Life will not Always be like This

I wrote this in June 2018 and just never shared. I still have the same beliefs as written here, so I want to share!

On our way to a camping trip in December 2015

I've had multiple conversations with my husband, friends, and family about the struggles of life in the western world.  Some may label these "first-world problems", but in my situation (and in the lives of some of my friends), they can feel very real and weigh down on us.  We work the 9-5 just to cover the bills.  We struggle to make the rent every week.  We try to pay off debt.  We want to have go out to eat and go on nice holidays, but the budget limits us.  We see others buying houses and new cars and wonder how on earth we could ever "make it" there.  We cannot fathom reaching the world's "standards" without working 24/7 and running ourselves ragged, not to mention missing out on quality time with friends and family.


Now, all of these examples are not necessarily the entire reality for me or for any of my family and friends; but some of these have been my reality, and I'm actually not ashamed of it.  Shame can very easily be insinuated toward adults who already have one (or more) child but are still renting, still driving an old car (and certainly don't own a second car), and who don't seem to have it all or do all the "cool" things.  I have to say, here and now, I am not ashamed of living in a rental home.  I am not ashamed of driving my 2003 car.  I am definitely not ashamed of having had one child during one of the most difficult seasons of my life.  And I am most certainly not ashamed of the life that I CHOOSE to live.

Our fourth house in less than 3 years! Absolutely no frills, but we made it into a home

Between Andre and I, we work 6 days a week.  With a live-in babysitter (shout-out to our sister Nataly!!) we could, on a practical and logistical level, quite easily both work full-time in order to save more, live in a newer home, buy a new car, travel, maybe even buy a house, and do/buy any number of things that the world around us tries to convince us we "need" to do/buy.  However; we have decided that the most important thing to us is our family - to make sure we prioritise time together with our daughter instead of being consumed by work and making money, etc.

And the reason we can so confidently make this decision, without concern for our financial future or living arrangements?

We have HOPE that life will not always be like this.  One day there will be a different life; an eternal life where everyone is welcome no matter of their standing in this world today; a life in which there is no pain, struggle, or suffering... but rather, absolute JOY.

Our fifth house in just over 4 years

In the Bible, in Isaiah chapter 65, we get a glimpse of what is to come in this new life.  I've included the whole passage here so you can see the whole context, but I will comment further below.

Isaiah 65

17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; 

and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.

18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; 

for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people. 

The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

20 No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; 

for the child shall die one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.

21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; 

for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and my elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

23 They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble; 

for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them."

Verse 17 speaks of the NEW heavens and earth, and that we won't remember the old heavens and earth (the world we live in today) - this encourages me so much to know that the struggles I experience today won't even be remembered in the future!

Verses 21 and 22 were the ones that stood out to me, on this subject of living situations and finances (I'll wait while you go back and read them again!).  This promise that we will have a simple life - to build a house and live there; to plant food and eat it; to live long and to enjoy the work that we have accomplished... SO MUCH HOPE that we won't always feel the pressure to work more and earn more and have more!!  

I have so much to be thankful for, and simple moments like these hit the top of the list!

I am so thankful to believe in a God Who promises a life that will be full of joy forever.  The things I have and do now won't last forever anyway, so really, at the end of the day, if I need to rent for my whole life, who cares?  If I never travel to every country on the planet, what will it matter?  Yes, I need to be wise with what I have (and to be thankful for it, too!), and I am constantly striving to live well and use wisdom in my decision-making.  But I am so thankful that this isn't all there is - an eternal, joyful, simple life is waiting for me!

~Rachel

Are you Convinced?

One month ago I started listening to an audio Bible, attempting to get more of God's Word into my heart and mind, and so far I've listened to a few small New Testament books and I'm really happy about that!  This week I started listening to Romans, and I was enjoying it so much that I decided to read it as well, so today I read chapter 4.  Verses 20 and 21 really struck a chord with me:

20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 

21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

These verses are talking about Abraham (the previous verses give a little background) and I love this picture of Abraham's faith.  It seems that his faith didn't waver, but rather grew stronger; he was "fully convinced" that God was capable of doing anything that He had planned to do.  Wow!!  Everything Abraham believed (as written in these verses) is truth; but how often does that truth get watered down with the lies of the world and all of the voices and demands around me?  How often do I get distracted by other things and God's promises to me get forgotten?  How often does my faith slide and my conviction waver in my daily life?

