Sometimes to me, life is like surfing. You float around in the great big ocean, clinging to whatever you use to keep you afloat. You dangle your arms and legs over the side and have a paddle for a while. But the ultimate purpose is to catch that wave. You wait and wait, scanning the seas for the beginnings of the wave. Then when it finally comes you paddle like mad do a balancing act and have the time of your life for 10 to 20 seconds and then you start the whole process again. It's a cycle...
Well that's my profound theological analogy for this week.
Sarah said to me today that This Christmas and New Years is the last one that we will do alone because of the baby. It got me thinking that there are a lot of things that we will be doing alone for hte last time. Our wedding anniversary, Our birthdays this year, Christmas, New Year. It kinda makes me sad to know that soon we will have to share all of those experiences that are special to us, but at the same time I am really excited to be sharing them with our child.
The fact that I am about to be a father is dawning on me more and more. I don't know how to feel about it all. On one hand I am so excited that I couldn't explain. I felt the baby kick for the first time hte other night. It was such an amazing moment for me. It almost makes me jealous that Sarah gets to feel stuff like that all the time. Notice I said 'almost makes me jealous' there. I don't envy her one bit for all of the stuff she has to put up with. I just dont know how to help her sometimes. I can see that she isn't feelign well or that she is uncomfortable and the Male inside of me jst wants to fix it all and make it better, but I can't. Sometimes I feel so helpless and I hate that. On the other hand I am petrified of a lot of things.... Sarah has to stop working and that's what I want, but it also means I have to go and get work (which isn't a problem). My fear is that I need to find a job that will pay enough to support us. Then there is the fear that I will be a bad father, ok maybe bad is the wrong word. I am sure that every expecting dad goes through this, but it's still a big fear for me. I will be responsible for the raising and maturing of a creation of God. That is such a huge responsibility and I hope that I am up to the challenge.
On a more positive note, Sarah is looking more beautiful all the time. I don't know if I tell her that enough. I know that I am partially biased because she is my wife, But she really does look so beautiful.
Okay, well that's about it from me for today. I will be back soon to give you all the next installment of my life surfing experinces.
Stay Tuned, more to come
Jeffros
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Friday, November 18, 2005
Dodgem Car Derby
Hi there show lovers
This weeks post is a little all over the place i guess. There has been kinda a lot going on in the last week or 2.
Firstly, Next week marks the end of my first year of tertiary study. WooHoo!!!! Almost done. Things have been a bit hectic in the final dash to get major assignments over and done with. I am almost there. I chose to do an assignment on Mel Gibson's film of The Passion of the Christ. Can I jsut say that after watching hte movie 4 times in 3 days, I have no desire to ever see that movie again. So it is with a study fried brain I write to you today so if my ramblings seem a little illegible, I apologise.
There hasn't been any play so far in the cricket today due to rain. This is a little dissappointing as I like to move my laptop downstairs and have the cricket goign in the background while I study and write papers. So today's studying has been a little less exciting... but i guess that is bound to happen once in a while.
I am kinda getting used to the weather down here. it's beginning to get a little too hot for my likings, but it's not as bad as QLD heat so i will cope.
Church life is good. I am really enjoying being apart of a church family again. Sarah and I met with Carl, the worship and creative arts pastor a couple of weeks ago to discuss our involvement in the worship team which will begin at the beginning of next year. I am also meeting with mark, the youth pastor next week to discuss being apart of the church's youth ministry team. Things are exciting. I am really looking forward to what the new year is going to bring.
Still dont' have any work for next year yet. If you could be in prayer abotu that for me htat would be much appreciated. Sarah finishes at austraining at the end of January and I need to have work by then so we can survive. lol. I know that god has it totally in control though and he will provide everything that we need. But yoru prayers can't hurt :)
ok, must away and return to my studies...
love you all and remember to stay tuned
jeffros
This weeks post is a little all over the place i guess. There has been kinda a lot going on in the last week or 2.
Firstly, Next week marks the end of my first year of tertiary study. WooHoo!!!! Almost done. Things have been a bit hectic in the final dash to get major assignments over and done with. I am almost there. I chose to do an assignment on Mel Gibson's film of The Passion of the Christ. Can I jsut say that after watching hte movie 4 times in 3 days, I have no desire to ever see that movie again. So it is with a study fried brain I write to you today so if my ramblings seem a little illegible, I apologise.
