Round up of February

Well then, hasn't February flown by? I was going to do a favourites but this month has been pretty busy and pretty all over the place. I apologise in advance for this very ranty and talky post, but I've always said I want my blog to be a space where I talk about life and everything it brings, and this is what it brought this month, instead of it bringing a long list of favourites, it's brought some life lessons & many beautiful moments.

Birthdays 

I've had 5 birthdays this month within my family and close friends, February is always a month of celebrating the great people I have around me, I love it.

Being Spontaneous 

I've made a couple of spontaneous decisions this month, one being to chop all my hair off again - it's now a very short bob which I wasn't quite expecting to happen! But I'm growing to love it and everyone is saying it looks lovely so I'm just going with it.
I also said yes to a trip to Romania in the summer, a group from my church are going out there to do some work with another church, and they asked me if I wanted to come so I responded with 'Why the heck not?!'

Life

This month an amazing and wonderful man that I know died, leaving behind a huge and wonderful family, a heck of a lot of friends and hundreds of people who loved him. Bill was central to the life of the church I attend and it's left a huge hole in the hearts of many. His funeral was last Friday and it brought so many things home to me, the importance of living your life to the full. Bill was an accountant, which many people say isn't the most exciting of jobs, but it was everything that he did with that, and outside of his office hours that made him the legend that we celebrated on Friday.

I'm always complaining about my job, about how I feel I'm doing not a lot with my life.
 This has made me want to do something about it, be more spontaneous, be the person people know they can come to for anything. His thanksgiving service was full of stories about him laughing, smiling, and transforming the lives of those around him, as well as being full to bursting with people. I want to make my life count, I want to be known as someone who helped in transforming people's lives, I want to be generous with what I have been given,  I want to say yes to opportunities that are thrown my way, and I want to make my little life count.


The importance of community 

(Disclaimer - Now I don't really talk much on this blog about my faith or my church, but I just needed somewhere to write this down.)
Leading on from the last point, it's been an emotional rollercoaster, since the moment we knew how ill he was to the moment I am in right now. Trying to deal with death is the toughest ride you could ever have, it's confusing and completely beyond our own understanding. But in this time of great heartbreak and pain, I've seen just how important my church community is, there is nothing but love and care for one another and the family who have lost a father, husband & granddad have been completely surrounded by it. I can't put into words how immense and beautiful it has been to see a group of people come together and walk each other through this journey. There was a line in a song we sang on Sunday morning that said 'We will overcome and Love will be our greatest song'. This is what's happening, and whatever you believe, I think this is the case for everyone. When you are going through tough times, love will always pull you through, whether that is the love from another individual, a community or a group of friends. Community is important, and wherever you find that community, treasure it.


So there we have it, my very ranty, February round up!
What has life taught you this month?


Abz x