Pa Pa...

Please pray for my grandfather Doug as he is presently in Royal North Shore Hospital with 'stuff'. Doctors are not too sure what exactly is wrong with him. He has heart problems but doctors don't think that is it... Pray for wisdom to work it out!

Papa with Great-grand-daughter Maisy!

Pray for mercy on Papa, he doesn't know God! I have been praying for many years that God would soften his heart and give him ears to hear the gospel (literally as he is stone deaf with a cochlear ear implant). It is really hard to interact in a proper conversation with him, as he will talk and then get impatient trying to listen to your response.

Papa and I had a emotional time together at the hospital on Saturday night. He was crying about all he has seen in his lifetime. I have never seen him so upset about the things he has seen and experienced. He is normally a very strong, proud and optimistic man. Never would he say a bad word about someone... but Saturday night he couldn't help but say the world is a messed up place and he hopes that I would never see the pain and grief he has seen in his lifetime.

I feel this is God's work to soften and humble his heart. I feel also from the tone and topic of our conversations that he thinks this is the end of the road for him - although he is as strong as an ox, still at 87 and gets through most illnesses.

I am thinking of hand writing him a letter for father's day and address some of the things he mentioned on Saturday night and over the years about why he doesn't believe, and also tell him how thankful to God for him and his witness of what it means to really love your wife sacrificially.

Despite not being a Christian man, he loved Nanny so much, lead, cared, supported, nurtured her till her death. A true model of Christ and his love for the church.

Please pray for wisdom and the words to write - that they would engage with him, not be complicated, but clear and simple. May God use it to change his heart and turn him towards Jesus!

Please pray for Mum as having a ill father to care for adds super stress, and I don't think she copes too well, nor do we (my brothers and I) care for her too well. Pray we would be good kids! ;)

Thanks friends for you prayers!

Prayer Update - July

Praise God for:

• the birth of my Niece. Liz gave birth to her on the 25th June. I think her name is still to be confirmed but more than likely will be Maisey or Evie! Pray for Toby and Liz as they adjust to the sleeplessness of parenthood and also wisdom to raise her to know and love Jesus!
  
  
• hanging out with Jerry Bridges the other Tuesday - as he spoke in a lounge room with 15 of us, about Perseverance of the saints. He was a great encouragement and loved his 4 G's in Isaiah 8 - GOD, GUILT, GRACE, GRATITUDE... motivation for continuing on in the service of our awesome and holy God!
  
  
• hearing Louie Giglio (from Passion Conf.) speak at the Hillsong Conference. His Indescribable passage really lifted my eyes to the majesty, awesomeness and brilliance of the God who created this universe. He made me look into my heart and reminded me not that I am at the centre of the universe. And he took us back to the wonderous Cross of our Saviour Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed to cleanse us from our unrighteousness, He is truely the centre of the universe. Also being led by Chris Tomlin & Brook Fraser in singing praises with 10, 000 others to this glorious God was a treat as well.
  
  
  The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork - Psalm 19:1.
  
  
• school holidays, which has allowed me to get ahead on preparation - especially "The Gospel According to the OC" series for Randwick Girls. I have about 4 complete studies.
  
  
• the gift of friendship. Thanks for all of you who uphold me in prayer. For my Christian brothers and sisters who continue to point me to Christ, when I am down, flat, sad, tired, miserable or overjoyed, elated and feeling good.
  But also thank God for the friendships I have with people outside the kingdom. Praise God for Lisa and the gift she is to me in my life, for our trip to the Hunter Valley last week and for opportunities to share Christ.
  
  
• the encouragement of seeing maturity and growth in people at Evening Church. It is God's kindness that he continues to transform his people to the likeness of His Son and gives us the joy to marvel at his hand in peoples lives.
  

Please Ask God for:

• smooth running of the Night Train Course I will be running - 6 Steps to Sharing Jesus. Ask for His sustaining hand to strengthen me as this term looks to be a busy one. Please pray that I would be wise with my time, be faithful and diligent in preparation and loving towards people I serve.
  
  
• my youth group girls, (Caitlin, Chloe, Verity, Suzanna & Ellen) as they soon hit their HSC trials.
  
  
• understanding, insight and creativity to finish a 6 more studies for the OC Series.
  
