so i went to an afl game last night. interesting. combination of....basketball, soccer, football, hockey, wrestling, ufc, netball, volleyball, cross country, and any other sport you can think of. it was interesting.
anyways. brisbane lions were playing the collingwood magpies. and the pies are ranked number 2 in the nation. well. we got our butts spanked...UNTIL!...the 3rd quarter (each quarter is 30 minutes long...ugh) and we pulled ahead with one goal. and then 4th quarter...we just kept winning and winning and winning. final score was 88 to 80.
and if you really want all the rules of the game...here you go:
Australian rules football
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Australian Football League
Nickname(s) Australian rules football, football, footy, Aussie rules, AFL
First played 1859, Melbourne, Australia
Australian rules football, also officially known as Australian football, is a variant of football played outdoors between two teams of 18 players, plus four interchange players, on large oval-shaped grass fields, with a ball in the shape of a prolate spheroid. The game is commonly referred to as football, Aussie rules or as footy. In New South Wales and Queensland, where it has lower popularity, it is often known as AFL, after the Australian Football League.
The primary aim of the game is to score goals by kicking the ball between the middle two posts of the opposing goal. The winner is the team with the higher total score at the end of the fourth quarter. Except for special circumstances, if the score is tied, a draw is declared.
Players may use any part of their body to advance the ball. The primary methods are kicking, handballing and running with the ball. There are rules on how the ball can be handled, for example players running with the ball must intermittently bounce or touch it on the ground. Throwing the ball is not allowed and players must not get caught holding the ball. Unlike most similar sports, there is no offside rule, and players can roam the field freely. Possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when a free kick is paid. A distinctive feature of the game is the mark, where players anywhere on the field who catch a ball from a kick, are awarded a free kick. Australian rules is a contact sport, in which players can tackle using their hands or use their whole body to obstruct opponents. Dangerous physical contact (such as a pushing an opponent in the back), interference when marking and deliberately slowing the play are discouraged with free kicks, distance penalties or suspension, depending on the seriousness of the infringement. Frequent physical contests, aerial marking or "speckies", fast movement of both players and the ball and high scoring are the game's main attributes.
Details of the game's origins in Australia are obscure and still the subject of much debate. Australian football became organised in Melbourne in May 1859, when the first laws of the game were published by the Melbourne Football Club.
Australian football is a major participation and spectator sport in Australia. The most prestigious national competition in Australia is the Australian Football League (AFL), which culminates in the annual AFL Grand Final, currently the highest attended club championship event in the world. The AFL has governed the sport nationally since 1993 and internationally since 2005 through the AFL Commission and the AFL Laws of the Game Committee. The game is also played at amateur level in several countries and in several variations.
The playing field, which may be approximately 150 metres (or more) long goal to goal and 135 metres (or more) wide boundary line to boundary line wing to wing. Approximately 3 to 5 metres of boundary line space from the boundary line to the fence is also required. The centre square is 50m x 50m. The curved fifty metre line is 50 m away from the centre of the goal. For professional Australian Football the 50 metre lines should not intersect the front or back edge of the centre square (which is why 150m from goal to goal is considered about regulation size (some grounds are longer)). Adjacent goal and behind posts are 6.4 metres apart. The goal square is 9m long.
Both the ball and the field of play are elliptical in shape. No more than 18 players of each team are permitted to be on the field at any time.
Up to four interchange (reserve) players may be swapped for those on the field at any time during the game. In Australian rules terminology, these players wait for substitution "on the bench" – an area with a row of seats on the sideline.
There is no offside rule nor are there set positions in the rules; unlike many other forms of football, players from both teams disperse across the whole field before the start of play. Typically, each team consists of six "forwards", six "defenders", two "wingmen" (or "centres") and four "followers " (or "ruck rovers"), as well as four reserves who can replace any player at any time. There is a rule which stipulates that only four players from each team are allowed within the 50 m centre square before every centre bounce, which occurs at the commencement of each quarter, and to restart the game after a goal is scored. There are also other rules pertaining to allowed player positions during set plays (i.e., after a mark or free kick) and during kick-ins following the scoring of a behind.
A game consists of four quarters and a timekeeper officiates their duration. In professional Australian Football, quarters are 20 minutes plus time on. Time on refers to clock being stopped when the ball is out of play, meaning that an average quarter could last for 27 to 31 minutes. At the end of each quarter, teams change their scoring end.
Games are officiated by umpires. Australian football begins after the first siren, the umpire bounces the ball on the ground, and the two ruckmen (typically the tallest players from each team), battle for the ball in the air on its way back down.
The ball can be propelled in any direction by way of a foot, clenched fist (called a handball or handpass) or open-hand tap but it cannot be thrown under any circumstances. Throwing is defined in the rules quite broadly but is essentially any open hand disposal that causes the ball to move upward in the air.
A player may run with the ball but it must be bounced or touched on the ground at least once every 15 metres. Opposition players may bump or tackle the player to obtain the ball and, when tackled, the player must dispose of the ball cleanly or risk being penalised for holding the ball. The ball carrier may only be tackled between the shoulders and knees. If the opposition player forcefully contacts a player in the back whilst performing a tackle, the opposition player will be penalised for a push in the back. If the opposition tackles the player with possession below the knees, it is ruled as a low tackle or a trip, and the team with possession of the football gets a free kick.
If a player takes possession of the ball that has travelled more than 15 metres from another player's kick, by way of a catch, it is claimed as a mark and that player may then have a free kick (meaning that the game stops while he prepares to kick from the point at which he marked). Alternatively, he may choose to "play on:" forfeiting the set shot in the hope of pressing an advantage for his team (rather than allowing the opposition to reposition while he prepares for the free kick). Once a player has chosen to play on, normal play resumes and the player who took the mark is again able to be tackled.
There are different styles of kicking depending on how the ball is held in the hand. The most common style of kicking seen in today's game, principally because of its superior accuracy, is the drop punt (the ball is dropped from the hands down, almost to the ground, to be kicked so that the ball rotates in a reverse end over end motion as it travels through the air). Other commonly used kicks are the torpedo punt (also known as the spiral, barrel, or screw punt; the ball is held at an angle and kicked, which makes the ball spiral in the air, like a rugby throw, resulting in extra distance) and the checkside punt or "banana", kicked across the ball on the outside of the foot is used to curve the ball (towards the right if kicked off the right foot) towards targets that are on an angle. There is also the "snap," which is almost the same as a checkside punt, except that it is kicked off the inside of the foot and curves in the opposite direction. It is also possible to kick the ball so that it bounces along the ground. This is known as a "grubber". Grubbers can bounce in a straight line, or curve to the left or right.
Apart from free kicks or when the ball is in the possession of an umpire for a ball up or throw in, the ball is always in dispute and any player from either side can take possession of the ball.
The two tall central posts are the goal posts, and the two shorter outer posts are the behind posts.
A goal is scored when the football is propelled through the goal posts at any height (including above the height of the posts) by way of a kick from the attacking team. It may fly through on the full or bounce through, but must not have been touched, on the way, by any player from either team. A goal cannot be scored from the foot of an opposition (defending) player.
A behind is scored when the ball passes between a goal post and a behind post at any height, or if the ball hits a goal post, or if an attacking player sends the ball between the goal posts by touching it with any part of the body other than a foot. A behind is also awarded to the attacking team if the ball touches any part of an opposition player, including his foot, before passing between the goal posts. When an opposition player deliberately scores a behind for the attacking team (generally as a last resort, because of the risk of their scoring a goal) this is termed a rushed behind. Before the start of the 2009 season, this would be the same score as a regular behind. However, because in the 2008 grand final the Hawthorn Football Club rushed 11+ behinds, a new rule was introduced stating that the behind will be counted and the player that rushed the behind will also concede a free kick in the goal square.
A goal is worth 6 points whereas a behind is worth 1 point. The goal umpire signals a goal with two hands raised at elbow height, a behind with one hand, and then confirms the signal with the other goal umpire by waving flags above his head.
The team that has scored the most points at the end of play wins the game. If the scores are level on points at the end of play, then the game is a draw; extra time applies only during finals matches in some competitions.
As an example of a score report, consider a match between St Kilda Football Club and the Sydney Swans. St Kilda's score of 15 goals and 11 behinds equates to 101 points. Sydney's score of eight goals and ten behinds equates to a 58 point tally. St Kilda wins the match by a margin of 43 points. Such a result would be written as "St Kilda 15.11 (101) defeated Sydney Swans 8.10 (58)" and said "St Kilda fifteen eleven, one hundred and one defeated Sydney Swans eight ten, fifty-eight."
Players generally wear shorts and a sleeveless shirt called a "jumper" or "Guernsey".
