Tunes I Like

Beautiful Things, by Gungor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1spkhp41ig4

Open Up, by The Brilliance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgdNrppahI4&feature=kp

You are Good to Me, by Audrey Assad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKosVfAEUPE

 Something Like Scales, by Tom Wuest

http://tomwuest.bandcamp.com/track/something-like-scales

The Doxology, by Jacob Montague

http://jacobmontaguemusic.com/all-creatures-volume-one

Divenire, by Ludovico Einaudi

http://strahanmusic.bandcamp.com/track/posters

Posters, by Strahan

http://strahanmusic.bandcamp.com/track/posters

#OverwhelmingGoodness

So much for planning to write a blog post once a month, it’s been more like once a year! That is largely due to the fact that the year has been so FULL. I feel almost overwhelmed by goodness, it’s quite unfair!

The school term came and went. The mental picture I had before the time was a windmill spinning at full velocity, and indeed that would be an accurate description of the past few months. A course on Bioethics is helping me think more theological about the complexity of any ethical decisions. A Systematics Theology Course has me inspired about our future life in eternity, not to mention the quality of the prof; it was a real privilege to be in class under him. A third practical class with the Navigators on campus – lots of fun and I got to share life with many wonderful students J And a fourth weekend class to discern my future… I still don’t know what I am going to do next, but there is time to decide.

Another very exciting adventure has begun, with a guy. I am so thankful for Colin; he is a gift! It’s kind of strange to write about something so personal on the internet, but very generally: he is amazing, we really enjoy spending time together, we’re on a journey and our guide is the Lord, and we shall see where He takes us J I can say that this is one of the most beautiful seasons. I can hardly believe it is mine to live!

Summer jobs are another cause for celebration. I worked at Spring School and really enjoyed meeting the new students, hosting coffee times, as well as the administration involved beforehand. International students are now allowed to work off campus and the timing is perfect: I was granted an innkeeper position at a Bed & Breakfast for the rest of the summer. #dreamscomingtrue . I have dreamed of owning my own B&B in the future! Needless to say, I love the work, and this is just the beginning.

What more can I say? Not all is sunshine and roses. We were saddened by the passing of a dear friend and a friend’s mom earlier this year. Life really seems to be a mixture of laughter and tears. While we live it, we will hold fast to the One who grants hope and life and freedom. He is here and He is enough.

Airport Thoughts

What a gift to have been able to fly home for the holidays! Here are some random thoughts along the way. I like travelling. In fact, I don’t even mind the long layovers between flights. Of course if it were possible to teleport I’d avoid airports altogether, but there’s something about the long journey that is of value. Kind of gives you a chance to end off one chapter and begin another. And travel grants the space to think, if you will allow it.

Aeroplanes have a weird culture of their own. If you’re flying alone, it’s a guessing game as to who will be next to you on the plane. Someone you’ve never seen before, and then you get to know them pretty well. I mean, their sleepy face, and what they like to eat or drink, and whether or not they snore. If you’re lucky, they might even fall asleep on your shoulder! For the most part on this trip home I’ve had great neighbours. A lady from Estonia (I didn’t even know there was a country like that!) and a South African student returning home after a visit to the UK. And now a fellow Canadian student from Botswana. We both had a long layover and so we shared coffee at the airport… surprise: an instant friend! Our stories merge for a few hours, and I discover again that people are perhaps the most interesting part of travel (and life in general).

There are more things of interest. Here’s an extract from my journal on the way to South Africa: “I have been struck by the individualism and consumerism so prevalent on planes and in airports and in life. I am flying alone, across the world on a “whim.”  I choose my movie, maybe never speaking to the person next to me. Even duty-free goods sold on the plane! The airports are so lined with exotic goods at exorbitant prices. Maybe we’re getting over gender and racial divides, but money is a huge factor for discrimination… Sucks you in and spits you out. Pride in the veins, If they had pride-detector x-ray machines we would all have splitting headaches from their constant screaming. Pappa, I’m sorry I’m so proud! I’m sorry we’re so arrogant. We wouldn’t recognise you if you came to us today…” Sweet will be the day when we really get it, when we really see that all humans are equally astounding, when our arms are open to embrace the very “least,” and when our hearts are able to learn from the very unexpected.

What else can I say? I like the sounds of different languages and accents you come across in an airport. I like focusing on one thing and seeing how different they are, for example people’s shoes or the shapes of their noses. I like imagining stories about the people I see… why they’re late and now running to catch their flight, who they’re going to visit and where, or what they love in life. To know all of this would be absolutely overwhelming. But a cup of Mocha with one random person today was a gift. I hope she thought so too.