Faithful in ALL circumstances!

Yesterday some Indian friends drove us down to a boys home. A lot has changed since we were here last. Unfortunately there have been some disagreements amongst the people who run the orphanages and it is not the same children's home that we once knew. 

Despite that though God is still faithful and is still taking care of His children. And that is so evident in the story we heard of some of the little boys who came around a year ago to this home. When they came they were malnourished and not in a good way. Their father had died and their mother, who was only 23, was left to look after them herself. Having 3 boys she couldn't handle it so they were referred to this home. Looking at these boys now you would have no idea of the life they once had. There is such a deep joy and delight on their faces! They look healthy and are learning so much. 

They know barely any English but I still was able to spend the afternoon playing with them. We played with a ball for ages and then sat down in the dirt and drew pictures with sticks. They tried to explain to me what they were drawing in Kanarese (a local language) and I would try to say it in English. It didn't even seem to matter that we didn't speak the same language. They would laugh at me and I would laugh back at them. We then saw who could throw a rock the furthest and I spun them around until I felt sick with dizziness! But It was so worth it! Oh the sound of their laughter I will never forget! So much joy, so much freedom and innocence, such a different life from a year ago. 

At dinner time we all sat around in a room and they sung some songs before dinner. Again such joy filled the faces of the boys as they sung songs that speak of how great God is! I will try to attach a video, as it is such a delight to see them doing actions and all! 

God is at work here despite some of the politics that are going on with the people who run the home. And that is so encouraging to see. Despite our downfalls and sometimes the conflict that can go on between people, even amongst Christians, God is still so faithful! And He cares deeply for the lowly, the downcast, the poor. He cares deeply for children! 

I think sometimes we need to take a step back and remember this. Sometimes we can get so caught up in the politics of things. Or so caught up in how someone has wronged me. Or maybe we even get so caught up in the huge injustices in the world that we miss the fact that God is at work even in the most dire of circumstances. And He is ALWAYS faithful! 

"All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! 

They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.] 

The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. 

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. 

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever." 

Psalm 145:10-21 

PRAY FOR

- the situation in the boys home, that God would bring unity amongst the people. John 17:20-23

- that I would be sensitive to the Spirits leading on how He wants me to use my time here 

- safety on the roads as we travel tomorrow 

PRAISE GOD FOR 

- His faithfulness in doing a work amongst the people of India

- my time at the boys home and the joy I have had in spending time with these precious children! 

Below are 2 pictures of the gorgeous boys I was playing with :) 

Blessed to be a blessing

Firstly let me start of by saying a big thank you to all of you who blessed me immensely before leaving for India! Thank you for the cards, money and kind words! I feel truly blessed by the amazing people God has surround me with in Australia! I have been blessed to be a blessing! 

Well we made it safely to India and are currently in the beautiful OOTY which is over 3000m above sea level. We had a good flight and were met at the airport by Pastor Mark. It was such a joy to be greeted by a smiling familiar face.

Coming out of the airport car park we were then greeted with the familiar sounds of beeping horns and chaotic traffic. There is really nothing like it, and as we drove and saw motorbikes and autos weaving in and out of traffic, as we saw buses overloaded with people, as we saw people in such beautiful, bright colored clothing there was a sense of relief and rest. We are back!! We are in India!! 

We came straight to OOTY where I have enjoyed just walking the streets, going down to the market, being in and with the people of India. Mum, dad and Hope have all enjoyed catching up with people they know from Hebron School from when they were here for 3 years. 

I think God has been teaching me a bit more of being still. I have had a bit of down time. More then I really want and have almost been feeling aggravated that I don't have a whole lot to do. Life before coming here was so chaotic, with all sorts of ministries and college it was rare for me to really get a chance to stop.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm‬ ‭46‬:‭10‬

But God has been teaching me to just be still before Him. I have had some time with Him to stop and to know He is God. To stop and draw near to Him and to be filled. I have had time to read the Bible and journal. I have really seen this time as a time when He has been filling me so that I may go and bless others in the future. I am Blessed to be a blessing! 

