Wish List for Aus!

Heya, Am just going to keep editing this blog post for now, so stay tuned:)

My mobile while I am in Aus (till 27th) is 0420 804 427. I will try and keep this updated, and for those who are interested, will check things off as they happen... if they happen:) It's looking good though so far, am very grateful:) thanks all!:)



I am having a home day today so I can clean up and get some things done before I head off next weekend, but I was listening to a sermon on prayer and how we should be specific in our requests. Later on I was thinking about my trip back to Aus, and decided to write up a wish list! This isn’t a list of things that have to happen, rather a list of things I would love to have happen, things that are special to me back home…

Happy reading:)

I would like to:
- spend lots of time with my family
IN PROGRESS- MY NEICE, EVIE IS A JOY AND DELIGHT TO ALL, AND I AM LOVING MY TIME WITH HER AND THE FAMILY

- spend lots of time with my friends
AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT, BUT IT'S IN PLANNING AT THE MOMENT:) Am reaching saturation point. I am so keen to see and catch up with everyone, but it's time to stop chasing.

- Have brunch at the Bather’s Pavilion
THERE'S TALK ABOUT THIS ONE...! STAY TUNED! AM GOING TO THE BEACH THERE ON FRIDAY WITH MY SISTER AND EVIE THOUGH:)- the beach with Nat and Evie was lovely- there was even a wedding happening in the pavillion there- the bride and bridemaids were dressed in Japanese outfits, and Elvis ran the wedding!! WAY BIZARRE!

WHY, oh why did I wait so long to go there! WHat was I thinking!! It was lovely, so much so that I want to sneak back before I go- tomorrow afternoon! Balmoral Beach os so very special to me for sooooo many reasons, but I have just added one more to the list:) SO, on my sister's birthday, the day before I leave, I have been to BAther's pavilion:) awesome!

- Go to the beach for a swim with real surf!
HAPPENING TOMORROW (THURSDAY) WITH MY BROTHER IF IT'S NOT TOO COLD!
It was freezing, and scary big waves!:)

- Share about what’s been happening here, with my new job, the training I have been doing, and the new developments at work in the last year.
I AM PREACHING NEXT WEEKEND!!!

- Go for some long country drives
HEADING UP TO NEWCASTLE NEXT WEEK! Actually, I drove through the Southern highlands(stopped for lunch at a friends) to CAnbera on Monday which was a delight! It was raining HK style(pouring!) and was a treat! I headed back up to NEwcastle, then back to Sydney, and a long lovely drive along Comenarra Way which I had never done before- lovely!

- stay in Katoomba for a few days(Hmm...won't be happening unfort, but looking at other possibilities...!) note to self: holiday means stopping and having a holiday- aka going to Katoomba!)

- stay at my sister’s and her family’s house
PROBABLY WON'T BUT WILL HANG OUT THERE LOTS WITH THEM ALL:)

- eat some good Aussie food
IN PROGRESS..:) Good fish, Haloumi, chocolate, cooked breakfast, cafe faire, Kangaroo tonight! Loads of figs!

- Drink some good Aussie wine
VERY MUCH IN PROGRESS:)

- Drink some champagne!:)
HAD SOME YESTERDAY, THOUGH IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THE LAST OF IT! Yup, there was more

- Go to the movies
(ANyone want to go with me?:)) Anyone? Anyone???

- see my Grandparents
HAD THE WEEKEND WITH DAD'S PARENTS AND SHOULD BE GOING TO CANBERRA TO SEE MUM'S MUM SOON. Have seen all the Grandparents which was great.

- see what’s new and changed
Lots has

- share what God has been teaching me
Yup, am preaching on Sunday! Wow, looking at situations where God has taken a small group of people and done big things through them- sounds familiar?:)
Yup, I preached this morning- what a thought, but it was lovely and encouraging to see them all encouraged! For a tiny little church, they do brilliantly, and faithfully go out and share God's love to the local community!

- hear what God has been teaching you.
Yup, this has been happening- it's lovely to see where people are at now. I had a lovely time with a great friend who I don't think I have seen since I first went to HK, as she has been travelling herself, and it was brilliant to share stories and the amazing things GOd has done in each of our lives!

- Go to North Sydney Markets (the ones under the Harbour Bridge).
Not going to happen by the looks of it:(

- Enjoy the sunshine and clear blue skies
YUP, HAVE BEEN LOVING IT!

- Go to my favourite places
Have been to many!

- meet all the babies, toddlers and new families (met Oliver, Evangline and Imogen today!:) Stayed with Jack, caught up with Sophie and Joe today. HAve a few more to see next week:)

- go and see a play at the Theatre
Didn't happen unfort, will have to make better use of the shows that come to Hong Kong in future!

