Busy Busy Busy!

Well going totally against my last post...I havent "paused" ...just yet!

The last week went by in the blink of an eye...but thats not to say it wasnt a good week...quite the opposite...it was an awesome week!

 
 One highlight was the footy on Saturday. It basically poured for the whole second half...leaving most of the people at the G sitting in the open totally drowned. Fortunately for me, my reserved seat is undercover even though its row A. Carlton had a good win to the tune of 41 points despite letting the Demons make up some ground during the 3rd Quarter. The below picture I took on my phone, doesnt really show how bad the rain was, but let me assure you...it was out of control!

But this week...I really need to slow down...and just wait on the Lord...to hear what he has for me and what path I should be taking. Im currently facing a number of decisions and its more important than ever that I listen to God and allow Him to guide me.

Also this week I plan to spend some serious time "Guitar Hero"ing! Anyone up for some GH action...give me a call/message!

Pause...

Over the past week, one thing has become really clear to me and that is this is a time for me to "pause" and wait on God. Since I got back from mission, my emotions have been up and down...I have been pulled left and right...and all this is creating a lot of noise which ultimately makes it difficult to hear God speaking to me.

In Psalm 130:5 it says:

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
       and in his word I put my hope.

This is something that I feel speaks to me in particular during this period. There are many things that I have been challenged in relation to since my trip, things in my life that I need to work on, change, or remove. That is why I feel it is so vital that I slow things down and wait upon His word.

That's not to say that I'm going to retreat, drawing away from others. I think its actually quite important that I speak to others, but at the same time I have to be focused and disciplined in mind and wait for God's word, what is His next steps for my life. But in some areas, I need to slow things down, pause...and wait on God.

One of the biggest things that I came away with from my trip to China was a strengthened belief and trust in the amazing things that God can do through our lives if we love Him, trust Him and follow Him. For I know that the things that I was able to do in China was not by my own strength...it was all from our amazing heavenly father!

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:14

Mindless Eating...

Well my Grandparents just came back from a trip up to Queensland. They drove up with the caravan and covered about 6500km in the last month or so. Tonight I got the chance to go see them and although they are still the same two people that they were before they left, it was awesome to see them all the same.

After I got home and I was taking a shower, I was thinking back to while I was at my Grandparents house, and one thing is they always have lollies out in a bowl or something similiar...and invariably...I will end up eating whatever is before me. Now while I have a small excuse tonight in being that I hadnt eaten dinner before I had been there, all the same its a bad habit to have...especially since I am currently working exceptionally hard to get my body back into a good shape before Summer (be that CA or AUS summer).

I guess its basically called "mindless eating"...where we are not overly hungry, but since the food is before us we just continue to put it in my mouth. Over the past year, I have always held on to the thought of "being conscious of what I put in my mouth", be it sweets, chocolate or alcohol. So from my perspective I think that "mindless eating" is a really bad habit and something that we all need to be careful of.

So as I began pondering how I could share these thought on my blog, I could feel another thought coming into my mind...I could feel God drawing my attention to something else that very much relates to "mindless eating"...and that being mindless thinking.

We all experience it, when we are not really focuses on anything and our mind and thoughts just begin to wonder...and we begin thinking about things...good and/or bad. It also just so happened that this was something that I had been wrestling with earlier tonight. I had let my mind wonder and it had ultimately lead me to something that had a considerably negative impact on how I was feeling...and from that point no matter how hard I tried, I found it very hard to get those thoughts out of my mind!

Isaiah 26:3 says that following:

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 

We constantly read that we are to keep our eyes firmly on God and listen to His calling on our lives. This is just as important with our thoughts. We must learn to remain focused and not let our thoughts begin to wonder because surely the Devil will use this small opportunity to lead you astray by planting thoughts in your head that will ultimately have you going down the wrong path! This was the exact direction that I was headed tonight, till I committed those thoughts to our Heavenly Father. If I had allowed those thoughts to continue to gain strength in my mind, I know that it would have lead to me making incorrect choices, mistakes and no doubt taking the wrong path.

Mindless eating leads to me basically undoing the hard work that I have been doing in the gym and in general with my diet. Typically I don't eat candy, but when it is sitting before me, its hard to refuse. Its similar with mindless thinking, we pray and follow God's heart, but if we allow our minds to wonder, they will end up in areas that we never wanted to go! That is why its so important that we are disciplined in mind, we constantly have our eyes on our almighty Father in heaven, who loves us more than anything else in this world. If we keep our focus on Him, we will not be lead astray, for his path is perfect.

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
       where does my help come from?

 My help comes from the LORD,
       the Maker of heaven and earth.

