Well today I heard I got the approval I was after for the First Home Buyer's Grant! Yay. THANK YOU JESUS!!! AND as if that wasn't great news already, my painter finished all his work today! So then I drove to the flooring guy, paid for the rest of my material and then asked if he could perhaps start the flooring next week and he said yes, so then I checked with the real estate company and they said yes, so now my flooring is being done Thursday!
The painting looks absolutely amazing. Ryland did such a marvellous job. Praise the Lord. The walls are all one colour now. The smell of fresh paint, as opposed to rotting disgusting putrid smells from the last tenant is therapeutic.
I am so happy in my heart today. I even managed to get off work at 12pm. God is soooooo good to me.
Then as I was driving along Scarborough beach road, I suddenly took a right turn down a street I had never been on before and there on the verge was a FREE set of drawers. Absolutely gorgeous and absolutely perfect for my housemate. I am just so stoked. God is so very faithful to me. He just knew that for the last few days I have been thinking about how expensive everything is and how I really can't afford to keep buying little things when my renovations are so expensive.
25 January 2013
Almost moving in!
Almost three weeks later and now the painting is almost done, i have sorted out new laminate jarrah-looking floorboards, rollershutters for two bedrooms and some new furniture... well not new, as such, but great second-hand stuff from gumtree. I have two desks, a loft bed for my housemate, a set of drawers, a coffee table, a kneeling chair!, some kitchenware and a painting from Tri (to be honest, i don't really like it, but the fact it came from her is what makes it special).
This girl is painting a "V" for victory!
I am praying my first home buyer's grant approval letter comes today cos then i can go ahead with settlement next week. Oh God, let it be!
This girl is painting a "V" for victory!
06 January 2013
I bought a house!!!
I FINALLY had a house offer accepted. I am so totally wrapped. I managed to get one under $500K to take advantage of the stamp duty exemption and first home buyer's grant. I bought a cute villa in Scarborough. It is actually pretty large for a 3 bedroom villa with a big open plan lounge and dining area and courtyard area. God is so awesome. It was owned by a 91 year old retired doctor who rented it out.
The place looks totally amazing outside, but unfortunately, the inside looks like an absolute wreck (kind of looks like what my life was like before Christ! - haha). I don't think anyone could possibly live in it at it's current state, so i'll be ripping up the carpets and getting the house painted, as well as doing some handman repairs.....
I think the previous tenant must have had an anger problem because there are holes in the walls (looks like they were made with a broom handle), paint chipped off, liquid (probably alcohol) stains on the walls, gross stenched and stained carpets, lights broken, door handles missing ... but I actually think this place is really beautiful. I see amazing potential and it is a really great deal for this area. I have been researching the market for months now and if this place was painted and new carpets put in, it would easily be worth a lot more! Seriously, it is a great first home and i am totally thrilled. I'll be moving in late Feb or early March.
Once it is renovated, i'll be having a prayer/fasting/worship get-to-gether in it (prior to a house-warming). I may not own any furniture by then, as i sold it all before i went to America, but i'll have some cushions for kneeling on and new floorboards by then! Yay.
16 December 2012
Chrissy time
12 December 2012
Making progress
Work meeting went well today - it wasn't as overwhelming as i was expecting. In fact, I actually quite enjoyed it. I didn't feel stressed at all and the meeting members were really friendly to me :-) One of the members, Joyce, came and said congratulations to me for getting the job. That was sweet of her. Another member, Mary, chatted to me about her brother who went to teach English in Japan and there met his wife. Her brother is blonde and they now have two teenaged Eurasian kids! Amazing. I also talked to Ross who worked with my former boss at DTF and also thought highly of him. He told me Col was now in the Office of the Auditor General. They all seemed nicer to me than previous Committee members I have interacted with.
09 December 2012
New season
Gosh, I prayed so hard for a job and prepared so well, then God granted me my desire and got me a great job, but suddenly now i am so unbelievably busy. I get up early, go to the train station, pray, then catch the train, then work my guts out, then leave, catch the train to my car, then pray, then go home, have a shower, make lunch for the next day and then go to bed! What a life. Oh my goodness, i didn't quite anticipate being so busy that I would have no time to think about anything else. Lol
BUT I love it - my boss, Brooke, is lovely and the lady swapping jobs with her is also very easy to get along with. Other than that, I don't really deal with anyone else much yet anyway.
28 November 2012
Season of blessings
26 November 2012
Jobs are gifts from God.
