Wow!! It really has been ages since my last post and I feel there is so much I should be updating!
After Mission, we had 3 weeks' break from college. It's always worth reminding people that college breaks are not really holidays. Invariably, we have assignments and essays that are due during our breaks and there is always reading to catch up on. This means that I sometimes find it difficult to schedule proper time off where I actually give myself permission NOT to do any work - because there is always something I could be doing!
These holidays, I had the privilege of housesitting for the lovely Jane at Concord for the whole of the break. It gave me the freedom to spread out while I wrote my Old Testament exegetical paper, room to walk away from the table I was using, a lounge to sit on to relax, opportunity to eat breakfast in my pyjamas and the chance to leave my toiletries in the bathroom for 3 weeks!
It was exciting to be able to spend Good Friday down in the Illawarra. I caught up with old Shellharbour friends at church and over lunch before spending some time with my parents then with my god-daughter and her family. With not having made it back down to Wollongong since I left there just before the New Year, it was the longest time in my life that I've ever been away. Seems strange to be away for such extended periods now!
I also had the opportunity to get away for a couple of days up to the Hunter Valley with my sister. Her Christmas present to me last year was to take me up there for a couple of days over the Easter break. Despite a little bit of rain, we had a lovely time visiting some wineries, galleries and various shops.
Since returning to college, things have been pretty crazy! We had our Greek half-yearly a couple of weeks ago, a 3000-word Church History essay to hand in 2 days ago, another 3000-word Old Testament essay due 9th June, followed by another 3 exams. Doesn't exactly leave a great deal of time for other things!
In amongst all of that, I have been a big, allergic, sneezy, sinus-y, headache-y, coughing mess for the last two weeks (which was particularly fun during the Greek exam!). Trying to face all of the things on my plate while being in an allergic fog exacerbated by an inability to get a proper night's sleep, has made life more than a little difficult. Whilst the sinus and the headaches have eased up, the rest is still causing me some grief - something I'm now more than a bit tired of (as, I imagine, is the girl in the room next door!).
Please join me in praying for the following things.
Praise God:
- for the opportunity to remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of his Son, so that our relationship with him can be restored
- for time with family and friends over the college break
- for the blessing of opportunities to house-sit
- for the privilege of sitting under the amazing teaching that we have here at MTC
Pray:
- that my health will return quickly and that I'll be able to return to some normal sleeping patterns
- for the ability to focus on the work that I have to do and to be able to prioritise appropriately while remembering to ensure that I consider how God wants me to change my life as a result of what I'm learning and not neglecting relationships with those around me
