Amen, I think...

At church last night we took part in the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. We heard the plight of 2 of the millions of people around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus, spent time praying, and then were left with this poem.

 

Read it, and you will be challenged!

When I became a Christian I said, Lord, now fill me in,
Tell me what I’ll suffer in this world of shame and sin.
He said, Your body may be killed, and left to rot and stink,
Do you still want to follow me? I said, Amen! – I think.
I think Amen, Amen I think, I think I say Amen,
I’m not completely sure, can you just run through that again?
You say my body may be killed and left to rot and stink,
Well, yes, that sounds terrific, Lord, I say Amen – I think.

But , Lord, there must be other ways to follow you, I said,
I really would prefer to end up dying in my bed.
Well, yes, he said, you could put up with sneers and scorn and spit,
Do you still want to follow me? I said, Amen! – a bit.
A bit Amen, Amen a bit, a bit I say Amen,
I’m not completely sure, can you just run through that again?
You say I could put up with sneers and also scorn and spit,
Well, yes, I’ve made my mind up, and I say Amen! – a bit.

Well I sat back and thought a while, then tried a different ploy,
Now, Lord, I said, the Good Book says that Christians live in joy.
That’s true, he said, you need the joy to bear the pain and sorrow,
So do you still want to follow me? I said, Amen! – tomorrow.
Tomorrow, Lord, I’ll say it then, that’s when I’ll say Amen,
I need to get it clear, can I just run through that again?
You said I will need the joy, to bear the pain and sorrow,
Well, yes, I think I’ve got it straight, I’ll say, Amen – tomorrow.

He said, Look, I’m not asking you to spend an hour with me,
A quick salvation sandwich and a cup of sanctity,
The cost is you, not half of you, but every single bit.
Now tell me, will you follow me? I said, Amen! – I quit.
I’m very sorry, Lord, I said, I’d like to follow you,
But I don’t think religion is a manly thing to do.
He said, Forget religion then, and think about my Son,
And tell me if you’re man enough to do what he has done.

Are you man enough to see the need, and man enough to go,
Man enough to care for those whom no one wants to know,
Man enough to say the thing that people hate to hear,
To battle through Gethsemane in loneliness and fear.
And listen! Are you man enough to stand it at the end,
The moment of betrayal by the kisses of a friend,
Are you man enough to hold your tongue, and man enough to cry,
When the nails break your body – are you man enough to die?
Man enough to take the pain, and wear it like a crown,
Man enough to love the world and turn t upside down,
Are you man enough to follow me, I ask you once again.
I said, Oh Lord, I’m frightened, but I also said Amen.
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen,
I said, Oh Lord, I’m frightened, but I also said, Amen.

By Adrian Plass 

Every day deserves a chance

I had a few rough days in a row the past week. You know the ones...your easily irritated, stressed, grumpy...well at least I was. And as I thought about it,  I was reminded of a devotion I gave on board Logos Hope a few years back. As I rewatched it just now, I was really challenged by it, and I hope you are too. Check it out!

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=EC22MNNU

30 by 30...a third of the way!

With just over 5 months to go until the big 30, I have one third of my list down, and two thirds to go.

The two most recent items checked off the list are:

- visit the Cadbury factory: mum and I had a great time seeing and sampling the in's and out's of Cadbury chocolate. Here is one block I couldn't quite fit in the suitcase to bring home...

- face a fear: this is a bit of a strange one, and it didn't really hit me that it was a fear of mine, until after I had faced it and someone else pointed it out. That is, full time work. Although its something most people do week in and week out with no thought, I never really had, and to be honest I never really thought I could. But, here I am 2 1/2 months into a full time job and loving it. Thanks God!

Now for the other 20 items...

I love you this much...

One thing I love more than just about anything, is when my nephew Jack declares with arms wide open, "I love you this much". It always melts my heart and makes me smile. I was remembering one such moment last night on my way to church, and it reminded me of someone else. 

