[beanie]

1. This is me and Charlton at the YITS Family and Friends dinner... June 20.

2. This is me and Belle with shaving cream on our faces - but don't stress - we didn't shave. Do you like my hair? Belle just cut it! ... June 20 (before the dinner).

3. This is me on a round-about by the Kalamunda shops in Perth, Western Australia. It's an awesome gumnut water feature. I was so excited when I was there cos their gumnuts (from gumtrees :P) are massive and I didn't think we got them in South Australia cos the ones on my farm are puny little things.

I got home and yoinked them out of my bag to show Kez and I was so excited about how huge they were and she goes, "Bon... dear... We get them down at my place." (Which is about 45 minutes drive away.) Oh the shame! I felt like a deflated balloon... and unstuffed chicken... a moonless night... a total dork.

[beanie]

How funny it is that in the shaving cream one, my facial expression is the same as the one on my shirt!

[snowboarderTim]

Cool pics Bon!!! Gettin your license soon huh? How old do you have to be to get it? (sorry if i've already asked this ) Driving is fun though, especially when you can finally drive yourself places. Great fun

Tim

[Souldog18CA]

Howdy howdy!

Im at the library, reading your email...

I got yelled at by a lady today, she thought I was hurting a little girl, but thats because Natalie (the horrible 13 yr. old) was screaming bloddy murder and saying, "Hes hurting me!!"


She's homeschooled.


Anyways, just dropping a line to says hey Bean-girl! Be blessed today!

In Christ,
Jonathan

PS- *yawn*

[beanie]

Tim - you have to be 16 before you can get your learners permit (written test, and you have to drive with a fully lisenced passenger, and only go 60kms/h... I think it's 60... it could be 80?) and you have to be at least 16 and a half before you can get your provisional permit (driving lessons, and when you're done, you can drive alone and up to 100kms/h (not that anyone does)). They've recently changed the law of how long you have to be on your P's for ... I think until you are 21 or something. Meh. I dunno!

Matt - I've taken a lot of care of myself. I got caught in the hail and I put my hoodie on. I didn't even splash in the puddles today cos I might get a cold. Hows that?

Homeschoolers - shmomeshcoolers... Need I say more? >:-) (As if you wouldn't want to get rid of your kids for a couple of hours a day!?)

Jon - I was blessed today... continually - and it's not over yet!!!!!!!!

Pray - for Kez. She's a bit head-coldy-sick.

[beanie]

Well… life – ain’t it grand? I just love it – even on bad days I love it. It’s the strangest thing. Today wasn’t a bad day, but I was just mentioning that even on bad days, it’s not too bad. Today was the first day back at College. We had ‘doctrine’. The guy who lectures name is Mark Worthing and he’s American and he’s just soooo soooo funny! I’m so very very excited about this term and getting into the meat of everything and discussing stuff! Bring it on!

Last night, I went to my own wee church called Frontier International, and I realised again why I love it so much. The teaching. It was awesome. Jonathan teased me yesterday, saying that I never think sermons are ‘overly amazing’. Then, I got off the phone, walked into church and the sermon was incredible. We had a speaker from a kinda sister church I guess you could say and she spoke on the maturity of a Christian. It recapped a lot of what was said in Creative Living lectures last semester but with a lot less monotony than my lecturer!

A mature Christian is defined by their…
Looking at things beyond the bait, their long term potential and not their immediate results. A really simple picture of this is sex before marriage. It might be good at the start, but it’s better if it’s waited for.

Centrality on the Kingdom of God. Matt 6:33 – But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Beyond everything else, they are making choices and doing things with the kingdom in mind.

Loves God, His word and His truth above everything else.

Shows wisdom by putting the principles of God into action – heart knowledge of redemption in their lives.

Being hurt, mistreated or disappointed wont make them leave. Heb 10:23 – Let us hold unswervingly to the hop we profess, for he who promised is faithful. No matter what happens, they are in it for the long haul.

Maturity doesn’t come from being saved – it comes from living saved.

