It’s So Easy When You Feel God Around You… But What About When You Don’t?

I just got back from a large trip with my students. They are in the school’s choir, and we just completed a Fine Arts Trip where we put on three performances. Our students are actually very talented, and were given admiration left and right. Our kids truly are blessed.

But as I was sitting watching this heavenly-voiced choir of my students, and thinking about how perfect and wonderful they sound and are representing their God on stage in front of so many people, a thought struck me that I hadn’t really processed before: When you feel like you are in the presence of God, it is so easy to “behave”… to be “good”. But when my students and other people in the world leave a place where you can undeniably feel God’s presence, and you walk into the world of sin that is so easily seen around you, it all of a sudden becomes way too easy to “misbehave” or to be “bad”.

Why is this? Why can my students, or people in general, be so respectful and so Christ-like in a church or when performing in the name of Christ to hopefully show others the deepest love of all, and yet be so different when they leave that setting? What is it about the world that is so “pulling” on us in the wrong direction? What is it about being at church or in a Christ-promoting atmosphere that makes it so easy for us to do what we know is right?

I wish so much people were able to freeze the moment: freeze the feelings and the thoughts at the time when they were so easily attained and hold onto them when the rest of life comes in. Why aren’t we capable of doing this? Even when I was younger, I can remember going to spiritual retreats and feeling so connected with God. Yet, a few weeks pass and I feel that connection fading. Why is this? Why can’t we be on a “spiritual high” all the time?

I hope my students, and all people of the world, will notice this difference as I have. I hope they will take more seriously and hold on more dearly to those quickly fleeting moments. If we choose to surround ourselves with the biggest influences all the time, maybe we could live our lives a little louder.

What do you guys think? Leave a comment below.

Week 9 Day 1: Had Some Fun

Today was a pretty awesome day.

First of all we slept in. I love sleep. If someone had only been able to convince me at a young age how much I’d value sleep later on, I think I would have slept more.

Then we got up and went to the Canadian Finals Rodeo: Championship Sunday. This was so much fun! Going through the Expo, watching all the finalists; it was a blast! I’ve loved horses for as long as I can remember, and my husband and I really seem to have picked up the rodeo circuit. We absolutely love it!

After the rodeo, we went to one of our favourite restaurants, Azucar Picante that has traditional Peruvian food. Now here’s a funny story. The ONLY South American country I’ve been to is Peru. I went on a mission trip with my church’s youth group, TYMES, during my grade 12 year. My husband’s uncle married a Peruvian woman and so his cousins are familiar with only Peru as well. Small and strange, but a definite connection here!

As always, the food was great! I was able to get a shredded chicken, rice, potato, and some delicious sauce dish that was amazing. I can finally eat soft food! But I did try something crunchy earlier and winced in pain. So no hard foods yet.

Following the restaurant, we came home and took a nap.

After the nap, we got up and went to the gym. Today’s workout was a three circuit workout of mainly shoulders mixed with some abs. Oh boy. Did I have fun playing with poses and the lighting at the gym. I have not felt like I’ve been losing much fat lately, but seeing how some of my muscles were popping out tonight, that encouraged me a little bit. At least changes are happening!

Now I’m home, working on grading again. Of course, taking an intermission to write this blog. I’m going to work much harder to stay on top of these daily posts. Thank you guys for your support this whole time! Life is a journey with many ups and downs, but it has been and always will be my focus to stay on the happier side! Night everyone!

I Always Seem To Catch Those “Good” Flights

So yesterday, my sister and I flew back to the West Coast. Of course, this means one layover as always.

Our first plane ended up being over 1/2 hour late. Naturally, everybody is watching their clocks to see if we’ll make our connections.

We arrive at the connecting airport with 25 minutes to departure time: enough time to run and make it. However, we did not pull up to a gate, but rather sat on the runway waiting for a gate, watching the time tick away.

Thankfully, my husband was able to go on the internet and find they postponed the flight 10 minutes. So we got off the plane and RAN.

We arrive at the next gate, and NOBODY has started boarding yet. So we sit and wait a minute, only to find out that something is wrong with our next plane. And so we go grab some food quickly and return to wait.

Eventually, the gate attendant announces that our plane is unserviceable and that we have another plane at a different gate awaiting us. Thus begins the mass crowd moving through the airport.

Of course, when they say they have a plane “waiting” for you, you assume you’re going to start boarding right away. Hence the reason most people stood around the gate rather than deciding to sit down. Yet we remain waiting.

As time goes by, we are told the flight crew has still not made the transition but they are working on it.

You know the look of people running late.. quite like this!

Awhile later we are told they are on the aircraft but are doing their safety checks.

Eventually we were able to board and did so quickly. But instead of leaving right away, we sat. Of course, the longer you sit, the more people begin looking around for the reason we have no left yet. Lo and behold, two men with red vests get on the plane and head to the back. We received an announcement of some “cosmetic” repairs that needed done to the flight attendant’s radio station, and that because we have been so delayed, we were losing a crew member and will have to wait for another. Oh boy.

I’m happy to say that eventually we did get away from the gate and off the runway, and somehow only managed to be 1 hour 15 minutes late, but man was I happy to finally make it home. It makes such a difference when you spend your time waiting vs. knowing ahead of time how much time you have to go do what you want. However, it is what it is and I’m thankful that God allowed them to fly us safely and comfortably. Always look for that positive thing even when it may be hard to find!

Finally on our way.