Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Shamgar's Secret

'...Shamgar...killed six hundred...Philistines with an ox goad...' Judges 3:31 NKJV

The Bible says, '...Shamgar... killed six hundred... Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.' (Judges 3:31 NKJV) Shamgar was just a farmer who owned a field, but he was willing to fight for it. His odds weren't good: 600 to 1. But he beat the odds, saved his field, and delivered Israel. So you can start out small and end up blessing others greatly. The Bible says, 'Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin...' (Zechariah 4:10 NLT) Every oak tree started as an acorn. Tom Monaghan started Domino's Pizza in 1960 with one little shop. He struggled for eight years. When his shop burned to the ground, the insurance company paid him only one cent on the dollar to cover his losses. All he knew was pizza, so he started another shop. He worked 100 hours a week. Up to this point he had only taken one week-long holiday - for his honeymoon. By 1971 he was $1.5million in debt. But he stayed in his field, which was the pizza business, and tried something new. He limited his menu to pizza only, and decided to deliver it hot and fresh to customers at no extra charge. It worked. By 2007, Domino's Pizza had grown to 6100 stores across the United States and other countries. Today he's one of the richest men in the nation, and he gives most of his profits to charity. What was his secret? He started where he was. He fought for what he believed to be his God-given purpose. And when he got knocked down he got back up.

The Word for Today

Currently listening to: Cornelius - Sensuous

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Day 7 - One story of a memory you have.

Me and a few of my closest friends decided to sleep under the stars one night when we were holidaying at Waihi Beach. We dragged a matress out, got our blankets and slept underneath the night sky just talking about life, God and the stars. There were literally millions of stars, shooting stars and satellites than we ever had seen before. We talked until we fell asleep, then woke up an hour later to watch the sunrise on the beach. Sitting on that log, I knew it was the single most beautiful and peaceful moment of my life and still is. I will cherish this memory forever.

(The photo I took at Waihi ^)

Saturday, September 25, 2010

This burdan lies so heavy on my chest.
What have I done?
What have I become?
Lord, save me.

Day 6 - Two things you want.

1) To find my prince now
2) Healing

Currently listening to: Rod Stewart - Maggie May

Friday, September 24, 2010

Day 5 - Three things you miss.

1) Childhood life when love wasn't complicated and there were no stresses about money, clothes or education. Everything was simple.
2) Waihi Beach
3) When everyone brought CDs

Currently listening to: The Academy Is... - Summer Hair = Forever Young

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Day 4 - Four things you wish you could say, but might never.

1) From the first day I met you, I had a crush on you. You don't even try and you give me butterflies.
2) I wish you wouldn't judge me so quickly like that. Your assumptions and pride is what is making me draw further away from you.
3) Some days, you are all that keeps me living and breathing.
4) I wish you knew how beautiful you are.

Currently listening to: Beach House - Norway

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

I belong with the wind now.

Currently listening to: Copeland - Not So Tough Found Out

Day 3 - Five songs you like.

1) Underoath - Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape
2) Bon Iver - Re:Stacks
3) Copeland - On The Safest Ledge
4) Cut Off Your Hands - Oh Girl
5) The Drums - I Need Fun In My Life

Currently listening to: Copeland - The Day I Lost My Voice (The Suitcase Song)

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Day 2 - Six things you love.

1) Spontaneous and crazy nights with my good friends.
2) The sound of rain on my rooftop when I'm all snuggled and warm in bed
3) Dying with laughter
4) Getting dolled up
5) MUSIC
6) Being loved

Currently listening to: Crystal Castles - Doe Deer

Monday, September 20, 2010

Day 1 - Seven things that cross your mind a lot.

1) I'm so tired- I can't wait to eat and/or sleep
2) I wonder if he's thinking about me
3) What am I doing this weekend?
4) I need music
5) Money
6) Friends
7) Boys/love

Currently listening to: Robyn - Dancing On My Own

7 Day Challange

Day 1 - Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day 2 - Six things you love.
Day 3 - Five songs you like.
Day 4 - Four things you wish you could say, but might never.
Day 5 - Three things you miss.
Day 6 - Two things you want.
Day 7 - One story of a memory you have.

It's a tumblr challange but I don't care.

Currently listening to: Example - Watch The Sun Come Up

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Integrity over popularity

Ted Engstrom writes, 'The world needs people who cannot be bought; whose word is their bond; who put character above wealth; who possess opinions and a will; who are larger than their vocations; who don't hesitate to take chances; who won't lose their individuality in a crowd; who will be as honest in small things as they are in great things; who will make no compromise with wrong; whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires; who will not say they do it 'because everybody else does it'; who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity; who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning and hard-heartedness are the best qualities for winning success; who are not afraid to stand for the truth even when it's unpopular; who say 'no' with emphasis, even though the rest of the world says 'yes'.'

Currently listening to: Afrojack - Pacha On Acid (Original Mix)

Sarah Chang

There's a girl who I would like to tell you about, because she's the most important girl in my life.

