so blessed; so tired

Easter Sunday: Grace Van choir singing 'That Name'
at the Roundhouse Community Centre

What a crazy weekend this has been. Good Friday began with an early morning oatmeal get-together with Sher-Ping, then followed with Grace's day of prayer which followed the Beatitudes from morning to late afternoon. Of course, I always find myself reluctant to go to one of these all-day praying events because I, well, just don't want to go. This is when I make myself remember how I feel at the end of these things (which is WONDERFUL), and go, praying that God would change my heart. And wouldn't you know it, He did just as I was walking to church after having some good 'ol girl fellowship with Sherps.

The day of prayer began at the West side church and finished at the East side, where we had our Good Friday service. It was one of the best worship services I've been to in a long time, because the church was filled with good friends from both West and East side churches. We had spent all day together praying for each other, the church and the city, and just like at our recent worship retreat, I knew the Holy Spirit was there so tangibly among us. After the service, a big group of us headed over to The Cedar Cottage Pub and ate way too much---again. Too full to stay awake, and too buzzed from all the corporate/community prayer, Joash and I tried to study, and failed miserably . . . ahhh, what can you do.

Saturday, there was an extra choir practice because of the Easter Sunday service the next day, so there went my morning. I then met up with a friend from church for lunch (oh, another Ontarian), marked my English 110 papers furiously, then went swing dancing with Joash and friends. Oh, it never stops.

So Sunday began at 6am for me, having to get to the Roundhouse Community Centre for the 8am worship and choir practice . . . it was a really great service, and a really great time of worship, though by the end of it, my back was killing me after having been up and about for a good few hours. After eating buns dipped in salad dressing (due to the lack of sandwich meat) and talking to countless people, many of which kept winking, nudging, or asking me about Joash, I was ready to hit the sack, but there was still Camper's ordination to attend at 1:45. That was a really great service where we got to pray for and support Camper becoming a pastor...oh, and no ordination service, especially an event going on these three days would be without food... ;).
Speaking of food, after the service, Joash and I went back to his place to get ready for the Easter potluck that evening. He had put in a HUGE 18 pound turkey ('said the lady at the store told him he needed 18pounds for 10 people!) early that morning, and good thing too, because I was wiped when we got to his house. It was a really awesome evening, spent with a random group of people: There was Sher-Ping and Geraldine from church, Elim my housemate and her friend Shu; Joash's friends Peter and Jen from Regent, as well as his housemate Wendy (or 'Windy' as he calls her) and her mom visiting from Guelph...aaaaand, Gargantuan, the 18 pound turkey, who turned out to be a tasty hunk of meat. Oh and the fun didn't stop there. After great conversations and mounds of food and green pistachio marshmallow dessert, Joash and I watched a bit of Legends of the Fall, which he can't seem to get enough of. I've never seen it, but have heard bits of it through reading snippets of Wild at Heart, a book Joash loves, but one that makes me laugh. I need to re-evaluate what that book's about.

Well, writing this makes me remember just how crazy this weekend was. It was busy, tiring, but such a gift, since I now come out of it realizing all the more how blessed I am, and how much I love and am loved here.

Pray that I get my term papers done and that this sore throat of mine is going to hold off till I'm done!!!