Daughter of the King

Teaching, Pinterest, and Blog Links

2012-02-04T22:45:00.004+11:00

This week has pretty good... teaching and the usual. I got back into lesson planning etc., which I actually enjoyed. I forget every holidays how much I like searching for new ways of teaching things. :)

That being said, I still feel a little like this some mornings:

I went to the Rheumatologist on Thursday, and she told me to come back in 6 months, or sooner if things get worse. So, I'm not too bad off at this stage, praise God. I'm still terribly tired, still have flares now and then, and my joints still hurt, but there's not much that can be changed there. At least I'm not in hospital! =]

I went up to Taggerty/Alexandra for Church and Bible study aannndd Lucas's (one of our youth leaders) 21st last weekend too. It was great to see everyone again! I'd been missing them all very much, so I was glad I made it.

Half (or maybe a quarter) of our youth group. :)

For the coming week I think I've only got teaching, and I might study my new uni textbooks a bit. Other than that, we've awards night next Saturday, at which Jonathan will be singing in the ensemble, all going well.

Oh, I found this photo on pinterest this week, and I though it was a cool idea:

It's a 'brooch bouquet'! I want to try this sometime, just for fun. It looks really effective, and it'd last forever! I think I'm going to start collecting brooches. :D

I've also read a few interesting blog posts this week, so I'll post their links and maybe a few quotes:

~
"...each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.” Paul is saying that single folks have a gift and like any gift, it needs to be used for the glory of the One who created them for that very purpose. Think outside of the box on this one.

While meeting someone for coffee and having deep, God-centered conversation could be the way you choose to use your time, don’t believe that it is the only way to do life with others. If you are an athlete, work out with someone regularly and be a constant source of friendship for them. Are you an artist? Take art lessons and get into the lives of the other people in the art community- people that you might not otherwise have gotten to know. Use your gift of free time as a single to do just what Paul suggests, “spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him."

Relevant Magazine: Being Single with Intentionality
~
Relevant Magazine: You Never Marry the Right Person
~

"Having a fire insurance salvation will cause us to live clinically. Placing a ‘tick box’ next to salvation, puts Jesus as a completed item on our To Do List. Continuing to view our salvation through only this dimension is quite sad, as it is means we have only discovered one aspect of the greater mystery that is our new life in the gospel."
TeamInFocus: From Fire Insurance to Love Story
~

Let me know what you think! :)

Most images thanks to Pinterest.

A Young Maiden's Daybook 18

2012-01-23T19:55:00.006+11:00

Today…
31.01.12

Outside my window…
Somewhat overcast. Looks as if it might rain.

I am thinking…
About the teaching I have to start in an hour, and about my Rheumatologist appointment in 2 days.

I am thankful for…
Good doctors, great friends, and an Awesome God!

I am wearing…
Skirt and a tank

I am reading…
Amos

I am creating…
Lesson ideas/plans

One of my favorite things…
Having a tidy room. (which, coincidentally, I don't have right now... but it would be very nice if I did. :P)

For education this week…
Teaching and reading through my textbooks for my first uni unit.

A spiritual lesson I’m learning…
To look for satisfaction and rest in God. (Not in movies, books, or anything else.)

A godly character trait I plan to work on...
Joyfulness

Scripture I am memorizing…
Psa 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

I am praying for…
Israel
Patience and creativity with teaching
A clear mind for studying

For the rest of the week…
I'll be teaching, studying, and cooking.. and not much more.

A picture I’d like to share…
From Grandma's garden:

What are you all up to this week? :)

His Way is Perfect

2012-01-22T20:48:00.005+11:00

Today has been nice... we went to Grandma & Grandpa's for lunch, and Grandma's garden has plenty of photography opportunities. :D

I made my first 'water-mark' for my photos.. not real sure why, but who knows, maybe it'll be handy. :)

I went shopping yesterday with one of my best friends, and we used the two movie tickets I received for Christmas. 'twas a nice (albeit long) day.
My lupus is still flared up, so I'm having to take things more slowly. (well, I'm supposed to, anyway. I usually forget, and then pay for it later.) I'm seeing the specialist in eleven days, and I'll see what she says.
I've been feeling a bit down about things at times. Yesterday however, I found a song which reminded me that I can trust God, and that He is in control.
As it happens, we sang this song as a choir or ensemble song one year for convention. That year, mum was in hospital for some operation, and this song really spoke to me then. Since then, every time I come upon it, it encourages me. I found a youtube video with the words on it, which I'll embed. I hope it blesses you. :)

It's so true; His Way *is* perfect. And although I may at times be fatigued or in pain, I pray that I can learn to be content, so long as I am in 'His Way'.

How about you? Do any of you have a particular song that encourages you?

God bless,

20 Things....

2012-01-18T14:32:00.004+11:00

I haven't been to well today, and it's easy to start complaining... So, instead, I'm going to post 20 things I am thankful for. : )

Today, I am thankful for:

1. Beautiful weather

2. A father who provides and cares for me

3. A brother who loves me

4. Freedom of religion

5. Cousins

6. Fruit

7. Rest

8. Freedom

9. Books

10. Creativity

11. Music

12. Good friends

13. Clean water

14. Salvation

15. Hope

16. Refuge

17. Butterflies

18. Color

19. Education

20. My home

So there you have it. And I feel more cheerful already. =]

Apricots and Pumpkin...

2012-01-12T21:21:00.005+11:00

Today has been a very.... 'orange' day.
Most of today revolved around making apricot jam. Dad bought home several boxes of apricots the other day, and this is (half) of the result. (That is, I've only used half. The other half will be processed tomorrow.)

And then for dinner I made pumpkin soup. (No, that is not soup in my glass. It's juice. =P)

And for dessert, we had apricot (of course) sponge. =)

So that was my orange day. :)

Little Thought, 10.01.2012

2012-01-10T22:30:00.005+11:00

I haven't been feeling exactly 'on top of the world' this last week and a bit. Fairly dizzy and energy zapped... Today, I was preparing dinner, trying to find various pots and pans others have moved in my absence over the weekend -and admittedly complaining to myself about said pots and other general things.
Suddenly, I had this thought. Not that having thoughts is that unusual for me;
but this thought seemed to halt me in my tracks, give me a good shake, and set me down again in a better state of mind:

I would rather be going through trials with God, than to be trial-less without Him.

Somehow, I'd never thought of that in that way before. But it's true. Even if I were given the opportunity to change my circumstances to something wonderful, but had to leave God behind, or more realistically, had to disobey Him or go outside of His will, I wouldn't do it. Sure, I think about how I'd like things to change. But I wouldn't change things if I know this is where God wants me.
And I know I can trust Him anyway.

