Since my last post, I have had so much spontaneous fun. Saturday night, I met some new friends at a birthday party for another grad student. I learned poker, too! Then Sunday, I went with two new friends across the border into Toronto. What a neat city! We drove into the city and then from there took a fairy boat to an island right off of the city. Who new Toronto had islands:)
The island was so quaint and cozy. Several bungalows were hidden among gorgeous gardens. It was very shabby chic! There was also a bike trail the whole way around the island for walking and biking. Unfortunately, I did not exchange enough money to rent a bike, but it has now made my to-do list for the future:) There is something about the bikes with the big handle bars that just make me smile. The bikers just looked like they were having so much fun! Not only is the island gorgeous, but here is an amusement park right in the center!
After touring around the island, we went back to the city and ate a Rainforest Cafe. The meal was good, but the dessert was incredible, to say the least. For my friend's birthday, we ordered the volcanoe. It was 5 scoops of vanilla ice cream surrounded by layers of brownies. Chocolate and caramel sauce gushed out the top. They even put a sparkler on top. Needless to say, I felt like I should have been rolled out of the restaurant.
And now, I return back to reality. Hoping for a productive day of school work, I inevitably found a million and two other things to do:) Convenient how the most unpleasant tasks become so enticing when up against school work. The morning was relaxing and filled with running and swimming laps at the pool. I then wound up at Wegmans, the greatest grocery store on the planet.
It's funny how things turn out sometimes. Feeling gross and disgusting, I decided I did not care how disheveled I looked, I would still stop at the store since it was on the way home. I'm in Rochester and won't see anyone I know, right?.....Wrong!
As I perused the seafood aisle, scouting for the catch of the day for dinner, I looked over and saw a guy that looked very familiar. As I continued my trip, I could not for the life of me put his face with a place. Then, as I got into my car it hit me. He had attended the same college for undergrad. He was not someone I knew personally, but knew enough to recognize the face. What a small world. Even in Rochester, little pieces of the past are in the present!
Lemon Salmon splattered with dill sauce, rice, salad, and a pound cake later.....I ended my cooking/baking ventures and hit some school work. At least my assignments for this week are complete. However, I have a whole lot of things I want to get home before I leave for home on Sunday. So, I will finish my post, do a little more school work. Then, I will owe myself a little break, with The Bachelorette. I think the show is so absurd, but somehow I have become hooked.
As my to do list continues to grow, I just pray that the Lord will help me with diligence. I want to utilize my time as well as possible.
I am reading The Reason for God by Tim Keller and I am blown away by just the depth and richness of this book. Here is a recent quote that I found so though-provoking.
"Christianity not only leads its members to believe people of other faiths have goodness and wisdom to offer, it also leads them to expect that many will live lives morally superior to their own. Most people in our culture believe that, if there is a God, we can relate to him and go to heaven through leading a good life. Let’s call this the “moral improvement” view. Christianity teaches the very opposite. In the Christian understanding, Jesus does not tell us how to live so we can merit salvation. Rather, he comes to forgive and save us through his life and death in our place. God’s grace does not come to people who morally outperform others, but to those who admit their failure to perform and who acknowledge their need for a Savior." - The Reason for God
Sometimes I feel so undeserving of the grace of God. And then I have to remember, that is the very reason for such unconditional love--to bestow upon others what they don't deserve. Lord, I pray that you will humble me and help me to accept your unconditional love, even when I feel undeserving of such a sacrifice. Thank you for sending your son, to die a brutal death, just for my sins. And thank you for the hope that the resurrection brings into my life.
I pray that you would show me how to give that same grace to others, who sometimes don't deserve it. Please let the hope that I have in you, overflow into other people who I encounter each day. 'Cause we are are all just divine nobodies, with extraordinary purposes in each day!
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