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

Photo #7

The tenacious 2 and a half year old... isn't he just gorgeous!

His imaginative play just cracks me up. Yesterday, while Marcus and Jen had a break, Hudson and I headed off to the playground where he proceeded to jump from a great height (off the seat of the bbq table at the playground) into his 'pool' (a pool of bark chips that would be!).

At one point, he jumped off then suddenly turned to me, eyes wide, and gasped:

"Karen!... I need my goggles! You wait right here (his little finger points to my seat) and I'll go home and get them!"

...I just couldn't argue with that so after laughing we decided we should both go and get his goggles!

Hudson would have to be a sure cure for those long, intense days!
... Gotta love 'em!

A Truly Lazy-Hazy Day

Today was a scorcher in the Hutt!... no seriously! It was!... as long as you weren't in the shade that is!

Life around campus was just great today. After sleeping very nearly half of the day away, I managed to come to the surface about 11am and venture outside to hang out some washing and oh... beautiful! Wished you were all here with me!

I took my morning cup of tea, ambled on over to Jen's, went to the playground with Hudson - who proceeded to tell me what to do when and where... the power of a 2 and a half year old! Sometime after lunch we all gathered on the field by the playground to watch Nicky and Ralph's efforts to launch Luke's rocket - a birthday present for a 4 year old that took more than a few attempts I might add! Who would have thought mixing vinegar and baking soda was really that hard! *Nicky cries: "It reeeeally was!" from beside me* To say they provided the afternoon's entertainment would be somewhat..... fact!

The car cleaning bug was contagious from Nigel to Christine to me to Ralph... our carport out the back looks pretty impressive about now - and under the carport they shall stay as we've had more than a few icy frosts of late! I think everyone has caught up on washing as everything just seemed to dry in an instant but, needless to say, no work was completed other than Marcus... *geek*... the rest of us just sat around in between little jobs and made a decent attempt at baking in the sun!

Well, in a few weeks time we'll all be frantically studying in the library till late ... Marcus will, however, be wandering around looking for a table tennis partner!

Procrastination never pays - except when everyone else joins in!

Time Flies

It's been a whole month since updating you all!! - how bad is that??! I guess it's just that time flies when you're having so much... fun?

Actually, I've had all the extremes this month from the stress of exams to the relaxation of holidays, from the cold of Christchurch to the tropics of Auckland, from the high of being with family and old friends to the low of having to say goodbyes all over again and, inevitably for me (!!), the high of actually managing to save a holiday budget followed by the low of totally and utterly blowing the holiday budget!! ... who needs food anyway?! The short term goal is to live from morning teas and our weekly College community meals!

Truth be told, I'm in a really good space. The first 6months of training is completed and coming back onto the campus really was like coming home. First of all I actually knew which unit was mine!!. I knew that I would have memos for Africa to sort through so I was prepared with my *big fat* folder in advance and it was wonderful to stop living out of a suitcase *one of many - some might like me to add!*.

I have three rolls of film waiting to be developed so standby for the photo update. Being able to be back at the Factory for a weekend was just like old times and it blessed me hugely. Actually, in hind sight, I think God managed to meet all my needs - even the ones I hadn't realised I needed! I saw old friends and made new ones, lived like an Aucklander briefly and spent hours in cafes with GREAT coffee and in superb, relaxed company. I know I didn't get to see you all but know that you were thought of as I drove around.

Well, in as good a space as I am, I have still come back to the reality of College life with a jolt - rostered duties are back on and so I must away as Special Duties will be calling at 2pm this avo.

Let me leave you with a challenging little something from today's lecturer:

An employee applies themself by choice - officers are appointed.
Officers just need to apply themselves to their appointment.

Ciao!
K.

Photo #6

Someone stopped me the other day and asked me: "How Maori are you?" ... I'm still not quite sure what to answer to that - other than: "This much!"
Perhaps this answers it for them - these are my great grandparents.
I'll let y'all play 'match the features'!! - The comfy 'hongi' nose doesn't count- it's standard issue!

Life Goes On

I would love to report that it's been another 'balmy day in windy Wellington' and that I've just got in from a brisk walk that blew out the cobwebs ... but that would be lying!!
I can however, report that it was cold enough to snow in the Wellington region today (snow all over the mountains) and that it was just too cold to be more than 5 feet away from the heater in my cosy little unit on the block!

Life just seems to be passing me by at the rate of knots! The up side to that is it'll be the holidays in no time and I can kiss goodbye to 7am duties for two whole weeks (what a treat!) and get off campus!! - (no offence fellow cadets!) There are just some days when life feels like Ground Hog Day I tell you!

• Get up
• Shower (anyone who has seen me before 9am will understand why this has to happen before my duties!! - soooo not in my body before this event!)
• Duties
• On with the uniform
• Class
• Study
• Off with the uniform
• Bed

...2 weeks of choosing what to do everyday is beginning to cause excitement beyond words!

