Thank you 2011

This past year I have truly discovered that God has an innate sense of humour, which makes perfect sense when you really think about it. After all we are made in his image and all love to enjoy a belly rolling, eyes tearing laugh every once in a while. So it is only natural that our creator would enjoy the same.

When I first started my walk with Jesus this January it was more a leap of faith than I can put into words. I was at a point where to smile was painful, to do anything was painful; physically, emotionally, mentally my whole body ached from injury. Injuries accumulated over the duration of way too much time away from God and so much time spent in a broken dysfunctional relationship. Now that I have put into context my life at this time you will better understand what I describe next.

I had just handed in my resignation from my job, decided to sell everything in my apartment pack up my little versa and move to a new country 15 hours away from what I knew to be home for most if not all my life. At church the last Sunday before I was to make my big move I was speaking with my pastor and he had a word for me. He told me that he saw a picture of me overflowing with joy, like a spring of water. And there was no pain insight, the joy over took me and I couldn't even remember the pain that I was experiencing at that very moment what was so real to me would be nothing more than a distant memory.

For the past 6 months these words remianed with me, I loved the hope that it brought, to think that God had this promise of such joy waiting for me. I have realized as 2011 is coming to an end and I am forced to look back on the year and all that I encountered that I infact have experienced this vision on more than one occasion. The joy of crossing the pond to a world that I only ever dreamed of exepriencing, the people I met when I was there, the pure joy of seeing a culture that I connected with immediately, the laughter I have shared with new friends and old alike, the warmth that radiated through my body as I saw my very best friend get married this fall, phone conversations that last half the day talking about nothing but enjoying everything, dancing with my father, baking with my sisters, skype dates where I cleaned out my closet and making money off of it, great music discovered, an amazing latte, feeling Jesus right beside me every day of my life, getting back up when I fall, taking on each day as a new challenge, living my life hopeful for the future and respectful of my past, connecting with people in a way that is refreshing and somewhat unknown but invigorating all the same. All I can say is that I feel the spring of overflowing joy, and I am truely greatful for each step I take, even when I am unsure of where my foot will fall.

You have been one amazing year 2011, Thank You!!

Social networking isn't social at all!

I am sitting in a coffee house, well lets start this blog off being truthful, Starbucks, and I am surrounded by technology. Technology comes in many forms, people on cellphones, people on their laptops, people reading their kindles, people doing anything but connecting with other people. My mom's best friend is visiting from Canada for the week and we had a nice little chat this morning before i went to work about technology and what it is doing to our society as a whole. How many times today alone have you checked your facebook? And what were you hoping to get out of those twenty plus visits to a site dedicated to you. Are we really that important? I think we would like to think so, and the better question is why are we checking a website to see what our friends have to say to us when we could just pick up the phone and chat with them, or better yet when possible sit in a cafe with them and converse face to face. When did electronic social networking become the favorable way to connect with our peers? How easy is it to hide behind a computer or even a text. Do not get me wrong I love technology and I know it has a place in our lives, but when did it become more important to bring your cellphone with you on that jog then to just go for the jog? Seriously, I saw this with my own two eyes yesterday on the Greenway, a lady jogging and chatting on her phone. Well at least she wasn't checking her facebook page!

Basically this post is to make you think, think about where your life is headed, where our society is headed and if you want to join it? I put this challenge to anyone who is reading this post; one week facebook free. Can you do it?

Midnight Music

My sister shared this song with me today in an email and I feel it would be truly selfish to keep it to myself, so I am sharing it with you all now.

Enjoy: John Mark McMillan, Carbon Ribs

http://grooveshark.com/#/s/Carbon+Ribs/3UQgNd?src=5

Embrace the journey on your way to your destination

I have been very house bound these past few weeks. Actually to be more specific room bound. I spend much time on my bed with my laptop on my lap (go figure) and the television playing in the background. So this Thursday after work I decided to get some much needed exercise and go for a walk on the Greenway boardwalk a mile from my house.

