what i learned this fall semester
Apologies for my relative absence these past couple weeks. The end of this semester was stressful, to say the least. But exams are over, papers are in, and freedom has never felt so good. It goes without saying I am elated the Christmas break is here. I have many fun things planned, but I am also really looking forward to a few weeks of rest. Also, I get to see the boy in a couple weeks. Eek!
As this third semester of University has come to an end, I am finding myself thinking over these past months of September, October, November, December. I think it is a good exercise to reflect about the things I have appreciated and learned over a season. Here we go for the Fall Semester of 2017.
1. Wearing a dress can change the world
A group of friends of mine divided up all 31 days of December and committed to wearing dresses throughout the month, to spread awareness about human trafficking and raise funds for anti-trafficking efforts. Dresses have long been associated to being dainty and fragile. Dressember however challenges that connotation, using dresses as the flag of their movement. When women wearing dresses come together to fight for justice and the dignity of sisters in humanity, dresses can be marked with strength and resilience. I'm so happy I've been apart of this important initiative. Also, I heard of guys wearing bow ties for the month to take part in Dressember too- you go, guys!
2. I am not a risk-taker, but can learn to be
Going to Belize was by far the highlight of this semester. As I have discussed on the blog, participating in a global partnership in Central America in the middle of the school year was extremely out of character for me. But it was so worth it. I am not one to naturally break out of my comfort zone. Though I love adventure, I must admit routine, tradition and control (especially control) are all my defaults. This semester, I learned the importance of trusting myself, and trusting God, and plunging head first in something even though I didn't know what the outcome would look like. I don't want to be someone who makes decisions out of fear. I'm increasingly seeking to ask God to fill me with hope and peace as I make such decisions.
3. I love coffee shops
My cousin and I each purchased a Passeport Barista this semester and it was the best thing ever. The passport allows you to get free drinks at thirty-two different coffee shops in Montreal. We loved going on coffee shop crawls and discovering new places around the city. These coffee shops are my new favourite places to meet with friends, get work done or just relax. I also may or may not have developed an addiction to lattes this Fall, which is not necessarily a good thing.
4. I need to be dethroned for God to be enthroned
I talk about this here. Honestly, this past semester has been humbling. And I've been realizing that if my prayer is to seek God's Kingdom first, I need to surrender my selfishness, my sense of entitlement and my pursuit of comfort. I so easily seek first my needs, my wants, my dreams rather than have the Kingdom at the forefront of my mind. I am not saying comfort and personal desires are bad by any means, but I confess I too easily allow my spirituality to become self-centered rather than Christ-centered. This semester, I have sensed the urgency to confront this.
5. "Anyone can cook!" (from Ratatouille)
I'm the first to admit I am not the best cook around. I get distracted, burn stuff, read instructions wrong, etc. etc. For a while I couldn't even manage to cook pasta correctly. Unfortunately, I have often let myself take a backseat when it comes to cooking in my house, because I am intimidated by how natural it is for my mom and sister to whip up something fabulous out of nothing (feels like an episode of Chopped sometimes). This semester, I decided to try out new recipes without a spirit of comparison- and they (surprisingly) turned out to be successes. Maybe there isn't such a thing as a natural cook, after all. Just practice, confidence, trial and error, and patience with yourself! Guys- I even managed to pull off goat cheese mushroom Eggs Benedict for my mom's birthday (I was so proud I wanted to cry).
6. God provides the friends you didn't realize you needed
My friend Elise and I clicked as soon as we met- our life situations are vastly similar (both speak Frenglish, study at McGill, are daughters to pastors, have boyfriends from BC, overthink everything, love Eggs Benedict (see above picture), and the list goes on and on. I have been so blessed by her wisdom, sense of humour and friendship during our bi-weekly coffee dates (or canoe chats). She has been a sweet reminder that God sometimes brings people into our life that we didn't necessarily pray for, but that turn out to be essential to navigate through tough questions and seasons of life.
7. Prioritizing stillness gives life
Well, I won't go into great detail on this point because I do so here, but I must say that actively seeking out times of meditation before school every day has energized me in ways I could not have anticipated. I always have believed in the importance of reading the Word, but I tend to do it in a rushed manner. Just being with Christ- sitting with Him, listening to Him- that's a gift. And I'm realizing it needs to be a priority, because it fills me with the strength and peace to fight the good fight!
