New Year's and Faithfulness

I don't do New Year's resolutions anymore, but if I did I would make resolution to write in my blog more and write deeper content.

It is 23 days until I arrive in New Zealand and I can't wait, the Lord is so faithful to me letting me go home for a bit, and in an effort to write substantial content I will share some thoughts on his faithfulness.

He is the one who is faithful, always, not because of anything I have done. God cannot be any more faithful or less faithful than he already is because one of his names is faithful. When I think of faithfulness I think of follow through. Jesus always follows through, on everything, always.

We can look to Israel's history as a picture of the Lord's faithfulness. He decides that he will rule from Jerusalem, and he will. Despite Judah being totally unfaithful and in rebellion against him God made a promise to a man called David, and he will follow through on that promise - David's seed Jesus will sit on a throne, as a man forever.

Though Israel was unfaithful most of their history the Lord was still faithful in that if he said he would do something, he would. But note, he's not "just" faithful on the "nice" things but the "negative" things also. In other words read Deuteronomy 28 and the Lord is faithful to all of it, the blessings and the curses. Because he loves justice and he follows through. He is the God who acts.

Bringing that down to my little life and my every day living, it means God's faithfulness is not based on anything I do, I cannot affect the Lord's faithfulness. If I confess my sin he is faithful to forgive, end of story. If he begins a good work in my life he's faithful to complete it, end of story.

But how I experience his faithfulness is up to me!

Interesting thought
Wendy

The Christmas update

Well Christmas came and went, I think I had the best Christmas since living in Kansas City, it was relaxing, very much so, in fact we seemed to go back and forth from the table to eat back to the couches to nap. I think it's also easier because I don't have an expectation for things to "feel like Christmas" as I knew it growing up, because considering back home it's Summer and I spend it with my family that's not going to happen but close friends is a great alternative!!!!




By far the best thing about Christmas this year is my niece Caitlin Grace Dorothy Blundell was born, just over 7 pounds and in a little over 2 hours, I can't wait to meet her!




The "family picture" from Christmas day at Sarah's, it was definitly a family picture because when I announced it people complained, which is what we do in my family, then TJ couldn't find his timer on his camera, so many Christmas memories relived!!!





Christine, Amanda and Gabrielle as we open our stockings together and have hot chocolate with tim tams, for a taste of home for me :)

On another note, right now I'm studying the minor prophets a little and I really like them, but today my little job is to try and finish my knowledge of the holy outline, which was one of my goals to do this year, and now it's like 5 days left to go!!

Of counting and winter

I found counter that will tell me how many days until I come to New Zealand, now I don't have to try and work it out while I"m in the prayer room because it does it for me.

Winter is here, it's funny how you get used to something. The high can be 2 degrees (I'm talking NZ temp here) yes, that is the high, sometimes the high is less than that and this is the crazy thing, I'm used to it. My walking on ice ability is slowly improving with time and though I enjoy snow it's not as excited as it was when I was here for my first winter. I think Kansas City is starting to feel like home.......a little bit.

It's been a whole month

I can't believe it's been a month, time flies really fast sometimes. So I'm going to do a month in review and then try to be a little better at writing. Emphasis on the try part. So this month............

the weather got cold - the coat, scarves and hats are out and I have to confess I enjoy this aspect of the weather, I found out I love wearing hats, who knew? In Nz I only wore woolen hats skiing.

We had thanksgiving - I made pumpkin gooey butter cake ,didn't overcook it this time and it was pretty much amazing, I will make it next year,

I found out why everyone makes cakes and cookies from box and ready made stuff - it's so much cheaper! I needed a yellow cake mix for my recipe - it was one dollar, add butter and eggs and you have a cake! BUT homemade is always better and I will not yield (though I will eat things other people make from boxes)

Relational wholeness seminar - with our interns, this is a really great 2 day seminar that a couple from ihop do, but pretty intense, usually a need for a few more one on ones than normal

I GOT A NEW BIBLE - NASB Thompson Chain, a friend offered to buy me a new one when the other one he bought me last year broke in half. I think Thompson chain should give me a commission because I am telling lots of people about how great it is!

We got a Christmas tree, and stockings, Amanda and I decorated our tree with red and gold and it looks pretty, it's one of those plastic ones that comes with lights in it already so we can use it again, I'm happy to finally have a Christmas tree (now I need my family to send me presents to go under it!!!!)

I got my taxes done - I know really late and that's bad but I got them done and I don't owe the American government anything, praise the Lord, in fact they are giving me money back which is nice of them, I am totally having my tax done by some place like as soon as I can in January.

I think that's about it but I will leave with some thoughts after some conversations I've had with people recently

- Jesus did the Father's will perfectly, always obeyed and ended up on a cross - so when we pursue obedience can we expect anything less?

- Why talk to your friends about something but not to God, Jesus cares more about us than our friends do, and he has scars in his hands to prove it (note that doesn't mean don't talk to your friends, but I've noticed many people don't believe that he really is kind

He is always good

Happy pumpkin day

Really it was Andrea's birthday, but the theme of pumpkin ran all through my day last week.




This is a pumpkin patch (go state the obvious Wendy) and they are all orange, unlike New Zealand pumpkins which are kinda pale green. In the states pumpkin is primarily used for sweet thing, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffin, pumpkin spice chai. etc.



This is the Chocolate harvest cake that Lacey and I made that night, which is chocolate cake with cream cheese and pumpkin filling, it was amazing, we also made pumpkin butter cake, pumpkin apple cake and a smores easter, we then invited come friends around and feed them all our sugary goodness!

autumn/fall

Well it's here, it's fall, in NZ we say Autumn, but until writing this blog that didn't even cross my mind. It is strange the longer I'm here the less I use NZ termanology.

the beginning of Fall in KC is a lot like an NZ Summer, the sun is still warm and just cooler temperutures. I know it's really fall because tonight I switched my winter/summer wadrobe, which doesn't take very long as I don't have that many clothes, it's just getting out my super warm clothes from a bag and replacing them with summer tank tops and dresses that I wont wear 'till I VISIT NEW ZEALAND. I'm already super excited and it's still 4 months away but it'll go fast I know it. And my friends here will get the countdown too, I think I will start at 30 days.

My friend Sarah will probably come for 2 1/2 weeks which is so exciting to actually travel with someone else. I have done this trip quite a few times now so the idea of having someone in line with me is nice and being able to show her my country.

The end and the beginning

Well, Orientation with our interns is over. Which means I will no longer spend most of my day in the multipurpose room though I have to say I have really enjoyed orientation. Stuart spoke a lot about fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit it was so helpful and simple. Talk to God. all the time. About the Word.

I'm alone in my room for the first time since last Friday as one of my interns from last track stayed in my room until her apartment was done. I loved having her stay with me and staying up a little late talking about Jesus, we had a wonderful conversation last night about the cross that brought us both to silence, just wanting to think about the Lord's goodness.

Now Orientation is over FITN really begins, I'm starting to work on connecting with my eight interns, taking classes, doing what we do. I love it. And love Jesus through it all.

That's all for now
W