Ugh, Centrelink

so the centrelink dramas continue.

at the start of the year i went 2 months without an income
then they cut me off, that was sorted out in about a week.
then they cut me off again for a few weeks and i got payments back. however, i got them back at less then half of what they were.

NOW i got a letter from them this week saying i OWE THEM money. $2,194.88 to be exact. not impressed. and it's cos they asked for an estimation at the start of the year to my parents income. how silly. i'm not impressed that i'm supposed to give them money because they paid me according to my parents income that really has nothing to do with me.

also, how can one give them back money when they're not even giving me enough to live on! grrr!

oh the centrelink dramas continue.

The University Journey

When I began university I was doing it just for something to do after school. I went into health in year 12 cos I had a spare subject and a good friend said do health with her, so I did. It ended up being my favourite subject, how about that.

I wanted to stay in Bendigo. Leaving was not an option at the time. So I went to the Bendigo La Trobe open day and Public Health appeared to be a continuation of year 12 health. I made a decision that that was what I was going to do. I almost did education or arts.

Through year 12, I felt like I was in a hidey-hole and my world felt narrow consisting of just school and church. Through the weeks off, between school and beginning uni, I felt free and when uni started, going back into the hole of year 12 was not an option. I was so determined to continue living life that I ended up doing heaps, and I mean heaps. I was out every night. I had got a job at McDonalds and I was working there 3 to 4 nights a week. Doing children’s ministries, doing all sorts of stuff, every night of the week. I was also getting up early for uni and struggling with some of my subjects. By the time mid-year exams came along I was so very tired. I was studying on the floor in my room, and I fell asleep. That was when I realised what I was doing was rather stupid. (The crying at the drop of the hat and consistent grumpyness didn’t give it away.)

At some stage through first year uni I decided why I was in the course. I wanted to go overseas to the poorest place I could find, and fix it. We were doing lots of study on developing programs and helping communities and I thought the best place I could put all this in practice was overseas.

In second year I started ‘Masterlife’. This was a great discipleship course. I was so encouraged and it pushed me to focus on what God was really calling me to. I stopped lots of things I was doing that were really distractions, and focused on uni and mission. I was also able to find that overseas mission is not necessarily what God is calling me to. There are things here that I believe God wants me to do and that’s cool. From this I believe that I’m in a much better place for many things I want to achieve and feel strongly about.

My parents left at the end of my second year at uni. I have spent this year without them, and that’s been interesting. While having no income 3 times this year, I have been trying to finish and figure out what to do next year. There was one point about February, where I thought I wasn’t going to finish uni this year. I’m rather pleased everything appears to be ok and if all goes well, I’ll be finished in 3 weeks. That’s a wonderful thought. I am rather excited about what the end of uni holds. This will include finding work, directing a mission and moving to Ballarat.

Uni some of my lecturers have said, is a time of change and preparation for life and what that holds. I don’t think that this comes from the work we do at there, but from how we handle everything that goes on as well as the work. I do feel so much more prepared and grown up and ready for what life holds. It’s all exciting.

this happens everyday

has this ever happened to you...?

you walk up to someone and they say "yeah i'm good, how are you?" and you haven't even said anything!
but then, no matter how you're feeling or what has been happening you say "i'm good"

all over the place i'm getting this, all i've said is hello, or nothing at all and people are answering my an asked questions however, with the same answer.

being open and honest can be difficult. and it's not like i'm expecting this complete stranger to poor out their life story to me, or me to them, or anything like that.

although, finding someone to whom we can talk to and offload with is hard. those who are on the same wave length who understand life's struggles as you experience them are rare.

life goes on

My favourite place in Huntly

This is my favourite place in Huntly. it's so nice there. it's at the end of the road i live on (it's a long road though). i walk down there and just wonder around and do nothing really. it's a great escape. it's the place which inspired the poem a few blogs back 'escape'. it's very Australian there. all the Australian plants, birds and all that jazz.

introducing..............MAX!

After Rock Solid Kidz i arrived home to .... Max.

Max is a very enthusiastic young chap with too much to do to enable him to sit still for longer than a split second. i walked in the door to greet him and he found the best way to do this was to cover me with slobber and kiss me with his teeth (gently though).

the first walk i took Max on consisted of him barking at anything that was remotely threatening, including this letterbox cow which has been barked at numerous times since. it has been rather amusing watching Max get up more and more courage each time we pass this cow. now he is able to get rather close. he would start off barking at anything but then when he got too close he would shy off and hide behind my feet. rather cute really. but he doesn't walk in a straight line. he would walk beside me then in front then behind then the other side, then stop dead in front of me. it makes walking rather difficult.

now don't let Max fool you. he may be small, but he has an endless supply of energy. he chases the birds, your feet, the dog next door, anything that moves really. so if you're coming by Max be sure that he will great you with all the enthusiasm that a little dog can muster, and that's a lot.

Escape

When the world is so busy
And things get tough,
Sometimes I lose perspective.
Then I take a walk, and escape to God’s creation.
Out in nature it all comes together,
I can sit and admire God’s ever-changing masterpiece.
I look in wonder at His artwork,
The sky, the trees, and everything all around me
It’s never the same, each day it’s new
I never tire of watching it move.
His trees are unique, each one it’s own.
The birds all sing and call out their tune
They fly by, each in their own means.
The feeling of each day changes
From the sun warming my back,
To the cool biting my cheeks.
I never tire
Of what God has in plan

for how it will all turn out.
Each day is different
Not one the same.
To escape to God’s creation
Brings life back in perspective.