Seek Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly With Your God

"People aren't confused by the gospel

They're confused by us

Jesus is the only way to God

But we are not the only way to Jesus

This world doesn't need my tie, or my hoodie

My denomination or my translation of the Bible

They just need Jesus

We can be passionate about what we believe

But we can't strap ourselves to the Gospel

Cause we're slowing it down

Jesus is going to save the world

But maybe the best thing we can do

Is just get out of the way"

Casting Crowns-What this world needs

The title comes from the Casting Crown song, 'Courageous'. 

Casting Crown is a band formed by youth pastor Mark Hall, and consists of seven members now, most who serve as minsters in a Eagles Landing First Baptist Church in Georgia, USA.


Mark Hall performs the lead vocals for the band and his voice is so easy to listen to!

Beautiful tone and the female vocals match so perfectly with his voice and make the songs sound complete.

The main reason I enjoy Casting Crowns, and it's not just because of the amazing music but because of their words.

I've yet to come across a band in which I can connect so deeply and with such understanding the words in which they sing.

They are stories, peoples stories they sing, truth in God's word it's and being able to capture that and provide people in their concerts the ability to sing along and make the words their own, because it's their story to, it's my story and it's my path to Jesus

This song it called East to West and it's so beautiful and speaks so clearly about a pivotal point in Jesus life, his death and resurrection and why he did just those things for me and you.

East to West by CC

Here I am, Lord, and I'm drowning in your sea of forgetfulness

The chains of yesterday surround me

I yearn for peace and rest

I don't want to end up where You found me

And it echoes in my mind, keeps me awake tonight

I know You've cast my sin as far as the east is from the west

And I stand before You now as though I've never sinned

But today I feel like I'm just one mistake away

From You leaving me this way

Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west

'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again

In the arms of Your mercy I find rest

'cause You know just how far the east is from the west

From one scarred hand to the other

I start the day, the war begins, endless reminding of my sin

Time and time again Your truth is drowned out by the storm I'm in

Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away

From You leaving me this way

Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west

'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again

In the arms of Your mercy I find rest

'cause You know just how far the east is from the west

From one scarred hand to the other

I know You've washed me white, turned my darkness into light

I need Your peace to get me through, to get me through this night

I can't live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals

I'm not holding on to You, but You're holding on to me

You're holding on to me

Jesus, You know just how far the east is from the west

I don't have to see the man I've been come rising up in me again

In the arms of Your mercy I find rest

'cause You know just how far the east is from the west

From one scarred hand to the other

One scarred hand to the other

From one scarred hand to the other

Being Me

Sometimes when I approach a blog I think about how well my writing will be, whether it'll be interesting enough, if anyone will read it, will it be coherent.

Lots of things flowing through my brain about the whether or not it's worth writing a most, but along the way I'll read another blog encouraging me to write for me and only me and not for popularity and be myself.

So as for the whether or not my post's will be coherent is up in the air and I will try, but I am a very non-coherent person.

I'm chopping and changing conversation constantly and S is always telling me to stop and give him a bit of contexts because he can't read my mind and doesn't know where I'm up too.

So as I write this it's 11 o'clock at night, the AFL is on in the back ground (yes I said AFL...) and I'm tired. It has been a long week.

Uni is getting more and more stressful and I'm definitely treading water right now.

Not only do I have uni, where in the next two weeks I'll have more then half of the assignments for this marks and will also determine my future as a nurse, I also have work.

Getting lots of extra shifts working front till and in bench at the pharmacy as well as the my regular weekly day of webster packing, that alone is tiring, just learning all this new information on top of uni, luckily they kind of go together, as I am learning medications which helps working at a pharmacy.

The campsite S and I did our internship at and where we really met for the first time, runs an Easter Camp every second year, and this year, S and I are organising it, which is creeping up on us and I don't know where to look when I've got so much other stuff going on.

Not only am I organising a camp I am also a youth leader at my church and sing in the band some sundays, this sunday included and I'm ALWAYS nervous about getting up to sing because I'm not all that confident with my ability to sing, but we also have a youth led service next sunday that we need to organise.

So life is pretty busy at the moment. 

But although when I look into the future and make a list of all the todo things, I feel an odd calmness and ability to succeed, (minus the singing, I'll never feel like I can succeed at that) I know God is in control, that after this month it will calm down a little and I can hunker down and concentrate on uni and study.

I desperately want to be graduating uni at the end of next year! Praying everyday for a renewed energy to take on the tasks at hand. Just have to stop knitting!!!

Hope your life isn't as hectic and you have a great weekend, I'm working on uni assignments and study, what's on your agenda?

{Lent} Week 2

So lent has been going really well and tomorrow marks two weeks since my last bit of chocolate.

I haven't been doing as well with the exercise, though I walk around so much as work and uni that I feel that it equates to 30 minutes a day.

The thing with lent and giving up chocolate is that it's not as hard as I expect it to be.

I'm not trying to sound like a saint or anything but it's been really good not eating chocolate, almost like opening my mind to other foods and snacks in the world.

I am a creature of habit and tend to just grab and eat the same old thing everyday because it's easier.

It's forcing me to open up my mind to new foods which is great.

As for the running, well, I ran last wednesday when I had a day free, but I have honestly not had a free couple hours to go running and recuperate, usually I use that as an excuse, but between uni, 21st, and working, I've been finding it quite hard to fit one in, and sure enough if  I do I'm too tired to run.

