Coffee Break Lane: March 2007

Friday, March 30, 2007

Take my will, and make it thine

Praise God for the priviledge of being apart of His work in this world! I just got home from leading the bunch of yr7 girls i lead every friday night. They are crazy in a way that only a bunch of yr7 girls can be, but they are also (slowly) growing in spiritual maturity, which is very exciting to see!
Anyway, let me share with you some of what we studied tonight....

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus cries out these words to the Father

"Yet not as I will, but as you will."

A sentence that should not only change my life and yours, but the entire world. So much is at stake here. If Jesus is to give into his human desire here, then we have no hope of ever winning. Dont you see, if Jesus did as we seem to do every single day and gave into his human desire then we would have no hope at all. Praise God that He did not and instead understood the need to do the will of the Father. If only we could truely do the same!

Here is what Michael Card says on the subject in his book 'A Violent Grace':
"When you think about it, every temptation we face gets it power from our desire to say yes to ourselves - to our own rights, wants, and needs - and no to God. The Bible's word for that response is disobedience. It's a pattern that began with Adam and Eve. Surely the serpant deceived them when he tempted them to taste the forbidden fruit, just as Satan often deceives us in our moments of testing. But deception is just the bait. The trap is always sprung by a clear choice to disobey God - to say "Not thy will, but mine be done."At Gethsemane, although Satan has done his best to confuse and deceive Him, Jesus chooses painful obedience. If choice is one side of the coin in overcoming temptation, then cost is the other. To make a choice is to slay the alternative. "Life is in the blood," declares the law (Leviticus 17:11, 14; Deuteronomy 12:23), and every dark drop that trickles down Jesus' cheek is proof of what the Savior is willing to pay for you and me.
Not my will, but thine be done
.He is willing to lose all so that we can win all."

Yes, Jesus (understandably) does not want to die. But he is obedient to the will of the Father. And we are saved as a result.What other response could we have to this but to do the same?!?!

Jesus prays 'not my will but yours be done". I dont know about you but I think I should be praying this every single day.

At the risk of making this post extremely long, let me share with you something else... The absolutely wonderful JT gave me the Garage Hymnal cd last week and I have to share with you the lyrics of the title track, 'Take My Life'. On the subject of living each day for the will of the Father - rather than my own will - this song is a beautiful expression of that attitude and a wonderful reminder of that prayer.

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise

Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee

Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee
Take my love, my Lord I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee
Ever, only, all for Thee

Take my silver and my gold
Not a mite would I withhold
Take my intellect and use
Every power as You will choose

Take my will, and make it thine
It shall be no longer mine
Take my heart, it is thine own
It shall be Thy royal throne

Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for TheeTake my love, my Lord I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee Ever, only, all for Thee

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Answer to Prayer

So I said Id tell you about last thursday, sorry its taken me a while to get there, but heres the story...

Begining of last week i was feeling a little more lost and depressed than usual, feeling a little lack of purpose with my days as i continued on through limbo land.

Anyway, through a random connection i ended up with an unpaid job on a film shoot (more specifically, a tv pilot). Unsure initially whehter to bother taking this opportunity i eventually got into gear realising there wasnt a lot to loose - something to fill in my day with, and always good getting more experience in the field to add to the resume.

But God was good and it turned out to be so much more than that.

Firstly before the day I managed to be faithfully reminded by the Spirit of the conviction I had in reading Acts over the last few weeks and the purpose I am to serve. The book of Acts so clearly exemplifies our purpose in this life - basically faithfully living each day for the Lord to bring glory and honour to Him while also furthering His kingdom. In reading it i was convicted that this is what I am to do with every day of my life regardless of whether I am a student, unemployed, or working in my dream job.
I was also reminded of one of the key reasons why I wanted to get into film + theatre in the first place. Aside from my love for these arts, I recognise the need for Christains in these industries.
And thus, convicted by these truths, I was excited about the opportunity that lay ahead for me on the set on thursday. Having absolutely no idea what sort of people I would be working with or what we were working on, I was determined to be a light amongst them and work hard for the Lord.

Now, funnily enough, the majority of the crew and our cast member all turned out to be Christains.
It was great!
God is amazing in the way He works. Not only to bless me with work in those circumstances once again, but also to ensure I was convicted of those things before I headed out there, because regardless of whether those I worked with on thursday were Believers, that will not always be the situation, and thus I need to ensure I maintain that conviction and desire to serve that purpose as God blesses me with work I enjoy.