2 Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Anyway, that's my little thought for the day. : )

God Bless,

Picture thanks to Google Images.

The Bend in the Road...

2012-01-03T17:55:00.009+11:00

"When I left Queen's my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend, Marilla. I wonder how the road beyond it goes -- what there is of green glory and soft, checkered lights and shadows -- what new landscapes --what new beauties -- what curves and hills and valleys farther on."
Anne of Green Gables

How times change so fast will always be a mystery to me I think. Maybe I am too reflective. But with every event now days comes a vision of how things once were. And frankly, some changes (whether in my life or others) scare me a little. For example:

I never thought I would actually start uni. But, in seven weeks, I shall be doing just that. It's rather a 'bend in the road', so to speak. And it's scary (to me at least); I haven't really studied since I got sick, so it'll be different, and frankly I am not sure how I am going to do at all. And of course, having absolutely no idea whatsoever what to expect does nothing to bolster my confidence.
But, Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
So I continue.

Also, as the old song goes, "All my friends are getting married". It's rather un-nerving when someone one used to play with as a child get married and has children of their own!

And everyone else it seems are either starting uni too, or finishing it and going into the work force. Sometimes I feel a bit behind...

"It gave her a queer desolate feeling that she herself somehow belonged
only in those past years and had no business in the present at all." -Anne of the Island

But, as I've discovered, life goes on despite my musings. So, to the present news; it is fairly quiet around here today. Everyone's laying low and trying to avoid the heat I think, although almost recovered from Christmas I believe. I made seven batches of biscuits in the week leading up to Christmas, and we had a tolerably busy Christmas Day at my Aunt's, followed by lunch at Grandma's the next day. I made the mistake of going boxing day shopping in the largest (I think) shopping center in Victoria (if not Australia). I *don't* think I'll be trying that again. ;o =]
Dad's on holidays until the 9th, I think. And I start teaching Jonathan again on the 30th. And, of course, I'm preparing for uni.. So, we're starting to think about getting back into everything. But we're got a bit of time. We're going up to a friend's place up past Echuca tomorrow (up to the country, yay! :D I'm more than a little sick of the city right now...), and there are a few things happening for me on the weekend, so it promises to be a very nice few days.

Oh, and I have a laptop again. :) My last one, poor old Bluey, sort of died a fair while ago now. So, now I have my new one, Diana. (named, by no coincidence, after Anne's best friend. :) )

Anyway, I must get off here and pack my bags, and see to dinner.
Hope you all have a blessed new year! :D

In Christ,

7.12.11

2011-12-07T08:59:00.003+11:00

'twould seem I've neglected my poor blog/readers yet again... the last couple of months have been pretty strenuous, but now that school's finished for the year (at least where we're concerned) I've a little more time. (for a while, anyway... Christmas waits for no man!)

It hasn't been all that eventful here. Mostly just the everyday teaching/chores and going to youth group occasionally.
One notable happening (at least for me) is that I've applied for OUA's Bachelor of Education (Primary). To be accepted, I have to finish the first two units successfully. I'll be starting that in February, and assuming all goes well, I should finish the course in about 4 and a bit years.. so sometime in 2016.

The only other main thing of interest is that we've had two new additions to the 'family'... Two chicks, Poppy and Dandelion! XD I'll finish with a couple of photos of them. :)

Being Real and Trusting God

2011-10-05T15:49:00.015+11:00

Well, it would seem I sort of abandoned my blog for a few weeks... a bit more on that later.

I'll go through some photos I took recently, and hopefully they'll jog my memory. :)
-----
It's been a little eventful, but nothing terribly exciting or astounding thankfully.
Jonathan's started on his schoolwork again for the term, and he's going well.

I and 3 of my cousins went out to Doncaster Shopping Center a few weeks ago. I meant to put the photos up last week, but it didn't happen... So here they are. :)

I did take photo of my other cousin, but it didn't work out. (Sorry about that Rachel!)

Some of Mum's side of the family got together too to see my (now lets get this right...) mother's mother's niece (I think) and her husband who were down from Brisbane.

And, I've been playing around with pattern designs again. Not sure if anything will come from them though...

A random picture I found from two weeks ago. :)

On another topic, I read a really good blog post (not that that's uncommon) by Bleah over at Where Love Abounds about... well, blogging. But a lot of what was said can go for real life too.
Basically, she was reminding her readers/fellow bloggers how important it is to be real. So many blog posts (and often people too!) are so carefully edited to only show 'perfectness'-what makes the writer look good etc. It can be a bit discouraging sometimes, seeing perfect blogs and seeing how they have it all together: or so it appears.
Bleah challenged her readers to be real- to share what is really genuine and actually true. Not just to hide away when you don't have anything amazing to say, or when things aren't particularly wonderful.

And, as it happens, I'm afraid that's exactly what I've been doing for the past few weeks.
I have been struggling. I think I've faced more fears, doubts and lies these weeks than I have at any other one time in my life.
But as always, God remains faithful even when we get turned around and take our eyes off Him.
Through His Word, some excellent speakers, and a handful of special friends, I think my feet are becoming steady again, so to speak. I've certainly learnt some things, and I'm thankful for that.

On another tangent, I've noticed increasingly more remarks made by others regarding the circumstances or trials either myself or others are facing. I have heard many sympathetic remarks stating how unfair our lots are, and how we should be relieved of them etc.
Now, I'm not judging. I know I've done the same thing numerous times.
But, if certain circumstances arise which are beyond our control (whether in our own lives or in the lives of others) are our protests and decelerations that they should change either a result of not trusting God? Or worse, even a form of judging God? Do we really believe that God makes no mistakes?

Job 40:1-8

Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,

Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Then Job answered the LORD, and said,

Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

Job 42:2-3

I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

I don't know yet... This has been bouncing 'round my brain for the last fortnight, and it is by no means resolved.
Don't get me wrong. I believe there is definitely a place for ~~sympathy~~ empathy. But I think we need to think it through.

I must go, but I'll leave you all with a Psalm that I've been meditating on this week:

Psalm 18:20-26

²⁰The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

²¹For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

²²For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

²³I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

²⁴Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

²⁵With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

²⁶With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

God bless!

(And thanks to Jessa for helping me think that through. :] )

A Young Maidens Daybook 18

2011-09-19T16:18:00.000+10:00

Today…
19.9.11

Outside my window…
Bright and sunny

I am thinking…
About going to bed...

I am thankful for…
The fact that God makes each day special, we just have to open our eyes and see how.

