What I'm...

READING...

• The Narrow Road : Stories of Those Who Walk This Road Together, by Brother Andrew & Others. It is an easy read... a book I had lying around the house. It has encouraged me greatly to trust God more in prayer. He does listen, he knows exactly what we need and always delivers - he is faithful. Brother Andy takes the bibles to the closed countries after the war. His persistence and passion for encouraging the persecuted church is motivating to be bold for the gospel.


• A Call to Spiritual Reformation, by D.A Carson This is not as an easy read as the above, but enjoyable to read nonetheless. I haven't read it all yet... but am looking forawrd to chewing on Paul's prayers....
  
• Hosea - really great read. I like how Hosea's wife narrative is sandwich into the prophecy. It is a very powerful depictiction of the sprirtual adultery we commit - it is so black and white the betrayal and disgust Gomer brings on her husband - and so it is a helpful rebuke not to forget the name of the Lord, not exchange worship of God my Father and Creator for the temporary & fleeting things this world has on offer.
  
  I also got up to this part of the Middle Chunck of the Bible with my MCB girls last Thursday. We were reminded so powerfully in Hosea of the comfort that God is so faithful:
  
  "And I will betroth you to me for ever.
  I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
  I will betroth you to me in faithfulness.
  And you shall know the Lord"
  Hosea 2:19-20

LISTENING TO...
(My youth girls gave me a iTunes voucher for Xmas so I have just acquired some new music - woo hoo!)

• Shawn McDonald - "Take my hand" is the song I like... I like the rythmn and like most songs it is the lyrics that really get me drawn in... A song that spurs me on to continue to reflect of the majesty and awesomeness of Him who gave me Christ, to desire being changed and transformed by Him for his glory, to hand my life over and live with Christ as ruler and king over ALL my life...
  
  As I sit here and think
  About all that You've done
  About how You gave me Your one and only Son
  And I'm trying to fathom
  All that You are, but so far, Lord
  You're so beyond me I fall down in reverence
  And I fall down in fear
  And I'm asking You, Lord, won't You please draw near
  Won't You open my eyes
  So that I can see
  The way that You are working in me
  And I lay down my life
  And I put it before You
  All that I have to lay in Your hands
  And I'm not going to question, why You're so faithful
  Why that You give me the blessings that You do
  Let the glory be known, let the glory be shown
  I just lift You up unto the throne
  
  
• Brooke Fraser - Album: "Albertine" She has produced a great album yet again. When I went and saw her live last year I was blown away by how well her music is captured and recorded. She sounds just as good live as on her album. This new album has some interesting song titles: CS Lewis Song, Hosea's Wife.... I haven't had time to really get into it yet... but am looking forward to think about her lyrics and what she is trying to convey in Albertine (strange album title too... must go check out what it means)

THINKING ABOUT...

• Generation "Y": At Evening Church this next year we are starting two new ministries... ELEMENT - for workers and SWITCH for 18-24yr olds. I will be leading a group in SWITCH and so I have begun thinking about that age group and what it is these young folk (which includes myself) think, what motivates them and what do they live for.
  
  "The Spirit of Generation "Y" - The Spirituality of Australian Youth & Young People aged 13-29 by folk at ACU & Monash University - is the text I am starting with to think this topic through: 49% of Gen Y's believe in 'god'! and 27% volunteer in some capacity or involved in some civic duty which shows that perhaps this isn't so much a self-centred "i" generation???
  
  
• Topic of Guilt: It has been my hobby horse topic all year, trying to nut out what is a biblical understanding of it, I guess I will have a blog about this when I come to some conclusion!
  
  >What is the role of guilt in a Christians life? Just to lead to repentance?
  
  >What is the difference between guilt & godly sorrow?
  
  >What is the difference between the fact guilty and the emotion feeling guilty?
  
  >Is it a lack of trust in the power of the cross to "feel" guilt/sorrow for past sins?
  
  >Pilate could find no guilt in Jesus? Of course He can't be guilty if He is not sinful - so as Christians will guilt be natural part of our lives until Christ returns or when we are called home?

MAKING...

• I have 4 quilts on the go... 2 x "Stack & Slash" design (1 orange and the other is black/red/white) and 1 x "Picket Fence" design (purple floral) and 1 x red "Double Irish Chain" design.
  
  I have had a few of these going for a while but am sure I will complete eventually. It is one of the simple joys to sew. It is really thereputic to hear the hum of my sewing machine and feed fabric into the machine - listen to music or a sermon at the same time. It's just brilliant!

GETTING USED TO...

• My new MacBook laptop... Mac's do things just that little differently to PC's... I am slowly getting there and trying to learn all the short cuts. I am having loads of fun fiddling with the photo and movie programs - which I am hoping will be very handy for youth stuff - oh and just for having fun - as you can see I use the iSight camera often!! Love that you can distort, recolour etc. Endless hours of procrastination to be had!



• No Sammi in the office. Sam has moved to Wild St to be their administrator and I miss her heaps - so I made a visit yesterday to her new office and took her a coffee since there is no cafe near by... the sacrifices one makes for the gospel.
  
  She is my faithful prayer warrior and friend who always seems to know when to write me a email of encouragement or stick a bible verse on my desk when I am tired, sad or frustrated! I have learnt so much from her this year in the way she serves our church and the staff- Her love, hard work and faithfulness is amazing - I miss her heaps.