My weeny friend and I

Walking...

Last week, we introduced Angelina to a walker and she very cutely started walking backwards. Over the next couple of days, that’s all she did, just short little steps backwards. However, yesterday, she took her first few steps forwards and today again I was really encouraged to see her going forwards a few times. I have been trying to get her to come towards me when I call, but she just stands and grins at me and sometimes takes a few steps backwards. The only time she walks forwards is if I am busy doing my hair or makeup in the bathroom or praying in my room and then she quietly makes her way across the room to me – well, not very far, like we’re talking about 1.5 metres. That’s cool though. It’s very exciting seeing progress.

My strength renewed like the eagle

I spent the whole day babysitting Angelina today - well I left my house at 6:40 am to collect her at just after 7.00 am and then drive her back to my house. Then at 12.00 pm, I took her to Ali's BBQ birthday picnic in Heathcote Reserve, where we spent three hours making idle chit chat with Alli, Relle (who left about half an hour after she arrived), Clayton, Cate (who arrived really late) and then Alli's teacher friends who I had just met. They all seemed really lovely, outgoing and fun and Angelina sure enjoyed their company.

Then Angelina had a snooze in the car while I drove her back to my house. Then she slept about ten minutes more, before watching Jonah - the vegetale movie on DVD. Then at 5.45 pm, Julz came to collect her to take her to her house. Now I am getting ready to go and do night-fill tonight from 8.00 pm to 12.00 am. Pretty kewl. I am looking forward to another prayer session - singing in tongues, my Heavenly language, for four hours. Long working hours today, huh. Good thing my body is fit and healthy and I more resemble a person at least ten years younger :-) haha Praise God

Hospitality

Had an amazing night last Thursday that is worth blogging about. Earlier, I picked up Annette from the airport and drove her to the house where her little four year old princess, Gabby, had stayed while she was in New Zealand doing a job interview.

The family Gabby stayed with is a beautiful African family from Kenya. The parents are Hans and Leah and they have six children, one of whom did Bible college with me this year (23yr old Dominic shown in the piccy). Hans actually recognised me from a few years ago when I did a sole unit at Riverview Bible College. He told me I recited a Scritpure form Isaiah to him ... (no doubt my favourite Scripture from Isaiah 54:8-17). That really surprised me. What a small world.

Anyway, Leah's hospitality overwhelmed me and touched me very deeply. There were about 14 other African people at her house, including three little baby boys - one was ten months, the others were about 12 months each (two were half black, half white - so gorgeous!). While we were there, she served some dishes of food on the table and asked that I join them for dinner. I was so touched by the way they just welcomed me in and made me feel so loved and included in their family. I could see they didn't have much (from the small 3-bedroom place, odd chairs, cutlery, plates and cups they used) and yet there was just such a deep peace and love about the place. It was such a beautiful refreshing warmth. The presence of God was all in that tiny place.

The meal was simple - yellow curried rice, bean salad, some soup with what looked like ox-tail, maybe???, and some curried chicken and I don't usually eat curry, but somehow the company and the presence of God made it alright and I ate and was satisfied.

I lay awake for hours afterwards, just feeling so blessed and touched by God. It was like Leah showed me God's love through her actions, her warmth, her hospitality. In the morning I woke up and took communion. Then I just felt like the Holy Spirit was saying to bless Leah with my babysitting money and some communion. I also remembered Julz had given me a whole pile of socks, and I just felt led to give them to Leah as well. So I picked up Angelina, stopped by the shops, bought some fresh turkish bread, some apple & blackcurrent juice (cos there was no grape juice), wrote in a card and put $150 in the card for Leah. Then I drove to her house and hung it on their front door because it didn't look like anyone was awake.

Later, I texted Annette and asked her to let Leah know. Apparently, Leah had already been to the front door and when she saw the things, she thought God had left her those gifts! Hahaha, now that really cracked me up hearing that. Later she rang me and kept saying thanks so many times. What a blessing. She blessed me so much more.

Leah's son Dominic is the tallest guy at college ...

Could this be Angel's real dad?

