Sharing good news

If you truly love someone, you would want them to have the best. And for me, I'm a sharer, if I have bad news, I'd share it with those I consider close to me, if I had good news, I'd share it with whoever is nearby. If I had great news? Well, my face cannot deny what my heart knows.

Well, I've had my share of bad news, good news, and great news. Bad news, the things I'm working on have hurdles that I have not yet worked out how to overcome. Good news, I'm really enjoying my everyday with the unique celebrations, and reasons for happy dances. Great news, I've had opportunities to share with other some serious good news. AND I've found people I really really really want to share this good news with.

I've had opportunities lately to share THE good news with people. It comes up in clinic, it comes up in the office, it comes up over dinner with friends and with conversations with Mr MK. I'm so blessed. I smile just thinking about these opportunities. And as I prepare my presentation for tomorrow's children's sunday school, I smile at the opportunity to share this good news.

This is what I believe in a nutshell, We are sinners living in a way we were not designed to live. Because of this rebellion we were meant to be destined to eternal death, but instead, God loved us so much that he was willing to sacrifice himself for our sake, so that we are redeemed. We are given this pretty cool gift, not simply to live as forgiven, but given eternal life with him living as children of God. And the reason we call it amazing grace is that we don't deserve this, it's not something we earn... THAT IS GREAT NEWS INDEED!

But I think Matthias media describes it well.... check it out with the link below.

[Link: http://www.matthiasmedia.com.au/2wtl/]
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How will we use our time today?


There is a spoons principle I often use with clients at the clinic. If we are all given 20 spoons a day, how would you spend your spoons? We are all given 86,400 a day, my 86400 seconds is not longer than your 86,400 seconds.

And I believe for the most part, we have a choice as to how we use this time. We can spend the time complaining about the traffic- that's a good 5-10 seconds. We can spend the time watching commercial breaks, that's a good 100 seconds. We can spend the time pounding the pavement, playing with our kids, talking with our friends.

In therapy, we talk about helping people identify what is really important to them. Identifying how to best use their limited resources. I woke up this morning and said a quiet prayer, chatted to Mr MK, went for a run, came home and read my bible, prepared for my work week, and I will spend the rest of today with friends before driving to find my mum. It's rare that we can reach this kind of balance. We can find a million excuses not to live according to our values, and I have a bank of those reasons that come up in my mind.

So when you extract the day, you will find how well you are living towards what is important to you. I've spent spoons on work, relationships, God, friends, health, ...

What will you spend time on?

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Proverbs 90:12


[image from: dumpaday.com]
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The one and only

It's nearly 2 months since I moved into my new place. And one of the things I've been trying to find is a "home" church. I think I've found it. And one of the things I love about this new church is the opportunities to learn about God. After the church service there is adult sunday school. Today in sunday school we were wrapping up the first five books of the old testament. I have learned so much over the last few weeks.

As written in history- God created people, and again and again they failed. But again and again, God chose to forgive the human race and love them. He would punish them for their sins, but then take them back. And the message that struck me today was that God wants us to love him wholeheartedly, with our everything. The first commandment is to have no other Gods before God. As our teacher today explained, let's start by having nothing, no one, no idol, before God. To love him above all else.

Wow. That's so simple to understand, yet so hard to achieve. For the longest time, I've been telling people I want to find a man that is after God's own heart, that loves God more than he loves me. My friends think it's a bizarre thing to request. If a man truly loves God though, he will love me- he will know what true love is like. There are parallels in the bible between Jesus' relationship with the church to our relationship with a significant other. In Jesus' love for the church there is sacrifice, there is patience, there is teaching, there is forgiveness, there is leadership, there is trust, there is passion, there is history, and there is eternity.


... and God asks us to love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. In other words, to love him above all else, be our one and only.
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If love was food?

In anticipation of valentines day a friend and I were discussing love. Metaphorically, if I had the choice, how would love be like- if it was a method of cooking. My friend described the type of love he was after, slow cooked. You know the type of love that grows with time, where the love gets richer and deeper. The type of slow cooked-ness that you can imagine with a tender fall-off-the-bones goodness that leaves you wanting more with each mouthful. 

My friend guessed that the love I might be after would be akin to a fast burning hot stir-fry that is so intense that it would burn, leave me in tears, but still stubbornly, I would reach for another mouthful. on reflection, I think my relationships whether with friends or lovers would be akin to this later metaphor. Would it be the type of love I would desire though? 