However in saying that there have still been times of doing things as well. The highlight of the week so far is a kids club I went to. It is run by some of the teachers from Hebron school held in a local Indian house. We had around 18 Indian kids and 5 adults all crammed into the living room, which is the size of my bedroom (not that big). A lady told the story of Zacchaeus and then we did a craft. I connected with these 2 boys and was sitting chatting and coloring in with them. They then sang us these cute songs in Tamil, with actions and everything. 

As we were there I was reminded again that this is what I love to do. To be with the real people of India, especially children. To be sitting with them, talking with them, being on the same level as them (which is hard sometimes because they so often treat white people like they're royalty which makes me feel so uncomfortable)! 

In my conversation with the boys I was struck by how easy it was to chat with them (although at times language was a little frustrating, I wish we could instantly speak another language). They noticed my phone and asked me what kind of phone it was. When I told them an Apple iPhone they were shocked and excited all at the same time. They then offered me 100 rupees ($2.50) to buy it off me haha, I politely refused. But it was a challenge to me, they thought the iPhone was such an amazing thing (which it is) but how often do I take it for granted?! It is just expected that every person owns one, and that you are to keep upgrading even when you old phone still works fine. 

I could tell you more stories and more detail but I should probably bring this to a close. I will try to make my next post shorter :) below are some photos and prayer and praise points. Enjoy! 

Pray FOR

- contentment with being still this week 

- opportunities to speak truth to the people of India of God's love for each one of them

- God to reveal to me more of what He would have me do in the future 

Praise God FOR

- safe arrival 

- meeting an Indian in Malaysia who is from Brisbane, whom we will keep in contact with 

- The provision of money for both me and my family 

- the many people we have been able to reconnect with 

- my time with the boys at kids club 

Lord of my Life!!

Well I have been back in the States for about a week and a half  this time around and thought I better write as this blog is all about the lessons learnt while traveling the world.

I have enjoyed coming back to the big old US of A! It's different this time round as it is each time I travel. I have loved coming back to some of the places I have previously visited, seeing familiar sites and catching up with friends! But what I have loved even more is meeting new friends, new people who have already been such a blessing to my life! It's funny how you can go into a place with expectations of what it's gonna be like, who the people you meet will be, but I love it how time and time again God surprises me by the things I learn and the blessings He pours into my life!

I love God, I love Him with all my heart, mind and soul! But I have not been showing that lately. Before coming to America my life was sooooo busy (with good things like college, work and ministry) but I was not placing God in the number one spot! Don't get me wrong I never disowned Him, or turned my back on Him but my life became so busy that He was not priority, He did not get the place of honor,  the time He deserved as Lord of my life! And I hate that! I hate that I let it get to that! I hate that  I let life get that busy again.

So why did I? How did I? I think filling our lives with things is what we humans do best, I think it's what the devil uses the most to create a wedge between us and God. And it's so easy to keep placing things in our lives that keep us busy and consume us to the point where we don't have time for God, more than that to the point where we don't think we need God, that we think we know best and that only these 'things' will satisfy us. And that is not a path I want to go down.! I have seen people do that, and have seen how empty, hopeless and joyless their lives truly were!

So this trip, this time away from college, work, young life, church, family and friends (all good things), is my wake up call!!! Who is The Lord of my life? Whom do I serve? Who is my number one? The answer to all those questions is GOD! But do my actions show that? Lately no, so this is me saying I am working on that! And am I gonna be able to perfect it and change it by myself? NO!!!! But thankfully the author and perfecter of my faith is continually doing a work in me. And day by day I rest in His unwavering grace! As a result of His son and what He did I am set free and given the ability and strength to have a personal relationship with Him!! How great that is!

"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." Hebrews 1:3

What a great thing! The Son of God who shows all His glory, who is with God, who's is God, came to Earth, paid the penalty for my sin  and now sits enthroned in heaven! How can I not make Him Lord of my life?!?!

So pray for me, as I will each one of you that I would continue to put Him first, place Him in the seat of honor day by day! To truly make Him Lord of my life!!
God bless xxx

'Remain in Me' - Jesus

Was reading John 15 tonight and here is a bit of what God has shown me! 

