Rosi's Blog

Reach Out 2006 - Excited yet?

2006-02-22T04:21:00.000-08:00

Hey yall

Whoops how long has it been since the last blog!!! Please dont check!! Anyways was online so thot it was bout time the old blog got updated!!

Well dont know about you all but have to say im starting to get a bit excited about reach out!! Dont know why cos I know its still forever away but I actually cant wait!! Cant wait to see how God is gonna use it this year - We just have to remember to put it all in his hands and pray for all the glory to go to him!! He'll blow us away! Just thinking bout what Alex was saying at the last reach out meeting and also the first reach out meeting of 2006, about how now is the time to start really spending time with God! Really challenged about this at the mo and really about what I give priority to in my life!! God has to come first and I know this means putting other things to the side more...but remember 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added onto you!!!' Anyone singing yet!!

So just to encourage you all, spend time with God!!! Even get together without others, anyone who's free to pray and share and encourage each other!! Let's start now! Not just the wk of reach out!!! Dont let it just be a routine, come wanting to hear God and know his thoughts for your day!!!

God Bless
Love you all

Words of Auld Lang Syne

2005-12-31T07:48:00.000-08:00

Ok so if your honest no-one really knows all the words!! So if you want to swot up for tonight and probably end up singing most of it on your own..check out

www.hogmanay.net/history/auldlangsyne

Happy Practising!!

Heppy New Years Eve!

2005-12-31T06:58:00.000-08:00

Well its the last day of 2005!! A time for some reflection, thinking about changes you want to make next year and if youre a teacher practising writing dates with 2006 so that you dont have your smart alec jonny telling you that youve written up the date wrong!!

I remember being told that every now and then you should look back and ask yourself if you have grown as a Christian! Well looking back over this year I can say that God has taught me lots, and I guess the hardest bit has been that he has taught me most in the hard times!! For all you Delirious fans,

'Why do you let us walk upon a cliff so steep?
when deep below I see there lies a bed of gold,
but if this should be our battle place,
dont let me fall, dont let me fall.'

So even though Im really struggling with this situation, Lord if this is where you want me to be, please keep me here! Dont let me run away! Yikes! So difficult to say! Sometimes I just want Him to lift me out!! BUT God never promised to keep us away from the storms but to keep us through them!!! Every storm can only make you stronger!!

So...if Ive learnt anything...its PRAY!! Ask for someone to talk to, ask Him to send you someone who has been through the same thing, ask Him to guide you in what you should do, ask Him what He is trying to teach you and the hardest bit...Thank him!! Thank Him that He is drawing you closer to Him through every struggle you face!

AND...on a more up beat note remember...Be joyful, pray always and give thanks in all circumstances for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus!! Yay!! We can be joyful in every day because of ...... JESUS!!

Love you all LOADS and hope God really blesses you in 2006!

Rosi

Tis the season to be jolly!

2005-12-03T01:35:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!!!

Just about to go Christmas shopping with my big sis! Can you believe its December already!? Hope that you all have your advent calendars up! Yes I know you do Alex, the tradition Evans Mini bars advent calendar is up in Alex shed (well it was a shed before it changed to a house!) and just to note to everyone...Alex doesn't mind if you take some the bars from her advent calendar, she says that Christmas is the season of sharing and that theyre not all just for her! Thanks Alex! She also says not to tell her if you do take one...she doesn't want to be thanked! Very sweet!

Anyway back to the Christmas shopping!! Just was challenged recently how things in this world cant KEEP us happy!! Yes they may be able to MAKE us happy but they cant KEEP us happy!! Dont we sometimes get so excited at Christmas by the pressies and the food that give us a bit of excitment for a day..Do we miss out on the part of Christmas that can keep us joyful throughout the whole year! JESUS!!! Lets not miss out this year!! Lets get into Gods word and remember the excitment of Jesus coming into the world to free us from every sin and everything that tangles and to make us into the people He designed us to be!! Hallelujah! As some people say remember the reason for the season!!!

God bless you all loads!

He is good!
Rosi

Go the Saints!!

