Starbucks Red Cups

Here’s the thing, I'm getting sick and tired of reading so many posts about the Starbucks red cups. Let’s be realistic, the company have not waged a war on Christmas. They have not taken Christ out of Christmas. They have done what many company does at this time of year, they have changed their marketing. I have been to McDonald’s this afternoon and I got a coffee, on my cup was a reindeer, this cup has not caused me any offence whatsoever, do you know why? Because the real meaning of Christmas is so much more than consumerism, or having a Santa or whatever cute picture on your coffee cup. Christmas is about Christ – Emmanuel, God with us.

Christmas is about the retelling of the story of how God, the creator of the universe has made the massive step into our world, became a baby and it is the looking forward to his return.

There are so many more things for us to be getting our panties in a twist over. Let me take you on a journey, there are homeless people living in our communities, there are families who struggle to feed their loved ones, there are elderly people who are isolated and lonely this winter. There are people who are struggling to heat their homes.

Get a grip people, there is so much more to Christmas than this. This is what the bible says that God asks of us:

 “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,    and this is what he requires of you:to do what is right, to love mercy,    and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 5:9)

And again, what else does God ask of us as Christians?

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;    ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,    and see that they get justice. (Proverbs 31:8-9)

Basically, what I am saying to believers who are getting upset is to gurn up suck it up princess and every other expression that I can think of, there are bigger things than a red cup to be getting cross with.

Straya Mate

I've been living in Tamworth, NSW for a while now. It's pretty amazing to see how God has brought me here to a place where I can serve Him and His people in such a different way. I'm studying PTC at the minute and going through The Introduction To The Bible as my first module. It's pretty amazing to study. I keep getting excited each time I come to read the textbook and the passages that it's asking to be read. This week, we where looking at God's creation in Gen 1-11, then looking at the new creation in Revelation 21&22. Stopping a while in Isaiah 65 to see the prophecy of the new heaven being declared so early on. It really excited me, but created so much more of an urgency to share the gospel with people. I mean, Jesus WILL return. He will bring with Him a new order and a hope of no more pain. But because My Lord is coming, it makes it so much more important to reach the people who don't yet know Him!

I'm loving working in the school environment, it is such a blessing and comes with real joy-filled moments. Like some of the year 10 girls inviting me to come and watch them do their commerce presentations - I felt like such a proud mummy figure to see all the hard work that they had put in! And they were delighted that I had come to watch them! (I'm finding it's the little things that we can do for the girls that creates opportunities for speaking truth into their lives.)

I've had the opportunity to share my testimony twice formally while here and then I got to share with the girls when they informed me that I looked like I once was a rebel... That made for an interesting conversation, but I really hope and pray that they may continue to ask questions about who God is and what he can do for them in their lives.

The church, a body of hurting people worshiping a God of all comfort..

It's been a long week. I'm tired, I've been working night shift for most of it and by now, it's Sunday evening and the last thing I wanted to do was go to church. I would have far rather spent the evening in bed with a movie avoiding social contact. However, my mother had been to church this morning and came home to inform me that our minister had been asking how I have been keeping, that he would really like to see me at the service.

Cafe Church begins at 6:30pm and by 6:15pm, I was still in bed convinced that I would not be leaving the house.

It's always when I least want to go to church, I find that God speaks the loudest. I'm not sure whether it is to do with my spirit feeling more tender or whether God is screaming right at me. Whatever it was, I was glad that I went.

We have just began a new series in James this evening. The verses that our minister stopped on where the following [emphases mine]:

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 

As I said to begin with, I'm tired. I went to church because my mother wanted me to.

I arrived, took my usual seat, beside a few of the older ladies from our congregation, (I find when I don't want to be there, if I sit with them, I'll learn something no matter what...)

Looking around the hall, tonight instead of seeing a group of people who I usually am convinced have got it all together, I seen something far more beautiful. I seen a body of hurting people coming together to worship our God, the God of all comfort. The God who has experienced trials, pain and every human emotion possible.

We are not people who have got life sorted out. I'm glad that we're not.

But more so, I'm glad that at the end of all our pain, we will receive a crown of life.

When God speaks, it feels like he is screaming at me.

I'm glad of this also.

Oz, the update.

The above photo is a what arrived in the post this morning from Australia. The journey is getting closer.

Please pray for the visa process which can now officially begin.

Please pray that I will be able to glorify God during the process.

Journey to Oz...

For some who know me, you will know that God has been doing some strange and wonderful things in my life over the last few years. Leading up to this point in time.

I graduated from Uni last October with a degree in Youth and Children's Studies with Theology, so that means I've been qualified for 1 year now.

I've been praying for what the next stage of my journey will be, and now God seems to be taking me on a journey to Australia.
I have been offered a placement in a school called Calrossy Anglican School in Tamworth, New South Wales. God willing, I will be starting my appointment on 20th January 2014.

The next stage of this adventure means a visa process. Over the next few months on the lead up to my move, I will be posting updates regarding my visa and other things with the hope that those who pray, may be lead to pray for this journey. That God's will be done in all of the admin and financial aspects.

Ritual, the book... It's here!

This is not something that this blog usually gets used for, however tonight is the exception. A good friend of mine has written a book and it's called Ritual. It's just been published on Amazon and to be honest, I'm pretty excited about that so I have decided to give her a shout on here to help her out so that she can get her name in the mass media and in the world of the interweb.

The author is V L Young, she is a 20something who has been working her wee backside off for quite a long time, she is a film buff and really knows her stuff when it comes to all things fantasy, vampire or werewolf related. The book is all of those topics with action thrown in to the mix. 

I've started reading her work at the minute and will give a full review on here as soon as I finish reading, but how about you beat me to it and download your own copy from Amazon? Again, if you missed the title of the book it's Ritual by V L Young. 

She's also on  Facebook and Twitter
CHECK HER OUT! 


  

The bloody mess of the cross...

As I sat one day wondering everything away

I sat and watched the wonder of the cross.

I seen the cross, a bloody mess.

When I look to the cross, I see it empty,

But when I seen the cross,

today...

it was

different.

I look to the cross as an empty place,

But today what I seen

In amongst the bloody and tears

Was something strange.

Today the cross had many bags

Hanging off the wood

Open boxes sitting at the foot of the cross

I asked the Lord

What does this mean?

Lord, what do you want me to do?

Gently, he took me by the hand

Lord, where are we going?

His reply was nothing short of

beauty.

The day I died for you,

I took your all the baggage and

the boxes

filled with hurt.

I opened them up,

took out the pain.

But, Lord, did you leave the boxes empty I cried!

No, no my child.

I filled them with peace.

The bloody mess that I became?

It was so that you don't need to any more.

I sat one day wondering everything away

Gazing at the wonder of the cross.

That bloody mess, no longer empty.

That day I set down one more box.

Left it at the foot of the cross.