Scooby Gone

Scooby died on Saturday night and boy are we going to miss him

We fed him, he went downstairs and an hour later was choking, turned purple, breathing slowed and then he went.

It was so heartbreaking. This dog was a gentle fighter and I will always love him. 

I called him my big boy because he was bigeer tehn Jaydon in size and height.

He was so loving.

I will not get another dog of another breed again. Only ridgebacks.

Scooby has taught me to be a fighter. He was bullied, he got sick on and off but he never gave up and he never complained.

When we first got scooby, he had vomitted all the way to nadi, Jitoko had to bath him and leave him in his officer to dry.

He was lactose intolerant and we had no idea, we gave him milk. He was sick a week.

When he was better he followed Jitoko to the back to poop and he was bitten by a bee.

Then a week later he fell off the verandah.

The dogs in the neighbourhood were jealous of him but he didn't mnind. He did his own thing.

He would always come scratching on the front door wanting to come inside or complain about something.

He would run out of the toilet the minute he saw the door open just to come up and lick you.

I miss you scooby.

I wish there was something we could have done to save him. 

If only there was a proper vet in Lautoka. That half an hour trying t o persuade the vet in nadi would have made a huge difference.

Dejavu moment thinking back to dad's last night with us.

He answers Prayers

Even the ones that don't go our way. 

On Monday morning I had forgotten to transfer money out of my savings out for withdrawal and after giving Alini and Jaydon their fare was down to only $3. Walking down the road I prayed Lord I'd this to be more then enough to get me to town and then to work. 

Got to the bottom of the road and a bus came past. Looked at the time only 10 minutes past 7 phew God had answered my prayer. The bus goes up the road towards Jasper and I thought I just might have that chance to catch the Fiji Airways bus. Except that it didn't turn into town. This bus was going into Simla towards the hospital and got into town at half past 7. There were no mini buses by the time I got to the bus stand and for the first time in my entire commuting to Nadi work life a Ba van reverses and tells everyone to get it.

Yes I had to take the longest ride to town. No i am never getting on that bus again. Yes God answered my prayer I even had change from that $3.

Classic example of God works in mysterious ways.

Green Pastures

Another interesting revelation.

This time on the way to Nadi this morning. I might as well document them FMI later.

Psalms 23:

The Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want.

He maketh me lie down in green pastures.

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

The Lord is my shepherd he will lead, he will take care, he will protect.

If he is a shepherd that would make me his sheep.

I shall not want means he will take care of all my needs- another translation says I have everything I need.

What do sheep need- a place with grass and water
Everything provided for.

All you have to do is eat and sleep and get fattened.

Green pastures and still waters represent a place of rest. A peaceful place without a care in the world. A place where you know for sure that God will take care of you and everything pertaining to you. An assurance. 

Revelation on Family

So had this interesting revelation on family I had to write about. 

Of course I'd have to find the bible references to back it up but I reckon its so spot on.

Why do you think God created family?

When you enter the house just like when you enter the house of God it no longer becomes about you. Its no longer you time. You are at the disposal of your family. You have 8 hours in the day for you to find yourself some me time but the minute you step into the house its family time.

God is a God of relationships. We can't choose who our family is just like we can't choose who our church members are. We have to love our family just about as much and more then the church. God created family because its the first place where we put into action love and serve, to die to self daily. To be selfless. We can't say we love the church. be all sold out for the church and sit at home and be disconnected from family. 

Somebody once said family is a mini church. Then everything starts with family. Your time, your love, your words into action. Teaching, training, raising - fail that at home and you've failed it everywhere else. To be an effective leader everything starts with family. The devil knows that's why he has wiped away family time. Walk into a house today and within that same house see how everyone is talking into the computers, phones devices but not each other.

Just one of those days

Hallelujah I love my husband so much today. I placed my card into the atm yesterday to take out money to pay the house girl to find I had not been paid. Only to find out today that we had been paid and after much arguing with Westpac customer care came to find out it had been withdrawn in the Solomons by Mister thinking it was from the company for the stuff he needed to buy. Oilei na bula...Another moment of God teaching me to leave beyond my pay and to trust in him.

Duffy Update

Duffy came back out of nowhere on Easter Monday. All that running around the garbage dump walking through how many different neighbourhoods and she just appeared in the veranda while Jaydon and I were home alone and Jitoko and mum went to visit the church land.

She was practically clean and looked well looked after.