So despite a lot of standing around waiting and the 12hr day, I not only enjoyed the day, but the crew and cast were lovely people, very interesting to talk to, and easy to work with.

Furthermore - and the greatest answer to prayer here - I made a few contacts and am pretty likely to get some work through them throughout this year!

I love it! God answers prayer and knows exactly the best way to do it! What a humbling experience!

Praise God for the answer to prayer!
Please pray that these opportunities come to light.

And if a show called 'Chefs Table' ever comes on TV, please watch it and look out for my name in the credits of the pilot!

God has been very good to me in other areas of my life recently...but thats for another post methinks... ;)

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Cornflakes

So its been a hectic week. This thursday was long but great - an answer to prayer and shining of God's blessing in many ways. BUT I wont share about that now, im too tired to explain properly.

What I will do instead is let you know of a new band I was introduced to last night - the guild league
JT and I and a few others headed to a little pub in Surry Hills for a gig by some people we'd never heard of before.
We had no idea what to expect...
but it proved to be a worthwhile venture and I came away with one of their cds...i gotta say they're pretty great

am lovin their sound...but mostly their lyrics...
And speaking of lyrics, their set was finished off by the poetry reading to top all poetry readings (well, public ones anyway...)!

So, for a taste of the new and exciting, this little band from melbourne, which was thoroughly enjoyed last night, here are the lyrics to "Cornflakes" on their album "private transport'...Enjoy!

sugar on cereal.
sunlight sifts down through late autumn leaves to the crunchy brown ground.
i hold my arm like an 'L' with your hand at the corner
the autumn air is freezing and your hands aren't much warmer.
but if you smile at me like that again i think i'll burst with happiness.
you make me all toungue-tied girl but you know that by now....i guess.
breakfast and beverages out of the breeze.
soak in the sunlight that's as scarce as the green trees.
stare up at flightpaths we'd like to be on till evening turns all the jetstreams to neon.
come on and tell me you love me one more time.
i'm going to burst with happiness.
my dreams are tied to you my girl but you know that by now.
and if you didnt know somehow then you know now....i guess.

Friday, March 09, 2007

Be Prepared!

When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die.

- Jim Elliot

Wise, wise words from this faithful servant of Christ.
Not much more to be said.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Raido Star?!

My Dad was on the radio the other day! And I'd just like to say I am very proud of him!
Ok, so it was AM and probably very few people heard the interview, but I was impressed!

If you have any interest in mental health issues, then you can either hear the interview or check out the transcript here!

The issue being discussed revolves around the (potential) side effects of a particular drug used by people suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar, and i guess also the responsibility of the pharmaceutical companies.

Listening to the interview though just reinforced to me how often the media sensationalise. I was frustrated by the journalists comments, not only cos it was against what my dad was saying, but because it was entirely reliant on his unresearched opinion rather than fact.
Why try to report an issue and attempt to persuade an audience when you just dont know all the ins and outs of the story?!
Or perhaps more importantly, why do we get sucked into it?!

Rant aside, my dad was on the radio and did a good job....how cool is that?!

ok, so im the proud daughter, just humour me here...

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Limbo Land

As most people I know return to uni or college to continue studies, I remain in the world of limbo, looking for jobs. The world of limbo is a funny thing. A mix between enjoying the holiday yet at having this constant feeling of needing to get a job sorted out...

In limbo land one learns a few things. Patience is one. And enjoying and being thankful for the present is another. Embracing life where its at. At a time when its so easy to reflect on whats been or to wish for things to come, there is definately a place for enjoying this world of limbo for what it is, for it could just as easily disappear before I have the chance to make the most of it!

Well, this weekend certainly saw some good times enjoying the moment and the time I have....to be summed up with a few words and a picture...
engagement party picnic style
beautiful sunny day
lovely little beach
good food
good company

stroll across the bridge
markets
live music
wine tasting
The Rocks....
guitar
strawberries and chocolate...
need I say more?!

Finally, at times limbo land can leave one feeling slightly lost. Well, this afternoon I discovered therapy in the form of decorating! After moving house a year ago, I finally got around to hanging photos in my room - sooo much fun!!
Take a look at what resulted...

Ok, so you might not be as excited as I am, but the room has a whole different feel...
Dont know if id go as far as say the change is as good as a holiday...but almost...
Oh photos are fun!

Coffee Break Lane