Falling perfectly into place

It's been a while since my last blog, and a lot has happened so I thought it was about time for an update (although I imagine it'll be old news for most people, but still it'll be a nice blog for me to look back on one day).

I've recently found out that I will be graduating with a 2:1 (including a 2:1 in my dissertation), which I'm very pleased with. It was what I was aiming for and considering the busyness of this year I'm pretty chuffed.

I have job! I'm loving my placement at the moment on NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), and it's even changed my mind about health visiting! And then to get a job in NICU is perfect. I'm so pleased and it gives so much security for the coming months. I feel honoured that God has placed me in a job in which I will be supporting families in such a precious time of their lives, it's a real privilege and hope that I'll be able to do the job well.

PJ and I have a flat! We looked round one flat, liked it, went for it, started the process... and the landlord pulled out. Very annoying! So we looked around some more and found another - it's nicer, but more expensive and unfurnished, although it has everything we want (a spare room and nice big lounge/diner) so it's worth it, and we're both relieved to have somewhere to live again once we're married! We both really want our home to be a place where we can glorify God and bring a little bit of His Kingdom to earth so finding a place where we could welcome people into was important, and praise God we've got the perfect place to do just that.

So all that's left now is 3 weeks of placement and then the wedding! With just under 7 weeks to go until the wedding day I'd say we're fairly in control and very excited! 7 weeks is nothing compared to 7 years :)
One of the things I'm looking forward to most about being married is just being able to see each other, and being able to chat - we're both pretty busy people and for most of the time we've been together we've seen each other weekly or less, so it'll be nice to see each other most, if not every, day :)

I'm very thankful to God for pouring out so many blessings, it's amazing how within a couple of weeks everything has fallen so perfectly into place. God really does keep His promises and provides.

With only three weeks left in Portsmouth I'm beginning to process the fact that I'll be leaving so soon- I am going to miss it so much, but I'm looking forward to the next adventure :)

Dissertation stress!!

I'm currently a bit of an emotional, stressed, all over the place kinda Hannah. I'm feeling the pressure of wedding jobs that need sorting, churchy stuff that needs doing, leaving Promiseland and university work which has ever nearing deadlines.

The main stressor at the moment is my dissertation... due to lack of input from university staff, despite my efforts, I am now not in the place I would have hoped to have been in. (Here isn't the place to go into details, and its not very interesting anyway!). I met with my tutor today to think of possible options to tackle the problem and there appears to be no right solution. So we've gone for second best. It will probably effect my marks a bit, but not enough to change my classification so that's a positive. But it's not ideal, it's frustrating that I didn't get the support I needed and our new solution makes me a little as though I've already failed before I've even finished!

I know this post is vague, but I just needed a little vent. Once again, prayer would still be hugely appreciated.

In other news, wedding stuff is well underway:

- We've met with the florist, and have chosen flowers

- Rings have been ordered

- We had a fun day at Legoland, where the little ushers and flower girl met each other

- I've got my shoes

- Hairdressers have been booked

- Guest list is finalised

- Invitations are designed (and nearly ordered)

- We started the Marriage Preparation Course on Tuesday. It was good, if not a little cheesy!

- On Saturday we're going to London to meet up with the vicar who will be marrying us

- We've got gifts for the bridesmaids and ushers

- We've bought material for bunting

So we are definitely on track,which means one less thing to worry about :)

Talking wedding things (nearly) always makes me happy again! :) 

Promiseland

It's currently Wednesday evening and I've just officially handed over Promiseland at our meeting this evening (I've waited a bit to post this so it's a little more common knowledge and all the Promiseland team know first).

Passing it on was hard.

Mikey, Harriet and Sam will do an amazing job I have no doubt whatsoever, I believe that God has placed each one of them here at this time to do it. But it's still hard to say goodbye. So, I am no longer the 'go to' person for Promiseland and I'm no longer going to be on the rota. Now is the right time for this to happen as dissertation stress is high, and I'm due to start placement in a month- with shift work it's very difficult to commit. I'll still go along as an extra helper when I can, but officially I'm done. 

It makes me very sad, and as pathetic as it sounds, I've already shed a few tears. It has been an honour and privilege to work with such a fantastic team ministering to some amazing children. God has taught me a lot through this experience and it's been a real blessing to see the children grow in confidence, in relationship with each other, and most importantly with God. Never could I get bored of  seeing them worship, hearing them pray or learning how God has spoken to them and used them. They encourage me weekly! 

I love Promiseland a lot and I love the children even more. Thankfully, I've still got a few months until I have to properly say goodbye to the children - that will be even more difficult!


Some of you might think I'm over reacting but it's a pretty big deal to me. I've put in a lot of time and effort to Promiseland over the last couple of years. I'm not perfect and there's still loads that can be improved and potential to be nurtured, but I've given in my best and so it's difficult to let it go. Especially, as I'm not yet sure what I'm moving on to, but I'm looking forward to the next steps God has planned for me as I move to Southampton, and what exciting things God has in store for Promiseland!

'For there is a time and a way for everything'Ecclesiastes 8:6

The final stretch and a bit of reminiscing

 After a lovely couple of weeks at home in Abingdon, I'm now back to Portsmouth life.

The two weeks at home were very productive; lots of wedding bits done, made good progress with my dissertation, spent time with family and saw friends (including meeting my friend's very beautiful baby girl, who's Mummy is fabulous!) .

I'm now back in Portsmouth for the final 4 months... this time will mainly be writing my dissertation followed by final placement, hopefully getting myself a job (once again, prayers for getting a job would be very much appreciated!) and making the most my favourite things in Portsmouth - friends, Kings Church and the sea.

