-313 #9 in 365 Good things ( Saturday 15th January 2011 )

Photo by Suat Eman

#9 It is easier to listen to that still, small voice that has been prompting you to help in Queensland for the past couple of days ( despite being 900km away ) and take grab the opportunity when God gives you instructions to "Go". 

I'm headed to the suburbs of Brisbane on Monday afternoon to volunteer ( not sure with who or what yet ) because a lovely lady that posts regularly on a different Christian Dating Site that has a forum has opened her home to anyone who wants to come up and stay so they can help with the clean up. 

Because I am single and on holidays I was able to book flights and put my hand up for a week of volunteering without feeling guilty that I am neglecting anyone or leaving anyone to fend for themselves. Marvelous Mum said that they would have The Cat Empire again for the duration ( and loan me the flight and food money )  and I will be back to celebrate Australia Day with my friends.

So as you can understand there may not be daily blogs for a while and I will have trouble catching up ( although my idea is that I will be up to date before I leave ). 

God has opened a door and I am going to do what I can to demonstrate His love in a practical way.  And I know it's His will because while my spirit jumped at the opportunity I had that thread of fear and uncertainty too. Out. Of. My. Comfort. Zone. ;)

xMiss365

PS Could you also pray that I don't get any migraines that stop my in my volunteering tracks while I am up there and that I don't get so worn out that I get hit with them when I get home and have trouble getting to work on the Friday ? Thanks :)

-324 Purposed to be at this place at this time ( Sunday 2nd January 2011 )

Photo by nuttakit

Today I was reminded that there are times when God purposes you to be at a certain place at a particular time to hear His voice. 

I knew weeks ago that I was going to make the 2 hour drive down the coast to lead the singing at Church this morning as I was literally the only singer who was able to do it who wasn't on holiday ridiculously far away. Our Pastor had already arranged for someone else who doesn't regularly attend our Church but has ties to it  the week before ( Boxing Day ) to come and lead ( he also plays guitar ) so he couldn't really do it again. So it was me. I could have said no but long story short I felt that God was giving me an opportunity to do something that He has gifted me to do  ( that I haven't done in Church for adults in such a long time ) on a week where there wouldn't necessarily be a lot of people. 

I had spoken to our guitarist and keyboard player the week before about songs and we were all set to go with another singer and a drummer. The day I left for my holiday the singer fell ill and let me know that she wouldn't be able to sing. 'Ok. No problems. Just myself, the drummer, the guitarist and the keyboard player. Go us !'

So Saturday night I snaffle myself a bed for the first time 'Mmmm bed good' set my iphone for the first time in 2011 'Anyone see a problem here?' and get ready to get up at 6.30am.

Yep. So 6.30am I am looking at my iphone and the alarm did not go off. '6.31am... 6.32am...Hmm.Ok.Better get up and get caffeineated' I was out of the Holiday House by just after 7am and in Church ready for a 9am practice. The Pastor was upstairs praying and by 9.20am I was getting a little concerned that there was no guitarist or keyboard player. A few minutes later the singer/guitarist who lead the week previously runs in apologising for being late. Turns out the guitarist had extended his holiday and my Pastor looking after me had arranged for a replacement. So when the keyboard player didn't show up ( I now know the reason why - it's all good ) we decided to change some of the songs, change the key and share the vocals. And then the drummer rocked up a little while later and told us about the iphone/lack of alarm working issue. Ahhhh!

And I was comfortable leading in a way that I haven't been in a long time.Not since I used to lead with The Guy I Used To DIG or The Real Ex. Not that I like this guitarist in that way ( he's a youngin' - a real youngin' ) but I did like song leading with him. It's nice when you song lead with someone who has an instrument when you do not. But anyway that's only part of the story of why I felt God had purposed me there on that particular Sunday rather than sleeping at The Holiday House with everyone else ;)

So my Pastor's New Year message in part was on not letting go of the visions that you know that He has placed within you even when they have not yet come to pass ( and you think that they never will - see Hope Post  ). And of course I started to fuss with my ring finger on my left hand 'Why does it always come back to that?! Why can't I just be content with what I have or want something else?' ( But other than salvation for my family I want for nothing else in my personal life really ) 

Highlighted in my Bible now is the following ;

Then the Lord answered me and said;

'Write the vision

And make it plain on tablets,

That he may run who reads it.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time;

But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.

