when i haven't got the words to say.

two verses of a beautiful old song. whatever my lot, Lord, you have taught me to say, it is well, it is well, with my soul.

"Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blessed assurance control,
For he sees every weakness and knows every fear
and has shed his own blood for my soul!


My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross and i bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul!"

and one to sum up.

"You are my rock in times of trouble,
You lift me up when I fall down.
All through the storm,
Your love is the anchor,
My hope is in You alone"

things i like and things i have discovered since arriving at uni.

it says it all in the title really.

things i like especially much since arriving at uni

1) My wok
i love my wok. it's from wilkinsons and it cost me the grand total of £4. i cook everything in my wok- curry. chilli. noodles. stir fry. things to put with couscous. that's actually probably about it. it's also quite cute and small. it reminds me of personal pizzas from dominoes. (i've neve had a personal pizza from dominoes actually.)

2) Chocolate mousses
I'm currently compiling a comparison of chocolate mousses. i'll give you an insight into this. for example, you should always buy the valuest of value chocolate mousses over the next step up. ie. value Tesco chocolate mouse over Tesco's own. Tesco value chocolate mousses cost 32p for four. Co-operative chocolate mousses cost 35p for four. Waitrose chocolate mousses cost 74p for six (they are bigger though). Morrisons chocolate mousses cost 36p for SIX. and they're the nicest. there are four empty pots stacked next to me now.

3) Jaffa cakes
don't get me wrong, i loved jaffa cakes before i came. but i have got through 2 yards of jaffa cakes and also a 36 pack and a 24 pack. this is a grand total of 180 jaffa cakes. now, i have shared some jaffa cakes. but i am ashamed to admit the vast majority, i have eaten myself.

4) Wilkinsons
wilkinsons provided me with my wok. but it also provided me with files, a stapler, staples, a skype headset, saucepans (which were a bargain), pick 'n' mix like woolworths used to do and jiffy bags. admittedly the files are rubbish, the stapler only works for 5 sheets and fewer and even then you have to "reload" it twice every time you want to staple once, and the headset broke so i took it back but still. new found love for this place.


to be continued...

university happenings.

so much has happened in the last few weeks! i now live in sunny devon, and love it:) exeter is a gorgeous city to live in and i really like it. the work's set in, i'm settling into uni life etc.
i've been able to get involved in the christian union here in exeter which has been great. i have a hall group with three lovely hall group leaders (second years) and i'm enjoying studying God's word with other students. ecu (evangelical christian union) central happens on a tuesday night and that's where everyone throughout the uni meet up for a time of worship and fellowship and teaching altogether.

i've also settled into a church which is a real answer to prayer. st thomas baptist church is a medium-ish sized church about 2 and a half/3 miles out of exeter. there are about 8 students there which for me, is an ideal number as it gives me a chance to get to know people who aren't students! have been invited back for lunch to two different homes, which is so lovely but incredibly surreal in a really weird way.

today, i went to transformission, a conference style day run by uccf (the organisation who help in the running of the christian unions nationwide) which was all about making us transformed for mission. it involved CUs from the entire south west area- exeter, cornwall (falmouth and truro), bath, bristol, cheltenham and probably others that i've forgotten- and we had three sessions, "Who Jesus is", "What Jesus has done" and "How Jesus feels about us". The speaker spoke of a Christian martyr named Probus. He was tortured because he refused to recant his faith in Jesus Christ. When asked his name, he replied: "Men call me Probus; my real name is Christian." Oh that we would firstly be known as "Christian"!

I want to share with you a song we sang in ECU Central the other day- Majesty, by Delirious?

"Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine,

Since You laid down Your life-

The greatest sacrifice.

Majesty, Majesty,

Your grace has found me just as I am,

Empty-handed but alive in Your hands,

Forever I am changed by Your love,

In the presence of Your majesty."

Also this one:

"Show me how to love like You have loved me,

Break my heart for what breaks Yours-

Everything I am for Your kingdom's cause."

Jesus, you are mine and I am yours; I want to make you my everything.

I thought today about when I graduate (I realise I'm only a fresher!). I want to make sure that I don't look back at my three years at the University of Exeter and see three years of wasted opportunities. University is such a great opportunity- I'm already seeing this and I've only been here four weeks. I want to keep this right at the front of my mind- I want to live for Jesus in Exeter! "Knowing Jesus and making Him known"- ECU's mission statement (and UCCF's maybe?). I want to know Jesus more and I want Him to be known more on campus. I want to see a "touch of revival" (a quote from the guy who sort of originaally thought up CUs) in Exeter!

I love quoting songs and hymns, if you read my blog you'll know this! But the best place to quote is the Bible- the holy, inspired Word of God, which holds authority and is my Map in life. (Just on a passing note, someone once brought up in a home group that the Bible is our map and guide. I like to think that if the Bible is my map, then the Holy Spirit is my sat-nav, another form of guidance that will help us to reach our final destination!)

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians 3v7-8

Lord make this true in my life! Oh that I would consider everything a loss compared to You!

Over and out for now. I plan on writing more regularly soon. So excited for church tomorrow. I love Sundays! x

just a pocketful of sunshine.

i keep forgetting to post. i'm keeping very busy during my looooooooooooong summer holidays! managing to keep doing lots of stuff, today i've been at church doing lots of stuff for holiday bible club which is next week:D so i was helping to paint some boards and prepare some craft things which was good.

getting to know the area round here which is good, we've been living here for two months and two weeks now but i haven't been around for all that time, i've only really been here a month.

so holiday bible club is next week, starting monday, then i have another week and then i have camp! which i'm reaaaaaaally looking forward to!

i don't really have much else to write if i'm honest.

so over and out for now:) x

i can't sleep.

