Yeeehaaaaw, I'm in Nashville Tennassee!

Nashville is just how you think it would be.
Boots, boots boots, and hats and boots.

There is music everywhere you look, its almost overwhelming at times when you have about 10 different types of music playing at the same time in the are of about 50mts.

I like it here.

I have been to see live music, the broadway show "wicked" (which I highly recommend. I loved it so much. Why I didn't get into broadway/theatre baffles me), beautiful parks, helped a lady loose her keys down a storm drain...woops, went to a 'cool aid' party, watched 2 soccer games, and just hung out with Dan, Kelsey, Brooke and others.

I leave here on Wednesday with Brooke and fly to Vegas for 3 nights. Woot woot. That should be a crazy time.

It has been so good spending time with people that I love and have missed so much. God is really blessing me with great connections and even better friends. I only have 2 weeks left here and am kinda freakin out. I'm just really trying to enjoy the time I have left as it will be all over soon. I'm still not sure what I will do with all this trip has brought into my life and I'm not sure how God will play it into my future and bring it all together but, I am certainly excited for the future and all the doors that God is opening and going to open.

All I know is that I want to do something different. I want to do something so big that I can't do it in my strength as then I will, and others will know that it is, and always was always God.

This is the video of the ladies keys in the drain. HAhahahahaha, so funny, I only got the end of it though. This was after so many people, laughs (awkward laughs) and phone calls. Oh good times.

Well thats all for now,

Peace

Down time

I am in Cincinnati for a few days with Grant and his girlfriend Jacky.


We had a sweet labour day weekend and now they are back at work which is giving me a chance to process through the last couple of months.

Grant, Jacky, Sarah (a girl from England working for BAE with Grant and Jacky) and I all went down into the city to see the Labour day fireworks. It was spectaculour.


I spent a wonderful couple of weeks with the Mazellan family in Marion, Indiana as well as Steph being there. Stephenie is going over to NZ for 2 years to be the youth Pastor at My families church. It was amazing to meet her and for us to be able to connect before she headed over. She is an amzing person and a great example that even scatter brain sanguins can apply themselves, get motivated and get amazing things done for God.

Busy doing haircuts.
Stephs haircut

Evy, Jill and I

These next few days are going to be a time for processing through my time here and my time when i get back. I am looking forward to it.


If you do not have facebook you can check out photos on here as well as videos on youtube.


Peace.

Part 2 of the USA Journey

I have now just got to the second part of my journey in the USA. The internship has finished and I have now started to travel.

The internship was great. I learnt alot from both the leaders and the interns and recognised alot of things that I have been letting slip by. It was so good to be with great leaders that are so good at what they do and love it.

A small part of KCC where I have been the last 3 months.

The interns and Pastor Jeff. Last day at KCC.

It was hard to say bye to them all. I will miss my new found American family alot but am so glad that God has given me this opportunity and has blessed me with new connections and friends. I do miss everyone back home but I also don't feel ready to come back. Please pray that God will help me prepare over the next few weeks to come back to the land of OZ.

One of the highlights of this trip was a SLD road trip that I went on. I was kinda asked last minute to be a leader/driver on a Student leadership Development road/missionary trip. My first missionary trip ever. I t was amazing. I acnnot even explain what God opened my eyes to there. The people that were on the trip were leaders and youth from different parts of the USA, and let me tell you, they were seriously quality people.

Habitat for Humanity.

Surviver camp site. (Below)

Toronto

The road trip went from Indianapolis to Northern Michigan, to Toronto Canada, then to Niagara falls to Buffalo, NY, to Cleveland back to Indianapolis.

Niagara Falls

We started with a surviver camp in Michigan. It was amazing fun. That is where the bond begun. It is amazing how close you get to people when you have to smell their stinky armpits and see them try and just make it through a night without the basic comforts of life to get by. Not only that but we spent the next week in RV's together and doing ministry together. These people have impacted my life forever.

Next we went to Toronto. We went to a homeless shelter there and this was probably the highlight for me. To see these people day in and day out feeding, clothing, and loving the needed without all the glamour, without all the hype, without all the fame was seeing Jesus to me. I couldn't help but think, this is where Jesus would be if He were here today. I could say so much on this one place but have so much other stuff to catch you up on. I was also proposed too and we had to evacuate our builing that we were on the 14 floor of, in the middle of the night because of a fire. It stunk. I thought I would die off the smell.

We also went to a Yankees vs Blue Jays baseball game. That was so much fun. My first baseball game, oh and the Yankees won...GO THE YANKEES! Then we went to Niagara falls. This blew me away. I could not believe I was there under the falls. God was all over the place and I felt a small part of the splender and power of the God I serve.

Next we headed to Buffalo where we worked at a food bank. This was a lot of fun. The rest of the trip we had broken up into teams but this time we were all together and man did we have fun...well, I did. We also help to redo a whole house for habitat for Humanity. An organisation that buys houses ready to be demolished and does them up for a family that has no other way to live.

