I don't understand...

...a lot of things.

Things I am Thankful For

Whenever I feel discontent, I make myself write a list of all the good things God has given me so that I don't get tricked into thinking I am missing out on something.

Here's my list tonight.

Things I am Thankful For (in the order that I thought of them):

My mum and dad, brothers, sister -in-law and nephew
A house to live in
Three beautiful housemates
A decent job
A decent wage
A biblical church
More than enough food
My bible-study leaders
Jesus
GREAT friends.

Somehow it's easier to feel content when you see how long the list is.

Kinds of Blue

I was very excited this morning to find a package on my doorstep with this book in it.


It's an anthology of comics about depression put together by various artists. Many of the comics are put together by Karen Beilharz, who also heads up the project. I found out about it through facebook, when it was a project searching for public funding on the site Pozible. I had a look at some of the comics and really liked the honesty of them, and decided to donate to help get it off the ground.

The cover art is so beautiful and tangible, it makes you want to put your hands on it straight away! All of the graphics are awesome, but I especially like how easy it is to relate to the ideas put forward in the comics. I've never had depression, but have been close friends with many people who have. I know that it's a sucky disease that takes away your energy and ability to think straight and sleep properly and that sometimes it can be very hard to express how you are feeling or even want to do that with other people.

Beilharz says, 'The pieces in this collection are the product of some of our (Karen and her husband Ben) experiences and the experiences of some of my friends who have suffered similarly. Certain aspects of living with depression ... have not been covered here because we could not write about such things authentically. But instead of comprehensiveness, we have aimed for truthfulness - in what depression looks like, what depression feels like, and the small gestures, strategies and people that sometimes help.' (Introduction).

If that sounds like something you might want to read then head to this website where you can read the comics at no charge: http://hivemindedness.com/kindsofblue

Psalm 1

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

I was really struck, encouraged and rebuked in a way by the sermon on Sunday night. It was on Psalm 1, and it was just one of those passages that was the answer to questions I've had recently, almost like God individualised this passage for me at this point in time, knowing that I needed to hear it.

The main question the speaker used to help us think through Psalm 1 was

'Is the way you are living causing you to flourish/make good decisions/build character?'

The answer for me was a definite no. I'll admit that given a chance to cruise through my Christian life, I will probably do it. Punctuated by times of flourishing, but mostly cruising.

But I think Psalm 1 has a lot to say about how we live our lives as Christians, and why it is so important.

Psalm 1 contains the fundamental truth that the other Psalms are based on. The Psalms appeal to our head so that we understand God. Psalm 1 makes it obvious that our lives are for flourishing with God's blessing by making Godly decisions. The first thing we should do is NOT do sinful things (v1). If we think garbage, we act garbage. God cares about our behaviour, but more the state of our hearts. A heart that justifies godless behaviour isn't godly at all. We shouldn't avoid people who partake in behaviour stated in v1, but we need to avoid behaving that way ourselves. The second part of verse 1 implores us not to sit in the seat of mockers (or scoffers in ESV) - a challenge for me. The first verse shows us that we are BLESSED if we don't live a sinful lifestyle, and we get the notion that God is pleased with us when we live this way. We should DELIGHT in the Lord, in His Word, in His guidance.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The speaker then said that just because you delight in God's word, doesn't mean you are sinless. Being called 'Righteous' doesn't mean you are sin-less, but it is a GIFT, a status - we are seen as righteous in God's eyes because of Jesus' perfect sacrifice.

The choices we make are important. People WILL notice - some will laugh, but other will notice...and store it away for later thinking.

Verses 3-6 contrast two types of lives:

1. The Substantial Life: where there is always a supply of streams of water. To have a substantial life we need to get the God's word central to our lives. We need a constant supply of water. If we aren't reading the bible, our priorities are massively out of order. Have a SUBSTANTIAL life.

