january is for dreaming

I love January. No, it has nothing to do with the fact that my birthday is in January;) I love it because it's a time to reflect, to dream, to inspire the future. January is a month of lists and hopes and deep heart ponderings. January brings new vision.

January's vision is still being worked out and battled over. Alongside the dreaming is fear of living out the dream. The vision is the easy part. The outworking is hard reality. Reality is easier to run and hide from than to do battle with. Life's really messy bits would rather be conveniently ignored than dealt to. So, January finds me dreaming and battling.

I have several things on the go that I hope to share with you soon, as well as a series which will be launched by the end of the month. Stay tuned. Until then, fellow dreamers...

the end beginning

So we find ourselves at the end of another year. On the very precipice of something new. A new year holds so much promise and possiblity. There is no past yet, only 365 days new experiences, lessons and life abundant. Who knows what's in store?
For me, a new year usually brings something of a new chapter in my life and this year is no exception. I've completed my university qualification and graduated and am now looking for my very first 'real job'. As exciting as that is, it's also really daunting. It's a new season in my life. A season that means I have to leave the old, familiar one behind and start one that I can't see past the bend in the road. Yet it's times that these that I hold His hand just that little bit tighter because I can't do it on my own. And His faithfullness is great, with strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
Here's to new seasons. Happy New Year!

there and back again

Gasp! It has been more than a month since I last posted anything in my corner of cyberspace. Almost enough time to possibly find the end of the world and fall off it. But thankfully, no. Despite my absence, I'm finally home for enough time to actually find the time to put my fingers to a keyboard and type something. If you've been wondering what I've been up to during the last five weeks...well, actually, I can't fit it all in here. It would get boring after awhile. Needless to say, I've been on holiday with my wonderful cousin, aunt and mother. We've enjoyed each others company tremendously and have done a seriously healthy amount of laughing! Funny, we're not sick of each other yet [I'm not sure others (more specifically, onlookers) would say the same]. Anycase, here's hoping the gap between now and my next post won't be so long. In the meantime, here's a few snapsnots of my adventures:

Notice anything wrong with my helmet?? Title of my post ring any bells? Travelling in a car can sometimes be pretty monotonous. We did a bit of reading to while the time:)

a peek into my week

Hello and welcome:-) I'm so glad you're here. If you found me via YLCF, thank you for taking the time to stop by:-) I thought I'd give a little bit of background before diving in. First off, if you'd like to read a little about who I am beforehand, you're welcome to go to the 'about' page first then come back and read this. It might put a few things into context. Or not, that's fine too. Also, I found out about this last Tuesday and thought I might as well write about the week as it was happening. I (hopefully) didn't include any boring details, but for the most part, I've pretty much highlighted each days events as they were being lived. So this is a typical, non-typical week for me. Enjoy!

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Monday 25th October:

The 25th of October in New Zealand is a public holiday. Nice for some. I didn't get much of a holiday out of it. I spent most of the day working on an assignment. I got it done then headed across town to drop it off and when I got onto campus, found out that all the buildings were locked. Dah, it's a public holiday. Still, my outline has the 25th as the due date. I go to the library, which is the only place that's open (and quite busy as a result) and find out that it's acceptable to hand the assignment the next day (today actually, as I'm writing on Tuesday). So I head back home and procrastinate a bit before getting on with the next assignment. Did I mention that it's due on Tuesday? It was a late night. I did manage to spend a little bit of time hanging out in the garden where my parents spent the day and took some nice photos. Here are a few:

Tuesday 26th October:

So it's Tuesday and I've finished the assignment that's meant to be handed in today. I drive to university and half-way there I realize I forgot the other one that I tried to hand in yesterday at home. So I turn around and go back to pick it up. A quick dash in the house and I'm back on the road. I get to uni and log on to the computer so I can print the assignment out and find out I didn't save it in the right format and have to go back home to print it. Why didn't I just do that in the first place??? Anyway, I hand it in and YAY, two less things on the brain that gets worried over! Did I mention that I've got another one due...tomorrow! Better get crack-a-lacking!

