In brief..?

So I've realised why it's important to keep my blog updated regularly, because when I don't post for over a month I want to write so much about the stuff I've been thinking about and learning that it'll take me ages to do it in one sitting... resulting in me not wanting to do it at all!

But for the sake of edifying and encouraging you, here are my thoughts in brief over the past month or so:

• After preparing a sermon for Chapel at SMBC (a nerve-racking experience which I'm glad to have taken up for experience sake), I was once again struck by God's forgiveness and love for me and the response I should have to him in light of that. I preached on Luke 7:36-50.. I urge you to read it with fresh eyes, picturing yourself in the Pharisee's house watching this sinful woman respond to Jesus in an extravagant and devoted way because of the recognition of how much she'd been forgiven by him. No matter what our lives were before becoming Christian, we've all been forgiven much and should therefore love Jesus much in our response to him.
• Being pregnant *surprise! to those who weren't aware* has made me think more on God's amazing works. I'm 16 weeks along now and though I'm not really growing much and my symptoms have mostly disappeared, I trust that God has my baby safely in his hands. It already blows me away that he has made this little being inside of me- how does he do that?! And the fact that there is nothing I can -really- do for our baby's health and growth makes me lean on him in dependence even more. Praise him with us :)
  
• Continuing from that, I have been so thankful for my husband recently. J has been so supportive and wonderful that it has led me to feel even more sure that God has chosen the perfect husband for me. Not that I didn't think that before- but after 3 years of marriage I am convinced that noone else is more perfect for me or could love me in the completely selfless way that he does.
  
• I've been thinking a lot about our future lately and what it may look like for us as a family. God has so humbled and rebuked me as I've been reflecting and learning what ministry really is in the life of a Christian. I must admit that my thoughts regarding ministry centered on full-time paid public ministry which left no room for anything else. And I confess that I'm completely wrong when I think that ministry is only ministry when it looks like that. I am continually learning to trust J as he leads us to pursue ministry as a lifestyle, for us to be faithful in wherever God has placed us, passionate to see Jesus exalted in all we do. As I enter into motherhood, I realise it means a big change to the kind of ministry I'm involved in now but that doesn't mean it becomes worthless in God's eyes. J may not become a minister or even be in part-time paid ministry but that does not make him and his service worthless either. Please pray for me as I work through these issues with J who is much more humble than I am when it comes to talking about this.
  

Please pray for my heart, my life, that it would be filled with Jesus. That he would be all I see and all I live my life for.