I know youre all due for an update on life, an i started one the other day, was going to finish it... but I need to fill you in on other stuff... the sort of stuff that must take precedence...
Please hear this, I am going to be completely honest in this, and it is not my intention to make anyone uncomfortable...or to force anything on anyone... But I have to share with you, there are jut some blessings that arent meant to be kept to yourself, theyre given to be shared, My deepest prayer is that whoever you are, wherever you are, that this might be a blessing to you today.
As some of you may know I had a last minute trip to london planned, and within a week i had gone from USA to UK. I still love this city, but today I was so happy, content, excited and blessed. I went to Hillsong church. Most of my aussie friends and family will know that Hillsong church in Sydney Australia has had a real impact on Churchlife in Australia, and they make a significant contribution to the unchurched in many ways. They have greatly led the way for churches all over the country, and they have two other locations, Kiev and London. Today I went to Hillsong London. I have been to numerous Hillsong conferences, which have helped transform my heart, encouraged me in times of trouble, and strengthened me in my weakened faith. Nothing compared to what I experienced tonight.
They say that when you lose someone you love there are places, smells, sounds, reminders everywhere. Memories made in that place, with those sounds... many people put this to falling in love, the place of the first date, the first song you danced to, their smell (good or bad!!). I fell in love a long time ago, with a God who created me, and a man who died so I could live forever with them, beyond this lifetime and into Heaven. I fell so deep and so hard, that twenty years later I am still very much in love with him. For eleven years I fell more in love in the one same church, Riverview. To say that I struggled with a change of environments when I moved to the states is an understatement. I was singing songs about a God I believed in by people who didnt believe. I was singing songs made in the 90's instead of changing the set list as hillsongs (and Riverviews)musical reportoire (is that how its spelt?!) grew. I struggled with the theologies that some ministers hold, not to say any of this is bad, its just different.
Today I went to that place of memory, I heard the songs that I fell in love with my God to. I felt the same warmth that I had grown accustomed to, and I worshipped God in a manner that I was comfortable with, I reached out my hand to my God who continues to shower me with his blessings and I praised him. I worshipped because he is so wonderful to me, I worshipped because he saved me, I worshipped because I love him, I worship because thats the only way I could try to thank him.
The USA churches have been wonderful, and God has challenged and moved me through those churches and the amazing people in them. Sometimes its just good to go back to the basics of when you first fell in love, and sometimes that is as simple as playing that special song.
Tonight also served to me as a reminder that the church of the world is so diverse, it has something for everyone. Tommy Barnett spoke tonight, he founded the dream centre, which now has a number of centres over the world. I have recently met a girl who works at the dream centre, who offered for me to stay with her, so I could get a feel for how it runs, as it has been a lifelong dream of mine to open something very similar in the broken streets of Australia. Its amazing how God orchestrates these things to work together so perfectly to make our lives more abundant... and some would try to call it coincidence! A funny thing happened... I went up the fron after the service, I just wanted to meet the pastor of the church. He was an australian guy, and I just wanted to have a little connection in the church for when I come back... so Im waiting, thinking to myself i should just turn around and go home, not even worry about it, and then Tommy barnett just walks up and shakes my hand, and hes all thanks for coming and im all thanks for coming, took me split second to realize wat had actually happened, it was like "oh yeh, just met Tommy Barnett... WAIT a second... oh... woah... just met TOMMY BARNETT!"
ANyway, needless to say a lot of stuff went on tonight, and these were the particulars that I know I needed to share. I pray that for those of you in church, you would never get too comfortable so as not to appreciate what you've got, AND that you never forget the need to challenge yourself, so as to remain strengthened in your spirits. For those of you who choose not to attend church or whatever reason I pray that you would simply hear my heart, listen to your own heart, and be blessed.
know that I love you, He loves you, and he wants to make your life more amazing, if you'll let him
All my love
Te-Neele