"When the oceans rise and thunders roar,
I will soar with you above the storm!
Father, You are King over the flood,
I will be still and know you are God."

just a day in june ♥

i saw this on the news today and thought of how amazing our society is <3
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-13713798 Someone sent this letter to their local council:

Dear Leicester City Council,
Can you please let us know what provisions you have in place in the event
of a zombie invasion? Having watched several films, it is clear thatpreparation
for such an event is poor and one that councils throughout the council must
prepare for. Please provide any information you may have,
Yours faithfully,
Concerned Citizen.

I don't know why I found this so funny, I just thought it was hilarious ;)

Another link I found was passed on to me by a friend. Classical music is NOT my thing, but I actually love this song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhuGfmoIv_M

I found this verse this week and I love it:)

"I have set the LORD always before me;
Because he is at my right hand, I
shall not be shaken." Psalm 16:8

I like it because it's a challenge and an encouragement at the same time.


This is only going to be a short post for today but exams finish in a week and a half and I'll post after that :)

Over and out.

on no longer being homeless!

je ne suis plus SDF! -i am no longer homeless, i had my french speaking exam today;) on friday afternoon we finally exchanged and completed and moved into our new house in WEM. i like wem.

so i had my french speaking exam today. four minute presentation on a book or film of my choice- i chose to study "Le Petit Prince", a French children's book. i actually love that book. c'est fantastique. i feel very french today.

tomorrow is MY LAST DAY OF COLLEGE. EVER. this is a good thing in a way as i am very much looking forward to going to university even though i really do not feel old enough. however, it is also not a good thing as firstly i have exams to contend with which may lessen my chances of actually going to university- i really really really want to get to Exeter. Exeter would like 3As. Exeter are too fussy. I may not end up in Exeter. so this puts a bit of a downer on it. also, i have made THE best friends at college and i am going to miss them ridiculous amounts! not only will i not see them at college but now i live in a-whole- nother county (that word made sense in my head, alright?) i am fairly glad to be leaving college as i'm sort of fed up of it, but i've had such a good couple of years there, if you ignore the work and the a-levels and the library staff who seem to hate me.

mais c'est la vie, n'est pas?

i am very excited to live in wem nowadays. i went exploring on saturday, and found nothing. like, at all. and every road i went down ended up at the same place... the co-op. therefore i can conclude that the co-op is the centre of wem.

but yes. s'all good. i am a very happy katya.

i have decided to write a list of all God's promises as told in the Bible. i will now start.
1. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." Hebrews 13v8
2. "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21v4
3. "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him". James 1v12
4. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him". James 1v5
5. "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4v7-8
6. "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all compairson, as we look not to things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4v16-18
7. "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them (the commandments), for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." Deuteronomy 31v6






over and out for now.

"I stand in Christ, with sins forgiven,
and Christ in me, the hope of Heaven,
My highest calling and my deepest joy,
to make His will my home."

on being homeless.

so i have been officially homeless since the 1st april. therefore i have been homeless for one month. exciting times.
it's not half as bad as i thought it was going to be, to be fair. it's all a bit of an adventure. it seems like AGES since we moved out:D the craziest thing is, i haven't actually been worried about where i'm going to be at all- some things have annoyed me no end, i was a bit worried about getting trains everywhere (but managed my first long distance train journey alone fairly successfully) but not actually that worried at all:D

had a good time staying with my friend from college, Hanna, and her family, although was mainly taken up with french revision:/ then a lovely time over Easter with my aunty, uncle and cousins down in Cambridgeshire then a couple of days with another friend from college, Jenny, and her family:D all in all, a pretty good Easter!

not only did Hanna and her family put up with me, but when i went into the room they'd sorted out for me, hanna had put a madagascar poster on the wall :') love that girl.

quite glad to be back (home?) in shropshire now though:) and can't wait to move into the new house!

all through the storm, your love is the anchor, my hope is in you alone.

Your wondrous love will never let me go.

sunshiney day!

the craziness of me posting twice in a week. wow.

i really really felt like blogging yesterday. except my internet decided to break, so no blog posting for me :( or facebook chat. or email. not a happy katya.

so today i went for a RUN. i have highlighted the word "run" in every possible way to try and explain how rare an occasion it is. i really don't know what possessed me to go for a run. i don't like exercise. i walk to college and back every day, it takes me 15-20 minutes each way and that is MORE than enough exercise. but today i had a sudden urge to go for a run. so i did.

big mistake.

i don't run. people have been known to call me "lazy", "someone who hates exercise" and "the last person in the world who would do the Duke of Edinburgh award".

And unfortunately it's true. Except the lazy bit.

I USED to like running. In fact, I used to be quite good at it, good enough to represent my high school at middle distance... but it's been two years since i ran anywhere and you can tell :/

i described it as this: "i am ashamed to be this unfit. a one-legged cat chained to a lampost could have overtaken me".

not QUITE true with the cat malarkey but near enough. urgh.

however, bring on summer! and watersports, and i will be as happy as larry doing exercise:)

right. who is larry? and why is he happy?