London Confidential, a Must Read Series

Last summer, I read the series of London Confidential by Sandra Byrd. It is a series consisting of four books about a teenager girl moving from Seattle, Washington, to London, England. She has to learn how to be herself while living out her faith. London Confidential is inspiring with great advice and wisdom for teenagers. During her new adventure, she learns to not mistake temptation with opportunity, to tell the whole truth which pays off instead of just "half the truth," it's better to be yourself, secrets can be complicated, popularity comes with a high price tag, how to give advice-the right way, whether to follow the crowd or her own advice, what guys' actions show about their character, and of course, new British terms. While reading, I was fascinated by all the British terms and sayings that I learned throughout all of the four books. Sandra Byrd's writing intrigued me to keep reading more until I finished the whole series. It is now one of my all time favorites, but you are going to have to find out yourself just how enticing and good they really are.

Sandra Byrd also writes other books for tweens to adults with can be found on her website: http://www.sandrabyrd.com

Have fun reading!

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

Emily

Pressing forward in the rain.

Yesterday I drove in teeming rain, I could hardly see the road it was awful I pulled over twice. As I stood in the house when I finally got home relieved to be out of the rain, I could not help but think how life is like the rain. When we go through trials we can barely see the road ahead and are often so scared we are holding on with all we can to the steering wheel of God to help us through. Then along the way we see glimpses, that the rain is stopping then it pours again. In the big picture of life it is just for a moment and then it is gone but in that moment it seems like forever.

It is truly holding on with all you have and pressing forward knowing that God indeed will stop the rain and allow the sun to shine.

Don't lose focus or give up hold onto that steering wheel. Take moments to regroup and press through you might feel battered and tired at the end but you will have made it.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

Great things can be learnt from memories.

What can we learn from memories. I have not been home since May 2007, then I was married and also my brother and his was alive. One thing I have learnt since then is look back at the memories with a thankful for heart. We use to go home every two years, I probably took it for granted instead of being thankful for the sacrifices made to go home. The last time I saw Scott we all played cricket, we had not played the game since we were children.I got to show Tim my old school and ride on a steam train with my children. Tim got to take the girls on the London eye and we got to see the Peter Pan statue. I also got to spend some happy times with my mum.

Although life is very different now, I am glad that I can reflect and realize that I took many things for granted. Tim would always buy gifts for the plane ride and be brilliant at the airport. He navigated around the British countryside like he had lived there all his life, he put up with my family and for that I never said thank you hardly ever.

It is so easy as life tumbles out of control to never stop and see the good.

Today is Tim's Birthday and I am thankful that he is my children's dad.

I am thankful so much more for the amazing grace God gives me each day for amazing friends who steer me when I am making dumb mistakes and that they love me enough to have grace.

So to Tim I say Happy Birthday. To all of you look and see that great things that God has done.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

Lessons for life.

If you have ever gone through a divorce or lost someone or even a job, you will understand that at times you look back and reflect. You see the good the bad and the ugly and you at some point learn to have some grace or at least I hope. My brother was a man who had much sorrow. I do believe that he truly loved his wife. Through his death it has truly shown that at times I had very little compassion for those who had lost someone and for that, I am truly sorry. I truly do believe that today I have more compassion, at least, I sure hope I do.

With single parents, I guess I just ignored that they even were there.I was married and though struggling, my level of understanding was not very great. I think looking back at it all,I wished I had walked a day with these people asking God to show me what they were going through.

I so wished I could of done that even in my marriage. God is a big God and so I am thankful he did not shove me in outer planet and say Lisa you did not get it, here you are.

Even with my children, my children are very different and that is alright seeing how they interact and the lessons that I can learn has been huge.

It is so easy to judge less to try to understand and have compassion.

So whatever you are going through job loss or grieve or even happiness we all can truly learn from one another.

Take the time just to have grace I know I try to.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

Courts and rules.

