For His Glory!

Loving this song at the moment. Loving Tim Hughes really...

My actions, thoughts and purpose for each day totally change when I re-focus myself on doing it all for the glory of God. Not for myself...but for Him. Not only does He then have access to use me more freely each day, but I am always more aware and alert of the ways He does work in and through me! He's just soo good! I wish I could explain it more but I can't. How can you use words to describe the glory and power, yet love and gentleness that we find in our God!

Living for your glory - Tim Hughes

What good is it to gain the whole world

But lose your soul?

What good is it to make a sweet sound

But remain proud?

In view of God's mercy, I offer my all

And take my life, let it be everything, all of me

Here I am, use me for Your glory

In everything I say and do, let my life honour You

Here I am living for Your glory

The road I'm on that leads nowhere without You

And the life that I live that finds meaning and surrender

In view of God's mercy, I offer my all

Seeking first the Kingdom

Of my Lord

Amen x

Words

The smallest word can be soo powerful! So beautiful! Soo releasing!

As i reflect on some words, so much life springs from them. As i wrote last week on Psalm 46:10 each word in that verse reveals and says soo much- incredible.

I looked up the meaning of a few words I'm loving at the moment... 

captivate |ˈkaptəˌvāt|

verb [ trans. ]

attract and hold the interest and attention of; charm : he was captivated by her beauty | [as adj. ] ( captivating)

arise |əˈrīz|

verb ( past arose |əˈrōz|; past part. arisen |əˈrizən|) [ intrans. ]

1 (of a problem, opportunity, or situation) emerge; become apparent

• come into being; originate

• ( arise from/out of) occur as a result of

2 formal or poetic/literary get or stand up

surrender |səˈrendər|

verb [ intrans. ]

cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority 

• [ trans. ] give up or hand over (a person, right, or possession), typically on compulsion or demand 

• [ trans. ] (in a sports contest) lose (a point, game, or advantage) 

• ( surrender to) abandon oneself entirely to (a powerful emotion or influence); give in to 

Abba |ˈäbä; ˈabä|

noun

(in the New Testament) an intimate term for God as father.

• (in the Syrian Orthodox and Coptic churches) a title given to bishops and patriarchs.

ORIGIN via Greek from Aramaic ‛abbā ‘daddy.’

brew |broō|

verb [ trans. ]

1 make by soaking, boiling, and fermentation.

2 make (tea or coffee) by mixing it with hot water 

3 [ intrans. ] (of an unwelcome event or situation) begin to develop

= I will explain brew in other blog, there is reason for this.

But just for a giggle....

moist |moist|

adjective

slightly wet; damp or humid : the air was moist and heavy.

• (of the eyes) wet with tears : her brother's eyes became moist.

• (of a climate) rainy.

• Medicine marked by a fluid discharge.

DERIVATIVES

moistly |ˈmɔɪstli| adverb

moistness |ˈmɔɪs(t)n1s| noun

ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French moiste, based on Latin mucidus ‘moldy’ (influenced by musteus ‘fresh,’ from mustum: see must ² ).

Apart from this last one- I think these words speak for themselves in what God is speaking to me at the moment!

My Abba! In you, through you and for you I breathe and live each day!

Everything I possibly try to write falls soo short in bringing you the glory in which you soo clearly deserve! But I am learning to devote each day, each opportunity, each moment to make it count and bring you a smile! I have soo much to learn...but I am willing! Adjust and position my heart closer and closer ...and even closer to you. Cause God if you are not in it- then I want none of it!  Abba you hear my cry- you are my cry!

I love you in a capacity I never knew I could!

 x o x

Proof- open your eyes

I understand some people need to 'see things to believe it'. But it makes me giggle...or sad..... (probably more the latter), that people need to physically see God to believe He exists. 

Have they not opened their eyes at all? How do you honestly think creation came to be? Out of nowhere? Evolution? Have you not seen the night sky or studied the stars? Have you not looked at the intricate details of each petal that makes up each flower? Have you not been overwhelmed by the complexity of our human body to function each day the way it does? Have you not watched a sunrise over a beach in all it's beauty and splendour? Have you not stood at the top of a snowy mountain surrounded by pure white and glory?