As Jesus' arms were stretched wide on the cross, with nails which should have been hammered into my wrists, I am reminded that He too is saying, "I love you this much". Enough to take my punishment, enough to take my place, enough to die the death I deserve. Thank you Jesus! May I be reminded of your love every time Jack stretches his little arms out wide.

One Thousand Gifts

At the moment I am reading a book called 'One Thousand Gifts' (by Ann Voskamp) that a dear friend surprised me with. From the first page she drew me in with her incredible way with words. A summary of the book says, "Just like you, Ann Voskamp hungers to live her one life well. Forget the bucket lists that have us escaping our everyday lives for exotic experiences. "How," Ann wondered, "do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? What does the Christ-life really look like when your days are gritty, long and sometimes even dark? How is God even here?"

In the midst of her heartache and struggles she is challenged to write a list of a thousand gifts; of blessings and things she love. As she writes down simple things like 'toothless smiles' she becomes more aware of God's goodness and grace in her life. 

I wanted that too! So I started paying attention to the blessings that abound, and being thankful to the One who has given them to me. Then I started writing a list...things like belly laughs with friends, and walking barefoot for the first time after Winter. I have a long way to go before I get to 1000, but one thing is sure, the more I am aware of giving thanks to God, the more blessings I see in my life each day.

See how many blessings you can find to be thankful for today!

Bula!

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to head off to Fiji for a few days of R'n'R. While it allowed me to cross another thing off my 30 by 30 list (visit a new country), the main reason was to catch up with Liz, a dear friend of mine who is volunteering over there for a year.

The trip was a real blessing from God, as I was basically able to fly free thanks to some Jetstar vouchers. The place we stayed at was a 2 hour bus trip from the airport, and while the bumping up and down on the road reminded me of a pair of wind-up chattering teeth, it was great to see some of the real Fiji. To be honest, it is a lot poorer than I had ever realized. Majority of 'houses' are thrown together from corrugated iron and whatever else they can find, and we constantly passed locals on the side of the road trying to sell whatever fruit and veg they could grow. I generally try and compare places I visit to places I have been, and I guess of the places I have been, Fiji was the most like Jamaica but without the American influence. Both have the stark contrast between poverty and the wealth of tourism, both have bright coloured school uniforms, lush tropical scenery, beautiful beaches and friendly locals. A rainbow out the bus window reminded me of God's faithfulness, and that he is the same no matter where we are. 

We were fortunate enough to stay in a beautiful place that proved the perfect backdrop to unwind. It was great to spend a few days with Liz, and another friend Kath. We had lots of fun, lots of laughs and lots of relaxing under palm trees while reading, chatting, listening to podcasts, and for me, falling out of a hammock. The scenery was amazing, and again made me appreciate our amazing Creator God.

On the one day we ventured out, we took a jet boat up to a local village. I really enjoyed having a taste of true Fijiian life. They performed a welcome ceremony for us, and treated us as though we were family. We had a great feast of local cuisine, a kava ceremony (yep, I tried it), some music and then danced with the locals. It was one of the highlights of my trip! Its so amazing to see how different life is for them, yet how content they are with what they have (much more so than us).

All in all it was a great experience. I am so grateful for the chance to have seen another country, and to have done so while catching up with Liz.

The right words at the right time.

I love it when God gives you verses from His Word, that seem to express exactly where you are at, or what you need. I had 2 big examples of this in the past few weeks.

First, I was challenged to read Psalm 40, and when I did it seemed so incredibly relevant. It says, 

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God. 

Having just recently hit the light at the end of a tunnel of depression, this exactly described how I was feeling. God had heard my cry and helped me out of the pit. His faithfulness just made me want to sing His praises. I guess that is how David felt too. 

And then, as I was feeling apprehensive and a bit nervous about the new job I was to start, I came across 2 Corinthians 9:8 on a friends facebook post. It says,

⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

What an encouragement it was to set off for my first day of work, knowing that God would bless me and equip me.

Praise God for the Word!

Ripping off band-aids

The past couple of months have seen me walk through a lot of tough times. A counselor has been helping me along the way, and I am so grateful for the way God is using her in my life. We have had some intense sessions digging up and working through things from the past, and especially hurts that have left some deep wounds. But, we are making progress and I can see the benefits coming from it, although the process is hard and painful.

