First allow me to dispel any concerns: despite my post title and a long respite from blogging, I have not, as it may appear, been through a near death experience, nor had any motor vehicle accidents, mysterious diagnoses or family tragedies (thank you Lord!). I simply mean that after 13 non-blogging months, I am bringing this blog back from the dead, to once again diary my thoughts and musings!
Before we move on, let me summarise the past 13 months for you.
Teenagers, School, Marriage Ministry, Cooking, Kitchenaid Mixer :), Graduate Studies In Health Promotion, Hubby Turns 40, I Win A Weight Loss Challenge At My Gym, New Smartphones, Job Promotion, Being Faithful In The Little Things, Coffees, New Friendships, Footy, Stepping Up, Going Deeper, Refining The Dream, Enjoying Life.
And I ask you, isn't that enough??An inbuilt facet of my personality always drives me to strive for more. I have to say no to myself more times than I care to count, and if I wanted to be a dill, I would try out 20 different careers and serve on 6 different teams at church, just for a season in each! I love to try things out, obviously.
But more than anything, this season has been about learning to dwell within limits- I can't be everything, but I can be something. So although I have fancies about opening a boutique patisserie or designing gorgeous weddings, I understand that I am here for a purpose bigger than my own desires, and I press on slowly towards the dream God has placed in my heart.
And what, I hear you ask, is that dream? Well it's not yet clearly defined, but it's something to do with improving health in under-resourced communities. In January I started a graduate diploma in health promotion, and for my first major assignment I looked at tuberculosis prevention in East Timor (Timor L'este). East Timor is a little country next to Indonesia which became an independent nation in 2002 after many decades of neglect and unrest. The East Timorese now face a huge challenge in establishing a solid economy, health system and more, and the rebuilding work will likely go on for many decades. I don't know where I'm going to end up, but this is the kind of work I want to do: helping establish systems to improve health in needy communities.
For now though, I have a long road of studying ahead, with many opportunities to choose to press on, rather than taking the easy road. I'm doing one subject at a time, so at this rate I'll complete my course in 3 more years- when my youngest daughter Betty is starting her final year of high school. And so every day I must choose to keep on the path- studying and following God, enjoying other hobbies such as cooking and occasional event planning, but staying true to the course that God has put me on.
This will be my last post on Not the Same. Due to the datedness (is that a word?) of my url (notthesamein2009.blogspot.com), I've decided to make the move to a fresh blog, so from now on, you'll find me at A Million Small Steps. Thanks for following me here for the past few years. I hope you'll come and visit my new blog site soon! God bless, Juliet.