My guess is, God answered one 5year olds prayer. For the two weeks that duffy was missing he was praying that Jesus would bring her back home to him. Faith of a five year old!

I'm a wholly mmammoth

This is hilarious considering we have been watching iceage all week. Thanks to Mr 5years old. 

My results from the Earth Day quiz!

Final Moments

Looking through Tanz's mum's funeral photos today take me back to the day we fare-welled dad. Almost as real today as it was on that day. Even to his final moments. I realise I did not document them. Maybe some part of me is afraid that writing them down will mean I forget or somehow lose these fragments of what ever I hold on to, can remember.
Playing them over and over in my head sometimes worrying that I might forget, that I'll get some part of it wrong. Somehow its becoming sketchy. Some portions of it I try to think back and draw up blanks. If only I could hear his voice one more time. If only I could see him one my time. If only I could touch his hand again. It must be so hard for mum, 46years of her life completely dedicated to this man and then one day he's gone
Didn't help watching that Paul Walker final tribute took me right back to those raw feelings of absolute total finality. I don't know if I was crying because Paul Walker was dead or that those were the emotions I experienced losing dad or the realisation that there was going to be no more dad. For as long as I live and if the rapture was to take place when i am forty then that is another 8-10years of my life without dad in it. Then the realisation that I mum is getting old too. Mum is slowing down. She is tiring out. She is not the same as she was 3years ago. Is slowing becoming snappy. Is getting tired easily. Is becoming forgetful and....I could lose her also.
We went to the graveyard in the weekend. Heartbreaking to think that whatever's left is only that piece of land inside of which you wonder how far along is the decaying process? What must his body look like inside of there? Where is he now. And for months maybe 1 and 1/2years I've been wondering where is dad? Is he alive and with Jesus or is he sleeping? Did he really make it to heaven? What if he didn't. it wasn't until the Easter preaching then I realised Jesus said to the thief hanging beside him. 'Today, you will be with me in Paradise' Today- meaning I can look up to the sky now and find that assurance that he is looking down at me. He is up there with God and Jesus and smiling down, cheering me on. And that is what I tell Jaydon and boy were the questions coming that Easter week when we lost Duffy. If Jesus died and rose again then when will Jesus bring pa back? When we gonna see pa? How God called pa? well we found duffy, thank God and that was a testimony of its own. I mean praying for a dog. A dog collected and taken to the dog pound to be put to sleep but for some reason was not- man that intervention. The same day that was to happen, I remember praying Lord bring her back or bring us some closure for the sake of this 5year old. he has already known loss through loss of his grandpa and a cousin who was buried out at sea and two dogs who had to be put to sleep. So much loss for a 5year old. From the dog pound she ran away but we do not know where she has been. Maybe the guy at the pound who says he wanted to keep her but she ran away really did try to keep her and she ran away from his place. All we know is she did not come back from the direction of the pound and she looked well kept and that was only God sending some angel to help her escape from wherever she was being kept.
Going back to daddy's final moments, maybe I'll leave that for another day!

Missing Dog

Duffy's been missing since Tuesday.
While I hated having 3 dogs, she was a very good guard dog and all that noise in the middle of the night really should have got me out of bed to check but I was too tired to bother.
If she was lying dead nearby I am sure the other two would have smelled her out by now but since she is not and she is a very smart dog I am hoping she finds her way back home soon. It bothers me to think that there is a dog napper out there that we would have to be extra careful with our Ridgeback Scooby. Worse off, dog went missing on my watch. Jitoko dog and Jitoko's away. i wonder if somewhere at the back of his head he'd be wondering if I had anything to do with this. I mean yes I have complained about 3 dogs but this is not how I wanted Duffy or any one of them to go. It would have been hard to give them either too.

That is duffy at the back. She has slick black shiny hair which actually stands when she is on guard. I would definitely understand why someone would want to take her but I cannot see someone actually managing to successfully take her. So here is to hopping that she is ok and that she is fine and will find her way back home. I dread thinking of Priscilla's dog who was taken by someone nearby us and was black like duffy and whom she had to pay $180 to get back.

Youth & Young adults session

 C3 Conference: Second Elective

Youth & Young adults session - Russell Evans

Nothing like walking in the purpose.

Reaching the next generation first.

Your promise always has be tested tested to prove that it is a promise.

What you honour is what you receive from.

The devil will always attack your promise. Your dream and vision will aways be ttacked because it is yours.

