{receive.}

"If you are avoiding the call of the religious thinking of today’s world, and instead are "looking unto Jesus" (Hebrews 12:2), setting your heart on what He wants, and thinking His thoughts, you will be considered impractical and a daydreamer." {Oswald Chambers}

My dreams are not too big for God. That is what He has shown me this week.

God astounds me. He really does. I now officially have plans for the year ahead, as a girl who likes to think of herself as a traveling gypsy of sorts...Waitakere, New Zealand sounds like a magical place to call home. This job came completely out of the blue, I never thought it would happen- and to think God is taking me to the country I've been dying to go to! It all seems too good to be true. This is how amazing He is...

-Plane ticket paid.
-Passport fees & all other traveling expenses, paid.
-A little partially furnished house all of my own.
-FOUR WEEKS PAID VACATION & paid holidays!
-Cheap rent & free food (though the house will have a kitchen if I want to cook)
-The opportunity to be trained in things I've been wanting to learn & be skilled at - rock climbing, kayaking, etc.
-A car if I need it, but cars are apparently extremely cheap in NZ (who knew!)
-Amazing Christian people to work with & learn from
-Because of my Australian citizenship I don't need any kind of work visa, I can just go!
-I will be close to my aunt's parents (aunt by marriage) & also hopefully be able to visit my grandparents in Australia on holidays.
-Did I mention it's in a beautiful country and only 20 minutes from Auckland?! Beaches, beaches, beaches.

Oh wow. He's just amazing. All those times of doubting...here He is showing me again His extravagant love.

I've been thinking about something all week. There's a man who works at Wal-mart, and I always seem to find myself in the check-out lane he works in. He's a cheerful older man who never fails to make me smile. He always claims he is "Fantastic, just fantastic!" when you ask him how he is, and before you leave he says "May Jesus bless you today." The other day I was with a friend and we were checking out groceries so we could cook together, and once again I ended up in his lane. As I was going to pay for the groceries my friend insisted that she help out with the cost. I refused, but she persisted until I finally agreed. The cashier watched us and spoke up, saying to me - "Receive the blessing, see she wants to bless you, you need to just accept it with joy." I realized that not only was he right, but what he was saying was about so much more than just groceries. How often do people speak words of truth to me and I dismiss them without thought? How often does God bless me and I don't even recognize it as a blessing but dismiss it as merely "coincidence". I have been so challenged by this dear man who is working a not-so-glamorous job, in a tough environment and yet exudes joy and impacts the people he meets. A beautiful heart.

God wants us to feel loved, He wants us to live as the beloved. He delights in us.