8. You can't say yes to everything
I'm a people pleaser, perfectionist and ultra-extrovert. But even ultra extroverts get exhausted when they overcommit themselves. While reading Present over Perfect by Shauna Niequist this semester, I felt strongly I needed to cease. I needed to start discerning where God wants me, rather automatically assume that if an opportunity comes up, it must be God's will for my life and I owe it to Him, to the universe and to myself to take it on. God doesn't expect perfection out of me, so I can't expect perfection out of myself either. And that means I need to start saying no. It is counter-intuitive, but learning to assert myself and respect my boundaries has been so beneficial to my emotional, physical and spiritual health!
9. Distance really does make the heart grow fonder
Being away from my sweet sis in Paris (read about that here) and the boy in BC (oh the joys of long distance) and many of my dear friends from Bible school spread across the globe is hard. But I am realizing (as cheesy as it sounds) that distance truly allows me to be thankful for these people and their attributes which I so easily take for granted when I am with them. Sometimes I feel like I am always going to be counting down the days until reunions and airport hugs, but I am trying to shift my focus toward simply appreciating these loved ones.
10. Blogging, where have you been all my life?
Blogging has been such a joy this semester. I think back at my terrified self in August and this first blog post. I am so grateful I kept at it and didn't deleted this blog. Many of you have faithfully read these musings of mine, given me feedback, tried recipes and engaged in dialogue, and I am so thankful. Blogging has allowed me to take a risk (see point 2 of this post) and use my love for writing to express my thoughts about everything and anything. It's been freeing and such a good thing for me to invest time in.
I especially am grateful to those who encouraged me to dive in, and just start typing. One such people is my sweet friend Kenzie, at Connected in the Kitchen. Kenzie and I met years ago as young girls and grew up just down the street from one another. She is by far one of the most talented people I know, with an amazing heart for people. Her encouragement and her own blogging journey was an inspiration (not to mention a slight source of envy) which led me to keep pushing "publish" after every post. Go check out her beautiful blog and get a glimpse of what a gifted educator/ homemaker/ event planner/ cook/ baker/ overall person she is!
As this third semester of University has come to an end, I am finding myself thinking over these past months of September, October, November, December. I think it is a good exercise to reflect about the things I have appreciated and learned over a season. Here we go for the Fall Semester of 2017.
1. Wearing a dress can change the world
A group of friends of mine divided up all 31 days of December and committed to wearing dresses throughout the month, to spread awareness about human trafficking and raise funds for anti-trafficking efforts. Dresses have long been associated to being dainty and fragile. Dressember however challenges that connotation, using dresses as the flag of their movement. When women wearing dresses come together to fight for justice and the dignity of sisters in humanity, dresses can be marked with strength and resilience. I'm so happy I've been apart of this important initiative. Also, I heard of guys wearing bow ties for the month to take part in Dressember too- you go, guys!
2. I am not a risk-taker, but can learn to be
Going to Belize was by far the highlight of this semester. As I have discussed on the blog, participating in a global partnership in Central America in the middle of the school year was extremely out of character for me. But it was so worth it. I am not one to naturally break out of my comfort zone. Though I love adventure, I must admit routine, tradition and control (especially control) are all my defaults. This semester, I learned the importance of trusting myself, and trusting God, and plunging head first in something even though I didn't know what the outcome would look like. I don't want to be someone who makes decisions out of fear. I'm increasingly seeking to ask God to fill me with hope and peace as I make such decisions.
 |
| Swimming in a river in the Belizean jungle |
 |
| Notes and drawings from children in the village (I came back with a bag full!) |
My cousin and I each purchased a Passeport Barista this semester and it was the best thing ever. The passport allows you to get free drinks at thirty-two different coffee shops in Montreal. We loved going on coffee shop crawls and discovering new places around the city. These coffee shops are my new favourite places to meet with friends, get work done or just relax. I also may or may not have developed an addiction to lattes this Fall, which is not necessarily a good thing.
 |
| SoupeSoup Mont-Royal |
 |
| SoupeSoup Centre-Ville |
 |
| Bristol Chai |
4. I need to be dethroned for God to be enthroned
I talk about this here. Honestly, this past semester has been humbling. And I've been realizing that if my prayer is to seek God's Kingdom first, I need to surrender my selfishness, my sense of entitlement and my pursuit of comfort. I so easily seek first my needs, my wants, my dreams rather than have the Kingdom at the forefront of my mind. I am not saying comfort and personal desires are bad by any means, but I confess I too easily allow my spirituality to become self-centered rather than Christ-centered. This semester, I have sensed the urgency to confront this.