I'm really challenged to live as if I am fully convinced that God is able to do everything that He has promised me, including...

He is able to provide for me...
He is able to love me completely...
He is able to speak to me...
He is able to guide my life...
He is able to give my soul peace...

...what would you add to this list?  What are you convinced that God has promised you?

~Rachel

Contentment and Dreams

I have many dreams.  Big ones; small ones.  Easy ones; hard ones.  Realistic ones; seemingly-impossible ones.  Dreams that are travel-related; dreams to do little things around my home.  Dreams of my career; dreams of how to serve God better.

Some days, dreams seem far-off and unattainable - it's easier to dream than do.  Other days, I just want to buckle down and work hard to achieve my dreams.

Sometimes I am overwhelmed with a sense of contentment.  I love my life!  I have a cosy home with all my worldy possessions displayed for me to enjoy.  I am studying toward a career that I really, really want.  I have a husband who loves me to the moon and back.  I know, 100%, that my heavenly Father is with me no matter what season of life I am in.

Just for a laugh - Oscar in his element. He sure looks content!

All of these things lead me to sigh a huge sigh of contentment.

"...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation... "

~Philippians 4:11b-12a, NIV

Contentment and dreams.

I have both; yet I want to be more content even while I am striving for my dreams.

What are you dreaming of?
Are you content in your life?

~Rachel

When Life Transitions

Sometimes life gets dreary, routines become mundane and we begin to wonder what our purpose is. Life's seasons can change dramatically in the blink of an eye, or merge so slowly that we don't even notice the change.

My husband and I are in the middle of a transition of a season in our lives - one that is exciting, daunting and sad all at the same time.

In just over 1 month's time, we will be moving from Adelaide, South Australia, to Brisbane, Queensland - from the south to the north of Australia! This is a big move for us, as it means leaving family, friends, work and church. We are travelling into many unknowns, with many questions yet to be answered - where will we live? where will we work? how much will it cost for us to move? will we be able to make new friends? when will we next see our family?... the list goes on.

[photo credit: Andre dos Santos]

Yet, it is within these unknowns that we are seeing God's presence daily. A message from a friend in Brisbane offering to attend house inspections for us prior to the move. A scripture from another friend in Brisbane, with encouragement that we really are doing the right thing. Valuable time spent with family, creating memories to treasure (one thing that moving away will do, is bring a whole new appreciation for family!). People coming to mind who have already left home to begin new adventures, and inspiration through those people that we can do this too. Again… the list goes on.

Today on my desk calendar at work, this verse spoke volumes to my heart:

"I will dwell among them and I will be their God, and they will be My people."

2 Corinthians 6:16

[photo credit: Andre dos Santos]

No matter where I am or who I am with or what I am doing or how lonely I feel or how unsure I am… God dwells within me! I am His treasured child, and He will never, ever leave me. His care for me has been so evident these past couple months especially, and this verse confirms to me that He journeys [dwells] with me through every transition and every season. After a time of reflection, I also see now that this time of transition is also a time of preparation. A time to seek Jesus, to learn to trust Him, and to transition into this new season well.

I am so grateful that I have found a Friend in Jesus - He is my one true, constant companion through all life's seasons, and I know I would not handle this particular transition very well if He wasn't with me. Praise Him!

~Rachel

[photos taken on our honeymoon in Cairns, Queensland, in July 2013]

You are Chosen

Chosen.

I choose you.

You are chosen.

To be chosen is something that all of us wish for. To be wanted; accepted; desired... chosen.

How many of us grew up always being picked last for the team; overlooked for the band; left behind on the excursion; excluded from the group. I would be willing to bet that all of us have been left out at least once in our lives - but probably far more than just once.

This deep desire we have as human beings to be chosen is not a coincidence or an accident - we were created to desire connection and belonging and acceptance.

Why?

Because God, our Creator, chooses us.

He created us to desire to be chosen... because He chose us.