But I cant.... - Acts 1:8 You shall receive power after that the holy ghost has come upon you.

Don't listen to the lie. Communicate with his power which gives you the ability and the efficiency and mind.

Church needs people to have encounters as well as the fun programme, not just the fun programmes. 

It is the encounters that

- change lives

- defines people

- transforms people

What God has called us to do:

Matthew 10:8 -heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers, cast out demons, freely as you have received, freely give.

Outcasts in society

Do what you feel God wants you to do - what does God want you to do?

Miracles happen at the end of obedience.

Encounter & love of youth pastor - what changed Russell Evans life, was an insecure Pastor's kid

Someone went and looked for him and untied him  like the donkey in Mark 11

The Donkey was tied up

Young people today- nobody is looking for them

God is looking for somebody to look beyond where they are to untie them.

The donkey was an unriden donkey

The donkey had never been trained

church for disciples

God needs a generation to be untied.

If this generation does not stand up he will condemn it and use the next generation (Isrealites that crossed the desert different from the ones that entered the promise land)

A need for a generation that will rise up and say yes to his promises.

Even if the generation is not et tried or proven- I want them - God

Our job is to take the mantel of annointing that God has for us and put it on the next generation.

The next generation needs to get a mantel that they can carry. its time to give your mantel.

Else won't receive the victory they had or see the breakthrough from one generation to the other.

"I want what you've got" x 2 - a generation that needs double Elijah

The things that Elijah did, Elisha did double.

After Elisha's life no one was there to carry the annointing because no one honoured it. It died with Elisha.

Jesus sat on the donkey. He could sit on the donkey. He is looking for a donkey to sit on to carry his presence into the city.

The disciples had set that in motion by obeying his command to bring the donkey. For the mantle to carry his presence into the city.

The people shouted Hosana- save us

When we empower the next generation to carry the presence of the Lordt the he city will cry out of their need for something more, something higher. 

Regardless of whether they are in a nightclub, they will realise their need for him. 

We have something higher.

"In his presence there is fullness of joy"

This generation is looking for something that only the presence of God can bring- who is the vehicle that will bring the presence into the city?

Who is the donkey?

Challenge for the next generation to receive.

Challenge for this generation to give.

Challenge for this generation to rise up and be a vehicle.

This is our Time

This song has been playing in my head since we came back. Was sung at the conference as theme similar to conference theme. This is our Day. This is a new era of God's children called to step out and declare his word

I probably should have shared this a while back and its really just being lazy to type it up thats all. 

The first night topic at the conference was A new Day by Russell Evans of planetshakers his church is now 11000 people or is it 22k? 

Anyway he spoke on the new day now meaning a new era. 

1 Chronicles 4:10New International Version (NIV)

10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

that there are territories that God has given us that still need to be enlarged. 

That in Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. that is our true worship and that God hates rebellion. That we need to stop comparing ourselves to others. That the only thing we are in competition with is ourselves. That we will need to give an account for our call. 

(He spoke about what our call is in a later topic, I will send later)

That like Jabez's prayer God will/has given us a dream and has called us to pray about it and just like in the case of Jabez he will grant it.

How to live in this season? (new era)

Habakkuk 2 King James Version (KJV)

2 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

Habakuk 2: 1

stand and watch and wait and see what God will say to me.

v2 write it down- write the vision down and make it plain on tablets.

That God wants to download new dreams and visions to us.

That he wants us to think through a new way of thinking by spending time in his presence where he will download things to you and wants us to write it down.

That we need a moment of encounter with God because its where we will get first hand revelation. That the devil will attack second hand revelation like he tested eve by asking eve- "Did God really say that?" Thats why we need our own revelation. 

he also said that for our dreams that have been sitting collecting dust we need to take it off the shelf and dust it off and put it infornt of us and thoroughly speak otu what God wants to do and be specific with what we want God to do by writing it down. That we need to start with the small thats that God speaks to us about because if we never start with the small we will never do the big and that we need to develop a new listening by listening for the small things that God is speking to us in or we will miss ot on listening to the big things he is telling us.

God gives dreams.

Obstacles come but pray and don't give up. That we need to get into a place where we can believe again.

That when we say Bless me Lord- its the same as saying I believe again.

Enlarge my territory, let your hand be upon me- because we believe him again...and trust him to lead us- positioning ourselves

preparing orselves to succeed.

Everything is created in dreamland.

Put it before you for you everyday- in the thankfulness of God.

