Blessings ahead

Last night, close to midnight, I got dragged out of bed by my extremely ecstatic mother because she wanted to show me something in the garden. She loves her garden. Anyway, she took me around the corner and there was this amazing fragrance in the air – a bit like the aroma of gardenia flowers, but it’s not their season. When I looked towards the fence, I saw the most spectacular flowers.

The reason why mum was so excited was because they are incredibly unique flowers which apparently only bloom once, the next day the flower closes and subsequently becomes no more. They only bloom in the middle of the night and generally when it’s a full moon, hence people affectionately call them moon flowers. Some people believe that those who see the flower in bloom will be blessed with prosperity, because it is a once-off thing, and, therefore, considered a rare sighting. I mean who in their right mind mopes around the garden close to midnight watching to see whether a bud will blossom…. well other than my mother!

It turns out that mum had taken a cutting from a plant that was in the courtyard of some flats we stayed in about five years ago. I remember back then, Mrs Bailey, an 86 year old lady in unit 1, who had befriended us was also delighted when she caught sight of one of these beautiful flowers in the middle of the night. I think it must have been New Years Eve, because I can’t for the life of me think why else an old lady would not be tucked away in bed at such a late time.

Mum found some more details about this flower in her gardening book. Apparently, it’s technical name is Hylocereus undatus, which is a type of cactus. It originated in Mexico and can grow to 40 feet. The summary says:

“This loveliest of warm-climate flowers is seen at its best on moonlit nights in summer, when it occasionally bursts into breathtaking bloom – the individual flowers like enormous waxy cups brimming with gold stamens may be up to 10 inches across. The cactus itself is a rambler with triangular fleshy stems which twine up the highest trees and walls. It needs deep soil to perform really well”.

Another ex

This is Wolfgang, another of Jules' exs.

Jules in Norway

This is Jules and her Norwegian bf, Grunde, in Norway for Christmas this year. They are due back in the new year.

Mission Australia's Christmas in the Park

This year, i managed to convince two friends from work and one from uni to help out at the Chrissy lunch. Daniel was a Gift Tent Helper, while Alun, Jayne and I were Stewards ... until i was rapidly promoted to Supervisor for five minutes, and then Photographer for the event! Hence the loads of piccies i was able to take!!!

I had such an awesome time. It is so much fun doing it with people you know. This year was Alun and Jayne's first times of helping out. Daniel does it every year like me and we have both served in many different capacities. I am so glad he did the Gift Tent role, because at 39 degrees outside, it was even hotter in the enclosed Gift Tent!!! Oh well, he asked for tha role ;-) hehe ... today it's expected to be about 43 degrees ... what a scorcher!!!

Funnily enough, i bumped into one of Juliet's ex-bfs, Kieron. Her ex's are everywhere. He seemed like a nice guy. He had no idea who i was and pretended not to know his connection to my sister. They only lasted two weeks anyway. He thought she lied too much .... mmmm, no comment there!

A wrong decision can change your life

Recently, I have been thinking about how decisions we make are so critical, with long-term consequences.

I recently got in contact with a guy I used to pray with every Monday night through my final year of uni, some eight plus years ago. He was such a sweet innocent Godly guy with high ethics and great moral standards. Today, he is a single father of a two year old boy. I don’t think he was ever married to the little boy’s mother.

A couple of Fridays ago, I helped a friend out by sitting in her art exhibition all day, while she packed all her things in preparation for moving house. Her exhibition was one of two in the gallery. I had to sit next to the lady who provided the rest of the artwork in the gallery, all day, so we chatted. She told me she is a single mother of a 15 year old boy. She told me her child was the result of one carefree night. She subsequently told the father she wanted nothing to do with him and that she would never claim a cent from him, provided he left her alone to raise the boy on her own. She and the child migrated to Australia from Thailand fourteen years ago. I couldn’t help but feel sadness for the young boy who wont have a father to help raise him.

