The Journey Home

The rain and snow can't make up their mind
They bluster and blow, a mix of emotion
Is all that they show.

The lump in my throat grows larger still
The change of the seasons
Is all that I know.

The snow takes over
The rain disappears.
All that remains is one single tear.

What Really Matters

I think that there are times that we need just to stand back and take stock of what's really important. Although deep in our heart of hearts (and occasionally in our minds) we are consciously aware of what is most significant. However, while buried in a mountain of schoolwork for a month, this is often a difficult thing to do.

I realize that it has been a while since I've written, as Amanda recently reminded me. As much as I have wanted to say all that has been going on in my life, time has not permitted. Let's just sum it up to the end-of-fourth-year-ism of not having a life. But soon. Eight days. Eight extremely busy days. The end.

Tonight, however, I was once again reminded of what really matters. One of my dear friends, Lindsay, shaved her head tonight to raise money for cancer research. Not only am I reflective of this because of the incredible person she is and the wonderful example that she sets, it is due to one of the many women (and men, of course) for whom Lindsay was fighting.. my Aunt Carla. Thank you, Lindsay. For the reminder. And for helping remind me of the things that really do matter. And to Aunt Carla for being such a fighter. And to my Lord Jesus Christ for everything. Inspirations do exist.

God bless, all.

P.S. Check out my cousin Shana's blog if you need further inspiration.

http://shananewell.spaces.live.com/

Pieces of Yourself

I believe that wherever we go and whatever we do, we leave pieces of ourselves. However, this is not just a process of being emptied of oneself. What we 'lose' of ourselves is replaced by what we have gained. It is a reciprocal process, in which fragmentation can actually lead to fulfilment.

This is a process that I realize more as time goes on. In twenty short and work-filled days I will have completed my university degree. Wow. Four long, busy and enjoyable years. Complete.

A Starry, Starry Night With a Lunar Eclipse

Tonight was the most beautiful of nights. Stars. Snow. Stillness. And a lunar eclipse.

Company. Comfort. Coziness. Cabin in the woods. Christians. Campfire. Clarity. Calm. Claire de lune.

Words do not do justice to such a precious night. Praise the Lord. He is more magnificient than the stars on a winter night in the woods of rural New Brunswick.

Reflections

It's amazing how our lives start to unfold before our very eyes. The things that we never dreamed would happen are upon our doorstep. The lives that we thought we would (or wouldn't) lead are in progress. Where does the time go? I have yet to figure that one out; however, I do know that it goes and that time is not something to be wasted. As a dear friend once recently told me, time is the most precious resource we have and can give. Not money, not possessions, but to give of ourselves. It is a simple truth, one of which I am sure that I have heard many times, but one that continues to resonate in my mind.

Even though this is only my second post, I am surprised at the nature of my writing. I expected it to take a more "this is what is going on in my life" approach, as opposed to my general musings on what this whole process of finding oneself is really all about. How do you know when you've found yourself? It seems like a rather silly question, but I think the answer lies in the realization that you recognize bits of yourself in what you are doing.

I truly believe that life is in the details, i.e. it is one of the special realms in which God dwells. One of the essences of God that strikes me profoundly is that He cares about the intimate nature of my life, my day, my worries, my cares, my joys. He is a God of detail and He never wastes His time or energy. What He creates and fulfills is full of a mysterious beauty that is usually beyond our grasp. Praise Him for who He is and how He is working.

I think, and have recently learned, that perhaps the best way to live one's life is to be full of wonder and hope. This may come out of my nature as an eternal optimist, but I believe that life is something to be lived.. it is too precious to waste. I just want to take it all in and experience the wonders of God and His creation. I am anxious to pursue my journey of self-discovery that I know will accompany the one-way plane ticket that I bought a few weeks ago. As my journey as a pursuer of higher education soon ceases (at least for the time being), my quest and longing for change will soon be satisfied. Amen to that.