I am wearing…
Brown T-shirt, Blue/brown skirt

I am reading…
Philippians

I am creating…
Posters on GIMP

One of my favorite things…
My brother. :)

For education this week…
Same as usual.

A spiritual lesson I’m learning…
To trust. (yep, still on that one.)

A godly character trait I plan to work on...
Joyfulness

Scripture I am memorizing…
Looking for a new one atm.

I am praying for…
Friends going through tough times

For the rest of the week…
I'll be teaching, and then probably heading up to a ladies retreat on Thursday.

A picture I’d like to share…
Dad and Jonathan about 7 years ago.

The mudane and the no-so-mundane.

2011-09-09T18:18:00.010+10:00

This week has been fairly varied...
I was pretty 'out of it' most of the week, really tired etc, but I seem to be on the mend now.
Last Saturday we went to my cousin's wedding. It was a very nice day, and bride was (and is) beautiful! :)

The next day we went to Pakenham Baptist church, followed by Grandma and Grandpa's for Father's day lunch (which was absolutely delectable).
In the afternoon we went to home church.

Mid-Monday we finally received our first PACE order for Jonathan! The levels of excitement went up several notches. :)

For the next couple of days Dad and Jonathan came down with some sort of bug, so I had a break from teaching and re-organized my room. My desk, which *was* on my floor, is now on the end of my bunk-bed:

-so.
And a few other changes were made.

Beck Rusic came on Wednesday and stayed for two days (which was nice. I was missing her. :) ).
We went to Box Hill yesterday for lunch.

And Jonathan started working on his PACE's today.

So that, in a nutshell, was my week.

I thought I 'd post some song lyrics that spoke to my heart recently.
This song is entitled "God Makes No Mistakes", and it is a powerful reassurance that God is in control, and that we can trust Him.

-------

My life I give to you oh Lord, use me I pray
May I glorify Your precious name in all I do and say
Let me trust You in the valley dark as well as in the light
Knowing You will always lead me Your will is always right

I know God makes no mistakes
He leads in every path I take
Along the way that’s leading me to home
Though at times my heart would break
There’s a purpose in every change He makes
So that others would see my life and know
That God makes no mistakes

And when some day in heav’n above I see His dear face
May I then be counted faithful as a runner in this race
But now I’m trusting in the Savior to show me the way
In His righteousness He guides me as I seek to please Him day by day

I know God makes no mistakes
He leads in every path I take
Along the way that’s leading me to home
Though at times my heart would break
There’s a purpose in every change
He makes So that others would see my life and know
That God makes no mistakes

-------

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T19:10:00.000+10:00

A Young Maidens Daybook 17

2011-09-05T09:27:00.003+10:00

Today…
5.9.11

Outside my window…
Sunny! I love spring. :D

I am thinking…
About how the future may look for me and my friends.

I am thankful for…
God being in control of the future.

I am wearing…
Shorts and a tank

I am reading…
1 Peter

I am creating…
Drawings and sketches

One of my favorite things…
Spring school holidays

For education this week…
The usual... Algebra etc. And housework.

A spiritual lesson I’m learning…
That temptations/trials are *not* always from the devil, but are also sent by God.

A godly character trait I plan to work on...
Endurance

Scripture I am memorizing…
1 Peter 4:12- 13
¹²Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:¹³But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

I am praying for…
Israel
Wisdom

For the rest of the week…
I'll be making appointments, sorting out different aspects of teaching, planning lessons, cleaning, cooking, and learning.

A picture I’d like to share…
My cousin and new cousin-in-law... :)

A Young Maidens Daybook 16

2011-08-29T11:12:00.003+10:00

Today…
29.8.11

Outside my window…
A beautiful day, which is nice considering it was pouring when we left Taggerty this morning.

I am thinking…
About my to do list.

I am thankful for…
The strength God gives me, because I'd be crushed without it,
and wise people who explain things well.

I am wearing…
trackies, t-shirt and cardigan

I am reading…
James 1

I am creating…
well recently, sketches.

One of my favorite things…
Long-awaited packages (containing Rosetta Stone German) finally showing up.

For education this week…
German ;), Russian, Algebra, Biology

A spiritual lesson I’m learning…
That "hope deferred maketh the heart sick", but trusting God does not.

A godly character trait I plan to work on...
Endurance

Scripture I am memorizing…
James 1:2-3

I am praying for…
Wisdom
For my youth group friends who are having a tough time
For some of my authorities who are also having a tough time

For the rest of the week…
I'll be teaching, helping at a basketball practice, and attending my cousin's wedding.

A picture I’d like to share…
A daisy in the front lawn.

Busyness, poetry, and shopping.

2011-08-25T12:01:00.010+10:00

I get the feeling this shall be a pretty varied (read: random) post... :)

It's been a fairly busy week. On the weekend our Youth Group went to a mini youth rally/soccer game. Best game of soccer. Ever! :D (even though I did manage to sprain my ankle, but hey, it was worth it. :P)
Afterward I went back to the Rusic's for a few days.
We went to church at Buxton the next day, and to Bible study.
I got home on Tuesday, and yesterday I spent with my cousin.
So, I've been on the go. And it's not over yet... I'm going to the youth group formal night on Saturday, then church, and then sometime I have an appointment too.
Thankfully I'm not fairing too badly, but it does mean that I'm exhausted a lot more.

This week, during my quiet time, I wrote a poem. Now, as some of you may know, I'm not exactly a poet. I think I've now written a grand total of 3 poems.

But I felt I should share it, so here it is.
I'm not too confident with my poetry skills, but I hope it blesses you anyway.

----
Trust

I tried so hard to trust in God
To walk by faith not sight
And now and then it easy was
When life was full of light

But when the clouds of despair came
Trials flooded my way
When illness, pain, and death appeared
And took loved ones away

And when my hopes went down in flames
And health disappeared too
When dreams were crushed beyond belief
When fears returned anew

I then in desperation cried
Doubt made it hard to see
Then wondered I if God’s own plan
Was really right for me

I doubted and I worried so
Until my strength was gone
Finally I turned and rested
My eyes upon the Son

It’s then I realized yet again
It’s useless for my trust
To be placed in the things of earth
The things made just from dust

Talent, abilities and strength
My own plans for my life
Will never save this wretched soul
Or rescue me from strife

For only God’s amazing love
Can cleanse me from my sin
And only His forgiveness great
Can fix the mess I’m in

Only God can comfort me
When things are going wrong
And only God can impart life
And give my heart a song

Only God will satisfy
Or teach me not to stray
And only God can free my soul
And lead me in his way

So I determine to trust God
To follow all my life
To wait on Him although it’s hard
Though troubles may be rife

Although there may be doubts and fears
That come and go again
I know that I will still return
On Christ will I depend.

