Daily 5 - Year 3, Day 239

Today's Daily 5:

1. A quiet, creative, lazy sort of day
2. Time to sit in the sun
3. old episodes of The West Wing on dvd
4. making three different recipes from scratch (finger jello, pancakes, banana muffins)
5. getting to watch TV live instead of delayed a day online

Lazy Day

For those of you who missed it, last Thursday was my last day of classes for my first semester of nursing school.  I have an exam this coming Wednesday, but it's not too bad, and so I've been luxuriating in quiet and space.  I slowly feel myself re-emerging from the haze of school.

And now, now it's Monday.  I'm house-sitting for my folks for a couple of days, and it's lovely to have a slight break from my usual more challenging living situation.  It's also lovely to have hours on end of alone time.

And so I'm propped in bed, knowing that in a little while I'll be propped in a sunny chair, and I'm making plans for today.

My day today will include:

• just a bit of studying, to get things going for Wednesday's exam
• cooking or baking of some sort
• a short trip to the university, to wrap up my clinical placement in a 15 minute meeting with the instructor (trying not to think about the hour each way I'm going to spend on transit for that 15 minute meeting)
• maybe some bus reading (you know, since I have that time on transit, and it's sunny outside)
• a bit of creative time
• a bit of television time
• sending a few emails I've been waiting to dedicate some time to
• curling up to do some writing that has also been on hold

It pretty much sounds like an ideal day as far as I'm concerned.  Nothing too strenuous.  A lot of time for creating, resting, being still in a different way than what I've been learning about since school began.  This sort of stillness is preferable if you ask me. It doesn't teach or challenge in the same way, but it's preferable.

And so I'm off to engage this day.  And I'm smiling, because days of rest are far too rare to waste!

Daily 5 - Year 3, Days 236-238

The weekend got away from me, and so tonight I present the Daily 5 lists from the last 3 days!

Friday's Daily 5 (Day 236):

1. Sleeping in
2. A whole day without anything school related to think about
3. The feeling of knowing all school work was done
4. a last minute invitation to join a friend for an evening of music
5. an awesome grilled chicken, apple and brie sandwich, with fig compote.

Saturday's Daily 5 (Day 237):

1. Sleeping in
2. catching up on some television watching
3. two really productive hours of cleaning and prepping to be away housesitting for a couple of days
4. a long hot bath
5. an ice cream (pineapple) sundae from Dairy Queen

Today's Daily 5 (Day 238):

1. Sleeping in (do you see a weekend theme?)
2. A long hot shower (such a lovely thing since they're a bit challenging at my normal place of residence)
3. my usual Sunday morning quiet time
4. celebrating my sister-in-law to be at the first of her wedding showers
5. hanging out with my other sister-in-law to watch The Amazing Race

Friday Reflections - April 13, 2012

This meditation from Henri Nouwen landed in my inbox earlier this week.  After a semester of wandering through questions about leadership, group work, and conflict, it struck me as carrying deep truth that I need to ponder moving forward.


Authority and Obedience 

Authority and obedience can never be divided, with some people having all the authority while others only have to obey.  This separation causes authoritarian behaviour on the one side and doormat behaviour on the other.  It perverts authority as well as obedience.  A person with great authority who has nobody to be obedient to is in great spiritual danger.  A very obedient person who has no authority over anyone is equally in danger.

Jesus spoke with great authority, but his whole life was complete obedience to his Father, and Jesus, who said to his Father, "Let it be as you, not I, would have it" (Matthew 26:39), has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (see Matthew 28:18).   Let us ask ourselves:  Do we live our authority in obedience and do we live our obedience with authority?

Daily 5 - Year 3, Day 235

Today's Daily 5:

1. Last day of group work for the semester!
2. Lunch and drinks with some friends
3. A really funny "meet the parent" moment at a friend's house
4. Deciding on the spur of the moment that I would kill a little bit of time in between commitments by shopping, and ending up finding some really awesome deals on some little things to treat myself and make me feel pretty, and an even better deal on a dress to wear to my brother's wedding in June (and since dress shopping had been a colossal disaster thus far, this is something hugely worth celebrating!)
5. Having my friends Karla and Gary Adolphe join us at house church tonight.  I was so encouraged by their ministry and the things they shared, and by Karla's worship leading.  Such an awesome way to end out my first semester of nursing school - sitting in room with my church family and being invited to hear God speak to us.  I was so very encouraged by a number of little things today, and the time at church tonight was a sort of crown on top - a reminder of who God is, and that He knows me.  So very, very needed.