[Christop]

Thanks for praying for me Beanie. Things have been Good, but also pretty hard for the last three weeks. I had to move house (five days notice), I've been pretty sick and one of my best friends has been having a hard time. So thanks heaps for your prayers.

[beanie]

No worries Christop. Let me know if there's anything more to pray/praise for.

This morning I stumbled out of bed and jumped on the bus. Ben was on and he’d just been meeting with the head people of the primary school down the road about applying for Chaplaincy. I hope he does and I hope he gets it. I’d be surprised if he didn’t cos he’d be so awesome at it and God’s just given him this burning desire and … ah. It would be so awesome!

Then, I wandered down the mall and spent time looking at jewellery places. There are some gross pieces of jewellery out there that is for sure. Matt came along and scared the brains out of me. Just kidding. I just wasn’t looking and then he was right there. We went into Gloria’s and had … hot and cold chocolates. Yum. We talked a fair bit I think, but we were both tired so we weren’t being silly at all… We went up the glass elevator, then to the new state library which was pretty flash, then to the art gallery but got told off cos we had back packs on, so we went and walked along the river and then sat in the sunshine (yes, the sun was shining) and talked some more. He ended up coming to Doctrine (with that American guy) with me and it was so weird cos the lecture was on creation and we’d been talking about creation (good lecture). It was rad to just hang out. We’d never done that before, hey?

After lecture, Kez and I took the bus into the city and then separate buses home. I’ve been typing up things for camps that are coming up that I’m leading on and realising that I have stacks more to do than I thought. And cos I didn’t think I had much to do, I kept on agreeing to do more stuff. Silly me!

Lasagne for tea. So so so beautiful. I watched tv for a while and it was rad to see Guy (a worship singer from Paradise Church) win the next bit of ‘Australian Idol’. God’s in this!

I’m typing up a speech I have to give at Youth Competence lecture on Thursday morning. It’s only three minutes and I have so much more to say than that. It’s going to be a difficult one, but I should be okay.

I got my semester one report today also…
Creative Living: C
Youth Development: A-
Youth Spirituality: A+
Performance Ministry: B+
Practical Ministry: A-

I’m pretty stoked with that. I dunno what happened with Creative Living. I did all the work and got A’s for all the assignments. I didn’t hand up my crappy little journal worth 10% or something… ah well.

Reub & Ren have been kinda hiding out at my parents home since they came back from overseas. Tonight is Pier Night for a whole bunch of people from various churches back home in Lincoln. They gather every monday just to hang out at the pub and eat schnitzels (or however you spell it). Ren rang me and asked me to ask another couple (their best friends) if they were going to the Peir so that R&R could suprise them. As a kinda ... 'incentive', I told this couple that I was in town for a couple of days and would only have this night to catch up. So, they told me they were coming, but in actual fact, I'm not there at all! What a suprise... I hope they'll forgive me for tricking them

Now, here I am with not much more to say except I hope there are still tickets available for me to go to the footy on Sunday! SHOWDOWN!!

Peace.

[beanie]

ooooh... erin just sms-ed me to boost me up... man, i feel boosted... she's a doll... she does the same course as me and kez, but in another state...

[beanie]

I had a great kinda dream last night, but just when I was going to meet the man of my dreams (hoho) my alarm when off. Too bad!

I met up with Belle and we shopped... well, she did. I ate and we walked and talked. Nice gal, young Belle.

Went to Bib Studies lecture. That's my favourite. Seriously. We finished covering all the OT books.

Afterwards, we had a Schoolies meeting. Me and Steve are leading together and our team is pretty big and has a great heart. I'm real excited about what God's gonna do in us.

Tomorrow I'm going to work at SU and then, I'm meeting up with Belle and I'M going to shop.

Then... I might do some school work cos I have oodles. Eep.

Good evening.

[beanie]

27 August 2003.

It's my friend Kate's 22nd b'day today. Happy birthday to her.

Crazy day. I went to SU and worked. I thought I’d be home at about 1:30, but I got home at 3:30 instead. I have 2 assignments due tomorrow… a 3-minute talk and at the moment my speech is sounding pretty flat. I don’t know what I’ll do. And then I’ve got an ethics thing due and I don’t even know … yipes. I’m such a bad student when it comes to homework.

I just found out that the Lads and Switchfoot are playing at the Hunter Harvest Concert in September – FOR FREE!!!!!!!!! Yet, it seems almost impossible for me to get there cos it’s in Newcastle! And I’m broke shmoke.

