Acts of Kindness

"That best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love." William Wordsworth

On Friday afternoon I came home from work with the mindset of having a nice, quiet, relaxing weekend. However, when I stepped in the door my dad informed me that he had invited a missionary family and their 2 friends over for the evening and to possibly stay for the weekend. While I was running around the house cleaning the bathroom, and other nessesary things, a lot of grumpy, selfish thoughts were running through my head like, "I don't want 7 people staying in MY house" and "I bet I will end up looking after their 3 kids the whole evening" and "What were my parents thinking inviting missionaries over on a Friday night?" I knew I was being selfish at the time, but the interesting thing about being selfish is that at the time you don't really care whether you are being selfish or not, but afterwards you feel absolutely horrible. Anyway, the evening turned out exactly like I thought it would, and it didn't. I ended up looking after the two younger kids, but I enjoyed it, and the parents were so sweet and they thanked me, and I felt so blessed in the end. I was glad they had come, not just because they were missionaries, but also because they were genuine and sincere in their faith, and it reminded me that people are so much more important than my selfish needs. I have been given so much, and sometimes I hold on to what I have been given rather than sharing it with others. I hate it when I do that!

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart." 1 Peter 1:22

The Dentist

I went to the dentist yesterday, and I felt very humbled. Yes, I think that is the right word. I felt poked and probed and chastined to the point when I wanted to jump up and yell, "What do you want from me?!" Of course I know that it is not the poor dentist's fault that I have weak molars and a receding gum line, but must it be mine? Anyway, I got a new toothbrush and it is purple, so I felt somewhat mollified in the end. I have a new dentist, as my other one finally decided to retire (Praise the Lord!). The new dentist has these really intense blue eyes, and as I was sitting in the chair staring into his eyes, I could just feel him looking right through me which, I must admit, was a rather uncomfortable experience. The things you experience at the dentist!

Work

Here is a picture of the place that I am now officially working at! Thank you Lord for your mercies are new every morning! I enjoy my work for the most part, although I am tired and sometimes cranky by the end of the day. I went out for lunch with my coworkers today to a place called "Max and Irma's" and had a chicken strawberry avocado wrap. It was good! I am going digging in the garden with my mom this evening, and perhaps my dad. It is very therapeutic putting your hands in dirt and pulling up weeds, and making things look nice. I had a gift certificate to a greenhouse, and on Sunday my mom and I got a brilliant red peony. I am listening to Jason Upton and realising how much God wants to be close to me. I want to be close to him too, but I allow other things to distract me. Sometimes I feel so frustrated with myself because I allow shallow, meaningless things take precedence in my life over what I know is truly important. I'm so glad that God isn't distracted from showing his love to me.

You're here and I'm never alone
And though I can not see you
and I can't explain why
Such a deep deep reasurance,
you've placed in my life

We cannot separate
because you're part of me
and though you're invisible
I'll trust the unseen

I cry out with no reply
And I can't feel you by my side,
So I hold tight to what I know
You're here and I'm never alone

Never Alone by Jason Upton

"For a moment, Anne's heart fluttered queerly and for the first time her eyes faltered under Gilbert's gaze and a rosy flush stained the paleness of her face. It was as if a veil that had hung before her inner consciousness had been lifted, giving to her view a revelation of unsuspected feelings and realities.
Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one's life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart it's pages betrayed the rhythn and the music; perhaps... perhaps... love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath. Then the veil dropped again; but the Anne who walked up the dark lane was not quite the same Anne who had driven gaily down it the evening before. The page of girlhood had been turned, as by an unseen finger, and the page of womanhood was before her with all its charm and mystery, its pain and gladness."
-Anne of Avonlea, by L.M. Montgomery


"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:16-18

Confidence in God!

One of my favourite authors, Samuel Johnson, said "Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings." In order to achieve great things, I need to have confidence not only in my own talents and abilities, but also in the amazing fact that God loves me and has a purpose for my life. I have been struggling with thoughts that I am an insufficient person for fulfilling the tasks that are ahead of me. I have a job interview on Tuesday and I am praying that God will give me confidence in order that I may dazzle my potential employers with my amazing secretarial talents. I'm sure that if my sister who strongly dislikes talking on the phone can do it as a large part of her job everday, I can manage to assure people of how much I enjoy sitting at a desk and typing memos. In Proverbs 3:26 it says, "for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared." Hallelujah! It is so cool that God is my confidence, and I can rely on him to keep me from falling.

The Cloud of Unknowing

"Lift up thine heart unto God with a meek stirring of love; and mean Himself, and none of His goods. And thereto, look thee loath to think on aught but God Himself. So that nought work in thy wit, nor in thy will, but only God Himself. This is the work of the soul that most pleaseth God."
The Cloud of Unknowing~Author unknown