We Still Look The Same

For all of our family and friends that we have not seen now for over 12 months or more.  Here are some recent photos:

Jack (5 years old )

 Don and Nicole (age withheld)

Sam (Aged 3)

Jack took the photo below and insisted that I include it on this post.

Ok, so we may have changed a little.  But we know someone who never changes.

 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.(Hebrews 13:8)

Sam The Tiger

Today is Sam's last day at Yarra Glen Kinder-Dress Up Day.  Go you little Tiger!

Flying News

Today Don achieved his Commercial Pilot's Licence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Thank you God.  

To celebrate here is some Ding Duck:

This comic is borrowed from here.

It is Sam's last day at Kinder tomorrow, Jack's last day on Thursday, and then we head over to our new town to get the keys for our new home on the hill. Mum and Dad Watson arrive on Saturday and we will be moving on Monday.

But for tonight we are celebrating God's favour and his faithfulness in bringing the end of the season here to such a wonderful end.  Thanks for sharing in the excitement with us.

The Fog

Fog is all encompassing isn't it?  The last two mornings we have had very thick fog while driving Don out to the airport.  Fog so thick, that we can not see the rear lights of the car in front of us.  There is beauty in the fog and the way it lies across the terrain, but today I don't want to tell you about it's beauty as much as it's danger. 

When driving there were some cars that had not turned on their headlights.  We could not physically see them until we were face to face.  And what struck me the most is that our headlights were not so much for ourselves, they barely help in the fog, they were to warn others where we are there so that they too can keep safe.  By having our headlights on, we were a beacon of warning providing a sign to show how we travelled.

So it is when we are filled with Holy Spirit.

When God reigns in our lives, we are lights in the darkness, a beacon in the fog.  Sometimes the fog will be so thick that the light will do little to help you see where you are going. You may feel like you are wandering and cannot see far in order to know your path.  Still we keep moving, bit by bit revealing the next part of the road ahead.  And in the meantime our light shines to warn others that we are on the move, that we travel a safe path, and we provide a guiding light so that others can travel safely as well.  It allows the other drivers of this life to make choices about their own journeys.  And one day who knows they too may even choose to switch on their own lights and provide a bit of light for others as well.  Our little light shining in the fog may bring others to realise that they are traveling in the dark.

Today Don is flying his Commercial Pilot's Licence Test again.  We are having a farewell morning Tea at ACMA and Sam and I will continue to pack at home.  We can see the next little part of our path and we are going in with our lights blaring.  Let it be a warning to all who see, that we are not lost in the fog.

Exceptionally God News

We have exciting news to share.  Today was the day that the MAF candidate committee met to discuss our application to MAF, with the information that they have.  This includes our application forms of considerable length, our medicals, psyche evaluation and interviews.  This means that is includes all of the requirements except Don's flying capabilities.
To tell you the truth I had actually forgotten about it today. It was not that the day was exceptionally busy, it just didn't pass my mind.  We were at peace either way as we know God called us and that His hand is upon it all.

We received an email this afternoon to tell us that the committee unanimously agrees that we should continue to pursue the calling to serve with MAF and that they encourage us every step of the way! 

They know that Sam has further surgery ahead and will need a letter of review down the track from his cardiologist, but other than that they are very happy with our application.

Tonight we have a resounding peace and assurance from God that all is in His hands.  What may look like a messy journey is actually His most beautiful work.  I stand astounded once again at His faithfulness. 

Thank you Father that you have not left us orphans.  Thank you that you are ever faithful in all that you call us to do.  Thank you that you speak to the spirits of those who serve you at MAF, and told them of our calling to serve with them, for Your sake and Your glory.  We take this next step, in blessed assurance that you love us. Even when we doubt ourselves, we may trust in You.

A Little Gift Just For Us

There is nothing quite like knowing you are walking along holding the hand of God.  When He sits, we sit.  When He walks, we walk.  When He stops, we stop.

This last few weeks have been exhausting and at times testing, but they have also been feverish with God's presence. 

Don is excited about beginning his new job with Gipps Aero on the 10th April.  Please pray for him to finish his CPL (Comm Pilot License), in the next week and a bit.

We are moving on the 2nd April and we now know where to, as we have been approved to rent a home at Jeeralang Junction, only 15 minutes from Don's work.

We could not be more happy or more blessed by our new home, it suits us down to the ground.  It is like God held out his hand to us and slowly uncurled his fingers to reveal the hidden gem inside.  It may not look like much to some, but it has already captured me.  It is not just the home that has me smitten.  This is the view from our verandah...

I can see myself sitting here, with a cup of fragrant tea, spending time Jesus.

I love your sanctuary, LORD,
the place where your glorious presence dwells. (Psalm 26:8)

Tomorrow I will begin to organise schools, Kinder, connection and disconnections etc.  We have two people coming the the next few days to inspect our current home, to rent it.  There is plenty I could be and should be doing.

Tonight I will just relax in the reminder that God loves me and knows the desires of my heart.

What are we doing?

Time for another update:

Don's interview went really well today.  So well that they called him back within an hour of the interview and offered him a job.  The job is as an AME with GippsAero, at Traralgon, VIC. 

This means that we will be moving about 2 hours South.  And Don starts on the 16th April.

That means we are all about to get very busy.

The rest of this week Don will hopefully get some flying done.  While I pack and clean and get the house ready for rental inspections.  As our lease runs out in August, we need to find someone to take over our lease.  It is officially back on the market, as of now.  Anyone looking for a great little house in Yarra Glen?

This Saturday we will drive to Traralgon and find the home God has prepared for us to live in.  If you can believe it, I actually had a dream about it last night!

We have had encouraging communication with MAF recently, and they will make their decision on us continuing our application with them on Thursday. 

