We Made a Zoo

For those stuck at home right now I thought this might cheer you up.  See the video link, starring my great nephew, Jonah 💖💖💖

Click link:
We Made a Zoo

Great exam answers

Those in the middle of their exams right now, probably won't even have time to read this post. These are, indeed, real exam answers ... ones I just know none of you would give :-)  Hope it gives you a little laugh 🤣🤣🤣

Q:  What is the meaning of the term 'activation energy'?
It's what is needed to get me up in the morning.

Stress Awareness Month: REFINED vs DEFINED

What is formally recognised as Stress Awareness Month (April each year) is almost at an end. However, we are far from out of the woods where coronavirus is concerned.  We continue to live in the unprecedented times of a global pandemic and, for many, the stress is far from over.

My nephew, James  (a Baptist minister) recently posted a message entitled 'A Positive Wilderness' (1) and it has given me much food for thought.  

The Oxford dictionary describes the noun wilderness as meaning: uninhabited, inhospitable, neglected, a position of disfavour.  All very negative sounding, agreed!!  So, why the title 'A Positive Wilderness'  ...  is that not a contradiction in terms?

Well, the Bible gives mention of a number of times in history when people spent time in the wilderness (2) and whilst, on the surface, they may appear negative, they always led to greater things.

Earlier in the month I used the above quote in a post (3), which I believe holds so much truth and, if we can incorporate this in the way we approach life's challenges, it will revolutionise our lives and reduce the levels of stress we find ourselves dealing with.  

For all its apparent negativity, the wilderness can be a place of growth, a place of preparation and a place of refinement.  Yet, if we want to learn from the wilderness seasons of life, we need to be willing to ask ourselves some honest and tough questions:

Where, or in what, does my identity
and my security lay?

What things in my life should I be letting go of?

What can I learn from this experience,

both about myself, my character, my actions,

my words, my relationships, my priorities  -
but also about the world around me?

One thing my faith, as a Christian, has taught me over the past 34 years, is that the God I believe in is a God of Redemption.  Whatever situations or circumstances I find myself in they can be redeemed and made better, more positive  ...  IF I submit myself to God's way of doing things.

Asking the questions posed above can make the significant difference between our being either REFINED or DEFINED by a situation.

So, what about me?  What am I to learn from this dreadful season in which we are all living? Where does my security lie? Truly in God  - or in my role, my achievements, my abilities, my relationships, my bank balance.  Am I truly secure and content when so much is striped away?  I suspect the honest answer is, not as secure as I'd like to admit.  Yet, I know this  ...  I want this strange season to REFINE and not DEFINE me.  

When I come out of this, I want my relationships to be stronger, more meaningful. I want to prioritise time with those who help to feed my soul and my spirit.  I want my words and my actions to have more purpose.  I want to let go of the useless and the meaningless and truly live my life in the Light of Eternity.  I want my role, my ministry, to be re-affirmed and re-defined in such a way as to be of greater eternal value.  I no longer want to walk in the fear of man, or fear of the future. I want to walk the path set before me with a greater boldness and purpose that comes only from God and not on my reliance upon my own gifts and abilities.

What about you?  In what ways do you wish this time to change and mold you in to a better person?

(1)  Rev. James Martin

Pershore Baptist Church - A Positive Wilderness

(2)  Bible references:

Exodus 15:22 - 18:27;  Matthew 3;  Matthew 4:1-11

(3)  Stress Awareness Month - Quote me Happy 
Dated 21.04.20

Thought for the week ...

Ramadan Mubarak

I know from my many Muslim friends and students, what an important time Ramadan is to be with and celebrate with family and friends, and yet this current crisis means that much of that can't happen.
So in this time my thoughts and prayers are with you. That you would find creative ways to connect with those you love and that God would strengthen you and meet with you in a unique way.

Stress Awareness Month - It All makes Sense

We may have personal preferences about how we de-stress, preferences that suit our personality better than others.  But there is never just one way!!  Maybe there are some avenues to de-stress that you have never tried or even considered before.  

One thing is for sure. The art or the act of de-stressing can and should involve more than just one of our five God-given senses.

SIGHT  -  develop the habit of stopping each day for 5-10 minutes (or longer, if you're able). Take a look around you and choose five different things in your environment.  Notice the colours and shapes.  Why did you choose those things?  What do they say to you?  What do they help you to appreciate in this moment?  Describe them, as if to someone who has never seen them before.  Consider the positive emotions they evoke.

