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Getting the show on the road again :-)
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Last year I was so very blessed to have a weekend course in Spiritual Warfare paid for me. I'll be honest, I was hesitant about going, it all on the surface appeared a bit "freaky" to me and I was getting more and more weary about going as the time grew closer. I rang Tracey (who has had training in this area) for some confirmation as to if I should do this course or not. Tracey in her wisdom said "Take it to the Lord in prayer". So I threw out the fleece I asked the Lord to blatantly show me in His word if this was something I should do or not. God presented me with John 3. The whole verse is about how the Pharisees could only understand the written word and not the things beyond that, about the Spiritual matters about the work that Christ had come to do, about things not of this world. I read the verse to Mark, I had my confirmation to go.
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That weekend has changed so many things for us. I really tried to shut out the enemy and "ignore" Him, but the verse really struck out for me is 1 Peter 5:8-11 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. You don't walk through the jungle that has a lion in it hoping that if you ignore it it will go away. That strategy wasn't going to work anymore.
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As time goes on and things aren't "going to plan" or life appears not to be following God's path I now look to Spiritual causes, not just brush it off to "that's life". Often it has really made me ask the question "What does God have planed and what is the enemy wanting to stop Him achieving, why is he diverting my eyes from the Lord?" If I had never been made aware of the enemy and his tactics, I honestly don't think I would be sitting here writing this post from our new home. God called us to buy a house after Nov 08 and we were putting it off. I was suffering bleeding with my pregnancy, Cowper's bone marrow stopped working, Holly's eczema went through the roof & Mark for the first time suffered a bad back. We allowed these things to put us off house hunting. How could we contemplate a move to the country with all this going on? We took a break over the summer and started asking the Lord what He thought about all this and why were we facing all of these issues. The message became clear, we were under enemy attack. But why us??? What did God have in store for us that the enemy was so desperate to stop? The only thing we could think of was buying a home. We committed to each other there and then that the first thing we did when we got home was start looking.
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We get in the driveway we open the mailbox and there is a letter saying that in 6wks time our rent was going up $40 a week!! We both looked at each other and said "I think God wants us to get a move on!" The day we signed the contract on the house my bleeding which had been consistent for over a month stopped and hasn't returned, PRAISE THE LORD. Cowper's blood has been normal, we've been making progress with Holly's skin & Mark's back finally started to heal. Just think if we had ignored the enemy pretended he wasn't there, we'd still be living in the city, all having health issues and paying more in rent. PRAISE THE LORD for His love and guidance.
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But the verse doesn't promise happiness and joy ASAP it says "after you have suffered for a while" the enemy has still put up obstacles along the way, he's made us doubt our ability to pay for move, feed the family etc etc, but God did promise to always provide and indeed He has! We made the move with me 34wks pregnant. God gave me strength that I never knew I had. Instead of feeling tired and worn out, I'm feeling fitter, stronger and healthier than I have before. Imagine feeling that way after having a pregnancy that was so troubling!!
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So now when life feels like it's hitting the skids I kind of get excited. I think "HA enemy, if you're up to something, then God is too!!" and I divert my eyes on the Lord. "Resist him, standing firm in the faith" It's not a time to hide or get angry with God or just wallow in our own suffering it's time to STAND FIRM. And God has promised us he will provide the strength to fight.
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So now I look to 2009 and I am really excited about what is in store. I think of all the things that have been happening in the lives of our SoF HQ from Dec 08 till now; Tracey and her DH taking on more prayer ministry hours and the impact that has on the family; Karen's change from being an RLO officer that past 15yrs to that chapter now ending and no more kids at school. Ro now having all her kids at school. Lara and her work changes this year from having been at play centre to now going back to teaching. Bev also having all her kids at school. Gail and last year the Lord led her to withdraw from the theatre which had been such a big part of her life, and being there for her extended family as they face some major health issues. In some way we are all facing some big changes as 2009 gets underway.
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So that leads me to the theme for March 2009. I can't think of a general "name" for the theme, but in your scrapping this month and in your bible reading, focus on God's plans for you and if they've been smooth sailing or if the enemy has jumped in and had a real go at stopping them.
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Some possible layout ideas could be:
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"When the Enemy Attacks"
"God's plan for 2009"
"Changes"
"Lord what do you want from me?"
"Tips for enemy attack" with journaling prompts about what you would do to stop this, kind of like a survival guide.
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Don't forget to share your layouts with us.
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Here's my efforts so far. I've Used Willro&co "Quality Time" kit.
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Journaling reads: Your perfect will and timing Lord won in the end. You told us to buy a house after Nov. 08, and the enemy put in a good effort to stop it. He used bleeding during mypregnancy, Cowper’s TEC, Holly’s eczema and Mark’s back. We are so thankful that we turned to you Lord and you got us back on track, and brought us here to Mt. Colliery.Your Timing,Your House for Us, Your Abundant Blessing, Your Victory!
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Watch this space over the next few days for better uploading of challenge entries.

And Don't Forget... Cyber Crop/Chat this Saturday March 8th, 7pm QLD time in MSN. To join in add sofaugust2007@hotmail.com as a contact.

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Here's my take on the sketch. I see a lot of us are loving this one :) The "dude" in the photos is my little man Alec, he's 3 and a typical 3 year old, and makes a best friend out of anyone he meets ;-)

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Giving Thanks in All Things

Mark and I have five kids and we both feel that our family is done, however neither of us is ready to take the step and get an operation to make it that way, we feel that if we take that step we are saying to God “We don’t trust you with this aspect of our lives”.