- see some awesome sunsets
Yup, did do!

- get a manicure (I have never had one and my nails are a mess!:))
Got one yesterday with Christy- we were both very pleased with the results!:)

- have fish and chips on the beach(with Nat and Evie on Friday at Balmoral- lovely. I had F and C in a pub too, but they weren't that great:)

- Eat some real Gelato!!(Rasberry and chocolate are still the best combo!)
Had some Rasberry and Chocolate at Darling HArbour with Christy, and last night had Toblerone and Lemon with Clare- at Bar Italia in Leighchart- awesome! I hadn't been there in years!:) Blood orange is a new favorite!

- Have a car to use while I am at home
YAY- HAVE ONE FOR THE WHOLE TIME I AM HERE- IT MAKES SUCH A HUGE DIFFERENCE!

- Get some new books to read.
Oh dear....went to Koorong (Christian book shop) yesteryday! It was great, though to come out with a lovely stack of books and CD's, as usually I am overwhelmed by the enormous size of the place, and the amount of....books not worth buying that are there! I can' wait to read what I have now though!

- Strange but true: Go to Chinatown for Yum Cha!:)
It was nearly going to happen next week..:) It nearly happened last night, though not yum cha, but was rained out- went to an awesome pizza restaurant and gelato shop instead:)

I AM ALSO MEETING UP WITH A FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE PLANNING TRIPS UP TO HONG KONG, INCLUDING SOME GROUPS WHICH IS EXCITING! AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE I WILL GET UP TO:) THERE IS A HK GATHERING NEXT WEEKEND TOO WHICH IS EXCITING!
Have I missed anything? Want to join me in doing any of these??:)
See you soon!

Holidays in Australia

I had such plans to do so many things this week, including catching up on emails, and writing to you all to let you know that I am coming back to Aus for hols, from 3 February to 27 February, so if you're around, I would love to catch up!


Stay tuned!!
ps... why have the emails not been sent? I finally had some time... and got sick!:(

Strength and Courage

I found this poem when looking on a website about living with phobias(reasearch!:)) And was struck by this poem on the 'inspirations' page, so thought I would share:) We all need some Strength and Courage!


The Difference Between Strength and Courage

It takes strength to be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle.

It takes strength to stand guard,
It takes courage to let down your guard.

It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to hide your own pains,
It takes courage to show them.

It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.

May the world hug you today
With its warmth, and love
And may the wind carry a voice
That tells you there is a friend
Sitting in another corner of the world wishing you well!


Author not known

Have an Ephesians 3:14-20 Year too!

I know I have just told you about the reference Ephesians 3:20, but someone else wrote to us about not only 3:20, but Ephesians 3:14 to 20! And in the message!!

I was blown away again by the words, as well as the fuller context of the words, so once again I share with you Ephesian 3:20, and more! Read, Soak, Enjoy!


Ephesians 3:14-20

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

My Christmas Present to Jesus…

Every Christmas day, we celebrate in a special kind of way. We all gather together in the morning, brunch, coffee, and various yummy foods are prepared and brought out, and the family here gather together for a time of celebration, and of sharing birthday presents that we are each going to give to Jesus.

Now how does one do that, I hear you say?!:)

Well, it’s not as hard as it sounds, and every year, seems to get more special and turns into something that really blesses us in turn!

We start a while before, and usually look at the year that’s been and think about something special, something unique that only we can give to Jesus. It can be a song, reading something from the bible, a gift of something, something like, our heart, our whole lives, our Hope, our heart for something in particular, it really doesn’t matter WHAT it is, what matters is that it is something personal, precious that you would like to give back to Jesus!

What did I give this year?? I have been thinking over the last year, and what I gave Jesus last year. It was my strength and courage. I don’t have much, but it was his to use as he like, and he really did, and looking back, I really can see it!

As I walk into the New Year, I have realised that I am starting many new and unknown things- new job, new ministry, church, and who knows what else, so wanted to give back to God all my footsteps, every step I take, wherever that may be. As a reminder to me, though of that gift, I bought a new pair of work shoes to remind me of that gift as I wear them.

Even a week after the year has begun, new turns have taken place, so who know where this gift, and these shoes will take me:)

You're FREE!!

Have you ever thought about what that means?? It struck me on New Year's Eve, but I ahven't had much more of a chance to think about it since then, but some references that I have found are as below.......

1Peter
(2:13) Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, (2:14) or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. (2:15) For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. (2:16) Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God

James
(2:12) Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom

(1:25) But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Eph
(3:12) In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (3:13) I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.


Galations
(5:1) It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.


Psalm
(98:1) Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.


So a challenge.. to sing a new song... of Freedom in Christ!