There hasn't been any play so far in the cricket today due to rain. This is a little dissappointing as I like to move my laptop downstairs and have the cricket goign in the background while I study and write papers. So today's studying has been a little less exciting... but i guess that is bound to happen once in a while.
I am kinda getting used to the weather down here. it's beginning to get a little too hot for my likings, but it's not as bad as QLD heat so i will cope.
Church life is good. I am really enjoying being apart of a church family again. Sarah and I met with Carl, the worship and creative arts pastor a couple of weeks ago to discuss our involvement in the worship team which will begin at the beginning of next year. I am also meeting with mark, the youth pastor next week to discuss being apart of the church's youth ministry team. Things are exciting. I am really looking forward to what the new year is going to bring.
Still dont' have any work for next year yet. If you could be in prayer abotu that for me htat would be much appreciated. Sarah finishes at austraining at the end of January and I need to have work by then so we can survive. lol. I know that god has it totally in control though and he will provide everything that we need. But yoru prayers can't hurt :)
ok, must away and return to my studies...
love you all and remember to stay tuned
jeffros
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Fairy Floss Land
Hey there show folk...
Just a quick little note to tell you a little about a thought I had today while I was daydreaming... How cool would it be to live in a place called fairy floss land!!! Lots of fairy floss and drinks... all of that yummy show food and stuff. It would be soooo much fun...
anyways...
Back to reality where fairy floss land doesn't exist, but cavities and fillings do :)
Stay Tuned
jeffros
Just a quick little note to tell you a little about a thought I had today while I was daydreaming... How cool would it be to live in a place called fairy floss land!!! Lots of fairy floss and drinks... all of that yummy show food and stuff. It would be soooo much fun...
anyways...
Back to reality where fairy floss land doesn't exist, but cavities and fillings do :)
Stay Tuned
jeffros
When the going gets rough, punch harder!
Greetings to you all.
Well it's time once more for an episode of my life, which on the titles of some of my other posts is beginning to feel like an amusement park, so I might stick with that in the future...
ok, onto more serious matters....
Isn't it strange how when you take a blind step and trust in what God has asked you to do, things somehow just 'work out'? I find it a really bizarre thing... I guess I probably shouldn't - the whole faith thing and everything. But the truth of it all is, I do. it constantly amazes me how God continues to bless and look after me and my family. Sure sometimes, actually a lot of the time, it can be quite tough, but somehow at the end of it all, it's all good.
A lot of the time it's hard to do what God wants me to do... well it's hard for me anyway. Sometimes I don't want to do what he wants me to do, sometimes I want to do what he doesn't want me to do. It's a never ending cycle. but, in the end, when I follow His way, something good happens.
God has been working on a lot of areas in my heart recently. It has been quite difficult at times. He has been challenging me a lot about my attitudes towards certain ideas, and more importantly, certain people that I know. It may take me some time, but I know that in the end, there will be something good install. Even if there is nothing tangible there, I will have the feeling of peace in knowing that God has healed me and helped me grow in my walk of life.
Please pray for me in my journey of faith with God that I may continue to learn of His ways and walk with him.
Stay Tuned
jeffros
Well it's time once more for an episode of my life, which on the titles of some of my other posts is beginning to feel like an amusement park, so I might stick with that in the future...
ok, onto more serious matters....
Isn't it strange how when you take a blind step and trust in what God has asked you to do, things somehow just 'work out'? I find it a really bizarre thing... I guess I probably shouldn't - the whole faith thing and everything. But the truth of it all is, I do. it constantly amazes me how God continues to bless and look after me and my family. Sure sometimes, actually a lot of the time, it can be quite tough, but somehow at the end of it all, it's all good.
A lot of the time it's hard to do what God wants me to do... well it's hard for me anyway. Sometimes I don't want to do what he wants me to do, sometimes I want to do what he doesn't want me to do. It's a never ending cycle. but, in the end, when I follow His way, something good happens.