The football season, proper, is from March to August (early autumn to late winter in Australia) with finals being held in September. In the tropics, the game is sometimes played in the wet season (October to March). Pre-season competitions in southern Australia usually begin in late February.
The AFL is recognised by the Australian Sports Commission as being the National Sporting Organisation for Australian rules football. There are also seven state/territory-based organisations in Australia, most of which are now either owned by or affiliated to the AFL.
Most of these hold annual semi-professional club competitions while the others oversee more than one league. Local semi-professional or amateur organisations and competitions are often affiliated to their state organisations.
The AFL is the de facto world governing body for Australian rules football. There are also a number of affiliated organisations governing amateur clubs and competitions around the world.
For almost all Australian rules club competitions the aim is to win the Premiership. The premiership is always decided by a finals series. The teams that occupy the highest positions on the ladder play off in a "semi-knockout" finals series. From the 1930s the finals series was usually contested by the top four teams (3rd versus 4th (First semifinal); 1st versus 2nd (Second semifinal); winner of First versus loser of Second (Preliminary final); the winner of Second versus winner of Preliminary playing in the Grand Final for the premiership). Many leagues have adopted a final series involving 5, 6 or 8 teams with a variety of methods used to determine the winner. The AFL finals system is contested by the top 8 teams.
Unlike most soccer competitions there are usually no separate "league" and "cup" trophies. The team finishing first on the ladder is often referred to as a 'minor premier', although this bears little or no significance. In the AFL, this is the McClelland Trophy and is considered a consolation prize. The team that finishes at the bottom of the ladder at the end of the season receives 'the wooden spoon'
It is also rare for promotion and relegation to occur in Australian Rules Football competitions. Most famously, this occurred in 1997. Former South Australian National Football League side the Port Adelaide Football Club founded in 1870 and formerly known as the Magpies between 1902 and 1996 was awarded the second South Australian AFL licence to play in the national competition. It was required to change its colours, guernseys and nickname (now Power) to avoid a clash with the Collingwood Magpies. It entered the Australian Football League in 1997 after 126 years of competing locally. The Port Adelaide Football club remains the only Australian Football club to be elevated to the national competition in its own right, a true recognition of the clubs domination of the local league and its position as the oldest football club in South Australia.
well there you go. thank you wikipedia.
May 30, 2010
God is Good (Isaiah 7).
Pastor Steve. Hillsong Brisbane Campus. Sunday, May 30th, 2010.
God is Good (Isaiah 7).
King Ahaz--God sends a prophet Isaiah to talk to him (Isaiah 7).
Verse 4 (advice)--be careful, keep calm, don't be afraid, don't lose heart.
Don't lose heart: don't lose confidence and trust in God. Let Him take you through what you to go through, your trials, your struggles.
Verse 7--the message is from the Sovereign LORD, and it's from the Sovereign LORD who is on YOUR side. So whatever you are going through, know that is is the Sovereign LORD that's on your side.
Verse 14--The LORD will give you a sign for when you are facing trials. Immanuel: GOD IS WITH US!
4 Truths about Immanuel: God is with us.
1. GOD is with us.
To keep on going, have God first in your life. Put Him above your trials, struggles. You can suffer through anything (lose loved ones, financial struggles) and know that there is a tomorrow.
Deuteronomy 4:9: Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
Malachi 3:6: I the LORD do not change...
God's character, His promises NEVER change.
Psalm 145 is a good example of how God's character never changes. David wrote it thousands of years ago, and compare it with today and a thousand years from now how God does NOT change! Verses 8, 13, 14, 18, 20.
1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.
5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works. [b]
6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made. [c]
14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.
How GOOD has God been to you? How GENEROUS has God been to you? How LOVING has God been to you?
2. God IS with us.
Present-tense God, I AM, not limited by today's calendar. He is right here today. God is wise in not revealing our tomorrow to us. It would twist us, and turn our hearts. He is the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning, and the End.
3. God is WITH us.
God chooses to unite Himself with us. How powerful that truth is. Union with us is true and it's real.
"I will be WITH you" is used 8 times in the Bible.
Isaiah 43:2 is just an example:
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
"I am WITH you" is used 21 times in the Bible.
Isaiah 41:10: So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Jeremiah 1:8: Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD
Haggai 1:13: Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: "I am with you," declares the LORD.
He is ours because He is with us!
Matthew 28:20: and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
It's nothing about what we are involved in, but that we can serve Him with joy. He chooses to be WITH us. Serve God, serve God, serve God. When we serve people and it doesn't go the way we plan, remember that we are serving God (he was using this as a point to have volunteers and to be happy to serve).
Acts 18:10: For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.
1 Corinthians 5:4: When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present.
The LORD is here RIGHT now! It's not dependent on what the music sounded like at church, the pastor, the people we sat by. He is HERE when we come together.
4. God is with US.
Immanuel speaks a name of victory. He is on our side. It is good to know when the enemy is surrounding us, when finances are crazy, the family is going wild, etc. that God is on our side. He is with His people.
The story of David and Goliath is just one of numerous examples of God being with us.
Can you tell the enemy that your Father is bigger? That there is a tomorrow?
Can you see God? He is Eternal, He is Able.
The God of yesterday that is here today, is not One that is aging, decaying, or growing old. No. He is in His prime. He was in His prime then, and He will always be in His prime. He is God!
Look around. God is here with you.
He is within me. My address is His address. My home is His home. My body is His temple. He is within me today and tomorrow and forever.
The enemy may be more powerful than you, but remember, Immanuel. God is with us. He is power. He is on our side.
God is Good (Isaiah 7).
King Ahaz--God sends a prophet Isaiah to talk to him (Isaiah 7).
Verse 4 (advice)--be careful, keep calm, don't be afraid, don't lose heart.
Don't lose heart: don't lose confidence and trust in God. Let Him take you through what you to go through, your trials, your struggles.
Verse 7--the message is from the Sovereign LORD, and it's from the Sovereign LORD who is on YOUR side. So whatever you are going through, know that is is the Sovereign LORD that's on your side.
Verse 14--The LORD will give you a sign for when you are facing trials. Immanuel: GOD IS WITH US!
4 Truths about Immanuel: God is with us.
1. GOD is with us.
To keep on going, have God first in your life. Put Him above your trials, struggles. You can suffer through anything (lose loved ones, financial struggles) and know that there is a tomorrow.
Deuteronomy 4:9: Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
Malachi 3:6: I the LORD do not change...
God's character, His promises NEVER change.
Psalm 145 is a good example of how God's character never changes. David wrote it thousands of years ago, and compare it with today and a thousand years from now how God does NOT change! Verses 8, 13, 14, 18, 20.
1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.
5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works. [b]
6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made. [c]
14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.
How GOOD has God been to you? How GENEROUS has God been to you? How LOVING has God been to you?
2. God IS with us.
Present-tense God, I AM, not limited by today's calendar. He is right here today. God is wise in not revealing our tomorrow to us. It would twist us, and turn our hearts. He is the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning, and the End.
3. God is WITH us.
God chooses to unite Himself with us. How powerful that truth is. Union with us is true and it's real.
"I will be WITH you" is used 8 times in the Bible.
Isaiah 43:2 is just an example:
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
"I am WITH you" is used 21 times in the Bible.
Isaiah 41:10: So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Jeremiah 1:8: Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD
Haggai 1:13: Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: "I am with you," declares the LORD.
He is ours because He is with us!
Matthew 28:20: and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
It's nothing about what we are involved in, but that we can serve Him with joy. He chooses to be WITH us. Serve God, serve God, serve God. When we serve people and it doesn't go the way we plan, remember that we are serving God (he was using this as a point to have volunteers and to be happy to serve).
Acts 18:10: For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.
1 Corinthians 5:4: When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present.
The LORD is here RIGHT now! It's not dependent on what the music sounded like at church, the pastor, the people we sat by. He is HERE when we come together.
4. God is with US.
Immanuel speaks a name of victory. He is on our side. It is good to know when the enemy is surrounding us, when finances are crazy, the family is going wild, etc. that God is on our side. He is with His people.
The story of David and Goliath is just one of numerous examples of God being with us.
Can you tell the enemy that your Father is bigger? That there is a tomorrow?
Can you see God? He is Eternal, He is Able.
The God of yesterday that is here today, is not One that is aging, decaying, or growing old. No. He is in His prime. He was in His prime then, and He will always be in His prime. He is God!
Look around. God is here with you.
He is within me. My address is His address. My home is His home. My body is His temple. He is within me today and tomorrow and forever.
The enemy may be more powerful than you, but remember, Immanuel. God is with us. He is power. He is on our side.
