& I think to myself, 'What A Wonderful World.'

Remembering 22 February, 2011: Christchurch, NZ

2011-10-03T22:06:00.004+11:00

Here is some of my photography of the aftermath of the earthquake that occurred on 22 February, 2011 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Click on any photo to see it enlarged.

Life stands still in a vacant coffee shop:

The pavement just outside of the above coffee shop:

The next 2 photos portray one of the first sights that my friend, Rach, saw when she ran out of her office building that day:

(Some of this has begun to go through the demolition process):

Every structure (from house to high rise building) in Christchurch has a "sticker" on it - green meaning it is completely safe to enter, yellow meaning only certain people may enter, red meaning it is very unstable and highly unsafe to enter:

This bridge was a popular place in Christchurch, and when I visited in 2009, I actually walked across it to the city centre. It is called the Bridge of Remembrance. There were some memorials at the gate restricting people from entering the city. I found it really interesting to see someone's physical photographs of that very spot before the earthquake made it's mark. Notice the high rise building that is missing to the right of the arch:

Snippet

2011-09-29T15:08:00.000+10:00

A little preview of the photos I've been working on. Aftermath of the February earthquake in Christchurch.

A Better Day

2011-09-23T23:15:00.002+10:00

Day 2 of my NZ holiday:

I slept in and when I got up, looked into some more visa stuff that I am still trying to get sorted.

Rach was at work until almost 3, so when she got home, we went to get some stuff done for my visa, including a chest x-ray. I must say, I love Christchurch. I walked into the radiology clinic and the whole waiting room was decked out with streamers, balloons, the words to the haka (new zealand maori dance which I have placed a link to the video below as an example), and the names of the All Blacks team members on each seat in the waiting room. So funny. The All Blacks are NZ's rugby team. Because the Rugby World Cup (RWC) is on right now, it's a huge deal here. I have never been much into sports, but I actually would like to get into watching it, because it creates so much community (well, and division I guess, if you let it. Haha).

We ate some pizza at an Italian restaurant, I met her boyfriend, and we all played some indoor mini golf! The place was so cute. I'll have to post some photos soon. Then we went to my favorite coffee shop here, the place Lydia and I went to in 2009. We fell in love with the shop, and I was so happy to be back. It was affected by the earthquake, but they have reopened since. Then we headed out to a park, where there was a place for fans of the RWC to gather. It's a small stadium & rugby field with huge tvs, food stands, etc. You can sit in the stands and watch the rugby on the huge tvs. It was lots of fun watching the two places I call home play against each other - Australia vs. USA game! I just wish I understood what was going on. Haha!!

Speaking of the earthquake that happened in February, we actually drove around the city to see where my friend was in the earthquake and to see some of the damage it caused. Rach was on the 3rd story of a business building, and thank God she was okay. But it did scare her, and the building definitely shook. She explained to me the whole story of how she got out and where they went and waited. She also showed me the first building she saw as she exited the office she was in - an old historic church, crumbled to pieces. She stated it was at that point that she knew something serious had happened. She then pointed to a high-rise building in the distance and explained to me that it used to have a glass elevator. She said when she had gotten outside, the glass was no longer there. I imagined what it must have been like that day. Terrifying, to say the least.

But I have high hopes for Christchurch. There is something beautiful about this city that goes beyond any landscape or historic building. There really is a heart of Christchurch - the people - who are ready to move forward - together. I love that. I have some photos I want to take, but my camera's memory cards aren't working and haven't been for months, so I need to sort that out. But we passed a whole street of local businesses, mainly car dealerships, that had been destroyed by the earthquake. Every building had spray paint or some kind of signage on it saying, "We have moved to...." There was one particular car dealership, though, that had written on it's window, "Our showroom is broken, but our spirits are not."

God is moving here, and what seems like a loss of heritage is actually an opportunity to rebuild a new future. As we passed this one building with a fence around it, I asked why no one was allowed to enter. There was no apparent damage. My friend explained to me that it was unstable, and therefore dangerous. That made me think about how we, in our own lives, go through times of shaking every now and then. It is in those times that we find out just how stable we are, and how well our foundation was built. Even sometimes we appear to be strong, but we are actually weak to the core. I saw a physical representation of this through a brick wall that had crumbled to the ground, whilst others around it had remained. Rach said, "It just depends on how well the structure was built."

That reminds me of what Jesus said so well Luke 6:47-49 =

"As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

I want to build my life on the Rock. I want it to be built on a firm foundation so that the storms of life will not be able to shake or destroy it. Thank you Jesus that you have saved me by your grace! Thank you that your grace is more than enough for EVERY season.

One of those "that-was-so-ridiculous-it's-comical" kind of days.

2011-09-22T22:59:00.002+10:00

I am here. I made it. I am in New Zealand.

But, I must admit, today I couldn't use my usual, "getting there is half the fun" line.

1. 5:45am.
I wake up to my phone ringing. My beautiful friend, who is so kind as to pick me up at this time, is outside. We were supposed to leave at 5:30am. And I am still asleep. I didn't hear my alarm. Apparently my housemate in the room next door has though, as she so kindly knocks on my door at the same time. Oops! I run downstairs and, half-awake, open the door. There's my friend! But what's that noise I hear behind me? I turn on the light. Of course, the ceiling is leaking! Perfect! And now there's water everywhere. It's so bad that it's soaked through the couch onto the floor. Someone turns the water off in the midst of me brushing my teeth. Guess I won't be washing my face today! (A pipe was leaking, so we had no choice.)

2. 6:10am.
On the road. I start to get nervous, because traffic is getting bad. It's morning time in Sydney, hello! Check in closes at 7:55am, FYI.

3. 7:25am.
I head over to check in. I am notified that I am not allowed to leave the country without a return flight back into the country. Um, what the heck?!?! Why did the website say, then, that I should not make arrangements to return into the country before the visa is granted? And why did neither of the 2 people I spoke to in immigration mention this to me? So here I am, backed into a corner, and I have no choice but to buy this extremely expensive ticket. I am advised that I have to return within 6 days. Seriously, this still makes no sense to me. I'm not sure the airline lady knew what the heck she was talking about. Furthermore, my luggage is overweight, and I have to pay a good chunk of change for that. (I was taking carry on luggage only, but had to check in one bag in the end)

4. 7:50am.
I finally check in, and just in time.

5. 8:00am.
I rush through immigration and security. I have to be at my gate no later than 8:25am. And I haven't had breakfast. I'm starting to feel a bit sick to my stomach.

6. 8:15am.
I find a place with some really nice on the go breakfast. I pick up a blueberry and almond muffin, as well as some muesli and yogurt. I realize the queue is backed up, and there is no way I'm making my flight. It's either food or flight. Which one?...flight wins.

7. 8:20am.
I pass a newsagent. I buy a bag of soya crisps. I just need SOMETHING - and other than a candy bar or a bag of Doritos, please!

8. 8:25am.
I board the plane. Perfect timing!

9. 8:55am.
Take off. And to accompany it, what seems like two small children's first time on a plane - screaming, crying, and whining. And just silliness. I get that children have a hard time on planes, but these kids are old enough to be disciplined. And the parents never do. Not a big deal, I have headphones. And bright side of things, I had an empty seat next to me!

Other than the crappy trip here, I actually am having a great time with my friend, Rach, and can't wait to meet the people in her world and spend more time here in her beautiful country!I am looking forward to seeing the heart of Christchurch and what's left of this beautiful place just a little over 2 years from my last visit.

Just a little update on what my day looked like after all the bad stuff happened, because it only got better from there!

We went to a coffee shop after Rach picked me up from the airport and we got to catch up a bit. After that, we came to her house, and she made dinner for her, her brother and me. I applied for my visa, and I just have to sort out some things, but my application has been lodged and is being processed right now. I just have to get a chest x-ray. After I lodged the application, we went over to Rach's friends' house and tried her amazing date scones. They were so yummy! Much better than Baker's Delight.

And well, now I am off to sleep, because it is past my bedtime in NZ. (We are 2 hours ahead of Sydney time. Don't ask why, we just are. Haha)

Goodnight world.
(or Good Morning, depending which side you are on)

10 Years

2011-09-12T12:16:00.002+10:00

Thinking of those who have lost loved ones over the past 10 years due to terrorism and war. Thank God He is always faithful to those who continually seek Him, and a comfort to those who mourn. Continuing to pray for America - that we will draw closer to God in the coming decades, and that the next 10 years will be even brighter than the last.

Read what my senior pastor wrote about America:
http://hillsongnyc.com/image/10-years-ago-today-i-was-nyc

A Living House

2011-08-18T00:41:00.000+10:00

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."

- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Radioactive

2011-08-12T02:15:00.002+10:00

I love this music video.
(and, of course, the music)

I watched a short behind the scenes thing on TV about it. I had never even seen the video before, but went and watched it on youtube right after I saw the program on TV.

The choir is amazing, and I love this concept. It's always neat to see the down to earth side of well-known musicians. How cute are the kids?! The energy level of the choir makes me smile and want to dance!

Here's a peek into the video that I saw on TV that day:

Mountains, Oceans, & Other Fleeting Things

2011-08-09T01:38:00.013+10:00

Has anyone else noticed a theme amongst amazing songwriters lately?

Maybe it's just me. I believe it's no coincidence, either. This season is about knowing my Foundation - that I have a strong one, and just who He is.

"Take Heart" by Hillsong United.

There is a light
It burns brighter than the sun
He steals the night
And casts no shadow
There is hope
Should oceans rise and mountains fall
He never fails

So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
And take courage again

All our troubles
And all our tears
God our hope
He has overcome

All our failure
And all our fear
God our love
He has overcome

All our heartache
And all our pain
God our healer
He has overcome

All our burdens
And all our shame
God our freedom
He has overcome

God our justice
God our grace
God our freedom
He has overcome

God our refuge
God our strength
God is with us
He has overcome

Beauty. Beauty. Beauty! Wrapped up in a song.

And, of course, a beautiful song I played the other day on my itunes for the first time in quite a while. Sometimes the older songs (though not necessarily old) just need to be busted out again.

"Shadowfeet" by Brooke Fraser

Walking, stumbling on these shadowfeet
Towards home, a land that I've never seen
I am changing; less and less asleep
made of different stuff than when i began
And I have sensed it all along,
Fast approaching is the day

When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and the mountains fall on their knees
When time and space are through
I'll be found in you

There's distraction,
Buzzing in my head,
Saying in the shadows it's easier to stay
But I've heard rumours of true reality,
Whispers of a well-lit way

Or how about one of my favorite love songs to God!
"Trust" by Kristene Mueller

It's the sweetest thing
To trust you,
Just to know
You got everything under control.

You are making me a mountain,
You're making me a mountain
That cannot be shaken.

You are making me a mountain,
You're making me a mountain
That cannot be moved.

High up on a rock,
Looking out at the horizon,
Watching as the storm rolls in,
Wondering if my heart will survive it,
And as the waves crash all around me,
And I can't remember what it feels like to be free,

You say, "I've got you, my baby,
Oh I've got you.
It's quite a mess you're in,
But it's nothing love can't fix.
So sit here upon My shoulders
And watch as it all unwinds."

My heart rests when I listen to that song. It always makes we want to go climb a mountain and feel the breeze on my face.

I find it interesting that mountains, oceans, and skies are all portrayed in different ways in each song. In the first two songs, the point is being made that no matter what happens, even to the point of the very earth giving way, I will trust in You. I WILL trust in You, God. And the last song is a prayer of thanksgiving that He is making us unshakeable.

For me personally, I have gone through some rough spots in the last year. This season has definitely not been fun. But through it all, I have learned, and am learning, that no matter what crumbles to pieces in my life, my Foundation will remain true. Because though physical mountains may be uprooted whilst the earth is groaning for its Creator, He is making me into a spiritual mountain, one that cannot be shaken or moved.

50.

2011-08-06T01:04:00.006+10:00

Today is my dad's 50th.
(Dad, don't freak that I just announced that on the internet, just embrace it)
;)

Just wanted to say that I love my dad very much. He has supported me in every season of life. There have been many times in my life where we have gone through different phases in our relationship, from vacations as a kid, to my stupid moments as a teenager where he had to intervene and make some big calls, to letting his "little girl" live on the other side of the world for 4 years. Through it all, I appreciate his love and respect for me, for not hesitating to make the unpopular choices, and for his desire to see me succeed in life in every way.

I remember there was this song dad used to play in the car for me when I was a little girl. It was about real love that a man had discovered for his woman. I remember that song (as cheesy as it may sound) made me think a lot as a kid, and I dreamed of a man like this for myself one day (I still do..hehe). Dad would always poke me in the belly button whenever the word "you" came on in the chorus.

Here's something just for you, dad. :)

"Any man can be a father.
It takes someone special to be a dad."

~Author Unknown

Love you!

fourth year.

2011-07-30T02:50:00.010+10:00

This December will be the fourth time I visit home for Christmas. Last year I spent a mere 2 and 1/2 weeks in Charleston. Definitely not enough time to visit I have decided.

I don't regret it, though, as I had an AMAZING New Year in Sydney. It was one of those moments that I will never forget as being one of the most refreshing & beautiful time with friends. I tell ya, I never feel as close to my Maker either than when I'm in nature (especially at the beach...add the sun rising or setting over the horizon, and you have the perfect recipe to see some major heart melting).

This year, I will be spending almost TWO MONTHS at home! (December 9-January 30)

Crazy, I know! I don't believe I've been home for that amount of time in the last 3 years. In this time, I am planning to visit friends around America, and visit New York City for my first time ever!!

New York has been on my mind quite a bit lately. Tonight I went out to a park that overlooks a span of Sydney (well, the Hills district at least), and I sat down on a park bench to journal. I needed to get away. I needed to refocus and get all my anxious thoughts out of my brain, and onto paper. Immediately I was taken to a time when I'd done the same thing just three years before. I remember the time I was biting my nails over whether to come to Hillsong College in July 2008 or January 2009, or if I should even come, etc etc...it was a cold winter day in a local park back home. As I was writing in my journal, pleading with God to just show me already what the heck I was supposed to be doing with my life, I put down the pen and called Hillsong College. When I pushed the 'call end' button on my phone, I felt the greatest sense of relief, peace and excitement. It just took me making a decision and sticking by it.

As I was on a bench in some park in Australia 3 years later, I had the view of a lake in the distance, while the sun set. I was writing in desperation to get some answer as to what the next step looks like for me. It was an all too familiar scenario.

What did I take away from that life changing moment? I didn't have a sudden glimpse of what I'll be doing, an insight into what kind of job I could get in New York, or if I will make enough to sustain myself in that concrete jungle. I realized everything will be (as it always is) revealed in its proper time.

If only you could see
How heaven stills when you speak
I know all your days
And I have wrapped you in mystery

And oh, my love for you
Is as wide as the galaxies
Just hold out your hand and close your eyes
And come be with me

- "My Love Hasn't Grown Cold", by Bethany Dillon

Psalm 112:7
"They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD."

Time for Change

2011-07-29T00:24:00.000+10:00

I've decided to revamp my blog. I liked the old layout, but it's just time for a change. So please excuse the messy look. I'm working on it. And a new post should be out soon. An update is long overdue!

My Life in Colour

2010-04-15T15:28:00.005+10:00

Once again, I've fallen into the trap of blogging neglect. Since starting my job, things have been hectic for me. I was working 3 days a week when I first started, but now I have been doing only 1 shift a week. Please pray that I will get more shifts. At least 2 a week would be great!

I need to update everyone on Colour Conference!! Oh my goodness - so amazing! My experience this year was so different compared to last, because I actually was in the sessions (last year I served in kids). Even so, I was my team leader's right hand woman, so I had a radio and earpiece the whole conference, and people were constantly speaking on the radio. So even though I was present, I wasn't able to listen and comprehend what the speakers were saying sometimes. Thankfully, I had two conferences to catch what was spoken. (Both conferences were identical)

Here's the promo video for the conference (this footage is from previous Colour Conferences - probably mainly last year - no footage from Colour 2010 has been posted yet due to the fact that Hillsong London and Kiev haven't had their Colour Conference yet. Don't want to spoil anything for the European sisters!)

I served in hosting during the conference, which was so full on! I was quite worn out halfway through the first conference, and by the time second conference came around, I was flat out tired. But I'm learning how to serve whole-heartedly past feelings.

I honestly felt so task orientated the whole conference. Since I love fellowshipping, it was really hard because I wasn't really able to do that. I wanted to just talk with the ladies. I found myself a bit annoyed with the women though, because they would just be so mean or over the top sometimes. I would get smart-mouthed or nearly run over when I would "man" the internal doors before door opening for a session. We would flat out get told by some ladies that we were doing a bad job and then they would proceed to tell us how the hosting team should be run. Little did they know that they were complaining about a completely different section and team in hosting, but we just took the brunt of it. I was so impressed with my team leader, because she would handle complaints and accommodate the women so well. I think I learned a lot from the way she handled situations and found myself doing the same thing at second conference. I also learned that I will not complain or get angry with anyone inside church life anymore, because there's so much that goes on behind the scenes that I don't know about. But they weren't all a bunch of rude women. Haha! I actually did have quite a lot of really lovely women encourage me, give me a hug, just tell me that I was doing a great job, or just thank me.

All in all, it was a great experience! I had a total God moment at the end of both conferences. When everyone was walking out, I was checking up on my team to make sure they didn't need help and also to see what needed to be done. A lady walked up to me and asked me where the Western Foyer was, and when I explained it to her, she looked a bit annoyed because it was at the opposite side of the church and someone else had sent her the opposite direction. I told her I would just walk with her there. Along the way, I found out that she is actually the pastor over the women's ministry in her church in another part of Sydney. She explained to me that she had started the ministry 2 years ago and it was just difficult to break mindsets and move things forward. She expressed to me that Colour was such a huge blessing to her because it empowered her to go back to her church and "be the change". I asked her if it was her first time coming, and she said that it was her 4th time. Wow! I was amazed because I could tell it was a fresh annointing she had received. Her beautiful eyes were bloodshot red from crying so much. I got the amazing privilege to speak into her life and encourage her! What an honour to play a very very small, yet significant part in encouraging an amazing pastor to move her own group of sisters forward!

Hope life is treating everyone really really well! If by some chance it's not, know that God is faithful. Keep pressing into Him. Stay by His side. He will sustain you. He's got us no matter what season of life we are in!!

Make this your confession: "Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand." - Psalm 73:23

God's always with you. Challenge yourself to always be with Him.

Colour Your World, THIS WEEK!

2010-03-09T22:06:00.002+11:00

So on Thursday Colour Conference starts! I'm stoked! I'm 2nd in charge for the hosting team (basically showing people to their seats). Also, I'm doing photography one of the days. Can't wait!!

I'm absolutely loving college! Had a meeting today with my team. We talked about launching the College Online Open Day. Basically, it's an open day for prospective college students, especially overseas. It's a 24 hour event, in which students and staff volunteer their time to chat with prospective students overseas who are inquiring about college. The initiative was first launched last year. It was thought of and trialled in a matter of about 4 weeks. This year we are trying to make the website and idea way more effective. A friend and I are doing the photography. I will be volunteering for it as well! It happens in April, so just keep that in mind! Friends back home, if you are thinking of attending college (why wouldn't ya?!?), then this is a great thing to join in on! You may even be able to chat with me on that day!! :)

At the moment, I have no internet. I went over my internet limit for the month (there's a limit in Australia), and now I have to resort to using McDonald's internet at 10pm. Haha. So I'm really ready to go home and sleep!

My first shift is on Monday! Stoked!! My shift is from 9am-2pm. Can't wait!!

Also, just to clear up any confusion (apparently I wasn't very clear in my last post), I am going to Paris with a college friend. Her brother lives in Paris and works at Disneyland in Paris, so that is why I get free accommodation and also free entry into Disneyland Paris! I'm going from May 8 - 20. It's going to be an AMAZING trip!!! I've already started learning a bit of French (I bought a computer learning program that teaches me the basics!)