Got a phone call last Friday to say the top applicant declined ... so the job was offered to me! Now I know for sure that I heard the Lord's voice the day of the interview ... get a job, buy a house and only then consider finding a spouse and having a family. Wow! By the time I get to the final stage, everyone I know in my age group will have finished having kids long time ago. Kinda sad really, but i know God has set me apart and has the most amazing husband He's set apart for me - no matter how doubtful everyone else is, I know that if He can get me the first job I applied for after five years of not applying for a formal job, then He can get me a great husband! Nothing is impossible for those who believe in the One who made the Universe!
So step one s complete now :-)
So step one s complete now :-)
02 November 2012
Fellowship
- Garlic bread
- Pasta salad with sundried tomatoes, feta cheese and spinach
- Fresh green salad
- Marinated beef with rice
- Hot chocolate with marshmallows and ice-cream, caramel crowns and chocolate bullets for dessert
31 October 2012
For those who have no voice
8 "Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy" [Proverbs 31:8-9]
This is the scripture that prompted me to speak up for the ones I love to bring about change. My heart is really aching today.
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy" [Proverbs 31:8-9]
This is the scripture that prompted me to speak up for the ones I love to bring about change. My heart is really aching today.
28 October 2012
Time to work
Well one day a few weeks ago, I just suddenly felt this intense desire to return to work, so I went on to the jobs board and did a search and up came this great-sounding job as an Executive Officer, so I started to do the application. It was due that day, like in a few hours! Ouch ... so I had no time to race to mum's house and grab my old applications. My CV was pretty much up-to-date - I just had to whip up the selection criteria. So that took a bit of memory ... I mean recalling what I did in the eight years I worked in Government before I quit my job, went to bible college for two years and then travelling overseas for two years! Lol
So i'm part-way through my application and I hear this commotion outside. I run outside and there's blood everywhere because Rex has attacked the pet reptile that has lived in the garden for 20 years! He's in Rex's mouth hanging and bleeding and so I tell Rex off, lock the boys inside with me and leave the poor reptile outside and text Viola to come home ASAP. How crazy .... that's int he middle of my application! Well somehow, I got it done and emailed it in.... but later looked at it and realised how crap it was. I left out so many important details and had a few typos. Not pretty, that's for sure. It really is a miracle I got an interview.
So anyway, I was going to do a few more applications, but for some strange reason I couldn't do them. They were all short-term positions elsewhere. All I could manage to do was this application for a permanent level 6 job. How bizarre, it wasn't like I really wanted anything permanent! However, as I started to prepare for the interview, I started dreaming about buying a little apartment somewhere and it's like old dreams were resurrected. So then I started preparing harder.
Two weeks later, I got a phone call to say I was short-listed for an interview and the lady wouldn't tell me how many were short-listed, just that they had been very selective. I think they probably interviewed half a dozen. Mine was an afternoon interview one week later exactly.
So then that made me a bit nervous, but I managed to shake off my nerves, despite them coming back to attack me many times! So then I studied long and hard every day up to the interview.
My goodness, what a HARD interview. There were no hand-shakes, no friendly warm-up questions, not many smiles and the room was so tense. The three panel members were all immaculate well-groomed blondes. They seemed very lifeless and felt stressed to be with. I felt a bit tense in their presence. They were so serious. I asked if they minded me drinking the water and they were like "sure, it's for you" and I said with a big smile: "it's not recycled, is it?" and they said "no" and I said "it's just because I did a microbiology degree, so I'm a bit sensitive about sharing drinks" ... none of them laughed. All so serious! Oh well, moving on :-) haha
So then the first question was nasty. It was a complex problem scenario that I had to resolve using my verbal, interpersonal and negotiation skills. Yikes. What a mean way to start an interview. Then proceeded nine more questions. The second question asked me to discuss a recent written report or policy I had done. Errrrm, well given I have not done any written reports in such a long time, I told them I unfortunately couldn't do that, but I did have a less recent report to describe. I didn't tell them it was from eight years ago, though they could easily find that out from looking at my CV!!! The last question was also nasty and threw me a bit, but something intelligent-sounding seemed to come out of my mouth. Far out.
So then Geoff started asking me all about the missions work I did overseas and my travels. He seemed really fascinated. I enjoyed telling him. He also gave me a second chance with the first question I struggled with. He asked me if there was anything I would like to add from my work experience to demonstrate I had the skills they were after. Boy did I have a lot to say! lol I whipped out my pole-to-piller example and then talked about people who rang up and complained about underground power and how I sold the benefits to them, by pointing out the fact that they were only paying a fraction of the cost for underground power and that the benefits far outweighed any negatives. I told them even I was convinced by the end of my time there about how wonderful underground power was. I got a half smile from the professor on the panel.
