These are a few of my favourite things

So down here in chilly Dunedin, exam week is just days away.... people aren't out a whole lot at the moment, the city wide caffeine consumption rate is sky rocketing, the library is where the cool kids hang and large latin words are getting an above average usage.

But there is also a lot of anxiety in the air, people are getting snappier, stress levels seem to be up and in general there is this spirit of negativity amongst the students.
 At the same time as understanding this, I know it doesn't need to be a reality for the children of God and Im hoping that all over this city, there are tangible examples of peace and trust being lived out amongst His church this week.

So just to keep it on a lighter note and to intentionally appreciate the good and beautiful and simply weird things that happen, I've made a list of a few of my favourite things at the moment....

1 - When it snowed this week I got to be with people first thing in the morning who had never seen snow in their whole life

2- I got to catch up with my good friend Sophie over lunch yesterday and have life giving conversation

3- I walked past someone's bedroom window and saw a guy studying in a full body ninja suit

4- Every day when I walk to uni I get to walk past a pre school and see the kids running around after eachother and screaming and laughing and it makes me really happy.

5- God has poured out over me such an abundance of joy in this past week that sometimes I just laugh or sing something because I'm so ridiculously joyful

6- I went to a lecture about mouse obesity

7- Jay is driving all the way down from Christchurch to hang out with me this weekend

8- In a couple of weeks I get to go home and sit by the fire with the cat

9-My housemate Chloe gave me homemade mint slice and let me stand in her room and drop crumbs everywhere and chat with her with my mouth full, even though she probably just wanted me to shut the door so she could study

10- God is good. All the time.  (this one is personally my favourite on the list)

70 x 7

Forgiveness is not an action in response to something big. It's not a saintly ritual kept on the top shelf until its needed. There's no threshold of hurt or offense above which forgiveness is necessary and below which forgiveness is unimportant.

No, forgiveness is a way of life, every day, breathing forgiveness for each hour you are awake.
Its a constant releasing of expectations that we hold over each other, and expectations of how we should be treated.
It's an intentional release of social rights that we're taught so well.
Forgiveness isn't the sequel to apology, the most transforming forgiveness in fact precedes apology.
Forgiveness is not forgetting, but an accepting, a death of some sorts, followed by an awakening and a moving on.
It's the realisation of humanity and the choice to love anyway.
Forgiveness is not feeling okay about what happened, but more of a declaration of freedom from the past, an intentional move toward the future when what you speak with your mouth will be true of what you feel in your heart.

Spoken Words

I wanted to write a little post about my birthday, because I have been beyond blessed by everyone.
I'm generally pretty aware that I have incredible friends, but today my mind has been blown.

People who have put so much thought into making me a gift, or bought something that they knew I would love because they know me. They have spent time with me and  know the things that make me happy and have put time into giving me something that comes from that.
And others have given me words that have made me feel loved and valued and important to them... Writing a letter about the things they see in me, walking across campus just to hug me and tell me to have a wonderful day, thank you. You have blessed me.

I know even more how God loves me when I see the people that He has allowed to be a part of my life.

Thank you.

I guess its also been a gentle challenge for me.... We always go out of our way to say kind things to people on their birthday. To let them know the things we love about them.
Birthdays, or graduations, or weddings, or even worse, funerals.
And I think, why don't we say these things all the time?

When I see my mum, I could tell her that I appreciate the way she brought me up to care for people, how she taught me that visiting someone when they're sick can go a long way.

When I see my little sister, I could tell her that I think she's incredible at math and science and that her logical mind will take her to awesome places.

When I see my friend Grace, I could tell her that her infectious joyful spirit makes me smile even after we've finished our conversation and gone home.

When I listen to a good lecturer, I could take an extra minute on my way out to go and tell him that he has excellent communication skills and to thank him for sharing his understanding of the world with us.

When I see my friend Garret, I could tell him that when I watch him worship God with singing and dance, I feel encouraged.

When I see my friend Lauren, I could tell her that I love going running with her and that our conversations during it always make for an amazing start to the day

When I talk to my friend Emma, I could tell her that when we sit together in lectures it makes me really happy and somehow they seem to go faster.


And a million other things for hundreds of other people who constantly serve me and bless me and encourage me....
So I guess my challenge, going into year numero twenty, is to voice the things I feel. To thank people more.
To not assume they know I love them.