Well, anyways, just thought I would update everyone with what's going on with me really quickly. I won't be on the internet for a while again probably (so give me a little more time to answer emails than usual, please) because of the fact that I've gone over my limit, and because of Colour Conference!

Love you all!!

P.S. I really encourage you to read "Dangerous Surrender: What Happens When You Say 'Yes' To God" by Kay Warren (Rick Warren's wife). AMAZING WOMAN. AMAZING BOOK! Just finished it. The last sentence just made me cry. What a great book!!

J'aime ce jour

2010-03-04T23:28:00.008+11:00

I love this day.

I started off going to Sisterhood (the Hillsong women's service). I have been chatting with this amazing lady, who has inspired me so much in my devotion. Every time I talk to her, I reevaluate my level of commitment to the cause, to the House (A.K.A. the Church). I met her a few weeks ago. While most of the other women were mingling in the foyers with raisin toast and coffee, she was sitting by herself inside the auditorium long before the start of the service. I sat down and had a chat with her until service started. Then I grabbed her number afterwards and have been in touch. She lives about 2 hours away from the church. Her and her husband used to drive down every Sunday, rising at 2 or 3AM to make it to the early service, then sometimes staying until the night service and driving back in the wee hours of the night. This is not a "young adult" couple either, they have children in their late 20's. It breaks my heart, because she said she and husband just can't continue driving down constantly because of gas. It just burns their money. So today was the last time she was going to be at church, and today we sat together at Sisterhood. What an honor to sit next to such a dedicated sister in Christ.

Here's where things get really good. :) We were just chatting long before service was starting, and Pastor Bobbie came in and stopped and chatted with us. For those of you who don't know who Pastor Bobbie is, she and Pastor Brian are the senior pastors of the church - Pastor Brian and Bobbie Houston. Pastor Bobbie has a huge heart for women, and the vision of Sisterhood was rooted in her spirit before it became a reality. Colour Conference, which I mentioned in the last blog post, also came from Bobbie's vision for the Sisterhood. Anyways, all that being said, she just came up, with no agenda, and chatted with us for a few minutes. It was lovely, because she was in no rush and just listened to what was on this lady's heart that I was with. I told Bobbie about how amazing this lady was to travel so much to get to church. We all chatted for a bit and then Bobbie went on her way. It was awesome to see that even the "big-time" (the way they are perceived by the world) pastors at Hillsong are very personable and do truly preach what they practice.

Geez, I'm not even finished with Sisterhood yet...this is just the morning time. Haha!! :) We had a clothes swap, where I brought some clothes that I didn't want anymore, and in exchange, got to pick out a bunch of free clothes!! SO EXCITING! Seriously, there's not much more exciting than free clothes. Okay, maybe there is....

And this brings me to the next part of my day. After Sisterhood, I went to the travel agent down the road with my friend, and guess what? I'M GOING TO PARIS IN MAY!!! THANK YOU DAD! Seriously, I am so incredibly blessed BEYOND WORDS. How many people get the opportunity to say when they are in their 30s, "Yeah, well I moved to Australia when I was 18. When I was 19 I visited New Zealand, and when I was 20 I visited Paris. Oh, and then I returned to Australia, because I still was living there." ----> CRAZINESS!!! I am forever grateful to my family (especially my dad for the expenses he pays!!) for making this all happen, for being so releasing, for being so loving, for being so supportive, and for praying for me throughout every step of the journey.

So May 4th, I will be flying out to Paris. The ONLY thing that will not be so fun is that it takes about the same amount of time to get there as it does to fly home. But at least I will have a friend with me! :) I arrive back in Sydney on the 20th. Along the way, we may take the train to London and Rome. The perk about Europe, as opposed to America, is that you can travel SUPER cheap! And every place we go, we have FREE accommodation! Also a perk of attending an international college!

After all that excitement, I went into my job to sort out all the technical stuff, like bank account stuff and signing all the liability forms. Okay, odd as it seems, after that meeting, I actually got really excited about the job. And I want to start. Now. :) But in reality, my first shift is on March 15th, from 9am-2pm, and then that night there is a get together to meet all the staff (they just hired a bunch of new people). Anyways, I was honestly pretty nervous at first about the job, but I feel confident now about it.

Tonight I went to make calls for Powerhouse. I love doing that for some reason. Basically we have lists of people who need Connect Groups or are new to church or are new Christians, and we call them accordingly. I love it because I have the opportunity to bring joy to someone's day. I'm beginning to understand more about this cause that I live for. I live for something much, much bigger than myself.

Sometimes I'm a bit wary and unsure of the future, but I know I don't need to be. I don't need to have it all, or even any of it, figured out. I just need to be faithful with what's in my hand right now, and allow God to cultivate me for what lies ahead.

Mom sent me an email recently about destiny. I pulled this quote from it:

"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it."

- Jean de La Fontaine, a French (oh, the irony) poet

Job!

2010-02-28T23:53:00.002+11:00

A small update:

So for the past couple weeks I have been searching for jobs. Well, technically, I started the search last semester. You would be surprised how hard it is to find a job in Sydney. By the time I got one call back last semester, I was about to visit home for 2 months. So anyways, I have been praying about it for a good while now, and with prayer and handing out my resume to what seems like a thousand different stores, I finally have a job! :) I'm going to be working at a café. I know mom is concerned with my already busy schedule, but just know that I am learning time management through it all. :)

I have lots coming up in the next couple of weeks. Right now I am waiting on my tax file number to come through so I can work. Colour Conference (the Hillsong women's conference) is coming up soon and I will be serving. That begins March 11. So don't expect to hear much from me during that time. :)

Please keep me in your prayers, as I am a bit under the weather at the moment. My sinuses and allergies are flaring up. Also, pray for my job - that everything will run smoothly with that! :) I really appreciate those of you who lift me up in prayer! Can't say how much that means to me! I love all of you back home and miss you!

Tidbits

2010-02-20T15:14:00.006+11:00

This semester has been so exciting thus far, and I can't wait to experience everything that is going to happen throughout 2010!

Currently, I am working with a team of college students to promote the college via a college blog, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and re-doing the entire college website, as well as preparing for online open day. I'm going to be overseeing the Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and Blog, as well as doing some photography, which, if you know me, you would know I am STOKED about!

Another thing I am really excited about this semester is getting my connect group going. I just started one last Tuesday, and I am so excited to continue and grow it! Connect Group is the same thing as small group, Bible study, etc. I love Connect Groups, because in such a huge church, it is the best way to get people connected and feeling like home. It's a great way to keep a big church small.

Life is so busy right now, but I am enjoying every moment of it. College is great, as is church! I'm learning so much, and growing in God more and more each day.

(A PICTURE I TOOK OF WORSHIP DURING ONE OF OUR COLLEGE CHAPELS THIS PAST WEEK):

Check out my church's vision for 2010:
http://www.myhillsong.com/visionsunday

Also, I was reading this quote tonight, and I thought I would share with you; It really spoke to my heart:

"When you were a child, you might have sat on a small stool and looked at your mother's embroidery. From your point of view, it was a confusion of zigzags, knots, and loose threads. Then your mother, to help you understand, turned the embroidery on the right side so you could see and appreciate the design.

You must stop looking on the wrong side of things...Lift your hearts to heavenly places and look down upon events from that vantage point. You will see life's temporary sufferings as a gathering of pearls and jewels with which we will be adorned in eternity."

- Richard Wurmbrand
Imprisoned for a total of 14 years
Romania, 1940's, 50's, and 60's

Matchless Love

2010-02-14T15:31:00.007+11:00

First I must say a big CONGRATULATIONS to my Aunt Faith and Uncle Michael, who are pregnant with their 3rd child. YAY! I love children. I love family. What a great thing to look forward to this Christmas!

Secondly, Happy Love Day (aka, Valentines Day)! Though a well-known holiday thanks to major marketing schemes and card companies, it nevertheless is a day to reflect and savor the love we have in life. Again, thanks to Hallmark and the likes, Valentines Day is usually signified by romantic love, and due to this many feel an increased sense of loneliness on this day. To those of us who are single (myself included), how about we relish the love that we do have in life? - such as friends, family, and ultimately, the matchless Love of God, who is actually the very definition of Love. Sometimes, I ponder what the world would look like if we all knew just how God loves us, without any restrictions, boundaries, walls, limits, fear, or facades, and then how it would look like if we could give that love right back to Him and the people in our world. Then God reminds me to wait a bit longer: Heaven is approaching more each day.

I am reminded today that I will not settle. When it comes my time for the romance, I want to make sure I have waited for the right man, and nothing less. Just because something good comes along doesn't mean it's the best for me. Through the years (I know, I sound like a geezer using that phrase) I have learned through experience, taking the advice of those who go before me, observing others, and following God that the hard decisions are the most rewarding, and boy, do I have so much more to learn! God, give me wisdom through it all. This song is one that I have always kept the lyrics to in the back of my mind. They give me a hope that I am on the right track and always encourage me that I am going to have an amazing man:

Love, where is your fire?
I've been sitting here, smoking away
Making signals with sticks and odd ends and bits
Still there's no sign of a flame

Imposters have been passing,
Offering a good-feeling glow
But I'm holding out for what you are about,
An inferno that burns to the bone

Some urge me to be temperate,
But luke warm will never do.

'Cuz I wanna blaze with you
So I'm holding my heart out to you
I'm holding my heart out...

- taken from Love, Where is Your Fire? by Brooke Fraser

I know life isn't a chick flick, where the girl waits by her window for the man of her dreams and the man goes on this long journey to get there, and when they meet, they live happily ever after. No. That's not how it works. And sometimes I think, "Shame on Disney for forming that ideology in my head as a child." Still, there is something pure about that kind of love and passion. There is a reason little girls are so ready to accept it. There is a reason why young teenage girls these days are buying into the lies boys are whispering into their ears. There is a reason for the naïveté. It is not sheer stupidity. It is a longing to be deeply and truly loved. The reason so many girls (and even guys) go in circles, in relationship after relationship after relationship, is because they are looking for this matchless love that only God can give. Sounds so cliché, but the reason it's been uttered so many times is probably because, well, it's the only timeless, undying truth. True love, God's love, will never die. It is the only consistent thing on this earth. Better than love from your family, friends, or lover, God's love is matchless.

My prayer is that you enjoy this Day of Love, or Valentine's Day - whatever you choose to call it - with the people you love, with the realization that God's love is even greater.

All In for 2010

2010-01-31T13:27:00.002+11:00

Hey everyone! This is my first blog in a long while. I am so happy to have a new computer that actually will let me write blogs. Macs are heaven sent.

Some of you back home are probably wondering what the heck is going on with me. Well, I just got back from Powerhouse (the 18-25 year old ministry) Summer Retreat.

It was a life-changing experience. Here's a little something I wrote on my facebook account:

It's amazing to me that just when you feel like you're standing strong, God reminds you that you still need Him to hold you up. Retreat was a GREAT time of refreshing, a time to reevaluate my relationship with my Creator, and fall in love with Him all over again. I'M ALL IN FOR 2010.

We got there Thursday evening, where we had our first night rally. Then we had a morning and night rallies on Friday and Saturday. In between the morning and night rallies, we headed to the beach. Terrigal Beach to be exact.

Here are some highlights to the messages that were spoken there that really stood out to me:

Danielle Jeyaratnam (one of the youth pastor's wife) spoke about living set apart. One thing she said that stood out to me was:

"We are set apart by Him, but are we set apart for Him?"

The most impacting message for me was the last night's message. April Miller (another one of the youth pastor's wife) made an analogy to following God and poker. Sounds like a weird combination, I know. But she explained how in poker there is a term that most people know called "going all in". She explained that there are many different ways to play poker - you can play afraid, you can play rough, you can play bluffing. You can back out when you think you've got a bad hand. Or you can go all in, despite the possibility of failure.

She did all this to demonstrate what life is like. We are all in different situations. Different seasons in life bring different things (or "hands"). Will we choose to back out and give up, or will we choose to go all in, give it all, despite the fear and possibility of failure?

April explained that we need to go all in for Christ, just as David did in 1 Samuel 17 with Goliath. Everyone around him was saying that he couldn't do it, but David didn't listen. Further on in verse 56, David is no longer referred to as a boy, but a man. A significant sacrifice was required of him - possibly his very own life. But David knew who God was and who he was in God. So he went all in. What an amazing testimony.

These messages, and the rest that were preached, really challenged me to make a decision. Either I can go all in or not go in at all. There's no room for half-heartedness in the Kingdom. I feel like I have been half-hearted for quite a while now in my relationship with God. If there is one thing I would like to see happen this year in my life, it's that God be praised and glorified. I'm all in for 2010.

20

2009-10-23T14:06:00.000+11:00

Well, life as a 20 year old is very similar to life as a 19 year old. People still respond with a, "Oh you're such a baby." when I tell them my age. Life still happens. Bills still need to be paid. Still on the same continent. And loving it!

October is a packed month! My birthday party was SO much fun! We decorated the house with my photography. Katrina (my housemate) baked and cooked all this food from scratch. I had an umbrella shaped cake. It was so cute! Lots of people showed up, which really surprised me! There was probably about 30 people! Thank you so so much to everyone who sent me a card and/or put money into my account. It meant so so much! Seriously! I have all my cards sitting on my bookshelf in my room.

Then shortly after my birthday we had a college break, which lasted for about a week. For most of that I was at Hillsong's youth conference, called Encounter. It was so amazing..I loved it! Then I got to travel a bit. Last Wednesday I went to a place called Jervis Bay - it was BEAUTIFUL! The beaches we went to have the whitest sands in the world! The water was crystal clear and blue. You could walk out really far and still be up to your thighs and see what was underneath you. It was an incredible experience! It was only about 3 hours away, so I will definitely be going back.

I also went to the Blue Mountains (about an hour and a half away). That was breathtaking. It was so much fun walking through the mountains - even through waterfalls. The only thing we didn't think about was once you walk down a mountain, you have to walk back up! Haha, that was hard work. I need to exercise more probably because that took all of the strength out of me!

Now it's down to the hard work. I have a TON of assessments due in under 2 weeks. PRAY FOR ME. Haha. Not kidding! It's going to take alot of buckling down and being maybe a tad anti-social.

Anyways, I have been wanting to write a new blog post now for so long, but I haven't been at the school library computers in so long.

Well, I've got to go work on some assessments. :(

Keep checking back - I'll write again soon! :)

My Window Open

2009-09-15T14:58:00.006+10:00

Sometimes I wonder if that’s You,
A star flickering in the black and gray
But You remind me You’re not that far away

Black silhouettes against a pink horizon,
My eyes look upward, and it darkens
The trees bow down in reverence
The wind sends echoes of Your presence.

Specs of shimmering lights,
Tiny fireballs in the sky
Arrest my breath
And I let out a sigh

This God truly cares about beauty,
Focusing on the details especially
If only I’d sit here more often –
The edge of my bed, my window open,
Staring at the universe.

-Rian Elizabeth

I've been waiting so long to write again. I haven't had much inspiration these days. Well, that's probably a lie. More like I've been too busy or maybe too lazy to be creative. How does that happen? How do I walk underneath the stars at night, and yet never stop to fully admire them, to take in the beauty of the night. Lately, I've been trying to stop more and "smell the roses". Maybe the fragility of life has made me realize how important this is. I think it's more likely because this is how I see God. His beauty captures me. His beauty romances me.

Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life...
-Psalm 23:6 (The Message)

Could everyone please do me a favor? Could we all gather together in prayer? I just found out today that one of my friends here at college has skin cancer. She is going in about a week to get it removed. Praise Jesus it hasn't spread yet throughout her body, and we're believing that won't be the report when she goes into the doctor again next week. Not only that, but also that she will be healed...whether through a miracle, or the doctors hands in surgery (which is a miracle as well, I believe. thank you Jesus for doctors!). She's only my age, maybe a year younger. Don't pray out of worry, but out of faith and expectation, because that's all I have right now. She told everyone in chapel today, and we all had this "Touching Heaven" morning where we just worshipped throughout the whole chapel and interceded in prayer on her behalf. It was incredible. One of those "God moments". Don't you just love those?

2009-09-11T14:55:00.001+10:00

I heard that my last blog was read aloud at Aunt Edith's funeral. Wow, what an honor to be such a part of the celebration of such a beautiful life! Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of that service, even though I wasn't able to be there in person.

I am really craving some new music right now. Thankfully my birthday is coming up soon! :) Can't believe I'll never be a teenager again, and I'll officially enter into the world of "adulthood" (though I feel as if I'm already there).

One of the CDs I really want to get (and don't everyone go out and buy this for me now..I'm gonna ask mom for it...haha!) is the new Leeland CD. It has two of my favorite artists singing one song together. Here are the lyrics:

You live among the least of these
The weary and the weak
And it would be a tragedy
For me to turn away

All my needs You have supplied
When I was dead You gave me life
So how could I not give it away so freely?
And I´ll

Follow You into the homes of the broken
Follow You into the world
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God
Follow You into the world

Use my hands use my feet
To make Your kingdom come

To the corners of the earth
Until Your work is done
Faith without works is dead
On the cross Your blood was shed
So how could we not give it away so freely?

I give all myself to YOU.

What amazing lyrics. Genius.

R.I.P. Aunt Edith, a beautiful life.

2009-09-08T15:18:00.001+10:00

Hey everyone! Yay, it's been less than a month since I last wrote..an all time record! ;) (exaggerationnn, I know)

I'm here at college just writing again. Well, I heard about Aunt Edith. Mom called me last night to tell me the news. I hope everyone back home is doing well. Aunt Edith was an amazing woman. I wish I had gotten to know her more, but that's okay, I know where she has gone. Aunt Edith had 2 beautiful love relationships: one with her Heavenly love and the other with her earthly. Uncle Charles was an amazing man as well. I am so happy they get to reunite again. If you find yourself sad that she has passed away, just remember that. I know her heart is completely content, full and satisfied! I loved her alot, and I cannot wait to see her again!

As for me, not much has changed. The people that are fixing my car just called me yesterday to inform me that all the paperwork is done and they have gotten a quote on the car, so now they just have to order the parts and fix it. YAY! Hopefully I'll have it by next week. It's not been bad really taking the bus, but the only thing that is hard is not being able to give people rides home and pick them up from church. Thankfully I live by the bus stop though.

Anyways, I'll write another blog soon. Going to grab food with a friend before my bus comes.

LOTS OF LOVE TO MY USofA peeps! :)

Vision. Love. Dance.

2009-09-04T14:14:00.005+10:00

Sometimes it hits me. I'm in Sydney, Australia. I am studying and actively involved at one of the greatest churches in the world: Hillsong.

Lately God has been putting vision into my purpose in life. I have several passions: music, photography, church, social justice (the latter two should go hand in hand). I know God will use all these things somehow.

Recently I have started to listen for direction on where to go after this. I'm still praying if a 3rd year is part of God's plan in my life. We will see. I do know that I want to see healthy, thriving churches where I go next, and I want to play a role in seeing that happen.

Not only have I been listening for direction, but I have been strategizing for my ministry. I need to get more of this out of my head and onto paper. Because let's face it, we can't just "flow with the Spirit" when it comes to doing something like building a ministry. God gave us brains for a reason. So I've been thinking alot. That's all I'll say about that for right now.

So the new look of my layout is pretty cool, right? :) I know that song is old ("I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack), but the lyrics are so good, so beautiful! They always fill me with awe and make me feel closer to God. The picture is one from when I was in New Zealand. Me and Lydia were so excited that there were actually falling leaves in autumn! Reminded us of home (Sydney's not cool enough to have falling or color-changing leaves), so we just threw them up in the air and danced around in them. I still can't write blogs on my computer (don't think I'll ever really be able to, oh well). I'm at the school library again writing this blog. But I do want my blog to mean something, not just be something that I update people with back home. I want it to represent my personality, and the entries to express my heart, though words can't often describe what I am learning or the revelations I am getting about God.