This decision brings about a dance every month. I fully stress out that I’m pregnant, I get freaked out with Mark that “We did all the right things, YOU must have sperm that live FOREVER just waiting!!”, and I get angry with God and say “YOU know the desires of my heart, why would you give me another kid when we have 5 & we are happy with 5?”. Then I feel guilty for blaming everyone that I “might” be pregnant and then I think of all my friends who struggle to fall pregnant, & then I say, “Lord what is going on here?”

This silly dance happens for about 3 days every month. It’s in those days that I think, well perhaps one of us should get the operation, that would solve this and we wouldn’t do this dance every month. Then I worry that I am letting the enemy fill my head with thoughts of not being able to trust God, would I then forever be questioning myself about the decision. How could I look God in the eye and say “I couldn’t trust you?”

I then come to a realisation that as agonising as this dance is each month, I’m actually really thankful for it. Each month I get angry frustrated and scared, all the “What if” questions fill my mind and after a time God always wins me back. It’s like falling securely into his arms and snuggling in there and saying “I know you are looking after me, and what ever happens this month, I know it’s Your Will and I know that’s the perfect solution and I know I’m okay with that.”

No matter how hectic my life is, no matter how little time I’ve spent with God for the month, we always have this time together, this check up of “I’m still here, I’m still in control, do you still love and trust me?”, and the answer is always “Yes Lord I do.”

So three days of freaking out every month is a bit funny to be thankful for, but I am just so thankful that God is in control, that HIS WILL IS PERFECT and I am just so amazed and in awe that each month He grabs my attention and alerts me to the fact.

1 Thessalonians 5:18
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

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Here's my take on the Sketch challenge and the Listen Challenge.




It has been a mad house here in the Clifford family this past month. From now until October we get pretty busy with our work, especially June and July, as in triple the workload, talk about busy!! Hmmmmmm it's no wonder I struggle to get my tax return in on time.

With all this crazy busy it get's really easy to forget that there is a world outside the immediate "must do's" and a lot of clients with important deadlines, but there is a world and we were commissioned to go out into it and spread the word of Christ. Mark 16:15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Great, how do I do that when some days I don't even leave the house? It's true I've become a shut in. Okay I exagerate, I'm not a shut in, but not leaving the house except for the mundane tasks, like grocery shopping and the essentials, starts to feel a bit like it.

With all this work, I'll admit I've been hiding, I knew I had to write and article on Evangelising this month, and yet here I am saying "Lord are you for real?? Of all the months to be inspiring and I've had such a bad month at getting out there." Struggling with what to say and feeling like a complete evangelistic failure, I was reminded that it's not the big show, it's not making sure I had a full on conversation with someone about God, but it was being "Christ like" in all the little things.


It's about being a friend, as simple as saying "I'm praying for you", stopping to say "Hi" to the new person at church, stopping to say "Hi" to a long term member of the congregation. Saying "I love you" to your Mum and Dad before you hang up the phone. It's the little things, It's putting on the cross and without a word saying "Hey I know Christ" and looking that check out chick in the eye and saying "Thank you" like you mean it.

The theme we are exploring this month is reaching out, or evangelizing. I’ve had a pretty difficult month so far and I had barely given any thought to what I could share on this topic – just getting through each day seemed challenging enough.

In the past week, my darling Grandma was rushed into hospital and it wasn’t looking all that positive. It makes such a difference when you can ask for prayer in tough times, and to cut a long story short, prayers were answered, a miracle provided, and she’s home again – though still with a way to go to get back to good health.

And at the same time, my beautiful little sausage dog Monte, my faithful friend – died.
He was 13 which is a pretty decent age for a dog. Our little family has only existed for 15 years and he was with us for 13 of them. Leaves a pretty big hole.

So in the space of a few days there are wonderful highs and painful lows. My Gran and my Monte were great mates – both sunlovers who adored keeping each other company when she came to stay. It will never be quite the same again, even if Gran can get back to being well enough to visit us again. We all feel the void, that things have changed and cant go back to the way they were.

Sometimes I feel a weight of responsibility when it comes to being a Christian. That how I behave, how I respond, how I deal with situations reflects well or badly on Jesus. Statistics show that a great percentage of people who come to know Jesus as Lord do so because of their relationship with someone who already knows Him and loves Him. Given those statistics, it seems to put even more pressure on me and how I then relate to people - that somehow I have to be always perfect, always happy, always have it all together …well if I overlay that view on my past week of life, it’s just about laughable. Might as well give up now!

But a wise person once told me that Jesus Christ was more than capable of doing his own PR. And it was the work of His Holy Spirit which draws people to Him. So I’m relieved that it’s not all my responsibility (which really is a pretty self centred view of things anyway) – but even in difficult times, is there something I can do to play my part?

At the beginning of this year, the Lord challenged me to get real with my scrapping. I guess what He was pointing out was that there are two sides to me – the real me, warts and all, seen best through the pages of my prayer journal which chronicles my journey through life with Him… and the scrapping me, whose layouts tend to focus on the brighter side of life. The ‘me’ of my prayer journal happily chronicles both the ugly and the joyful sides of life, but the ‘scrapping me’? Well there wasn’t much warts and all there. He could see it, and wanted to see me scrap more of my whole journey – not just the brighter side.

