I always say its so easy to forget God when you're not really struggling and when things are going well. Its so easy to go today was pretty good dont needa pray or read the bible cos im still good with God and this is a one off. For me especially in the holidays its so easy to slack off and go today ive got this this and this and really forget to find time for God.
Today I had a youth group outting where we had lunch then went to koorong (a Christian bookstore) Im not much of a reader. I love the idea of reading and buying books but in the actual doing bit well i suck at that. I guess its also like how i like to talk but i dont do as well listening and readings sorta like listening..idk what im trying to say but the point is I'm really finding especialyl this holidays that Im putting God more behind and really gettting distracted by my numerous events and outings.
This holidays Ive had a jam packed calender legit with things on every day and ive been asked numerous times why dont you take a break and just do nothing. In many ways Im not a do nothing person. I love doing stuff; i HAVE to do stuff. I would longer take a longer route and feel like im moving then wait and take the shorter route to get to the final destination at the same time. I guess with this it makes it really hard for me to really just be free and really just have that time to reflect and think. In many ways I try to fool myself by going Im gonna wake early then do my devotions and read my Bible but of course im not a morning person and even when i wake early i just dont function very well.
So for the rest of the holidays I really am gonna challenge myself and anyone else with free time or on holidays to continue with devotions everyday and to continue to grow your relationship with God even in good times. Im also quite excited to read a book which Ive been told quite a bit about called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Shall tell you soon when i finish (give me like a few weeks though. Theres 205 pages hahah)
All for now.
xxxx Jo
ps. time to drink the juice i shoved in the freezer like 20mins ago. really hope its not frozen solid. I've been having juice cravings recently. I use to drink juice like water cos i thought water tasted too plain then my mum heard from some other parent that juice stops your growth so that was the end of juice for me. But now i kinda stopped growing so i buy poppers cos you dont have to drink as much haha. enough about my juice drinking habits. Go read your bible ;)
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Friday, 21 September 2012
21/09/12 - If only...
I always find it really ironic when I have a dilemna and then i go do my quiet time or i read my bible and find something that really relates to what Ive been thinking or struggling with. Really this happenned yesterday for me and its actually something that Im pretty sure alot of people feel.
As silly as this may sound, one of my most recent things has been why doesnt God give me some hard life problem! I love listening to other people grow closer to God through going through some rough time and really leaning and relying on God but it also makes me pretty jealous. At the moment I can pretty much describe my relationship with God as pretty good and really cruisy. The thing I've really wanted was to really have some problem and have some issue. Its really i guess cos in bad times you really realise that you need God and you just depend on him so much more. It was yesterday ironicly that my devotion actually was talking about how we should be thankful in good and bad times and in many ways going to God and learning and growing should be all the time, whether good or bad.
Even funnier is how at the time (around 4 hours ago) i had no problems and every thing seemed to be going smoothly. Now im stressing and I mean stressing (like mass eating anything I can get my hands and like nearly ripping my hair out) about organising teams for touch footy. Its really funny how I was wishing for some problem but its now when I get the problem that I'm really going WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME??? this isn't really the type of problem I wanted.
In many ways as I continue to stress and ive spent 3 hours doing every single humanly thing i can do, it really reminds me of how well God is in control of everything. Even sport which I don't really go to him first about. In many ways this would be where my fav vs comes in Jeremiah 29:11. '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 a hope and a future' I honestly live by that vs cos its just something so comforting for me espeically to remember that its EVERYTHING that God knows whats best for. Even for something as random as touch footy I can pray and give it all to God and its just such an amazing freeing experience, giving everything to God.
xxxxx Jo
As silly as this may sound, one of my most recent things has been why doesnt God give me some hard life problem! I love listening to other people grow closer to God through going through some rough time and really leaning and relying on God but it also makes me pretty jealous. At the moment I can pretty much describe my relationship with God as pretty good and really cruisy. The thing I've really wanted was to really have some problem and have some issue. Its really i guess cos in bad times you really realise that you need God and you just depend on him so much more. It was yesterday ironicly that my devotion actually was talking about how we should be thankful in good and bad times and in many ways going to God and learning and growing should be all the time, whether good or bad.
