January updates
January flew by. Is it just me, or is time speeding up as we get closer to leaving?
It's been a pretty warm winter if I might say so myself. Thanks to the agreeable weather, I got lots of things done - we bought our final flight tickets home, I read at least 6 books, we explored two new grocery stores, we're doing weekly devotionals, we've been watching Read Scripture YouTube vids and spending quality time with friends and family - all in all a productive January. We're also in the process of finding Jasmine a good home, so any prayer about that is dearly appreciated! So far we have a couple of potential homes, but nothing confirmed yet. Things are looking optimistic though. This little doggie's future has been the subject of fervent prayer for a while now.
As the date draws nearer, I'm filled with a sense of urgency to cross things off my bucket list. I know I won't be back for a long time, if ever, and I find myself treasuring things like the amazing shopping experience, the easy driving and the picturesque view here. For most of the two years that I've been here, we haven't explored many new places. Our budget was enough to survive on as long as we bought necessities that were of passable quality, and that meant fewer treats and new experiences. After all, trying something new always has an element of risk in it - what if it turns out less-than-stellar? Wasted money/trip. So now that we're heading home in a few months, I'm learning to let go a bit more and try out weird ice-cream flavours (like honey-pistachio) or pomegranate-blueberry-acai berry sorbet. The latter was a hit, the former a miss. You win some, you lose some. =P
It's somewhat scary to think about our future because it's this huge uncertainty. Where would we live? What jobs would we have? Who should apply for a job first, and how long should the other wait? Should we have kids? If so, when? I'd like to skip this whole uncertain part of life and just go straight to being settled down in a nice cosy place. In fact, I'd rather devote my time and energy to picking out furniture and interior decor. =P But we don't always get what we want, do we? When I get overwhelmed by all these questions, it helps to remind myself that wherever we end up, God has placed us there for a reason, and His grand purpose is to unite all things in heaven and on earth under Christ (Ephesians 1:10). Zooming out places a lot of things in perspective.
February will have its own set of challenges. It's an especially short month and my final Coursera course has started up again so I'll be busy completing it. I'm grateful for a goal to work towards, though. It's a good alternative to scheduling my own time and hoping I'm not squandering my time on trivial pursuits. =P
On another note, there's news of possibly 2 weddings this year in my very own family. How exciting! Another excuse to shop even more. =P
It's been a pretty warm winter if I might say so myself. Thanks to the agreeable weather, I got lots of things done - we bought our final flight tickets home, I read at least 6 books, we explored two new grocery stores, we're doing weekly devotionals, we've been watching Read Scripture YouTube vids and spending quality time with friends and family - all in all a productive January. We're also in the process of finding Jasmine a good home, so any prayer about that is dearly appreciated! So far we have a couple of potential homes, but nothing confirmed yet. Things are looking optimistic though. This little doggie's future has been the subject of fervent prayer for a while now.
As the date draws nearer, I'm filled with a sense of urgency to cross things off my bucket list. I know I won't be back for a long time, if ever, and I find myself treasuring things like the amazing shopping experience, the easy driving and the picturesque view here. For most of the two years that I've been here, we haven't explored many new places. Our budget was enough to survive on as long as we bought necessities that were of passable quality, and that meant fewer treats and new experiences. After all, trying something new always has an element of risk in it - what if it turns out less-than-stellar? Wasted money/trip. So now that we're heading home in a few months, I'm learning to let go a bit more and try out weird ice-cream flavours (like honey-pistachio) or pomegranate-blueberry-acai berry sorbet. The latter was a hit, the former a miss. You win some, you lose some. =P
It's somewhat scary to think about our future because it's this huge uncertainty. Where would we live? What jobs would we have? Who should apply for a job first, and how long should the other wait? Should we have kids? If so, when? I'd like to skip this whole uncertain part of life and just go straight to being settled down in a nice cosy place. In fact, I'd rather devote my time and energy to picking out furniture and interior decor. =P But we don't always get what we want, do we? When I get overwhelmed by all these questions, it helps to remind myself that wherever we end up, God has placed us there for a reason, and His grand purpose is to unite all things in heaven and on earth under Christ (Ephesians 1:10). Zooming out places a lot of things in perspective.
February will have its own set of challenges. It's an especially short month and my final Coursera course has started up again so I'll be busy completing it. I'm grateful for a goal to work towards, though. It's a good alternative to scheduling my own time and hoping I'm not squandering my time on trivial pursuits. =P
On another note, there's news of possibly 2 weddings this year in my very own family. How exciting! Another excuse to shop even more. =P
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