----

So that's that.
He really is amazing. Really.

Anyway, now I've got some photos from the last week:

Up at the Rusic's...

Beck came down, and we went shopping...

Ah, there she is now... looking very thoughtful.

Oops. I think she noticed me. ;)

Oh, I thought I'd include a quote from my dear brother. :D

Jonathan, during geography-
"For some reason, I thought that in Spain they spoke spinach...."

And I found these online today... and I liked them so much I thought I'd share them.

And that's about all I can think of now. Hope you all have a blessed week. =]

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T07:52:00.002+10:00

A Young Maidens Daybook 15

2011-08-22T12:53:00.004+10:00

Today…
22.08.11

Outside my window…
Beautifully sunny!

I am thinking…
That I need to check the noodles on the stove.

I am thankful for…
Time away from home to think and be with others.

I am wearing…
Jeans, my new Impact Youth shirt! :)

I am reading…
1 & 2 Timothy

I am creating…
Memories with friends.

One of my favorite things…
Youth group and Bible study

For education this week…
I'll be studying the Bible, and attemping my Algebra again.

A spiritual lesson I’m learning…
That God made us to sometimes need help, not only from Him, but from others too.

A godly character trait I plan to work on...
Sensitivity

Scripture I am memorizing…
I'm planning to memorize the scripture about "whatsoever things are true, think on these things."

I am praying for…
Widsom
Courage
Israel

For the rest of the week…
I'm going to try to speak to/help people that I *don't* know.

A picture I’d like to share…
A violet in our garden at home.

19.08.11

2011-08-19T09:00:00.009+10:00

I must say, I'm not sure what to write this week...
There has been a fair bit going on in my mind, so I guess I shall write out some of that.

Firstly, a handful of people over the last week have commented either on my faith or my walk with God.
I haven't really known what to do with that. I mean, I've never had exorbitant measure of faith. I usually struggle with doubts and fears. In fact, I have been this week. And as for my walk with God, it certainly isn’t all that amazing. It’s more like... a roller-coaster. Lots of ups and downs. I’m slowly learning not to base my relationship status with God on whether I can hear Him on any given day, but when He is silent for any extended period of time, once can start to wonder. But God is good and faithful despite my doubts and fears. He’s always there for me, even when I can’t hear Him. And I know I can trust Him. (Although I often don’t. :S)

Secondly, this week there has been a lot of talk about healing. Most of you know that the doctors told me they believe I have Lupus. Now, I’m not too sure what to do.
Half of everyone has said “fight! Bind this illness, cast it out, have faith, and you *will* be healed”.
While the other half have suggested “pray, wait, and trust God. He knows what He’s doing.” I’m more inclined to go with the latter, if for no other reason than that we (as a family) have tried the former. Numerous times, in fact. We have believed with everything in us, but things haven’t changed. People’s faith can take a sever beating that way. I know God can heal, however He wants to, whenever He wants.

So, how about the Blind Man in the Bible? And Tabitha? And Hezekiah? God could have healed them years before He did. But there was a time appointed for that purpose.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

So I wonder: if God has something for me to learn, or someone to be helped by my being sick for a time, would he heal me before that appointed time is come?
I don’t know.
But as far as I can figure, until I get my marching orders, I’m going to wait and trust..

I ought to get off here, but I’ll leave you all with a couple of scriptures that spoke to me this week.

2 Cor 1:3-4
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Prov 16:1
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T16:23:00.001+10:00

A Young Maidens Daybook 14

2011-08-15T13:08:00.001+10:00

Today…
15.8.11

Outside my window…
It's cloudy, and looks like it might rain.

I am thinking…
on 1 Peter 1^:6-7

"Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:"

I am thankful for…
friends and family who care for me even when I'm super tired or super muddled.

I am wearing…
an old bright green skirt, and a jumper of another shade of green... not the best fashion choices this morning, but hey, who cares! :P

I am reading…
Walking with God (again!) and anything else I feel like when I'm awake enough.

I am creating…
Worksheets for my brother.

One of my favorite things…
curling up on the heater.

For education this week…
I shall attempt to finish some Algebra.

A spiritual lesson I’m learning…
to not look at a problem primarily as a problem, but as an indicator of a root issue.

A godly character trait I plan to work on...
courage and discernment.

Scripture I am meditating on…
Psalm 103:1-3

I am praying for…
My friends who have been having a hard time at home.

For the rest of the week…
I'll be teaching, taking my brother to choir practice, resting, and doing school work in between.

A picture I’d like to share…
a fallen cherry blossom.

Today has been a day for:

2011-08-10T13:13:00.007+10:00

Scrubbing pots...

Washing...

Teaching...

Lemon Cordial...

Inventing delicious new recipes with
spinach, onion, garlic, eggs, leftover spaghetti, and sesame seeds/oil.

Lord I Need You...

2011-08-10T09:52:00.004+10:00

"Sometimes when life seems gentle and blessings flood my way,
I turn my gaze away from You and soon forget to pray.
But when the sky grows darker and courage turns to fear,
My anxious voice cries upward with words you long to hear.

Lord, I need You when the sea of life is calm.
O Lord, I need You when the wind is blowing strong.
Whether trials come or cease, keep me always on my knees.
Lord, I need You. Lord I need You.

Lord, help me to remember I'm weak but You are strong.
I cannot sing apart from You, for Lord You are my song.
Although I'm prone to wander and boast in all I do;
Lord keep my eyes turned upward so I depend on You.

Lord, I need You when the sea of life is calm.
O Lord, I need You when the wind is blowing strong.
Whether trials come or cease, keep me always on my knees.
Lord, I need You. Lord I need You."

Of Illness and Hope.

2011-08-05T11:49:00.012+10:00

Some of you knew that I was going to the doctor earlier this week, to find out the results of my blood tests.

Well, I went. And she (the doc) is under the impression that I have an auto-immune disease called Lupus, or more specifically SLE (Systemic lupus erythematosus).
However, I still have to go to a specialist to get that either confirmed or disproved. We shall see. But, thankfully I'm not in pain.
Anyway, that's as it stands so far. I'll trust God, and see what happens.
And as I've started to learn, if you trust God, and surrender to Him, hold on to your seats: It'll be an adventure, at least!