My course is going well. We're at the tail end of the first semester so we are snowed under (haha! - where is David White when you need him?!) with assignments and an exam on the way. Most of us live in the library at the moment - not only is it warmer (saving our student budgets precious money!), but we're able to spread out without actually having to rent a desk and come and go as we please. Half the books we need to actually do the work are reference ones so it works well all round really - you only feel like you have no life when you realise that it's 9pm on a Saturday night, the rugby is on and you're just leaving the library!! ... I managed a few cries of "Come on boys!" from the couch shortly after so as not to disappoint my father ... just don't tell him it was in between watching a movie on DVD! - I know the score what more do I need!

Today's service was great. It was the Salvation Army's worldwide Self Denial Appeal where we are challenged to give One Week's Salary On Missionary Service (OWSOMS - or as some English cadets would like to write in their Meeting Lead transcript 'OSSUMS' ...hmmm!). We've had several weeks of watching DVD snippets of some of the work that is going on internationally and then this morning we got the chance to bring a separate offering forward - the amount of families that came forward, prayed and then gave an offering was pretty moving to say the least. If you're not called to missionary service, it's a great way to support it.

Well, this was just to let you know that I haven't suffocated under a pile of books - despite popular opinion! I'm living through life's usual ups and downs, studying all the while. I'm enjoying what most days bring and working at how to cope a little better with the rest! ... and I think of you all often and am looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible while I'm in Auckland.

Let me leave you with some encouragement someone left me a few weeks back:
(Be still those thoughts of 'Context! Context! Context!')

Isaiah 45: 2-3
I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

Ciao!
K.

Oh Man!

After Saturday night in the library *geek!* it's official - I have no life!

...and that's all I have time for.

Salut mes amis!

Yes I'm still alive and incredibly sorry for all of you who check so regularly for news! Life has been... busy, shall we say!

Somewhere in the last 2 weeks I managed to add another year to my life officially and a HUGE thank you to all who came out for dinner on the night and to those who sent wee packages - you all made me feel special amidst the chaos. My mantelpiece is currently covered almost from end to end with cards and makes for a nice view in the evenings.

I've had a million and one little things to do and the checklist just seems to be growing as opposed to shrinking... it's like a flashback to my teaching days - just the thought at how that list grows faster than mould is enough to make one shudder! I'm sure that just made all my teaching friends out there think about how long their own list currently is... a thousand apologies! Somehow we get there don't we?!

The highlight of my week would have to have been a message left on my phone by a sweet lady from Telecom NZ who had the closest thing I've ever heard to a real life Lyn of Tawa/full-on Kiwi slang accent in a long time! There's a thought to ponder in itself! We all know how badly we can say 'Fish 'n' Chips' if we're tired! All of a sudden it turns into 'Fosh 'n' chops' complete with high squeak on 'chops'! I was in fits of giggles by the end of the message because at the end of every sentence, the lady's voice went up and did the high squeak thing! - Just try it and you'll see what kept me on the floor for a good while!
*Note - the pitch and squeak are only added on the last syllable of the last word in any given sentence!*
Apparently it's what they think our language will sound like in another 10 years according to a documentary on TV (Monday night a few weeks ago).

For those of you wanting the update on the catwalk, the big day is fast approaching - only 2 weeks away. I chose my outfits this afternoon and don't all die of shock but there are 2 skirts in there somewhere! Other than a few funky accessories and a very cool winter jacket (dusty pink, to the knees, textured and dead cool!) I can't say it was all right up my alley but I've never had 3 shop assitants wait on me hand and foot let alone do all the running around for me! Comes a close second to having your make-up, hair and nails done all in the same day by someone else!

Well, if you're nice and no more tongue-in-cheek comments appear on my blog... yeah on second thoughts, no promises! The big day might just come and go!

Must fly... the rest of the checklist just won't tick itself off! Don't forget me... I love hearing from you all even just the emails from time-to-time.

Á bientôt! ... around July!
(See you soon!)

Catwalk Queen

I had no idea that the thought of me walking the catwalk would stir you all up so much!! … if I had a digital camera I’d stick it in front of my face and blow you all a big fat raspberry!!

NO – there will not be any video available hence no possible way for you to view this catwalk queen!
NO – I didn’t sleep in (this time!)… I just enjoyed a rather long lunch!! (all-be-it with a funny feeling of, "I think I'm supposed to be somewhere right now!")
NO – I will not perform ‘Blue Steel’… except in the green room (if we get one) in preparation!!
…And can you all just let me forget that I’m supposed to be an organised person when I forget where I’m supposed to be, when and why! – twice only… EVER!! Not bad for very nearly 29 years!

PS – Sisters who squeal on secret home videos (or at least attempt to bribe!) need to beware of photographically inclined siblings with photoshop and a website at their fingertips!!... “h-h-h-h-h-h-a!”