  
• for wisdom and clarity with decision making re: NEXT YEAR.
  God willing I hope to be at college next year, which means at some point I should go get an application form. Also need to work out where to church if I do go to college (or even if I don't go to college I will need to work this out). What's best for my training? Should I take up the opportunities to see other ministries and church life? Should I stay at Matthias and continue on with the many opportunites here?
  

12 Ways to Love your Wayward Child

I just finished reading an article by Abraham Piper (son of Uncle John Piper) "12 Ways to Love Your Wayward Child".

Having once been a wayward child, I find it interesting this topic of how to love that child. I personally am sad to think of the grief, pain and tears I caused my parents during the years I so clearly rejected the rule of Christ in my life and lived to please myself rather than in obedience to the Lord Jesus!

I often try to think of what I thought about life, parents, brothers, career, priorities, love, boys, money etc… I have a blurry memory of my worldview back then. I don’t quite remember what drove me or how I might have articulated my point of view but I now look back and make assumptions of what I was thinking based upon the choices I made and actions I did!

I often wonder if my parents could have done things differently to steer me back to Christ earlier… but it doesn’t really matter because God has graciously acted in my life to bring me home.

This is rather a long post but thought that it would be God glorifying to share my personal insights into the points that Abraham offers to the many parents who are broken hearted and completely baffled by their children.

May you sing the praises of God our Saviour.

1. Point them to Christ.
Their number one problem = they aren’t following Christ.

2. Pray
I know this is what my family armed themselves with. My brothers in particular prayed for me with their bible study groups and pastors – which proved embarrassing for me later when I started going back to church as people told me ‘oh you’re the sister we have been praying for’.

As I read through some bible study notes of my mum’s or brothers and see in the prayer points section my name and the request that I would come back to Christ, I can’t help but shed a tear and then praise God for how he has mightily worked in my life.

Best thing to do is ask for the Lord to work that He would display himself in a way to those wandering that they can’t resist worshiping him.

3. Acknowledge that something is wrong.
I hated anyone who for doing it… I thought they were judgmental, conservative kill-joy’s! But it's the truth I needed to hear even if I didn't like it. I guess it's true: the truth hurts!

4. Don’t expect them to be Christ-like.
THANK YOU! Why on earth would people expect someone to go to church, have a Christian boyfriend, not drink, smoke or swear if they weren’t a Christian!
My conscious was at work to condemn me.

5. Welcome them home.
I once got a text reminder of my home address from my mum - after spending several late nights out and staying at friend’s houses! My home was always my home, even though I rarely wanted to be there. I used it as when convenient, place to sleep, place with free car to borrow and place to do uni assignments. But at least this was enough to bring me home and for God to remind me of my dependence on my parent’s kindness!

6. Plead with them more than you rebuke them.

“What really concerns you is that your child is destroying herself, not that she’s breaking rules. Treat her in a way that makes this clear. She probably knows—especially if she was raised as a Christian—that what she’s doing is wrong. And she definitely knows you think it is…. Her conscience can condemn her by itself.”

SO TRUE SO TRUE … And oh how it did – I really did want to be like my brothers… but it was too hard. I had no Christian friends and if God wants me to be a Christian then he would make it easy and give me some Christian friends! Right?

I knew exactly what I was doing was wrong. And the more I did what I knew angered my folks the better. I hated them because I thought they hated me. In reality they were upset that I had rejected Christ!

But by living in a home full of believers, my rebellious life stood out against the bright lights that shone for Jesus. I could see it and I felt condemned just by living alongside my family.

7. Connect them to believers who have better access to them.
My brothers tried really hard… they invited me to church and persisted but I just wasn’t ready for many years to give up my life for Christ. My heart was hard. I hated my brothers because I thought they hated me so I rarely, if ever, shared with them and never did I want to let my guard down, loose my pride and admit to them I had been wrong.

Thank God I met Lizzie and Nicole at St Thomas’ where I could share all of my life with people who I felt didn’t pass judgment but could share their struggles with putting Christ as Lord! God used them and gave them emotional access to me – I could trust them and enjoyed their company. Together we battled the sin that lurked in our lives.