2. The Lightweight Life: The life of the person who lives the 'way of the wicked' (v6) is lightweight. We were encouraged: Don't be like this! The ungodly person will perish and face judgement from God - he won't stand on the day of judgement.

God approves of those who walk with Him. He delights in them. He watches over us.

Our lives have real substance when we DELIGHT in God.

:)

Ever have that feeling where you are so excited that you hype yourself up so much that your stomach hurts?
I got that feeling right now!

Hymns IV

You should go to this website: http://pagecxvi.com/
And buy this album: Hymns IV
Because: these guys do great covers of old Hymns
And: don't just stop at one listen and think, 'Nah, that doesn't work'
Listen to it: until you can't remember the original melody
AND THEN: you can make an educated decision about it.
maybe then you can comment and tell me what you think about it.

Prayer

I just had a big prayer session. I came to a realisation that there are so many things running around my head at the moment that I can't make sense of and feel no hope about. And yet, I had hardly prayed about any of them. In fact, my prayer life has been pretty sucky for a while now, and I think it reflected the way I had been feeling about God. Thinking, why isn't my life going anywhere? Why do I find no satisfaction with work? Why am I finding friendships and relationships so difficult and people so frustrating?
Then I realised, I hadn't prayed about any of these things. I just left them to stew in my mind with no input from God. I wasn't entrusting those things to God. I was entrusting them to myself.

So I had a big prayer time. And it was SO GOOD. Prayer is one of those things (for me anyway) that you know you're supposed to do it, but never put as a priority. For me, when I turned the light out at night, I'd suddenly remember, 'Oh yeh, I should pray.' But rarely do I ever just sit down and spend a large chunk of time just giving everything over to God.

There is something to be said about coming to the Creator of the Universe and saying, 'I am broken and I know it. I'm sorry, please help me' and knowing that this Great King is going to listen to you, not because of anything you've done or achieved or thought, but because His grace has secured a relationship with Him. Prayer is about humility, it's saying I can't run my life, God, I need you to intervene. And so prayer is something that I need to do in every area of my life. Even the stupidest smallest things. And definitely the bigger things.

So now I am feeling a lot better with the relationships in my life. I don't feel so down about where my life is at the moment. I'm not putting so much pressure on work to fulfil me. Because God is the only one who can do that, and making something GOOD that God has made and making it an idol will never fulfil me. Relationships, a family of my own, a job I'm passionate about - all good things but never things that will fulfil my ultimate need of forgiveness in Christ. Praise God for his goodness.

When was the last time you prayed?

Stewardship and The City - Part 1

I have a bit of a penchant for trashy reality television - not Jerry Springer or even Oprah, but stuff like Keeping up with the Kardashians, The Hills and most recently, The City, a spin-off of the Hills with a focus on the character (real-life person?) Whitney.

Whitney is a twenty-something girl looking to forward her career in fashion in New York, whilst enjoying the lifestyle that a cashed up kid from LA is used to. Every shot of the program reveals the cosmopolitan nature of the city, the aesthetic brilliance of each outfit worn, and the drama of Whitney's life. I won't deny that I sometimes, whilst watching the show, have been drawn into the bright lights and independent, exciting lifestyle that only those with abundant money can afford.

I realised two things after isolating this thought. The first was, hang on, in the entire scheme of the world, in its true perspective, I DO live that lifestyle. I am in the lucky portion of the world that has four walls to shelter me. I have completed secondary studies, and am undertaking tertiary education. I have a disposable income at the point of my life which, in percentage terms, I probably won't have after I finish uni. I have parents that love me and support me, both financially and spiritually. I am in NO WAY in need, I own an iPod, a laptop, jewellery, musical instruments, shoes, hair straighteners, books, cds, abundant food, pay tv. I have clean running water. I live in a house with the same number of bedrooms as people living in it. There are SO many people in the world that do not even have sufficient food to live on. I heard a figure once that if you have four walls around you for a house, you are in the top ten percent of the rich people in the world. Let's face it, I am rich on the world's scale. I live a rich person's lifestyle. I'll explain myself further in Stewardship and the City Part II.

