Saturday, August 26, 2006

The desire

the blog posting of a friend really made me think today [which is always a good thing ;)] . I wanted to share my response here;
"
I'm glad that your passions are alive, and I do hope that they stay kindled.
One thing God is showing me more and more is that there are stories to be told wherever you may be.We live in a fallen world, full of broken hearts and lives. Australia in comparison is indeed a wealthy nation, when compared to many this world knows. However if money was all that was required to make this world more bearable then many of it's problems would have been dealt with long ago.Life is never that simple.
For the last 5 weeks and at least the next 5 I have spent my time with a class of 26 students, each one of them, broken in some way - it tears me apart to know that more and more children, in what is considered to be a 'civilised society' deal with issues I never even knew exsisted until I was at least 12. these children are but 11 and they've lived with it their whole lives.Their are children within my classroom who have suffered so much abbuse in so many different ways, children who have known nothing but neglect for at least half of thier lives...and it breaks my heart. It took too long for their plight to be heart, for their stories to be unravelled.
I can appreciate your desire to shoot off to every corner of the globe to capture life, and to change hearts. But I want to encourage you to follow in the heart of the Apostle Paul and practice the art of being content in ALL things, wherever you may be. That doesn't mean you have to let go of your dreams, if anything grip them tighter, but rather I want to encourage you to be ready and willing for God to use you right where you are...
Australia may not suffer the same as other nations, but there are stories to be told and there is a harvest more than ready to be collected.[the Harvest is plenty but the workers are few ;)]

"

I do still have a passion for missionary work, and I do still plan to spent time on the African Mercy ship , working as a teacher and attempting to change something, somehow. But I guess that the more I press into God and the further he takes me down this path of life, the more I realise that it doesn't matter where you go in this world - there are lost everywhere!
There are lives which need the touch of Jesus.

I believe that God has called me to a harvest right here in Australia. Their desperation may not seem as prevalent as those people who have nothing to claim - no food, no clothes, no money. But their soul is just as wanted by the father. If anything, they're flesh is more than ready to wrestle the spirit harder, as they wear their smiles while their souls scream, stiffled by their CD Players and car exhausts.
We live in a society that thinks it has it all and needs nothing else. A society thats more than ready to look after themselves, yet forgets to love their children with, not gifts, but time...
Children who grow up with no father, no mother...not because they fail to walk this earth, but because they're always to busy.

We live in a world of broken hearts, broken lives, who desperately need Jesus. If God loving the children who walk into my classroom, through my life, is all I have to claim when my days here are done, I know it will be enough.
I may not desire a life of showiness or limelight - but I do desire to use it to show young hearts that they matter, that they are NOT forgotten and that there is a plan and father so much bigger than they will ever know, but more than anything that they are desperately and unconditionally loved for exactly who they are...they are not a mistake.
THAT is my hearts desire. And I will do that wherever God moves me. It doesn't start tomorrow...it starts right now.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

At School...

As I type this now, I can hear the presentations of students within my classroom, carrying on behind me. Suzii (my prac teacher) and I have release for two hours every Tuesday afternoon. Today being Tuesday and now being the afternoon - means that this joyful part of the week has indeed arrived.
I spent the last hour working on 3 programming KLA's and now, figuring I've worked hard enough for one day, deserve a bit of a break.

Week 4 of my internship. 6 more to go and it has been decided that I WILL be going with year 6 to Canberra for a week. FANTASTIC! free holiday, just pottering around with the kids for a week, plus no teaching, which means no lesson planning or programming.
I really am enjoying my time here. I worked out my teacher profile, which means I've established the line for students, betweeen being their friend and being their teacher. I actually have them running scared some days when they really try to test the limits. However for majority of the time I get along famously with the kids.
I already have requests from the girls as to what colour earrings I should wear each day.

Tim comes to visit on Thursday, which I'm pretty stoked about - I haven't seen him for a little over a month. Which means that I have another month till the end of my internship. yayaay!

But alas! thats the Bell - time to take some kids to the bus lines.
Have an awesome day and I'll update soon.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Car Pool with Jesus.

Hmmm...It's funny the way God shows up isn't it.

I finished my day at Prac and Jesus sat waiting for me in the car.

I had an absolute shocker of the day, so drained and strained by everything that went on, we had a student attempt to stab my prac teacher with a pen, before being pulled out of the classroom for the rest of the day. The class going nuts and totally disrespecting a substitue music teacher. I was absolutely mortified by their behaviour, but more than anything; embarassed, because I know they're capable of so much more.
So they copped an ear-full when we went back to the classroom, I ripped into them big time!
we then had maths and they sat and they worked better than they ever have before, they were almost too scared to speak!

so by the time 4pm rolled around and I could head home, I was completely knackered, I wandered ever so slowly to the car, opened the door and plonked myself in the seat. As I started the car and began rolling out of the carpark, without even realising it, I had tears streaming down my cheeks, but the peculiar thing was they were not due to what I would initially think.
I wouldn't have been surprised if the weight of the days events had left me feeling defeated and exhausted, but these tears were for something else.
As I entered the car this afternoon, I had this overwhelming sense of peace and love.
God knew my day, and as I prepared to enter that car, Christ sat there and waited for me. He knew I needed him.
So I spent the car ride home chatting to him and grinning like a lunatic.

I am exhausted, but I'm joyful. Everyday God just shows me again and again, that he has designed me to teach - and I will spend my days attempting to better the gifts he has given me - so long as he keeps on sending the strength I need to do it!

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.Exodus 15:1-3

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Randomness...

8 weeks left of my internship. Starting this week I move into phase 2, which basically means that I can't fail it! Cools

I am now considered an "Associate Teacher" as opposed to merely being a "Prac Student".

Long distance relationships suck! [2 months till the long distance is gone!]

I'm officially obsessed with Chicken! Yummo!

Matt, Kate and I spent an hour on saturday driving around tuncurry, desperately trying to remember where Amy and Robs place was. We ended up having the best time, laughing as one Magpie tried to peck the bajeebers out of another one, and having a good chuckle at a pair of oldies with matching, broken umbrellas.

I'm missing Smirnoff Double Blacks.

The weekend of the 7th of October, Kate and I are heading to Armidale to celebrate our belated 22nd. If your interested, then you should definitely join us, it's gonna go off! and Belle, you had better believe you'll be coming.

Our church got hit by lightning last night, so this mornings service was without power. Entirely accoustic and entirely captivating worship.

I watched Disney's "Ice Princess" today, and yep - damn those corney disney movies, I got a bit teary towards the end...

Was woken in the wee hours of this morning, by a phonecall from Tim at 3am, we chatted untill at least 4am.

I took advantage of the blackout today by having a my first bath in at least 2 years - complete with candles and lavender bubbles...hmmm, so good.

I was having a seriously bad hair day today, and really didn't have the energy to do anything about it, so I popped on a crimson beanie, tied my hair in piggie-plaits and headed to church.

I have to end this, due to having 4 lessons to plan for tomorrow...

If your willing, prayer would be awesome! I can't wait till I don't have to be graded on this anymore!

love you.
xoxo