2005-11-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!!

Blogging again!! Im sure you didn't expect another blog from me for at least a month!!! Why does life get so busy! grr!! Anyway... good things about today...its always good to look on the bright side of life...

1. We won our hockey match...3:0!!

You have to understand that Alex and I have played in a lot of hockey teams that just didn't win matches!! ie every team we played for the whole way through school!!! (Its not just about the winning!! We enjoyed ourselves anyway!! You see were not really that competitive!) BUT it does mean that when we win we tend to get very excited about it!!! So YAY!!! I also have to confess something and this will be very difficult for me...BUT I have to say Alex was right!!! The extra training sessions have really paid off!! Even though I moaned at her about them!! So good job Captain!! Keep up the good work!!

Other good things about today....Woke up this morning having had a really bad day yesterday!! One of those days when you just don't seem to feel happy and when its easy to smile on the outside but hard to smile on the inside!! Sorry to everyone who saw me yesterday!! Hope I didn't depress anyone - Im sure I wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs!! Anyway woke this morning and just thought - Lord help,I really need help if Im gonna get through today!! And prayed for a verse or something!...Anything!! Then read the word for today which said....In ALL things God works for good for those who love the Lord! So just want to say when the hard times hit...dont be discouraged...be happy cos the amazing thing is God is gonna use them for your good and better still for his glory!!

PTL
Love you all!

Whoops! Its been a while!

2005-11-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!!

Hmm...its been a little while since I lasted blogged! Whoops! But I havent forgotten bout all the blogging! And its good to have a chance to update the blog! Although thinking about it Ive no idea where I would start to fill you in on all that God has been doing in my life recently!! ...Before you start to think I must be super spiritual at the mo...emm...I think its been more the opposite!! I have a T-shirt that says Be patient Gods not finished with me yet!! And thats exactly how it feels right now! I think Im a huge work in progress! I guess when I was growing up I always felt like quite a good girl!! Never really did any of the big rebelling things! My biggest crimes in school were...

1. putting my PE bag over my head to find my gym shoe for PE (the one that was on the floor at my feet!)
2. Being noisy in the toilets (for those of you who went to Saintfield this earned a telling off from Mr Stevenson! Scary enough!)
3. Throwing a snowball during a snowy break time! and not owning up to it!

So I guess Ive always thought that I must be pretty good!! No major league crimes...how good am I kinda thing going on!

BUT what about the things I think! I might not commit the crimes but what about the times when I bear grudges, when I judge others, when I talk about people behind their back and pass on gossip, when I say something that hurts someone, when I choose not to talk to someone incase they dont accept me for who I am, when I dont accept other people for who they are...

How does God respond to this? He tells me, that even to be angry with someone is to commit murder! Im far from being the person God created me to be! BUT I want to more like Him and less like me! I want to open with Him about times when I mess up and through His strength to change in how I act, think and talk ... I dont want people to see me in me I want people to see Jesus in me!

In Christ Alone!

For we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of Christ and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

1st Corinthians something verse something! (I should really learn where the verse is from too!)

Bible Study????

2005-10-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!!

This will be a very quick post, otherwise Im gonna be late for GB! Whats new says Alex! Just to let you all know...this Friday night, 6:30 - 7:30pm, for anyone whos interested...we wanna start the Bible Study/Fellowship thing!! No plans as yet, but on Friday night we can chat about what we want to look at/study etc! I know in my head Im just hoping that it will be a chance to get together and have a place where you can ask stupid questions, share things that youre struggling with and more than anything else I guess just be encouraged! SO...if youre interested and I hope you are itll be every other Friday night hopefully at 6.30pm at Alexs house!! Spread the word and let me know if youre interested!

God Bless
Rosi

Bible study!!

2005-09-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

Nearly forgot to say....

As Kara-Lyn mentionned on her blog, we were talking about a Bible study! I think Kara-lyn and I have both felt it recently - I know its been on my heart big style, and Ive been praying for it for a while now...so I guess this is just a spread the word and see what happens! I just feel really like I NEED to study Gods word!! 'Man doesnt live by bread alone but every word from the mouth of God!!' I dont know about you guys but I can see in my like, times when Im not reading and studying Gods word, its like my faith literally starts to die!! We need food to live physically and in the same way we need the word of God to feed our faith daily!

