here in Australia they have a few new phrases for me... here is what they would say for some of our common words
idiot-nob
trunk of car-boot
tons (lots)-heaps
front of car-bonnet
awesome!-cracker!
shopping cart-trolley
sprite-lemonade
fries-hot chips
cookie-biscuit
biscuit-bikky
breakfast-brekky
get "f'd"-get stuffed
yield-give way
how ya doing?-how ya going?
McDonalds-Maccas
guys-blokes
friends-mates
stupid Americans-sepos (septic tanks bc we are full of sh*t)
football-gridiron
jacket-jumper
sneakers & jeans-sneans (they say this is characteristic of americans..and they make fun of it)
dorm-college
gum-chewy
good time-banta
small truck-ute (as in utility)
tell me when youre ready-sing out when youre ready
suspicious (scandelous or promiscuous)-sus
enjoy
Friday, May 28, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Hear the royal decree!
So for my personal development plan, I have been studying security and this begins with how good the gospel is and where my identity is. I have been reading a book by my favorite author, John Piper, called God is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself. The goal of the Gospel is to see and savor God Himself, being changed into the image of His Son so that more and more we delight in and display God’s infinite beauty and worth.
So here are some excerpts that just speak volumes for themselves. Be filled with hope and joy!
God is the Gospel. The good news is that the King himself has come, and the enemies have been defeated, and if we trust in what He has done and what He promises, we will escape the death sentence and see the glory of our Liberator and live with Him forever! This hope fills us with hope and joy (Rom 15:16) and frees us from self-pity and empowers us to love those who are suffering!
The biblical meaning of the Christian Gospel includes the existence of the living God and His coming into history with imperial authority over all things as the long-awaited King of Israel and lord of the universe. This King was Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior. He fulfilled the Old Testament expectations of the Son of David, died for our sins, was buried, and rose again triumphant over Satan, death, and hell. He promised His own Spirit to be with us and help us. On the basis of His death and resurrection, the gospel promises a great salvation- eventual healing from disease and liberation from oppression, peace with God and others who believe, justification by faith part from works of the law, forgiveness of sins, transformation into the image of Christ, eternal life, and the global inclusion of all people from all nations in this salvation.
The gospel is not good news without the spirit:
>John 14:17-18- You know [the Spirit of Truth] for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
>In other words, when the Spirit comes, he will be the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit will be for us the presence and power of Christ himself. The fellowship of Christ, promised in the Gospel, happens by the Spirit’s presence in us.
>The Holy Spirit is the down payment, a guarantee of the fullness of joy we will know in the perfected fellowship with the Father and the Son in the age to come (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5). What makes the gospel good news in the end is the enjoyment of the glory of God in Christ. The Holy Spirit provides the present experience of that enjoyment. Therefore the promise of the Spirit in the gospel is what makes it good news!
So here are some excerpts that just speak volumes for themselves. Be filled with hope and joy!
God is the Gospel. The good news is that the King himself has come, and the enemies have been defeated, and if we trust in what He has done and what He promises, we will escape the death sentence and see the glory of our Liberator and live with Him forever! This hope fills us with hope and joy (Rom 15:16) and frees us from self-pity and empowers us to love those who are suffering!
The biblical meaning of the Christian Gospel includes the existence of the living God and His coming into history with imperial authority over all things as the long-awaited King of Israel and lord of the universe. This King was Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior. He fulfilled the Old Testament expectations of the Son of David, died for our sins, was buried, and rose again triumphant over Satan, death, and hell. He promised His own Spirit to be with us and help us. On the basis of His death and resurrection, the gospel promises a great salvation- eventual healing from disease and liberation from oppression, peace with God and others who believe, justification by faith part from works of the law, forgiveness of sins, transformation into the image of Christ, eternal life, and the global inclusion of all people from all nations in this salvation.
The gospel is not good news without the spirit:
>John 14:17-18- You know [the Spirit of Truth] for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
>In other words, when the Spirit comes, he will be the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit will be for us the presence and power of Christ himself. The fellowship of Christ, promised in the Gospel, happens by the Spirit’s presence in us.