May 27, 2010
2 weeks.
friends. i am excited to think that exactly 2 weeks from now i will have been HOME for 10 hours and 35 minutes. oh my goodness. it is so soon. can i please be excited? i have been counting down the weeks every wednesday since i had a month left. and everyone, i am STILL EXCITED to be HERE in AUSTRALIA. i am loving australia. i just miss giving my mama a hug every night and telling her that i love her. i miss the funny story telling that makes no sense every day to karissa and the goofy moments when we are in the bathroom together getting ready for the day at 7am. i miss those times. i miss my little sister's drama and playing the role of "superhero big sister! to the rescue!" and i miss tackling my brother and the snuggle times that i get with him every night we cuddle on the couch and watch a movie together. i miss talking with my dad and having ADULT conversations. woah...adult here! and the adventures that we go on in the mountains. i miss rubbing my doggies tummy and feeding him a scoop of dog food every morning and having my "morning time" with him...even if it is just feeding him and immediately letting him out before he busts his pants and then petting his soft fur and giving him a treat when he comes back in so that he will come running to me first....oh the joys of food for bribery.
i miss the mountains. i miss hiking. i miss the home life. i miss my bed and the sun shining through the basement windows on my face and waking me up because i get too hot. and i miss sharing a bathroom and having counter space! i miss walking UPSTAIRS to the kitchen and to crawl out of my hole to see everyone else upstairs. i miss how hot it is upstairs and how cold it is downstairs. having a schedule. going and seeing my friends. driving.
oh australia. what i will miss about you:
my God time. time. time time time. all the time i have here.
hillsong. sunday mornings...my alone time.
my alone time. i absolutely love it and treasure it.
xavier scaring me every chance he gets.
baking every day.
oh my goodness...the quick runs before dinner every night. and treasuring the sunsets. the sunsets. oh my goodness. i don't know why i have just fallen in love with them so much over here...probably because sunsets are spectacular. and i am excited to see the ones in utah. with the mountain silhouettes (do you know how hard that word is to spell? it needs the e before the t's).
the rain almost everyday.
the southern cross.
hiking.
snorkeling.
the beautiful sights.
the adventure of gladstone.
the adventure of hamilton island and the great barrier reef.
the adventure of the red centre.
the adventure of sydney.
the adventure of brisbane.
the adventure of grocery shopping.
the adventure of driving.
the adventure of downtown.
the adventure of just being here.
the adventure that has gone on in my heart. the changes God has brought forth.
the encouragement from everyone. friends, you are such a blessing and so wonderful.
meat and 3...6 veg every night.
sleeping for...or being in bed...for 11 hours a night. i probably sleep about 10 hours. :)
tivo.
writing in my journal every day.
the goals that i have set for being here have been met. but they can continue to be worked on. it's a never ending process and i'm thankful for the adventure of living everyday.
the friends i have made here. the people i have met. the relationships that have been built with everyone here. everyone has made a huge impact on my adventure here. and i'm so thankful for them all.
the verses:
be joyful ALWAYS; pray CONTINUALLY; give thanks in ALL circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 thessalonians 5:16-18).....even though things have been "bad....let's just say i would rather not have been in these situations"...wow, God has done amazing things with these moments. your attitude definitely changes when you read these verses and think...aww what? really? God, you serious?....but here in australia, you just let God work on your heart. BUT you let God work on your heart anywhere and everyday. and i am so excited to go home and to try this out in my "real life" and not in this blissful adventure where i have no responsibilities and am living life as a long three month vacation. what a great adventure this has been and still is.
hello. my name is kaitlyn. and i lived in australia....I GET TO SAY THIS TO PEOPLE when i introduce myself at church in the college group....
hello. my name is kaitlyn. something unique about me is....
i lived in australia.
i walked 10k around uluru.
i snorkeled with nemo and dory.
i slept under the southern cross.
i ran next to the brisbane river.
i hiked in kings canyon.
i touched the sydney opera house.
i walked inside the sydney opera house.
i touched the pacific ocean from the west side.
i ate kangaroo.
i held a koala.
i fed a kangaroo.
i conquered my fear of spiders.
i ate vegemite.
i love tea. even when it's boiling hot.
i know that 25 degrees celsius is about 80 degrees farenheit.
i drove on the left side of the road, and this time it was going with the flow of traffic.
oh australia. such a great adventure.
i miss the mountains. i miss hiking. i miss the home life. i miss my bed and the sun shining through the basement windows on my face and waking me up because i get too hot. and i miss sharing a bathroom and having counter space! i miss walking UPSTAIRS to the kitchen and to crawl out of my hole to see everyone else upstairs. i miss how hot it is upstairs and how cold it is downstairs. having a schedule. going and seeing my friends. driving.
oh australia. what i will miss about you:
my God time. time. time time time. all the time i have here.
hillsong. sunday mornings...my alone time.
my alone time. i absolutely love it and treasure it.
xavier scaring me every chance he gets.
baking every day.
oh my goodness...the quick runs before dinner every night. and treasuring the sunsets. the sunsets. oh my goodness. i don't know why i have just fallen in love with them so much over here...probably because sunsets are spectacular. and i am excited to see the ones in utah. with the mountain silhouettes (do you know how hard that word is to spell? it needs the e before the t's).
the rain almost everyday.
the southern cross.
hiking.
snorkeling.
the beautiful sights.
the adventure of gladstone.
the adventure of hamilton island and the great barrier reef.
the adventure of the red centre.
the adventure of sydney.
the adventure of brisbane.
the adventure of grocery shopping.
the adventure of driving.
the adventure of downtown.
the adventure of just being here.
the adventure that has gone on in my heart. the changes God has brought forth.
the encouragement from everyone. friends, you are such a blessing and so wonderful.
meat and 3...6 veg every night.
sleeping for...or being in bed...for 11 hours a night. i probably sleep about 10 hours. :)
tivo.
writing in my journal every day.
the goals that i have set for being here have been met. but they can continue to be worked on. it's a never ending process and i'm thankful for the adventure of living everyday.
the friends i have made here. the people i have met. the relationships that have been built with everyone here. everyone has made a huge impact on my adventure here. and i'm so thankful for them all.
the verses:
be joyful ALWAYS; pray CONTINUALLY; give thanks in ALL circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 thessalonians 5:16-18).....even though things have been "bad....let's just say i would rather not have been in these situations"...wow, God has done amazing things with these moments. your attitude definitely changes when you read these verses and think...aww what? really? God, you serious?....but here in australia, you just let God work on your heart. BUT you let God work on your heart anywhere and everyday. and i am so excited to go home and to try this out in my "real life" and not in this blissful adventure where i have no responsibilities and am living life as a long three month vacation. what a great adventure this has been and still is.
hello. my name is kaitlyn. and i lived in australia....I GET TO SAY THIS TO PEOPLE when i introduce myself at church in the college group....
hello. my name is kaitlyn. something unique about me is....
i lived in australia.
i walked 10k around uluru.
i snorkeled with nemo and dory.
i slept under the southern cross.
i ran next to the brisbane river.
i hiked in kings canyon.
i touched the sydney opera house.
i walked inside the sydney opera house.
i touched the pacific ocean from the west side.
i ate kangaroo.
i held a koala.
i fed a kangaroo.
i conquered my fear of spiders.
i ate vegemite.
i love tea. even when it's boiling hot.
i know that 25 degrees celsius is about 80 degrees farenheit.
i drove on the left side of the road, and this time it was going with the flow of traffic.
oh australia. such a great adventure.
May 20, 2010
castles, 6 veg, blueberries, footballs, soccer, baseball, and all the such.
well. this week has been a baking week.
monday i baked 2 cakes and stuck them in the fridge.
tuesday. i made vienna cream and frosted those cakes.
out came a castle!
tuesday i also made 6 veg for lunch. i was craving some veggies.
a typical australian meal consists of meat and 3 veg...some type of meat and 3 different veggies. at the catford house...we have meat and 6 veg. gotta love your vegetables.
then i made blueberry muffins on wednesday. oh my goodness. so delicious! made with REAL blueberries!
then yesterday i took a break from all the cooking.
today...i am making cupcakes.
tomorrow i will frost them.
and sunday we will eat them at xavier's birthday party. he is having a sports theme so i am going to decorate each cupcake a different sport. fun stuff!
not much going on. just a lot of down time this week. a lot of reading and baking. i read the screwtape letters and more than a carpenter this week. and did 3 devotions. today will be day number 4 of the devotion run.
this weekend is just getting ready for xavier's birthday and celebrating him.
yea.
then next week will be tanya's last week of her 6 week work term. so it will be another down week. i'll go shopping and grab the last of my souvenirs for everyone. and then next saturday i'm going to an australian football game (aft) with john and the boys. so that will be fun. and then it will be june. and then i will be home. weird.
