Wordle my blog, yo!

Word size is determinded by frequency of use in text :)

The Paddymelon.

Weeding, weeding, weeding. Oh how I love weeding.
NOT!
Today we had to weed watermelon runs, a seemingly easy, yet horribly monotonous job from the pits of hell!!
Basically, what you have to do is take a 'run' each (a metre wide, 250m long, garden bed of dirt, slightly raised with a 'gutter' either side of it the same size as tire tracks) and walk along inspecting each hole ( a hole per metre, most with a baby watermelon plant, some not) in the plastic that lines the bed and look for weeds (any sized, even one miniscule leaf) and pull them out.
If you have a choice between this job and death... well I'll let you decide but you can probably guess what my strong suggestion would be.
This was not the first time we had done this, so this time I was thinking so very hard of ways to improve the job.
First I was trying to convince Jason to sing to us, and he wouldnt so I was singing to him "Sing us a song, your the weeding man, sing us a song right now, for we're all in the mood for a melody, to help the time pass along". And then I was coming up with other songs "I like to weed it, weed it" and they were getting lamer and lamer so I moved on...
My next stop was praying the alphabet. Ever heard of this? Its great if you are doing something that takes no brain space for extensive lengths of time eg, driving or labour work. All you basically do is go throught the alphabet and pray for the first person that comes to your mind that starts with that letter.
But amoungst my trek along the alphabet I got horribly sidetracked, as I do, I got to thinking about paddymelons.
[If you dont know what a paddymelon is- it is a vine plant that produces melons of the weed variety and it is very decieving.]
When we were weeding we had to watch out for the sprouts of these plants and pull them out too. they look almost identicle to the watermelon plants, so you need to study them well. Only after studying the watermelon plants (the good plant, the one we want to leave in the ground) and getting advice from our boss (who knows exactly the good from the bad), can we see the difference in the paddymelon plant and spot them to pull out. Once you get used to recognising them, and checking back on what the watermelon plant looks like, you get pretty good at spotting them- all sizes and hiding amoungst the good plants- and quickly pinching them and ripping them out.

It got me thinking about sin, and how its our paddymelon. It grows, even though we dont plant it, and it takes away all the strength from the good. It hides amoungst the good qualities, and unless we regulary study the guide for what a good 'plant' is, you wont easily recognise the bad one! But when you focus on talking to the author who knows the good from bad, and read his guide, studying it well- you get really good at recognising the bad and quickly ripping it out!

Even though it took me a long way to get to the point (sorry, I like talking! ), I thought I would let you in on my mind a little, and share this thought. I hope it provokes something in you...

Bugs, Mugs and Hugs!

Three things plaguing me at the moment- bugs that decide you face is a great place to hang out when you are trying to sleep, mugs that go missing throughout the year and fail to be found ever again, and hugs- or rather the lack there of.

Today was a beautiful day. The intense heat would make you think the earth has gone crazy and thought itself stuck in summer! But the beautiful flowers, melodious chirping birds and bellowing breezes let you know that it is still spring... its just having some fun of the celsious kind.

Lately, I have been finding that quite often - when I want to deepen the conversation with the person I'm talking to - I revert to the trusty old:

"What has God been teaching you recently?".

There are a two reasons I really like asking this question: One, it asks for honesty and deeper relationships, Two, I helps me get a picture of where the person is at and how I can pray for them. But there is another good thing about asking this question I have recently discovered... it forces me to think about what God has been teaching me!
( In otherwords what i have learnt it: If you ask a question, expect it to get asked back and be ready!)

Jump!

Life is an obcticle course. Thats my new analogy.
You know the feeling, I'm sure of it. You feel like you have gotton the best of the obstacle- beaten the record, feel great! and then you realise there is another one in front of you!
It makes me feel down thinking about it. But I have to look at it properly- everytime I learn a really good lesson that equips me for future obstacles, and each one helps train me to focus on God.
I dont think I want them to stop you know, I guess the initial pain at the beginning is hard to get past. But thats why I don't need to rely on my strength, I can rely on God's.
One of my favourite passages at the moment is Psalm 18:30-32. One line in it that really helps me is- "It is God who arms me with strength". Its hard to remember that the strength I do have comes from God! If your part of the stream is dry you need to get closer to the source to find more right? If I feel my strength is running low I need to get closer to where its coming from- God- and only then can it get greator.