It was near 5pm so the sun was starting to take its decent and it begged to blind my eyes, the fall leaves crunched under my feet, the smell of cool air embraced my lungs and grabbed so tightly making it more and more difficult to breathe as i took each passing step. I was about half way through my walk when i noticed a side path off of the main boardwalk. Deciding that this adventure needed some spicing up I decided to follow the dirt path. Beyond the trees i found a little stream, so I sauntered down to the edge of the water and plotted myself down. I just sat and listened to the water trickle past and I couldn't help but wonder; when was the last time I enjoyed my surroundings? I was hard struck to find a time when I simply enjoyed the journey, not being completely preoccupied with my destination. Something so simple as going for a walk, the entire time I am walking I usually am concerned with how long I have been walking, how much longer I have to go and when will i reach my car so I can begin my next task. How many times have I missed the colourful crunching leaves under my shoes, or the warmth of the sun on my face or the pure fact that God has created such beauty all around me and I ignore it almost every single day.

In the grand scheme of things I have been living my life much with the same attitude as I have when I go for a walk, what is my destination and how long until i get there. I am so concerned with what my next step is in life that I miss the enjoyment of taking the step. It is time to stop walking through my life like a New Yorker, only concerned with where I am going, and instead start enjoying everything in my life with all my five senses maybe more so like a tourist visiting the big apple for the very first time. There is no point in getting to ones destination without being able to remember the journey that got you there.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

So I am sitting on my bed with my laptop in tow and I can't help but think, I have done this before. I went to work, I came home, relaxed with coffee, some blogging and then proceeded to have dinner on the back porch with my parents and grandmother. Guess what, now I am back on my bed fervently typing and watching T.V. Wait I have done this before, over and over and over again. I need to spice things up a little, any suggestions? 

He Knows Just What I Need...

I have recently started a second job, both jobs in retail. Everything was going great until i ran into a scheduling issue. It seemed both jobs wanted me to work the same day or at least be available to work and neither was willing to budge meaning i had a dilemma. I started freaking out; my mind went every which way, essentially creating a much bigger problem in my head than what it was. None the less, I was frantic and in my time of need i prayed. I asked God to help me work with both my supervisors in order to come to some kind of conclusion. I also ask for my one manager to be accommodating and understanding to my situation.

Okay so i brought the issue up with my one manager and to my surprise he was very agreeable, said that what I had suggested would work and that it would not be a problem. So that was nothing short of a miracle because I had felt some tension when I initially had out in my revised availability when I first started my second job, but not this time. I am starting to see that God really wants me to rely on him. Whether is is with my finances, my family, friends, workplace, whatever I have in my life he wants me to be able to bring my issues and problems to him. Trust him that he will help me work things out. Well, thank you God for being so good to me. Each and every day I get so see a little bit more of his goodness, and his blessings in my life and I    am so fortunate.

Why Doesn't the Flattery Flatter Me?

Okay, so most of my blog entries, actually all of them up to date have been about my relationship with God. This blog is going to be a bit different. If you do not like different then i suggest you just stop reading when i put the period at the end of this sentence.

My very best friend got married yesterday. cheers, it was such a beautiful day filled with multiple beautiful moments. One of the most memorable ones for me was simply seeing the pure joy in both my best friends face but her new husbands. Did I feel a pang of jealousy? I would be lying through my teeth if I told you that I wasn't feeling some shade of green at a point throughout the night. New people and new possibilities have been placed in front of me, yet I feel so utterly unwilling to taste test any of them? Why is it that i long for something but will not get off the couch or put the bag of chips down to get what I want? Maybe some of you would say it is because that is not the right thing for my life right now and I subconsciously know that, so I am simply avoiding mess. Or maybe there is nothing to even avoid. Now I am simply being cryptic. I think this is where i say adeau. I am just working out some thoughts. Thank you for being patient as I ramble. I needed tp ramble.