I currently hold two jobs that no one understands, both of which at present do not pay me anything.
It is a strange place to be.
Particularly now as I am meeting lots of new people, doctors, hairdressers, members of the choir Tim and I are joining if I don't botch my audition. They all ask me. What do you do?
I don't really know how to explain it.
Tim suggested I say this: "I am volunteering at my church and writing a novel".
I feel like such a fraud! I had a very in-depth convo with a man at Centrelink who looked at my healthcare card form and asked "You don't have a job. What do you do?"
And so I answered, "I am volunteering at my church and writing a novel".
He was so very interested. How much had a written? What kind of novel is it? Are you getting to the exciting bit? When do I think it will be done? How am I going about getting it published? I answered all his question, but I was apologetic and reserved. He was treating me like an author. Me, an author? Surely not? I felt like a fraud, and it felt particularly naughty to be a fraud to a government official!
I guess this is how everyone feels when their hobby in some way becomes their job, particularly when they aren't being paid for it. This novel, this dream of being an author, has always been something that has just been between, me, God, my computer and my writing notebook. A private thing. Tim, I suppose, has been cheering from the side-lines. And it always makes for a really interesting conversation starter when people ask what do you do in your free time.
But as a job? It suggest that I am good at this, that this process is worthwhile not just as something to make me happy in my free time, but something that is worth devoting time to for it's own sake. Scary.
Yet I'm doing it. I'm taking 6 months off to write a novel.
And as of today, I'm 70,000 words in.
That's not just a hobby anymore.
love BG
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Time together makes the heart grow fonder
There is a saying, absence makes the heart go fonder.
I get it.
I understand the appreciation that grows when things are absent.
But the opposite is happening to me at the moment.
When we lived interstate, the times well I really felt the distance from family was special events, or times when I knew they were hanging out and we weren't there. I spoke to my family once a week, and I really missed them and was glad for that one phone call. But there was nothing I could do about it, and I enjoyed the 4 or 5 times a year we would see each other, even if I would have liked a few more.
Now?
Now a phone call a week doesn't cut it. And I find myself missing my two families, even if I saw them last week. I'm constantly missing them, wanting to hang out with them. Wondering what they are doing. Praying for them.
When they were a 1000 Ks away I missed them.
Now they are 10, 20 ks away and I miss them more.
Seems that time together makes the heart grow fonder too.
BG
I get it.
I understand the appreciation that grows when things are absent.
But the opposite is happening to me at the moment.
When we lived interstate, the times well I really felt the distance from family was special events, or times when I knew they were hanging out and we weren't there. I spoke to my family once a week, and I really missed them and was glad for that one phone call. But there was nothing I could do about it, and I enjoyed the 4 or 5 times a year we would see each other, even if I would have liked a few more.
Now?
Now a phone call a week doesn't cut it. And I find myself missing my two families, even if I saw them last week. I'm constantly missing them, wanting to hang out with them. Wondering what they are doing. Praying for them.
When they were a 1000 Ks away I missed them.
Now they are 10, 20 ks away and I miss them more.
Seems that time together makes the heart grow fonder too.
BG
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Not in Vain
An update on my Mark memorising- not going so well! It seems that despite my initial enthusiasm, memorising a verse a day is beyond me. I'm changing my strategy, and am going to attempt to set aside an hour in one day of the week to work on it. I'm half way through chapter 1, and am amazed how much I learn by just reading and reciting these familiar words over and over.
This weekend I went to a conference on preaching. The speaker at the seminar I attended was Peter Adam, former Principal of Ridley. He is one of my favourite preachers, when I hear him. But often when I haven't heard him for a while, his whimsical style and thoughtful godliness leaves my mind, and I forget to list him when thinking of who are the great preachers. One point I found really fascinating was when he commented that great preaching doesn't have to be memorable to be effective. He could remember several wonderful sermons he had heard through his life, but that didn't mean that the others he heard hadn't been used by God. The aim of teaching is to change people to be more like Jesus, and that is much more important than being remembered.
But both together can still be nice.
At this conference a very familiar face came up to me. Even his name, bouncing off his lanyard, seemed to ring some subtle bell in my mind. He smiled at me, and said "I don't know if you remember me, but you were my Kids Club and Youth Group leader". The name and face and context came together and I remembered. A kid who went with his family to a church with no other kids, a very enthusiastic Kids Club kid who ended up in Youth Group. A kid who had stopped coming and I always wondered about. A kid I hadn't seen in probably 10 to 12 years.
