Week 11 - Spiritual Warfare

During this week, we had our lovely school leader Rochelle speak to us about Spiritual Warfare!!

We learned all the names of the enemy, all they ways he uses to get to us. We as Christians are in a spiritual warfare whether we know it or know. Here are some of my notes!

~ Spiritual warfare: doing the works of Jesus & taking our authority over the devil as we go about our daily lives
~ Pride makes Jesus really angry, Lucifer was very prideful that is why he was thrown out heaven.
~ God has already WON the battle!!!!
~ "I have already beaten the power of the enemy, I have already won. Stop worrying about the enemies work in your life, for I have more power than him." - God
~ He (satan) is free to come and go as he pleases but he is subject to God and his limitations placed upon him by God (Job 1:7-12,
Mark 5:8,13, Luke 4:35, 1 Corinthians 10:13)
~ You are NOT alone!!!
~ He is the name above ALL NAMES!!!
~ We have authority over the enemy because Jesus gave us that authority
~ Unless we are seated and relaxed before the Lord, knowing who we are in Christ and trusting in the wonderful grace of God which is able to keep us from falling and unless we are walking with a clean conscience we will not be able to stand against evil powers.
~ every righteous thing a Christian does is Spiritual Warfare
~ if we can consistently watch over our minds, hearts, and mouths, we will deny the devil access to our lives and truly experience victory


This week was very challenging. There was for sure some Spiritual warfare going on during this week. All of us students felt upset, homesick, and sad. After praying on Thursday evening things started looking up, and it was a much better was to end the week!!


The most Eastern Point in Australia, Byron Bay!

The wonderful adventure in Australia...

So this week was an interesting adventure... it was scary, wet, cold and intense. During this week we started on Sunday night and had to have our hiking backpacks packed and ready to go until Wednesday night. We arrived at the church at 7 pm and it was crazy... we were then blindfolded and taken around Ashmore, it wasn't too much fun seeing as we didn't know where we were going or where we were gonna sleep. They dropped us all off at a random place and drove away before we could take our blindfold off. Once we heard the cars drive off, we knew we could take our blind fold off, and so we did... we were on a random car parking lot. We were given instructions about how we were to sleep that night and what time we had to meet Marty the next day. We were able to sleep in our own beds that night, Thank GOD!! The next morning we had to be up at 4:30 and meet up with Daniel at 5:15 in the morning, so we had to do an hour long walk, so we left and met Marty at 6 am. This was a challenging week were we had to physically overcome challenges and mentally. We were given very little food, and very little sleep.

The best part of this week was that My parents arrived while I was on this horrible adventure! It was so awesome having them here for a few day! We got to go see some crazy australian wildlife! My parents pet Kangaroos and we got to go see the Dolphins and sharks! It was so much fun, we did an amazing boat cruise and we got to spend a bunch of time together! It was so great to see them!


Dad and the Kangaroo!!


Mom and the crazy Ostrich

Week 9 - Jewish Roots

So for the week on Jewish Roots, I had a wonderful lady named Jesma. She came and spoke to us about many of the different Jewish traditions and words. Learning from her was good, I just wished I had known more of the history of the Jewish nation before I learned to more intricate details. Some of the notes I took:

- Genesis: Bereshit which means the beginning
- Hebrews: People who have crossed over into the ways of God
- we can tell what we believe by the way we live our lives
- p'shat: the direct and simple
- remez: hint
- darash: commentary
-sod: deep, hidden meaning
- Jesus' parables and Isaiah's parables are parallel
- Genesis contains everything in the Bible... everything that is written in the rest of the Bible, has already been written in Genesis
- in the beginning man and woman were created equal
- Genesis 2 - God rested even though there was more work to do; He took a Sabbath
- Our day off each week is to remind us of how we we're created in the image and likeness of God
- If you are too busy to take a day off, you are not free, you are a slave
- God is looking for availability, not ability
"We'll have peace in the middle east when the Arab's love their children more than they hate us (Isreal)"
- Remember the Sabbath day
- Sabbath starts when the first 3 stars appear. The mother blesses the family, then father joins in, then the father blesses wife and together they bless their children
- Sabbath is centered around the FAMILY!!!!

This week I found it really hard to pay attention. I think it was just a mid-point of the lecture phase and I think I started not paying attention, but by the end of the week I knew that I needed to pay attention!! And so I started getting more and more out of the week. Her voice was just too sweet and quiet to really pay attention...

Also this week, we had a week called Angel's and Mortal's... Everyone is given a person that they are to be angels for. I got to be Ellice's Angel and she had NO idea that it was me!! My angel was Paivi and she was amazing! She got my boyfriend to record himself singing a song and sent it to me, and it was exactly what I was needing, I was feeling a bit homesick, so having that really helped!!

Please continue to Pray for me that God will continue to show me His plan for my life!!

Blessings!

Week 8!

I know that I am posting both week 7 and week 8 at the same time, but I have been sick, and haven't been able to finish my blog...

Please pray for my health, that God will continue to heal me, as well for my finances, that God will continue to provide for me...

So this week we talked about Relationships!

We had our base director doing the lectures and it was great!

She talked a lot marriage and about honoring and respecting people, both of the same sex and of opposite sex as well...

Here's some of my notes!

Understanding value
- love is not a feeling it is an action
1 John 3:18 --> Love is an action
- honor and value is love
- we can't be loving if we don't act it out
- relationship is necessary because everyone have value, knowledge of this value bring on responsibility
- Honor is a heart issue
- we all need to honor ALL countries, races... (ect.)
- God puts value on each individual
- Jesus showed us love when we didn't deserve it.
Romans 5:8 --> While we were still sinners Christ died for us!
- Forgiveness means that the person that did something to you deserves the same honor as the person who loved you all along..
1 Corinthians 13:5 --> Love keeps NO record of wrong.

What is Lust?
Lust: an inability to relax about body parts
--> animals don't lust
--> it's selfish...
- promiscuous people hate themselves more than others in society.
- the more you value yourself and others the less likely you are to engage in sex drugs and alcohol.
- give yourself value

Relationship timeline
complete stranger --> acquaintance --> distant friend --> close friend --> intimate best friend --> steady partner --> serious relationship --> engagement --> marriage --> life long best friend (romantic and friendship)

Acquaintance --> close friend : group setting
close friend --> steady partner: one on one
steady partner --> engagement: committed friendship
marriage: God comes/Unification

Relationship Philosophy:
1. Right motives
2. Avoid the dating syndrome
3. Give up your right to sex and marriage
4. Take time to develop non romantic relationships
5. Determine to please GOD
6. Get your life free and straight

How to Diminish the chance of getting hurt:
1. Admit that it is romantic
2. Seek God
3. make Jesus Lord of your emotions
4. Communicate with an objective person
5. Communicate with the other person
a. have the right timing
b. don't be selfish
c. communicate continually
6. Never commit your emotions past the point that the other person has stated or demonstrated!

So those are some of my notes... But, yeah I hope everyone is doing great....

I'm feeling better, but it's all good!

God is good!

Please keep praying for me for my health and for finances...

blessings!

xoxo

Taelor

Week 7!

Mark Parker...
need I say more...
Well I guess for those of your reading at home, I probably should...

Mark Parker is a FANTASTIC speaker, who spoke on Fear of the Lord and Lordship... He was amazing... he kept our attention and yelled at us, (in a good way) and made us all really think about a lot of different things. He is from New Zealand, and he has been involved in YWAM for 23 years! He has a wife and four boys...

I don't think I have ever heard someone say "SHUT UP" so many times.. of course he wasn't saying it us, rather he was saying it in regards to situations and to himself! It was quite fantastic actually.. He had us laughing and crying all in the same week! We had about 30 hours of lectures this week.. CRAZY! However, everyone was interesting, never boring and I got ALOT of information out of each one!

This week during Intercession we prayed for India.. and India has always been a country that has been on my heart, but we prayed for the trafficking and the poverty as well as the Dalit rights and so on... It was a very intense night as we were all very into our prayers...

On Saturday after, we had a full day of worship and it was amazing.. we spend the first few hours in worship and praise to God, just casting the enemy to get away.. then we moved more into the the tabernacle. We kept worshiping God, and we had offerings at the cross that we lifted up to Jesus, and we also had some sin/quilt offerings we had to just give to Jesus. It was such an amazing experience... After our offerings, we had lunch.. and after lunch, we began to do oil anointings, which were so powerful, in this time we also did some healing stuff as well... then we went onto communion and we broke bread and had grape juice, that was fantastic! After communion, we tore the veil and we worshiped God for a bit longer.. This was a whole day event, it took us about 12 hours to get everything accomplished that God needed us to get accomplished!

Overall Mark Parker was a fantastic speaker! He really knew how to speak to us, and to keep our attention!

Thank you guys for continuing to read my blog and follow up with everything that is going on in my life! God is moving and it is FANTASTIC!!!

Please continue to pray for financial support as Outreach is coming in 6 weeks!!

Blessings on all of you!!

xoxo

Taelor

Journal Entry!

"God wrote the redemption plan in His name: Hand Behold, Nail Behold," Chris Twinn said as he was telling of the character and nature of God. This statement was such an eye opening moment for me, it helped me really believe the awesomeness of our loving Father. Through my DTS here at YWAM Gold Coast, God has been challenging me in 3 different ways: mentally, spiritually, and physically.

Leaving for my DTS was going to be a challenge because I knew I was leaving behind my family, my new friends, and my new boyfriend. This was going to be a huge mental battle, but I knew that if I remained with God that He'd bless me through it. So, after leaving my friends and family at the airport I knew I was in for an adventure with God. This has been mentally challenging for me because I am always thinking of home and missing them, but I know that I am here to be used by God, so I am sticking through it!

Christianity has always been something I believed in, but the details never seemed to matter. But here on my DTS, I am always being challenged on my beliefs and I am starting to get my own beliefs that are important to me. I've been able to spend lots of time with God everyday which has been a huge part of my growth spiritually. During lectures I love hearing about God as my father and i love just learning about Him.

The weather here is different from home, but I love it! It's always at least warm and sunny. The heat has been challenging for me to make sure i am drinking enough water. I don't think I have ever drinking so much water in my life. I am exercising more too; everyday we walk to and from the base, it takes about 8 minutes each way. However it is nothing compared to what I am going to be doing in PNG! The plan is to do the Kokoda Trail, this will be challenging but God is going to do GREAT things through us on this journey!

Although all this I have learned already, I still have so much to learn! I am still challenged with homesickness, but I am here to learn about God, so that is what I plan on doing. Our outreach in PNG is going to a physical, spiritual, and emotional challenge, but God is going to bless me through it!




Park Outreach!!



Just the Beach!

I miss everyone so much, Please keep praying for me that God will provide for me and continue working in my life!

xoxo

Tae

Week 4!!!

Well.. today is the start of a new week... I don't really feel I got much of a weekend, I spent Saturday Sunday with the kids at an explorers camp, then sunday night, waited up for Renata to arrive from Brazil... Monday woke up early to talk to family, and went to play volleyball at Griffiths University. Then after we took one of the September DTS students, Dani to the airport to see her off, and then went over to New South Wales and went to Fingle Beach! It was ABSOLUTELY amazing! I was able to see dolphins jump out of the ocean, it was BEAUTIFUL! Then watched the sunset and wrote in the sand with my feet! It was absolutely astounding! God is truly amazing. Then now, we're home... and so the week begins with me super exhausted (from staying up till 12 playing piano and singing with waking up a 6 am) and I've cut my pointer finger on my left hand maing dinner tonight.. Stupid onions... Lectures start in about half an hour, and I am going to do my absolute best to stay awake and alert for them! But I shall write more later!

Blessings in Christ!

Taelor

PS. Please continue to pray for my finances as I am still waiting on God for my Outreach!

This weekend!

Working with the Asmore State School this weekend was a real test of patients and understanding. I am so excited that God is working in these kids lives. We started this weekend with a long car ride to the camp. I never expected that kids could be so rambunctious, and eat so much candy in such a short time. So we arrived at the camp and were directed to a room to be a co-leader with. As soon as we arrived it was time for morning tea. In Australia, morning tea is a half hour break with tea/coffee/juice and usually some fruit and some baked goods! After morning tea, we had X-Plorers boot camp. After lunch we went on a scavenger hunt. It was forsure a survival scavenger hunt. I had to lead a team with Monika, and there were leeches in the forest. The were lots of mozies (mosquitoes) there too, and the kids were really worried about the bugs. One of the girls got bit by a leech and then a few other kids got bit by bugs and stung by a poisonous plant. Once the kids started crying, everyone went hysterical. The kids went back to the base and then we had afternoon tea. After dinner we had X-Plorers Life Trainging and Keirsten, Marten, Zida, and Simon all gave their tragedies and they had an open handed time and kids decided that they wanted to know more about God and they wanted to talk to us and we prayed for them. God is moving in their lives and it's amazing!!! After that amazing moment, we all headed off to the caves. If you've ever seen Planet Earth, and you've seen the glow worms of the caves, those are the ones I saw!!! It was absolutely amazing, and I was so blessed by that! God is so good and He continues to show me His love, mercy and grace! He is so amazing!!!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

Tae

OUTREACH!!!!!!

Well... Today I found out where I am going on my outreach!!!

I am going to Papa New Guinea with a group of 4 girls. I am so very excited about it!

My trip is going to cost me around $4000, and I have just over 2, so please pray that God will provide for me to go! I'm so excited to see what he is going to in my life, and I can't wait to experience PNG! God is doing some crazy stuff there! The last school just got back, and they saw some crazy miracles happen. They went to a hospital and saw an entire HIV ward walk out of the the hospital being healed! God is so good!

Can't wait to see what God is going to do through our team!

Please continue to pray for me!

Blessings
Taelor

Saturday Feb 13!

Well, at home you are all watching the opening ceremonies to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada... Here, I am trying to find a cool place for me to sit so I don't get too dehydrated and get heat stroke! It is 29 degrees Celsius, but it feels like 35, and it is only about twenty to one... it's nice, but i miss home. I can't wait to start school on Monday. Monday we do our orientation and then we being the week on tuesday! So looking forward to it! God is going to do great things in my life during the next 6 months I can't wait!

Blessings to all!

Post later!

Taelor

Ashmore!

Well... I'm here.. I've made it.. my house is great, my plane ride was great.

I have 4 days to just relax and get to know the place before school starts. School starts monday morning, looking forward to it!

God is doing GREAT STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!


<3 you!

Tae

LAX

Well... This is me in LAX.. AHHH!!!! It's crazy.. this place is HUGE.. Actually.. one wing of this airport is the size of YVR.. seriously.. Well my plane leaves for Australia in two hours, and I am just spending some quality time with me! I had a great send off last night and today. With my going away/birthday party last night, and then today with my wonderful family and wonderful boyfriend, and his wonderful sister who took me to the airport and all cried with me. I told myself that I wouldn't cry after I went through customs... FAIL, you know why.. because I have the greatest friends in the whole world! God has blessed me so much with the people he has placed in my life! i am so thankful for ALL of my friends! Last night at my party i was given some goodbye letters, and I decided that I wouldn't read them until today before the plane.. that was the biggest mistake of my life... But I am SO THANKFUL for the wonderful people in my life! Well, I will be here if you are missing me, but don't you worry I will be home before even I know it!!!

God bless!!

Taelor

183 days till I'm home!

18 days

So I leave in 18 days... CRAZY!!!!! It feels so weird that I am going to be leaving for 6 months in 18 days... AH!!!

I'm super excited, and I can't wait for it to be here! I'm excited to go to Australia. School is looking like its going to be a lot of work, but it looks so rewarding. I believe I am going to be in school for 50 hours a week, its going to be pretty intense, but I'm excited for it!

Along with packing for 6 months, I also have to pack my room. While I am away my parents are moving, so I need to pack too!

It's going to be a crazy busy 18 days... CAN'T WAIT!!

<3 you guys!!

have an awesome day!

Taelor