Harvest Time!

Hey faithful supporters, 

Its amazing how time fly's when your focused on being used by God in the daily routine, especially when you wake each day awaiting what the plans are going to be. The only thing that i new in the last 6 weeks is that i was based down in Goolwa beach on the south coast and that i would be dropping Liana off at her teaching practicum at 8am and picking her up at 4pm. The time in between on most days was a blank canvas. That was the really cool thing about it though because when you are in that place you approach life with expectation and wonder as your day unfolds before your eyes. Each day in the last 6 weeks i have encountered new people, old friends and many others in which God has given me the opportunity to get alongside, to hear their hearts and to find the connection point between them and their creator. Now for me this is what makes the blood pump, it's the thing that gets me excited and enables me to believe the words of John 10:10 about Jesus coming to give life in abundance.

I have learned that "i love sharing Jesus through my life and my words" and the even cooler thing is that a lot of the people i have met love me sharing it too. Now that may sound strange and not the common response to those sharing Jesus, but that has been my experience in this time on the south coast. Whether it has been on the phone, or in the surf or just in my travels and duties i have encountered time and time again divine set ups by God in which he has used a few words that have come out of mouth that have made a difference in a person or peoples lives. I certainly can't take the credit for it. the only thing i can take credit for is that i have positioned myself in places in order to see what God is doing in the lives around me. Honestly if was to reflect on the last 6 weeks of divine moments all i could say is that when you step aside and rest in Him, He then uses you in ways that you couldn't even imagine. The advantage of this place of absolute assurance of rest in Him, is that you walk in the confidence of Him and nothing or no one can get in the way of Jesus being the only thing. 

For me and what i have learnt in the last 6 weeks is that when He is the only thing, He is the focus, He is one you live for nothing can distract from the joy that comes from living for Him. And when you have this as your direction you actually become your most authentic, most loving self you can be. The world that we live in needs us to be our most authentic self. if we are truly honest with ourselves our most authentic self is one that is totally in union with Jesus. This kind of you without effort will impact your friend, your family and the people you live life with. I heard it said that "a fruit tree doesn't need to try to bear good fruit, it just does cos its a fruit tree." A quite profound statement yet is so true. In Matthew 7:18 Jesus alludes to this and says that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit if its good and because of what Jesus did on that tree of calvary we are good trees. Thats how God, your creator sees you, a good tree that is incapable of producing bad fruit. This is the true reality and this is where Life is truly found. As a tree that doesn't have to try to be a tree, but just is. 

I hope that you are encouraged by the way that your prayers, financial support and other support has enable this last 6 weeks to a season i would describe as "harvest time." Thats an exciting time and i believe is time that approaching all of us faster than we think. So be consumed by Him and let him flow out of you as He wants to.

Whats practically happening?

Biggest news is that Liana has climbed her Everest and as i write has one day of her final teaching practical to go. She found out a few days ago that she passed her practical and that the people responsible were impressed with Liana's improvement and confidence that had developed over the time of her practical. I am so proud of her and it brings me so much joy to see her fly like the eagle that she was created to be. She has just 2 assignments to go and it's party time! So thanks for all the prayers and support show to her in this time. she has certainly be lifted up by all of you to achieve such a feat.

A picture of absolute surrender! Well done Liana

The other news is that we are heading back our home at Christies Beach next week and so back to living in community with Kris and the girls. For me this is exciting, but also sad as i have to say goodbye to surf beaches being just a stones throw away. My 23 surfing times in the last 25 days has been such a joy for me and a reminder that i love surfing and most of all i love the surfers. I hope that i can continue to be disciplined in getting in the water as this has been where a lot of the harvest has come from. its so cool that God allows our passions to come together with Him.

I will continue to work at Cutloose Surf and hope to bring blessing to the people there as it winds down. Yes that right the surf shop i work for will cease to exist in a few months. It has been an awesome time, in which i have gained experience, impacted new crew and sold heaps of surf stuff. What is around the corner who knows. What i do know is i need not to worry cos today is what i have been given. The next job i'm sure will come and i'm sure it will be just the right place.

I know had a lot to share and just hope that you are encouraged, inspired and challenged by what your support has enabled Liana and myself to do.

Bless ya heaps and we love you eternally.

Justin and Liana.

The call for us all! to Represent the King Here in this world.

Changed lives.

tucking in at beautiful parsons beach!