God doesn't move- you move.

Big dreamers

Big God

When God speaks to you- new era, new day, more

Keep dreaming in every part.

Jeremaiah 33:9-11

9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.

10 Thus saith the Lord; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,

11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord.

people will have Fear of the Lord from the prosperity he gives you.

For broken dreams, he said its time to get a new dream

write how to bring them to pass over obedience over small things.

So this was day1. Hopefully in the next few days I can summarise and send like this.

I think this is a profound word for us as a family and as individuals that its our time. We just need to trust him and spend time with him to receive from him then go declare.

Big Job

I guess its like they say life begins at 40 but I'm more excited that I gave him a word right around the time he resigned telling him God had bigger things instore for him this year. In my little head I had no idea it was this big. Oh well next week we find out whether the Lagakalis are spending Christmas in Brazil, Indonesia or Sydney. being abit selfish I want them to be based in Sydney so that we can visit Bin at the same time but wouldn't it be nice to visit Brazil or Indonesia. Wow....and right on the heels of having to save up for Hawaii for the first week of January. Gosh exciting times ahead and I have to save save save every single cent for all these trips. I worry about how this will affect Jitoko, the furthest he has been from his family was when marrying me. Maybe this will open up a door for us too. Big changes for this family, excited nervous, not sure how everything will work out but definitely happy happy happy for these guys....ha....definitely interesting times ahead!

Late Night Revelation

Late night revelation tossing and turning all night until I finally got up and prayed that lord if there was anyone I needed to pray for show me and I will pray. This is the revelation that I got and this message I guess took 16years in making. 

2 Chronicles 7:14

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

The bible says IF. In programming if is usually a condition if something happens do this else do that. Here God is saying IF my people do 1,2,3,4 things. That is humble themselves, pray, seek his face and turn from their wicked ways. A lot of times we fall into 1 out of 4 of these categories. Maybe 2 or 3 but God is talking about doing all 4. Have you been praying for something and not received an answer for it? Maybe its because we've missed out on one of these 4 areas. If we humble ourselves and pray and turn from our wicked ways he promises, sure shot that he will forgive your sin and heal your land. Do you have land that needs healing:? Are we holding on to un-confessed sins? Are there things in our lives that we need to hand over to God and let him deal with it? 4 Adverbs: Humble, pray, seek and turn. Practical. Not thinking about praying, making plans to seek or contemplating turning but actually humbling ourselves and coming before God, seeking his face and admitting that we were wrong, he had it right from the beginning and his ways are better then ours.

Learning MVC

My first MVC tut. Wish I hadn't taken this long to get here. Django would have seemed much easier had I tried this out long time ago.

Today

I didn't understand this today Lord but I put it in your heands. I am not able to handle this Lord so I put it in your hands. I am not able to remain objective about this Lord so I put it in your hands. 

Today I encountered a full case of do unto others as you want others to do unto you. Last night I let someone have it and in turn today somebody let me have it.

In plain simple terms I had to learn to suck it up. I had to learn to not be offended by it and kep my mouth zipped. It did not feel nice. It hurt as hell and it still sucks. Its left this deep empty hollowness inside of me.

When I think about it now I realise its exactly like how Pastor preached it yesterday. About the attitude of the heart. Someboy had a change of heart towards me as a result of a complete misunderstanding and a misguided attempt on my part. 

I really should have just kept my mouth shut. Note to self, next time just keep quiet.

Now today when I think about it I'm analsing my character. Did I really do what I am being blamed for? Was it really my fault. I can see partially that yes it blew out of proportion but how much of it was my fault? 

The original incident or the most recent one? How could I have prevented it? 

Thats easy I should have kept my mouth shut. 

But did I contribute to the original incident? 

Could I have avoided it? 

What does it say about me as a person, my character? How did I react? What does it say about me now? 

How does that potray my attitude? Do I need to change my attitude? Do I need to change my heart? How do I guard my heart?

What happens now?

Lord teach me to trust in you. Show me your way. Lead me in your truth but most importantly Lord be glorified in my situation today.

For my good or not let it be for your glory.

I feel stink. I feel like crawling into a hole and not coming out of it. I feel like running away but running away is what got me here in the first place. I can't keep running away.

Lord teach me to trust that even if you don't work it out and if my head gets rubbed in the soil even more that you will take care of me. No matter what!

Song that comes to mind:

Today, I'm leaving all my troubles behind.

I'm letting go I'll follow the line.