>The Holy Spirit is the down payment, a guarantee of the fullness of joy we will know in the perfected fellowship with the Father and the Son in the age to come (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5). What makes the gospel good news in the end is the enjoyment of the glory of God in Christ. The Holy Spirit provides the present experience of that enjoyment. Therefore the promise of the Spirit in the gospel is what makes it good news!
so sus..
Well we have been on campus a few days! It is so beautiful here, chilly, but comfortable! We have to walk everywhere, but that is wonderful and it warms us up! We got to go the the Australian version of 'step sing' last night and that was so cool. We are already making ground meeting key students to pour into in the colleges (resident's halls) at the uni (university) and the staff here have been serving us soo much!
The people in this town are amazing and I have adored the welcome we have received in the church! The Lord is already doing a lot here, and I am reminded that He does not need me or this team to get His work done, but He has sent us here and I am so thankful that He is equipping us and preparing us to be used to further His Kingdom!
The goodness of the Gospel is that He is the end result, the ultimate prize and our job here is be be immersed in the culture, to meet students, and to build relationships that will glorify the Lord so that they will know Him! Thank you all for your prayers and for your support and getting us here.
I got to get coffee with Nick, an Australian Staff guy, and Courtney Kelly- Courtney Kelley, yesterday at Booloominbah and it was soooo cool! Nick and the staff guys, Steven, Tim, and the Chaplain, Martin have been great to teach us a lot of the differences to watch out for and prepare for in the culture, our histories which influence how both Australians and Americans view the world and religion, and of course some terminology. Some of these include fairy floss=cotton candy, sepo=american, paying out=making fun of someone, sledging=teasing, and sus=suspicious. I love it.
Keep us in your prayers to have fruitful conversations and that our motives will be purely to spread His good news so that the nations would be reached :)
Excited to be Down Under,
Savs
The people in this town are amazing and I have adored the welcome we have received in the church! The Lord is already doing a lot here, and I am reminded that He does not need me or this team to get His work done, but He has sent us here and I am so thankful that He is equipping us and preparing us to be used to further His Kingdom!
The goodness of the Gospel is that He is the end result, the ultimate prize and our job here is be be immersed in the culture, to meet students, and to build relationships that will glorify the Lord so that they will know Him! Thank you all for your prayers and for your support and getting us here.
I got to get coffee with Nick, an Australian Staff guy, and Courtney Kelly- Courtney Kelley, yesterday at Booloominbah and it was soooo cool! Nick and the staff guys, Steven, Tim, and the Chaplain, Martin have been great to teach us a lot of the differences to watch out for and prepare for in the culture, our histories which influence how both Australians and Americans view the world and religion, and of course some terminology. Some of these include fairy floss=cotton candy, sepo=american, paying out=making fun of someone, sledging=teasing, and sus=suspicious. I love it.
Keep us in your prayers to have fruitful conversations and that our motives will be purely to spread His good news so that the nations would be reached :)
Excited to be Down Under,
Savs
Tim is cute. Holla at me.
5/21/10
Tim is cute. Holla at me.
We are in Armidale!!!!! The bus ride from Brisbane was so long!
We went straight to Steven’s house for dinner with their staff and it was fantastic. He is the staff guy at UNE and he let us use his internet and we flocked to it as if it were food and we hadn’t eaten for days! The highlight of being there has to be the conversation about how to remember names of students because they had already done a great job of getting to know us in just a few hours. So a team member who shall remain nameless proceeds to use the tactic she had been told to try, using new friends’ names in sentences to remember them…her example in conversation was “Tim is cute. Holla at me.” Tim is a staff guy at UNE…who happened to sitting no less than 6 feet behind her watching her and listening intently. Upon hearing this, he shrugs, smiles, and walks away. Hilarious!! We have quoted this many times…
Anyway, we are staying at the dorms and they are amazing! Seriously these are the nicest dorms I have ever seen in my life. We have our own rooms in the international hall- and there was space for us all to be together in the same hall. We do have to share unisex bathrooms but even that has worked out. The Lord’s provisions are everywhere!!! The rooms are huge with lots of space and a desk. We don’t have internet, so I am writing now with plans to post when I get a chance. This means that my blogs will just all appear at once lol.