Though it tarries, wait for it;

Because it will surely come,

It will not tarry.

Behold the proud,

His soul is not upright in him;

But the just shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:2

And yes I went down for prayer after the sermon and thankfully the singer/guitarist ( can I call him The Aussie Idol Wild Card ? Lol. I'm sure he would hate that name if he were ever to read this blog ! ) did what he does best and I didn't reveal what I was requiring prayer over ( so not to get those prayer answers of those that love me rather than the God answers ) and while I didn't get much more of an answer other than " Wait for it, for it will surely come"  ( not in those exact words mind ). I did leave the service that morning with a smile on my face and bounce in my step. I felt purposed to be at that service that morning. 

So on the drive home I simply asked God to give me an opportunity for Him to reveal Himself and His will more to me in the coming week regarding this scripture ( it wasn't the only one that the Pastor had used by the way but it was the one that spoke to me the loudest ). And to listen to the still, small voice rather than the loud ones. Because just a mere day later I had almost forgotten. *sigh* 'Still, small voice. Still, small voice....'

It took another week but I think I know what I'm supposed to do. I'll just have to catch up on my posts to tell you all about it ;)

xMiss365

-325 What does God want for me in 2011? ( 1st January 2011 )

Photo by Arvind Balaraman

For so many years I really had only two new years resolutions ( even though I swore that I wouldn't make any! )

1. Lose weight 
2. Not be single anymore

Well I number one for the first time in years (while not completed) is about halfway done and a work in progress thanks to the migraine diagnosis and a bit of self discipline.


But alas Number 2 - well you wouldn't be reading this Blog if #2 wasn't still an issue ;) 


So I got to thinking while hanging out solo for a while at the lake on New Years Day what if I stopped with what I wanted for 2011 and listened to what God wanted for me in 2011? 

And so I prayed. And I asked God for a word, a leading, an inkling. 


Nothing. 


Just the irritating sound of cicadas ;)


Hmmm. I know better than this. God doesn't work to my demands. So I picked up my magazine and began to read and thought that I'd continue this train of thought some other night. 


'Be still and know that I am God' Psalm 46:10


And there it was. In the lull of the cicada noise was that still, small voice that I think I have ignored for much of 2010, hence part of the reason for feeling like I had a somewhat horrid year. I haven't listened to that still voice, I haven't been still enough to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.  That's all I need to know for 2011. 


xMiss365

-358 You Have Mail !

Photo by jscreationzs

Now I'm not sure what you do when you first wake up but this morning before I even got out of bed I had received an email notification on my iphone alerting me to the fact I had mail at The Dating Site That Shall Not Be Named. Exciting !

I logged on and  opened the app praying that it wasn't one of those strangely worded ones that I know are not genuine. It wasn't. 

It was from a girl. ;)

She did apologise for the email coming from a girl not a guy and said that since I had viewed her profile ( whoops - random iphone flicking late last night - didn't actually look at her profile just clicked on her name for a second, obviously long enough to establish that I had checked her out ! Lol ! ) but said that she wanted to send me a message of encouragement from one girl to another. 

Before I get to what she sent me I truly believe that God was speaking to me today through what she sent. It was exactly what I needed to hear from Him for the weeks and months that have been hard lately where there have been changes and hard decisions made, where I have felt lied to and manipulated and unheard, times where I have felt so alone and particularly when I was waiting to find out what my diagnosis was having to be strong and look after everyone else and crying out to God for someone to look after me that I didn't have to look after, the times where I doubted my integrity and belief that I had listened and heard His voice when I asked for guidance because His directions hurt, and the many good times in between that were so wonderful that I began to just think I was just being the biggest drama queen in the world because if the good times were this good wouldn't it be easier to to just hold onto those? ( Apparently not ! Thanks God ! )  

But parts of today weren't easy as well. A sudden onset of vertigo/imbalance ,  nausea and body pain hit me hard just as the Church service started this morning. I was singing. So I took off my shoes, held onto the mic, closed my eyes so my brain wouldn't keep getting tricked by the difference in what it would 'see' compared to what it was 'feeling', remembered my attitude of Thanksgiving and seeing the blessings in all things and just worshiped. The funny thing is when this happens to me the tears just fall down my face (I've been told it's like going into shock because it happens so suddenly and it's my body's way of release ) so I must've looked really in His presence this morning! ;)

So after the service, receiving some prayer, going home and taking some new medication and all the while thanking God for finally being diagnosed with silent migraines (after more than 16 years of trying to work out what was going on with my body), prevention medication that has changed my life and now new pain medication that is a miracle of healing in itself I opened my iphone to read this encouragement once again. 