The second thing I realised was that a lifestyle of glamour, independence and money, whilst gratifying the needs of NOW, will never fully satiate my desire to live a meaningful life. In fact, nothing apart from having Jesus Christ as my Lord will ever satisfy me because I WAS MADE FOR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. Every human on this planet was. And we all find a cheaper alternative to weakly satisfy this desire we have to find meaning - family, friends, sex, work, drugs, music, relationships. But the problem is, that these things can never satisfy. They are weak gods that never fully satisfy. They were never meant to.

Jesus said, 'Seek first the Kingdom of God, and everything else will be added to you.' God knows what we need. We need relationship with him. We need Jesus' sacrifice. We need His way of living. We can do nothing without Him.

My prayer for myself and for you is that we would never give in to the lie that we can find meaning apart from having a grace-secured relationship with our Maker and Creator. It is only then that we realise just how richly blessed we are.

Do you have this relationship with God?

I love this guy

Let me challenge you.

Proverbs 28:23
Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor rather than one who has a flattering tongue.

There are two main identities that people tend to assign to ministers' kids:
1. The Rebel - this is the kid who hates to be associated with being the 'normal, good Christian kid' and will hate all the pressure and expectations that are often put on ministers' kids.
2. The goody-two-shoes: this is the kid that others see as a the one that always does the right thing, is super-Christian, and often people assume 'they're just doing that coz their dad's the minister'.

To be honest, I've never been the rebel - it always seem kinda stupid to me, and I never wanted to be put into that box. My parents never forced me to do anything Christian, and they always said I could leave the church they were at and go to another one if I didn't feel comfortable being 'the Minister's kid'. But I hate being associated the goody-two-shoes as well, because to me being labelled as that is to look past that I have pure motives in living the Christian life and I want to and strive to live a godly life because I think it is glorifying to God - not because I think that's how I'm meant to act as the minister's kid.

I do think we need to get past these stereotypes and to treat minister's kids as normal people - and the purpose of this post is to bring up this: in my Christian life, people rarely rebuke me. I know that as a whole, we tend to be pretty bad at this as individuals, I know I am. I hate conflict and the thought of telling someone that they are sinning and need to stop is pretty scary. But I think that people ESPECIALLY think that Ministers' kids don't need rebuking for some reason. You think that just because we live in a house next to the church we don't sin? It's true, people, I'm a sinner! I am a sinner who needs rebuking at times and I hope that people don't think that just because I'm a minister's kid that I don't need strong encouragement from God's word. It would let me know that people love me with the love that God loves me with if I was rebuked every so often!

I don't think I'll like it very much, but let me challenge you: if you know me well, and you know I need rebuking, please do it! I promise I won't bite your head off...and I know in the long run I will be better off and you'll help me to become more like Jesus.

Proverbs 3: 11-12
11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.

Proverbs 9:8
Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you.

Proverbs 13:1
A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.

Proverbs 17:10
A rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool

Proverbs 19:25
Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.

Proverbs 25:12
Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.

Proverbs 27:5
Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

Proverbs 29:1
Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

Forty three

I know in my head that we find purpose in being in relationship with God. This is THE purpose of life, right? Yes, I agree.

Then how come I feel so listless? That my life doesn't really have any set direction? I feel like I am cruising along in life.....yes, taking opportunities as they come, but not having an overall purpose.

Does anyone else feel this way? Sometimes I feel guilty because I know that as a Christian I DO have purpose, but I often don't feel fulfilled. We have the job of spreading the gospel, that is a great job to have. I'd love to have other goals as well, personal ones.

I feel like 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'....but I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for. I'm hoping it's a phase that will pass because it is really just a feeling - I know I have purpose in Jesus Christ and building relationship with God and other people. I just don't feel it at the moment.