Wednesday 27th October:

I woke up this morning with the majority of my assignment still to do. I went to bed early last night cause I had a splitting headache. 300 words done with 1200 minimum left to write. Thankfully I was prepared and had a plan so I sat down and wrote the remainder in three hours. Add the two from last night and that's a total of five hours to complete an assignment start to finish. Now, I know what you're thinking. How can she possibly write a 1500 word assignment like that in five hours? Well folks, ordinarily I wouldn't but this one was a report that was entirely based on my own opinion and results from an project that I had to undertake. The work was done. It just needed to be written up. Thus, five short hours of work and it was ready to be handed in. And here it is:

Keep in mind that I had to blur it on purpose because of the details on the page. But there you go. This is a monumental moment right here. Why, you ask? Because it's the very last assignment I ever have to hand in. Ever. No more. And I am celebrating tonight. And we're having ice cream sundaes at bible study tonight. What convenient timing! Could my day get any better?

Thursday 28th October:

Thursday = a good day. Early start today but it didn't matter. My lovely mother and I had a coffee this morning in the mall before it got busy and I bought one of these:

I had a class then popped into the computer room before I left campus and bumped into a friend. How lovely. I love when I bump into friends unexpectantly. It made my already good day even better. I went into town and paid a visit to the library to find some books about how to play the ukulele. Then I drove to the other side of town because I had a long overdue hair appointment. And I was a very happy girl when I walked out of there!

Friday 29th October:

As you can imagine, I spent the day playing with my new toy! And I bought some canvas for a little project I'm starting soon. I'm planning a separate post for that. (Don't hold me to it, but within the next two weeks) And I also went out to dinner with my family and good family friends who are moving away in a few weeks. It was a lovely evening out with lots of memorable moments:-) Like my mother giving greek dancing and the limbo a go! Haha, good times.

Saturday 30th October:

It's been a day of chores. My list of to-dos include:

- washing (and lots of it)

- fold the washing

- a general clean-up of my room

- vacuum the house

and I know that doesn't seem like a lot but I spent the day getting through that list because those chores have been neglected for awhile (especially the tidy room part)! My final week of university work has definitely taken precedence over chores! I also finally posted the contents of my bag. If you're curious.

Sunday 31st October:

Today my mother and I spent some time shopping for gifts for family whom we haven't seen in ages and are going to be visiting at the end of the month. Thankfully it wasn't too painful a search. You know how sometimes gifts are so incredibly difficult to buy for people when you're not sure what to get them?

And I went to church. What can I say? It was awesome!

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So there you have it. That was my week. If you've made it down this far, congrats! If you've made or are going to make a contribution to the Peek into Your Week at YLCF, I hope to read yours soon. (And if you're thinking about it - do it!) I have made it my mission to read every single one. I can't promise to comment on each but they will certainly all be read:-)

reflections

A year ago today, I wrote my very first post. You can go back and look at it if you like, but I'll warn you it's nothing amazing. I had no idea what shape this little piece of bloggyness would take, let alone considering I would stick to it for a year to find out. In saying that, I can't overlook the enormous gap of six months between October and April when there was not a single post written. I never started out with the intention of wowing the world with my amazing writing and fantastically witty and intelligent thoughts. And since I don't claim to be a great writer or philosopher, (which I still don't think I am) it has been nice just to express my thoughts and life happenings no matter how mundane and uninspired they are. They always seem very inspired in my mind but never come out onto the page the same way they start off in the brain. Mind you, I'm not much of a brain person. I'm more of a heart person. I've discovered the heart provides much more depth than the brain and my best writing almost always stems from a heart thought rather than a brain thought. Lets hope I'll keep that in mind for the future of my blogging journey.

Since I started blogging, this little blog of mine has taken on more design changes than I care to admit to. I'm just saying, don't be surprised if you visit and I've done a complete overhaul. Not that I plan to do anything remotely like a full makeover right now;) I've also had several name changes so who knows, one day that might change again too! But essentially, behind the aesthetics, (which I love tinkering with) this feels like home now and I've got no plans to leave.