i am excited that time is moving by quickly. but also sad. i like my God time out here. and not that i won't get it at home, it's just nice having all day doing nothing but God time. it will just be different when i get home. life will be different at home. and that's ok. life is good. love life. love God.
monday i baked 2 cakes and stuck them in the fridge.
tuesday. i made vienna cream and frosted those cakes.
out came a castle!
tuesday i also made 6 veg for lunch. i was craving some veggies.
a typical australian meal consists of meat and 3 veg...some type of meat and 3 different veggies. at the catford house...we have meat and 6 veg. gotta love your vegetables.
then i made blueberry muffins on wednesday. oh my goodness. so delicious! made with REAL blueberries!
then yesterday i took a break from all the cooking.
today...i am making cupcakes.
tomorrow i will frost them.
and sunday we will eat them at xavier's birthday party. he is having a sports theme so i am going to decorate each cupcake a different sport. fun stuff!
not much going on. just a lot of down time this week. a lot of reading and baking. i read the screwtape letters and more than a carpenter this week. and did 3 devotions. today will be day number 4 of the devotion run.
this weekend is just getting ready for xavier's birthday and celebrating him.
yea.
then next week will be tanya's last week of her 6 week work term. so it will be another down week. i'll go shopping and grab the last of my souvenirs for everyone. and then next saturday i'm going to an australian football game (aft) with john and the boys. so that will be fun. and then it will be june. and then i will be home. weird.
i am excited that time is moving by quickly. but also sad. i like my God time out here. and not that i won't get it at home, it's just nice having all day doing nothing but God time. it will just be different when i get home. life will be different at home. and that's ok. life is good. love life. love God.
May 17, 2010
let's be honest here.
ok friends. honesty time.
i am afraid to come home. what if....what if i haven't changed? what if i wasted my time here? what could i have done to spend more time with God? why did i connect with home so much? why did i not go out and explore more? do i regret my time here?
ok. those are my thoughts.
and time to think logically about these and answer these questions.
first of all. these questions are showing that i am not trusting God and that i am doubting and having fears. which is human. but i think that acknowledging these things, that i have indeed changed. it's just the start of an adventure...there are going to be changes in my heart when i get home as well. this is just the start of something great.
ok. so question...doubt number 1...i have changed. done.
doubt number 2...oh please. how could i have wasted time here? there were days that i did do nothing...a lot of days where i did nothing. but i don't think i necessarily wasted them. i learned a lot about myself those days. and there were a lot of days where i did lay around and read and just stay at the house. and i'm ok with that. i read. a lot. and i loved it.
one thing i could have done to spend more time with God was not talk to people at home. stayed off the computer. had more discipline. and really taken advantage of the time i had here...with doing "nothing" and read the bible and all those good things.
why did i connect with home so much?....because i have never done something like this and adventure. i could have stayed away from it more. it is only 3 months of my life. not like it's forever. somedays it did feel like forever. and now that it's almost over i am having a hard time being excited about being here and also about going home. there are so many conflicting emotions going on. i am an emotional roller coaster right now. BUT! i have not cried once since i have been here. well that can be looked at as an accomplishment or a sign that i don't have any emotion...psh. why cry? there have been tears of joy on numerous occasions about how overwhelmed i am by God's greatness. i am in freakin' australia folks! it is such a huge adventure and just a huge party in my heart. everyday. some parties are more "extravagant" than other days where i notice God's beauty just everywhere...and other days where it's a "little get together" where it's a day where i get to spend time and reflect on the adventure that is going on in my heart.
mmm. God is so good. i love Him.
this past week...well i guess just today and yesterday have been a little frustrating for me. just because i want everything to be so great and amazing all the time that i am wanting there to be a change in my life and that people notice ME when i come home that i am totally messing up the reason for being here. first of all. you cannot force change. only God can change the heart. and thank you jenna friend for the wisdom that you have been given so that you can share it with people like me. my prayer has been God please change my heart and make it like a heart like Yours. and since there is a "deadline" for when this has to happen....i was hoping it would have happened by now....i am stressing out. first of all. there is NO deadline. this is just the start of something wonderful. and changes can happen back in salt lake. australia is not the only place for great things to happen. and secondly, God's timing. and thirdly, stop trying to force things! i can't change my heart. AND. wow. i am so shocked at myself. i want people to notice what "I" did, how great "I" am....woah. hold up. shameful moment. i am so sorry God that i even thought those things. YOU need to be the One that is praised. thank You for the wonderful changes that You have already done in my life and for the wonderful blessings that You have so graciously blessed me daily with. thank You. thank You for being a compassionate, loving, caring God. thank You for all that You are. thank You for being my Joy.
ok. why did i not go out and explore more? because i was at the house reading. and there were times where i did go out and explore. and there honestly is not a lot of exciting things to do in brisbane. and that's ok. it was not a goal to go out and tour all of australia...it was an adventure to grow closer to God. i didn't know how that would look. and me staying at the house and reading was just great for me. not much to do in rain anyways....one of God's wonderful blessings.
and do i regret my time here...or i guess a better way of saying it would be do i regret how i spent my time here? no.
my favorite parts of australia were spent at hillsong. when i would just stare in awe at God's beautiful creation. for example...tonight. i went out to get the mail and it was dark out and i was a little afraid of running into a snake or a poison toad or a spider crawling across my foot....highly unlikely since it is around 50 degrees....but i'm not thinking about that when all i have been told about australia are the spiders and snakes....and have i seen much of those? no. anyways! i was getting the mail and i looked out towards the west and the sun had not finished setting. and the clouds...the colors. oh my goodness. the deepest dark red purple that i have ever seen. the sky was on fire. and it was beautiful. i just stood out there just watching it. and i am sad to admit i didn't enjoy it longer because i was afraid of the bugs. bugs. out in this weather? no way. (i am wearing a long sleeve and pants and i am freezing. in australia? friends...i guess it does get cold here)....so i am glad to say that everything is a learning experience. and that nothing is a regret. ok. creation....i love God's creations. especially sleeping out under the stars. there are so many "new" stars to look at. and i love it when there are those clear nights when i can actually look out and see them. and the rain. i love it.
everything out here has been so great. and i am sad that it is coming to an end. just because it feels like i just got here.
the verse for the week has been "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 peter 5:7. and i am still struggling with the "fear" about going home. it's a constant battle in my heart right now. i need to stop thinking about forcing changes upon myself. everything happens due to God's perfect timing. friends, if you could pray for me this week and these last couple of days that i am here and when i do finally reach home. just need to make the most of each day and be thankful for all that God has done. 1 thessalonians 5:16-18 are also some dear verses that i visit daily....be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.....
saying "see you later" to something that has been part of my life for the past 3 months....almost 3 months. where it's all i have known and experienced on my own and that has been so life changing...something that will always be very close and dear to my heart....that's tough.
but it's life. and we are not going through it alone.
praise God.
i am afraid to come home. what if....what if i haven't changed? what if i wasted my time here? what could i have done to spend more time with God? why did i connect with home so much? why did i not go out and explore more? do i regret my time here?
ok. those are my thoughts.
and time to think logically about these and answer these questions.
first of all. these questions are showing that i am not trusting God and that i am doubting and having fears. which is human. but i think that acknowledging these things, that i have indeed changed. it's just the start of an adventure...there are going to be changes in my heart when i get home as well. this is just the start of something great.
ok. so question...doubt number 1...i have changed. done.
doubt number 2...oh please. how could i have wasted time here? there were days that i did do nothing...a lot of days where i did nothing. but i don't think i necessarily wasted them. i learned a lot about myself those days. and there were a lot of days where i did lay around and read and just stay at the house. and i'm ok with that. i read. a lot. and i loved it.
one thing i could have done to spend more time with God was not talk to people at home. stayed off the computer. had more discipline. and really taken advantage of the time i had here...with doing "nothing" and read the bible and all those good things.
why did i connect with home so much?....because i have never done something like this and adventure. i could have stayed away from it more. it is only 3 months of my life. not like it's forever. somedays it did feel like forever. and now that it's almost over i am having a hard time being excited about being here and also about going home. there are so many conflicting emotions going on. i am an emotional roller coaster right now. BUT! i have not cried once since i have been here. well that can be looked at as an accomplishment or a sign that i don't have any emotion...psh. why cry? there have been tears of joy on numerous occasions about how overwhelmed i am by God's greatness. i am in freakin' australia folks! it is such a huge adventure and just a huge party in my heart. everyday. some parties are more "extravagant" than other days where i notice God's beauty just everywhere...and other days where it's a "little get together" where it's a day where i get to spend time and reflect on the adventure that is going on in my heart.
mmm. God is so good. i love Him.
