell anyone of any faith, of my beliefs, I am to respect that person with whom I am speaking. I should not be combative or argumentative or aggressive. I should be thoughtful, gentle, honest, and loving. I am truly passionate about gentleness.

My point? I think oftentimes I worry about my knowledge. I want to be an authority on any topic I may be discussing. Though I place a high value on knowledge, I am constantly moved by"how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ" (Eph. 3.18). Pervasive. Learning about other people shows respect in my mind. Taking the time (a precious commodity) to read, study, ask questions about others, what they believe, where they come from,etc. is an act of love and respect at the exact same time...commandment #2. So, learn and love; love and learn. I would write these two words on top of one another if I could. I believe they should be ongoing and simultaneous.

Ok, so in the world of central London Young Life... I am fortunate to have a few girls (who I have mentioned repeatedly previously) who will lead with me. We got together this week for the first time (for YL reasons...we have been meeting up on Sundays for church for quite a few weeks.) in my neighbourhood to talk about loving on kids. I am truly excited about these young women, their hearts for the Lord, and the sparkle in their eyes when we brainstorm about how to love kids here. The Surrey crew (Brooke, Tate, Kerry, and Zsa Zsa) are having their annual tea (banquet, which is appropriately a tea here) this coming Sunday, and I will be helping out. Basketball season is gearing up, so I am pleased to be able to watch an indoor sport as opposed to football (soccer) in the now chilly, windy climate we are now experiencing.

As for me... I have been here right at two months now. I am learning to slow down...when walking around the city, when making my schedule. But mostly, on the inside...learning to take deep breaths and truly settle in. I keep telling people that I am "still getting settled", which is quite true. I think I have been saying and writing that, though, with the expectation that at some point in the near future there will be a day where I say, "Yes, I am settled in!". I have come to believe that as I began my last post, that "settling in" is a process, as well...a process that will not be complete for some time. So here is my challenge to you... If you catch me saying anything as vague as "I'm still settling", call me on it. : )

Ok, B, here you go. Word/phrase of the week: "sorted" ex. "Did you get everything sorted?" You probably understand this statement. They just do a way with our usual "out" at the end of the sentence. I hear this all the time. It could be used..."Have you gotten your flat sorted?" or in general..."Are you sorted?" meaning "Are you ready to go?" or "Do you have everything?". It is key when you read this to speak in your best British accent.

A bit of a bonus. My favourite word spoken in a British accent... "water". Say it. It sounds so romantic. Say it like you would normally say it. Then try it in accent. See! Just gorgeous.

