Goals

Like most people, I'm pretty much well on my way to keeping none of my new years resolutions. Normally this would make me feel sad, but I know that God will keep working on my character.

In the mean time, this is my new way of working on achieving what I want to get done. I have one project a month, and I have until the end of that month to FINISH THE PROJECT.

I'm really, really close to finishing January's. It was sewing all the badges on my brother's scout blanket, something that has been hanging over my head for about six or more months now. There were about 500 badges to sew on. I had done about 80 before January, and now I have 12 left to go!

My goal for February is to record a CD of traditional celtic music. The proceeds will go to help Bushikori in Uganda.

My goal for March is to finish volume 1 of Balancing the Sword. I'm currently in Proverbs, and while I am still going through it even now, March is the month when I'm going to focus on this.

I haven't decided for the rest of the year... I'll leave that for closer to the months themselves. But at the moment, this is working really well. I mean, I've sewn about 400 badges on in 30 days!

So that's my new method of goal setting and reaching. Hopefully this is going to help me focus my energies and achieve a whole lot this year!

Homeschooling Blues

This is based entirely on my opinions of a news article I heard on the radio yesterday. I don't actually have any more facts than what I heard. I have no internet at home, so what I heard is what you've got.

Recently a family was banned from homeschooling in Australia. The reason given was that THEY WERE LEARNING BEYOND THEIR GRADE LEVEL.

Seriously. Don't let those kids be too smart. We can't have that.

The pyschologist / pycharitrist / whatever who was involved in the case (and was on the radio) said that these parents were Asian, and that many Asian parents had unrealistic expectations for their children academicly and that was the issue. "It's just not the way we do things in this country."

Um, hello?

Firstly, it's not like we're teaching our kids all that much in public schools. They aren't hard to beat. They're just not.

Secondly, teaching your children to achieve, whether academically or not is not a crime. And if it is, I plan to break the law.

Thirdly, what's with the racial sterotyping?

Fourth, does that mean I can make my kids super smart if the're white? What if their half Asian? Can they only be half a grade level above their age peers? What if they're black? Dodgy.

And finally, IT IS NOT AGAINST THE LAW. AND UNTIL IT IS, THEY REALLY CAN'T DO THIS!

Australia's government is ridiculous.

(Note, I did a super-quick google search and found nothing. But I'm angry, so I blogged about it.)

Giving Thanks

If you know me in "real life", you will no doubt know that I am not a happy chappy. I am one of those grumbling, complaining, snarky, not exactly sweet-tempered people.

I've always been more than slightly jealous of those lucky people, who, through a combination of training and personality are sweet, calm and lovely people. I've known quite a few of them, and they're just plain lovely to be around.

A short while ago I was complaining to God about this. I have to work really hard to not complain, not to use less than lovely language, and to not get cross about pretty much anything that doesn't go according to my plans. It's tough, and I'm far from good at it.

And God said to be thankful for it.

I was like, you have GOT to be kidding me. Be thankful that I am a grumpy, bad-tempered person?

Yep, was the reply. Because it's a struggle.

I have to work at it. I have to work really, REALLY hard to be sweet. And in some
ways that means I get to be sweeter tempered in God's eyes than those who are just naturally that way.

So... I'm working on it...

Depraved Indifference

What Are You Teaching?

Parents today wonder why their kids are so ungrateful. Could it be that all they know is indulging themselves? How many parents have taken their kids on a real missions trip? How many parents are indulging themselves and their kids are watching it all? How many parents are griping about their pretty cushy lives and ignoring the vast needs all around, all the while the kids are taking note?
From "We Didn't Get The Memo" at A Place Called Simplicity.

My parents complain a lot about the ungratefulness of my siblings. And truly, they are really not very grateful for anything that they have. But the thing is, the examples they have - from their friends, their teachers, even from my parents - do not teach them anything different.

Sucess is having lots of STUFF. The more STUFF the better. And lots of money. That is what matters. GET STUFF. GET STUFF. And if you don't have stuff it's because you've been hard done by.

Don't fall into this trap! Count your blessings, and count them aloud, in front of your family, so that they may hear them Be grateful yourself. Show gratitude, and others will too.

We have so much to be grateful for! Especially in the West, we have so much material prosperity, we have running water, electricity, medical care, food, the Word of God, and above all, if you are a Christian, you have eternal life and the Spirit of God!

How blessed we are!

Make sure you are teaching this, by your every word and action!

Goals for 2011

1. Go on an overseas mission trip, preferably to Uganda

2. Memorise 20 more psalms.
(I'm at 23 now, so I want to be at 43 by the end of next year!)


3. Read Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Bible.

4. Develop my prayer life
Specifically, I want to see LOTS of answers to prayers, and to become closer and closer to God. Praying continually would be great too!


5. To speak words of encouragement and not mean words, impure words, or gossip.

6. To be joyful always, in all circumstances.

7. To instruct and admonish children using Scripture and not the philosophy of men.

8. To consistently practice both the harp and the piano.


That's it!

Lessons From 2010

1. Patience
I've had to deal with two horrible housemates, incompetant team-leaders and bossy co-educaters who make things more difficult than they need to be. Even the children have stretched my patience. And all I got to say is, my husband better be thankful to God that he's getting me after this year and not at the beginning of it.

2. I don't have to do everything
I always thought that I did. Seriously. That I needed to work and go to church and read all the classics and keep up to date with the news and spend time socialising and... and... and. I don't. If I'm not benefiting spiritually from a book, if I'm really not enjoying it, then I DON'T HAVE TO FINISH IT. I don't have to spend heaps of time socialising if I'm not feeling well. I don't even have to work unpaid overtime to make my room extra beautiful just because it would be nice. And I definitely don't have to do all these things all at once!