Highlights from this first year of blogging include considering what it might be like to die, a post dedicated to my pajamas, a once typical day in my life, the beginning of counting a thousand gratitude's, a failed challenge, a blog award (which by the way, I didn't have anyone to tag so if you'd like to be tagged, I tag you. Let me know so I can read it!) very boring study related procrastinations (one of which was creating another blog altogether) and surviving a rather decent sized earthquake! And my favourite posts ever (which I am the most proud of) are here and here. I think I've made a great start, but to be honest, as much as I've enjoyed documenting my own life during the past year, I'm so excited about what's still to come. I'd love it if you'd join me:-) No pressure! And for those of you that have read anything of my blog before now, thanks for giving me the time of day. This random, average, slightly nerdy girl appreciates it very much:-)

on a saturday afternoon

Just for fun and because I'm currently procrastinating...


My lovely mum and I went for a little drive the other week to a lake with a beautiful restaurant and had lunch. It was special. Mother daughter time always is:)

Isn't the view just divine?? And I just had to make it a bit arty by including the wine glass in the shot. And as a random side note, that was the best glass of wine I've had in ages! Beautiful.

And amongst photos of beautiful landscapes on the drive back home...

We encountered...well, this.

It made us laugh so much :D
And that's about all that I want to say. Because I feel guilty about procrastinating so I should go and do the thing that I'm really meant to be doing right now aka writing an essay!!

day eight - a thank you letter to someone who changed your life.

Dear Mum

I don't think words can say how much I love you and how much you've done to help me become the woman I am today.

Thank you.

xxx

September Challenge

i feel the earth. move. under my feet.

Today is not an ordinary day.

Today is extraordinary.

It is memorable.

It is different because...

...I woke up and everything was moving. I think it was the sound that woke me up but I'm not sure - it was loud and intrusive and it didn't take a moment for me to wake up. I was asleep and then I was awake. Simple as that. By the time my eyes had opened, I was already sitting up in my bed and my brain was working overtime. It felt like my thinking process took forever because everything felt so foreign but in fact it was probably less than a second. My feet hit the floor before I told them to and I felt around the sides of my bed as I usually do when it's dark. My fingers found the door handle. I opened it and stepped out. It was hard to walk straight. My heart was beating really fast and everything around me was was so loud and I don't remember what I was thinking. I opened my parents door and simply said "get up". My mother came out of the darkness and I felt her next to me and she passed me with "Thank you, Jesus" and she went on to my brothers bedroom. I can't describe my thought process. I don't fully remember. But we all got up, each fumbled around in our dark spaces to find clothing. Find light. And get out. Just get out. Yet in the midst of the noise, the chaos, the uncertainty, the danger...I found peace. Peace that transcended all my limited understanding of what was happening to my world. For this morning, at 4:35am, we were struck with an earthquake. Praise you, Jesus, for your care and protection.

These photos were taken in the centre of town. Thankfully the damage is not nearly so bad where I live. The CBD has been the worst affected, as there were many old buildings. We are fortunate that housing in the majority of the suburbs have withstood the force well. Our city has been and continues to be in a civil state of emergency and still continue to feel aftershocks (in fact, I just felt another one). Thank you, Jesus, there have been no lives lost. People have begun to say that it's a miracle that we were hit by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake and have had no casualties. God has His hand of protection over my beloved home. To Him be all the praise and glory. I'm off to bed now. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep without too much disturbance:-) If you'd like more details, try here.

reflections on the week that was.

I love lists.

Really. I love them. They make me feel quite organised. Even when I'm not.

My life is made up of little lists. To-do lists, goal lists, shopping lists...

Here's my week...

In list form:

I woke up really early almost every day of the week.

