Freedom in Love, En Courage.

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Sometimes it takes a small, enjoyable step to love someone. To give a hug, to share a smile. When you've been hurt, though, it's not so easy, not so enjoyable.
L O V E 1. A strong feeling of affection 2. A great interest (and pleasure) in something
Sometimes there is little pleasure in it. Sometimes it becomes unbearable. They've hurt you, they've done it before, and now they've done it again. You tell yourself that they'll continue to do so. And why wouldn't they? They are still the same person. Here's a thought: What if you're not the same person anymore?
The ability to love the lost and the hurt, at first, seems more than possible. I'm sure you could ask any number of people if they feel compassion towards people less fortunate and many will say 'yes'. Everyone that has hurt you, that does hurt you, that will hurt you... they're fighting similar battles. Battling feelings of isolation, a lack of belonging, suffering in a love-draught.
s y n o n y m s   o f   l o v e : friendship involvement enjoyment tenderness respect passion emotion devotion
Love goes so much deeper than any of these words. Love doesn't have to be a friendship, Love doesn't have to be easy, Love doesn't have to mean contact.
a n t o n y m s   o f   l o v e : hate dislike disloyalty sorrow unhappiness misery neglect ill will
Perhaps you felt those words as you read them. Perhaps you've felt that someone close to you was disloyal, someone who you trusted neglected you, someone caused you unforgettable misery.
You need Love as much as they need Love. Forgiveness doesn't come easy; it's a love thing. Deeply know that you are forgiven by Love and you can forgive. Acknowledging that Love plays a vital part in a restoration of an enjoyable life is key. Living that out isn't always easy, but it certainly gives you a light weight to carry. A weight that doesn't exist because Love carries it.
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures. Love never ends."
I've had my share of evolving friendships, abandonment, rejection, corrupted relationships ever since I was small. But I refuse to wear those labels. I refuse to let the people that hurt me before taint me now. I stood strong knowing my identity in Jesus, in Love. And do you know what? Most of those friends, people who were vessels of hurt for me, I still love them. I've become the listener in my relationship with them. I share the most about me with those I choose to do so with. But I choose to be someone that anyone can share the most about themselves with.  I'm not the same person as I was before I was hurt; I get my strength from Love.
I wear labels of 'loved' and 'lover'. It is because I am loved, by Love Himself, that I can love and that I do love.
You are loved.
Say 'yes' to being loved, to being a lover. It's really worth it. A life in love is a life worth living. It takes courage. When you love in courage you are set free. When you encourage someone out of a darker place and into a lighter one, you are loving them. Love is light, in both senses of the word.
Love, Amy xo

H o p e ⚓

Imagine an ideal world; a perfect place. What does yours look like? A collection of beautiful waterfalls winding through a peaceful planet... no, perhaps that's too picturesque. Is it loud or is it quiet? Is it bright or is it plain? We all have places where our mind aspires for us to be. Be that your own ideal world, or your favourite place already on earth with your favourite person. H O P E 1. A feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen. 2. A feeling of trust. 3. Want something to happen or be the case. In essence, 'hope' is quite a big word with not very many letters and only one syllable. 'Hope' encompasses the desires of our hearts.

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'Hope' brings new beginnings and new light into a place of seemingly-eternal darkness. "HOPE: Remains upbeat - Ignores doubters - Is future focussed - Stares down discouragement - Survives obstacles - Inspires others" - Brian Houston If hope is all you've got, hold onto it like an anchor, because it can take you to positive places that you never expected you'd get to.  Amy xo

When Life's a Mess... Just Be

Let's get real here. The photo looks pretty because it's got fairy lights in it and I framed it well. The bed isn't made but looks comfortable and inviting. The shelves aren't organised but hide in the shadows. And my floor, well you can't see it in the picture, but you sure can't see it in real life either. There are clothes everywhere. A mess. But with the right lighting, The Perfect Light, it's a somewhat beautiful mess, wouldn't you agree?

When Life's a Mess... Just Be

Seriously, just be. Just be. Sit and be you. Stand and be you. Lie down and be you. Just be.

There's something so special about taking the time to slow down and just be you with God, Jesus, Daddy. This is where I choose to do just that (see above image). Mostly because it's really rather convenient to have my quiet place where I already go to rest every single night.

Life is a mess, always. Fact. Even when it seems perfect on every level, there is an underlying mess just waiting to be discovered. Those people you think have it all together? They don't have it sussed out. Life isn't about perfection, it's about embracing the mess.

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A rainbow is one of the most beautiful things that God ever created! It's colourful, it's random, it's huge. It serves as a constant reminder that, because scientifically rainbows form when the sun hits the rain, when light shines through the rough times something beautiful is formed. 

You are God's project and your messy life is one of a kind. It's unique mess. It's beautiful mess. But His light makes a rainbow in your mess.

Acknowledging that we are made for messy lives and taking the time to sit and just be is so powerful. Every single being has access to an insanely awesome God. A wonderful counsellor! A prince! A miracle-worker! A creator! A father! A friend! An enjoyment so indescribable comes from being with Him. Like with, with. In a relationship with. A relationship that is never battered and bruised by sin and wrongdoing on our behalf. Thank you, Jesus!

'You raise me up so I can stand on mountains, You raise me up to walk on stormy seas, I am strong when I am on Your shoulders, You raise me up to more than I can be'

//Westlife//

Tonight I had my circle. A circle is a part of my church that is where relationship and personal support happens. Sundays can be so busy and daunting that having a group of people to grow with is so important! In other churches it might be called a cell group. If you're currently involved in a church, or similar organisation, but not an active member of a circle/cell group, I encourage you to be! It was tonight at circle that I was able to piece together some of the thoughts that formed this post.