His Word 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 into His wonderful light."

1 Peter 2:8 (NIV)

Look at that!

Even if you, for your whole life, have been rejected and overlooked and excluded, the most important One has already chosen you! He looked at you and loved you and chose you before you were even born. He pursues you and holds out His hands to you and longs for you to run to Him - where you will finally be accepted and truly belong.

What are you waiting for? You life will change because He chose you - and when you accept, you belong to Him completely.

You are chosen.

~Rachel

Contentment and Enjoyment

A late night at work = this view

Hi friends!

My sister and I study the Bible together every week, and last week we read 1 Timothy 6.  Two verses in particular stood out to me really profoundly, and I want to share them with you.

⁶ Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 

 ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain^[c] we can carry nothing out. 

 ⁸ And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

Contentment is a huge challenge for me.  I seem to always be wanting to do something new and experience new things.  I struggle to simply enjoy being where I'm at here and now!  When I read verse 8 above, I was challenged by the thought that I should really be content with my basic necessities, and that really, anything above and beyond that is a gift.

However, we didn't stop there.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

It suddenly became clear to me that while contentment is certainly something I should be working on (obviously, because verse 6 says that godliness AND contentment is great gain!), I live for a God who wants more for me than the basic necessities.  He gives me more than I deserve; more than I need; more than I know what to do with.

I was blown away by this truth.  The truth that God loves me SO MUCH that He created this universe; gave His Son to take my very own sin and dirtiness so that I could live eternal live with him; blessed me with my husband, family and friends; saw fit to give me a job that provides for more than I need... The list goes on.

When I learn to be content with the basic necessities, I will actually be able to enjoy the simple things and not wish for something more/different/new.

I so love that I have the Bible to explore and learn new truths!  God is truly amazing.

Do you struggle with being content?
Could you learn to enjoy the simple things of life?

~Rachel

Devotional: Spread the Word

"For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything."

1 Thessalonians 1:8

Paul, Silvaneus and Timothy write to the Thessalonican church and commend them for the way the Word is shared through them. Paul writes that in every place their faith was spread.

I am challenged to be like this church. I am challenged to step out of my comfort zone and say the Lord's name and speak of His love. I am challenged to live in a way that people will see the difference in my life.

I want to be remembered for how, when and where I share my faith!! I want to be remembered for the way my life shines for Christ!

Let us be encouraged that this is possible. It truly is possible for Jesus to show Himself through us. When we rest in Him, talk with Him, and follow His leading, this is more than possible!!

~Rachel

Devotional: Gifts

"Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership."

1 Timothy 4:14

Does this verse convict you? Does it make you question where you're at in your service to the Lord?

It certainly did this to me!

It can be so easy for us to serve in various ministries without even thinking about it - we teach Sunday School, cook meals for those in need, invite fellow believers over to have a meal, lead worship, prepare morning teas, join church and mission boards... The list is endless.

^"6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands."

1 Timothy 4:14

Every single person has been given special gifts and talents. Along with these, God grants grace and wisdom in how to use them. Our only task here is to actually use our gifts. When we are available, God makes a way.

It is healthy - essential, even - for us to stop and think about our gifts and ask ourselves how we are using them - if we are using them!

Will you join me in using your gifts for the glory of God?

Let's put our gifts and talents to good use!

~Rachel

Devotional: The Mystery

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:

God[c] was manifested in the flesh,

Justified in the Spirit,

Seen by angels,

Preached among the Gentiles,

Believed on in the world,

Received up in glory."

1 Timothy 3:16

I love how these few short sentences describe Jesus; how they describe Who He was and what He did on earth. This seems like a simple review of His life, in a nutshell!!

And... this is the mystery of godliness. Jesus. No questions asked. No games are being played here. We don't even need to search it out; look for hidden clues in the puzzle.

JESUS is the mystery of godliness. God manifested in the flesh.

HE is the answer, always the answer.

~Rachel

Devotional: Intercession

"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. ³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,"

1 Timothy 2:1-5

This passage immediately spoke to me when I read it this morning. A couple of weeks ago, I realized there were a few things in my life that I wanted to work on. Since it was nearly the end of January, I decided to sit down and pray about everything that was in my head, write thoughts down on paper, and then create some goals for February - short-term, achievable goals.

