Coffee Break Lane: December 2006

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Married!

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of seeing one of my closest friends get married.
It was absolutely beautiful!
Anne and Fox, congratulations and I wish you all the best!
Here is a pic of the happy couple!

I couldnt think of a better match! These are two great people who have such a clear love and passion for Jesus and from that, a deep love for each other and a desire to serve Him together!
As I said, such a joyful occassion!

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Christmas Blessings

When he saw this photo my brother Ryan said these words: "The photographer in her natural habitat."
I think he couldnt have been more right!

I have had the blessing of spending the last two days at the beach, and I gotta say, I truely love it! I could honestly sit on the beach and watch and listen to the waves, feel the sand beneath my feat, for hours on end.

Friday arvo was spent at Dee Why beach. The sun was out, the smell of summer was in the air, and time was spent enjoying God's beautiful creation while catching up with and being encouraged by a brother in Christ. With a bit of photo taking and food thrown in there too, there aint alot better than that! One of the great blessings of holidays!

Saturday it was up the coast to Dan's beach house for the day. The weather wasnt as great this time, but the location was superb - God is powerful and creative so it was just as amazing to see this beautiful beach scene transformed as clouds rolled in for the evening storm.
A bbq with good friends, a stroll along the beach, running around with 1 and 3 year olds, sitting by the beach til the late hours of the evening with a glass of wine at hand, the day passed relaxed and greatly enjoyed.

The beach. One of my most favourite places for a number of reasons, but I think mostly because every time I make it there I instantly feel more relaxed and am overwhelmingly reminded of our amazing Lord and the work of His hands on this earth.
I look forward to more afternoons like this to come this summer!

Meanwhile, of course, today is Christmas Eve.

I dont know about you, but Christmas has definately crept up on me this year! Tomorrow I look forward to a relaxed day with my parents and my brother. They are such a blessing to me and its a joy to spend that quality time with them.

While Christmas seems to be so often about family, though, its necessary to remember why it is we are all actually getting this holiday and what we are to do with it!

As the words of Luke remind us, Christmas day is all because of one miraculous person and event: "Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11

Yes, over 2000 years ago God became flesh. He entered the world to dwell among us, to show us the way, to die for us in our place, and to offer us new life.

Mary arrived by donkey, Jesus born in a dirty old stable - our King brought into the world through humble beginings! A sight that must have been so ordinary in actuality the most extraordinary thing this world will ever know!

How will you spend this Christmas??

I say spend it with your family and loved ones because they are more important to us than we will really ever realise.
But do more than that, do what the words of Zechariah say, written many many years before the birth of Jesus Christ:

"Rejoice greatly; O daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Zechariah 9:9

Spend it remembering our Lord and Saviour with joy and praise!

Merry Christmas to you all!

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Whats been happenin?

Its been a while. Rather than just list whats been happening, let me fill you in on a few ways God has been working over the last week and how we can respond...

Micah

What I love about reading the Old Testament is that it just so clearly demonstrates God's faithfulness to His people! I read Micah last week - one of those books I just hadnt really read before so thought it was time. And its great! Without going into the detail (you should read it for yourself) it paints an amazing picture of the destruction + punishment of Israel, which is very scary

"Therefore I will give you over to ruin and your people to derision; you will bear the scorn of the nations." 6:16b

Yet hope is not far away for those who trust in the Lord.

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me." 7:7

A beautiful image of forgiveness and the faithfulness of God to his promises is painted. And it is welcomed like rain to drought striken nation. Like water to the lips of the thirsty.
Let me share some of it with you:

"Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry for ever but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy on Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago." 7:18-20

To people deserving punishment and completely undeserving of love, compassion is shown.

Praise: God for His forgiveness and faithfulness
Pray: That I may continue to read, learn from and rejoice in His word

Work

It feels like a lot of my time lately has been taken up working at the moment, and I gotta admit, Im a little over the newsagents! I am currently looking for jobs. Prayer for this process - particularly patience - would be appreciated! Some interesting opportunities have opened up that will be investigated, but generally, I know its all in His hands.