And also during this year particularly I have been continually challenged, uplifted and inspired by one Stitching Mum on our forum, the very real Ali. She’s been thrown some complete curve balls in life, can share so honestly and openly about them, and the one thing that shines through the midst of it all is her faith in the Lord, how it both blesses her and challenges her. The wonderful thing is that people still see Jesus, and I think even more clearly, when Ali is sharing the reality of her life. It isn’t always pretty, but it’s always honest and true, and Jesus is there through it all for her – and that’s my Jesus too, that’s the Jesus I want everyone to know and to have in their lives.

Through His words to me in prayer and having Ali’s example in front of me to follow, I want to trust Him and obey, and try and be more real – and if scrapping is the vehicle He wants me to use, then so be it. For the first time I have done a layout which doesn’t feature a happy memory, or smiling faces, or beautiful photos or any of the elements which usually inspire me to scrap. I’ve tried to be real in my layout journaling so it’s not really that different to what I poured out in my private prayer journal.

Because at the end of the day, He can use me far more to reach out to others who don’t know Him if they can see that I’m just like everybody else - not perfect, don’t always have it right – but what I do always have is Him. He gives me a future and a hope, regardless of the wonderful highs, the painful lows, and even the mundane moments of everyday life. And everyone who asks Him into their lives can have exactly the same.

He never promised us that if we believed in Him we’d have charmed lives. In fact He told us that in this life we would have trouble. But He also told us He would never leave us or forsake us. We never have to be alone.

So right now, it’s a dark time for me. But I’m not alone. And there’ll be brighter times ahead too. And He’ll still be there. Jesus is no fair-weather friend. He’s with us for keeps. We just have to reach out – and be real...

Tracey xo

Digi Credits – Sometimes Love Hurts
Layout done in PSE5
Papers, heart, paint splat, note paper – WillRo&Co (Ro Rocks!)
Titles – Shabby Princess
Fonts – Century Gothic and Rage Italic

The Biggest Lesson God has taught Me - Beverley Warwick

God has taught me many lessons over the 34 and a half years of my life. Some were fairly simple to learn and some I'm still learning – let's face it, I'm a slow learner!

It's hard to pick 'one' as the biggest, but the truths in 1 Peter chapter 5 formed a very important lesson for me. One that served as a key turning point in my life.

Resist him (the devil), standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are under going the same kinds of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:9

I learned this lesson as a teenager and it's one that has stayed with me through many trials I've faced on my journey as an adult.

I was brought up in a Christian home. My parents took me to Church, taught me Bible verses and trained me in Christian things. I accepted the Lord Jesus into my heart as a young child and then 'recommitted' my life to God at every kids camp I went to thereafter – just to be sure I'd get into heaven!

As a teenager, however, I began to question the truths I had been taught. I started asking questions. Is God real? How can I be sure? I became depressed and started wondering about what would happen if I died. I reasoned that if God was real, then when I died I would go to heaven and if God didn't exist then dying would simply be the end of my life. Both options seemed better than dealing with the problems I was facing as a lonely teenager.

I was soon to discover that God certainly was real and interested in my life. I went to a weekend sports camp with my youth group where we not only played sport but got together to sing Christian songs and study the Bible. I found it impossible to stay in those meetings. My doubts of God's existence and my thoughts of suicide made me very uncomfortable to be in a place where everyone was talking about God.

My friend noticed this and arranged for us to talk privately with the camp speaker, Lew. I said nothing at all about what was bothering me, all I could do was cry. Lew opened his Bible and began reading the verses found in 1 Peter 5. He spoke about standing firm, about how others throughout the world have undergone the same kinds of sufferings. My heart was opened at this point as I began to understand that other people have also asked these questions.

He went on to explain that there comes a point in every persons life when they must accept for themselves the existence of God, the truth of Christ's love and the miracle of His death and resurrection. He explained that there must be a change in believing because your parents do, to believing because you know it to be true yourself.

I believe it was God speaking through this man. I hadn't said what was bothering me, yet what he was saying was exactly answering my thoughts. At that moment I knew without a doubt that God was real and I would stand firm in my faith. I was comforted by the next verse too...

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10

God had called me and in his grace He, himself, would restore me and make me strong enough to deal with my teenage problems. As Lew prayed with us my tears flowed, not of intense sadness this time, but complete joy in knowing that God had restored my faith and he would help me to stand strong, firm and steadfast.

Since learning this lesson I have been comforted by these verses in many 'tough times.' Whatever the problem might be I know that I can stand firm in my faith. There is no need to waiver, to wonder how on earth I can get through another trial. I know that I am not alone – others throughout the world have had the same kinds of problems. If they got through it, then I'll get through it too. And I can claim the promise that God will himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast once again.

And the awesome thing about this, is that God cares for all our problems. The big ones and the small ones. We can stand firm knowing that He cares that same whether our problem is a life-threatening one or simply a case of a hard to toilet train toddler!

PRECIOUS AND LOVED - GENNIE JOY

The Journaling on my LO reads:

Precious and Loved

As I sit and ponder the biggest lesson God has taught me....I come back constantly to the incredibly long journey that He needed to take me on...the journey of Self Acceptance! Not just to read Scripture and know 'Head Knowledge' that I am acceptable and loved just as I am, but 'Heart Knowledge' in the very depths of my soul. I love both Psalm 139 and Isaiah 43. Both are Scriptures that God has imprinted on my heart. I am precious to Him and loved and am therefore acceptable to others, a person of great worth. Gennie 20.3.08

The Biggest Lesson God Has Tuaght Me.