this past week...well i guess just today and yesterday have been a little frustrating for me. just because i want everything to be so great and amazing all the time that i am wanting there to be a change in my life and that people notice ME when i come home that i am totally messing up the reason for being here. first of all. you cannot force change. only God can change the heart. and thank you jenna friend for the wisdom that you have been given so that you can share it with people like me. my prayer has been God please change my heart and make it like a heart like Yours. and since there is a "deadline" for when this has to happen....i was hoping it would have happened by now....i am stressing out. first of all. there is NO deadline. this is just the start of something wonderful. and changes can happen back in salt lake. australia is not the only place for great things to happen. and secondly, God's timing. and thirdly, stop trying to force things! i can't change my heart. AND. wow. i am so shocked at myself. i want people to notice what "I" did, how great "I" am....woah. hold up. shameful moment. i am so sorry God that i even thought those things. YOU need to be the One that is praised. thank You for the wonderful changes that You have already done in my life and for the wonderful blessings that You have so graciously blessed me daily with. thank You. thank You for being a compassionate, loving, caring God. thank You for all that You are. thank You for being my Joy.
ok. why did i not go out and explore more? because i was at the house reading. and there were times where i did go out and explore. and there honestly is not a lot of exciting things to do in brisbane. and that's ok. it was not a goal to go out and tour all of australia...it was an adventure to grow closer to God. i didn't know how that would look. and me staying at the house and reading was just great for me. not much to do in rain anyways....one of God's wonderful blessings.
and do i regret my time here...or i guess a better way of saying it would be do i regret how i spent my time here? no.
my favorite parts of australia were spent at hillsong. when i would just stare in awe at God's beautiful creation. for example...tonight. i went out to get the mail and it was dark out and i was a little afraid of running into a snake or a poison toad or a spider crawling across my foot....highly unlikely since it is around 50 degrees....but i'm not thinking about that when all i have been told about australia are the spiders and snakes....and have i seen much of those? no. anyways! i was getting the mail and i looked out towards the west and the sun had not finished setting. and the clouds...the colors. oh my goodness. the deepest dark red purple that i have ever seen. the sky was on fire. and it was beautiful. i just stood out there just watching it. and i am sad to admit i didn't enjoy it longer because i was afraid of the bugs. bugs. out in this weather? no way. (i am wearing a long sleeve and pants and i am freezing. in australia? friends...i guess it does get cold here)....so i am glad to say that everything is a learning experience. and that nothing is a regret. ok. creation....i love God's creations. especially sleeping out under the stars. there are so many "new" stars to look at. and i love it when there are those clear nights when i can actually look out and see them. and the rain. i love it.
everything out here has been so great. and i am sad that it is coming to an end. just because it feels like i just got here.
the verse for the week has been "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 peter 5:7. and i am still struggling with the "fear" about going home. it's a constant battle in my heart right now. i need to stop thinking about forcing changes upon myself. everything happens due to God's perfect timing. friends, if you could pray for me this week and these last couple of days that i am here and when i do finally reach home. just need to make the most of each day and be thankful for all that God has done. 1 thessalonians 5:16-18 are also some dear verses that i visit daily....be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.....
saying "see you later" to something that has been part of my life for the past 3 months....almost 3 months. where it's all i have known and experienced on my own and that has been so life changing...something that will always be very close and dear to my heart....that's tough.
but it's life. and we are not going through it alone.
praise God.
May 16, 2010
books. and hillsong.
books. can i tell you how thankful i am that i came to australia? i have had so much time to do reading...i composed a list last night and i have read 14 books since i have been here. wow. so much time to do so much reading. lovely. and tanya just recommended 6 more books for me to read while i am here. wow. i have some reading to do before i leave! do i have enough time? ah! time to get crack-a-lackin!
so far. i have read...
the sacred romance by brent curtis and john eldredge. loved it!
discipline: the glad surrender by elisabeth elliot. loved it as well.
the celebration of discipline by richard j. foster. loved that one.
redeeming love by francine rivers. oh my goodness did i ever love that one!
a lineage of grace by francine rivers. oh let me tell you...read it! loved it!
sons of encouragement by francine rivers. just as well...i recommend this one too.
the irresistible revolution by shane claiborne. changed my life.
the mark of the lion series: a voice in the wind
an echo in the darkness
as sure as the dawn...all by francine rivers. AMAZING!
the scarlet thread by francine rivers. uh. it was good, had a good ending.
and i have been working on the bible study: having a mary heart in a martha world by joanna weaver. it doesn't really apply to my life right now...but! who says you can't be prepared for the future?
and i am in the middle of the answers book by ken ham, jonathan sarfati, and carl wieland. totally just beating up my brain.
and i have when i don't desire God by john piper to read. but right now...i'm desiring God. so i am going to save it for later i believe.
and then the books that tanya gave me to read were:
into the wild by jon krakauer
religion is for fools by bill medley
more than a carpenter by josh mcdowell
the screwtape letters by c.s. lewis
tuesdays with morrie by mitch albom
and daughter of china by c. hope flinchbauge
and i have been reading my bible as well. so don't you worry folks. i still have time for my God time.
and 2 more books that tanya gave me to do while i am here are bible study books both by beth moore: believing God: experiencing a fresh explosion of faith and breaking free. i am loving the time i have out here. GOD TIME!
hillsong today!
i had the attitude of not wanting to go because i woke up and was not excited to do my hour of quiet time with God today. friends, i struggled this morning with wanting to spend time with Him this morning. i laid in bed and just wrestled with it, giving up my sleeping and happy worldly dreams to spend time with Him. and on my way to church i still struggled with it, so going into hillsong to go worship our Creator, the One who deserves all our praise...i was really being selfish and not wanting to be there. so how hillsong usually goes for me....(for me...yes. selfish moment here)...worship just rocks my socks off. i love! i LOVE feeling the passion in everyone and God moving in everyone's hearts and i love the time where we all come together as believers and praise our Father! how wonderful it is. and then the sermon comes...and it's not pastor kevin or pastor robert preaching. it's more of evangelical preaching where they preach to unbelievers...which is still awesome. it is great to hear because then it helps me when i talk to unbelievers...so it's still good. i just miss holladay. anyways. enough of my complaining....today...the worship was just as great, my heart was just not in it. the whole morning i am praying, God just change my heart. change my heart. make my heart on fire for You! change my heart. and so the song right before the sermon, i knew it! and when i come across songs that i don't know...i have a hard time because i can't sing from the heart, but i get the chance to let the words speak to me. so it was a learning morning. anyways, the last song...i was able to give back to God and just worship Him. huh, God was speaking to me all morning....and just feeding my soul. aww. thanks God! so today the sermon was preached by Robert Morris from dallas, texas! yea! an american! BUT! it was video cam! COOL! he was so funny and preached on luke 9:12-17.
the principles of multiplication.
God doesn't bless giving, He blesses the giver with the RIGHT heart.
finances go through addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication: God will do it to bless His kingdom to bless you!
in luke 9:12-17, it says there were 5 thousand men...well. that means 5 thousand families...so around 20 thousand people! woah baby!
Jesus is God...He knows everything, so why were there 12 baskets leftover? party sacks for the disciples?
pretend to be one of the disciples...and we're on the "Messiah Search Committee", and Jesus looks like He could be a good candidate. He can walk on water, heal the sick...so we invite everyone to come to hear Him preach and we will see how that goes. He talks, and talks and talks and talks and talks....and we, the disciples start to get hungry...v. 12: day began to wear away (means it was late! like dinner time and we had all missed morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea...we were starting to get famished!). and so we go up to Jesus and tell Him that the people are hungry (because we know He cares about the people, and the "people" are hungry) and He replies (v.13) then you give them something to eat. oh. well we only have the 2 fish and 5 loaves that we snatched from a little boy. (v. 14) He then tells us to have the people sit in groups of 50. that is a miracle in itself...people don't do things without asking questions. so we bring Jesus the food, and He blessed them and broke them and gave them to us (the disciples).
the bread didn't multiply like how we all think it would....it didn't just grow in front of us like the story of elisha feeding 100 men with 12 loaves of bread. No. Jesus just blessed it. He broke it and blessed it. the miracle happened in our hands. that's where the bread grew. not in the Master's, but in ours. He just blessed it.
so for the principles of multiplication:
1. it has to be blessed before it can multiply (hebrews 7)
it has to be given to Jesus before it can multiply
give the FIRST 10% to Him
tithing is the ONLY thing you can test God with
SHUT UP AND TRY IT!
tithers say: "God has so blessed me"
non-tithers say: "i can't afford to tithe"
Jesus is the only One that can bless it.
2. it has to be given away before it can be multiplied and blessed
don't try to manipulate things...just TRUST God.