I've heard a few people lately discussing whether being a Christian means a peaceful life without trouble. And I also have had questions on this subject this week.
As it happens, God led me to a quote in one of my daily devotional books (which I read much less than daily.), 'My Utmost for His Highest'. It went something like "The Christian life does not guarantee deliverance from trouble, but rather deliverance in trouble!"
Now, I read that out to dad, and he didn't seem too 'spoken to' by it. But with where I am, it made a lot of sense.
We're in a cursed world, with sinful people, and therefore, things *do* happen. People get hurt. We get sick. There are trials. Just because someone becomes a Christian doesn't mean they've been granted some sort of 'special immunity'. In fact, things can get worse!
We often bear the brunt of spiritual attacks. Actually, we were assured this would happen!

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution"
2 Timothy 3:12

But in spite of all this, we can have deliverance, peace, joy, hope, all of which transcends human logic and understanding.
And I've seen this in my own life, especially over the last weeks.
I'm not perfect (far from it!). I've had my moments of doubt and discouragement. But God has come aside me each time, picked me up, dusted me off, and set me back on the right path. He is good.
And He is my hope.

Annnnd.... I really didn't plan to ramble on so much!
I hope I didn't bore you all. But I am thinking much clearer after writing all that out.
Thanks readers, for bearing with me. :)
God bless you all.

2 Corinthians 12:9

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Yet another long-awaited post

2011-07-20T13:49:00.002+10:00

Well, my readers…

I’m afraid I’ve been neglecting you lately, but not without reason.

There’s been a far bit happening over the holidays, including my brother’s birthday (he turned 11!) and an awesome Winter Camp at Crystal Creek Christian Camp! (at which several people came to know Jesus as their Lord and saviour, many fun memories were created, and we heard some of the best messages I’ve heard in ages.)

And now, I’m sick. An anti climax, I know. :P

I’ve got the usual cold/flu/chest-infection thing, but I’ve also come down with something else, which I can’t explain ‘cos I don’t know what it is yet! I’ve had a blood test today, and I’ll get the results next Wednesday.

So, if any of you feel inclined to pray for me, I would surely appreciate it.

I’m feeling like I need to lay down for a while, but before I do I’ll leave you all with my new favorite song. We learnt it at winter camp, and it’s become the prayer of my heart now. The tune is lovely too, but I haven’t found a clip of it yet, so that’ll have to wait. :)

A Passion for Thee

Set my heart, O dear Father,
On Thee, and Thee only,
Give me a thirst for Thy presence divine.
Lord, keep my focus on loving Thee wholly,
Purge me from earth; Turn my heart after Thine.

A passion for Thee;
O Lord, set a fire in my soul, and a thirst for my God.
Hear Thou my prayer. Lord, Thy power impart.
Not just to serve, but to love Thee with all of my heart.

Father fill with Thy Spirit, and fit me for service,
Let love for Christ every motive inspire,
Teach me to follow in selfless submission,
Be Thou my joy and my soul's one desire.

A passion for Thee;
O Lord, set a fire in my soul, and a thirst for my God.
Hear Thou my prayer. Lord, Thy power impart.
Not just to serve, but to love Thee with all of my heart.

God bless you all! =]

Mobile Photos 16.06.11

2011-06-17T10:09:00.000+10:00

Youth Group this week...

America/ISC/Tour

2011-06-08T08:34:00.029+10:00

Well, now that the jet-lag has lessened (I woke at 5am instead of 2am, a slight improvement methinks...), I should probably hop to it and write this post already!

18.05
The day before we were to leave, there was a choir practice in South Yarra.. I 'chaperoned' Bethany Bull, Harry, Talitha, and Jemimah Jasper there on the train. It was a fairly good trip and practice, mixed with numerous 'I-spy' games, ninja, and fellowship. :)
Bethany and I left from the practice and headed into Southern Cross to wait for Moshe, who was coming in on the train. After meeting up with him, we headed back on the train, Bethany to her place and Moshe and I to mine. Dad ordered pizza for dinner, we practiced for a few hours, and finished filling in forms. I got to sleep around midnight I think.
19.05
I woke at around 6:15 I think, and went through my packing list a few more times to be sure I had everything. My Aunt picked Me and Moshe up at around 7/7:30, we arrived at the airport and met up with Josh without much trouble . We checked in, and then went and had something to eat before we had to go through security. As we went to enter security however, Josh discovered that his hand luggage was gone! Panic ensued, until the bag was discovered under a table back where we ate. We got through security, and boarded the plane to Sydney.
At Sydney we proceeded through customs, and boarded the flight to the US. I slept a little, and watched the four movies they put on. Late in the flight we discovered that the Wallbanks and Caleb Mc.Donnel (New Zealand-ers) were on the same flight, about 6 rows back.

We arrived after 14 hrs of flying, at 12:45pm, on the 19th.
The customs line was big. Actually, in my opinion, it was huge, but I'm sure it could have been longer. It took 2 hours to get through. Once past that, we collected our luggage and caught the bus to the travel lodge. I crashed (almost literally) and slept for an hour or so, then Naomi arrived, and I slept for another hour or two. By about 5pm I felt much better, so I proceeded to explore the travel lodge a little, buy some post cards, and used the internet cafe. Everyone else appeared to be sleeping/in their rooms, but eventually Moshe turned up from somewhere and used the other computer. A while later we met up with the Thronses, and decided to catch the bus down to Santa Monica pier for dinner.

We walked to the bus stop and waited for a while. A bus came along which was out of service, and another was out of order. Finally an in-service-and-order-bus came along, and we headed off. We all sat in the back, talking away happily. Apparently the bus driver asked one of the adults if we were all from the same family/related..! :)
We got to the pier and ate at a restaurant called 'bubba gump', themed on the movie "Forest Gump". It was a nice place, and a fun experience.

