"Nothing is so sweet as to 'lie passive' in God's hands and know no will, but His"
(C.H. Spurgeon)
It's been such a long time since I updated my blog. No innovative excuse other than being tired of sitting at the computer! I finished BCNZ exams a couple of weeks ago, it is great having a study break even though I've been enjoying being back into it again. Winter has really just begun here, we had extended "warm" weather (i.e. between 8 and 15C) for quite a while; today it was -5C and felt sooooo cold. I'm not sure how I survived -35C that first week I was in Canada last year! Sara and I went to Presquile Provincial Park on Sunday afternoon. It's right on Lake Ontario and was so beautiful, albeit BALTIC! There was a strong wind blowing and it was freezing (even snowed a little), but the snow clouds reflecting on the stormy water were just stunning. The Canadian geese everywhere really added to the effect, especially when I chased them so we could get pictures of "genuine Canadian geese in flight." There were a lot of dead Cormorants lying around (like NZ Shags, but twice the size) and we found out later that there is a disease that is wiping them out at the moment. Very sad! There are a few photos below - not of the dead birds. :-)
In just over two weeks I will be back in New Zealand! I am really excited to see everyone again. It's hard to believe it was a whole year ago I was home. This year has passed incredibly fast! Apart from my weekend in Rome back in March, nothing terribly out of the ordinary has happened, but it has been such a GOOD year. I've felt really settled and have enjoyed work and being part of the ministry team at Singing Waters. I'm really enjoying the church I go to here, everyone is so lovely, it's great to be part of such a welcoming, genuine/"real" community.
Still taking violin lessons which is fun, I can finally play "real" music, a bit scratchily, but real all the same. My teacher, Christine, is lovely and very encouraging. This year I've been trying to get back into practicing piano and learning new music so it's been a bit of a music-revival this year. Even worship-led for the first time, at a healing retreat and once at church -- I think God used that experience to show me that ANYTHING is possible through His enabling because I wasn't feeling confident about it at all.
The degus are alive and well and continue to prove a lot of amusement and a funny sort oof rodent-like company. They have been denoted to a spot outside my room, though, due to being too noisy in the night. They aren't meant to be nocturnal so I'm not sure what their problem is!
I will try to update this a bit more frequently. I don't know how some people manage it every day! I bow to you, oh dedicated Blogger-People.