One of my goals was to intercede for others. There are so many special people in my life, and while I can't invest lots of time with them as individuals, I CAN pray for them as much as I like! I find that when I take specific time to pray for others, my heart is filled with joy, because this is such a privilege.

As I read this passage, I noticed the clear reference to "kings and all who are in authority".

Do I pray for my nation's politicians and leaders and officials?

No.

Never.

Wow. I call myself a Christian,  yet I never pray for my leaders! Sure, I make plenty of comments such as "What were they thinking?!?!...this is a Christian country? Doesn't seem like it!...I can't believe the place our country is in..." You get my point.

I expect the best, but don't pray into the decisions that are made by our leaders.

God, forgive my ignorance and pride and selfishness!!

I am encouraged - yes, convicted! - to pursue prayer. Pursue time to intercede for friends and family. Pursue prayer for my nation's leaders. Pursue my Lord and Saviour and all that He has for me.

Will you join me?
What are you convicted to pray for today?

~Rachel

Devotional: Habits of Speech

^"4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. ⁵ Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, ⁶ from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk,"

1 Timothy 1:4-6

These few verses are so relevant to me. They make me question the subject of my speech.

What do I talk about most?
How do I talk about it?
Why do I talk about it?
Should I be talking about it?
And must I change the habits of my speech?

Verse 4 notes that some subjects cause disputes rather than godly edification.

I spent some time meditating on this, and realized that there are definitely some parts of my speech are not godly or edifying. They include:

• Complaining
• Criticism
• Quick judgment

Verse 5 brings some very important steps to my attention.
Perhaps, just perhaps, if I "LOVE from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith", then godly edification will flow from my mouth??

I want to change that "perhaps" to "surely". Surely my speech will be godly when my heart is full of love?

Verse 6 points out that some people (may I say, all of us, at one point o r another?!) stray from love and purity and faith and godly speech, and turn instead to "idle talk".

For me, idle talk includes the amount that I lament about my life. I am quick to complain about what people do or say to me; what happened yesterday; how uncaring people are; how one coffee shop never, EVER gets the entire order right ;-) You know what I mean!

Another example is when I say or think that I do better than other people. So often I look at the way things are done and immediately see the failings. As a fairly organised person, something I do very regularly is see how others coordinate events or plan their time, and think of the ways that I would do it differently - aka, better.

Idle talk can simply be a quiet, off-hand judgment. Have you ever turned to the friend next to you and commented about what such-and-such is wearing or doing (in a negative way), even when you don't even really know that person? I sure have. If I don't know someone much deeper than a surface-level "hello, how are you?", surely I have no right to make a quick judgment about their dress code or actions!

So how can I be more edifying?

• When I am about to complain, realize that I am not perfect
• Replace criticism with thankfulness
• Look deeper into people before judging

I want my heart and life to be like Christ's, and my speech is one area I know that I need to improve!

What are some areas of speech that you struggle with?
How can you make your speech more edifying?

~Rachel

G.R.A.C.E.

Today's word for me is grace.

Grace.

Christians hear and use this word a lot. In fact, I might say that we even hear it and use it so often, that we rarely stop to think about it.

Grace.

What is grace to you?

I have a few thoughts today about grace that I am pondering upon, and I hope that it will lead you to consider this deep, meaningful word.


G.odly
R.evolutionary
A.ccepting
C.aring
E.verlasting


Godly, because God was the first Giver of grace, and because when we display grace, we are showing God's character.

Revolutionary, because this is something that would have been unheard of, if it weren't for God. Grace changed the world, through the way Jesus came and took the weight of our sins on His shoulders. No one else could have POSSIBLY thought of this!!

Accepting, because grace leads us to accept others just as they are. Often, in our own selfish little words, we look down on others, as if we are in some way higher and greater than they are. Yet when I look at Jesus, He did the exact opposite: He made Himself (His perfect self, no less!) lower than the low. He never made a big deal of who he spent time with - fishermen, tax collectors, children, prostitutes, Samaritans... They were all the same to Him!

