The blog comes out from hibernation!

My poor dormant blog. I thought it was about time to update this, it has been very neglected over the last year! Five minutes ago marked the end of my last assignment for Bible College. After three weeks and two exams, I'll have finally finished my BMin. It's hard to believe. It has been a hard slog at times, doing it for the most part along with full time work. The last year in particular has passed like a blur (thus the poor dormant blog) and I look back on it with feelings of awe that I actually survived it, much less came out with some degree of sanity intact! Despite the busyness, it has been a great year.

Significant happenings in 2008....

* I began the new year with 20,000+ people at "One Thing," a conference in Kanas City, MI, U.S.A by IHOP (that's International House of Prayer, not International House of Pancakes). I've already written about it here, and it's impact on me has continued throughout the year.

* While at IHOP I sensed God asking me to "surrender my singleness" to him. I knew exactly what he was talking about, and he was asking for very valid reasons, which I won't go into here (but feel free to ask more!). With some difficulty and grudgingness (I know that's not a real word) I did so and returned to Canada still very happy being single but with a new sense of freedom that tends to follow surrender.

* Within a couple of weeks of being back in Canada in January, a friendship with my good friend of three years, Terence, "evolved" into something more, and we've been going out ever since. It was possibly pure coincidence, but I think it's highly likely that it is related to the aforementioned event in the U.S. of A. ;-) God makes me smile. 

* At the end of June I drove from Ontario to Alberta with Evelyn, John and Monique (more good friends, and Terence's parents and sister). 

Totaling about 3,500 km it definitely goes down in my drive-to-remember-book, especially Saskatchewan, one of the flat middle-provinces....

I spent July and the first part of August in AB visiting Terence and staying with some of his relatives there. We went on a couple of beautiful trips to the Rocky Mountains - they are absolutely stunning and give N.Z. some serious beauty-competition!

* My brother Tommy and his girlfriend Aimee got engaged! (I'm glad Tommy has the good sense to make sure an Aimee Winnington stays in the family!). Their wedding is going to be at the end of January '09, can't wait! :-)

* Earlier this year I told the family I've been nannying for for the last 3.5 years that I'll be finishing up in December. I will miss them, it's been a great few years! It's so hard to believe that the youngest was only 2 1/2 and still in diapers when I started, and is now nearly 6 and in grade 1. :-)

* Terence and I are going to New Zealand to spend Christmas with my family this year! It will be 18 months since I was last home so I can't wait to see everyone again, and for them to meet Terence and vice versa. We're not sure how long we'll be in N.Z. yet, but probably at least a few months. There are many unknowns, but as he always is, I know God will be faithful to lead us in the direction we need to go. After being away from home for nearly 4 years, it will be great to spend more time with family and friends, but I also have very mixed feelings about leaving Canada indefinitely because it has been very much "home." We have return tickets to Canada, so it's nice to know we will be returning within a year at least! 

In reflecting on the last year, these are a few things that come to mind. Despite the unknowns, I'm looking forward to 2009. And maybe the blog will come out of hibernation a little more often. :-)