Hello Lovelies Wherever You Are! I hope you are doing amazing today. I just wanted to share with you what I thought was an absolutely breathataking scripture that I found! Psalm 33:1 reads, "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful."
Praise from the upright is beautiful. Selah (pause and think on that).
Who doesn't want to be attractive in life? Whether physical, personality, etc. We want others to want to be around us. And sometimes we will do the most ridicuous things to try and make it happen!
Who doesn't like to be around beautiful people? Beauty attracts. Physical beauty attracts. Emotional beauty attracts. Beautiful places, beauty in nature, beauty in art. We as humans are attracted to beauty and have an innate desire to be beautiful ourselves. Why? Because we are made in the image of God and God is beautiful and is attracted to beauty.
About a week ago, in my quiet time, I was in a moment where I was just blown away with the thought and realization that God not only loves me, He likes me. He likes being with me. He is drawn and attracted to me. What a concept.
It is not based on doing things for Him or only when I am feeling, or being, "superspiritual". It is not a robotic, I-am-God-therefore-I-must-love-you-with-my-generic-God-like-Love. NO! It is based on the specific uniqueness of who I am that grabs the heart and attention of God towards me. And you. Whether it is because He thinks you are funny or loves to hear your deep, contemplative thoughts, or loves the way you are good with people, or you truly enjoy fixing things with your hands. Whatever! He thoroughly enjoys YOU! And one of the most beautiful and breathtaking things about you to God is when you praise Him.
I know, I know, but praise is one of those super spritual things right? Wrong. We make it super spritual. If we look at the first part of that verse, " Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise..." The psalmist is equating praise with rejoicing in the Lord. The dictionary defines rejoice as "taking delight in, to be glad". That's it! Take delight in the Lord for He takes delight in YOU. It's as simple as that.
First things first, be glad at what God has made you. Take delight in the simplicity of a Father that thinks you are something pretty special. Whatever you are doing right now, stop and take a moment to pick one thing about yourself that is an innate trait of yours, put there by God Himself and thank Him for it.
Don't just love yourself for the sake of loving yourself. That is futile and fruitless. Understand that the One who painted the sunsets, colored the depths of the ocean, and crafted the canyons and mountains, painted and colored You. He crafted You. Thank Him for your hair color, for your height, your body shape and size, for your mental abilities, artistic abilities, your ability to trouble shoot complex things, to make people laugh, etc.
Pick something that you may think is totally useless and thank Him and give HIM praise for it. Psalm 139:14, " I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." And then let Him talk to you about it. You will be shocked at what He has to say. He thinks it is beautiful, and when we praise Him for it we become even more beautiful to Him. He can't help but be attracted to us. For praise (however small we think it may be) from the upright is beautiful!
I truly pray that you would know the height, depth, and width of the love of our God for you today. Because when you do, it will revolutionize your life and rock your world forever.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Elephant Wisdom
So. I know it has been a bit since the last one and I said I would begin to keep up better, but we all know the story... too busy, too tired, etc., and for me the real big thing is I try to make things too perfect (shock and awe, I know ;). Seriously though, I could blog every day. My problem is, I don't always have a computer... and then, even if I did, we would fall back into previously said dilemmas (busy, tired, etc.). So, I have decided I will try, key word-TRY, to do smaller, shorter blogs more often. Just quick updates, thoughts, things God is doing, saying, etc.
Truly this will be so much better because, as some friends and I were talking the other day, when we talk to family and friends back home SO MUCH is going on, internally and externally, on so many levels, that you really don't even know where to start when trying to relay things. So, how do you eat an elephant? That's right, say it with me... "one bite at a time"! (which, in my personal opinion, is really quite a gross analogy).
So on to our first analogical bite (what???). Last I wrote, I was busy being squeezed through a metal door getting my flesh ripped off ;). Don't worry, it was just a flesh wound! What a time of inner testing and struggle we endured at first, but we feel that now we have truly entered into a time of breakthrough in circumstances, as well as just a shattering of mindsets and attitudes that, in all truth, were downright ugly and a hindrance to moving forward in our lives with God.
Next bite. Jobs. I am very, very happy to report that both B and I have jobs as of yesterday!! I will work as a waitress at Outback Steakhouse, which is more than ironic to me, and B got hired on at a production company. Right now, he works in the warehouse loading and unloading sound equipment and such from trucks. It pays to be big in this case, literally :). The guy that is his boss used to be on staff at Hillsong under Darlene Zscech (in production) and they do alot of the big Hillsong events, etc. It is just another great opportunity to learn and be a part of such amazing people's lives.
School. Brandon is still loving his classes. He will blog at some point more on that cuz I really don't know anything :) . He is currently being trained as the Technical Director of Sisterhood, which honestly, I am not sure all that it entails, but basically he will be in charge of making sure all things technical (i.e. sound, sound checks, lighting, tv crew, the live links between campuses, etc., etc., etc.) are all running smoothly, on time, trouble shooting as problems arise, etc.! And then after every Sisterhood he will be debriefing the entire team on what things went well and not so well, etc. It is such a great opportunity and I am SO proud of him. I know he will do an awesome job at it once his training is done.