If I had to sum it all up with what I'm learning about God, it would be love. Simple as that sounds, it's all He is. I've always seen God as judging me or what not, but He loves me no matter what I do. "I'm sorry, God." -- I get tired of hearing those familiar words come out of my mouth. But God is so pleased. How crazy is that? His love goes beyond my human mind's ability to comprehend.

"An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others." - A.W. Tozer

Dependent.

2009-08-28T16:18:00.003+10:00

Oh my goodness! Do you know how many times I have wanted to write a new blog, but couldn't? So much has been going on lately, but for some reason, I STILL can't access my blog on my laptop! Every other computer will let me except my own! Oh well. I'm currently at college. I finished classes earlier today and have been handing out my resume since then. I came back to college because I saw some girls at the bus stop and thought maybe they needed a ride, but they didn't, so I decided to come up to the library and print out a few more resumes. I don't have much to do until later on this evening, so I thought, "What the heck? Might as well write a blog."

Hey if you could please pray for my housemate? She just got surgery and she is really sore. She's currently recovering at home and her parents are in town staying at our place until Saturday to look after her. Her parents are so sweet! Seriously, her dad came up to me yesterday and asked if he could make us all a nice dinner tonight! YUM!

Well, as most of you know, I got in a car accident. Nothing major for my health, just a little sore. Some guy reer-ended me at a stop light. I'm actually taking it in Monday morning to get it fixed. I probably won't get it back for a couple weeks.
:(........Until then, I'll just take the bus to and from college.

Lately I've been able to tell that God is doing so much in me. This is going to be a great semester, and ultimately, second year I think is going to be a turning point in my life. Already I am learning so much, and it's only been about a month or so since college started. As most of you know, I was majoring in Worship and Creative Arts in my first year, and have now made the switch to Pastoral. I fully believe this was the right decision for me -- no doubts, whatsoever! Through this decision, God has started to really take me out of my limited view of myself and even of Him, and has begun to implant vision and purpose into me.

Seems like every day, I have more and more opportunities to learn about God. I got to the point where I seriously questioned if I even knew who He was, and I kind of got tired of going to college. I seem to get down on myself alot when I see my failures. But God has a way of patching me up. He has made me realize that I need to take my eyes off of myself, and start focusing on others. As I began to reach out to the people in my world, I realized that I had the ability to see people's lives changed, because God worked through me. In the past month, I have seen my friend come to know Jesus, and get involved in church. I have seen countless prayers answered as well. I am realizing that I have every capability to make an impact in others' lives, because I have Jesus in my life. When I feel at my weakest, He seriously just comes and works through me, showing me that I am weak without Him.

Dependency --> vulnerable, weak,needy, clingy.
I am coming to realize more and more each day what dependancy is. Those 4 are just some words that I think of when I think of dependancy. In our western society today, we are taught to be "independent"; "Don't rely on anyone else...we all know people let you down!" Well, of course they do...you do it too...we're all just that - people. Fallible, changing, hurting, insecure, struggling people...without Christ. You see, this is what God has shown me: He is not like that. God is not a fallible person, He is not an institution, He is not a politician, He does not belong to a political party, He is not a good concept. He is different. He doesn't let you down. He calls you to think in another light - lose that independence! I know, I know, our society today teaches us all about independence, so sometimes it's hard for us to truly understand dependancy. It means all of the words I described above - vulnerabiltiy, weakness, needy, clingy. They words are seen as negatives, and they are if they pertain to how we act toward people. Often, we act this way in relationships, especially dating, and it's completely normal if you are not dependant on God. When you become completely vulnerable and needy and clingy to Him, you'll find exactly what you're looking for in a relationship - perfect love, perfect satifaction, perfect fulfillment.

I have just started praying, "God, help me fall in love with you."

He has, and is, radically changing everything I thought I knew about Him.

He Graces Me to Love.

2009-07-06T20:19:00.005+10:00

Hi folks!

Well I haven't written anything on here for a long time (story of my life, right?), but I have a valid excuse, I promise! :)

The past couple months I have gone to write a blog, but everytime, the web page won't come up. It's so strange! I have no idea how to fix this. So right now I am on my housemate's Mac. Until I figure out the solution, I'll just have to leave you with this blog.

So right now we are having Hillsong Conference. Remember Colour Conference? Yeah, well this is ten times bigger! It's in the Acer Arena, which I think is like the 3rd largest arena in the world. It seats about 25,000 people. I am working in kids again. This time I'm doing Kindergarten and First Graders. I love kids...it's just not the same as my lovely Connor and Logan. I miss you two crazy kids!

Hillsong Conference is a huge gathering of people from all around the world. People come and learn about how to influence their local communities and build strong churches back home. (Just up my alley)...Of course, I'm serving the whole time, so I won't be able to sit in. Mom would love it -- speakers like Jentzen Franklin (come on!), Joel Olsteen, Craig Groschell, and Louie Giglio (!!). It's going to be A-MAZINGGG! It starts tomorrow and lasts til Friday.

THEN on Monday dad and Drew are coming down under!! Can I just say that I am super excited? We're gonna stay in the city over that next week. I will admit that I'm not exactly sure what we're gonna do yet, but I'll make sure it's fun (don't worry dad!).

It's getting really chilly here. Today I helped set up for conference, and I was freezing! From the moment I woke up this morning I was shivering. I thought it would warm up alot (because it usually does) but, of course, it didn't. And the room in which I was working had the doors open all day. So right now I am curled up on my couch, having a cup of tea, with my warm blanket from back home, watching The Day After Tomorrow (though the latter is probably not helping the cold factor too much). So yeah, dad and Drew, pack warm clothes, because it's gonna be cold!!

I have started moving out already! I know, sad day! I've actually fallen in love with where I live, and absolutely in love with the gals I live with. But I know this is a new season I am moving into. This is just one of the things that will be changing in my life. As I have mentioned before, I am transferring next semester into Pastoral Ministry. I had felt this prompting on my heart. Not necessarily a desire, but something I knew would stretch me. I started reading a book at the beginning of this semester called "Do Hard Things". (I still need to finish it...that's been one goal of mine throughout the semester - to finish what I start reading, and I've already accomplished that goal several times this semester! - Right now I'm reading "The Shack" by William Young.) Anyways, "Do Hard Things" was just talking about taking yourself out of your comfort zone. It was really really good! I figured that even if I never become a preacher, I will stretch myself. Doing things beyond myself that I have to rely on God for are always worth doing. At first I was afraid that I was "escaping" the Worship Stream, something I have seemed to do my whole life (running away from things when they got hard). So I told God, "I'm doing this with intentions to follow Your Will. If this is not your will, please stop me!" (A very familiar prayer - the same one I prayed upon deciding to come here, and look where I am). Then God gave me a peace that I actually wasn't running away from something hard (I found the worship stream challenging - not at all in the curriculum, but in my insecurity and feeling of inadequacy amongst other talented musicians who have had more experience than myself, something God has worked on with me throughout the semester). Instead, I was running into something else harder, in that it's very unfamiliar to me. I have never seen myself as much of a speaker. I mean, I love to talk and chat with people, but when it comes to speaking in front of a crowd, I've always been terrified. Mainly because I'm afraid I can't keep my thoughts organized and together. Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I go off on rabbit trails when I get into a conversation. It's like I have a million thoughts going through my head that all make sense to me, but I can't find the outlet in which they all flow together. But this means all the more glory to God, all the more ways He can work through me...His power is perfected in my weakness, right? I know that's right - I've seen this outworked in my life in so many ways, especially this semester! God's opened my eyes to a whole new level of grace - of what it means. It's not just something that God gives me everyday so I can come into His presence to save me, but it's actually something that I can't live without. It's something that God gives me everyday so I can love people and draw them into His presence. For example, I don't just receive God's grace through the way He loves me, but also through the way He allows me to love others. He graces me to love.

And that's what I've been learning lately.

Until next time, the end.

Christchurch, NZ -- DAYS 4 & 5

2009-05-22T18:15:00.012+10:00

Hey everyone! Sorry it's taken so long to write about the last couple days of my trip. I didn't end up getting on the internet for a few days.

DAY 4 --> Woke up early, went to The Coffee Shop (AGAIN!..yumm!) to get some hot chocolate. It was SO COLDDDD, and rainy! :( We set out on the road. Today we were going to go on a mini roadtrip! We were really bummed that it was raining like crazy though. We started driving the inland scenic route. Rain turned to sunshine, and a small town turned into a vast countryside. I was in heaven. I fulfilled my lifelong dream. Well, this dream can and will be fulfilled numerous times, and that was driving through the country with no agenda, and stopping to take pictures wherever. Geez, Amy Hirschmann, you need to get your butt down here so we can do this together sometime! Anyways, our destination was a small town called Geraldine. And super small it was!! But we ate in this little bakery and then the rain came. We went to a little chocolate shop, where they handmake the finest chocolates - alot of Belgium chocolate! It was so good!! Then we headed back. I drove us there, and Lydia drove us back. We set out on the road and Lydia started talking to me and I could feel myself dosing off. I finally fell asleep and slept for most of the way home. Then we got McDonalds (of all the places...I know, I know...but it was the easiest and the cheapest. we didn't want to have any more repeats of having trouble finding dinner and McDonald's is open late), and went back to our room to watch Get Smart. I was so glad I had some movies on my computer, otherwise it would have cost us $20 per movie!! Blah! So yeah, thanks Jionte for those movies last semester!

DAY 5 --> Woke up early. Went to a Coffee Shop called "The Globe". It was so cool! Very different atmosphere - felt more artistic, as the others felt more cozy and home-y. I had a bowl - yes, a BOWL of Chai Latte! Granted, it was a smaller bowl, but it was still pretty massive. I loved it! Lydia had a bowl of Mocha Java. Then we headed to the car place, dropped off Sunny, and they took us by shuttle to the airport. Thank goodness they did, because by that time, it was sleeting outside. It was FREEZZINNNNNGGGG! We saw a girl at the airport who was a college student and who was headed back on our flight to Sydney too! It was crazy...totally a God thing, because we got a ride with their ride! What would you know? - exactly two seats left! :)

Now it's back to college and assessments. I am currently working on a REALLY long assessment right now, but it is causing me to reevaluate my priorities and think about what my long term goals are in life. (That's part of the assessment) I kind of get freaked out sometimes, because I'm not sure where I'm going and what God has put me on this earth to do - it's like I have so many passions that just don't seem to go together, yet I know somehow they will. I'm trusting, but as I go into 2nd year, I'm starting to ask God to reveal to me what He wants me to do next.

Anyways, here are some pictures from the trip:

Christchurch, NZ -- DAY 3

2009-05-18T19:54:00.012+10:00

Day 3 --> Woke up. Went to a small coffee house, VERY CUTE! I got a hazelnut hot chocolate and spanish frittata for breakfast. The frittata was okay, but the hot chocolate was AMAZING! Today was surprisingly colder than the rest. After the coffee house, we took a gondola ride up this mountain. It was like a ski lift, just enclosed and the seats faced opposite each other. It took us up this mountain where we were able to take pictures. We saw the snow-capped southern alps, including Mt. Hutt (a well-known snow-skiing location). It was beautiful, it was cold! Then we went punting down the Avon River. We're staying at a hotel on the Avon River right now, fyi. Ha, so it was beautiful! It was a 30 minute ride on a cute little boat with this guy using a pole to steer us along the river (kinda like what you'd imagine in Italy). There were ducks along the river (everywhere!!) and it was EVEN COLDER! Clouds were coming, and thankfully it didn't start raining til we got on the road! Anyways, we came back and took a nap and now we just got back from a restaurant called "The Hungry Mariner". It was really good! That's all for now. Going travelling a bit tomorrow. Until then!

P.S. -- here are some pictures from days 1 and 2:

>IT FINALLY LOOKS LIKE FALL...COLOURED LEAVES!!!

CHRISTCHURCH IS SO PRETTY:

THE FAMOUS CHRISTCHURCH CATHEDRAL--BEAUTIFUL!!!

(i want to upload so much more, but this in itself has taken me about 20 minutes. VERYYYYYYYYYYY slowwwwww internet....it sucks!)

Christchurch, New Zealand: DAYS 1 AND 2

2009-05-17T16:22:00.004+10:00

I tried writing yesterday on this blog but it wouldn't work. I'm currently at the Holiday Inn in Christchurch, New Zealand. When the site said that the rooms included "internet", I assumed (as any American would) that it meant free wireless internet in the room. Nope, there was a cord attached to the wall. Okay, no big deal. But when we plugged it in, it said that you had to pay money for 2 hours....and it wasn't like you could pay and you get two hours of credit, it's like the time expires after two hours. I'm not going to be on the internet for 2 hours on my holiday, so I'm just downstairs in the hotel lobby, where I can get 20 minutes of internet for $2. So I have a limited time, and I won't write much. Basically, we've had a great time thus far! It's been quite an adventure, I must say.

DAY 1 --> Arrive in Sydney, went to Avis (Car Rental that I booked with via airline), Airline lied to me and I couldn't get the car we booked because we're under 21 (SO CLOSE...POO!). We found a car rental place for anyone 18+. Got a white Mitsubishi (...here's the best part...) Sunny! Drove to hotel. Went to find a Mexican restaurant (it's been so long since I've had some!), got lost. Found a parking garage, got locked in the parking garage (..a story to tell the children one day...it's kinda a "never in a lifetime" kinda thing to happen..yeah, the doors actually shut as we were in there...we watched them shut. SCARY), called help line in garage, waited on help line about 45 minutes, no one helped me (lie 2! -- lie one was the one that said "public parking", lie 2 was "help line") after being transferred 4 times. Car came in, hung up on "help" line, person in car helped us get out with her security pass. Off to Mexican. Got lost going to Mexican. Found it, sat down, enjoyed. The end.

DAY 2 --> Woke up late (Lydia forgot to set her phone to NZ time..hehe), got out an hour and a half later than planned, tried to find a cafe with free internet that I had seen in a brochure. Got lost (..are you seeing a theme emerging here?) for a long time. Found cafe. Cafe booked. Tried to steal internet from outside. Couldn't see the computer screen because the sun was so bright and internet didn't work (found out later i had just accidentally switched off my WLAN signal (fancy lingo for I don't know what...it's just necessary to use wireless internet). Walked to a place and had brunch...eggs benedict with spinach, hashbrowns, HOLLANDAISE, bacon, on english muffins...and english breakfast tea...YUMMMM! By this time it was already the afternoon. Haha. Walked around the BEAUTIFUL area (mom, you would LOVE it here...reminds me of NC, except way better..and accents!), took lots and lots of pictures, toured a historic cathedral (GLORIOUS!), went shopping, back to car, here now at computer. :) The end.

It's been so fun! Sorry I haven't been in touch - I have no internet and no service on my phone. Have been trying to find internet everywhere, but I guess things on this side of the world are just not as easy as in America (and not as cheap..that's for sure!) Just bought a calling card, so dad, be expecting a call soon...I got your email. Email is currently down, so sorry to anyone that wrote me an email and hasn't gotten one back (dad, I just didn't have time on this computer to respond). Will check again asap! Love you all! :) Keep checking back everyday as I may not be able to email out a notification of new blog.

Random Update :)

2009-05-09T19:07:00.004+10:00

Hello! Well, I am on break! It’s my mid-semester break and I’m so excited to have some time off. I was planning on going on a roadtrip but I am not sure if I am anymore. I have a lot of assessments due right after break, so I think I’m going to take some time to get those done and visit the city and some other fun places around here. I may go up north a bit and visit for a day or two to a theme park, but I’m not sure yet. I think I’m going to get a job soon. I posted my resume online for babysitting jobs, and I have enquired about one family already but no answer yet. We’ll see what happens with that. If I don’t get any offers soon I’ll probably just go searching for another job somewhere else.

Well, I’m really loving my car! It’s quite scary at times, because for some reason the roads feel narrower here and cars feel like they are really close to me. My perception is a bit off when it comes to knowing how close I am to someone on my passenger side, which makes parking a bit difficult too. Okay, I’ll be honest…I am TERRIBLE at parking here. Oh well, I guess I’ll get the hang of it here someday. I suppose after doing it enough I’ll just get better at it.

I think I have found a place to live next semester! It’s outside of college housing, which is a plus! It will be cheaper rent, but it is further away. It doesn’t matter that much since I do have a car now, but at the same time, if I have an hour break or something, it won’t take me two minutes to get home. It’s about 10 to 15 minutes away. The girls that live there aren’t college girls, but they do go to the church. One of them goes to the Conservatorium of Music in the city and nannies as her job. I’m not sure what the other one does, because I honestly don’t know her well yet. The one girl that I do know is named Katrina and she’s super sweet. She’s 21 I think, and anyways, we get along really well and we hang out a good bit. I’ve started having TV show marathons with her. :)

My housemates and I have started having a Gilmore Girls marathon as well. Hehe. So that complete series of Gilmore Girls is really coming in handy! They’re all obsessed now. I seem to do that to people a lot. I always get people hooked on things for some reason – especially food. Haha.

Speaking of food - I’ve gone on a no-sugar diet. Well, that’s what I’m supposed to do, but when I went to look for foods with no sugar, I discovered there is hardly such a thing. Ha! I try to get things with no more than 3grams of sugar. I am getting used to drinking all natural teas with nothing in it. I’ll tell you what though, that is really hard, especially when it’s green tea…yuckkk! Oh well, you just get used to the “yuck”! But you also get creative. I bought all kinds of veggies and some fruit, and I can whip up a mean lunch or dinner!! It seems like anytime I try to follow a recipe, it just doesn’t work out, but every time I just try something new and creative, it’s AMAZING!! Through this no-sugar diet I think I’ve tapped into some kind of chef side of me….I mean, come on, it’s gotta be in there somewhere – the Bessinger side owns a frickin’ successful BBQ restaurant and the Brownlee side just KNOWS how to whip up a mean southern meal! So yeah, there’s gotta be some kind of food creativity genius inside of me, and that is what’s coming out of this new eating habit/lifestyle! :)

Well, that was a bunch of randomness! Just wanted to update everyone on what’s been going on with me lately. I haven’t written on here in a while and last night I helped a couple housemates get a blog and it reminded me to write on my own!

Hope everyone’s doing well! I had a really bad case of “Missing Home” today. :) I really do miss everyone and wish that I could just have a private jet to go back and forth, but unfortunately, that’s not reality. This is life. And don’t get my wrong, I AM LOVING IT! But I love all of you more than I love Australia or any other country in the world, so always know that! Can’t wait to see everyone in December, besides dad and Drew, who are coming in July (I’M SOOOOO EXCITED!!)! Love y’all!

CAR!

2009-04-18T13:50:00.010+10:00

Lately I have really been wanting a car. This whole week, especially, there have been so many circumstances that really required me to have a car. I found myself becoming really demanding of God, and then I had to take a step back and see the situation for what it was. Satan was really trying to get at me and make me question God's authority, wisdom, and timing. This guy that helped my friend find her car was going to help me find a good car, but he kept saying he'd call me and never did, so I'd call him to arrange a time where we could go car shopping, and he'd always say something like, "I'll give you a call tomorrow."...I always ended up calling him because he never actually did call me on that day. Finally he told me he'd call me when he found a good car. I gave him like a week and he never called, so I decided that I was going to have to start looking myself. I really didn't want to do this myself, because I'm a young American female. 3 disadvantages for me and 3 reasons a car dealer could very easily take advantage of me. But I just prayed that God would lead me to the right car.