3. Everything is from God's hand
Even things I really, really don't like. Like horrible housemates and... the point is, especially in not-great times, God is teaching me something. And I need to learn and not complain.

4. My money belongs to God
And He wants me to spend it on people other than myself - especially the poor and the orphan. Sure, it'd be nice if I had more money for "me-things", but I haven't missed the $ that much. The only bit I really miss is not seeing my Adoption Fund grow.

5. All life is valuable
Before I would have said that it was, but I didn't really believe it. I mean, we have limited resources, so the sensible thing to do would be to adopt the non-special needs orphans. You know, the ones who will be useful in God's kingdom. This is a LIE. Two orphans especially changed my heart on this - Julia and Selah. Julia is going to live a short life, but she will be doing so with a family. Selah lived only for 55 days, and it cost a fair bit to adopt her, which wasn't "necessary" because her family could have just fostered her. Her life and death has seen many lives changed, including that of her birth mother (who accepted Christ) and countless medical students. Not bad for a "useless" person. No one is useless in God's kingdom!

6. Be always ready to give an answer
So many people have questions, and they want answers. If you aren't prepared then they won't get their answers.

7. It's all about God
It's not about me. The world does not revolve around me. It just doesn't.

8. My job is to glorify God, and I don't get to choose how I will do it
Sure, I would like to be having babies right now, but that isn't what God has chosen for me. His ways are better than mine.

9. Trust
His ways ARE better than mine, even when I don't understand them. In fact, I often won't until later. His ways are still to best though.

10. Pray specifically
When I pray specifically, I see answers! God delights to answer prayer, especially when it is in a way that means that I and others around me know that it is all Him. To God alone be the glory!


Wow! What a year!

Memorial Box Monday

This is my first time paticipating in this!

Anyway, God has really been laying it on my heart this year to sponsor children. God's heart is for the poor, the widow, and the orphan, and often these catagories overlap.

I was sponsoring two children through a centre in Uganda. One of the children (Joash) I sponsored had three siblings. While Joash's parents were both still alive, they are pastors in a broke community, and so they are broke.

I thought about it, and decided that I would sponsor an additional child. I was going to ask for one of Joash's siblings. But God told me not to ask, but to trust Him to work out all the details.

So I did. And I was told I had a girl by the name of Ingrid, with a surname different to Joash's.

I was a bit disappointed, but this child obviously needed sponsoring too. But God had said He would work out all the details.

About 10 minutes after I had got told that my sponsor child was Ingrid, I got a follow up email.

Ingrid was the older sister of Joash! I forgot that African children don't have the same surnames if they are different genders (I think the girls get the Mum's surname and boys get the Dad's.)

God does indeed answer prayers, even when we think He won't or that He has forgotten. He is a faithful God!

Is Your Bible Sufficient?

Most Protestants would say that they believe the Bible. And while some of them will deny different aspects (the Genesis account, or the miracles of the Exodus, or even the miracles of Jesus), the majority of Protestants do in fact believe that the Bible is inerrant, or correct in every aspect.

But this isn't enough.

Because unless you believe that the Bible is SUFFICIENT, you won't build your life on it.

And most people don't believe that the Bible is sufficient. Not really.

How many times have you heard phrases like "God wants us to use our common sense" in regard to the number of children we have. Or in regards to giving to the poor. Or in regards to the education of children. Or in any of a host of other different issues.

We declare that the Bible doesn't speak on a certain issue, and that therefore God wants us to use our common sense in this area. When all along, the Bible speaks about the issue, either directly or principally, and we just don't want to do what it says.

That's the thing. If we don't believe - REALLY BELIEVE - that the Bible is sufficient then whenever we are faced with an issue of any kind we will want to use our human reason and not base our actions on the Word of God. And our human reason is FALLEN.

We use our common sense and limit the number of children we have to two or three. When God's Word says "Children are a heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward."

We use our common sense and give only what we can "afford" to those who have nothing. When God's Word says "Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?""

We use our common sense and send our children to the free public schools, or to a private school if the public schools in our area are especially bad. When God's Word says "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

If you simply believe that the Word is inerrant, then you will use your "common sense", and frequently go against the commands and principles of Scripture. Because God doesn't use common sense. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He has chosen the foolish things to put to shame the wise. He wants us to cast down every thought and imagination that exalts itself against Christ Jesus.

Believe in the sufficiency of the Bible. And search it, DAILY, to see what it says; for it speaks to EVERY area of life.

Whose Words Are You Speaking?

As a Christian, I believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and that it alone brings true change to individuals, communities and nations. Scripture is LIVING WORDS, unlike the words of the world.

So the question is, what kind of words do you speak? Whose words are you speaking?
Are you using the words of the world? Words that demonstrate that God is not sufficient, or words that are crass?

Perhaps you are using words that are basically your own. Slightly sanctified words that don’t mean much, that don’t say much, and that do not carry life in them.

One of my goals for the new year is to speak the Scriptures regularly, even (especially) when talking to the children at work. I don’t want to be just changing their behaviour (though for some it would be a good start) I want to be changing their SOULS.

What’s more, this will stand me in good stead for when I have my own children. There are no souls that I would rather have renewed into the image of God than those that are my (as yet unconceived) children. And these Words will no doubt minister to my own spirit too.

So, whose words are you speaking? In 2011, make sure that they are God’s.