Thanks-living September

Today I am participating in a sweet link up hosted by the lovely Leslie who blogs over at Top Of The Page.

She has created a link up where you can reflect on things you are thankful for from the month gone by. Such a great way to end the month...rather than rushing head first into the next one, or having no memory or reflection of what has just happened you get to pause a moment and bring to memory that which you are thankful for.

So here goes, my September Thanks-living:

At the beginning of this month I traveled to Canberra (Australia's Capital City) with 57 year 7 students and 3 other staff. It was tiring but a really great trip.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to create a headpiece for a friend to wear at a wedding.

It's no secret-me and my man love coffee and I'm thankful that even amidst the busyness of this month, we still made time for coffee dates.

I'm thankful for inviting OK TV to come to our Chapel services.

This is me and a friend out the front of Sydney Opera House. So-thankful for our fun road trip down there at the beginning of the September Holidays.

Isn't she just the sweetest. Thankful for the safe delivery of this bundle of joy via one of my besties)

Shine graduation!!! So thankful for the past 9 weeks we spent with the year 7 girls discovering Worth.Strength.Purpose (more photos to come)

Thankful for the Island Getaway me and hubby went on yesterday...I love spontaneous adventures.

Lastly, today. Last day of September and we bought this cute little table to replace the huge outdoor table we originally had my sewing machine on. I can't wait to decorate my new little workspace. Very thankful for the beginning of my space. 

 

 

So, what are you thankful for this September?

4 Simple Goals

Why hello there. Long time no type. I just spent the last week in our nation's capital city-Canberra with 57 year 7 students. It was a great trip in so-many ways, but as with staffing all school camps it was exhausting. Upon returning I opened up my blog feed to find a really timely post from the blog A Beautiful Mess. You can read the full post here with the guidelines for taking part. But in summary it is "a way to stay inspired during a busy time of year".  And truly, the lead up to Christmas can become a crazy running around like a chook with no head kind of season. This is why I thought it would be a great time to stop and re-focus on what is important. For me, end of year becomes especially busy with school graduations, ceremonies, parties, but here are 4 simple goals I would like to be held accountable to and keep in order to survive the next few months ahead. 

1. Make Time For Creative Pursuits: Sometimes I don't spend my timely as I'd like to in the area of making and or allowing myself time to tap into my creative side, doing things I love eg: blogging, sewing/crafting, designing... I too-often allow work projects to eat at this time, so I need to be committed to striking that blurry balance of work and home life and learning to leave work at work. 

2.Prioritise Spending Time With Family And Friends: Similar to above I allow work to encroach on time that I should really be sharing with those I love the most. Without these people in my life I could not have survived this year, so here is to making wonderful memories with my wonderful family and friends.

3.Maintain Regular Excercise And Healthy Eating: I have done a lot of research about healthy eating and truly it comes down to preparation and ensuring I cut up all my fresh fruit and veg into bags for me to take for lunches. As well as meal planning which also helps me to know what to buy and cook on each weeknight so as to not just buy junk because it's easier. I also would like to get back into the habit of excercising in the morning. (um hello. It's almost bikini wearing time!)

4.Choose To Be Thankful And Content: In all situations I must learn to choose thankfulness. In a season where we seem to be overwhelmed with consumerism and greed I would like to remember those who are less-fortunate than me, to be content with the much I have been blessed with.

What are 4 simple goals you could make to end this year well?
* Make sure you check out A Beautiful Mess Blog and link up.

Timing

This picture above really sums up my heart right about now. 

His timing. 

Something we will never be able to understand. 

Something that brings us to our knees. 

Something that humbles our own opinions of what is best and when. 

Something that tests you at the core of your faith. 

But the truth is, if I have faith in God, then I must have faith in His timing. They are not separate of each other, but require wholehearted surrender and a willingness to wait. It's in the process of waiting, that He provides opportunity to conform us more to His likeness. 

So I'm waiting. 

I have a lot of really big things that I'm waiting for. and yet, my God is even bigger, and in Him shall I trust and hope.

I hope the lyrics of this song are as inspiring to you as they are to me, helps to put things in perspective too!

Before I lay me down to rest
I ask the Lord one small request
I know I have all I could need
But this prayer is not for me
Too many people on this day
Don't have a peaceful place to stay
Let all fighting cease that your children may see peace
Wipe their tears of sorrow away

(Chorus)
To believe in a day
When hunger and war will pass away
To have the hope amidst despair
That every sparrow's counted
That you hear each cry and listen to each prayer

Let me try always to believe
That we can hear the hearts that grieve
Please help us not ignore
The anguished cries of the poor
Or their pain will never leave

(Chorus )
To believe in a day
When hunger and war will pass away
To have the hope amidst despair
That every sparrow's counted
That you hear their cries and listen to each prayer

(Spoken prayer)
Father, as you see, I'm just a child
And there's so much to understand
But if Your Grace should surround me
Then I'll do the best I can
I promise, I'll do the very best I can 

 

PS: The Youtube video of this song is a MUST see

Live Simply, So That Others May Simply Live.