All I need is a red guitar, three chords and the truth: U2 and Post rock

This is why I think U2 would be good at post rock:

1. The Edge was a pioneer at using effects and stuff in the 80s, he's got the talent and the vision to push the boundaries and try something new.
2. If you listen to the Joshua Tree stuff, you've got everything you need for a successful post rock song - the repeated guitar riffs, the angst (albeit in a different vein) and the all-important dynamic/textural build that leads to the climax of the song.
3. The bass/drums really lock in together and work together for the coherent whole of the band.
4. They are the masters of melody, so so so so needed in post rock.

They'd have to kick Bono out, of course, or maybe he could just play another instrument other than sing...no biggie really, seeing as though there isn't much singing in post-rock....I wonder how much of the awesomeness of U2 comes from the band as opposed to Bono...don't get me wrong, I love Bono's voice. But the other instruments contribute to the unique U2 sound just as much as he does. In particular, the Edge.

What do you reckon? I think if you listen to Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum you'd agree....it'd be so easy to arrange their songs for post-rock audiences, coz they've got so many of the elements already there.
I <3 U2!

They say two are better than one...

I wish couples would be a bit more considerate.

As a single person I am constantly barraged by things in the media that tell me I need to be in a romantic relationship. My own desires tell me that I need to be in a relationship. And when I am around couples, that desire grows.

I was at Engage earlier this year, sitting in the congregation and trying to listen to what the awesome speakers were saying. In front of me was a couple, arms around each other, cuddling up to each other and, if I remember correctly, holding hands. I was left to sit behind them, unable to focus on the talk, as there was no way to just 'look away and try to forget it'. They were right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do about it. For me, it was a huge distraction that was barring me from real learning.

I just wish sometimes that couples would see past their own happiness and 'loved-up'-ness to see what their actions are doing to other people. I am trying so hard to practice contentment in my situation and to use my time effectively in this season of singleness. When I see display pics of couples looking into each others' eyes, kissing, or holding onto each other, there's something inside of me that goes, 'Hang on, why don't I have that? I want that! Why can't I have that?' It messes with my mind that is so desperately trying to convince itself that my worth does not come from having a romantic partner. It affects my self-esteem, I start feeling bad about myself, negative self-talk ensues until I forget about it and consciously try to perk up (prayer helps too).

I am not saying that people shouldn't be happy. I know that romantic relationships can bring much joy, and I am genuinely happy for people who have found someone that they like to spend time with, and that person also likes to spend time with you, too. Please just consider that your single peers are struggling sometimes and that your actions can magnify that struggle for them. There is a time for everything, please don't be so loved-up when you're at church, or in a group. Church is a place where we are all one in Christ Jesus, so let's look out for each other.

Philippians 2:1-4 ¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Away with your noisy worship...

So music is awesome, right? I think we all know that. Excluding Jesus its gotta be at least top 5 best blessings God has given the world. But there's a lot of dodgy music out there. And I'm sad to say, a lot of that dodgy music is Christian music!

Now, I know that us Christians can be PARTICULARLY picky about Christian music, especially Christian musicians. A lot of it is 'pop' music, or pretty manufactured. It's missing a depth, a certain mood that really punctures our hearts and turns simple words into life-giving mantras. Maybe it's just an Indie ideal, but I like my music to have depth, lyrics that MEAN something, and music that imprints those words on my mind for the next 5 minutes, 2 hours, or week. And I think there are too little Christian artists out there creating this kind of music. You might wanna let me know about the good ones.

Cue Jon Foreman. Who? I hear you say. That guy from Australian Idol that does all the music? I'm pretty sure that's JoHn Foreman, haha! No, this Jon Foreman is the lead singer from Switchfoot. He's gone all solo side project on his Switchfoot bandmates, and released four EPs: Summer, Spring, Autumn and Winter.