Life is settling down and we are starting to feel like normal people again. And it officially took me 8 weeks to get behind on life. That has to be a record of some sort! Maybe that's why I feel normal now... b/c my days are spent trying to catch up!! We have met some truly amazing people here and really enjoying our new friendships.
So far, all I can tell you about Hillsong Church is that it is not what you, as outsiders looking in, think it is (and what we thought). Now that we have been here for 2 1/2 months (which is not long at all), we are just beginning to experience the heartbeat of this church and all I can say is, I'm in love.
Just one quick, and rather important, amazing testimony of our God that we wanted to share, and this will take some vulnerability on our part to share this, but think it is important and worth doing so. Shortly after we moved here we shared with a lot of you the state of our finances. Without going into a lot of the detail again, after getting here we realized our finances were scheduled to run out 4-6 weeks after we arrived. Well they lasted 4 weeks and then were totally, completely gone. We are now on week 11 and have never missed a rent payment (which is weekly) or gone without food or any necessity! Through the generosity of family and friends back in the States, and even through our new friends and family here, for 7 weeks God has Faithfully and Miraculously showed up, meeting our every need and completely blowing our minds along the way. We, as people, do not even comprehend the word Father and Love the way He so desires us to.
I cannot tell you how difficult this process was for us to be that reliant on God, DAILY, in a way we have never experienced in our lives. At first it drained us on a consistent basis, but then as God proved Himself over and over again, and really dealt with our hearts and attitudes, I can honestly say that it really became such a minor thing in our lives to deal with. There were days I didn't even think about it b/c of the reality that it became for me that my God, my Father, was completely aware of our needs and was absolutely going to look out for me and my family. So THANK YOU to those who have given, and still are, and have been praying for us. You just do not know what it means to us. Truly.
Well, I am feeling pretty full on this elephant for now, how about you? We will have to save the rest for another day. I know this one is a little long, and they won't be from here on out, but before I go, we do want to always let you know what areas you can be praying about for us and with us.
1) We really need a car. It takes me about 45 min or so to walk to work and it takes Brandon an hour to walk to his work, which he did yesterday in the rain.
2) Just continued prayer for finances. Though we have jobs, our paychecks have not kicked in yet and will not be at their best for a couple weeks.
3) Favor, open doors and opportunities, etc. as we seek to live out all that God has for us in this life so that we can truly be a blessing to others, making an impact on this earth for the kingdom of God.
Love to all who read this. And know that God's plans for you and your family are above all that you could ever think, ask, or hope.
xoxo
Jz, B, Sas, and our Chinese son, Asher
Truly this will be so much better because, as some friends and I were talking the other day, when we talk to family and friends back home SO MUCH is going on, internally and externally, on so many levels, that you really don't even know where to start when trying to relay things. So, how do you eat an elephant? That's right, say it with me... "one bite at a time"! (which, in my personal opinion, is really quite a gross analogy).
So on to our first analogical bite (what???). Last I wrote, I was busy being squeezed through a metal door getting my flesh ripped off ;). Don't worry, it was just a flesh wound! What a time of inner testing and struggle we endured at first, but we feel that now we have truly entered into a time of breakthrough in circumstances, as well as just a shattering of mindsets and attitudes that, in all truth, were downright ugly and a hindrance to moving forward in our lives with God.
Next bite. Jobs. I am very, very happy to report that both B and I have jobs as of yesterday!! I will work as a waitress at Outback Steakhouse, which is more than ironic to me, and B got hired on at a production company. Right now, he works in the warehouse loading and unloading sound equipment and such from trucks. It pays to be big in this case, literally :). The guy that is his boss used to be on staff at Hillsong under Darlene Zscech (in production) and they do alot of the big Hillsong events, etc. It is just another great opportunity to learn and be a part of such amazing people's lives.
School. Brandon is still loving his classes. He will blog at some point more on that cuz I really don't know anything :) . He is currently being trained as the Technical Director of Sisterhood, which honestly, I am not sure all that it entails, but basically he will be in charge of making sure all things technical (i.e. sound, sound checks, lighting, tv crew, the live links between campuses, etc., etc., etc.) are all running smoothly, on time, trouble shooting as problems arise, etc.! And then after every Sisterhood he will be debriefing the entire team on what things went well and not so well, etc. It is such a great opportunity and I am SO proud of him. I know he will do an awesome job at it once his training is done.
Life is settling down and we are starting to feel like normal people again. And it officially took me 8 weeks to get behind on life. That has to be a record of some sort! Maybe that's why I feel normal now... b/c my days are spent trying to catch up!! We have met some truly amazing people here and really enjoying our new friendships.
So far, all I can tell you about Hillsong Church is that it is not what you, as outsiders looking in, think it is (and what we thought). Now that we have been here for 2 1/2 months (which is not long at all), we are just beginning to experience the heartbeat of this church and all I can say is, I'm in love.
Just one quick, and rather important, amazing testimony of our God that we wanted to share, and this will take some vulnerability on our part to share this, but think it is important and worth doing so. Shortly after we moved here we shared with a lot of you the state of our finances. Without going into a lot of the detail again, after getting here we realized our finances were scheduled to run out 4-6 weeks after we arrived. Well they lasted 4 weeks and then were totally, completely gone. We are now on week 11 and have never missed a rent payment (which is weekly) or gone without food or any necessity! Through the generosity of family and friends back in the States, and even through our new friends and family here, for 7 weeks God has Faithfully and Miraculously showed up, meeting our every need and completely blowing our minds along the way. We, as people, do not even comprehend the word Father and Love the way He so desires us to.
