Tonight I will be boarding a bus in Montreal at 12:15am and arriving in Toronto just after 6am tomorrow morning! I am so excited to be heading back to Niagara for the week. I have been working Monday to Friday at the lab as well as 4 shifts per week at the pool since May and I am more than ready for a break!
Also, July is birthday month for our family! I already missed mom's on the 14th, dad's on the 20th and grandpa T's on the 24th but I will be home just in time for my own birthday day on the 31st! (and happy birthday to cousin Carianne on the 28th too!) Needless to say there is much to celebrate! Oh, and I can't forget that Jared's sister Danie and her husband Eric welcomed little Summer Aubrey Epp into the world on July 5th and I cannot wait to meet her!
On top of all those birthday celebrations, my dear friend Malorie is getting married at the end of August and I have the privilege of hosting a bridal shower for her this weekend!
I am so excited to see old friends and all my family this week and to take time to relax and even though it's not the plateau life I'm sure my home life will make it on the blog too.
Can't wait! Be home soon! :)
Friday, July 26, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Learner
Our missional communities (small groups) at church have a few different themes that we rotate through including: servant, mission, family and learner.
Recently, I've been thinking about how I can be a better learner. I mean, I know how to learn. As a university student I've learned a lot. But I consistently prioritize my school studies over my Bible studies. I might even admit to making an idol of that straight A transcript and that needs to change. God needs to be God in my life. I have come to the conclusion that I need to study God the way I would study for school. I need to learn about His character, His promises and His love. I've already attended many semesters of lectures in the form of Sunday School and sermons mostly, but I've hardly cracked open my textbook (the Bible). I've never gone into an exam without reading, underlining, highlighting, taking notes and re-reading my textbook. So what makes me think I can know all that God wants me to know without doing the same with His textbook?
This train of thought led me to research some devotionals and study Bibles and I ended up ordering the ESV Study Bible online. It had been recommended to me and when I checked out this website I got really excited about it. This Bible has tables and charts and graphs and maps...just like a textbook! (except it is NOT crazy expensive). I couldn't wait to crack it open and get studying! Only thing was... this happened:
Recently, I've been thinking about how I can be a better learner. I mean, I know how to learn. As a university student I've learned a lot. But I consistently prioritize my school studies over my Bible studies. I might even admit to making an idol of that straight A transcript and that needs to change. God needs to be God in my life. I have come to the conclusion that I need to study God the way I would study for school. I need to learn about His character, His promises and His love. I've already attended many semesters of lectures in the form of Sunday School and sermons mostly, but I've hardly cracked open my textbook (the Bible). I've never gone into an exam without reading, underlining, highlighting, taking notes and re-reading my textbook. So what makes me think I can know all that God wants me to know without doing the same with His textbook?
This train of thought led me to research some devotionals and study Bibles and I ended up ordering the ESV Study Bible online. It had been recommended to me and when I checked out this website I got really excited about it. This Bible has tables and charts and graphs and maps...just like a textbook! (except it is NOT crazy expensive). I couldn't wait to crack it open and get studying! Only thing was... this happened:
I made several phone calls trying to figure out where my Bible was and how I could get it. I think God may have been teaching me a lesson in patience and also saying, "Ahem, why don't you read the Bible you already have while you're waiting!?" (to which I replied, "but I want to read my textbook Bible!")
I have never had a study Bible before but I am really excited to dive in and explore all of the extras this one provides. I've found it difficult in the past to sit down and read from my Bible without the historical context and without knowing what to focus on and what questions to ask but now I feel like I have a guide. My missional community leader (and current roommie, Sam) put together a document entitled "How to Study the Bible" aka Course Syllabus and Suggested Guidelines for how to get the most of the Textbook. So now, with my instructions and new Bible I feel extremely equipped to study the Word!
As I study I will be praying (and am asking you to pray for me, if you feel so inclined) that God will replace my earthly desires like a perfect transcript with an overwhelming desire for Him. I often say during the school year that studying is hard work, it's not always fun but in the end when you see your grade it's all worth it. I know that what Jesus calls us to do is not always easy either but I hope that I can truly grasp the GRACE that Jesus offers us and know how much more satisfying and worth it that is than anything else.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Back to Blogging - The Plateau Life
I'm back on the blog-o-sphere! It is the end of the Tupper-era. Sad, but true. Our lease was up July 1st and we've all moved on! This means the Tupper blog is unfortunately no more. I still have a lingering hope that Katie, Kinsey and I will get together at some point to "pen" the last few posts but in the meantime I'm back on my own personal blog.
