Another Suitcase & Hall

On traveling truths and how to thrive abroad, by Hannah.

Another suitcase in another hall.. take your picture off another wall- you’ll get by, you always have before.. call in three months time and I’ll be fine, I know; well, maybe not that fine, but I’ll survive anyhow..
– Another Suitcase In Another Hall (Evita)

I have often been asked whether I have experienced culture shock. My answer has usually been “no”, however, I think that at the time I had a different perspective on what it means to experience it. I now believe that culture shock is a less about shock, and more-so about overcoming challenges. No one can fully prepare you for the level of stress, the conflicts and confusion, or the sense of new words making their home in your brain, as thoughts and feelings are reassigned modes and models of expression. You just don’t believe it will happen, or at least to other people, and not yourself.

conviction of things unseen

On Faith, prayer and uncertainties, by Hannah.

She is somewhere around two decades older than myself, and full of a vibrancy of life, energy, and contagious enthusiasm.  Somehow I knew she was a Christian before the word “Jesus” ever slipped out of her mouth, and although I don’t work with her directly, her approach toward everything she does is inspiring.  Even when she is busy, she doesn’t appear flustered- but rather calm and joyful.  I am certain that she has many reasons to be stressed, but yet she handles her stressors with grace and patience.  She is the sort of person that breathes in reality, and like a plant converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, she breathes out God’s hope.

She is the kind of person I want to be.

One afternoon, she saw that myself and my supervisor were feeling stressed and anxious.  She took us both by the hand, and led us on a short walk around the campus while speaking words of encouragement. 

Because Maybe An Apology Is In Order From Me To You, Proverbs 31 Woman

My thoughts on the infamous Proverbs 31 woman, by Sarah.

When I was a kid, my parents never had a big fear of me getting kidnapped by strangers when I played in the front yard. “You talk too much,” They would say,“It wouldnʼt be long before they turn around and bring you back,”

Iʼve always had an opinion, one which has been backed by my furious passion and emotion and never went unheard by anyone around me. Back when Myspace was used for more than just music, I found an easy forum for blasting my strong views and I enjoyed rousing a response from people. I liked to feel important, as though my stance mattered.

I have a notorious issue with the Proverbs 31 Woman. Normally, I claim she doesnʼt exist. I will loudly tell you how the Proverbs 31 Woman is a cliche lists of requirements implemented to make us believe only the quiet, domestic, well behaved girls are loved by Jesus and got the guy. Honestly, I think my issue with the Proverbs 31 Woman is rooted in an issue with myself.

I have an issue with the Proverbs 31 Woman because I have been made to believe I am not good enough to be the Proverbs 31 Woman. 

On Depression: Everything is Not Okay

On Depression: Everything is Not Okay, by Hannah.  

I have been through periods of life where every day has been characterized by some kind of anxiety. Sometimes it could be seen on the surface- and sometimes my anxiety brewed more dangerously beneath the surface.  As a predominantly “happy” person, bouts of depression cause a conflict in my soul between the need to be authentic about  my struggles and the desire to maintain a cheerful exterior.  It can make asking for help all that much more difficult.  It is easy to assume that the happy, cheerful, strong person has no need of assistance and suffers no lows–but nothing could be further from the truth.

During one particular low, I felt as if my footing had literally been ripped out from under me. A series of negative events plunged me farther and farther into depression, each event seeming to follow after the other like a train of dominoes. From that place, what I wanted most was for others to recognize that everything is not okay–even if I could not always communicate how badly I felt.

“The Lord will take care of me… the Lord will take care of me… the Lord will take care of me..”  Some of my journal entries included God’s promises written over and over, as if their repetition would seal their truth in my soul.

Born to Deliver – Review

Born To Deliver book review, by Hannah. 

I recently had the opportunity to review a copy of Born to Deliver by Kathy Brace, with Natalie Wickham. Kathy and Natalie were kind enough to contribute a copy of this book so that our readership could be introduced to the story.  Thank you so much to the two of them for their kind offer!

One of the great qualities about this book is that it is true, which in and of itself is unusual for a book of this nature.  The writers summed up the story well in a letter they included with the book, saying that it “is a true story that shares the reality of the consequences of sexual promiscuity and chasing worldly  happiness, but also the beauty of God’s redemptive power when we surrender our hearts and lives to Him”.

Born to Deliver takes a candid look at Kathy’s personal struggles to find purpose and live by faith despite the “wreck of her past”.  I appreciated the realness of this book, which you can tell is written from a place in the author’s heart.  Nothing about this book seemed contrived, like books on the subject of redemptive love often are.  Rather, it stands out because the reader can relate to Kathy’s searching.  For example, Kathy writes, “How was I supposed to know what real love was, anyway?  I had never seen it or experienced it“.