Well, I began searching the internet. I had an idea of what I wanted and what I didn't want in a car, and I learned alot along the way. I narrowed down some cars, and one of my girlfriends came over to help me find the perfect one! :) She offered to take me car shopping on Friday as well. We narrowed it down to one car...a white Mitsubishi Magna. I really wasn't thrilled with how it looked, and it was a gas guzzler! I called them the next morning (which was Friday morning) before my friend, Erina, got to my house to take me car shopping, and that car dealer said that they sold the Magna the day before. I was kinda bummed but I was totally at peace with it, because I just felt like that wasn't really my car in the first place. I had pretty much ruled out getting a Honda or Toyota, because I wanted a car no earlier than the year 2000 and that would mean paying a lot of money for a Honda or Toyota! So I was looking particularly at Nissans and Mitsubishis. But after that dealer told me the car was sold, I began my search again. I figured I'd just look at car lots here and see if I could find one. For all you Charleston people, there is a road here that's pretty much like Savannah Hwy (TONS of car dealerships), but times 10! So I just decided to search car dealerships online to get an idea of what place had what. In the process, I found a '99 Hatchback Toyota Corolla. It was blue, and really cute! So I called the dealer and got their address and told them I was interested in that car. They were so nice. Erina came to pick me up and we went to this car dealership that I was talking about called "Automobile Gallery" (www.automobilegallery.com.au). When we walked up to the lot, I was expecting someone to bombard me with questions and facts about their cars. Instead, me and Erina got to look around for a few minutes. We spotted the car I'd been looking at online, and as I was walking toward it, I saw a familiar car - a 2001 Honda Civic! Same model as mine back home. I told my friend, "Erina, I just have to take a look at this car for old times sake." I had no intentions of buying the car. When I saw that it was only $1,000 more than the Toyota Corolla, I was like, "Oh my gosh!" It had low kms (or miles, for the Americans) as well, but I went and looked at the Toyota. I chatted with the dealer, who came outside shortly after I got to looking at the Toyota. He was really nice, and wasn't trying to sell me his stuff, but was really just trying to help me along and gave me all kinds of info! He told me everything I needed to know about things such as insurance, registration, etc. I was in a pickle now. I had to decide between this Toyota and Honda. How funny is it that I had totally ruled out getting a Honda or Toyota, but now I was having difficulty deciding between the two?! Seriously, God has such a sense of humor! Well, I ended up getting the Honda!! How much more does that prove God's sense of humor? I got the same car here as back home! That thought had never realistically crossed my mind! It's dark blue, and has dark interior. Those are the major differences (other than the steering wheel being on the other side of the car).

All I can say is thank you to my dad! And thank you God! Seriously, I am SO blessed! I know this car is the one God had waiting for me, because I took out $500 cash, hoping they would take that as a deposit, because I definitely don't have thousands of dollars to fork out right now. I have to wait for those funds to come in from dad back home. When I got there, they said, "We take $500 deposits on all of our cars." Woah! Also, I looked into how much the Honda cost here and converted it to US dollars, and it was just under the price my car sold for back home! Such a God thing! Here's some pictures:

(P.S.): You can see more pictures on the site I mentioned earlier. Just go to "Gallery" and then get to the Hondas. Mine is at the top of the page. It's a 2001, Dark Blue.

So yeah, I'm going to go pick it up some time next week hopefully! YAY!

ONE.

2009-04-16T23:45:00.001+10:00

Sometimes I find it amazing how something that seems so small to me can greatly affect someone’s future. Something that I do on a regular basis, something I don’t think twice about – something such as making a phone call. We do it pretty much every day – making calls. It’s just a part of our culture, our generation. What’s a cell phone for anyways? To me, serving has become like that as well. I don’t want it to become mundane and familiar, but I do want it to be a part of who I am, not just a part of my life here at college and church. Well, when you combine the two (phone calls and serving), you get one thing: making calls to members of the church. Don’t worry, I’m not going off on one of my tangents. Let me explain a bit more what this has to do with anything.

For Sisterhood (the women’s ministry service on Thursday mornings), I serve in the buses ministry. When I am rostered on for the week, I ride on one of the church buses that picks women up around Sydney who don’t have cars. I get to greet the women and just make them feel welcome in the mornings. The lady who oversees this area is actually about to have a baby, so I told her I don’t mind helping to make the phone calls and such like she used to do. So this week I made the phone calls and edited the bus run sheet, which just tells the bus driver the routes we need to take for that Thursday morning. I was given a few new people to contact along with the “regulars”. One lady, though, had an incomplete number. I actually was thinking it looked weird, because it was only 7 digits, and it looked like an American number, like this: (xxx-xxxx). Home numbers here are 8 digits, so I realized a number was missing. I emailed the bus driver that morning, and kept checking my email, but no reply. So finally that evening she sent me an email back with the correct number. I called this lady and said, “Hi, this is Rian from Hillsong Church and I’m calling about Sisterhood tomorrow. Just wondering if you are coming and if you need a ride on the bus?” She seemed really happy to talk to me and was saying that she wanted to come to Sisterhood but didn’t have a car. I told her that I didn’t have a car and that I know how frustrating that can be, and I told her that the Sisterhood bus could pick her up. When she got what I was saying, she was SO incredibly happy! I apologized for not calling earlier but someone had given me an incomplete number and I just got the right number. She was so thankful that I actually “went to so much trouble” (as she put it) to get her number. It really didn’t seem like a big deal to me. “It’s just my job.”

When I met her on the bus the next morning, God just totally spoke through me. I didn’t say much to her on the ride because I wasn’t sitting next to her, but as we were getting off I asked her if she had anyone to sit with and she said, “No.” I told her I didn’t either and asked if she wanted to sit with me. She refused at first because she thought I wanted to sit with my friends or something, but I reassured her that I had no one to sit with and I wanted to sit with her.

The reason I say “God just totally spoke through me” is because after the service was over and I was chatting with her, she told me that she wanted to go to Colour Conference this past year (yes, what I’ve been talking about in my past couple blogs) but that she couldn’t afford it. She said that she applied for financial aid but no one at the church contacted her. I apologized to her and encouraged her to still come next year. She then told me what totally hit me hard. She told me that because no one had contacted her (and she had tried several times to call the church but no one was helpful) about Colour, she was becoming really bitter. She told me that if I hadn’t called her, she would’ve been turned off from the church. I quickly realized after that how crucial it was to be connected. I learned that she has been going to Hillsong now for 8 years, and yet she still doesn’t know hardly anyone! That blows my mind, because I’ve been going to Hillsong a little over 8 months, and I know so many people. But you know what? It’s not about knowing people and having friends and people seeing you, it’s about quietly finding that “one”. It’s about loving the “one.” Because I know if I were the last person on earth, Jesus still would’ve died for me. He’s all about the “one”. He’s all about you.

Colourful.

2009-04-10T13:35:00.009+10:00

Hey everyone!

Here's some videos giving you the feel of what's been going on lately here at hillsong. The first one is of the women's conference we just got finished with (Colour Your World 2009). The second one is a video that someone (obviously one of the volunteers) took during one of the rehearsals of the opening to Colour. I swear, the girl who sings in the beginning (her name is Amy I think) looks so much like Jennifer Anniston, don't you think?

Daylight Savings

2009-04-04T11:45:00.003+11:00

So just a head's up for everyone back in the States...Daylight Savings Time ends tomorrow, so I will be setting my clock back one hour tonight. Just know that starting your Saturday night, you will be adding 2 hours to your current time, and then flipping the AM and PM.

Yay! I'm so excited--I get an extra hour of sleep tonight! :)

Colour Conference & Album Recording

2009-04-02T23:37:00.003+11:00

Well, Colour Conference is over. Colour Your World is Hillsong's annual women's conference. We served at two Colour Conferences and then a day of serving at the live album recording for Hillsong's next album release. So basically I've had a week of 12-14 hour days this past week. It's been sooo tiring, but incredible! I got to go into a few sessions. These included sessions by Lisa Bevere, Sy Rogers, and Pastor Brian and Bobbie Houston. I worked in kids (ages 1 and 2) for both Colour Conferences. For album, I served in choir. Both areas of serving were amazing! Colour Conference One was 3 days long. Then on Sunday I served in my normal area of serving on Sunday mornings (security) and ran out to catch the church bus to the Sydney Entertainment Centre to get to choir practice and was there til late that night. Then Colour Two was another 3 days long. Seriously, it was amazingggg!

Some ministries came and were represented at the Conference. The biggest thing was Compassion. Compassion is a Christian child sponsorship program. The president of Compassion Australia spoke and Colour Conference was celebrating 10 years of partnership with Compassion. Compassion Australia is just a part of Compassion International. I actually got to volunteer with Compassion International once. It was so fun! I got to go to a Riverdogs game and work at a Compassion booth (for those of you who don't know who the Riverdogs are, they are a local baseball team back home). I loved it...Caedmon's Call introduced us as we passed out "children" to be sponsored to people.

Another ministry represented was Samaritan's Purse. Samaritan's Purse is actually Franklin Graham's ministry (Billy Graham's son). Every year they do something that you might be more familiar with...does Operation Christmas Child ring a bell? Okay, I LOVE Operation Christmas Child. I try to do a shoebox every year. My mom will tell you that it's one of my favorite things to go to the Dollar Store back home and just buy all kinds of toys and fill up boxes and wrap them. Haha, I go through the "Mom, do you think this is a standard sized shoebox?" as I rummage through closets in the house, searching for empty shoeboxes that no one needs. So let me explain what Operation Christmas Child is. Basically you get an empty shoebox and fill it with toys for a child around the world that otherwise wouldn't get anything for Christmas. I got to visit and work at the Samaritan's Purse headquarters a couple years ago. My job was to open and sort through the boxes to make sure that everything inside was acceptable (i.e. no war-like toys, no candies like chocolate that could melt, etc). I want to go back again so badly! It's just in North Carolina..not too far from home. So yeah, they actually had an Operation Christmas Child booth at the conference, where you just would pay $20 and fill up a box for a child! I got to do one and meet this really cool lady who had a full time job and volunteered in her spare time at Samaritan's Purse. There are some truly amazing people in the world!

I also found this out at the conference through the guys that served. I met some really cool people because the City and Hills students were combined (the two college campuses) for the conference. This is like the only place we ever see each other. haha. But anyways, the guys worked the conference as well and all of the girls got to go in for some sessions. The guys on my team were super nice. Most of them were from the city campus, so I hadn't met them before. But I just remember sometimes being amazed by their hard work. God caught me off guard a few times and would say things to me like, "See Rian, there are some really good guys out there." He reminded me that He's got a great guy waiting for me somewhere. :)

Well, I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch much, but like I mentioned, I have been super busy this past week! Thankfully I had today off and I have tomorrow off as well. As much as I miss Colour, I'm so happy I get to sleep in! Having to stand at the bus stop at 7am in the pouring rain for a bus wasn't the funnest thing in the world, but hey, you don't get that experience everyday. I forgot to bring my umbrella one day, so as I was walking through the city during my lunch break, it began to pour. Haha, sometimes you just have to learn to let go and run in the rain (and pray you don't get sick)!

By the way, please consider sponsoring a child. I sponsor a boy in Ethiopia named Temesgen. We actually write each other alot! It's nice too, because you can write him from your online account or you can choose to send via "snail mail". I get to send him or his family money gifts for different occasions - his birthday, Christmas, etc. Or just whenever I want to. I love how personalized it feels. You can even meet your child on this side of eternity...I hope to visit Temesgen one day in his hometown! I love him so much! There's lots of poverty right now around the world. My heart was broken as I watched some of the stories that Compassion shared through a video at Colour. There was a little boy during one part who was saying he wanted to become a doctor and support his grandparents and he began to cry as he said "I pray that my sponsor will always be happy." I couldn't stop crying (part of that was probably from a lack of sleep as well). To these children, you're not just someone who gives them money and an occasional letter. For alot of Compassion kids, you are their source of hope...you seriously are like a parent to them because your money shows them you not only care, but that you BELIEVE in them. Anyone who has kids knows that's what a child wants to feel like - that someone believes in them. We all want to feel like way. Many sponsored children's wall decorations are just letters from their sponsor. There was a girl at the Compassion tent outside at the Conference that was speaking about her life and how her life and her parents lives have been completely transformed because of the sponsorship program (she looked about my age). She said "now my kids won't have to be sponsored children, because I have the opportunity to live a successful life." Compassion works with the children's local churches to set up the children for a win in life. I don't know everything about Temesgen - what he goes through everyday physically and spiritually - but I do know that I make a difference and bring hope to his life - a hope from God! Please sponsor a child. It's only $32 a month. That's seriously so cheap if you see it for how it is - giving someone the opportunity to live life!

Get this widget!

Compassion – Make a Donation – Sponsor a Child

I'm still here....

2009-03-14T14:28:00.002+11:00

It's been a while, hey? I am really sorry I haven't written in a while or been in very good contact period, but I thought today I'd update you all on some things that have been going on here. Geez where do I begin?

First off, I have heard back from Sam. She isn't coming back til next year. She is totally okay with it and knows that this is what's best. She is at peace with it and feels like this is what the Lord has told her to do. She is staying back in South Africa to build up her relationship with her dad and be there for her mom.

Wow, so I had no idea so many people read my blog. Like, one of my former housemates said that she likes my blog, and then one of my friends in Illinois said she loves reading it as well. So cool! I think blogging is such an ingenious way to keep up with everyone from across the world! Also, I just got this thing called Twitter. It's apparently becoming really popular. But basically its just a simple answer to the question, "What are you doing?". I just write a short summary of what I'm doing every now and then. If you want to get one, go to twitter.com, and you can follow my updates. You'll see, though, here on my blog that it shows my Twitter updates on the top right hand corner of my page so you can see what I'm doing throughout the day. :)

So lately I have been really busy. Just on Wednesday night I went to the Coldplay concert and it was awesome! Here is a video (sorry for all the screaming in the background...haha)--

I also have been serving alot in church and doing college. Can you believe I am in the MIDDLE of my SECOND semester of college? Geez, seriously, it feels like I JUST started my second semester, and kind of still feels like I haven't been Australia that long. Soon enough, I will be a second year. CRAZINESS!

Right now I'm looking into getting a car. I have a friend who has a friend (haha) that is going to help me find a car. He used to work in car auctions. I better get on it though, because soon enough dad and Drew will be here! Yep, that's right! Dad and Drew are coming over to visit in July! :) I'm SOOO excited! Hopefully mom will get the money to be able to come visit someday soon too!

So just to let everyone know, Colour Your World Conference (the Hillsong annual women's conference) and the next big album recording are coming up. Wednesday, 25th of March, I have training for Colour, and then the 26th-28th is the first Colour Conference. I am scheduled to work in kids, so I know I'll be exhausted! Haha. Then Sunday, the 29th, is the Live Album Recording at the Sydney Entertainment Centre (same place I saw the Passion conference at). I have been scheduled on choir!!! This is so cool, because that means I'll be in for the recording, and not only that, but I'll be on the first few front rows (choir isn't actually onstage, they basically just are the people in the front rows of the audience). So that is really neat! Then the second Colour Conference is from Monday, 30th of March to Wednesday, the 1st of April. I am working in kids during this conference as well. Boy, am I gonna be POOPED! Haha, but I know it will be an AMAZING experience! I can't wait! So yeah, just know that I probably won't be in contact with anyone during those days. Pretty much I'll be working the conferences all day and then getting little sleep at night. Hehe.

Oh, by the way, I am feeling much better. I am healed in Jesus' name! I've been taking better care of myself (i.e. eating wiser choices of food).

And everyone, please pray for my friend, Amber Ray. She is one of my very best friends in the entire world! She was the one that came to Florida with me and loved me out of my stupidity (if you don't know that story, don't worry about it...just stupid boy stuff). She's always been there for me, so I'm asking everyone to please be there for her in prayer. Her stepdad just passed away a couple days ago, and she's having a really hard time with it all. I can't even imagine! PLEASE be praying for her! This is a super hard time for her!

Anyways, love you all, but I have to go get ready to serve at church tonight! :)

Lots of love from Down Under,
Ri :)

P.S. Pick up the People Magazine (Country Special Edition) for March 2009. My dad has an article in it for his BBQ restaurant! :)

Taking Up Esther's Example

2009-02-10T21:57:00.004+11:00

Can everyone please pray for my housemate, Sam? She is from South Africa, and one of the housemates that was here last semester as well. You see, the South African government is a little messed up. To make a long story short, Sam owes alot of money to the college for rent, etc, but is unable to pay it. Her dad is supposed to be paying her child support, because in S. Africa, your parent has to pay child support until you're done with your schooling. Her parents are in the middle of a divorce, which is hard enough. But now her dad isn't supplying her with the money he promised he'd give her, and the money that is rightfully hers by law. So she took it to court. She was going to have to go back to S. Africa for a couple weeks, but it worked out that now she doesn't have to. Her mom went to court for her and explained the situation. The court gave her dad til a certain day to pay up, but he didn't, so they put out a warrant for his arrest. For some reason, that hasn't happened, and her dad has arranged for people to kill her family if seen, so her family is in a safe house right now. Her dad has the money to pay, he just isn't paying. So basically, she has to pay all her college fees by Friday or else she gets deported. Only problem is for some reason the court has postponed the court date to Friday. So if you could all be praying praying praying for her, that would be great!

Things in my house are really good. The girls have turned out to be some of the most faith filled people. Tonight one of my housemates, Brittany (she's from SC too! Woohoo!) got everyone downstairs and we all prayed for Sam. We also did that a couple nights ago as well (our house meeting turned into a prayer meeting...yeahhh!). Brittany brought up a really cool idea. She read to us in the book of Esther about the story where the king gave orders to kill the Jews, and Esther, his wife, was secretly a Jew. Her father by adoption, Mordecai, tells her that she needs to do something. In Esther 4:14, Mordecai explains to her, "...And who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this?". It goes on to say in verses 15-16:

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
We thought that it was a little more than ironic that Friday is exactly 3 days away from today. We all decided to fast in some way together for the next three days and stand together in prayer. This is what we are here for: to be the hands and feet of Jesus. This is the church: helping one another through faith, prayer and love. Please join us!!! If you can, please fast from something for the next 3 days (if you're in America, til Thursday.

Keep Sam in your prayers!! I will update everyone come Friday.

THANK YOU!

P.S. I am okay regarding the Australian wildfires. It was about 108 this past weekend, but it's simmered down to about 75 degrees today. The fires aren't near me, most are in the state below me, and I'm pretty sure they are probably under control by now, since the temperature has dropped and it was raining lightly today. Thanks for everyone's concern, but no worries...I'm alright and will be alright. :)

Revolutionary Road/Powerhouse Retreat Highlights

2009-02-04T00:38:00.010+11:00

It's really late here. I just got back from the theater a while back because I saw the movie "Revolutionary Road", and I must say that was probably the worst movie I've ever seen. DO NOT see it. Not unless you want to leave the theater depressed. Seriously! I expected more out of Kate and Leonardo.

Okay so since I can't really write much, here is a snippet of a video that the church made. It's highlights from the Powerhouse Summer Retreat I just went on in the Central Coast (about 2 hours north of Sydney). The beach in the video is Terrigal Beach. SO beautiful!

Love love love!

P.S. Here's some pictures on this website from the retreat (more links to pictures on the right side of the page under "Recent Posts"):
http://hillsong.com/blogs/powerhouse/2009/02/02/retreat-photo-blog-no3-saturday/

2009.

2009-02-02T12:46:00.005+11:00

I cannot believe that I'm in my 2nd semester of college. All I know is I am determined to make not just semester, but this year, count. I am so excited to see where God is going to take me in my walk with Him. When I went back home I think I got kind of discouraged by doctor's reports on my back, but coming back to Hillsong has really helped me to be encouraged by God's might and ability and willingness to heal me. Going back home made me re-evaluate my faith, in that I lost my passion and my feeling of desire toward God. This made me think. It made me mad that I had gone through a whole semester at college here in Hillsong and yet my faith swayed with the wind. Whether I'm in America or Australia should not determine how in love I am and how much I trust my Savior. I found myself blaming God and getting mad at Him instead. Not sure why my first tendency was to do that, but I guess I just have a human nature of not wanting to take responsibility. Anyways, I am now praising God for health and I haven't had alot of back pain since I've been here. The other night someone from the church prayed for my back and when she walked away, I still felt a hand on my back. God told me that he hasn't forgotten about my back, or about me and I'm now resting in that. Since then I've had peace about the situation, but I'm not settling. I'm still battling out in prayer and thanks for my healing.