There's something different about this guy from all the other Christian artists out there, I can hear it in the music. There's a depth to his music that I've never encountered. The lyrics are so obviously inspired by the bible, almost word for word in some songs. There's always a danger in doing this, I can think of a few church songs that have tried this and failed. (Try fitting 10 syllabus in one line of music. Doesn't make for a musically uplifting experience.) But JF does it so well, and I think that it works because the music supporting it is real. Polyrhythms, unconventional instrument use, passionate and breathy vocal tones all combine to make music that, for me, is the right temperature to warm and penetrate my heart.

It's hard to put it into words. The right music can alert me to the truths of Scripture in a way that just reading them could never do. JF's music takes the truths of God and writes them in my heart. Listening 'White as Snow' with my bible open at Psalm 51, it is as though the words on the page are alive. 'Equally Skilled' gives life to Micah 7. I want 'Your Love is Strong' (a new take on the Lord's Prayer and Matthew 6:25-34) as my wedding processional :).

I am so thankful that there are Christians out there putting their all into making music that MEANS something. If music ministry is a Word ministry, surely meditating on God's words and engraving them into our hearts with music is a worthwhile thing to do. God does the work: 'I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.' Jeremiah 31:33.

Believe, believe in me

I have been watching a lot of One Tree Hill recently, and one of the features of the show is the voice-over by the character called Lucas Scott. His reflections on life enhance the drama of the show, and it always ends with something he's learned about life. Usually it's a fact that can apply to anyone.

Now I don't agree with everything that goes on in the show, but it seems to me to have more substance than most of the other teen dramas out there. I think I am particularly drawn to the couple Hayley and Nathan, who were married in their teens and have a kid in their last year of high school. The awesome thing about this couple is that they always stay together, no matter what they go through.

I think one thing that Tree Hill gets right in terms of living life is that the show is centred around relationships. There's a strong moral that if you don't have real friends and/or a real relationship, then life isn't going to be good. Relationships bring meaning to life, and are the reason for life.

I think that life is about relationships. Number 1, first and foremost, is our relationship with God. Every other relationship must stem from our understanding of God and His relationship with us. Second is our relationship to other people. God created us for relationship with each other, and I am learning that God wants us to treat people in certain ways. God wants us to spend effort and time on people. It's soooo easy to spend time on ourselves. But there is infinitely more to gain from spending time with other people, ministering to them, encouraging them, just hanging with them!

I think sometimes I have weird relationships with people. I feel discontent with my friendships. Like, I find it really hard to talk to people who are older than me who I respect. Or guys. And I think that a lot of the time I put up boundaries, so it takes a long time for people to get to know me and how I think. And a lot of what makes me me are my beliefs and attitudes, which are under the surface of this blonde head. Which can make me hard to understand. At least, in my perception anyway. Maybe everyone thinks they're weird in some way. And I think also, that I am more self-conscious than I realise, and sometimes I'll squash my real self because I'm afraid I'll make a fool of myself in front of people that I don't want to lose face to.

I always keep myself in check by reminding myself that One Tree Hill, the OC, Twilight - they're all pre-scripted dramas in which peoples' lives are mapped out - and that doesn't happen in reality. You won't have the perfect situation, with the perfect people, and say the perfect thing. This is life, and it isn't perfect. If you realise this, then I think it's easier to remain content, instead of thinking, 'Why don't I have the same relationships with people as Brooke, Hayley and Lucas have?' I know that godliness with contentment is great gain.

Phil 4:12-13: ¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength.'

Thank God for Jesus who restores our relationship with God and each other.

Dreams

Dreams are awesome, awesome things until you wake up and reality smacks you in the face like a doctor smacks a newborn baby.

As a Christian, I know that some of my dreams won't line up with God's plan, and I should seek God's will in my life instead of filling my life with everything I want. But what if what I want and what God wants are the same thing? It's hard to let go of those dreams.

