This what it feels like....

I was reading my daily devotion this morning and I came across something that is so obvious but I had not thought about.

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
Ecclesiastes 7:14

It came with the description 'Good times' can be less helpful than 'tough times'; and the 'hard times' can be better for you than the 'easy times'. Whatever changes and challenges come your way; whether planned or unexpected, whether you feel like you're going forward or sliding backwards - God is waiting for you to turn to him and know him.

I am defiantly going through 'hard times' at the moment, looking for work and going to interviews has been really hard especially emotionally. I will say the worse thing is being at home, especially when there is nothing to do, I just feel lost and very lonely. These are the times when I find myself wanting to pick up my bible and read, God is waiting for me.

My daily devotion comes from Word 4 U 2 day from UCB, you can get your own copy at their website www.word4u2day.com.au (only available postage in Australia), you can also read their devotions online.

Straight from Heaven

I will admit that through my life not too many of my prayers have been answered, well...that I am aware of anyway. I know that God doesn't usually answer prayers in the way that you expect, so it can can go unnoticed. But I have been praying for rain to come and fill our tank, and for three days in the last five days we have had nice heavy rain. I have been making sure to thank God and praise Him.

Though I know things happen the way He wants, and that doesn't always (actually hardly ever) end up looking the way that we expect. It does lift your faith to have a prayer answered in a way that you can actually see and recognise as an answer to a prayer, makes to soooo much easier to remember to praise God.

This rain has been so good, particularly because it has cleared up all the dust that was still in the air from the dust storms about a fortnight ago. Though the weather guy said tonight that another dust storm is on the way, not a surprise with the gail force winds we have been experiencing today.

You hear about it happening

I always hear stories about God giving scripture verses to people when they needed to hear them, I have always thought that that was great for those people but come one does that really happen?

It did to me today, I was doing my devotional this morning before my husband got up and I was flipping to a passage when Philippians opened to a page where previously I had circled a couple of verses that just shouted at me.

'Don't be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God' Philippians 4:6

'I can do all this through him who gives me strength' Philippians 4:13

These verses are just what I needed to read this morning as I prepared to go for my interview this morning. By the way I think the interview went well, not sure that I got to say everything that I wanted to say. But I tried my best and that is all that you can do. I will keep praying that I have gotten this job, it would be a great company to get involved with. But I was so blessed to get these verses this morning, they gave me the confidence that I can get this job that I am what this company is looking for.

Another go...

I have another interview tomorrow, this time thankfully it is not a group interview. Though I think that I did well, I am glad for a more normal format. Just me and the person (s) interviewing me. Sigh of relief.

But biggest issue now is what to wear, my interview is with an outdoor clothing and equiptment company. Which suits me really really well, I love hiking, bushwalking and camping (even if my poor husband doesn't), so working for a company which will encourage that side of me would be / will be great! But I believe that what you wear reflexs the person who you are, or at the very least what perceptions your interviewer makes. So I am thinking that dressing up in a kind of suit format might not reflext how much I love the outdoors and make me look like more of an indoor type. Soooooo not me!

I am thinking of going with jeans and a nice top, as well as my favourite shoes of the moment my sketchers. They are a great choice (so I say myself) they are black kind of casual but still professinal looking and above all COMFORTABLE!

What is the one thing that I can bring to this position that no one else can? Support for the manager, always will to do whatever I am needed to do, love helping others but am prefectly capable of stepping up and being a leader when I am needed. But I also believe that being a leader means recoginsing strenghts in team memebers and using those strenghts to get the best out of that person and the rest of the team. On a side note I have GOD, and prayer. I have been praying everyday, and have been asking for pray from people who I trust.

'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible' Matthew 19:26

This is probably one of the few things in my life that I have total trust in God about, I know that no matter what God is going to show me what job he wants me to have, and if I am not meant to get a job right now then whatever is suppose to happen will happen. Honestly I have real issues trusting God with a whole lot of stuff in my life, as everyone does. Havn't met any christian who doesn't struggle with totally trusting God, or who doesn't at one time or another doubted God. I do on a daily basis, weekly, monthly, yearly basis.

So I hope that you will all be praying for me at 10:10am on Monday 12th October, I know that it is possible for me to get this job. I actually have experience this time, I am what this company is looking for. Time to dive right in.

Today it's Friday

End of another week, this week has been one of my busiest. This morning I was doing my daily devotion and it really hit home.