God has been working on a lot of areas in my heart recently. It has been quite difficult at times. He has been challenging me a lot about my attitudes towards certain ideas, and more importantly, certain people that I know. It may take me some time, but I know that in the end, there will be something good install. Even if there is nothing tangible there, I will have the feeling of peace in knowing that God has healed me and helped me grow in my walk of life.
Please pray for me in my journey of faith with God that I may continue to learn of His ways and walk with him.
Stay Tuned
jeffros
Monday, October 31, 2005
Will the Real Slim Shady....
Hi all,
This is a real quick post to just say could the anonymous person who left a comment on my last post please identify themselves to me via another comment or an email on jeff@bbpl.com.au.
Thanks, Stay tuned, more later this week
jeffros
This is a real quick post to just say could the anonymous person who left a comment on my last post please identify themselves to me via another comment or an email on jeff@bbpl.com.au.
Thanks, Stay tuned, more later this week
jeffros
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Do the trains really run on time? Or am I just early?
This is a valid metaphorical question in my life right now. Do the trains really run on time, or am I just early?
Sometimes I feel like I have been waiting at life's platform for an opportunity train to come along for what seems to be an eternity! Finally when the train finally arrives, I usually don't want to get onboard because I am over it, or I am frustrated at how long it took to get there.
So I was talking to a friend at Tabor last thursday and we were talking about opportunities that God brings along and stuff and we were talking about one of the things that he really wants to do in the future, and he said to me "well it's all in God's timing, not mine." It's a phrase or statement that as a Christian I heard said over and over for years. I asked him if he actually knew what that meant. Then I asked myself if I actually knew what it meant. So I started thinking about what it does mean... I was looking at my blogger here... Trains Run on Time and I got a picture. When I am standing at the platform waiting for that opportunity train, I am looking at my time table. All the arrival times are the times that I created. I didn't take into account whether or not I had the right fair, the neccessary luggage for my journey or my destination... I just made the timetable fit what I wanted to do. But that's not the way it works. God creates the timetable that the Trains run to. He knows exactly when I will have the right fair, or have the preparations done, and anything else that I might need. It's at that point that the train is schedualed to arrive, not a minute before, and not a minute after. It's my responsability to be at the platform waiting for it.
So there you have it, the Trains really do Run on time
Jeffros
Sometimes I feel like I have been waiting at life's platform for an opportunity train to come along for what seems to be an eternity! Finally when the train finally arrives, I usually don't want to get onboard because I am over it, or I am frustrated at how long it took to get there.
So I was talking to a friend at Tabor last thursday and we were talking about opportunities that God brings along and stuff and we were talking about one of the things that he really wants to do in the future, and he said to me "well it's all in God's timing, not mine." It's a phrase or statement that as a Christian I heard said over and over for years. I asked him if he actually knew what that meant. Then I asked myself if I actually knew what it meant. So I started thinking about what it does mean... I was looking at my blogger here... Trains Run on Time and I got a picture. When I am standing at the platform waiting for that opportunity train, I am looking at my time table. All the arrival times are the times that I created. I didn't take into account whether or not I had the right fair, the neccessary luggage for my journey or my destination... I just made the timetable fit what I wanted to do. But that's not the way it works. God creates the timetable that the Trains run to. He knows exactly when I will have the right fair, or have the preparations done, and anything else that I might need. It's at that point that the train is schedualed to arrive, not a minute before, and not a minute after. It's my responsability to be at the platform waiting for it.
So there you have it, the Trains really do Run on time
Jeffros
Thursday, October 20, 2005
LifE GoeS up LifE GoeS DowN
what is it about the things in life that have this amaxing power over happiness? One day you can be riding high on cloud nine, then next you can be plumitting back to earth to meet what seems to be certain doom! People are so hard to understand! sometimes i wish that everyone would just think like me then we would all be on the same page. but of course that isn't a reality and praise the Lord that everyone doesn't think like me :) in today's world, there doesn't seem to be much emphasis on the importance of what true friendship really is. friends today are expendable, there are plenty of other fish in the sea etc.