8. Respect their friends.
This is something that perhaps my family didn’t do so well: they always asked, “why do you want to hang out with them for?” “I have never seen so called friends fight so much – why bother with them”

I resented it every time a comment was made about my friends. My friends at the time where my family… I loved them, idolized them, wanted to be them… and when your family says something about them, they were saying something about me.

I also thought that I was evangelizing my friends and I was there only hope of them becoming Christians – don’t quite know what brand of the gospel I had on offer – probably just the Saviour part of the GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD gospel – oops I would have left out the Lord & obedience bit!?!

9. Email them.
Praise God for technology that lets you stay in your kids’ lives so easily! Mum did this well with SMS texts… just letting me know the comings and goings…

Even though I was disinterested in family life, I felt so upset and angry when extended family gatherings or events were never mentioned to me. I felt even more out of the loop & unwanted.

But the notes slipped under my bedroom door: At Work, home at 6pm! meant a lot to me - even though I would pretend not to care. Dad also would drop it in conversation to let me know he was praying for me.

10. Take them to lunch.
I guess Mum and Dad tried their best when I would let them take me shopping – just when I needed something… at least it made me sit in the car with them and walk around the shops together and in some way relate.

11. Take an interest in their pursuits.
They always came to my uni productions and performances. I remember it meaning the most to me when my brother and Liz (his then fiancé) came… and I knew Liz would hate the experimental theatre stuff we would be doing. But I clearly remember good thoughts about my family that day.

12. Point them to Christ.
This can’t be over-stressed. Their number one problem = they aren’t following Christ.

Oh and how kind and gracious our Father is…

The glitter and sparkle of this world quickly turned bleak when I had to reason with myself the reality of death - as it was was staring at me in the face. Over the years from year 10 my friends and I have pretty much had a funeral to attend (no weddings yet, only funerals).

Amongst us we have had to deal deaths of peers, brothers, cousins, extended family, mums and dads involving suicide, old age, HIV/AIDS, heart attacks, Bali bombing, sudden aneurysm, cancer… Unfortunately for my friends it seems to have hardened their hearts against God but for me it was the melting pot, to realise my desperate need of a Saviour!

I realised that nothing in this life lasts. This world is empty. I clung to Christ, my first love, my true treasure, my rock, my hope and my salvation.

Please pray that God would pour out His Spirit of Grace upon my friends that they too could comprehend the love that awaits them in Christ.

It is only by His grace, He is the one who drew me from the perilous pursuits of this world and united me safely to himself – captive but completely & eternally satisfied!

I fought the Lord, but He won.

Holidays...

Just spent a week away up in Port Macqaurie... the weather was great - so much sun and not humid! woo hoo!

I went with my parents to support and cheer on my brothers, Todd & Toby and friends Paul & Mike in the Ironman (this one was 3.8km Swim, 190km bike and 42km run).

They did really well... Todd came in at 10 hours and Toby in at 13 hours. Can you believe it continuous exercise for that long? These boys are freaks! The winner did it in 8hrs... crazy!

It was a great time away camping and spending it with family. I really enjoyed hanging out with Liz - Toby's wife. We get along really well and this weekend was great to spend with her and on the side lines cheering the boys on together.

It also is very exciting as she is about 7months pregnant. So in June I will be AUNTY Hayley. The baby is called 'Aniko' for now... and if Toby got his way that is what she will be called but I think Liz has other ideas. Pray for continued health for Liz and Aniko!!!

other highlights:

• I got to spend time reading and relaxing on the beach every day... A+++
  
• Discovering some new cheers instead of "Go Toby" I included some of these I heard from other spectators "Looking Good", "Keep Smiling", "Can I have your autograph"
• Did some shopping... Bought some jeans, tops/jumpers and a orange teapot A+++
  
• Got to try out my new tent I bough off eBay... A+++
  
• Drank Campos coffee from cafe next to caravan park... A+++
  
• Free wireless internet at the caravan park, sit in tent and waste time surfing net... A+++
  
• Got stuck into really good bible reading and prayer pattern, that is lasting so far into reality (only been two days back but still...) pray this continues.

Praise God, for the time of rest and relaxation.
Praise God that my brothers were kept safe from injury in the race.
Praise God for holidays and family!!!




_______________PSALM 147_______________

10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of a man;

11 the LORD delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.