 He will not let your foot slip—
       he who watches over you will not slumber;

 indeed, he who watches over Israel
       will neither slumber nor sleep.

 The LORD watches over you—
       the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

 the sun will not harm you by day,
       nor the moon by night.

 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
       he will watch over your life;

 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
       both now and forevermore.

(Psalm 121)

Up and Down!

Just over a month now since I got back from China and man has it been an up and down few weeks! I knew that it was always going to be a wild ride coming back from mission, but when you add the ups and downs of everyday life, it has made for a very interesting month. Just like Carlton's form over the past month, there has been some big highs, but also some low lows!

When I got back, I went straight back to work and that was a challenge in itself. Going from a place as desperate as the welfare center and then back into the unfortunately selfish place that is my workplace, I was quite stunned. Thats not to say that I was totally surprised, but it really highlighted how much we dont appreciate what we have and how much we care about such trivial things. Although thats really cliched, these things were just highlighted even more under the circumstance.

One of the other difficulties I have been struggling with since I returned is the issue of compassion for others in trivial circumstances. The children in Sanmenxia possess such amazing joy and happiness under such great adversity. What is that you look forward to during your week? Is it going out to watch a movie with friends? Going to watch the football? Going on a trip away? For the children in Sanmenxia, basically the best thing that have to look forward to is a sweet milk drink they get in the afternoon each day. You should see the smiles on their faces as they receive such a trivial thing to us.

So over the past couple weeks, I have listened to people talk about their problems, and this is not to say that I dont enjoy supporting people when they have a problem, but I have lacked the compassion that I have had in the past. At first I thought it was out of fatigue, but I started to realise that it was because in some ways I had become emotionally numb. I needed sometime to re-adjust to life in Melbourne. While I had always believed that the return to Melbourne would be smooth, I started to see some difficulties arise. Basically I just needed some more time...some more rest...and most of all...more time with God in prayer!

But this isn't to say im not guilty of the same things, being upset over small issues when you look at them with perspective. I too get wrapped up in such insignificant and trivial situations, I allow them to take such a strong grasp of me emotionally! Its so silly when you reflect back. Its so silly when you think about the simple fact that God is by our side always...just waiting for us to ask for His help, His guidance, His amazing love!

Thank you to the people who have been supportive of me since my return from China, you have been amazing and I know that God will bless you! And I just want to remind you that no matter what you are going through, no matter what you are feeling, no matter what you think you can see with your eyes...always bring everything God, allow Him to take hold of every situation...and you will never be led astray!

Building blocks to becoming a Disciple

In Galatians 5:22 Paul writes the following -

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control

These all highlight the characteristics of a disciple of Jesus!

For some reason when I first gave my life to Jesus, I found the idea of being a disciple a little daunting. Almost as if I wasnt good enough to be a disciple of Jesus, because I wasnt good enough. But then there was one particular verse in Jeremiah that really opened my eyes to the great plan and purpose God has for my life. That verse was Jeremiah 29:11 where it says

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

But beyond just my personal journey with Christ we must come to realise the great plan God has for His church. For nothing can stop the progress of God, as it is stated in Matthew 16:18 -

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

See what Jesus is saying there, nothing will overcome the church!

One of the great things that you discover when you give your life to Jesus is that the same power that rose Jesus from the dead is also living in us! Without this we have nothing! God wants to build our lives, He is committed to our success. Thats why He is continually putting us through situations which see us grow and develop our characters to be more like our savior Jesus Christ, so that we can become Disciples.

But being a disciple is not just being a believer of Jesus. Being a disciple means to be a disciplined person! But what else should we be doing if we want to become a disciple of Jesus?

Disciples grow in Small Groups

It says in Mark 3:13-14 the following -

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach

Notice Jesus primary goal was not just to train them, it was to grow them. He knew that in order to grow them, He would need to bring them into relationship. This is again highlighted in 1 Peter 3:8 where it is written -

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

Through attending small groups and the relationships we develop during these times together we grow as disciples of Jesus Christ! There have been countless times where I have had the opportunity to share very personal situations with those people in my small group and through these occasions we grow with each other and guide each other.

Disciples grow through Volunteering

This is one area where it gives you the opportunity to touch someone with the love of God. In Mark 6:7-13 it speaks of where Jesus sends out the twelve disciples and one verse in particular highlights Jesus desire, where it says -

...he sent them out two by two and gave them authority...

They were given instructions and sent out to carry out the plans Jesus had for them. To put it simply, if you want to grow, you need to serve.

