hi, it me, i'm back.
yeah i've been a bit m.i.a. and i don't even really have anything to blame besides my own faults cos i've been unintentionally developing myself as a nocturnal, literally.
my typical bedtime is like 5 or 6am and I wake up at like 10 (trying not to miss uni still!). i do feel bad about that: when / if i don't turn up to my contact hours. i neither want to let the tutors down nor create more catchup work for myself (especially when my lecturers don't record their lectures -_- ) nor waste the money that's funding my education.
but i'm alive, healthy and determined.
this is gonna be a bit of a juicy yet brief post cos i have several days to cover, however, if i'm honest about it all, i haven't even been keeping up that intensely with the challenges and the devos so we'll see what thoughts i manage to conjure up. i've fully been slipping with everything in life lol - i literally can't even remember the last time i cooked food for myself, or slept before midnight. (it's all good in the hood though, thanks for asking).
i think that's something i want to be thankful for, first. the fact that i've been all over the place and unsettled... physically, mentally, emotionally... yet i've found so much joy in the things around me. i've realised how much i love the people around me and just fellowshipping, with this family away from the comforts of my home home. yes i may be highkey skint as a student, but taking the time to eat out with people has so much joy in it; actually investing in meeting with people and knowing them. i've had a lot more intentional conversations with people which i've realised more and more is something that is so up my street and was one of my new year's goals for 2019.
rest is also important too though, hypocritical of me to say i know lol. recently, i've caught up to date with watching riverdale on netfllix (spoiler alert + rant: what is it with these gryphons + gargoyles though? the whole concept is just dumb and unrealistic. what even is the plot anymore?) and just spending time to recover from my illness. i find it beautiful just how quickly i've managed to recover from having every illness symptom at once to being completely good again in a matter of 3 days!! during this time i had so many prayers over me and people coming to care for me or just dropping me a message, which went a long, long, long way especially when i felt so homesick during those ill days, curling up in bed and feeling sorry for myself.
day 5 : bless the boss
the message of the day from the devotional...
in our culture, we often bless sideways and not so much up, as we often see, at least subconsciously, the people above us as being in a better position, having more than us and getting greater recognition. but today, the focus is all about blessing those above us, a boss or a leader, and remembering that we shouldn't judge their personal circumstances because of their status.
my act of generosity today was...
green option: sending my old a-level music teacher a lovely message. we have each other on facebook cos that's how big of a homie he is to me. i came to the realisation of how much work he put into us and helped us do well in a subject he was so passionate about. it was inspiring. i think i felt like him, too, cos i've been helping a friend with her gcse composition and felt the joy in helping someone and the amount of time people are willing to put into others, not even for their own gain. so basically i sent him a thank you message for his hard-work + the inspo he has exerted on me.
today i am thankful for...
yeah i've been a bit m.i.a. and i don't even really have anything to blame besides my own faults cos i've been unintentionally developing myself as a nocturnal, literally.
my typical bedtime is like 5 or 6am and I wake up at like 10 (trying not to miss uni still!). i do feel bad about that: when / if i don't turn up to my contact hours. i neither want to let the tutors down nor create more catchup work for myself (especially when my lecturers don't record their lectures -_- ) nor waste the money that's funding my education.
but i'm alive, healthy and determined.
this is gonna be a bit of a juicy yet brief post cos i have several days to cover, however, if i'm honest about it all, i haven't even been keeping up that intensely with the challenges and the devos so we'll see what thoughts i manage to conjure up. i've fully been slipping with everything in life lol - i literally can't even remember the last time i cooked food for myself, or slept before midnight. (it's all good in the hood though, thanks for asking).
i think that's something i want to be thankful for, first. the fact that i've been all over the place and unsettled... physically, mentally, emotionally... yet i've found so much joy in the things around me. i've realised how much i love the people around me and just fellowshipping, with this family away from the comforts of my home home. yes i may be highkey skint as a student, but taking the time to eat out with people has so much joy in it; actually investing in meeting with people and knowing them. i've had a lot more intentional conversations with people which i've realised more and more is something that is so up my street and was one of my new year's goals for 2019.
rest is also important too though, hypocritical of me to say i know lol. recently, i've caught up to date with watching riverdale on netfllix (spoiler alert + rant: what is it with these gryphons + gargoyles though? the whole concept is just dumb and unrealistic. what even is the plot anymore?) and just spending time to recover from my illness. i find it beautiful just how quickly i've managed to recover from having every illness symptom at once to being completely good again in a matter of 3 days!! during this time i had so many prayers over me and people coming to care for me or just dropping me a message, which went a long, long, long way especially when i felt so homesick during those ill days, curling up in bed and feeling sorry for myself.
