What to say?...

Next weekend is the gathering of all Wellington Samoan AOG Youth for camp.  The focus of this camp is to help our youth groups get to know each other better and to prepare for the upcoming annual national conference to be hosted by Wellington.

I have been asked to give a short encouragement for the youth on Saturday night.  I am looking forward to the opportunity and have some thoughts around what I could share with everyone.  After looking through the programme I find that there are a few speakers over the weekend.  So I'd imagine that there is potential for there to be encouragement overload that weekend.  But how much encouragement is too much encouragement you know.  I think I need to mediate on what needs to be shared with everyone based on how the camp goes.  It will be a good change to having this camp as it has been a while that the youth has been yearning for something to happen.

Speaking of movement....again I need to share that God has once again been so good to our church.  Having gone through a weeding season and that our church is now at its lowest number of members since I've been a member, god continues to work His wonder in our church.  As numbers dwindle, naturally so does the bank but opportunity after opportunity after opportunity has God blessed our church! It's absolutely amazing what He has done for us.  Firstly He has given us the opportunity to run a number of Family Portrait fundraisers.  Blessing our church with the heart to run with the idea and supporting it.  He then blesses us with an opportunity to cater for a local Health seminar for men at which Vaaiga Tuigamala was the guest speaker. And then again with the funding received to run a year long 12 week challenge for our Hutt Valley communities!!  And now He continues to bless our church financially beyond our beliefs!!!

He is sooo good to us...why should we stop serving Him!!!  As I start my studies this year completing my last 4 papers of my degree I call on God to help me focus!!!!  I am on the last leg of my academic race :) and I AM GOING TO FINISH!!!!!

Again I Pick up my Mat and WALK!!!!

Wow so many blessings....

What a great weekend I've had....God has blessed me with so many opportunities and He continues to open doors for me....

So what have I been up to since my last blog.  I've decided to re-focus my energies again at work and do my best.  I am so blessed with an awesome team.  I absolutely love my job.  At times I do think about whether I should leave the career path and take on motherhood 24/7 but as soon as I get into work and tackle the day-to-day business I'm reminded that what I learn in my workplace will be used to glorify God....if not today...some day!  So for now I will continue with my profession and still be a mummy and a wifey :)

So we have Dan's cousin staying with us for a bit and he has just been a total blessing (yeeeah head bopping to some old school blackstreet...and now ...Dan's favourite Cold Chisel's..."Forever Now"...oops)...to us....we come home and he's tidied the house..kitchen is clean and one day he even cooked dinner!!! Such a blessing.  I hope that his time with us has been a blessing for him as much as he has been a blessing to us.

So with my photography venture I decided to approach to families knowing that they have newborns in their household and offered some free shoots for them to kick start my newborn/baby/children portfolio...'cause you know...just because :)....and wow the images were pleasing to my eye at least.  I had three photo shoots this weekend, and I felt so blessed by the encouragement and feedback received from their families and friends about the pictures. A great opportunity God has given me to be able to try something that I am not professionally skilled at...but I gave it a go.  I must say it was amusing to me trying to take photos of these gorgeous kids with my injured knee.  Check out my photography page...please note I am not a professional but am really interested in this new "hobby"...www.photographybyleonegrace.blogspot.com

Had an awesome time with my girls yesterday and my nephew.  I've been working on my patience with my girls and trying to be fully aware of the little time I have with them.  I love my girls so much and my husband.  My role as their mother and wife should come first before anything.  God has blessed us with so much. My heart is to give back as much as I can not because of the goodness that God has done for us but because that's how it should be...I need to keep giving...He has looked after me and my family over the years and I know I still have yet to fulfill His great plan in my life.

In Sunday school I teach kids around the ages of 9 - 11.  They are really enjoying the open discussions we been have during our lessons. It's interesting how much they share and what they really know about church and God.  Today we talked about the way in which we worship God.  I enjoy teaching kids because it helps me to think of ways I can help them to understand our faith.  There has been challenges but I think the experience has helped me to become quite visual and animated in my messages about God.  Talking to my class today reminded me of the ways in which I worship God.  My life (now head bopping to Boys II Men's version of "It's the same old song".. oops again!) should reflect my worship.  I talked to the kids about how I focus at work reflects my worship by showing others that I can concentrate on the task at hand and show my team mates how hard I can work and get the job done right.