I built a rocket ship and went to the moon with my friends at preschool

I got lost while driving to the university

I enjoyed a sunrise and cresent moon at the same time

I got really messy then did lots of cleaning

I was a doctor and a patient on the same day

I bounced on clouds

I rode a trike that was waaaay too small for me

I made shapes and dinner out of sand. Mmm, yum.

I had lunch with my special mother on Thursday

I went to bed late because I had so many things to do

And at the end of the week...I was so tired.

THANK YOU GOD, FOR WEEKENDS!!!

NB: Just so you know, I am working at a preschool at the moment, hence all the abnormal amount of childish things I've been up to. I love kids' imagenary play. Takes me back...magic.

moving furniture.

I'm going to sleep well tonight.

I know that because I always sleep well when my bedroom has not a thing out of place. Tonight is such a night. Every few months or so, I feel an unbelievable urge to change things. And usually in doing so, I organise everything there is to be organised, tidied and rearranged in my bedroom. Since I still live under my parents roof, I feel like my bedroom is the only room in the house in which I have complete and total power. I can decide how the furniture should be arranged, how the books are sorted, what stays and what goes in the sorting out process etc. And in saying that, moving things around is the best way I know for me to keep on top of all the useless junk I keep.

At the end of my evening I have successfully rearranged all the existing furniture (bed, chest of drawers, bookshelf, small table, chair) to a new spot as well as the addition of my desk, at which I am now writing. It was in the kitchen previously and I decided that it was time for it to come back into my own space again.

So, now that I have a lovely, organised room I feel like I've tidied up my brain too. The environment in which it now lives is ordered, comfortable, spacious and most importantly, cosy. It helps all the scatter-brain thoughts in my head somehow feel more organised and cohesive.

P.S. I don't know why, it's purely coincidence I promise, but I seem to post on Thursdays a lot...weird.

a break from the busy.

Sitting down in front of my computer is finally a joy again. I've spent so much time over the last week or more staring at the screen wishing I could be anywhere but there. The workload has been epic! And I don't usually use a word like epic lightly. In this case, I must. It's the only truly fitting word. Today I completed an online test. For 50 minuets of my life, my brain was in a flat out rush to remember everything I had learnt. Since it's now over, I've semi-recovered, with a normal level of brain activity and a somewhat regular heart rate. I'm finally doing something much more pleasurable with my time.

Since my life has been so full of
business and serious study lately,
I thought I'd write a fun post here today.
Well, I really don't feel I have the energy
to think, let alone write something imaginative and creative. So I'll share a little treasure I found while randomly browsing the internet. It's Pride and Prejudice in emoticons. A warning though, if you know the story, you'll most likely love it, or at least find it mildly entertaining. If you don't, I'm afraid it's not going to made any sense at all.

Interested?

The trail leads here.

it's that time again.

I think this might be the one and only post and write this week. That makes me a little sad:( but it's the truth.

Today is like the calm before the storm. Because this week I have an exam, a huge assignment due, a church-wide leaders meeting, bible study, a workshop, not to mention a normal week of lectures....arrgh. I can just feel the pressure!

This kinda sums it up nicely.

Every moment feels like the clock is ticking and as more time passes, the louder and more obnoxious it gets. Taunting me with the thought that it's going to run out before I get to the finish line. I think that somehow the institution that is the university, takes immense pleasure with bombarding its students with deadlines that are so close together. It's all rather a blur of words and ideas for me at the moment - a few weeks to go then - FREEDOM (aka holidays). Somehow, that thought makes it worth getting through the seemingly endless amount of work that needs to be done between now and then. Once it's done, I'll be able to sit back, relax, enjoy a book and a cuppa curled up on the couch. Ahh, perfect on miserable winter days. Might even take a weekend break somewhere...nice.

visions of 2020.

Thank you, Abbie, for awarding me with my first ever blog award! It made my day. In order to accept this particular award, I need to say where I see myself in ten years time. Well, that seems such a long time away. However, from previous experience on the contemplation of this question, it's not really such a long time in the grand scheme of things. It's really only an elusion!

