LiveFire

WOW!... is all I can say about my weekend. It was just AWESOME! The youth conference was just the tip of the iceberg for me. I’m always amazed at how much God manages to speak to me and teach me when I’m SO busy I can hardly see my way ahead. Does that ever happen to anyone else out there?!

I have enough work on at the moment to make the average person squirm but such is life. I do what I can each day and try and look after myself in the process – you know, early nights, good diet, a little *admitted very little!* exercise … blah! blah! And yet, amidst it all, God speaks to me so clearly its like he’s calling through a megaphone!

The first little revelation came last week when I finally realised that, despite my best efforts to stay on top of the workload, I was not going to make one of the deadlines. So, I had to tackle my pride and go and ask for an extension. Having that ‘in-the-bag’, I decided to go for peace of mind late last week and shelve the assignment the night before the youth conference so I could get my house in order instead! – Laugh you may but those of you who know me will know that that truly did give me peace of mind… and can I say that I managed to pack my bag and NOT forget anything the next morning as well! Being organised has its benefits!

Secondly, having made the mental decision to shelve the assignment along with the rest of the workload until after the weekend and then focus myself on the conference, I had so many divine appointments that I’m still reeling! God used so many others to speak to me – to confirm and even answer some prayers of late – that I had to head back to my room at one stage just to get it all down on paper! That, I can safely say, has never happened before – not when life has been so busy anyway! From illustrations for my sermon next week to prayers both on my heart and others that were answered, to just ramblings and thoughts… my brain was on overload several times.

Thirdly, I had the time of my life playing photographer for the weekend and see that as nothing short of a blessing from God! I thought that I would pretty much have to give up my passion for photography on coming into College as I just couldn’t see how it could be used… until this weekend! I had a ball getting up close and personal with all that was going on and just getting trigger happy when I felt like it! A lot of the weekend was experimenting though (with permission of course!) so I hope there’s a decent amount of good shots amongst all the trial and error!

Well, despite the high of the weekend, the workload has not disappeared and so it is to the books I head for the better part of the next 2 weeks. I will fulfil my promises and get at least one photo up before the month is out (!!) but until next time, let me leave you with a verse from one of the meetings on the weekend - a little gem which I had forgotten was hidden among the minor prophets!...

The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17

Ciao!
K.

Alright already!

Alright already – I get the hint! … only because it’s been nearly a month since my last rambling!

I must update you all on Hudson. Not long after that photo, he tripped over and fell awkwardly on his ankle resulting in a fracture (which took the radiologist a few days to find!!) and a cast the full length of his leg! Needless to say, he was miserable for a good while but is now back to his usual self – albeit hobbling! – and is still able to point his wee finger and express himself completely!

Life has been ordinary to say the least – the pile of study waxes and wanes, week in week out. I suppose, really, that life has been so quiet there just hasn’t really been a lot to blog!

The yellow haze of pollen that settled on the Hutt (and can I say my clean car – no less than a day after it shone so brightly – ruining my bi-annual effort!!) is beginning to lessen and if anything, our timetable is about to really take-off. Come Friday, we’re off on another Mission Weekend this time to Hastings, the following week is full of assignments (four due on the Friday to be precise!) and then it’s the North Island Live Fire Youth Conference.

I could admit to being bitter about going to Matamata instead of Timaru (like some lucky people are!)… but I’m not! I get to spend a weekend just a few hours from home *sigh!*, I get to catch up with everyone from the Faith Factory that will be there AND I get to go with some pretty cool young people from Wellington City corps.

There is one thing that I truly, truly am missing and envy all you Aucklanders for having at your fingertips and that is… the NZ Herald!! I mean who really cares about news in Wellington ANYWAY!!! I’m stuck reading The Dominion Post every morning and well, quite frankly, I’m left feeling like I need something else to come before my morning cuppa!

Do I care that I won’t be able to cash in on any of the specials advertised – nope!
Do I care that I won’t be able to see with my own eyes the developments of troubles mentioned – nope!
Will I just be soothed by the thought-provoking, sometimes a little radical yet wildly honest Letters to the Editor, Side-Swipe and its funky little magazine additions – yep!

Well, that really is about the extent of it all for now! Standby for a few photos... still playing with a few from my holiday. God is good – I’m still learning so much everyday both about myself and about Him, and if I was to leave you with anything it would have to be this… it has made the constant process of refining a little easier to take!

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 2 Tim. 2:20-21