The first day of December...

As I sit here contemplating on eating a Lindor chocolate that a secret admirer gave to me and my roommates, I realize that it is December 1, 2007. 2007!!!! My goodness...the years go by so fast.

Because it is this the first of December, it means that 25 days until Christmas, and 13 days until I go home, and only 10 days until my first of five exams!

Mmmmm..this Lindor is impressive. It has milk chocolate on the outside, yet is filled with white chocolate. I'm going to try to savour this one for a while. This too is a sign of the season. Lindor chocolate, eggnog, and candy cane ice cream. Christmas lights, yule logs(cake), and mistletoe.

Every Friday night we have a Pizza Pop, which is where a group of us interested in hearing about missions and stories come together to drink pop and eat pizza. Last night the missionary could not come because of the weather, so we watched a documentary film called "Iraq in Fragments". I was kind of apprehensive to watch it because I find documentaries boring at times, but I stayed, and I'm glad I did. It painted a different of Iraq and all that is going on there. I was very moved, as I realized what the people there have to go through. We, here in Canada, have no idea what it is like to suffer in a war-torn country. Most of us, other than those old enough to remember World War II, have no idea what it is like to suffer, not the kind of suffering that those in the middle east and other parts of the world do. And then to think that most of the young people in this Western culture grow up to think that Christmas time is all about getting presents and having time off school. We have so much. Our society has become so materialistic. In the past year I have come to realize that I don't NEED any more STUFF. Even with this in mind, it is still hard for me to get out of the cultural mind-set. Sure I spend my money on things that I don't need. We all do it. But we could try to do it less. It starts in our minds first, a conscious effort to do away with the THINGS. Because we can't take it with us when we die, and it will serve no purpose in our eternity.

Now, I'm not suggesting that some of the things we want are bad, but we need to remember that we can get by with LESS...

Maybe you don't agree with me...that's fine. I've just been very convicted the past month about things like this. I guess it's because I'm a part of the youth culture, and this "Technoculture" is all about the lastest this, the newest that, and it has made me very aware of what we are doing.

So if you don't agree with something I have said, please tell me. If you don't want me to know who you are, comment anonymously. I am interested in your opinions.

Well, my chocolate is gone now, with only the taste of it in my mouth. I was rambling today, and now I must go.

I hope that everyone has a great week-end...take time to enjoy the snow and the sunshine today!

Love, Ash