Take what you want from me

It means nothing now

Easter Weekend

View of the sea/dawn from the Ledge Point lookout

Whew! What a weekend! On Thursday at 12:20am, I turned 21 years of age. Then, on Friday, I remembered Christ's death and, on Sunday, his glorious resurrection. It has been an amazing weekend and, best of all, I got to share it with my family.

My mum came and picked me up on Thursday afternoon. We then proceeded to visit my Grandma in hospital, shop/bump into friends in Joondalup and (slowly) make our way up to the Burke family holiday house in a little town called Ledge Point. When we arrived at 8:30pm, we climbed the stairs to find my dad, brother, sister and grandparents all waiting for us so that they could have dinner with me on my 21st birthday. My Pa spoke of what a pleasure it was to spend time with me on my special day. After dinner came pavlova for sweets - and presents. My grandparents had bought me a silver cross necklace, and my parents a beautiful silver watch. I am very blessed.

By Friday afternoon there were 20 of us staying at the house. We spent the weekend riding to the beach, garage shopping in the next town, eating ice-creams outside the only shop in Ledge, playing spotlight at night with some kids we found in the park, harvesting the olives from our olive tree, playing cards, eating chocolate and getting up at 6am on Sunday for a family only Easter dawn service at the Ledge Point lookout. It was a magical time that I will cherish.

And how could I leave without talking about the reason for the season, the Christ, who died, was buried and rose up from the dead on the third day, defeating death so that we, too, could be reborn and share in his inheritance as children (and heirs!) of God? What do I believe in? The Holy Spirit, the holy catholic (aka universal) church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting! Amen.


Praise God, for family, and for his truly amazing grace.

Top Ten Songs In Movies That Aren't Musicals

1. 'If I Didn't Care' in Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day



Makes me cry like a baby every time!

2. 'Beyond The Sea' in A Life Less Ordinary



3. 'Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You' in Ten Things I Hate About You



Can't not include that one!

4. 'Benny And The Jets' in 27 Dresses



5. 'Tiny Dancer' in Almost Famous



6. 'I Feel Pretty' in Anger Management



7. 'Anyone Else But You' in Juno



8. 'Jumper' in Yes Man



9. 'Whole Wide World' in Stranger Than Fiction



10. 'Moon River' in Breakfast At Tiffany's



Not sure if 4 and 5 count, but they are still pretty awesome.

Psalm 139 and Summer and New Life Resolutions

My dad got the lastest Sons Of Korah CD for christmas, and so far my favourite track is number two, a rendition of Psalm 139.



Not to retract from the original, which still astounds me every time I read it.

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

You have searched me, LORD,

and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue

you, LORD, know it completely.

You hem me in behind and before,

and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,”

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!

How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand—

when I awake, I am still with you.

If only you, God, would slay the wicked!

Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!

They speak of you with evil intent;

your adversaries misuse your name.

Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,

and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?

I have nothing but hatred for them;

I count them my enemies.

Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

Those words just... move me. The fact that they are true blows my mind. And freaks me out.

It's been an amazing summer so far. It began when I flew to Adelaide and roadtripped to Melbourne. I then went on to Canberra for National Training Event (NTE) and from there to Sydney to work with a church and put some of what I'd learnt into action. I stopped in at Newcastle for a night to visit a few good friends before another brief stop over in Katoomba and a three day bus ride back to Perth. It was a crazy five weeks!

Christmas was hectic and heartwarming and holy! It's a joyful celebration which is eagerly anticipated as my favourite festival every year and I'm sad it is over.

And now here we are, the New Year of 2012!

This is the part where I post about my new year resolutions (or new life resolutions, as I like to call them!). I look at me and I see the things about me that I want to change, the not-so-Christ-like bits, bits I want God to take and replace. Isn't this what we've been called to do? Isn't every day a new challenge? "If anyone should come after me he must deny himself and take his cross up daily." (Luke 9:23, thanks Colin!) So, this is my new life resolution - to remember that old, would-be, sinful me is well and truly dead (thank-you Jesus!) and to take up my cross every day.

I've decided to start reading my Bible daily in the mornings, before I start uni or go to work, no matter how early. I would also like to challenge myself to read it in a year.

I want to live healthier. Eat healthier. Sleep earlier. Exercise daily. But most of all, strive to put God first in everything I do. I know this is idealistic but I also know that God is greater, God is stronger. 

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Is it God..?

"Idolatry is any form of religious exercise or activity which requires only a modicum of response and gives in return a sufficient religious, social or emotional satisfaction that one may think that they have fulfilled their religious obligations and are thus free thereafter to be the lord of their own lives. We have but two choices - idolatry or martyrdom."


Author Unknown

Day 30

Who Are You?

I've waited a while to answer this one because when I started this challenge I wasn't entirely sure. Now's the time.

I am an Australian woman of Scottish and Irish heritage (from the Burke, Sullivan and Jenkins families respectively).

I am strong, funny, sarcastic, bubbly, intelligent, judgmental, friendly, foolish, honest, sinful and easily pleased.

Most of all, I am who God says I am - made in his image, his child, and someone who he has made precious and beautiful. Someone who definitely isn't perfect, but who is definitely forgiven and redeemed for everything I have done or will do. I am justified through Christ who has saved me by his grace.

Question is, who are you?

Anberlin

A photo of the lead singer (Stephen Christian) from the concert. Guess who was front and centre? :)

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I have spent the last week or so raving about Anberlin. This is true. I went to see them live last Friday and was blown away. Here's an interview with one of the guitarists (Christian McAlhaney) and one of their many fantastic songs.