Caring, simply because a heart of grace will lead to a heart of compassion. Love and care for others is one of the greatest things we were created to do, and Jesus displayed this so clearly during His time on earth.

Everlasting, because God's grace will never end. When we commit our lives to Him, we commit for life. We accept that His grace is everlasting, and we join Him in His work on this earth to display grace (among many other attributes) to others every day of our lives.


As you can see in every single one of these points, we have a wonderful example in Jesus, who showed us exactly how we can display grace in our own lives. He showed us the meaning of grace, which I by no means have covered here. It's amazing to me how five small letters can be such an endless topic!

I encourage you to thank the Lord for His grace, and ask Him to show you how to disply this in your own life today!


~Rachel

Not Really Hearing

One thing I love about my job is that my dream of working in the city has finally been realized. I love hopping on the train, having 50 minutes to spend in a quiet time every morning, and then walking 10-15 minutes to my work.

This morning as I was walking from the train station to work, I saw a friend. She was walking the same direction as me, but not near me. She had her headphones in, and looked very focused on where she had to go.

Then, a few hours later, I was at work, and one of my colleagues came and gave me a job to do. She began explaining it, and I was looking at the paperwork, nodding my head, saying "mm-hm"... and then I realized that I actually had not heard one thing that she said. I shook myself and had to ask her to repeat everything again.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I read a short illustration of a bride at her reception, walking around greeting people and accepting many compliments on how beautiful she was. Then the story turns to the groom, who is standing in a corner, completely unnoticed both by the guests and his bride. Tears roll down his cheeks.

Source

What a picture this is.

Surely this is how I so often treat my Saviour. He has brought me through this far, yet I continually live life my own way - not consulting Him, not thinking about Him, not walking with Him. I know He is there, but living like I know He's there?...a whole different story.

When I am tempted to do wrong, I so often ignore that still, small voice (which many people call a "conscience") that tells me not to give in to that temptation. When I am angry or frustrated, I so often blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, instead of remembering His amazing grace and mercy towards me, that I should be showing to others.

So let us not walk through life not really hearing. Let us walk with confidence in the knowledge that God is with us; God is speaking to us and guiding us - and we can draw from everything He is, as long as our ears and eyes are open to take in everything that He has for us.

~Rachel

DTS Outreach PNG [YWAM Ship]

After four weeks in Darwin (which you can read about here, here, here and here), Toma headed back to Canberra to be with his family, while Tim, Janet and I jumped on a plane to Papua New Guinea, ready for the next stage of outreach: serving with the YWAM Medical Ship.

Here are some photos, documenting just a fraction of what I experienced during that week.

Pacific Link

Relaxing  on our first day onboard, after our overnight flights

Exploring the ship

We ate breakfast and dinner on the upper deck

After a day of rest, we had to get stuck into our training and orientation. We were assigned teams that we would work with for the entire week, and each team was assigned a clinic to work at. This way, we could establish relationships with each other and the local nurses, and learn to work for the best of our clinic.

My Primary Health Care Team. Tim's and my orientation was to open our pharmaceutical bag and immediately look at each other, back away, and say, "Who signed us up for this?!?!?!"

PNG style - love it!!!!

Tim working with Rachel in the pharmacy corner

With the lovely nurses in the TB ward

I didn't have much to do one day...and this is a sign of my homesickness at that point of the journey

I will always, always associate PNG with cute kids!!

Tried to make friends with this boy every.single.day that week, and FINALLY on the last day, he started playing with me! We had such fun!! Such a dear boy, who accompanied his extremely ill Mum (TB) every day to the clinic

The YWAM ships website has some pages and stories from the Port Moresby phase of the journey.

Louisa is an amazing lady who coordinated my team's time at the Kaugare, and you can read her story here.

If you read this, you'll see a few snippets of what happened during our time in Port Moresby, as well as see some records of what the YWAM Ships have been able to do this year.

This is a segment from EM TV PNG, which gives a good overview of the aim of the YWAM Ships ministry.

YWAM wouldn't be YWAM without work duties!

Pretty sure I'll never complain that "my bedroom is too small!" or "there isn't enough room!" again!

