Strong in the Lord in His power and might

On Thursday night, I drove by Josie's house to pick her and her friend, Rania, up before heading to Victory Life Centre for our weekly prayer meeting. Prayer for the Nations is a gathering of predominantly older folk to intercede for the nation of Australia and whatever other nations they feel led to pray for. It was awesome, especially because Ps Margaret felt led to lay hands on all of us and pray for us to receive a holy boldness. I liked that impartation. We also saw Debbie from second year at college. My Ethiopian brother, Delesa, usually comes to pray for his home country too, but he didn't make it this week. I left the meeting feeling refreshed and strengthened. I love prayer meetings.

On Friday night I went to another prayer meeting with Phil & Jeanette at the Well. Jeanette told me she thought Angelina was absolutely beautiful and an obvious treasure from God. She said she has a strong annointing on her as a result of all the prayers she has had over her. There has not been a day of her life that I have not prayed for Angelina and I know many others have prayed for her too from time to time. Angelina didn't come with me last night, though there were quite a few other babies around. None of them seemed to have that same beautiful smile and sparkly eyes that Angelina has though. She loves people and has started smiling a lot ;-)

I sat with Donna and Kristin in the service and later hung around a bit to talk to some of our mates who we haven't seen for a while. It was great to catch up with Dan. Dan is a prayer warrior I used to work in the city with. We used to go running on our lunch breaks with lots of his and my workmates. It was our intention to start a health revival, followed by a spiritual revival across the city.... but then God called me to do Bible college! Anyways, Dan said he will cover me in prayer next week when I have lunch with some old work colleagues, who do not YET know Jesus. I left the Well feeling really loved, with that deep sense of feeling like I belonged there.

I had forgotten about some of the special friends God has brought into my life. Since I started Bible college, I have distanced myself from lots of friends, because I felt that they were leading me astray a bit, in particular with what seemed to come out of my mouth when I was in their presence. I realised in the first couple of terms that death and life is in the power of our tongue (Proverbs 18:21) and that we can either bless or curse ourselves and others by what we say. The Bible says that if a part of us causes us to sin, then to cut it off, and I guess I just had to cut myself off from fellowshipping with some of these friends for a season. Now I am a lot stronger because God renewed my mind with the Word of God and I think it is perhaps time to reconnect. I am also a lot better grounded in my beliefs and values.

Oh soooooooo gorgeous ;-)

Running

This morning I got up early and drove to Hilda's house, then we took her little nephew to daycare before heading to Kings Park for a good run. We ran about 4km today. It felt so good. My lungs just felt so clean and fresh ...agggghhh, how awesome it is to run through the bushland.

Julz and Angel

Every day Julz is becoming a better mother to Angelina. I took these piccies yesterday of the two of them ;-) Funny how I have never thought the two looked anything alike, except maybe in these piccies. I can see some resemblance.

One of my college brothers

Another day gone by

Yesterday, I got up and spent some time with God before heading out to Julz’ house to pick up my little munchkin friend. We went to church and I chatted to June, an old friend from a church I used to go to years ago. She had just become a partner of Victory Life Centre, so she and her husband were there to receive certificates and attend the lunch the church puts on for new partners. I am thinking I should become a partner soon. I introduced her to my little niece and she adored her. Then Tammie and Erin from college came and sat with me. My little niece loved their company because they pulled faces at her and talked to her…. Actually so did some of the old ladies sitting behind us, which was pretty funny. Angelina is a big hit with everyone she meets. She’s started smiling a lot too and making funny noises. She can’t talk yet though.

Anyway, then we had a cuppa and some cake with Josie and Lilia in the foyer. Just as we were leaving, Josie almost collapsed! She had severe back pain and insisted on going to the Emergency Dept of Royal Perth Hospital. She was going to take the bus and train, how crazy! Instead, Angelina and I drove her there. After we arrived, I quickly left to take Angelina home, then scoffed a pie and jam donut before heading back to the waiting room. By that time, Josie was in the x-ray room planning scans for osteoporosis. I just sat down in the waiting room and sang in tongues. The funny thing was, none of the other people in the waiting room said anything to me – I was expecting someone to ask me what language I was singing in. If anyone had asked, I probably would have responded in tongues – haha, that’d be funny ;-)

Finally after about two hours, Josie emerged. She looked so different when she came out – her countenance had changed and she was glowing with a big smile on her face. Glory to God! I told her I had been praying for her the whole time and she told me she felt much better. We both said “Praise God” and then left all the other people. Then we stopped by the shops, bought her some lunch and then I dropped her home, quickly raced to my house, freshened up a bit, then left for church to start my bookshop shift at 5.00pm.