Last Friday I went to The Well and Phil received a word of knowledge that there were five people in the room who had contemplated suicide in the last week. Of them was a young girl – she was so pretty. Phil said God spoke to him about this girl, saying that all her life, she had craved the presence of a father. Jeanette told me later that this girl was the product of a single mum who had raised her. How sad.

Anyway, I guess what triggered all these thoughts in the first place is my sister’s recent announcement that she is nine weeks pregnant to a guy who has no idea. Instead, she has deceived another guy into thinking he is the father. She is currently in Norway meeting all his family and spending Chrissy with them. I don’t think she even realises what she is doing and it breaks my heart to think of the poor child being born into deception. The child’s father invited me to a Chrissy eve party, but I declined. I almost changed my mind, but I spoke to Jeanette Howell about it and her advice was to not interfere, but to back off and let my sister sort out her mess. She said it is her life, her wrong decision, her choice… all I can do is pray and commit the situation to God. Oh Lord! I will be affected by this, we all will. It’s all so wrong. Here i am seven months prior to the introduction of my first neice or nephew and I can picture myself going to church with a little baby …. and my sister’s carefree lifestyle continuing on. When will this end? When will she realize the consequences?

I randomly started reading 2 Samuel in the bible last week, the bit abut King David and how he was caught up in lust over another man’s wife, Bathsheba, who he spied bathing. Consequently, he devised a cunning plan to kill her husband so he could claim her as his own wife. Later in the book, we are told about King David’s two sons, Amnon and Absalom. Similar to his father, Amnon is filled with lust over a beautiful woman, Absalom’s sister Tamar (I gather they had different mothers). He pretends to be ill and then arranges for her to attend to him. No sooner does she obey his command, he then rapes her and then sends her away, refusing to make her his wife, despite the fact that he has stolen her purity and destroyed her potential for receiving a better husband, because she is now considered tainted. In anger, Absalom murders his brother two years later through an equally deceptive and cunning plan. What a horrible story, but the reality is that King David’s wrong decision of committing sexual immorality and then murder, had later repercussions down his family line.

My sister’s pattern of behaviour has mirrored earlier generations. I know God can change it all, but without acknowledging Him as Lord and Saviour, the challenge is futile. Lord Jesus, I pray you will intervene in all their lives.

My Baby Boy

Goodbye Govt

Today i waved goodbye to 7.5 years in the public sector. I don't think it has fully hit me yet that tomorrow i will officially be unemployed. I actually feel a deep peace about it because i know it is God's will and that He has something better in store for me, though i have no idea where it is, other than in the private sector somewhere.

My farewell was amazing. All day Sunday i agonised over what to say in a farewell speech and then i came up with an awesome lot of words to say. This workplace was by far the best work place i have ever been in - filled with really friendly, warm, caring staff who all seemed to love me. I have never been in a work place that was so peaceful and where no one disliked me. I s'pose that's what made it so easy to be myself and to give a confident speech. I could have stood there for ages in front of them all - i told them all how special they were and i really meant it.

I feel as though this year has been a year of preparation for me, a time of training me and equipping me and i told them that they had imparted knowledge and wisdom to me, which i will apply to future work and to new projects. I just love them all so much. It's so easy to love nice people. Every day between 10.00 am and 10.30 am all staff stop for 15 mintues to have mornng tea in the conference room. I intend to go back and hang with them there sometimes. No other work place i have been in has had a room where staff can all just sit and drink a cuppa together. I love that.

