The Real Nicole.

I just love passion that draws emotion, things that make people cry because they wont stand of injustice or because their love for something is so great. A few youth nights ago i was both a victim and witness to this beauty. I got passionate while band rehearsal and set up was happening, some of the older people in the band stated that my brother who was on drums wasnt a good enough drummer to drive the music and they asked him not to play. i was mad, i was defensive and i was passionate about the band being a youth focus and about giving the youth a shot. i got upset and i got passionate about making it a good experience for all. THe situation worked out in the end my brother played and did amazing and i think the idea of a youth focussed band was given through my passion. The passion i witnessed was from our new youth pastor, i think that night he definately proved his heart for youth ministry. He got up to talk and it was after we had sung "your love never fails, it never ...

At the start of every year my church has whats called a vision sunday. Its where the pastors and directors of different ministries get the opportunity to share what the vision for their ministry is and how God has worked in the last year. I find it to be a really encouraging and motivating time as we are a whole church get to celebrate in the work of the Lord and as a community see the struggles that ministries often face in amongst the Joy. Being youth intern at my church for this year i got the privellege to speak at our evening service about my vision for the youth girls i lead. I love to talk, i love to dream but i find public speaking really difficult and i find sharing my deepest desires and passion is difficult. On sunday had to get up and talk infront of roughly 150 people on what my heart was saying. it was tough getting up and speaking, my heart comes out more pasionately through writing then it does through speaking. Currently at my church i have a group of junior high g...

My church has a bible reading and journelling plan call the HOPE journal. Ive been trying to get into it this year and although many days i have forgotten, the days i have done it, i have been rewarded in the message i recieved from reading Gods word. Today i was struck but a message in Acts 14 8 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. Often i think we are hesitant in taking steps of faith. We heard God tell us to do something but stop and think about the concequences around it. we weigh up the past and start slow before we take the steps of faith. Verse 10 - “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. spoke into my life about just doing it against all odds. This man had never walked before and yet when he wa...

This week i was journelling and was reading through Acts. As i read Acts 7:49-50 stood out to me. “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? 50 Has not my hand made all these things?’ In particular the one line What kind of house will you build for me? I was really challeneged as to what this question was asking me for my personal life but also for the ministry i get the privellege to lead. What kind of House are we building for the youth in our church and local community to come and glorify God in? What kind of House am i building? will it be a good example of Jesus in all I do? I have been really challenged this week to look at how God can be glorified in theplaces i go, the events i run and in my life aswell. I nkow i havent got it all worked out yet i know there are definatly areas in which i personally can grow as well as the ministries im apart of. But i also ...

God is so good!!! New years eve on CE camp we have this service called a watchnight. We sing worship to God and there is an opportunity for open mic to shareabout what God has done in your life over the past year. just before midnight there is an opportunity for those who want to give their lives to God. I want to share two stories from that night. Firstly there wasa young girl about 15 there who had fallen over during our camp softball match the night before cut her leg quite bad and twisted and bruised her ankle. She was unable to walk around camp and had been carried by some of the guys for over a day. She got up and shared her story and the guy hosting asked to pray for her leg. She was carried back up to her seat after that. just after midnight we were all dancing and worshipping and during a song she gets carried down and placed in the middle of the stage. she stands up and jumps. her ankle supports her weight. the camp nurse came running and unstrapped it. no brusing or swellin...

I went on CE camp over New Years like i have done for the last few years. This year we were privilleged to have Tim Hawkins speaking to us for Romans 8. I had read Romans 8 this year through ES and really liked Romans 8 because it taught me that we were free of condemnation Vs 1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" On camp however i was challenged and provoked by different verses vs14-16 "14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. the idea of being a child of God made s...

Recently i went on a roadtrip with mates from uni to Canberra for a national conference (NTE) with the christian uni groups of Australia(AFES). It was just over 15 hours to drive there so we had plenty of time to talk and hang out. This was an interesting trip for me as the group of people i went with were all different people and a few had very different personalities to me. After a few hours you realise the people that kind of irritate you a little are going to be with you the whole way. So very quickly i had to learn patience or i swear i wouldn't have survived. One thing i found beautiful during the trip was the hay plains and just the beautiful outback and hills that God had created. When we were travelling was a quite hot day. It was about 30degrees celsius but felt much hotter in the non air conditioned car. But I loved seeing the beams of sunlight beam through the clouds and onto the plains. It was beautiful to drive along and just sing songs of worship to God and rea...