So Here We Are

I'm back in North Carolina.

In Littleton.

Hoy, no esta feliz

I'm packing my room. trying to leave it like I found it like mom said. For I leave today. Actually, I leave so soon, I need to get off here and get to work.


Cheers

Ian

Only 2 More Days

I'm sitting in my bed on my second to last day here in Edinburgh. My heart is so sad because I don't want this time to end. I will truly miss it.

I'll miss Gordon's banter about the world
I'll miss Barry's talks about America
I'll miss taking shots about being America
I'll miss the castle view from West End
I'll miss the football matches and chips with vinegar
I'll miss pies
I'll miss Jon and the bin runs to the skip
I'll miss Sam Raby, even though he's only been here for 3 weeks
I'll miss taking jabs at Victoria.
I'll miss talking with Grace and making jokes about English
I'll miss morning prayers that Pam puts together
I'll miss the Braais at Rich and Heather's
I'll miss the Mabry family immensely. Especially Allana and Nora.
I'll miss Theology with Adam.
I'll miss being in the staff meetings with Tom and Perry and talking church.
I'll miss the sun being up until 10 at night.
I'll miss really long walks through all parts of the city.
I'll miss the flowers.
I'll miss ultimate frisbee with the guys and gals in the meadows.
I'll miss the meadows.
I'll miss the church.

I'll miss way more than that too, but you're getting bored and I've gotta get moving. I'll speak soon. (maybe).

Dunoon

So I drove to Dunoon yesterday and it was awesome and super thrilling. There is nothing cooler than your first roundabout.

It's really pretty over here and I got to meet some family that I haven't ever seen and also family that I haven't seen in years. I'm only staying for one night, so I'm not going to get to see a lot of them, but at least I came over here.

I got to see the little town where my Dad grew up and where he used to go swimming and I got to see my Aunt and Uncle's new house. I'm excited that I have family here. It makes for a great safety net in case anything happens.

I also got to watch Celtic win the Scottish Premier League for football which was a very exciting event for my family. Especially since my Uncle is a season ticket holder for Celtic.

There is not much else happening and I'm going back to Edinburgh in the morning for my leaving party from Starbucks. I'll write after that.

Cheers.

New Post

Hope the world is okay,

I leave in a week.

All the rest of my days are full tons of things to do and people to see. I have a strong feeling that I will be missed here.

If you want anything. post a comment, but I'm not making promises because I don't have any room. and don't ask for William Wallace.

I'm sorry world

I'm super sorry for not writing. I'm trying to make the best of my time time left here, and that doesn't really include sitting behind a computer typing letters

I did get to play a round of rounders today, which is similar to baseball, but with no gloves and some super crazy rules. 

We also played some ultimate frisbee, which is a mixture of american football and rugby except with a frisbee. so that was great fun, it always is.

I must say i've got some great friends here. I really will miss them and I don't want to leave them. 

I did try to get my flight delayed today, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. 

Goodnight folks because my meatballs are done, but that is a little thing about what I've been up to.

And Again, I Notice

Hey world,

  

It's getting into the short rows here in Scotland and I'm very sad. Things are so great here right now and it feels so much like home. I will be flying back to the States on May 27th, but I will be leaving with a heavy heart. I spoke to a friend recently who said they had just gotten back from Uganda and didn't feel like they fit anymore. I think I'll feel the same.

Ian

From Time to Time, I'm reminded.

Wow.

Where have I been.

I'll tell you where I've been.

I have actually been super busy lately. For the past 5 days I've had to be up before 5 and have gone down to bed after 1, so I've been well tired. Today I slept in until about 11 so I'm catching up on all that I have missed. Mom, you can rest easy knowing that.

I've had to get up for work, which I will have to get up for again tomorrow. and I have had language school and prayer and discipleship and theology. I'm well busy at the moment. and I really love it. I really don't wanna leave this place.

It's all nice and sunny now. It really is a great time to be here. I got to walk around in shorts yesterday and play frisbee, which I will be doing today.

On the schedule for today is frisbee in the meadows (the city centre park) and a barbeque, and a youth outreach. I'll take some pictures of them and load them up later. I've pretty sparse on the pictures lately, and I think that's because this place is starting to become home to me and why take pictures of home. Because you're there.

I have recently had my heart jumped upon, spun around, and pounded into oblivion, and it's now in the process of being rebuilt. I went to a meeting called "city reach" for the church about how we want to get involved in the community and be helpers there and show our heart for the hurting and actually help them. and I realised as people were sharing what they had hearts for and what broke their hearts that nothing breaks mine.

I don't care for the poor
I don't care for the downtrodden
I ignore the hurting
I know that's not right

I read about Paul constantly telling the churches to care for the poor and the hungry and the orphans and widows, but I don't. I grew up in upper middle America. I didn't have to deal with them, so I didn't. So I'm off to find a heart for the hurting. It's probably goina suck, but it's like Jesus and I need to be like Jesus.

Ian

From The 'Burgh To The 'Gate

So, I'm sitting here listening to band practice. and good news. I'll be playing bass a week Sunday. Which is great! I'm super stoked. Short sentences.

I have to start out this blog by saying Happy Anniversary to my folks. 22 years today my parents got married. Congratulations guys. and thanks for staying together. and I really do mean that. I'm so very glad you guys are still in love after 22 years. Or at least mom keeps stocking the pops in the freezer. Let all give them a round of applause

*Applause*

There we go.

So I told you I'm learning a lot about myself here in this strange, oh-so-foreign land. I recently confronted myself with my amazing lack of initiative. My father always said that he had to put a fire underneath my butt to get me to do anything. and he's right, but when I did them, I always had fun and was good at most of it.