TOUCH  -  Find three ways to interact with your environment using the sense of touch  -  the feel of a particular fabric, the sand or the grass between your toes, the brush of the breeze on your face.  Let that sense of touch fill you.

HEARING  -  Close your eyes for several minutes.  What sounds do you hear  -  the wind in the trees, or rain on a window, a dog barking, birds singing, children playing, traffic passing by.  Consider the things you can be thankful for as a result of what you hear.  I recently sat in my garden in the sunshine, listening to the birds and the neighbours' children and for a moment the stress of coronavirus did not exist, all was normal and well with the world. It was a precious moment.

TASTE  -  Take time when you eat and drink to savour the flavours; don't just eat without thinking.  Let your taste buds come alive and appreciate all that you have.  I have personally found that fasting for periods of the day or a whole day have helped me to appreciate my food more; not just because it fills my belly, but because the flavours are so much more alive.

SMELL  -  Maybe you have some favourite smells. Smells that evoke good memories or help you to feel peaceful and relaxed - explore these smells. Some of my favourites are freshly mown grass, real leather, fresh strawberries or a nicely scented candle.

Where are they now? Areti

Hello Everyone! 
My name is Areti Konstantinou and I come from a small and sunny country in the Eastern Mediterranean  -  Cyprus.  

I graduated from the University of Greenwich with a BSc in Biomedical Sciences in 2018.  At this point, I would like to thank, with all my heart, my mum, my friends and especially Lynne.  Lynne was the person who was always there, not only for me but for all students; supporting all of us in any way that she could to cope with our problems, struggles and stress.  I will never be able to thank her enough.

Sunday Lunches

Trip to Oxford

Trip to Hastings

Studying abroad in a different language, away from your family and people that you know, coping with living on your own in a place where people have different customs and culture can be very challenging especially at the beginning and this can lead to real culture shock.  I was one of those people who experienced serious culture shock in those first few months of my studies, but I was lucky enough to meet Lynne who encouraged me to join TABLEtalk, World Cafe, the Sunday Lunch Scheme and other activities that helped me to overcome the shock, become more confident in the way I was expressing myself, enjoy my time as a student and make friends for life.

In Rochester with friends

Graduation🎓

After completion of my studies with Greenwich, I did an MSc in Cancer, Molecular and Cellular Biology at Queen Mary University, London hoping that one day with my knowledge I will be able to help people suffering from cancer.  After numerous job applications and faith in God, I am working in Kent, in a Food & Pharmaceutical Company as a Laboratory Technician.

I am so grateful for all the beautiful memories, the wonderful people that I have met and the challenges that I have faced because everything and everyone taught me something.  Don't forget that the best is yet to come and always keep faith in what you are doing!

Thank you all
Areti  💜💖

P.S.  As a key worker I would like to thank all of you that stay at home for us, the NHS staff and other people in need at this time. Together we can do it❕❕

Where are they now? Arshad & Daria

Pesila, Lynne, Acsha and ME

Hi there!  We are Daria and Arshad.  Originally I, Daria,   am from mother Russia and Arshad is from a tiny island called Mauritius.  I completed MSc Food Safety & Quality Management at the University of Greenwich in 2017; while Arshad was doing research in Biomedical Engineering. Thank god he was not my lecturer!  I am so happy that our encounter took us where we are right now 

For both of us, it was not easy to study and live on our own, as for many other students who come from abroad.  Thanks to Lynne, it turned out that I was not alone for too long because I met lots of friends from different parts of the world, including my would be husband!  University life was never boring.  In between studying, we were able to fit in student activities such as TABLEtalk, World Cafe, Sunday Lunches and trips. Love you Lynne, you are like a mother to us.

TABLEtalk Christmas Party

Watching football with friends

Winter Ball

After the completion of our studies, life moved us apart. Arshad found a job in France and I was determined to find a job in the UK, to pursue a relationship with Arshad.  I applied for jobs day and night and thankfully found a small food company willing to sponsor me.



A year and a half later, Arshad came back to the UK to be with the love of his life and we started living together. We went to Iceland where he proposed to me on 14th February 2019.  Fast-forward eight months, we held a small civil wedding ceremony with our close friends and family.

Living together is never boring.  There is always a person who keeps you happy and smiling and you cannot wait to come home because your husband is such a helper ... he cleans, cooks, does laundry and dishes and  ...  complains a lot.

Keep calm and stay home!
Daria & Arshad