I wont tell you all the rest of the sermon (cos it’ll ruin it if you ever hear it…) but one more thing that was good for me was that sometimes God takes us through things and we’re sitting there going, “What the?” and we might not know for possibly years why that happened too us. But always always He’ll use it to grow and stretch you and later He’ll use your experience to minister into someone elses life when they are going through the same kinda thing you did and you’ll be able to comfort them with the same comfort that you received from God.

Don’t be distressed. Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9). Look at the long term result/potential – even if it’s still in the fog and you can’t see it. He promised future and good stuff (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

I just had a revelation right then also. Jami, who is 5, is standing here beside my computer showing me how to use Transformers. (Well, that wasn’t the revelation…I thought I’d just tell yous… anyhoo!)

I was just reading Esther 4:14 and a part of it says … “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this”.

I know that we were born for right where we are, right in this age and era, especially for a purpose, born for such a time as this, but the word ‘royal’ stumped me. I was wondering how this verse could relate to a non-royal person today. In Esther, it’s talking about a girl who was chosen to be queen, by God, to bring deliverance for the Jews.

Then, quick as a flash – a total ‘God-moment’, I remembered a memory verse of mine…Peter 1:9 says… “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light.”

So, my conclusion is this. We aren’t Prince Charles’ kids (thank goodness). By human birth we aren’t royalty. BUT, by spiritual rebirth and the acceptance of Christ and what He’s done for and in us we are made royalty. Kids of the Prince of Peace. Sons and daughters of the King of Kings, the Most High (which is far better). In Him we ARE royal and we have been called to be in this royal position for such a time as this!

Thanks for reading I hope you've found something to take away, ponder and apply to yer life.

Love Beanie I have a headache…

PS Tomorrow I get to see Belle - for the first time in like ... a month! And I'm soooooo excited ... So much to tell her!!!!!!!!

[LoOpY_cHoOk]

Thank you sooo much Bon - that was really special!!! So uplifting! So, WOW! So Revolutionary!!! Please don't think I'm being sarcastic, coz I'm not - it's great!!! When you are a pastor of a church, can I come? If you're gonna preach like that, I wanna be there!!!!

Thanks heaps, Bon. = Bon!!!

KEz :0)

[living for God]

Originally Posted by beanie

Tim - you have to be 16 before you can get your learners permit (written test, and you have to drive with a fully lisenced passenger, and only go 60kms/h... I think it's 60... it could be 80?) and you have to be at least 16 and a half before you can get your provisional permit (driving lessons, and when you're done, you can drive alone and up to 100kms/h (not that anyone does)). They've recently changed the law of how long you have to be on your P's for ... I think until you are 21 or something. Meh. I dunno!

it's a little different in my state, you can go for your learners when you are 16 and a half and then you get your lience at 17, but you can dirve at the same speed as a fully lienced person while your on your learners. We have to have our p's for 3 years. they are talking about changing it, not that i think that will happen anytime soon.

[beanie]

Originally Posted by LoOpY_cHoOk

Thank you sooo much Bon - that was really special!!! So uplifting! So, WOW! So Revolutionary!!! Please don't think I'm being sarcastic, coz I'm not - it's great!!! When you are a pastor of a church, can I come? If you're gonna preach like that, I wanna be there!!!!

Thanks heaps, Bon. = Bon!!!

KEz :0)

Oh KEz, I'm stoked that you loved it! Sometimes I preach so much I wonder if I make any sense. People look at me weird and I dunno if it's cos they don't understand or they thought I was too air-heady to say anything like that! And you can definitly come to my church, as long as you give a sizable "offering" (and you will after my 48.21 minute speil about giving!).

Actually, visitors aren't obliged to give anything. Come regularly, however, the the story is different.

I just had the longest chat with my mumzy darling about all kinds of stuff... like ministry, and prayer, and the insane stuff going on in the Uniting Church and how did she know that she was supposed to marry my dad and all this kinda stuff. It was awesome.