When asked the question ‘What is the biggest lesson God has taught you?’, how do you respond? How do you choose just one? Or for that matter, the biggest one??? When faced with this dilemma recently I thought of some of the many lessons that God has taught me over the years I have walked with Him. I thought of ‘Keeping my peace…His peace’, of ‘patience’, of perseverance’, and of ‘trusting Him’. I thought of ‘learning how real and important prayer is’ and how I came to really understand ‘the truth of depending totally on Him for absolutely everything’. So many lessons, some easily learnt, others still being learnt over and over again.

There are so many lessons in life that God has taught me…but really there is no choice, no competition when asked ‘this’ question! By far the hardest and biggest of all lessons that God has needed to teach me is ‘Who I am in Christ’. To not only accept myself, but to accept that He created me with all my faults and failings, with my weaknesses and strengths because He KNEW me and He knew what I would pass through on this earth and what I would need to not just survive but to thrive as well.

God needed to teach me that I was lovely, loved and loveable. That I am His child and His vessel, use-able in other’s lives, and created for His workmanship, for His glory. That I am beautiful to Him on the inside and on the outside. That nothing I do (short of outright rejecting Him) can alter His love for me and who He created me to be.

Why was this such a hard lesson for me to learn? Well, hand up if you have ever seen a photo of yourself and thought ‘yuck’! Or, ‘I look terrible’. Hand up if you’ve ever NOT put your photo in a blog or an Avatar or on a Layout, just because you didn’t like the way it looked, or the way you looked in it! You felt that you were too fat or too thin, too wrinkled or too ugly. Too undeserving or too……….. (you fill in the gap)!

We have all struggled to some degree or other at some stage in our lives from a wrong view of who we are in Christ, a poor self image, a lack of confidence in who we are or how we fit into this world. There are so many reasons for this. A home life growing up where Christ was not the centre nor were His words taught and lived out. A place where there were a lot of the ‘right words’ and a lot of show, but behind closed doors a lot of ungodliness took place, (such as was the case for me). Or, maybe it was schoolyard bullying where you were told ‘It doesn’t matter’, Or worse, you were repeatedly told that ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me’. Perhaps it was a marriage not built on Godly principles or an abusive relationship. Or maybe, it was just the constant barrage of media and advertising that tells you: ‘You’re not thin enough’, ‘You’re not beautiful enough’, you don’t have a big enough house, car, goods, accessories’. For some people the lies are slow and insidious, for others they are overwhelming, condemning and oppressive, if not depressive.

They are however, all lies, lies of the enemy, the evil one, Satan himself who ‘Prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’. (1 Peter 5:8) The ‘world’, of which Satan is the master, gives so many negative messages that it is hard for us to stand strong in the truths of what God says about us. But, listen to some of Psalm 139! ‘You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!’ Psalm 139:13-17

David is talking to God and acknowledges just how important he is to God. How much God loves Him and the ways in which this is revealed to him. It’s a beautiful example of a theme that appears all through Scripture. Our worth to God and how precious and loved we are by Him.

One of my all time favourite passages of Scripture is found in Isaiah 43. “But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honoured, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Isaiah is giving a prophesy about God’s people who have been scattered, but whom He will reclaim because they, like us, are precious in His eyes and honoured and He loves them!

Learning the truth about who we are in Christ is hard for many, many people. Because of the abusive home life I came from, where secrets abounded and truth was unreality, it has taken years for God to penetrate the lies that had filled my life. It has been an enormous journey, a huge effort, a lot of hard work to re-train my brain and to re-order my thinking. But slowly, once God got me out of that situation, He (and eventually I) started the rebuilding process of putting a life back together based on His word and His truths. It has taken years and years and sometimes I still have to remind myself of the truth, but overall, I have learnt that I am special! I am a child of God, I am fearfully and wonderfully made AND I am precious and loved by God just the way I am. Not that I can or should stay as I am, but as I walk, day by day, with Jesus by my side, I am who He wants me to be and I continue to grow and change in Him, by the Grace of God!

The biggest lesson of my life has been to learn that I am (and you are too!) a child of God, precious, special, deeply loved by the creator of the whole universe! God is MY Father, My best Friend, My Saviour and My Lord. I pray that you will know these truths as reality in your lives too.

(For further reading, an excellent book on this subject is 'The lies we believe' by Dr Chris Thurman.)

When we ran the comp for new DT members the theme was "The Biggest Lesson God has Taught You". Some of the applicants have graciously allowed us to share their lessons with you. We hope you enjoy their stories and creations as much as we did.

Today we are sharing the wonderful contribution from Meredith Harmer.

Hand written Journaling
When I was married in 19991 this is not how I imagined that my family would look in the year 2007 – but the fact that it does look like this has taught me many things.

Typed Journaling
Everybody has a story to tell – but sometimes we don’t take the time to hear it or to understand it. If you asked me in my early 20’s if I was judgemental I would have answered “NO” but I would have been wrong. When it comes to other people’s stories we often see what we see from the outside looking in, then join the dots together and make our own conclusions or judgements.
Very rarely does life go exactly according to plan and mine was no different. I expected that by the age of 30 I would have had my family of three children. Instead I was the mother of one – beautiful Bronte. I had two miscarriages in 1999 but then nothing year after year. People began to make their own judgements about me, suggesting that it was “time” I had another baby, or asked why I had chosen not to. Little did they know!! So one day when I was having a word to God about these people he gently reminded me that I was one of them.
He pointed out that I often made judgements about others without knowing their story. This lesson was powerful, significant and life changing – JUDGE NOT.