I cannot tell you how difficult this process was for us to be that reliant on God, DAILY, in a way we have never experienced in our lives. At first it drained us on a consistent basis, but then as God proved Himself over and over again, and really dealt with our hearts and attitudes, I can honestly say that it really became such a minor thing in our lives to deal with. There were days I didn't even think about it b/c of the reality that it became for me that my God, my Father, was completely aware of our needs and was absolutely going to look out for me and my family. So THANK YOU to those who have given, and still are, and have been praying for us. You just do not know what it means to us. Truly.
Well, I am feeling pretty full on this elephant for now, how about you? We will have to save the rest for another day. I know this one is a little long, and they won't be from here on out, but before I go, we do want to always let you know what areas you can be praying about for us and with us.
1) We really need a car. It takes me about 45 min or so to walk to work and it takes Brandon an hour to walk to his work, which he did yesterday in the rain.
2) Just continued prayer for finances. Though we have jobs, our paychecks have not kicked in yet and will not be at their best for a couple weeks.
3) Favor, open doors and opportunities, etc. as we seek to live out all that God has for us in this life so that we can truly be a blessing to others, making an impact on this earth for the kingdom of God.
Love to all who read this. And know that God's plans for you and your family are above all that you could ever think, ask, or hope.
xoxo
Jz, B, Sas, and our Chinese son, Asher
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Hello Beautiful People!!
We have been in Sydney, Australia for 7 weeks now and cannot believe how quickly time is going! Last week we finally got internet (what a story that was!) and so now have the opportunity to blog about our time and experiences here.
Truly though, so much has happened during our time without internet that I hardly even know where to start. God's provision and favor has been with us since the beginning. Just one thing after another - housing, roommates, furnishings, etc. it was a real encouragement.
Just little things even, like praying (some might call it whining :) about not being able to drink coffee in the morning and then voila! A perfectly good coffee maker appears on the side of the road. Just a side note to all who are not familiar with this concept... everyone puts their stuff on the side of the road... it's really weird, but highly beneficial to us! We got our couch, t.v., coffee pot, desk, t.v. stand, and more. all on someone's curb to be thrown out! It truly is amazing how God provides. And a crazy thing is, in some weird way, all of our stuff coordinates and matched rather well with the each other and the house. Which if you saw the house or our couch, you would know what an accomplishment of heaven that is :).
We have truly had to buy very little for the house between curbs, the college storage, and wonderful people who donated so much to us. Even toys for the kids! I have felt so blessed by God and the body of Christ.
Quick rundown of everything (will go more in detail about stuff later but just trying to catch up right now). B is in his third week of school now and he is LOVING it! Everyday he comes home just overflowing with the stuff they are teaching. He "RPL'd" his first year, which basically means that they took all of his CFNI classes and decade of experience and gave him credit for his first full year. So he is officially in second year now. He serves in the production every Sunday and does "lock and load" every week for Sisterhood (more about Sisterhood later). And he plays football every Thursday morning as his elective. He's pretty happy!
As far as the kids and I are concerned, we have tons, if not too much, to do! Between all the services over the weekend, Sisterhood, connect groups, and the homeschooling groups we are never left bored for long. This makes me very happy :)! And the kids are really enjoying it all as well.
Which by the way, as of today, Safari is officially registered to homeschool in New South Wales. Yay!! We had the home visit this morning and we passed... whew! Now the trick lies in actually carrying out all that I said I would ;). God has been doing so much in my heart concerning this area, I am truly excited to see what He does with this. But once again, more on that later.
Let's see... what else?? The church! Hillsong Church blows my mind every week. I cannot even begin to express my thoughts and feelings on the subject for a couple of reasons. One being, it would take up too much space. I will have to save it for it's very own blog, or two, or three. Two being, that it will take me some time to even articulate it into the words that could truly bring justice to this amazing place... and that will take some time. A luxury of which I am out of for this day.
I am sitting here just trying to think of one or two sentences that could quickly encapsulate for you, all that this place is and means to me (us) and I can't. All I can do is just feel this amazing wave of emotion that is just not yet ready to be confined and restricted to words on a page. But I will soon. I promise. I will get my write on and do my absolute best, as writer, to take you on a journey as much as possible and let you experience even just a smidgen of what Hillsong is like. It could just change your life ;).
At the risk of taking too much of your time, I will quickly give some highlights and lowlights of our life in Australia. We don't have dryers so we hang all our clothes outside. It's kinda nice but really takes getting used to. I have to plan my whole day around doing my laundry. You have to know when it is going to rain, and get it out at the right times of the day, etc. It is a lot of work. And I don't care what anyone else says, dryers are more convenient! But it's cool. I am embracing it :).
We don't have a car so we walk everywhere. It is about a mile or so to the church. B walks there every day, sometimes multiple times a day. The kids and I walk there at least 5 times a week. We walk about a mile and a half going to the grocery store and back. I will be honest, I cringe when I have to go to the grocery store. It is just not fun bringing all that back and I usually have to struggle to not be in a bad mood by the time we get home, but once again, I choose to embrace it. I feel for the kids because this is a ton of walking for little legs, but they do so awesome. I am so proud of them!