It's true, by the way: everything is bigger in America, especially the serving sizes!
The waiters were very friendly, too... much more than your average Aussie waiter. After dinner, half of us headed back to the lodge, while the others went for a walk. One the bus back, a number of people noted that we were tourists, and interesting conversation followed. We got slightly concerned that we had become lost at one point on the trip, but one of the guys on the bus explained it all, and we got there fine. We hit the sack, and I think I was asleep withing minutes.
20.05
I woke to Naomi leaving with the NZ'ers and the Thronses to catch their flight to D.C. Josh, Moshe and I were to catch a later flight at about 2 something I think. Anyway, we eventually made our way to the airport, caught the plane without any problems, boarded the next plane without any problems. (and got off without any thankfully, despite an accidentally discarded boarding pass...) The view landing in D.C. was quite spectacular, what with the monuments lit up etc.
When we got into Regan airport, we collected our bags and proceeded to wait for out shuttle bus. And waited... and waited. Eventually, after seeing what looked like what was supposed to be our shuttle zoom by in the distance, Moshe went up to a Policeman and talked to him for a bit. Not too sure what happened there really, but just as the police man and Moshe came walking over, the shuttle pulled up! It had indeed been the same one that we had previously seen, but he'd been sent to the wrong part of the airport.
Without too much ado we made it to the Inn, and found our rooms. Naomi (my room mate) was still awake thankfully, so I didn't wake her. We talked for a little, and went to bed.
21.05
We woke up and headed to breakfast, which on my part consisted mostly of (very nice) fruit. Apparently certain *someones* decided to say something to someone at some point about it being my birthday, so a cake appeared from somewhere and everyone sang happy birthday. It was very sweet really... (no pun intended)

After breakfast we cleared out our rooms, and hopped on the bus for a 3 hr drive to the convention site (James Madison Uni, VA). We arrived, and found that a few people from New Zealand hadn't arrived yet, so we waited for a while for them.

Once they arrived, we went through registration, and went outside to wait for the sponsors to finish the official side of things. They had put bouncy-castle-thingys up, so some had a go at them, while the rest sat and talked. After about 30min, I was fetched, because the staff couldn't find my payment. After a bit of discussing it, they said they'd wait for a few days and see if they found it. I also found out around now that all of my events were on on Monday, which caused a considerable amount of panic and frantic practice...
So we walked to the dorms, and then waited for around 2-3hrs to get the room keys. We F-I-N-A-L-L-Y got them, and got into our rooms, and unpacked. We went for dinner (which turned out to be very nice) and then went to bed, thankfully. I think we were all almost asleep before our heads hit the pillow.. maybe before that even!
22.05
We went to breakfast. 'twas interesting to see the some of the American's eating habits.... picture this: a plate heaped with potato gems (called 'tater tots over there), bacon, scrambled eggs, french toast and stewed apples, and all drowned in a liberal amount of maple syrup! Us South Pacific people couldn't quite grasp the attraction (or the logic) of this breakfast for them, but they seemed to enjoy it, but I stuck to cereal for the most part!
We then had church down at the Convocation Center, where we heard a message about 'The Price of Privilege'. After church, we headed to lunch, and to the International Meet and Greet, where we met a number of people from different countries. The seniors and juniors (years 10-12 as far as I could work out.) rushed over to the Convocation center for a meeting about the opening ceremony that night. It turned out that Nadia Duxfield (NZ) and I were to carry the region banner for the South Pacific, and that Josh Cullen was to carry the Australian flag. The other seniors/juniors were to be in the 'heart' (a little hard to explain... basically entailed standing in a heart shape and flicking a little light. Looked cool!). We ended up rehearsing for 3.5 hours, having 30 min for dinner, and then having to back in time for the opening ceremony. It went well, no hiccups. The message that night was essentially about salvation.
23.05
We awoke, to the results of the sponsors meeting being explained by our sponsor. Apparently a new rule had been formed, that stated that all girls were required to travel/walk around in pairs. (anyone who has been to convention would know that this could be quite challenging, with everyone doing different events etc. Most of the girls ended up walking by themselves anyhow, as it was often impossible to find someone traveling to the same place.)
I went to breakfast, and then went hurriedly to practice piano solo, because I hadn't gone near a piano in days. Thankfully there were 20-30 practice rooms under the music hall. I think I missed the shuttle, so I walked, about 35 minutes walk from our dorms. Practice went tolerably well, and I felt ok as I walked to the performance room, however, once I started playing my nerves (which I didn't even know were there!) seemed to get the better of me, and I slipped off the keys several times... But I got through it. I didn't have much time to consider all that before I had to rush off to my expressive reading. That went fine, but one of the judges didn't seem too happy, and wouldn't look at me for the entire performance, which puzzled me slightly. Moshe and I had our Dramatic Dialogue next, so I hurried off wondering where and how I was going to find him, but it turned out I came across him in plenty of time, and we performed the Dialogue. I thought it went well, and I think the judges liked our performance even more because of our accents. ;)

I ran off to do my poem, and that went quite well in my opinion. The news that there was about 95 competitors in both poetry recitation and expressive reading startled me a little... it seems I picked the events that are most popular at ISC! Anyway, I headed to lunch at the west dinning hall in hopes of finding Moshe so we could practice piano duet after lunch. But Moshe went to the east dinning hall in search of me, so that didn't really work. I think he caught the bus around, and after lunch we went through the duet for a while. I went to the dorms after this and I may have slept for 30min, after which I rushed out the door, just made it to the shuttle, and got to the music room with a few minutes to spare. Thankfully Moshe didn't turn up for a little bit, and the room was running behind, so that was fine. We watched a few piano solos, and then we were on. I think it went well. :) After that, it was time for dinner, and rally.
24.05
The next morning, Bethany and Hannah had their heats in athletics, so after breakfast I went to see them. I can't remember who got into the finals... :S (I didn't write that in my note book!)
Afterward, Leah and I caught the bus 'round to the UREC, and had a look at all the open events. We thought we'd like to do treasure hunt, so we found Naomi Waqa, and off we set, with 3 pages of questions to solve about the campus. It took us roughly 2 1/2 hours (10:30am-1:00pm), and it was hard! But lots of fun too. :D