Case and point: marriage.  I know that God designed marriage, and His plan is that most people will get married. But I can never really be sure that I'm going to be married....so should I desire it as much as I do now? I know that it is a good thing....I also know that God wants me to practise contentment in my single life.  It's SO HARD, though.

If I knew what would happen in my life, then I'd probably be a lot more content. But it isn't my job to know the future: it's God's.  So I need to know my place...and trust God. It's not hard to put your trust in someone who has the best interests and his glorious plan at heart.

Time after time...

What's the deal with time?

Like, have you ever pondered why we as humans need 9 hours of sleep a day? That's at least 1/3 of our whole day. Man, we think we're so tough and so cool and so smart and yet we need that much sleep? We are human, after all.

If we're late to things, we get in trouble. If we are early to things, we think, 'Man, I could've spent that last 10 mins in bed'. 

We have routines that tell us what to spend our time on. 1 hour getting ready. 40 mins on the train. 4 hours in class. Eat lunch. Go home. Watch some tele. Hang with friends. Make dinner, sit with family, watch more tv/facebook, hop in the shower, sleep. Repeat.

The question for me is....how should I be spending my time as a single, Christian woman? Am I doing enough? I know that's not really the question, but I think it anyway. Should I be spending so much time at uni when I'm pretty sure I only ever want to work part-time in a paid position? Well, I think that's ok. There's still value in education.

I'd hate to think how many hours I spend on facebook. Is that downtime, or am I spending too much time on there? 

The thing I hate the most about time is when it is all filled up. I don't think our lives were designed to be so busy. Or maybe we should be busy, but we aren't filling our lives with the right stuff to be occupying our time with. 

Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything. I haven't fully figured out what that means, but I think it's helpful. I trust in God's timing - that He knows best and knows what He's doing with my life. God also wants me to trust Him when time seems to just be moving along...and nothing is happening. Trust God, trust God, trust God. There is a time for everything.

Warning: counter-cultural views inside

I'm a big fan of thinking, and being challenged in my thinking, because I think it's where our motives and actions spring from. Emo or whatever, these are a few questions that have been on my mind recently or for the past few months.  

1. Why (so often) does pensive = depressing ? 2. Why is there tension between this life and the next? 3. Why is it hard to tear down the walls that hold our real selves inside? 4. Why do we try so hard to look good when the room we stand in is dark? 5. Why do we stop for red traffic lights in our cars, but not when we're pedestrians? 6. Why do we continue to plan 'our lives' and rarely stop to consider that this is actually God's life to use? 7. Should I feel guilty about children in third world countries or see my blessings as just that, blessings from God and to be enjoyed? 8. Is the preacher right when he says, 'Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless!'? 9. How is it that music can penetrate heart and mind in one person, and leave the next totally indifferent? 10. Can we ever really be sure of our thoughts and intentions until we extract ourselves fully from certain situations?  

So many things in this life are uncertain. Jobs, relationships, financial situations, moods. I take comfort in the fact that Jesus Christ is the same, today, tomorrow and forever. Never changing. And He wants me to be reconciled to God. This realisation is life-altering in the fullest sense of the word. This IS the meaning of life. I live not my own life but God's plan for my life. God promises that those who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved. Does believing in God centre in your life? Do your decisions and motives and time and energy revolve around this fact? Don't waste your life. 'Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain'. In vain!! Meaningless. I pray that my life is not in vain. Because if I truly believe the gospel, that Jesus Christ died for sinners and those who don't believe are going to hell, then how could I build my life on anything else but that?? Not even music!  

This is why I'm pretty passionate about Titus 2, and women training younger women and children. I think that some married women are pursuing career over building God's kingdom. Can you imagine what women could do for the gospel if all married women quit their jobs (or went part time)? There would be NO shortage of scripture teachers like there is now. The relationships in our church would grow and nurture because no-one would be 'too tired' after a full week of work. Women would have time to meet up with other women and fellowship with each other. I don't just mean catch up. I mean train each other in the gospel. Sit down and read a passage of scripture, talk about it, pray about it, figure out how to spread this awesome gospel that God has given us. Be involved in youth groups! Encourage each other to submit to their husbands,to love their children, to love God's people! For support when times are tough. 