"God is about to teach you about giving so you can bless the body of Christ"
over here are HURTING and over here are RESOURCES....and for them to connect,
PEOPLE
we are in placed in the middle.
God doesn't care if you have stuff, but if the stuff has you.
God gave us everything (John 3:16), will we give everything back to Him?
you can't trust selfish people, "ASK" is spoken to (by God) to giving people (story of king solomon...he sacrificed 1000 bulls instead of the required one when he became king...and look at him...God asked him what he wanted...and he asked for wisdom).
God would love to bless you.
that was the sermon today. it was nice. i really enjoyed it. and today someone came up to me and talked to me and so that was nice. and i stepped out of my comfort zone and talked to people. and today we were all praying for people...they will read out prayer requests and praises and i think this is a powerful time. i don't know anyone....but hey...i can pray for them. and when we all stood up and prayed for mona, this lady who got hit by a car and the doctors have told the family that they should probably pull the plug....when the church stood up and just started praying and ooo still gives me goosebumps! we are all just crying out to God, the Healer, and uplifting our prayers for mona and her family. wow. to hear everyone just cry out to God. makes me think of the time when we were in mozambique at the orphanage and we were all praying to God...we were all speaking in english, portuguese, macua...it was a beautiful thing.
i love God.
so far. i have read...
the sacred romance by brent curtis and john eldredge. loved it!
discipline: the glad surrender by elisabeth elliot. loved it as well.
the celebration of discipline by richard j. foster. loved that one.
redeeming love by francine rivers. oh my goodness did i ever love that one!
a lineage of grace by francine rivers. oh let me tell you...read it! loved it!
sons of encouragement by francine rivers. just as well...i recommend this one too.
the irresistible revolution by shane claiborne. changed my life.
the mark of the lion series: a voice in the wind
an echo in the darkness
as sure as the dawn...all by francine rivers. AMAZING!
the scarlet thread by francine rivers. uh. it was good, had a good ending.
and i have been working on the bible study: having a mary heart in a martha world by joanna weaver. it doesn't really apply to my life right now...but! who says you can't be prepared for the future?
and i am in the middle of the answers book by ken ham, jonathan sarfati, and carl wieland. totally just beating up my brain.
and i have when i don't desire God by john piper to read. but right now...i'm desiring God. so i am going to save it for later i believe.
and then the books that tanya gave me to read were:
into the wild by jon krakauer
religion is for fools by bill medley
more than a carpenter by josh mcdowell
the screwtape letters by c.s. lewis
tuesdays with morrie by mitch albom
and daughter of china by c. hope flinchbauge
and i have been reading my bible as well. so don't you worry folks. i still have time for my God time.
and 2 more books that tanya gave me to do while i am here are bible study books both by beth moore: believing God: experiencing a fresh explosion of faith and breaking free. i am loving the time i have out here. GOD TIME!
hillsong today!
i had the attitude of not wanting to go because i woke up and was not excited to do my hour of quiet time with God today. friends, i struggled this morning with wanting to spend time with Him this morning. i laid in bed and just wrestled with it, giving up my sleeping and happy worldly dreams to spend time with Him. and on my way to church i still struggled with it, so going into hillsong to go worship our Creator, the One who deserves all our praise...i was really being selfish and not wanting to be there. so how hillsong usually goes for me....(for me...yes. selfish moment here)...worship just rocks my socks off. i love! i LOVE feeling the passion in everyone and God moving in everyone's hearts and i love the time where we all come together as believers and praise our Father! how wonderful it is. and then the sermon comes...and it's not pastor kevin or pastor robert preaching. it's more of evangelical preaching where they preach to unbelievers...which is still awesome. it is great to hear because then it helps me when i talk to unbelievers...so it's still good. i just miss holladay. anyways. enough of my complaining....today...the worship was just as great, my heart was just not in it. the whole morning i am praying, God just change my heart. change my heart. make my heart on fire for You! change my heart. and so the song right before the sermon, i knew it! and when i come across songs that i don't know...i have a hard time because i can't sing from the heart, but i get the chance to let the words speak to me. so it was a learning morning. anyways, the last song...i was able to give back to God and just worship Him. huh, God was speaking to me all morning....and just feeding my soul. aww. thanks God! so today the sermon was preached by Robert Morris from dallas, texas! yea! an american! BUT! it was video cam! COOL! he was so funny and preached on luke 9:12-17.
the principles of multiplication.
God doesn't bless giving, He blesses the giver with the RIGHT heart.
finances go through addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication: God will do it to bless His kingdom to bless you!
in luke 9:12-17, it says there were 5 thousand men...well. that means 5 thousand families...so around 20 thousand people! woah baby!
Jesus is God...He knows everything, so why were there 12 baskets leftover? party sacks for the disciples?
pretend to be one of the disciples...and we're on the "Messiah Search Committee", and Jesus looks like He could be a good candidate. He can walk on water, heal the sick...so we invite everyone to come to hear Him preach and we will see how that goes. He talks, and talks and talks and talks and talks....and we, the disciples start to get hungry...v. 12: day began to wear away (means it was late! like dinner time and we had all missed morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea...we were starting to get famished!). and so we go up to Jesus and tell Him that the people are hungry (because we know He cares about the people, and the "people" are hungry) and He replies (v.13) then you give them something to eat. oh. well we only have the 2 fish and 5 loaves that we snatched from a little boy. (v. 14) He then tells us to have the people sit in groups of 50. that is a miracle in itself...people don't do things without asking questions. so we bring Jesus the food, and He blessed them and broke them and gave them to us (the disciples).
the bread didn't multiply like how we all think it would....it didn't just grow in front of us like the story of elisha feeding 100 men with 12 loaves of bread. No. Jesus just blessed it. He broke it and blessed it. the miracle happened in our hands. that's where the bread grew. not in the Master's, but in ours. He just blessed it.
so for the principles of multiplication:
1. it has to be blessed before it can multiply (hebrews 7)
it has to be given to Jesus before it can multiply
give the FIRST 10% to Him
tithing is the ONLY thing you can test God with
SHUT UP AND TRY IT!
tithers say: "God has so blessed me"
non-tithers say: "i can't afford to tithe"
Jesus is the only One that can bless it.
2. it has to be given away before it can be multiplied and blessed
don't try to manipulate things...just TRUST God.
"God is about to teach you about giving so you can bless the body of Christ"
over here are HURTING and over here are RESOURCES....and for them to connect,
PEOPLE
we are in placed in the middle.
God doesn't care if you have stuff, but if the stuff has you.
God gave us everything (John 3:16), will we give everything back to Him?
you can't trust selfish people, "ASK" is spoken to (by God) to giving people (story of king solomon...he sacrificed 1000 bulls instead of the required one when he became king...and look at him...God asked him what he wanted...and he asked for wisdom).
God would love to bless you.
that was the sermon today. it was nice. i really enjoyed it. and today someone came up to me and talked to me and so that was nice. and i stepped out of my comfort zone and talked to people. and today we were all praying for people...they will read out prayer requests and praises and i think this is a powerful time. i don't know anyone....but hey...i can pray for them. and when we all stood up and prayed for mona, this lady who got hit by a car and the doctors have told the family that they should probably pull the plug....when the church stood up and just started praying and ooo still gives me goosebumps! we are all just crying out to God, the Healer, and uplifting our prayers for mona and her family. wow. to hear everyone just cry out to God. makes me think of the time when we were in mozambique at the orphanage and we were all praying to God...we were all speaking in english, portuguese, macua...it was a beautiful thing.
i love God.