What was really funny is that about a week ago Hermie, my beloved office colleague, came to me and told me she had collected $67 for me and asked me what i wanted. Then we snuck out of work separately one lunch time and met up in the City and bought it together. What a blessing. No one has ever been so thoughtful. She actually negotiatied with the sales manager right in front of me, which resulted in him giving her a $20 discount on a top-of-the-range hydration sports backpack!!! It's called a Camelbak and it holds 1.5L of water and you can use it for jogging. Because of the discount, we had $27 to spend, so she bought me a little "hotman", which is a pot holder shaped as a man. It is just gorgeous. Below are photos of me and my new gifts, then some staff mucking around with my little guy (Louis, Hermie, Michelle and Pina). Boy they crack me up ;-) haha

Busy busy busy

The week gone by was just as crazy as the previous one. Monday to Friday i worked during the day, but then the nights were busy too.

I started out with Monday night prophetic classes, which are always a bargain for $15 for about three hours worth of wisdom and practical application of teaching. Rod & Kerrie had spent the day praying for their Monday night students, asking God to speak to us all... so that's why all day i couldn't stop singing "Nothing is impossible - He holds the world in His hands" ... i even sang those words loudly as i ran to and from Jacobs Ladder on my lunch break! At the class, Kerrie got us to sit next to someone we normally wouldn't talk to and draw the first thing that came to our minds after se prayed. I sat next to the worship leader, Lisa and saw a hand with a globe on it, cos that's what i had been singing about all day. Well, the lady i was drawing my piccy for had the exact same vision a week ago, so she felt that was a confirmation for her!!!

For me, Lisa saw a vision of a flower with wiltered leaves, but then the season changed and new petals grew and the flower blossomed and emitted a beautiful fragrance. Then her vision zoomed out and she could see the flower in a beautiful garden and lots of people were coming to admire the flower and smell its fragrance.

Then for another lady, Lyn, i saw a kitchen and it was warm and inviting with the aroma of fresh bread in the air and fresh flowers and home brewed coffee on the table. There was a rug under the table, a window and a little song bird singing outside the window. I sensed it was very dark outside, but not from the night sky, but, rather, in contrast to the spiritual atmosphere in this beautiful kitchen. I felt the kitchen was symbollic of the lady's kitchen. She told me that people who are rejected by other groups and people are forever dropping into her home, people with depression and illness, people who are troubled and broken and although her kitchen is not clean and orderly, these people are always welcome and leave with peace in their hearts... perhaps with a song in their hearts ;-)

For me, Lyn saw a river with garden banks on either side. She said she sensed i was standing on the bank, but that God wanted me to be in the river and swimming upstream, rather than with the current. She said she could then see me swimming and as i swam little seeds were planted and trees grew and many people drew near. Then she said she could see me travelling from group to group and nurturing many people, like a hen nurtures its chicks. She said she felt God wanted me to travel and not stay put where i am. Interesting .... i haven't felt a need to travel, but i'll put it on the shelf for future reference.

Oh, how i loved that exercise.

Tuesday night i went to prayer group. I was tired and my friends weren't there, so i just sang for an hour in tongues and then nicked off at 9.25pm for an early night.

Wednesday night i joined about 50 people for the young adults group at Victory Life Centre. It was awesome. Lana talked about how we are like gold, how God is like a miner who digs through muck and dirt to get the nuggetts, which are then put through intense heat in order to be refined and made beautiful. Then Lance said how when we go through trials, we should bear in mind that God has to give the devil permission in order for us to haveto go through suffering and it would only be so He can see our love and loyalty to Him. Then a beautiful girl, called Angel, prayed for me. I tld her i had just resigned and didnt know where i was headed. She said God will bless me for my obedience.

Thursday night i slept early - i was exhausted!

Friday night, i went to Elisha's beautiful art exhibition and then Ali's 30th b'day. On Saturday, i cancelled a Chrissy party with my Monday night prophetic friends because i was just too tired to go.

Today i went out and bought stuff for my farewell morning tea tomorrow, wrote Chrissy cards to my work colleagues and put them on their desks as work, then came home and wrote a farewell speech. I have done so many farewell speeches it seems!!!