There are so many other things to talk about, but I will have to save it for next time. I know that this is said and used so many times that I am almost reluctant to say it, but I will anyway. Please keep us in your prayers. As wonderful as certain aspects are, it is really hard. So hard sometimes that I really question what in the world we are doing! I feel like life is in survival mode just about everyday and I am getting really sick of that feeling. Jobs seem an impossibility to get here and we never know how we are going to pay for anything, but each and every time God comes through in such amazing and miraculous ways.
We both feel that immense stretching and inner pressure that comes with God pushing you to new territory with Him, and you are just not quite sure if you have what it takes or if you are going to make it through on the other side in one piece. The best way I can describe it is like God is trying to squeeze you through a metal opening that the door has been blown off and so the opening is very jagged, sharp metal. An even bigger problem is, it is about three times too small for you to fit. You have no option of turning around, so you just squeeze yourself through. In doing this you feel the jagged metal cutting into your flesh and ripping you to shreds as you pass though to the other side. Lovely, isn't it? :) But I suppose that is the point. He wants to rip off some our "flesh" so that more of Him can be revealed in and through us. And for that reason, we keep going. Offering every aspect of it as worship to Him because He is the only one worth going through all of this for.
Don't misunderstand me. I am happy. I am very happy here. Even in the midst of all of this my soul is more satisfied than it has ever been. True, I have days where all I wanna do is get on a plane and go home. Mostly because home is easy. And sometimes I am tired of the struggle and the inner pressure, tired of keeping my faith up and squeezing through that door, but even still God has revealed Himself to us even more precious than ever. And so we press on, and as Bobbie Houston so beautifully said, just let the road teach us what the road needs to each us. I just pray that this is a short road we are on. More like a quick jaunt down the road :).
We love you all and pray God's immense love and blessing on your life so that you may know Him more.
The Griffins
Truly though, so much has happened during our time without internet that I hardly even know where to start. God's provision and favor has been with us since the beginning. Just one thing after another - housing, roommates, furnishings, etc. it was a real encouragement.
Just little things even, like praying (some might call it whining :) about not being able to drink coffee in the morning and then voila! A perfectly good coffee maker appears on the side of the road. Just a side note to all who are not familiar with this concept... everyone puts their stuff on the side of the road... it's really weird, but highly beneficial to us! We got our couch, t.v., coffee pot, desk, t.v. stand, and more. all on someone's curb to be thrown out! It truly is amazing how God provides. And a crazy thing is, in some weird way, all of our stuff coordinates and matched rather well with the each other and the house. Which if you saw the house or our couch, you would know what an accomplishment of heaven that is :).
We have truly had to buy very little for the house between curbs, the college storage, and wonderful people who donated so much to us. Even toys for the kids! I have felt so blessed by God and the body of Christ.
Quick rundown of everything (will go more in detail about stuff later but just trying to catch up right now). B is in his third week of school now and he is LOVING it! Everyday he comes home just overflowing with the stuff they are teaching. He "RPL'd" his first year, which basically means that they took all of his CFNI classes and decade of experience and gave him credit for his first full year. So he is officially in second year now. He serves in the production every Sunday and does "lock and load" every week for Sisterhood (more about Sisterhood later). And he plays football every Thursday morning as his elective. He's pretty happy!
As far as the kids and I are concerned, we have tons, if not too much, to do! Between all the services over the weekend, Sisterhood, connect groups, and the homeschooling groups we are never left bored for long. This makes me very happy :)! And the kids are really enjoying it all as well.
Which by the way, as of today, Safari is officially registered to homeschool in New South Wales. Yay!! We had the home visit this morning and we passed... whew! Now the trick lies in actually carrying out all that I said I would ;). God has been doing so much in my heart concerning this area, I am truly excited to see what He does with this. But once again, more on that later.
Let's see... what else?? The church! Hillsong Church blows my mind every week. I cannot even begin to express my thoughts and feelings on the subject for a couple of reasons. One being, it would take up too much space. I will have to save it for it's very own blog, or two, or three. Two being, that it will take me some time to even articulate it into the words that could truly bring justice to this amazing place... and that will take some time. A luxury of which I am out of for this day.
I am sitting here just trying to think of one or two sentences that could quickly encapsulate for you, all that this place is and means to me (us) and I can't. All I can do is just feel this amazing wave of emotion that is just not yet ready to be confined and restricted to words on a page. But I will soon. I promise. I will get my write on and do my absolute best, as writer, to take you on a journey as much as possible and let you experience even just a smidgen of what Hillsong is like. It could just change your life ;).
At the risk of taking too much of your time, I will quickly give some highlights and lowlights of our life in Australia. We don't have dryers so we hang all our clothes outside. It's kinda nice but really takes getting used to. I have to plan my whole day around doing my laundry. You have to know when it is going to rain, and get it out at the right times of the day, etc. It is a lot of work. And I don't care what anyone else says, dryers are more convenient! But it's cool. I am embracing it :).
