vendredi 10 décembre 2010
Half a year after
I have to admit that this blog has definitely fallen by the wayside; however, I haven't minded the lapse too much. Life has been very good since the last time I wrote on here and I've been able to experience a lot of wonderful things! Along with a few trips out east, I travelled to the United Kingdom this summer and have had some great trips around my own province this summer and fall. Life in ministry has been ever-interesting and a constant journey of growth and adventure. Admittedly, this year has not been what I've expected but those are the most pleasant surprises, aren't they? Since I don't envision myself keeping this blog too updated, I'd like to wish anyone who randomly pops by here a merry Christmas filled with the joy and wonder of Christ's arrival!
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6
Libellés : Christmas, everyday life
vendredi 4 juin 2010
A season later
Goodness, it's been quite a few months since I've posted on here; I think the commenting fiasco deterred me from writing anything until I figured it out (which I never did, as Andrew has pointed out to me). In any case, it seems like people can actually comment on Echo, so that's a strange and unexpected surprise.
I just saw that my last post was from four months ago. One of the reasons I've been largely silent is that I didn't know for sure if I would continue to have employment after February. It was a stressful time in my life but God brought me through it and I am still employed. I have much to be grateful for but also a lot to still process and work through, which will likely take a while.
Other than that, life has been ever-changing yet constant for me - I probably take these changes in stride and without much notice since my personality is pretty placid. I'm now involved in a ministry that I have avoided for eight years (ha! God has a good sense of humour) and it's been interesting. I'm also involved in the ministries of discipleship and hospitality at my church, both of which I've appreciated because they're such different activities than what I usually do.
As for this summer, I hope to travel once more although I won't know for sure until later this month. Right now, the myriad of ministry events that are coming up are consuming my time (tomorrow is my first day off after working 12 days in a row - yay!). One of the saddest things about this past year so far is that I haven't picked up a book in so long - what a shock to my system! However, I will concede that I would prefer being out with people rather than being cooped up; I suppose I won't be able to do the 100 book challenge this year so it's a good thing I accomplished that when I had time to do so :)
Libellés : everyday life
mercredi 3 février 2010
Comment confusion
I'm none too pleased to read that Haloscan is going defunct and is requiring its users to pay $12/year for its replacement commenting system, so it looks like I will lose 1087 archived comments (although I've exported my comments, it appears I've also lost everything from between 2003-2006). It's unfortunate that nothing at this point exists to allow for a transfer of comments between Echo and Blogger, so I suppose my archives are now glaringly incomplete. I could manually enter the comments from 2006-2009 back into Blogger but in the grand scheme of things in life, I don't want to make the time for that.
As a result, I am immediately switching over to Blogger comments - which I should have done a few years ago when it was made available - and will remove Echo before the end of the month. In the very unlikely case that anyone will comment on here, please use the second commenting system instead. I'm sad that I'll lose this key part of interaction on my blog, especially one that has been with me for almost seven years but at least I'm hopeful that Blogger won't do the same thing to its users. The funny thing is that I've barely had internet access for the past month and just when I finally get it back, I have to receive news like this. Well, I suppose it is one way for me to write something on here! Another way of looking at it is that since I've already lost the comments from 2003-2006, losing the ones from 2006-2009 shouldn't be a big deal, right?
Libellés : blogging
dimanche 3 janvier 2010
Undefinable
So the first unnamed decade of the 2000s has passed and now we head into another one (would it be called the "10s" or the "2010s"?). I'm excited for what will come this year and a little nervous that I won't end up doing as much as I will want to. While I am forming a list of goals in my mind, I hesitate to voice them just yet as I don't want them to be mere resolutions that I'll quickly give up weeks into it.
I also want to keep it a small list so that I won't feel too intimidated as the year goes by. Last year, I had too many goals and the only ones I followed through on were reading a hundred books and being in the Bible on a daily basis. I'm still doing the daily Bible reading plan but I've picked a less intensive one for 2010 which I think will give me a bit of time to do more in-depth Bible studies/reading. I think that is one thing that I wasn't able to accomplish last year; while I may have read the Bible everyday, I didn't take enough time to meditate on it. My hope is that this year, I'll still have my daily reading but that I'll also take the time to really dive into the Word.
