Mutual Encouragement

At Albany airport about to board the plane to Perth on 25/9/09, 16:00 after 5 nights and 5 days working with Kim Brooksbank (supervisor) on my final year project. Thanks Kim!

Whilst in Albany I learned a couple of things so that I understood more about myself.

• If I were to have very minimum contact with Christians, I would find it quite difficult to be on fire for God I think...
• Also working in a secular job and not doing anything else or have much contact with Christians I probably won't survive the job.

Well I know I will survive because with God's strength he will enable me to keep looking towards him and be thankful in my circumstance. Phil 4:13.

All this has led me to think that I would love to share life with someone closely through all that...

Therefore if I am blessed in this lifetime a marriage partner where we both are able to mutually encourage each other by our faith (Rom 1:12) would be a very awesome bonus in this life. But not a necessity. He'll bless us with others in the same faith so that we are able to do what Paul felt in Rom 1:11-12. I felt that in particular with some Christian friends here in Perth.

It's good to be back although I wished I could have stayed longer in Albany as it help heading into the office where Kim works everyday. Now it's cramming time to finish thesis, present the project findings and complete other unit assessments for the next 4 weeks before exams.

6 year old correspondences

Procrastinating, yep that's right another assignment due in 15 hours.

Okay so now what, 6 year old correspondences is the topic. Part of my procrastination is to check my email a thousand times. I'm flicking through some preeeety old emails, that is from my email prior to the current one I use now because I know nothing new is going to come through my current email at this time of the night/morning, so why not read even older ones in the old email I created during highschool.

I'm chuckling because I could bring out a gag bucket reading the correspondences I'm looking at from 1st-2nd year of uni. Aah, young love, so naive and quick to jump into writing whatever is on the mind without much maturity or caution to guard each others hearts. As the dates progress the tone of the emails change, from naive love, to frustration and tension. hahaha, it's amusing and for the unlikely people who read this, if you're going through any sort of frustration/issues/sadness, you'll most probably laugh or just smile about it in a few years time. So try not to feel too bad about it now and/or hang on to it for too long...

Most importantly if you know God, the real thing to look forward to is heavenward in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14b). Rely on him.


ps. I quote part of a sentence I wrote in one of the correspondences "deep down I'm just really lost, confused, hurt and a nut case"

nut case....HAHAHAHAHAHA. I'm so glad I'm able to laugh at myself.

5 degrees 2:51am

Five degrees at 2:51 in the morning and I'm attempting to finishing off an assignment that's only worth 10% and a hydrodynamic model which I probably only understand about 30% of it....And obviously getting distracted youtubing or reading people's blogs. At least I'm not mentally giving up yet... =\

I was reading Kat's blog about her fears and anticipation of her future and her worth. Her open public honesty is something I can't describe. It's interesting because I know what she's thinking regarding about being unmarried by a certain time. I haven't felt that fear yet...well I hope I never feel it because it is something I think about now and then but I haven't felt regrets, fear, unhappiness about the circumstance I am in. I think I tend to accept the situation quite comfortably and look forward to what I definitely know which is the blessed hope, heading home with Christ.

Yes it is quite exciting to get married, raise up toddlers, kids, teenagers, young adults, go through the good and bad with a husband and serve God together as a family! But how much more exciting it is to reunite with God's family for eternity. I can only look past the present, and past the future of this lifetime. I am not certain of 5 years, 10 years, 50 years down the road but am certain of God's promises. Meanwhile, we just gotta keep running the race under his amazing grace!

Acknowledging Kat's thoughts.

And always acknowledging you LORD who is trustworthy.

=]
J

My Heart

Change my heart oh LORD.

Help me to "act in a manner worth of the gospel of Christ" (Phil 1:27a NIV) and that my "love may abound more and more in knowledge and discernment so that I will be able to approve what is excellent and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of you!" (Phil 1:9-11, ESV)

Right now my mind goes back to most that has happened early on this year till now. Mostly things early on in the year till around semester one. There are things I have done that were wrong towards others, things that were done wrong to me, but also things that were great during times spent with friends, friend. Most of all I want my heart to be lead in the direction that is worthy of God. Not to please myself but to please him who does not disappoint.

He did not, he does not, he will not disappoint. God keeps his promises.

You are my Jonathan

True friends are so valuable as you are able to confide in them the troubles you have. Especially when you are not able to articulate yourself yet able to be understood. And even after the conversation and the troubles are still there, just having talked and praying with them is such a blessing.

God's really blessed me with different kind of friends that I can talk to about different things. As for family, although most times I don't feel that close to, there are things I can talk to them about in which I wouldn't with friends.

One of the closest friendships you can observe in the bible is between David (King of Israel after Saul) and Jonathan (Saul's son). The loyalty and love they had for each other is so strong that Jonathan is willing to action out for David so that he will not die when his own father, King Saul was plotting to kill him. This meant that Jonathan will not take the throne after Saul as long as David lived, however he was willing to forgo that as his fear is in the LORD. You can read how they parted and loved each other as true friends in 1 Samuel 20. Previous chapters will give more insight to how it had lead to their separation.

Yesterday I had a David and Jonathan moment with Jasmine as things were a little overwhelming within a 2 hour period and my head was left in a troubling state since. Thankfully I went to a talk on the Global Health Shortcourse series that evening and Jasmine came along. She offered a lift back and catching up and praying after was awesome! Thanks Jasmine! Desiring God and finding joy in him is the only way to full satisfaction despite circumstances.

Futurama Couch Potato

A few things I have learnt about myself the past couple of weeks. I have the ability to sit infront of the TV and just enjoy munching on food and watching episode after episode of Futurama.

It's great because they are only 20mins each and therefore a just right amount of time to amuse the mind. It's not too long that you need to set aside long periods of time to watch it, and not to short that a story isn't developed in a single episode. There is wit, character development and story connection and growth from episode to episode.

Bender's Big Score the first Futurama was witty, well built and not confusing despite the amount of time travel that occured and brilliant in the way it connected with all the episodes from the first 4 seasons. You get a lot more out of it if you have watched many of season 1-4 episodes.

Loving the couch potato, el cheapo, popcorn in hand in front of the TV and Futurama.

Less human power and wisdom

'Little Women' by Louisa M. Alcott.

One of the chapters that hit me "what a good book this is" was during chapter 8. I think it will be the one highlight of the book and remember which chapter it came from. It is about 15 year old Jo's anger and stubbornness towards forgiving her sister who had wronged her early in the chapter. Only does she realise later how her impatience leading to spite against her sister that she came close to losing her sister to death during angry and unforgiven terms.

She learns from her mother who has the same problem as her during her age but over the years have learned to control her (Jo's mother) temper and also through the help of her husband's patient character. I love the words from her mother who comforts Jo at the end "If I don't seem to need help, it is because I have a better friend than Father to comfort and sustain me. My child the trouble and temptations of your life are beginning, and may be many; but you can overcome and outlive them all if you learn to feel the strength and tenderness of your Heavenly Father as you do that of your earthly one. The more you love and trust him, the nearer you will feel to him, and the less you will depend on human power and wisdom. His love and care never tire or change, can never be taken from you, but may become the source of lifelong peace, happiness, and strength. Believe this heartily, and go to God with all your little cares, and hopes, and sins, and sorrows, as freely and confidingly as you come to your mother."

I guess that hit home because I have an impatience in me that isn't good and I dislike it. It comes our particularly on people that are closest and I think it is because normally I am angry or annoyed at myself for something and take it out on them which isn't right. I know one of the key traits I would look for in a husband is his patience to counter mine. There is much to work on.