Like right now I got home from uni at 2pm and have working starting at 4 in 45 minutes.

I will run this wednesday though, maybe try and keep wednesdays open for running.

Hope you lenten plans are going well!

God bless!!

Day 1 - {Lent} Thankful Thursday

Day 1 - {LENT}

So lent started yesterday with ASH wednesday.

Lent is the 40 days before Easter, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Ash Wednesday reminds us that it was dust the we came from, and to dust we shall return.

Lent is also a time that one decides to give something up, thousands of years ago the norm was fast for certain days around Easter and even for lent, eating only once a day. 

Today you can chose to fast, and have one meal once the sun has set, but most of will chose to give up one item that they see as being a hinderance to themselves or harmful, or just a good idea to give up, things like chocolate, or soft drink, or facebook.

This year I am giving up chocolate.

Yes chocolate, I have eaten so indulgently of chocolate in the last year and a half and it has to stop! It takes 30 days to make a habit so hopefully 40 days will help develop a healthy relationship with chocolate and I can find something else to snack on.

Something I've started thinking of lately as well is the decision to pick something up during lent as well as giving something up.

So I am deciding to give up and hr of my time each day, half an hr to a walk, of any kind of any pace, just to be outside and walking, and a half hr to reading my bible. Something I have always struggled with and forget how much I learn from the bible!

Lent is about remembering, and being thankful. I have so much, and others have so little, life is precious and the items in this world we feel is important are really not. 

Because we need to remember that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. 

Linking up with A Parenting Life for Thankful Thursday

Starting

This year started with a bang. S was away for two weeks straight, then a whole week away at camp. Then straight into work! Dinner dates, meetings, weekends away and then some more work.

I can't believe it's half way through February! Time just ran away from me, literally, I feel like I've been running a race this last few weeks and I just want to sit for a day, not today though I need to work, and not tomorrow, I need to be organising uni textbooks, which will be over 500 dollars this semester, thank goodness I had some extra work!

Uni is still 2 weeks away, starting the first week on March, having finished last year at the end of October, I am chomping at the bit to get back into learning! I've already printed out all my resources, tutorial notes, signed up for one class, and waiting for my other classes sign-up to happen so I can have my timetable set in stone.

Unfortunately I had some disturbing news not too many days ago. An email sent through to all nursing students informing them that there will be no on campus lectures this semester, besides the first week, all resources will be online.

For some this was a welcome relief but for me, not so much. For full time workers it was, less time at uni, but the whole purpose I went to internal student instead of distance and having a full time job is because I can't do self directed learning! I had a distance subject last year and the only times I looked at the content was when I had to complete the assignments! 

I want to attend lectures, all the resources and recording were online anyway for those who didn't want to attend lectures but for those who really used those lectures to learn now they are gone and I have all this extra time that I don't have work so now I'm really going to have to discipline myself and do all the work at home. If I wanted to do that I would have gone distance!!! 

All that said, I am still excited about uni this semester, feels like I'll really be learning things that nurses do, IM injections, wound care, things that I'll then get to practice on my four week placement in a hospital.

Hopefully next week will be really slow and not hectic and I can relax before uni kicks off and I'll be into my 2nd year of nursing!

Is there anything you are looking forward to? Or not looking forward to?

Linking up with Jess for IBOT

January 8th-January 15th

Fearless by Max Lucado

January 8th

"It's not the absence of storms that sets us apart. It's whom we discover in the storm: and unstirred Christ."

January 9th

"You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents. Psalm 18:48 (NLT)"

January 10th

"The disciples scream; Jesus dreams. Thunder roars; Jesus snores. He doesn't doze, catnap, or rest. He slumbers. Could you sleep at a time like this?"

January 11th

"You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the LORD is you security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap. Proverbs 3:25-26 (NLT)"

January 12th

"[Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on a pillow" (Mark 4:38).... This was a premeditated slumber. He didn't accidentally nod off. In full knowledge of the coming storm, Jesus decided it was siesta time, so he crawled into the corner, put his head on the pillow, and drifted into dreamland."

January 13th

"The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall i be afraid?"

January 14th

"Fear corrodes our confidence in God's goodness. We begin to wonder if love lives in heaven. If God can sleep in our storms, if his eyes stay shut when our eyes grow wide, if he permits storms after we get on his boat, does he care? Fear unleashes a swarm of doubts, anger-stirring doubts."

January 15th

"The more insecure we feel, the meaner we become. We growl and bare our fangs. Why? Because we are bad? In part. But also because we feel cornered."

Tennis

I love the tennis. That is all.

This year is the year of saving.

Sam and I went a bit crazy last year and just bought what we wanted and ate what we wanted. This year we are going to change that and be conscientious about our future and preparing for it.

It helps that I've been getting a few extra hours at work but it's still less then 20 hours which is frustrating but my job works so well around uni!

Next week S and I are off to a youth camp at the place we did our internship. Warrambui, about 45 minutes outside of Canberra.

It'll be a fun week filled with music, games, worship, fellowship, bible study and a few bad skits thrown in for skit night.

Lots of preparation for that and organising and training as well. 

It feels like we are so busy right now. S has been away a lot for work and then we are away next week then it's pretty much Australia day and then it's February. And I've still got another month till I'm back at uni and can feel like this year has really started!