Gigs galore

It's almost August. WOW. Time really really flies.

It's gig season again...gigs seem to increase during august and sept. I still haven't figured out why. Maybe more people get married during these times. Spring? Well..only maybe 20% of the gigs have been weddings in the past 3 years.

But I praise God for availing this Childers gig last weekend. And I also praise Him for availing 2 more paid gigs this coming August and Sept. One a month, plus heaps of teaching is already very packed. [plus the twice a month 'gigs' for the worship team. hehe.] This is because preparing for a gig takes practice and rehearsal time too.

But it's way healthier for my ears and soul. Personally, being with lots of genuinely slow or just unmotivated students can be veryvery taxing on my soul. I hate teaching people who do not progress at all. Or Regress even. Arghhhh. I am fairly task-oriented and like things to run smoothly. Efficiently. Productively. Sigh....It's a season of testing.

But praise God. He gives me much more everyday than I deserve.

Does my Donkey offend you? Day 2 in Hillsong.

Yeap. No kiddin'. That's the title of Brian Houston's sermon. It was a very memorable one for me though. He is not a gifted chairperson by ANY means. Always kinda blur and not sure of the timetable and saying weird stuff. But when he preaches it's quite different. The anointing is on!

Here are some notes about this sermon [the unapologetic christian is the formal title]

He talked about the donkey that Jesus rode on to Jerusalem. A colt. A fresh thing. No one has prob ridden on it before. An untried vehicle...A risk.

What is in my hands? rather than make it complicated, just be faithful with our own resources. LOOSE the donkey. Don't tie it up. OR, obey God to loose other people's donkeys [what the disciples did]

The colt was not 'ready' but Jesus picked it anyway.

We need to be open to the mind of Jesus.

There are donkeys that the world owns, but 'The Lord has need of it' [what the disciples were told to say to the owner of the donkey]

They put their clothes on the donkey as a saddle - we need to give something of ourselves to the cause and to the Lord. If you want people to set THEIR clothes and give themselves [they did in the story], you need to set Jesus on the donkey. Not just the donkey, but primarily, it's Jesus sitting on it.

Don't get enamoured with the donkey. But don't apologise for using it.

IS Jesus Christ being glorified? Don't apologise for passion for God and his house. See success as it is, a donkey.... it is not a crowd attractor, because JESUS IS!

It really touched my heart and refreshed my spirit...

Childers and Ssssalsa!

It's been ages since my last proper gig, 4-5 months I think.

This salsa gig with La Gran Salsa is really God's blessing. I really need the money my resources are running quite low due to all my Sydney and Adelaide trip expenses. I also needed to get out of the routine and rut of teaching. Frankly teaching music is not my cup of tea. I'm going it for experience, for money and because I am here in Brissy [that's how most musos in Brisbane earn their money: gigs and teaching]

I also really enjoyed playing again. SOOOO rusty. Can't do a proper solo in C#minor and B7....argh...!My timing is all over the place...well at least during the first set. Warmed up a bit by the 2nd and 3rd set. Latin music is so cool...

On a more serious note,

I thank God for the opportunity to share with a girl amongst a bunch of ppl who are often anti-Christian, and sometimes have man strange values. My heart ached as I watched them and this thought came to me," At this rate, these people are not going to face Jesus at judgement day with any happiness. They're lost."

I also got to share with one of my old high school mates on Friday...long conversation...she was here for a visit after back-packing in NZ and I really prayed for the opportunity to share. God gave it to me. And my heart ached again...

Will they ever come to you God?

Day 1 of Sydney and Hillsong

Well, it's about time I started digesting Hillsong. Other things are coming my way.

I stayed over with Di Friday night. She has inspired me with her hospitality of letting her guest sleep on her bed while she sleeps on the mattress on the floor. Thanks Di! In the morning, Oan came with Sean and Charmaine and we all went to the airport together.

Tired and sleepy, we reached Sydney earlier than expected and went out separate ways to different accomodation places. I was staying with Aunty Choon Sia, an old friend of my Papa.

Seven Hills, the suburb where this aunty lives, is about 45 minutes from the city. I settled down to read the Purpose Driven Church in that time. But a Chinese girl was frantically asking for directions in the train. I, having arrived 1 1/2 hours at Sydney for the first time, had been so 'smart'!hehe... I studied all the train tracks on the map, particularly the line I was on. And I was able to answer her question! She ended up being a 3rd generation[they are rare] Christian from China, and the lady beside us was Catholic too. The Aussie lady was saying, "you just know God ppl, you can tell by looking at them".

A thought to ponder about. I've had this "Look" thing said to me a few times by non-christians. Somehow, even by looking, people know you belong to God, or have a "radiance" or whatever...strange...

The house was lovely. I was out quite soon after for the first session. Travelling was quite simple and I wasn't too stressed by the new environment. How I've grown since the first day I stepped into Australia!

The first session opened with "One love" sang by this unknown woman with a gorgeously strong voice. the set was spectacular, with great lights and awesome multimedia. Darlene led P and W later, singing the songs from the new CD. [I was soon to be very tired of those same songs, Sigh. Overkill]

Highlights: 4.30-->Robert Behringer was an unknown speaker from peru. He's not inspiring or charismatic. But I really was touched by his sharing and his pioneering into the mountain villages of Peru, and his work among the handicapped of the community. These are the people that will be rewarded richly in heaven...

Judah Smith spoke at 7.30pm. I've never seen him live. He is very funny and articulate. But most importantly he carried a very strong anointing in his message. He spoke about 'Embracing grace', not new stuff, but managed to bring such conviction into his preaching. I was very moved and the sort of alter call he gave at the end, I immediately responded. I don't stay in 'worthy world' anymore, trying to be worthy all the time...it's been so hard for not to try to earn favour.

Went home completely exhausted. Tbc...

Sydney and Hillsong

Back.

It feels strange yet good at the same time.

I'm a creature of routine. Throw me out of it and I get disgruntled. However, God seems to like to introduce lots of interruptions that are good for me or sometimes just tests of character.

Can't digest Sydney's happenings yet. I need to start work soon and can't process everything...I like Sydney moderately. It's lovely and it's advanced, but it's also dirty and has too many ppl...

I'll blog about Hillsong conference bit by bit.

The food experience, which was great, is in charislovesfood.blogspot.com.

But here, I'll leave the pictures of Lindt's heavenly dark hot choc drink with lots of choc bits inside it. Loved every sip!

Marriage - something poignant

Marriage is having someone to curl up with when the world seems cold, and life uncertain.

It is having someone who is as concerned as you are when your children are ill.

It is having a hand that keeps checking your forehead when you aren't well.

To be married is to have someone's shoulder to cry on as they lower your parent's body into the ground.

It is wrapping wrinkled knees in warm blankets and giggling without teeth.

To the person you marry you are saying,

"When my time comes to leave this world and the chill of eternity blows away my birthdays and my future stands still in the night, it's your face that I want to kiss goodbye. It's your hand that I want to squeeze as I slip into eternity. And as the curtain closes, i want to look into your eyes and see that I mattered. Not what I looked like. Not what I did or how much money I made. Not even how talented I was. I want to look into the teary eyes of someone who loved me and see that I mattered!"

Woman, Thou art loosed! - T.D. Jakes