It can be found on several websites I found it here but I've copied it below. I love how these words can be written by a person, posted on a blog, sent to me via an email but spoken into my heart by my Father who knows when I need to hear His voice in a way that I cannot ignore or doubt. 

Thank you Jesus. And thank you fellow singleton on The Dating Website That Shall Not Be Named for being obedient to His guiding in sending this to me last night. :)

xMiss365

My Precious Daughter (A love letter from God to His Daughters)

My precious daughter,
I will never leave you,
I will never forsake you,
I will be faithful until the end,
You are more than just "my daughter"
You are my princess,
My beloved, my delight,
I rejoice in you,
You are beautiful,
You shine with light,
You have dove's eyes,
I rejoice in you with singing,
I will quiet you with my love,
Hold you in my arms,
Never let you go,
For you are never alone,
You never have been alone,
I've been with you all along,
Your whole life,

I understand your pain,
My sacrifice wasn't for nothing,
Let me tell you I understand your confusion,
I understand your anger and frustration,
I understand your tears,
And I care,
Very much,
For you,
Everything that is important to you,
Is important to me too,
My love for you will never end,
I will not leave you for another,
I will not abandon you ever,
No matter how far you go,
My love will never end.

I have examined you heart,
I know everything about you,
When you sit down or stand up,
I know your thoughts,
Even when you are far away,
I see you when you travel,
Or when you rest at home,
I see the tears that fall from your eyes,
I see the heartache in your home,
Believe me I know the lies,
I know the temptations,
But I am here,
I know what you are going to say,
Even before you say it.
I go before you and follow,
I place my hand of blessing on your head,
Such knowledge is beyond comprehension,
It is too wonderful for you to understand,
You can never escape from my Spirit,
You can never get away from my presence!
If you go up to heaven, I am there;
If you go down to the grave, I am there.
If you ride the wings of the morning,
If you dwell by the farthest oceans,
Even there my hand will guide you,
And my strength will support you.

You could ask the darkness to hide you,
And the light around you to become night,
But even in darkness you cannot hide from me,
To me night shine as day,
Darkness and light are the same to me,
I made all the delicate, inner parts of your body,
I made your heart,
I know what makes you hurt,
I know what makes you cry,
I know what makes you tick,
I know when breaks your heart the most,
And I know how to comfort you,
I know how to make you smile,
I know how to love you,
I know how to be a daddy who loves,
Such a beautiful daughter like you,
You long for acceptance,
When you were already accepted into my family,
You are fearfully and wonderfully made,
I love you more than you know,
I will fill your heart with the love and peace you long for,
I saw you before you were born,
I knit you together in your mother's womb,
Even then I loved you,
And I was proud of you,
And I thought of you as my beautiful daughter, my princess,
Everyday of your life is recorded in my book,
Every moment was laid out,
Every moment that would bring you joy,
Every moment that would bring you pain.

My thoughts about you are precious,
They cannot be numbered,
They out number the grains of sand,
And when you wake up in the morning,
I am still with you,
I love you more than you know,
You are beautiful to me,
Even though you feel something is always wrong,
Just look into my eyes,
See how I see you,
A beautiful princess,
With beautiful eyes that shine with my love and my light,
I love you,
And I will say it again,
I love you,
My princess, my beloved,
My precious daughter,

I love you,
I love you,
I love you.

Don't give up,
For I see the brokenness in your families,
In your friendships,
I see the pain in your eyes,
Your beautiful heart,
That used to be so filled joy,
Is now crushed beneath your burdens,
But you're still beautiful to me,
So beautiful to me,
I will heal you and restore you once again,

My precious daughter,
I will never leave you,
I will never forsake you,
I will be faithful until the end,

Faithful until the end...

Your loving Father and Daddy, Prince of Peace, King of Glory,
-Jesus.