I'm a Bum

As my friend Barb would say, I am definitely a bum. It's been nearly a month, and I haven't updated anyone with the blog thing. I have trouble with it, it's not that I don't still love to write, but it's so incredibly hard inbetween classes in the mornings. This is largely from the fact that I don't have internet in my flat, a luxury I find difficult to be without. I have a lot of thoughts and things to say at night, but they never make it to the computer at school.
Even though it has been a long time, I'm still not sure what to say. February may technically be the shortest month, but I am a firm believer that it is the longest month of ALL TIME!!! Halfway through, I'm still in shock that it is STILL February! I had a lot of health problems this month too. My stomach apparantly doesn't take well to fatty foods, and so I had to go to the doctor for the first time, get a blood test, with no findings on why my stomach complains. After just avoiding fatty foods, I feel fine (and hopefully am losing weight!) After the blood test, they found I have twice the amount of sugar in my blood, and I will be retested tomorrow for diabetes, which I highly doubt is the problem. But hey, take away sugar AND fat, and I'll be a starving stick! It's hard to find other foods, except bread. I'm now eating a lot of bread. After skipping a lot of school with these doctor's appointments, I came down with a real illness, a cold and cough, and then had to teach anyway because I'd already missed too much school, UGH!
Yet, at just the right timing, because God is sooo good, some former ESI teachers came to save the day and visit and teach lessons for me, as well as bringing great care packages! I'm still coughing, but feeling better, and still praying for God's continual strength and healing in all my situations.
God is teaching me more and more things. As everyone knows, Lent has begun, and although I didn't go to a service, I can feel the time. When winter has been going on and on and on, and my heart grows cold with it and I feel down, and then the sunshine begins to appear, the snow begins to melt, and the warmth erupts deep within, but also exposes the way I have been. I know that Lent this year will be a time of not just reflection, and giving up something, but more than that, repentence. I will critically prepare myself for the celebration of the most glorious event in history, bringing my sins at His feet, learning to die again to all that I've kept hidden, and let the spring and resurrection begin a new work and a clean slate once again. The Jews had a time of year where they sought repentence and where God forgave all the sins of the year. I feel a need every year to do the same. While I may ask forgiveness every day, to spend time truly being cleansed and purified, and giving up those things I've held onto for so long, this requires those 40 days of prayer and yes! even fasting! (fat sugar apparantly aren't enough) I pray for all of you to be renewed as well, to welcome the spring, and welcome the return of our Lord!

Blessings!