focus...

lately i have found myself losing focus at times... getting distracted by tv, internet, games and even my own thoughts.  So i have decided that next week i am going to fast the tv, videos, computer/internet and games... and the reason that i am saying so on here is not to brag about it... but for accountability... cause if i write it somewhere/tell someone, i am more likely to do it properly... and also to let you know that i am not going to be blogging at all next week.

i am going to start on Saturday the 21st and go til sun 29th at 5pm.  the only exceptions is if i am watching something as a part of work or as community.

update

An update on the results from the bushfire... 

181 people confirmed dead

over 5000 homeless

A number of fires are still out of control,

There is a bushfire relief fund, which

As at 7.00pm on the 10th February, the Fund had received $30.4 million from over 166,000 website and phone donations, with governments including the Victorian Government and Federal Government and corporates pledging additional sums. Donations are still continuing to flow in.

There are over 200 Salvos helping out in the areas, offering food, financial help, and crisis counselling.

Please continue to for those that have been affected by this fire, and also for all that are offering support and counselling... 

victorian bushfires

This weekend has been huge... several fires have swept through different parts of Victoria, leave devastation in it's wake...  So far the death toll of the fires is at 109, at least 750 homes have been lost, and more than 330,000 hectares have been burnt out. There have been whole towns that have been wiped out by the fires.  Many of the people and property affected by the bushfires but have also affected by the drought over  the last few years.

Some 3733 people have registered with the Red Cross after evacuating their properties... there are some amazing stories of survival... which can be read here...http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25026484-5006301,00.html

However all of these numbers are expected to rise when the police, fire services and military people are able to get into areas that are still unsafe to enter.

What makes these fires worst, it is believed that some of the fires were lit intentionally... 

This map shows areas where fires have been burning, and has some of the story of what has happened there   http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?moduleurl=http://www.google.com/mapmaker/mapfiles/s/mapplet.xml&ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=-38.09566,145.717163&spn=3.155651,4.921875&z=8&msid=109203007921677191325.00046263080421b8a97d7

 

500 Volunteer firefighters have been coming from nsw, tas and nsw to help put out the fires... At the moment there is cool weather in Victoria, which is helpful to get the fires under control, however fire fighters have only til the weekend to have these fires under control, cause it is forecast for hot weather, which than create similar condition to this past weekend when the fires took hold.

So please pray for all who have lost family, friends, property, possession, for those that are fighting the fires, and all that are on the front lines providing support for both the victims of the fire and the firefighters.  

love them like Jesus.

I've been reflecting over this week... and been thinking about the people that i have been talking to, a number of them full of hurts and pain.  One guy that i was talking to on monday, wanted to change his life, wanted to get straight again, and make a difference in the world, he also was thinking about getting right with God, but something was holding him back from actually deciding to.  When i went out on friday i was hoping that i would see him, and talk and pray with him more, but i didn't see him... i saw the lady that he was with the other day, so i chatted with her for a while, and she was saying that she heard that this guy was in the remand centre, cause he hadn't been rocking up to his patrol meetings.

Another lady was having a bad day... the place where she was staying, apparently decided that they would make a rule stating that people living there couldn't have people visit there rooms, and also she had the police come in while she was sleeping, to raid her place.  This is a women who has been trying to do the right thing, so that she could get her children back... so with all this combined she was a shattered person that night.

Another friend has separated from her husband... 

When you stop and listen to people's stories you can hear the hurt and the pain, even when they are trying to put on a brave face... and sometimes you don't know what to say or even do... especially when they are questioning everything...

the best thing that we can do is love them like Jesus.

This song from casting crowns sums up a couple of the stories I've heard lately... and is a great reminder of what we can do... and that Jesus is holding them 

The love of her life is drifting away
They’re losing the fight for another day
The life that she’s known is falling apart
A fatherless home, a child’s broken heart

You’re holding her hand, you’re straining for words
You trying to make - sense of it all
She’s desperate for hope, darkness clouding her view
She’s looking to you

Just love her like Jesus, carry her to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don’t need the answers to all of life’s questions
Just know that He loves her and stay by her side
Love her like Jesus
Love her like Jesus

The gifts lie in wait, in a room painted blue
Little blessing from Heaven would be there soon
Hope fades in the night, blue skies turn to grey
As the little one slips away

You’re holding their hand, you’re straining for words
You’re trying to make sense of it all
They’re desperate for hope, darkness clouding their view
They’re looking to you

Just love them like Jesus, carry them to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don’t need the answers to all of life’s questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus

Lord of all creation holds our lives in His hands
The God of all the nations holds our lives in His hands
The Rock of our salvation holds our lives in His hands
He cares for them just as He cares for you

So love them like Jesus, love them like Jesus
You don’t need the answers to all of life’s questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus
Love them like Jesus

in shape.

today was my first game back at basketball for this year... it was a good game... but afterwards i am sore... i have sore legs muscles, and a nice wood burn on my leg... I was thinking about why my muscles were sore, and it is because i haven't done any real exercise for about 3 weeks, i haven't been disciplined to go out and exercise ... i was out of shape... not used to it.  If i had been disciplined and excercised during the break, the game would of been a lot easier and i would not have pulled up sore afterwards.

This got me thinking about our spiritual life... we got to be disciplined, other wise we end up spiritually unfit... which would mean we wouldn't hear God as clearly and fall to temptation and attacks of the emeny more often...  

How ever if we disciplined ourselves to spend time with God, to pray, read the bible, and spend time with other Christians in fellowship... we become spiritually in shape, the more time with God we have, the more that we surrender to Him the more spiritually fit we become.  We not only learn the promises of God, but we also claim them in Christ.  And the more disciplined we are with spending time with Christ, the more we want to...