He Rocks!

I couldn't resist sharing this photo of Jack and Sam helping out with the worship practice before church.  They were having such a great time.  Jesus rocks the world!

Whispers to My Heart - Swim in My Word

Read, listen and mediate on my Word day and night, so it is written deep in your heart.  Immerse yourself in it's promises.  Through it, I will direct your path and refresh your soul, blessing all that you do in my name.  I desire to fill you with strength and courage.  Don't worry about anything.  Have full confidence in me. I am right beside you every step of the way. (Spoken to Nicole from Joshua 1:8-9)

Whispers to My Heart - Rest Upon my Chest

'Whispers to My Heart', is a new addition to my blog.  I love to journal what God is laying on my heart.  Often when I read God's Word, I hear him speaking directly to me, and I want to share some of what Jesus says with you.  I want to do this for two reasons.  Firstly I want you to see how alive and loving Jesus is.  The second is that I want to encourage you to listen for his voice speaking to you as you read your own bible.  Can you hear him speaking to you here?

Come and spend time with me when you are tired and worn, share your problems with me, and you can rest in my arms.  As you rest your head upon my chest, listen to the rhythm of my heart.  Take a lesson from what you hear there, live according to my heartbeat.  Let me teach you my wonderful ways, because I love you with a passion you still don't understand.  My ways are not hard to learn and obey, for they are refreshing, like eternal water for you soul. (Spoken to Nicole from Matthew 12:28)

Winter in Melbourne?

We had an inspection on our home on Tuesday afternoon, and it went very well.  So well in fact that the lady came back for a second look last night!  Wow! The night previous to this Don and I had been asking God for confirmation that we were doing the right thing-selling our home, moving interstate, serving with MAF.  The inspection the next day was his answer for us,we know it without any doubt.  We haven't had anybody through our home since before Christmas.  God definitely has his hand in this one.  The people looking are very interested and are talking to banks etc today.  Could you please pray for God's will to be done here? 
At this rate we could be living in chilly Melbourne this Winter.

We are also sending a shipment of bibles to Nigeria.  Could you please pray that they will get there safely? 

An Honest Heart

At God's insistence I am going to share my heart with you.  This is not a pretty picture I am about to paint, but I am an honest person and I will not pretend to be something I am not.

I have been angry at God the last day or so.  When I say angry I mean disappointed, frustrated, yell your annoyance kind of angry.  I was angry because he has given Sam a promise of a new heart and I still don't see it.  Don't misinterpret me, I believe God is going to give Sam his new heart, he doesn't lie.  However I am a Mum, and when I see my son going through pain, fear and illness I feel every inch of it alongside him.  If you are a Mum you know what I am talking about.  If your child cuts their finger you get that squeamish feeling down in the pit of your stomach because they are hurting.  So imagine what it is like to see your son being pricked and prodded and injected on a regular basis.  It does something to your emotions.  You start to become annoyed that they should have to endure such treatment when the God of the Heavens has made him a promise of life in abundance.  That annoyance grows into bitterness and that bitterness grows into frustration and anger.
This morning I didn't even feel like going to worship with my church family.  Satan whispers lies like 'You don't want them to see you like this do you?  Where is your strength and faith now?  Stay at home and sort it out with God."  I was hurting and broken and this is when he comes with his lies.  Then the Holy Spirit rose up in me saying "In your weakness his strength is revealed".  We chose to go to church this morning without our happy face and cheery disposition.  When the music started for worship I cried and cried and cried on my knees.  I cried because God reminded me of how he felt when Jesus was crucified on the cross to save us.  How he hurt each time the hammer was raised and the nails were embedded into his flesh, just like Sam getting his cannula.  How his heart ached for His son Jesus, like my heart aches now for my son Sam.  He reminded me that he too feels my pain. 
I wept on my knees because I was overcome by the fact that God loves me even though I am angry at him.   I wept because I felt my faith was faltering in my anger.    God checked my heart and found my faith steadfast and built on the rock of his Word, even though my heart felt crushed and my emotions haywire.

