Little bits of good paintings.

I feel like I want to paint when I see paintings. I like the texture of oil paintings a lot.

Prayer 3.

ADORATION

Our Father in Heaven.

We, your people, gathered here tonight, praise you as the only God of the universe. The creator of all that exists. Perfect in power, in knowledge, in judgement and in love. We praise you, our Father, because you make and uphold all things, you rule all the nations, you reign over time as generation after generation comes and goes, you alone will remain, unchangeable, incorruptable, forever. 

And you, father, made each one of us with your own hands and gave us the breath of life. you’ve watched over us. You give us all things necessary for life and godliness. Let us bless you at all times and not forget how you have forgiven us, healed us, redeemed our lives from destruction, crowned us with your loving kindness, satisfied us with good things, and inwardly renew us day by day.

We praise Jesus, your only son, firstborn over all creation, who did not grasp hold of his place on the throne, but gave himself up, made himself one of us, humbling himself even to die the death of a criminal by execution. He died to conquer sin and death, and he now sits at Gods right hand, and the day will come when everyone will bow before him. We praise Jesus and call him our king and trust in his name, receive forgiveness by his blood, and strength by his presence.

We praise the Holy Spirit of God, who gives us the words to praise, who gives us the desire to seek God, who helps us listen to his word, who changes us to be more like Jesus, and we commit everything we do and say to God, for building his church and his kingdom.

CONFESSION

Father, at this time we confess our sin. Our frequent sin, our deliberate sin, our selfish sin. Everything that is evil in your sight. Even the good things that we do for others are often based in earning approval or trying to seem like we have it all together. We all try and live without you as God and all we have is a facade of niceness, over souls that are broken, helpless and dying. The whole world is proof that humanity is the problem. War, poverty, pollution – we can’t even help ourselves from hurting the people we love. Our sins are terrible. Too many to count, too heavy to carry. So we confess them to you knowing that Jesus carried them to the cross. When we turned away from you, you turned towards us. you paid the price, died the death, you wash us clean and make us your sons and daughters. Like King David wrote, “let me hear joy and gladness, let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” So we bring you our broken spirits, our broken and contrite hearts, which are restored to you in Jesus.

THANKSGIVING

Heavenly Father, you have blessed each one of us with more than we deserve. We have enough to eat, we have houses, we have clothes, we have a stable government and responsible defence forces and a better health system than most other countries. We thank you for fresh water, food, access to education, emergency services, so many things we just take for granted. Each one of us is blessed also by unique circumstances, people we know, help we’ve received, opportunities we don’t deserve, and we will take a moment to think in our own minds of the people we are grateful for, the blessings in our lives, and give you thanks.

…………….

SUPPLICATION

Father, you are a powerful and generous God who loves to hear our prayers, so we bring before you the things we hope for.

We ask that wars would cease. We ask that nations and individuals would show compassion to the vulnerable. We ask for a generous response to the refugee situation. We ask for an end to corrupt governments which exploit the people they should be serving. We ask for an end to first-world materialism which replaces God with Stuff and wastes the earths resources. We pray that government policy would uphold traditional marriage while respecting the needs of all people. We pray for an end to domestic violence. We pray for an end to inequality of indigenous Australians in areas like education, health, employment, and every measure of wellbeing. The list of things wrong with this world is long. We take a minute to think in our own minds of an issue beyond our control that we feel burdened by, that we ask you work in.

…..

Every person in the world needs, more than anything else, to know Jesus and be reconciled to God. So we pray for boldness for Christians to take the gospel out. We bring before you Christians who are persecuted minorities in many countries, that they would not be afraid to live for Jesus. Help them to love their enemies, and do good to those who persecute them, as Jesus said and did.

We bring before you some of our partners in gospel proclamation. Kelly Landrigan in France, Simon, Margie and Noah in Namibia and Maddie Gillham here with us, the Mackees in the NT, and Heather Green at Newcastle Uni. Use these men and women to grow you kingdom wherever they are sent. We too, here in Maitland, ask for boldness and opportunities, at work, at school, in our homes, with our friends or our families, to speak of Jesus. “Because we know the fear of the Lord, we seek to persuade people…. for Christ’s love compels us.”

Father, some of us here tonight are burdened by sorrow. We think of the XX family from morning church, grieving so much the loss of little X. And their close friends and family who also feel it deeply and are caring for them at this time. We just ask that they know your faithfulness through the pain and as they are weary from suffering, and that they draw closer to you. We trust ultimately in the hope of heaven.

I’ll finish with the words Paul wrote to the Eshesians, chapter 3. For each one of us:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Riverlights 2015.

Week 2 of higher duties was still rather frantic, I was still feeling my way, but I finished the week with a meeting which I sort of organised and led and I got good feedback on that. I made a cool flowchart on the whiteboard. Set some actions in place. Things to follow up this week.

Went to a new friends house to watch Bachelorette. Took some sweet peas.

Mum and I went to the multicultural festival which is called Riverlights and its quite charming.

These are Eddie's poppies. I have some red ones, but I think I haven't watered the garden enough and they are very small. This display is much prettier.

This is a 3 week old kitten that came to home group. Its been a sad couple of weeks, there was a funeral the day before, and that day some sad news for my flatmate from Africa, but kitten therapy is helpful.

Floriade 2015.

This is mainly a slightly late post about the October long weekend at Floriade. Never too late for pretty photos.

Had my first blackout for a couple of hours home alone on a Monday night. 

