words of wisdom

i had a great saturday - i spent nearly the whole day in the mall (insane, i know), but i got to catch up with 2 friends.

my day began with starbucks and my "refreshing" friend and old roomie. i love seeing this girl! it's like God has knit our hearts together, though we only see each other once a month or so. we were sharing about life and change, and i remembered something i learned at our church's prayer conference. the speaker was Rachel Hickson. she was talking about taking the seeds of vision that God has planted in us and letting them grow and develop in through a lifestyle of intimacy. to illustrate, she gave an agricultural example (Jesus-style): when farmers plant their fields, what do they put in the soil to help the seeds grow? the answer: manure. stinky, ugly and dirty "plop," as me and my gr. 7's like to put it. so when you feel like you're going through crap, remember that that is what it takes to grow a seed into a mature plant. if we endure and embrace the frustrating times, God will prove faithful and produce a harvest in us. that's exciting!!

the second part of my day was spent shopping with one of my best childhood friends. we shopped for hours, and it has to have been one of the best shopping experiences i've ever had. with no particular agenda, we just walked, talked, looked and dreamed. each of us found a few christmas items, but i really enjoyed just being with someone who's known me for a long time. it's a good feeling, sharing old memories and making new ones.

i'm so thankful that though this new year of teaching has been busy, i have had so much fun! my times of stress have been few and far between, with lots of people who have helped me so much.