We went to watch Julian, Moshe and Jordan in their 800m heats. Julian was in the first heat, and Moshe and Jordan the second. Julian led easily in his heat, winning it and breaking the previous record by about 4 seconds! :D The second heat ran, and Moshe won that, with Jordan coming in third. They all did very well, and we were all proud of them! =]
We saw the NZ relay then, and apart from a gripping moment where someone tripped during a baton exchange, it went well, and they (to the relief of all the South Pacific-ers in the stand) won the relay!
At this point I was zonked, so I wandered back to the dorm and snoozed for a hour or two, and then went to dinner. At rally, Leah, Naomi and I found that we had won first place for treasure hunt that day, and we heard a message by Dr. Bill Gothard on four anchors every young person needs in their life. After rally the South Pacific all gathered on the stage for that night's podcast where we were told that we had to all sing a song which practically no one knew. We basically smiled at the camera while Dr. Mutch talked for ten minutes, and then came the song. We started off rather tentatively, but I think we almost all knew the chorus which led to a decent increase in sound and a breaking off in harmonies. It turned out much better than I expected. After the podcast was finished, I had to go to Master Control and figure out what happened to my payment (apparently although they told us it went though, it mustn't have.). I fell into bed quite exhausted... I think I found this day the most tiring somehow!
25.05
After breakfast we went to watch the finals for athletics. Julian and Moshe came 1st and 3rd respectively in 800m, and I then went to watch Leah's clown act, after which I headed to the UREC and started the brain teasers. I took a break for lunch, and then watched one of Moshe's many chess matches. I went back to the UREC, meeting up with a number of the NZ guys once there, and we all worked on our brain teasers and chatted. We all headed to dinner, where we managed to have about 10 people sitting in a 4-6 person table, and had some 'interesting'(more random than anything really) conversation (and flag snatching. ahem. :P).
After rally and a message about following Christ, we went back to our rooms and I packed. Then Hannah, Leah and I returned Mrs. Baker's tripod, over the other side of the dorms and up a few levels. The way back to our rooms was eventful... the short of it being we tried not to be seen by anyone, and I ended up straining my knee. I didn't notice much until the next morning though, when I found it had swollen up and I needed a bandage. (that's the last time I run down a stairwell at high speed. At least for a while. ;] )
26.05
Got up at 5:45 the next morning. Collected art, then went to breakfast, and then to the awards ceremony. The New Zealand-ers won three trophies, and Moshe and I won 2nd for our piano duet, and 9th for the Dramatic Dialogue. Everyone did extremely well!
Afterwards, we stood around talking and waiting for our bus to show up, about 2 hours later at 2pm. The waiting itself wasn't so bad, as everyone seemed to be in a rather happy mood (if that's a good term for it). Some made music videos while others watched, and yet still others amused themselves by dressing up a statue of the Uni's mascot, the 'Duke Dog'.

Finally the bus came, and we all climbed aboard and settled in for our trip back to D.C. We arrived at our hotel around 2 hrs later, got into our rooms and unpacked. We also discovered that there was free internet there, so a number of us proceeded to check facebook etc. We waited for Mr. Savage, and then walked down to Applebees, a nice restaurant down the road. Somehow our little group (The Jenkinsons, Duxfields, Robertsons, and myself) became lost for a while, until finding and asking some locals for directions. Dinner was great, and we headed back to the hotel. We played some card games, and went to bed.
27.05
The next morning we all headed to the train station, figured out how to buy tickets, and headed to some station or another (the name escapes me currently), and from there caught the open-top tour bus. It was a beautiful day, and it was a really nice trip. The rest of the tour apart from the Duxfields, Robersons, and myself had to get off the bus, and we continued on our merry way. :)

We went around on the bus for the day, with stops at Arlington Cemetery and the Pentagon Mall (did some shopping for sunglasses and the like), and then headed back that evening to Union Station (which has heaps of shops and a food court) and met the others. And as a point of interest, it turned out almost all of us young people had bought the same sunglasses... B)
That night we had a night tour on the open-top bus, which was fun and rather exciting.
28.05
We split into our groups again, and we headed first to the Washington Memorial, and then walked around the other monuments (the Lincoln Memorial was awesome!!!).

We had lunch at the Old Post Office and went up the bell tower.

From there we went to Madam Tussuad's, and to the Air and Space Museum. We met the others at Union Station once again for dinner, and went back to the hotel.
29.05
The majority of the next day was taken up with getting from D.C. to Indiana. Once we got to our hotel, we went and had dinner at Cracker Barrel, a quaint little restaurant and gift shop. Went back to hotel, watched a movie on the TV and went spying. (don't ask. :P)
30.05
Went to the Creation Museum. 'twas awesome as! They had beautiful gardens outside, and the exhibits were cool, and the show "Men in White" was great too. :) And I had what was debatably the best meal in the US... $5 for nachos (which I just managed to finish) and a drink. :D

After walking around the museum for most of the day, we sat and chatted for an hour or so, and left for Johnny Rockets (a restaurant practically on the Ohio River). The food was good, and afterward we walked down to the river and skipped stones.
31.05
Next day some of us got up earlier for a swim in the pool for an hour or so. We left for the airport, without the Thronses, who were continuing on their own tour. We few to L.A. via Las Vagas. I must say that the Las Vagas airport was the first sight in ages to bring me to tears. Everywhere you look are pokie machines, with rows of people staring hopefully at the glittering screens, absolutely empty. It was so, so saddening.

We caught the plane from there to L.A., to a hotel across the road from Disneyland! :)
Fell into bed, and slept soundly.

1.06
Next day, breakfast and then Disneyland!!! :D I loved Disneyland, probably somewhat due to the fact that I had heard about it for so long. It was really fun, and amazing to see how they have put everything together. As a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll put a few up instead of trying to explain.

That afternoon, we said goodbye, took the shuttle to the airport, and started our 14 odd hour flight homeward. Somehow I managed to sleep between 6 and 8 hours!

Last group photo.

We arrived at Melbourne airport at 9:40 am on the 3rd of June, to be met (after a fairly quick run through customs compared to the US) by Priscilla, Jemima, and Abigail Jasper, and after a few minutes by Dad.
So, there ends my very, very long winded version of my trip to the USA. If you didn't read this far, I don't blame you. And if you did, you should get a medal or something. :P

I'm very glad I went, but I'm so very glad to be back. I appreciate more than ever before the country, home, family, and friends that the Lord has given me here.
And in closing, I'd like to say....

Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi!!!!!! :D

Oops...

2011-06-06T14:49:00.002+10:00

Hi everyone!
As some of you know I arrived home from America a few days ago. I was planning to blog about the trip and my birthday etc. by now, but this wretched jet-lag is taking way longer than anticipated to dissipate. So, I shall have to ask you to bear with me, and I hope to have a post up as soon as I can.

God bless!! =]

Finished School? What now?

2011-05-02T18:55:00.000+10:00

Found at Above Rubies...

-----------

"Well, you can't live at home forever, so what are you going to do with your life?"

"So, are you going to college?"

Have you been bombarded with these questions from well meaning teachers and curious neighbors? When I was in high school I would inwardly groan when the questions of college and a career were brought up. My responses ranged from hurried "I don't knows" to vague lawyer-like explanations.

Since my father is a doctor, I was often asked if I intended to also be a doctor. One person told me a story of a woman who became a doctor and then had several children. She had a special room in her clinic where they were babysat. Then, between patients she could "mother" them. I was horrified. I didn't want to become locked into a career that would limit my ability to do the one thing I was sure I would love, being a full-time mom.

Occasionally, I would admit my desire not to attend college. Eyebrows would immediately raise and often disapproving or disappointed looks would follow.

