We'll always have ramen

I had a really nice time with Sue Anne  (my doctor friend from OCF) who was down from Wellington on Thursday and Friday for a business trip. I hadn't seen her for 2 years so I was very excited and I compressed all my lab work so I could meet her on both days.

Thursday night we went for Japanese at Azuma Kushiyaki courtesy of her company ;). No pictures, but here's the link: http://www.azuma.com.au/kushiyaki/home.php. We really had a nice time eating and chatting as if no time has passed at all. We passed on dessert because of the waiting time but also because I wanted to rush her to the shops before they closed in an hour. I have been looking around the past week or so very unsuccessfully for a gift for her. At almost closing time she saw a wallet and a watch she liked but I told her that she should think about it. After which, we both headed home.

Friday afternoon we met and went shopping! I had originally planned to get to the city a little earlier and see if I could afford the watch but my experiments ran over time and I didn't. So I ended up telling her that I needed to look for something for my housemate and ran over to the shop to buy the watch. I had a voucher I could use so it didn't end up being too expensive.

In the meantime, she had already given me a pair of gloves that I had requested from NZ. And then after I got back from buying her the watch, she bought me a scarf. AND THEN, when I finally gave her the watch over dinner, she gave me a top I had tried on and really liked but was too expensive. I am so blessed with good friends.

It was so fun after shopping when we were about to head for coffee but I suggested ramen (which she doesn't get in NZ). After all of 30 seconds consideration, her eyes twinkled and we both just starting running.

It was hard to say goodbye to her......



I miss her. I miss old friends whom I've known from my student days. I miss friends who understand the difficulties in being a student again. I miss those who walk with me as a Christian. I miss all of them. But I am blessed. They have always been so generous to me with whatever they have.. time, money, prayer, love and our friendship has spanned time and space.

God is good.

Winding down

Jo is leaving in a couple of days and the packing has begun. We got our packing boxes from UHaul yesterday and she filled up 4 boxes yesterday. I realized how many books I have and some are still out! I've filled about 6 boxes and have 2 more boxes to spare. So I think I should be good when I get the rest of the books back.


I started analyzing my thesis data again for the manuscript. I had to make a to-do list as I am pretty unmotivated to do anything. Praise God for his mercy! I forbade myself from leaving the apartment although I'm distracted about every 1/2 hour.

Missing the girls again today. Sigh.

Mommy comes soon! I don't actually remember when. I think June 1st.

So close

As usual, my heart is revealed to be deceitful and self-centered. As I think about why I'm anxious about tomorrow, it became apparent that I want to excel. Cam and Caroline pointed that out as well as I wondered why I was anxious even after I've addressed my cognitive errors e.g. fear of failing.
As I thought and prayed about it more today, I realized that it is because I want and seek my own glory not the glory of God. If I were seeking the glory of God, I wouldn't need to be anxious because God will glory himself. It is not dependent on me, although I can participate in the glorification of God.

So all glory to God, Sook Ning! Not only in "sacred" work, but in every area of my life. May I decrease and He increase!

Court prayedmailed me.

"i pray that God will give you an eternal focus in this, that your vision will be razor sharp set on Him - because i think with those two things anxiety is kinda forgotten. Your identity is sealed in Him and all earthly success or failure here will be burned up one day when we are purified in His refining fire anyway - these things, these letters behind our names, these trophies, they are just bits of the dross, the wood that is burned out when we will stand before Him. Certainly they are temporarily important, especially when you've put so many years working towards your goal, and i don't want to belittle or be callous to what's happening here, but ya, just to fix your eyes on what is unseen, fix your eyes on the eternal and these things will blur in the background. I pray that your goal above all goals, that He would be glorified and His kingdom would consume your vision, squeezing out any others from becoming too consuming or from becoming a distraction. i pray that we would both be reasonably unconcerned with our work or earthly pursuits - that we would work hard to the glory of God, but that we would leave the results completely in His hands, trusting that His plans are solid and that if His plan includes Him making use of your PhD, then there's nothing on earth or in heaven or hell that can stop Him from enabling you to get it. His plans always prevail, this is a great comfort."

Fun pics

:)

Shh...what could I do??

Trying to come up with a cunning plan

Makes me laugh everytime! I love you soo much!

Halifax

Don't try to be taller than you are Ms. Edmondson!

At Peggy's Cove

Waves

Attention! Jo guarding Halifax from Viking invaders

Jo and Justine monkeying around

Trees still bare at the Public Gardens

Mrs Zwicker, Justine, Lauren, Hannah, Jo

A little brook in the garden

Jo, Hannah, Justine and I drove down to Halifax. It was a really long drive of 13-14 hours. But we made it although I'm still feeling a little car sick. It was a great trip!Good conversation and good food. :) Lobster, steak, scallops, biscuits. yum!
It was sad saying goodbye to Justine yesterday.
Sad saying goodbye to Hannah today.
Sad saying goodbye to Sam today.
;(
But God is good! I told Jo that  it'll be strange not having Hannah around to talk to and she told me that I can talk to God even more then. :D haha. True words!