May 14, 2010
weekend goal.
so last night i was talking to my good friend natalie when we came up with a goal to help us strengthen and find a new excitement about our relationship with our dear loving Lord. this came to be when we were asking about each other's day and i had replied that mine was just a blah day. when not much had happened, it was thursday...so i had gone to bible study in the morning with some other mums from the kids' school. and it was nice, we are doing a bible study from the book "having a martha heart in a martha world" and this week we talked about "the cure" for worry. i really enjoyed it..it's hard for me to relate with the people there and to relate to the bible study. because it's about worry. and well first of all, they all talk about family worries, and so it's good for me to be prepared and to have some womanly godly wisdom for when i may have a family of my own someday. and hello. i'm in australia. what is there to worry about? i try not to worry because that means that i'm not trusting God with what He has given me. and He will not give me too much of a burden that i cannot handle. "for My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (matthew 11:30). and then i went and took olivia to swimming lessons. 20 minutes once a week. i sure hope she learns how to swim during that time. and then the rest of the day was spent just kind of lounging around. not much went on. and the afternoons are the hardest for me when i have my "alone time" because i just fall to the computer and connect with people back home and don't take advantage of what is going on here. i don't go out and explore brisbane because there is not much to do here. it's a city. and i have done what i felt like i wanted to do. and this week since i have been back from my trip last week, i have been thinking about going home and how excited i am for my time to be here be done. BUT yesterday as i was having a pity party for myself...i thought about: i have been wanting to be here in australia for so long, it was always a dream of mine when i was a young child and i have been counting down for over 190 days to be here. and now that i am here, i want to be at home?! what is this kind of attitude? i have just under a month of being here, so i should take advantage of the time that God has so graciously given me to adventure and to grow closer to Him...that was the whole goal of this trip...to grow closer to God...and the first 2 months i have done that...but i still have even MORE time to do that! why am i not taking advantage of it and using it wisely? do i think that i'll grow closer to God by wanting to be home and thinking about home and the future and what it will be like to be home? uh. well let me answer this for you quickly. NO! so fast forward to thursday night and natalie and i were talking and she asked if there was anything else that i wanted to do in australia. and i said...to be able to love the family, or at least share God's love. friends. i am still struggling. so if you feel like praying...pray that i will just be able to let God love the people that i am with. they so desperately need it, they need Him to be at the center of their lives. and i was expecting them to change while i was here and to mold to what i wanted them to be as a family and after 2 months of not having that happen, i was a little discouraged. and reality is...they are their own family. and my family is different and that's what makes our families different. and my family...i am so thankful for you! thank you for being YOU! and that i also wanted to go to an AFL (football) game while i was here, which is happening at the end of the month. and i want to go to hillsong everyday. oh the spiritual rejuvenation that i receive every sunday. oh how i look forward to it (i was sad that today was only friday. i look forward to worshipping with other PASSIONATE believers every sunday. and it is just so uplifting and ooo! i don't know how to describe it...joyful. my heart just jumps with joy when i am in there with everyone and just feeling God move through everyone that is in the room. we all gather together to worship our loving Creator! let's be excited people!). so after a while of talking and discussing our attitudes and how we need to be living in the moment and live each day TODAY and not living in the future, natalie came up with a genius idea.
Natalie
let's make a goal... for the next three days... to actively pursue God and be extra conscious about growing closer to him.
maybe you have already been doing that
1:48amMe
i like this....take things a step further than what we already do in our lives.
1:48amNatalie
i haven't really... i havent been pursuing Him full heartedly
yes
so no matter where we are at right now
ask God to help us go deeper with him
1:49amMe
oh i haven't either. i haven't been taking advantage of the time that i have been given. and that was kind of something i read about in the next chapter of our bible study today. it's called living room intimacy and where we need to take advantage of the time where God wants to spend time with us. it's not just us wanting to go and spend time with Him, He wants to spend time with us as well. and when i looked at it from that perspective. i was knocked off my feet.
1:50amNatalie
oh yeah, totally.
ok. so for the next three days im am going to make two commitments
i am going to commit to putting God first and allowing him to be in the front of my mind.
and i am going to commit to be praying for you a lot through out the days
pray for your relationship with God and deepening with Him... and whatever else God shows me to be praying for you.
1:51amMe
i like those. ok my 2 commitments are to..3 commitments for the next 3 days: continue to work on having God at the center of my life for the WHOLE day. not just the mornings or evenings. the WHOLE day. and 2. spend an hour with God. lock myself away, turn on music, have my bible out, pray, LISTEN, rejoice, write. spend an hour of quality time with God. 3. pray for you that you will be able to have such a life changing 3 days with God that will totally just rock your world and reshape your life.
1:57amMe
so i think that i will not get on facebook for the next 3 days. but on the 4th day...i'm going to get on and tell you all the things that happened. and what amazing things God did. small or life changing. it will be amazing and i'm excited for these next 3 days of intimacy with our Lord.
so that was the genius idea and let me tell you...day one has been wonderful. it's been going on the whole day! and it started off with waking up at 6 and just handing things back over to our Lord. why do i keep trying to control things that i have no control over? it's not mine to have...so there are days where i have to hand things back over what seems like minute after minute, but it's such a joyful freedom when i release it and hand it over to Him. and then i was laying in bed for a while before i started the day off with proverbs 14. and then i just laid there and prayed. i don't want to sound proud or anything, i just had a huge accomplishment within myself. i prayed for a whole hour. i just laid there and talked with God! i have a hard time listening. i just like to talk and try to make up what i think He would say, or what i want to hear. so i prayed for a clear mind and a heart that would listen. and i tried to keep an empty mind for a while. but i somehow ended up getting distracted and just started talking. which is fine. God wants us to talk to Him. i'm working on the whole listening thing. and with time i hope to one day be able to succeed. towards the end of the hour, i was questioning God why He would want all my sins, doubts, negative thoughts, mistakes...all the yucky stuff, and this is what i heard: so that we can have freedom in worshipping Him. and you know what? that was the best news i had ever heard. at that moment i said, God, You can have it so that nothing is holding me back and so that i can just worship You. before i always had a hard time handing everything over to Him because it never made sense to WHY He would want all the yucky things about my life. He is good, so why give Him the bad stuff? it still doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but what i heard this morning, mm. makes my heart melt in hearing that there is freedom! and that i can just come to Him cleanly and worship Him. just to be in His presence and worship Him with a happy heart. what joy there is in that freedom! what a great way to start my morning. after that hour of just talking to God i listened to holladay's podcast sermon by pastor kevin on the sermon: neighbors (luke 10:25-37) and well what do you know? a lot that i got out of the sermon was what i was talking about with God! hmm. interesting. and the rest of the day was spent...alone in the house...just singing and dancing and worshipping Him. i went on a run in the middle of the day (it is so cold here now that the middle of the day is perfect for running) and listened to History Maker by delirious? and mmm. good beat and it's a new favorite for the moment, that and facedown by matt redman. and hillsong. hillsong will always be a favorite. just worshipping God on my run here in australia. and then after the kids got home...i went on another run and just worshipped God as i did it. and i try to time my runs so i can run back and watch the sun just disappear and watch the sunset. oh beautiful. God. thank You for Your beautiful artwork and creation each night. i love the beautiful paintings in the sky. oh how gracious You are. thank You.
and i finally ate at mcdonald's here in australia. we went there for dinner. ha. i don't remember what the mcdonald's tastes like at home, but the cheeseburger was sweeter tasting than what i remember.....that's for you aunt quita.
so...once again. life is good here in australia. i'm still sick. but i have been taking my medicine mother. i take sudafed every 4 hours. and i'm drinking lots of tea. but i think the running isn't helping it. BUT! i have to run mama. i love it!
OH! great news everybody! i have been praying for tanya (the mama) because she has been taking on a lot of different responsibilities and i have told her that i am here to help and to just let me know what else i can do to help her out. and so finally after praying for a while now for her to not be so stressed out and for me to be able to help out...i think she likes doing everything on her own because she knows it will get done when she does it....i have the same personality..but watching her and doing the bible study has helped me....she was talking about how she has to bake a cake for xavier's birthday and do the party sacks and make food for his party next weekend....AND! i said..let me do it. i'm here all week. it will give me something to do. and her face....oh the smile that came to her face. oh the relief! she was hesitant, but after much convincing that i WANT to do it...i am going to make cupcakes from scratch and the icing and make them a sports theme for xavier and 20 of his friends. and! then i am going to make riley a medieval cake for his medieval project day on wednesday. and i am so super excited for that! and i was looking through the cake decorating books, and i want to make myself a cake. so i am going to make myself a cake and throw myself a party for my last night in australia. i want to make a kangaroo or a koala cake...but i don't think she has the correct pans. so friends back home....maybe i'll just make you all one and we can celebrate that i am home. i just want an excuse to make a cake. so...since she doesn't have the correct pans....i found out how to make an ice cream cake. so i'm going to melt the ice cream, stick yummy australian chocolate lollies in it and then make my ice cream cake! mmm! yummoooooo! deliciousness here at the catford residence here in brisbane. if you all want to join in...you're all more than welcome to! these last 4 weeks are going to be trouble....i think we are going to do a cake a week. tanya said i could bake.....that and brownies almost every night. mmm. party every night in my mouth! i guess it's a good thing i go run, or try to, at least once a day. maybe i need to step it up or just stop eating so i don't gain 50 pounds before i come home. ha! well...it's not every day you're in australia.
alrighty then. good night all my dear friends. can i just say how thankful i am for the adventure of being here and the adventure that is going on in my heart? God is so good.
