so... what's in your hand???

sooo... here's a thought... be faithful with what's in your hand... and GOD will bring to pass what's in your heart... even the most secret of petitions... and in a way u could have never dreamed of or managed to do yourself... ephesians 3:20... above and beyond all you can ask, think or imagine... another core value/theme here... and i'd like to add a resounding 'AMEN' to that, if i may.... it's just so true... often people want to go straight to the top, straight for the glory, straight for the icing and cherry... by-passing all the boring so called meaningless stuff...

right? right!?! wrong!!!...

it's all that so called boring, meaningless stuff that really matters... that's where the rubber meets the road... that's where character is refined... integrity is built... impurites are skimmed off and the SPIRIT of excellence can shine forth...

... but it's through the being faithful with what's in your hand part, that GOD actually does a mighty work in you, so HE can do a mighty work through you... and HE will work it out above and beyond your wildest dreams... seriously, it's like that... HE is like that... it's like a form of dying to self... selfish desires, selfish agendas... and it's on that very path of being faithful with what's in your hand, that you actually start losing yourself... but in a good way... becoming self-less, so that you actually begin to truly find yourself...

and it's those very times when the fire gets turned up... the inferno rages, the heat intensifies, the pressing presses, the crushing crushes, the breaking breaks, the purifying purifies... and the refining refines...

which is all sooo necessary to yield a true... and beautiful... and pure... work of art... regardless of its' form, be it silver or gold or diamonds or even the human heart... think about the silversmith, think about the goldsmith, think about the diamond mine, think about life... think about what those very precious commodities have to be brought forth through in order to be the rare, valued and beautiful gifts they were created to be... their value and potential already inworked within their dna from the start... just needing to be outworked... just waiting to be outworked... through... fire and pressure and trial and testing... to be released... to be set free... to be all that they were created to be...

and in service too... serving others... afer all, that's the way to true greatness... to put other's first... JESUS did and HE IS the greatest... forever and for all of eternity...

so, how do we do that??? what does that look like?...

well, we love the LORD our GOD, with all our heart and we love our neighbor as ourself... but that my friend is not easy and i venture to say even impossible without first-hand experience and understanding of the intense and passionate and true LOVE of GOD... period... HE extravagantly loved us first... so now we are set free to love HIM like HE deserves and like we are so not capable of doing in and of our strength... it only comes after you have known GOD's intense love for you!!! cuz you see... GOD IS LOVE... simply put... then and only then is it easy...

here's your WORD for today... psalm 37: 3-9

3Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed.

4Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.

5Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass.

6And He will make your uprightness and right standing with God go forth as the light, and your justice and right as [the shining sun of] the noonday.

7Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.

8Cease from anger and forsake wrath; fret not yourself--it tends only to evildoing.

9For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait and hope and look for the Lord [in the end] shall inherit the earth.(A)

monopoly money and warm eggs...

so, where has the sydney summer gone???... it went from a sunny 100 degrees F. to about a rainy 55-60 degrees F. overnight and it’s been like that for a just about a week now...

has the australian summer gone away already???...

i have noticed that some of the little trees’ leaves, have begun to change color a bit... (remember we will enter autumn next, not spring like u guys)... but they are few and far between... those little trees that is... most won’t drop leaves at all... like the eucalyptus and palm trees... which are my personal favorites if i may add!!!... most awzzies still insist however, summer is not over yet...

guess we’ll just have to wait and see...

okay, so let’s get back to some of the practical stuff... how about we start with the eggs... yes eggs... guess what? they don’t refrigerate ‘em here... seriously, in the gross-ery store that is, they are in a random non-refrigerated aisle... nor do they have ANY coffee creamers here either... no yummy pumpkin spice, hazelnut or french vanilla flavors... UGGHH!!!?!!!... but i digress... back to the eggs... so, one of my house mates... the kiwi (new zealander for those that don’t know what a human kiwi is...) also is not in the habit of refrigerating ‘em, which is customary in her culture... but has since started to refrigerate them here as to be conscious and thoughtful of her housemates... just lovely... which... brings me to the next topic...

housemates... my housemates... luv ‘em all... seriously, GOD is sooo cool how HE just works things out and brings people together... rachel is the kiwi, matilda the swede, vanessa the cannuck and amy the awzzie... and they are just great peeps in their own right... it’s a good mix and it’s working out well... like i said before, it’s like we are becoming a family... it’s just good... and even though we are very different... we are also very similar... we come from different cultures, backgrounds, stories, etc. ... however at the core, we are very much the same... it’s really cool...

now, let’s talk money... monopoly money... otherwise known as australian currency, in my world anyway.. the dollars are shorter and far more colorful, with a random plastic lined cut-outs on each bill... they come in denominations of: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100.