We then headed to a hip hop church in Cleveland. Oh my goodness. To hear the pastor there (who was very young) speak about his church and the passion he had for the poeple he works with impacted me alot. It was such a blessing to be around paople that are chasing that dream and passion God has placed in their hearts. His church is right in the middle of the a really tough area...I mean really tough. When we went to hand out pamphlets he had to give us the run down of what to do and what not to do if we get held up...and this is in the day time. I loved that church and loved being apart of a team of people out there getting their hands dirty.

Then we headed back to Indi. Wow, seriously, trip of a lifetime. If that is all I came over for, I'm done.

Other things that have happened...

I came close to death...and when I say that, I dont say it lightly. Like I mean millimeters away from being decapitated. I have the scars to prove it. Yet another tubing accident. Stupid tubing. The rope came straight for my neck but luckily (I dont know how) I got my hands up to my neck first, it wrapped around my body and sent me spinning across the water like a skipping stone. I thought I lostmy head. Everyone was screaming and seriously expected for my body to rise to the surface without my head on. When I realized my head was still attached I checked the rest of my body because I thought for sure something had come off. Oh the pain. My back felt like it folded in half, I thought I had broken both my thums and I was bleeding and bruised instantly. Good times. The funniest bit was when the pastor asked if I wanted to hop back on.

Me and my friend Steph (love you girl) got scammed from a fake bus company and lost my bus ticket, my NY City tour, my hotel but managed to make it for my flight. After about 8 hours of calling banks and mastercard and all sorts of people in OZ I managed to get them on an investigation and closed my account and got a new card sent. Lost a bit of money there which really sux, but I'm working through it...hahaha. It's fine, I'm used to it now. Oh thats right. I borrowed my host families car to visit Brent Dongell and in the span of 4 hrs the window was smashed and my camera and ipod was stolen. Yes more stuff of Tash's was stolen. That was my 3rd Ipod. Oh man.

I went to a drive in movie in Buffalo, NY. That was awesome fun. I then went to Niagara falls again with two of my most special friends i have made over here. FFL (friends for life).

Me, Lauren, and Steph at Niagara falls.

I made it to NYC for a few hours before I had to catch a plane. Oh, and I did it by myself. Woot woot. I saw the Empire State Building, Madison Square garden and the Statue of Liberty. I ran it, but I did it.

Me infront of the Statue of Liberty

On the phone to my B.E.A.utiful sis Hailz, infront of the Empire State Building.

I am now in Marion, Indiana with the Mazellan family again for a week and a half and then I go to Grants for like 5 days, woooohoooooo. I then head to Nashville for a week with Dan Eggenschwiler, then fly to Las Vegas with a friend Brooke for 3 days, and we then head down to California for a week before I fly home on the 26th.

I got spend afew days at the Mazellans with a good fiend Heidi that I met in NZ and so Evy, Nathan, Heidi and I went to Chicago for 2 days. I loved that city. I would love to live there.

I am so pumped for these next few weeks but also recognise it as a time of saying goodbye to a bunch of people I dont wont to say goodbye too...like really dont want to. God willing though, I will be back for longer.

God is really challenging me to press into Him and seek His will for my life. Like really looking in deep to my passions, gifts, talents, strenths, and past experiences to find out where to go next. He is being so patient with me.

I should really write more often so that each blog is not so long.

If you are not on facebook, join. Even if it is only to see my photos...kidding, but really. I have all my photos up there.

Peace.

Woops...catch up!

Hi ya'll. Well as usual I have taken about a year to update you, so here is the latest stuff that has been happening.

Family:

I love the family that I am with. We laugh alot together and we have managed to get a few good talks in there too. Most of the time I think it is more of them doing the laughing and me doing the talking...weird, I know.

Me and Brianne (sister) baking cookies.

Interns:

We have all really begun to open up and get to know eachother better over the last month. I am starting to form some really good relationships there and am excited about the future investment in them. They all have something really different to bring to the table and it is alot of fun to be around....alot.

Church/ministry:

We have been doing alot of programing and organising in the first half of the internship but I feel like that is starting to change a bit. We just had NTS (never the same) camp in New York last week and it was amazing. I had really been praying that God would use me there and it wouldn't be wasted. I really wanted to be a leader that invested into the kids with all of me.

Let the games begin.

Well at first when I got my group I honestly didn't know how God was going to use me there. The girls seemed to be so different from me and I was worried I would not be able to relate with them. Although I knew I could love them, I didn't know if that would be enough. Well, after more prayer and pleeding I saw God move amazingly through me. I was able to relate to them in so many ways and realized we were so much alike on the inside.

I was able to talk with them from my own life experiences and speak hope into their broken lives. I so enjoyed being with them and I miss them all already.

Shelly then me at the top, Amber, Erica (my twin), Angela (middle row left to right).

Alexandra, Kelly and Steph (front row, left to right).


God and me:

As most of you know, I had to quite my job to come over here and do this. Through doing that, it has tested my faith to the utmost. I dont know what the heck God wants me to do, but as I pray through it and speak to people and just go through different experiences I see Him panning it all out. Now like I have a clue what to do, but more that God is showing me how to rest in Him and at least tick things of the list.

There has been opportunities that have come up since I have been over here and they all sound wonderful, but do I want to just go through life trying things and experiencing things, even if it is for Christ, or do i want to wait on God to see exactly what He wants me to do and not just take up any opportunity that arises.