Can't I have both? You know? The type of love that would be like quickly pan frying a lamb cutlet to seal in the juices then popping the lamb cutlet into the oven to slowly bake. Can't the love be intense, passionate, yet deepen with time? 

You know what though, in line with all these analogies with love is fire. Relationships require preparation, relationships require work, and relationships need to endure difficult times- they can take the heat. 


Most people, myself included go into relationships hoping that they would be satisfied in a relationship. That they will become full. That somehow the other person would fill the void in their lives. Sometimes, like a good meal, it feels like it. But then most of us will grow hungry again. Always searching for me. 

What if the other person can never completely fill us? What if the other person wasn't the answer? There is an answer to the hunger. It's Jesus. It's just such a blessing to meet someone who can eat the bread of life with.

John 6:35
"Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY- 
No matter where you are and what type of love you desire. 
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I am happy to be me

I've been quite lucky, incidents of perceived bullying can be counted on the palms of my hands. A few stand out- starting school in a place where my brother and I were the only asians in the playground was hard. I remember the odd looks, and the jokes about our eyes... that was until we flogged them all in academics. Then there was hardship while working under the guidance of a lawyer, I was made to feel very very very incompetent.

Over the past couple of months, I had really given a particular friendship a chance. When we started to become friends, I was well aware of the intentions. I had my doubts, and felt like the other person would use me to fill in their spare time. We had odd interactions were I would be made to feel very very small- almost as if nothing I did was ever up to standard. I just wasn't good enough. The way I planned wasn't good enough, the way I dressed wasn't good enough. And I put up with it all by laughing and telling them, that's fine, we are able to have our own opinions. It really didn't matter, these trivial pieces of advice that were given. But yesterday, something gave. "Karen, you can't have no plan. You must have a plan." The comments made me feel "" this small. I did have a plan. The plan was to submit to God's plan and be open to opportunities.



And it was such a bizarre friendship to have, especially since none of my friends agreed with me being ""this small. So, I am glad the friendship is over. No ill will towards the ex-friend, but the way they made me feel wasn't fair. I am so blessed to have this short time-limited experience. When I was leading worship this morning, and singing this song, it just affirmed the fact that I AM HAPPY TO BE ME. And I hope the kids really get to draw on the strength of this song when they are feeling teeny tiny.



hillsong kids- royalty

Verse 1:
God made me who I'm meant to be
He loves me just the way I am
God made me who I'm meant to be
His dream for me is so amazing

Pre-Chorus:
And for this simple reason I am happy to be me

Chorus:
Whoa Oh, Whoa Oh, My God watches over me
Whoa Oh, Whoa Oh, I feel like royalty
And for this simple reason I am happy to be me

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Whoa Whoa Oh, I am happy to be me

 Lyrics: http://www.lyricsmania.com/royalty_lyrics_hillsong_kids.html
hillsong lyrics
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Glorious unfolding

I have been typing, and deleting, typing and deleting this post all day- it's the anniversary of my father's death, nothing I wrote seemed to be able to do the memory justice, it's as if something was missing.

I deleted everything I had wrote, and thought, stuff it, I'll just type up the tabs/lyrics of this song I liked to listen to on the radio. Low and behold as I was researching the origins of this Steven Curtis Chapman song, I found that yes- God had a plan right from the start. 

The music video is absolutely stunning. It tells the story of a girl losing her father, and travelling with the clues her dad left her to complete his final letter to her. Wow. It's almost like God was speaking to me through this song. Hold on to every promise God has made for us. It's going to be a glorious unfolding.


There have been a few things on my mind lately. I'm confused about where my future will lead, who I am supposed to keep in my life, and who I should let go of, what I should chase after and what I should leave behind. I am feeling absolutely revitalised by the song....