In my first year at McGill I created the blog "Emily in Montreal" which seemed fitting at the time and was a way for me to keep my friends and family up to date. Now though, "Emily in Montreal" seems much too broad a blog title. After my two years blogging "Life on Tupper" I have now officially moved into a new section of the city, the plateau, and I think my blog name should reflect the change. And so, for the next school year I will blog about "The Plateau Life".
I've actually already been in the plateau for almost three weeks now. When our Tupper lease ended, friends of mine from church (Initiative 22) were kind enough to invite me to stay with them for a month before my next lease starts in August. So far, it has been a joy living with Sam and Morgan. They are two of the most loving, generous and honest people I know. I have already learned so much from them and I am so grateful that they would have me in their home. (PS. Check out Morgan's blog "me and my house").
In the past actually, my boyfriend Jared has stayed at Sam and Morgan's apartment when he has visited me, so Jared and I are no strangers to their hospitality and we are so thankful for their encouragement and friendship as Jared and I grow in our relationship.
Back to being in the plateau though. As sad as it is to leave Tupper and all its perks (30 second walk to the cheapest grocery store in the city, close to where I tutored, to my missional community, to the speech pathology clinic, to the YMCA, to all the shops and restaurants downtown) the plateau has it's own perks and I am still discovering them. I'm currently living right across from Jeanne-Mance park which is a dream. There are baseball diamonds, tennis courts, soccer fields, beach volleyball courts, open spaces...I love it. I also live basically at the base of the mountain which is a prime running spot so that's definitely a point for the plateau. There's also Parc La Fontaine and LaBanquise (the famous poutine place) so I can't complain about that! And as much as I miss the shopping on St. Catherines street I'm really quite close to St. Laurent, St. Denis and I'm on Avenue Mont Royal which are all great for shopping! Also, it's a super quick bus ride away from Place-Des-Arts which is the event hub in the summer time where I attended The Jazz Festival and Just for Laughs.
Now, speaking of bus rides, I am certainly learning the bus and metro systems better which I don't always love (for example when the metro is shut down on the hottest day of the year or when the bus is just plain late) but they do, for the most part make travelling easier and I hear the monthly fares are much cheaper in Montreal than in other big cities so I'm thankful for that!
And with that, here are a few pictures I've taken of the plateau with more to come I'm sure. I've got lots more exploring to do and I'm sure it won't take long for me to find my favourite spots!
In my first year at McGill I created the blog "Emily in Montreal" which seemed fitting at the time and was a way for me to keep my friends and family up to date. Now though, "Emily in Montreal" seems much too broad a blog title. After my two years blogging "Life on Tupper" I have now officially moved into a new section of the city, the plateau, and I think my blog name should reflect the change. And so, for the next school year I will blog about "The Plateau Life".
I've actually already been in the plateau for almost three weeks now. When our Tupper lease ended, friends of mine from church (Initiative 22) were kind enough to invite me to stay with them for a month before my next lease starts in August. So far, it has been a joy living with Sam and Morgan. They are two of the most loving, generous and honest people I know. I have already learned so much from them and I am so grateful that they would have me in their home. (PS. Check out Morgan's blog "me and my house").
In the past actually, my boyfriend Jared has stayed at Sam and Morgan's apartment when he has visited me, so Jared and I are no strangers to their hospitality and we are so thankful for their encouragement and friendship as Jared and I grow in our relationship.
Back to being in the plateau though. As sad as it is to leave Tupper and all its perks (30 second walk to the cheapest grocery store in the city, close to where I tutored, to my missional community, to the speech pathology clinic, to the YMCA, to all the shops and restaurants downtown) the plateau has it's own perks and I am still discovering them. I'm currently living right across from Jeanne-Mance park which is a dream. There are baseball diamonds, tennis courts, soccer fields, beach volleyball courts, open spaces...I love it. I also live basically at the base of the mountain which is a prime running spot so that's definitely a point for the plateau. There's also Parc La Fontaine and LaBanquise (the famous poutine place) so I can't complain about that! And as much as I miss the shopping on St. Catherines street I'm really quite close to St. Laurent, St. Denis and I'm on Avenue Mont Royal which are all great for shopping! Also, it's a super quick bus ride away from Place-Des-Arts which is the event hub in the summer time where I attended The Jazz Festival and Just for Laughs.
Now, speaking of bus rides, I am certainly learning the bus and metro systems better which I don't always love (for example when the metro is shut down on the hottest day of the year or when the bus is just plain late) but they do, for the most part make travelling easier and I hear the monthly fares are much cheaper in Montreal than in other big cities so I'm thankful for that!
And with that, here are a few pictures I've taken of the plateau with more to come I'm sure. I've got lots more exploring to do and I'm sure it won't take long for me to find my favourite spots!
Parc La Fontaine
volleyball courts in Jeanne-Mance Park
baseball diamond/my front yard
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