Yesterday I was in London with a colleague leading an induction day for three ministerial students who have transferred to us following the sudden and sad closure of Spurgeon's at the end of July.  I think we had a good day - it was certainly very full and we covered a lot of ground together.

We met in a central London church which has great facilities, including a room with adjacent kitchen/dining area where we could make refreshments and have lunch.  When I was decanting the contents of my shopping trolley into the fridge, I stumbled across not one but two pots of 'devil's dressing' which caused me, and everyone else much mirth.

Definitely an unusual find in a church fridge!

++Sarah Mullally, the first woman to be Archbishop of Canterbury... should I send her an Offensive (TM) Tee-shirt?  Might it be the case that in 2025 people have moved on from 2009 - I'd like to think so but somehow I doubt it, and she is, after all, on a global stage not the tiny one of the BUS. 

If praying be your thing, then please do - it can be a lonely place being a 'first women to be...' there can be lot of (perhaps self-imposed) pressure not to mess up, not to 'queer the pitch' for those who come after you... there can be cruel words spoken, and blatant 'blanking' that you have to shrug off, at least in public... 

I remain bemused that I am official Baptist history (after all I was a mere 46 years old back then) as well as both amused and slightly miffed at the miss-telling of my story (my surname has been 'corrected' (changed to Gordon)), assumptions have been made about my theology, my ecclesiology, and even why I moved south (you know, that God-person really does call people to move sometimes...).

I rejoice that after all these years, and they are many, the good bits are still better than I ever dare expect (even if the bad bits are so much worse than I ever fear), that the good outweighs the bad, and God still surprises me with wonderful 'hmmm' moments.  

This morning I completed my 250 miles (actually a little over as it was a morning meander to the stationery shop!).

May thanks to everyone who has supported and encouraged me. If you happen to want to donate and haven't yet done so, you can still do so by clicking this link. I've had a lot of fun, and am both fitter and a lot more tired than when I started!  My current intention is continue to walk from the railway station to college in Manchester, and to be more intentional about keeping moving.

As news reports tell us that numbers crossing the English Channel in small boats continue to increase, and sadly with more deaths, the importance of charities willing to speak up and speak out grows stronger.  Praying for a day when no-one feels the need to flee persecution, violence or oppression - and until then doing the small things I can do.  

A fly day out to walk some miles in real life Glasgow - the 05:59 out and getting home just after 21:00... old haunts revisited (and a new bridge walked over) and of course 'my' beloved crane.

A grand day out, complete with macaroni pie for lunch, a lovely walk along the Clyde and a brief catch up with a few folk I haven't seen in a very long time. 500-ish miles by train, and just shy of 9 walked.

Just twelve miles left to walk and three days to walk them - that should be doable!

I have been more than a bit lax in posting updates recently - apologies, life has been pretty full, and getting my average of eight miles a day walked has been a good challenge.

Today I passed the 90% point, having walked 225 of 250 miles (plus a couple more before the end of the day).  It has been a genuine challenge and it has been a lot of fun.  Finally working out a decent length, adequately safe and interesting, route around this small town has been a definite positive, as well as raising (so far) £280 for the charity Refugee Action.

With four days left to complete the challenge, the end is very much in sight.  If only the same could be said for the conflicts and humanitarian disasters that force people to flee their homes risking everything in the hope of better future.