Monday 30 January 2012

Don't Panic!

Were the words my sister handed to me, written on a crumpled piece of paper, just as I was sat telling a friend how I was absolutely terrified about heading off in 5 weeks time... She looked slightly bemused as i burst out laughing when i saw it.

I love the bit in the book of Joshua where God says to him: "Be strong and courageous, don't be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go." I'm not sure how he felt when he heard that and thought about what he was being asked to do; I would have have a whole list of "Yeah butt's!" up my sleeve... The thing is i have been doing all this training and preparation trying to make myself strong and i'm panicking because i think i'm not strong enough. I think actually i'm not sure if i can make it, i'm not ready for this. And it scares me. And thats just the cycling part, there are so many other things to panic about too (I have a list!).

On the back of the piece of paper charlotte handed me was written 'I am with you.' ... This is what i am trying to get into my think head. It's not about me being strong (mentally or physically) Its about Him isn't it? He's the one who's strong, not me.  Don't get me wrong i'm not going to stop going to the gym, but i'm learning to guard against those nagging doubts that make me want to give up before i've started. This whole thing has always been about trust. If God say's go, then it will be ok... surely!

So thank you Charlie and Anna for putting me straight. and thank you Father God for being the strong one.

Saturday 21 January 2012

So the training starts...

Yes training.
I know i'm still quite shocked at the idea too. In my head this is all still just a big joke, i keep waiting for the punch line and it's not coming. It seems like this is all getting a bit serious. As i pondered the reality of what i am embarking on i decided that cycling 800miles on a whim without any training was perhaps a little foolish. So it's started!
I'm a week in and i'm still alive so i guess thats a start.

This is the plan...
Saturday mornings: Get on the trike and go for a ride. I'm trying to work my way up to a 50mile day so i started at 15 and am increasing by 5 miles each week. (Did 20miles today and a apart from jelly legs and a sore bum i'm doing ok. Next week 25!)
Week Days: Down to the gym. I'm trying to get down 4 days a week for an hour each week (I would have done 5 this week but i started getting changed on wednesday and realised i had forgotten my shorts, i decided it was best not to train in my boxers so i went to my mum's for a massive portion of steak and kidney pie.) To start with the whole gym thing was quite pleasant doodling about at my own pace but i have met with the gym manager now who's idea of a work out is considerably more intense than mine so next week might be more painful.



And just incase you didn't believe me... 



Sunday 15 January 2012

Ok... So i'm cycling to Berlin... On a tricycle!

You know sometimes you have these crazy ideas in life and you joke about them with your friends like it's no big deal... Sometimes if you talk about things too much they actually start to happen.
 
And I have talked a lot, and for about 10 years about this (not the tricycle part, thats recent madness - I had initially thought i'd travel in the safe confines of a beautiful split screen VW camper van, preferably orange.) No what i mean by 'this' is travelling round Europe as an artist missionary, saving the world one painting at a time! Ok so the plan has changed a by bit more than just modes of transport. But the crazy aching in my heart; to hit the road, to share in creativity and life with people, hearing stories, sharing mine, maybe some how, somewhere making a difference, like poking little holes through a black canvas seeing little beams of light shine in otherwise grey places. That has remained... even if most of the 'grey places' that light up are in me. But hey, Light is light, wherever it shines.

So anyway about talking too much... Well I've talked myself into setting out on an adventure that i thought had passed me by. But somehow the little seed of 'I might just go off and do this one day' has grown into a reality. And now it's not even safely in the far off distance of the future, it's actually happening. The wheels (quite literally) are in motion. Don't get me wrong i'm exited, scared whit less, but so excited. 

So this is what i'm setting out to do... At the beginning of March me and my slightly ridiculous but much loved tricycle (I may not be speaking so tenderly of if in a few months time) set out, packed with all sorts of creative implements, from my home in Calne,Wiltshire on a 800mile ride to Berlin. From there i'll be meeting up with a travelling theatre group called 2wheels4change and Journeying through eastern Europe doing street theatre and running creative workshops with community groups and orphanages. In June my hope is to spend 2 months at a training school with a christian missions organisation and then in August set off on a pilot tour taking Wild Goose on the road. 

Over the next few months i will be documenting my journey through this blog. It's partly for my own benefit but if you want to stay in touch with what i'm up to, or if your encouraged (or amused) by my great pearls of wisdom (and probably great blunders too), or you have nothing better to do then please sign up to my posts. And let me know if your following too, it will be great to hear from you.