May 9, 2010
sydney adventure.
sydney. nice. city. lots of asians. finally felt like i was in australia. nemo. opera house. bridge. manly beach. sandy toes. cold cold pacific ocean. beautiful men. flew back to brisbane early for freeeee. city life is nice...for one day. that's all i can handle. it was a good adventure though.
outback adventure.
so i went on a contiki tour to the center of australia. it consisted of waking up to an alarm for the first time since i have been in australia! and leaving the airport at 7am. and then flying for 2 hours to cairns, the northern famous city of northern queensland. and then flying another 2 hours to alice springs. the center of australia in the northern territory. i met up with the other contiki people and met people from switzerland, france, germany, the netherlands, australia, the states, canada, and new zealand.
our first day we traveled to the famous desert park of alice springs. we then went to simpsons gap and hung out there for a while, then traveled to the telegraph station and anzac hill. later people went out on the town and partied. i went to bed at 8. i can't give up my sleep. 8 is the magic number.
day 2. we went to the bush and did a bushtalk tour and we met some aborigines and got to experience their lifestyle. we ate bugs, nuts, kangaroo tail and did some boomerang throwing. let me tell you. i have skills. if the target decided to jump 10 feet...oh we speak meters out here...3 meters out to the right from where i aimed. we then went to kings canyon and toured that area. we did a 6k hike and it was exciting because the environment here reminds me of southern utah and when we went hiking...party! home sweet home. we then went to the camping spot for the night. this was the highlight of the trip for me. i loved sleeping out under the stars. we couldn't have been more blessed with perfect weather conditions on this adventure. clear skies for the night, perfect temperature...where it's a little chilly and you snuggle up in your human condom and your sleeping bag and sleep. perfect! and the night stars of australia shining and shooting stars! beautiful! friends, i made a wish for 6 of you...well i prayed for you when i saw one. just 6 friends though. that's all i could do. just kidding. let me clear this thought up...when i see a shooting star, instead of making a "wish" on it, i pray for someone that God has laid on my heart and someone that i had been thinking about that day. ok. back to adventure details to share with you all. i woke up in the middle of the night to see the moon, and i'm thankful that it wasn't out earlier because it would have obstructed the starry night sky. and then later to some howling. i would like to say it was dingoes making that noise because it sounds more exciting, but it could have just been a dog. but i don't know where any dogs would have been since we were out in the bush. kind of.
we then woke up, packed up and traveled to uluru national park. we visited kata tjuta, also known as the olgas. they are not so commonly known, but they are beautiful. just a whole bunch of random rocks sticking up and pretty cool. we did a little hike and then went to our hotel for the night. everyone went to bed pretty early because it was going to be an early morning the next day.
we got up around 4:30 and got up to go see the sunrise at good old famous uluru. beautiful watching the colors change in the sky and on the rock. watching the rock dance to life. we then went to the rock and were hoping to climb it, but it was closed due to high winds. so it's still open to climb, but was not open while we were there because they wind was a blowin! so. we walked around it instead. 10k baby! later that afternoon we just hung out and then went back to uluru for a champagne sunset. mmm. memorable. it was cool watching the rock change colors again. and how quickly it happened. God, thank You for Your beautiful creation.
thursday, i said my see you laters to everyone and then spent the day at the hotel. i had booked an extra day at uluru for another chance to climb the rock in case if it was closed, but it ended up being more windy than the day before. but i had a nice day relaxing to myself.
friday, i flew to sydney and met up with tanya.
our first day we traveled to the famous desert park of alice springs. we then went to simpsons gap and hung out there for a while, then traveled to the telegraph station and anzac hill. later people went out on the town and partied. i went to bed at 8. i can't give up my sleep. 8 is the magic number.
day 2. we went to the bush and did a bushtalk tour and we met some aborigines and got to experience their lifestyle. we ate bugs, nuts, kangaroo tail and did some boomerang throwing. let me tell you. i have skills. if the target decided to jump 10 feet...oh we speak meters out here...3 meters out to the right from where i aimed. we then went to kings canyon and toured that area. we did a 6k hike and it was exciting because the environment here reminds me of southern utah and when we went hiking...party! home sweet home. we then went to the camping spot for the night. this was the highlight of the trip for me. i loved sleeping out under the stars. we couldn't have been more blessed with perfect weather conditions on this adventure. clear skies for the night, perfect temperature...where it's a little chilly and you snuggle up in your human condom and your sleeping bag and sleep. perfect! and the night stars of australia shining and shooting stars! beautiful! friends, i made a wish for 6 of you...well i prayed for you when i saw one. just 6 friends though. that's all i could do. just kidding. let me clear this thought up...when i see a shooting star, instead of making a "wish" on it, i pray for someone that God has laid on my heart and someone that i had been thinking about that day. ok. back to adventure details to share with you all. i woke up in the middle of the night to see the moon, and i'm thankful that it wasn't out earlier because it would have obstructed the starry night sky. and then later to some howling. i would like to say it was dingoes making that noise because it sounds more exciting, but it could have just been a dog. but i don't know where any dogs would have been since we were out in the bush. kind of.
we then woke up, packed up and traveled to uluru national park. we visited kata tjuta, also known as the olgas. they are not so commonly known, but they are beautiful. just a whole bunch of random rocks sticking up and pretty cool. we did a little hike and then went to our hotel for the night. everyone went to bed pretty early because it was going to be an early morning the next day.
we got up around 4:30 and got up to go see the sunrise at good old famous uluru. beautiful watching the colors change in the sky and on the rock. watching the rock dance to life. we then went to the rock and were hoping to climb it, but it was closed due to high winds. so it's still open to climb, but was not open while we were there because they wind was a blowin! so. we walked around it instead. 10k baby! later that afternoon we just hung out and then went back to uluru for a champagne sunset. mmm. memorable. it was cool watching the rock change colors again. and how quickly it happened. God, thank You for Your beautiful creation.
thursday, i said my see you laters to everyone and then spent the day at the hotel. i had booked an extra day at uluru for another chance to climb the rock in case if it was closed, but it ended up being more windy than the day before. but i had a nice day relaxing to myself.
friday, i flew to sydney and met up with tanya.
May 8, 2010
downtown adventure.
friday before i left for the red centre i went downtown and spent the morning there. i got up early and left at 6:50am to go with john. we got there around 7:20 and he bought me a coffee and at 7:30 i was on my own. i walked along the river and stumbled across the botanical gardens. a garden in the middle of the city. still just blows my mind. nature in the city! it's possible! it can be found! i spent the day admiring God's beautiful and wild creations. looking at all the flowers, trees, different tree trunks and patterns and textures, the little bugs, the many spiders and their magnificent spider webs, the beautiful fresh air, the blue sky, the warmth of the sun shining down on me. beautiful and couldn't be better. i then wandered across a bridge and found south bank where it's a man made beach sitting right by the river. a beach in the middle of the city looking out over the river. crazy fun! and i hung out there for a good while. just dipped my feet in the pool and enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere. i then walked across another bridge, went into the city and shopped along queen street for some souvenirs. and then back across the bridge, found my bus and rode home. i enjoyed the city a lot more this time because i knew more of what i was doing and i felt more at home and in an adventuristic attitude. i knew my way around and where to go. so it was nice.
love the men in uniform.
update. thursday before my week long trip.
i was driving olivia to swimming lessons after bible study and i was already running late and as soon as i got off the motorway, i was directed over to the side of the road for a random alcohol testing. the cop asked for my licence (love the spelling here!) and i explained that i was from the states and he looks at my license and says "utah, the corn state." ew no! i'm not from out there. no offense anyone to who is from the corn state. i don't even know which state that is, iowa maybe? and so anyways, i breathed into the little breathing tube and let me tell you all...i was not intoxicated and i passed with flying colors! and i only made it to olivia's swimming lessons 2 minutes late. i guess i just thought i was going to be later than what i really was. i still have a hard time judging the time from point a to point b to point c. oh well.
next event:
after swimming lessons, i took olivia to the fire station in mount ommaney. what beautiful men. all men in uniform look beautiful. it was a short tour because they had to go do a presentation to a class of kids. cute. helping out the community and the kids. mmm. tempting!
i was driving olivia to swimming lessons after bible study and i was already running late and as soon as i got off the motorway, i was directed over to the side of the road for a random alcohol testing. the cop asked for my licence (love the spelling here!) and i explained that i was from the states and he looks at my license and says "utah, the corn state." ew no! i'm not from out there. no offense anyone to who is from the corn state. i don't even know which state that is, iowa maybe? and so anyways, i breathed into the little breathing tube and let me tell you all...i was not intoxicated and i passed with flying colors! and i only made it to olivia's swimming lessons 2 minutes late. i guess i just thought i was going to be later than what i really was. i still have a hard time judging the time from point a to point b to point c. oh well.
next event:
after swimming lessons, i took olivia to the fire station in mount ommaney. what beautiful men. all men in uniform look beautiful. it was a short tour because they had to go do a presentation to a class of kids. cute. helping out the community and the kids. mmm. tempting!
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