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Reflecting & believing over 2015 that it will be "A Year to Remember" ... full of favour, dreams fulfilled, laughter, more memories, new friendships, love, health, kindness and grace. 

Here's to you, 2015! 

Christmas Twenty Fourteen

For the first time, in a long time we gathered to take a few family snaps this year. 

It was such a special day, celebrating with the family and remembering the reason for the season. 

I also made a little Nativity Set this year... I think it's pretty cute!

| MERRY CHRISTMAS |

x x

My Little Abode

  ◆●     ma demeure peu  ●◆

{cuisine}

{dentelles françaises}

{bocaux}

{fleurs}

{salle de bain}

{lit}

{salle de séjour}

SEPTEMBER! {when did THAT happen???}

Hello!

It's September in a few days, I CANNOT believe it.

My adventure here in Sydney is nearly over! :( The other night I lay in bed, reflecting, thinking, dreaming {counting sheep} on this year.

At the beginning of the year I had only one question: "God, why Sydney? Why did you send me here?"

It's only now that I have a resolve to that question. He wanted me to die to myself, lay aside EVERYTHING so that once I was completely "broken" He could put me back to together again, whole... complete... refreshed.

BOY, has this year been the best and the worst of my life. There have been moment of raw that I have NEVER in my life experienced till now. Moments where I could only but rely in Him, His promises, love and protection. Then there has also been incredible mountain top experience. Through it all I {liked He promised} have been stretched, prodded and changed.

I am SO SOOOOO grateful for this season, so grateful that He would love me enough to want me to be better, stronger and different.

Ps Julia A'Bell has a mantra that she frequently speaks over her life "Die, Julia... Die!" {in the context of dying to self} This has fast become my new mantra. When we die to ourselves we can truly, honestly allow Him to move.

I cannot describe in words this year, I just can't. I can't even begin to describe in adequate detail what has happened this year, all I now is that my life is better for it all, ALL of it!

"What is uttered from the heart alone,
Will win the hearts of others to your own."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Community

Everyone wants to belong/ Find their place/ Be loved

The picture above is the sight that I see every Monday night as I walk to family dinner at my cousins house.

It overwhelms me to see a group of old gentleman, just hanging out. Doing life together. I hear them sternly speak in Italian to one another and watch in awe as I wait for the traffic light to change.

com•mu•ni•ty : a group of people living together in one place, esp. one practicing common ownership.

I love how the dictionary puts it, "practising common ownership".

Could it be that we are to share each other's burdens, joys, loves passions, desires,

heartache, hurt, temptations or struggles?

The bible says: Prov 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron,so one person sharpens another."

Just some thoughts...

One Month

I just realised that I have been in Sydney for a whole month already.

So... HAPPY ONE MONTH to me!

Feeling settled, meeting some awesome new friends and having a bunch of fun!

Pics of lil abode soon... Just a few more tweaks and it should be ready!

xx

College// First Days

It’s Wednesday 5pm, I am sitting in my little pad as the rain patters on my roof. You would think it was Winter here. I hear that it’s SO hot in Perth. YUCK!

That is as far as I got last night writing this post.

Let’s start again... It’s Thursday morning. Australia Day! HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY! Boy I wish I was home celebrating with family & friends. Anyway... let me fill you in on the last few days...

First day was information overload, people everywhere... hustling & bustling. I felt SO overwhelmed. Where was I? I didn’t know anyone? Where is the toilet? As I began to smile at people, sit next to them... meet them in the corridors I felt somewhat at peace with the fact that this crazy adventure was exactly what God wanted to me do.

My heart is still {getting there everyday} coming to terms with this being where I need to be, where I have been called to, my post for this year. I really have no idea why, sounds strange... but, I REALLY don’t know.

As I sat in Chapel, I felt familiar. Why did I travel all the way over to Sydney, leaving everything to be in a church just like mine at home, to do what I was doing back home? Why am I here? I could have stayed in Perth. This isn’t what I expected, wait... I don’t know what I expected. This is dumb. God, why have you sent me here?

On a practical level, we had Chapel yesterday and it was like being at Colour or a Hillsong Conference. Everything that you would expect. It was a-may-zing! We have the rest of this week off. Next week is an intensive week {only 4 days} and then we are into the swing of things.

I have met some beautiful people. Had a BBQ on the first night at one of the Pastor’s houses. Met some more Aussies. Being an International College people come from ALL over the world. Just to give you an idea, there are maybe 400 students at the city campus {all ranging from 1st-3rd year} and there are only about 20 Aussies. So, the Australians really stick together, and get REALLY excited when they meet another Aussie.

So, as I step out in faith I know that he will catch me. I have no idea what I am doing. I am so far out of my depth...stretching, stretching, stretching! I guess that is where he needs me to be so that HE can do the work. HE can make a way. HE can use me. HE can mould me. Less of me, more of HIM.

I am positive that this is going to be a life changing year. One that I will look back on in years to come and be able to say confidently with HUGE conviction that my God is faithful and he did an amazing work in me. It’s all part of the journey.

...Only 3 weeks till my parents arrive! Yippee!