Delight

Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

I was looking for a verse this morning, and I found this one. I was thinking about the word "delight" and how it's such a great word! It encompasses the idea of taking great pleasure in something so beautifully. God takes great pleasure in his creations. God delights in you and in me. I should also delight in Him! Right now, I think I need to focus less on my present struggles (not ignore them) and I should be delighting in the one who delights in me.

This brings me to the question, "what are the desires of my heart?" On the surface I'd say I want a satisfying job that will support Jon and I while we're in Hamilton, or, I want to be able to get enough sleep...

When I really think about it, though, those aren't really the things my heart desires. They are important, and the list could go on, but they aren't really all that deep. My heart desires deep connections with God and with people. It desires for all to know and feel they are loved. It wants suffering to cease. My heart desires to be the heart of God. Those are the desires of my heart, and if delighting in the Lord will bring those things...I will delight!

News from Hammer Town

How I'm Doing:

For a while I really wasn't inspired to write anything on here. After coming to terms with the fact that I can't teach in a school until February (even then, that's a maybe), searching daily for jobs, trying to juggle volunteering, evening tutoring, and job searching, and the stress of money, I was getting pretty discouraged and depressed.

I had an interview on Monday, however, with a placement agency and started a temporary position this Tuesday! It has been really busy for me, with working 7am-3pm and then tutoring on Mon. & Wed. from 6-7, and on Tues. & Thurs. from 4-7! Despite the long days, I am so thankful for the opportunity to work this week! I am a woman who loves (and needs) her sleep, so I am really looking forward to a good sleep-in tomorrow.

Not having friends out here yet can get a bit lonely sometimes, but I have had some wonderful support and encouragement from home--thank you, you know who you are! Also, working this week has been a great chance for me to meet and talk with people, which has been refreshing. I've even met some teachers from around here who are in the same boat as me which is comforting.

This Week and the Next:

This past Sunday, Jon and I attended a church that reminded us of Faithworks in its early stages. It's a new church plant (1 year old) that meets Sundays at 5 pm, and it was full of young people! Everyone was extremely friendly and made us feel so welcome. We are trying to arrange a dinner with the pastor and his wife, and another young couple. We plan on going again, but may also try out some more.

Volunteering this Monday in the Kindergarten class was so fun! The teacher is wonderful, and gave me a "hello" and "goodbye" hug--very sweet lady. This coming Monday I will be with the Kindergarten class in the morning, and in a 4/5 split at another school in the afternoon. I'm happy for the opportunity to make connections with teachers/principals and to be a part of school environments.

Now that I've had a boost in spirit, I can eagerly await the Toronto visit with Kara this Sunday! I am so excited to see her!

Also, the following weekend, Jon's parents will be out for a visit! They will be on their way home from Newfoundland (visiting April, Jordan, and their new daughter --my new neice Corisma Anne Marie!) and will be here from Thursday to Sunday. We have a family friend's wedding to attend that Saturday, so it'll be a fun weekend. I'm pretty excited to host our first guests to our new apartment!

So, things are looking up! Life here definitely isn't what I had anticipated, but in the grand scheme of things, it's only a year. Keeping that in mind, I guess anything can happen within that year, and who knows what God has planned for me!