Once we have settled in and Don has a grasp of his new job, he will look at continuing his flying, followed by Bible College by distance in the next year.

At least that is the plan....

I only wish I  could explain to you how at peace we are with all of this.  On the outside it looks messy, but nothing could be further from the truth.  We want to thank each one of you for your love and prayers.  We look forward to embracing this new direction God has given us.

Interestingly enough, we have been praying for God to open a door.  And he did, just one. We asked Him to be obvious, because we are not good with hints.  We have only to this date received one job offer and it has been amazing to watch it all just happen with very little effort on our behalf.  Praise God with us for his amazing answer to prayer.

Mud Buddies

Changes and Fun

On Friday, Don withdrew from his studies at MST and is now just going to focus on finishing his CPL. It was a huge relief to let it go for now.  About an hour after we came to this decision, the phone rang to tell us that Don has an interview for a new job, this coming Tuesday.  One door has closed another has opened.  Please pray as Don goes to his new job interview at 11am on Tuesday.

This weekend I have seen glimpses of my husband again emerging from under the strain of a workload he was never designed to carry.  Thankfully God knew this and led us accordingly.  The boys have even been having some fun. There is such a sense of God's glorious peace and our joy has returned.  Oh how I am thankful for that.  I wrote on Facebook this week that peace without joy is like having coffee without chocolate. 

In the next few weeks there are going to be many changes for us as we will most likely be moving house to wherever Don finds work.  We have applied for multiple jobs and prayed that God will open a door.  Perhaps this is the one. 

I will leave you with some photos of my little boys being boys (especially for Gran, Pa, Granny and Grandad).  We love our family so much and see them so rarely.  Know we love you and miss you.

Goodbye Treasured Friend

Zoe Watson 1997-2012

When we moved to Victoria last year our two girls (dogs) went to live with Don's parents in Bundaberg.  It was hard to leave them behind but we knew we couldn't take them with us. 

This morning I found out that Zoe had to be put down two weeks ago, around the same time at Don failed his CPL for the second time.  Don's parents did not tell us at the time,as we were already struggling enough.  She was very old, and her time had come.

She was the most patient and loyal dog.  She always looked liked she was smiling.  She was a fierce watchdog and had a real mothering spirit, even though she had no pups of her own.  In fact she even took on a stray fox pup once and mothered him. 

Don bought Zoe a few years before we met and she has always been a part of our lives together.  She lived a long a wonderful life and boy, will we miss her.  Don doesn't know yet, I have to tell him when he gets home.

I have always said that we can learn much from dogs about love, and it is for this reason I believe that God gave them to us.  Goodbye treasured friend. xx

Taking The Scenic Route

This weekend has seen us face many new challenges, so I thought it must be about time that I share them here.  As most of you know I blog to share our family life, to rally people to pray, and in the process I work things out with God, hoping to help others as well.

Our call to MAF is not going to take the path we originally thought. Over the last month any things have happened to bring about this change.  The two most pertinent being:

• God has brought to Don' and my attention that it is not possible for Don to complete Bible College this year, as well as finishing the flying training.  For us to continue our course of action and do this is would all need to be completed this year, as otherwise we would have no income after that.

• We received news on Friday that the cost of the remaining of the flying course has now increased by $6000-$10000.  This is when the door was finally closed to us following our present course of action.  God has closed the door. 

It is not the enemy.  We feel at peace.  At first we were disappointed, but as we waited on God and he spoke to our hearts we realised, this is His way.  And His way, is ALWAYS better then ours, no matter how it looks at the time.  We know God can miraculously supply the money needed and already we have had offers of people wanting to help. But we cannot, when we know it is not God's will that we do. 
For the last month, God has been talking to us about open doors, and the scripture Jeremiah 29:11 has been ringing out loud.  So we know now that God has closed this door, that another will shortly open. 

So what does this mean...

• It means that we are still moving toward serving with MAF, but at a much slower rate.  WE have asked MAF to give us an indication on our suitability to serve with them, using the information they have (interviews, medical, psyche etc).  If this is favourable, then we will continue to pursue this calling. 

• The open door we are waiting for is a job for Don.  We trust God that he has something ready somewhere, for him to go to.  It may mean that we need to move again. In fact it is highly probable.

• Bible college will be completed by distance at Don's own pace.

• Don will continue to fly now until he achieves his Commercial Pilot's License (CPL).  At this point he will cease flying at ACMA and just continue with Bible College until the end of Semester or until he finds work.

We have been through much this last weekend with all of this; first shock, then disappointment, then humility, then a sense of feeling lost.  So we just both held on tight and sat in God's lap listening to his heartbeat.  No profound sense of revelation came.  Just His steady heartbeat and then finally His amazing peace.  We know we have made the right decisions.  Now we just wait and act patiently for Him to point us in the right direction.

We have not failed.  In God's eyes, we have done all He has asked, and that makes us His obedient children.  He has blessed us here with great friends and an awesome church.  The people we have met have impacted out lives and we have impacted theirs.  That is what missions is all about anyway.  Even if this was the whole purpose to us being called to MAF, that is enough for me. 

We don't pretend to have this altogether, in fact we are more unsure of our future here than we have ever been.  But I know where my future is secure.  Jesus is building us a home in heaven and it is beyond what my mind can ever comprehend.  I know that when I see it, I will crumble at his feet and cry, because He knows me better than I know myself. We may not have much treasure left this side of heaven, but I know Jesus is storing up mine with Him. He sees our future and He knows what is to come.  And so we will trust Him now, as we always have and rest in the fact that he has plans to prosper and bless.

If you think of us, please pray for us in this time of endings and new beginnings. 

xx Nicole

A Watson Video Snapshot

This video was inspired by Marlana.  (A friend I am still to meet in the flesh)

Hope you enjoy everyone.