A picture kept coming to me off ripping off band-aids, and I guess that's what I feel I have been doing. When we hurt ourselves we put a band-aid on it to protect it from any more harm, to stop things getting in there, and to avoid infection. But the fact of the matter remains, that at some point the bandaids need to come off, and the sore needs to be exposed to air in order to bring healing.

It seems I had a lot of band-aids that had been stuck down for a long time. In some way it was protecting those wounds from more harm, but it has only been through ripping them off the last few weeks, that real healing is taking place.

30 by 30 update 2...

The adventures continue as I keep working through my list, and there has been a bit more progress lately.

3. Visit the Hunter Valley: I had never been to the Hunter Valley before, even though its only a few hours from where I live. So last week mum, Trace and Jack took me for my debut visit. We had a great time seeing the sights, playing in the park, tasting cheese, buying chocolate, browsing the shops, and I even tasted some wine :)

8. learn the bass guitar: I bought a bass a few months ago and am loving getting into it and playing at church. I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn, but I am certainly having fun getting there.

19. learn to cook 4 new meals: ok so one wasn't a meal, it was a snack, but I have done 4 new recipes and it has made me excited to keep experimenting. New recipes 3 and 4 were...

Cookies and cream brownies

and chicken, chorizo and tomato paella

25. watch NSW win a State of Origin series (or at least a game): I am glad I included the brackets or I may have been waiting a while!

That takes the tally to 6!

Come as you are

'Come as you are!' These words had a big impact on my life this week, and no, I wasn't listening to a Nirvana song. I had been having a pretty rough week and was struggling to spend time with God. As I expressed this to a friend, I got an email back saying 'come as you are'. It was so refreshing to know that I am loved and accepted as I am, and that I don't have to pretend to be anything else. More than that though, the email reminded me that Christ also utters that invitation to me...'Come as you are!'

I needed to be reminded that God doesn't expect me to come to him with it all together, but rather he longs for me to come just as I am. Fears, failures, doubts, brokenness and whatever else I may be. God is in the business of replacing fear with joy, failures with hope, doubts with truth and brokenness with wholeness. When I think about it like that, it makes me wonder why I often find it easier to go to God when things are going well than when they are not. Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light". (Matt 11:28-30)

This invitation has been a very welcome one this week....I just need to get better at accepting it!

Opportunity or obligation?

Last week I had my mid year exams for college. While I am glad they are over, I certainly learnt a lot while studying for them. As a friend and I were praying before one of them, we were reminded of the incredible privilege it is to freely study the Bible. Its a privilege that we easily take for granted, and one that is far from a reality for so many people around the world. Thinking about this reminded me of an awesome talk I heard at a church in Portland, Oregon last year. The message of it really stuck with me.

It was talking about how we should view things such as Bible reading, prayer, (studying) etc as an opportunity not an obligation! At times I was studying because I had an exam and I felt like I should, but on remembering this I was able to see my studying as an opportunity to grow; to learn more about God, his Word, and how it has shaped the history of the world thus far. 

If I do something out of a sense of obligation, I often feel guilty if I don't do it. But that's not how God meant our relationship with him to be. Its a loving relationship. One where we should walk through life with Christ under the love of God, not the fear of him. 

Serving Christ and living for him is an opportunity not to be missed!

30 by 30 update

Just a quick update on how I am going with my 30 by 30 list.

19. learn to cook 4 new meals....Im halfway there with 2 down and 2 to go.

The first was a Teriyaki Chicken stir fry that scored 10 out of 10 with the family

The second was a slow cooker Country Chicken Chowder, scoring around a 6.5

23. Eat something I haven't eaten before...today was the day, and my sis took me out for my first attempt at sushi. Here goes...

I was not a big fan!

30. Inspire someone else to do a 30 by 30...done! On ya Em!

2 1/2 down, 27 1/2 to go. Stay tuned for more updates...

Luther!