My sister is 9 years of age, but she has a wisdom beyond her years.
She makes me coffee and tea in the morning.
She likes to talk alot, and even though I tell her to be quiet, after a couple of minutes of silence she starts chatting again.
The TV shows she never misses are Spongebob, Family Guy and Friends.
She likes to dance, and she is so good at choreographing to different songs.
She is a wonderful actress, and she has almost always been the model for my photography during the last two years. People get jealous cause she's been getting me merits and excellences.
Whenever she has a crush on a boy at school, she tell's me she's in love.
Once when I was down in the dumps, she rented me my favourite movie of all time; and another time, she brought me my favourite fairtrade chocolate. When I'm sad, sometimes she'll write me a little note on my phone or on paper complimenting me.
She doesn't mind me sitting on the front porch of our house with a gun shooting all the boys off when she's older.
She's honest, even at the expense of losing her friends or being told off.
She likes to read, write and draw; and she's top notch at all three. And like me, she sucks at math.
Her laugh can bring a smile to anyone's face.
We love snuggling up in bed watching movies on my laptop with a heap of junk food together, going on google translator to make the lady say funny things, building forts, baking, watching movies at the cinemas and listening to our song, Miley Cyrus - Butterfly Fly Away.
When she showers or goes to the toilet, you can always hear her singing ('ahhhwaaaahhhhlaaaaa')
People say she is my mini-me, and people say to her that we are like each other. We both deny it, but it's true.
She's one of the most unselfish people I know, and even though it may not seem like it, I love her till death. I'm always amazed at God for giving me such a girl as a sister, and I wonder how on earth she became the person she is today, because I sure as heck didn't do it. She's strong, has the kindest heart and can never fail to make me laugh and smile.
That is all.

Currently listening to: Bon Iver - Skinny Love

Monday, September 13, 2010

The Best of Both Worlds

'...whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets... everything...' John 3:36 TM

It's said that the wealthy English Baron Fitzgerald had only one child, a son. Early in his teens the boy's mother died. Tragically, in his late teens the boy also died. In the meantime, Fitzgerald's financial holdings greatly increased due to acquiring the artwork of Europe's greatest masters. Before his death, Fitzgerald left explicit instructions that an auction be held at which his entire art collection would be sold. A big crowd of prospective buyers gathered. Among them were many well-known museum curators and private collectors eager to bid. The artwork was displayed for viewing before the auction began. Among the paintings was one that received little attention. It was of poor quality and by an unknown local artist. It happened to be a portrait of Fitzgerald's only son. As the auction began the auctioneer read from Fitzgerald's will, which clearly instructed that the first painting to be sold was of 'my beloved son'. Because of its poor quality the painting didn't receive any bids - except one. The bidder was the old servant who'd helped raise the boy and had dearly loved him. For less than a pound he bought the painting. At that point the auctioneer stopped the bidding and asked the lawyer to read again from the will. The crowd was hushed as he read, 'Whoever purchases this painting of my son, gets all my art collection - the auction is over!' Christ: without Him you have nothing. But with Him you have the best of both worlds: this one, and the one to come.

The Word for Today

Currently listening to: This Will Destroy You - Threads

Sunday, September 12, 2010

“Life, I really believe, is about falling in love. With ideas, with stories, with experiences, mistakes, adventures, poetry, imaginations, old books, new books, movies, music, and, of course, people. Everything that is worthwhile in this world is worth falling in love with, and i can’t imagine a better way to live one’s life than to be always head over heels.”

Currently listening to: Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Tapu

I recently finished reading a book called Tapu by Judy Corbalis.
It's about a missionary, his wife and his family coming to New Zealand from England during the 1800s to convert the native Maori 'heathen' into Christians.
Tapu is the Maori word for scared, set apart. The way that the Maori in history approched everything was with an attitude of honour and respect and it moved me. For example, when a relative or someone of their tribe came home after a trip overseas, the Maori on the shore would row to the boat they were on and would start screaming, wailing and cutting themselves all over their body with shark's tooth, including the women. The dead was even respected, their bones being perserved and put in a tapu place so to give their souls rest. Of course, some of their traditions back then could be seen as over the top if practised today- but imagine such culture and pride in their race and their country compared to what we have today, here and overseas. Have we lost respect for this beautiful country God has created for us? I hate it when people litter and show no apreciation for the environment, or say that New Zealand is crap and that it's a hole, because it's not. I believe it's a paradise at the very end of the world, the world's Eden, the most youngest and beautiful country in the world, a place overflowing with milk and honey. God truly has his Hand over this nation.
I'm not the type to enjoy reading about New Zealand or the Maori but this book was very interesting and thoughtful. It made me appreciate the Maori culture more, our country's history and pride and also the idea of evangelism.

Some quotes I like:


'Oh no. Not you, Mrs Kendall. You will be lovely forever. You have the bones for a beauty that lasts.'
'And yet, though my outer form today be leaner and more haggard to the view, by all it has been forced to encompass, the inner has gained in breadth and stature.'
Stockwell

'Silent she be, but fierce. And around her shines like fire, invisible yet clear, a wall that she have raised between herself and all us here, maybe even all souls in the world. And I might search and search all my days for chinks within that wall and find one never.'
'But of the inside of me, where lies such cuts and stings and deaths and fear and ice-cold, ice-cold hate, not shows to no man. And maybe better so.'
Jane

'No other woman is like you. No other wife comes near your beauty, your smell, your laughter, your sharpness of mind and softness of body...'
Shunghie

Currently listening to: Death Cab for Cutie - Summer Skin

Righteous judgement

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
"I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve."
Jeremiah 17:9-10

Don't excuse yourself by saying, 'Look, we didn't know.' For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
Proverbs 24:12

Currently listening to: Underoath - Casting Such A Thin Shadow

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

"You stand on sufficient grace, press on soldier, He is faithful."

Currently listening to: Explosions in the Sky - It's Natural To Be Afraid
"Love comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

Timothy 1:5

Father give me the grace to make the right decision.

Currently listening to: The Ember Days - Holding On