and the coins... RIDICULOUS!!! just ridiculous... the sizes, the sheer weight... OUT OF CONTROL!!! ... a silver 20 cent piece is bigger and heavier than a U.S. silver dollar... a silver 50 cent piece looks like the 20 cent piece except it has angular edging to it... it's like, the higher the dollar amount in coin the smaller the size... a 'lil weird ay?...

i posted some googled pics of 'em... which reminds me... other pics of other stuff will come eventually... promise!!!... just hasn’t been a priority... ya know, with the whole moving across the planet thing coming into play ‘n all... and trying to acclimate and adjust to sooo many major life changes in a short period of time also sorta plays a big role in that... if ya know what i’m sayin... anyway...

appliances... the dishwasher has two separate pullout drawers (basins) and extreme wash cycles... the long cycle takes 1 hour and 42 minutes... and if not pre-rinsed or even the slightest bit overloaded, it won’t clean well at all... we also have this thing called a jug and it’s basically an electric kettle... and it’ sooo COOL!!! it boils a ‘jug’ full of water in like 3 minutes and then it clicks off when done... luv it!!! absolutely luv it!!!

houses... are way rad here too, however they are much closer in proximity to each other than in n.y. ... a lot less property, a lot more house... they are pretty much right on top of each other... but they have flavor and flair... and really cool architectural designs... mostly reminiscent of a southwest/tiled roof vibe... they’re cool...

it seems like the awzzies know how to fit A LOT of house into a small space... each room feels so big... showers and baths are big, and in the same room, but separate from each other... while toilets are completely separate in a completely separate room... however, the houses don’t seem to be made as well here... not very insulated and very noisy... sometimes it sounds like a bunch of elephants are hangin out on the 2nd floor, but it’s just a girl walking down the hall... sometimes it feels like i'm in the front row of a rock concert listening to a guitar solo, but it’s just a neighbour playing a guitar...

BUT..... amidst the myriad of meaningless technical differences... some major similarities remain...

people are the same... neighbors/neighbours are the same... although a bit friendlier here if i might add, but that’s true for most places outside of the greater n.y. area anyway...

i lived at a #9 in new york and i live at a #9 in new south wales...

i had a drumming neighbor in new york... i have a drumming neighbour in new south wales... which for most, would annoy, distract and bother... however, i find it randomly and remarkably reminiscent of home... and rhythmically soothing... at times...

SOOO SAFE... from the wildfires too...

so, one of those big decisions i made a long time ago was... to be transparent, to be open, to be honest, to be vulnerable, and to be REAL in all things at all times... and in the past, at times, it has gotten me into a bit of trouble here and there... but never the bad kind of trouble really... rather the good kind of trouble... the 'stirring of hearts' kind of trouble... if u know what i'm sayin.... so i'm just puttin that out there cuz my realness is quite intentional and besides it's just who i am... that's the only way i know how to be... can be... and will be...

so, the first week i got here... i was already trying to problem solve my way outta here... go figure... isn't that just like our finite, insecure human frailty... we so intensely long and pray for certain dreams to come to pass and then when they finally arrive... we want to run back to the land of familiar with our tail between our legs and our head in the sand... if that's even simultaneously possible anyway...

so for the first few days... i gave myself 6 months... and i said... i'm outta here and then i go back to my old life and my old ways and it will all be fine... little did i know... little did i already know... and boy i certainly should have known after all these years anyway... GOD has other plans...

and soooo it goes... cuz that's just not how my GOD works anyway... HE doesn't enlarge a vision and a territory only to take it away... HE doesn't plant a beautiful seed to produce beautiful fruit (under the right conditions of course) only to cut it down in it's prime... after all, that's what it was created for... to flourish... to live... TO BE... it's beautiful existence alone glorifies its' creator... nor does it toil, nor does it worry or fear of what tomorrow will bring or how its' provision will come... it just is... and it's quiet, confident beauty is beyond compare...


matthew 6.25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.


however, it does indeed need to be pruned and it does need to experience the seasons in life... the seasons OF life... as harsh as they may be at times... ironically, it's those very seasons that contribute to it's very strength and character and endurance and....... surpassing beauty.......

sooo, i sense that's probably one of the biggest things that GOD wants to do in my heart this year... what HE wants me to really "get" this year... is to just 'BE'... to no longer get my worth and my value from what i do, or what i think i need to do, rather from who i am in HIM... from who i was made to be... even more so... from WHOSE i am... i am HIS...

so with that said, i'm feelin better about things again... and just amazed how GOD just so comes through with the 'goods' literally and figuratively sooo faithfully and sooo consistently and on sooo many levels... it's completely convicting and hugely humbling...

thanks to all of you that have reached out to encourage me... it means the world to me... and i luv u for it...

peace... jmo

?