Another reason for my hesitation in making goals this year is that I have no idea what's ahead of me - personally and professionally. This year feels so undefinable whereas last year, I knew that it was the first year of guaranteed full-time work following seminary. I feel like I'm swimming in waters out of my depth... exhilarating at first but worrisome now. However, I know I shouldn't worry about tomorrow so perhaps this will be my first step in 2010 :)
Libellés : Bible, everyday life
jeudi 31 décembre 2009
Seven questions
Inspired by this series of reflective questions on Michael Hyatt's blog, here are some of my responses to what life in 2009 has looked like for me:
1. If the last year were a movie of your life, what would the genre be?
Honestly, I don't know the answer to this (not a good start!) but I'd perhaps say one of those long-drawn out British miniseries where things move slowly and the conclusion is yet to come (for me, anyway).
2. What were the two or three major themes that kept recurring?
Everyday obedience; jumping into the unknown; simple pleasures.
3. What did you accomplish this past year that you are the most proud of?
Leading an adult mission team; surviving life post-grad; reading the Bible on a daily basis; meeting my reading goal.
4. What do you feel you should have been acknowledged for but weren't?
I don't feel that I should be acknowledged for this but I will admit that it was very challenging to fill in for my coworkers this year while handling my growing job responsibilities - that's not an experience I'd like to repeat this year (so far as it is possible, and if it must occur I would prefer that I'm not filling in for multiple people at the same time again).
5. What disappointments or regrets did you experience this past year? Where did you let yourself down? Where did you let others down?
I'm disappointed that I wasn't more disciplined with my exercise regimen. Another letdown for myself was having high expectations for certain things that were unrealistic. I probably let others down by my indecision and indirectness.
6. What was missing from last year as you look back?
More time with friends. More time resting in the promises of God instead of fretting. More risks. On a more positive note, I didn't have any skipped Bible-reading days which really made a difference throughout the year.
7. What were the major life-lessons you learned this past year?
Learning how to love God and others through small daily gestures - a challenge on most days I'll admit but wonderfully freeing at the same time. Rather than being worried about the big things, I've been focusing on how I can be faithful in the little things. Realizing that the sum of how I spend my days is what constitutes my life.
And now for 2010 - I pray it will continue to be a year where we can discover anew the goodness and faithfulness of God!
Libellés : everyday life
vendredi 18 décembre 2009
Christmas vacation
Although I'm a fan of occasional white Christmases, I'm finding that this is too much snow for my liking. I don't think I've ever spent Christmas away from home but the temptation to leave this winter weather is increasing by the day. I'm still praying about where and when exactly I can go (if I can, for that matter) but it'll be wonderful to escape winter driving and having my car tires spin in the mounds of snow that have been building up. Even if I don't get to go somewhere, the nice thing is that I can stay at home and avoid going out. The irony though is that the weather is probably warming up just about now, so I probably had to go to work when it was at its worst. At least I'm off of work for now! :)
Update: Hurrah - I'll be able to spend Christmas away from the snow now :) Last-minute trips are always such a fun rush!
jeudi 17 décembre 2009
Book report
It's taken three years but I can now happily report that I've met my goal of reading 100 books in a year, and have surpassed it as well! I'm going to continue recording the titles that I've read although I'm not sure if I'll subject myself to the same pressure of needing to read a certain number of books for next year. Overall, it's been a fun journey and it's been neat to see what my reading habits look like. This past year, I've read:
- 35 fiction books and 69 non-fiction books
- 67 Christian books and 37 non-Christian books
- 11 books on missions, 10 books related to work (with some overlap in missions as well), 12 books on theology/Christian living, and 5 books on leadership/ministry
- Lots of others on topics such as books (!), household management, organization, simplicity, frugality, fashion, finances, Canadian culture and interior design - an eclectic mix of things that have caught my eye at the public library
I'm excited to dive into a bunch of other titles that I've been saving for this book challenge, with the added bonus that I can go through them at a more leisurely pace now. If I could list a few of my favourites from this year, they would be:
- The Apothecary's Daughter - Julie Klassen
- The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment - Tim Challies
- Good News about Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World - Gary A. Haugen
- Invitation to Lead: Guidance for Emerging Asian American Leaders - Paul Tokunaga
- Lady of Milkweed Manor - Julie Klassen
- Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion - Wayne Cordeiro
- The Missionary Call: Find Your Place in God's Plan for the World - M. David Sills
- Persuasion - Jane Austen
- Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be) - Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck
I've noticed a shift in the type of books I currently read compared to the ones I went through in college and seminary, the most noticeable being that I have gravitated toward more practical books. While I still enjoy books on theology and Christian thinking, I'm starting to take up books on Christian living. Next year's list might reflect this as well; now to get started on that!
Libellés : books