We don't have a car so we walk everywhere. It is about a mile or so to the church. B walks there every day, sometimes multiple times a day. The kids and I walk there at least 5 times a week. We walk about a mile and a half going to the grocery store and back. I will be honest, I cringe when I have to go to the grocery store. It is just not fun bringing all that back and I usually have to struggle to not be in a bad mood by the time we get home, but once again, I choose to embrace it. I feel for the kids because this is a ton of walking for little legs, but they do so awesome. I am so proud of them!
There are so many other things to talk about, but I will have to save it for next time. I know that this is said and used so many times that I am almost reluctant to say it, but I will anyway. Please keep us in your prayers. As wonderful as certain aspects are, it is really hard. So hard sometimes that I really question what in the world we are doing! I feel like life is in survival mode just about everyday and I am getting really sick of that feeling. Jobs seem an impossibility to get here and we never know how we are going to pay for anything, but each and every time God comes through in such amazing and miraculous ways.
We both feel that immense stretching and inner pressure that comes with God pushing you to new territory with Him, and you are just not quite sure if you have what it takes or if you are going to make it through on the other side in one piece. The best way I can describe it is like God is trying to squeeze you through a metal opening that the door has been blown off and so the opening is very jagged, sharp metal. An even bigger problem is, it is about three times too small for you to fit. You have no option of turning around, so you just squeeze yourself through. In doing this you feel the jagged metal cutting into your flesh and ripping you to shreds as you pass though to the other side. Lovely, isn't it? :) But I suppose that is the point. He wants to rip off some our "flesh" so that more of Him can be revealed in and through us. And for that reason, we keep going. Offering every aspect of it as worship to Him because He is the only one worth going through all of this for.
Don't misunderstand me. I am happy. I am very happy here. Even in the midst of all of this my soul is more satisfied than it has ever been. True, I have days where all I wanna do is get on a plane and go home. Mostly because home is easy. And sometimes I am tired of the struggle and the inner pressure, tired of keeping my faith up and squeezing through that door, but even still God has revealed Himself to us even more precious than ever. And so we press on, and as Bobbie Houston so beautifully said, just let the road teach us what the road needs to each us. I just pray that this is a short road we are on. More like a quick jaunt down the road :).
We love you all and pray God's immense love and blessing on your life so that you may know Him more.
The Griffins
Monday, June 14, 2010
Griffin Journey Update!
Hi everyone!! Well, we haven't updated in awhile cause things have been crazy busy around here. Everyday is spent hacking away at our ever growing to-do list, all the while seeing family and raising two little kids!!
We leave in two weeks, 16 days to be exact, and we couldn't be more excited! It will be so nice to see all this preparation finally turn into reality. But we are still enjoying every last moment with friends and family.
We have made some amazing connections over there already that have proven themselves invaluable to us. They have given us so much insight and direction, helping us to connect with the right people concerning different areas for our family, and just really been wonderful people! I can't wait to meet all of them. We can't even express how much they have helped our family and how much easier it makes going into this, with such support on the other side.
We did want to update you guys on one thing. We are now set up to receive tax-deductible donations. If at any time you feel led to give towards our ministry endeavors and help support our family during this time, you can do so in a way that is beneficial to you too!
I know that things are tight for so many people right now and it is really hard for us to even ask for money. Really hard. Just to be honest, it makes us extremely uncomfortable. Why? I don't actually know.
I know that this is how the kingdom of God works and I personally LOVE helping others when they are in need or stepping out to serve God. I know others are the same way and that by not allowing them an opportunity to be a part of what God is doing we are robbing them of receiving a blessing. A blessing from God for their giving heart, a blessing of being able to help their fellow brother and sister in Christ, and a blessing of getting to be a part of something bigger than themselves! All because we want to be self-sufficient or are afraid of offending, etc. At this point, we are having to really get beyond ourselves and extend our invitation to you. Please join with our family as we move forward to serve God with, literally, everything that we have.
We ask that you would prayerfully consider financially supporting our family in any amount with either a one time gift, or even a monthly commitment as Brandon is only allowed 20 hrs per week to work. We know God will provide for us, as He has already done miracles beyond belief up until this point. So all that is left is to invite you to be a part of what God is doing in and through our lives, and then in turn believe that He will bless you beyond what you could ever think, hope, or imagine!
Checks can be sent , with "Australia" in the memo, to:
Love Speaks
8205 Navigation Dr.
Rowlett, Tx 75088
We will also be setting up a paypal very soon for you guys which should make giving a whole lot easier. We'll let you know as soon as that is done.
And of course we can never, ever underestimate the power of prayer. Please remember our family in your prayers and feel free to leave comments here or drop us a line on facebook. We love being able to stay connected with you guys.
Much Love,
The Griffin Family
We leave in two weeks, 16 days to be exact, and we couldn't be more excited! It will be so nice to see all this preparation finally turn into reality. But we are still enjoying every last moment with friends and family.
We have made some amazing connections over there already that have proven themselves invaluable to us. They have given us so much insight and direction, helping us to connect with the right people concerning different areas for our family, and just really been wonderful people! I can't wait to meet all of them. We can't even express how much they have helped our family and how much easier it makes going into this, with such support on the other side.
We did want to update you guys on one thing. We are now set up to receive tax-deductible donations. If at any time you feel led to give towards our ministry endeavors and help support our family during this time, you can do so in a way that is beneficial to you too!
