Giving; disposing of property by voluntary transfer without receiving anything in return, to place in the hands of sombody else.
Devotion; commitment to a purpose, zeal, willingness to serve, feelings of ardent love, selfless affection and dedication to a person or principle.
Gratitude; a feeling of overwhelming thankfulness, appreciation or greatfulness.
In 2011 I want to:
Voluntarily dispose all of my possessions to God, with no intentions of recieving anything in return.
I want to place everything, my emotions, my dreams, ideas, visions, hopes, worries, concerns... EVERYTHING in His hands.
I want to commit myself to Him and the amazing plan he has for me. Commit myself to making His name famous to so many people who are walking in the confusion and darkness of this world.
I want to have an exciting zeal for Him that literally keeps me awake all night!!
I want to feel a willingness and drive like never before towards serving Him and His kingdom, anything, anytime, anywere.
I want to love him unconditionally, with selfless affection.
I want to dedicate all I have.
I want to bask in His presence, amazed at His beauty and overwhelmingly thankful, appreciative and greatful for every little thing he has blessed me with in my life.
In 2011 I'm devoting myself to God.
Commiting myself to dying within myself, so I can only live in Him.
Making a personal promise with my Dad, to surrender all I have, and trust that it's safe and taken care of in His strong, warm, embracing hands.
The last three years of my life have had a 'theme' that I feel God put on my heart.
The first year was 'the year of fresh beginnings':
That was the year I began an intimate friendship with God :) So you can imagine the other 'beginnings' that came with that.
Last year was 'the year of travel':
I had the opportunity to go and mission in Vanuatu, Singapore, Melbourne twice and Perth, finishing the year in Bali.
I'm still figuring out what this years 'theme' means, but I know it will be amazing. I'm a little excited to see where it leads :)
I've already started back to work with One50 Dance and Youth For Christ SA, which has been amazing, as always!! This year is slowly revealing itself and it's going to be IN-SANE!
I have a coffee interview tomorrow with a lady from Families SA about a mentoring job with a young girl. I am seriously so so excited!!
America tour at the end of the year is looking as exciting as ever and Bec and I are working well together to make it a life changing experience! I'm already feeling butterflies about the trip!! :)
I know we will all be grown and stretched to our absolute limits, I know I'll see things that will make me sad, angry, excited, happy, and any other emotion in the book! I know God will do amazing things through and in us!
It's just a beautiful year, already!! :)
I went to see a movie tonight with a friend, dinner first, frozen coke purchase in a cup that I could literally bathe in and then off to find our seats!
The movie was awesome for the first three quaters of it... And then there was this wierd, horrible twist that just took the whole move down to this dark level, revealing all these deep, demonic, hidden meanings!
COMPLETELY freaked me out... Literally leaving me to the point of leaving the theatre... Running!!!
And even though me squeeling and doing a light sprint out of the movie gave people, including my friend, a bit of a giggle... My body was honestly shaking!
It shifted somthing in my spirit that made me feel SO heavy to the point of feeling crushed! My heart was beating like it never has before and it scared me so much to think that that at one point in my life, a long point, I was able to sit in a movie theatre, watching a movie like this, and not even flinch a little, tiny bit!!
So with the movie on one side of the doors and me on the other, I had a sit and a little think about it all!
Why had I completely freaked out? Why could I not just sit there and close my eyes? Block my ears? Why had these things all of a sudden started to affect me... When they never had before?
I remembered, while I was sitting, an image a friend once described to me. She said:
We walk around, every single day, with our shoes on.
We walk down streets, over grass, over hard things, soft things, hot and cold things... But our shoes protect us from feeling any of these things. They protect our feet from any harm... Like a stubbed toe or hot summer gravel! Eventhough, we can see a rough, hot or dangerous surface infront of us, it doesn't matter... Because we won't be able to feel it.
The first thing you do when you get home, after a full day at work, is you take off your shoes. Your home, your comfortable, your ready to relax for the night, get into your pjamas and chill!!
BUT... You take of your shoes and you can suddenly feel everything! Not only do you see things infront of you, you feel them as well!
It's like when you finally come to know Jesus as a personal saviour and as a best friend!
We finally come home, to our loving Father who has been patiently waiting. Finally come home to our true plan, purpose and an intimate feeling of belonging!
We walked through life for so long with our shoes on, going into night clubs and seeing so many 'semi-average looking ladies' sell themselves short, dance all over men to finally get a fraction of their attention... And that was ok! It's just what happened in night clubs right!?
But then we start journeying with Jesus... Constantly getting to know ourselves in him, learning about his ways, his teaching, his miracles, his heart!!
On this journey our hearts and minds and morals begin to change as well... They become more in line with His... And all of a sudden, we go into a night club and those 'semi-average looking ladies' are now absolutly stunning... And the fact that they are selling themselves short is all of a sudden a huge deal, and something that is realy hurting you, laying heavy on your heart!