what ever happened to loyalty, trust and commeradeship? (is that even a word?). i want the type of friend who will stand by me in tough times and happy times, the type of friend who is not afraid to be honest with me and will let me know if i am out of line or there is something in my life that needs tending to. if god lays something on my heart then i try to carry it out to the best of my ability (most of the time). sometimes it means saying something to someone that they don't want to hear, and that is hard - especially for me, i don't like upsetting people - but in the end, usually the situation improves through God's work.
like my good friend wilby pointed out in a journal entry at his deviantart site... christians are always talking about the battle they see going on but rarely do they raise the sword and fight. i agree for the most part, it bewilders me and frustrates me sometimes that all some christians do is talk about the battle/problem. nothign ever gets done!!! and when they finally get around to doing something about it, the prooblem is too big for them to handle or another problem has moved in. i really feel that we as christians need to take up arms against the enemy together and take back this land for God. we have been equipped with all the armour and weaponry that we need, so why is it just sitting in the corner getting rusty whilst we sit and have debates about how often communion should be taken, or what songs to sing in church, or how the church isn't giving us what we need. why is that stupid petty little stuff consuming our lives? people wonder why those outside the church think we are all weird! but why aren't we outside the church too? why do we confine ourselves to the 4 walls of our churces and wait for the 'lost' to find their way home into the throne room of God's grace and love. here's a concept, why can't we take God's love and grace to them... why should they be the ones who have to feel uncomfortable... didn't the great JC say that in this life we will have trouble and trials and stuff, it isn't going to be easy! so why do we take the easy way out and blame everyone but oursleves for the decline in our churches! it's time to take the fight to the enemy. instead of letting the emeny infiltrate our lines, let's get into his lines for a change and take back this land!!!
Ok, that's enough preaching for me for today... sorry all, I got a bit carreid away there... but that has been what's on my mind a but lately...
stay tuned
Jeffros
what ever happened to loyalty, trust and commeradeship? (is that even a word?). i want the type of friend who will stand by me in tough times and happy times, the type of friend who is not afraid to be honest with me and will let me know if i am out of line or there is something in my life that needs tending to. if god lays something on my heart then i try to carry it out to the best of my ability (most of the time). sometimes it means saying something to someone that they don't want to hear, and that is hard - especially for me, i don't like upsetting people - but in the end, usually the situation improves through God's work.
like my good friend wilby pointed out in a journal entry at his deviantart site... christians are always talking about the battle they see going on but rarely do they raise the sword and fight. i agree for the most part, it bewilders me and frustrates me sometimes that all some christians do is talk about the battle/problem. nothign ever gets done!!! and when they finally get around to doing something about it, the prooblem is too big for them to handle or another problem has moved in. i really feel that we as christians need to take up arms against the enemy together and take back this land for God. we have been equipped with all the armour and weaponry that we need, so why is it just sitting in the corner getting rusty whilst we sit and have debates about how often communion should be taken, or what songs to sing in church, or how the church isn't giving us what we need. why is that stupid petty little stuff consuming our lives? people wonder why those outside the church think we are all weird! but why aren't we outside the church too? why do we confine ourselves to the 4 walls of our churces and wait for the 'lost' to find their way home into the throne room of God's grace and love. here's a concept, why can't we take God's love and grace to them... why should they be the ones who have to feel uncomfortable... didn't the great JC say that in this life we will have trouble and trials and stuff, it isn't going to be easy! so why do we take the easy way out and blame everyone but oursleves for the decline in our churches! it's time to take the fight to the enemy. instead of letting the emeny infiltrate our lines, let's get into his lines for a change and take back this land!!!
Ok, that's enough preaching for me for today... sorry all, I got a bit carreid away there... but that has been what's on my mind a but lately...
stay tuned
Jeffros
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
God Truly is Amazing
Well, what an interesting day it's been. It has been a little hard for us adjusting to the monthly pays that sarah gets (instead of the weekly pays we have had all year) and this week is pay week and we have been pretty strapped for cash ever since teens camp. We were gettign desperately low on food and fuel today and then the postman came...
there was an envelope there with no return address, it was postmarked South Australia. I opened it and there was a $50 note inside with a little note that simply said 'Blessings'.
Totally bizarre, as no one knew that we were strapped for cash, and it must have been sent last thursday or friday to get here today... the exact day when we needed a little cash to tide us over...