Wolfy is apparently doing a dna test this week.... hmmmm, things could get very interesting

Freedom

This is my beautiful niece, with the not-so-beautiful guy that Julz has lied to and pretended is the father of my niece. What a mess. I pray oh Lord Jesus that you will deliver Julz' soul from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue [Psalm 120:2] and that You will grant her repentence that she will know the truth [2 Timothy 2:24-25]. It's the truth that will set her free and he who is free is truly free indeed.

Early start

This morning I got up at 2:45 am because Annette (shown in piccy) had booked an early flight to New Zealand for a job interview and I had said I would take her. Then I got dressed and phoned her at 3.00 am, only to hear her say she didn't want to leave as early as we had planned because she said her Itinery only stated that she had to be there one hour early. So, I spent the next half hour in prayer and scoffed down some breaky, before leaving home to pick her up. Then, we missed the turning for the international airport, but upon a quick check, I discovered she was going to the domestic airport because her plane was going to Sydney first....oh what a clown, what would she do without me!

Anyways, after I dropped her home, I drove myself home, ate some more breaky, and then went back to bed for a few hours. At 10.30am, I got a phone call from Jennifer at VLC asking me why I wasn't at work. It turned ou that I was meant to be there at 10.00 am, not 1.00pm, as I thought! So I hurriedly threw on some clothes and headed out the door. Fortunately, I had written out all the Chrissy cards that I had intended to the night before, so I was able to give them to Ps' David, Eunice, Rhonda, Ginny and Judy, Margaret, Gail, Jen and Stephane.

When I had finished work, I raced around and did the little things I meant to do before work, like dropping off Julz' clothes at community services, shopping, returning Annette's DVD at the library, collecting mail, prepaing and eating a healthy meal and reading a few more of Rick Renner's "sparkling gems". Then I went back to bed for a few hours. I only just woke up. It's now 6.43 pm and the rest of the day is before me ...

Graduation Ceremony

Well after one year of diligence, I finally graduated from Victory Life Bible Training Centre ;-) Yay! The ceremony was amazing, by far the most spectacular graduation I've been to, especially special because I had my family and friends attend, in contrast to every other graduation I have attended when I never had anyone come and support me.

My guests included my mum, sister and niece, Kristin and her praents, Marcus and Helen, Rob, June and her husband and Lilia.

All the students were asked to stay put in Room 1 after they had been clothed in splendor (royal purple gowns) and so we spent the time trying desperately to make our hats look trendy and our gowns sit well. We were all so hot and sweaty, so I am pleased to see the piccies turned out well ;-) Finally the time arrived and we all lined up in single file, sorted by year group and alphabetically. Then we proudly marched into the congregation while they were singing praise and worship songs. Then we all sang the national anthem and "How Great is Our God", before sitting down to hear Ps Maraget, Ps Judy, Rev Kong Yee and Ps David all give a message to us. Then we performed a song, to which we had to jump and dance! (which made us even more hot and sweaty), then marched to the side of the church and one by one walked on to the stage to recieve our certificates and have our photo taken. We also had to do our group photos in front of everyone too. Pretty funny :-)

Graduation dinner

Had our graduation dinner last night at the Joondalup Resort Hotel. The highlight for me was the amazing chocolate fountain which we bathed our skewered fruit in. Yummmmmmm.

Mum and I both wore some of Juliet's clothes. I wore a beautiful cream-ish dress with flowers and a gold shawl with flowers. Mum wore a very elegant brown arty-type suit. Juliet said the suit and my dress cost around $1,000 each!!! Not sure what to believe really, but you could tell they were definitely expensive clothes. I also got some pretty hair accessories and did my hair up. Funny, cos I didn't have the time or money to pay a hairdresser to do my hair, yet it looked really kewl and I had heaps of compliments.

Angelina's night out

Angelina with some of her aunts and uncles

Employment opportunities

Well, some few weeks after I was determined to change my situation, I now have three jobs and have gotten through the exam week with flying colours and am nearing graduation next week! The first job was that night fill job, at which I have now completed a couple of shifts. It is the weirdest job because people rock up wearing gloves, headphones (and IPODs), armed with a black text and stanley knife and with little, if any, desire to talk to anyone else. How strange!, so I have just sung in tongues for the entire four hour shift each time! ...sung my little heart out and had a great time.