5. "Anyone can cook!" (from Ratatouille)
I'm the first to admit I am not the best cook around. I get distracted, burn stuff, read instructions wrong, etc. etc. For a while I couldn't even manage to cook pasta correctly. Unfortunately, I have often let myself take a backseat when it comes to cooking in my house, because I am intimidated by how natural it is for my mom and sister to whip up something fabulous out of nothing (feels like an episode of Chopped sometimes). This semester, I decided to try out new recipes without a spirit of comparison- and they (surprisingly) turned out to be successes. Maybe there isn't such a thing as a natural cook, after all. Just practice, confidence, trial and error, and patience with yourself! Guys- I even managed to pull off goat cheese mushroom Eggs Benedict for my mom's birthday (I was so proud I wanted to cry).
6. God provides the friends you didn't realize you needed
My friend Elise and I clicked as soon as we met- our life situations are vastly similar (both speak Frenglish, study at McGill, are daughters to pastors, have boyfriends from BC, overthink everything, love Eggs Benedict (see above picture), and the list goes on and on. I have been so blessed by her wisdom, sense of humour and friendship during our bi-weekly coffee dates (or canoe chats). She has been a sweet reminder that God sometimes brings people into our life that we didn't necessarily pray for, but that turn out to be essential to navigate through tough questions and seasons of life.
7. Prioritizing stillness gives life
Well, I won't go into great detail on this point because I do so here, but I must say that actively seeking out times of meditation before school every day has energized me in ways I could not have anticipated. I always have believed in the importance of reading the Word, but I tend to do it in a rushed manner. Just being with Christ- sitting with Him, listening to Him- that's a gift. And I'm realizing it needs to be a priority, because it fills me with the strength and peace to fight the good fight!
8. You can't say yes to everything
I'm a people pleaser, perfectionist and ultra-extrovert. But even ultra extroverts get exhausted when they overcommit themselves. While reading Present over Perfect by Shauna Niequist this semester, I felt strongly I needed to cease. I needed to start discerning where God wants me, rather automatically assume that if an opportunity comes up, it must be God's will for my life and I owe it to Him, to the universe and to myself to take it on. God doesn't expect perfection out of me, so I can't expect perfection out of myself either. And that means I need to start saying no. It is counter-intuitive, but learning to assert myself and respect my boundaries has been so beneficial to my emotional, physical and spiritual health!
9. Distance really does make the heart grow fonder
Being away from my sweet sis in Paris (read about that here) and the boy in BC (oh the joys of long distance) and many of my dear friends from Bible school spread across the globe is hard. But I am realizing (as cheesy as it sounds) that distance truly allows me to be thankful for these people and their attributes which I so easily take for granted when I am with them. Sometimes I feel like I am always going to be counting down the days until reunions and airport hugs, but I am trying to shift my focus toward simply appreciating these loved ones.
Blogging has been such a joy this semester. I think back at my terrified self in August and this first blog post. I am so grateful I kept at it and didn't deleted this blog. Many of you have faithfully read these musings of mine, given me feedback, tried recipes and engaged in dialogue, and I am so thankful. Blogging has allowed me to take a risk (see point 2 of this post) and use my love for writing to express my thoughts about everything and anything. It's been freeing and such a good thing for me to invest time in.
I especially am grateful to those who encouraged me to dive in, and just start typing. One such people is my sweet friend Kenzie, at Connected in the Kitchen. Kenzie and I met years ago as young girls and grew up just down the street from one another. She is by far one of the most talented people I know, with an amazing heart for people. Her encouragement and her own blogging journey was an inspiration (not to mention a slight source of envy) which led me to keep pushing "publish" after every post. Go check out her beautiful blog and get a glimpse of what a gifted educator/ homemaker/ event planner/ cook/ baker/ overall person she is!
Needless to say- it's been a great semester, and I am so thankful.
What have you learned these past months?
What have you learned these past months?
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