I got a letter from my mum today (and from Granny and from Lauren). Mum reckons she’s having so many tests that require her to give blood that she’s running out. Also, some guy stole some of our gates! It reminded me of the Castle, because they took them and then a couple of days later they gave them back. Mum prayed that they’d get convicted in their hearts and return them. I laughed.

These past 3 days I’ve had some near-death experiences:

The day before last, I was on the bus and the bus driver was being a loony driver and he whipped around this corner and almost had a head on collision with another bus. People went flying from their seats!

Yesterday, Kez, Josh, Ben and I were crossing Goody Rd at peak hour and we crossed half way and then had to wait for a break in city-bound traffic. As we were waiting there, this blue truck swerved in a bit closer to us (as a JOKE) and nearly killed us all!

After we got safely to the other side, Josh started pushing Ben on the skateboard and went around the corner. When Kez and I came around, they were gone and I went “that was weird”, cos they weren’t going that fast and then… RAH!!!!!!!!! They nearly made me wet myself as they jumped out from behind a fence. I nearly did die cos I nearly did pee.

Then today, I got the 2:30 bus and then all these prissy, 14 year old girls from a all girls school got on and they were driving me crazy!!!!!!!

The end.

Now I’m home. I’ll post this and then get on with all this work I have to do. What joy! Peas.

------

You have a ticket to heaven no thief can take,
An eternal home no divorce can break.

Every sin of your life has been cast to the sea.
Every mistake you’ve made is nailed to the tree.

You’re blood-bought and heaven-made.
A child of God – forever saved.

So be grateful, joyful – for isn’t it true?
What you don’t have is much less than you do.

[Christop]

Bummer about Newcastle. I was hoping to be there in September too, for something else, but don't think I'll be there.

[Christop]

Probably they stole the fish for a dare. Or to relieve you of it, maybe.

[snowboarderTim]

Originally Posted by Christop

Probably they stole the fish for a dare. Or to relieve you of it, maybe.

Hmmm.... You seem to know a bit much about this....

Tim

[Christop]

Yes... It was me, when I was living in Adelaide in 1997. But don't tell your mum, please, coldtoedpunker.

[beanie]

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Yesterday was a pretty good day. I was pretty well psyched up for my speech and I did okay (so they tell me), so that was good. Then I had a couple of meetings for things that I’m involved in. They’re always pretty exciting.

A group of us went to a nearby skate park and only 4 people skated and because most of us couldn’t, we ended up playing soccer, which was a lot of fun. Well, the team I was on did badly cos I was on their team, but I warned them before they picked me. They certainly did suffer in their jocks. I am so un-co!

Near the end of the game, I got a phone call from Jonathan, so I never did return to the oval. We had a great chat (I missed out on fondue at Tabor but I don’t really like it anyways).

I had pizza for tea and ate so much that I had to waddle.

For probably the first time ever, I actually concentrated for at least 40% of my night lecture... I'd say that's a record!0 I think your level of concentration depends on who you sit with. I sat with Squid on my right and Lachi on my left. Lachi and his girlfriend Carly spent most of their time hanging with themselves and not even trying to pay attention. They left in the break, so it was just me and Squid and we talked about what was going on in the lecture, stuff we didn’t understand and what we thought about stuff. It was good. I actually got something out of it. It was all about work (vocation) and God.

2 girls came to stay the night we sat up doing the whole girly-talking thing till 1am. Then I was wasted and went to bed. Girls are crazy! This morning I didn’t go work at Schoolies cos … I am lazy I guess. The girls left and then I went into town.

I went and saw ‘Finding Nemo’ with Kez and Belle. It’s a shame that it wont come out of video (even though I think they’ll change their minds), because it is so good! I loved it. I laughed and I cried (well, I was only pretending). I will always clean my fish tank (if I ever have fish) and I’ll never look at any sea creature the same again (except for jelly fish).

Now I’m home and I’m really tired. So much for “Bon-getting-fit scheme”… Just cos I walked to the bus stop and then to church once I thought I was fit. Silly me. My body is pretty weary. For one week, I was walking lots and this week I didn’t… serves me right. I’ll never play soccer again. (Not that I was playing it …)

My brother is coming over on Saturday for Youth Alive, with his youth group from home (which wasn’t there when I was there). I’m so excited to be seeing him! I bet he’s grown about a metre. Kez isn’t coming… Belle probly wont come… what will I do? Go by myself? Hire a fan? I have no money. What's that Matt? Did I just hear you say that you'll come and pick me up in your dad's new Holden ute? Awesome.