I watched this video on you tube...

How can we trust that which is unseen? 

Simple.... Look

Look for the proof...

The shadow proves the sunshine

The echo proves the sound

The steam proves the heat

The watermark proves the flood

The rustling proves the wind

We struggle to believe 

What we cannot see

But we cannot see

Because we are not really looking

The creation proves the creator

The heavens proves His glory

The Son proves the Father

The cross proves His LOVE

Proof? Open your eyes...

Keep seeking!

A verse given to me today:

Jeremiah 29:11-14 ... with emphasis on v 13 & 14

"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.

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord.

Powerful.....

An amazing day!

WOW! How do I even begin to describe the incredible day I had in the presence of my God? 

ACOM Personal Formation- Group Catch Up

It was 8:45 when we arrived at the little waterside town of Tahlee, a historical place full of facts & beauty. My first bit of entertainment was playing the "Let's count the wallabies" game.... (total of 8 FYI) but anyway... our group arrived and as our facilitator started us off the day... he introduced the theme of 'Spiritual Growth' for the day with 3 minor themes.

1. Be still and know that I am God  2. God in surprising places and 3. God in question.

For each theme we went away by ourselves with little tasks for each one, but mainly to meditate and just focus on God. I could write 5 blogs on the whole day but i'll just share my first session.

To begin with.... Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God" is a funnily enough a verse I've been focusing on for the last few weeks specifically, so I should almost have expected God to bring it up today but ...I was still shocked?!

So I start out walking down this path so excited for what the next hour would hold, I have this massive smile on my face I can't remove, I look up and all around there is the tallest bamboo I have EVER seen swaying gently with the sea breeze. The best part was the cracking sound it made as it moved back and forth- just glorious... you had to be there!

I keep walking down this path continually having my breath taken away at the beauty and majesty God is laying out in front of me. I come across this wooden open boat shed and as I walk around the side, see this wooden seat out on the water at the end of a jetty as if it was made and put there just for me!

In light of my last blog- I truly fell in love with my First love all over again and in a completely new way. I have never felt soo romanced and like a daughter of the King freely playing with her Daddy all at the same time. I felt soo free and full of joy. 

As I sat there and was still, I meditated on each word of the verse- such a small verse but oh so powerful! I focused on knowing God as my first love, and as the wind almost blew me off the chair and into the water behind me He reminded me of His power! The waves hit the wall and splashed me on the face again and again and I thought of God's playful nature and sense of humour. Whilst I sat still, God's creation was forever moving around me yet He became still in order that we may have an intimate moment together!

I am so IN love with you God! Thanks for an incredible day x

That lonely feeling

So if I'm going to be honest on here I thought I'd write about being single and the joys that brings (with a hint of sarcasm). Normally I'm fine and quite enjoy the single life, I like my freedom of being able to do what I want and when I want. However, with recent times seeing close friends getting engaged or hooked up with a long time crush...I feel like all of a sudden my time's running out and there's something wrong with me. What? I'm only 21 I shouldn't feel like this at all...

Why is there this pressure in churches to be dating someone or married young?

Anyway- I've been journeying with God for years focusing on my love relationship with Him in order that He will teach me and prepare me for a relationship with my future boyfriend/husband! I feel now more than ever that he will be more amazing than I imagine and am praying for. I am so excited that when we are together he will not hinder nor distract me from my journey with God, but rather support, encourage and challenge me and together we will do crazy things for His kingdom!!!

So whilst some nights I come home and feel total doubt and complete loneliness as i try to get to sleep, I'm moving into a place with God where there is more excitement and trust as I focus on Him and His faithfulness.

The thing is God knows the desires of my hearts, and whoever this guy is I am so certain (and totally excited) that God is preparing not only his heart but mine also for when we are together!

I'll give it time, give it space and be still for a spell
When it's time to walk that way we wanna walk it well

I'll be waiting for you baby
I'll be holding back the darkest night
Love is waiting til we're ready, til it's right
Love is waiting

And like I can't force the sun to rise or hasten summer's start,
neither should I rush my way into your heart

I write this primarily to keep myself accountable never to settle for second best...

EVER!