My peas ended so i pulled them out, but the sweet peas are still going, I only have pale pink and pale purple flowers, for some reason no bright colours. But the pale ones smell sweetest. I pick a bunch twice a week. So scented.

I had my first week of higher duties at work. The first week was stressful, as it was basically starting a new job, having new responsibilities, relating to people differently with unknown expectations, I just really wanted to figure out what it all was so that I could make a first move on everything. I actually made really good ground, figured out a lot quite quickly, but at the time it was stressful. What I do when I'm stressed is write lists, I have lists in diary, notepad, other notepad, A3 notepad, on the window, on my iCal, and also in my inbox. I think thats a record.

 Anyway, then the long weekend. I caught a train down to Eastwood to share the drive from there to ACT with JK. We had an Asian lunch and a funny conversation with the man who shared our table. 

We stopped in Goulburn at the Paragon, and then had a relaxed night eating at home and colouring in and watching TV.

The next morning we went to brunch with nearby drummers, a games shop where I bought a puzzle, koko black, lunch at the cupping room when the other 3 arrived because thats a trendy place.

We went to the art gallery which was an enjoyable interlude. I took a few photos which I might post separately. Then to the shops for food and cheap PJ pants and home for another dinner in. 3 of us went for a jog around the lake at Belconnen, Ginenderra, it was 7km, which is the longest Ive ever jogged although it wasn't non stop. It made my hips sore. But it was a good achievement. Canberra is a good town for outdoors activities.

 It felt like a very efficient day with a variety of fun.

Sunday we went to church, then Floriade. We didn’t go home and change out of jeans so it was a bit hot and close to lunchtime and I didn’t want to hang around as long as I otherwise would have. However its a good flower show and its free, except we paid for the ferris wheel.

I took photos directly down at the flowers which I'll share as something different to the mass tulip photos. You get a bit of detail and its like a large bunch of flowers.

We tried to get huge milkshakes but the queue was off putting so we had pizza at a pub nearby instead. More puzzletime.

The next morning, with only a 45 minute wait, we got a table and giant milkshakes.

A good time was had by all. 

Between work and rest.

It was an interesting week at work. The Principal of 27 years retired, so there was a large farewell dinner and speech event at the college on Wednesday night. I sat with a couple from church who are retired. It was a good event, though not really my cup of tea, so because my feet were very cold (what has happened to the weather) and I had a long day on Thursday and was missing the Bachelorette, I left at 8.30 after dessert pretty much unnoticed.

The Bachelorette is so fabulous. The camaraderie and clowning around among the men is very enjoyable. When it's women there is a lot of side-eye, with the men it's just "I'm going to stand on my head now".

On Thursday I drove to Sydney for one day at a conference on Social Media. It was a last minute thing because someone else couldn't go and it was paid for, so I took notes. I also networked, which involves talking to grownups. It was excellent.

Afterwards, I had cheap city dinner with Elsie and we went to Muji, oh how I enjoyed it because I bought stationery like very fine point pens.

On Friday it was a wet but casual day at work, we had cheese and biscuits to celebrate the Principals last day.

On Saturday I went to a cafe in Newcastle called the Blue Door, which has really excellent food, and also very trendy young people in it.

Went with JK and her clan. Then JK and I saw the Pan movie, then I went home and did Jillian and watched Poirot.

Today is Sunday, and I am doing the Sabbath thing. I've read the bible, and spent 2 hours writing a prayer I am rostered for in 2 weeks time. I enjoy prayer-writing but I need no pressure around it. I don't know what I'll be doing in 2 weeks, I might be busy. Next weekend I'll be away with friends. So today I've spent the morning sitting in the reading nook near the window, with Percy in his cage at my feet, a bunch of flowers from Bec next to me, and the bible, my laptop to search phrases, the Valley of Vision prayer book, muji pen and notebook, a cup of tea that went cold, and a view of my sweet peas. I'm glad I had time to do this.

Next week at work will be a time of new challenge. I will have a role of acting team leader, for the next 4 weeks. Its a little team, but there will be some new responsibilities to experience, which I'm not sure what they are yet. Its a good time to give it a shot though.

Now, unfortunately, it's 1.30pm so I must leave this restful reading nook to eat, drink, use the bathroom, clean the birdcage, and buy food and petrol.

Spring weekend.

I've missed blogging about many things, mainly because Ive been hoping to blog from home on my laptop with the internet, but getting the internet was an interminable hassle. So you missed my weekend at Engage with Bec, Elsie and R, my housemates birthday move night, a brunch for girls from church, a weekend of massive spring cleaning, my obsession with Bachy S3, and probably many other things. And I'll just pick up from here.

Nutritional blenders are the best thing ever. I'm abandoning my lifelong love of cereal.

Last weekend Heather came over and we sewed the blanket made from old wool jumpers. Craft: accomplished!

My group at work organise the social club event for the month and we did a High Tea. We labeled tea pots with different tea and people tried them and it was a big success.

Friday night was a planned visit from Bec and Anna plus a surprise drop in from a couple from Wild Street, which was lovely fun. OH I have started kind of jogging with church girls on Friday after work.

So the weekend having Bec and Anna stay has been lovely. My french toast speciality.

We visited tocal homestead for some photography. Some of these are my phone and some are Bec's real camera.

And then we went to Morpeth, and Anna had dinner with other friends while Bec joined us for dinner in Maitland at Marmooks, and then Bec and I watched some hunger games movies to catch up on culture.

On Sunday, we went to the Branxton markets which were disappointingly small this time because of the weather, but oh well. There was a good earring shop and a good ceramic jewellery shop.