?... sooo frustrated right now... super hot and stuffy in this bedroom... sick of all the bugs... behind on some things that need to get done... struggling to mentally get there to do them... know that i have big challenges ahead... missing the comforts of the way things were... missing home... missing all the familiar that i sooo successfully navigated for sooo long... missing my loved ones... i could cry a bit... i actually am... just a 'lil though... struggling with some real questions about some real stuff right now... so over being out stretched beyond my comfort zone... ?

in the sunburned country...

it's 104 degrees right now and it's 10:16 am... that's all i can say right now...

okay scratch that last statement... i do have something to say... the sweat droplets dripping off my feet are sweating sweat droplets... now that's pretty gross... but looking beyond the grossness of that fact... i still love it!!! the weather that is...

the huntsman of oz...

so, im really starting to adjust to life in this parallel universe called oz... and indeed it is oz... however, in lots of ways it's alot like home... but just different...

and here in oz, i'm a lot like i am at home... but becoming more different... a little each day in lots of good ways... and being challenged in many ways... it's good though... more on that lata... maybe even next time... yeah most definitely next time...

so, i could start by telling you about how laid back awzzies are... it's a bit like the game clue at times, or so i think what clue would be like, being that i never even played clue... cuz u see i hate board games... yes, i used the word hate in regards to a board game, i feel that strongly about them... they are called 'bored' games for a reason... but anyway, i digress... clue cuz i need lots of clues to figure things out here half the time...

or i could talk about the huntsman... no, not a man that likes to hunt, rather a SPIDER!!! that i can only conclude from its' name... likes to hunt man?!?!?!?! WHA!!!... now in ny, sure we have spiders and they sure do come in various colors and sizes etc... but NEVER do they get names!!! unless of course u capture one, make it ur pet, then name it ... but that would be just plain weird...

so as the story goes... a couple of friends and i were about to get into another friends car... when the friend with the car just casually happens to mention the fact that a huntsman was spotted in the car and not to worry about it... cuz apparently this one didn't have fangs... FANGS!?!!? WHAT!!!! and yes apparently they are poisonous too... very poisonous and hairy and big too... so to make a long story short... no huntsman that day... THANK GOD!...

however this day, my housemate rachel had the pleasure of it sticking to her ankle, yes, STICKING!!!... needless to say, a life and death battle ensued between two girls, a huntsman and a bottle of bug spray... in the middle of a busy intersection on a sweltering hot, sunny day in the hills district of new south wales... and thank GOD our 'lil friend "hunty" lost that battle this day...

and apparently she posted pics of our friend "hunty's" hairy non 'lil carcas on facebook... but to be honest with you... i don't want to see it... in this case, the less i know... the bettah...

on a side note... i just got up for a yogurt break and had to kill a cockroach the size of a turkish delight (cindy that ones for u... hint hint... for everyone else... the size of a cookie)... soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

plz pray for me... SERIOUSLY... plz pray for me... that's all i'm sayin...

ok... so, here are some things we could learn from the awzzies so far...

#1- two flush styles to choose for the toilet bowl... more water or less water depending on need... ya know what i'm sayin right?...(and yes the water does swirl the opposite way)

#2- every single electrical outlet has a switch over it to turn it on or off as needed...

#3- they have way less fake, fatty and nasty, chemically processed ingredients in their foods...

#4- they are just some overall pretty chill peeps...

marvelous mysteries...

for all you lovers of all things melodically hillsong... let me tell you sumtin!!!... the new songs i have heard so far... AMAZING!!! just amazing... the WORSHIP too... but that's no surprise.

(pause. sincere. silent. ponder. here)

seriously... just so beautiful... one especially... arms of love (i'm guessing that's the name)... don't know when u guys in the states will be privy to it... i'm guessin not any earlier than june/july... sorry 4 u... sooo, that brings me to another thought...

(another. sincere. silent. ponder. here)

i am just so blessed to be part of such an amazing church... hillsong church... and like i know what some of you might be thinkin here... "awww come on now... it's just a church already, gimme a break"... but it's sooo not just a church... it's a passion, it's a fire... it's a movement... it's alive... it's a SPIRIT... it's THE SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD!!! and it feeds my SPIRIT... and it's when i am most alive!!!

... it's what church is supposed to be and how church should have always been... the term church meaning, a corporate body of believers, not four walls and a roof... and sadly the kind of church that few will ever encounter...

humbled that GOD chose me to be here for such a time as this... learning under and partnering with some of my modern day heroes of the FAITH... people that have spoken into my life, spiritually mentoring me for years and they don't even know it... yet...

sooo, it's all really happening now... at such a fast pace that it's difficult to process through... but i need too... i want too... i will... just gimme some time...

so, on a more random note, my bedroom's messy, my house is empty... of furniture that is, my housemates are now like yet another family... and i'm ready to go to bed cuz... i walk... i dance... and i ponder marvelous mysteries all day long...

much love...jmo

WEIRD... cars, birds, flowers, bugs... and laundry?

