Last night

Last night Dan, Dusty, Phil, Jeremy, Joanne, Kristin, Naomi and I headed to Sharky's (in Hillarys) for dinner, before going to the Nodes, which is a beautiful place overlooking Hillarys. At the Nodes we met Siobhan. We had an awesome night of fellowship, especially seeing Naomi and Joanne are hapas like me. I felt like i was with my cousins!

Picnic at McCallum Pk

Dan, Kristin, Jo, Johnny and I went on a picnic last night. It was so lovely. I felt really at ease with them all. They are all like brothers and sisters to me. Praise God for great fellowship ;-)

Juliet's shoes

Getting Joshua's clothes ready

Mum's first grandson

This is Joshua at 12 weeks old, getting ready to enter the world in July 2008.

Outwitting Marshall

For the last week or so, Jassy has been on heat, which has been really frustrating because Marshall has been racing aroudn the house trying to mate her. It was, therefore, absolutely hilarious to find her in the bath tub one night. We have all discovered that Marshall is unable to get to her when she is in there! She climbs in there every night to have a break from him and to catch a bit of sleep ;-) What a clever dog. In the meantime, Marshall just sits beside the tub waiting for her to climb out. Haha

Victory-filled year

Today i received a letter in the mail saying i had been accepted into Victory Life Bible Training Centre for 2008. It wasn't all that big a surprise, seeing i did an interivew yesterday morning and it was a very positive experience .... and also, the day before, i felt God speak to me in a dream.

The dream occurred in the early hours of New Year's day - what a day to tell me! I had been contemplating my future and trying to discern what the Lord's will was for me this year and then i had this dream in which i felt without a doubt, that God told to do it. I know it's not my own will because i hate studying and i have never wanted to do full-time bible college, especially not for a whole year. When i quit my job last year, i thought i was quitting to go into an elite job in the private sector ... not so!

So, this was my dream. I was in a massive building, that was sort of like a very fancy renovated heritage-listed concert hall, with many rooms. The place was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful with very high decorative ceilings, grand marble staircases, sparkling floors, chandeliers and at the time, there was an awards ceremony taking place with thousands of people sitting in a very huge hall, listening to speeches. Somehow, i found out that i would be receiving an award and that someone had arranged for me to receive a lovely bunch of delicated long-stemmed flowers! Upon hearing the news, i looked down and realised i was in some very shabby, dirty clothes, perhaps the sort i would paint in? I felt this deep feeling of dismay come over me. I knew i could attend the ceremony and receive the award, but i certainly wasn't dressed the part.

So i hurriedly began to search in boxes at the back of the hall for some more appropriate clothes. I moved from box to box and as i did so, the floorboards creaked and a few people in the audience turned around with very irritated expressions on their faces. I could feel the tension rising within me and a feeling of anxiety coming over me as i realised i didn't have much time to find something. I began to run around the venue and as i ran up grand staircases and around the periphery, i caught glimpses of this huge audience from different vantage points, all waiting expectantly for the end of the ceremony for the presentation of awards and the recognition of success.

Then i felt the Lord say that He wanted to bless me, but i had to go through a time of preparation, being trained and equipped and I felt as though He said i could go now as i am and enter into what He had for me, but i would not be well-prepared. Rather, it would be better if i went to bible college and received what i need to in order to be at my best. I suddenly realised the benefit and importance of devoting my year to Him and putting aside my dreams and desires for a year and obeying Him.

So the very next day, i drove to Victory Life Centre, filled out an application form and they asked me to attend an interview on the spot with Ps Ginny. We had a wonderful chat and we both felt a deep peace about it. I got my confirmation today.

The number seven is symbolic of completion and the number eight is symbollic of new beginnings. How funny that i should end my career after 7.5 years in Government in 2007 and start my next cycle of pressing into God and learning what His purpose and plan for me is, in 2008.

Over the last few months, i have had a lot of people tell me how great bible college is. In fact, at almost every service, i have walked in and sat randomly with people, only to then find they they had attended bible collage at Victory Life Centre. Every one of them said it was the best time of their lives - they had amazing fellowship and just soaked in God's presence every moment of every day. One of the pastors, Marika, sent me a message just two weeks ago saying she was praying one morning and felt that it was God's will for me to do bible college. At the time i dismissed it, because i had my own selfish desires.