Hey all, just wanted to share a story!

As some might know i work as a surf coach as well as lead CS. And a few weeks ago i did a surf coaching trip over to Yorke peninsula. Little did i know that in the next 3 days God would invite me to partner with him in the lives of the two coaches i was working with, particularly one of them. 

After the first day i was chatting with one of the coaches and he shared with me that he had severe back pain and that he had been suffering a little bit of depression and it had impacted his life a number of times. I really felt that God wanted me to address this and so i said to him "i believe that you do not have to deal with this because God wants to heal you." A bold statement, but when your a passenger to when God takes over its amazing what comes out of your mouth. Any way this lead to a great conversation and then an opportunity to ask if i could pray for him over the next few days. He said he would really appreciate that.

Next morning i was praying and worshipping and the Lord lead me to a passage in John.

John 14:27
27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.(NLT)

This passage was the wisdom that this surf coach needed to hear. and the next morning on the wednesday 2nd May 2012 i shared this with him. He responded in the only way someone would respond when a word pierces your heart. And in this moment i was able to pray from him and particularly over his back which he was experiencing large amounts of pain. I felt the Lord speak healing over his mind and as a result he was healed. the rest of the day he ran out a full vigorous session of coaching and he is almost 50 so thats impressive and most of all he had no pain.

A week later i caught up with him and spoke to him and asked the question of how he was going since i had prayed over him. He replied "that since i have prayed he has had no back pain and his depression has ceased."

To God be the glory is all i can say and encourage you all that its amazing what can happen when you become the conduit for what God might want to be doing in a life you connect with. So be bold and believe that God can do these things through you too.


New Roomies.
Also just one last update. For the past 3 months Liana opened up our home to a single Dad and his 2 daughters of 5 and 7. It has been a journey that has been a growing one, but overall it has seen this young family experience freedom and healing from their previously bad living situation. Keep praying for us as we continue in this journey. Below is a pic of Kris, Maddi and Chelsea so you know who we are living with.

Kris, Maddi (Left), Chelsea (Right)

God Bless, 

Justin & Liana.

Set Free!

Hey Faithful supporters,

Here's just a real quick update on whats happening with Liana and I as we serve as Kingdom workers in our lives.

2012 has kicked off with a bang and our lives are showing that we are completely consumed by an amazing God that calls us serve Him. God has revealed to us that our ministry work extends beyond the title of Regional Coordinators for SA, but is actually our whole life. Every week, every day, every moment is an opportunity for us to be an instrument in any situation.

Between Liana and I in the past month we have Sold ice creams for STREETS at Clipsal 500 and Womad, Surf coached, cooked BBQ at various functions, Teaching at schools in Blackwood and Goolwa, Christian surfers travel and work, had a single dad and 2 daughters move in and there is much more. Given this variety of the past month we realise that we serve in a LIFE capacity, not a title capacity.

Why are we Set Free? well because when you rid yourselves of the things that take Life away from you, you realise that you are created to do the things that bring life. And when this happens you become the recklessly abandoned Jesus radical that he wants you to be. Both Liana and i are stoked and are looking forward to how together we will continue our journey as Kingdom workers for a mighty King.

I have a small clip that explains it all! (technical difficulties, but coming soon).

Bless ya heaps!

A New year Begins!

Hey All our Faithful supporters!

Well its been awhile since i posted on here! The reason is because of the crazy schedule that happened towards the end of 2011. Kangaroo Island pretty much dominated my life. I spent large amount of time over there working on the big KI Surfing and Music event. Unfortunately this event has copped a lot of bad press in media and other forums. The great thing that happened out of this event has got much air time and that is that Christian Surfers Volunteers served with all their heart and soul to make the event a great success. 78 volunteers worked up to 12 hours a day and wore their Jesus hearts on their sleeves. As the leader i was so proud of my team. See attached pic!

So anyway post KI Liana and i have settled into our new house with fresh vision and super excited about where God is taking us. We received our house via a miracle (as me some time) and since then have had a real opportunity to build a great home and God has blessed us amazingly filling our home with all that is needed to be a house of hospitality. We are sure to have many stories that will come from this next journey.