On a soppy note... After spending pretty much all day everyday with PJ for 2 weeks I wasn't really keen on getting back to only seeing each other every week/every other week, but PJ did point out that this will be the last long stretch of time when we have to do this, and the next time we get to see each other lots will be the few weeks leading up to our wedding! With 5 months to go, most things booked, plans coming together, and marriage prep course due to start in a couple of weeks it's all becoming much more real! I look forward to when I get to see my best friend everyday :)


On a very different note, my sister is currently looking into a trip to the Galapagos Islands and how she will fund it, and it's reminded me of my Delhi trip (of which I recently stumbled across my blog; click here!). I was extremely blessed by my family, friends and church who made it possible to raise £4000 in about 4 months! I realise it's now 3 years since I got back to England but I still massively appreciate it, as it had such a positive impact on my life. And to the person who donated £1,000 anonymously, I have no idea if you'll read this but if you do, a very special thank you to you - such a huge, humble and selfless gesture, I'm not sure that I would have made it to India without you.

Here are a few of my favourite India photos:

Oh, I do miss India and would love to go back some day!

Anyway, enough reminiscing.. time for bed!

Just a bit of procrastination

So right now, I should be working on my dissertation but instead I'm sat here typing not quite sure where this blog will end up... 

Maybe a general update is in order:
I'm currently home for a week or two - came home for Easter and now enjoying a mixture of seeing friends, family and spending lots of time with PJ, wedding planning, uni work and job hunting. 

I love my friends. I love coming home and catching up with my friends from school. I will be honest, I'm pretty rubbish at keeping in contact with them whilst I'm in Portsmouth but I love how when I do see them it's like nothing has ever changed. Though I am still yet to meet the newest, and youngest, member of our group!

I love my family. Don't really need to say much more than that - they're all fantastic and a brilliant support when it comes to wedding things. (And a very happy birthday to PJ's mummy!)

I love PJ. Again, I don't really need to say much more than that - don't want to be too mushy!

Wedding planning is going well, we're pretty much on track. The great thing about both being home together for a week or so is that we're able to crack on and get lots done. Oh, and I've now seen our wedding reception venue at church - it's beautiful and I love it! Seeing it made me a very happy and excited bride-to-be :) 

Uni work is slowly but surely coming along. I now finally have a dissertation question and research to critique, waheyy! Which is great as it now means I can properly get on with it... just means 8 weeks of some head down hibernation to get it done!

Job hunting. I'm still aiming for health visiting - currently in the process of applying for another post, but also keeping an eye out for ward jobs too. Whatever happens will be God's plan.

I was saying yesterday how I don't know how people manage the busy, stressful, important times in life without God! Obviously they do, but I am so reassured by the fact that God has my life in His hand, He has the bestest plan for me and protects me and so I don't even want to think about how much of a stressy Hannah I would be without Him. 

A 'no', for now...

Today I got the call to say that have not got a place on the Health Visiting course... and I expected this. I'm not a negative person, just realistic. The interview didn't go as well as it could have and there was a lot of competition, so I kinda saw it coming. However, once I had finished the conversation that confirmed my prediction I just cried.. and cried, despite telling myself to pull myself together! I now feel a bit stupid about it as I had suspected it so I'm not really sure why I got quite so upset.. probably wasn't helped by the fact that I was home alone, so no one to console me!

I have now, after a few hours of feeling sorry for myself, managed to put myself back together and no longer believe my hopes and plans are completely ruined (I realised that I was over-reacting!). I'm still slightly confused as to how something could feel so right and then just flop... but I'm holding onto the promises that God has for me...

'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future'. Jeremiah 29:11

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

God has a plan for me far greater than I could ever imagine, so this might be a permanent 'no' or it might be a 'not yet', we'll just have to wait and see...

I still learnt how to improve in interviews, and I was very lucky to even get through to the interview stage, considering I wrote my personal statement rushed in a weekend and only about 150 people from 600 applicants get to interview. I can also re-apply if posts come out again, so hope is not lost.

I must also remember that I am infact very blessed to be in this position - in a few months I will (hopefully)  have a degree and professional qualification, in 6 months time I will be married to the most wonderful and amazing man, I have good health, I have amazing friends and family around me and I'm writing this blog from the comfort and warmth of my own home. 

So all in all life is good and tomorrow is a new day.

A gooood day!

Well today has been a very good day... Started off by going to the library for 9 like usual, I finished and submitted an assignment and 20 minutes later received an email saying I'd been offered an interview! Wooooo! Literally the best timing for the email for several reasons:
- It was after I'd submitted my essay, had it been before I would have struggled to concentrate.
- I'd said to myself if I hadn't heard by the end of today then I would give up and look for ward jobs (of course I may still need to do this anyway... we'll see!)
- I had told God about a week ago, that I'd quite like it if He could make the email come through promptly after submitting my assignment! God is good, and has a sense of humour! :)

So after a few minutes of celebrating in the library by myself, I decided that I really wasn't going to focus on my dissertation after the exciting news so after a few nudges from the librarian (who I shared my news with and I'm getting to know quite well) I came home and spent the afternoon being excited and pottering around the house.

My housemate and I went for a walk this evening in the hope of catching a beautiful sunset, and we did which makes me very happy. I don't think I could ever get bored of living by the sea and seeing glorious sunsets, there's just something about it... Every time I'm simply in awe of how big, amazing and creative God is.

So I'm one very happy girl right now. I've got lots to look forward to as well - church weekend away this weekend, seeing a good friend the following weekend, Sarah is coming down to visit soon, and before I know it it'll be Easter and I'll be visiting home :)