REFLECTION

Over the years I have learnt that it is very dangerous to point the finger at other people’s faults because God has this gentle but very direct way of pointing that finger right back at you. It was difficult for me to face the fact that I had been judging other people, but I quickly realised that God simply wanted to show me how subtle and easy it was to fall into this trap.
This lesson began simply with a reminder not to judge other people but has evolved into much more. God went on to show me that if I changed the way I responded to people’s questions about my family- rather than being hurt, to be open and honest about the situation (whatever it was) then they would understand a little bit about my story, a little bit more about me. In doing this I began to notice a trend, I had given other people the opportunity to share their story – it was about being real with each other.



This was a new season for me, I had become open to the Holy Spirit, become open to being taught, to being changed from the inside out. Don’t get me wrong - I am no angel BUT I am determined with the Spirits leading to be more and more like Jesus.
I love that Jesus loves us too much to leave us the way we are, and I am thankful for the promise in Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

The journey so far has not been straight forward, but each bump in the road has taught me to trust God’s plans and not my own. He has this life of mine firmly in his hand and is unfolding it way better than if I called the shots.



Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your path straight. (a note of thanks to Colin Buchannan for helping me remember where to find this treasure)

Would like to share a lesson I learnt this week? ... Here is a summary of my day.

7am - left home to drive to appt for pelvic ultrasound (You know the kind girls, where you have to drink all the water and then hold on) Grrr ….
7.30 Ultrasound appt is across the street from Shopping Centre so had planned to park there. Too early, parking not open, so have to find a spot on the street. Trying not to think about the toilet. Double Grrr ….
7.31 Find a spot right outside PTL! Two hour parking, didn’t kick in until 8.30am so that gave me until 10.30am. Had been told I'd be out and report in hand by 9.30am (seeing doctor at Midday).
7.32 Try to read Scrapbooking Memories to keep mind off things. Have had to leave kids at home which not happy about but no choice and no call yet so they are still asleep PTL. See layouts from Carolina and Ro in SM, but too exciting, makes me think of how much I need to go you-know-where … continuous grrrr ….
7.33-7.45 still sipping
7.50 Ultrasound practice opens. Try and be pleasant and get all paperwork out of the way while keeping legs firmly crossed
7.51-7.54 Try and read trashy mag. Doesn’t help. More grrrr ….
7.55 Cant believe it, only 5 minutes to wait and I SERIOUSLY have to go - but not just number 1's - feel definite attack of diarrhoea on the way! Receptionist suggests I try to just let 'a little' go. (Don’t know if anyone else finds this as impossible as I do - even my husband knew that just wasn’t going to happen when I told him later)
7.56 - yep, - well I'll spare you the details but suffice to say I'm sitting there now fully swigging two bottles of water quick smart! Grrr gurgle ..
8.02 Called in for ultrasound. At this point I'm told it will also be an internal ultrasound as well. No hassle, had that before. The external part took about 2 minutes tops (that's what all the water is for, and apparently it made no difference that I'd only drunk it two minutes before!!!)
8.05 Now she tells me to empty my bladder COMPLETELY before the internal. Well that's a bit of a job, my body is in such confusion by this stage. Have to have two go's at it.
8.25 All finished, dressed, back out to the counter. “So I come back at 9.30am, right? To get my report? Get home to my kids?”
“Oh no madam, doctor doesn’t look at anything until at least 9.30am so it will be 10am at the earliest. Come back then”. GGGGGRRRRRR!!!!!!!
8.26 Ring DH, give update, concerned about kids, have they called? No, all quiet. Have breakfast - very nice, but you guessed it, poor old bladder is still trying to get rid of two bottles of water. Probably now know location of every loo in Miranda Fair.
10am - back at Ultrasound. “Can I have my report please”?
“Oh sorry, we are having problems with computer system, films are ready but no report. You'll just have to wait”.
“But ... my kids have been home alone since 7am – I have to get home!”
“Sorry madam. Cant be helped”.
“And, how strict are they on the two hour parking out the front?”
“VERY”.
10.10am Call girlfriend who organised appointment for advice - can I have report faxed to doctor and take the films myself? No, legally they can’t separate them. She will call them to see if they might make an exception.
10.12am Daughter calls – “when are you coming home Mum?” Upset to hear about delay. “Why can’t you come now?” (Grrr just doesn’t cut it here, what’s the abbreviation for utter turmoil and guilt?)
10.15am I station myself at front counter where I can see my car and hopefully any parking police lurking. Too late to try and park in shopping centre now - school holidays, cinemas ... forget it!
10.25am A lady pulls up out front to park behind me - I rush out and ask her to 'swap' spots with me so I now have a 'new' 2 hour spot. It's a tight squeeze, hope the 4WD behind me doesn’t want to get out in the next 5 minutes ...
10.45am Another loo stop
10.46am Return the loo key and receptionist hands me my films - Cool! “Is the report done then?”
“No, will have to fax it”.
10.47 In the car, let's go, still time to get home and calm little daughter before I have to get to doctor's.
10.47 Car dies.
10.48 Call dear husband - I need a hero!!!
(Would like to say the next part was really prayerful and godly but ... it wasn’t .Visions of VERY ANGRY 4WD driver returning to their car and unable to get it out because I’m in the way.
10.50 Sit and wait for NRMA road service to come.
AHA!!! A light bulb moment. I text Sal and ask her to pray - something like 'disaster morning and now car has died and Claire home without me and upset'
Sal answers and prays.
10.51 NRMA man calls me - just a couple of minutes more
10.53 NRMA man arrives. Diagnoses dead battery. But we only had the battery checked last week? Well, sometimes they just have 'heart attacks' and die. Really? I smell a rat!
11am NRMA man escorts me to Auto Electrician and comes and pleads my case for immediate repair so I can make my appointment. By this time I just wanna get home!!!
11.05 I call doctor's and let them know what is happening, can I come later in the day? “No, and no report faxed yet either. Call us when you know whether you can still make it”.
11.10 Speak to dear son who knew I was late from my husband but didn’t know about the car. Tries to comfort his sister but a bit of a tall order.
11.15 speak to friend from Ultrasound - computers still bung, no report for noon appointment is possible.
11.20 Back on the road. Praise the Lord! Call dear husband, who is amazed I'm back on the road in such a short period of time. (Usually a minimum of one hour wait before NRMA serviceman even arrives, and in wet weather it’s even longer – and of course it was showery). He reminds me I have a big God. Ooops. Sometimes I need reminding.
11.21 Call doctor - they have a cancellation - can I come at 4.30pm instead? Ooh yeh! 11.30 Call in and pick up my Grandma - was supposed to be picking her up after doctor's, glad she is ready, need to get home!
Noon - Home at last! YAY! Little daughter VERY happy. Everyone now pleased I managed to buy Krispy Kreme donuts while I killed time between loo stops at Miranda.
4pm Call doctor's to see if report had turned up - no. They will follow up.
5pm See doctor - yes, had an ovarian cyst which explained the cyclical pain over many months but it had 'exploded' and was in the midst of resolving itself. YAY!

