YOU!

Well, firstly a belated Happy Australia Day to our friends and family down under.  We had a great day celebrating in our local park with lots of Aussies this year which was fun.  We all pooled our "Australian food stock" and managed quite a nice spread including Tim Tams (and Tim Tam ice-cream), Vegemite sandwiches, lamingtons, Milo bars, Barbecue Shapes as well as some delicious local Thai food too.

It's been so wonderful having Tammy staying with us.  She even minded our children overnight so that we could get away for a night and celebrate an early wedding anniversary.

This week she will finish her intensive Thai language course and work with Dave and I on some ZOE Foundation Australia planning projects.

Recently, ZOE hosted a team from Rockford First Church in America.  These guys were so energetic and fun.  It was a pleasure to have them here.  Their warmth, generosity and sense of humor will be surely be remembered.

I hit a bit of a low yesterday after teaching my ten o'clock English class.  Bogged down by the enormity of just what some of my students have been through coupled with a deep yearning to connect with them and show them God's amazing love through my life and actions.

This song "YOU" by Hillsong really spoke to me today:

Invading all my weakness 

You wrapped me up in grace 

The worst of me succeeded by the best of You 

My heart is overtaken

My soul is overwhelmed 

The worst of me succeeded by the best of You 

My dreams have found their purpose 

My future in Your hands 

This life would have no meaning if it weren't for You 

Lord make my life transparent 

Your life in mine displayed 

And let every earthly glory 

Go back to You

And so I pick myself up and I remember that it's all about Him and not about me.  Any little thing I can do is only through His power.

As His servant, my job is to continually and diligently be in prayer and obedience, remembering, that it is God who breaks the chains.  

Please join me in praying this week.  Sometimes all we can do is to fall down on our knees with overwhelming conviction that we have no where else to go.  That our efforts, whilst important, feel so inadequate in comparison to the problem.

When we feel overwhelmed and we just don’t know what else to do, we can join in prayer on behalf of those who suffer. 

Together, we will make a difference.