Within a short time, my friend Andrew came in and he told me he has been going through a “valley of the dry bones”-type experience and asked if I ever go through down days. I told him that in the first two terms of college, I did and some times my circumstances overwhelmed me and pulled me down. However, in third term, I had embraced a new strategy of getting up early, clapping my hands and stamping my feet in intercession, singing in tongues and in the understanding and also praying some powerful prayer points from a book called “Intercessory Prayer” by Dutch Sheets. Just for the record, here are the points I pray every day over my life, my family and friends:

*That God will lift the veil from our eyes so we can see the truth (includes asking for revelation knowledge, that He will open the eyes of our understanding, enlighten us);

*That the Holy Spirit would hover over us and breathe new life into our bodies and protect us (I also added a bit asking Him to pour out dreams and visions into our spirits to reveal Himself to us and to show us great and mighty things);

*That He would send Godly people to be in our pathway every single day (I also call my family and friends into church-related things and call angels into their lives every day);

*In the name of Jesus, I cast down anything that would exalt itself against the knowledge of Christ, specifically pride and rebellion, in our lives;

*In the name of Jesus, I take down all known strongholds – thought patterns, opinions on religion, materialism and fear in our lives (because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through the pulling down of strongholds);

*In the name of Jesus, I bind all wicked thought and lies that satan would try and place in our minds and I take every though captive that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ and I make them obedient to Jesus Christ; and

*I pray that God would put the armor in Ephesians 6 and then i also pray Ephesians 1:17-23 & 3:16-21 and Colossians 1:9-17 over my family and I.

Since I started in week one of term three, I have had perfect peace in my life and haven’t been harassed by negative thoughts. There have been infrequent times when I have lost my peace for brief times, but it has only taken a few minutes to get my mind back in line with Christ. The sacrifice of sleep is worth the peace of mind! Actually, it’s not really a sacrifice of time because it means I sleep better.

Andrew said he couldn’t afford to buy the book last night, so after he left, I bought it for him, highlighted the relevant points and gave it to him in the service. He was pretty stoked. Anything I can do to help another person get to a state of peace is a worthwhile investment.

We closed up shop close to 9.00pm and then I went home and ate dinner. What a day!

Finished another term

PRAISE GOD I have just finished another term of Bible college. The last few weeks, in particular, have been pretty full-on. I figure if I am going to do any study, I will give it my best shot and devote my full attention to it, so that's meant a lot of time reading class notes, digging into the Word and memorising it for exams and assignments we had to do. This is a record of all our assessments. So far, i've gone really well on everything.

My weeny friend

I just adore this little munchkin. Not the most flattering piccy of me, but Angelina always looks gorgeous. Our God is a giver of the finest gifts.

Party time in Heaven

On Monday, Tarryn shared in Chapel about how she felt led to go to college earlier than her usual time. She said she just knew she was meant to be there for some special reason. When she got to college, she saw a group of young people out the front, so she went up to them to see if she could help them in some way. She soon found out that they were all from Thailand, i think she said, and were looking for some employment. They had seen the bookshop in Victory Life Centre from the street and had planned to go inside and see if there was any work available.

Tarryn explained to them that it was a church, but asked if she could pray for them to get jobs. They all got excited and said yes! They were standing in a circle and wanted to all hold hands and when she prayed, they all bowed their heads. Then when she finished, one guy said a joyful "hallejuia!", which she thought was hilarious. Then she told them about the young adults group which runs every Wednesday night at church at 7.30pm and invited them along.