Upon reaching the age of 18 and officially graduating from our family home school, I immediately met with very intense pressure from friends, teachers, and others to pursue a profession, attend college and even move out and get a "place of my own." Many people assured me this would enable me to become a successful, independent career woman.

Happiness and fulfillment would of course naturally follow. Thankfully, I had several older women in my life (including my mother), who by example, showed me that true success, happiness, and fulfillment come from God and doing His will.

Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

We don't have to conform blindly to what the world tells us is our next step in life! Instead, we can seek God's wisdom. After all, God put us on this earth, designed us with a specific purpose, and gave us the gifts we need to do it. He's got a detailed map, and all we have to do is ask for directions!

Taking my mother's advice, I asked the Lord to show me what I should do with my time and talents. It seemed like everything I read in the Bible encouraged me to wait on the Lord. This was NOT what I wanted to hear! I wanted an answer now! I even prayed one day that the Lord would solve my dilemma by the following Thursday. On Thursday the answer came… Keep waiting Jenny!

Looking back, I can now see that the Lord was teaching me to trust Him in this area. When I finally released control of my future to Him, he began to reveal, in small pieces, His will for my life.

I accepted an opportunity to take a correspondence writing course. Soon after, my father found himself in need of a secretary. A year and a half later, the Lord opened a way for me to start a spring season greenhouse business on our family property. It is now three years since I opened the business and I am continuing to expand.

I currently teach 13 piano students, and have been called on to play the piano and organ for several different churches. Because the greenhouse business only keeps me busy during six months of the year, I am also available for other different things such as helping a mom on bed rest, filling in as an accompanist for a music festival, teaching 5th and 2nd grade Math and English to my brothers… this list goes on!

What the Lord has not called me to do so far is to attend college, move out of home, or embark on a full-time career! The very things many people told me I needed to do in life were not at all what the Lord had planned for me. His plan is so much better!

God's plan has allowed me to get to know my father better after working with him for nearly four years. It has enabled me to become an entrepreneur, doing the things I love--working with flowers, children, and music! On the financial side of things, God's plan has blessed me with no debt, no rent, very few expenses, and a nice little income with room to grow.

Over the last few years there have been many times where I have been unsure of which bend in the road to take, but the Lord has always come through, even when there were problems with the greenhouse, or church organs with broken stops!

JENNY McGINNIS

Larsen, Wisconsin, USA

A few photos...

2011-04-28T15:31:00.004+10:00

I've been taking more photos recently, and I thought I'd post a few that I liked here.
The first few are rather autumn-y. :)

A silver birch seed cluster.

Our house with a lot of autumn leaves in front. :)

One of the rose bushes out the front.

Some flowers in a neighbor's yard. I thought they were cheery. =)

The red-berry tree..

A present I bought for Jonathan up the street today for when he gets back from school
(the first day back for the term is always harder for him, so I thought he'd like it.)

My new journal! :D

Camping

2011-04-27T19:45:00.007+10:00

Well, I've been back from our camping trip for a few days, so it's high time I posted methinks. :)
We left home on Saturday at about 1pm, and arrived at Rheola at about 4pm. We sat around for a bit, then pitched our tents. A few of us started a game of Phase10, and we played until about 11pm I think.

The next day was fairly un-eventful. We played several games of Phase10, went for walks, talked, and generally relaxed, with the exception of Paul (whose block we were on), who continued to un-load trailers and chop down trees.

The next day we packed up, Paul built a glass house out of windows with various people helping now and again, and we went down to the Easter charity carnival in Rheola. There was wood chopping, tractor pulls, sheep dog trials, races, egg-catching, sheaf throwing, and other competitions to watch and join if one was so inclined. It was very interesting! :)
We headed home from here at about 5:30, and stopping at Bendigo for dinner on the way home.

So that's our trip in a nut shell. I'm sure I missed bit, but that can't be helped. Here are some of the photos I took.... =)

Jane cooking breakfast.

Card players.

A photo of a photo...

Jonathan and Amber.

Paul chopping a tree.

An un-usual skeletal looking cloud.

The view from the top of the hill.

The billy.

The fire.

Marshmallows. :)

Sheepdog trial.

The winning tractor from the pull.

Sheaf throwing.

Paul sheaf-throwing.

New favorite song...

2011-04-26T09:34:00.003+10:00

You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depths of Your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty, enthroned above

And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You

Picture thanks to Google Images.

The wanderings of a tired mind... And God's strength.

2011-04-20T21:44:00.004+10:00

It's interesting how our brains can really come alive at the most unusual times...
Like now, for instance. Why am I writing? I’m not too sure. I’m terribly tired, but all of a sudden I have the urge to write about today.

Today was tiring. There was an ACHS choir practice, and as my brother is attending convention this year, I took him along. He went fairly well as it happens, I hardly saw him the whole time. He was off elsewhere making friends. =)

However, due to un-expected circumstances, the choir director was late. After an hour or so of discussing group events, we discovered that the director wouldn’t be able to make it until after lunch. Well, the next most ‘eligible’ director was found-somehow, me! (Mainly because I was almost the only non-competitor there who can semi-read music.) So, all of a sudden, I was choir director for the day. Now, that may not seem too momentous for some, but it was quite a new experience for me! I mean, I’ve been in 11 odd choirs, but I’ve certainly never directed before in my life. I had no idea what I was doing, really. Anyway, we muddled though the exercises and warm-ups, and attempted several run-throughs of the piece. By some means, it seemed like one of the longest 90 minutes of my life. When one has a dozen pairs of eyes and ears fixed on them, time has a habit of dragging! We got through it, though.

And it wore me out! I appreciate more than ever before the huge amount of effort our choir directors have put in for us students over the years. And as I sat here musing over all this, I realized something else; God gave me enough strength.

I guess that’s sort of obvious. I can’t do anything, really, without God. But that’s not what caught my attention today… It’s that He gave me *just* enough. Enough to get through the day, with all it's bumps and unforeseen events. Enough to accomplish what was needed.

But not so much that I lost sight of the fact that I need Him, as if I could do it all on my own. Just enough.

I’m tired, exhausted in fact. I am definitely weak. But though my weakness today, God has shown His perfect strength.

He is so wise…

I love Him! :)

2 Corinthians 12:9

⁹And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Daughter of the King

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Today has been a day for:

Lord I Need You...

Of Illness and Hope.

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution"2 Timothy 3:12

2 Corinthians 12:9

Yet another long-awaited post

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America/ISC/Tour

Oops...

Finished School? What now?

A few photos...

Camping

New favorite song...

The wanderings of a tired mind... And God's strength.

2 Corinthians 12:9

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution"
2 Timothy 3:12