He told me of the church plant he had joined. He spoke of Kids club and of Bible Studies at my house. I was only just an adult when I lead those studies, and often look back and wonder what they were like, since I have no memory, other than that they happened and vague visual pictures of the Bible, bits of paper and my parent's lounge-room.
I stuttered a bit, and commented on how happy I was to see him at such a conference, to see how seriously he was taking God. I told him, "I often look back at my Youth leading days, at all those who lost interest and fell away, and feel sad".
"Don't worry" the young man said, "It was worth it".
It always is. Praise God!
BG
This weekend I went to a conference on preaching. The speaker at the seminar I attended was Peter Adam, former Principal of Ridley. He is one of my favourite preachers, when I hear him. But often when I haven't heard him for a while, his whimsical style and thoughtful godliness leaves my mind, and I forget to list him when thinking of who are the great preachers. One point I found really fascinating was when he commented that great preaching doesn't have to be memorable to be effective. He could remember several wonderful sermons he had heard through his life, but that didn't mean that the others he heard hadn't been used by God. The aim of teaching is to change people to be more like Jesus, and that is much more important than being remembered.
But both together can still be nice.
At this conference a very familiar face came up to me. Even his name, bouncing off his lanyard, seemed to ring some subtle bell in my mind. He smiled at me, and said "I don't know if you remember me, but you were my Kids Club and Youth Group leader". The name and face and context came together and I remembered. A kid who went with his family to a church with no other kids, a very enthusiastic Kids Club kid who ended up in Youth Group. A kid who had stopped coming and I always wondered about. A kid I hadn't seen in probably 10 to 12 years.
He told me of the church plant he had joined. He spoke of Kids club and of Bible Studies at my house. I was only just an adult when I lead those studies, and often look back and wonder what they were like, since I have no memory, other than that they happened and vague visual pictures of the Bible, bits of paper and my parent's lounge-room.
I stuttered a bit, and commented on how happy I was to see him at such a conference, to see how seriously he was taking God. I told him, "I often look back at my Youth leading days, at all those who lost interest and fell away, and feel sad".
"Don't worry" the young man said, "It was worth it".
It always is. Praise God!
BG
Monday, February 13, 2012
Counting down the weeks
My nephew is due to be born in a little over two weeks.
The closeness of it has creped up. I only realised how close it was when I was flicking through my diary and found myself starring at the date only a few pages on.
I have had hundreds of friends have babies (and no, I'm not exaggerating), and so you would think I would be old hat at this. But it has never been this closer family, and this is my first go at being an Aunt. And as excited as I am, it still feels crazily unreal. The Watermelon in Elise's belly in two weeks is going to be a screaming, crying, gorgeous little person that I can see and touch and play with. But as much as I love him, I still find it hard to imagine.
Most people who have vague knowledge of my sister-in-law and her husband usually say as one of their first comments: "That is going to be one good-looking baby". I have to agree!
I think part of the issue is I find it hard, but fun, to imagine what their baby will look like. Elise and Harry had a baby celebration afternoon tea (basically a gender-inclusive Baby-shower, but Elise wouldn't let us call it that). At that party there were several mixed ethnicity kids. It went from a very Indian looking boy to a blond haired blue eyed girl who in her apperance had no trace of her Indian/Mauritian heretige (and who ironically looked heaps like Elise does in all her baby photos). So am much as I love my nephew, I just can't picture him at all.
But I think that's part of the fun! In two weeks I will get to meet a little boy of unknown looks and unknown name. But I know he will be my nephew and I will be his Aunty and that I will love him to pieces.
And that's all I need to know.
love BG
The closeness of it has creped up. I only realised how close it was when I was flicking through my diary and found myself starring at the date only a few pages on.
I have had hundreds of friends have babies (and no, I'm not exaggerating), and so you would think I would be old hat at this. But it has never been this closer family, and this is my first go at being an Aunt. And as excited as I am, it still feels crazily unreal. The Watermelon in Elise's belly in two weeks is going to be a screaming, crying, gorgeous little person that I can see and touch and play with. But as much as I love him, I still find it hard to imagine.
Most people who have vague knowledge of my sister-in-law and her husband usually say as one of their first comments: "That is going to be one good-looking baby". I have to agree!
I think part of the issue is I find it hard, but fun, to imagine what their baby will look like. Elise and Harry had a baby celebration afternoon tea (basically a gender-inclusive Baby-shower, but Elise wouldn't let us call it that). At that party there were several mixed ethnicity kids. It went from a very Indian looking boy to a blond haired blue eyed girl who in her apperance had no trace of her Indian/Mauritian heretige (and who ironically looked heaps like Elise does in all her baby photos). So am much as I love my nephew, I just can't picture him at all.