Even funnier is how at the time (around 4 hours ago) i had no problems and every thing seemed to be going smoothly. Now im stressing and I mean stressing (like mass eating anything I can get my hands and like nearly ripping my hair out) about organising teams for touch footy. Its really funny how I was wishing for some problem but its now when I get the problem that I'm really going WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME??? this isn't really the type of problem I wanted.
In many ways as I continue to stress and ive spent 3 hours doing every single humanly thing i can do, it really reminds me of how well God is in control of everything. Even sport which I don't really go to him first about. In many ways this would be where my fav vs comes in Jeremiah 29:11. '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 a hope and a future' I honestly live by that vs cos its just something so comforting for me espeically to remember that its EVERYTHING that God knows whats best for. Even for something as random as touch footy I can pray and give it all to God and its just such an amazing freeing experience, giving everything to God.
xxxxx Jo
Thursday, 20 September 2012
20/09/12 - Nearly There
Funny how everytime I've blogged recently has been when I really should've been doing something else. Today I should really be finishing off work and confirming details of events happenning this holidays but I really just can't be bothered.
Its that time of the term where its sooo close to the end yet your not there yet. i guess thinking in terms of running (not that ive been doing alot of that recently) its like when your running and your like omg i hate this blah blah but your soo close to the end and you keep telling yourself you can make it but then theres that part of you which is saying you're not gonna make just give up now. It's funny how like even this morning I had heaps of energy and really ready to do whatever God wants me to do today yet even by the afternoon Im so drained!!
In many ways I feel like its my time where im celebrating the end of the term before its happenned and basically its quite sad to then realise...wait its not the end. I dont even know what im getting to now hahahahahha. As the holidays really approach quite soon, Im gonna to be trying to remember that God is in control of everything and that I honestly need him for everything. I can quite honestly I dont think I would manage getting out of bed without Him.
I think i officially shall stop now cos i dont know what im saying and I really feel like im falling asleep. Something quick from Philippians ive been reading.
I like the idea of being a citizen of heaven but i guess with that is living like one which i know is something really really hard to do and really even remember.
xxxx Jo
Its that time of the term where its sooo close to the end yet your not there yet. i guess thinking in terms of running (not that ive been doing alot of that recently) its like when your running and your like omg i hate this blah blah but your soo close to the end and you keep telling yourself you can make it but then theres that part of you which is saying you're not gonna make just give up now. It's funny how like even this morning I had heaps of energy and really ready to do whatever God wants me to do today yet even by the afternoon Im so drained!!
In many ways I feel like its my time where im celebrating the end of the term before its happenned and basically its quite sad to then realise...wait its not the end. I dont even know what im getting to now hahahahahha. As the holidays really approach quite soon, Im gonna to be trying to remember that God is in control of everything and that I honestly need him for everything. I can quite honestly I dont think I would manage getting out of bed without Him.
I think i officially shall stop now cos i dont know what im saying and I really feel like im falling asleep. Something quick from Philippians ive been reading.
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagarly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:19-20
I like the idea of being a citizen of heaven but i guess with that is living like one which i know is something really really hard to do and really even remember.
xxxx Jo
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
19/09/12 - Something Little Goes a Long Way
I think im going crazy. Lets just say I had an asssessment due tomorrow (well really in a few hours now) and to say the least I was really quite behind. I often pray about assessments and stuff but I always think of the help in the form of finishing, looking back going it was all good blah blah. but this time i was in my panic crisis ahhh time to get caffine to calm myslef down ( yeah it does calm me down... meaning i must be an addict :/) Really the amazing thing was today one of my close friends emailed her work to me. I guess the first thing I did was celebrate and really thank God.