The word during service today talked about  a man who was sick for 38 years and was waiting by the healing pool.  Jesus came across this man and asked if he was wanted to be healed and the man said yes but others kept jumping into the pool before him.  Reflecting on this message it reminded me so much about times where I want to step forward and do the right thing but others get there before me or fear stops me from moving at all.  But Jesus told this man to "Pick up your mat and walk"...such an encouragement to be reminded bluntly that I need to pick up my mat and just walk.  Too often I dwell of plans...making plans...plans to make plans...thinking about how others may feel about my actions etc etc but sometimes you really need to just tell yourself (the power of self-talk) to GET UP AND MOVE!

My aim this week is to move forward on things...make a stand and move forward.  This is the only way I can get closer to my destination....If I don't move, I will be like the sick man sitting by the healing pool for 38 years wanting to move forward but always put back in his place....by the side of the pool.

Stay blessed this week folks....and don't forget to check out my photography page :)

ARGH!!!! MY KNEE!!!!

So our Change4LYF challenge has been going really well until today at our Week 4 women's training session my knee gave way and gave a mighty loud CRUNCH!!!  I was so annoyed..and to think that I have a condition called "netballer's knee" and today we did.....NETBALL DRILLS!!!!!  Come on Richard!!!!

So know I'm in a little pain, hobbling around the house trying not to snap at people.  But despite what I'm going through, it was sad to see on the news earlier today about what was going on in Christchurch, NZ!  The people of Christchurch have had a bad run of earthquakes and after shocks since September 4 and today an earthquake of 6.3 and only 5 - 6 metres deep was too close to home for a lot of New Zealanders!!!

Facebook was flooded with messages of prayers, thoughts and help for our fellow man in Christchurch.  It was sad to hear that the death toll had reached 65.  The City is in a state of emergency.  New Zealanders are asked not to use their cellphones, landlines unless there was an emergency to allow for those that are still missing and their families to use the lines to contact loved ones.

What a wake up call for everyone to really appreciate the life they have and to spend it wisely with those who really matter in their lives.  Like a thief in the night our Lord will come for us.  The earthquake happened so unexpectedly as most natural disasters do however this came at a very busy time of the day and hit the centre of Christchurch city.  So many people going about their daily work and routine in the city were quickly stopped in their tracks.  I felt so helpless watching the news and seeing footage of people waiting to be rescued from their floors of skyscrapers.  Helplines have started and New Zealanders are donating to a relief fund for families in Christchurch.

I had no words to describe or express that today was a very sad day for New Zealand.  My prayer is for those lives that were saved, may they comforted in the knowledge that there is a reason for living; for those that are trapped under debris, in buildings, may they find peace that they are not forgotten, may you guide our rescuers to these people and bring them to the light; protect all our families and friends in Christchurch and across the country.  We are in a state of fear and panic, may we all find peace in this tragedy and hope that Christchurch will live to its name...that our CHRIST is in His CHURCH and waiting to rebuild the lives of His People....

For Christchurch!!

It's the little things....

If we are not faithful in the little things how can we be faithful in the big things!!
I'm contemplating tomorrow's first weigh-in since we started the Change4LYF challenge..and after scoffing down a pizza with stuffed cheesy crust, spicy chicken wings and coke...I am pretty certain of what my result will be tomorrow!!!  BUT I am staying positive that I can do this challenge!!!

I've made it a fitness goal to play touch next summer.  It isn't really my sport, and I've always felt lost.  One of the best memories I have growing up is watching my brothers play.  (I miss them!).  Another goal is for me to wear my wedding rings again...it's been a long time, initially because I lost my wedding band :) but I would really like to wear my rings again...signifying to the world that I am in love and married my best friend and awesome dad to our beautiful girls.  That day will come....  Hopefully before our 10th anniversary next year :)

This morning we had our first catering gig for our church at a Men's health clinic.  It was such a humbling experience to work alongside my sisters-in-Christ.  With only four of us in the kitchen doing the cooking it was such a blessing we all worked in tune and continued to check on each other throughout the clinic.  It was a breakfast clinic and we expected to cater for 300.  Such a blessing.

I have been spending the afternoon with my girls which I'm really enjoying.  Playing this game called Mancala with my eldest is a lot of fun and very addictive.  We are now going to jump into our PJs and pull out our airbeds to watch a movie (and play some Mancala) before we crash out.

Today is a day to remember for the Hutt Valley Spartans Gridiron team for they won the Wellington Championship....can't remember what they call it...like the "Superbowl" ...I think its something like the "cereal bowl" :P...not sure.  Big UPs to the HV Spartans for their hard work and training....and injuries!

I'm looking forward to the Word tomorrow....I'm sure it's going to be refreshing....