"Live simply, so that others may simply live" is one of my favourite quotes. I suppose the older i'm getting, the more I begin to think about and take notice of particular lifestyle choices I never really considered. Ever since returning to Australia from India, it has been a battle to try and not get caught up in materialism and wanting more and more "things". My husband and I have been doing a lot of talking about our budget and have decided its time to make changes so that we can a) pay the bills and b) have more finances to be generous with.  So here are some goals/changes I would like to commit to making for this month. I know I know... a month only? Well I want to say a month so that I can re-evaluate at the end and, if all goes well then hopefully it will become an improved simple kind of lifestyle. Most of these ideas have been sourced/inspired from this blog post here and here. 

Re-decorating: Lately I have caught the home decor itch. I am dreaming and pinning away like its my job. However I want to commit that any decorating/renovating will be done with items/purchases made either on special or secondhand or re-arranging that which we already have. 

Buying food: I would like to purchase our produce from our local markets. I haven't quite been able to figure out where exactly the fruits and vegies are coming from (hopefully not too-far away) as I would like us to eat as local and fresh produce as possible. Plus it is so-much cheaper to buy from our local markets than to buy from the store and I can have quantity control as I find we have vegies going off because we don't use it all. 

Eating food: I would like to try not to waste food. Instead of just chucking out the small amount left over after dinner I would like to store it in the fridge to be used as a lunch or for a left over dinner night. We are already pretty good at this, but hopefully I can really watch our waste. Eating out is something that ends up being done if both of us are exhausted and generally nearing the end of the working week. So I will endevour to use our newly given slow-cooker to alleviate the need to cook at the end of a long day. We also have an Entertainment Book which has discounts for eating out, so I will try to make sure we use this if and when we do. 

Growing food: My Dad very graciously helped us develop our little garden a little further. So whilst I can't necessarily eat much yet, I would like to commit to taking care of our garden so that at harvest time we will actually have things to harvest.

Clothes: It's time to do a massive clean out of my clothes. I have too many from years and years and years of hoarding. I need to just go through and purge all the things I haven't worn over the past year. I have become friends with a lady who runs a local second hand store and I know she could use some clothes, the time has come (my drawers will love me for it). Oh and I will try not to buy any clothing items for the remainder of this month. 

Holiday saving: Dunstan and I have a holiday booked for December to see my family in the Philippines and so far we have zero saved for this trip. I would really like to commit to saving up big time so that we don't spend what we don't have when the time comes. 

Weekly saving: I would like to try go four days a week without spending any money...no lunch runs at work, no coffee or anything big or small for four days. I think I would be in for a rude shock if I saw how much money Dunstan and I use on "little weekly expenses". 

Date saving: I loved the idea of having a  Free Date once a week. Dunstan and I don't always make an effort to have a "date night" however I know the importance of having that special set-aside time, but instead of doing any fancy shmancy, we could have a "free date night". This means we would have to be creative and do things like picnics, bike rides, visiting the museum/free attractions etc -how fun!

Well I think I've got enough goals for this month and as I mentioned earlier, its really what I hope to be the beginning of a lifestyle make over of learning to live more simply. Its all these "little things' I think that add up and drain our income without us really knowing it. 

I'll be excited to look back at this in five years to remind me and hopefully re-inspire me in whatever country we are living in. 

*Linking up with Jess from Lovely Little Things for her Smell the Roses task.

 

Thoughts on beauty

There is something to be said about the beauty that suffering can produce.

 I say can because I know that suffering sometimes and often does have the potential to cause a lot of heart ache, despair and ugliness. But it's our inner response to exterior turmoil and painful situations that determines the outcome of the process.

Because the truth is, there are situations and circumstances that will arise beyond our control. But the one thing that is not beyond our control is our heart, will we allow ourselves to be hardened by pain? Or will we choose to be shapped by the suffering with a heightened sensitivity, love and identification with others in despair?

Pain is not easy nor comfortable, but it has the potential to produce a beauty beyond comparison...if we'll let it.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
² to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.

Psalm 61:1-3

Dear Little Me

So, I decided to link up again this week with Jessica for her Smell The Roses post challenge to write a letter to your younger self. I liked the reflective nature this post lends to...so here goes.

Dear Younger Nadine,

There are so-many things I would love to tell you, but no real idea where to begin. You see, life turns out to be more wonderful than you could have ever dreamed or imagined. Of course, there are challenges along the way, but they are moments of refining and sifting and shaking away the dirt to reveal the gold.

