It's Been Awhile

June is this you??? The weather this province is currently experiencing makes me think that this can't possibly be June already. In 2 short weeks, it will officially be the beginning of summer and wearing jackets and mitts are not acceptable. What is acceptable are the following:

• flip flops
• skirts
• warm evening walks
• swimming
• drinks on a patios
• bonfires
• weekends at the cabin

If June 21st roles around and the above items are not being experienced I think I just might pack my bags and wander over to a different part of the world where these things are happening because I want summer!!!!

It feels as if its been forever since I blogged last. To be honest, I just haven't felt like there has been much to blog about. I have no spiritual revelations or exciting events to share. In many ways, life feels as though it's somewhat at a standstill. Kind of mundane. There have been wonderful and delightful moments that have filled time in my days, but nothing that makes me want to shout from the rooftops.
So in a nutshell, here is what I have been up to as of late.

1. Botox. I can sum up my feelings toward botox in one word: AMAZING. I am sooo thankful that I have found something that works for my headaches. I am not yet headache free, but being able to have anywhere from 2-4 days in a week with little to no headache is a wonderful, wonderful feeling. I am praying that with time and continued treatments, the painfree days increase. Currently I am scheduled to go routinely for botox once a month, but I am hoping that perhaps in a few months I will only have to go once every other month, then every 3 months and so on. The recovery process is and will continue to remain a painful one. I have learned that I must take the next day off of work and remain at home and in bed. After my last treatment, my beautiful ladies brought poutine and themselves over to help me recover. It really doesn't get much better then that. Thanks ladies.

2. Work. I'm finding myself at a steady pace at work, which is a great thing. Making money is nice. My clientele is becoming more regular, so it's been neat getting to know some of these people better. I have some very interesting and wonderful folk come on my table and it's a pleasure to spend an hour or so finding out what goes on in their lives, what makes them tick and what struggles they face. I am thankful for this job that I have a neat and unique opportunity to touch the lives of complete strangers. To be able to offer healing to someone else is a blessing and one that I do not say thanks for often enough.

3. Solitude. Cabin season has begun, which means that most of my weekends I have to myself. What a treat! My parents have been taking off to the cabin every weekend, my brothers are fairly unpredictable with their schedules and very rarely home, which means I get to bask in the silence and the freedom that accompanies an empty house. Maybe it's the new found joy of having an entire house to myself or perhaps its being exhausted after a long day at work, but whatever the reason, I am discovering that I am much more of an introvert than I initially thought. That's not to say that I don't enjoy spending time with people, because I happen to love my friends an awful lot. I think the difference is that I no longer need to thrive off of other people. I feel energized and at peace after a night alone.

4. Jesus. Along with the rest of my life, unfortunately Jesus and me have been in somewhat in a mundane relationship. There's nothing "bad" that is between us, but there is also nothing incredible. Some days I feel guilty for not feeling the "fire" for Jesus, but that's life. Our "How to Read the Bible" bible study group is still trucking away. We started in February with reading Genesis and we are currently up to 1 & 2 Samuel. If you're having trouble doing the math that's 8 completed books (soon to be 10). It's been a wonderful, life giving experience walking through these books with this group. Prior to beginning this study, I had never read an entire book of the old testament (with the exception of Ruth). I knew the basic stories, but I missed out on getting the feel for the bigger picture - the meta narrative. I failed to see these individual stories as part of God's story.
Last week on the church calender marked Pentecost. I recall in grade 9 at MBCI, studying the book of Acts in bible class. From what I remember it wasn't the most enriching spiritual experience. I learned the stories, completed assignments and wrote the tests, but beyond that, nothing really stuck. While out for coffee with a dear and spectacular woman last week, she encouraged me to think a little on the meaning of Pentecost in my life. What does it mean to life a spirit filled life? I think if I were to be honest with myself, I would have to admit that there is something about being filled with the Spirit that presents itself as scary. The image of tongues of fire blazing down from the heavens, filling believers below is both dramatic and yet terrifying. Once the spirit takes hold of your life, incredible and scary things can happen. You put yourself in a vulnerable place and that sometimes means going to places and doing things that are maybe out of your comfort zone. Soooo, this past week I have been spending time in prayer, specifically asking for the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I'm not entirely sure what that will or is looking like, but I am asking that I would also be able to recognize and accept what the Spirit does. I desire fresh eyes and ears to hear what God wants to do in my life. I'm taking my friend up on the challenge and I am anticipating some brilliant experiences to present themselves. Lately it seems that I have had my blinders on. I've become so focused on what I want and what I think my life should look like or what my friends life should look like, that I have failed to see the work of God in my life. Reading about the Israelites, I have found myself often identifying with them - I am seeing things through my own eyes rather than with God's. I think this will be a long journey with Jesus, but I am hoping that like the Israelites, God doesn't give up on me. I desire his constant pursuit of me as part of his people.