"Sprinkles"

Todays Quotable Quote to give you a smile

Miss 3: Oww
Me: Whats wrong?
Miss 3: I have those sprinkles that go on your feet when you've been on the toilet a long time
Me: Pins and needles?
Miss 3: Yeah!

Dont Sleep With Caterpillars

Good morning! its 4:30am. There is a very good reason why I am not in bed right now. But it’s a long story so grab a cuppa and ill explain.

At 3:30am I was woken by inconsolable crying coming from my daughters room. When I went in and finally found was able to translate the sobs into intelligible words I realized a terrible thing had happened – Chloe the Caterpillar was gone!

She hadn’t just escaped though, her little container of grass had tipped over, leaving a grassy bed, an empty container and no Chloe. I did my motherly duty and searched carefully over the bed and floor but to no avail, Chloe is missing in action. While removing the spiky bits of grass from the sheets, I tried the old saying “Its ok, we’ll just find another Chloe tomorrow” but that didn’t work (actually, has that ever worked?). Next I tried “maybe Chloe just went outside to visit her family” but that wasn’t very consoling either. So we had a little discussion about caterpillas (at 3:40am!) and we decided that since Chloe was a caterpillar, maybe she turned into a butterfly and flew away (phew!). That will do until morning.

So I went back to bed but here it is an hour later and I'm still awake. See I was thinking maybe some of you might need to hear my story and learn the lesson – Don’t sleep with caterpillars, you just get spiky grass in your bed.

Some people are ‘sleeping with caterpillars’ even though they don’t have a Tupperware container filled with grass in their bed. I'm sure you can remember a time when someone has hurt you, either by their words or their actions. Sometimes, we carry around that hurt, make a place for it inside our heart, feed it by thinking about it and dwelling on it, replaying it over and over in our minds. In the end, all you end up with is an empty heart and a life full of prickles.

We all need to let our caterpillars go. For some its as easy as leaving the container outside, of choosing not to bring it in. For others, it may be simply placing the caterpillar on a leaf and walking away. Others still might need a friend to stand by while letting it go and lend a hand cleaning up the grass.

If we had let Chloe go, she would have turned into a beautiful butterfly and we would have enjoyed the beauty and freedom at another time. That’s what happens when you let things go, you experience freedom and your life, even though you have been hurt, can be a life of beauty.

So next time you find yourself carrying a caterpillar, remember Chloe and leave it outside.

Please forward your resume to human_resources@heaven.com

So, that was quite a job description we looked at from verse 1 hey! Try writing a resume for that one! check out what I a little further on in verses 5 and 6.

Romans 1:5-6 “Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”

There is nothing about us that warrants us being chosen by God. It is not by our resume or our role or our referees that we were chosen. It is not because of anything good we have done or any evil we have resisted. Paul says in his letter to the Galatians says “God set me apart from birth and called me by his grace” (Gal 1:15).

Grace is receiving something you did not deserve. It is purely by Gods grace that we have been saved. Mercy is being spared something you did deserve. We have been shown mercy, because for our sin we deserved to be separated from God forever. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”(Rom 5:8)

While we were still sinners. While we were separated from God, undeserving of any merit or favour, dead in our sin, God chose us and rescued us. It is from this point that we are called, and called to belong to Jesus Christ and given his mandate to share it with the world. Not because of our accomplishments, but through his work on the cross.

And, here is the most amazing find in this passage – for his name’s sake. In the Greek, it means ‘on his behalf’. Woah, not only are we totally undeserving of the calling, and given the amazing blessing of belonging to him, we are now his representatives here on earth, living and doing and speaking on his behalf. What a mandate! Set apart for the gospel of God and chosen despite our sinfulness, to be his ambassadors.

“We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (1 Cor 5:20-21)

Father I was totally undeserving of your grace and mercy yet you sent your son, even when I was an enemy of yours and dead in my sin, so that I could be in relationship with you. Thankyou. Please take me as I am and use me to reach others for you. I am yours.

Hows that for a Job Description!

I thought it would be a good idea to go through a book of the Bible and see if i could find some cool stuff in there. So following is my attempt at doing that through the book of Romans. The major bonus of doing this is that i get to study the Bible and even if no-one reads this, it will be good motivation to keep going :). Dont expect great theological insights, im just sharing what i find along the way.

Since we are going with the theme of 'roaming', Ill stick with the analogy. I didnt really feel like i have the ability to write a study something like 'the complete encyclopedia of wild flowers of the fields of the simpson desert', but i could do something like 'a coffee table picture book of some cool flowers i found on a journey one day'.

So here begins the journey - Romans 1:1

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God - the gospel he promised beforehand..."

Set apart for the gospel of God, thats an awesome thought. Chosen and set apart for a purpose, a plan prepared thousands of years beforehand, and we are selected to be a part of it - to take that good news to the world.

Isnt it great to be a part of something bigger than you? Like being in a team who are accomplishing together, so much more than any individual can do. It was an awesome experience to be a part of the team that ran the Mosiac conference this year where we saw 200 ladies come and worship together, hear some great teaching and be equipped to be Gods woman in their life and community. Even though that was a great thing to be a part of, God has an even greater job for all of us.