I asked a couple of questions at the end and then gave them my pre-planned summary statement. I really do think I could do this job well. I know it would be intense, but I know I could do it. I think God has prepared me to do it. I left with a pounding headache, that dissipated after I did a bible study with Yoona and prayed in tongues for an hour. So I think someone on the panel was feeling like that and I picked it up :-( These people so obviously were not Spirit-filled. When I left, they closed me out of the room and no one walked me out. I actually got in the lift and the lady in the lift asked me what floor I was after and I told her ground floor, and she goes "we are on ground floor" ... oh, silly me :-) In my walking around, I lost my bearings.
Simon said last night that Joel Osteen talked about a job he went to where there were executives on the panel and they told him the other applicants all had better skills and experience, but they just felt to give the job to him and didn't know why. He said that was favor. Oh, I like the sound of it! Yeah man, bring it on. Well at the prayer meeting yesterday, I had Ps Anne tell me she was praying for me at 1:30pm and I know that I was also covered in prayer by Brisa, Tri, John, Lill, Hannah, Silke, Ps Judy, Yoona and my mum! Amazing. With that prayer coverage, how can I not have special favor to get the job :-)
I have no idea when I find out. Hopefully later, rather than sooner. I need time to complete my studies.
So i'm part-way through my application and I hear this commotion outside. I run outside and there's blood everywhere because Rex has attacked the pet reptile that has lived in the garden for 20 years! He's in Rex's mouth hanging and bleeding and so I tell Rex off, lock the boys inside with me and leave the poor reptile outside and text Viola to come home ASAP. How crazy .... that's int he middle of my application! Well somehow, I got it done and emailed it in.... but later looked at it and realised how crap it was. I left out so many important details and had a few typos. Not pretty, that's for sure. It really is a miracle I got an interview.
So anyway, I was going to do a few more applications, but for some strange reason I couldn't do them. They were all short-term positions elsewhere. All I could manage to do was this application for a permanent level 6 job. How bizarre, it wasn't like I really wanted anything permanent! However, as I started to prepare for the interview, I started dreaming about buying a little apartment somewhere and it's like old dreams were resurrected. So then I started preparing harder.
Two weeks later, I got a phone call to say I was short-listed for an interview and the lady wouldn't tell me how many were short-listed, just that they had been very selective. I think they probably interviewed half a dozen. Mine was an afternoon interview one week later exactly.
So then that made me a bit nervous, but I managed to shake off my nerves, despite them coming back to attack me many times! So then I studied long and hard every day up to the interview.
My goodness, what a HARD interview. There were no hand-shakes, no friendly warm-up questions, not many smiles and the room was so tense. The three panel members were all immaculate well-groomed blondes. They seemed very lifeless and felt stressed to be with. I felt a bit tense in their presence. They were so serious. I asked if they minded me drinking the water and they were like "sure, it's for you" and I said with a big smile: "it's not recycled, is it?" and they said "no" and I said "it's just because I did a microbiology degree, so I'm a bit sensitive about sharing drinks" ... none of them laughed. All so serious! Oh well, moving on :-) haha
So then the first question was nasty. It was a complex problem scenario that I had to resolve using my verbal, interpersonal and negotiation skills. Yikes. What a mean way to start an interview. Then proceeded nine more questions. The second question asked me to discuss a recent written report or policy I had done. Errrrm, well given I have not done any written reports in such a long time, I told them I unfortunately couldn't do that, but I did have a less recent report to describe. I didn't tell them it was from eight years ago, though they could easily find that out from looking at my CV!!! The last question was also nasty and threw me a bit, but something intelligent-sounding seemed to come out of my mouth. Far out.
So then Geoff started asking me all about the missions work I did overseas and my travels. He seemed really fascinated. I enjoyed telling him. He also gave me a second chance with the first question I struggled with. He asked me if there was anything I would like to add from my work experience to demonstrate I had the skills they were after. Boy did I have a lot to say! lol I whipped out my pole-to-piller example and then talked about people who rang up and complained about underground power and how I sold the benefits to them, by pointing out the fact that they were only paying a fraction of the cost for underground power and that the benefits far outweighed any negatives. I told them even I was convinced by the end of my time there about how wonderful underground power was. I got a half smile from the professor on the panel.
I asked a couple of questions at the end and then gave them my pre-planned summary statement. I really do think I could do this job well. I know it would be intense, but I know I could do it. I think God has prepared me to do it. I left with a pounding headache, that dissipated after I did a bible study with Yoona and prayed in tongues for an hour. So I think someone on the panel was feeling like that and I picked it up :-( These people so obviously were not Spirit-filled. When I left, they closed me out of the room and no one walked me out. I actually got in the lift and the lady in the lift asked me what floor I was after and I told her ground floor, and she goes "we are on ground floor" ... oh, silly me :-) In my walking around, I lost my bearings.
