A Year of Change (so far)

The Story Bridge, Brisbane

This year has been a year of change for my husband and I (and our doggie, Oscar).

{I wrote this 2 months ago, but the facts and my thoughts remain the same}

We have:

• packed our belongings into a 6x4 trailer
• sold, given to friends, or donated the remainder of our worldly possessions
• said goodbye to my family, our church family and our friends
• left our jobs - for me, that meant saying goodbye to coworkers who I thoroughly enjoyed working with and had become friends with, and giving up a very nice, secure job
• road-tripped and camped our way from Adelaide to Sydney to visit my brother and friends, then from Sydney to our final destination, Brisbane
• lived with friends for a week and a half while house-hunting

Rob, me, Andre and Aaron about to unload furniture into our new home.
We lived with Rob and his family for the week and a half prior to finding our house

• settled into a new home

This is what moving can look like!

First meal in our new home - fish & chips, from the seafood shop right next door

These are all (yes, I mean ALL) of our kitchen cupboards, apart from one shelf where we keep saucepans and bread boards

• searched for jobs - by the grace of God, I found one in less than 2 weeks; the process for my husband has taken much longer
• learned new systems and policies and met new people at those jobs
• been church-hunting!  We've visited every Church of the Nazarene within a half-hour radius from our home, trying to find somewhere we can call our church home {update: we are settling into a church that is just 3 minutes from our house}
• adjusted (or should I say, we are still adjusting) to a lower income overall {update: we are doing very well now}
• (this one is for me only) enjoyed becoming a student again and learning about counselling
• had our dog run away many times - in this process we've suffered fines from the council, he has gotten hit by a car twice, and we've been overwhelmed by our neighbours' kindness in looking out for him

Our front porch [with Oscar in the yard, for once...]

• enjoyed living on a little street where we have gotten to know a few neighbours and quickly gotten used to living right next door to an IGA... so convenient!

The view from our kitchen sink - IGA

So much more has happened, but can I just say, in some cases, change is definitely not as good as a holiday.  I have LOVED so many parts of our journey this year; however, it has also been a struggle at times.

Leaving family and friends and my hometown behind has been relatively easy (thank goodness for texts, phonecalls and video calls!), but there is definitely a sense of loss of the familiar - friends who I have known for years are no longer a coffee-catch-up away, and Sunday lunches aren't quite the same without my family.  I'm so grateful that, overall, it has been easy so far, but that doesn't stop me missing the people I love.

It feels like we gave up a lot to move here.  I guess it's a matter of perspective, but we left jobs and furniture and places full of memories as well.  It really felt like a lot to leave behind.

Andre and I have realised that this year, of all years, is one that we want to look back on and smile and say, "Yes, that year was tough, but it didn't matter because we stuck together and grew closer together."  By God's grace we ARE growing closer together and learning lots together!

I'm so grateful for this year - this year of change.  Giving up so much has shown me how little I really need, but it has also shown me how much I have.  I can see now that I don't need a lot of "stuff" (although we still have too much!); I can easily make new friends to share life with; moving away from the familiar doesn't have to be so sad, because there is so many new experiences to look for!

In fact, while it has been hard at times, I would recommend to anyone to move away from home at least once in your life - whether short-term or long-term - because, in my experience, you can learn so much about yourself.  Plus, it's simply fun looking for new places to visit and experience!

This is a random collection of thoughts, but I hope it shows a little of what has been happening in my life so far this year, and inspires you to look for new experiences in your life.

~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

Steps That Lead to Effectiveness & Productiveness

2 Peter 1

New King James Version (NKJV)

Greeting the Faithful

¹ Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ³ as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Fruitful Growth in the Faith

⁵ But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, ⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, ⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; ¹¹ for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

On Sunday, my pastor spoke on the above passage.
I was reminded that just because I have put my faith in Jesus; just because I want to live my life for Him - doesn't mean that I should remain the same. In fact, I should continue to change. I should continue to grow. I should continue to "add to my faith" (verse 5).
God has placed goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love (and MUCH more!) at my disposal. These are some things that Peter tells us to work towards; to add to our faith. Now I have to step out; put in effort; apply myself!

[Side note from the message: Pastor Doug challenged us. He asked, "What are some of the character flaws you had last year?" This kind of took me aback. Made me question what I am aiming for; why I live. Does this question make you think?]

To add to my faith; to attain the things in this passage requires effort.
It requires me to set aside time daily to spend with the Lord.
It may even require me to put aside my wants and desires. To have times of fasting.
Prayer is essential if I want to grow and add to my faith.
And for all of this, I will need to have discipline. Much discipline!

These are some steps we can take to be more effective and productive! I hope and pray that we can apply even some of these! This is all a journey. Let us aspire to be greater servants of Christ - and most of all, to be more like Him every single day.

~Rachel