In many ways God just wants us to remember him and i think you can really tell whether someone's really focussed on God or what by seeing how they react to something good. This hasnt always been true for me, but like just praising God first was also another thing for me to celebrate. Knowing that i thought of him first really is something exciting. Mini steps! idk if this even makes sense. Im legit never up this late but i really just wanted to share that with you cos a little love can go a long way for someone else.
so sleeping now. the highs like going ahhaha
xxx Jo
In many ways God just wants us to remember him and i think you can really tell whether someone's really focussed on God or what by seeing how they react to something good. This hasnt always been true for me, but like just praising God first was also another thing for me to celebrate. Knowing that i thought of him first really is something exciting. Mini steps! idk if this even makes sense. Im legit never up this late but i really just wanted to share that with you cos a little love can go a long way for someone else.
so sleeping now. the highs like going ahhaha
xxx Jo
Sunday, 16 September 2012
16/09/12 - Ready or Not?
Solemly swear that writing or talking about things always helps you think. Lets just say today I had a day of massive ups and downs and I'm normally a very hormonal person but today was very much just a whole new level for me.
I may have mentioned this earlier but I've really wanted to be baptised. This has been something Ive wanted to do since I was around 10 but ive ignored the thought cos of my age for many years. Anyways the main thing is that I was maybe going to get baptised in October next month and then after lots of many ups and downs where I struggled between being respectful, duty, want and whether I really was ready.
It really has been something big for me after losing the most tears I have ever lost in one day after crying three or four times today, I really thought I had figured out how I was going to get baptised and how it would all work but as usual my plans didnt work with God's. It just so happens that my qualifying Duke of Ed walk is on the same day and bascially I've been told theres no way i'll make it back on time. Being me this is where I have my outburst (which I was really trying to avoid, considering I was about to say that I am ready to tell eveyrone that I'm really giving up everything for God).
My first reaction to all this was really, TRUST! trust God to ruin my plans. Trust God to remind me that He's in control and that Im powerless. Then it turned to anger. Like really God? After everything else you ruin, you decide to ruin something I'm trying to do for you. I actually said this to my dad, I wanted to punch God even though i know like he wont feel anything and it'd probs make me more pissed or atomic bomb him then i can die and not deal with these problems. I know I'm definitely an exaggerater.
I like to take things away; have something that Ive learnt. I may have said that I wanted to give up on God, that I hate God, that if he doesnt want me to get baptised I should just give up and that really his plans suck but at the end of the day I realised this has fired me up and made me more passionate. Its reminded me of my real cause to live. Its reminded me that no matter how much I plan its God's plan and its reminded me that I will never be perfect and that I will never be able to handle everything on my own. I hate to say this but his plans are always the best and I feel like I now have more motivation and I'm more compeled and ready than before. It'll be another 7 months till the next on but I'm sure that this is God's plan and I feel more ready then ever to live my life out fully for him.
xxxx Jo
I may have mentioned this earlier but I've really wanted to be baptised. This has been something Ive wanted to do since I was around 10 but ive ignored the thought cos of my age for many years. Anyways the main thing is that I was maybe going to get baptised in October next month and then after lots of many ups and downs where I struggled between being respectful, duty, want and whether I really was ready.
It really has been something big for me after losing the most tears I have ever lost in one day after crying three or four times today, I really thought I had figured out how I was going to get baptised and how it would all work but as usual my plans didnt work with God's. It just so happens that my qualifying Duke of Ed walk is on the same day and bascially I've been told theres no way i'll make it back on time. Being me this is where I have my outburst (which I was really trying to avoid, considering I was about to say that I am ready to tell eveyrone that I'm really giving up everything for God).
My first reaction to all this was really, TRUST! trust God to ruin my plans. Trust God to remind me that He's in control and that Im powerless. Then it turned to anger. Like really God? After everything else you ruin, you decide to ruin something I'm trying to do for you. I actually said this to my dad, I wanted to punch God even though i know like he wont feel anything and it'd probs make me more pissed or atomic bomb him then i can die and not deal with these problems. I know I'm definitely an exaggerater.