I dont want to live a life of just doing whatever comes up to do even if it is for Christ, but on the other hand, I dont want to just sit and wait. I guess I believe there is a time for each. A time to step out (which I did to come here), and a time to sit and wait on God.

WHAT TIME AM I IN NOW?

Other stuff:

Well I got to hang out with the Mazellan family for July 4th holiday down in Marion, Indiana. I had the best time ever. Wrote a song, recorded a film clip. I will post it all. Love that family.

I also got to spend a 2 days with Brent and Evy and met Brent wonderful parents. We had a ball. We went surfing on a like!!! Can you believe it. When you dont live nere the beach you have to make the most of what you have, and we did. We ahd a blast but the time ended in my car getting broken into, the window smashed, my ipod stolen and my camera with photos on it still stolen too. No good at all. Oh well, sow it into the Kingdom.

Brent, Evy, and I on our way to surf the waves. Evy and I shreading.

Brent amazing perents ended up paying for a new camera for me. What a blessing. And for now I am using Brents ipod. So all's well that ends well.

I will try and write more often so I dont have to cram it all in so much.

Love to you all back home.

Ministry here.

So, me and Nate Clark are doing the highschool ministry which I am really happy about. We organise Summer Sizzle every Wednesday night for grades 9 up. It is alot of fun, games, God and just pure American crazyness.

Summer Sizzle. First night! Game on!

I am slowing getting to form relationships with people. With pastors, highschoolers, middle schoolers and the other interns. The latest pay out I recieve is my new nic name and the thing that comes up every time I talk... "subtitles". They always try and get a translater for when I talk and think it is hillarious. Which it kinda is.

The first few weeks have been hard. Just settling in, changing the time of my body clock, making friends, feeing my way around the new home, ajusting to the difference in the church, and the food...wow, that is a whole other story, but I am now feeing more at home and seettling down alot more. I have had some really good discussions with people and prayer and this has helped in the whole experience alot.

During some of the discussions I have had with people I have been challenged on what is in my heart and it has been a growing experience already. Questioning what I am called to and where I stand in a church setting.

God is doing something great through this church and the outreach that it does. They are huge on reaching the community, and not just speaking about it, but they are so active in the lives of everyone they can be in the erea and they are known for it. I have loved that side of it. I got to go out door knocking with a couple of other interns to ask them to come to different things we are doing over the summer, and the whole experience was positive and eye opening. We went to areas that I would not have ever seen if I was just a tourist, and for that I am so grateful. These kids and families were just so excited that they were invited to something and that they got a FREE meal TOO! hahaha. We all love free food.

Paintball outreach. Shooting people for Jesus.

We had 4 decisions for Christ...Woohoo

I have been trying to get out and about as I have put on weight already...I know, I know. You are all going to work me to the ground when I get back...GOOD!

Playing tennis with Doug (Dad) and Austin (brother).

Check out the link to FLICKER to see photos if you dont have a facebook. Oh, and if you don't have a facebook...GET ONE! Even Grandparents have it here.

God is good, and I can see Him using me here... I hope. I am so happy He has placed the poeple around me that He has, and I am really looking forward to getting more and more into LIFE here in the US.

Settling in?

Well, I made it. Most of you know the drama that went on to get me over to the states to do the internship at KCC. It all took so long and then last minute I got the visa and had 2 nights to pack. Living on the edge...thats me! Hahaha!

Updates for all ya'll back home. I'm here and it has been strange but good. It has taken the first week to kind of settle in. Although there is alot more bonding to do I have started making some good friends and am loving the interns, my host family, the pastors and the church.

Interns:

(Left to right) Me (Tashe, Tishe, Tesh), Reecie (Carrice), Lauren (The New Yorker), Todd (Mod squad Todd), Nate (Holes), Nate (Nate the great. He is the one I am working with doing highschool stuff), and Mike (Koleslaw or Kozy bear). There are 7 of us. We are going to have alot of fun and really grow together and I am getting more excited everyday we spend time together. For the first time, me and 2 of the other interns spent some real quality time talking about life, love and God. It really encouraged us all and helped us to get to know eachother better. SOOOOO good! I'm really looking forward to more times like that with all of them.

Host family:

I am living with the Clarks. And, as it is with everything else, it is getting better and better everyday as we get to know eachother and get comfortable with eachother.

Ruth (mum/mom) is thoughtful and caring.

Doug (dad) is funny and cheeky. He threw me in like nearly freezing water to welcome me.

Austin (brother) is fun, polite and cool. He also plays guitar in the HUGE church band.

Brianne (sister) is cute, giggly and makes me laugh. She also sings in the middle school band on Sundays.

Pastors:

Well I am working directly with 3-4 pastors.

Jeff is the high school pastor and also the person that asked me to come over. He is encouraging, inspiring and incredibly good at what God has asked him to do.

Ian is the middle school (5-8) pastor, He is so much fun and just makes me laugh. When paople talk he listens...rare quality.

Mike I have not spent alot of time with yet but he comes across as a welcoming, caring, and christ-like person.