Today is our first day to see the campus in the daylight. Its absolutely beautiful from my window. It is autumn here and the leaves are falling and it is gorgeous. There is a deer park behind our building that we are going to get to see today. Some kangaroos got into it several years ago so it has turned into a habitat for deer and kangas! I am thrilled!!! We are going to get to see the Booloominbah to see the school! This is the picture that I have put at the top of my blog. Yes that is our destination today. There is a bistro there that I will most likely get lunch or something nearly everyday lol.
I am looking forward to being here for the next 40 days learning all that the Lord has in store for the team and I in the security department.
Thank you for all your prayers and I will get more updates to you as soon as I can!!
That all may know,
Savs
Tim is cute. Holla at me.
We are in Armidale!!!!! The bus ride from Brisbane was so long!
We went straight to Steven’s house for dinner with their staff and it was fantastic. He is the staff guy at UNE and he let us use his internet and we flocked to it as if it were food and we hadn’t eaten for days! The highlight of being there has to be the conversation about how to remember names of students because they had already done a great job of getting to know us in just a few hours. So a team member who shall remain nameless proceeds to use the tactic she had been told to try, using new friends’ names in sentences to remember them…her example in conversation was “Tim is cute. Holla at me.” Tim is a staff guy at UNE…who happened to sitting no less than 6 feet behind her watching her and listening intently. Upon hearing this, he shrugs, smiles, and walks away. Hilarious!! We have quoted this many times…
Anyway, we are staying at the dorms and they are amazing! Seriously these are the nicest dorms I have ever seen in my life. We have our own rooms in the international hall- and there was space for us all to be together in the same hall. We do have to share unisex bathrooms but even that has worked out. The Lord’s provisions are everywhere!!! The rooms are huge with lots of space and a desk. We don’t have internet, so I am writing now with plans to post when I get a chance. This means that my blogs will just all appear at once lol.
Today is our first day to see the campus in the daylight. Its absolutely beautiful from my window. It is autumn here and the leaves are falling and it is gorgeous. There is a deer park behind our building that we are going to get to see today. Some kangaroos got into it several years ago so it has turned into a habitat for deer and kangas! I am thrilled!!! We are going to get to see the Booloominbah to see the school! This is the picture that I have put at the top of my blog. Yes that is our destination today. There is a bistro there that I will most likely get lunch or something nearly everyday lol.
I am looking forward to being here for the next 40 days learning all that the Lord has in store for the team and I in the security department.
Thank you for all your prayers and I will get more updates to you as soon as I can!!
That all may know,
Savs
Sneans...?
5/20/10
Sneans!!!
We are in Australia!!!! We left the US on Monday, skipped Tuesday altogether, got to Brisbane on Wednesday hung out and went to the shops and slept for 12 straight hours, went to orientation at the University of Queensland on Today. At orientation we learned several things about the culture to prepare us for the weeks ahead. A staff girl taught us the basics…no spitting, drop bears, and sneans! Drop bears are bears that WILL attack you from the tree tops so watch out for them…and their poo. Sneas are characteristic of Americans…people who wear sneakers with jeans. They think that is kind of gross lol. A third of our team was fitting this on orientation day haha. We stayed with the Brisbane team in their apartments for a few days and will return there just before we leave for home. We will drive to Armidale to the University of New England tomorrow morning!
Sneans!!!
We are in Australia!!!! We left the US on Monday, skipped Tuesday altogether, got to Brisbane on Wednesday hung out and went to the shops and slept for 12 straight hours, went to orientation at the University of Queensland on Today. At orientation we learned several things about the culture to prepare us for the weeks ahead. A staff girl taught us the basics…no spitting, drop bears, and sneans! Drop bears are bears that WILL attack you from the tree tops so watch out for them…and their poo. Sneas are characteristic of Americans…people who wear sneakers with jeans. They think that is kind of gross lol. A third of our team was fitting this on orientation day haha. We stayed with the Brisbane team in their apartments for a few days and will return there just before we leave for home. We will drive to Armidale to the University of New England tomorrow morning!