I was going to continue writing, but I have to scoot off on an adventure! (I will fill you in because its a secret for now) Please pray for me and my stress levels and learning how to deal with it when I get stressed, and this adventure I'm off on that I make the most of it (and drive safe! :P)

Over and Out,
Little One.

dewa cinta adalah milikmu ♥

Something I learnt today: at the end of the story of daniel and the lions den, the people who wrongly accused daniel (and their families) got thrown into the den and devoured by lions. Thats something they don't teach in sunday school.

One of my lecturers today made a statement that really got me thinking:

"Most of the problems [in this world] come from not seeing ourselves how God sees us."

I think there is definatly some weight to the statement but I spose it just hits home a bit. If I truly thought of myself as God sees me, or treated and looked at others how God sees them... would I live anything like I do now??.... just something to get you thinking....


Been learning recently that now matter how content I feel, no matter how much I feel I have grown, challenges are still going to be thrown my way and I still have to work on my relationship with God. But also I am not discouraged by this, its like a marathon- the more I can live through the stronger I'll get and the easier it'll be. It appeals to my competetive side hehe.
anyways I was going to talk about these more but I must sleep. until next time...

dewa cinta adalah milikmu ♥

Yearning...

No rustling sheets, nor babbies whine, nor creaking boards... thine house ist still --- these are but early days of life, and yet these glorious creatures bring wishes to my soul ♥ Baby sitting the Webblets, they are sound asleep but each peep- each cough or sniff- petrudes into my thoughts and make me wonder.... Am I too young to be so clucky? Is it wrong to yearn so hard for something that fulfills a purpose I was created for??

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So my map is drawn, My travelling companion is agreeable and ready.
All stations set to go.

But my dear cyberspace friends-- i need to sort one last thing out before I disclose the destination my map leads me.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

until then I shall leave you with a poem by a fellow blogger "Amelia":

Standing together

There's an oak tree that stands in our front yard
When we moved here years ago, it stood there just as grand
unmoved by the storms that blew last year
unnerved by the strong winds that for months don't clear
it just stands there it's roots planted firm to the ground
and for it's stubbornness and stability it's gotten renown

That's how I want to love you every single day
steadily and steadfast, through the storms, I want to stay
I want to love you this year and the next, even when it pains
even when loving you hurts and my every energy it drains
I want to stay beside you through the storms and winds of life
like the oak I want to stay put even when the pain cuts like a knife

when our dreams are crumbling all around us like a house of cards
I want to stay with you and travel together through all the painful yards
me and you against the world taking it all on together
we can conquer it all you and I, we can make it through whatever
unmoved and uncompromised ,holding on to each other don't you see,
just as long as we stand unshaken like the steady oak tree "

Sapid

The word of the day! I like it :) it means - "Having taste or flavor, especially having a strong pleasant flavor. Agreeable to the mind; to one's liking." (-dictionary.com)

That pretty much sums up how my map drawing is going. "Agreeable to the mind". I think I'm almost complete the draft. All I have to do is finalise it and get it approved! woo! hehe
But then comes the struggle of colouring it in :P
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians stems from our unwillingness to take God as He is and adjust our lives accordingly. We insist upon trying to modify Him and bring Him nearer to our own image." - A.W. Tozer (From The Pursuit of God)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another thing I've been learning lately is to let God take over every inch of me- including my thoughts. To strive for Him in everything, to focus on Him, to think about Him and (my favourite!) to chat to Him whenever I feel like it. Isn't that last one the coolest thing ever? That God is there ever minute, every moment, willing and wanting to listen to what you say to Him. Whether I'm out prunning and decide to give Him an earfull of whatever it is on my mind, or in lectures distracted from the teaching, in the bus bored as, making breakfast and tired or WHATEVER I can just talk to Him and He listens... now i dont know about you, but I think that is an incredible sign of love. If you woke me up at three in the morning because you had something to talk to me about, I think I'd slap you and then roll over and pretend you werent there. Ok thats a lie, if it was serious I would, but not for the things I talk to God at those times for.
So that is my mission, and so far I'm succeeding. I intend to become lost in God. Consumed by Him. In love with Him. its true!




Have this pic on my study desk and i thought I'd share it because it often makes me smile and chuckle when I need a pick me up - its a classic!