I think you are great. kb

2006-11-08T14:28:00.000Z

So, the "process" continues. Good news in the progress, though. I have an appointment for tomorrow morning to have my digital cable installed and the equipment for my broadband to be up and running is in the mail on its way to me. Woo hoo!!! Perhaps my next blog can be done from the coziness of my flat. (Fingers crossed.)
I am a day early this week because I am at Starbucks with my computer, because I missed this past Thursday, and because...well, I run this show. I can blog when I want to...my perrogative, yeah? : ) Extra high fives if when you just read that word..."perrogative", you started singing the Bobby Brown interpretation of what this word means. I did, so I will high five myself. Ok, I won't. I am in Starbucks in my neighbourhoood. I spend a lot of time here, and I cannot afford to make myself look like a weirdo.
Ok, the word/phrase of the week? "By in large..." which means, "on the whole" or "for the most part". It is one of those phrases that is used commonly here. Yet another phrase that is not all that odd but simply another way of phrasing the English language. I love it. I cannot say that enough. I love it.
At church this week (at HTB, and by the way, you can download their sermons every week at http://www.htb.org.uk) I discovered that the British accent lends heavily to my worship experience. Those of you that know me well (and/or read my blog regularly, I suppose) are aware of my love of language. I live in the right spot for that passion to be fanned into flame, I assure you. At times, "I get lost in the language", as Meg would say in a popular movie with Tom Hanks. The sermon on Sunday morning pertained to our covenant relationship with the Lord. Not any of the subject matter was new or foreign to me necessarily, but usage of works like "corridor" rather than hallway or pathway speaks to my spirit. (I truly recommend you listen to that sermon online if you get a few minutes...Archie Coates was the pastor who delivered it.) I dunno. Just thought I would share.
To be honest and real, I must say at times the language, phrasing, and speed of talking does make my brow furrow and hurt a bit after long conversations with my new pals here in the U.K. I must work harder to process and sift through meanings, sarcastic undertones, and intent. Dialects are distinct just as they are in the States. Someone from Scotland sounds completely different from someone from London. Different parts of England carry different accents, as well.
A great realization has been that people are people no matter where you reside. What a gift the Lord has given us in the commonality in humanity. This thread that runs through us all, a need for love, respect, laughter, etc... allows me to feel at home regardless of whether I know only a handful of friends here or whether I know loads as I do there in Arkansas. What a blessing!
In terms of ministry... I have met a handful of parents and kids. I am filling out paperwork this week to coach middle school and to help assist with the high school softball teams at ASL. I feel positive and uplifted about the connections that are being made. Feel free to email or call if you have any questions or just want to chat. Oh, and it looks like I will be home (visiting both Fayetteville and LR) in mid-December! Just FYI. You guys are the best, and I love you much!
Soon...
kb
Oh, I think there are more pigeons here than people, so I posted a picture of them. Let me just say that back before the cold snap that has hit us, I was a bit fearful to open my windows too far as I thought I might have a few uninvited guests. : )

2006-10-30T19:41:00.000Z

2006-10-25T20:21:00.000+01:00

Michael Bolton. As I sit in the lobby of our hotel in Roma, the greatest hits of Mr. Bolton plays over me and my fellow friends and travelers, Chris, Stacie, and Kerry. You know I am not afraid to admit that I loved some MB back in the day. That guy can belt it out. Ok, sorry, tangent. But truly when was the last time and when will be the next when you sit and listen to Michael of one's own accord. I cannot forsee it happening, so I thought it noteworthy.
Rome. Wow. Bellisima! I am overwhelmed by how ancient, how full of history, how rich with talent and meaning...amazing. We have made the rounds to say the least and walked ourselves to the point of throbbing feet for the past handful of days. We happened upon the best tour guide of all time, Michael, an English guy who truly knows his stuff. What a joy to have his perspective as we looked at ancient ruins, picturesque statues, and vast buildings. He truly loves history, storytelling, and people. We even went to the extent of getting our picture taken with him...American groupies, we are and proud of it. Well, "proud" may not be the word, but we got a picture to capture our three days we spent with him on guided tours.

OK, this post was started last Thursday, on my regular posting day. I only had a bit of time to compose, but I wanted to leave it on there so you could hear some words directly from Italy. I sit presently taking a break from being on hold with the would-be company who will hook up my broadband and cable. Process. The theme for my life, I have discovered. I could write a book about all the implications of this seven-letter word in my life, as I am sure you could as well. My thought at the moment lives with the process of setting up house, if you will, here in England. I suppose moving anywhere involves time taken to get all put in place, but it seems as if another country adds a new dynamic. So, the process of constant, predictable internet access continues. I'll keep you posted on the progress of said process. : )

