Freedom

Come to the bible and you will meet a God who will set you free!

I was open at Psalm 139.

Light Box Love final

I woke up this morning and an image came to my head. A wonderfully colourful one and so I had to try it. These are the fruits of this... almost exactly the image from my head.
Here are my pictures from today:

While I was working on the the final images a bible passage that came to mind. After some investigation I found it:

Luke 18:15-17

New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus Blesses the Children

15 One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.

16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Here's what I thought when I chose these photos:

The first set of the girl and man make me think of how sometimes it takes a child’s faith to really get us to see the wonder and mystery of God.

The second set of the man and his son look to me as if they are hesitating. The father doesn’t know what to do with the cross and so he shelters his son from it. It shows us the profound influence our parents can have on our beliefs and our knowledge about what’s true in life. I thought "Don't hesitate GO FOR IT! You don't know what you're missing out on!"

Listen while you look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whv1DojfIWA


Many Blessings!

Light Box Love continued...

So I continued with my challenge today.
This week I am on mid-semester break (only for this week).
I challenged myself to make something with my light box everyday - however to be more realistic I've decided to change it to three scenes.
Here are some from today:

I put this verse to them, because I just enjoy doing that:

Matthew 5:14

New Living Translation (NLT)

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

And I found this quote which I LOVE as well:

“There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”

—	Vincent van Gogh

I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I did making them.

Grace and Peace to you all!

Light Box Love

Some art I did today!

With the light box my stepdad and I made about about a year ago - before he was my stepdad.

Inspired by a picture a friend gave me and it had this verse:

Isaiah 40:30-31

New Living Translation (NLT)

30 Even youths will become weak and tired,
    and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.

    They will walk and not faint.

Blessings!

A Wonderful God!

Today I got a wonderfully encouraging message from a friend.

It said: 'Zephaniah 3:17 - The Lord your God is with you, that mighty warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his live he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.'
Then he said: "What a day that will be when the Lord rejoices over us with singing!

I am in full agreement of this message!
How wonderful it will be to finally see God. Wonderfully scary!

(As you can see I am enjoying the word Wonderful right now!)

 SIMPLY TO YOUR CROSS I CLING!

God is Wonderful!

That's all I have to say.

Blessings!

Kids Ministry on a Budget

So I do some 'intense' kids ministry...

Intense because I do it without spending much money at all - if ever! And also because I still feel inadequate and new to it.
I've been at a kids club for the last 3 years. Until this year I was comfortably working to the older kids - grades 4 to 9. Then our main leader for the little ones got sick.
I volunteered to take over.
Since then I've been with the Kindy to year 3's.
And it is tough!

However something I've learned is...
They really don't care what you do as long as its fun.
They just love being around people who smile and talk with them. Ask them about school, their favourite colours and tv shows. Their favourite foods and games.
Mine LOVE drawing - so almost every week we draw pictures.
I tell a bible story and we draw a picture. They then tell the story back to me.
Its fantastic!
It doesn't cost anything because the church already has stacks of blank paper and way too many colouring pencils!

Here's a scan from one of the weeks we looked at how God created the heavens and the Earth!

The other thing I've done with them once or twice before is acting.
Each child picks a character or a plant or building to be from a story. Then you just tell them what to do as you tell the story and then they swap roles. They hear the story at least 6 times and always fight over who gets to be Jesus.

What a great thing to be involved in the teaching of young children!
God is good to me. He may not have given me much cash but he has given me eager hearts and drawing pencils.
What more do we need?

Matthew 18

New International Version (NIV)

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2018&version=NIV)

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

What makes a good Youth Group - according to Teens

According to my scripture class...
(A group of upper middle class 15 year old girls.)