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit."

I am a branch clinging onto Jesus and its hard!! I feel like I am getting pulled in every direction, feel like things are trying to grab at me, to disconnect me from the vine to make me vulnerable trying to con me into letting go. They do their best to make me the kind of branch that doesn't bear fruit, the kind of branch that doesn't commit to the vine, doesn't get all that it needs from the vine. But I'm connected, And as I bear fruit the gardener prunes me, sometimes it hurts, sometimes it feels like the pruning is too painful to bear, but it is needed, it is for my good, it is so I learn, I grow, I beaf more fruit and give glory to the vine! 

"Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

I am nothing without the vine, without the vine I'm a dead branch, bearing nothing, not even bad fruit, I'm dead and lifeless. My dependence is 100% on the vine, on Jesus!  As I struggle here trying to do things on my own, without the vine giving me nutrients and sustenance I fail each and every time!! 

"If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned."

Reality hits!! The scary truth!! If I don't dig into the vine more, if I give into the things that are pulling me away from the vine, I won't bear fruit and I'll be cut off and thrown away, more than that I'll be burned. So what is it? Where do I stand? Do I give into the ways of this world? Do I throw in the towel or do I stand and fight with everything I have within me? The choice is mine and the consequences are huge. I cling to the vine standing empty handed and completely surrendered!! 

"It you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love."

What promises!! What great truths!! As I abide in Him as I stay connected, getting all that I need from Him to bear fruit He is glorified. He loves me, and that is where I am meant to rest, where I can find peace. As I keep His commands as I continue to be His disciple and bear fruit I find rest in His love!! 

"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

A picture of a joy that is overflowing, that isn't dependent on the circumstances surrounding it but it is a joy that never ends, it has no limits. And where I stand right now where life is knocking at my door trying to tear that joy away, I stay connected to the vine and that joy is given to me freely! 

 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." 

A challenge for me, for us all! To love like He did does not come naturally. Yet being connected to Him, He gives us the strength to do so! That blows my mind, He showed us that love, that sacrificial love, but then doesn't leave it there, He gives us what we need to show that love to those around us! As a branch I get all

I need from the vine, including the capacity to love in all things. I have been pulling away and how so quickly it comes clear that alone I can't love in that way, so I choose to cling to the vine! 

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. "

Nothing I have done has connected me to the vine. The gift of grace given by Jesus has given me life, it is what He has done that has given me life! It is Him and Him alone that makes me able to bear fruit! He has given me all I need and promises me to continue to provide all I need. As a branch by myself I am lifeless, dead, worthless, nothing, but connected to a life giving vine I have all I need! 

"These things I command you, so that you will love one another. "

John 15:1-17 ESV

I feel like my thoughts may be all over but as God has revealed so much to me through this passage I pray He does the same for you! 

Love 

A lesson learned, yet not recieved

Well I thought it was time to start writing again. I guess I'm hoping that by writing, some how, some way I will be able to make sense of some of the things that go through my head. Maybe by putting it all in sentences that can be read, some how, some way I will be able to work it all through.

The past couple of weeks have been crazy in so many ways, most of which arent good. I feel like life has thrown me quite a few curve balls, balls that I wasnt expecting, and  I didnt or I still dont quite know how to handle. Some of them I feel like I have had to deal with before, loosing a loved one, dealing with unrequited love, stresses of study, feeling helpless with so many hurting people around me, finding it hard to breathe, lessons I thought I had learnt, messages I thought I had received, yet when faced with all these things again I find myself right back at the beginning. Feeling like I am swimming in deep water with no land in sight, and I'm tired, so very tired! So what to do, where do I turn? I've been here before, yet I feel like I'm right back where I started.

So I do the only thing I know to do and try to move forward. I take it day by day, hour by hour and each morning I wake I thank God for the rest He has given me, that it is a new day and trust that each day will somehow become easier with His help. Life sucks sometimes, things become hard, people change, people hurt you, people leave (whether by choice or whether they leave this earth far too quickly), things happen that are unexplainable, but there is always HOPE.