Church:

The church is huge. It is called Kentwood Community Chuch (you can google it). It has a great feel great leaders and an awesome worship team. When I say team I mean like, 7 upfront singers a choir of about 50-60 people, a drummer, 2 keys, 2 guitars, 1 bongos, 1 bass, an either brass or strings orchastra, and probably more that I cant think of. The worship leaders is some of the best singers I've heard and it is just alot of fun.

So I am working mostly with another intern named Nate. Nate and I are heading up the high school ministry...woohooo... as well as alot of other things like programming camps, events, games, and also just being with the kids, speaking, and they want me to do some music as well. AHHHHHHHH! It is all very exciting and challenging.

Alot has happened in the first week and it has been tough already. Alot of questions have gone through my head but I am so glad that I came.

On my first day, pastor Jeff announced that he is stepping down from his position becouse God has laid something very huge and challenging on his heart. That was a huge blow to all of us. The middle school pastors daughter had a fall and fractured her skull, and the other pastor that heads up the family department has had a heart attack and is in hospital waiting for an opperation as soon as he is well enough for it.

I also got to spend 2 days with Grant (more to come on that).

It's been crazy, but I know through all of this, God is doing something great with all of us. I am excited to see what God is going to do wiht the time we all have together.

Prayer requests:

Please pray for all those things that have happened,

please pray that I will continue to connect,

and please pray that God will use me here in every way possible.

Hey, I'm sorry. I will give you a quick update.

I just came back from Adelaide. Me and my two sisters went down to see our brother together. It was the first trip we had taken together, and we had a great time. Although there were mixed emotions, we managed to lay our current life situations aside and just be with each other.

We visited my brothers church, and although it was about 20 times the size of our church at home, we all found the people real, and inviting.

Because we grew up in a small church, the large churches can be over whelming. You feel like no one walking in and you feel like no one walking back out. I did not feel this in this church. As soon as we walked in I felt like they made an effort, and not just to add another few numbers to their church, but like they had the real thing going on.

There are always some in each church I guess. But we got the right ones. And it was a screaming testimony to the work of the church. It was a good feeling.

Apart from that, I guess I have been a bit flat really.
My own fault I'm sure. But annoying none the less.
It's all good though. Going away for the weekend was good. New people, new church, new friends. I loved it but also still love my church and friends.

I am at the moment just organising how to get to America and do it the right way.
I have just finished my Business Admin cert II, and am now just on staff.
It is a good feeling finishing things.

Well that is about it for now, without going too deep.

Update

Wow, I have not written anything for a while.
Time management Natasha...Time management!

So, things are going well.

Work is challenging. Like trying to establish the role of chaplain and admin lady is tough for the kids to catch on too, but it is getting there.

God is good and is teaching me organization in this job, which is flowing over into different parts of my unorganized life...church, relationships, youth and so on.

The goal is to just keep my eyes fixed on the big picture, so that in the times that things may not seem so clear or, just unenjoyable, I can stand firm on the promise that God has a greater plan to all things and that this is all part of it. I can stand firm on the fact that when I look back, I will be able to see Gods hand dealing with different character building challenges in me, to build into me the things that He needs to.

Although I am comforted by that...what about the 'now'. Well It is always important for me to be reflecting on my life and walk with God so that I can see him moving in my life at the present time as well. Weather that is how I will see it in the future or not, always being aware of God in my life and those around me is an important key in my relationship with Him as well as spurring others on with their relationship with Him.

Testimonies encourage others as well as yourself.

Always be ready to tell people what God has done in your life...or what He is doing.

Identity theft

Last week, we were broken into.

Hayley's (my sis) car was taken and latter found burnt out.

My laptop with a years worth of journelling, photos, thoughts and just personal stuff, my wallet with quite a bit f cash in it, my ipod with thousands of songs, my phone, my brand new tent, my new bible on cd, my everything.

It is a sucky feeling. As I walked into work that day with nothing in my hands, no bag no wallet, no nothing, I felt like someone had stolen my identity. Like I was no one anymore. But the amazing thing is, that got me thinking.

Why did I feel like that? Where was it that I had placed my identity? What was it that I valued?

The fact that I had lost about $3,ooo worth of stuff, wasn't really it. It was that I had all my thoughts and journey for the last year on there. Stuff that I can't get back.

That's just it! What is it that is really important. So I had alot of stuff that I will not be able to replace, but what is the most important? Is it my personal thoughts, the stuff that I want to have for my own benefit, or is it the fact that I have breath in my lungs, roof over my head, and most importantly, my relationship with Jesus, which no one can take away. That is something that has to be given away. Something I will never lose. Something I will never give, but something that I can share as long as I do have breath in my lungs.

Corney???? Truth!!!

So really, they have no hope.

TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN. NO MATTER WHAT PRICE I PAY, I CHOOSE TO GIVE THIS LIFE AWAY!