Finding God in Fiction

Finding God in Fiction, by Rachel McMillan.

One of my favourite musicians, David Crowder, penned a crafty treatise on praise where he examined how to find God in “Sushi and Sunsets”.  Crowder’s book takes a look at the things we view and experience every day- and how they, in their numerous forms, can act as a portal of worship. If we are to accept all good things as a gift from the Creator, then why shouldn’t a beautiful symphony, a painting, an exciting piece of architecture or a gourmet meal make us anything but elated and thankful?  Christians, I believe, can find God and good in many things.  For me, as a voracious reader, I find Him in fiction. Ever since I was a young girl, I loved the pastel-coloured, beautiful worlds of L.M. Montgomery.  Her critics call her penchant for long, flowery musings on nature her “purple prose”; I view her descriptors as a lens through which I can revel in the beauty of the Creator.

What Ruth Can Teach Us About Womanhood

Thoughts on the book of Ruth and womanhood, by Rachel McMillan.

Me + The Book of Ruth= Life Long Love.

It’s a love story between God and us, a man and a woman, a mother-in-law and her daughter. It’s a love story about forging families and community in unexpected places. It is God’s fairy-tale, the Bible’s Cinderella story and, ultimately, the most Romantic tale you’ll ever hear.

In Sunday School, as a little girl, I would hear the story of Ruth and dream about growing up to marry my Boaz.  Boaz, in my mind, was the ultimate epitome of a gentleman: strong, kind, generally the Old Testament Mr. Darcy. My little heart would thud and I would think well, well into the future when I was older and finished university, when I had an apartment and a maybe a cat and Boaz would ride up on his white steed. (or, at the very least, take the empty seat adjacent mine on the subway. Most likely reading his Bible so I would know he was a real winner). I don’t have a Boaz or a cat. The subway scenario has not come to pass; but the dream of Boaz sticks strong.  

Not a Camping Photo Girl

Thoughts on measuring up, by Rachel (our newest writer, who hails from Canada).  Welcome, Rachel to our blog team! 

If I am made in God’s image, then sometimes I think He must be disappointed in His creation.

The older I get the more I realize how debilitating my relationship with my image is and how long and arduous this daily journey has been. We may be fearfully and wonderfully made, and I know that my body is a strong temple (a vessel wherein I house thoughts, passions and moments of sheer praise) – but it is also an entrapment.

See, I hate it at times. Utterly loathe it. There are some days when I look in the mirror and immediately hone in on every. single. flaw: real or imagined. Why can’t I be Gwyneth Paltrow? I wonder, as I follow the curve of my waist to my hips. Why do these jeans give me a muffin-top?  Why do I not have the self-control to stay away from the tub of frozen yogurt in my fridge?  Why does my hair lack luster? Where did that zit come from (you can you get zits in your 30s?! stupid world..); of course that girl has an engagement ring: look at her! She’s gorgeous… me? Lackluster, hips, penchant for frozen yogurt….ugh.

I think some part of me always wanted to be the ideal girl. By that I mean the girl who looks good in camping photos.

Interview with Bree Holloway

Fact: Bree Holloway helped with designing the icon art for this blog (from a graphic edited by Lea). 

An interview with Bree Holloway

Sometimes it helps to know that blog readership includes a community of readers all over the world.  We may not get to know every reader here, but today we will introduce you to one such person!  Her name is Bree Holloway.  Recently we had the opportunity to do an interview swap with Bree, and she featured our editor at her blog (see the interview here).  We hope that you enjoy reading, and that it is a reminder of the community of readers of which you are a part.

A Letter to Those Fearful and Wonderful

August was a very busy month for some of our writers as we started new semesters and class schedules.  We hope that you will enjoy the insights we discovered this summer as we settle back in! 

A Letter to Those Fearful and Wonderful – an article on dating mishaps and being loved by God, by Sarah.

I dated my best friend for five years.

Though those five years were shaky and disrupted, a constant up and down, yes and no, will they, wonʼt they kind of ordeal, he was the first guy I ever considered spending the rest of my life with. He was the first guy I trusted and opened up too, the first guy I ever let hold my hand and the first guy I ever kissed. Then one day, all of that changed.

We havenʼt spoken in 3 years now.
Heʼs engaged and Iʼm still as single as can be.

Being one whose love language is quality time, my tendency is to seek out company whenever I am down. Iʼll be the first one to admit to you that this means one of my biggest struggles has always been how I handle myself with members of the opposite sex.

I come from a chain of broken, shallow relationships that are usually the result of my poor choice of coping mechanism and shaky ability to commit. In the past, Iʼd blame this on my first relationship falling apart.