Beware of advice and courts. It is so true when the Bible talks about sorting out issues outside of a court room. Courts in America are hard to get into and often things never turn out the way you want. Legal aid is non- existence making it hard for people on fixed income or low income to get any hearings. It appears that the courts are for the wealthy and the famous. It is total brutality and many people walk out of those doors discouraged and with broken hearts. I have heard case after case of people going through hard times and yet no money to find justice. Parent after parent wanting things changed yet no money to do it. You are left with aching hearts and people having to see counselors, then there are the children in many a divorce case. Broken pieces with no say at all. Pushed into the battle of a person/Judge that they have never meet and their lives thrown to the wolves. Their lives torn to shreds for a moment yet counselors will make a pretty penny to aid, to the help of fixing that.

What to do, if I could maybe I would be a lawyer, it seems like that there is a missing piece in this puzzle of life something where justice is not being done. I am not sure. You tell me.

I guess if you look back Christ died totally unfair, an innocent man.

But all was gained.

Christ sure saw injustice and it still goes on today.

I am truly thankful though that he died for me and though sad and unfair if it was not for his grace I would not be here.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

Happy Fathers Day 2011

I will have to say I always find Fathers day a little tough. I do not know if my dad is alive and to be honest that was my choice not to keep in touch. He was not the best dad and by no means the worst, but as I have got older I do see clearly, in his own way he tried his best. I loved going for walks with him and my brother, I love the memories of him playing tennis and badminton with my brother. I love that when ever it snowed on New years day he would always say the world was wiped clean. He called me Little Lee and i danced on his feet as a child and he loved old songs and Elvis and for those memories I am very thankful.

I know a man called Mike who I have watched for many years, he always called me his fifth daughter, in truth he is the same age as my sister. However his kindness and ability to give advice and be loving and show compassion and also be an amazing, husband, father, grandfather and friend has been the thing that makes his testimony of faith stand out. To many Mike is just an ordinary man but to me he has the heart of gold and no hidden agenda. He walks the walk and lives a true testimony of Christ.

So both men very different. To all you reading it's alright if your real dad is not what you expected, in truth no one can live up to expectations. Just remember God can and will always send you a Godly man to look up to and for now on this earth I am blessed that Mike and his family came into my life and accepted me.

So to all of you dad's Happy Fathers Day.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

Things in the legal system should change.

In England we have legal aid. But in America pro bono lawyers are a rare commodity. To seek legal advice from anyone is a hard cold fact that no one wants to say something in case they may get sued. The reality is many people men and women find themselves borrowing money to fight cases or get things through the legal system, and even then it never is really sorted out, there money gone to the wind so to speak. Recently a case was taken to the courts about a young girl wearing a nose ring to school, because of her religious beliefs.... now the schools dress code said that this was not allowed.... but you tell me who won??? Yes the school has now had to change their dress code mainly because it would cost the school thousands and thousands of tax payers money. You put this on a normal level to get an answer about separation or divorce it costs an average of $250 per hour to talk to a lawyer. Most people are already strapped for money. Then say if no one pays up for child support or alimony it costs you then to put it into the court system. You want something changed more money. Then the whole question arises with anyone who has no medical benefits you try your best but medical is very expensive and dental even more so.

The legal system is great for the privileged people who have money to throw around. But for the norm it is a harsh reality of suck it up. Now I am not saying that in all cases, it sure works in many a cases but as far as marital issues it is a harsh day in reality from what I have seen and heard for both sides.

What can we do instead of doing nothing I suggest we write a congress person, maybe one person at a time will change the system.

Maybe is the squeaky wheel that can help the norm.

I don't know I just hope things change.

Be the change is my suggestion to us all. You make the first step however small it is.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

Long Rivers in our lives.

The longest river, I believe, is the Nile. It is 4,135 miles. At times in my life and even now, I sure feel like I am going down a river, seeing land to the side but not actually being able to get out of the boat. Through my river ride, I have surely felt I have walked on solid ground knowing that my God is with me, but as my river twists and turns, I have felt a little weary and the hope for a refreshing sun or a drink of fresh water would surly be nice.

I am reminded of how in many wars those soldiers surely probably thought at times that the war was so consuming and when would an end be. Yet VE Day proves that one eventually came.