BUT it can be really hard studying Gods word on your own sometimes!! Its easy to set it aside when times get busy and easy as COlin was saying on his blog to just skim read without challenging yourself to really 'understand' what youve read! So...I know I would love to get together (as would Kara-lyn) with anyone whos interested...maybe once every other week or whenever possible on whatever night suits (maybe early Friday or Saturday night before people would be going out??) just whenever, just as long as its a time to get together, talk over a Bible study and share things that were learning, share difficulties and pray for one another, etc etc!

If you feel this might be something your interested in or something that you need...get in touch!

God is good!
Love you all
Rosi

My first week in P4

2005-09-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

Sorry for the lack of blogs recently!! At the mo it seems that if I get blogging once a week I'm doing well...teaching is so busy!! Im with Karen on the whole bringing work home to mark...BUT it can sometimes be quite amusing.

Heres some clips from P4 writing on 'My first week in P4'

'When I came into P4 I felt good because I had a new teacher called Miss Bill!'
(Hmm...maybe I need to introduce myself again!!)

'I hope to under arrest everybody eksept my friends and blow up the school'
(Oh dear!! Please pray for me! Actually this was written by one of the good boys so Im hoping this is him joking!!)

In P4 the new things are table points and PE. We also wear normal clothes in PE.
(Really worried about what they were made to wear in P3!)

'I think P4 is better than P3. Miss Bell is very nice.'
(Full marks given to this boy!!!)

'I was itsadet (translation - excited!) going to school to go to Miss Bell. I love her, she is calld Miss Bell and I like working with her!'
(Again...full marks!!)

P4's can be very cute!! In class the other day we were talking about how we shouldn't call other people names as it can be very hurtful to them! (One boy in my class called another boy fat - so thought it would be good topic for a good class discussion!) Anyway, had to laugh when one boy in the class put up his hand and admitted that in the car his mum often calls other drivers 'stupid egits'!! lol Was very hard not to laugh!!!

Anyways have a great day everyone! And remember to have your eyes open to see what God would have you do for his glory today!

God Bless
Rosi
'The joy of the Lord is gonna be our strength!!'

Life to the full?!

2005-09-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!!

Well its turning out to be a pretty tough week!!! And Ive just found a verse that pretty much sums it up....

John 10v10...The thief comes to steal and destroy but I have come that they may have life and have it to the full!

Recently it just seems that Satan is winning the living with joy battle in my life!! Its like He knows just how to get me down about things....that little voice in my head thats telling me Im not going to be a good enough teacher (although I did manage to loose one boy in my class today!! Apparently he wanted to have a quick play in the school garden rather than going home with his mum!!! ) or the voice that says I'm not pretty enough or funny enough or chatty enough...etc...etc, basically the voice that makes you want to be anyone else but yourself!!! Think we all have things that we dont like about ourselves!! And some days it can make us feel a bit down BUT when I got home today I picked up the word for today - for today! Basically Satan wants to ruin us and he can use our deepest anxieties or insecurities...but theres another voice! GOD!! And I guess it comes back to the whole quiet time thing again!! We need to take time to listen to what God has to say to us! I cant remember exactly where the verse is found but theres a verse that says....

'For we are Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God planned in advance for us to do!!'

Brill!!! So just really want to encourage you all...God sees EXACTLY who you are! And He LOVES you...just as you are! You dont need to change anything about yourself, you are a work of art, created to do good works!!! SO lets get busy!!

Love in Christ

Take care
Rosi

2 days down, how many to go!

2005-09-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

What a busy week! Only two days into my first year teaching and Im already totally shattered!! Think Im gonna need July and August just to sleep!! Maybe I could hibernate!! Just need a carboard box filled with paper shreddings as shown on Blue Peter!!!