I must say that God really does work in mysterious ways... So who ever you are out there that blessed us with this money, thank you and thank you for listening to god's leading. Lord thank you for once again providing for us in our hour of need.
jeffrs
there was an envelope there with no return address, it was postmarked South Australia. I opened it and there was a $50 note inside with a little note that simply said 'Blessings'.
Totally bizarre, as no one knew that we were strapped for cash, and it must have been sent last thursday or friday to get here today... the exact day when we needed a little cash to tide us over...
I must say that God really does work in mysterious ways... So who ever you are out there that blessed us with this money, thank you and thank you for listening to god's leading. Lord thank you for once again providing for us in our hour of need.
jeffrs
The Post Event Blues
Hi there peoples,
Well we are back from teens camp now and it's back to the real world. I am on holidays from college now so things are still a littel cruisy for me.
Wow!!! Teens camp was great! It was really great to be apart of the worship team for camp, I had a really great time and it was so inspiring to see all of the kids really worshiping God. I think there was around the 60 mark in attendance and a great and fun time was had by all - leaders and band included.
Sunday night was amazing, God really moved in the worship time and there were a number of kids that were in tears as they worshiped God through song. Trav spoke well and allowed God to work through him to achieve what needed to be achieved. it is my prayer that these kids who were touched by God continue to seek him out and change their lives and move forward with Him...
Ok well that's all I really have to say about teens camp...
We have our ultrasound for the baby tomorrow!!! I am so excited!!!!! so i will have more info for you tomorrow...
Stay Tuned...
Jeffros
Well we are back from teens camp now and it's back to the real world. I am on holidays from college now so things are still a littel cruisy for me.
Wow!!! Teens camp was great! It was really great to be apart of the worship team for camp, I had a really great time and it was so inspiring to see all of the kids really worshiping God. I think there was around the 60 mark in attendance and a great and fun time was had by all - leaders and band included.
Sunday night was amazing, God really moved in the worship time and there were a number of kids that were in tears as they worshiped God through song. Trav spoke well and allowed God to work through him to achieve what needed to be achieved. it is my prayer that these kids who were touched by God continue to seek him out and change their lives and move forward with Him...
Ok well that's all I really have to say about teens camp...
We have our ultrasound for the baby tomorrow!!! I am so excited!!!!! so i will have more info for you tomorrow...
Stay Tuned...
Jeffros
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Teens Camp Awaits
Well today we leave for teens camp. it's so exciting to be apart of a worship band again, but to be asked ot be apart of the teens camp worship band is very exciting indeed. i have enjoyed rehersals so much and the band has a great sound and we have really gelled together. i have this amazing feelign that God is really going to work in people's lives this weekend. for a couple of weeks now i have had this feeling (you know, one of those God feelings in your tummy) that on sunday night at teens church, God is really going to move in powerful ways. i don't know what is going to happen but i am very excited none the less.
well we attended our first worship team meetign fo rmarion last night and it was a lot of fun. hearing carl present a little of his vision for the progression of worship at marion to move to the next level was actually very exciting for me and for the first time in a while now i am feeling privilegded to be apart of a team that is moving with God instead of tryign to fight his movement. carl is a fantastic leader and i am really looking forward to working with him more at marion in the near future.
that's all from me for today... more to come after teens camp... i will have a full run-down of hte happenings so stay tuned
jeffros
well we attended our first worship team meetign fo rmarion last night and it was a lot of fun. hearing carl present a little of his vision for the progression of worship at marion to move to the next level was actually very exciting for me and for the first time in a while now i am feeling privilegded to be apart of a team that is moving with God instead of tryign to fight his movement. carl is a fantastic leader and i am really looking forward to working with him more at marion in the near future.
that's all from me for today... more to come after teens camp... i will have a full run-down of hte happenings so stay tuned
jeffros
Friday, September 30, 2005
Life is a Rollercoster
Wow, what a year. So much has happened, so as my first official post for this site i thought i would bring you up to speed with what's happened so far...
it all started at the end of January when we moved to adelaide. sarah started temping and i began to study a bachelor of arts majoring in youth work from Tabor college. we stayed at sarah's parents house while we grounded ourselves and got familiar with our (well my) new living environment.