I mentioned to doctor that on the day of my last appointment with him when we decided to organise ultrasound etc, I had pain that afternoon but the next day it was gone - this was unusual because in previous months the pain had lasted for about a week each time. He said that in all likelihood that was the day that the cyst 'exploded' and what we were seeing now on the ultrasound was all the evidence of the bleeding as it resolved itself.

So what is the point of all this? What is the lesson I have learnt from it all?

The power of prayer.

Yesterday was such a comedy of errors, and I didn’t handle it so very well. I did pray but I was a bit too stressed to think straight (that's what a full bladder and stressing about my kids always does to me) but things only started to straighten themselves out when I thought to ask someone to pray for me (thanks Sal).

I should have asked for prayer myself from all of you Scrap of Faith sisters prior to the appointment. I'm always quick to say to people that no request is too small, or you shouldn’t be put off when others have concerns that seem so much more weighty. But I fell into my own trap there, I read posts the night before that made my need seem so trivial and I committed the sin of hypocrisy and I didn’t ask. Please forgive me girls for being a hypocrite and not practicing what I preach – oops! And I’m so sorry Lord!

But I did ask for prayer from two of my Scrap of Faith sisters prior to my initial doctor’s appointment. I shared my concerns and what I was worried that the doctor might find and they added their prayers to mine for that appointment. To find that there had been a problem but it was likely healed on the very day they had been praying for my healing is a wonderful God-incidence so I want to thank Him and glorify Him – and thank Sal and Ro who were praying for me.

So even when I’m being distracted by everything the enemy wants to throw at me, when I remember to call on Him or ask someone to call on Him with me because I’m unable, He always answers our prayers.

So the lesson I’ve learnt? The moral of the story?

There’ll be lessons to learn every day. The “Teacher” is always in the classroom, waiting. I just have to remember to check in and PRAY!!!!

By Tracey Smith

The Biggest Lesson God Has Taught You.

Wow that’s a big one!! What is the biggest? There are so many to choose from and I still have many, many more to learn, God, by no means done with me yet, but one of the big ones I’m constantly learning is to be content, that the grass isn’t greener on the other side.

Matthew 5:5 "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought. – The Message

John 14:8 Philip said, "Master, show us the Father; then we'll be content." – The Message

Our contentment comes when we have seen the Father, when we have made Him Lord of our lives. The only way we can be content is to ask God to examine our hearts and show us our blessings.

I spent a life of looking at others and thinking they had it all, especially with material things. Getting jealous, trying to keep up with the Joneses and of course believing the lies in gossip mags, that my life just didn’t measure up. I was by no means content. How does a family function when Mum isn’t content? Well it doesn’t function. I was so absorbed in my wants and failings that I stopped to consider others.

When God finally “clicked” and I surrendered my life to Him, he started to work huge changes in my life. I went from looking at what I didn’t have to what I did have. Or should I say what God had given Mark and I stewardship over. First we had God’s Love and Christ’s Salvation, the greatest gift ever given to the world; no grass is greener than that!! We had God’s word and direction for our life. Nup can’t find a better self help manual ever written than that one. We had prayer, a direct line to the Creator of the Universe, somehow I don’t think I’ll ever find a better help line. We had each other, a marriage that is unbreakable with God as it’s guide. We had 5 kids, 5 of God’s children that He had asked us to look after for Him. Then we had the promise of ALL our needs being met. Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

With God at our helm how could we be discontent? You would think that wouldn’t you, but I slip up….. a lot. I was born in sin and I fall short of the Glory of God. I had my camera break, it was covered by insurance and I wasn’t content to replace it, I had to get bigger and better and succumbed to my desires and not my needs. I didn’t allow God to have full control over it, I put the insurance money to pay for some of it and used my interest free card for the rest and now I have a GREAT camera, but I have debt to go with it. I also have a DH who is questioning himself at 2am in the morning, “Did we do the right thing?”. I allowed the perception of “the greener grass” to put stress on my husband he doesn’t need. I didn’t rest in the Lord to be content with borrowing Mark’s camera and waiting till I could get one without the debt. I had to have it……yesterday.