Feeling the pain

New Zealand was the best thing I have every done, in a long time (apart from starting my relationship with Jesus).
I am back home in Australia now and it is tough.
I know I am meant to be here, and I know that this is a good place for me to be, for it is in God that I am here and doing the things that He has me doing, but I miss New Zealand. I know it has only just been a week and I sure that it will get better, but right now my heart is not here. It is not in anything that I am doing. I feel like I left my heart in New Zealand.
I wonder, would it have been any better if I had spent more time preparing and in prayer before I came back? Or was this feeling inevitable.?
I am in a few roles this year that will need my heart to be in it, so I am just praying that these feelings and lack of heart will be a quickly fleeting thing.
New Zealand was a blessing in so many ways. I made new friends, I encountered new challenges, I had new adventures, I was refreshed and relaxed, but most of all, I made great relationships with my family who I had never spent time with before apart from when I was 8.
To be in family with a father a mother and 3 boys was different but an absolute blessing.
I could not have chosen a better place to spend 2 months.

Starting to feel the pain.

Well, I have a week left here in this wonderful place called Aotearoa.
I spent Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday with Rachael from Buffalo. We walked Mount Rangitoto,
(this is one of the caves), and had a bunch of fun then headed off for Rotorua for 2 days. Man that place stinks. The locals say they don't notice it. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. I must admit, I heaved at one stage. We had so many laughs and I learnt so much about the Mouri culture. I loved it. The museum was my favorite. The story of Rotorua is incredible. I so loved hearing the myths and true stories.

I am starting to feel the pain. I don't want to go, but I know I have an amazing year ahead back home.
I will be a mess when I leave my family behind. I love these guys so much and I hate the thought of not being able to have a laugh with Jan, or get a hug from James, or get tackled by Sam, or have the heck squeezed out of me by Rick, or have a thought-processing-conversation with Rod. I feel like I have just found my long lost family and now I have to leave them.
Everything here is telling me to stay...well, come back and stay, but I know I need to go back, it's ok everyone. I have a wonderful Job and my wonderful family (I don't know how I have lasted this long without them), but I just want to take New Zealand with me. These guys have filled another place of me which I so don't want to leave behind. They have become so close to me. My new best friends.
I know it is coming to an end and I guess I am just trying to come to terms with it. Of coarse I am going to be feeling like this. To leave family, friends and relationships behind is the hardest thing to do. But it must come to an end, and to tell you the truth, I am really excited to see the growth and challenges God will bring my way this year through my Job, family and church.
God is faithful.
I so long for us all to be together and I will continue to pray for this for as long as it takes. Until then, who knows. But I get to travel, and I so love New Zealand. If it wasn't for my church, job and family being in Australia oh, and the fact that God wants me there hehe...(so, in other words, my life) I would move here in a second... well, maybe for a while. I do love Australia.

So, I have the last week ahead and I so want to make the most of it. I have loved every moment of being a part of this New Zealand life. What an amazing country, and an amazing bunch of people who God is so obviously working through.
Everyone needs to come experience the New Zealand culture.

Family Time

This has been an amazing time of being with the family, and I really couldn't think of anything better.

I have been wanting to do a bit a traveling around the country but by myself could be a bit scary besides the fact that I would hate to miss any second with these guys.
I am scared to leave...honestly. I can't picture life without these guys. I don't want to.
Sometimes it feels like we just go through life doing what we think is right, but we totally miss it.
That's how I feel about these guys. My family. I had not even met my youngest cousin till he was like, 8. My uncle I had met twice and my aunty maybe 3 times. The older boys, well we have just missed being a part of each others lives and I don't want it to continue like that. Especially now we have formed relationships.
These guys are important to me and I don't want to go through life missing their's. Corney, I know. But true. I don't know how God is going to do it all and what my future is. All I know is that I have an awesome job that God has blessed me with back home and my family there too.
I have decided that we all need to live together. One big block of land, alot of little houses and some pets. Yep, that it! Please God?

Changing seasons

4 months ago I got the most awesome Job. A month ago I left Australia and came to a different country. Tuesday, Hailz went back to Aussie and now it is just me for the next month, and then I go back to Aussie too.
I love change, but man it is hard sometimes.
It was so sad to see Hayley's trip come to an end, and I know it is going to happen to me.

What to do while I am here?
Well, there are heaps of things to do and places to see, but I think the most important thing for me to do with this time is to enjoy my family...all of them, and to process through some things with lots of time spent in prayer. I want to be refreshed and fully there when I go back to Aussie, but I'm scared that I am just going to miss it here. I need to spend time thinking of the things I have learned and the fun I have had, and the things I have been able to be a part of.

I am getting involved in the youth while I am here, just to help out a bit, so that will be a great experience.

I don't know if any of that makes sense to anyone, but I just felt like writing some stuff down.
So, I did.
God is good and in these times of change we are able to see his hand at work.
Now that is worth changing for.

Update on things.

Well, Hailz and I have been in New Zealand for just about 1 month now. Hailz leaves on Wenesday. That is sad! We have had so much fun here with the family. Tonight James, Leon, Zoe, Hailz and I are going to Snow planet to do a bit of snow boarding. That should be fun! Although yesterday when we went to go and pick up Zoe, we decided to go to a park and go a bit crazy. There was like a mouse wheel there and Zoe had a accident and sprained her ankle. Now she will have to be the photographer at snow planet tonight. Sux heaps.