Amy xo

Freedom in Forgiveness

For a blog that's named 'Freedom is a Beautiful Thing' my posts rarely have the word 'freedom' in the title. But I'm feeling a mini series might be starting here... Who knows? So it's thought that forgiveness expands life spans. That's not a bad deal, forgiving somebody and gaining a few years to your life. Only it's not that simple when we do it alone.  It's human nature to crave justice, heck that's why I started this blog in the first place! I was sick of the injustice of human trafficking going unnoticed. We crave justice. When somebody does something to us that requires forgiveness it most likely means that an injustice has occurred.  These feelings of passion towards an injustice can quickly turn into feelings of anger, dislike, hate. We can become irrational, forgetting about all of the moments before the injustice took place. The happier moments, the moments that person(s) had been there for us. We can feel not only that we've been hard done by and treated badly but also that we have lost a friend and gained a heap of betrayal.  It would be insane to expect that you forgive that person who lied to you, who stole from you, who abandoned you, right? Especially if they haven't asked for it. Why should they deserve being let off the hook? It's simple - because you have been let off the hook. When Jesus died on the cross He took all of your sins with Him. None of us are perfect! We have been forgiven and, therefore, we should forgive others. Forgiveness lifts a big weight from your shoulders, frees you to sleep well at night and keep the friends that you otherwise might have lost forever.  So the action of forgiveness is clearly a positive one. A longer life and a lighter load. But how do we get to the point where we have totally and honestly forgiven the person(s) who caused so much pain? Jesus. He's ace at the forgiving thing and He's there to give you a lot of help and guidance. It won't make it easy but it will stop the task from being impossible if you ask Him to lend a hand. "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those that sin against us" - speaking the words might be what helps you to truly forgive, down in your heart. For me, I have to ask, I have to get upset with God, and I have to get my strength from Him. He knows I'm upset (with Him) already so there's no harm in telling Him and then asking for help.  I speak from personal experience when I say that there is truly such freedom in forgiveness. The awkward encounters lessen, the anger dissolves, the loneliness dissappears, the hatred leaves, the anxiety stabilises, the joy increases, the love spreads. Sometimes the most rewarding thing about forgiveness is being able to help a friend who might otherwise have no one if you hadn't have stuck around and forgiven them for a mistake they made that hurt you.  Amy xo

A BIG Dream

What's your house dream? Your ideal home? Your perfect future dwelling place? What does it look like? A place in the countryside? A place close to town? A place not too far from where you grew up? Does it look like this?

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No? Mine didn't either. But it might do now. I had no idea how cost efficient these things are for a home! I'm not talking about buying a shipping container and a mattress! I'm talking BIG!  Perhaps this might give you an idea...

Still not convinced? Take a look inside one of these homes:

Image Source: Google

Feeling a little bit more inspired now? One step even further:

Image Source: Google

There are so many things that can be done with such small spaces. To quote a man in the first series of George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 'we want to make this small space a big place'.

What about not using this idea for a house? How about thinking one step further? To create a community hub where everyone gets to play! A place with pool, darts, sofas, vending machines. A place with an indoor cinema screen. A place that can be rented out for use by local business meetings or baby clinics at a cheap rate.

For a while the word 'community' has been on my heart. Creating a space that can be replicated all over the place like this is ideal! It's a movement that can spread!  We hit 1111 page views today which is a very nice number but also looks like the side of a shipping container! Coincidence? I think not. Amy

Image Source: Google

There's No Place Like Home

The Calais jungle is now home to more than 6,000 people. Here's just one. There's No Place Like Home

A man stands amidst his washing next to a board showing the alphabet, a set of chairs, and his home. April 2015. Each small detail of this photograph tells a bit more of the story. From the storing of toothbrushes upon the roof, to the shoes below the table. Who else lives with him? Family? Friends? Strangers united only by their common goal: to survive? I travelled to Calais with my mum as part of a recent project. Before we knew it we had driven into what is now being called the 'Calais Jungle'. Scenes of tents, football games, and groups with shopping trolleys surrounded us. As we slowed past this accommodation I managed to snap a few pictures. I felt helpless to the residents here. The reality that we were 'spectating' them with nothing to give became all too real and we left shortly after this photograph was taken. I'm hoping I help by sharing this image; I don't want this to be just a personal project. I'm hoping I help show just a snapshot of what it is like in Calais. Something that I still struggle with is the idea that what we witnessed, what's shown in this photo, is better than where they've fled from. 

A Year for Adventure and Discovery!

// 2016 // is here and I am so excited!  I'm excited for the adventures we will all stumble across, the opportunities we will embrace, the journeys we will travel. I'm excited for the paths which will cross, the connections that will be made, and the love that will be felt! Ah!
How do you feel about 'New Year Resolutions'? They are popular tradition in the UK: setting fresh new goals with the 'clean slate' that a new year brings.  I'm not too keen. The past few years I have set 'learn to play guitar' as one of my resolutions, and never succeeded. In 2015 I didn't set any goals, and on September, 27, 2015 I started to learn guitar. I could play over 20 songs before the year was up. Ironic, really.
So, rather than set yourself up for failure, why not get creative? This year my idea is to have an Adventure List. Some things already on my list are: || Hire a metal detector and use it on a beach || Go on a road trip || Walk to nowhere in particular || I'm thinking of creating a tab here on this site for my Adventure List. At the moment the list is very short. I don't want to overwhelm myself.
What are some of the things you'd like to do in 2016? Comment below, I'd love to know! Maybe I'd even like to do the same!
I've added my Instagram feed to the side of my blog, I've sort of started blogging on there too, adventure memories!
Happy New Year!
God bless, Amy