Update: Winter Break

Okay, I intend on making this a short post 'cause I've been up since around 1h30ish and it is now just after 5am and I have to be ' up ' at 6h30.

It has been an interesting couple of days. The 'winter break' is still on.
Day 1 of the 'retreat' was so challenging. I made a few mistakes. I suppose the greatest challenge for me was the dealing with and accepting the sudden silence of the world. The sudden absence of a traffic of Whatsapp  messages streaming in, and 'mourning the loss' of not being able to view and like other people's posts on Facebook; atleast for the time being. For a moment it did feel lonely. I was even drawn back to thinking about ... well I had still been thinking about the whole experience and where we ... I am.

I haven't started working out yet though I have started the diet again. Last night I had my first 'vegetarian supper' evening. I had been planning to have one since early March, but for some odd reason I had always been craving meat, good meat. So I managed to convince myself that I had to have a lot of meat. Perhaps the whole point is not giving your body  what it wants. Maybe it is about giving it what it needs. And I suppose that is what I am learning. Having that degree of self-control and dominance over your body. It starts out, as Joyce Meyer would say, with teaching yourself not to have that extra-chocolate cookie when you know very well that you are full. Surprisingly, I really enjoy the vegetarian meal. I made a nice Indian-inspired spicy vegetable and bean soup. I hope I didn't enjoy it solely on account of the winter.

An original by LoveShowers

Actually, the reason I am writing is 'cause I wanted to share some thoughts from my campus trip this morning. I was inspired. I realised today that I am well taken care of. That I do not need to carry any care in the world. You  know the Bible says God has said He knows the plans He has for us. Plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Plans to give us a hope and a future. If you read this verse in Jeremiah in another bible version your will discover that God said that He knew what He was doing. Wow! That is beautiful. To know that He knows what He is up to. Consider this together with the fact that He has said that He causes ALL things , that is everything, to work together for the good of all those who love Him and are called according to His will and purpose. I now understand (to some degree) what people mean when they say " I am a love child of a love God". I am so grateful. There's so much to be grateful for. So many many reasons to say " Thank You".

Today in the bus on my way to campus I realised that we all have an individual journey, our own way, our own path. Carved by God, in  love for us. For each one of us, individually. It says that He planned in love for us. I realised that there's no reason to for me to compare myself and my journey with that of another. Our journeys are not the same. That sometimes you need to extend the duration of your degree so that the right and perfect post-graduate programme and funding specifically (and personally) for you can be designed. Just for you. And that, though you started out with many, it is okay when you each take a different path 'cause the journeys are all different. So the issue is holding on  to God and fixing your eyes on the big prize, that is- being all that He has planned for you to be.

Finally I realised what God was saying when He inspired me to say " God will give you a dream much bigger than your place of birth ."

Yours in growing awareness
Thabang