Well last weekend I went to a Wesleyan Youth camp. I got to be one of the team leaders. Yellow team. Which was my friend Brents team last year. Shout out to Brent, I took them to the top. But unfortunately because of some cheats we got put in second place. Not naming any names...Josh and Rick. Anyway, we won and thats all there is to it.
Apart form that I had an amazing time. It was an honour to be a part of what is going on here in New Zealand with the Young people. I loved being a part of it and God really showed me some great things in me and in others at the camp.
I have already commited to coming back next year to it. It as amazing to be a part of something so connected with so many different churches and places. That is something that really stuck out to me, was the family and the connectedness of the churches here and in the USA. What a great thing the Wesleyan Church have going. I was blessed to be a part of this camp.

So that is it for now.
Next weekend I go to Parachute. So excited. There are so many bands going to be there. Wooohooo.

God is good and He is continually at work in our lives.

Waiting...

Wait on God for a Job!
Wait on God for a Husband/Wife!
Wait on God for children!
Wait on God!


All you see in book shops about single life are books to prepare you for what is ahead. For your future partner. How God can get you prepared for true love, and so on.
Well what if you just want to be happy and content where you are? What if you don't want to put your heart out on a ledge waiting?

I just got a book called 'Who has your heart? The single womens pursuit of Godliness.'
Finally, I have found a book that doesn't tell you 101 ways to prepare for marriage, or what to do to find the man God has waiting for you, and so on.
I have found a book that speaks to me where I am at, and where I need to be. A book that faces me back to my father in heaven and sets my focus on Him.

Waiting is something that a single person hears a lot of. And this is what Emily E. Ryan writes about it...well these are my thought on what she writes anyway.

To wait means to stay in one place and do nothing until something happens or in the expectation or hope that something will happen. Wright? Wrong!

The meaning of waiting when God says it in this sense is to be ready or available for someone to take or use... God!

To wait on God is not something that we should cringe at because, come on, think about it, waiting is boring.
It is a call to action!
To serve!
God says, "Wait on me while you wait on me"! Take action while you wait.
This is a perfect opportunity to spend as much time as I want or need to, to focus on who God is and what He has got me doing now.

I am in a good place. And I am happy...no, thankful, that I am here.

Finally Here

Well, I am finally in New Zealand with my little sister.
The count down has ended. Woohooooooo!
For those that don't know, the plan was to get here on Christmas day with a massive box that would fit, say... two girls in. We were going to get in the box at the front door, knock on the door close the box and when they answered, we would jump out and surprise them, as they did not know we were coming. Great plan hey?
Well we thought so... until...

The story goes something like this...

We got up nice and early Christmas morning at Grandmas to get ready. By early I mean 3:30am.
We had to leave there by 5am to get to the airport 2 hrs early as our flight was at 9 :15am GCT (Gold Coast Time). We would get to New Zealand at 3:20pm NZT(New Zealand Time).
Part of the highlight of the surprise was the way we dressed. We wanted to look outrageously Australian, so we found some great green and gold out fits.
We arrived at the air port at 6:30 full of excitement and nerves, ready for our 2 hr wait. We checked in, gave them our huge TV box (thanx Matt ans Maria), and headed for the coffee lounge. Because of our outfits we were attracting quite a few funny looks and a few funny comments too.
Matt and Maria sat with us for a while until it was time for us to go through customs and down to our terminal. Off we went, full of beans and ready to fly out.
We sat down at out terminal waiting and waiting till about 8:00am when a call on the speakers went through saying something like this, "due to a cracked window on your air craft, there will be up to a 2 hr delay on your flight. We apologize for any inconvenience and we have food vouchers for you to come and collect from gate 83."
Well some of the faces were not good. It was Christmas day for goodness sake. We sucked it up and thought, well at least we will be there by 5:00pm NZT.