It wasn't all work! Here is Kim and Phil entertaining us one night on deck. Kim is a former Australian Idol contestant, and blogged about her experiences with the team. Here is one of her posts. She also posted a few photos...can you find me??!

My heart for PNG grew even more during this week with the YWAM Ship

It is SO good to look back and photos and remember the privilege of this experience! I will always be grateful for my time in PNG, the amazing teammates I got to go with, and my Heavenly Father Who truly revealed Himself to me during that time.

~Rachel

Through All Things...

...I know that I can give thanks.


Because I have a Faithful God.
I have a Caring God.
I have a Loving God.
I have an Indescribable God.


My God is my Friend, Father, Helper and Provider.
He is my Leader, Hope and Strength.


He is everything I have ever needed and will ever need - and so much more.


And it is because of Him that I can be thankful every day - even when things aren't going quite right!


Join me and be thankful!!


*Continuing my count to One Thousand Gifts*


55. Air-conditioning
56. Transportation that makes weekend visits so easy
57. Falando com minha familia Brasileiro!!!!!!!
58. Borrowing my brother's headphones

59. Stealing my boyfriend's music =P

60. Last-minute invites to a friend's house after church

61. My car

62. Quiet time at 10pm in this quiet house

63. My sister sleeping in my room :-)

64. Knowing I can sleep in tomorrow morning if I want to!

65. A warm quilt to sleep under

66. Green mint tea

67. Emails from YWAM

68. Leading worship

69. Wearing a new dress

70. The itchiness in my fingers to blog!! [I'm sure you're very grateful ;-) ]

71. Early morning breakfasts in the park with a friend

72. Going-away gifts that I never expected

72. Chocolate...

73. Seeing healing happen in people's hearts and lives

74. Being part of opening up my family's home to a friend in need

75. Learning to be crazy and have fun!!!!!!!

76. Randomly meeting a friend at Koorong in the city

77. Keeping connections with people from Third Wave 2012

78. Playing cards

79. Parties

80. My first pair of Havaianas =D

81. A [belated] Valentines Day gift from my man

82. The joy on this man's face when he receives his gift from me

83. A Mighty Fortress 

84. The internet

85. Playing games at our youth service

86. Camp videos

87. Seeing a young couple take a step of faith to move cities to serve the Lord

88. Leggings: the comfiest PJs ever =P

89. Journalling

90. Brothers and sisters that love Jesus!

91. Financial provision

92. Knowing this weather will cool down this week 

Please, join me and be thankful!

What is something from your past that you are thankful for?

~Rachel

Memories of a mentor...

I would like to dedicate this blog post to a friend of mine; a very special person who I have known a very long time; someone who has influenced greatly, for the good.

This person is amazing. I don't know anyone else quite like them (aka--him / her). This person has an amazing faith, an amazing family, and has had (and is having) an anamazing journey.

This person has inspired me in so many ways--both in ways that I can see, and ways that perhaps have changed parts of me, even though I don't realize it.

I think (and hope!) I am sort of like this person. In fact, I would count myself extremely lucky if I had just a few of their characteristics and a bit of their lovely personality!

My upbringing has been similar to my friend--I was brought up in a Christian home, have been going to church my whole life, and I was homeschooled (I think this is mostly the same).

My beliefs have been influenced by this friend. This friend taught me about topics such as modesty and femininity, and a lot of what I learned (through specific conversations or teaching, or just by the way this person conducts themselves) has stayed with me, and I pray that I will be able to pass this part of what I have been taught by my friend, to people around me.

While everyone's lives are different; everyone goes through various struggles; everyone goes through their trials in different ways... My friend is definitely one of the most inspirational people I know. This friend has been through a lot in his / her life, and the way they have continued through trials and heartache is just astounding to me. While faith in God can feel crumbled and shattered through things life has brought, I know there is still hope and still faith in my friend's heart.

Kristy, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the amazing way you have influenced my life. I hope you can see that you really have put a lot into my life (even when you may not have realized it), and I also hope that I can carry that on into other young girls' lives. I guess there's not a lot more I can really say, other than that I truly admire the way you have gone through your life and the different journeys you have taken... And I hope that I can come through things in my life with the same grace that you have in yours.