Hope in the Oxford dictionary is defined as

'a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen'

 'a feeling of trust'

 

What it means for me to have hope is that, during times of struggle, of pain and hurt, to look forward, to look forward to God, to look to Him and Him alone. Trusting all that I have, all that I am, into His hands and believing that a brighter day is coming. I have a desire for that particular day, I can't wait for it to come, where there will be no more pain, no more hurt, no confusion. What a brilliant day that will be, but until then I'll take it day by day, hour by hour and with each new day that comes I will have to remind myself of a few things. Truths, promises that God has given me. A lesson I have learned, yet not received. Things I have heard so many times before but as soon as things get tough I let go of so easily. So once again I will remind myself of these, remind myself of how human I am, how weak and insignificant I am yet how great and powerful, how majestic God is! For when I am weak, He is strong. When I fall down, He will pick me up.

 

I am going to head to bed now, right now I need as much sleep as I can get. But I am gonna first share a verse that has meant a lot to me during this time. Its full of so many great truths, so many promises of how God is with us always, that He will give us the rest we need in HIM. He never leaves us or forsakes us and as I read verses like this over and over I am reminded His great love for me. A lesson learned, yet not always recieved, something I need to remind myself every single day, so I am gonna post this verse, and read it again to remind myself one more time for today!

 

God bless

 

Love 'just a girl travelling the world'

Psalm 62

¹ Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
² Truly he is my ROCK and my SALVATION;
he is my FORTRESS, I will never be shaken.

³ How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
⁴ Surely they intend to topple me
from my lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.

⁵ Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
⁶ Truly he is my ROCK and my SALVATION;
he is my FORTRESS, I will not be shaken.
⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God^[c];
he is my mighty ROCK, my REFUGE.
⁸ Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our REFUGE.

⁹ Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.
¹⁰ Do not trust in extortion
or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.

¹¹ One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
“POWER belongs to you, God,
¹² and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;
and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done.”

I WISH YOU!!

I haven't written on here in ages! But i am finally back overseas in the great US of A! so i thought i would share something i just read in an email someone sent me!

'I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how grey the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

So on this wonderful Christmas day and as this year come to a close and a new one begins I wish you all enough! And i pray that no matter what this year has held and no matter what the next one does that in all things you remember the strength, power and hope we have in God!

Father's Day

'This God - his way is perfect;

the word of the Lord proves true;

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.'

Psalm 18:30

Today is fathers day in Australia. A day to celebrate the fathers in your life! A day to remember all they have done for you, all the sacrifices they have made, all the ways they have shown just how much they love and care for you.

I woke up this morning with such sadness. All i wanted to do was go back to sleep and wish this day away. Today is a day spent with your family. A day spent with your dad. Mine is a million miles away so i couldn't do that. After finally dragging myself out of bed i gave my dad a call in India and i told him i loved him so much and how i miss him and how i wish i could spend the day telling him all that in person! As i hang up the phone in tears i began praying .. and as i was praying God reminded me of something.

How fortunate i am to have a dad, even though miles away, who is alive and who does care so deeply for me. There are so many people, so many children in this world who are fatherless, who may be orphaned, and here i am complaining because i cant spend the day with mine. So today i spent the day celebrating not only my dad but also my heavenly father who is always with me, even when my dad cant be. And who is a father to the fatherless, a dad to the orphaned!

And here is what He has taught me today..

I read the above verse and was reminded of Gods' perfect plan, His perfect will for my life! Things in life may become tough, may not go the way you planned, but Gods' way is perfect! We go through ups and downs, we laugh and we cry and Gods' way remains perfect. He uses those times we struggle to draw us near to Him. He uses those times of rejoicing to draw us near to Him. I may not know what to do next. I may not know which direction to take, but God's way is perfect, and as i follow Him, as i seek Him, as i take refuge in Him, He will be my shield and strength! In this world there are so many things we can be unsure of, but the word of the Lord proves true, and His way is perfect! So today i say thankyou to God for all He has done for me, and all that He does for me daily!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!