The work is easy, we just wheel out a cage loaded with boxes into the relevant aisle, then we take a box full of goodies off the cage, use the knife to open it, have a look at the goods, find their appropiate home on the shelf, load them onto the shelf, then flatten out the box, pack it away on the cage, then select another box and the procedure begins again. When we can't find an item or there are too many of that item ont he shelf, we write "c/f" or "o/s", which stands for "can't find" or "overstock" on the box and put the box back on the cage. Then we select another box, open it, load the items on the shelf, flatten the box, then select another box, etc... like all night, that's it ;-) The great thing is it is time and a half pay.

So that's job number one. Job number two came as a total surpise. One day during monring tea, our Dean of Studies came up to me at college and asked me if I would like to accept an administration job at the church looking after the correspondence students, as well as the reception desk every now and then. Well, I prayed about it and decide to accept. They don't actually pay you, but rather, just give you a discount on your college fees. Not entirely sure how much. I don't really care, to be honest, because it wasn't the money nor the work experience that I accepted the job for. Rather, it was the opportunity to acquire some new role models.

In line with the job, I have to sit in the office with two pastors, the two oldest among the teaching staff, who are close to 70 years old. Then there are three other pastors and one p/a I also have to interact with. They scare the hell out of me, because I know they are all prophetic and can sense stuff about me, but it's cool. Interestingly, only shortly after I had accepted the position, Rinna came and congratulated me. I hadn't told her, I think the girl doing the job told her, and as soon as she said that, it was like I could sense that she wasn't genuinely happy for me. I realise in hindsight that she had her eyes on the job.

Seeing she had publicly told people I got the job, I decided to tell a few people and instead of them being happy for me, I could sense a bit of jealousy. It actually stole my joy and made me feel really awful about it because I knew others are more needy with regard to the financial side than I am. So after a few days of feeling really down and condemned and all, I went to talk to then Dean of Studies about it. She told me that the pastors had prayed and my name came to mind. The Holy Spirit apparently recommended me. She said that the other name that came to their minds was Rinna, so if I had declined their offer, whe would have received the offer. Instead, she apparently will be offered a cleaning job. Interesting. So anyway, after hearing that, I felt a real peace about accepting the job.

Then job number three is my babysitting of Angelina job ;-)

Me beautiful niece

My beautiful little niece at five months. Oh she is by far the cutest baby ;-)

Beach bums?

We ran about 4km yesterday on the sand at Scarborough beach, which was great. Then we went swimming and finished the sesh at Dome cafe for refreshments ;-) What a radiant, healthy bunch of chicks :oD

Lots...

Lotsa things have happened over the last couple of weeks. I just finished six exams and a whole lot of assignments and we're heading up to graduation shortly!

With regard to that night-fill job, it's funny cos I put in my CV Saturday, got a phone call Monday to come in for an interview and then when I went in, I was just overwhelmed with peace. Colossians 3:15 says to let the peace of God be your umpire. Within 5 minutes, the Manager said she would be happy to take me on board. Easy. I had the 3hr induction training last Saturday. Pretty boring cos we just filled out numerous forms and watched DVDs about correct lifting techniques. Not the most enthralling viewing material, but anyway, I believe God has a divine plan for me being there. My first proper shift is tomorrow night.

Anyway, last week during morning tea at college, one of the pastors came up to me and asked me if I would like to do an office job at church, doing all the administrative work behind the scenes for the correspondence students. I realised over the weekend that this would mean I would have to do second year Bible college starting next year (I was considering having a six-month break), because they don't actually pay you, but rather deduct money out of your Bible college fees. Pretty cool. So, on Tuesday I decided to accept their offer, meaning I will work two afternoons a week for the Church, sitting out the front! I guess they saw me faithful in the little things (e.g. volunteering in bookshop, interceding for the students every week, making it to prayer every morning at college...) that it's like I got a small promotion.

And I have agreed to babysit Angelina three days a week for Jules for cash during my holidays, I am not so sure I want to continue this into next year's Bible college though!

And then there's Angelique's Saturday running group that I would love to get to every Saturday. So suddenly, my life has become very busy. Maybe a bit too busy. Nah, His grace is sufficent. Apparently, second year is not as intense. Oh I hope they are right.