Simon said last night that Joel Osteen talked about a job he went to where there were executives on the panel and they told him the other applicants all had better skills and experience, but they just felt to give the job to him and didn't know why. He said that was favor. Oh, I like the sound of it! Yeah man, bring it on. Well at the prayer meeting yesterday, I had Ps Anne tell me she was praying for me at 1:30pm and I know that I was also covered in prayer by Brisa, Tri, John, Lill, Hannah, Silke, Ps Judy, Yoona and my mum! Amazing. With that prayer coverage, how can I not have special favor to get the job :-)
I have no idea when I find out. Hopefully later, rather than sooner. I need time to complete my studies.
13 October 2012
Praise God for my time in South Korea
Totally stoked to have a wonderful friend from South Korea now living with me. She was in my cell group in Yoido and is in love with Jesus. Sometimes I come home to hear her playing on the piano and worshipping God. It's the most beautiful thing to listen to. This is her on the left.
Last night she asked me if i would like to do a bible study with her. I was like "sure" ... but really was not sure how to go about it. I chose the passage - 2 Chronicles 20. She just said "ok, lets spend 15 to 20 minutes reading it alone and meditating on it. Then lets share what God said to us through it". Wow, so easy!
Well God spoke me a lot through it. In the start, Jeshoshaphat had a vast multitude of enemies coming against him (comparable to my overwhelming family problems right now). His response was to set Himself before the Lord and seek God's face in prayer and fasting. Wow. I have been fasting a lot lately. I had never noticed he fasted before.
In verses 6 to 9, he starts proclaiming who God is and how awesome he is. I mean He made the world, right, and nothing is too hard for Him.
6 And said, O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You.
Wow!!! Then just as i've been saying in my heart "I don't know what to do", it says in verse 12 "we do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You". He has a conversation with God and tells Him how he is feeling. Then God speaks through someone to tell Jeshoshaphat not to worry:
15 Be no afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
Thank you Lord, what a revelation. He bowed his head and worshipped God and then even before he saw any victory whatsoever, he thanks and praises God. He assigns people to sing and worship the Lord and while they do this, then God sends ambushes against their enemies. Basically, He fights the battle for them - all they do is thank and praise God. Wow!
Then not only does God give them incredible victory, but He blesses them financially with more resources and gain then they can even carry! AND instills such a fear of God into their enemies, that there is subsequently peace all around.
I was astounded that Jeshoshaphat was only 35 and then proceeded in leadership for 25 years. So after trusting in the Lord to win his overwhelming battles through prayer, fasting, seeking direction, praising and worshipping God, seeing an INCREDIBLY huge victory come into fulfilment, He proves worthy and faithful and steps into his ministry.
I really needed that message. How good is God.
Well God spoke me a lot through it. In the start, Jeshoshaphat had a vast multitude of enemies coming against him (comparable to my overwhelming family problems right now). His response was to set Himself before the Lord and seek God's face in prayer and fasting. Wow. I have been fasting a lot lately. I had never noticed he fasted before.
In verses 6 to 9, he starts proclaiming who God is and how awesome he is. I mean He made the world, right, and nothing is too hard for Him.
6 And said, O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You.
7 Did not You, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend?
8 They dwelt in it and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your Name, saying,
9 If evil comes upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You—for Your Name [and the symbol of Your presence] is in this house—and cry to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.
15 Be no afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
Thank you Lord, what a revelation. He bowed his head and worshipped God and then even before he saw any victory whatsoever, he thanks and praises God. He assigns people to sing and worship the Lord and while they do this, then God sends ambushes against their enemies. Basically, He fights the battle for them - all they do is thank and praise God. Wow!
Then not only does God give them incredible victory, but He blesses them financially with more resources and gain then they can even carry! AND instills such a fear of God into their enemies, that there is subsequently peace all around.
I was astounded that Jeshoshaphat was only 35 and then proceeded in leadership for 25 years. So after trusting in the Lord to win his overwhelming battles through prayer, fasting, seeking direction, praising and worshipping God, seeing an INCREDIBLY huge victory come into fulfilment, He proves worthy and faithful and steps into his ministry.
I really needed that message. How good is God.
