one month

It has now been exactly 4 weeks since i moved to Melbourne, sometimes it feels a lot longer and sometimes it feels like it has flown by.

And what have a done in these four weeks???

things started off pretty hard to be honest, there was a lot going on with my heart. I was missing home, missing family, missing friends and trying to deal with a difficult situation alone. but now I have to say I'm glad I didnt get on a plane to Northern Ireland! (not that I don't miss it but i think staying was right)

I have been busy looking for a job which has been a frustrating experience as I have been pushing many many doors and none are opening and I just understand why! It is something I am continually taking to God because I believe He is in control of everything and I can't see a reason for me not to be working right now! I just want to be busy and get stuck into something!!!

I have been helping out with lots of wedding preparations for my brother the last couple of weeks which has been good and kept me busy and out of trouble :) and now people have been arriving there is more to do! Its helped me get to know the city better too, and i think i could easily live here for a while. part of me wants to see other parts of Australia but part of me would be quite happy not to.

But now i have to think what next??
2010 is nearly over and another chapter is starting for me....but what? I have so many ideas, so many plans, dreams desires but whether any are for right now I don't know!
Do i need to know??

this is how much i love you....

....i made this for you to enjoy.

that's what i heard the first time i went here. that's what God was saying to me that day. I'm sure a lot of other people have heard the same thing in the same place. It took my breath away, yes because its beautiful but also because the presence of God is there. So much peace and joy in just sitting in one place and taking in the beauty of the surroundings.
That's how much my God loves me, and i am so thankful He does. Sometimes the little things in life mean the most.

blessed

so i have been a lot of places this last little while, so i put a little mini slideshow together of some pictures!
Chicago, Milwaukee, San Francisco, LA, wow, thats a lot in a few short weeks!
but its amazing how blessed i am at this time and how much God has given me to enjoy. Its been a little bit of an emotional roller coaster and a little lonely at times. the life of a traveler i guess. But when i look back and see the blessings, they are far far greater than any of the difficulties!
so check out my pictures :)

its about the journey

so this has been a crazy wonderful week of my life! i just can't believe it is my life!
anyways today i set off to climb "the mount" in Tauranga, New Zealand because i hear the view from the type is pretty spectacular. so off i go! all ready to give it all and get to the top as fast as possible to see the view as that is what i usually do with a hill!

but this time i found myself stopping every few minutes to take a break, and this was not sue to my fitness levels (well maybe it was a little due to my fitness levels!) but i just wanted to take everything in. its all very well to get to the top to see the amazing view but what about the view halfway up, or how the bay looks when you are on the right side of the mountain of the way the trees frame the view if you stand a particular angle? there is so much to take in and i didnt want to miss it!

its a lot like life, sometimes i am so focused on where i want to be or the direction i am going in i dont take time to look and see whats going on around me. but its about the journey. all the little things that happen along the way.
Being present in the present and not missing what God has RIGHT NOW on the way to where you're going!

This travel blog photo's source is TravelPod page: Home away from home for Christmas.

friends

it has only been a few weeks since the end of tourbut if feels like so long ago already!
finishing tour is always a difficult time, its hard to adjust to not being around 30 people all the time (even though while on tour all your crave is time alone!)
But to go from that to having so much time and space alone is a real challenge.
all of a sudden you have time to think, to dwell on things, to process the last few months, rejoice in the good times and ponder upon the mistakes....of which there are inevitably some.
it can be so easy to get caught up in the shoulda, woulda coulda.....but that gets you nowhere. so instead comes the challenge of leaving things to God, places it in his hands and trusting that he REALLY REALLY does know best and wants that for me.

in some ways this has been a difficult few weeks, emotionally, and its good to have the friends that i do! i only wish they could be here with me! even though they are so far away i am constantly reminded how much they care, and how i am loved. i am BLESSED to have the people in my life that i do and i thank God for the friends i have and the people he has put around me. sometimes all this traveling feels so lonely, but i know we are not made to do this journey of life alone and i'm glad that i know i wont ever have to!