Have a great Sunday ....

Finding my motivation...

Before I started typing this blog, I reflected over the week gone by and thought MOTIVATION has definitely been the message this week.  Motivation to continue exercising, motivating to continue tracking my meals, motivation to focus on my work, motivation to....the list goes on.

This past week I have found myself contemplating deeply about what is going on in my life (oh my gosh!! I just saw a chick riding her bicycle really fast down our steep street!.....okay that was distracting...)...and I know I said that I will slow down, but in the past week I have felt the pressure of doing too much.  I have learnt to take a step back and letting people know where I can and can't contribute.  I think it is a good idea for me to participate in this 12 week challenge because it's helping me to really put things into priority.  Like taking care of me.

However, in taking care of ME I need to be mindful that I do not neglect my family.  I do see at times my girls are wanting to spend time with me.  They don't harp on to me about having little time with me and they do understand our commitments to serving in our church, at work etc.  But you see it, little things that they do that you know and feel isn't how little girls should behave.  In spending more QUALITY time with my girls can help my girls grow into strong, confident women.

I sat down with my girls the other night and talked to them about a very sensitive matter that not everyone likes to talk about but it needs to be said.  When we think about the known and unknown cases of child abuse that happens in our families you really have to draw up the courage to sit down with your children and help them to understand situations to look out for and who to talk to.  My heart sank when Mira expressed how at times she can feel uncomfortable and in the same heart beat she made me proud when she wiped her tears and said confidently what she would do if anyone hurt her.  I was so thankful that in that conversation I was lead to help my girls understand that our bodies were not made to feel uncomfortable or to be hurt by someone.  I have always thought that God had blessed us by giving us two beautiful girls and it is our earthly obligation to protect them as much as we can and to raise them in a way that is pleasing to God.

I know that my biggest fault to work on at the moment is patience.  And I am seeing more and more that when I lose my patience with my girls, the situation is telling me that I have not organised myself properly or that I have just taken too much on.  I received an email from a close relative that I need to "sloooooowww doooownnn" :)...and she is right.  This year is going to be a big year for my family....and I will keep saying that until 31 Dec.  We are into the 2nd week of February and already God has done great things in my family!!! I just need to keep believing that and that alone will give me the motivation that I need!!!

5 steps forward.......then someone kicks you back....

So I need to say that I'm feeling a little down today.  I started off feeling great about the good work that is happening in my life and then I get hit with the reality of discouragement that surrounds me!  It's amazing how you can think so positively about things and then a word is shared with you, one's perception, then you watch how quickly your world turns gloomy!!!  I can keep tell myself not to worry about it, or listen to my husband say to me "who cares, but God cares" and then I sit alone...with my thoughts and then argh!!!!!  Right now I'm sitting in the dark and though I'm not expressing my feelings outwardly...on the inside I'm feeling....blaaaahhhhh!  Why is it that no matter how many positive people you can surround yourself with, you only need one person to bring your world down??  Why do we allow ourselves to listen to things that hurt our spirit.....

Anyway....enough of that :P....We had our first women's training session last night for Change 4LYF challenge and it was great! 45 mins walk around Stokes Valley and then an hour of volley.  Definitely feeling it today.  Tonight's session was for our men's group.  They did a fabulous job! We may be small in numbers but we are making an impact!!!  One kid in particular really encouraged me....no matter who we are in life and how we've come to be, you will never know your true worth until you PUSH yourself!!!  Thinking about seeing how hard this kid had trained tonight just pushes out any negativity/sad thoughts in my head right now.  Everyone has things to be angry/sad about, but until you have walked in the shoes of someone who has less and is living HARD....you will never know who you really are as a person!!!

This Change4LYF challenge is helping me to realise that this is not just about a physical change it is very much mental and spiritual for me!!! Change for life.....I need to CHANGE FOR LIFE......change my ways forever, change FOR LIFE, change so that I may live!, change so that my children can have a better life....CHANGE.....

Change...Dan's message last weekend included changing our perspective.....I'm sitting here thinking to myself..I have to start changing my attitude, changing my behaviour.  We teach our girls to instead of "who cares"...say "it doesn't bother me"...and thinking about it now...it is something I need to say aloud...'IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME!!!'

I have so much on right now than to worry about someone's PERSPECTIVE...I need to refocus my energies on the things that will change ME for LIFE......

Everyone has an opinion, everyone has a perspective.  As unique as God has made us, so are our thoughts.

My lesson learnt today....  I have better things to occupy my mind and time... :)...like CHANGING ME FOR LIFE!!!