A year half over or half to go...

I think I speak for us all when I say that I cannot believe it's June!! The weather in London the past couple days actually reminds me a bit of Oxnard with the June gloom. I kind of feel like I'm already staring December in the face and I don't like that. Yet I know that the remainder of this year is already looking a few shades brighter than the past six so I'll do my best to drop the reservations and embrace the possibilities.

I thought that this would be a good time to revisit those 'resolutions' I made earlier on in the year to see how we're progressing. To recap, I decided to pursue the following in 2010: Fun, creativity, relationships, less time online, Shalom, a haircut & real job, and finally, reading more. So how has the first half of twenty-ten faired?

1. Having fun: Well as I mentioned, I applied for a sweet job at The Fun Fed, went through a two-hour audition playing games and acting like a buffoon, and I didn't manage to secure a post as a facilitator. However, the group was generous enough to give me a year membership to attend any session at any time for free. I've only had that come through in the past couple weeks and haven't taken advantage of it yet but you know I will! It's funny actually since writing that resolution and feeling it very strongly, that life has changed so much with some things dying. Yet people have come through with one resounding word of wisdom: Have fun. It's wild that God would be instructing us to do this in life during this time and what a great bit of guidance to be given to follow! We're working on it and hope to enjoy an even funner end to 2010.

2. Creativity: Well I've not done the best job with this since the whirlwind of activity that began the year off. But since setting my mind to complete a few crafty tasks before... well, we'll get to that later... I've managed to do quite a bit of creating in the past week. I'm tuning into the rhythms of my body more with this as well, which I'll blog about in the near future, and this is very helpful in creating and not becoming frustrated if it just isn't happening. Current project: working on a skirt I bought that was wayyy too small and customising some shoes.

3.  Relationships: Why is this such a struggle in London!? It's freakish in a city of 10 million to not be able to get together with people regularly! Yet with the understanding that it is difficult and it's not just us, I think we're managing to tackle that one fairly well. One way of marrying resolutions 1 and 3 is to have people around weekly. We've been hosting wine and cheese parties, breakfast cereal-athons, film nights, all in an attempt to welcome people to our space and to have fun and build relationships. As we're still struggling financially, it's still difficult as most people are accustomed to going out rather than having people over, but we're managing to do a bit more on that front, thankfully.

4. Less time online: Fail. Between escapism, looking for work, looking for a new flat, and trying to keep in touch with folks back home, this has not worked. And clearly I've not been blogging very well. Yet, there are still six months with which to work on number 4!

5. Shalom: While I'm more aware of the pursuit for Shalom, I can't say that I'm implementing the necessary practices to see it happen. I know that spending time meditating, reading and in contemplative prayer are requirements to see this happen in my life and I'm crap at these things. I still need a rhythm in life which has been difficult to find with everything being up in the air. Yet, as we'll see in the following point, that rhythm is coming... so hopefully too will the Shalom.

6. Get a haircut and a real job: Well the haircut would probably get a gigantic wince from hairstylists around the world, but I have managed a new style between Rob's and my endeavours to trim my do. The exciting part B of this point however is the real job! I begin my first 'real job' on the 21st of the month with the Speak Network. I'm so excited and it just feels so incredibly right. It also allows us the freedom to move to a larger flat outside of Camden, which we can't flee quickly enough these days. I cannot possibly begin to tell you what a blessing it is to have this provision! Thank you Jesus!!!

7.  Reading more: In direct opposition to point 4, I've spent far too much time reading online, but most has been in an applaudable effort to learn things, which has been successful. I've managed to get a few books under me though, including the long read Eyeless in Gaza by Aldous Huxley and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. I'm presently planning on finishing by next week Making Room by Christine Pohl  about Christian hospitality practices. That one keeps kicking me in the gut it's so freaking good yet challenging.

So yeah, I guess it's good that there're still six months ahead with which to engage these resolutions more fully. I think with number six accomplished, the other six will be more easy to achieve and I look forward to that happening. 2010, may it live up to its reputation of the year of fun!