"This life passes in a blink of an eye, but the story has only begun. So go, taste and see the goodness of God. I will see you in a little while... love Dad". I will see both my heavenly father's soon enough, but for now, I have the world to see...



http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/s/steven_curtis_chapman/glorious_unfolding_crd.htm
http://stevencurtischapman.com/behind-the-scenes-on-the-glorious-unfolding-music-video/

Glorious Unfolding
By Steven Curtis Chapman

Intro: C Am F

Verse 1
          C
Lay your head down tonight Take a rest from the fight
Am
Don't try to figure it out
      F                                     C/E  G
Just listen to what I'm whispering to your heart
          C
'Cause I know this is not Anything like you thought
Am
The story of your life was gonna be
        F                                           C/E
And it feels like the end has started closing in on you
         Dm        F
But it'S just not true
            C           G            Dm       Am    F
There's so much of the story that's still yet to unfold


Chorus
              C                       F
And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
         Dm                F            Am    F
Just you wait and see and you will be amazed
             C                                      F
You've just got to believe the story is so far from over
              Dm             F              Am
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
                 G         C/// F/// Am/// F///
And watch this glorious unfolding


Verse 2
       C
God's plan from the start For this world and your heart
     Am
Has been to show His glory and His grace
   F
Forever revealing the depth and the beauty of
Am     B-C-F
His unfailing Love
          C       G       F
And the story has only begun


Chorus
              C                       F
And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
         Dm                F            Am    F
Just you wait and see and you will be amazed
             C                                      F
We've just got to believe the story is so far from over
              Dm             F              Am
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
                 F        Am /// //// G /// ////
And watch this glorious unfolding


Bridge
         F                   Am          G
We were made to run through fields of forever
         F           G
Singing songs to our Savior and King
   Am               G
So let us remember this life we’re living
    F                  F
Is just the beginning of the beginning


Chorus
C                   F
Of this glorious unfolding
         Dm                F          Am    F
We will watch and see and we will be amazed
            C                                          F
If we just keep on believing the story is so far from over
                Dm            F              Am
And hold on to every promise God has made to us
                G         C /// F /// Am /// F /// (these 4 chords until end)
We'll see the glorious unfolding

Just watch and see (unfolding)
This is just the beginning of the beginning (unfolding)
guitar tabs steven curtis chapman
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Thankful for the experiences of 2014

2014 has been an interesting year. I seem to need to blog less to express my thoughts and feelings, and talk more to friends and families about my troubles and joys.

Last year, I did a gratitude list for 2013- (link to gratitude list 2013). This year will be no different.


Gratitude list 2014
1. Finishing my PhD! finally, after so many long years. 
2. Business venture finally on track
3. Got debt free by 31 December 2014
4. My mother's health and energy
5. My brother's ability and opportunity to help others
6. A super group of friends who are always there for me
7. Family who are never too far away
8. Opportunities to help clients reach their potentials
9. Enthusiasm of Sunday School Students 
10. Early morning walks with my best friend
11. Health and continued recovery
12. A place to call my home
13. Safety
14. Beautiful lives that will be forever remembered
15. Opportunities to travel to Europe, Newcastle, Darwin, Sydney
16. A new job and team
17. Supervisors who are there when it counts
18. a group of young people who are willing to serve in music ministry
19. People who love my laughter lines
20. Being able to move on from forgiveness
21.  Reaching a healthy weight and being able to model healthy living
22. Patience and emotional regulation improving
23. My cell group, and their continued prayers
24. Phone calls with my best friends
25. Clothes wearing out - lasting all the way up to now
26. People around me who are in love, married this year or got engaged this year
27. New borns this year who have bought me such joy
28. Unexpected gains
29. Opportunities to start something new
30. People I can talk to instead of blogging to express my views
31. Hope for a future I cannot see


I know I have a set of 30 things to do before I'm 30, and I'm slowly working towards the relevant ones. For 2015,  I'm not going to make any new years resolutions. I'm not going to make any SMART goals, or public declarations that I can not keep past January. I'm going to move in valued directions.
Last year, I made a list of goals towards values directions (2014 valued directions goals) and taking stock, I think I've done pretty well.

1) To be thankful for something everyday- Review this list NYeve next year. -- done as promised. 
2) Exercise self-control and discipline- Finish PhD and get down to healthy weight-- done as promised. 
3) To be more connected- More real time, less screen time -- better than last year. 
4) Be a wise steward of money- Get out of debt -- done as promised. 
5) Love others more. WWJD -- better than last year. 

 As my values have changed, so will my targets, so for 2015, here is what I will start with.
1) Find new ways and places to serve God
2) To be thankful for something everyday - review this list NYeve next year
3) To make myself more available to friends, family, and new relationships
4) Being more patient
5) Finding more self control.

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!



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