SoulThirst

Alright alright... I figure that nearly 2 weeks is a sufficiently large pause in blogging... unintentional of course. Now I actually wonder who still checks this thing (I'm speaking of the blogspot version...since the Xanga people get this e-mailed to them). I guess I just found more fulfilling (and time-consuming) activities than blogging ^^;;. Thing is, I always journal before I blog, and if I don't have time for the latter, then I don't end up doing it.

Last week... I guess the biggest reason for not blogging was just a "lack of time." It was the first week of a very full 4 (now until July 20) where in addition to Friday night youth group & Sunday School responsibilities (+ meetings & the like), I also have a 4-week preaching series, as well as leading a career-adults Bible study. With all that, I've been trying to work at 1) finishing all I've needed to do, and 2) getting ahead when I can. (Today happens to be my Monday "day off"). Actually, last week was a good week. I didn't feel busy, though certainly life was full. Yet even in the fullness, the days moved by at a clip, and what needed to be done got done. There was more joy- and efficiency- than in less full weeks, which confirms to me that "amount of stuff to do" does not make or break a good week or not; a certain degree of divine enablement makes good anything that might be otherwise. In comparison, this week looks fairly open... not that I have less to do, but that I feel more capable of it.

Yesterday felt good too. The talk seemed to go over well, as did Sunday School (a different group than I've had previously, but still a good group; I could've been more organized though). By the afternoon guitar class, I was fairly tired, and managed to stay awake in the afternoon & be there for the first part of career-adults fellowship too. However, after eating 2 rather large sandwiches, I promptly fell into a food-coma-induced nap that lasted me well into the evening :P. Ended up staying up reading some more of Harry Potter before finally turning in at around 2:30.

Today, still been reading Harry Potter #5... page 350 at this point... it's my "reading day" today, since I wasn't able to read earlier because of preaching/teaching, and I probably need the time later on in the week to work too. Book 5 definitely assumes prior knowledge (I guess at this point, that makes sense), so I found myself having to go back & review (especially the later scenes in Book 4 which were referenced in 5). The first 350 pages so far seem somewhat less "emotionally satisfying." Ironically, J.K. Rowling seems to be very accurately depicting the life of a 15-year old, and so the temper flairs, up & down emotions, social awkwardness when the pretty girl walks by, and teenage angst are shockingly....real. Maybe that's why it's not so enjoyable (whoever said being a teenager was enjoyable)... and gets me thinking "aiyo, so that's what being a teenager is like again... I had almost forgotten" :P. I dunno... I think Harry's being obnoxious up to this point :P. Definitely less satisfying so far. But the suspense & such is being built up quite well. Much more of a young-adult level book (would a teenager know what "sardonic" means?) than the previously touted children/teenager book. Maybe, if I apply myself some more, I can finish the rest of the 500+ pages before tonight.

Let's see... this week... sermon (mostly thought out already, just need to organize)... Sunday School... Friday's activity... guitar class planning... not too bad at all. Learning to pray more... to put more into the divine element of it all. Well, at any rate, don't expect a whole lot of blogging or anything in the course of this week, maybe scattered bits at best.

Prayers for my week still appreciated... wise use of my time... being spiritually sensitive... praying for others more... being one to handle the word of God well...

posted by Andy Chang @ 5:45 PM