Anyway, just want to say thanks to all you bloggers! Its so encouraging to read about what God is doing in all your lives!! Its amazing! So keep up the blogging! You never know who might be reading and how much God might use what you type to speak to someone else!

Started reading the cross and the switchblade by David Wilkerson again this morning! Amazing book - I recommend it as a must read! Basically David Wilkerson is a country preacher who feels challenged to sell his TV and instead spend the time in prayer to God! Through these times spent in prayer God directs him into the streets of New York to tell the street gangs how God loves them!

I love Gods love!!! Im not gona try and explain it better than Max Lucado so heres how he explains it!!...

'We want to know how long Gods love will endure...Not just on Easter Sunday when our shoes are shined and our hair is fixed...Not when Im peppy and positive and ready to tackle world hunger. Not then. I know how he feels about me then. Even I like me then. I want to know how he feels about me when I snap at anything that moves, when my thoughts are gutter level, when my tongue is sharp enough to slice a rock. How does he feels about me then?...
God answered our question before we asked it. So we'd see his answer, he lit the sky with a star. So wed hear it he filled the night with a choir; and so wed believe it he did what no man had ever dreamed. He became flesh and dwelt among us. He placed his hand on the shoulder of humanity and said "Youre something special"

Romans 8 v 39 Nothing...in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God.

Amazing!! Remember that its Satan who tries to condemn us at times and make us think that God must be disappointed with us!! In fact God has loved us from the moment we were born!! Our God is the Father who is cheering us on from the sidelines!! So keep it going!!

Loads of love in Christ!
Rosi

Voting results (drum role please!)

2005-08-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all!

Yes I was also with Kara-Lyn seeing Dukes of Hazard last night, so Im afraid Im in American Country mode still!! Such a good film by the way, It gets a big thumbs up from me!!

Anyway...firstly I would just like to welcome are newest blog recruits Alex AND Ali! I dont want to brag...but I was there to help with the setting up of both these blogs!! Ive actually just received an email from Blog to see if I would become part of their recruiting team!!

Secondly...a big thankyou to everyone who took part in the recent vote, I can now announce that at last count 7 of you felt that to be scared of the people statues was indeed an irrational fear, while only 2 felt that it was normal!! So...Im afraid Karen that it looks like you do have an irrational fear there!! So next holiday I think your task should be to get your photo with all the people statues!! lol

Anyway better go, this girl has to go to work in the morning!! boo!!

Night Night
Rosi

Add your vote!

2005-08-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

Just wondering if you could help me out by answering a simple question!!

Have you ever been on holiday and seen the people statues standing on the Street? i.e People who dress up and stand very still on the street for hours on end posing as statues!! They usually have a bucket for donations and they quite often pose for photos with people!

Anyway, basically the question we need answered is...

Is it rational to be scared of the people statues??

To help you make your decision, heres some of the reasons given for being scared of them...

No.1 If you are caught off guard you might be so scared that you have a heart attack.

No.2 They cover themselves in 'gunk' which makes them strange!

No3 They then jump out and try to put 'gunk' on you!
(I would tell you who to go to for a definition of 'gunk' but cant give out details at this stage!)

No.4 They might try to kidnap you turn you into a people statue!!
(Now that I think of it that did happen in one of the story books that I read to P2's this year! If it happens to you watch out for the wicked Emperor of Magic carpet land!)

Your vote on this matter would be greatly appreciated! So vote

YES....to say that It is very rational to be scared of the people statues!
or
No.....to say that people statues are friendly people with nothing better to do! Nothing to be scared of!

Thanks for your help!
Rosi

From now on its Miss Bell!!!

2005-08-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!!

Ive just finished my first two proper days of work and Im so glad its the weekend!! Im totally shattered! And this is after two days of being in a classroom, without the kids!! BUT...its been good! Really scary being new in a job... but I got a little card from a very good friend (you know who you are!)which was really encouraging! It says

'God has new adventures for you, new challenges, new ways for you to come to know Him in a deeper and more fulfilling way'

I know that theres gona be lots of challenges over the next year, things which Im gona really struggle with and things that Im gona enjoy, but no matter what the circumstances, if you bring them to God He can turn them round for good!! So no matter whats coming up next in your life...remember to keep taking every situation (no matter how small or simple it might be) to God and let Him use it to draw you closer to Him!! I know this is gona be the challenge for me anyway!!