I like to take things away; have something that Ive learnt. I may have said that I wanted to give up on God, that I hate God, that if he doesnt want me to get baptised I should just give up and that really his plans suck but at the end of the day I realised this has fired me up and made me more passionate. Its reminded me of my real cause to live. Its reminded me that no matter how much I plan its God's plan and its reminded me that I will never be perfect and that I will never be able to handle everything on my own. I hate to say this but his plans are always the best and I feel like I now have more motivation and I'm more compeled and ready than before. It'll be another 7 months till the next on but I'm sure that this is God's plan and I feel more ready then ever to live my life out fully for him.
xxxx Jo
Friday, 14 September 2012
14/09/12 - Throw Your Life Away
It's been a pretty good for me, God wise. Ive returned to remembering and fully focusing with everything i have, on God. Its been a pretty busy week and its officially the last week before Year 12 graduate.
In previous years this has really been not very significiant but this year is offically when many of the seniors I know graduate. It's really scary I guess to think about how very soon that'll be me. I have a couple more years to go but still its a daunting thought, a life without school. This has really got me thinking what do i want to do? What do i want to acheive?
Its in thinking about this that I realise that I really want to devote all my life to God. Ive pretty much prayed all my life that God will use me however he wants but as a child this doesnt really dawn on you what your committing yourself to and as you grow older you realise just what this could mean. For me this could mean not being the riches, not living like everyone else and maybe even giving up everything including my life for God. As i think about those graduating, i really think about whether I'm ready and willing to drop everything and truly live for God.
I've been told often that'll make a good leader and thats something really exciting for me cos i really love leading. Ive really loved watching people grow in Christ and new Christians gain confidence in Christ and start to share their own stories. Thats what I've truly loved from this term of leading fellowship. Ive often wondered what Im talented at and I guess recently Ive realised I have a passion for Jesus and a pasion and skill for talking. Its so exciting to know that you've got your whole life ahead of you ready to go do whatever it is God wants to do with our skills.
xxxx Jo
In previous years this has really been not very significiant but this year is offically when many of the seniors I know graduate. It's really scary I guess to think about how very soon that'll be me. I have a couple more years to go but still its a daunting thought, a life without school. This has really got me thinking what do i want to do? What do i want to acheive?
Its in thinking about this that I realise that I really want to devote all my life to God. Ive pretty much prayed all my life that God will use me however he wants but as a child this doesnt really dawn on you what your committing yourself to and as you grow older you realise just what this could mean. For me this could mean not being the riches, not living like everyone else and maybe even giving up everything including my life for God. As i think about those graduating, i really think about whether I'm ready and willing to drop everything and truly live for God.
I've been told often that'll make a good leader and thats something really exciting for me cos i really love leading. Ive really loved watching people grow in Christ and new Christians gain confidence in Christ and start to share their own stories. Thats what I've truly loved from this term of leading fellowship. Ive often wondered what Im talented at and I guess recently Ive realised I have a passion for Jesus and a pasion and skill for talking. Its so exciting to know that you've got your whole life ahead of you ready to go do whatever it is God wants to do with our skills.
xxxx Jo
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
11/09/12 - Acting in Love
It's really late and I have an in-class essay tomororw but today I really learnt something about the value of God.
I know many year 7s and I'm close to quite a few of them but there's this one that I'm just really close to. I don't know how or why but I've watched her grow and change favourite people to struggle with different problems.
It's only today that it really occurred to me, I often tell her to do this and don't do that but in reality I would never do what I tell her to do. I'm telling her to love a girl she hates to give the best revenge which is love. It all seems fine and good but it's exactly what I wouldn't do. This got her to raging about how..basically she just wants to be more popular than her and be better than her at everything.
This really just got me thinking back to rice and realising just how there really is nothing else that can satisfy. It's all good she seeks revenge tomorrow when the girl trips but then she's gonna want more. Soon low and behold there will be world war 3.
It's so hard to really do to other what you would like to be done to you. I find it quite ironic how my verse of the week is James 1:19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Really this is a reminder of how we should try to act as Christians.