Are we too busy planning our careers that we forget that women and men are different? Of course women feel a tension about doing full-time work and being mums! It was never meant to be that way! I don't think the stereotype of the 'career-woman' is a biblical principle. Yes, the Proverbs 31 woman is industrious, buys shares, etc, etc. But her main role is in looking after her family.

Of course, there are more questions that arise out of this. I'd love your thoughts. I truly believe this is the way God structures our relationships so that the gospel is number 1. I wonder if we have compartmentalised our lives to the point that we believe in God and trust in Him and do all these great events for him, but our lifestyles aren't actually promoting mission.  

So, yes, I'm a big fan of thinking, because too often we fall into society's thinking and don't realise our intentions or motives for doing things. If our intentions aren't to honour God, then our lives aren't pleasing Him. Surely living a Godly life should be our deepest motive.

There's something about this family.

One of the best things about being a Christian is the family of Christians around you. I especially love when you realise that someone you've met is a Christian, or random conversations with Christians you've never met before.

Today I found out that someone I know from uni, who I'd taken a few classes with and had talked to a little bit, was a Christian! It is so awesome when you realise that someone who you had know idea was a child of God is actually part of God's family! It's so encouraging.

I was once on the train with my bible open and a (I think) Korean lady started talking to me about how Jesus had come into her heart and made her happy. We had a good old chat about it, and I thought, man, this is so awesome. Chats with random strangers on the train is such a cultural no-no (or at least it doesn't happen very often) but it was so encouraging that we had something in common that allowed us to do that! (Her name was Jin, which I thought was hilarious....Jin..Jen...Jin..you get the point.)

Another time, about two months ago, I was sitting in a waiting room waiting for my pump education to start, and the educator introduces me to a girl who was also getting a pump with me. I didn't really get to chat to her much but I did find out that she was 22, married, and worked at St Vinnies, and I had a tiny tiny feeling that she might be Christian. (If you're a Christian, you'll understand why I thought that after I found out she was 22 and married! People who aren't Christian just don't 'tie' themselves down so early in life!!)  I didn't see her again until my minister's ordination, where I found out she was my minister's son's godmother! Talk about coinky dink. Another awesome example of how God connects his people.

I hope these random meetings with my brothers and sisters in Christ happen more in the future because it's so encouraging to know that there are others out there, living their lives for Christ...how awesome.

The hills are alive with the sound...

It's weird.

I'm actually enjoying uni. Very weird. Tuesday is probably the best day, I have popular music studies and jazz history. Pop studies is engaging and I love talking about all the issues and how people view things and how caught up music is with boundaries and stereotypes and limitations! And jazz history is just plain fun.

It's weird.

It's like I've rediscovered music. It happens when a song comes on that seems to fit the shape of my heart and I feel completely in sync with it. I get the same feeling when I read the bible and am reinforced in my beliefs that I am nothing, nothing at all and yet God in his abundant mercy and love accepts me as I am because of Jesus. There's nothing that beats that...nothing. What is music is there is not God? God created music. How could I ever worship music over God? Never. 

It's weird. I have never considered my having a lifelong medical condition to be a barrier to my faith in God.... suffering does not negate God. For he came down to earth in human form and endured suffering of the greatest kind, for me and for you. And I'm complaining that I have a sucky pancreas? Never. Even in the midst of suffering, I see my blessings for all they're worth. Amazing. Wonderful. The best. I have life through Jesus.

I know this post is a little all over the place, but you know when you have an urge to just write something of significance, of worth, something worth reading? I had that urge, and I'm not sure I fulfilled it, but I did it anyway. I admire people whose every word is a word that is worth hearing. There aren't too many of those people around, I for one am definitely not one. But the people that are, are pure gold.