Are idle hands actually God's power tools?

Wow.

How busy life can be. I swear I haven't taken a breath since Christmas.

So I guess it's been awhile since I blogged properly... especially about me and where I'm at. So let me take some time to enlighten you all to the current state of my so called 'life' at the moment.

I am still working in the deli at Safeway... doing somewhere between 10-12 hours a week.
I have been working at the Community Health Centre since November, doing around 21 hours per week.
I have just begun my Graduate Diploma of Theology through the Melbourne College of Divnity... full time.
Tuesday nights I run bible study, whilst on Friday nights we hold youth group fortnightly. And on Sunday's I assist with the older children's discipleship program at church. Not to mention Songsters on a Wednesday evening and the visits to the dressmaker for my housemate's upcoming wedding.

Would it be an understatement to say I've been busy?

Being this busy has caused me to consider a number of things... First and foremost it has caused me more stress than I have known in my life, and I really must consider whether being this busy is truly healthy for one's self. It certainly can't be healthy for the soul if it allows no down time. Even Jesus needed time out from his busy lifestyle.

Secondly, this bussiness has caused me to consider whether one can fully accomplish one's purpose (sharing Jesus with the world) to the best of their ability when their life is so full.

See... there is this dilemma... I'm sure you've heard one of these sayings:
'Idle hands are the devil's workshop' or
'Idle hands are the devil's playground' or
'Idle hands are the devil's tools'
Although I'm not sure any of these are the particular phrase I'm looking for...

Anyway. The dilemma is that I'm either going to be busy or idle.
If I'm busy will that detract from the goodness and power of fulfilling God's will in my life?
If I'm idle will that mean I'm not fulfilling God's will?
Hmmm.
It really makes one wonder.
Or maybe I just have a bad case of binge thinking...

Well here's a thought for you.
Can idle hands really be God's power tools?
Maybe God uses idle hands better than he uses busy ones... Because maybe the busy ones are so caught up in what they are busy with that God's will is put to the back of the mind.
I certainly won't want that to be the case with my busy hands.
But don't you think God could use idle hands better and far more effectively than He could use busy hands?

Interesting.
Food for thought.

Praise You in This Storm

On Sunday night, I spent some time walking with God.
I decided I needed to get out into God's world and get closer to my creator. Which is entirely natural for me... because, afterall, I am human.
So I started out on a one hour walk to my mothers house just out of town. It was a great time to reflect upon my bussiness of late and to rejuvenate.

Which is exactly what I think I needed to prepare me for the next two days, as Monday morning I was on my way to Wallan; one of the various emergency relief centres for fire victims in Victoria.

The devastation that this fire has caused is incredible. Not just to properties... but to people... and animals. There was one lady on crutches who was able to escape the fire with her pet rabbit.... unfortunately however, she was unable to save her pet goats who were like family to her.

This fire however, has also caused a great banding together of people and communities. It's amazing how much people really do shine in the face of adversity. Constantly people were coming from all directions to donate their time and resources. Everyone wanted to help somehow.

On Tuesday morning, I had the opportunity of going out with my father to deliver food and basic necessities to those victims who needed it but were unable to leave their fire ravaged properties... It was a very eery atmosphere as we drove through the burnt trees and smoldering piles of ash where forest once stood... Houses had melted... we were only able to find one or two left standing.

At one house we came to, there was a lady there who was very lucky to escape. The fire had reached the windows of her house... What a nerve racking experience it must have been for her! Words cannot describe how she must be feeling.

It was only when returning home tonight that I listened to the song "Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns and the enormity of the situation really struck me. It also struck me how soooooo very important it is to continue to praise our God through adverse time.

Our God works in mysterious ways... and may he continue to work in and amongst those affected by this disaster.

Trust and Obey

What a busy, confusing, uncertain and overwhelming past couple of months it has been!
The past few months have been a journey for me... about learning how to trust deeply in my Saviour and thus obey Him.

This week I returned from Insane. For those of you who don't know what that was, Insane was a Territorial Salvation Army youth camp. As I went to this camp the week before, I was filled with so many angsts and worries about my future, especially in regards to employment. I have always told myself not to worry about those kinds of things, and in Matthew Jesus tells us not to worry, but unfortunately I let it get to me. And as soon as I did.... all these decisions I HAD to make started to build up making me more and more stressed.

So during that week, I decided I would wait upon God for his answer to my problems.

The answer didn't come on Monday.
Or Tuesday.
Or Wednesday
Or Thursday.
Or Friday.

I was despairing at this point.. but still I waited.

It wasn't until Saturday that the Lord answer me loud and clear with what He wanted me to do. I already knew what it was, but I was waiting for some sort of confirmation.

And then it came. Simple. Clear. Obvious. God used another person to bring his answer to me. For some people... it may not have seemed like much... to others it might have been a shock, but to me it was what I had been waiting for all week.

And so now, I feel incredibly blessed. Blessed to have been given the answer I sought. Now I can say that I am certain of God's will for my life. When I think about the journey I have been on these past months and the point at which I have come to now... I cannot help but think of the words to the song "Trust and Obey" and how true they are for me.

But we never can prove

The delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows,

For the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Surrender

Lord, you are amazing.
You know my every flaw.

I can't explain this feeling;
You move me to the core.

-

I'm a fraud and I'm a failure.

Lord, you deserve far more!
I am not worthy Father,

Of the love you choose to pour!

-

So many times I've failed you.
And I'm the one to blame.
I wish you had not seen me;

For ALL I feel is shame.

-

Oh, but Lord, I need you;

And I want to do your will.

The burning heart within me;

Sees the path I must fulfill.

-

I will go, my Lord, where you send me.

Though I may be terrified.

I will go my loving Saviour,

Because, you are by my side!

The Family

It's been a couple of months since I blogged last and so much incredible and unincredible stuff has happened... however, I'm not going to blog about that today.

Anyway, just a funny/interesting thought for you....

Last night at bible study, we were talking about God the Father and being adopted by God, which thus led us to talk about rebirth.

What we were thinking was: wouldn't it be cool if we got a birth certificate when we were born again into God's family?

Well some people do. But I'm talking about an official one including... exact time, date, length, weight, location, father's name (God), siblings (the list would go on forever..)

Just a funny thought =)

Unrealistic perhaps.

But funny.

Poetic Prayer

Almighty God,

Rule of the heavens and the earth.

I humbly stand before you now;

Longing for forgiveness and rebirth.

.

I recognise you are God before the nations.

You are God in darkness and in light.

You are God when everything crashes all around me.

God of all creation, mercy and of might.

.

Though the storm clouds roll my way;

You are with me.

Though the night is cold and lonely;

You are there.

When the earthly world tells me not to worship;

I will say my God is far beyond compare!

Just a random thought

So here I am, sitting in the library, with a very numb bum.
But!! Wait.. there's more...

As I was sitting here feeling rather numb, I had a thought.
(Amazing I know)
I was thinking about how sometimes we go numb in our spiritual lives and can't seem to feel much anymore. Could it possibility be because we have been looking so long at the same thing (not necessarily the wrong thing) and that we need to move onto something else for a bit?

Hmmm *ponders*