I am studying church history at college this semester, and we have just started looking at Martin Luther. I remembered watching a movie called 'Luther' a few years back and just borrowed it to re-watch again last night. As I did, I couldn't help but be thankful.

Luther was a young German monk in the 1500's, who was disillusioned with the way things were, and as such decided to confront the Roman Catholic Church on topics like indulgences, and other areas, where he felt the practices of the day conflicted with the ideas or teachings of the Bible. What Luther did, set in motion one of the most significant events of western history, the Protestant Reformation.

So why am I thankful? I am thankful for people like Luther who cared more about God and what He has to say, than what the society around him says is true. I am grateful that he cared enough to stand up for what he believed in, and as such paved the way for my faith in God  and the Church we have today. 

In Luther's time, the Pope, head of the Roman Church, interpreted the Bible and told people what it said and meant for them. Luther believed that the people should be able to read and learn from the Bible itself, and that God was the person that needed to help them interpret it. As such, he went on to translate the Bible into his heart language...German, and in doing so opened the Word of God to peasants and ordinary people. 

This is what I am most grateful for. Grateful that we have the Word of God written down, grateful that I can read it in my own language, and grateful that the Spirit of God helps me to understand what it has to say.

Heaven and Hell

Have you ever wondered if there really is a heaven and hell? If so, what is it like? And how could a loving God send people to hell?

Recently we did a series at church called 'ask God anything?', and this was one of the questions we looked at. Neil did a great job of answering these questions.

Why not have a listen. You can check it out here: Heaven and Hell!

I also just finished reading a great book on the topic. Its called 'When Christ Comes' by Max Lucado, and is really helpful for thinking further about what happens when you die, or when Christ returns.

30 by 30

One of my good friends who also just recently turned 29, decided to come up with a 30 by 30. A list of 30 things - some pipe dreams, some doable,  and some I have done before but want to do again - to do by the time 30 rolls around. It inspired me to make my own list, so here goes (and yes, I stole some of her ideas!):

1. Visit a new country DONE

2. go to the Cadbury factory in Tassie DONE

3. visit the Hunter Valley DONE

4. learn to drive a manual

5. bowl a perfect game in wii bowling (or at least beat Brian!)

6. read at least 5 books off my shelf that I haven't yet read

7. teach someone to surf

8. learn the bass guitar DONE

9. finish 1/2 my Associate Degree in Theology

10. do a mini triathlon

11. memorise the book of Ephesians

12. go to an NBA game

13. face a fear DONE

14. volunteer for/at something

15. go karaokeing (maybe doing this again will class as facing a fear!)

16.surf at every beach on the Northern Beaches in 1 day

17. take a winning photo

18. swim with dolphins

19. learn to cook 4 new meals DONE

20. transfer old videos to dvd

21. save .... amount of $ DONE

22. be fitter at 30 than I was at 20

23. eat something I haven't eaten before DONE

24. score a hatrick at indoor soccer

25. watch NSW win a State of Origin series (or at least a game) DONE

26. ride a skidoo

27. run 5km without falling over

28. share the gospel with someone

29. meet Mr Right (hey, why not!)

30. inspire someone else to write their own 30 by 30! DONE

GRattitude

Why is it so much easier to have an attitude, than it is to have gratitude?

I whinge about aches and pains instead of being thankful that I have a pretty healthy body.

I complain about not sleeping well, rather than being thankful that I have a bed and a roof over my head.

I say there is nothing to eat, yet I have a house full of food, that I have no money, yet I have a bank account and a wallet.  

As I thought about these things (and many other similar lines I could write), I was challenged to try and turn my attitude, into gratitude!

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness". Eph 4:22-24 

The Biggest Loser!

I was watching The Biggest Loser (yep, its one of my favs!) the other night, and the remaining few contestants were given a hiking back pack, as they stood in front of an amazing stretch of sand dunes. Every few hundred metres they would come to a check point where a sandbag equivalent to the weight they lost on that week of the show was put in their pack. Sometimes it was a kg or 2kg, sometimes it was up over 10kg's! As they made their way through the check points their bags got heavier and heavier; the pressure increasing, the burden harder to bear! After walking up and down the sandy hills, representative of the ups and downs of life, they arrived at the final check point and felt the full force of the weight they had once carried!