He Treasures Up His Bright Designs
ok I wrote this on the plane over...I just got internet access so I am posting it now :)
5/17/10
He Treasures Up His Bright Designs
Oh how do I even begin to process what excitement is running through my veins to be on the flight to Australia right now. I am thrilled to my wits end! The God that I serve has created universes so massive that they are simply indescribable. As I look out the window, I am in awe of the beauty of the canyon land in New Mexico. As much as the earth is filled with wonder it is still just a speck in the sunshine of this great universe. I am flying to Australia today. That is across the world. How small do I feel today…
Disclaimer…this blog will be full of tangents as I have been sitting quiet, just thinking like the Feeler that I am for 3 solid hours!!
We are significantly insignificant. What does this mean? That the God who has created places that seem like they would only be in a story book and galaxies trillions of light-years away so beautiful that we cannot grasp with our vocabularies not only knows who the heck we are, but knows us by name and has sought us out to know us and know everything about us and use us for His great ministry across the world. This means that He loves us so much that He sent His son to die as payment for my sins that deserve hell so that I can have life and joy more abundantly. This certainly is a mysterious way that He moves in to soften my heart and teach me more about His great characteristics and show me His bright design.
He has blessed me so with the opportunity to fly through a thunderstorm and see clouds so closely and so brightly that they blind my eyes with their brightness, much like it would be to lay my eyes up on Him. Whoa.
While thinking of Australia, I am amazed at the adventure before me. I think of Acts 2:23 which says, this Jesus was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, crucified and killed by the lawless hands of men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. God has a definite plan and foreknowledge that knew enough that his son would be crucified and killed by the evil, enemy hands of lawless men, how would he not know of what is going on in my life and in the lives of Aussie students that He is sending our teams to meet? What is this beauty of a God who loves us so much!? What is up with this all empowering love that is able to cross seas and destroy rebellion of evil men and women to be melted by the God of the Gospel. Such a great love! Not only does this verse tell us that God is all knowing, but that His son Jesus could not possibly be held by death and was promptly raised from the dead. This is huge. Just as the one who died for my sins to become my savior cannot by held by death, my sin cannot be held by it either. In Christ I have freedom from sin and newness in Him because He loves me and is all-powerful all the time.
How assuring is it that he has a plan for me. This is where my identity lies. In His mercy and in His grace and His forgiveness and faithfulness to me that He loves me enough to hold on to me so that nothing can snatch me (Romans 8:38-39) out of His grasp that is as wide as the universe (Job 38:31)!
He is the everlasting, never failing, redeemer GOD! And He is in control. Assurance lies within Him that He loves us. Where can we go to be away from His mercy and all protecting hand? Beats me… I am going across the world right now and He is ever aware of what I am doing and how I am glorifying Him with my life, if I am at all. How convicting is it that just as the light can reach my face, He can see me and know my heart. More that that, HE knows my heart and He knows what I need and has planned for my growth and laid out for me His good works to glorify Him and to teach me His characteristics and how to best reflect His image. All understanding comes from Him and the acceptance that suffering is part of that plan. Suffering through some relationships and through personal development. He allows it to happen for understanding of Him and ultimately for His glory.
So, as for my sweet Australia! I am again reminded of this great blessing to be in hot pursuit of the Lord wherever He sends me as I look to my left and see my dear sisterfriend, Courtney Kelley!!! She encourages me sooo much and I am so grateful for he in my life because the Lord is definitely working in her to grow her and to grow those around her in Him. I am so fortunate to not only spend the summer in Armidale, but also alongside her! What a blessing to minister hand in hand with her and Ben, Josh, Alicia, Jared, Sarah, Kendal, Gabe, Megan, Amy, Joseph, and David! Oh man God is so good!