So we sat around for a bit then decided it was time to get our free food. Yummy. Off we went, all the while meeting some great people that just couldn't help but say something.
We went back and sat down and ate. At about 10:00am GCT we heard the next message which was about to change everything. "This is for flight DJ 186 flying to Auckland New Zealand. There has been further delays and your flight will now be leaving at 5:30pm GCT. Sorry for any inconvenience, and we have more food vouchers for you if you would like to come and collect them from gate 83."
Oh dear!
Everything suddenly changed. Our world was being turned upside down. All our months of planning... out the window. We looked at each other and sighed, "Its ruined". We would now arrive in New Zealand at about 11:30pm with know way to get to there house as no one thought the shuttle buses would be running that late as well as the fact that we now had the sit in an air port for another 7 - 8 hrs.
Not happy Jan!
Well to make this story a bit shorter, we found ways to amuse our selves for 7 hrs. Movies on the laptop, cart wheels, hand stands, funny stupid photos, playing with a bunch of little kids that were on our flight, who couldn't keep away from the bright colours we were wearing. We actually became friends with like everyone on our flight. We played hacky, which God blessed us with for free from a shop in the air port, and had a bunch of fun.
At 4:30 another call came. "Your flight is now leaving at 6:00pm". We had now decided we would sleep in the New Zealand airport so we didnt have to wake the family at 3am.
At about 5:30pm came another. "Your flight is now leaving at 6:40. We have a plan, we have the crew but we are waiting for a pilot to arrive from New Zealand".
Well sure enough, after 12 hrs at the air port on Christmas day, we were on the plane by 6:20pm and flying out by 6:40pm GCT.
We Got to NZ by 1:30am NZT, found a shuttle bus, got to the road at 3:20am and walked down with all our luggage. We didn't want to wake them so we laying in the bow looking at the stars.
I woke up to water on my face. "Hayley... Hayley. Wake up, it's raining". She looked up and wanted to cry. The light was on in the garage. That was weird and I was freaking out. We grabbed our stuff, freezing cold and ran to the garage. The light turned off before we reached it. I stoped but Hayley kept going. "Hayley, stop" I said. She wouldn't. I followed. We put our stuff there then went for a walk as I was too scared to stay there. We sat at a bus shelter that stunk like wet dog at the beach. The seat was slanted so we could not lie down. We had slept for about 20 minutes in about 24 hrs and we were feeling it. We were pretty emotional. We left there and went for a walk down to the dairy, thinking we would wake them at about 6:30am. I went to a phone and rang the operator to ask the time. Hayley guessed 4:36am... it was 4:37am. We sat and sat ans sat.
Hailz checked the time this time. It was 5:40am.
We walked back to the house and sat on the front porch watching the sun rise. We now decided not to wake them till 7 being the day after Christmas and all. I put my head in my hands. "Tash" Hayley said. I sat up. Hayley started cracking up. I had ribbing on the sleeves of my jumper which I had just had my face on. I now had lines across my face, bags under my eyes, and we both didn't look quite how we looked 24 hrs ago. We got up went to knock on the door but I chickened out. Hayley told me to go have a look at myself. There was a mirror in the garage. Oh dear!
Thats it, we're going in. I gave one look at Hayley and said, "you sure"... "do it" she said. I walked up and knocked. My uncle Rod answered. The face was great.
We walked in and sat down. They gave us breaky and a shower. Then we sat on the lounge.
We were here. It felt so surreal. The wait was finally over, and we thought, thank you God for not letting us take it for granted.
And the rest is another story.

Click on my flicker photos to see some more of our New Zealand photos.

Personality change

So... I was driving along in my car the other day, and I was thinking about the way I was when I was younger. When I used to go up to anyone and just talk to them. It is supposedly meant be part of my personality.
As I went through... I guess we will call it a "down" period in my life, I became more nervous to talk to people. I even began to avoid people so I didn't have to talk to them. My so called personality, was not holding up to its name.
Because I was not walking with God at that time, I now recognize the Joy that only comes from God. I had lost my joy! Happiness comes and goes, but joy is from the Lord and is ever present, even when you are going through something huge.
The joy of the Lord is your strength. Neh 8:10
Getting that joy back has been a long process, as I have sort God after it.
I can honestly say that the joy of the Lord is my strength, and after it playing such a huge role in who I was, and then walking away from it, is it meant to be this hard to get it completely back again?
The question I have come too is, Have I had a personality change? Is that even possible, or, am I just on a long journey back to wholeness?
Lord, Your joy is what I need to be filled up with every morning before I go into my day. Your joy is my strength, and always will be what i need to make an impact in people.

Amazement

I am continually amazed and blown away by God's Grace, blessings, and kindness. God is always showing me grace, blessing me, and coming through when I get to the end of myself, and it never ceases to blow me away.

I thought to myself the other day... What if I got used to it? What if I began to become complacent with all the things God does for me? What is it that keeps me amazed, and others oblivious?

When you have an open mind and spirit, you begin to see stuff you didn't see before. I know that when I wasn't following God for a while there, I couldn't see the wonderful things He was doing or trying to do, but as soon as I started acknowledging Him again, things that I couldn't see before became so real to me. I started to recognize "good things" for what they really were, Gods Blessings.

Ps 145:3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. This passage proves to me that the Greatness of my God will never stop blowing me away, if I never stop acknowledging things for what they truly are.
Ps 155:2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Surpassing means 'To be beyond the limit, powers, or capacity of; transcend.'

(A smile from God)

Always praise God for things that happen in your life. Anything from a good car park or a good view from your back yard, to the fact that the creator loves you, and gives you salvation (plus all the other cherries on top).

Running in your lane?

I noticed one of the things I say to people (especially the youth I teach), is "make sure you are running YOUR race, that you are being who God created YOU to be".
When I talk to people about life principles and just life in general, I always try and talk about things that I practice myself, not things that I don't do (practice what you preach and all that).

Well, today in my devotional time I was asked that same question that I so often ask... Am I running my own race.

"Woops"

Holly Wagner speaks about watching sprinters in a race and how they all stay in their own lane otherwise they will be disqualified from the race. She writes, "How many of us are trying to get through life running in someone else's lane?"

Well, I'm reading away thinking , YES and AMEN when... I get to the end and she says go and write down 3 things you are great at and 1 thing you are passionate about. That got me!
It made me realize how much easier it is to tell someone that then to do it.