The point of the challenge was to remind them of where they started, and just how far they had come. To remember the feelings, the emotions, and the choices that had got them to where they were.They made comments like 'it hurts to carry this weight around', and 'I cant believe I let it get to this'. When you lose weight bit by bit, you dont really grasp the full weight of what you have lost (some over 50kg's). Its only when you feel it all at once, that you remember the weightiness of your past. The limitations, the pain, the achy joints, the self doubt, the guilt, the fears...all from an unnecessary load they were carrying around. The thing that struck me the most, was that it was only once they had remembered the full force of their previous weight and their old way of life, that they experienced the true freedom of letting it go. The relief and joy that they felt when the bag was taken off was incredible. The burden was gone, freedom had come! They commented that they felt liberation and freedom, and that it showed them how much they never wanted to go back to the way life was. After feeling that burden, they were more determined than ever, not to put that weight back on. 

What if we were given a bag to carry. What if every sand bag in our pack represented our sin. What if we were to feel the full weight of the decisions we have made, and the things we have done? What if we grasped just for a minute, how big the burden was that Jesus carried on our behalf? Would we not also realise afresh the freedom we have been given? 

See, the trainers didn't offer to carry the packs for the contestants. They were forced to carry it themselves. But Jesus doesn't just walk along side us, he steps in and carries our pack. He carries the weight of our sin on his shoulders, and gives us the freedom that only he deserves. If we truly realised that, would we not be more determined than ever to live a life that reflected the freedom he bought us. A life full of joy, not pain and fear. A life of determination to not return to how we once were. When we are graciously forgiven time and time again, I cant help but think we fail to realise the extent of our sin, and the freedom we have from being released from it.

How would we live differently if we could catch a glimpse...to see how it felt before and after our sin was taken away. Surely it would change how we live. Thanks to Jesus, we won't ever have to fully feel the weight of our sin. Thanks to Jesus, one day we will fully feel the freedom he has bought us!

The Biggest Loser winner wont be decided tomorrow night. Its already been decided. The Biggest Loser is me. It's you! Its everyone who has experience the freedom of knowing Jesus is carrying our pack.

If the shoe fits....

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick; Jumping Jack; Jack in a box! All 3 sayings have 2 things in common. 1, they all mention the name Jack. 2, they all perfectly describe my gorgeous little nephew who funnily enough, is also called Jack. If the shoe fits! 

I wanted to introduce you to Jack, because he is one of the greatest sources of joy in my life. He is certainly nimble and quick...he has one speed, and its fast! He loves to jump...trampolines, couches, beds etc! And he has been known to hop in a few boxes.

Jack is just over 2 and is a pretty smart little kid. He is also pretty darn cute, and a rockin' drummer. Here he is showing off his skills! World, meet Jack!

Life Saving

Did you know you can save 1 life every month? Thats right! Every single month YOU could be saving a life! A few weeks ago I donated blood for the first time, something you can do every 3 months, and found that every donation can save 3 lives. That’s 1 life a month! You head in to a donor center, fill in some paperwork, lie on a table, and then munch on a snack pack when you are done. I was happy to be able to help other people in this way, and after wards, I thought well why wouldn’t I be? Sure it’s a bit uncomfortable, and can take some time out of my day, but on the other hand it’s merely giving something I’ve been freely given of no merit of my own, and it has the power to save lives.

It challenged me to think about the other source of life I have flowing through me, the message of Jesus.  Blood can save bodies, the gospel can save souls. Jesus loves us so much, that he came to die in our place, and take the punishment we deserve. It’s a message that has been given to us to share with others, and although it can be a bit uncomfortable, why wouldn’t we want to help save lives?

I hope that this week, you will be challenged by the importance of sharing the gospel with those around you. And while you’re at it, why not sign up to donate some blood! Let’s get on the mission of saving lives!

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him". John 3:16-17

Find out where to donate blood with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service!