I love you!!

~Chel

Papa's funeral

This week has been slightly crazy, as my Dad's Dad passed away on Monday, the 5th of October.
He had suffered for some months with cancer and other medical issues.

Last weekend he had been "on oxygen", and he had an infection in his lung. Mum spent hours with him on Sunday.

On Monday, Dad, Mum and I headed down to the hospital to visit him. I had a feeling he didn't have long left. The plan was to drive down around 3-ish, but when I met my parents at 12pm, they said they were leaving straight away. I felt an urgency in that, and I started crying straight away. As we drove down, I was trying to stop crying, but it was really hard :(

After about 10 or 15 minutes of driving, we got a phone call saying "he's gone". We pulled over, and just sat in the car for some time; mainly Mum and I supporting Dad. It was a scary thing--I mean, usually it's Dad comforting me, not the other way around!

Anyway, we continued to the hospital and spent hours there with family.

The funeral was this morning, and I praise God for His answer to prayer! I had helped Dad write his eulogy, and it was planned that I would stand up the front with him when he read it. I prayed and prayed that I would have God's strength and peace to get through that time, and be strong for Dad. After the eulogy, I shed a few tears, but I didn't cry. I am so thankful!!! In a way, I feel guilty (you know that feeling--when you aren't emotional for something like that?), but I know that it will probably hit me later.

I want to thank all of you who have been praying for my family through this time. I thank God for the amazing people who are standing by my family!!

~Rachel

My Testimony

Last Sunday (the 23rd of August), I shared my testimony at the (night) youth service.

I'd only found out (a.k.a. volunteered!) that I'd be sharing my testimony on the Friday night beforehand, so I didn't have much time to prepare. I wrote down some main points, and I added in some Bible verses that have spoken to me over the years--mainly the last couple of years.

The points I'd scribbled down to speak about included:

• How I got saved, that I grew up in a Christian home, etc
• Jan 05: I was unsure of who I was in God and with my family--I was insecure
• 2005: I wanted to get so much closer to God, but felt helpless. I felt like God wasn't interested in me, yet I knew in my heart that He was there. I wrote many songs and poems in my journal during this year
• Jan 06: I committed my life to service for God. On that day, and at other times through my life, people have said they believe God will really use me
• I've always wanted to shine for God, and many diary entries over the past 4 years state that
• Many diary entries also stated how badly I wanted to have daily time with God
• Jan 08: Youth Camp's theme was Audience of One, and in the few months before then I had felt really far away from God. I was excited for camp, because with Audience of One, each day we spend half an hour by ourselves, like a devotinoal time just praying, etc, and we got journals to write in. For the whole week, I was just crying out to God, asking Him to reveal Himself to me (don't know what I expected, but I really really really prayed hard!). I wrote pages of songs and prayers. And after all of that, I felt / heard nothing. Absolutely nothing. That was so disappointing and tested me a lot. I had questions like "Why doesn't God speak?"
• 2 weeks ago, Pastor Doug spoke about humility, and that touched me and spoke to me a lot, and he talked about forgiveness as well. I have struggled to forgive in some areas lately, and at the service when Pastor Doug spoke, I just cried cos it really spoke to me, and was convicted that I need to "fix" this problem
• Jan 08: A friend of mine, Kristy, married Steve. 10 weeks later, Steve died in a tragic boating accident. I struggled (and sometimes still struggle) with this fact, and I just couldn't get my head around how Kristy, an amazing woman of God and someone that I have always looked up to, could go through so much, even though she is so faithful. I asked many, many questions through this time, and also wrote lots of songs about that event, and about the struggle my heart was going through. As I shared this, just after the first sentence, I started crying. I didn't expect to be that emotional, but I guess it all came down on me again. I spent a few minutes bawling my eyes out in front of the congregation ( :S ) and took another couple of minutes to manage to talk again... I did notice that quite a few people there had tears in their eyes, too :'(
• Often I feel hypocritical at church. I've had people say things like, "I wish I had your faith" or "I wish I was as close to God as you are", etc. This just makes me think, "Are you SERIOUS??! Obviously that person doesn't know me!! If they know what I go through, they'd be saying the opposite!!!..." I realize now, after talking to a few people, that just the desire to serve God can be a light to others, and even that has touched people

There were other things that I shared, but this is at least part of my testimony. I must say, sharing it at church was easier to write on here; I wasn't sure what to put and what not to put! But these were the main points, and I also shared some Bible verses that have spoken to me over the past couple of years.