So, where do I see myself in ten years time? It's now 2010, it will be 2020. It does seem odd to be thinking about 2020. So futuristic! (It is, silly - it's in the future). I would like to think by the time ten years have passed, I'm a wife and a stay-at-home mother with about two or three kids with one on the way...but how am I to know. Where I'd really like to be is exactly where God wants me to be, whether that means married with kids or doing a great job that I love, or just a job that I do. But besides the reality of my situation in life, whatever that may be, I would like to be a woman of faith, an illustration of God's goodness and faithfulness and above all, I'd just like to walk in all that God has for me. Sometimes that's a scary thought, since I don't know what that will be. But thankfully he does.

So yeah, that's where I'd like to be in ten years. I wonder what I'll acually be doing?

P.S. Abbie has a fantastic blog, which is on the list as one of my favourites! You should definitely check her out. There's a link in the sidebar. The very cool one which says "Abbie Writes". Or you can click here.

Oh yes, and one more thing. In order to get this award, I'm meant to tag others to do it too. But I don't have anyone to tag as of yet, so if you're here and you'd like to share where you see yourself in ten years - I tag YOU!! Go for it, just let me know so I can read all about it.

autumn loveliness.

Summer is well and truely over and I've been dreading the change of season. I've been wanting to keep the refreshing summer breezes and the long hours of extra sunlight the summer months afford us. Those few additional hours of sunshine give time at the end of the day to enjoy a walk after dinner or an outing to the beach...but no longer. Now it gets dark before six. But with the change of season, come other pleasures to enjoy. Winter means hats and gloves, scarves, boots, hot tea, a warm and cosy house to walk into while the weather sometimes rages angrily outside, and best of all - staying in bed with a book on a saturday morning! But now I'm jumping ahead of myself because we're not quite into the thick of winter just yet. Autumn really is one of my favourite seasons. The weather is mild and nature treats us to a display of splendor that rivals even the loveliest, sunshiniest summer. This week I've been enjoying the autumny beauty that's on show in Christchurch. Although pictures never do justice to the real thing, hopefully these give you an idea of what I'm on about!

to do:

I'm just having a cup of tea before I go to bed. It's lovely. But I've been thinking...I don't feel very organised lately. I had very high ambitions at the beginning of the year that it was going to be a very organised kind of year for me. And it certainly started off that way. But as these things tend to do, it seemed to slip away until I'm feeling the dispare of disorganisation again. So, in hope of salvaging the time I have lost while being disorganised, I need a plan. Hence, tomorrow I will start sorting through some things, organise my papers and update my diary and to-do list!

p.r.o.c.r.a.s.t.i.n.a.t.i.o.n.

Yesterday I didn't have any classes. Yay! Unfortunately, I procrastinated with an assignment I was meaning to work on. Unfortunately, good intentions aren't ever enough. *Sigh* If only assignments could write themselves. My mother had the morning off from work too, so I agreed to join her and one of our friends for a coffee at a local garden centre. I reasoned that I was procrastinating in any case so I might as well be doing something like spending quality time with my mum and our friend! I had never been to this particular cafe before and was pleasantly surprised at how lovely it was. Set in the midst of a garden centre, it was so peaceful. We spent a good hour (or two) talking and enjoying our coffee, well I had tea actually. We were even visited by the resident cat. He was a cutie. And playful too.

See what I mean?

Well, I'm off to carry on with that assignment...

pardon my absence.

Where have I been?
It's been soooooo long since I've posted anything, I was beginning to think that I wouldn't. I'm not even going to look at the date of my last post. It's too scary to think how long ago that was! I don't think anyone will really care what has happened in the months since then but I'm sure I do. But wait, I already know. It's stored somewhere up there in that brain of mine. I think there is just too much to even begin to tell what's happened in my life since my last post. So, I think there is nothing for it but to begin afresh. Better now than never. And besides, there's really not that much exciting about my life at the moment. It's all quite...normal. And quiet. I'm on holiday for one more week and then it's back to the university for me. Not to say that the coming week won't mean study. Oh well, the idea is nice. At least I don't have to sit in lectures with my brain turning to mush either out of sheer boredom or information overload!
At least I'm back.

welcome to a day in my life!

