The end of a time

I'm feeling particularly introspective today, which has inspired my sudden urge to blog again. It's either that, or the fact that shortly, I will be heading off to Thailand for a "vacation" in Nonthaburi. What a fantastic place for a vacation: concrete, pollution, nasty soi-dogs, deafeningly loud motorbikes....
And I'm SO excited!

Spring has sprung here at the U, and with it comes all the wonderfulness of the end of classes... All the bright green flyers advertising beer gardens, the chalk letters on the sidewalks, the glazed, frantic looks of students as they shuffle to classes in their sweats and Ugg boots. (Those are still WRONG, by the way. I still don't like them).

In my boredom (as I wait for someone to email me back), I've been struck by the irreversible changes in my life lately. The changes in relationships (for better or for worse) that are taking place, and are about to take place.

My sister is getting married. My cousins and friends are all pregnant. (Ok, not all of them, but there are no less than 6 who are, or who have just given birth...). I've had some interesting and hard conversations with friends. I've watched 5 sets of friends begin marriages this year.

Sometimes in life, I think we tend to ignore the permanence of our decisions until we realize we can't go back. Yet, other times, we avoid certain decisions because we're afraid of the future.

As school wraps up for another semester, and I begin a brand new summer, complete with its own challenges, I want to trust God, making decisions based on what HE knows is best for my life, rather than on my hesitance to try new things, or exuberance/impatience for the future.

May you also do the same.

Spring!

I was at home this weekend, and there were tiny buds on my mom's apple trees. It reminded me that spring WILL come, and God will not let it be winter forever.

I'm so glad!

Happy New Year! etc.

I hope your Christmas and New Year's was as wonderful as mine...

And voila! More excuses.

Another Christmas.
I love Christmas, and I'm glad for the joy it brings, and the good times with family. I was at the Christmas Eve service at church tonight, and it was wonderful! Candles, songs, and cookies in the foyer.... We opened gifts today, and it was fun to see a good gift received.

School wrapped up for me in a whirlwind of activity -- Preschool Christmas Crafts at Heartland, 2 days of exams, watching the Nutcracker Ballet, and going to Michael W Smith...

In all this, though, I've had trouble resting.

I don't mean dozing on the couch, or watching tv.

I mean resting. Really resting.
Resting in the silence and the presence of God, and being still before him.

I use so many excuses: it's so hard when classes are wrapping up -- all the papers and assignments. It's so hard during exams, there's so much studying and not enough time. It's so hard when you're working two jobs.

It's so hard during Christmas because all the family is around, and there's so much action.

It's so hard.

blah blah blah.
It's basically just an excuse. I was struck today how I want to "rest" and "take a break" from the stuff I usually do, but I rarely deliberately take the time for the rest that will heal me on the inside. Ironically, I find that when I take time away from my day to spend with God, suddenly, there seems to be more time for other things.

This dichotomy has got me to thinking:
I don't think we're made for frantic activity.

I've been reading through John lately, and Jesus was really deliberate about people, and doing the will of his father, which at times, required that he take time away and hide himself from his disciples, and pray.

My prayer for you and I over the Christmas season is that we'd take time for the things that matter. For people.
and for God.

and that we'd take time for the rest that matters.
Cheers!

Merry Christmas

let us, therefore, subsist on TUMS

So, in the last 3 days, I've completed a group presentation and two term papers. One of which I'm proofreading now. (two hours before class -- don't ask how late I stayed up to finish it...)

For some reason, this time around, staying up late and being stressed has given me a need for TUMS.

and so, I'm enjoying my mint flavoured TUMS.

which sounds strange.
except that when I was small, my Grandma used to let me eat TUMS like candy.
I've developed quite an affinity for them.

so, let us, therefore, subsist on tums.

and pretentious words. (I've been trying to use as many as I could.)

Incidentally, today's word of the day (according to dictionary.com) is tarraddidle, which can be defined as pretentious nonsense.
which may apply to today's posting...

draw your own conclusions.