Your life takes a drastic turn when you decide to become a part of short term mission trip to the Philippines when you are 16. It is here that you learn life is not just about you, and there are countless amounts of people who living in hopeless situations. It is here that you discover how bright and valuable God's love is; its a beacon of hope to the hopeless that you can no-longer keep to yourself. You are forever changed by this trip. 

Your desire to pursue this calling of sharing God's love to the poor and broken becomes a reality in your late teen years. You join an international youth organization where you discover more of who God is and desire even more to make Him known. You visit many different countries with teams of people and you even end up going on an around the world adventure on your own (I bet you weren't expecting me to tell you that). It is through your travels and dialogue you begin to discover more about who God has created you to be in accordance with the passions you have in your heart. 

Your heart breaks for those who are hurt, broken and abused, the voiceless and those seemingly forgotten by the world. You are for the most part overwhelmed at the many injustices taking place in our world today, but for the most part, you are determined not to let it immobilize you. You generally dive in with head, heart and hand. 

 You journey to North East India where you feel the most alive you have ever felt. You trek through the Himalayas with an inspirational American friend, running "Safe Migration Seminars" and "Princess Parties". You go on networking trips to visit other Anti-human trafficking organizations around India, meeting ex-Bollywood film stars  along the way. You hold writing seminars for NGO's. You run programs for local high school students. You help organize and MC community events and conferences, not to mention decorate peoples weddings. Oh. and you fall in love and meet the man you are going to marry (He is the most amazing man you have met and ever will meet).

You get married, and move back to Australia for a while. Where on many different levels your trust is put to the ultimate test, Where hope in anything but God leads to heartache. Where the very foundations of your faith, are rocked to the core...but you'll make it through. You have your husband- the most wonderful, caring, man to hold your hand through it all, and the hard times bring you even closer together. 

So let me summarize a few key things for you; 

* Community/Relationships are essential in life. Love, grace and humility are best found and experienced in the context of journeying through life with other people.

*Your purpose and calling are not a once off discovery nor limited to geographical locations. You will make more discoveries both big and small on a daily basis as to what you are called to do and no-matter where you are you can be intentional in engaging in your community, and with those around you. 

*The most precious gift you can give people is your time. A handwritten note, a listening ear, a heartfelt hug, baking some muffins or even just sitting beside someone while they are playing the PS3 (who of your friends plays a play station?...your husband!) shows someone they are valuable.

* Material possessions do not equal happiness. Some of the most content and generous people you have met live in slums, with cardboard boxes forming their walls. Don't chase after things of this world, but remember to store up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy. 

*The plans you have for Your life will not always/ very rarely come to pass. (it's ok) Don't wish for days gone by or longing for what is to come, for you will miss the opportunities that lay waiting for you in the present. Be fully present each day in the joy and in the pain... Life in its fullness is learning to be content in every circumstance.  Fullness is experiencing the highs and lows with the Maker by your side. It comes when you realize life is not about you, that decisions, choices and answered or unanswered prayers are the outworking of a greater purpose and higher calling upon your life and those around you.

*Finally, and most importantly. Remember apart from God you can do nothing. All your attempts to love, develop, engage and transform communities will be futile if not an extension of your love for the Lord. Your love for God must remain central to who you are and an overflow of what you "do". For it is His love which has the power to change lives...not yours.Your strength, motivation and desire will at times fail...but God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever...

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

 Psalm 73:26 

Much Love,

Nadine

Make It Happen

 So I found this super inspiring blog by Lara Casey. She has done all sorts of crazy things, including-being a celebrity personal trainer, the publisher and editor in cheif of a bridal magazine and founder of the Making Things Happen Movement.

I read this full post here by Lara which are her thoughts/advice on how to make those crazy dreams we carry inside of us become reality. Her preface to the post is this- "There are two rules to this post:  1.  you need a pen and paper, and  2. put on some great music.  Rule number 1 is because this post is interactive.  Don't read any further if you're not up for the challenge.  Rule number 2 is because you only live once.  You might as well enjoy it!"

I don't know about you, but I get so-excited about the arrival of the weekend as I have more time to do things I love-things such as journaling, reading, riding, catching up with friends etc... I'm so-glad to have found this post on Friday evening... Here is my short summary of what I got out of it, in terms of "making things happen"and questions that I would like to try answer...

1/ Fear- What am I afraid of? What scares me? 

2/ People-Who do I surround myself with? Who should I allow into my life? Who inspires me? 

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” --Jim Rohn 

3/ Discipline- More than just setting goals, but sticking to them. What are the 5 essential things that make me feel whole?

4/ Humility-Do I allow myself the freedom to fail? 

 "If you aren't failing on occasion, you aren't dreaming big enough."

 "Humility is not about being timid.  Don't confuse the two.  Practicing true humility means embodying one's strengths and God-given gifts with grace, allowing for self-reflection, keying into the ability to listen to the feedback the world is giving us, and -here's the kicker- doing something about it."