This is my year. I believe this will be my best year yet. I feel this year I'm going to have a major "growth spurt" in my relationship with God. I just got back from Powerhouse Summer Retreat (Powerhouse is the 18-25 year old ministry) and God just started the process of breaking lots of things off my life that have been holding me back for a long time in running whole-heartedly with God's plan for my life - things that have been stunting my growth such as unconfidence, self-consciousness, etc. These things still come up within me. It's not just some magic prayer and then, POOF, all your problems and insecurities are gone, but I now just realize that it's stupid and Satan is just lying to me in telling me that I can't do something, or that I'll look stupid, etc. This is why I really believe this year is going to be a great one for me - one of massive growth. But it's just one day at a time. That's how it goes. That's how I plan to live.

Check out the "My Links" section I just added to my blog. There is a link to my photography, including family Christmas pictures 2008.

Change of Plans

2008-11-22T17:16:00.010+11:00

Clarification on my last post:

I want to be here. I love it here in Sydney. I love being at Hillsong. I hope no one got the impression that I don't want to be here, and that's why I'm just so ready to come home for Christmas. That's definitely not true. While (or if you're an Aussie, "Whilst") I am a little worn out from all the stuff we do here, I really do love it, and I still plan to stay at least 2 years, with the possibility of 3. I just will have to feel that one out when it gets closer to making that decision. I am, however, really ready to come home! I think partially because...yes, I am ready for a break...but also just because I know that I'm coming home, so it seems like these past couple weeks have been dragging out, and at the same time, flying by. Makes no sense, I know. I don't know how to describe it. But I am really excited to see the family!

One problem lies within that last sentence, though. I may not be able to see you all on December 5th, as my flight plans have changed. I've never really had this happen before, but I know it can. Sometimes the airlines will just change your flight plans for you. I am looking into this right now to see if there is something that can be done, but basically I won't arrive in Charleston now til 11:54pm on December 5th. Please know that I TOTALLY understand if that's too late for y'all to come to the airport. I am fine with seeing all of you the next day, or even Sunday for family dinner. I will see what I can do to change this flight to an earlier arrival, but if not, I will just see you all sometime that weekend. I'll keep you updated. No worries!

Well, some of you know that I was having really bad allergies the past week or two. My eyes were really bothering me - they were constantly itching. I would sit there sometimes and rub them for like an hour because they itched so badly. Finally I went to the doctor and we concluded that it was pink eye (conjunctivitus). I've never had that before, so I just didn't think about it being an eye infection. Well, I got some antibiotics for my eyes and for my allergies, and they are much better. I still feel like my eyes are really swollen, and a little red, but you can't really tell. I think I'm going to get back into the swing of things tomorrow. I don't think it will be contagious anymore. I'll still continue taking my eyedrops (they said take them from 3-5 days) for the next few days, but I should be fine.

Actually, yesterday I did go out to the city with some friends. I didn't feel at my best, but I really really wanted to go because it was my tutorial class' party to finish off the year, and I really love my class, so I decided to go. It was so much fun! One of the girls in my class made up the whole "surprise" day. We all knew we were going to the city, but we had no idea what we were going to be doing there. We ended up doing our version of The Amazing Race, but we called it The Amazing Tutorial Race. It was awesome! I got to see parts of downtown Sydney I had never seen before. I never realized how many beautiful places there are! We got clues at each destination, and would try to find the next destination. Haha, we looked like crazy foreigners running around Sydney, probably. Each place we went, we had to ask someone to take a picture of our team to prove that we had been there. We split up into two different teams - The Europeans, and The North Americans. Hehe. Well, The Europeans won, but that was only because they ran the whole way! Haha! Also, we had a few set-backs. One of them was that I fell on the concrete and scraped my knees up. Why did I have to go and do something typical of me when we were in a hurry? Ha! :) Oh well, the whole day was fun! Our last destination where we all met up in the city was at the Opera House. We all met on the steps, and they were rehearsing for Australian Idol (you know, like American Idol, except...well, the Australian version). The stage for the finale show was all set up outside of the Opera House, and we got to watch the contestants practice. It was really cool, though I honestly think Australian Idol is really lame...American Idol is much better...can't beat Simon Cowell. Still, it was cool, because it was the finale of the idol show in Australia. They were practicing with their huge crane cameras. The band was all out there, and the contestants were practicing onstage as well. Cool stuff! Anyways, then we went to Bondi Beach to finish off the day. It was SO COLD! But it was alot of fun! I have put some pictures on my slideshow on this page, so check them out!

Love you all! :)

P.S. I haven't talked to my friend who had surgery yet, but as soon as I do, I'll update everyone. Don't forget to keep her in your prayers please!

SEE YOU IN 13 DAYS!!!!

Time to Apply

2008-11-19T13:24:00.005+11:00

Lately I have been really worn out, and this has caused me to become a little lazy. I think you need those lazy days sometimes, but I have had a few in the past week/weekend. :) I think I'm starting to get to the point where I know I'm getting on a plane in a couple weeks, and I'm just ready to be on that plane now. I always do this, though. I always wish time away. I really don't want to anymore though. God's exposing to me this pattern in my life. For example, I was going to attend this thing tomorrow night called "Leadership Vision Night", but instead, I got rostered on to watch kids. AHHH! Okay, everyone knows that I worked with kids constantly back home, so there should be no problem, right? WRONG. Haha, I don't know what it is, but I really don't enjoy Australian kids. They are (brace yourself, I never thought this could be possible either) 20 times more rowdy, loud, and obnoxious than American kids. I haven't actually watched kids here yet (other than on Thursdays I watch babies for Sisterhood, but they don't count), so I really don't want to. I have actually been dreading it, since tomorrow I have to watch babies in the morning, go to class, then walk back in a couple hours to serve again in kids.

This morning, though, God really showed me something. Today we had Chapel, and the whole thing was just worship. I kind of felt like God was just saying that if I want to be in ministry that I had better get used to it. But I told God, "I don't know if I can be in the ministry then." Haha. Just being real with God. I'm like, "How do people do it...and still have a good attitude?" God just kept reminding me that His strength can be my strength. I am realizing today that I am wasting alot of time here, if I'm not spending time with God. I haven't been spending time with God lately, to tell you the truth. I think I'm hiding from Him...maybe from responsibility..I don't know. But why am I here if I'm not spending time with God? I came here for God, directed to come here by God...so what the heck am I here for, other than a few laughs, good relationships, and good times, if I'm not getting to know the One who holds my future in His hands. I'm really here in vain. I'm wasting time. I'm doing nothing. I'm being unproductive (is that a word?). Today I decided that no matter how hard it gets, or how much I get worn out, I am just going to tell God how I feel, and press in. My heart really does crave to learn. I am learning guitar, and I'm intrigued by it. I always want to learn how to do more with it. I have about 10 books on my bookshelf that I "plan to read", many of them I've already started reading. Haha. Seriously, I think it's time for some discipline in my life. God teaches you so much about yourself when you're on your own. I'm ready to apply what I'm learning.

P.S. My computer is fixed now for those who knew it was messed up. Turns out the antivirus that I had been prompted by what looked like Windows to buy was actually the virus itself. Ha. Watch out for "Windows AntivirusPro 2009". It's a fake! This has happened to alot of people lately.

***IMPORTANT!: My friend that I talked about having cancer a couple blogs back is going in for surgery this Thursday, Nov 20 at 7:30AM. That's Illinois time, so if you are in SC, her surgery is at 8:30am. If you're here in Sydney, it will be 12:30AM Friday, 21 Nov. Please keep her in your prayers! If we could all join in prayer (not necessarily at each other's sides, but how powerful would our simple prayer be, if lots of other people around the world and country were praying simple prayers as well!?) at her time of surgery, that would be really great! Seriously, God's gonna move so much...let's make sure we all at least lift up a prayer at the time of her surgery. If you're going to be asleep, just pray for her before you go to bed, whether that's the night before or 2 hours before (depending on which side of the world you live). This is part of the email she sent me: "please please please pray because i am sooo scared"

I can't urge you enough to be praying for her! YOUR prayer matters alot! Thanks so much everyone!

Love y'all! :)

20 days!

2008-11-15T11:42:00.008+11:00

A few exciting things have happened here in OZ (Australia) since my last blog.

Hillsong had its 25th Anniversary as a church! We all celebrated in the city at Darling Harbour! There was a stage that floated on the water, and they had some old worship songs like, "Shout to the Lord". What an opportunity I had to be able to see Darlene Zscech lead Hillsong church in this song, after so many years of not singing it - and at Darling Harbour, at that. They showed footage from when they first started out as a church...it was so weird! I got to see Pastor Brian's funny haircuts and mustache from years ago. I quickly came to the realization that Hillsong had small beginnings. What started out as an "ordinary" church, now impacts the world! God has really had His hand on Hillsong. This is what results from faithful people. What a historic event that night was! To top the night off, there were fireworks straight after the celebration service. It was awesome! I have some pictures on my slideshow of the service. I also re-ordered the pictures, so you should be able to see some of the newer ones first in the slideshow(I added more pictures - not just from the 25th Anniversary). P.S., the picture of me with a flower is actually a flower that I got from my tutorial class for my birthday..bright pink daisies!

I FINALLY went to the beach the other day! It's ridiculous, I know. I have lived here for 4 and 1/2 months now, and I just went to the beach last week. Oh well. I went on Monday to Bondi Beach (pronounced Bond-I, not Bond-ee), which is probably the most famous beach in Australia. It was beautiful. Everyone says there are nicer beaches than Bondi (such as Manly Beach), but I really liked Bondi. I guess maybe because it was just so much nicer than our beaches back in Charleston. The water is blue and when I went out pretty deep, it was clear - I could actually see what was beneath me.

So by the time me and my friend got out there, it was like 3:30pm. We had to take a bus and two trains (I think, or maybe just one), and then another bus. It took so long. Haha. That's public transport for ya. We then met up with our two other friends. We'd been in class earlier, so by the time I got there, I was beat. I just laid out and fell asleep. Yes, I put on sunscreen...I don't want to get burnt here. The sun is really powerful. And I didn't get burnt - just a nice sunkissed look! :)

After I laid out, I went in the water, and me and my friend body-surfed a couple of times before the lifeguard called everyone in. He's supposed to do this before he goes home by law, but you can go back in if you want. We didn't know this, so I only got to swim a little. The water was freezing, though, when I first got in. It seriously felt like mountain water. I went to the beach with some guys, and so they were all like "Oh the water feels soooo good.", and they meant it too. Me and my female self did not agree with that statement so much, but it's okay...I actually got used to it after a little while and I couldn't tell it was cold anymore.

When we got done at the beach, we decided to go walk this path up a cliff. It's cool, because at Bondi (and I think most of the beaches here...not sure) they have cliffs surrounding the beach. You can see one of the cliffs in the first picture on my slideshow. So we walked up this path to the cliff. It was beautiful. It was such an adventure. I realized during that walk that my spirit REALLY craves adventure! And I REALLY wished I had my camera with me at the time, but I didn't. I was itching the whole time for my camera. The best thing I had was my phone camera. I took a couple pictures of Bondi on it, which you can see here on my slideshow as well.

Well, I come home in 20 days! I am so excited! Dad has already made ski reservations! I am excited to celebrate Christmas with my family! It's getting so hot here, and it's really hard to think that Christmas is coming up, so I have been trying to convince myself it is by just buying little Christmas decorations for my room (i.e. a mini Christmas tree, and lights), but I will admit, it's not the same as back home. I know it doesn't even get very cold (if at all, really) on Christmas day in Charleston, but there is just something magical about Christmas with my family, something very special! It's a feeling that I couldn't find outside of family. I can't wait to see you all!

Reminder: I come home December 5th. I'll send out an email when it gets a little closer to the time! AHHH, I CAN'T WAIT! :)

Love you all! :)

Your Love is Everything

2008-11-08T15:06:00.005+11:00

I forgot to mention in my last blog that I went to the Passion Sydney World Tour. I think this was Passion's first world tour. Passion is a group, started by Louie Giglio (a Christian speaker), that goes around and hosts conferences. Passion conferences are known for their music (well-known Christian artists tour with them, such as Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Christy Nockels, etc.), but they include so much more than that. I had SUCH a good time! What an inspiring night! It opened up my eyes to the world even more! They went to some 17 cities (I think), and at each city, they would take up an offering to fund the next city (because tickets are free), and that city would pray for the next one as well. I was blown away when Louie Giglio told us that one of the poorest places in Africa gave several thousand dollars to one of the richest places in the world - Paris, France. They were pretty sure no one had ever asked these Africans to give anything, since they don't have much, but they were so willing. Imagine the trust they had to place in God! Amazing people, I tell ya!

Speaking of trusting in God, I am having opportunity after opportunity to do this myself. I found out just a couple hours ago that one of my really close friends back in the States has cancer. When I hung up with her, I immediately went to her picture (I just decorated my room last night with tons of pictures, and cute stuff!) on my wall, and laid hands on that picture of her, and just prayed and spoke life into her body. Can I just say that my God is above cancer? It's so true! Testimony after testimony has proved His Word true - "O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me." (Psalm 30:2)

To my friend - if you read this, hold onto this verse. You may not have much trust left inside of you for God, but just test Him in this, okay? I love you! :) You're constantly in my prayers!

To the other readers - if there is one person you could pray for, it would be this friend. You don't need to know her name, or anything else but that she is struggling with cancer, and also needs financial provision!

Thank you so much!

While I was praying over my friend, I felt like love and healing went hand in hand. I thought, "God, can love heal someone?". As I was listening to a great song called "Your Love is Everything" by Jesus Culture, I realized I found the answer to that question. Check out the lyrics:

When I'm dry and thirsty Lord,
And I'm crying out for more,
I know I can trust in your love.
In the darkness in the night
When I'm starving for the light
I know I can trust in Your love.

You keep no records of my sin,
You don't remember all my shame.

Your love heals every disease
Your love fulfills my every need
Your love is everything to me
Your love is everything

I will not forget
I wont forget your promises
I will not forget
I wont forget your love.

I will not forget
I wont forget nothing is impossible
I will not forget
I wont forget your love.

Being 19 isn't any different from 18. Haha.

2008-10-27T15:11:00.002+11:00

Wow, I can't believe I'll be on a plane to head home in just about 6 weeks! It's so crazy how fast time flies here! Sometimes, I can't even remember what month we are in. Seriously...it was JUST the beginning of October. I rememeber just not too long ago thinking "It's almost my birthday". Now it's almost November. DANG! I come home December 5th, and return on January 20th, in case any of you didn't know the exact dates.

Well, I had a great birthday! I woke up early, and Hanna and Steven met me at my house and we all went to the city. We ate at Pancakes on the Rocks (where else?). I got chocolate pancakes with chocolate syrup and cream and chocolate ice cream on top. They were so yummy!! Then we went to Circular Quay (where the Opera House and Harbour Bridge are), and took a ferry out to Taronga Zoo. When we got there, we decided we didn't want to pay for a Sky Safari (which is basically a ski lift) or a bus, so we decided to walk up to the zoo. So the zoo starts at the very top, and you work your way down. Well, we ended up entering the exit way, and we didn't pay. I know, I know...bad...but honestly, we were so confused. There was just a way to walk in and no ticket counter or anything. So we basically worked our way up, and then back down. It was alot of fun! The only thing that was kinda sad was I didn't see any platypuses, or....(dun dun dunnn)...kangaroos. I know what you're thinking right now: "How the heck do you go to a zoo in Sydney, Australia and not see any kangaroos?". I actually didn't even think about it until the end of the day when the zoo was closing, and I asked myself that same question. Oh well. I'll be here for a while, so no worries! Kate didn't get to go with us because she had church stuff to do all day, so I'll go again with her sometime.

After the zoo we went to Blockbuster (yes, they have a Blockbuster here!) and tried to rent a movie, but I had to have proof of residency, so I didn't get to rent a movie. I have a ton of movies here, but they are all American movies, and the DVD player in my house is obviously Australian. They have different region codes. America's is region 1, and Australia is region 4. So we went home, and my housemates had baked me a cake and bought me some sweets and decorated the house. It was so cute. We watched a movie and had cake. A couple more people joined us. My connect group leader is Aussie, so she had some movies. We didn't have many options though, so we watched A Walk to Remember. Haha. The guys really appreciated that one. ;)

So that's my birthday story. I'm 19 now. It's such an awkward age, you know? It's inbetween two "big" years. 18 is when you're a legal adult (in America, at least), and 20 just means that everytime someone says your age, you don't have to hear that obnoxious "-teen" at the end of it anymore. I'm not at that point yet, but I can't wait til I am. Haha. But then again, sometimes I can't believe that I'm here in Australia, living on my own (well, in a house of 7 girls, but you know what I mean), and going to Hillsong! Sometimes that actually gets a little monotonous, because honestly, there isn't like a magic feeling you get when you walk into Hillsong. It's just another church. But at the same time, it's not just another church - it's a phenominal church that is impacting the world, and the community here.

Yesterday at church we did something a little different. Instead of having two Sunday night services, we had one big 6pm service to worship and pray for the world. We didn't have a message, but rather, Pastor Brian and Bobbie and the church all prayed for what's going on in the world. Church was packed. Seriously, it was SO full! The stage was pushed back to convention mode (basically, there are two modes: theater mode, which makes the auditorium smaller and more intimate, with less floor seats, and then convention mode, where they make the auditorium huge, with tons of seats on the floor). The seats at the very top were all packed out. It was great. Darlene led worship! It was the first time I've seen her lead worship. Haha, I know, I've been here like 4 months now, but she's been touring. She's actually not over the worship anymore at the church. She handed that over to Joel Houston.

After worship, Pastor Brian asked all the American students to come onstage. Talk about nerve-wracking! I was smack in the center of the stage, in the front with a bunch of students beside and behind me. 3 brave students led the whole church in prayer for America. I thought it was so awesome, because one thing you learn whenever you move to another country, is that people around the world aren't too fond of America, or Americans. Even people here will judge you automatically if you are from the US. But it's all good...just gives me an opportunity to show people that not all of us are arrogant and prideful. :) I thought it was so cool though, that the church prayed for America, all it's leaders, the upcoming election and the economy. We didn't pray for a specific candidate either. Rather, we prayed that God would have His way. I love how everyone put aside their differences and united together in one cause. I have been praying for my family, personally, in these hard economic times back home. All I can do is encourage you...no, URGE you with all my heart, to keep sowing into God's Kingdom. Keep giving your tithe and even offer God more than what He asks of you. Even if you don't see the results instantly (and they may not just be financial), they will come. Malachi 3:9-12 says,

You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

I love verse 10, when God promises that He will bless us if we are obedient with our tithe. I know that tithe today isn't emphasized that much in church, but it is vital! Before I moved to Australia, I got a revelation of just how important it is to tithe FAITHFULLY. I began to take all of my income and set aside my tithe before I did anything - before I put any money in the bank, any gas into my car, or paid for anything. God seriously blessed me so much when I was back home making my own money. I saw promotion in my life and my job, and now God is blessing me here at Hillsong. How awesome is it that even though I don't make my own money, God has and is still providing ways for me to be here! My family is awesome, and I often pray that God will bless them immensely. When I first got here, I didn't know how to give my tithe, because I felt like the money I had wasn't my own, but rather, my family's. I was just so used to using my own money. But God spoke to me one time in church and basically just told me that the second anyone in my family deposited money into my account, it became mine. That is their intention for me, so now I have no problems giving tithe and offering, and when I do it, I sometimes pray that God will bless my family (particularly, my dad, because he is my main source of funds here...but i also pray for everyone else who has ever put money into my account) for providing me with money so that I can tithe. So please, keep tithing faithfully, and whole-heartedly, and you will see God's blessings on your life. I think it means so much to God when we continue to obey and stay faithful to Him in the hard times. He sees every little you do to further His Kingdom, and is pleased! Remember that we're not putting our trust in the econonmy, but in God. These times are the times where we can truly exercise our faith, and come out so much stronger in the end!