Me at 6mths old :-) hehe

A poem about Jesus' baptism

For one of our assignments, we were asked to creatively express an incident from the life of Jesus that appeals to us. I chose the baptism of Jesus and because i have zilcho talent when it comes to drawing, paiting, sculpting, song-writing, skit-writing, etc..., i had no choice but to write a poem. Haha ...boy, i can certainly say it really stretched me, especially coming up with one that rhymes! The Scripture was:

Matthew 3:13-17: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”. Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”.

And here's my poem:

A man called John
Knew right from wrong
His job to baptize
Was made a delight
When he met the Son of God

A radiant man
With a wise plan
Jesus was gracious
Had a sweet fragrance
And a heavenly band

John was humble
Perhaps with a mumble
And stars in his eyes
When asked to baptise
A man so noble

But Jesus had wisdom
Enough to convince him
It was God’s will
A plan to fulfill
Total submission

When Jesus arose
In wet clothes
A season ended
A dove descended
To the one God chose

Jesus was anointed
By divine appointment
His ministry started
For the broken hearted
And those disjointed

His Father so proud
Couldn’t help being loud
He boldly proclaimed
His pleasure and fame
With cheering allowed

New perspective

Well, after feeling somewhat grieved about last night, I woke up with a new sense of purpose and determination to change my circumstances.

I am not sure if it was the Holy Spirit or me, but I had this idea come into my mind about applying for one of those night fill jobs at Coles. I just rang up the Coles nearest to me and sure enough, they have some night fill positions available. So I am currently preparing my CV to get one of those jobs. I used to work at the same store for 3.5 years through my uni days and I know their casual rate is really good and they treat their staff fairly, so I figure why not give it a shot. I could do with a bit more exercise each week and I know my arm muscles are in superb form from my boot camp days, and also from looking after Angelina so much. She is still about 6kg in weight.

I just rang up Val from VLC bookshop where I work Sunday nights and Ps Judy, the Dean of the Bible college, and both said I can use them as referees. In fact Val said she would give me a glowing reference. Yippee do :-)

Last night I surfed the real estate website and found a beautiful little unit for $270 per week, which is fully furnished. The idea of a furnished unit was something I used to find off-putting previously, however, this one is done up with quite tasteful furniture and I was thinking about how much more convenient it would be to just move into a unit like that - so much less hassles, no removal van needed, no begging people to help me, etc... easy! The rent is more than I was expecting, but if I get a casual job, it would be manageable. Defintiely worth the freedom and peace! I am not sure I will apply for that unit, but it certainly has me thinking a bit deeper than I did before.

Wake-up call

Went to Villa Picasso tonight for Tam's 20th bday. A couple of weeks ago, Julz surprised me with a request for me to babysit Angelina because she was going to a women's meeting at a church somewhere. I was pretty stoked, so of course I said yes. Anyway, I only realised a couple of nights ago that the night she planned to go just so happened to be the same night at Tam's bday dinner. I asked mum if she could babysit Angelina instead, but she said no and so I made the wrong decision to bring her along to the dinner party. BIG mistake.

I dressed up in a beautiful white floral dress and a cream wrap-around lacy woven cardigan and brown boots, and I dressed up Angelina really nicely too in a soft pink woollen jumpsuit. When we got there, it was in an upstairs, warm sunny room and I realised straight away that we were both dressed way too warmly (my jacket being a tie around top that wasn't really suited to taking off). Then as the guests started to arrive, Angelina started getting unsettled and we were both breaking into a sweat and it was just awful and the people I didn't know asked me whose baby it was and I had to explain that she was my sister's baby, and then the ones I already knew commented about how I must spend more time with her than her mum and I said how Julz was at a church meeting in answer to prayer and it got me into some awkward conversations. I couldn't really get up and move around and socialise either because I had Angelina on my lap.

Then the dinners started coming out, and because I had to hold Angelina, I had chosen one of two easy-to-eat-with-one-hand dishes, which was the gnocci. Well the gnocci was not only hot in temperature, but also in spice levels and I didn't really like the taste of it, so it made me sweat even more.