01 October 2012
Good morning
26 August 2012
My second Korean wedding
Really excited I got to go to Jun-Mo's wedding last night with Simon & Hannah, and Beverley. The whole service was in Korean - all the words, songs, speeches - the mothers all wore the traditional Korean outfits, we ate Korean food and most people mainly spoke Korean! Lol, what a night! ... but i enjoyed it very much.
I wore one of Viola's lovely dresses and it fitted me perfectly.
06 August 2012
Travelling the nations
So this is my beloved pillow bear that I bought in Walmart in Mexico City, Mexico for 60 pesos (which is less than $5 Aus :-) His name is Solomon and so far, he has travelled to Australia from Mexico in September 2010, then to America in April 2011, then to Australia in September 2011, then to South Korea in December 2011, then to Australia in May 2012 and now has just moved into a new home in Marmion! We are now living with two wonderful people, two dogs, one cat, four birds and an aquarium full of fish. It's totally awesome. We moved in two weeks ago. Let the great times roll! These are the cute friendly dogs we live with.
23 July 2012
Swing time!
This is my little niece (now 4 years old) pushing her little brother (now 2.5yrs) at the kiddies playground in Kings Park last week
Back home
Well after four and a half absolutely AMAZING months in South Korea,
I am back home. I was so busy I didn't do any blog entries! So just for
a quick summary:
I am back home. I was so busy I didn't do any blog entries! So just for
a quick summary:
Handong Global University, which is a Christian university in a fishing
village called Pohang (country area) paid my return airfare, meals,
accommodation and gave me a salary to teach Korean 3rd graders
on a winter English camp. I flew out of Perth on Christmas day last
year on a 33 degrees Celsius warm summer day and into Seoul on
Boxing Day on a MINUS 11 degrees Celsius FREEZING cold winter
day! So crazy. It was a relatively quick flight - just two planes: Malaysian
airlines to KL, then Korean air to Seoul. Easy. 13hrs in total including
one-hour in the airport between flights.
village called Pohang (country area) paid my return airfare, meals,
accommodation and gave me a salary to teach Korean 3rd graders
on a winter English camp. I flew out of Perth on Christmas day last
year on a 33 degrees Celsius warm summer day and into Seoul on
Boxing Day on a MINUS 11 degrees Celsius FREEZING cold winter
day! So crazy. It was a relatively quick flight - just two planes: Malaysian
airlines to KL, then Korean air to Seoul. Easy. 13hrs in total including
one-hour in the airport between flights.
Well I was pleasantly surprised to meet 15 other international teachers
who had also been recruited to teach English. They came from England,
America, Canada, South Africa and The Netherlands. Nicest people ever.
who had also been recruited to teach English. They came from England,
America, Canada, South Africa and The Netherlands. Nicest people ever.
The first month of teaching was tough and it was definitely God's grace
that enabled me to teach five classes a day. I really don't know how I did it.
I sang, danced, taught balloon art, played silly games, bribed the kids with
lollies ... whatever it took to kill the time. I had no clue as to what i was doing
most of the time and got horribly sick, as did all the other teachers because
we were grossly overworked. Well the work itself was not hard, but what was
hard was the incredibly full-on schedule that included meetings up to midnight
some nights and then having to do lesson plans after this!
Having never taught in my life before and having no clue as to how to prepare
lesson plans, i was more reliant on prayer and grace than the others, i'm sure.
I definitely has fun though and the other teachers were seriously the nicest
bunch of people and the most amazing people I have ever met in my life.
I loved them all to bits, despite all our differences. They were great.
lesson plans, i was more reliant on prayer and grace than the others, i'm sure.
I definitely has fun though and the other teachers were seriously the nicest
bunch of people and the most amazing people I have ever met in my life.
I loved them all to bits, despite all our differences. They were great.
The kids on the other hand were challenging. I had some very naughty boys
who became more and more naughty as time went by. I would be writing on the
board, only to turn around and find that one had climbed up on the window sill
or one had unplugged the heater and was riding on it like a bike! lol
Then my little girls also required much grace. It was hard to balance good and
bad behaviour in the class and i had one of the most, if not the most,
challenging combination of kids possible. Actually, i think every teacher agreed
mine were the naughtiest class :-)
who became more and more naughty as time went by. I would be writing on the
board, only to turn around and find that one had climbed up on the window sill
or one had unplugged the heater and was riding on it like a bike! lol
Then my little girls also required much grace. It was hard to balance good and
bad behaviour in the class and i had one of the most, if not the most,
challenging combination of kids possible. Actually, i think every teacher agreed
mine were the naughtiest class :-)
So that was the teaching bit summed up in a very short commentary that doesn't seem
to do my time justice. Oh well, another day :-)
to do my time justice. Oh well, another day :-)
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