A good youthgroup is:

• Bible Based - talk, small groups and games - all with the same biblical focus
• Relational - they don't just want leaders that say 'Pray and read your bible' they want leaders that are interested in their troubles and can offer practical advice and love.
• made up of Honest, God fearing leaders
• a place that makes them feel safe, comfortable and not-judged.
• Provides food

So to all you youth leaders out there - be living examples of God followers. Always be willing to answer questions and be honest that you don't know everything. Teens want you to be real with them, so see you as you are.

There is nothing better than bringing other to God but to do this we must first be with God.

Grace and Peace!

Missing a Fathers touch

A conversation between a sister and I.

Me: For some reason I am still always seeking out the Love of a Father. Which is silly because I have God. But I struggle because I would really love a Dad whou would love and support me in a physical presence. Who would do things with me and who would hug me when I am sad and tell me everything will be alright. Someone to care for me and give me words of affirmation and hugs. Unfortunately God doesn't hug me and that's something I want.

Friend: God invented male figures to perform an earthly fatherly role. Its understandable why you would feel that way.

She normalised my feelings and helped me make sense of this experience. I am thankful for this small conversation and had to share it here. Maybe people out there struggle with this too. I do not know. But I pray that God will use this to reach out to anyone else who does.

Prayers and Blessings to you all.

Scripture

So I teach scripture every second week of the school term. Year 9 at my old high school.
This term we've been looking at the book of Colossians. Tomorrow if the final lesson for term and I thought I would share a table I drew up of all their answers for the term.
We've had 4 lessons so far this term and there are four chapters of Colossians. So we've looked at each chapter separately and tomorrow we are going to pull them all together.

Here's a small bit of Context:

Colossians is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church of Colossia while he was imprisoned in Rome for his work spreading the Gospel.

Here's the table:

Chapter	Main Points	What it says about what Jesus came to do	What is says about following Jesus
1	-          Paul is writing to the church to tell them he prays for them and is thankful -          Prayer and thanksgiving are very important -          We are reconciled with God through Jesus -          Salvation is for all people	-          Jesus is Gods son -          Jesus is the bridge between us and God -          We are complete and at peace with God through Jesus death and resurrection -          When we follow Jesus we have to tell others about what he’s done so they can also be made right with God	-          Prayer is important -          We have the Holy Spirit to help us follow Jesus
2	-          Paul comments on the strong faith of the Church -          Reminder that everyone is united in Christ – no one is to be told otherwise -          The Church should follow Jesus and not listen to false teachers -          The old rules are no longer valid -          We are not saved by our actions	-          Jesus came to unite the world -          Jesus paid our debts to God -          He came so we can be forgiven -          He came to take away the need for the old Jewish laws	-          Be in the world but don’t do what the world says -          Put Jesus first -          Love everyone we come across -          Live in faith and discipline -          Faith is what we need to follow Jesus
3	-          Focus on God -          Put an end to sin -          Everyone can start new with Jesus	-          Jesus came to unite the Jewish and non-Jewish as one people under God -          He came to show us how to live and follow God -          Came to give eternal life -          Came to grant new life	-          Reflect God’s character by following Jesus example -          Be peaceful, kind, gentle, patient, compassionate and forgiving in your relationships with others -          Serve Jesus and Love everyone -          Worship and sing to God with gratitude -          Husbands are to love and care for their families -          Wives and Children are to trust their husbands/fathers -          Slaves trust masters
4	-          We have a master in heaven -          Paul sends greetings to the church alongside other writers -          The letters to be circulated around other churches in the area -          Paul asks for prayer that he can share the message with his persecutors	-          Came to rule and be our master -          Powerful -          Leads by example in life and prayer	-          Masters treat slaves well and remember God is above all -          Always pray -          Pray for others -          Pray that God’s message will be spread and people will receive it -          Always speak and reflect Jesus and Gods love in our lives.

I hope this is helpful to anyone who wants an overview of the book of Colossians.

Grace and Peace to you.

Flowers

I'm not much of a girly girl - more of a tomboy really.
But sometimes I have my moments.
This was one:

Photo by my Lovely Sister!