So, I spent my birthday in Rome. I turned twenty-eight as I toured St. Peter's Basilica, The Christian Catacombs, wandered past The Pantheon, and ate gelati. Never before in my life...I am overcome with awe. Fantastic, special, and memorable. I missed Becky, who is my twin seperated by a few years. I missed Ginny and Steph, my pals who also have October birthdays, who I would have celebrated with had I been home. I missed Bordino's from last year with my fun friends and the year before when I got surprised with a birthday ghetto dance party... My point? The only thing that would have made my celebration better would have been to have my sweet friends there to hug, laugh with, and stay up late with chatting. So, though I feel blessed to have a bit of a dreamlike 24th this year, know it felt strange to not be with you guys.
Rome is amazing. The city holds such history, story, and visual impression. As mentioned, we had a great tour guide that showed us around and increased my enjoyment of my living history lesson. I was pleased to find that a few years of life has deepened my interest in topics such as Constantine legalizing Christianity, St Peter's Basilica being worth $40 billion, and what prison would have looked like for Peter. It truly is a shame that when you learn all these facts in school, they are so crammed in for the purpose of test taking that they easily seep out of your memory. I wish I could have retained all my facts I absorbed on my trip, but though some have been lost, I do remember quite a lot and can tell you all you want to know (and more, I am sure) when I get to see you in December as I show the massive slide show of photos that I will have in my possession.

I have taken a few snapshots of my flat and will try fervently to post some of both my home and Rome. HA! Laugh, you know you want to...feel like I am there with you being a complete goof. : ) (That pun was unintentional, by the way, but I left it in because I laughed out loud at myself.) Sometimes this blogger rejects my requests to put up pics. Ah, technology!

As far as words/phrases of the week go, to be truthful, I must speak a bit of Italian to you...interesting how it seems that Italian is sort of Spanish and French put together. (Ok, it probably is not at all, but knowing un pocito de espanol was a bit helpful in communicating there.) So... "Grazie" and "Prego", or Thank you and You're welcome, were the most foreign words used this past week. Ok, that's lame. You don't wade through all my thoughts and analyzations for that sillyness that you already know...what can I come up with for the week? Hmmm...
ok, how about "spot on". It means what you would most likely think it would, but it is used here quite a lot. Our equivalent would be like "on the nose". A little boy answered a question on our tour in Italy, and Michael (the Englishman) replied exhuberantly, "Spot on! You are correct." I liked it. Tis clever.
Look for more on Thursday. Oh, and Happy Halloween! Eat candy corn for me!

2006-10-19T16:33:00.000+01:00

Well, I officiallly have a home in London. I moved in this past Tuesday and have been working on settling in. I cleaned like crazy this morning, and I truly was able to unpack most of my suitcases for the first time since I have been here. It felt great! I took my first trip to IKEA on Tuesday and purchased a sofa bed, desk, and desk chair to put in my studio flat. I also got some essentials to enable me to live there. : ) I am making my next massive list of little things to decorate and other items to shelve and store my clothes, etc. to truly make me feel organised and efficient in my small space.
I am jetting off to Rome next week with Kerry for a handful of days on holiday (what we call vacation over here). I am truly excited to visit Italy, eat great food, and sightsee like crazy. I will post pics in a couple weeks of that trip. I might be able to do so from Roma, but no promises. Not sure what the internet situation will be.
Tuesday was a big day. I also went to see "Guys and Dolls" at the Piccadilly Theatre. Patrick Swayze was advertised as playing Nathan Detroit, but unfortunately was a no-show. I heard he has been having trouble with his voice since he has been in this show. Oh well. It was fantastic, and I had a great seat...15th row, center! No flash photography allowed, or I would put up some photos of the show.
As I wait for my internet to be hooked up in my flat...could be a week and a half or so, I am using my new friends', Rudy and Susan's connection. I have been blessed to have met a few people who live in my neighbourhood!
I met this morning with the athletic directors at ASL, and it looks like I will, indeed, be able to coach softball at the school. Most likely it will be middle schoolers and getting to help with the JV and Varsity teams in the high school! I am super excited about this opportunity to plug in at the school.
The next couple of weeks will be a bit like it was when I first got here in my ability to be in touch via email. Just wanted you to have a heads-up, so you didn't think I was ignoring any of you!
Thanks, thanks, thanks for being my friends!

Word/phrase of the week: "You alright, yeah?"
This phrase is used in place of "How are you?" or "What's up?" I love it!