I think i would have spoken to at least about 30 ex-students so far. Many said that they couldn't help but hear God's voice so many times because they were so immersed in the Scriptures every day. Others said their lives were turned inside out as God led them through inner healing in all aspects of their lives. They said they formed special bonds with their bible college mates and learnt invaluable skills.

My friend Justin, who i used as a referee, said when he did bible college many years ago, he learnt how to deal with difficult people in the work places he subsequently worked in. He said that was one of the most valuable lessons for him. He also learnt a lot about team-work. He cautioned me though, to be selective in who i shared personal things with. He said one of the greatest blessings for him was when the college director (he went to Rhema and Tabor bible colleges) took an interest in him and committed to helping him become all that God has intended for him. Mum is warming to the idea.

I haven't told many people yet.... still getting used to the idea of full-time study and hanging out with students again, living cheap, trying to make each dollar stretch as far as it can so i don't have to work.

The day Rhys came to church

Last Friday, i got a message through Facebook from my friend Rhys, saying he wanted to catch up because he was in Perth for a few days. He lives in Melbourne now. I know he isn't into church at all, but i suddenly had this bright idea that i would invite him to Victory Life Centre..... and to my utter amazement, he said "why not"!!!

I rang him up Sunday morning to see if i could pick him up in time for the 10.30 am service, but he was in a hangover state, having been partying hard and drinking til the wee small hours of the morning! He was in no state to go to church in the morning, but he said he was going to a party at 2pm and would take a break from the party to come to church. Fat chance of that happening, or so i thought! I sent him an SMS at 5.30pm saying "don't forget about church", seeing he said he would prefer to drive himself there.... then at 5.40pm, he asked where i was, because he was at church early!!!

As soon as i saw him, he jumped up and gave me a big hug. It was my old buddy Rhys, brought forward into the future some six years since i saw him last.

We sat right up the front. During praise and worship, he looked around with sheer curiosity and he said the musicians were very good and that i had a good singing voice. During this time, Margaret Court decided to get the church to pray in tongues - Rhys said he had never heard of this before, but just went along with it all. It really cracked me up watching him, because he saw me clapping, so he started clapping, then when there was a song about surrending our lives to God, everyone lifted their hands up, so he did too. After about 3o mintues of clapping, he said he was tired of clapping....

Then Margaret talked about the gift of prophecy and i explained to him that it was sort of the Christian version of a clairvoyant, except that it was God speaking through us. Margaret then said we were going to do something a bit dfferent this time. She asked everyone to pair up with someone they didn't know - there were strictly no friends to be paired together. Rhys freaked out a bit, then an old lady said she waned to be my partner.... i said "but Rhys needs someone". No sooner, had i said that, then a BIG Samoan guy appeared and said to Rhys "you, come with me". The look of terror was in Rhys' eyes as he obediently followed the guy right up to the front of the church. He turned around and i poked my tongue out at him ;-P haha

Margaret then said she wanted everyone in church to pray in tongues for their partner and after five minutes to prophecy to them - saying whatever it was that we felt God was saying, even if it was just one word. My old lady partner said she felt God say He would make me as bold as a lion and then she had a vision of a fine-toothed comb and said she felt the Lord was saying i would be able to comb things in the spiritual realm with greater discernment. How interesting.

When Rhys came back, he said God spoke to him about forgiveness. It turned out that six years ago, his sister's boyfriend was murdered by a Samoan guy and since that day, he has held an intense grudge against all Samoan people. However, he said that when this guy started to pray in tongues for him, it melted his heart and he realised he had to let go.

Later, he said he really enjoyed the service. He was surprised the church didn't mention sin, apart from the time when Margaret recalled a story about an old lady on crutches who had had a person come up to her in church and tell her she was not healed because she had sin in her life. Margaret rebuked the lady for saying such a wicked, ungodly thing. Rhys was very impressed.

Afterwards i drove Rhys to the Bellisimo restaurant where we had pizza and turkish bread and coffee..... and where i paid the $29.10 bill because Rhys was grumbling about not having any money and i couldn't be bothered arguing. He was very appreciative. Urrrggghhh - i guess it was just one isolated incident. Once in six years!!!

I stole these piccies off his Facebook account. He plays in a band called Fourth Floor Collapse, which is really famous... just do a Google search and you'll find HEAPS of stuff on them. They have won a lot of awards and recognition for their music. Unfortunately, I don't like his music cos i feel that the singers mumble and sing ungodly lyrics.... but he can still be my friend and i know God loves them all ;-)

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