5/Crazy- You gotta be a little crazy, you have to be willing to run with those "crazy" ideas... 

"What are your big ideas? What are the things you want to make happen? Write them down."

*Seriously, if you ever have the time check out the full post, then pick up a pen and press play to your favourite/inspirational playlist. Make things happen!

Never Let Me Go

 As I mentioned in my last post, I always find the beach such an inspiring and refreshing place to be. A song I have been listening to on repeat recently, is "Never Let Me Go" by Florence and the Machine. Now I know that the meaning I get when I listen to the lyrics may not necessarily be that which the author intended...but to me in this moment the words speak specifically to my heart and situation.

Sometimes I feel so-overwhelmed by the needs in this world and the unfulfilled desires of my heart...At times I feel like its just easier to do things in my own strength, my own time and out of my own knowledge. However this of course only leads to further disappointment and frustration. At times I battle within myself about doing things out of the mindset of gaining God's love or further approval. The world we live in today is very performance based where we seek to receive love based on what we do rather than who we are. Whilst my blog is called "more than words" which came from a personal conviction to live a life of love and faith in action, I would never want to cultivate a works based faith movement.

I'm thankful for reminders that God so lovingly gives. There is nothing I could do that could make Him love me any more or any less...  If I manage to clothe a thousand orphans, or manage to say something hurtful about a co-worker His love for me remains the same. It is only by His saving grace, in sending His Son that I can be called His.  

May each of us, in our endeavors to make a difference and help those around us remember that "We love because he first loved us..." 1 John 4:19. Without His love, without abiding in Him we can bear nothing good that will last. May it only be from His love that we seek to love others. May we always come back to His arms of love and deliverance, may we be swept under by His love and Never let go...

                                         Florence and The Machine-Never Let Me Go lyrics

Looking out from underneath,
Fractured moonlight on the sea
Reflections still look the same to me,
As before I went under.

And it's peaceful in the deep,
Cathedral where you cannot breathe,
No need to pray, no need to speak
Now I am under.

And it's breaking over me,
A thousand miles onto the sea bed,
Found the place to rest my head.

Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go.

And the arms of the ocean are carrying me,
And all this devotion was rushing out of me,
And the crashes are heaven, for a sinner like me,
The arms of the ocean deliver me.

Though the pressure's hard to take,
It's the only way I can escape,
It seems a heavy choice to make,
Now I am under.

And it's breaking over me,
A thousand miles down to the sea bed,
Found the place to rest my head.

Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go.

Sacrifice

Thank-you for the Cross

Last week I watched the movie called "The Whistleblower" which sparked thoughts on sacrifice and what it really means to fight for something you believe in. I also drew parallels to the story of Jesus and the great sacrifice He made that we could live. How does this movie and the Cross share things in common? Well... let me explain;

In the movie The Whistleblower the main character Kathryn a police officer from the States is transfered to Bosnia to work with the UN. While she is there she uncovers a hideous human trafficking scandal involving members of the UN task forces; the very people who are there to protect and serve the people are exploiting and abusing these women in the worst possible way. The story then follows her journey in pursuing justice and putting and end to this horrific scandal. Of course one would think that she could simply tell her boss or someone high up in UN office what is happening and they would put a stop to it, end of story, this however is not the case. As she tries to put an end to this atrocity she finds her herself endangering not only her own life, but the lives of those she is trying to save. She ultimately has to sacrifice her career and safety for the pursuit of justice.

With Easter celebrations in full swing and chocolate eggs and fluffy chickens and bunnies fill the stores it is now when those who are Christians reflect on the significance and sacrifice of this time. It is Easter weekend that we remember the Cross on which our Saviour Jesus was nailed upon, bearing the sin and shame of the world. However it is also a time of much celebration as we know that Jesus rose again on the third day and through this He defeated death and restored relationship between God and mankind. But it came at a price, at such a great cost, where Jesus endured betrayal, beating and bruising beyond recognition, pain and rejection. But. He did it. He was willing to sacrifice Himself at the greatest level because He was passionate about us. He said "not my will, but Your will be done".

Standing up for things we are passionate about does not come with ease. Seeking to make a difference for the better in this world requires sacrifice, seeing God's Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven requires courage and passion. The word passion comes from the Latin passio, which implied suffering and the endurance of hardship. Just like Kathryn in the movie, had to endure hardship to seek justice for these women being trafficked, and just like Jesus, who had to endure hardship that we could have eternal life and relationship with God, so must we be willing to endure hardship to see the passions and dreams God has placed on our hearts come to fruition, to bring about the much needed change our world so-desperately needs...

So while shops promote Easter as some fluffy, indulgent holiday may we know and hold in great regard and ever be challenged by the sacrifice that was made over 2000 years ago by Jesus Christ.

Happy Easter...