Also thanks for all the texts on Thursday! (Again you know who you are!) They were great and REALLy encouraging!!

Take care
God bless
Rosi!

P.S I know that the title of this post was from now on its Miss Bell...but no calling me that!! It would make me feel like Im in work!!! And that would just be mean!!

Quiet Times!

2005-08-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Its amazing me more and more the impact that Reach out is having on lives! I know that Im really thankful for just how much it has helped me! Dont know about you guys but I dont feel like it has ended, but like this is just the beginning of Gods plans...

Anyway... during small groups, on the last day of Reach out I asked my group to write down one that they felt challenged to do or change in their lives through what we had been discussing during the week! So leading by example, I answered the question too and wrote down that I really wanted to get my quiet times sorted with God! (This is something that Ive really been struggling with! I know that I dont spend enough time with God and want to spend more time but finding it difficult!) Since writing that down, God has really challenged me mainly about WHY I need to have quiet times!!! So basically, I just want to share a few lessons that Ive been taught through this, incase they might help anyone else!!!

No.1 Satan doesn't want you to have quiet times!!

Sounds obvious eh...but its surprising just how many other jobs pop into your head when you think about taking time out to spend with God! Remember it's the boiler room of our lives!! The Bible says that Man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God!! We need time with God just like we need food every day!

No.2 We cant stock up on quiet times!

Imagine if you tried to eat enough food on a Sunday to last you through the week! It just doesn't work like that! We need to eat regularly and we also need to spend time with God regularly! Its not enough just to know the presence of God each Sunday..He wants to fill us with His love each new day so that we can take it out into the world!

And leading on into my final point (I cant believe theres 3 points! I think Ive listened to too many Presbyterian sermons!!) Probably part of the reason why we eat every day, apart from getting hungry is that we enjoy eating! So...

No.3 Enjoy quite times with God!

Do whatever it takes to spend qualtiy time with God! For me something thats really helped is just turning on a worship CD and praising God, singing away in my bedroom!! (Dont think my family is gona like this too much when I start back to work and am doing quiet times early in the morning!) But I know thats how I can focus on God! For you it might be something different, but either way find out what helps you get your mind onto God! And then make sure you listen in to what he has to say!

Eek, sorry that this is so long! Didn't really mean it to be! Well done if youve got to the end of it!! lol

Anyways!! Thats just some of my thoughts from today! Its helped teach me that God answers prayer, so if youre struggling with quiet times too, pray about it and ask for help!

Love to you all!
Rosi

The start of Blogging!

2005-08-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

It's great to see all the blogspots starting up! Ive always loved reading other peoples blogspots, but I'd never really thought about setting one up of my own...until one night I got a message from Justy about setting one up and was then reading Colins blogspot later on that night where he said about hoping that more people would set up there own! So Ive caved! But really I want to say thanks to you guys...I think youve inspired a lot of us to set up blogs (especially fellow reach out leaders! Do you get points for your team if youve set up a blogspot!? No? lol) and I really feel that God is going to use this to help us keep in touch with whats going on spiritually in each others lives! I know Ive been encouraged SO much already by it!

So anyway...basically Im hoping to keep you all informed about what goes on in my life!! Im so excited right now about just how much God is teaching us and working in our lives! Isn't it great that its not about us being good people, but thats its about us walking everyday with Jesus and letting Him change us to be more like Him! 'Seek Christ not for what you can get, but for what you can become!' ALL the praise and glory goes to Him!

Oops! Didn't notice the time! Gona be late for hockey training!
Have a good night
God Bless
Rosi

Wahey, Rosi's on blog!

2005-08-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

Hey!

I can't believe i've arrived on blogspot! I blame Kara-Lyn who is sitting beside me at the mo correcting all my typing mistakes!! So if you find any it's her fault! Anyway...lets find out if this works!!

Rosi