Rom 1:5 (sneaking ahead a little bit here) says that "we received grace and apostleship" - Pauls job description is our job description too! The Good news that Jesus came so that man could have a right relationship with God, is OUR good news and ours to share. we are a part of the eternal plan to reconcile God and man.

We are the ones to fulfil the great commission "go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything i have commanded you" (Matt 28:19-20). Hows that for a job to do!

Reckon you are up to it? Nope? me either!

Phil 2:13 says "But it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (phew!) "God hasnt told us to go away and do some work for Him, he has told us that He is already at work trying to bring a lost world to Himself." (Experiencing God, pg 67) and whats more, he says "and surely i am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt 28:20).

Well Lord, this plan is way too big for me. But i am honoured to be a part of it. Thanks for choosing to use me. Please help me to see where you are working and to join you there. give me a love for your word so that it becomes the nourishment for my soul. Help me to be obedient to your call and respond to your leading each day. Give me your heart for the people around me. Amen

GPS Ponderings

Have you heard those in-car GPS's that tell you how to get somewhere?
"in 50 meters turn right"
"at the second exit turn right"
"turn right now"

a friend of mine was driving out western Qld and was quite amused when her GPS said "in 200km, turn right." wow, 200kms of straight road! I think it would get a bit boring after a while - and possible a tad irritating when every 20kms the GPS interrupts with "in 180km, turn right" "in 160km, turn right".

Wouldnt it be nice though if we had a GPS for life!? "in 5 years, take this man to be your husband" "at the second interview, take this job" "move here now" or "in 20 years, do this". i think in theory we might all like the idea of being told what to do instead of figuring it out for ourselves (ok, maybe just us girls!) but i guess it would be a bit boring knowing that far in advance what is going to happen.

It certainly is an interesting journey taking turns wherever God wants you to go, whether it be sharing with a friend or making dinner for a family or spending time with someone who is lonely or quitting your job, selling your house and moving towns. And what would happen if we knew the bad roads? I'm not sure i would be willing to take some of those turns if i knew all that was to follow!

Well, it turns out that actually God did provide us with a GPS for life...GPS stands for Global Positioning System - it shows you where you are in the world, and which way you need to head next. And God has given us His own 'global positioning system' in the practice of prayer. When we pray, we are sharing with God where we are at, and seeking His will for where he wants us to be. When we position ourselves right before him, we are much more likely to be heading in the right direction. And while he doesnt give us details about the road ahead, he does show us which turns to make (or U-turns in some cases!). And he has given us some ripper road tips in the Manual (the Bible)!

Romans 12:12 is one of these - Be Joyful in Hope, Patient in Affliction, Faithful in Prayer. Or as another version puts it - Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles and pray at all times. I reckon if we follow those road rules our path is going to be a lot straighter.

Let your hope keep you joyful - remember you are on this earth for a purpose - to glorify god and share him with others. You were separated from God by your sin - by going your own way. But because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, and because he rose again, you have a relationship with god and can enjoy him forever into eternity! i know there will be tough patches and rough terrain but if i remember that truth, there is a joy in me that continues through the journey.

Be Patient in your troubles - have you ever been impatiently stuck behind someone and when you finally get the chance to overtake and give them a knowing glare, you realise they are totally oblivious to you and are happily chugging along? or have you ever damaged a car because you have been rushing? Being patient both in the car and in life would save a lot of tension and a lot of damage being done. It is so much easier to find where you are going when you arent rushing. And it is easier not to rush if you are relying on the instructions from your GPS!

Pray at all times - remember your GPS! Get right with God and you are going to be travelling in the right direction and you will be tuned in to hear when he asks you to make a turn. have your GPS on all the time - ask for directions in the little things - say thankyou for a sunset or a wildflower, ask for wisdom when talking to a friend, ask that God would use you to encourage someone else, listen to see what he would like you to do for someone who is hurting or lonely. By using the GPS God gave you, you wont know what lies ahead on the road but it will be the most fulfilling journey you've ever taken!

then right at the end you might hear "you have reached your destination. well done, good and faithful servant!"


Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles and pray at all times (Rom 12:12)

To Blog or Not To Blog

Greetings!

My name is Donna and I live in Australia with my husband Bryce and our two children. My husband is a pastor here in Queensland, my daughter is 8 and loves to read and my son features the most in my writing because of his crazy antics and death defying stunts (and he’s only 6!).

I’m sure you will get to know us a little as you read about our weird and wonderful adventures but the main reason I write is so you’ll get to know someone far more important - The God who created you, has a plan for your life and sent his Son so that you could have a relationship with him now and for eternity!

Its an honor that you are reading what I'm writing and it is my prayer that through my words you will be encouraged in your faith and grow in a deeper relationship with our God.

If you would like to read more, check out 100 Things About Me (you might want to grab a cuppa first though ;)

Have a fabulous day!

Todays kids quote - 3am one morning...

Master 5: Does God love people with no hair?
Mummy: Yes, of course, God loves everyone the same.
Master 5: Yes, but does he liiiiike bald people as much as other people?

...hoping I'm not raising my children to discriminate against the follicly challenged...