Last night two of the girls rocked up - they had caught a train all the way from somewhere south of the river.... and to Tarryn's absolute excitement and amazement, one of the girls responded to the altar call and gave her heart to God!!!! She was ecstatic and i had tears in my eyes. I was just so happy to witness their turning point and see the fruit of Tarryn's prayer life. It says in the Bible that angels all rejoice in Heaven every time someone turns to Jesus.

Tarryn came and hugged me this morning in Chapel. She was so radiant with joy. She is such a great role model. What a mighty woman of God. All the glory goes to God ;-)

Tarryn and Jaxon

Bronwyn took these piccies of Taz and Jaxon ;-)

Baby Jaxon

This is a piccy of Helen, one of my beautiful African sisters from college, with Jaxon, who is the nephew of Tarryn, my beautiful South African sister also from college. Jaxon is about six or seven months and was in creche this week with my little niece. Taz and I often joke about match-making the two ;-) haha ...well you never know what could happen in 20 years.

Actually, last Wednesday, Angelina won the affection of an even more gorgeous little boy. He is Mexican and 14 mths old (so a more mature man). He has thick, long curly dark eye lashes and a massive mop of thick curly dark hair. He stood beside Angelina when she was in the swing and just kept pulling her dummy out, so I had to keep putting it back in for her. She didn't seem to mind too much because she has only just started using it this week. I think it was all part of the wooing process ;-) Oh little kids are so cute.

Finally here ;-)

Lorraine and Erik's baby was born yesterday - Isobella was 3.14kg and 48cm long (compared to Angelina who was 2.12kg and 42cm long). I can't wait until she grows up and we introduce her to Angelina. They will love eachother. Isobella has blue eyes and black hair so far ... be interesting to see if her colouring changes over time. She is so beautiful ;-)

Another death

Julz' second dog, Jasper died today. She apparently swallowed some poison, which my sister thinks someone gave to her, because the couple whose house she has been staying in said they don't have any rat poison or anything like it on their property.

Mum warned Julz that all this would happen. Mum had the revelation that for as long as Julz holds on to her relationship with her current bf, who is evil and corrupt, the curses from Deuteronomy 28:15-68 will come upon her. Her relationship doesn't honor God and she is deliberately choosing to disobey Him. She has to make a choice between God or Grunde. I know who I would rather choose!

A sad day

Julz had to put down her beloved long-haired German Shepherd today because cancer had spread all through his body. The saddest thing is that he is only six years old. Her other dog and one of her cats is also unwell, but she is too shattered to take them to the vet and doesn't want anyone to take them for her. How miserable ;-(

Isobella

I am so stoked cos I serve the best God! He's been answering my prayers left, right and centre. Praise Him. The other day mum found a phone number and rang it and it turned out that it belongs to her old best friend from uni, Lorraine. Lorraine and Erik, her hubby, have been trying to contact mum for the last two years, since they moved back to Perth from the Northern Territory, after accepting a job offer up there some five years ago. When they moved states, mum was pretty shattered and fell out of fellowship with other Christians and it's like her spiritual life went downhill.

So, I know in answer to my prayers that God will send laborers into mum's life, He has reconnected mum to this beautiful Godly couple. What's really amazing is Lorraine, who was previously told she could never have children, is expecting her first child in her early 40s! God is truly a God of miracles. She apparently went to the gym and told her personal trainer she had been feeling a bit dizzy and the trainer told her to go get a general health check-up done. As part of the examination, they did a pregnancy test, despite Lorraine telling the doctor there was really no point because she had already been told many years ago she could never have children, plus she is in her 40s. Anyway, Lorraine almost fainted when the news came back. She said she doesn't know how she made it home, because she can't recall any of the drive back. She could barely even tell Erik and then they were just both in shock, having accepted that they would never have children of their own. Erik has always wanted children.

What's especially cool is that Lorraine, like Julz and I, is also Eurasian and her hubby is Swedish, so that means that the little baby girl she is expecting this week will also be one quarter Asian, just like Angelina!!! She will be three months younger than Angelina and they've already chosen the name Isobella for her. Lorraine, Erik and mum are just so ecstatic that not only have they reconnected, but now their precious little treasures will have a playmate ;-) Oh Praise God!!! Nothing is impossible for the one who created the world.