After 2011 i was needing a long break and so over the time of December and early January i took some sabbath time. It was a hard journey of searching God's heart and looking for the renewing of mine. I was completely exhausted and needed some REST. What i discovered was that i needed the kind of REST that i actually hadn't had for quite some time (3 years). In this journey i was able to spend some great time in my marriage rediscovering the fun of being able to do life with your best friend. I was able to Surrender all that i have and all that i am to God afresh. In fact even was on the verge of moving on from ministry completely. But as God does when you find REST in him he reveals the true plans of the path. OBEDIENCE is the key and is all he asks for. So OBEDIENCE is what we did.

This Obedience has seen Liana and I begin another year leading Christian Surfers in SA. Its been a journey of many deserts, but this is where God has lead us. We look forward to an exciting year ahead and the move in the spiritual realm which is of massive proportions that is coming. Jesus has been so faithful to us and he continues to be so. He is the only Lord that we want to follow and so as the year rolls on we are in anticipation as to where he might move us to, what people He has has ministering too and the adventures that lie ahead.

This weekend i will be firing up the crew of South Oz for our annual leaders retreat. We appreciate you prayers over this time.

We would like to say a massive thank you to all of you that make it possible for us to be OBEDIENT to our King. Your partnership is invaluable and prayers are invaluable. we look forward to sharing many more stories in 2012. (there is short clip of our new home of Christies beach)

Bless ya heaps!

He is writing our life story!

Liana here, hello!

I've finally worked out how to use this blog thingo so now you can hear from me too! And get a wifely perspective of the journey of serving in ministry, always putting others first and releasing my husband to work for the kingdom. This means life gets tough. Add in the challenging journey of doing faith and finances and you have a hard road but a very blessed and worthwhile road because it is good to be in the will of God!

This year has been a long and painful lesson in surrender. God often tries to teach us to surrender our lives to him. He wants us to walk light, and place everything at the foot of the cross. (Matthew 11:30) He wants to align our desires with his and our soul with his. I have also been learning how sometimes God has other plans for us then we had for ourselves.

Surrendering all areas of our life to God means giving up control (or the myth that we are in control) as justin said in the last blog. God wants us to unclench our heart and our hands around areas of our life that we are trying desperately to keep to ourselves and do in our own strength...generally because we have trouble trusting God with our life. This could be our career, our finances, our relationships or simply our future plans.  So he brings up the area so we can surrender it. And he wants us to trust him and 'give all of our worries to him for he cares for us' (1 Peter 5:7)

This is because he has good plans for us and what he has been speaking to me about is that he is the one writing our life story and he is the greatest author of all.  Jeremiah 29:11

Hope this blesses you!

The Myth of Independence!

I have been thinking a lot lately. Its been awhile since i got my thoughts on a page. Its funny how when you go through deep pits of despair you find it hard to share with people and you guys who read this. Maybe there is lot in that! often when the chips are down we strive to become more independent in thinking rather than dependent. It's this whole concept that has me intrigued and as i sit here i really feel that God is speaking to me about this.

Independence is what we are taught from a young age! our parents, mentors and people we look up too preach a message of independence. And this is a message that is certainly one held by our society and our world. Independence is the effort to take control of things in your life. It might be how much money you can earn, or maybe the house you want, or maybe the job you want to keep. All these things we believe we have control over but the reality is we don't know what tomorrow holds. It was just a few days ago that i was watching TV and saw a tragedy at an American air show, when a plane literally fell out of the sky, crashing into a stand packed full of people. (my prayers to those affected) I reckon a lot of those people would have felt like they were going to have control over the events of that day. It ordinarily would have been a great day to watch guys pushing the limits of aero dynamics. Unfortunately there were events that wouldn't have been in any body's minds.

To strive for independence is seen as a good thing in our society, but my question is it a God thing? I think it all stems way back to the beginning when Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2 - 3). God creates the garden for his creation to dwell in, to live in harmony with God and depend on. But what happens is Adam and Eve are wooed into a path of independence. This pattern emerged early and since then has followed ever since for generations and even to this day. It has moved as i said from a bad thing to now a very good thing to strive for. Now God could have done away with us long ago, but he loves us his creation and will never give up on us. He will always try to correct our ways and help us to realign with him in his plans of dependence! In John's gospel Jesus gives his listeners a very real illustration of what dependence is suppose to look like. He likens us to be like the branches connecting with the vine and therefore the source of growth, stability and life. In verse 5 Jesus says "Those who remain in me and i in them will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." There is a lot of truth in these words. And ultimately this is where life is found and being dependent on the vine is truth. Actually the more i think about it our striving for independence is actually a myth. For whether you believe in God or not, we actually are all dependent on something. it just what you choose to be dependent on.