Ali's 30th Bday

Window in the Sky - Elisha's Art Exhibition

KIDS IN CHURCH

3-year-old Reese:
'Our Father, Who does art in heaven,
Harold is His name.
Amen.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A little boy was overheard praying:
'Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it.
I'm having a real good time like I am.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the christening of his baby brother in church,
Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.
His father asked him three times what was wrong.
Finally, the boy replied,
'That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home,
and I wanted to stay with you guys.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One particular four-year-old prayed,
'And forgive us our trash baskets
as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they
were on the way to church service,
'And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?'
One bright little girl replied,
'Because people are sleeping.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3.
The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.
'If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,
'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'
Kevin turned to his younger brother and said,
'Ryan, you be Jesus!'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A father was at the beach with his children
when the four-year-old son ran up to him,
grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore
where a seagull lay dead in the sand.
'Daddy, what happened to him?' the son asked.
'He died and went to Heaven,' the Dad replied.
The boy thought a moment and then said,
'Did God throw him back down?'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A wife invited some people to dinner.
At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said,
'Would you like to say the blessing?'
'I wouldn't know what to say,' the girl replied.
'Just say what you hear Mommy say,' the wife answered.
The daughter bowed her head and said,
'Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Getting ready for an awesome Chrissy again

I am so stoked. A beautiful lady, Jayne, and a crazy welshman, Alun, from work are gonna do the Mission Australia lunch with me this year. In addition, my friend Daniel, who i reconnected with through Facebook recently, is also gonna help out - so my four places are now taken!

I was really touched by the fact that quite a few people from work said they would love to help out if they hadn't made other plans already. Some said they'd organise a family dinner next year so they could help out with the lunch next year ;-) Awesome. I reckon there's a divine purpose for Jayne and Alun doing it with me. Neither know God, so it's a start! Praise God.

Wrapping things up at work ...

What a week!

I started this week with a pretty bad attitude towards work, just didn't feel like being there on Monday. Then people from church asked me to do some graphic design work for them, which i did, and it ended up consuming most of my work time, leaving very little time to do actual work-related stuff.

Then i went to a prophetic class on Monday. What was amazing is that Rod and Kerrie had spent the entire day praying for our evening class. God told them every person who was coming and gave words to them to give to us - well everyone received one except three people.... still, 50 prophetic words and being advised about who would be attending, was pretty amazing!!! God told them that i was entering into a new season of preparation and that God was going to teach me to hear His voice. I knew that already. One thing they did say though is it would be a time of refinement. When gold and silver are refined, they go through intense heat - that hurts. I am not looking forward to the refining process. Anyway, for some reason, i felt really alone on Monday night, despite being surrounded by people. Funny how you can feel like that sometimes. I guess cos they were all so much older than me and people i don't know well.

Then Tuesday, i carried the same bad attitude towards work. It's just that our project is finshed now and all there is to do is tidying up, things like printing and filing and cleaning my office. It's hardly mentally stimulating stuff.... so when i got asked to do more church stuff, i did it... using up all my "work" time for "non-work" relating stuff. I must admit, i did feel a bit guilty, especially seeing i claim to have high work ethics in my CV! Then Tuesday night, i went to the Without Walls prayer meeting. I sang in tongues loudly and for ages. Loved it. I had a bit of fellowship time, then left.

Wednesday morning i chucked a sicky, cos i figured i still had a bad attitude towards work and it was better i redirected my negative energy to doing more constructive stuff. I ended up going to a healing meeting with church. I spent the two hours just bawling my eyes out as little flashbacks from my childhood seemed to enter my mind. I remembered the graduations i had where i was the only kid without parents to attend. I remembered Saturday morning netball where the other kids parents and siblings came to cheer them on. I had no one. I remembered milestone birthdays that came and went without any celebration.... all because mum was always too busy and dad left when i was very young. My heart was just so broken. A lady prayed for me and said she sensed i felt very alone, despite being in big crowds and surrounded by people.... so i told her the flashbacks i had had and she said that was why..... i obviously was having a bit of inner healing that morning. Then i skipped home group on Wednesday night cos i felt exhausted from pouring out my soul that morning and emptying my eyes of all those tears. The guys in home group just don't understand. They all come from great families.