You want to go over... Turn them away and remind them of how stunning they truly are! How significant and talented they are, and how nothing beneficial could ever come from their actions!
Journeying with God is like taking off your shoes... We continue walking the same earth, seeing the same things. But now we don't just spectate everything... We feel it!
Jesus has changed my heart!
Clearly after watching this movie tonight.
I used to be happy watching people act in demonic ways, because I was none the wiser.
I dunno: I think it's just cool physically feeling and acknowledging how far God has brought you. How much He has actually affected your life, how much He has changed what we see and accept as acceptable! The way He has completely flipped my whole outlook on life, and the way He now allows us to see things how He sees them... In a deep but challenging way!
Being at home with God is absolutly, incredibly, indescribable!!... (I'm not even going to try and put something so magnifisantly beautiful into words because I'm getting sleepy and it's getting late), but it's definatly not always comfortable!
When God is glad about something we feel His Joy!
But likewise, when something 'not so great' happens, when God's heart breaks over one of His children, or over something that has happened, we also feel His pain.
I'm glad God is in control of the emotions and feelings of my heart...
:)
Goodnight guys, God Bless xxx
God doesn't 'owe' me anything.
Just something I have been thinking about lately... and it's a little obvious I know, but I think it's always good to be aware of our prayers and how we accept blessings into our lives.
Today was my belated birthday celebration! Pancake lunch, relaxing times at the beach and then off the the moonlight cinema to enjoy snacks and a good movie under the stars... All with amazing friends.
These people I spent the day with have literally acted like a family, laughed with me, cried with me, given me wake up calls when I needed them most and stood by me literally through absolutly everything.
I see most of them on a daily basis and never feel unapreciative of thier love and support.
But at the movies tonight, I had one of those 'movie moments'. You know when everything just seems to slow down and slowly you start seeing things for how they really are??
So there we are sitting... Laughing and taking photos, enjoying the cooler temperature after a hot day almost as much as each others company...
And that's when the 'movie moment' happened...
Friends from work, from dance, from church... Some younger, some my own age and a few older! Most of them met for the first time ever less than an hour ago, yet already delving into conversations, enjoying common interests and learning more about their new found friend.
I had a flash back to my past friendship circles, with friends who didn't know Jesus as a personal saviour... I remembered how I would never in a million years think of mixing groups like this together, even if it was the celebrate a special occasion. I remembered the awkwardness it would all bring and how uncomfortable I would feel in the midst of it all... But not here, with these people!
All of them so eager to meet new people, hear new stories and testimonies of how people live thier day to day lives... All of them so keen to shine the love of God to whoever comes into their path.
I seriously almost cried... Thinking about how blessed I am to even have one close friend let alone a group of them!
I'm literally so so blessed!
So unworthy and have done nothing at all to deserve all he gives... Yet he continues to bless... and bless..... and bless some more! Over and over!
I got this image...
A husband, head over heals in love with his wife! He saves and saves all year through just to buy her something so stunning that it will literally leave her breathless and without words! He knows this gift will come at a cost, but is so willing to save and splurge to see the excitment on her face when she recieves it. Just to make her feel special!
The end of the year approaches after a year of intense saving and he has figured out the perfect time and place to present the beautiful gift to his beautiful wife.
She opens it, loves it... and hands it back, saying she isn't worhty of the gift and she cannot take it!
Poor hubby!!
Who am I... Who are we to refuse the gifts God gives to us?!
Jesus lived his life knowing he was going to the cross at some point to die for me... That was his untimate, sacrificial, breathtakingly stunning gift to us!
I'm not going to stand before him and refuse that... It would be like throwing His own blood right back in his face!
He simply wants us to stand in complete adoration of him, with a heart to serve and worship, with a rock solid faith in him, with a lifestyle of outward pouring of love onto all of his people, and a feeling of intense gratitude!!
Thankyou isn't a big enough word! :)
Absolutly stunning day!!
And know I'm sleepy...
Goodnight and God Bless xxxx
Be blessed <3
Such a stunning day today in Adelaide.
Baby blue skies, gorgeous breeze to make the heat a little more bearable, time spent with friends and absolutly incredible views of a beach I cannot believe I live within 5 minutes of!!
I took the long way home JUST to marvel at it as I drove down the coast... It's been five years since I moved to this incredibly stunning country and it never ceases to amaze me with its budding personalities and ultimate beauty!
And then it got me thinking... (as always..) about all of the beauties I actually have in my life that I so often pass by!
I hate to think that I've become someone who just goes through life, having amazing days and yes, occasionally having bad days: that are in absolutly no way as bad as they COULD be in comparison to what so many people on this earth have to endure... Just accepting the most breathtaking blessings as they come, without stopping for just a minute to laugh or cry or do whatever I can to celebrate it, give thanks and stand in nothing but gratitute!!
We literally have so, so much to be thankful for...
I've been educated and am able to therefore read and write this blog... Something I think so many people take for granted: including myself!