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart...' Deuteronomy 6:5

The devotional that cam along with this verse wasn't what you would expect associated with this verse, but it did speak to me alot. It talked about the different masks we put on for other people and different situations. And how we can't and shouldn't try to do that with God, that he knows us behind the mask, and that we should take the masks off and love the Lord with all your heart (Deut 6:5).

I defiantly know that I do this, or was doing this alot. Especially at work, I felt alot of pressure to be just like everyone else. Everyone was into (on pretending to be into) grooming and the way they looked and I was buying into it. I became obsessive about the way I was presenting at work, whether I had a hair out of place or a pimple. Everyone was into golf (which I do enjoy but only in a par 3 setting, which was looked down on) and my boss was into yoga and obsessively into 'healthy living'. None of that is me I shouldn't need to put on a mask to be accepted by others. I need to focus more on loving God and that attitude will shine through.

I get my devotions from UCB Word 4 U 2 day, it is a great devotional series for teenagers and young adults. You can get your copy on their website www.word4U2day.com.au (only available in Australia).

Maybe.....

Ok....what am I doing? I have been unemployed for something like a month and I honestly still feel like I am walking in circles. What on earth is God's Plan for me? There is one thing I am very aware of, right now me not having a job has been good for other people. I am able to do things for others that I wouldn't have been able to do if I was working. Maybe that is my path right now, being there for others.

I have done a few favours for Mum & Dad, picking up their dogs from the groomers and picking up my sister from her work. I have been able to look after our nephew for my husbands brother and his wife, and also have been available to help them pack and in the next couple of days move to their new house. I have been doing alot of helping, I defiantly enjoy being there for friends and family who need that extra set of hands.

Our car is starting to look like a moving company, with boxes and newspaper!

Though I do feel like I am walking in circles, I am actually satisfied with the way things are. I defiantly think that my sense of satisfaction comes from helping others and that I am really taking the time to have some personal time with God. I have been doing a daily devotional and spending alot of time preparing for Tuesday Night Bible Study. At Tuesday Bible Study we have been doing a great series by our Pastor on different Religions, it has been great getting a real understanding of the history and origins of some of the biggest and most popular religions and also where their short comings lie and how Christianity is always the only way. But I will talk more about that another time, stay tuned!

It's October

Might be kind of obvious but it's true. We have had a rather big weekend here in our house, well not all of it was in this house but anyway. Friday night was my husbands sisters birthday party so we went to my in-laws (which is where she still lives, with Dog and Highland Cow). One of the trees down the backyard was strung with fairy lights and a couch had been set up, it looked great. Might do that for my husbands birthday this year. The rest of the week was spent looking after our nephew, he stayed over Friday night & was suppose to stay over Saturday night but he was having alot of trouble breathing due to asthma so we called his parents and they took him home late Saturday night so he could have his asthma medication. Poor little boy.

Last month was a interesting month to say the very least......what with me losing my job and really having to look at my life and where God's plan was leading me. I always felt that that particular job wasn't going to be a career, there was no opportunity for advancement or growth of any kind, the position that I had was the position that I was always going to have. Also felt that there was a bit of opposition to my Christianity and my wanting to attend church on Sunday's as much as possible. I am still honestly much happier now than I was this time last month when I was working.

Still not much happening on the finding a job front, had one group interview and one telephone interview but no call backs out of either. But I have been consistently applying for jobs and I have faith that the job that God has for me is right around the corner.

A couple of days ago I decided to take some photos of things around the house that mean something to me

This is something we did at Girls group (girls only bible study), everyone wrote their name on the top of a piece of paper, then the pieces of paper were passed around and everyone wrote something positive & affirming about that person on their piece of paper. I absolutely love mine, I framed it and it sits next to my scrapbooking desk. I look at it when ever I need a lift.

I actually painted this, something that I have always wanted to do. I am the first to admit that I am not a very good painter. But I am still very proud of this effort. I love having artwork around the house that was created by people we know, fills the house with the love and effort that went into each artwork.

This is the first & easiest artwork I made for our house, out of total necessity. Our bedroom has a bad echo so I made this artwork to help absorb noise (and it looks great!). All it is is a square canvas and a piece of fabric, which I stapled onto the canvas and hung in our bedroom. Couldn't be easier.

A wonderful birthday present from my thoughtful husband, this canvas hangs above our bed (helping with the echo issue again). It hangs on an existing hook which is slightly off centre to the bed so I am planning on making three smaller canvas's with our initials and the date of our wedding. Also going to use this project ideas as something to do with the Girls group at church, I had a request for something 'arty'.

This next month is full of promise and opportunity can't wait to see what is to come.