Xxx Jo
I know many year 7s and I'm close to quite a few of them but there's this one that I'm just really close to. I don't know how or why but I've watched her grow and change favourite people to struggle with different problems.
It's only today that it really occurred to me, I often tell her to do this and don't do that but in reality I would never do what I tell her to do. I'm telling her to love a girl she hates to give the best revenge which is love. It all seems fine and good but it's exactly what I wouldn't do. This got her to raging about how..basically she just wants to be more popular than her and be better than her at everything.
This really just got me thinking back to rice and realising just how there really is nothing else that can satisfy. It's all good she seeks revenge tomorrow when the girl trips but then she's gonna want more. Soon low and behold there will be world war 3.
It's so hard to really do to other what you would like to be done to you. I find it quite ironic how my verse of the week is James 1:19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Really this is a reminder of how we should try to act as Christians.
Xxx Jo
Monday, 10 September 2012
10/09/12 - Love When Nothings Right
If you go to SIC (grade fellowship group) this will bascially be a preview of what we're talking about this week. This week we'll be talking about Gods love and basically this is after someone annonymously aposted my friend about how well they have their own internal life struggles.
In mays we all struggle. Although some of us dont exactly have a mental illness as such, everyone has there good days and there bad days. Days where everything seems to be going wrong and days where nothing seems right. Days where there just seems like there is so much going on and you just can't keep up with it all.
Today is my that sorta day hahah. I dont know it just started with forgetting lots of things and really just feeling out of it. Its times like this where I am glad I am a Christian, greatful that its not just about what I do from day to day and that no matter how bad things are its part of an amazing plan and that I'm part of that amazing plan. This is something that is just really comforting, knowing that you are loved and that you have a job. No matter how bad things are, Gods love never fails to bring a smile to my face and just really make me tingly.
For someone who grew up in a Christian family and surrounded by God's love all my life, its still so amazing how God gives up his son and basically a part of Him to die for us. I think one of my fav vs sums it all up. Romans 5:6-8. Like you honestly would never die for someone that was hopeless. Even if you were to die for a homeless person you would think that there would be some hope or you would think that that person deserved to live and would make the most of their life. Yet this is the amazing thing were Jesus dies for hopeless people, for people that were sinners and really held no hope at all.
I dont think you can ever fully grasp how amazing and just how big of an action this is. Its cos of this I feel really compelled to do my best to really show what this love is like in actions and I really pray that we all remember just how amazing (yeah thats like the most bestest word in my vocab haha) and what an enormus gift it is and how we should really just act accordingly.
Happy Rest of the Week,
xxx Jo
In mays we all struggle. Although some of us dont exactly have a mental illness as such, everyone has there good days and there bad days. Days where everything seems to be going wrong and days where nothing seems right. Days where there just seems like there is so much going on and you just can't keep up with it all.
Today is my that sorta day hahah. I dont know it just started with forgetting lots of things and really just feeling out of it. Its times like this where I am glad I am a Christian, greatful that its not just about what I do from day to day and that no matter how bad things are its part of an amazing plan and that I'm part of that amazing plan. This is something that is just really comforting, knowing that you are loved and that you have a job. No matter how bad things are, Gods love never fails to bring a smile to my face and just really make me tingly.
For someone who grew up in a Christian family and surrounded by God's love all my life, its still so amazing how God gives up his son and basically a part of Him to die for us. I think one of my fav vs sums it all up. Romans 5:6-8. Like you honestly would never die for someone that was hopeless. Even if you were to die for a homeless person you would think that there would be some hope or you would think that that person deserved to live and would make the most of their life. Yet this is the amazing thing were Jesus dies for hopeless people, for people that were sinners and really held no hope at all.
I dont think you can ever fully grasp how amazing and just how big of an action this is. Its cos of this I feel really compelled to do my best to really show what this love is like in actions and I really pray that we all remember just how amazing (yeah thats like the most bestest word in my vocab haha) and what an enormus gift it is and how we should really just act accordingly.
