Leaving Room for God

I just read a great message on January 25 in "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers:
"Do not look for God to come in a particular way, but do look for Him. The way to make room for Him is to expect Him to come, but not in a certain way. No matter how well we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that He may break in at any minute. We tend to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way... Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides."

I feel like I really needed to read this right now. I always expect God to show himself in certain ways, but I need to be open to anything. And I need to realize that He is the one in control and my life isn't always going to go the way I expect it to.

A New Term

I'm really glad to be back in England after an enjoyable break. Last term was wonderful, I made great friends, I settled into a nice routine and I loved my room, but now I need to accept that things will be different. I live in the castle now with two nice new roommates. I'm trying to settle into a new routine and living space all over again. I may not like change, but I'm learning to adjust. Currently, I'm lounging on my new bed wearing my new hand-knitted Norwegian socks from Anne Elisabeth :) I'm planning a lesson on the book Philippians for my New Testament discussion group. I really love that letter from Paul. It's so encouraging and uplifting. This is my favorite verse:

"Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7