my room smells like Mr Sheen!

and that's always a good thing,

because it reminds me of summer.

I usually only get around to 'Mr Sheening' my room at the end of semester

when the dust has well and truly built up. . .

but last night i had a night in with dad

(we cooked enchiladas, listened to belinda carlise and watched 8 below, a movie he taped for me because it had canadian huskies in it that sled like the ones nicole and i went on in january ) 

but after the movie finished . . . 

i cleaned my bathroom 

and mr sheened my room. 

look at my clean, smoothe shelf. 

mmmm :) so dust free.

anyway, not quite sure what my point was there.

in other words!

i'd like to point out that this week,

i was reminded of how God really does care about the little things in my life.

Number 1

i went to the shops on thursday night and decided to bite the bullet. i haven't bought clothes from australia in about 3 years - i've just frequented the States and raided forever21 and H&M while i'm there.

but all my clothes from there are now faded or falling apart. i needed some more work clothes, so headed off to myer (like macy's) and just decided to buy whatever i needed. this is a good thing in moderation, i decided. for too long i've been taking my sisters clothes or just wearing old things that don't look too great. but it is good not to steal siblings clothes, to support my own needs and to share fine quality with others. 

Nicole couldn't make it so I txtd her photos and she told me her opinion. I asked her whether or not i looked like a fruit salad. she said no, but i beg to differ.

at 8.55pm in the changing room, the loudspeaker annouced that myer was closing in 5 minutes. i had gone in for rich coloured work clothes, and had only tried on colourful items. oh well. social work needs colour.

 at 9pm, i'd just about gathered all my belongings when they annouced that myer was closed. OKAYYY i thought. im COMING! I went out to the cash register, but nobody was around. all of a sudden a 'gaggle' of women walk past me and say 'oh hello, what are you doing here still? we're closed, we're the last of the workers here, we're going home.' WHAT?! i thought. its just gone 9pm, shouldn't you just be counting money and serving the last of the customers? nevertheless, i didn't say anything and agreed to come back later. 

later was today - when there was a 30% of already reduced marked items!! Yayy! Ok so i still spent $350 but i bought realllly nice colourful things, lots of them. 

number 2.

i was freaking about a bit about whether i had overcommitted myself to volunteering for a friend's charity project, when i had an assignment due that day, and two more due 2 days later. praying about it and trying to determine whether to pull out or not, i felt that verse come to me: 'LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? ..... who keeps his oath even when it hurts." i then felt God say 'trust me, let go and trust me. i will enable you to get it all done.' i relaxed, and later found out that the assignment due that day had been pushed forward a week! mm :) 

 number 3.

 and this is just in general. this actually happened at the beginning of the year, but i just wanted to mention it again because IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER.

early this year, i had a 4 month stint of practicum placement for uni, full time, without pay. i felt convicted against getting a part time job because it would cut into my nightime and weekend personal time which is filled with spending time with God, family and friends. especially with devouring books and growing closer to God. so i told my dilemma of having NO money for 4 months to my connect group girls, and we just prayed about it and committed it to God. 

THE . NEXT. WEEK. in febuary 2012, student welfare changed it's policy, backpaying me a LARGE sum and gave me handy fortnightly pocket money. God is so, so faithful. 

and it hasn't stopped! i've still got a job, but for some reason ANOTHER POLICY CHANGED which allows me to continue to get welfare but still have a job. 

i don't know where all this money is going to, or what i am saving up for, but i'm certainly being careful with it. i had this revelation about money and budgets not long ago out of Ephesians 4.28. i think it's important to 

 - not mooche off others

- support yourself and actually buy the things you need. (add to that, of good quality, because proverbs 31 woman was dressed in fine linen and purple. something there about the qaulity of things we purchase?)

- provide for others. i really want to be generous. i dont ever want to see money as 'mine', but i want to be somebody who can bless others. i'm currently waiting for God to reveal to me what it is that he would want me to spend it on my money on, but for now it's supporting myself so i don't keep wearing nicole's clothes. 

im excited to see where God would have me bless the rest of my money. 

perhaps it will be investing in something that will bring about further profits, to help fund something else? i don't know. i might chat to my mentor about that. 

on a slightly different topic.

 this was from my dear lecturer, Bill Budislek. He is about 70 and we have philosophical chats on life. I'd emailed him at 2pm that i forgot to add something to the assignment I'd just submitted online, and I'd wanted to add it before midnight, the time it was due.
This was his reply.
he's my favourite.

and this just sums up my entire academic life. a lecturer alluded to this metaphor in my first year and i've never forgotten it. 

she said 'Sometimes you'll feel as though your sinking and you're paddling trying to get up for air ... finally you'll come up, breathe and everything will be ok, before you're back under the water paddling trying to come up for air again.'

Right now,

i'm above water 

breathing freedom

and savouring it 

before the next wave of assessments and deadlines!

my soul is learning more than ever how to say .. 

' it is well '

 

and this is me with a BUBBLEGUM MACAROON.

yes i did say bubblegum macaroon.

nicole and i went shopping to pick up my purchases today, then had lattes, tea and BUBBLEGUM MACAROONS.

it was delicious.  

now excuse me, i'm off to a charity cocktail night 

to raise funds/awareness for HOPE Uganda

a charity that supports women's education in africa