I still let the enemy get a foothold and look at the outside and not the inside but slowly and surely I’m working on it & I am very thankful that God gives us gentle reminders. I came across this quote over the weekend for a scrap challenge “Be Kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle” - Plato. It spoke volumes to me about my grass is greener battle and just like Lara said “It’s not about me, it’s about Him” and with it being about Him, it’s about being content with us and looking out for the situations of others, not just our own.

Journalling - Just like this photo is a little blurry so are our perceptions. Each one of us though smiling has struggles and made mistakes. I am so thankful that theses Sisters in Christ look beyond their own situation and think of others

"SPRING TIME FEVER" DIGITAL KIT BY TIA BENNETT – Paper, ribbon, flower

Kristin Aargard – Frosted Symbols

Word art quote – Kellie Mize

Kate Teauge – Brush

Font's Edwardian Script & Lucida Bright

oooh, my first post on the SOF blog, very exciting!

click on this link to find out 'how' to do the layout above!

Well... it's all about 'the biggest lesson God has taught me'... only, he's still teaching me! I'm a bit slow... but his word teaches that He will finish the work He has begun in me (Philippians 1:6).

The Big lesson I want to share with you is that It's not about us!!!
This was said during open worship time at Church last Sunday and is one of the 'biggest lessons' God has to teach me over & over again - Yep, still going. With this thought in mind I was reminded of Rick Warren's 'Purpose Driven Life' book where the opening chapter is all about this. The first chapter is titled 'It all starts with God' and the first two paragraphs read:
It's not about you.
The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.

The Bible talks of 'loosing my life for His sake' & tells me that I'll then find it... This verse has stuck with me since I used to listen to it driving home from school or evenings out as a teenager (home was half an hour from town) in my wee '84' Mazda 323 about 17 years ago (I said it's a long time lesson). The song was by David Meece:

DAVID MEECE TO THE GLORY OF GOD LYRICS
For awhile it was fine, hearing the roar of the crowd,
For awhile it was mine, flying up over the clouds,
But then the sun melted my wings, now I’m on my knees.
To the glory of God,
Next time I fly it will be to the glory of God,
I want my life just to be to the glory of God.
And once I used to ride off to war,There was glory to win, thought I knew what it was for,
But most of the battles were mine; and now so is the pain.
To the glory of God
Next time I fight it will be to the glory of God,
I want my life just to be to the glory of God,
To be to the glory of God.
They say the man that finds his life will lose it, and mine was slipping away,
But, oh, the man that has the faith to lose it will find that his life is saved.
To the glory of God,
Next time I fly it will be to the glory of God,
I want my whole life to be to the glory of God,
Next time I fight it will be to the glory of God,
I want my whole life to be to the glory of God,
Next time I fly it will be to the glory of God,(fade)

It's not about me,
It's about Him!

A Leopard Can’t Change His Spots

How many times have we heard that and many other’s like it? “You can’t change him”; “You’ll never change”, “Once a cheater always a cheater”, “You’ll always be a loser”. Oh boy, such encouraging words!

If we were to listen to phrases like this and hold onto them, then there is no hope for any of us. We are doomed to be lost in our hopelessness and never change.

I look at my life before I found Christ and the truth found only in the Bible and I look at my life now and you know what? I have changed. So how did I do it? By all accounts I shouldn’t have because as you know a leopard can’t change its spots. You know what? A leopard can’t change his spots!! But wait a minute I just said I had changed, but if I can’t change my spots, then what am I talking about? I can’t change me, but God through the work of His Holy Spirit can change me. God can change that leopard and wipe the spots clear off him.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! What a promise if you are in Christ you will be a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come. That sounds like change to me! When we are in Christ, we are in His Word, reading His truths desiring to be more like Him. How can you not change when you are becoming Christ Like? We are born into this world in Sin and through Christ we are reborn.

Can you remember when you were “considering” Christ, do you take that step and become a “Christian” or are you okay how you are? I remember a close friend in high school who believed in God, but wasn’t ready to commit because then she would have to change and have to be “good” and she wasn’t ready to stop sinning. If only she knew that the change isn’t done on our own strength that we open our lives to Christ and say “You’re the potter, I am the clay, mold me Lord”. He helps us to become “good”.

The changes that Christ works in us are ALWAYS for good. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. With a promise like that I invite you to ask Christ into your heart and to allow His Holy Spirit to mold you and change you for His purpose.

Although this layout meets one of the March challenges of scrapbooking a layout using the verse from Jeremiah 29:11, this layout was initially done for a circle journal for one of the Girls at Scrap of Faith. I had to share a defining Moment. There has been many defining moments in my life but one of the real defining moments for me this year has been taking hold of this the verses in Jeremiah 29: 11-12 and applying them to my life.

This verse has meant a lot to me this year. It seems that God is constantly impressing it on my mind reminding me almost daily that he really does know me and knows what is best for my life. After a very difficult year at work last year, I was excited and relieved to hear that I was being transferred into the library at school at the start of 2008. I was excited and praising God all through my Christmas holidays as this was definitely a miracle and an answer to prayer, because when I initially applied I was told that it was not possible for me to have the position.