I can talk about this from a personal level. During my time in Sydney, I was serving on the sound desk at church. This was an awesome opportunity and I was very grateful to God for giving me that opportunity. It allowed me to grow during that season and I also developed some strong relationships with others I was serving with at the time. But when I returned to Melbourne, I could tell that God was no longer calling me to serve in the same areas, but rather there was a new calling on my life. And as most people would know that was in Childrens ministry or "Kid's Alive" as its better known. This was where God wanted me and where He had plans for me to grow. And as I look back over my time in Kid's Alive so far, I'm really grateful for the opportunity and how much I have grown in this role and I look forward to what God has in store for me in the coming months!

Disciples grow through Training

We need teaching if we are to continue on forward for Jesus. In Matthew 28:18-20 it says -

¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

We see that Jesus is commanding them to go out and teach others to obey what Jesus has taught them! When reading new testament, we see the way in which Jesus taught people, and that was to use Parables. For it is without proper teaching that we cannot pursue the callings that God has placed on our lives. So what are we to do in order to ensure we have the understanding required to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? Its said very well in Joshua 1 where the Lord says to Joshua the following -

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

When we daily feed on the word of God, we will continually grow. When we constantly allow Jesus to guide us in our lives, we will become powerful people of God and mighty Disciples of Jesus Christ!

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 

(Matt 16:24-25)

The Branch of Jesse

Since I came back from mission, there have been countless moments when I have reflected on the trip and thought about how amazing things happen when you allow the spirit of God to guide you. Watching different people during the time in Sanmenxia, you could see the spirit of God working miracles in these people and it was just awesome to be a part of.

In Isaiah 11, it speaks of The Branch From Jess and it highlights that when the spirit of god is on someone, they do powerful things. In verse 2 it states:

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
       the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
       the Spirit of counsel and of power,
       the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD

The man that allows the spirit of the Lord to rest on him and guide him will do what God wants! But unfortunately today many people only do what they want, ignoring what God intended for them. This is quite sad to realize, because basically these people are missing some amazing things that God planned for their lives. We must realise that in the final days when Jesus returns, no one who has lived with the rude and wicked spirit will be able to stand before Jesus. In the chapter 11 of Isaiah, we read of the promise that God has given us, the coming of Jesus Christ.

We must never forget that Jesus is not just a "good man", but He is an awesome man and the one who brings us life. It is because of Jesus that we now have an amazing hope! Jesus truly loves us everyday and in everyway, He is the light in the world. Although we will come across great people in this world that we highly respect, they are still only men. If we dont truly recognise Jesus for who He is, then we are finished.

The problem is that the devil will try to trip us up and cause us pain. But we must never lose sight of the end goal, we must remain solely focused on our God. We must always hold firm to the promise that Jesus is coming back for us! Therefore despite the fact the devil will try to plan seeds of doubt in our mind and bring trouble into our lives, we must be happy and celebrate the great promises of the Lord! For it is in great times of trouble that we are able to show how much we truly love our God and put our faith entirely in Him! If we continue to rejoice in the great things of our Lord, despite what we see in this world, we are basically saying to the devil "no matter what you throw at me, I will not be shaken, because I love my Lord and He loves me". Just as Mary says in Luke 1:46-47

My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

 This is exactly the attitude that God was after, a heart that magnifies the Lord!

We must learn to be like Mary who had a wonderful attitude. She did not worry about what others would say about her. We must be bursting with the glory of God. We must not worry about what others in this world will say about us or do to us. For we have an awesome savior in Jesus Christ who loves us and is coming back for us. Daily we must pray and allow the spirit of God to guide us, for it is then that we will see amazing and powerful things begin to unfold in our lives!

Show me your ways, O LORD,
       teach me your paths;

guide me in your truth and teach me,
       for you are God my Savior,
       and my hope is in you all day long.

(Psalms 25:4-5)

AFL - Carlton review after 8 rounds

Pre-season I did up my predictions for how the Blues would travel this season, especially in the wake of losing Fev up forward. Many people thought that Carlton would fall to pieces without the big man doing the impossible in front of the goals and while I have to admit that I do miss the excitement that he would bring to the games, the new look forward lines is much better than anyone could have predicted and you could even go as far as saying it is better than it was with Fev sitting in the goal square

The following is the best 22 that I suggested preseason, based on last years form and form during the preseason:

PRESEASON

FB	Bower	Jamison	Joseph
HB	Gibbs	Thornton	Armfield
C	Simpson	McLean	Carrazzo
HF	Henderson	Waite	Houlihan
FF	Betts	Kreuzer	O'hAilpin
R	Hampson	Judd	Murphy
Int	Warnock	Russell	Yarran
Walker

AFTER ROUND 8

FB	Armfield	Jamison	Joseph
HB	Gibbs	Bower	Russell
C	Scotland	Simpson	Carrazzo
HF	Yarran	Waite	Houlihan
FF	Betts	O'hAilpin	Gartlett
R	Kreuzer	Judd	Murphy
Int	Jacobs	McLean	Thornton
Walker

The best 22 I have selected after 8 rounds is very close to the side that took on the Power over the weekend and came away with a gutsy win. The big changes that are obvious are the rucks.While preseason it was looking that big Robbie Warnock would play a big role this season, but form has seen him slide down to the seconds and with Hampson injured, Jacobs has been given more opportunities and really has been outstanding!