I am going to take mum to the hospital this Friday to visit them. I don't think any of us can lose our joy.

Angelina

Oh she is just sooooo cute. Here at 2.5 mths old. Who would ever think she is one quarter Asian!

Unexpected blessing

Tonight two older fellas, Rob and Andrew, came into the book shop where I work and gave me a present. They said they wanted to bless me. It turned out to be a brand new leather bound black parallel Bible with the left hand side of each page showing the Word in the King James Version and the right hand side of each page showing the Word in the Amplified Version. I was just so stunned and shocked that I couldn't really think what to say. One of them had overheard me say ages ago how I really liked the parallel Bibles and wanted one.

It's such a shock because I know that both guys are struggling financially and I know the Bible was an expensive one and I really don't know either of them all that well. I mean they are both probably in the 50's. I only really talk to them occasionally when they come in on Sundays. Wow, that's just such a spin-out that God would touch their hearts to do that for me.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that I found out that one of my African brothers in my class did not own a Bible. The revelation kind of hurt me and then after finding out that college does not have a supply of spare Bibles, I decided to go and buy him one from our bookshop. I didn't want to get him a cheap and nasty one, so I bought him a beautiful Spirit Filled Study Bible with study notes all throughout, with a blue and grey leather cover. It was so lovely and cost a lot, I mean heaps more than the one I own! I just figured it is such a special book and I wanted him to have a nice one. The colours were great for a guy too. Straight after I went to a friends house, who I had loaned a lot of money to and never expected to see the money again and she handed me part of it out of the blue. It more than the cost of the Bible I had bought the guy, so I felt like God had miraculously given me my money back and more!

We have been studying about giving tithes and offerings in Ps Jim's class, Economics and Scripture, and he pointed out that we will reap what we sow and in Malachi 3:10 it says that if we are obedient in giving our tithes and offerings, then God will open up the windows of Heaven and pour out for us such blessing that we will not have room enough to receive it. That's how I feel right now. I am just so overwhelmed that these guys who I know are strapped for cash would do that for me!!! Wow, the Scriptures really work.

Wrong car!!!

My mum did the funniest thing today. I dropped her off in the City cos she had to put in a form or something, and then I drove down to the Esplanade and parked my car in a 15 minute bay to wait for her. Apparently, she came down after about five minutes and saw my car and opened the door and put her foot in the passenger side and was about to sit in ... only, then she heard hysterical laughing and a guy say "hey!". She looked across the car to me, only it wasn't me, it was some young Italian guy, because she had got the wrong car!!!!

Hahaha ... in the back seat were three girls totally losing it laughing. The guy in the front was obviously horrified. Mum was so embarrassed and quickly excused herself and jumped out. Man, I cannot believe the ridiculous situations she gets herself into ;-) I was wondering where she was after 15 minutes and started looking around, only to see her standing on the opposite side of the road looking backwards and forwards. I flagged her down and took her home to safety! Oh mum ....who wants to trade mums?

VLBTC Fundraiser

We had a funny fundraiser event today to raise money for operation Christmas Child. We had to wear a wig or a hat. Not everyone participated, but those who did looked hilarious ;-) I cheated and just wore a hair piece because I had my little niece with me and knew her little hands would probably pull my hair off if I wore a wig!

The lone star

Boy did I feel silly yesterday. I had arranged to meet a friend from college to go for a run in Kings Park early in the morning. However, we both forgot that City to Surf was on, meaning most of the roads were blocked. My dear friend couldn't get into the park cos all her links were barricaded, so after half an hour of driving and driving and driving trying to find in-roads, she gave up.

Anyway, I decided to go for a run on my own. Once on the paths, I realised there were literally thousands of people running the opposite direction to me - cos they were all taking part in the 12km challenge. So here was little me running without an orange number (which you get when you register for the annual run) along a lone path. I felt soooooooooooooooo stupid! I told a couple of guys last night at church and we all just lost it laughing at how silly I must have looked ;-) Last time I go for a run during such a big event! Apparently over 10,000 people take part in the event. I think it starts on St Georges Tce and finishes in City Beach. Next year I think I will just register in the run. I'm sure I can make 12km by now ;-) hehe