Happy Rest of the Week,
xxx Jo
Saturday, 8 September 2012
08/09/12 - Faith or Fear
I am officially hopeless. I actually started a post a week ago but well never really finished it. Throughout this week something I've really realised that you can't be happy without God as your centre. You can only be happy when you give it all to God.
An easy example of this would be yesterday. I finished and started school VERY VERY early for legacy day which is an organisationt that supports the widows and dependents of soldiers who pass away as a result of war. (yes i am very well practised in my speech) Had to get to the city before 7 which meant for me waking at 5 and getting home at 2 even after hanging around the city for a bit. So i was really excited to get home (and secretly busting to use a toilet) but once i got to the door, i realised the alarm was on meaning that we had been broken in. Cos im an impatient person i decided to take the risk (mainly cos i really needed a toilet) and i circled most of the house with a broom before entering and half checking each room while carrying an umbrella. I've always thought that... well if there was ever gonna be any body break in, i would be able to take them on.
So after calling my dad to say that I am in fact alive and he tells me to go toilet and lock the door so either way i'll live. Its sitting in the toilet that, i suddenly become aware of all the places that a murderer could be hiding and all the places I havent checked. Under the bed. In the wardrobes. Under tables. In cupboards. Its when you lose faith that things seem really bleak.
In so many ways this is like faith. When you lose faith things start to go bad. When I think about this, the first thing that comes to my mind is the story of Jesus walking on water and where Peter walks on water but when he sees all the dangers around him loses faith and falls. Matthew 14:22-33.
My lack of faith is so small compared to a lack of faith in God. In many ways I'm currently trying to put all my faith on God and not on my own ability. When I was younger I had a massive debate with myself about what if heaven isnt real and what if God doesnt exist? What happens? This was a time where I really had to decide where i would put my faith. After much prayer and lots and lots of questions I realised that it is faith alone which can save you and it is faith that you need. Its no good if you do everything right when everything is about faith. Your faith. Faith that isnt suaded by whats going on but faith that is permenant. One really assuring thing is that you can pray for more faith and you can pray for your faith to grow.
Thats all for now i suppose,
xxx Jo
An easy example of this would be yesterday. I finished and started school VERY VERY early for legacy day which is an organisationt that supports the widows and dependents of soldiers who pass away as a result of war. (yes i am very well practised in my speech) Had to get to the city before 7 which meant for me waking at 5 and getting home at 2 even after hanging around the city for a bit. So i was really excited to get home (and secretly busting to use a toilet) but once i got to the door, i realised the alarm was on meaning that we had been broken in. Cos im an impatient person i decided to take the risk (mainly cos i really needed a toilet) and i circled most of the house with a broom before entering and half checking each room while carrying an umbrella. I've always thought that... well if there was ever gonna be any body break in, i would be able to take them on.
So after calling my dad to say that I am in fact alive and he tells me to go toilet and lock the door so either way i'll live. Its sitting in the toilet that, i suddenly become aware of all the places that a murderer could be hiding and all the places I havent checked. Under the bed. In the wardrobes. Under tables. In cupboards. Its when you lose faith that things seem really bleak.
In so many ways this is like faith. When you lose faith things start to go bad. When I think about this, the first thing that comes to my mind is the story of Jesus walking on water and where Peter walks on water but when he sees all the dangers around him loses faith and falls. Matthew 14:22-33.
My lack of faith is so small compared to a lack of faith in God. In many ways I'm currently trying to put all my faith on God and not on my own ability. When I was younger I had a massive debate with myself about what if heaven isnt real and what if God doesnt exist? What happens? This was a time where I really had to decide where i would put my faith. After much prayer and lots and lots of questions I realised that it is faith alone which can save you and it is faith that you need. Its no good if you do everything right when everything is about faith. Your faith. Faith that isnt suaded by whats going on but faith that is permenant. One really assuring thing is that you can pray for more faith and you can pray for your faith to grow.
Thats all for now i suppose,
xxx Jo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)