So much to say...

Hello friends, this will indeed me a multifacited blog, covering the wide range of things that have happened since i last put finger to key and left a post on here. I am sorry that it has been so long!

First of all i should mention Thanksgiving. This holiday takes place the last Thursday of November. I was blessed to spend this this years celebrations with my housemates and their family. We ate an amazing turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and spent lots of time sitting round the table, talking and laughing. It was exactly what i needed.

November had been a tough month for me emotionally and spiritually i was burnt out, as a result of being so busy mentally and physically. It is always so hard for me to ask for help when i am struggling. I was trying to do everything myself and really becoming much too independant. It felt like if i let anything go, everything would crumble, and if that happened, I felt like I would be the one left to pick it all up again, which felt like more work than simply holding onto everything in the first place!! The weekend after Thanksgiving I took a mini retreat and stayed at my friend Sarah's house. I had lots of time alone to pray, journal, read and think. This time was so important for me to be able to get my perspective back. I realised that my focus had switched from discipling and serving the students and showing Christs' love to them, my community and the city of Seattle. Instead my time and stress was taken up with making schedules and lists, then checking off said lists or maybe just making even more lists?!! I was so caught up in this whirlwind that i didn't know how to stop.

After this time away i really able to do the things i would have said were my priority, and hand over or make less important the things that had been consuming my time but brought me no life whatsoever. Since then I have truly been able to enjoy this school much more, and especially my one on one times, which i would have said were my favourite parts of the week, but somehow became such a burden. I was reminded how much i love what i do, and also gave me a huge illustration of God's grace at work in my life during a time when i had nothing to give and could have potentially done some damage to the people and relationships i care about here as i was living in my own strength, and feeling very stressed. I see His covering so evident during that time.


Here is picture from the Thanksgiving parade, the cheerleaders brave the weather and smile as they spread holiday cheer!