I don’t know how prepared I am for this, but God equips the called and I am fully faithful that He will guide me to best serve Him through this ministry.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support of this mission and I will keep you posted on the things that we do as well as the things that I am learning this summer! Praise Him!
5/17/10
He Treasures Up His Bright Designs
Oh how do I even begin to process what excitement is running through my veins to be on the flight to Australia right now. I am thrilled to my wits end! The God that I serve has created universes so massive that they are simply indescribable. As I look out the window, I am in awe of the beauty of the canyon land in New Mexico. As much as the earth is filled with wonder it is still just a speck in the sunshine of this great universe. I am flying to Australia today. That is across the world. How small do I feel today…
Disclaimer…this blog will be full of tangents as I have been sitting quiet, just thinking like the Feeler that I am for 3 solid hours!!
We are significantly insignificant. What does this mean? That the God who has created places that seem like they would only be in a story book and galaxies trillions of light-years away so beautiful that we cannot grasp with our vocabularies not only knows who the heck we are, but knows us by name and has sought us out to know us and know everything about us and use us for His great ministry across the world. This means that He loves us so much that He sent His son to die as payment for my sins that deserve hell so that I can have life and joy more abundantly. This certainly is a mysterious way that He moves in to soften my heart and teach me more about His great characteristics and show me His bright design.
He has blessed me so with the opportunity to fly through a thunderstorm and see clouds so closely and so brightly that they blind my eyes with their brightness, much like it would be to lay my eyes up on Him. Whoa.
While thinking of Australia, I am amazed at the adventure before me. I think of Acts 2:23 which says, this Jesus was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, crucified and killed by the lawless hands of men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. God has a definite plan and foreknowledge that knew enough that his son would be crucified and killed by the evil, enemy hands of lawless men, how would he not know of what is going on in my life and in the lives of Aussie students that He is sending our teams to meet? What is this beauty of a God who loves us so much!? What is up with this all empowering love that is able to cross seas and destroy rebellion of evil men and women to be melted by the God of the Gospel. Such a great love! Not only does this verse tell us that God is all knowing, but that His son Jesus could not possibly be held by death and was promptly raised from the dead. This is huge. Just as the one who died for my sins to become my savior cannot by held by death, my sin cannot be held by it either. In Christ I have freedom from sin and newness in Him because He loves me and is all-powerful all the time.
How assuring is it that he has a plan for me. This is where my identity lies. In His mercy and in His grace and His forgiveness and faithfulness to me that He loves me enough to hold on to me so that nothing can snatch me (Romans 8:38-39) out of His grasp that is as wide as the universe (Job 38:31)!
He is the everlasting, never failing, redeemer GOD! And He is in control. Assurance lies within Him that He loves us. Where can we go to be away from His mercy and all protecting hand? Beats me… I am going across the world right now and He is ever aware of what I am doing and how I am glorifying Him with my life, if I am at all. How convicting is it that just as the light can reach my face, He can see me and know my heart. More that that, HE knows my heart and He knows what I need and has planned for my growth and laid out for me His good works to glorify Him and to teach me His characteristics and how to best reflect His image. All understanding comes from Him and the acceptance that suffering is part of that plan. Suffering through some relationships and through personal development. He allows it to happen for understanding of Him and ultimately for His glory.
So, as for my sweet Australia! I am again reminded of this great blessing to be in hot pursuit of the Lord wherever He sends me as I look to my left and see my dear sisterfriend, Courtney Kelley!!! She encourages me sooo much and I am so grateful for he in my life because the Lord is definitely working in her to grow her and to grow those around her in Him. I am so fortunate to not only spend the summer in Armidale, but also alongside her! What a blessing to minister hand in hand with her and Ben, Josh, Alicia, Jared, Sarah, Kendal, Gabe, Megan, Amy, Joseph, and David! Oh man God is so good!
I don’t know how prepared I am for this, but God equips the called and I am fully faithful that He will guide me to best serve Him through this ministry.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support of this mission and I will keep you posted on the things that we do as well as the things that I am learning this summer! Praise Him!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