Expectation

Psalm 4:3

In the morning , O Lord, you hear my voice;

in the morning I lay my requests before you

and wait in expectation.

I think this is a great prayer to start the day. We need to have hearts of expectation each day for what God can do through us! We so often fail to acknowledge God as our Lord each day and therefore fail to let Him use us. It's not only us that miss out but also those in which we could have impacted!

I hate to think of the things I have missed out on being a part of because I didn't surrender myself to God each day and wait in expectation. Nor do I want you to miss out either...

I know what I prayed this morning!

This fallen world....

I've just watched Hotel Rwanda (by myself.....bad move) and I was doing ok. I watched the whole film in silence...in total shock... but with no tears. Girls naked being raped, dead bodies in hundreds, thousands... up to a million. Precious lives being slashed apart with a machete. For what...? Hate? The film finished and it hit me! I wept....in fact I sobbed and I sobbed! It's tooo much was all I could say again and again....this world is too much!

As I cried out to God over the millions of His children's lives that died in Rwanda and are STILL being murdered in Rwanda and all across this world....all I could say was...it's too much!

But it's more than that....as I knelt on the ground & sat with God, more than ever I realised the world we live in and what it is coming too. Things are not going to get better, people will never stop hating on each other. God never planned for this...He didn't plan for any of this! How did we as humans, who were made in His image become such monstrosities? Sin is just soo huge and real in this world...

What can i do...? I'll continue to do what God has placed on my heart to do...and one life at a time we will see restoration and renewal as His children turn back to Him!

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me to preach GOOD NEWS to the POOR
He has sent me to bind up the BROKEN HEARTED,
To proclaim FREEDOM for the CAPTIVES
and release from darkness the PRISONERS,
To proclaim the year of the Lord's favour
and the day of vengeance of OUR GOD,
to COMFORT ALL WHO MOURN,
and PROVIDE for those who GRIEVE in Zion -
To bestow on them A CROWN OF BEAUTY instead of ashes
The oil of GLADNESS instead of mourning
and a garment of PRAISE instead of a spirit of despair.
(Isaiah 61: 1 -3)

What can I say? What can I do?
But offer this heart O lord
Completely to you.....

Nat x





What will you do?

My Loves

I love sunny days

I love taking photos

I love the feeling after exercising

I love the kids at Riverstone Youth Centre

I love trying to bake cupcakes

I love floating over waves

I love God for He is good...and that's an understatement

I love journeying with our youth girls

I love singing in my car...especially at traffic lights

I love wearing bed socks to bed

I love iced tea

I love my mum

I love shopping at op shops

I love grapes....at the moment

I love my cats- Tilly and Taffy

I love my curly hair

I love the kids at Bethel, India

I love that cockatoos have mohawks

I love skipping

I love the warmth of the sun at 6am

I love aqua aerobics

I love versing kids at sports

I love unusual flowers

I love colour

I love hearing stories

I love yellow

I love waterfalls

I love thinking outside my box

I love camps at Vision Valley- especially the kids!

I love writing things like this

I love you xox

Life at present!

I'm quite content in life. I like where I am at!

Usually Im racing around, going from one thing to the next, anticipating the next big event in my life I have to look forward to. Never really appreciating each individual day for itself. Maybe i'm only like this because study and youth work at church hasn't started back yet.

Whatever the case I'm liking 2009 so far. Opportunities on the horizon are looking exciting, it's my last year of (uni) study (Yieeeeeew!), I have a375 hr Youth workplacement starting next week and i love my job!

Most importantly I'm finally at a place with God where I am excited and somewhat content. Although I will never be fully satisified until the day I'm face to face with Jesus, I am growing in the deeper things of God. Learning things and loving the life He so graciously gave. Life is good!

Life at present= working at Valley doing a whole lot of admin work post camps. Coming home from work and jumping in the pool and staying there for a considerable amount of time. Dreaming about what it would be like to live on the coast. Reading books on 'Unlimiting God' and Surfing and The Ellie Chronicles. Getting up early to invest in my Bible and journal. Driving up the coast to play with friends. Beach here and there. Looking at buying a surfboard. Preparing for this term's Youth. Going for runs up and down hills. Watching movies with mum. Wishing I was a mermaid.

I'm totally loving life.