The jar was a gift for my 20th and came with homemade melting moments! This was one of the best gifts anyone has ever given me!

Also someone sent me this chapter as encouragement:

Psalm 121

New Living Translation (NLT)

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20121&version=NLT)

Psalm 121

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1 I look up to the mountains—
    does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

3 He will not let you stumble;
    the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
    never slumbers or sleeps.

5 The Lord himself watches over you!
    The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon at night.

7 The Lord keeps you from all harm
    and watches over your life.
8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.

Hard Conversations

I had some hard conversations in a car ride home with my Aunt and my Sister tonight.
Questions about how the bible was constructed and how do we know for sure that no one has changed it.
It is hard to converse with people who don't see God as all powerful. Believing human intervention to be of greater possibility than Gods.
Its hard to explain that God is in control when people don't believe in his control.

However I got to talk about how the bible is the story of how God created the world, Humans ruined it and then how God acted to bring us back into a relationship with him.

Hopefully (as a lovely friend of mine said) I have planted some small seeds.

I will now go about collecting some more knowledge of how my God has put together his words through his people on earth so I may be better equipped to tackle questions like this in future.

Grace and Peace to you and remember:

1 Peter 3:15

New Living Translation (NLT)

15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20peter%203:15&version=NLT

Growing Old

For the whole...

of my life (the short twenty years it's been so far) my Mother has exclaimed "if you... you'll get wrinkles!"
My mother plays into the western cultural idea that ageing is bad.
I however have turned in the other direction.
Many of my relatives in their late 60s and 70s are very ill and dying. However I admire them because of the lives they've lived. Some have been caring and comforting to me. Encouraging and loving and some have shown a strength in the face of struggles that I hope to model in my own life.

I look forward to ageing. It is something that we only do once so why not accept and enjoy it?
I'm the kingdom of Heaven we will not age, we will not grow weary and we will not suffer pain.
In this life we will experience all these things because of sin.
However on the flip side consider it a blessing to have many years in your life. I know too many people who have passed leaving young children without parents, young adults choosing to take their own lives and teenagers killed in car accidents.
These are unfortunate thing sin life and cause me to grow thankful for every day that I have.

I look forward to aging. What a blessing from God!
To grow old in this life and to bear the wrinkles of age will be such a blessing (if I am blessed with this gift) because it will mean that God has given me many years in the service of his kingdom.

I will wear the laugh lines on my face with joy for the many good days the lord has gifted me with. I will wear the wrinkles around my eyes from the many tired nights I've sat beside ones I love who are grieving or in hospital.

My hands will shake and be frail from the many years I've held the hands of ones I love or baked food for their enjoyment.

My voice will become but a soft whisper from the years of singing and praising my God. The years of conversation with others of his love and glory.

I look forward to aging to the day my hands look like this:

When I clasp them in prayer as the breath of life leaves my body and I am united with my God forever more.

Until that day I continue to walk in his grace and his love. Doing good deed for the kingdom. Not so I can be saved but because I am saved!

Grace and Peace to you all. I pray that God gifts you with many years in his service on this earth.

Isaiah Chapter Six

My absence has been long (for Internet timing) but not really for life timing.
God is taking me through a time of major upheaval and uncertainty where I am learning so much more to rely on him. This is almost a reflection of what is happening in the chapter I will discuss today. So sit back with me and soak it in.

Isaiah 6 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%206&version=NLT)
This chapter in Isaiah is a little bit different to the last 5. I read a devotional on this chapter the other day. It set out to explain that what Isaiah experiences here in this very chapter is exactly when happens when a person turns to Christ. Isaiah experience - though individual - is also universal. This is something I will unpack in a little while.

However lets begin with the TEMPLE.
Isaiah has been brought before the Lord God of the Heavens and Earth. The passage gives us some context - its in the year King Uzziah died.

