the active and the passive...

Now that I have your attention, Steff, this post is actually not about grammar...

This morning I was walking to uni, trying to figure out what I was really doing with my life, where I would end up when I graduate, when suddenly, this blue station wagon pulled out of a driveway. This station wagon was driven by a middle aged woman, and the passengers were and three younger children, obviously on their way to school.

She had the window hardly open and was smoking, these kids would have surely been inhaling second hand smoke. I felt so sorry for them, in fact it broke my heart. I know it's a parents choice in how they treat their children, but in the same way, I couldn't help but think about these poor children.

And immediately I was reminded of the harsh reality I live in. This day and age where children are abused, not only physically, but emotionally and mentally. It's something we've been learning about in our Health classes this week, that problems in childhood can lead to problems in adult hood. I was indeed thinking about this the other day on why these days there are so many people are diagnosed with depression. A friend replied with the response 'abuse of the mind'.. I cant help but think they were right.

And so while thinking about all of this in this instance this morning as the blue stationwagon headed for the traffic lights, I couldnt help but feel this sense of the fact that I am in a position that I can change the world in. I am at uni being equipped with skills to make a positive influence on these kinds of kids. And ultimately I believe that there is this ultimate higher power behind me, and that is the empowering of the Holy Spirit! I just need to surrender myself to that.. I know that there are several more hurting families and children in this city, that are abused, that are told they are worth nothing, but I want to tell them that there is a God who loves them, that God can heal their broken hearts!

screaming sanity on a Friday morning

So I've changed my timetable so that sometimes (not always) I have class on Friday morning. This is really cool because I get to spend this time with my best friend Steff and my housemate Claire, and also I function better at 10 after no classes rather than at 12 after 2 hours of classes. It's also good because there aren't 50 people in the one class, and my lecturer will probably now give me an A because I swapped into the smaller class (haha I wish!)

The class we do is PE, and I actually don't mind it. Today we made an obstacle course and ran around. Then we did some skipping which was fun, but I was really unco and usually messed up the whole routine. It was fun none the less. I was running around crazy, and having so much fun I couldn't breathe! Then a girl called Ange did some line dancing with us which was hilarious. Ange will make a great teacher! It was the best fun..

And then..

We ran around screaming!

Claire went first, then Steff, then me, but I didn't get very far, because the screaming was so hilarious I cracked up laughing! (the objective is to see how far you can run while screaming, and when you stop screaming, you stop running. It's like a race! It's fun. You should play it some time.)

So that's how they teach us to become teachers.

Usually I hate PE. But I think a recent change in lifestyle has helped me a lot.

I was never the one to do any type of physical exercise. In the last few years, the most I would get was the walk to uni every morning (I lived on campus) and even then sometimes Steff would drive me home (not leaving campus).

This year I moved off campus. Luckily I still am in walking distance to uni, but it is about 4 blocks away up some very steep hills, which gives me plenty of exercise. I usually walk every day. I eat a lot better because I often share food with Claire. And I am seeing results.

Just last week (or the week before) some 'parents' (not mine, just some at church) said to me that I was looking so much healthier, radiating with life, and that even my skin looked better! And today in PE I was constantly hitching up pants that four months ago were almost too tight!

The results haven't just been physically, but also emotionally, and mentally. I think I am doing better academically (now just need to get over the procrastination). And it's like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, when these things are in place, we will probably function better spiritually. Well, I think that may be the case for me. And that's not to say that you wont without fulfilling needs. I have no scripture here. Don't listen to someone who doesn't back up what they say without evidence :P (I'm the evidence?)

God gave me a body. He gave me free will. The choice whether to neglect it, or to actually make a difference and make it more effective (durable). I think that God wants me to take care of what I've got. I was sick of feeling so yuck. And I'm glad I started doing something about my health!

Thankyou God for steep hills! (never thought I'd say that!)

Like those hills are hard, if you keep persevering, you can conquer them!