On a more deep and meaningful note…

Today on the train I was reading a diary I wrote from July-December 2002. I look back and wonder why I thought I was so mature, when really I was just a silly goose! I knew that going out with this guy wasn’t the best thing for me, but I went ahead and did it anyways. I would convince myself that it was good and it was what God wanted, take all these things that people would say, things that would happen, and interpret them how I thought best… but the whole time I was making stuff happen, twisting stuff around so it suited my ideals – it wasn’t God at all.

Well, needless to say, it was a big fat mistake. But parish da Lord, eh, that we serve a God that works ‘bad’ things into good things for His glory (Romans 8:28) It took what I went through to teach me sooooo much – about myself, about my friends and family, my relationships and my God… about how to not make that mistake again! Today, am good. Even though what I went through back then was pretty hard, for all that I’ve learned, I wouldn’t take it back. I’d like to say that I’m mature now… but I cant – not fully anyways, it’s a growing process (hoho).

You may not have idea about what I’m talking about and that’s okay cos I don’t either. Just know one thing: DO NOT, for any thing (cos nothing on earth compares to God anyway), make excuses and do things to make situations look the best for you – because you don’t know best. Only God does and thank Him and He’s got it all under control.

All along… ALL ALONG… I knew that it wasn’t right… the whole time. If you know what is right in your heart to do – do it. Don’t fart around and make a big mess and try and cover it over and think “one day, he’ll get a full on encounter with God and he’ll get his life into gear and we’ll serve the Lord together”… It’s true that it might happen, but for me, I knew that my time was NOW. You may think that that’s a selfish thought and in a way I suppose it is, but there are so many days I’ve wasted, opportunities I’ve missed… He was a great guy, but he was also preventing me from God’s best – and in me staying with him, I was also preventing him from God’s best. We were good, but we weren’t the best – and God wants the best for Hs kids.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:11-12



Well guys… I hope your week has been great and your weekend a perfect end to one and an awesome start to another. Peace.


<- this is what I currently look like...

[beanie]

Just a thought...

It's cool how God is both SHELTER from the rain
and RAIN to wash and refresh ....

[snowboarderTim]

Finding Nemo rocks! What's this about it not coming out on video???!? Is that just in Australia?

Tim

[living for God]

it's been a while so i thought that i would drop by and say hi

-keara

[beanie]

Hi K... nice to see you! Hows life?

Tim... that's what I heard anyways (about Finding Nemo)... If it comes out in America, I might get you to get it for me.

[beanie]

Last night my brother called me from my dad’s mobile on his way home from work. He’s not coming to Youth Alive tonight anymore and so I was pretty bummed cos, after all my getting excitedness, he’s not even coming! Mum and Dad changed their minds.

Then, he passed the phone to my dad who wanted to tell me something and what he told me brought tears to my eyes in wonder.

Dad does prison ministry at the local jail with Gideon’s and last night, that was where he was. He said he sat down and talked to a guy called Warren. Warren was from Adelaide and for quite some time, was using a local drug-rehab/drop-in centre in the city known as Teen Challenge. He told dad how grateful he was to them for all the effort and love they put into people’s lives. Even though he was now in jail, he was so thankful for their ministry.

He’d heard that TC was having a bit of trouble with facilities and money and asked dad to pray for them.

My dad says, “My daughter (which is me), did work experience there a couple of years ago and really loved it.”
Warren says, “What’s her name?”
Dad: “Bonnie.”
Warren: “Does she have blonde hair and a big smile?”
Dad: “Yeah.”
Warren: “Is she not very tall but very friendly?”
Dad: “Yes.”

Warren’s face lights up. He jumps out of his chair and pulls my dad out of his chair and gives him a massive hug. He says something like, “Give this to her for me. She was such a friendly fun light in the place and her smile was so bright.”

I did work experience at TC in August 2000…. That’s 3 years ago. I don’t remember this guy off the top of his head and I wonder if I’d recognise him if I saw him. It’s just so incredible how the smallest of things: outreach in the dero district, a small smile, a common courtesy and a laugh… 3 years later still means so much to one person.

Sometimes I lay in bed and go, “God, am I really doing anything for you.”
He just reminded me last night, through my dad and Warren, that the smallest of things, things that we don’t even think about when we do them, make such a difference to people’s lives. Never underestimate a smile or a hug. They are the things that last a lifetime.