By the time I got back from holidays I had heard that the girl I was replacing was coming back to school and the position would only be available for a month. I was devastated and literally cried out to God because I honestly had no idea how I was going to survive this year, if I had to go back to my previous position. After spending a week of feeling quite depressed about the whole situation, I was sitting in Church on Sunday 20th January this year crying out to God letting him know that I did not know how I was going to survive when He impressed this verse on my heart – it was almost like I heard him audibly say the words of Jeremiah 29:11 -12.

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

This verse has become a life verse for me in the last couple of months for it seems that weekly God is constantly bringing it to my attention and reminding me that He is faithful and in control, and that what ever He calls me to do, even if it means that I have to go back to my former position than it is His plan for my life. I can trust that where ever He places me, His grace will be sufficient for me. It never ceases to amaze me the lengths that God has gone to, to reinforce this verse in my life. One of the challenges at Scrap of Faith this month was to create a layout using this verse, just this last week, I have read two different novels, and this verse was used in both books and literally jumped off the page at me. It has been read from the pulpit in church and I received a card from a friend with same verse in it. God has left me in no doubt that I can have confidence that, regardless of the circumstances in my life, that God has a plan for me, and His plan has a purpose to fulfil and what ever that it, it is ultimately to prosper me and not harm me, it is to give me a hope and a future and I can confidently put my trust in God each and every day to carry out His plan for my life.

Updated:

P.S. After posting here this evening about how God has been really reinforcing these couple of verses to me during the past couple of months, I have just been and checked out the SALT blog and what should I read. What an awesome God we serve - a God who is definately in control of all things.

How has God changed me since I became a Christian? Let me count the ways …

Well if I did, and wrote about each and very one, this article would be very very long – Praise God!

But in trying to keep it short, I’d probably have to say the major changes in me are the way I see my past, present and future…

I’m no different to anyone else really. I’ve had bad stuff happen to me. I’ve made lots of mistakes, some of them real biggies. I’ve been hurt and scarred, held back and tied down, pushed aside, disappointed – you name it, we’ve all had it in our lives, haven’t we? And I’ve hurt other people too. I’ve done my best to take responsibility where the fault was mine, and to try and move on with my life and do the best with what I’ve had.

But my efforts were only ever tiny little bandaids compared with the healing that Jesus can bring into your life when you become a Christian.

Having Jesus in my life has given me opportunities to experience real healing for much of the bad stuff. Fears. Phobias. Unforgiveness. Anger. Doesn’t matter what it was, nothing was too big for Him to handle. All I had to do, all I ever have to do is continue to be willing to listen to His promptings and go after the healing when the next thing pops up it’s head needing attention and dealing with. I’m a work in progress. And despite all of the yuk of the past – He is a faithful God. He has, and continues to bring all things (even the bad stuff) together for good, for me who loves Him and is called according to His purpose. That’s Romans 8:28 constantly at work in my life. But it isn’t only a promise to me – it’s for you too, you who are reading this – if you choose to believe in Him and allow Him Lordship in your life.

When I look at my life now, at my future in this earthly world, I see a purpose.
I’m here for a reason. It’s all part of God’s plan. There’s always hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 says For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

He has work for me to do every single day that He gives me on this earth. I never have to be aimless or wonder what it’s all about. He has a plan for me, unique to me, and all I have to do to walk in it is to stay plugged in to Him and give time to my relationship with Him, because it is in that time that the steps of the journey are revealed, and the trust to step out and obey is built up. Often the steps are outside my comfort zone. (Sometimes so far out there it’s almost laughable). But He’s given me an unbreakable safety net into which I can bounce and be continually blessed, if only I am willing to obey and make the first jump.

So since becoming a Christian I have God’s perspective to lean on for my past and my future. I see it all through His eyes, not mine – and certainly not the world’s, who would only ever see me as just another number amongst the countless thousands, even millions who are struggling to make sense of life without Him and without hope today.

And the present?

Proverbs 3:5-6 says

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him – and He will make your paths straight.

Since becoming a Christian I know I have been able to choose to trust Him every day with everything in my life – rather than lean on my own understanding of situations which compared to His view is hopelessly flawed and incomplete and biased. When I choose to acknowledge Him - both privately and publically - He does lead me on paths that will get me to where I need to go with Him.

All my life I’ve been looking for safety – somewhere I could feel truly safe and protected. As I said, I’m still a work in progress, but I’ll continue to be hungry for my healing because each time I let Him in to do a bit more work on me, that place of safety becomes more and more a reality in my life. The safety net doesn’t break, despite how hard I fall. But choosing to trust Him is a choice. My choices are the active part of my faith – choice is never passive. And no one else can do it for you.

Easter is a time when we particularly focus on Christ’s death for us and what that has meant for us as Christians. When Jesus died for me, He not only gave me the opportunity to have an eternal future with Him (the ultimate safe place), He opened the way for me to come directly into the presence of my Heavenly Father and to experience all of the healing that I have up until now, and will continue to be able to have until my time on earth is through. I can know my purpose directly from God Himself. Jesus died so I could have that relationship. And Jesus is always there with me, interceding for me with the Father, as does the Holy Spirit. God looks at me and doesn’t see all my sin, all the garbage from the past, or even the sin I’ll no doubt bring again to Him tomorrow – He forgives me, and see my sin no more – He just sees Jesus.

Words never seem enough, especially at Easter, but thankyou Jesus for my healing, thankyou for my purpose, thankyou that I can trust you with my past, present and future. Thankyou.
Thankyou.
How do I count the ways … ?

Article by Tracey Smith

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