In Pleasant Places: May 2011

Howdy everyone!

I know it's been AGES, and for that, I'm sorry! But tons has been on here, and I have been uber busy. I will give you a quick recap of the past few months:

December: A Scottish Cinderella...

Destiny Winter Ball! (L-R: Joanne, Me, Noelle, Maureen)

Destiny Church turned 20, and for that, we had a ball

to celebrate! It was an ace night; an amazing meal, lots of ceilidh-ing and a disco (meaning regular dancing, for those unfamiliar with the term--don't worry, it wasn't in any way related to Saturday Night Fever!), and reminiscing about all the amazing things that God has done through Destiny ministries over the last 20 years! I'm so excited to be a part of the journey that we're going on here at Destiny!

The day after the winter ball, I went with some uni. mates to see the Scottish Ballet's rendition of 'Cinderella'. It was my first ballet, and a really interesting experience. The scenery and costumes were brilliant, and I had such a great time. Elice had jokingly called me the 'Scottish Cinderella' when I told her I was going to a ball, and it turns out that name is pretty applicable, hehe!

Playing Cranium in Onesies!

The festive season was a blast! I missed my family and friends back in the States, but was so blessed to have my friends here surround me with love and plenty to do! To gear up for the Christmas season, Destiny held a Christmas Fayre, with stalls selling mince pies and warm mulled cider, and Destiny Angels gave out hampers, as well as toys to children, for families in need. For Christmas Eve, I went to a service at Destiny, and then went back to my flatmate's mum's (Jayne), flat for celebrations! Joanne and I stayed overnight at her mum's, and on Christmas Day, I went to church, then back to Jayne's, where we opened prezzies and had an amazing spread for Christmas dinner. I brought a little of the South to Scotland by making my Grandma's famed sweet potato casserole. It was a big hit! One of the presents was kind of a 'group present', as Jo, Jayne, myself, and our friend Maureen (Mo) all got it--onesies! If you're not familiar with this particular attire, it's usually found on infants, as it's an all-in-one sleepsuit. (See photo above for more clarification). We all gleefully put our onesies on and had a spirited game of Cranium, in which charades, sculpting clay, and general dancing about were involved! I am so appreciative of Joanne and Jayne for having me--it really made me feel at home. And it was ace to spend the hols with my Destiny family!

On Hogmanay (New Year's Eve), Jo, some of her friends, and I got dolled up, and headed off to a James Bond themed party hosted by Jo's old boss. We left the shindig to go to Destiny's Hogmanay service, where Jo and I were asked to speak about what God had done for us this past year, and what we were expecting and praying for this year. We were both really nervous, but plowed through it! The service was full of celebration, as so much has happened this year. After the service, I headed over to Pete and Dan's house (2 lads from the church), and we had a full-on party into the wee hours of the morning!

Christmas celebrations! (L-R: Mo, Me, Jo)

I have to say, this past holiday season was up there with the top holidays I've ever had. I realise also that this post is really long, so I'm going to post it now, then come back and post about January-May! I'll leave you with some photos from the holidays!