Whew, anyways...then Pastor Brian assigned different sections of the auditorium to pray for different countries. I got to pray for Australia. Then Pastor Bobbie (Brian's wife) came up and prayed for the church - not the physical building, but the people, who make up the church. It was awesome!

I also got to step up and really be stretched on Sunday. I do Venue Control on Sunday mornings (it's basically security), and I got to lead my team for two services. It was hectic, and fun!

A couple weeks ago, we had our Worship Band Class performance. My band's target audience was kids. We wore crazy tie-dye shirts that one of the girls made, and had lots (or "heaps", if you're an Aussie) of fun! I have some new pictures on the slideshow on this page, so be sure to take a look! :) I will be uploading some on facebook as well.

Well, there's alot coming up here. Along with deadlines that I have to make for assignments to make sure I don't get deported, we also have the big Hillsong 25th anniversary celebration coming up this Sunday in the city! I'm so excited! The stage is going to be on the water and everything. It's gonna be awesome! I'll keep ya informed! :) Talk to (and see) you soon!

I'll leave you with this simple hymn:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangley dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

I'll be 19 tomorrow! :)

2008-10-09T23:38:00.006+11:00

It's true.

I received cards from mom (along with a book that I can't wait to read because I think it's something that will really help me where I'm at right now...don't moms always just know what you need? mom, stop saying "amen"), Dad (along with an AWESOME STUFFED LADYBUG named Leena, who is similar to Pepper, my penguin back home. the two will meet someday), Meemaw and Poppop, Nana, and Aunt Debbie and Uncle Dennis. Today I bought a journal that I have been eyeing for weeks now, but have never bought because it was so expensive (it's two-tone leather, but beautiful). But then I remembered what everyone said in their cards to buy myself something. :) So thank you family! I really appreciate it! I can't wait til my actual birthday tomorrow. Sorry, yes yes...I did open all the cards and gifts before my actual birthday, but I couldn't resist. ;) The cards all meant so much to me! They all touched my heart, and made me get really excited about coming home. But I will be honest with you...I really do love it here now. Being here has really challenged me to think globally, not just from an American's perspective. I am learning more and more here in this multi-cultured city (and household...it's awesome...I'm the only American. we have a Swiss, Brazilian, Canadian, South African, 2 English, and me).

As I mentioned in my last blog, me, Kate, and my other friend Hanna, all went to the city the other day. Hanna is from Sweden, and of course Kate is from England. We were going to go to Pancakes on the Rocks, and then the zoo. Well, we were interrupted by the Holy Spirit. These kinds of interruptions are actually good. :)

We got on a bus to Paramatta, then from there took a train to Central. Then we met this lady who is apparently going to sell her story about how she was healed (well, she didn't really use that word, but that's what happened in reality) of cancer while she was 8 months pregnant. Anyways, we had about a 30 minute walk ahead of us to get to the restaurant. We left the bus stop at 11am, and arrived at Pancakes at 2:40pm. It takes about an hour and a half to get to Pancakes. Haha.

As we were walking across the city (on a very beautiful day, I might add), we all walked past this man who was homeless. I saw the girls from the corner of my eye, and I knew they were all thinking the same thing: "I think we should do something, but I don't want to say anything". They all had this disturbed look on their faces, and I knew at that moment all of our spirits were in check. You see, back home, I used to think, "I don't need to help homeless people. They are probably faking it. Even if they are homeless, they'll just use the money for drugs." Here at Hillsong, they challenge us to think differently. Honestly, I can just see Jesus walking down the streets of Sydney with all the busy business people, and stopping to chat with the "least of these". Check this passage out:

Matthew 25:35-40 (The Message) --
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'
"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

What if that person really was homeless? What if they really did need help? What if three simple words could change that life - God loves you? That's really what it's all about. We didn't stop and talk to and give money to 4 homeless people that day as charity, a way to help them meet their physical needs only, or as a way to make us feel better about ourselves. We did this to sow not just into people's pockets...that's just a way to sow into their lives. We decided, "We need to do something." The girls boldly gathered some change, and their courage, to turn around and walk against the crowd to get to these broken people. I got 4 opportunities that day to get down on my knees, to their level, and place my hand on them, ask what their name was, introduce myself (and give out some McDonalds), and speak life into their lives by telling them, "I just want you to know that God loves you. You mean something. You have worth." This really really stretched me, because I've done stuff like this before with the Dream Center Street Ministry and such, but that was me setting out at that time for a specific mission...to reach the lost and hurting and needing. I didn't set out that morning with the "seek and save" mindset. Honestly, it was just a selfish mindset - "I get to do what I want to do today...it's my college break! Yay!" But shouldn't that be our aim everyday? Our life mission should be that...to reach the lost. I don't know about you, but I'm not making excuses anymore. I am NOT too young to make a difference. I am NOT too inexperienced to make a difference. I am NOT too unknowledged about the world and Bible to make a difference. There is no excuse as a Christian to not reach out to a dying world. This is our mission.

This past week from October 2-4, we had a big youth event called Encounterfest at the church. I got to go. It was awesome! The speaker was Carl Lentz, an American preacher with a ministry in Virginia Beach, who attended Hillsong College years ago. He's awesome! Every day and night they would tell people to come to the front if certain situations applied to them. I went up almost every time. I normally don't do that, but everything they said applied to me. I felt God break down some walls inside of me as I stood their crying. I don't mean tears streaming down my eyes...I mean snot coming out, trying to catch my breath. Haha. No one really noticed, except for my connect group leader who went down with me hand in hand that one time (I'm talking about the first time I went down). I won't go into complete detail about all I went down for, but basically God just began the process of pouring myself out of me, and pouring Himself into me. Then the last time I went up was to receive a heart for the lost. I already have had this heart, but I just kept asking God to increase my heart for people...and look what He had me do. Haha. That's awesome!

I'm not saying to go and find a homeless person today. But look for those people that just need love. They may be right in your very neighborhood, they might be in your very home. Usually when you set out to look, you find immediately. Why? -- Because everyone needs love. I pray that God will rid me of myself, and pour Himself into me, so that I can pour out love unlimitedly to others.

Now, go love! :) Have a good day!

The world teaches you to look for someone to love you.
God teaches you to find someone to love.
-anonymous

Life in Glenwood

2008-10-07T09:04:00.003+11:00

Hey everyone! It's been over a month, I know. I am finally back to my blogging! :) Sorry to all the faithful readers for the gap of time since I last wrote!

Well, as probably all of you know, I moved out of Rosa Crescent in Castle Hill to a new neighborhood called Glenwood. It's so much better than Rosa! Me and Kate were so worried about moving. We thought we wouldn't like it, but it's much better in many ways! Our housemates are really nice and they are clean as well. Check out the pictures above in my slideshow. Even though we don't have the mall near us (or anything for that matter), we can walk to the church/college. It's about a 20-25 minute walk, so not only can I attend any church event, but I get a workout! :) I am also learning the meaning of sunscreen again! The sun is super powerful here, and you have to wear sunscreen or else you'll get pink just walking to church.

Things at college are going well. We are on break right now. I think this constitutes as our Spring Break, though it's only a week long. A week is nice though. I went to a big youth event at the church from Thursday to Saturday called Encounterfest. It was awesome! Carl Lentz from Virginia Beach came to speak. We had the new live album recording for the upcoming Hillsong United cd. The songs are great! Then I got an opportunity on Sunday to invite one of my old neighbors from Rosa to the church. She is from China, and is super nice! She's studying at one of the Universities (they call university "uni" here...Aussies like to shorten the name for EVERYTHING! Musicians are "musos", sunglasses are "sunnies", registration is "rego", etc.) here in Sydney. She really liked the church, and wants to come back! :) She even asked about volunteering! I'm not even sure if she's a Christ-follower...how awesome is it that she wants to get so involved! I invited her to Sisterhood this Thursday morning, and she's coming as well!

Me and Kate are going to the City this morning. Hopefully some other people will catch up with us, but I'm not sure. We're going to this place called "Pancakes on the Rocks". It has American pancakes, and I'm excited, because my stomach is really hungry! :) I really wanted to go to the beach this break (it lasts til Wednesday), but it doesn't look that will be happening, becuase for some reason it went from being EXTREMELY hot (upper 90's, into the 100's some days..which is really hot since it just turned Spring time), to now really chilly. The weather here can be so weird! I'm one of the only people that haven't been to the beach yet, so I'm really bummed that I can't go. Maybe I'll go on my birthday, because I have Fridays off from doing anything at college or church. Fridays are my free days. But Kate is gone all day on Fridays. Maybe I'll try to round up some people. Hopefully it will be warmer.

I learned how to drive on the wrong side of the road! :) One of my friends let me drive around the neighborhood. Then one day he asked me if I wanted to drive home from church. It was really traffic-y, but still, it was fun. Not that hard. Probably because I've been here for a while now. 3 months! I can't believe I'll be going home soon! About two months! :) I'm excited to see everyone!

This blog post is a little random, but I have alot to tell you all. Check out my youtube page. I have some new videos, and will be uploading a good bit more soon! :)
www.youtube.com/rianthelion

Oh, and guess what else? I'm learning guitar! I can already pretty much play a really simple Hillsong song called "Devotion"! My friend Jionte is teaching me, and letting me borrow his guitar. I can't wait to get good. I really want to compose my own music. Anyways, got to go now...gotta catch the bus to the city! :) LOVE Y'ALL!

Follow-up, and some NEWS!

2008-08-30T13:16:00.008+10:00

Just a few clarifications and corrections on my last blog. Robert and April aren't moving in with a married couple. They are moving in with Jill. She went to Seacoast as well back in Charleston. Her and I used to sing together on the high school worship team. Also, the reason they didn't say anything to me about moving is because Joy (the accomodation coordinator) never gave them a final answer about whether or not they had a house before she emailed me and Kate about it.

Anyways, sorry to anyone that walked away from my last post depressed. Haha. It was a very rough day. I will be honest with y'all though on here. I definitely want y'all to know what's really going on in my life. Sometimes life doesn't look so good, but the awesome thing is God ALWAYS is. 2 Timothy 2:13 says, "If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself." I just love that verse. I mean, when we have no faith, he still believes in us. He still stands beside us. He remains faithful, as a husband should to his wife. (That's why He sometimes refers to us as His bride) And the last line is amazing: He cannot disown Himself. It goes back to how we are made in the likeness of God. How we are his kids. He is our dad. He is the Perfect Dad. He remains faithful to us even when we have lost hope, because He can't just leave His children. He's such a good God, such a good dad.

Okay, so I wrote that whole part above just the other day, and saved it to my drafts here on my blog. I didn't have time to finish what I was going to say and publish it. With that in mind, let me go ahead and tell you what God did the next day.

I received an email from Joy yesterday afternoon, saying this:

Hi girls!!

Just to let you know that I have found a house in Bella Vista for you!

It will only be available in the next 2 to 4 weeks (the owner hasn't decided how quickly he can move out yet) but definitely soon!

So - you don't need to start packing yet, but be prepared to start when I give the signal.... (i'll give you a couple weeks notice!)

It's an amazing house - and it's MASSIVE, so there will be around 11 of you in there all together eventually.

The lease isn't signed yet, but I have spoken with the owner and it is 99% going to happen in the next 2 to 4 weeks.

Yay Bella Vista!

At first, I wasn't too happy about this, because of the "ELEVEN GIRLS" part. I met one of the other girls I would be living with today though, and she's really nice. I hope I get my own room, that's all I can say!! Oh well, I guess I just have to learn this is college and I need to be flexible. Seriously, I'm also learning to not be so attached to the things of this world, and not to be caught up so much in your own plans. I was kind of excited about not having 4 people in this little apartment, but rather, 2. (I was still sad at the same time though, because we were so far away from people. But I was excited to finally have a quiet house). I really can't complain. This will be good, because I will (more than likely) be within walking distance of the school. I still want to get a car eventually, because I will need to get around (since the area I'm moving into is in the middle of nowhere) and grocery shopping is really hard because you can't take a shoppping cart home, so you have to buy what you can carry home. I am going to figure out all the technical stuff later. Right now I'm just going with the flow. It's so funny how I had all these plans, and now I'm left to relying completely on God. That's how it should be. I was so frustrated the other day with the thought of not sharing my own room, and living with so many girls, and then I realized that I want to go into ministry for the rest of my life. Enough said. Haha. Basically, ministry is the most humbling, most rewarding "career" ever. It's all about being selfless. Joyce Meyer said something like "If you're planning on going into ministry, don't expect to be thanked and praised too often." God's really really working this out of me. I am learning to be humble. I always tell Him I want to be more like Him. We serve a very humble God. He's heard that prayer, and is answering my prayer - He's humbling me. Jesus went through some pretty rough stuff on earth. I think I can manage living in a house with 11 girls.

I went to the healing service Thursday night. It was awesome! It has really really motivated me to speak the Word over my body everyday. They gave me a little booklet that has things to speak over myself everyday. I keep going back to the story of the woman that was bleeding for 12 years in Luke 8:43-48:

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' " But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Okay, first of all, it says that she had been through alot with doctors and spent all her money, and she had been sick for 12 years. So more than likely, she had literally tried everything to make herself well. That's a long time to be seeing doctors. I love how even after 12 years, she had faith. Just like Jesus described that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can see mountains move. She came to Him, with hope and faith in her heart that He could heal her. It also says how she touched the "border of his garment", as the King James Version describes. This means she had to have been on the ground when she touched his garment. That's where the border/hem is. So she was so desparate now to receive healing that she was willing to become undignified and forget what others would think of her. I love the last line: "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." That's what God's saying to me. God's doing a work, even if it's not yet visible.

Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.
Psalm 103:3

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5

"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."
1 Peter 2:24

Breakdown

2008-08-26T21:49:00.007+10:00

I guess it was bound to happen. Every girl has one once in a while, and I haven't had a full-on breakdown since I've been here. Today, that changed. Lately things have just been really really tough. I know there are probably people out there in college housing that have it worse off than I do, I just haven't met them yet. Haha. On a more serious note, it's just been really hard finding rides, as I have mentioned before quite a few times I'm sure. And just being out in Rosa by ourself is really hard. There's a good amount of guys (but not a ton), but hardly any girls. I actually thought we were the only girls, but I found out today that there are 4 other girls in Hillsong College that live in Rosa. I don't know where, but I might try and find out. Regardless, me and Kate feel really excluded from the college community. Not because people have made us feel that way, but because we're out in the middle of nowhere by ourselves. Robert and April (the married couple that lived with us) are apparently moving out in September. Me and Kate had no idea about it until we got an email from Joy, the Hillsong College accomodation coordinator, yesterday stating that. None of us have talked about it yet, so I am not sure what's going to be worked out with all our stuff (i.e. Will they take the furniture and leave our house empty?, etc). They are moving in with another married couple. I have no idea how they are able to do this still, but it kind of frustrated me, because Joy had told me that we couldn't break our lease since we had a new apartment. So I found out today that the only guy that gives me rides is moving out soon probably too. It was really hard because all these thoughts started going through my head. For one thing, I wouldn't have a ride anymore. I would be taking the bus everyday, and not only does that get really expensive ($6 a day), but that also means I will be getting up super early every day (about 2 and a half hours before class starts). Not only will I lose my ride, but a friend to hang out with. Face it, once people move out of Rosa, you don't really hear from them much anymore. I mean, no one comes out to Castle Hill (the area I live in) once they've moved in the midst of the college crowd in Bella Vista or Glenwood (the two main neighborhoods near the school that the college moves people into). There are other guys here to hang out with, but this guy has been my buddy. I'm closer to him than any of the other guys...probably because we've just hung out more when I'd get rides with him. After I found out that my friends were moving, I got so mad and sad. So much has just been piling up. So I went to Joy's office and she was out for like 20 minutes. I just sat outside crying. A lady saw me and comforted me and then got another lady in the office to come talk to me. I just broke down and told her my situation. This lady set me up to see Joy when she got back, and Joy really helped me. She basically said that the reason they weren't going to move me out was because, as I mentioned before, legal issues with my lease, and my apartment being new. I don't understand it all really. But basically Joy said she didn't care anymore about that, because my landlord was treating me badly. (She really is a horrible landlord) So basically she said she would keep a lookout for an open girls' house. This might take a while. I have no idea. But if she found one, then she would have to look into breaking the lease before anything. But just keep me in your prayers. It's getting harder and harder with each day. Challenges and problems keep arising, and it's very easy to become discouraged. Sorry I don't have a happier blog today, but I just wanted to update everyone with what's going on. Please pray that my accomodation will get all worked out. Hopefully we can move, or I can find a car. Here are some pictures, by the way, of me and some of my friends at the college. We took these today on our 2 and a half hour break between classes! :) Talk to you all soon!

Who Am I?

2008-08-23T21:51:00.010+10:00

Well, I haven't written on here in a while. Honestly, there hasn't been a whole lot I could think of to write. I'll go ahead and fill you in on the latest, though. I got my mailbox key! YAY! Finally! So feel free to send me letters and stuff! :) I really love that! Our heat/AC has still not been fixed, but that's the next thing to take care of. I am also on a hunt for a car. The Hillsong bus that used to pick people up and take them back to Rosa on Saturday nights for church no longer runs, so we are all left to fend for ourselves. Haha, it's quite interesting, but God always provides a ride, even if it means scrunching in an extra person or two than the car is supposed to hold. I am still looking for a car though, especially if I am going to move out here in Castle Hill for good.

I finally decorated my room the way I had planned to when I first got here...I hung up over 100 pictures on my walls! Well, I figured if they won't let me paint or nail anything into the walls, might as well do something fun with the bare white walls. I must say it looks pretty cool!!! I have pictures of family and friends and missions trips...so many kinds of pictures from so many different places, all in one room. It makes me happy! They make me laugh. I'll post a picture soon. I still don't have a bed, that's why I haven't taken a picture of my room yet, but I'm not sure when I'll be getting one, so I'll go ahead and take some pictures anyway.

I've been pretty sick this past week. I had a cold/sinus thing. It was MISERABLE, especially at first. The worst thing about it was I was going to school while I was sick, because if I didn't, I'd have to get a doctor's note, and I didn't want to go through all that. But I know where to go to the doctor now if I ever need to. There is a Hillsong Health Centre up the road a bit, so I can go there if I ever need to. But anyways, I am getting better now. I'm pretty much almost over it. I took it easy today. Rather than going out to Street Teams early this morning and doing choir tonight, I just rested (and went to the grocery store, beacause I desperately needed to. haha) and then attended church, which was AMAZING! It was about the power of speaking the Word. So good!

God is showing me so much about myself since I've been here. I am coming to realize how much I need Him, how much I need to know who I am in Him. People often say that they don't know who they are. Well, all you have to do is open the Bible. As a Christian, I am a child of God:

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. -1 John 3:1

I am an heir of God, and a co-heir with Jesus (basically, I have authority over evil, as God does. That's how significant this verse is!..notice though how it does say that we must suffer in order to share in His glory):

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. -Romans 8:17

I am blessed:

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven,whose sins are covered. -Psalm 32:1

I am new:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! -2 Corinthians 5:17

I am free from the bondage and chains of sin:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. -Romans 8:1-2

I am beautiful:

I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. -Psalm 139:14

I am the bride of Christ (basically, God loves me with a more perfect love than my husband will ever be able to):

...as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. -Isaiah 62:5

I am made to resemble God:

...When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. -Genesis 5:1

I am free:

So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. -Galations 4:7

These are just a few things that I am as a Christian. The speaker tonight was saying how important it is to speak the Word over yourself. When you speak the Word in FAITH, you release the power of God. This may sound funny, but check out this verse:

The tongue has the power of life and death,... - Proverbs 18:21

What we say is so important. I am going to make it a point to speak these things over myself. Check out this promise:

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? -Numbers 23:19

Many books transform, but the Word transforms. It's so cool for me to know that what God says is true. He never wavers. His character never changes. He never changes His mind. He doesn't go back on what He says. He knows how to keep a promise. The promises He made in the Bible are promises for our life. For example, Jeremiah 29:11:

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Pheww, what a load off my shoulders. I don't have to figure out my future. God has it already planned. I just have to get closer to Him, day by day, so that I can hear Him clearly.