Who the heck was King Uzziah? King Uzziah was the king of Judah in the time of Isaiah's writing (according to my bible dictionary and its also kind of obvious in the passage as well). It is said that he was struck with leprosy for a 'cultic misdemenour' (I'm guessing for doing some form of worship that was not in relation to God).

So Isaiah is brought before God after King Uzziah has died. In this scene God is sitting on a throne, wearing a robe whose train fills the temple. He is being attended by Seraphim - from my knowledge of Seraphim they were moral beings who served and worshipped God. Their main purposes were possibly centred around guardianship and worship. My bible dictionary also describes the possibility that they had the job of Purification by Fire, they are also only described here in Isaiah chapter 6 (again according to my Bible dictionary). The passage gives a clear image of what they may have looked like (have a look at verse 2). Here they are worshipping God and their worship causes the temple to shake and fill with smoke.

ISAIAH'S REACTION to all of this is to see his own sinfulness/unworthiness in the presence of such power and might. He cries out acknowledging his sin. The reaction of the Seraphim to Isaiah is to purify him. Using a burning coal from the alter of God. Isaiah's guilt is removed and his sin is forgiven.

Then Isaiah hears the voice of the Lord! He is asking who will go and send a message to his people. Isaiah responds 'SEND ME!'.
God allows Isaiah to go and says that the people will not understand and they will not turn to God for healing. God says this will happen until they have all been removed from the land so he can rebuild.


Israel's stump a holy seed?
The final verse states the above phrase. But what does this mean? The only thing I can think to link it to is Jesus Christ. Israel is left with nothing, no land, no relationship with God and no future. However in Jesus Christ all these things are restored. I firmly believe that God shows his stubborn creation his love and our need for him by removing everything that makes us feel secure and then showing us that it is only him that can provide that. And that's what happening here in the passage. God's people will not understand until there is nothing left and God brings in Jesus.

So here's the pattern...

Isaiah shows the pattern of what happens when someone comes before God and understands his might and power. The Individual see's Gods majesty and realises their inability to match that so they naturally bow down. They profess their sins. They are then forgiven by God and then God sends them out to tell others of this forgiveness. Today we do this by coming before God in prayer. We profess our sinfulness to him and ask for forgiveness through Jesus Christ. God offers forgiveness to all and the only reason this is possible is because Jesus Christ came to earth as a man. Being a perfect man he evened out the scale of the sin done by the first man Adam. Thereby taking the punishment for Man's sin and ending the cycle. His death repairs the relationship that was broken so many years ago in the garden of Eden. Jesus resurrection conquers death, death is redundant because it is a punishment for Sin. However when we take the offer for forgiveness for our sins death has no meaning any more. Yes we may still die and physical death because we live in a world broken by sin and because of that our bodies are no loner perfect and age and get sick and die. However we do not spiritually die. He have a confidence that we will live in God's perfect kingdom for the rest of eternity. This these things in mind today was then take up the task of spreading the GOOD NEWS about Jesus death and resurrection for our sinfulness. We go into the world much in the same way that Isaiah did.

I myself although going through a lot of life changes can hold on to the knowledge that I am saved by Jesus' death and resurrection from the dead.

Here is an drawing I did a month or two ago to depict how I often feel in life in relation to God:

The hand underneath is the hand of God, the hand on top is mine. My hand is weak and limp, it lacks strength. However the hand underneath is supportive and hold up mine. I may be weak and I may be lacking in ability and emotional strength. But I have the knowledge that God will keep holding me up in this life for as long as he see's fit for me to live. God is a loving God, a God of peace and a God who supports us through life. He has decided what every day will look like and he is there for us every step of the way.

While I can't wait for Jesus to return to take me to his kingdom and sometime's I can't wait for death to embrace me,  I will continue to walk in the path that God shows me and I will continue to lean on his love. I will continue to hold his hand. I will continue to do the Good Deeds he has set out for me.

God will continue to love us because he is constant and consistent!