Creche

Ive only done creche once before in my life, im used to slightly older kids. But last week I helped look after about 10 or so babies (yes, all under 9months) while their mums did a first aid course at our church. Man, that was a learning experience! But also brought great joy, especially gettting to know the little man belonging to our minister. What is exciting here, is that, as I believe anyway, many of the mums dont go to church, so having the first aid course in the building was at least getting them in there! They were also given info on our christmas and summer services. and our minister's wife was amongst the group. I think prayer for these women would be great - maybe they could get more out of the course than some first aid knowledge! ;)

Rebbi's 21st!!

Finally, saturday night was Rebbi's 21st (pic of me and here below). Rebs is one of my best friends and it was a great night and very exciting to celebrate with her! Praise God for rebs, her friendship, and her faith in Jesus!

And just cos this pic makes me laugh...

Jumbo and Cippo at Rebbi's

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Inspiring!

More words from Through Gates of Splendor:

"I would gladly give my life for that tribe if only to see an assembly of those proud, clever, smart people gathering around a table to honour the Son - gladly, gladly, gladly! What more could be given to a life?"

Pete Fleming
(p.26)

"I have one desire now - to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it. Maybe He'll send me someplace where the name of Jesus Christ is unkown. Jim, I'm taking the Lord at His word, and I'm trusting Him to prove His Word. It's kind of like putting all your eggs in one basket, but we've already put our trust in Him for salvation, so why not do it as far as our life is concerned? If there's nothing to this business of eternal life we might as well lose everything in one crack and throw our present life away with our life hereafter. But if there is something to it, then everything else the Lord says must hold true likewise."

Ed McCully
(p.42-43)

"we've already put our trust in Him for salvation, so why not do it as far as our life is concerned?" I Love that quote! So, So true!!

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Revive

Last night was the launch of Revive's latest album, Trafalgar Street.
It was awesome seeing the large swarm of people flowing off the street into the church to see and support Dave, Ty, Rich and Mike.
I have to admit, it is weird when you see people lining up for your the autograph of people you have known for years, but it was exciting times for the guys. And exciting not only cos they're my friends and brothers in Christ, but also cos they are all about glorifying God and spreading His word. These guys are passionate about music and passionate about Jesus and its very cool seeing those things work together!

Shameless plug time - they are supporting Third Day on their Australia tour next year so go along and see them!

Meanwhile, I had fun taking a few pics for the guys so heres a few for you (more on flickr and www.reviveband.com)...

Thursday, December 07, 2006

He alone can satisfy

Right now I can safely say there are two things that frustrate me about me: When I want to say something but dont and then regret it. And when I then spend too much time thinking, often either about what i could say, or simply regretting my inability to express what I wanted to say when the time was right. Pointless and unhelpful, but felt nonetheless.

Thankfully, I can be comforted (as well as greatly humbled and challenged) by these wise words of the missionary Jim Elliot, read in the account of his life of service in Equador and the death that came for the sake of Christ, 'Through the Gates of Splendor'...

"Such hungering He alone can satisfy, yet Satan would delude and cast up all sorts of other baubles, social life, a name renowned, a position of importance, scholastic attainment. What are these, but the objects of the 'desire of the Gentiles' whose cravings are warped and perverted? Surely they can mean nothing to the soul who has seen the beauty of Jesus Christ... All is vanity below the sun and a 'striving after the wind'. Life is not here, but hid above with Christ in God, and therein I rejoice and sing as I think on such exaltation."

"There is no such thing as attainment in this life; as soon as one arrives at a long-coveted position he only jacks up his desire another notch or so and looks for higher achievement - a process which is ultimately suspended by the intervention of death."

There is just such truth in these words!

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Living Water

Have you ever been so thirsty that you have put a pebble in your mouth so you can make enough saliva to swallow even once?
Thankfully, I have never been so physically in need of water.
But its an intense thirst, isnt it, something like that?

Tonight at church we looked at John 4:1-26.
We ended the evening with the above question.

And the challenge as to whether we thirst for Jesus - the one who offers living water - with such intensity.

Gosh, I dont know about you, but thats a challenge isnt it?!

"See, the streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal love,
Well supply your sons and daughters
And all fear of want remove.
Who can faint while such a river
Ever will their thirst to fade
Grace which, like the Lord, the giver,
Never fails from age to age?"

A challenge to thirst, to long for and long to know, to be quenched by Jesus in every way.
And a need to praise God for his amazing grace which gets me through and will not fade!

Coffee Break Lane