(P.S. I uploaded some videos: )

Stand firm, and believe.

2008-08-09T23:20:00.003+10:00

So I feel so incredibly blessed. My family is pretty much the most amazing family in the world. I just can't thank God enough for putting me into the family I'm in. It's really crazy how God just puts you where you are supposed to be all the time. For example, for my church life volunteer work, I am doing Street Teams. Last year, God allowed me to work in Street Ministry every other week for 2 months or so at the St. Louis Dream Center, so I now have a little experience (though every ministry is different). Also, I am watching little toddlers for the Sisterhood (which is the women's ministry, in case you haven't noticed by now even though I talk about it all the time. It goes on every Thursday morning). This is really cool because before I left, I worked with kids CONSTANTLY. You know, my job at the gym doing childcare, and then my nannying job. I love love love kids, and I just think it's so cool that God opened doors for good-paying jobs in SC that actually were preparing me for a role I was going to be assigned at Hillsong.

Every little thing that people back home do really really encourages me, and helps me get through in some of the hard times. Just knowing that I have a supportive, loving family back home plays a HUGE part into comforting me when I'm sad. For example - random phone calls/texts, emails reminding me that I have a "fan-base" back home (as Aunt Alli puts it), packages (well, I am waiting for mom's to get here), and just love period. I know, I know, I'm always bragging about my family, but y'all are just so awesome! To my friends at home that read my blog...you have NO idea how much that means to me. Whenever someone tells me they read my blog, it really really makes me feel loved and encouraged. I know my entries aren't always the most interesting and profound...they are just basically my thoughts, and what's going on in my life. Those who read my blog really show me that they want to hear my thoughts, and are interested in what's going on in my life. All I can say is keep reading, because God's going to really do some awesome things. I am believing for healing in my back. I firmly, 100%, no doubt about it, believe that God wants and is more than able to heal my back! Why not?. God can do anything. Not only will His daughter (that would be me) be free from pain, but He will just be glorified. What a testimony that will be to people. I want to just go back to the doctors and show them what God's done. What a testimony. Doctors have just been trained through earthly schooling...not to believe in the Ultimate Healer. Imagine if I could go back to those doctors and show them what the Healer did for me. I think it would pretty much rock their world. And how could I take any credit for such a miracle? Sometimes God does these awesome things, and people have a tendency to try and somehow fit themselves into that picture - as if they are somehow a hero of some kind. But how could I ever take credit for being healed from scoliosis? I'd like to see someone try and do that. Haha. Seriously, God would be so glorified. Lives would be changed. I believe my life isn't the only one that would be changed either. What a testimony.

One thing God's been laying heavily on my heart lately is praising your way through circumstance. Sometimes I go to church and I'm honestly just burdened with the worries and problems of everyday life. But sometimes you just have to stir up faith inside of yourself. So I go to the front of the room with a bunch of others, and praise my way through. Eventually, I am jumping and truly praising God out of my heart, because my faith is stirred up. Faith is a choice. One of my favorite verses is this:

...If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.
-Isaiah 7:9

A Week Later....

2008-08-06T13:51:00.004+10:00

Wow, I feel so blog-deprived. It's been about a week or so since I've updated this thing. I have thought about doing it everyday, but something always comes up, or needs to get done. Anyways, lots to fill you all in on.

Well, I finished my LONG week of intensives. All my classes were 2 hours. Now I have just started my first week of official classes. It's been fun. I like how hands-on things are here. The college is pretty informal too. I like that, because you just feel like it's a family atmosphere. Anyways, I am actually at school now in the library. I have a two hour break today. Yesterday I had a 2 and 1/2 hour break, and then another 1 and 1/2 hour break. That's one thing I don't like about my schedule. Things are picking up alot too. I am getting REALLY busy. Sorry to all my friends and family that I haven't talked to in a while. I really really really miss y'all! I especially miss my family. I've come to realize that your family is just your comfort. They're always the people you will turn to, they'll always be there for you.

So classes are going well. I have already started Spirit-Filled Living, New Testament, Worship Band, and Worship Excellence this week. I'm excited to see what the classes will shape out to be like. I was assigned to Saturday night church choir. I already did it once last weekend, and it was alot of fun. That thing I was talking about before, The Sisterhood...I'm helping out with kids (babies to be exact) and doing kids' worship! I am also doing street teams on Saturdays. And now I have to do something called lecture hosting, which is where you help out your teachers set up class and stuff. And I really want to get involved with youth. So basically, my schedule is really really packed. The only day I get off is Friday. Oh what a glorious day! :)

My worship experience since being here has been amazing. I have grown alot in my worship. God has been showing me though that worship time is really dead if you're not spending time with Him everyday. I have been struggling with this. I feel like it's so hard to prioritize. It almost seems overwhelming at times. And satan is still throwing obstacle after obstacle. Just to name a few, I still don't have a bed (that's def last on my list of things to accomplish. haha), my overhead light in my room doesn't work, so sometimes it can be a little dark when I'm trying to get ready in the mornings, or at night. Also, we don't have a car anymore, so we have been taking the bus some, and it's been kind of hard finding rides. So basically I'm getting up extra early to catch the bus alot. We took our car in, the one April and Robert just bought, and 9 out of 10 things didn't pass inspection, the car was illegally low, and the registration had expired (something the guy they bought it from didn't tell them. the registration was supposed to expire feb '09, but since the guy they bought it from got in an accident, it cancelled the registration). It's been increasingly hard to find rides too, because the college is moving a ton of people out of Rosa (the apartment complex I live in). They aren't moving us out though. They are trying to get everyone out of there eventually, and closer to the college. I think after our 6 month lease expires, me and Kate are going to try and find our own place. I've already looked around the area we are in now, and have found some less expensive places. I really want to stay in the area we are in now too, because it's really nice. I may try and buy a car too here after going back home at Christmas-time. That way I could get to and from school. The area I live in is just so convenient and close to everything. The post office is right down the road, and the mall has EVERYTHING - grocery store, clothing stores, etc. and it's a great place to find a job. Whereas the area the school is in has like nothing. People that live around there say it's really hard to grocery shop, because they have to walk a while to get to the grocery store, and then they can only take home what they can carry in their own hands. Being in the area I'm in though, I can just push a shopping cart home. It's so nice.

As far as all the discouraging things go, I really feel like I am being tested. Like I mentioned in my other blog, I have really been reminded of the story of Job. I am realizing that the more I dwell on these things, and the more I get frustrated, it doesn't help me. God can't really intervene and bless me if all I do is complain. Look at Job, he pretty much complained throughout the whole book of Job. Then at the end of the book, God answers him, and basically makes a very elaborate point that He has everything under control. God speaks to Job, reminding him of how everything in the universe and Heaven is under His command. He goes on from chapters 38-41. Finally, Job realizes just how awesome God is, and repents. In Job 42:4-5, he says "'You said, Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you." After Job humbles himself before God, he gives God room to bless him.

One thing that has really been standing out to me lately when I read passages like this is what Pastor Baird (from my church back home) said in a message a while back. He said he'd rather learn from someone else's mistakes if he can than his own. That's so true. I'd rather learn from Job's mistake. If I know what's right (i.e. not complaining, and just trusting God with all problems that arise), why not do it? I have been learning that faith isn't faith unless you really really just trust and give it up. Just don't worry (the aussies really do say "No worries"...all the time). I'm human, so worry may creep up from time to time, but I just have to daily (well, several times a day) give it to God. When Jesus died, he took on every problem every person had and has, so why should I hold onto those problems? I just picture God in heaven with this wide knowledge of what my life will look like, almost like a map of my life. He has these great plans, and he sees the problems, but the awesome thing is, He sees the outcomes. It's like when you watch a movie that you've seen a thousand times with your friend, but they've never seen it before. Your friend is wondering how it's going to turn out...how is that sticky situation in the plot going to pan out? But you know exactly what will happen. You tell your friend, "Don't worry, it's going to turn out alright. Trust me." I hear God saying those exact words to me everyday. I just have to remember that these troubles are just a small thing, but not too small for God to care about.

12 Hours.

2008-07-30T17:59:00.007+10:00

It's amazing what can happen in 12 hours.

Last night, I cried for the first time since I've been here. I don't mean that I haven't teared up here and there, but I full-on cried last night for the first time. I just was so overwhelmed. I remember it being late, I still hadn't taken a shower, I had to be at choir practice the next morning at 7:15am, and I didn't know how to get there. Robert didn't have to sing in choir, so I didn't have a ride. I had to take the bus. Only problem was, I wasn't sure where the bus stop was exactly, and which bus to take. So I cried it all out, and told God I didn't know what I was doing anymore. I knew that God was telling me to rest in Him, but of course, I wanted to figure it all out.

Yesterday, I woke up at about 5:30am to get a ride to the church with Robert, who was singing in choir, so he had to be there early, like I had to today. I just kind of observed the worship team, and just chilled. Classes started at 8:30am. Each one runs two hours. School let out at 5pm, and Robert couldn't take us home, so me and Kate decided to go eat at the food court by the school. We were going to something at the church in a couple hours again, so we thought we'd just save some effort and stay in the area. So we did, and we got to meet some really nice students in the food court. I had some good conversations with them. If it weren't for that unexpected realizing that we didn't have a ride, we wouldn't have met some really nice people.

The event we went to was the Sisterhood night. Every Thursday morning, they have a thing called Sisterhood, where girls and women of all ages come together for some good fellowship and teaching. They put it on hold for the past couple weeks because of college stuff, I think. Last night, they had a big event where I guess they were sort of kicking off the Sisterhood again. It was great! Brooke Fraser led worship again, and it was really powerful.

Well, the next morning I made it to the right bus stop on time, and met a really nice gentleman who actually is a pretty big musician. He helped me find my bus. I chatted with him a bit. He said he wasn't a "religious person". I'm not sure what that means exactly when people say that, because I am not a "religious person" either. ;) Though I didn't really share Jesus with him directly, I believe I was being Jesus to him, and I just remember thinking that I hope some day, he will begin to wonder what this God stuff is all about, and God will cause him to remember me, and find his answer there. Not that I am God, or that I am perfect like God, but the beauty of it is, it's not about me. I don't pray that guy will look back and see me; I believe he will look back and see Jesus. The wonderful thing about being in relationship with God is that when He looks at me, He sees Jesus. That is not said in a prideful way, but it's the whole point of the cross. Jesus died to take our place. He died so that when we go before God, God doesn't see our brokeness and sin, but Jesus' blood, and Jesus' blood is my covering. All God sees is cleanliness when He sees me, ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS.

Well, I honestly didn't mean to go on this whole schpeel about salvation, but sometimes you just can't help it. When you come closer to God, you view things differently. The guy you meet on the bus isn't just a guy you met on the bus. He is an opportunity to show Jesus' love. Romans 12:1-2 (The Message) basically boils it down:

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

It's funny, because not only did God provide a ride for me, but I got to demonstrate Jesus to a stranger, AND I made it to choir practice 10 minutes early. I was the first one there, and my biggest fear was that I'd be late. God hears our cries. He truly does.

Another thing that really opened my eyes was when I was on facebook today when I got home. I saw a recent group posted on facebook, and I couldn't believe what it said. Robbie Owens just passed away. He is my neighbor back home. He lived right across the street from me. We kind of grew up together. I didn't know him when I got older, so I have no clue what he was like, but I do know that as a youth, it blew my mind and opened my eyes. Here I am, about the same age as him, in Australia, having awesome adventures and encounters with God, and then I receive word that back home, a youth about my age just passed away. It just completely shook me up, not because I knew him or anything, but I realized that each day comes with no guarentees. He passed away when he was only 17. I just wonder what future God had in mind for him. I don't know if he had a relationship with Jesus, but it made me realize how important it is to be an example of Jesus to people. It's amazing to me how God showed me this twice today.

God can teach you alot in 12 hours.

It's On!

2008-07-28T18:10:00.009+10:00

Today I had an audition. Nothing big, the school just wanted to see where everyone was at in their giftings. I felt like it went well. I was really nervous, because my group was the first to go up. I sang backup on "The Time Has Come" and then partially led (by partially, I mean that I led the 2nd verse and chorus) "Hosanna". (Both Hillsong songs).

Church last night was awesome. Brooke Fraser led worship. We as a church prayed for her and her husband (they are newlyweds). For those of you who don't know who Brooke Fraser is, you are missing out! She is one of the main worship leaders here at Hillsong. Here voice is beautiful, and her heart for God is contagious. She has written alot of awesome songs within the church and for her own albums. God definitely blessed her with an awesome voice and a gifted hand at writing. Brooke was on keys, and we did all old school songs, such as "Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord".

Lately at church, worship has consisted of the new album, which I LOVE!! When it comes out in the states, PLEASE buy it, because it is awesome and you will be blessed. The album is called "This is Our God". Get the DVD too. I am in the middle of watching it now, and it's so powerful! It's really weird though when you start seeing people onstage in the video that you know, or teach your class, or just passed you by the other day. Haha. For instance, the drummer on the album (in the live performance) was the drummer today for my audition. Craziness.

So those were a few updates. Now I want to share my thoughts with y'all on what is happening right now in life:

Since I have arrived here in Australia, satan has thrown one thing after another at us. Challenges have not stopped arrising. At first, it was not too bad. Other than the fact that we didn't have a furnished apartment, everything was okay. Now things are getting worse. Satan is now hurling challenges, issues, and problems at us. Everyday, something new happens. You just never know what to expect. Our heat/AC does not work, the outlets upstairs just blew last night and won't turn back on, I don't have enough time to get things done that need to get done (because everything closes at 5pm here, and I have school til 5pm every day this week but Friday, and I'm constricted to my housemates' schedules for a ride), we don't have a mailbox key still, April is having trouble working full time because of visa issues, our house makes creepy noises, and now the car that Robert and April bought is a dud. Wow, satan just really really wants to vex (cool word) me. It's been pretty challenging, but I have gotten to the point where I just laugh at the next upcoming problem. Sometimes its just the little things that happen that just seem so big. And then there are the big problems.

Last night I was reminded of Job. He was plagued with so many problems, but he never gave up on God. He never cursed God. But that's not really the main thing I got out of the story. I was telling God how I was so confused and worried and frustrated, and then I was reminded how satan approached God, and what God's response was:

One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"
Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."

"Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

-Job 1:6-12

I just see this happening in my life. I'm not saying God went bragging to satan about me or anything, but I do think sometimes we get so comfortable. Sometimes God wants to give us the opportunity to walk by faith. If we never get that opportunity, how can we ever prove our faithfulness and trustworthiness to God? How can we ever really know that we truly love God, enough to die for Him, if we can't even hold His hand in the trials, trusting that He won't let go? How can a man and woman's love prove to be true and lasting if they never face any trials?

Satan makes a point. He basically says "Well of course Job loves you and is so righteous. He has it made." I love how God just has complete faith that Job will have complete faith in Him. Sometimes when we are being tested, it means God is allowing the test, not because He believes you should be punished, but because He believes in you. This has to be true, because the Bible says He will not give you more than you can handle. Any loving father would not challenge their children in an area or ask them to do something unless they believed that their children could do it. God is the ultimate Father, and he wants to see us become stronger in Him: to trust and love Him stronger.

It's funny...I informed satan today that he can do whatever he wanted, but he's only giving me the capability to grow stronger.

The Start of School!

2008-07-25T17:02:00.012+10:00

Well, this week was the start of school stuff. After Orientation on Tuesday, we had enrolment on Wednesday, where we enrolled in classes (obviously) and got our student cards. Thursday and Friday were Intensives. Basically, we had a couple of our classes those two days. They just kind of introduced the class, and I guess got started with it a bit. We also had chapel those two days, which is my FAVORITE part of the day! I have been to two other Christian schools in my life, and I have never been able to say that Chapel was my favorite part of the day. Usually it would have been lunch. hehe. Chapel at the Christian schools I have been to were usually pretty dull. Now, I will say that when I was younger, I really did look forward to Chapel at Charleston Christian School (the school I grew up in...from K5 to 8th grade). I think when I was a kid, it used to excite me, because they would gear it toward kids. They would have kiddie games, and sometimes my favorite teacher, Mr. White, would make it alot of fun. But Chapel at Hillsong College is unique. It's not just fun, or the entertaining part of the day; it's such a real time that we get to spend in fellowship with the entire school (only the Hills campus, not the City..they have their own Chapel), and it's an amazing time to spend with God. I love how at Hillsong they really just want you to be who you are. They want you to worship God how you worship God. We don't go around waving flags and stuff (not that any of that is bad or wrong...that's totally cool actually). Basically what it boils down to is there is no spirit of judgement here. I know that I can be free in my worship, because everyone else is. I know that I can jump around in God's presence in worship, because so many others are jumping, and raising hands. It's not that I feel I have to be like them, or that I just want to do what everyone else does, but it's that I have always wanted to worship God wholeheartedly and freely, and just not care what others think. This is the atmosphere where you don't feel intimidated at all by that. I just love how much everyone loves God.

Here at Hillsong, they have some things in the church that they value. Yesterday at Chapel, we had a lady (I don't know her name) speaking, and it was awesome. She basically was explaining to the new students what Hillsong is all about. The message was called "Fast-tracking into Hillsong Culture". Here are the values of Hillsong culture:

1) We want you to be yourself.
2) We believe in positive confession.
3) Loyalty is important and valued.
-Your gift doesn't make way before your loyalty and trustworthiness does.
-Have a philosophy of yes, within healthy boundaries.
-Longevity is valued. Show up.
4) Atmosphere.
-God is attracted to an atmosphere of hunger.
-Be the atmosphere (meaning, don't rely on others to bring a positive, hungry spirit to create the atmosphere. be that atmosphere yourself. be a leader.)
-Build the atmosphere. (be an asset)
5) Weekend church services are the main event. Weekend services are highly valued because:
-It's where families gather.
-Every weekend people give their lives to Jesus.
-Fellowship, discipleship, communion, etc...happen under this one roof.
6) There is ONE VISION. (This one is one of my absolute favorite things about Hillsong!)
-The ministries within the church aren't viewed as separate from each other. Everyone is united in one cause. For example, the high school ministry, middle school ministry, women's ministry, worship ministry, etc. all have ONE VISION. There is no separate high school vision, women's vision, worship vision, etc...
-The vision summed up, is to reach and influence the world by building a large Christ-centred, Bible-based church, changing mindsets and empowering people to lead and impact in every sphere of life.
-There is one vision in order to provide unity.
7) Volunteer spirit.
-Serve the Lord with JOY.
-Servanthood is a privelege.
-Do everything with a joyful heart, not a complaining heart. (ties in with the value on positive confession)
8) Value upon women.
-There is a belief in women in ministry.
9) Personal Devotion to Jesus.
-Following Jesus is more than coming to church, or the college. It means spending PERSONAL time with Him.

There are so many more values that the church has, but these were some key ones. I know this blog is already super long, but I would also like to enclose Pastor Brian & Bobbie Houston's vision for the church. This was written when they first started the church. I read this now in amazement of how every single part of it has come to pass. We discussed this in our Intro to Worship Ministry class. So I am going to break it down a bit after you read it:

THE CHURCH THAT I SEE

The Church that I see is a Church of influence. A Church so large in size that the city and nation cannot ignore it. A Church growing so quickly that buildings struggle to contain the increase.