searching for a church was no easy task. after visiting 4 or 5 different churches over the past 8 months we have finally settled on marion church of christ. we feel completely at home there and we are already in the begining stages of joining the worship team there which is such a blessing as we have been out of participation in a worship team for 9 months now. marion is really alive and there are many different propects for us to be able to serve and use our gifts and talents for God. it's so exciting to be a part of a church family again.
after doing a few different temping jobs sarah had the opportunity to go for a fulltime contracted job as an event coordinator for Austraining International. austraining are a contracotr for the government branch of AusAid. their primary role is training and sending ambassadors overseas to developing countries where they participate in the development and implementation of community growth and training programmes. after applying it wasn't long before we found out that sarah had recieved the job. we were all very excited, along with a sunstantial pay rise and benifits, sarah was finally able to be working in a job that she loved and a job that suited her passions and training - event/project coordination.
after being in the job for abotu 4 weeks, we found out that sarah was pregnant!!! Yay!!! so exciting, although it was not a planned pregnancy it was still a huge blessing and we are so excited about the birth of our child in february or march next year. it has been so much fun going to the doctors with sarah and stuff. the doctor showed me how to feel sarah's tummy they other day so that I could feel the baby... that was cool :)
so now sarah is planning on working until just after christmas or januaryish and then she will come home and hopefully by then i will have fulltime (or as close to as possible) work so that sarah can stay home and look after bub while i work and study partime via correspondance.
oh and about 5 weeks ago, we moved into our new place. we are renting a 3 bedroom townhouse in ascot park... we absolutely love it and want to keep it forever and ever... but we will see what happens in the future...
all in all, it's been a crazy year, but God has belssed us so much and we have much to be thankful for.
So there you have it, you are now up to speed with me and what's been happening lately... more to come... stay tuned...
jeffros
it all started at the end of January when we moved to adelaide. sarah started temping and i began to study a bachelor of arts majoring in youth work from Tabor college. we stayed at sarah's parents house while we grounded ourselves and got familiar with our (well my) new living environment.
searching for a church was no easy task. after visiting 4 or 5 different churches over the past 8 months we have finally settled on marion church of christ. we feel completely at home there and we are already in the begining stages of joining the worship team there which is such a blessing as we have been out of participation in a worship team for 9 months now. marion is really alive and there are many different propects for us to be able to serve and use our gifts and talents for God. it's so exciting to be a part of a church family again.
after doing a few different temping jobs sarah had the opportunity to go for a fulltime contracted job as an event coordinator for Austraining International. austraining are a contracotr for the government branch of AusAid. their primary role is training and sending ambassadors overseas to developing countries where they participate in the development and implementation of community growth and training programmes. after applying it wasn't long before we found out that sarah had recieved the job. we were all very excited, along with a sunstantial pay rise and benifits, sarah was finally able to be working in a job that she loved and a job that suited her passions and training - event/project coordination.
after being in the job for abotu 4 weeks, we found out that sarah was pregnant!!! Yay!!! so exciting, although it was not a planned pregnancy it was still a huge blessing and we are so excited about the birth of our child in february or march next year. it has been so much fun going to the doctors with sarah and stuff. the doctor showed me how to feel sarah's tummy they other day so that I could feel the baby... that was cool :)
so now sarah is planning on working until just after christmas or januaryish and then she will come home and hopefully by then i will have fulltime (or as close to as possible) work so that sarah can stay home and look after bub while i work and study partime via correspondance.
oh and about 5 weeks ago, we moved into our new place. we are renting a 3 bedroom townhouse in ascot park... we absolutely love it and want to keep it forever and ever... but we will see what happens in the future...
all in all, it's been a crazy year, but God has belssed us so much and we have much to be thankful for.
So there you have it, you are now up to speed with me and what's been happening lately... more to come... stay tuned...
jeffros
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Greetings and Salutations
Hello to all peoples and creatures in Cyber-Land
This is just a great big hello and welcome to my blog. I hope you enjoy sharing a life journey with me as you check out the stuff on my blog.
Bye for now
Jeffros
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