My parents are alive and still happily married, my brother is incredible and one of my closest friends, I have a group of amazing individuals in my world that I have the honour, every single day, of sharing life with! A job that fuels my ambitions, missions, dreams, visions and ideas! Opportunity upon opportunity to make these ideas become a reality with a supportive and encouraging team, to back me up. Food in my fridge, a bed, health, happiness and an overflowing of unconditional love from a Saviour who loves me no matter what.
It's overwhelming when you think about it... And I really recommend you do!
It can be revelational if you let it!!
In August 2006, we made the move to Australia... A scary, nerve-wrecking move into an area unknown to us all, as a family of four... All of us willing to take the risk for the hope of a better life and a fresh start.
Five years later... Eventhough I still obtain the excitment and enthusiasm of an inoccent 15 year old optimist, my life has been moulded and transformed into such a wonderland of open opportunities.
I've learnt so much:
That God is there, through it all... Fighting for you whole heartedly, whether you realise it or not.
That the people who matter will be there through thick and thin for you.
That being a people pleaser has more 'cons' than 'pros'!
That every chance for spontanaity has a lesson attached, waiting to be learnt.
That every person comes into your life for a reason, to reveal something to you... And people leaving holds the same ammount of realisation.
I've learnt to appreaciate and never dampen myself down to fit into the social norm... Whatever that might be?
Above everything... I can't help but come down to the old and VERY cheesy but true quote...
'life is what you make it!'
Seeing every little situation as a blessing, an open window and an awesome, hands-on way to learn something you may have never realised had it not arrived in your life... At that specific time... In that particular way.
Maybe It's just me rambling again... And this is quite a long blog i know...
But just think about it: By you being openly appreciative of all your blessings... You release others to do the same, to stop and step back from their lives, to acknowledge it's beauty...
Making you a blessing to them... And ultimatly everyone you meet!!
Sorry for the length! :)
It's been a very reflective day, but I'm going to bed a VERY happy and excited little lady tonight... About the year ahead and all that is left to discover about this incredible world we share!!
Goodnight and God Bless xxx
There's something so precious and special about recieving a hand-written letter in the post.
Walking towards to letter box, expecting nothing but a few bills or a flyer for an 'end of stock clearance sale'... But instead, pulling out a clean white envelope, a little crinkled around the edges, with a stamp in the top right corner, and your hand-written name in the middle... In all it's glory.
It's exciting right?!... or is that just me?
Just think about it...
Somebody cares about you enough to take a few minutes out of their day, to sit down and write you a personal letter. With the technology around these days, even the ill-advised are more than capable of clicking into word and typing up a simple letter... even printing it if they are more familiar with the macheine.
But this person has decided against the easy, predictable way, and opted for a beautifully different option... Just to make YOU feel special.
This morning I had the honour of recieving a hand-written letter in the post from a beautiful woman of God, who just recently celebrated her 79th birthday. We've grown close over the past few years. She's been a mentor, a guide, an 'agony aunt' in so many ways, and an incredibly loyal friend whom I love and trust with my whole heart!
She's unwell at the moment and so, so sadly won't be with us for much longer.
Yet in the midst of it all, she remains so humble in her wiseness and continues to inspire me with her optimistic attitude towards life.
Her letter... after the general 'how are you, hope you're well' contained a combination of beautiful words, strung together with so much love and truth... You know when you can actually hear the person saying the words in your mind?
Well anyway... she managed to fill the pages with old recipes of hers, house cleaning tips, a little advice on 'boys' (in her usual funny little way), her acceptance of the fact that she wouldn't be gracing the earth with her presence for too much longer, and lastly her reasoning behind writing the letter in the first place.
Her exact words read:
'You know what I'm like with my words, I get all confused and end up missing my points... I just wanted to make sure I was able to give a little more advice before the Lord finally calls me home...'
See what I mean... She's amazing!!!!
She went on to tell me a little about the thing's she has realised these past few weeks, and closed the letter with this...
'Just promise me that you will make the effort to journal your every thought! I have been amazed this past week with how much I've read from my old notebooks, from way back when, of me venting my ideas and frustrations. It's been so much fun acknowledging my growth, seeing how I reacted to certain things then, and pondering on how I would act now! Remembering all of my old dreams and being so surprised with how many God has put into place for me, without me even realising. Remembering things my frail brain has accidentally let slip. I know your busy and it may be tedius, but I also know that it will serve as such a blessing to you, maybe not right now... but eventually!'
So here i am... venturing into this brand new world of blogging, a little on the vulnerable side of life and having absolutly no idea what button to press after i finish typing. I am one of those 'always busy with something' people, and eventhough i may not be able to dedicate myself to hand-writing a journal entry every night, I'm definatly sure I can keep up with an online blog... especially if it's to keep a promise!
In all honesty, i'm excited to start sharing my thoughts, dreams and visions here...
It's new and refreshing :)
Appologies in advance for my spelling and rambling, as I attempt to categorise the crazyness of my mind.
Until next time...
God Bless xx
