To market, to market...

I enjoyed a most delightful day at the KGUrbanVillage markets this past Saturday. Joined by my beautiful friend Lisa, we set out to sell a stack of pre-loved clothes donated by my generous friends as a fundraiser for my trip.

There's something wonderful about getting up with the sun and preparing for an exciting day. It was even more wonderful to have live acoustic worship playing courtesy of the local market busker.

I really sensed the favour of God upon my stall throughout the day. My prayer: "If you want me to do this thing, you have to provide every step of the way". And He did.

We were blessed with a gorgeous sunny day that also brought the slightest touch of sunburn, but was also the complete opposite of the predicted thunderstorms (I should mention God and I had stern words during the 24 hours prior).

We made more than any other stall in the vicinity and seemed to somehow draw people who seemed blind to the stalls around us. I had some amazing conversations with people who wanted to know why I was doing this and felt so priveleged to share the heart and mission my God has given me to fulfill.

A huge thanks to all of my beautiful friends who helped out:

*Trihn, Steph, Kimmie, MJ, Anna, Bec, Lisa, Sara, Jess HS, and Jess W for prying clothes from their wardrobes and getting them to me in time;

*Housemate Bec who sacrificed her Friday night to meticulously tag, size, and hang every item, plus being the Sing's runner;

*Lisa for giving up her Saturday sleep-in to help run the stall and being an irresistable 'date' for the Columbian stallholder next to us.

*Dad for going on wild goose chases to find elusive, invisible bags of clothes.

Mustard seed faith

God continues to pour out His grace upon me as I step out in faith on this journey.

I am someone who tends to be rather anxious when it comes to money. I try to be generous and trust that God will provide all that I need, but i often find myself crunching the numbers to see if I have enough for whatever the need. Recently God has been challenging me to be bold in my giving and fervently trust Him for financial provision.

Friends of mine who are in full-time ministry needed money for Visas to allow them to come back to Australia. I had money stashed away in a high interest account that I was intending to add to and use for expenses in Thailand. It wasn't much, but I felt God say "You need to give every cent you have". I wondered how I would pay for my accommodation and vaccinations, but believed I needed to wholeheartedly TRUST my God to provide. He promises in his Word that He will give me all I need.

And provide He has. Last week I got a cheque in the mail from my elderly Pop for almost ten times what I had given!




What a magnificent reward for my minute, mustard seed-sized faith. I pray that it continues to grow as I live in the fuit of God's faithfulness.

"I tell you the truth. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move. Nothing will be imposible for you."

[Matthew 17:20]

Micah 6:8

"...The Lord has told you what he wants from you:

to do what is right to other people,

love being kind to others,

and live humbly, obeying your God.

Micah 6:8

What maketh the man?

Do you ever find that the times when you need the most strength are when you feel you're at your weakest? Or you believe you're doing something great for God and suddenly you're confronted by Satan who tries to steal you away from all of that?

I can definitely resonate with both of these experiences and have found in the past month or so that I have come under attack as I prepare logistically and emotionally for my trip. I don't believe that attack is something to be feared - look how Jesus dealt with temptation from Satan (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). The Word of God cuts through Satan's grip if only we remember to utilise its strength. Ephesians 6:17 says "Take the helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God"

That kind of reminds me of those superhero cartoons - where would they be if they didn't access the powers they had been given to do the work required?

"Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105

More big steps towards Thailand this week as I handed in my resignation at work. This was a significant step as it meant surrendering next year completely to God, knowing on my return I have no job. It's also extremely emotional to say goodbye to the colleagues and families I have worked so closely with over the past two years. By returning in February I'm also accepting that I won't be teaching, but instead will be attending Theological College - a huge diversion from where I thought I would be. But I'm acting in obedience to God's call - as crazy as it seems sometimes.

Eccelesiastes has been teaching me a lot lately. I listen to it on CD in the car driving to and from work. Being fed on the Word is such a nourishing experience. Having handed in my resignation and then facing some big challenges at work, I have been leaning on the words of Ecclesiastes 10:4 "If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post; for conciliation pacifies offence."

It was a strong reminder to me that whatever task I set myself to, I need to be prepared for attack but armed to respond with God's grace.

Reality bites...

It's been an emotional day as I have completed some vital steps on the journey to Thailand. This morning consisted of my first visit to the the travel doctor, which proved quite an overwhelming experience. I know I'm not the most knowledgeable person, but i didn't realise just quite how many diseases and risks I would need to be aware of. Today was Rabies shot #1, plus Influenza - an injection I've never had before as I don't particularly like getting injections that aren't deemed completely necessary. But suddenly going from first world medical facilities to less-than, the neccessity has become apparent. As a Christian I find it a really challenging line between trusting God for my safety and just been logical about the risks I'll be surrounded by.

I also got the fun job of carrying waaay too many $100 notes from the bank to the travel agent to book my flights. That's when I started to feel a little overwhelmed - I was actually committing to this journey financially and there's no going back. Again, insurance was a challenge of trust vs logic (I don't think I even like phrasing it as a versus statement) but I decided that having the finances to get me home if something were to happen to my family was the most important thing.

It was so nice to have contact with multiple people who inquired about my journey and were so thrilled to hear that i was going for purposes other than lazing on a pristine beach all day (nt that there's anything wrong with that). It's like an evangelical opportunity that carries from prior, right through to long after I come home - what a privilege!

A step of faith...

I've been determined that this blog is doesn't become a whole lot of hot air. I desire for it to be purposeful and meaningful. Only problem is, that can often mean rather large breaks between posts and a loss of forward momentum.
So this is a slightly non-purposeful catch-up post...
This past month has been pretty quiet in terms of planning my trip. Work has demanded a lot of my time and energy and I have just been praying out the details of when to arrive/ depart as this has a pretty big impact on what I end up doing next year. Actually booking my airfare is a huge hurdle for me as it is a commitment that I won't be taking a teaching position next year (I'll still be away when school starts back), and will most probably study theology - another can of Holy worms!
So it's time to go visit my friend Sarah Grainger at Flight Centre and book my flights. But something is holding me back - Do I have enough money? Is this really what I'm supposed to be doing? Am I committed to seeing out God's plan completely from start to finish?

Lord, I pray for your strength and guidance as I take this leap of faith and commit financially to the journey you have to me.