I know that things are tight for so many people right now and it is really hard for us to even ask for money. Really hard. Just to be honest, it makes us extremely uncomfortable. Why? I don't actually know.
I know that this is how the kingdom of God works and I personally LOVE helping others when they are in need or stepping out to serve God. I know others are the same way and that by not allowing them an opportunity to be a part of what God is doing we are robbing them of receiving a blessing. A blessing from God for their giving heart, a blessing of being able to help their fellow brother and sister in Christ, and a blessing of getting to be a part of something bigger than themselves! All because we want to be self-sufficient or are afraid of offending, etc. At this point, we are having to really get beyond ourselves and extend our invitation to you. Please join with our family as we move forward to serve God with, literally, everything that we have.
We ask that you would prayerfully consider financially supporting our family in any amount with either a one time gift, or even a monthly commitment as Brandon is only allowed 20 hrs per week to work. We know God will provide for us, as He has already done miracles beyond belief up until this point. So all that is left is to invite you to be a part of what God is doing in and through our lives, and then in turn believe that He will bless you beyond what you could ever think, hope, or imagine!
Checks can be sent , with "Australia" in the memo, to:
Love Speaks
8205 Navigation Dr.
Rowlett, Tx 75088
We will also be setting up a paypal very soon for you guys which should make giving a whole lot easier. We'll let you know as soon as that is done.
And of course we can never, ever underestimate the power of prayer. Please remember our family in your prayers and feel free to leave comments here or drop us a line on facebook. We love being able to stay connected with you guys.
Much Love,
The Griffin Family
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Melancholy's Wings...
So it is all really beginning to sink in right about now. On that level where you can't divert focus from anything negative or less than ideal, by only focusing on the "excitement" and "newness" of the whole venture. I have no idea where are life is going to go after this, if I'll like living over there, where we will end up after wards, etc., etc., etc.
I am gearing myself to not see my family for two years. Safari will be almost 9, Asher will be 6 the next time I see my family. My nephews and nieces will be so grown. Will they know me anymore? And honest truth, will I see everyone again? Cause you never know what life holds.
I am not trying to be negative or say I wish we weren't doing this. Cause truth be told, if God gave me the choice right now to keep moving forward or give me a solid life (a home, good income, close to family, all the "securities" of life, etc), I'd still pick this. Hands down, no contest.
And it's not cause it's not hard, cause it is very hard. Many times harder than I like to let on. Because I am always the happy, positive, ready to blaze a new trail, anything is possible kind of person. And that is who I am, it's not just a facade. I really believe that way. But occasionally I reach those points where I have to pause and dig that conviction in a little deeper (Dan. 1:8), set my gaze a little stronger (Is. 50:7), and then keep moving forward.
Because more than anything in this life, I want to know that I truly lived out my purpose. That I never let "life" and my culture's expectations of life dictate what I do. That I would be one who helped usher in the kingdom of God onto this earth in the here and now because of the life that I lead, regardless of what it costs me. That I was willing to lay down my life to do my part in freeing people from the injustices of this world, even if it meant giving up my own comfort and opening up my eyes and heart to the suffering of real, breathing human beings all around me.
Because I know that my life is not my own. It is only on loan. And one day I will have to give an account of everything I did and didn't do. Ephesians 2:10 says, " For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." So I know He has predetermined steps for me to take and works for me to do. And they are all for His glory, not for my own comfort and preference. I live for the day I will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant". Cause in the end, eternity is all that matters. And everything I do now determines that.
If my life brings anyone closer to Jesus in any capacity then it is worth it. It is worth not having a home, a "normal" life for my kids, feeling broke compared to everyone else, being misunderstood by others, uncertain future, laying down dreams, hopes, and desires, and whatever else you got. I just have to trust that He has it all covered, and my kids covered, and that it is working for the good of my whole family. Because that's the God I serve.
So this was me, digging my conviction in a little deeper and setting my gaze a little stronger. Thank you for bearing with me and I hope maybe you gained something out of this... If not, I sure feel better! :)
Rita Springer sang one of my all time favorite songs, "Worth it All". Been a bit of my life's mantra :). Take a look at the video below. It is more for the song, less for the video. In fact not for the video at all! It's all I could find. Just listen, and I pray God would speak to your heart and give you grace for whatever lies ahead in your future.
Julie
I am gearing myself to not see my family for two years. Safari will be almost 9, Asher will be 6 the next time I see my family. My nephews and nieces will be so grown. Will they know me anymore? And honest truth, will I see everyone again? Cause you never know what life holds.
I am not trying to be negative or say I wish we weren't doing this. Cause truth be told, if God gave me the choice right now to keep moving forward or give me a solid life (a home, good income, close to family, all the "securities" of life, etc), I'd still pick this. Hands down, no contest.
And it's not cause it's not hard, cause it is very hard. Many times harder than I like to let on. Because I am always the happy, positive, ready to blaze a new trail, anything is possible kind of person. And that is who I am, it's not just a facade. I really believe that way. But occasionally I reach those points where I have to pause and dig that conviction in a little deeper (Dan. 1:8), set my gaze a little stronger (Is. 50:7), and then keep moving forward.
