Thought for the week ...

Take Ten - To Doubt or not to Doubt?

Doubt is an experience common to all people. Firstly, I find myself asking, is it possible to be human and not doubt? Is doubt not a part of my human mind doing what it was designed to do  -  to anticipate, to problem solve, to avoid danger. And secondly, I ask this, are faith and doubt mutually exclusive?

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Take Ten - To Doubt or not To Doubt

Thought for the week ...

Take Ten - A Journey through Lent

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Take Ten - A Journey through Lent

In the Christian calendar today is Ash Wednesday. It marks the first day of a period we call Lent. It’s a time to acknowledge and re-affirm our dependence upon God and to prepare our hearts for the corporate celebration of Easter. In my opinion, Lent is not so much about what we do, as to the WHY we’re doing it and WHO we are doing it for. 

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30 Days of Thanksgiving

Today is Pancake Day!

Fourteen very random facts about Pancake Day ...

Pancake Day is more formally known as 'Shrove Tuesday'

Pancakes go by many other names, in Australia they are known as 'pikelets'

Nowadays, traditions vary from home to home and country to country. Traditionally the period of Lent following Pancake Day was seen as a time of fasting

This is essentially a Christian festival 

The period of Lent following Pancake Day is often viewed as a time of abstinence, of giving up things that distract us from our relationship with God

Kaiserschmarrn, is a type of pancake eaten in Austria. I think I'm going to try this out 😀

The period of Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday - probably one of the most important festivals in the Christian calendar

Pancake Day is always on a TUESDAY. 

In Uruguay and many other countries, this festival is more commonly known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.

Eggs, milk, flour and butter are the basic ingredients for making pancakes  ...  so they're easy and cheap to make

The word 'shrove' comes from the verb 'to shrive' which means for a Priest to hear confession and speak absolution

In India they eat a form of pancakes called 'dosa' made with lentils and rice

Ash Wednesday is the day after Pancake Tuesday and marks the first day of the season of Lent

The season of Lent is a time of preparation, a time to yield ourselves to God, in preparation for the celebration of Easter

Thought for the week ...

Happy Valentine's Day

Often, when we think of Valentine's we think of husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends but, let's face it LOVE is, or at least should be, a part of all of our lives.

The following poem was written by 43 Medway students and alumni from 29 different nations around our world. 

Love is ...

Love is when someone's happiness gives you fulfilment

Love is understanding

Love is beautiful and flawless

Love is the bond of two people - immersed in willingness, happiness, attraction and respect

Love is passion, love is obsession

Love is someone you can't live without

Love is ignoring superficial imperfections

Love is the life you get from every breath of air

Love is sharing your last piece of chicken, even though you feel like eating it all yourself

Love is the ultimate gift, it is living for each other

Love is a choice

Love is what lightens your day

Love is like a flower, it blooms with the sun, but when winter hits, its petals come undone

Love is beautiful, like the wings of a butterfly - highly delicate, so be gentle

Love is untameable

Love is charismatic

Love is concern

Love is care for others, expecting nothing in return

Love is supporting each other in good times and bad, believing and trusting unconditionally

Love is an endless act of forgiveness

Love is companionship

Love is respect - Love is patient

Love is always being there, both physically and virtually

Love is what holds you when you can't take it anymore

Love is sharing, caring and understanding

Love is a feeling of warmth in the midst of the wildest storms

Love is more than words, it's a feeling

Love is when the soul feels at home

Love is the natural drive to interact with each other

Love is enduring

Love is unconditional

Love is the most powerful gift one can give to and share with the community around us

Love is walking together on the journey of life

Love is caring about the other person, more than you care about yourself

Love is not what you say, but what you do

Love is the art of encounter

Love is a fireplace and a warm hug

Love is staying up all night talking about the stars

Love is like a river

Love is a warm cup of tea after a stressful day

Love is like music, you can dance, cry or smile as you listen

Love is the ability to speak with one's eyes and tell the true nature of the heart

Love is the comfort of knowing you are cared for

Love is an oasis for a deserted life

Love is beauty of the heart and soul

Love is a language ... you will understand it even if you don't know its alphabet

Love is a beautiful feeling that everyone should experience

Love is what makes us feel safe and alive

Love is caring and giving without any expectations

Love is sacred and eternal

My immense thanks to all those who participated (I sincerely hope I've not moved anyone to the wrong country 😜😜):

Yamama (Palestine), Tano (Italy), Adanonso (Nigeria), EunYoung (South Korea), Ahmad (Egypt), Manuela (Italy), Souad (Lebanon), Troy (Grenada), Sonali (Sri Lanka), Jeff (Sri Lanka), Adam (UK), Kishan (Nepal), Aiste (Lithuania), Pattamanan (Thailand), Michel (Egypt), Yihan (Taiwan), Arman (Italy), Veron (Italy), Anastasia (Cyprus), Aryan (Iran), Khaled (Lebanon), Dominika (Poland), Marcel (Germany), Jose (Ecuador), Jaspher (Uganda), Katie (USA), Kuntal (India), Vijesh (India), Peter (Nigeria), Nikki (UK), Nefeli (Greece), Dilyara (Russia), Rhandi (St Kitts & St Nevis), Jerminah (Lesotho), Meron (Eritrea), Joy (Thailand), Veroni (Sri Lanka), Afaf (Jordan), Adnan (Syria), Obinna (Nigeria), Amira (Egypt), Nilupa (Sri Lanka), Elawarasi (Malaysia)

Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival is celebrated in numerous East Asian countries. The origins of this celebration go back thousands of years.