I wanted to go through each line and highlight how things are going and who has been outstanding.

Defense

Another year playing together and the back line is continuing to look very solid. The only negative this season has been the injuries sustained down back. Bower has missed a majority of the season through injury and just as Walker was starting to hit some very nice form he broke his collar bone. Thornton has been disappointing which lead to him spending some time with the Bullants, but hopefully through this he will learn he needs to lift his game and he can continue to be a solid man in defense and play as our 3rd big defender.

Standout: Jordan Russell - many commentators are saying he is the most improved player in the AFL and after seeing majority of his games this year that is 100% correct. You could almost go as far as saying he is in All Australian form at the moment. His disposal and run out of defense has been fantastic and there have been a number of occasions where he has toweled up normally exceptional opposition players (ie. Stevie Johnson). The emergence of Simon White and also Kane Lucas is extremely pleasing and demonstrates the potential that the Carlton list has to really give September a good shake. Last but not least Dennis Armfield...this man has speed. It is just such a pleasure to watch this guy break through the packs and leave the opposition in his wake as he pushes through the midfield and delivers the ball laces out to our forwards. He is just getting better and better and this is evident through his improved disposals.

Midfield

With the group we have, how can you go wrong? Judd is amazing form! Simpson continually steps up, Kreuzer and big Sauce are damaging in the ruck and Carrazzo continues to impress. While Murphy has been tagged quite heavily over the past few weeks, he is another player that when given an opportunity he always takes it and is very damaging on the scoreboard. The only downside is the lack of output from McLean who we got for trading away our first draft pick. While he has shown some flashes, he really needs to show more to justify his position, especially with the emergence of several other young stars in the Carlton side.

Standout: Chris Judd - after missing the opening three games through suspension, he has come in and has made sure that noone has forgotten that he is a deadset superstar...if not he best player in the AFL!  He is basically using his body as a battering ram in most situations, busting through packs and showing opposition taggers he is someone who is not to be messed with!

Forward

It was always a concern who would step up in the absense of Fevola and with the only major addition being that of Henderson from the Lions. While Henderson has not done a great deal to impress and subsequently is back playing with the reserves, the big surprise packet has been the combined efforts of the three small forwards in Betts, Yarran and Gartlett. While it there was doubt around whether they could all be played together, since they have been give the opportunity they have taken it with both hands and shown how damaging they can be together. Betts is in career best form and currently has 16 goals to his name. Gartlett is continuing to show why the fans love him and has kicked 12 since he was brought in. And Yarran is really starting to show he was justified in being taken at pick 6 in the draft with some amazing flashes of brilliance for a second year player. He currently has 14.6 to his name and possesses such awesome speed. But on top of that big Setanta has really stood up in the goal square and is consistently taking big grabs and slotting through good bags of goals each game. He currently sits 8th on the goal kicking table with 21 goals for the season and is really using his speed and body to get the better of opposition defenders. Finally the best news is that with the defense playing well, it has freed up big Jarrad Waite to play more up forward and with his first kick of the season he slotted through a great goal. He currently has 9 goals for the season and is playing a great role up forward.

Standout: The three indigenous boys - they are just amazing together...the array of articles talking them up over the past couple months is the proof of that.

Currently the Blues are sitting fifth on the ladder with 5 wins and 3 losses, and in all honesty 2 out of the 3 losses should have been wins if it wasnt for a poor show (against Essendon and Brisbane).

Carlton have claimed two big scalps already this season in Geelong and St.Kilda (both grand finalists from last year) and if they continue this run of form they should really give the top four a good shake. Injuries to Walker and Bower have been disappointing, but the depth of the side is really being highlighted at the current time and its really encouraging for the next 2-3 seasons.

The next 3-4 weeks "should" be penciled in as wins if Carlton really want to cement themselves as a force this year, as they are playing the likes of Melbourne, North Melbourne and West Coast.

So considering the first 8 weeks have been very challenging (multiple interstate trips and playing many tops sides) to be sitting 5th is a fantastic achievement and good signs of what is to come for the rest of the season.

Grade: 8/10