Straya Mate

I've been living in Tamworth, NSW for a while now. It's pretty amazing to see how God has brought me here to a place where I can serve Him and His people in such a different way. I'm studying PTC at the minute and going through The Introduction To The Bible as my first module. It's pretty amazing to study. I keep getting excited each time I come to read the textbook and the passages that it's asking to be read. This week, we where looking at God's creation in Gen 1-11, then looking at the new creation in Revelation 21&22. Stopping a while in Isaiah 65 to see the prophecy of the new heaven being declared so early on. It really excited me, but created so much more of an urgency to share the gospel with people. I mean, Jesus WILL return. He will bring with Him a new order and a hope of no more pain. But because My Lord is coming, it makes it so much more important to reach the people who don't yet know Him!

I'm loving working in the school environment, it is such a blessing and comes with real joy-filled moments. Like some of the year 10 girls inviting me to come and watch them do their commerce presentations - I felt like such a proud mummy figure to see all the hard work that they had put in! And they were delighted that I had come to watch them! (I'm finding it's the little things that we can do for the girls that creates opportunities for speaking truth into their lives.)

I've had the opportunity to share my testimony twice formally while here and then I got to share with the girls when they informed me that I looked like I once was a rebel... That made for an interesting conversation, but I really hope and pray that they may continue to ask questions about who God is and what he can do for them in their lives.

The church, a body of hurting people worshiping a God of all comfort..

It's been a long week. I'm tired, I've been working night shift for most of it and by now, it's Sunday evening and the last thing I wanted to do was go to church. I would have far rather spent the evening in bed with a movie avoiding social contact. However, my mother had been to church this morning and came home to inform me that our minister had been asking how I have been keeping, that he would really like to see me at the service.

Cafe Church begins at 6:30pm and by 6:15pm, I was still in bed convinced that I would not be leaving the house.

It's always when I least want to go to church, I find that God speaks the loudest. I'm not sure whether it is to do with my spirit feeling more tender or whether God is screaming right at me. Whatever it was, I was glad that I went.

We have just began a new series in James this evening. The verses that our minister stopped on where the following [emphases mine]:

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 

As I said to begin with, I'm tired. I went to church because my mother wanted me to.

I arrived, took my usual seat, beside a few of the older ladies from our congregation, (I find when I don't want to be there, if I sit with them, I'll learn something no matter what...)

Looking around the hall, tonight instead of seeing a group of people who I usually am convinced have got it all together, I seen something far more beautiful. I seen a body of hurting people coming together to worship our God, the God of all comfort. The God who has experienced trials, pain and every human emotion possible.

We are not people who have got life sorted out. I'm glad that we're not.

But more so, I'm glad that at the end of all our pain, we will receive a crown of life.

When God speaks, it feels like he is screaming at me.

I'm glad of this also.

Oz, the update.

The above photo is a what arrived in the post this morning from Australia. The journey is getting closer.

Please pray for the visa process which can now officially begin.

Please pray that I will be able to glorify God during the process.

Journey to Oz...

For some who know me, you will know that God has been doing some strange and wonderful things in my life over the last few years. Leading up to this point in time.

I graduated from Uni last October with a degree in Youth and Children's Studies with Theology, so that means I've been qualified for 1 year now.

I've been praying for what the next stage of my journey will be, and now God seems to be taking me on a journey to Australia.
I have been offered a placement in a school called Calrossy Anglican School in Tamworth, New South Wales. God willing, I will be starting my appointment on 20th January 2014.

The next stage of this adventure means a visa process. Over the next few months on the lead up to my move, I will be posting updates regarding my visa and other things with the hope that those who pray, may be lead to pray for this journey. That God's will be done in all of the admin and financial aspects.

Where is the love?

In 2003, the Black Eyed Peas asked us, "Where is the love?". A catchy tune, an interesting video of fly posting. Is that all that this is, or is there something more to their question? I thought it was fascinating to see pop culture asking us to think about something so profound. So real and something that each person in their deepest questioning can ask... 
The lines that really, really stand out for me when I hear this song are: 

People killin', people dyin' Children hurt and you hear them cryin' Can you practice what you preach And would you turn the other cheek  

Father, Father, Father help us Send us some guidance from above 'Cause people got me, got me questionin' Where is the love?

So far this year, we have had so many horrific attacks globally, the most recent being the Norway shooting. One could ask:  Where is the love?


Closer to home, I have a friend who was beaten up in town simply because he is gay. Again, Where is the love? 


Indeed, where is the love? Where has this wonderful love that we as Christians have been shown vanished off to? How are Christians, who are to be the body of Christ, the light in a darkened world. As Paul even wrote in Philippians that [Christians] are to "shine among them like stars in the sky". 


See that? SHINE like STARS... Not hide away like cowards or something. 


What is it that we have got to shine about, what is this love that WE so called believers are to be sharing with the world? (I include myself in this 'so called believer' bracket...) 


This love that we have, it is not a regular, run of the mill ordinary love that we can just take or leave... 


It is the most powerful, redeeming love that can be seen. 


We love, because He [God] first loved us. That is the love that we have! 


That is the love that we have got to shout about.... 


This love, sent Jesus Christ to the cross to die in our place... WHILE we were still sinners. If that isn't love, I don't know what is. 


So then, what impact should this love have on our churches, on our 
communities, on our families, on every single relationship that we have?