Because more than anything in this life, I want to know that I truly lived out my purpose. That I never let "life" and my culture's expectations of life dictate what I do. That I would be one who helped usher in the kingdom of God onto this earth in the here and now because of the life that I lead, regardless of what it costs me. That I was willing to lay down my life to do my part in freeing people from the injustices of this world, even if it meant giving up my own comfort and opening up my eyes and heart to the suffering of real, breathing human beings all around me.
Because I know that my life is not my own. It is only on loan. And one day I will have to give an account of everything I did and didn't do. Ephesians 2:10 says, " For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." So I know He has predetermined steps for me to take and works for me to do. And they are all for His glory, not for my own comfort and preference. I live for the day I will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant". Cause in the end, eternity is all that matters. And everything I do now determines that.
If my life brings anyone closer to Jesus in any capacity then it is worth it. It is worth not having a home, a "normal" life for my kids, feeling broke compared to everyone else, being misunderstood by others, uncertain future, laying down dreams, hopes, and desires, and whatever else you got. I just have to trust that He has it all covered, and my kids covered, and that it is working for the good of my whole family. Because that's the God I serve.
So this was me, digging my conviction in a little deeper and setting my gaze a little stronger. Thank you for bearing with me and I hope maybe you gained something out of this... If not, I sure feel better! :)
Rita Springer sang one of my all time favorite songs, "Worth it All". Been a bit of my life's mantra :). Take a look at the video below. It is more for the song, less for the video. In fact not for the video at all! It's all I could find. Just listen, and I pray God would speak to your heart and give you grace for whatever lies ahead in your future.
Julie
Saturday, May 1, 2010
We're On Our Way!
Wow. So much has happened in the last few weeks that I don't really even know where to begin. Informatively speaking, we have been approved for our visa for Brandon to study in Australia for two years and have bought our plane tickets, so we are officially on our way! Hooray! What a headache that was and what an inward journey we went through to get that point.
I won't bore you with the details, but we really had to battle our way both spiritually and naturally to get our visas. But God is faithful (as always) and answered in such a special and beautiful way, just like our sister in Mexico prayed He would do. So thank you to all who prayed for us, those in Australia who gave me contacts to help me, and those who contacted the immigration dept. for us on our behalf, etc.
Our last official day here is June 28th, as we leave first thing in the morning on the 29th. So we will be trying to fit in as much visits with family and friends before then as we can, as well as get the rest of our stuff sold, and work as much as possible before we leave. It will be a busy two months. Wow... only two months.
Now, just some personal updates on our family. Brandon has started his temp job with the census. Don't know how long it will last, but it is a great opportunity and though I am still working, it gives me a chance to be home a little more. I miss being a mommy. And anyone that knows me, to say that is huge!!! As I do not have a natural tendency towards the domestic :).
We were also able to spend a week down in Padre for some much needed R&R as a family. We originally were just going down for a day or two to take some new clothes over to an orphanage across the border but were able to get a few days in at the beach as well. Happiness!!!
The week turned out to be so much more than we planned. I love how God does that so often. He uses our wimpy little plans and then blows our expectations out of the water! I will be blogging on that later as it truly deserves its very own and I want to invite you to be a part of something awesome that God is doing. So stay tuned!
A few pics of our week in S. Padre for you:
Safari is determined to be a surfer girl
Look out Baywatch!!
Brandon, Safari, and Asher passing out clothes
Safari playing with the kids
Love to you All!
The Griffins
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Update: Movement has Commenced!
Yay!!! We have finally made some forward movement in this whole process. We just paid for the first year of school and for two years of Overseas Health Coverage. So now, we wait to get Brandon's CoE (Code of Enrollment) back from HILC and then we can apply for our visa!!! We are still working on his RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning - explained at length in previous post) for the first year, but they said we could go ahead and pay for the first year and they could apply the paid fees to his second year when all the RPL is said and done.
So now we need you guys to PLEASE pray for us in a couple of areas:
1) Visa Process: Brandon has a flag on his name with airport security as a possible terrorist. Apparently there is a person on the "terror watch list" with his same name (Charles Brandon Griffin - go figure!). Every single time he flies we get searched to the max and have all kinds of issues, so he constantly has to prove he is an American citizen ("my name is Khan and I am not a terrorist" - sorry, very few will actually get that joke!:).
We are currently working with TSA to prove that he is not whoever this other Charles Brandon Griffin is. Our concern is that if this doesn't get resolved quick enough that it will flag him in trying to get a visa and enter another country. Please pray for God's favor in this area and that this matter would get resolved quickly. And just the whole visa process in general. I do not know why I have so much trepidation about this, but I do.
2) Finances: Just to quickly fill you guys in on the last year or so of our life, we have sold our house and moved in with my (Julie's) parents. We have sold all our belongings and will sell the last of it (cars and what we use now for daily living) closer to the time of leaving. All we will have left is personal belongings that will fit in two bags each and B's music gear that he will be taking (and a few sentimental items stored at my parents).
This has been really hard for us at times, as most people our age (early thirties) are digging in their roots and really settling down, and here we are completely starting over. But we know that just like all our beautiful examples of faith that walked before us in the Bible, it will all be worth it in the end. So we move forward grateful and having to run to Him many times in the midst of all the trials, but each time find ourselves getting up from our knees deeper in love with our Saviour and more in awe of the goodness and faithfulness of our God.
