Philippians 4:13

I feel awful. Please pray.

Prayer.

So I’ve not really spoken much about my church, so I know that a lot of people don’t know what it’s like.

My church…is awesome. God-centred, loving, caring, willing to bend over backwards to help you out. I adore it. The pastor and his wife, along with their friend who works in the admin side of the church, are an amazing blessing and I honestly am so honoured to have been a part of their church.

However, (and there always seems to be a however doesn’t there?) they’re leaving. They’re moving back to the States at some point. Don’t follow? Ok. I’ll give you a bit of back story to this amazing couple and the blessing that they have been on our church.

Tam and Drew are originally from California, US. They moved over here about eleven or twelve years ago to plant a church, having been called whilst on their honeymoon here in Newcastle. They planted the church, and set up what was then known as the Upper Rooms, on the fifth floor of a building, 88 steps up with no working lift. Kudos if you got the reference. They were an amazing ministry to the city, keeping a lot of kids safe and proving that Jesus was patience, love, grace, and hope, rather than what these kids had been taught. A few years afterwards, trouble happened and they ended up closing. They moved around a bit, and finally, in 2009 thanks to God’s grace and providence, the church settled in what is now known as The House (again, kudos if you got the reference). They had been there just under a year when I came crashing through the doors. They are the church I refer to in my testimony, the tool that God used to truly save me, and I just…don’t have words to express the love and thanks I have for these guys. They’re truly amazing.

However, in July time, Drew’s mom got real sick. She developed cancer, and it was later discovered that it was terminal. She was given 6 months ish to live, and passed that 6 months on December 17th. She’s still going, but there’s more. His dad, who is caring for his mom, has developed a series of heart problems, and as the icing on the cake, he has skin cancer. I’ll put it this way to describe his parents. They are prayer warriors. Honestly, Drew told us about a time he remembers before he knew Christ when he would come down stairs in the morning to his mom, lying prostrate on the floor, praying. She would’ve been there for hours. They’ve donated somewhere in the region of a house’s worth of money towards our church, and are one of the biggest contributors to our church, making it possible for Drew and Tam to live here, supporting themselves and their kids, without any income from the actual church.

They came back from visiting the states in early January, and they both realised that God had called them back to the States. We found out tonight, at the AGM (annual general meeting), and I was floored. I honestly didn’t know what to say; they’re part of the church, so intergral to our church, that we don’t know what to do anymore. We have no-one that is able to step forward and take their place, yet they have a sense of urgency about their decisions because of what Drew’s mom and dad are going through right now.

I don’t know what to ask for. Prayer, mainly. But also advice. I feel like I have something to really contribute towards our body, as does Chris, but we’re in such a fragile time right now. 169 days till our wedding, Chris still doesn’t have a job and I have another year and a bit of university left. We don’t care where we end up, but we want to be able to help out.

Please pray for everyone involved guys. Joyce and Steve are amazing and inspirational people, they’ve blessed us so much, not only through money, but also through Tam and Drew and their being with us.

K.

elleinwonderland asked: Your courage and grace standing up to anons inspires me :) I always find it both strange and saddening that so often dialogue between theists and atheists degrades into people calling others stupid, needy, immature and in need of a psychological crutch. Strange that 9 times out of 10 it's always the atheist with the insults and the Christian with the respectful but straight 'you're wrong.'

Oh my darling, thank you. I think this is just what was needed after today. I have to admit, I feel like I’ve copped out of the discussion by turning anonymous off, but I could feel myself losing control over my mouth (or in this case, hands). I would rather be seen as weaker in this argument than disrespect myself and my Saviour by resorting to name-calling.

Anonymous asked: Research? Look it up. The human body can cope with the stupid shit you do to yourself, that's not proof of god. I don't believe in Creationism or a garden of god, so that's rubbish. Well I find this interesting. You have chosen one very particular brach of Theism, despite the many on offer to you throughout the world. If any one is right, the rest of us are going to hell. Why have you chosen this one? Also, if you've fornicated, aren't you going to burn in hell forever?

And my point is proven. Yes, the human body can cope with a lot, but mine shouldn’t have been able to. I’ve been told by several different doctors that essentially, they don’t know how I survived, and that by medical standards, I should be dead.

I haven’t chosen any of this, this is just something that has happened and I’ve gratefully accepted it. No, fornication does not mean I am going to burn in hell forever. I have accepted Christ’s love and forgiveness. This conversation is over friend, you’re clutching at straws and I wish to save you the embarassment.

Anonymous asked: I'm saying we don't know that you're not. Dogs feel guilt, not to a human level, but that's a matter of evolutionary heirarchy. Why would such a great, omniscient god need sacrifice of a loved one to prove that he's loved. Is god a little insecure? Why without god would you be dead at fifteen? Man is evil, made in god's image then? Corrupted by a talking snake I presume? Poppycock. You don't know anything comes after death. Not criticizing all Christian action, but what about HIV/AIDS prevention

If you would like to provide me with scientific research that proves your theory, I’d be happy to read it. Otherwise, you’re clutching at straws my friend. God is not insecure, not did He need the sacrifice of Isaac to feel loved. In my understanding, He did it to show Abraham that he needed to trust God with everything, even his family.

Without God, yes, I would’ve died at fifteen. The overdoses I took, the malnourishment I put my body through, the alcohol I consumed, the situations I put myself in, they all would’ve caused my death if God hadn’t stepped in. No, I don’t have a miraculous story of healing, although I have friends who do. No, I don’t have a story about seeing angels, but I have friends who do. No, God didn’t stop me from being hurt in those situations, but He stopped me from dying. Several different doctors have told me that they don’t understand, from what they know of my past, how I’m not dead already or dying from liver and kidney failure. The pain I suffered in those situations has merely served to reinforce the knowledge of exactly how close to death I came, and how much the Lord has saved me from.

Man is evil; given the choice between spending eternity in the Garden with God or being like God, they chose to strive to be like God and in doing so, sinned. It’s interesting actually, if you read the passage carefully, the argument that women are weaker because we sinned first and therefore caused the fall of the human race is a fallacy. But I shan’t go into that now.

What about HIV/AIDS prevention? I am aware that the Catholic Church has had some….controversial stances on the topic, but surely you know by now that not all denominations of Christianity are the same, and to tar us all with the same brush would be an injustice similar to tarring all Germans with the same brush as Hitler. Just because we’re all followers of Christ doesn’t mean that we agree on certain topics.

In Christ.

Kat.