I sure hope I get to experience that day soon.

I encourage you if you are on a long river trip, truly hold on tight, lock into a good church and some good friends. God is the only one who can help you through it.

Remember our VE day will come soon. I am believing and you, I pray, do too.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

Amazing Grace

Wow it is amazing in life how some people like to continually beat you down. Sometimes it truly makes me want to cry. I am forever reminded of the hymn Amazing Grace and always tell myself how I am absolutely nothing without Christ. I guess it is true in this world, people will beat you down but there is truly one amazing God that sees it all and keeps on seeing the true intentions of our hearts.

Many times this year my heart has been smashed. I have felt more than I could bear when my brother died. I did not cry, rather I lamented and to this today my heart is heavy. With my divorce, my heart was and will forever be sad that it ended up that way. I have received many nasty emails throughout my journey and cried and cried. But one thing I know, God has seen it all. I am nothing without Him. I have seen people bless us with clothes, food and encouraging words. From people cutting my grass to a card mailed in the post.

It is true, you can't keep a good person down.

So if you are feeling a little low today. I encourage you to listen and look up the words to Amazing Grace.

Because you are Amazing and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

Computers

Well, I never knew that moving one computer downstairs could be such a pain. A young man came and helped us. He stood telling me about an ethernet connection but it made no sense to me and even less how he did not really know how to explain it to me. So low and behold girls rule we worked it out ourselves. Even to the extent that I knocked us of the whole system and reconnected us in a matter of minutes to funny. Not so if you are sweating while you try to figure out wires and what on earth you have done.

Well I think one thing is for sure i was brought up on another planet as I did not have a laptop, netbook or an ipad or a kindle. My knowledge of connecting computers has reason immensely after today.

My how one little cable can cause so much trouble. I guess the same is for one little lie.

Something to ponder isn't it.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

One job where you can be wrong.

Someone mentioned the other today to me that being a weather forecast person was the one job that you could be wrong at and not get fired. I remember in England the countless times that we were not suppose to have high winds and we did. Quite funny really. This week it seems that the temperature keeps on rising as I get up early to open up windows and allow fresh air into the house, I feel I am doing double duties.

I guess one thing is for sure, it does not matter what the weather man really says. God sure knows if we are going to have a hot summer or a cold winter. I sure just pray God sends some rain my way.

So to all my friends in England who pray for hot summer days think twice. If you had them you'd actually be, dare I say it, praying for rain.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

Invisible.

Have you ever heard the quote, "You knew me when I was invisible"? In movies, it has been portrayed as when the guy who was a friend becomes the knight in shining armor instead of the popular guy who turns out to be a jerk. But to me, it means that God knew me when no one else notices me. When ever we shed a tear or feel pain, God sees it even when others don't. Sometimes whom others think you are, is not really whom you really are. But God sees your heart and knows how confident and brave you are even when we have a hard time seeing it in ourselves. It is not about who are the brainiacs and who are the most popular. Usually when people call you a brainiac, they are jealous themselves that they didn't do better. But to make themselves feel better, they pull you down and make you feel unwanted. Brainiacs, geeks, or whomever you may be, God loves you just the way you are and would not change a thing. So if you are feeling invisible, know that there is an amazing God who sees you.

Emily

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

To lie or not to lie !!

Ever heard the saying a little white lie won't hurt. Well the problem is with that is it grows and grows and becomes not a little white lie but more like a giant black hole. I made the mistake years ago of going on a roller coaster ride everyone said it was not that bad. HMMM that was and still is there opinion for a person who hates hits this was the ultimate disaster it was not like I was flying from America to England and in my mind Hallelujah I made it home it was more like Pray to God that I would never be so dumb again. Yep over twenty years have passed and I have not got on one. What has my ride got to do with lies. Well in that moment someone told me it was not that bad forgetting what i felt, about heights I did it. Life is not like the roller coaster where you have to wait to get off it is your choice where you are going to get off and trust me there is ground there, don't believe the lie that you will drop. This is so true for many young people they get pulled in to those lies it's not that bad and believe that they cannot get off that roller coaster. It is simply not true my decision over twenty years ago was right for me. I also try my best to be an honest person. I saw someone in my life lie an awful lot as a child and it destroyed and hurt a whole family. So for that reason alone I say better to tell the truth than not. See I am from that family and it has been a hard road. Do what is right and you will find peace in yourself regardless of what others think.