I know that this lesson of dependence is something that i have been wrestling with for the past few months as i serve in my role in Christian Surfers. And more that i couldn't control factors in my life the more independent i tried to become. As i sit here writing it strikes me that trying to be independent and follow God's calling is hard, actually it is impossible. The reason is that independence is not even a reality its a myth. Dependence is the way to go! for life living in isolation lacks meaning and doesn't give the people the chance to discover a very God character trait within them. I challenge you whether you know Jesus or not to steer your life not to independence but to dependence. Dependence restores the order of what was supposed to happen! What are you dependent on and more importantly who?

Bless ya heaps!

Justin

There are some changes in the Air!

Hey Faithful supporters, friends and who ever else has a peek at our blog!

Its been a few weeks since i've chatted to you all. In fact my last update was way back in the start of August. There has been heaps happening in the last few weeks. Some good, some bad or hard, but thats ministry i guess. Jesus did say we would walk the narrow path, rather than the wide one (Matt 7:13-14). Anyway since we last caught up there has been a number of changes happening in CS and always in our life. When you can't really plan a day a head let alone a week you are definitely destined for changes. Anyway here's the update.

CS Leadership Changes

One of the challenges that always arises in my day to day life working for CS is that i always seem to have leaders coming and going. For some its just a case of CS didn't quite fit the calling, but it was worth a try. For some its life changes, whether this may be a new baby arriving or getting married. For others its just about obedience and that God has called them on to new horizons. Dealing with these changes are part of the role, however these changes don't always come when you expect them or want them. I had a few of these lately and it certainly throws where you think you might be heading to a whole new direction. One of the changes that happened recently was two of my key leaders in the Mid Coast mission feel that God was calling them on. While it was a surprise i can say His (God) ways are above ours and i have to trust in that truth. That's all i have to hold onto sometimes!

I do want to pay respect and thanks to Andy and Jess Story. These were the two who moved on. Andy as long as i have been RC has been so supportive of me and my leadership in CS. He has been my wing man on occasions and has taught me and shown me so much about what it means to serve our King. I and the CS team will miss his leadership, but we are stoked to see where God may take him, Jess and there son Eli next. Our prayer and blessings go out to them both!

Changes in work!

As you would all know I worked in CS in a self funded capacity. And while the workload exceeds the money i have to try fill the gap with what ever may come around the corner. Its the path of a worker in CS. For me in recent months this has been a real struggle practically, spiritually and emotionally. I have been the region coordinator of SA for the past 6 years and while we have continued to make it to the next day with our needs met it doesn't get easier even after 6 years. On top of the burden of this challenge i am soon approaching the big 30! This, while it shouldn't it has seen me compare my self to those i know who are in this age bracket. And while they are making their first million, buying their second or third house Liana and i are trusting in each day and believing our needs will be met for rent, food and petrol. When i lose focus on God this really does get me down and it has seemed to be that way for the past few months on and off. The other thing is that it sometimes feels like you have no direction with work. over the past months i have labored, landscaped, surf judged, surf coached and done whatever has come my way to cover life expenses. This is just something that i have to do to keep serving the way Liana and i do.  

Over these past few months it would have been easy to throw the towel in, but i have not and will not because the conviction and the calling is strong. What it has done has made me pray and think about a way that i can support Liana and I. I have been feeling strongly about reconnecting with my Art gift. I have been a drawer as long as i know and have thrown a few paintings together over time. Lately God has been opening doors of imagination and potential avenues to explore this gift again. While it this may seem crazy to follow this dream i've come to place where if God's hand is on this talent it will bring support for us. I am hoping to get some works into up and coming exhibitions and also are toying around with an idea for a fundraising dinner early in 2012 to auction of some mine and liana's art (thats right she is a super talented artist as well). So as our supporters and friends please pray for some "real" support to come from this new venture.

After all just like the servant who buried his talent in the ground (Matt 25:16-18) i don't want to bury my talent and wake up years later going maybe God you gave that gift to me for a reason.

Anyway all, that about it for now! there is plenty of other stuff going on in mine and Liana's life so if you want to pray for us, support us or just find out where we are click on the other tabs on the home page and all the latest info will be there for your perusal.

Bless ya heaps and thanks for the continued prayer and support!

One of my latest digital art works!