I see a Church whose heartfelt praise and worship touches Heaven and changes earth; worship which influences the praises of people throughout the earth, exalting Christ with powerful songs of faith and hope.

I see a Church whose altars are constantly filled with repentant sinners responding to Christ's call to salvation.

Yes, the Church that I see is so dependent on the Holy Spirit that nothing will stop it nor stand against it; a Church whose people are unified, praying and full of God's Spirit.

The Church that I see has a message so clear that lives are changed forever and potential is fulfilled through the power of His Word; a message beamed to the peoples of the earth through their television screens.

I see a Church so compassionate that people are drawn from impossible situations into a loving and friendly circle of hope, where answers are found and acceptance is given.

I see a people so Kingdom-minded that they will count whatever the cost and pay whatever the price to see revival sweep this land.

The Church that I see is a Church so committed to raising, training and empowering a leadership generation to reap the end-time harvest that all its ministries are consumed with this goal.

I see a Church whose head is Jesus, whose help is the Holy Spirit and whose focus is the Great Commission.

YES, THE CHURCH THAT I SEE COULD WELL BE OUR CHURCH - HILLSONG CHURCH.

Brian & Bobbie Houston,
Hillsong Church

(taken from the church website: http://www2.hillsong.com/church/default.asp?pid=7)

This vision for Hillsong Church is a living testimony to the power of casting visions. The first paragraph talks about the size. Not all churches have to be huge, but I love imagining Pastor Brian and Bobbie sitting there one day writing all of this, not realizing today just how much it would come to pass. Since I am not from Australia, I know from experience that Hillsong has impacted so many people around the world, so many people outside of their own sphere of church. In the US alone, people are touched by God in ways they have never been touched through Hillsong's worship songs alone. I love how the songs they write and sing here in Australia send an echo throughout all corners of the earth that melts people's hearts right into God's and radically transforms their lives. I have seen it happen. I have experienced it. Continuing about the first paragraph, one of the things he talks about the church struggling to contain the increase. That happens here. The number here of people that come to the church is so large, sometimes it is hard to find enough building space. Why else do you think they have so many different campuses around the world, extenstion services in Australia, and service times at each one?

Well, I've pretty much already covered the second paragraph.

The third paragraph is my favorite. Every week, people come to the altar at church to be saved. Last night I went to the high school church service, called Wildlife, to check it out. It was fun and entertaining and all that good stuff, but one thing I loved is that they never lost the heart of why they were there. At the end of the message, they asked if anyone wanted to be saved, and I watched as a few hurting and desperate teens raised their hands. Imagine being in high school and making that bold move in front of hundreds of raising your hand. These teens must have been really desperate to know God. That excites me. Everyone longs for something more. Well, about 3 or 4 raised their hands. Then he gave everyone another opportunity, encouraging the teens in love, and more raised their hands. When they got finished praying, I watched a whole mass of teens (the future of the wold, mind you) walk toward the foyer to receive free Bibles. I was blown away by the number of teens I saw walking that had just been saved.

This also ties in with the 6th paragraph. Notice "impossible situations". I love it. God can save and transform ANYONE.

Skipping a few paragraphs, the 8th is definitely true in my life. The college is a testimony to this paragraph. In this season, I am being trained to be a leader in this crazy world; to be a light in this dark earth (that is getting darker day by day). Words cannot describe how excited I am to be at Hillsong. Thank you to everyone who is making this happen!

Orientation

2008-07-22T19:16:00.002+10:00

So I started school stuff today. Today was orientation. Tomorrow is Enrolment. I'm not sure what Thursday and Friday are honestly. But we have to be there like the whole day. I think tomorrow I am going to go to a bbq hosted by the church for new students and then I will probably go to Powerhouse, which is a service for 18-25 year olds. So I will probably have a 2 hour break tomorrow throughout the whole day. I think things are starting to pick up more. I am going to try and get really involved in the church. Lee Burns, the principle of the Hills Campus at the college, put it very well. He basically advised us that we should really just sink our roots into the church and absorb everything God has to offer through it. He also warned us that it's not all going to be easy, and you probably won't be doing stuff you want to do sometimes. I am really excited to see what areas God is leading me to in the church and school. I am really anxious to see which form of outreach I am going to be in! I am excited about school, because for once in my life, I can actually learn something I am passionate about, something that drives me, the One thing I live for. Since I have been here, there have been people that have given me mixed messages about the college. Some people have complained about this, that, and the other. I have already seen a few rebellious spirits here and there, but when I got to the college today actually, I was at home. I knew that I knew that I knew (and I still know) this is where God has called me right now. "For such a time as this." We opened orientation...yes, orientation, with WORSHIP. I mean, come on. That's awesome! What could have been a really boring, drawn out day, actually turned into a great time of worship and fellowship (with some ground rules, and healthy food!). Anyways, I think what really got me, and made me realize how much I desire to be here, is when worship started, all the students were worshipping...in spirit and in truth..you could just tell. There was passion. I realized this is what I have been waiting for. Even so, God has been telling me lately that I really need to independently decide to praise God, and to develop my relationship with Him, despite what people do or say. I can decide by the actions I take here how much I can get out of this experience.

PICTURES OF THE CITY OF SYDNEY! (and around Australia)

2008-07-19T19:25:00.010+10:00

PICTURES OF MY HOUSE (finally)

2008-07-19T18:37:00.014+10:00

So I am here at a neighbor's house, and they were nice enough to let me use the internet. For more pictures, check out my facebook profile.

MY HOUSE (some of these pictures are pretty old because we are re-upholersting and painting our furniture..still in the process of making it look pretty):

The Kitchen--

My Bike--

The View From Our Front Door--

The Living Room (furniture has and will change more since these pictures)--

Rosa Crescent (the apartment complex I live in)--

We live on the side corner. Our townhouse is to the right. Unit 34! --

Still working on internet...

2008-07-17T15:33:00.002+10:00

Well, we got a landline installed. Yay! Supposedly we are getting internet next week, but with Aussies, there's no guarentee. So let's just cross our fingers, and pray, because I'm getting really tired of using the slow internet at the mall.

So my new housemate came in the other night. Her name is Kate, and she is from England. She's really cool. We're actually at the mall now together. I'm helping her set up her room (she is going to take the loft, so this requires a little creativity, as it is not shut off) and get situated. We're sitting here eating McDonald's. Lol. I really don't like McDonald's back in the states, but it's different here. Healthier, I suppose. So anyways, I tried uploading some pictures onto here, and it didn't work again. When I get internet, I will have to do that.

Well, I know this is short, but I have to go for now. I will keep updating this, hopefully every few days, so keep checking back!

Bye for now!

Australia, intro.

2008-07-14T11:52:00.002+10:00

So my mom left the other day. I'm on my own. It's really not too bad, but a very scary thought. Thankfully I have great housemates (one more is still on her way), and I have some awesome friends here! It's crazy how God works things out. For example, a few of my Dream Center friends were here for conference, but I got to see them because I came in at the same time.

Things here are kind of different. The culture has its good and bad points. I love how friendly people are, and just how the community I live in is a small town where people walk places alot. I really like that. The mall is probably about a 10 minute walk from my house, so that's nice. Some things I don't like about the culture here (and make me miss home even more) is the food. All the food here is really bland, not much flavor. I don't know how to describe it really but it's just not southern cooking, I guess. Lol. The main thing that I don't like though is the prices. Everything here is so expensive. Their sales here are like normal American prices (or more). But I know God provides, and He definitely wants me here right now.

Well, I've been to the city twice. It's SO cool, because I guess I've not really been around city life much. It's just different, but I am glad that I live in the suburbs. My housemates are Robert and April Knight. They are from Charleston as well. I knew Robert from my old church. We sang together on the worship team for the youth service. Anyways, they bought some old furniture from someone down the street at a garage sale, and April is re-upholstering the furniture. She's already finished the chair, but she's gonna wait on the couch. That's the big task. Unfortunately, I don't a recent picture of the new look of the chair, I only have pictures of what it looked like before. Unfortunately, I can't upload them right now, because I don't have internet yet. I am stealing internet from the mall here. I will update more later, and post pictures. The phone guy is coming out tomorrow, I think, to install the landline. (We don't have a landline in our apartment. Crazy, I know)

Dust and Smoke

2008-05-23T17:00:00.004+10:00

I originally wrote this song for a friend of mine. I didn't expect it to become a part of my testimony later on in life.

His words were convincing;
He was clever.
His words were deceitful,
And she never
Thought she could be so foolish
As to believe them.

Her words are honest,
Her intentions, pure.
Her heart longs for love,
Her spirit stires
As she thinks upon this mistake
She never intended to make.

All she sees beyond the ruins
Is the dust and the smoke
But when the dust settles
And the smoke clears,
She realizes she is going to be
Made into something much more
Beautiful than before.

(written 5/1/06)

Seasons, Past and Future

2008-05-22T15:10:00.007+10:00

So I recently had a friend who is applying for the St. Louis Dream Center Summer Intership 2008 ask me a question about the biographical information section of the application. I couldn't remember anything I wrote, so I went back on my computer to the DC folder to read the answers to some of the questions they ask on that section of the application. I opened the file on word, and God used it to stir my heart big time.

As I began to write this blog, it started off somewhat like this: "About a year ago, I answered some questions for the Dream Center Summer Internship 2007 application." So before I moved on, I once again checked my bio, and it said I wrote it 5/22/07. I was like, "Wow, I think that's pretty close to today. What is today?" (I never know these days. haha) So I looked. It's 5/22/08! Wow, that was a God thing. That may sound weird to say, but for some reason, it just was to me. It was so strange. Most people call that a coincidence, but I don't believe in such a thing. Divine appointments, yes. Coincidences, no.

Anyways, even though this is the answer to one of my bio questions on the application, I think it's necessary to post it, because it's a testimony to how far God's brought me:

7) The past two years I have been going on mission’s trips. I love working with others, and I especially love watching God move in people’s lives. It seems that on mission’s trips God moves in crazy ways! It is so amazing to feel His presence while everyone is on a God-high. But I think the hardest part is coming home. That is the real mission. Home is the battlefield. Everyday we are in spiritual warfare. God uses those amazing experiences with Him on mission’s trips as spiritual boosters to help us with everyday life. When I look back on the mission trips I went on, it gives me hope and encouragement to remember what God did at that time. This year, I was asked by both the Africa and Ecuador teams to go back again with them, but for some reason, I just had no desire to. I felt terrible about it. I thought, “Well maybe I should just go.” I couldn’t imagine a summer that I did not go on a mission trip, so I made up my mind to join the Nicaragua team (The year before, this group of leaders had taken a team to Ecuador, but this year they decided to go to Nicaragua). I felt bad enough about not going back to Africa, especially since one of my friends who had moved there shortly after the trip we went on last year together was going to be there, and I haven’t seen her in forever. I knew without a doubt in my heart though that I was not supposed to go there, so I said no. So now I had been seriously thinking and praying about going to Nicaragua, but my heart was still not there. Then I realized everything I was doing was not for God, but to please others. I felt a responsibility as a worship leader and Christ follower to go on a mission trip – that somehow if I didn’t one year, it would make me less of a Christian. “Whatever!” Yeah, that’s basically what God said to me when two of the leaders from the St. Louis Dream Center came to my school. I know they probably didn’t feel like they made a huge impact on my school because no one really seemed interested, but let me tell you that it was definitely a God thing they came! I had heard of the Dream Center because they are opening up one near where I live sometime soon, but I had no idea about the Accelerate internship. A bubble of joy just burst inside of me while these guys were talking about the Dream Center. I knew it was a sign from the Lord. Along the way I have had a few doubts, and at first it was so surreal to me. I felt led to go, but in the back of my mind satan kept telling me, “Do you really think you will actually sign up for this and raise all the money? You already have too much to think about. You need to get a job over the summer. What about your friends?” (etc., etc.), and so at one point I gave in to his lies. Then, just recently, God was pulling at my heart to go, and so I am finally applying. I know He will work out everything for me back home. I really hope I get accepted because I am a hard worker, and I love showing the love of Christ to others. I have a desire to learn and grow and develop an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. I think that not only will the St. Louis Dream Center change my life, but I also think I would be a good addition to the Accelerate internship. I have been praying for Godly friends since I was a little girl, and along the way I have found a few here and there, but people come and go, and many of them are off in college. I think the Dream Center would be a great place to connect with other like-minded people that will encourage me to grow, and likewise. I hope to make friends that I will know for life, along with life-changing memories.

I remember fretting (fun word) over this for such a long time. I remember staying awake at night praying. I remember showering and praying. I remember driving and praying. It was more of a desperation prayer. No, more like an anxious, worried prayer. I "had" to know what I was going to do with my summer. ;)

Looking back, God made all my dreams come true. No really - I found the most amazing friends; the best, most loyal friends I've ever had in my life. Those friends were the ones I've prayed for my entire life. Now, don't get me wrong - there have been other GREAT friends in my life - friends that have encouraged me, been there for me, and helped me grow in my walk with Christ. God put these people in my life for a time and season. The friends I met last summer I truly believe are those lifelong friends. I guess maybe another reason why our relationship is so significant is because the Dream Center was a pivotal turning point in my life. It is where I found God. I had been saved basically my whole life, but I hadn't been in love. Someone can mean alot to you, but that doesn't mean you know them intimately.

It's crazy looking back on what I wrote exactly a year ago. It's like God watched the paper as I wrote, looked into the depths of my heart, and decided to make my dreams come true, just because He loved me. What an awesome God.

I love looking back on things that I have been through. Well, I take that back. Sometimes I hate it. I hate some of the things I've done out of sin. I don't hate myself for sinning, but I do hate my sin. It's a good thing though, because what other emotion is there to feel for something that is rotting?
--->Romans 6:11
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Back to my point in the last paragraph. Though sometimes it hurts to look back on certain things, I love to occasionally. Not only is it a testimony to others (seriously, God's really used some of my screw-ups for His glory!), it's also a huge encouragement to me for two reasons. One, because I get to see how far God has taken me, and that encourages me to worship Him. Two, because I get to remember what it was like to worry (about what I was going to do before last summer, at least), and then see how God just totally took charge and made it all happen. Looking back on it, the whole situation seems so plain and simple: I was supposed to go to the DC, where God would rock my world and change my life and give me great friends. Before I knew what I was going to do, I was so worried.

As a new season in my life approaches, I have to realize everytime I worry, God is seeing things as if they have already happened. He sees my next three years at Hillsong College like I see my experience at the Dream Center: purposeful, with no reason to worry. I have been through somewhat of the same situation with Hillsong. I wanted to go, then I didn't because I was afraid, and then I decided to just go. I'm realizing more as I get older that sometimes God just wants us to stop weighing out the differences, and thinking about what faith will require us, and just dive in!

Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing , but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

If I Had My Life to Live Over Again

2008-05-21T14:26:00.008+10:00

BY ERMA BOMBECK:
♥ If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more.

♥ I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

♥ I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

♥ I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

♥ I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

♥ I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

♥ I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

♥ I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life.

♥ I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

♥ I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

♥ I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

♥ Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

♥ When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

♥ There would have been more "I love you's".. More "I'm sorrys" ...But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.

*Stop sweating the small stuff. Don’t worry about who doesn’t like you, who has more, or who’s doing what. Instead, let’s cherish the relationships we have with those who DO love us. Let’s think about what God HAS blessed us with.

Life is too short to let it pass you by. We only have one shot at this and then it’s gone.

I WANT TO LEARN FROM THIS LADY'S LIFE.

Anything But Ordinary

2008-05-18T11:49:00.002+10:00

Walking down this road;
Storms behind me.
I'm not proud of who I was-
Someone I was never born to be.

Inside of this heart
A spark of my love for You
Turns to burning.
Still, I can't deny
The battle for my heart continues.
I can feel it stirring.

I am tongue-twisted
Like Moses.
I am a youth
Like Mary.
I am simple
Like Joseph.
I am anything but ordinary.

Running down this road
Storms behind me
I laugh at who I was
I am who I was born to be.

I am a tongue-twisted girl of freedom.
I am an obedient youth.
I am a simple follower of Jesus,
Clinging to the Truth.
I am anything but ordinary.

(written 5/16/08)

Sponsor a Child!

2008-05-08T12:20:00.003+10:00

I sponsor a child through Compassion. His name is Temesgen. He lives in Ethiopia. Please consider sponsoring a child! Compassion is a well-known, trusted organization. Christian singers such as MercyMe, also support children through Compassion. Temesgen just wrote me not too long ago and drew me a picture. I need to write him back. He asked me what my favorite color is. I have been trying to decide that for years now. I just love them all. :)

Matthew 25:42-46
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

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Never-Born

2008-03-14T07:13:00.011+11:00

dedicated to all the beautiful boys and girls who are murdered daily due to the abortion genocide.

She was destined to shine,
Become a mother and wife,
The friend with the shoulder to cry on;
The kind of person you could rely on.

She was destined to dream,
To dream of big things;
The girl to change the world
With her smile alone
Accompanied by joyful songs,
A priceless pearl.

She was destined to bring hope
To a world full of hurt,
To hold a foreign hand,
To find the cure,
To mend a broken heart.

But she never got to shine -
Her light was never lit.
Beautiful dreams never dreamt,
Songs with no existence.
Remnants undistinguishable in a dumpster,
She was cut to pieces,
She was torn;
This precious life was never born.

Heaven.

2008-03-06T07:17:00.001+11:00

It's got to be a beautiful place. If my God created things here such as the Grand Canyons, the vast mountains, the stretched beach shores, the seasons - each unique - the multitude of animals, insects, food, people, He must've made heaven into the most exciting, fascinating, breath-taking, spiritually-stimulating dwelling we can't even dream of!

I used to be afraid of heaven. I admit, I still am from time to time, when I try to imagine it. But it's the times on earth which take my breath away that I desire to see my Father, and sing to Him directly in His castle. It's in these moments my heart forgets all logic, all stereotypical views of God, all the odds and ends, all the details - and just melts. I know God brings me this moment as a reminder to trust, for heaven is what I search for here in this temporary dwelling, which I can't call home.

Illuminated Beauty.

2008-02-26T05:58:00.002+11:00

[written 12.13.08]
Fumbled out of bed this morning;
It was too early.
Looked out the window,
All I saw was gloomy-
Another foggy morn'.

Didn't think to say "good morning";
Maybe I was just too tired.
Nevertheless Your mercy is pouring
Down on Your child
as you welcome me to a new day.

Not sure why You desire me
but the evidence is everywhere.
Through fog, sun hits the trees.
What I once hated dances on the water.
You've illuminated the beauty of a foggy morn'.

You paint a photograph-
You know what captures my eye;
And you put me in it-
You know my heart's desire.

Life, though often foggy, is always beautiful.

A Finished Letter to the Forgotten.

2008-02-25T18:09:00.010+11:00

Unsent letters,
Unfinished poems,
Unread books.
It's all foolish;
I can't get you out of my head.

To the unloved one-
you are loved.
To the forgotten one-
you're not forgotten;
I can't get you out of my head.

To the ones that are lost
and dying inside,
awake at night, crying for life-
you're not alone;
I can't get you out of my head.

So I lie awake at night,
and thank God I know I'm loved,
and I can't help but cry
when my soul stirs for those I think of-
those beautiful lost and forgotten.

Faithfully Free.

2007-12-11T07:02:00.002+11:00

I am somewhere inbetween
The courageous woman I aspire to be
And the recoiled girl I once was;
Still learning the definition of my name.

I am somewhere inbetween
A seasoned past
And a brilliant future;
Caught in the spell of today.

The uncertainty of what's ahead
Beckons me to stand still.
Temptation creeps up
Not as to lure me in -
For that would require movement -
But rather, to remain ever still,
And ever silent.

I look up to the One who defines me
And I look forward, never returning
To the way life used to be.
Now my heart is faithfully free.

Each new second is my future
To the one before it.
You say I am a new creation.
Hallelujah, my future begins now!