What was April?

April. The fourth month. A month of springtime, renewal, growth and green.

The first thing I did in April was fly to my parents' home in North Carolina. I spent some time there, enjoying my parents and of course the company of my dear cats, Ash and Aslan. It was wonderful having the little furry creatures to cuddle and play with. I realize now just now much I miss my Aslan. It's sad being here without him. :)

While in North Carolina, we also made a spectacular purchase and I was privileged enough to get a new car! (New to me, really.) I got a beautiful, well kept 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. I really love it, and each day I'm getting more and more comfortable and happy with it. I had a tough choice to make between this car and another and at first I was really torn but now I can't see it any other way. I've named her Clara and the fun has already begun!

I got back on a Tuesday, and I plunged head first into a heavy workload seeing as it was holy week and I had a lot going on that weekend! We had another prayer event going on at church that weekend. Friday morning, Drive played at Miami Rescue Mission for their annual Easter breakfast. It's always an experience playing for a massive crowd of homeless people, but it's always amazing and a lot of fun. Saturday was another long day (though thankfully no music school!) and our service that night involved me doing a monologue, based on a girl who witnessed Christ's death. I heard some wonderful comments - including one from my boss who said that "God used you" - and from him, that was amazing. That night we had pizza and soda and watched a movie centered on sacrificing for others, and then spent some time praying through the night. I stayed over at church that night, obviously, and was up and out the door at 430am, as we took the musical equipment and things over to Bayside Marketplace and we set up on the stage. Every year, our church and our host church have a sunrise service at the marketplace. I got some amazing photos of the event as the sun came up behind the band and worship leaders. It was a great way to celebrate the rising of our Lord.

The next week was a fairly ordinary work week, though I did have some meetings to begin the implementation of work on a summer camp that is in the works. I also got to go over to my aunt and uncle's again to visit - my cousin's wife's birthday had just passed and we were celebrating. It was pretty fun and we enjoyed some baseball while we were there.

This last week from Sunday through Tuesday I participated in our Spring Retreat down in the Florida Keys. It was a lot of fun and completely exhausting, though also very renewing as well. I learned some amazing things about my housemates and grew closer to them as well.

Lastly, I did my taxes. :)

On a personal note, I've always felt that God has called me in many ways to be a counsellor - maybe not by profession or in any such official way, but I feel that one of my many gifts is to truly listen and offer advice to others. When I was in high school I was on a retreat and someone asked me for advice about something very deep, very troubling and very big in her life. I remember talking to this person - but I don't remember what I said, or what happened at all. I do remember thinking to myself that something was speaking instead of me, through me, in me, and that I was simply the vessel. It was very odd and I was slightly alarmed, and yet I felt completely natural and at ease at the same time. The girl listened, turned her life around, made big changes, and now is headed on a great path filled with God.

Now, this may seem awfully strange - indeed it is for me also. But from that point on, I have felt that God has been using me to tell people what they need to hear. Maybe it's because people know that I will tell them what they need to hear regardless of whether they want to hear it or not. Maybe it's because I'm open myself, so people feel they can trust me. Or maybe it's just because God wants me too. I haven't had such a crazy experience as that first one in whole again, but every now and then when I'm listening and talking to someone, I feel a little push inside me. And regardless of whether I feel that even or not, I often wonder how I come up with such good advice! It's funny - things will occur to me to say to someone that could really help me in my own life and I'll think, "Wow, that IS good advice!" I truly believe that God has asked me to do this, at least for now. And because of that, I'm happy to help - because I'm doing what God wants me to do.

I've been finding myself giving a lot of advice lately, and listening to a lot of problems. But I'm happy to do it. :)

I hope May finds all of you blessed and full of the renewal that spring represents. Forget not what our Lord and Saviour has done for us! And yes, He is Risen, Indeed!