day 5 : bless the boss
the message of the day from the devotional...
in our culture, we often bless sideways and not so much up, as we often see, at least subconsciously, the people above us as being in a better position, having more than us and getting greater recognition. but today, the focus is all about blessing those above us, a boss or a leader, and remembering that we shouldn't judge their personal circumstances because of their status.
my act of generosity today was...
green option: sending my old a-level music teacher a lovely message. we have each other on facebook cos that's how big of a homie he is to me. i came to the realisation of how much work he put into us and helped us do well in a subject he was so passionate about. it was inspiring. i think i felt like him, too, cos i've been helping a friend with her gcse composition and felt the joy in helping someone and the amount of time people are willing to put into others, not even for their own gain. so basically i sent him a thank you message for his hard-work + the inspo he has exerted on me.
today i am thankful for...
- the time i had to practice the piano. as a music student it's a given that i'm meant to enjoy music, but that also becomes dangerous at it means that my hobby may become a chore thus something i struggle to do for enjoyment. but today was lovely. i dedicated time for something that i am passionate for out of choice and that reminded me why i love the subject and the talent i have been blessed with.
- i also spent time with my favourite mancunians today. we took a spontaneous trip to the library and had a whale of a time - a friend got rejected from trying to enter the library, another friend was banned from the room we booked and we never really got much work done! but in the midst of the chaos, there was so much warmth and care for each other and just a supportive atmosphere.
day 6 : chocolate tuesday
the message of the day from the devotional...
every single day brings along new opportunities to share the message of hope and love to the people we encounter. we may not expect much from the day, but even ordinary interactions with others, whether it's someone we've never spoken to or not, or someone we just walk past or a close friend, can point towards the love we receive from God.
my act of generosity today was...
buying some chocolate for my flatmate. we're pretty close anyway and we buy stuff for each other or give stuff to each other from time to time anyway, but perhaps these consistent good actions on my part will show him that my joy and love comes from God.
quick interlude: literally as i'm writing this right now, this flatmate made me a tea cos i just put a teabag in my cup and forgot about it. oh the love!
today i am thankful for...
food. good food. sweet treats. i have such a sweet tooth and i am so happy that chocolate exits. whilst this was a huge, huge, huge day of facing temptations, with a friend who's also doing 40 acts buying a bunch of chocolate and also offering it to me, it was definitely nice knowing how easy it is to brighten up someone's face and it reminds me that it really isn't about the quantity of good deeds, but the quality per each one.
day 7 : joyful joyful
the message of the day from the devotional...
- joy is the big, fat secret behind generosity. to be able to feel joy more often, you need to find for yourself what that simple act is that you can sustain and do often, realistically, and just do that more! find something you can do that gives you joy regardless of your mood or circumstance.
- the key to living joyfully, thus generously, is having a heart that wants to delight in God.
- it's easier to give when we decide and choose to give rather than feel obliged to. since we are willing, be joyful and creative in how to bless those around us.
my act of generosity today was...
- planning something. i cannot reveal online what that is in case someone who does not know about it finds out about it, but i have put myself up for planning 3 projects right now so yeah, i have a few fun evenings planned out which i am certain many people will enjoy!
- making kale chips for my friends. i introduced them to this b e a u t i f u l healthy goodness and i fed them well (but remember we do not live on bread alone. our spiritual food is given by God!)
today i am thankful for...
- meeting my friends for some 10pm dinner-snack. so i was obligated to miss student fellowship tonight since i had a concert i had to attend in order to pass one of my music modules :( perhaps you can say it was fomo, perhaps it was the pure love for these people, but i came out afterwards to spend time with them over food and made some intentional conversations with them, building up and encouraging each other.
- being nice to my piano teacher. this sounds rude but it's not in the way you're probably thinking. i do like my teacher, he's definitely a very, very talented musician. maybe too talented that he intimidates me, just because i don't feel like i can play well enough to reach his standards. i was rather close to missing my lesson today and i legit just couldn't be bothered, but i didn't in the end. in fact, i'm glad i didn't as he actually complimented me on one of my pieces (which is v rare) and he literally had nothing to correct. i was very happy and i even made conversation asking about his day, which doesn't happen at every lesson. i guess this just shows that kindness is reciprocal :)
keep getting out at, inspiring others and loving them.
haynam xx