People prayed for me as the music played, they wrapped their arms around me and shared my pain.
And so as I wept and gave my burden over to God, I saw the Lord smile and his peace flooded my heart.  This is why I love my church family.  We are one in Spirit.  We don't come with false pretenses.  We share in each other joys and sorrow and we fight alongside each other for victory. 

I guess in writing this post I wanted you see that I am not anything special. It is God in me who is amazing. I want you to know that I am as human as the next person but I trust in an extraordinary God who may let me stumble but he will not let me fall.

And as for God's promise of a new heart for Sam, it stands firm.  Nothing has changed in God's eyes, except maybe I am now closer to him though baring an honest heart.  One step closer to the faith that will move mountains.

An Interesting Hospital Visit

Thursday afternoon saw Sam very quickly affected by some sort of mystery infection.  He had very high temps and at one point lost all of his colour and went grey, with darker hands and feet.  This told us something was very wrong and that it was affecting his circulation.  So off we scooted to the GP only to have them send us to St Vincents Hospital in Toowoomba for treatment immediately.  They inserted a cannula and started him on IV fluids and antibiotics, after a short examination.  This meant that Sam and I spent the night at the hospital while Don and Jack went home to pack and sleep.  As it happened we were scheduled for Sam's six monthly heart appointment on the Friday and we were staying the night in Brisbane-Don needed to pack. 
On Friday morning Sam looked much better and leaving the cannula in, we headed to Brisbane in the car on day release from the Toowoomba Hospital.  At this point he didn't even look sick anymore, just tired. 
At the hospital his heart review went really well.  The heart function is really good.  The valves are all working well with only minimal regurgitation.  And the PA branches look great, of a good size.  In short this all means that we don't need to see Sam's cardiologist for another six months.  Praise God for that!
After Sam's appointment we checked into our motel and enjoyed a lovely dinner and walk down to South Bank.

We then had to drive back to Toowoomba by 9am this morning for Sam to see his doctor and have some more IV antibiotics before they sent us home.  He is now riding his bike around and doesn't even look sick!

It has been a really strange and unusual turn of events for the following reasons.

Don was still meant to be in Townsville.  If God didn't get him home when he did, it would have been very difficult to organise anything.  I really needed him here.  God knew what was coming and provided.

It is my birthday on Monday.  So we had booked the motel a week earlier to have a break in Brisbane.  As it turned out we still got to have our night away.  The circumstances were not great but we still had a lovely dinner and a great time with the kids, all while still admitted to a hospital 2 hours away!  Satan tried to ruin our fun but God would have none of it and put an end to his nonsense.

We are now home and feel like none of it even happened.  As for the mystery infection-common tonsillitis.  His body took the initial brunt of the infection quite hard but with much prayer, praise in the car and some antibiotics, it was knocked on the head fast.

We are now looking forward to a much less eventful finish to the weekend.

I could not be more proud of my little boy.  When they had to do procedures like inserting the cannula for the IV, he knew it was going to hurt and I explained to him that is was going to help make him better and he just needed to be brave like King David, and he would say "Ok, then", and hold still even though he cried out in pain.  That takes courage, and my God gives it to Sam by the bucketful.

Their weakness was turned to strength.  They became strong in battle... (Hebrews 11:34)

Holding Onto Hope

Holding Onto Hope-Acrylic on Canvas by Nicole Watson

Hope is the trust in what we can’t see,

God says to believe

And it will come to be.

A mother is watching her child fade away,

God says to believe

He will make a way.

A son is so angry and cannot forgive,

God says to believe

He will free you to live.

A widow is lonely she has lost her best friend

God says to believe,

You will see him again.

A little boy cries his heart is so sore,

God say’s to believe,

It will be restored.

A saint is so tired; she has run the race,

God says welcome home,

I prepared you a place.

Believing is built on the power of His Word,

You can’t always trust,

What you’ve seen and you’ve heard.

Our trust in his promises must be without whim,

God says to believe

All hope is in Him.