Presently, I have been working about 35-40 hrs a week as a waitress and B repairs iphones, does handy man jobs here and there, and is about to start a job with the census, all while we keep the kids home and home school!!! What a challenge this season has been for us, and my parents have been AWESOME (just a quick shout out to them)!!! Only by the grace of God in our life has any of this been possible.
In accordance with our student visas we can only work a maximum of 20 hrs a week while school is in session and unlimited time during the breaks. This poses a bit of a hardship for us as it is hard to maintain a family of four on part time work, and I will still be home schooling the kids. Of course this is all on top Brandon attending school and serving at Hillsong Church (requirement for schooling, and the whole point we are going!), but I have faith that His grace will provide all that we need.
We have separated our expenses into two categories. 1) College Expenses: Tuition for two years, RPL fees for one year, visa fees, plane tickets for the family there and back, purchase of a car, health coverage for two years (required to get your visa), and a deposit for renting a home (basically everything to get us there, get B through two years of school, and get us started when we get there). 2) Living Expenses: groceries, gas, cellphone, internet, school costs (for kids), clothes for kids as they grow, weekly rent ( just daily living expenses for a family of four). I am very pleased to report that we are at about 75% of our College Expenses financial goal!!!
And so we are asking you, our family and friends, to prayerfully consider financially supporting us in any possible way. We have truly sought to be diligent in our finances and prepare as much as possible, whatever that has required of us. Please be in prayer about the Lord possibly leading you to help support our family, either with a one time gift, or a continual commitment of support throughout our time there, or maybe somewhere in between :).
We are in the process of getting set up and sponsored with a non profit ministry so that all support given would be made tax deductible to the giver. We will let you know that information as soon as it is solidified, which will be within the next 2-3 weeks. Thank you so much and God bless you all!
The Griffins
So now we need you guys to PLEASE pray for us in a couple of areas:
1) Visa Process: Brandon has a flag on his name with airport security as a possible terrorist. Apparently there is a person on the "terror watch list" with his same name (Charles Brandon Griffin - go figure!). Every single time he flies we get searched to the max and have all kinds of issues, so he constantly has to prove he is an American citizen ("my name is Khan and I am not a terrorist" - sorry, very few will actually get that joke!:).
We are currently working with TSA to prove that he is not whoever this other Charles Brandon Griffin is. Our concern is that if this doesn't get resolved quick enough that it will flag him in trying to get a visa and enter another country. Please pray for God's favor in this area and that this matter would get resolved quickly. And just the whole visa process in general. I do not know why I have so much trepidation about this, but I do.
2) Finances: Just to quickly fill you guys in on the last year or so of our life, we have sold our house and moved in with my (Julie's) parents. We have sold all our belongings and will sell the last of it (cars and what we use now for daily living) closer to the time of leaving. All we will have left is personal belongings that will fit in two bags each and B's music gear that he will be taking (and a few sentimental items stored at my parents).
This has been really hard for us at times, as most people our age (early thirties) are digging in their roots and really settling down, and here we are completely starting over. But we know that just like all our beautiful examples of faith that walked before us in the Bible, it will all be worth it in the end. So we move forward grateful and having to run to Him many times in the midst of all the trials, but each time find ourselves getting up from our knees deeper in love with our Saviour and more in awe of the goodness and faithfulness of our God.
Presently, I have been working about 35-40 hrs a week as a waitress and B repairs iphones, does handy man jobs here and there, and is about to start a job with the census, all while we keep the kids home and home school!!! What a challenge this season has been for us, and my parents have been AWESOME (just a quick shout out to them)!!! Only by the grace of God in our life has any of this been possible.
In accordance with our student visas we can only work a maximum of 20 hrs a week while school is in session and unlimited time during the breaks. This poses a bit of a hardship for us as it is hard to maintain a family of four on part time work, and I will still be home schooling the kids. Of course this is all on top Brandon attending school and serving at Hillsong Church (requirement for schooling, and the whole point we are going!), but I have faith that His grace will provide all that we need.
We have separated our expenses into two categories. 1) College Expenses: Tuition for two years, RPL fees for one year, visa fees, plane tickets for the family there and back, purchase of a car, health coverage for two years (required to get your visa), and a deposit for renting a home (basically everything to get us there, get B through two years of school, and get us started when we get there). 2) Living Expenses: groceries, gas, cellphone, internet, school costs (for kids), clothes for kids as they grow, weekly rent ( just daily living expenses for a family of four). I am very pleased to report that we are at about 75% of our College Expenses financial goal!!!
And so we are asking you, our family and friends, to prayerfully consider financially supporting us in any possible way. We have truly sought to be diligent in our finances and prepare as much as possible, whatever that has required of us. Please be in prayer about the Lord possibly leading you to help support our family, either with a one time gift, or a continual commitment of support throughout our time there, or maybe somewhere in between :).
We are in the process of getting set up and sponsored with a non profit ministry so that all support given would be made tax deductible to the giver. We will let you know that information as soon as it is solidified, which will be within the next 2-3 weeks. Thank you so much and God bless you all!
The Griffins
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