A few people tried to settle Angelina for me while I attempted to eat the meal, but she just kept crying and so I left my meal and raced her out the door and as soon as we got to the car she quietened down. I realised I had to leave. So I ran back upstairs with my money for the meal I had barely touched, handed it to Tammy and apologised before leaving without talking to anyone else.

I left feeling so disappointed with the realisation that helping to babysit Angelina is destroying my life. I do look after her to much and I need to break away and get on with my own life.

Erin took these photos with my camera for me. Such beautiful people present, such a shame I couldn't talk to them ;-( Urrrggghhh

Prophecy

In August last year, some American dude prophesied over me and I am realising he was spot on with regard to what God was planning to do in my life! I have seen some of what he said come to pass this year.

He said that:

1. God was bringing me into a place of intimacy and fellowship so that I would know absolutely that what's happening around me would not affect what's happening inside me, and that God would bring a maturity inside me in such a way that i'd willing to walk with the Lord no matter what happens;
2. God was going to bring a spirit of intercession upon me so that I would begin to cry out to the Lord for not only what I think i'm lacking, but i'm going to be carrying the burden of the Lord, the heart of the Lord for other people, and as I begin to hear the Lord for other people, I will also hear the Lord for myself;
3. God was removing the weightiness about myself and bringing about the weightiness of His own heart and His own glory, about a nation, about people around me;
4. God would put the Word of the Lord in prayer inside me that when I pray what's on His heart, I would find out that it has an effect and by doing that a fresh confidence from the Holy Spirit would come to me so I know that I am not left behind or left out;
5. he saw a detour, but I have an on-ramp onto the express way and God is going to give me a way to get on, i'm not going to be going on the side, but i'm gonna be able to get on and go quickly; and
6. the joy of the Lord would become my portion and everyone around me would begin to drink of my cup. The joy of the Lord would be my strength.

This year, I have been brought into fellowship with some amazing people through Bible college and in contrast to last year when my circumstances overwhelmed me and brought me so much grief, I am now not moved by what I see and hear around me, but rather my eyes are focussed on God and I have peace in my life. God keeps him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him, because he trusts in Him [Isaiah 26:3].

The spirit of intercession has come on me in a huge way. It's funny cos in the first couple of terms, I opted to do the highschool outreach program, which meant serving breakfast to the kids and consequently missing 8am prayer on those mornings. Each student is only expected to rock up in their allocated week to pray for the needs of the day, yet I felt myself craving to attend every day of every week. Then I changed my outreach program to a Friday morning service, so I can attend all the prayer sessions. On the three days I bring my niece to college, she comes with me! Then in addition to that, I have been asked to join a group of intercessors to pray for other, more specific needs. I know I am walking in God's will with regard to attending this group. I leave feeling so refreshed and uplifted and I am starting to hear God's voice clearly for others.

Then true to the prophetic words, I am also starting to hear what the Holy Spirit has to say with regard to my own issues. For example, last Saturday I woke up and heard the Holy Spirit say to curse the root of bitterness in my mother. I have never thought of praying that for her.

I have also felt drawn to attend the VLC Prayer for the Nations weekly meetings and guess what happens there? - I find out all about God's heart for the nation! How interesting.... and it's true about the Word of the Lord getting inside me and into my prayers. I pretty much only pray the Word of God now, cos that's the most powerful way to pray because God's angels hearken to the Word of God (Psalm 103:20) and God is ready to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12) and His words NEVER return void (Isaiah 55:11). I am definitely starting to see results from my prayers, the fruit of disciplining my flesh to pray pray pray!!!

I know Bible college is the detour he was talking about. I haven't seen the on-ramp express lane yet, but I believe that's the career path God has for me after Bible college.

The joy of the Lord is my strength. I have such a joyful prayer language to sing in and lots of students have said it sounds so full of joy. I know God's joy flows out of my life now, I can feel it carrying me through each day and being imparted through contagious smiles. Glory to God, He is turning my life around so much.

Farewell party

Last night I went to a farewell party for Dan, Ben and Mike, only Mike couldn't make it....actually Jelli only just organised it early afternoon yesterday, so a lotta people couldn't make it. You'd think she would've checked that Mike could make it tho!!! hahaha ;oD Anyway, there were just a few of us and we spent the night taking loads of silly piccies, including these: