Little gypsy girl

So my life as a gypsy has begun. I worked it out the other day - from mid November til the end of January i will have had a total of about 13 days in my own house and bed. Some of it's work, but a lot of it will just be some good ol' fashion fun and r&r.

I was feeling fine about it all until Tuesday (the day before i left to start the first leg of my journey) when i looked at my palm and realised all that i needed to do and pack for the next couple of months. then i just felt tired and like i couldn't do anything but sit on my couch and zone out to the TV. Common sense prevailed though, to the point where i can now be coherently sitting in my room in Canberra ANU typing this.

So, why ANU - it's simple really, AFES'S NTE - or for those out of the loop the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students annual National Training Event. Students, about 1000, from all over the country come to hear some great talks from the word of God and spend time in 'strand groups' where they get to learn skills of how to read the bible for themselves and think critically about it. It really is a great opportunity for many of them, something that i think is probably unparalleled in it's quality from any other other event of it's type.

This years topic is "Last Things First" - and it's about eschatology (the study of the 'end times' as read about in the bible) with Philip Jensen and Richard Chinn. I'm looking forward to it, but not as much as I'm looking forward to seeing how so many students (young adults really) are keen to just get stuck into the bible and see how the word of God is going to affect them.

But, and here's a little confession for you - what I'm really looking forward to is some spiritual input time for me. I think over the last couple of months I've gotten to engrossed in the business of looking after other people and where they're at, and haven't been taking the time that i need to be reading the bible and praying for myself.

You hear it from time to time that this is a pattern that those in ministry can slip into easily and I'm afraid that's what I've done. and quite frankly, it isn't good enough. For God, for me or for those that i minister too. So, as i sit here in my little room (actually it isn't as little as most of the others - somehow i managed to score one of the rare RA's rooms so i have a bedroom, bathroom and little lounge/study!!) looking out of my window, I've been setting a plan of action for myself. Before i left, Penny gave me a great travel journal which I'll be using as a prayer diary. And I'm expecting that some of my posts will get a little bit more reflective too.

And actually that leads me to another thought. I got a bit freaked out a while ago when my google stats page told me just how many people where reading this blog - as well as their countries of location. It was a bit unnerving to think of people i don't know, and even those i do, reading about my thoughts and experiences so i sort of started to shy away from revealing too many things. I want to change that: while blogs can be as deep or as trivial as you want them to be, i started mine with the simple intention of trying to be as transparent as i could be. I firmly believe that if i have thoughts or convictions, then i should have the strength of character to be happy revealing them to (almost!) anyone. So if from time to time the posts seem a bit more reflective or personal - now you'll know why.

til then
j.