Covet you not

A few of you may have been fortunate quick enough to have caught my post from yesterday. It was a lamentful rant on a series of recent conversations with a particular individual. I was hurt and bewildered by the responses I was receiving. I took the post down, because it, like most things said in haste, shouldn’t have been said at all. Or at least in this forum.
Clarity came in my church service today. The gist is that there’s something to be said for praying for someone else to receive the thing that you yourself most desire.
I would really like a relationship. A certain relationship. I am frustrated by the current state of things with a certain individual.
And so, for the first year in a long time, I will make a new year’s resolution (to keep at least for the first week). I will pray for my married friends, my dating friends and my single friends. Pray for their relationships … with each other, with their families/loved ones, with their friends and with God.
God has given me the gift to serve, to wait on others. If I pray for your needs, God will give me patience in my desires. If I pray for your needs, as selfish as it sounds, it will likely bring me closer to my God. And closer to my God means closer to His plans. And that can never be a bad place to be.

Merry Christmas!

I have not put up decorations. I have not baked goodies. I have not sent Christmas cards or holiday letters. I started and finished shopping yesterday. I started listening to carols this evening.

I recently lamented that I have not been fulfilling my holiday duty. I repeated this to my parents last night. Their response: “but is that what it is all about?”

Although Christmas is not about trees and twinkling lights or shortbread and chocolates or cards strung along the mantle or yet another carol on the radio … these are things that refocus me on the fact that it truly is Christmas. The past two weeks since I’ve been back from Africa have been a blur. Work (and lots of overtime) and meetings and a wedding and a weekend birthday bash … these things have kept me busy. Truthfully, it has been just like any other day or week.

It is so easy to forget about Christmas throughout the rest of the year. Why should now, when I have the opportunity to reflect and rejoice openly in the birth of my Saviour, the season be lost to me. So, in many ways, I am truly sorry for not getting my act together, popping a CD in, pulling out that box of cards I bought last year at 80% off, munching away on freshly iced sugar cookies and addressing you a letter under the glow of my twinkling pine.

For now, this will have to do (HT: Will):

I think the real Jesus wants us to take the baby Jesus out of our nativity scenes, and into our real worlds… What kind of life are we giving baby Jesus if we only show him off close to Christmas?

They love me, they really do!

Upon returning home this evening (after a wonderful chicken, roasted red pepper and asparagus sandwich at Moxie’s), I discovered that I’d won an award. I didn’t think I’d won the award since it’s getting a little late but, nonetheless, there was the email.

And what is the award you ask? Well, it is entitled the “New Hospital Pharmacy Practitioner Award” and is awarded annually to two pharmacists within their first five years of practice. It’s a nice deal – airfare, hotel, conference registration, award money (which all reads: have fun shopping in Toronto).

This award recognizes new hospital pharmacy practitioners who, through their service to patient care, to education or research, to the profession and to the society, are worthy of recognition that devotes promising leadership, dedication and commitment to practice excellence and professional growth.

Happy Christmas to me!

Greenery

Last night I dreamt of greenery — salad that is. I made salad and ate salad and even had to go in search of the salad. Typical dream stuff I know, just a little different subject matter.

I think salad or, more precisely, vegetables, are the one thing I missed while in Africa. Boiled cabbage and carrots in our dinners was just not quite enough. Thus, salad has been on the menu nearly every other day since I’ve been back.

On other notes, I am needing to fall into the consumerism that Caro discussed a few days ago. I asked my mom what she’d like/want/need for Christmas. I got the dreaded, “Nothing. If we need anything, we would have already bought it.” Alas, I am set to wander aimlessly through busy malls until (hopefully) something catches my eye. Any suggestions for parent gifts? Or even little brother gifts for that matter?

Holidays, guilt and evolution

So I am not studying for my exam tomorrow like I should. Instead I am feeling guilty. Yes, you heard correct, guilty. Not guilty about not studying, that would be termed ’slightly panicky’. Guilty about the holidays.
I haven’t decorated or set up my tree. I haven’t written the Christmas letter or mailed out cards. I haven’t done any Christmas baking. (Thank goodness for the endless mounds of baking and chocolates and other goodies at work. It has provided much needed sustenance while working late this week before heading off to yet another meeting.) I haven’t really even gone gift shopping. (Though I do have a few things picked up, they only scratch the surface).
I feel guilty because I haven’t done my holiday duty … and who knew there even was such a thing?
What it boils down to is that I must be evolving into my mother.