FINALLY, our YITS sponsor child has arrived. A little boy by the name of Bagus from Indonesia who is 8 years old! I'm soooooo excited.

Other than that, my room still isn't cleaned and tomorrow I'm going to work. Have a nice life and I'll catch ya'll lat-ez!

Beanie

[beanie]

Work smerk. At least you get paid, Matt. I don't mind volunteering. In fact, I love it so much I don't really want to leave, but if I get a paying job, I will leave.

Matt - hows your 'awesome' week coming!? I haven't read all your email, but just first line...

[snowboarderTim]

Originally Posted by beanie

Homeschoolers - shmomeshcoolers... Need I say more? >:-) (As if you wouldn't want to get rid of your kids for a couple of hours a day!?)

Ah.. Hmmm... Uh huh? >:-) And what would you do if you lived in an area where the school systems sucked? Where instead of teaching kids what they need to learn, they teach them so that they'll pass the achievment test so that the state will give the school more money. And what does that school do with the money? They build a bigger school (third largest in the US and 2nd largest in the state of Ohio I believe), which they finished last year, and already the marble they imported from Italy is cracking. Still, with all the money they spent on the new building (and there wasn't anything really wrong with the old building, nothing that couldn't be fixed with a sufficient addition) Medina, Ohio has some of the worst test scores in the state. I don't mean to rant, but you need to know that most people who homeschool, do it for a reason. I do know some kids who are homeschooled who would probably be better in public or private school, but I came out all right (i think ). I'm sorry if I sound mad, I'm not. I just wanted to give a counter-point, although getting rid of yer kids for awhile wouldn't be too bad, lol

Tim

[Christop]

I think sometimes some Christians homeschool their kids to 'protect' them from the outside world. The thing is that the kids usually end up knowing only Christian culture and not being able to relate to preChristians, or not even wanting to.
Now that I've said that - I'm doing two units off-campus this semester. But only because I don't have the prerequisites for enough on-campus units.

And getting your lisence is different in my state as well. You can get your learner's permit at 6 and your probationary lisence (which you have to ahve 3 years) at 18.

[snowboarderTim]

That is true in some cases, and I agree somewhat. But as far as "socialization" goes, it's a bunch of bull ca-ca. I was home schooled since 5th grade, and have as many or more "good" (meaning reliable) friends as my buddies from youth group who go to school, and find lots of opertunities with snowboarding, band practices and just fooling around to "socialize." Off of my soapbox now
Beanie, I tried to add you to my msn im the other day. But, being the bonehead that I am I forgot to tell you. So, when you logged on you probably got a message like "soandso@hotmail.com has added you to their buddie list Ignore/Allow" and you, being a smart person, said "I don't know this person" and told it to ignore me Sooo... Do you mind if I add ya to my list?

Tim

[beanie]

Okay.... so there are a lot of arguements about the homeschooling thang. There's a girl in my course from out in the sticks and was homeschooled. I find it really hard to relate to her or joke with her cos she doesn't get my jokes. She also prefers to sit and knit jumpers all day, where as I prefer to stand on my head and jump around and stuff. I guess there's a personality difference there too.

I also know of other homeschoolers, such as the Adams family. There are 9 kids there and their mum has schooled them all. One of the Adams' are in my course. Cos they're a farming family from my side of the state and everyone from my side of the state that farms is related or known to everyone else, I've spent a lot of time with them. They are awesome people and I find I can still by my psycho self and get the understanding from them that I really am okay.

I realise this may not make any sense, but I know what I'm talking about. If I became a missionary, I would probably school my kids myself... like, the english component, but I'd love to see them in the community school where ever God puts us... but when they are older, I would give them to opportunity to go to missionary kids boarding school, or even come back to Australia to study. I guess it really does depend on what kinda situation you're in...

[beanie]

walk
bravely
into the mystery
of tomorrow
somewhere
in the
dim green maybe
there lives
a spark
of beginning
called truth
believe it
and the
dim green maybe
becomes the
shining
is