Please have a cup of tea with me today

Soaring high.

I love the saying Dream Big, to me it summarizes to me that you can do anything regardless of what people think. Some dream big and go far at a young age. Yesterday a young man Bobby Bradley in New Mexico did not only Dream Big, but he took it to the skies and became the youngest balloonist at the age of nine. What an amazing accomplishment, he did not wear giants boots in Goliaths camp like Scotty McCreery instead he soared like an eagle and he did it. Many of us only can dream what it would be like to fly in an air balloon. It is amazing to me what faith in a child can do take for example Kieron Williamson who has been dubbed mini Monet his art work is amazing. I think of all us can dream big and see amazing things happen weather it is wearing Goliaths boots like Scotty MCreery or soaring high like Bobby Bradley or singing like Jackie Evancho we can all do it.

Here is a link to Jackie Evancho singing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKhmFSV-XB0

Here is a link to Kieron Williamson's work: http://kieronwilliamson.com/Home/tabid/288/language/en-US/Default.aspx

So to these amazing young talents and the many not mentioned Dream Big and Soar high.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

Just me on the porch.

Well in life we all face certain things. At middle aged I thought I would be settled down and have my road to retirement and that rocking chair on the porch and someone there to hold my hand tight. But that road was not for me. In the ups and downs of my life. I have seen just how important it is to love and care for someone. The last words I said to my brother was how I loved him, I have no regrets, nor do I have any regrets for always trying to not be bitter about my divorce. I have often cried many a tears in my life. But to have someone care about my life is so special I have a few good friends and I would do absolutely anything for them. I may not have someone to sweep me off my feet but I sure know that encouraging people and to just keep on pushing through is surely a better place to be than continually sitting in the mess of bitterness.

One day maybe someone will sit on my porch with me but until that day I am truly thankful for the love that God has shown me.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

Amazing wonders along the beach.

I never walked along the beach that often as a child although I lived very close to it. I love to walk in my mind across the rugged beaches of the North Norfolk coast to smell the smells of what I call home. The smell of fish the cold air and to just close my eyes and know that wow this is amazing. There is a peace along a shore whether holiday makers flock there or whether it is winter time there is that solitude that oneness with an almighty God. Every pebble, every shell, wave and rugged rock each different each unique each has it's own story to tell. Each waiting to be shared by others or picked up and someone see their beauty. It is amazing how God made every detail.

I love the beach I wished I had taken the time to love it more as a child.

I close my eyes and I see the waves and in my heart I am whisked away to Cromer beach and I see the times I ran across it as a child and the last time I was there with my children.

In my mind each precious moment each gems in my patchwork of my life.

So this summer as you may venture to the beach whether it is in your mind or actually there take the time to see God's amazing wonders.

Please have a cup of tea with me today.

A Better Perspective.

I once had a friend tell me that how you think a situation will end up is how you are going to act during the circumstance. But if you go into the situation with a good attitude, then it could go a lot better than you thought and you will have had a nice time instead of ruining it being glum. While I was reading Secret Garden, I also found a quote similar to what she had told me. It goes like this, "To let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ get into your body. If you let it stay there after it has got in, you may never get over it as long as you live." So many times, I know that at least for me, I go into a situation with thinking the worst possible thing. When at the end of the occasion, I realize that it would have been really fun or even enjoyable if I had just had a brighter perspective going into it.

So today, make the most of every situation. The past is behind and all we can do is move on. Because the main person whom we are hurting is ourselves, if not more people by our tempers or words. So make every moment count and let it shine through as a favorable moment to remember forever.

Emily

Please have a cup of tea with me today.