But I think that's part of the fun! In two weeks I will get to meet a little boy of unknown looks and unknown name. But I know he will be my nephew and I will be his Aunty and that I will love him to pieces.
And that's all I need to know.
love BG
Sunday, February 12, 2012
A New Job!
As of July this year, I will be working two days a week for the RMIT CU! So lovely to have it first of all sorted, and also something that I can talk about publicly :)
It was a real blessing from God how it all came about.
Tim and I had decided, late in 2011, that I would be working part-time (as a volunteer) for the church plant, but that it would be good for me to work 2 days doing something else that pays. We weren't sure what that would be. I had various different thoughts, and chopped and changed, whether it would be better for me to work in a ministry job, or in a non-ministry job. I had decided with all the stress of starting a church plant, that perhaps a non-ministry job would be best.
I had also received an email from my old Colleague and friend from RMIT, Heather Reid. She had asked whether I might be interested in coming back to RMIT. This did seem like a wonderful option, I loved Uni ministry and in many ways that was always my very long term plan, but Tim and I dismissed it as a short term option. Staff workers needed to raise their own salary, and at the time we were in the mist of raising money to start our church. It just didn't seem possible that we would be able to raise one and a half salaries.
Cut to Boxing day, and a five hour car trip with Tim between relatives Christmas parties! I was sharing just how apathetic I was about the year ahead and I needed a decision on what I should do. Tim prayed, and then suggested a pros and cons list. In the process of that, I found that the top choices for me were AFES and Writing. Tim suggested at that point that perhaps I could have the first six months of the year off, to settle in, help with church planting and to write.
Then, after more discussions on our trip to Tassie, we decided to get back to Heather and pursue the RMIT option. It was something that I was passionate about, that was so obviously important, and it seemed a good use of the time that God had given me. And God had been so faithful in our church fundraising, we actually felt as if it could be possible to raise the two days a week I would be working.
I organised a catch up with Heather, and she was keen. The three of us got together with Steve (the boss at RMIT) and he was keen as well. Last week I had my interview, and on Wednesday I got the official call from AFES saying I had the job. Praise God!
I'll be two days a week, at the RMIT city campus. My main job will be disciplining female students, and probably leading a Bible study. The rest of the particulars will be sorted out as the start date approaches.
Praying friends, please pray for me, as I prepare for this exciting role. Please also pray that God can raise the money for us so that I can work the full two days at RMIT.
:)
Love BG
It was a real blessing from God how it all came about.
Tim and I had decided, late in 2011, that I would be working part-time (as a volunteer) for the church plant, but that it would be good for me to work 2 days doing something else that pays. We weren't sure what that would be. I had various different thoughts, and chopped and changed, whether it would be better for me to work in a ministry job, or in a non-ministry job. I had decided with all the stress of starting a church plant, that perhaps a non-ministry job would be best.
I had also received an email from my old Colleague and friend from RMIT, Heather Reid. She had asked whether I might be interested in coming back to RMIT. This did seem like a wonderful option, I loved Uni ministry and in many ways that was always my very long term plan, but Tim and I dismissed it as a short term option. Staff workers needed to raise their own salary, and at the time we were in the mist of raising money to start our church. It just didn't seem possible that we would be able to raise one and a half salaries.
Cut to Boxing day, and a five hour car trip with Tim between relatives Christmas parties! I was sharing just how apathetic I was about the year ahead and I needed a decision on what I should do. Tim prayed, and then suggested a pros and cons list. In the process of that, I found that the top choices for me were AFES and Writing. Tim suggested at that point that perhaps I could have the first six months of the year off, to settle in, help with church planting and to write.
Then, after more discussions on our trip to Tassie, we decided to get back to Heather and pursue the RMIT option. It was something that I was passionate about, that was so obviously important, and it seemed a good use of the time that God had given me. And God had been so faithful in our church fundraising, we actually felt as if it could be possible to raise the two days a week I would be working.
I organised a catch up with Heather, and she was keen. The three of us got together with Steve (the boss at RMIT) and he was keen as well. Last week I had my interview, and on Wednesday I got the official call from AFES saying I had the job. Praise God!
I'll be two days a week, at the RMIT city campus. My main job will be disciplining female students, and probably leading a Bible study. The rest of the particulars will be sorted out as the start date approaches.
Praying friends, please pray for me, as I prepare for this exciting role. Please also pray that God can raise the money for us so that I can work the full two days at RMIT.
:)
Love BG
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