Prior to the festival, people clean their houses thoroughly in a custom called 'sweeping the ground', to remove any bad luck that might be lingering in the house. They also display good wishes outside their homes, either side of the door post.

The festival begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon, some 15 days later.

Fireworks and family celebrations mark this holiday, which culminates in the Lantern Festival.  On this evening colourful lanterns light up the houses and traditional food is eaten, such as, yuanxiao (sticky rice balls that symbolise family unity), fagao (prosperity cake), and yusheng (raw fish and vegetable salad).

2021 marks the Year of the Ox

People born in the Year of the Ox are considered to be strong, reliable, and conscientious. They inspire confidence in others. They are also known as patient, methodical and trustworthy. 

Oh how I miss our World Cafe 😢😢😢 and the opportunity to do our Chopstick Challenge. Here are a few images to take us down memory lane ...

 

Take Ten - Five Love Languages

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Take Ten - Five Love Languages

Author and counsellor, Gary Chapman, identifies what he calls 'The Five Love Languages'.  Identifying our own primary love language will help us to understand how we are wired, and how we both perceive and receive love from others.

Thought for the week ...

TABLEtalk - How to Bake a Lazy Cake

It was all about FOOD at TABLEtalk last night 😀😀

Our evening culminated with a somewhat cultural, vaguely food related quiz  ...  trying to guess the meaning behind various Cockney Rhyming slang phrases.  This was a language used in east London, largely among the market stall holders, and also possibly amongst criminal gangs.  I wonder if you can guess the correct word?  Remember folks, it's all about the rhyme!!!

1. Bread & cheese

2. Loaf of bread

3. Mince pies

4. Brown bread

5. Tea leaf

6. Jam jar

7. Currant bun

8. Apples & pears

9. Bread & honey

10. Baked bean

See answers at the end of this post 😀

Prior to our quiz though ... our catch up question of the week was based around the question: "What is the most awful thing you've ever had to eat?"  

As we talked about some of our responses to the ice-breaker, which varied from liver and marmite to chickens feet and durian (stinky fruit).

Aiste led us through how to make a lazy cake. Several of us were in our kitchens, complete with laptop, apron and ingredients, ready to follow along.

Here's an image of mine ...

Finally, via our TABLEtalk whatsapp group, students shared some of their favourite recipes from home.  Here are some links:  

Polish Breaded Pork

Malaysian Chicken Satay

Lithunanian Cold Beet Soup

Greek Stuffed Tomatoes, Peppers & Onions

Indian Butter Chicken

Polish Cabbage Rolls

Greek Spanakoryzo - Spinach & Rice

Sri Lankan Coconut Roti

ANSWERS

1. Bread & cheese  -  sneeze

2. Loaf of bread  -  head

3. Mince pies  -  eyes

4. Brown bread  -  dead

5. Tea leaf  -  thief

6. Jam jar  -  car

7. Currant bun  -  sun

8. Apples & pears  -  stairs

9. Bread & honey  -  money

10. Baked bean  -  queen

It's Time to Talk!!!

February 4th is 'TIME to TALK' Day.

In these difficult and trying times more and more people are faced with challenges to their mental wellbeing.

Too many people facing mental health challenges struggle alone. They feel ashamed and worthless. Let's start TODAY to help break the stigma of mental illness. 

TOGETHER

we can make a difference! 

TOGETHER

we can talk and listen. 

TOGETHER

we can breakdown the stigma and biases related to poor mental health.

TOGETHER

we will get through this.

Remember - each of our Universities at Medway have excellent Well-Being Teams, and you can always chat with the Chaplain. DON'T struggle alone 😉

Find out more:

ReThink Mental Illness website

Take Ten - Failure is not Final

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Take Ten - Failure is not Final

Failure, or even the threat of failure is challenging for most of us and it comes with a whole array of emotions - shame, embarrassment, anxiety and even anger. We may need to adjust our thinking, in order to see failure for what it truly is - a temporary bruise, not a permanent tattoo!

Farewell, Captain Tom

On April 15th 2020 I wrote a blog post about Captain Tom Moore.                This inspirational man set out to walk 100 laps of his 25 metre garden before his 100th birthday, with the aim of raising £1,000 in aid of NHS Charities Together. 

One thousand pounds indeed 😏😏

In reality Captain Tom's simple sacrifice raised an incredible 

£33 million!!!

In July 2020 Captain Tom Moore became Captain Sir Tom Moore, when he was knighted by the Queen. 

Sadly he passed away today - gone but never forgotten!

Read more:

BBC Captain Sir Tom Moore obituary

Link to my original article:

https://medwaystudents.blogspot.com/2020/04/what-inspiration.html