SO thank you to all my friends, all over the place! for being wonderful! and reminding of the truths of this life!

tour is over

we have finished!
20 shows and agood few of school assemblies in the 7 weeks we have been touring has left us all pretty tired!
and so today we all say our good byes and head out separate ways!

over 1100 people responded to the gospel in Kansas city area. We dont have the full numbers from Cincinnati but we know that over 1000 people had responded before we began our last week, which had our 3 biggest shows.

it was a great team to work with and God has been so faithful during this time. it is a real blessing to see him change so many lives and to play a small small part of that!

now its time to get some rest, recharge the batteries, get some time alone and get ready for what is next.....whatever that may be....

GX International Fall usa tour 2010

2 days....2 shows

last weekend of tour! Can't believe its over.
we have seen over 1000 people respoond to the gospel message before this week started which is amazing. we had a great show last night which a pretty big response and the shows this weekend are expected to be the biggest of the tour.

everyone is really tired and there is a lot of sickness in the team, we seem to be getting smaller in size every day! but we really want to finish well, knowing we gave it everything.
it has been great to have so many opportunities to share what God has done in my life and see people relate to that. its also really encouraging to see so many people from the local communities willing to follow up with those responding to the gospel.

FINISH WELL.... FINISH STRONG.

more footage from KC shows

another little sample of some of the shows we have been doing!

we arrived in Kentucky

yes....i did say Kentucky!
we are close to the border of northern Kentucky and `Ohio and we will be doing shows in both!
the next few weeks are going to be very busy! we have school assemblies every day and a show thursday, friday, saturday. its exciting to have the opportunity to share with so many people. so far the schools have been pretty tough. Normally i dont find that difficult but yesterday speaking to 1000 high school students in the roughest part of the city was pretty intimidating!!!
it is going to be tough few weeks but that is the best way! we would all appreciate your prayers as a team for this time!

shows

a have put together a short video of shows in the kansas city area.
so far over 500 people have responded to the gospel in the last couple weeks which is really encouraging. although its just a short snapshot i hope it gives you some idea of what i have been doing!

first shows

we have started school assemblies and completed our dress rehearsals, set our lighting, organised our costume changes and now its time to get to work!
it has been a very busy couple of days! Our first show was on wednesday. it was a combo show with all 3 teams and took place in the building of international house of prayer. it also was broadcast live on the internet through their webstream which was exciting! thursday we had 2 assemblies and then another show in the small town of Holden MO. and friday was another early start with 4 school assemblies!
we have heard that over 350 people have responded to the gospel in this area this week and there are a lot of local people set up to follow up with them and encourage them to get invovled in local churches. it is really encouraging to us to know that this is in place!

i hope to get a video up this week of part of the show and schools. it has just been such a busy couple of days i havent had a chance!

3 weeks already

i can't believe i have been here for 3 weeks already, it has gone by so fast but at the same time it just feels like i have been here forever!
this week we have done a lot of teaching and it has been hard to get my head around it all as there are so many new dances swimming around in there to remember as well! (and if im honest i havent quite hard to exercise my brain this much all at once since i graduated, so thats been a while!)

this weekend will be our first performances, so hopefully i will get some pictures and videos from that! everyone is excited to get going and see what God is going to do in the next few weeks in kansas city!

week one

here is a little bit of what we have been up to this first week in kansas. dancing, teaching, thunder storms and a little birthday fun for good measure! put this together very quickly but you get the idea!

back in america

i realised i haven't actually written on this blog in nearly a year!
during this time i have been back home in Northern Ireland, really just doing life there.

i was working a fair bit but it was also a great opportunity for me to rest and soak in God. i spent time listening to some great teachings and reading scripture and growing in my relationship with Jesus. i tried so hard not to waste away my time foolishly as i was so aware it was time i wont get back!

and now the time has come for me to return to USA for another tour with GX international. its great to catch up with old friends as well as meeting some new people.
i am excited for what God is going to do in this time, in and through all of us!