Is this something I need to change or is it something that I need to feel comfortable that it's just not the way I am? And in that way work with my strengths. I want to be successful and an unfailure, but It's very difficult for me to start anything. I think that I have the gift of leadership, but where is that in all of this. It's a funny thing to think of because I can get in front of people and talk to large crowds, no problem, but I have a lot of difficulty introducing myself in a room. Hmm........... this is something to contemplate. Leave some feedback for those who know my character and personality and what you think of this.

Could it also be that I am not myself. Maybe I am a initiative person, but currently I am shying away for whatever reason. This sure is something to think about.

So I missed Ron Paul at Duke. I also won't get the chance to vote in the North Carolina primaries tomorrow and let my voice be heard. Here's to Ron Paul. So everybody go out and vote for him. for me.

I'm on the train back to Edinburgh again. I have another busy day tomorrow. and an early day, BUT tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. I will forgo all the worship of ancestors and celebrate with some comida Mexicana. It will be delicious. It will be grand. So I'm off the train in a few and need to get ready for it, but

I want to recommend the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy again. I'm back listening to it and it's the greatest piece of fiction I've ever read. It also has a marvelous ending, so you don't feel jipped after 5 whole books ( yeah, it's a trilogy with 5 books. go figure.)

Until I can write again.

Ian

P.S. Oh yeah, keep praying for my decision about staying in Scotland (if you're not sure read a few entries back.) and my future.

P.S.S. I've never written of these. What should one say at such a time? I've got nothing really important else to say. Maybe I should have saved this for a better time. Well, what's done is done. Cheers

Custard, Yuck!!

This is the second post of today.

I am on the train once again, this time on the way back to Edinburgh, which is curious enough because when I got to Adam's place in Bathgate, we had to turn around and drive to Edinburgh to drop off Caroline Collie at here new home. I met Caroline today who is from Washington, NC. Her husband, Mark, is from South Africa and they are here on staff with the church. Caroline ia also pregnant and she will soon give birth to an African-American. Yup. The burrito of joy is due on August the 18th, which I think would be a fine day for a birth. Don't you, Mom and Dad?

So the reason for the second blog today is because I have just been floored, humbled beyond belief, and scared within inches of my life. Oh, the fear of the Lord descended on me today. And it still lingers. It's a fear that will make a county fair funnel cake eater turn away from food. it's a fear that would drive mothers to forsake their young. It's a fear that lights can't chase away. It wraps up my stomach as if it were the advent season. Churning over like cement, scared to let it lie incase it hardens and become a thing of shame.

Perseverance of the Saints

Let man be damned and the Lord glorified for he is truly a righteous God.

The perseverance of the saints deals with the doctrine that only those who preserver in Christ until the end will be saved. How sobering a thought. I will leave it to you to think of the consequences of such a doctrine.

Forgive me if I'm speaking in an extreme manner here. Just the thought of it is resting very strongly on me at the moment. What does that mean? Especially in conjunction with the doctrine of Election.

What do you think?

Ian

Breathe In, Breathe Out

Isn't it funny how musicians seem to re-release music as their next new album. In the case of Switchfoot, I could understand them re-releasing songs when they went from Christian music to being actual musicians. I was a little dissappointed though when Mat Kearney's "Nothing Left To Lose" album was released to find that 7 or 8 of the tracks had been on a previous album. I saw that to say that he has since re-released that exact same album and tacked two songs on the end. One that I knew of "Chicago (acoustic)" and "Breathe In, Breathe Out" which I heard for the first time live. I say all that to say that I purchased that one song to finally make up his ever expanding album last night, I'm in very happy I did. I get happy/nostalgic/sad bubbles in my innards when I listen to Mat. Here is a little known fact for you. At the same conference that I heard about EveryNationEdinburgh, when it was just a baby idea. (that's who I'm on internship with). I saw him play live. Not only that, but the guitar that he was using to play actually belonged to the guy I'm about to go be mentored by, Adam Mabry. www.adammabry.co.uk

Enough of all that. I'm floating through the countryside on what I can only imagine as the hard work on many great men. How about that work ethic of old? Just a question. No discussion.

So, I'm too short to think of what to type next. Attempting to make this a meaningful exchange as I learn from you by actually writing. And hopefully, a few like to read it out there. I'm having trouble being terribly clever. So there is no clever bit.


The weather here is starting to be really nice. I must say, this place is probably quite nice in summertime. The people here already think that it's summertime. it's only a little over 50 degrees. Lovely little immigrants (because you're hard pressed to find any Scottish) are setting up tables outside to eat lunch at. Which on a side note: it boggles my mind that anyone says, "hey, lets go to Starbucks for lunch. Yeah, that'll be great. We can spend £8 ($16) on semi-meals that are clearly pre-packed by a machine." Also, it's the people on vacation. Every American I see come in that is on holiday, I feel like shaking them. "You travel 5,000+ miles to eat at a place that is right around the corner."

So anyway, the weather is getting nice.

The flowers are in a strong bold bloom against the ever present chill. If you saw that picture of the Scottish Flag made of flowers in a few blogs previous, good for you because it's gone. They done gone and churned it up. But there are the prettiest flowers here. actually prettier than Florida because the flowers are very thick and stiff (to keep out the cold I imagine). But they are all put there by the governmental tourist board. I still must say that the Bird of Paradise is still the sweetest flower on God's green earth. Listen to that phrase. I used to get threatened by it.

Do you think God is green?

Ian