It’s nine something on Saturday the 24th of October. My eyelids refuse to open. My alarm has just gone off for the second or maybe third time and I’ve pressed snooze once again. I know I need to get moving but I’m no morning person and Saturday is about the only day of the week I get a sleep in. I hear my door open and in comes my mother. I‘m twenty-one, single and still live in my family home. Not that I’m complaining. I love living at home with my family. So I don’t really see the need to move out just yet! I live in the beautiful city of Christchurch in New Zealand. Google it and you’ll see for yourself, I’m not just saying it cause I live here! I study at the university, which is a 45min drive from my house. That’s not too bad in many places in the world. But where I live, it’s the other side of town. But I’m thankful to have minimal living costs while my income is so small. Anyway, my mum shakes me and tells me that we’re already behind. We had planned to be out the house by 9:45. I get up and start my morning routine. I have about twenty minuets by my calculation to get ready, but that seems fine. I have breakfast and by the time my mum inquires if I’m ready to leave, I’ve done everything I need to. Last night we decided to investigate a local farmers market for the first time, not far from where we live. So, off we go. We drive to the port “town” of Lyttelton, which is more like a suburb of the city. However, since it’s the other side of a hill from the city, it keeps an identity and flavour of it’s own.
This is a view overlooking Lyttleton.

It’s a beautiful, sunny day and as we drive around the streets it’s bustling with people. We have to park a few blocks away form the market, as it’s so busy. But it’s a lovely walk to get to the little farmers market that is in the courtyard of a school’s tennis court. The produce is fresh and colourful and we spend a good part of an hour wandering and exploring the market. Once we have walked the entire length of the courtyard and back to the exit, we make our way back to the car. We stop here and there in little boutique stores or anything that takes our fancy along the way. Eventually we find ourselves back at the car and we get in and head off to our next item of the day: shoe shopping. I’m surprised when my mum turns off the main road we’re travelling on and up a hill where there’s a little café halfway up. It boasts a beautiful garden and really good coffee. I can’t turn that down! We head in, order and sit down at a table that’s outside in the sun. It’s lovely. We share what’s going on in our lives and that turns to other things. We spend a long while just talking and enjoying each other’s company. When we finally decide it’s time to get moving and we proceed to my mum’s favourite shoe shop. Shopping with her for shoes is not just a pleasure but rather, an event (we don’t do it very often, she has hard to fit feet!). We spend at least two hours in the store and she leaves with two pairs of shoes. Success!!
By the time we get home, I’m ready to wind down and not bother with anything else at all for the day. Only I’m not so fortunate! Since I study full time, I work once a week to supplement my income somewhat. I iron my shirt and change into my work clothes and very soon after, I leave the house again. I work at a restaurant in the building at the top of this hill.

I know this may sound a little strange, depending where you’re from, but this is known in New Zealand as a gondola. Yes, you’re thinking “gondola, boat, Venice…that’s not a gondola!” well, I’m not sure what you know it as, cable car maybe? But anyway, it’s four o’clock and I’ve just got to the top station of the gondola. I go the back way, through the kitchen to the restaurant and get started with setting up the restaurant for evening service.
Sorry it’s not set and ready to go, I’ve just arrived and still need to make it look lovely, but you get the idea!

I’m by myself until about 6pm, when I’m joined by two other staff members. The evening passes with the usual busy pace and I’m glad when it’s all over and I get my things to go home. Myself and the other staff hop into a waiting gondola cabin and down the hill we go. It’s almost midnight. The day is just about done. I get home a little past midnight and can’t wait to get to bed. I start my usual bedtime routine and then get into my very inviting bed and read my bible for while as my mind and body calm down. Eventually I switch off the light and my head hits the pillow. I’m out like a light – goodnight!


Sharing a day in my life thanks to the Young Ladies Christian Fellowship's blog carnival.