pedestrians don't seem to have the right away here, which could prove problematic... being that i'm a true new yorker at heart... let's just say there have been a few close calls... we'll leave it at that... not to mention i keep looking the wrong way cuz im not used to cars driving on the "wrong" side of the road... and what's with all those roundabouts?!? they're just roundabout everywhere...

birds seem to be more beautiful here... like i have never seen before... they make weird noises too...

the flowers are more fragrant here... like i have never smelled before... ordinarily exotic if that makes sense... it does to me... perhaps i'm a bit weird...

oh yeah... gotta remember to take more pics...

the bugs are WAY MORE GROSS here... and they are so ANNOYING and like everywhere!!!... and just so WEIRD!... pests in the truest sense of the word... the ants are smaller, faster and act like they are mentally challenged stimulant addicts... they sooo just swarm up in the most random of places... like on certain dental appliances and the blades of a razor... HUH?... now that's just weird...

and the spiders... weird!!! daddy long legs alright... more like daddy super weird long legs and super weird long arms and just super weird gross!!!

so that leaves us with laundry... did it for the first time here today... that was weird too... weird detergent, weird label, weird machine, weird noises, weird not using a dryer... apparently that's the norm here... just kinda weird... huh...

gotta think of a new word for weird...

today...

well... its about 1 am on feb the 2nd... and its raining here in sydneyland... and well it should... after another hot, sunny, beautiful, australian day down unda... we could use it...and I guess that’s where I’ll start... with the day... today... which is significant for many reasons... after all... all we really have is this day... and now its over, only to start a new day again... tomorrow or today depending on where u r right now... okay... so my point is this... we are not promised tomorrow... and all we get are a bunch of todays that lead us into all of our tomorrows... so instead of living for all our tomorrows, we need to make the most of our todays cuz our today determines our tomorrow... get it?... it’s what gets us to the tomorrows... the ones we dream of anyway... ok, more about this lata...

anyway, i have been here just over one week now and i am finally getting settled in a bit... it’s been hard, but not nearly as hard as it could be or even should be given the fact that i left one version of my life only to begin another in a new place on the other side of the planet... seems exciting, seems exotic, seems adventurous, seems to be the stuff dreams are made of... yep... all true... but what most don’t see or understand is the cost... the price to pay for such an adventure... for such a GOD given dream... its high!!!... and at times, it feels even HIGHER than high!!!... but, just cuz it feels that way, doesn’t make it so...

for the past month or so, i have been indeed feeling the very weight of that cost ALOT!!! singin the silent tune of woe is me... look what i left!!!... look what i gave up!!!... look where i am!?!?... how did i get here!?!?....where did the VISION go that was once so clear?!?!...UGGHHH?!?!... missing the land of familiar terribly!!! and consumed with recounting, recalling and reflecting on how i got to this very place...

however... today, i had this revelation... well actually a few revelations...

#1 being- i haven’t actually paid a dime of this so called cost i speak of... that the true cost would have come if i chose to settle and not take GOD at HIS magnificent WORD... and after all... if we're gonna talk about cost... then let’s talk about cost... HE gave it all... HE paid the price... HE became the cost... so we didn’t have to... ever... selah... pause and think about that...

what if i settled for less than GOD’s best... what if i didn’t actually step out of the “boat” with eyes of faith into ARMS OF LOVE... what would i have missed today?...what i would i miss tomorrow? who would i not become that i could be... that i should be? that i was born to be... for such a time as this...

oh and btw... it's never too late to start... just in case ur pondering...

revelation #2 – our days matter... even if they seem boring, redundant, trite...etc. etc. etc... they matter and they have more worth than u may realize... life is not big occasions... life is... ordinary moments that lead into ordinary days strung together in extraordinary ways...

so... with that said... the silent tunes have ceased and still... i can't shake this fire burning deep inside my heart... which is the very reason i am here in this place and at this place... the very reason of how i got here and why i am here... and the very reason why i left the land of familiar... cuz after all the recounting, recalling and reflecting... i realized that the GOD given dream has actually been realized... yes... “been” as in past the tense...

which brings me to revelation #3... and the parts that have yet to physically materialize... well, that’s ok too, cuz... they're already mine... i don’t have to see it to believe it... i just do... i just know... cuz i know HIM... and that's more than enough...

so, one day, a long time ago... i made a decision on an ordinary day... that changed my life... and each day after that... and after that.... and after that... i have made decisions on ordinary days that have continued to shape and change my life ... and because of those decisions on those ordinary days...i have now entered my GOD ordained destiny and walk in the fullness of all those beautiful promises from all those past tomorrows... extraordinary...

selah... now that's something to think about...

FYI- for all you practical cats out there who have lots of questions and want lots of details about life down unda... stay posted for lots of awzzie details and updates... aussie aussie aussie oy oy oy...

peace... jmo