I'm a classic for trying to run in someone else's lane. I see cool things and think... Yeah, I could be good at that. But why try and be good and something God didn't create you to do, when you could be great at something that He did.

There is no one in this world that can be me better than I can. It is the same for everyone. I think that we forget sometimes that we loose out when we try and run in someone else's lane. But not only that, all the people around us do, as well as God. We not only rip ourselves off, we rip the others off too.

What I learnt?
Be an inspiration, and let others be an inspiration.
Don't try and take from someone else's what works for them and try and make it work better for me.
It is Ok that I am not good at everything, just as long as I am great at being me.
No one can take that, even if they try!

I will be who God has created me to be. That way I can be great.

"Everyone has the power of greatness- not for fame but greatness, because greatness is determined by service." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Write down what you are great at. What is it that you have been gifted to do? Serve in that area and you will be made great!

Pretty basic stuff, but something the majority of the world misses.
Something like 5% of Christians are doing what they are called to do.

Appreciation/ Acknowledgment

Twice now I have been given this scripture by someone. Is God trying to tell me something????
James 1:4. It talks about perseverance being complete.

You know when things are just so hectic, and you wonder if anyone really cares about or, appreciates or, acknowledges the things you do. Or do we do it all in vein?

Well, the first question is... Who do we do it for?
The next question is... Why do we do it?

The first question is so important if we want to feel good about the things that we do. (Feeling good isn't the reason why we should be doing things but that is another thing).
If we are doing things just for people to see us doing them, well we are going to wear ourselves out.
Doing things for people always seems to get me down. Us humans don't always seem to see all the little things that go into everything others do. We don't always give others the recognition they are expecting, even if they deserve it or not. They may be the most appreciative person in the world, but they aren't perfect and they get stuff wrong, and they miss things.
This is why we MUST do everything we do for God. God sees all, and He sees our hearts as well.
God will always give us the recognition we deserve.

The second question should be the driving force. Why do you do what you do? That is it! Why do you do what you do?

I think that this might seem like simple, silly stuff when you read it (or write it, as the case may be), but when we try and live like this, in a world where everyone is trying to impress others, (girls buying the latest clothing, guys trying to make the most money, have the coolest car, people trying to get the best career, putting others down to lift themselves up, and so on and so on, that is where the challenge lies.

Do we do things for recognition?
I think everyone wants to be appreciated, but who is going to give that to us whenever we need it...not whenever we want it... but whenever we need it?

This week God showed me that He appreciates what I do. Just when I needed it. I just need to keep persevering.
I was shown appreciation from human, but above that, God let me know, He is always watching.

I'm not really one to do things for recognition, but I do hope that people believe in me and appreciate me.
It is important for us to appreciate people and let them know that. But for yourself, don't do things based on that. You will just become more and more discouraged.

The Women I Will Become

I was sitting, after reading the Proverbs 31 Women, thinking about all the things I want to be. Who I want to be to my friends, who I want to be for my future husband, who I will need to be for my children, but most of all, all that God has designed me to be. Not because He doesn't think that I am not good enough the way I am, but because He has designed me for GREATER things. I don't only know this from reading the word and hearing the promises He has made, but because He has confirmed it to me over and over again.

This is what I got from reading Proverbs 31 plus some of my own add ins.

The women I will become

A women who:

Fears the Lord

Truly loves God above all else

Makes God the center of everything she does

Loves peoples individualism (the way God made them)

Is faithful to her word

Sees in people what they can become

People come to for wisdom/advice

Works hard, but not just hard, with EAGER hands.

Doesn’t put the cart before the horse

Makes the most of every moment

Walks in the Spirit

Is disciplined

Runs after Purity

Thrives on the word and continually knows it and uses it

People look up too

Shines Jesus’ light

Respects her family, friends, elders, leadership, and guys

Is happy with how God has made her

Knows she is forgiven and made NEW

A women of:-

Integrity

Faith

Love

Joy

Character

Wisdom

The spirit

Humility

Strength

Encouragement

NOW... HOW TO GET THERE? HHMMM

Faithfulness

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Heb 13:8

And this is what God continually shows me. As much as I may beat my self up and think, "why would God love me today, I've done nothing to deserve it," He proves to me that, He is the same yesterday and today and forever, regardless of my actions.

Lately God has been showing this to me through His faithfulness. Always coming through, always standing right there, always teaching, yet always ready to just listen. He just continually blows my boxes out of the water. Boxes that I put Him in, boxes that I put others in, and boxes that I put myself in.

God is just so faithful. Every time I get to the end of myself, there He is, just waiting, ready to pick me up and carry me the rest of the way. If only I would stop getting down out of my fathers arms and trying to walk out in front, instead of just holding His hand, walking with Him, ready for Him to pick me up when I realize, once again, that my strength can't get me through.

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, He was, is, and will be my rock. He is where I place my trust.

Just testing this out

I really have know idea about this whole blog thing. I really enjoy reading my friends blog spots and although i have thought about doing it myself I was not sure if anyone would get anything out of it, but then I had a request for my very own thoughts and revelations to be put down. So I am. And for anyone else who would like to see what is going on in the world of Natasha, well this is for you.