All is well
Well we are nearing the end of term 1A - they are still trying to switch everything over - there are people leaving in may because they came last may and so they have to be able to graduate before they go home and so then we will start another term after that that will go until july and then i think they are just going to have 2 semesters and maybe only one intake per year i thought they said, but it might still be two, sometimes they have so many announcements in chapel i don't remember everything!!! things are good - i have a test tomorrow and then one more assignment to do which is due in a week and a half - which we've already done most of it in our tutorials anyways - Liz comes in one week from today!!! so excited!! I really like it here, i'm really learning alot about what i like about the church and the way they run the service and what i would want to do when i go from here - i think i want to do the degree though which is another 3 years! craziness - i really feel like settling here for a while that there is alot i'm learning here - there are so many opportunities to serve in many areas - and after getting my leadership assignment back i'm really trying to narrow things down and focus on where i want to put my time in and manage my time well - i've been getting up at 5:30 am to go to the gym, i love it so much, it feels so great to get up and get it out of the way! one of the things i've been learning is that i'm not consistent, i want to do everything but i never seem to really follow through on anything and anyone who knows me knows that i'm not the quickest to get things done when asked - right mom and dad! sorry - so i'm trying to be a person who finishes what she starts - i've wanted to work out consistently which is hard when school schedules are different every day - so i think the morning thing is really helping - i've also really wanted to memorize scripture - so what i'm hoping to do is write out scriptures on cue cards and instead of listening to music while at the gym i'm going to go over my scriptures - and so i did it today so far - so lets just hope i keep going with it - it's awesome to be here where you are in chapel every day almost and hillsong women, plus powerhouse plus 2 weekend services - you end up hearing a lot of the same scriptures over and over which helps get them into your spirit! i'm really blessed to be here right now, thank you to everyone who helped me get here and who continues to pray for me - it's such an amazing environment and i never want to take it for granted - yeah so i'm trying to prioritize things as well so i get enough time for me to do the things i want and i think i'm going to try to take like 2 full days out of each month just for me, to read and journal and reflect etc - i'm believing for a job as well - i've been putting resumes out to a bunch of places - just filled out an online one for coles/bi-low/k-mart/target etc and they emailed my references, so pray that i get called for an interview - i'm also looking into getting a car - our weekly ministry is at a university campus that we can rarely get to and it will really solve a lot of problems and well then i can have one to go on roadtrips and see this country while i'm here!!! so we'll see - other than that, i'm looking forward to the break and i'm trying to set our realistic goals and realistic steps to achieve them and keep looking at them so i can see them and have people keep me accountable to them - i'm loving my connect group - i love my leader she is great - i'm really looking to step up in leadership as well - just really be willing to step up and try new things - i've been really getting a greater passion for this university that we've been given so yeah it's going well - anyways i really should go - still want to journal and just read a bit tonight and then hit the sac early as 5:30 comes quick!!! thanks for checking in - love y'all
Life at the Moment
Well it's been quite a while since i've last written - i don't even know where to start - we are in the midst of handing in our like 8 assignments that we were given when we first started classes - i had started most of mine so i'm not so bad, but it's funny, you really have to use your time wisely, because just when you plan to wait and do homework the next day, something comes up, another meeting to go to, someone needs your help with something or people drop by your apartment just to visit, sing etc - did i mention that i did end up getting my piano?? it got moved on March 31st - i had to be at the beach that day for our university outreach but my roommate so graciously offered to go with people to get it because she knew the place, so it all went super smoothly, like done in 2 hours - it was fantastic and i love playing my piano, - i play and my roommate either plays her flute or her guitar and we sing etc - it's great - or i just play and worship with it!! so the last little while has been interesting - i've been trying to run in the morning and then that was really working so i started going to the gym in the mornings, but it's so hard to get in a regular schedule because of school etc and then just living life, like sometimes you just need to talk and so you stay up late chatting etc - so yeah anyways, not doing well with the consistency aspect - but i love being here, like every day there is a chance for God to continue to bring things up in me that i have to deal with etc - and he's just working in me, refining me, helping me to grow and i'm really learning to priortize things and learning to say "no" - there is so much here to help with all the time, so many different ministries and people are always needing help, but i realized that it's okay to say no - i was feeling like major pressure to be this leader and i didn't feel like i was and i've realized that this is a leadership college and throughout this time my leadership qualities and abilities will be developed, and i am who i am and i'm where i'm at at this point and i will do the best i can do right now but i know if i try to take too many things on then i just spread myself too thin and don't get anything done well - so i'm learning to say no and focus my energy on one or two things and do them really well- we had a goal to do at the begining of the year and i got it back and in it the comments were that i was trying to take on too much and that realistically i wouldn't be able to do everything, i need to take care of me, i'm really learning in that area right now!! i had a great day yesterday though, man chapel was awesome and then i was able to pray for one of my friends that was feeling sick and then i got to help stuff envelopes for a powerhouse mailout that needs to be done by monday - 6000 envelopes have to go out - a 2.5 hour job turned into 5 and we still weren't done and then we went to powerhouse at night which was united with the fuel and wildlife aged youth and at the end we got to get into groups and just pray for each other and pray for whatever God was saying to us - and i was so nervous because i didn't think i knew how to do that and then i started praying for this girl and all this stuff was just coming to me, so i spoke it and at the end she was in tears, so i know that God spoke through me, i was so excited!!! I've been looking for jobs so keep praying for me that i find one that God leads me to the right place etc - i really want this year to be as debt-free as possible - oh yeah and my income tax money hasn't come in yet nor my ontario student loans so if you could really pray for my finances that would be great - it's pretty interesting! let me know how i can be praying for you guys! our break is coming up soon - may 3-16 - can't wait, my friend Liz is coming to visit!!!! it will be so great to have 2 weeks off and not have to do any assignments etc or serve, not that i don't love serving, but it's always nice to have a break from everything and just get refresed and refocused!!! especially keeping God as my number one priority :-) OHHHHHHHH i forgot to mention, i knew there was someting else i was forgetting to write about - these 2 guys came into our youth leadership class to talk to us about Hillsong Youth Services, which is a group that works with the community, they do programs called Strength (for men) and Shine (for women) in the public schools in Sydney, so i guess anyone who has opted out of scripture classes ends up in these classes where they can't preach the gospel but they allude to it etc - and then they have these other activities with youth in the community, where basically they just are out there to meet the needs of these kids first and foremost, hang with them etc and then introduce JEsus way down the line, but that is not their first priority, and it sounds so amazing, i totally want to get involved with it!!!