I hope it hasn't bored you!

God bless,

~Rachel

Youth Group Camp 2009

Just over a week ago, my Youth Group went on a one-night camp to Waikerie.
Uncle Tedd, Christopher, Brenton, Daniel and Ryan all left at about 2.30pm with all of the camping gear (tables, tents, food, etc). They set up everything for us!
The rest of the gang left the church around 4pm, and when we arrived (it was dark by that time), the tents were all set up, the campfire was blazing and food was cooking. Mmm we had Uncle Tedd's delicious beef stew with huge pieces of oven-baked bread. Man, that bread was THE BEST!!! :P
After we'd eaten and sorted out who was sleeping in what tent, and which group would be sleeping next to which other group (in other words, it took a fair amount of time to sort that out!), I think we had a talk-time next. The group got given the opportunity to ask questions about the church, words they didn't understand, or any other questions they had. We also went around and each said something about ourselves, so as well as having a great discussion time, it was also a time of bonding for all of us--getting to know each other more and just spending that time together.
After that, we played games around the campfire, and that was great fun!
Then some of us played games like Red Rover in the open grassy spot on the bank of the river. Since it was dark when we got there, I didn't even know there was water right next to our campsite! And when I saw the water, I thought it was a small creek. Turns out we were camping next to the River Murray!!!!! lol
We didn't go to sleep until after midnight (probably more like after 1am)--but who sleeps on camp, anyway??!?!?! I had a really good talk with Kim in our tent.
That night, it rained. Not heaps, but it still rained! And at 5am a tent of 2 boys and our Pastor woke us up with all of their talking / whining / complaining / moving / unzipping and zipping the tent... The water had come up underneath their tent and completely soaked everything! Sleeping bags, pillows, clothes and bags! So we were up before 6am, around the campfire, when it was still dark. Even that was a great experience, though!
After drying off, warming up and eating eggs and bacon with more delicious bread, we went for a LONG walk up the road and visited a couple (whose grand-daughter was on the camp), and spent some time on their property. Their house is right at the top of the cliff, overlooking the River, and the views were amazing!! Just spoke to me again and again of how wonderful God is!
When we got back from our long hike, we ate food and then packed up the tents and the campsite.
I didn't get too tired from the lack of sleep (surprisingly!), which I was very glad of :)

~Rachel

Lately...

Lots has been going on lately, which is why I kinda haven't posted...

As you know, netball started last Saturday. It was a full-on day! I got there before 11am, to umpire Modies (these girls are about 8-10 years old). Amy played at 12.15, so I watched her, and then I umpired Under 15's in the next time slot. That game was FAST! But I like that better than Modies, which is really slow and you have to explain everything :S

After that, I played my game. It was a good game, but we were a bit all over the place. Mind you, most of the people we were playing looked like they were nearly twice our age! They were rather good, I must say :) We thought we were getting whomped, but it turned out that we only lost by two goals: 23-21!! We were pretty happy with that.

Sunday was the best day of my life!!!!! Okay, not quite, but I just spent the afternoon at home... I read the Bible, read Boy Meets Girl (Josh Harris), painted my nails (all of this was outside with shorts and a tank top on, in the glorious sun) and went on the computer. At 5pm I went across the road to the school (Xavier College) to a "Youth Group", which a friend from netball invited me to. I helped cooked soup in the great kitchens at the school (I swear that's what kinda sucks about being homeschooled--not getting the experience in a big kitchen like that! lol) while others made pizza and set tables. I had to leave early for church, so I didn't get to eat the food there (or participate in their "prayers"), but someone kindly dropped off 4 pieces of pizza for me!! It was SO good!

Well, that was my weekend. Other stuff has happened this week, but I don't have time now to tell you about it. I'm off to eat some yummy chilli lentils and rice for lunch. Mmm...

~Rachel