Step 1: Daw the map, Step 2: Hand it over for approval

God told me today that he is going to start helping me make the decisions i need to make. Which is awfully exciting...
I've been struggling lately with knowing what it is that God wants me to do and how. But tonight I had an very interesting discussion with a wonderful sister in Christ- Lisa :). Something she was saying is that her view on "God's will" is that its not a straight path that we must follow, but a forrest full of adventure, that we approach with a compass, map and traveling companion- then pick a route and say to our companion "what about this" and He says "Sure, I''ll go with that". It helped me think about that maybe I dont need to go searching for the specific one thing God has planned for me but too look at all the possibilites and make a choice (a rational, well thought out one of course) and ask God what He thinks. Maybe I'll get struck by lightning or burned up by flames- and then I'll know its a no and to try a different route... but maybe I wont, maybe I'll feel Him saying "yes Sarah, I like it, I know your future and I can agree with that plan".



So thats the plan for now, to think properly about the choices and decisions and hand over the results to God for the final judgment.... tick of approval or flames of torture... who knows, but I am ready and waiting... :)

Help!

What would you do if all the issues and decisions about your life came flying deathly fast into your face all in the one week? I just kept on moving. A rolling stone gathers no moss right?
So I'm here at Teen Ranch, and must I say that I thank God so much for letting me come. It has been great being here, kind of unreal really. But the the thing I have been struggling most with is being faced with Major decisions, challenges and issues surrounding my life- all at once... and well, I asked for it. I said to God before I came here- "can this be an opportunity to makes some decisions please?", but boy, I did NOT know what I was getting myself in for.
So many life altering decisions, and challenges I've never had to face before, are popping up left right and centre, just waiting for me to swing the bat and hit them the right directions. But I am so lost only God can save me know.

I need a clear mind.
I need answers.
But all my mind will produce is a measly little "help!".


But for Him, that is all that is needed.

Stuck in the mud.

[ Here I am... procrastinating... suprise suprise. Well, I might as well make use of the time. ]
So here I am. 6 months into a year I DID NOT want to do.
"I've decided I can't choose who needs to go to cornerstone and who doesnt, so I'm asking you to go too." Rohan caught me off guard (nov 08). I had not expected this and my expectations and dreams for the following year were shatted with one tear wrenching visit to Ro's office.
It wasn't until very late december 08 when the wrestle I had been having with God over this decision ended, and I was down for the count. I had finally submitted and realised that cornerstone was what God wanted me to do, and there was no way around it.
It wasnt until early January before I heard back from Jon. Everyday came and went so quickly, and with it brought a new rush of nerves for the impending mysterious year. I knew very little about cornerstone, only what I had heard from Aaron and Simon, and what i had found on the website (which I could tell hadnt been updated in yonks). But something that helped imensly was a new friend God delivered me, fresh out of cornerstone. Just before summer roundups Teen Ranch got two brand new staff members. One was Sarahjane, a wonderful woman of God, I thank God for because of her amazing support and friendship. But the second was a mister "Markus Aurelius", and he was the one mentioned previously. Mark was arriving here after doing first year in 06 and then two years of team, and he was God's way of calming my nerves- without me even realising. His many happinesses and experiances he shared with me about his times in cornerstone, and seeing the kind of man he had been shaped into, helped so much. When I left Teen Ranch with Nat (having another person, my amazing friend Nat, was another gift from God. She is an incredible friend and I was so glad to be setting off on the journey together), it was incredibly hard, but I was incredibly less nervous for the mystery awaiting me (although my stomach was addmitingly still in a knot).
So the year has been SOOOOO hard. So many challenges have been faced and conquered, and many I'm still struggling with. But along the way I have grown as a person and made many memories and friends I will remember forever. I may fill you in future blogs, but I need to go to bed because I'm prunning in the morning (if the rain stops!) and the net cuts out soon anyway haha.
So I'm excited about the rest of the year I am yet to face, and hope it will be just as (or maybe more) amazing than what has already passed.
But to leave you with a way you can help me...
please pray for me as I face the challenge of changing the way I approach the study we have to do and my attitude and willingness concerning the assessments. I feel horrid about it all at the moment and feel throughly stuck in the mud. Although there are many exciting things coming up (open weeks and maybe even Teen Ranch) I am worried they will provide me with more non work opportunities, so my personal challenge is to get caught up pre these events.
Ont that note I must depart. Love you all abundantly. May God bless your coming days and open your eyes to His prescence and revelations.
Over and out, Little One.