Then Thursday i went to work, but hardly worked. I was feeling really fed up and didn't want to be there. I think i did about half an hour worth of work. Some of my time was spent writing a resignation letter, which i emailed to my substantive employer. Boy that was a big decision letting go of my finanicial security in order to trust God to show me His will for my life!!! I had an early night Thursday and didn't go to the Women's meeting i said i'd go to.

Then Friday, would you believe i chucked another sicky!!! Well, the thing is, when i leave this job and my employment with the Government, i will lose over $10,000 worth of sick leave that has accumulated over the 7+ years i've been in government, so i didn't feel bad about taking the day off ;-) haha Then Friday night i went to Wendy's house to discuss the Tent Crusade and my role. Only Dan, Elisha and i rocked up. Kai-seen made us some delicious fish ball, snow pea and noodle soup, which was awesome. Then we got totally loaded with stuff to do - basically all the duties divided by three and handballed to us. I couldn't wait to escape .... i felt way too burdened with duties for the tent crusade. So i followed Dan to a prayer meeting, that only started at 10.30 pm!

Friday night passed and we were still at the prayer meeting. I was so grateful i went though because there were the most amazing little prayer warriors in that meeting. A young guy, Dave Hack, played his guitar and sung us beautiful church songs as we just lay there and soaked in the annointing of the Holy Spirit. Then there was Steven and Joanne - two Eurasian siblings with pastoral parents, then Clare Wagner, Phil Scrim, Dan and I. I was in awe of how fired up these guys were in prayer. Their hearts were so hungry and thirsty for more of the living God. I left close to 2am feeling inspired and deeply at peace. Being in their company just drowned out my bad attitude and sorrows from the earlier days.

Then Saturday, i dragged myself out of bed to go to Clayton's 30th birthday. There i made friends with Daniel and Louise. Daniel is a woody, just like Clay, while Louise is a nursing student. We clicked well and i told them about my poo-swinging adventure with Marshall and how i was gonna eat lunch with the Chief Justice and all sorts of garbage. I can really talk non-stop sometimes ;-) I also chatted with Michael, an exercise physiologist, and Dan, who was at the prayer the night before. I half chatted to Relle, Ali and Cate later as well, not much though.
















The piccies are of Dave & Kristian, then Relle & Cate, then Mike, Dan, Clayton and his sister.

Then i went to a 25+ social event with the guys from Victory Life Church. I went in knowing no one and came out knowing heaps. It was absolutely awesome. I met Cameron (a lawyer), his beautiful gf Sedi (HR person in an engineering firm), Bronwyn (Office Manager for Cameron), Rochelle & Jane (two model-like entertainers who work on luxury cruises singing and dancing), Marika (a pastor and daughter of Margaret Court), Janice (a soon-to-be Bible college student), Wayne (wharf worker), Craig, Simone (works at Centrelink), Bellara (engineer), Allia (a muslim lawyer), Sharn (an engineer), ...can't remember any more names, though that is pretty amazing i remember so many!!! I left pretty early with an outflux of people. I think it was around 10pm.

Then today i dragged my tired self out of bed and went to Without Walls to help with the kids program at 10am. There were about 20 kids aged between 6 and 12 years old. Pretty cute. I was impressed with how wel behaved and generous the kids were. Big difference between kids from saved and unsaved families. These were all from good Godly families and knew their bibles well. After the service i gutsed some lunch before sitting on the grass and teaching a bunch of kids how to make balloon animals. I was among the last to leave the church at close to 3pm! I was so tired and my fingers were hell sore after tying and twisting so many balloons! I got home, fell asleep until about 6 pm, and missed the 6pm Victory Life Church service i was intending to go to. Agggghhh, what a week.