Am I Loving God & His People?

"Have I loved God enough"? This questions constantly rings in my head. Times when I have to make decisions and times when I reflected how I spent my time. And it is really easy to answer that question. In the bible, Jesus mentioned that the greatest commandment is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul. And the second is this, love your neighbour as yourself.

Is it about how much doctrine I know or how much I can identify preachers who in the heat of passion mentions unclear doctrines? Or is it how much I am willing to serve Him, love Him, desire Him and LOVE HIS PEOPLE? In my normal trend of thought, the latter would sound more 'doctrinally' sound to me. We can serve yet not love, but I don't want my life to be just a sounding 'GONG'. I want my life to be in the will of God, fulfilling that of which God has created me to accomplish.

I need to step out of that zone of 'loving' God with words, I need to start LOVING God with my actions as well. How can one be contented acting spiritual? Is that enough? If the love of God is within us, shouldn't we be able to love others more readily? Jesus DIED for the people, He forgave them because they know not what they did and He discipled those who were desiring to learn.

A Christian would too have such reflections upon their lives, let us all who label ourselves Christians live like CHRIST did.

"God teach me to LOVE and not tear down, to Give and not wait to receive and to serve and not to be served." Amen.

Getting the blogging ball rolling on ...

I was getting rather tired and lethargic. It was work, then groceries then cooked and ate dinner, then rushed out for intercessory prayer. But it was a good 2 hr spiritual work-out and there after was motivated enough to come home for some physical work out. Now I am feeling a 100 times better and more energetic! Great!

The (not so) long weekend came and go. Now the next public holiday long weekend will be over easter, which our OC will be held. Still thinking and working out if going back for Kel's cousin's wedding (the weekend after OC) is feasible. We'd really love to be back sharing the joy with the whole family. Pa will be around over the same period so yah, as much as I'm looking forward to the next holidays, more than that is the great company too! Okay back to the weekend, it was pretty much enjoyable and constructive.

Started the Saturday with God and had shepherding. Then had a nice sumptious lunch date with Kel (after much efforts to look for a slot that we both had time to chill out together) and took the after thereafter shopping and using up some vouchers i've had since my bridal shower last year and yes they were almost expiring! We came home in the late afternoon and was out again within 10 minutes in our gears. Had a long walk along the river and jogged back. It feels so good and I think I managed to push myself a little which was good. Definitely looking forward for more, now that we are much closer to the running track, park and riverside. Being outdoors just place me back in perspective. Had a quiet evening preparing to teach CDS and watching ancient shows on VCD.

Spent Sunday in Church and thereafter many great fellowship with people. Monday morning was another good catching with some church friends over breakie at home where we had curry and make shift prata (using puff pastry). It was so good. We (Kel mostly) cleaned up the place and we had a pocket of time to get to the sports shops and get our supplies of gym balls and weights which came up to be a (much much) better bargain than gyms :)

I love long weekends and I wished it was longer. One more day would be just perfect :)

The Before~After shots

We engaged a plumber to do some minor changes to our bathrooms. He did his job, but left us quite a bit of mess. Basically he literally did his job, but destroyed things around. So, God taught us patience and grace, and more than that an opportunity to learn some DIY renovations. Got some tips from a friend, some tips from a DIY book (that came at such a blessing too), read labels and spoke to some attendants at Bunnings, we had our first attempts at cementing, tiling, grouting and all the works that came along with it. Here's some before and after shots :)

::Before::

He changed the sink and ripped out the table top as well

::After::

Tiled up the area around it (along with water proofing, glue, tiles, grout, seal ...)

There was also the other bathroom which we had to cement and fill up a huge hole under the sink, pictures didn't look too impressive so haha, we will leave it out :)

New beginnings

I love the start of each new year because it always brings about new beginnings and a reason once again to review and resolute. I have been caught up with starting up the year that not blogging has become almost habitual.

It has been 2 weeks since we've settled into our new humble abode. Welcomed many guests over for lunches/teas, meetings and shepherdings. From the core team of the sub district to covenant friends, sheep(s) and many others. We simply can't express how grateful we are to be back in the hub of ministry. Being back here has brought about a reminder too, of not settling into an all comfortable mode but more to bless. And I know God has been and still is stretching me to grow in areas of sacrificial giving, and that includes releasing my dear husband more to ministry. The question now is how much more and the cry out to Him is for the enlargement of my heart.

*tiny glimpse to our new place. This is the dining area more photos will be up on my facebook when I get down to uploading them all :)

All in all, it has been a learning curve for me (us). Especially also in the area of finances, making decisions, responsibilities in fulfiling loan, building fund, savings etc.

God has also been really speaking into our lives as we seeked Him for future plans. Ministry planning, family planning and specific steps to undertake. One thing that has struck clear to us is to remember to make decisions not merely based upon a 'micro-family' context but to grow in my kingdom perspectives. Its easy to have career plans, family plans, financial plans revolving around just the 2 of us, for our family and kids in future but there is more than just that. I got to be ready to embrace what is of benefit to His kingdom, church and people.

I sensed that this year's a pivotal where God is shaping us in our convictions. Already He has reminded once again of the way our lives are weaved tightly with those surrounding us ~ leaders working alongside with us and people under our care. The kind of consequences our decisions have upon them and likewise the impact and influence we can have. It's just making me crave to hear more from Him and how badly I want my steps to be endorsed by the Holy Spirit.