Whoopee, I’m back after 3 weeks of “missing in action”. Haha. It’s a pity I don’t get to write as much nowadays. I used to blog 3 times a week. Now I only get the luxury and time during weekends!
Easter holiday is coming next Friday. It’ll last 2 weeks. Next Friday we’ll be going to Phillip Island for a family camp with Casey Life International Church (CLIC). Haha, you must be wondering since when did we join such a church. Well, I haven’t had the chance to tell you guys about it. Here’s my chance.
Just over a month ago my dad met up with the CLIC church’s pastor through a friend. We visited CLIC in Berwick, just about 30 minutes from our home. CLIC is a family church with about less than 100 members. They don’t have a youth group established yet. Pastor Ken invited my dad to join the church to help build the youth and young adults’ ministry. My dad prayed about it and made the decision to go ahead with it.
It’s nearly been two months since we first visited CLIC church. We’ve been mingling around and settling in easily. There are only about 3 other kids my age. Haha yes, it’s a big change and I find it pretty scary but exciting at the same time. Meanwhile, I have decided I’ll commit to help out in the worship ministry. They found out that I play the violin, and last Sunday I was blessed with the opportunity to play with the team. Thank God it was all good, considering it was my first time!
So there you go – a short update on another new chapter for us. Meanwhile, my sisters and I have gotten into a daily routine. I’m surprised that we’re actually able to get up in the less-than-15-degree morning chill each day! My mum has also been so kind to prepare yummy school lunches for us. =) She says we’re having too much of a good life!
My school friends tell me that I’m so lucky to have my mum prepare nice food for me. Most of them will make their own lunch and go to school on their own. The kids here learn to be independent once they start school. Compared to them, I feel kinda’ spoiled. Haha.
Oh hey, I learned an important lesson this week that I must share with you! On Thursday, I had an English essay test. I must admit that I was a tad bit overconfident. We were given a topic that was related to the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet (we’ve been reading it the whole term). Incredibly, although I thought I won’t have a problem, I ended up with a writer’s block! I just didn’t know how to go on.
I barely made any progress and time was soon up. Thankfully, the teacher said that we have another period to continue the next day. I looked at the miserable paragraphs I managed to pen out and breathed a sigh of relief that I’ll have the chance to think up something so I’ll be better prepared the next day. xD
Although it was an incident that shook my self-confidence, I really must thank God for it. These few weeks, things have been going pretty well and I haven’t been feeling lousy like on the first day of school. It’s true that when all is good, you tend to bump God from being center-stage in your life. Well, I didn’t bump God off, but I do know I had shifted my confidence in God to myself. I guess that’s what happens all the time.
I realize that when I start to rely on my own abilities, I won’t accomplish anything as fulfilling as when I decided to let God be my boss. Like in writing the essay, I’ll end up with a “writer’s block”. So what does it take for God to get back my attention? By allowing problems to surface! At least that’s how it happens for me sometimes.
Problems draw me back to God because I realize that only He can give the solutions. It’s not that I fall away when I’m having a good time, but I just lose focus a bit. Nonetheless, God is always there whether I lose focus or not. The catch is, whenever we lose focus, we miss out on God's plan. We think we’re living life, but in actual fact we are heading nowhere.
I’m sure this is a lesson I’ll re-learn all my life. It’s no doubt that I’ll fall into it again. But we can be assured that God’s grace is always sufficient for us.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
Man, what an awesome proverb! My dad got me to memorize it ages ago. But it is only now that I can grasp and embrace its full meaning. =)
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