Thankful?

Looking back over this past year (and even over the past couple of months) causes me to be extremely thankful.  Often in the midst of blessings, I don't take time to reflect on those blessings and thank the Lord.  We truly have so much to be thankful for.  We are living in a wonderful country where my son was easily taken care of when his kidneys failed.  That's what's been on my mind lately.  Praise the Lord for his kindness.

I've also noticed that God has blessed me at work.  It has been a bit stressful from time to time, but I really enjoy it, and I work with some really neat people.  I'm thankful for each of my coworkers, and the opportunities I'm having to build a friendship with them.

Cheri Dear and I have been married for nearly 9 1/2 years, and it feels like we just got married yesterday.  I'm also thankful for my excellent wife.  She has truly been my biggest blessing.  God has been kind and generous to me.

The kids are growing up fast, and they have adjusted easily to life in Australia.  Bethany can put on an Aussie accent in the blink of an eye, or drop it, depending on who she's talking to!  She is a sweetheart.  Alice is becoming a little lady and she is a very hard worker.  If she wants something, she works hard for it (and usually gets it!).  She's also a bit of a clown and likes making people laugh.  She's a blessing.  Cam is a little boy growing up.  He loves me, and I love him.  God has blessed me with 3 wonderful children.

Sometimes  I really miss our family in the States, and I wish they weren't so far away from us.  But even though I miss them, I know this is where God wants our family.  Even though missing them makes me sad, I'm thankful I have someone to miss.

Tonight for Thanksgiving dinner we had some friends of ours and their children over, as well as my mum and dedi from Weemol.  It was nice to have some "family" close by on a holiday they had never heard of or celebrated.  It almost made me wish every day was Thanksgiving, just so we could help people to see how much they have to be thankful for, and show them Who to be thankful to... 
 
I am thankful to the Lord for each one of you who has prayed for our family, for Cameron, each time God brought us to your mind.  God is good, and each of you are a blessing to be thankful for.  May God bless you as you continue to serve Him, and remind you to take a break and reflect on things He has given you to be thankful for.

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, ¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

Ephesians 1:15-16.

Update from the Mullets!

Well, it's been a month since I blogged last.  That's encouraging because it means nothing earth shattering has happened.  Cam is completely off his medications, but is still on a special renal diet.  Other than watching out  for what he can't eat, he's back to his normal self! :)  He is learning to read a bit, and enjoys trying out his skills when we're doing devotions.  "Dad!  Can I read the key verse?" :)

Bethany is doing well; she is a joy to have as my daughter.  She's so affectionate and compassionate.  She also has a new good friend here in Katherine!  She and her friend play together at school, and have also made it a habit to ask if they can play together. :)  Bethany is very outgoing, but it's good for her to have a special friend.

Alice is doing well in school, and she has been a big help at home as well.  She helps with the dishes, and the other night she mopped of her own volition!  What a sweetheart.  As this school year is coming to a close for all the kids, Alice is really looking forward to 3rd grade.  :)

We have been blessed with three children, who aren't too small anymore. :')

Cheri Dear is still studying to become a nurse, since it's the summer semester she is only taking one class.  She has also taken a part-time job at McD's.(should start any day now...)  She is a blessing to me. 

I've been back in work, becoming a "certified" teacher.  That has been an interesting time.  Nearly there, though!  Then, back to teaching, teaching, teaching! :)  It has been a huge blessing to work for Mission Australia.  Each of the folks I work with has been very kind and understanding, specifically my 2 bosses.  God has blessed me wonderfully.  He has truly blessed our family.  I'm so thankful for so many things.  We are spoiled.  HOWEVER, if we were to buy a turkey for Thanksgiving it would be $60!  So, count your blessings, all you American friends! :)  We'll probably have a roast this year.  We will be having another family join us for Thanksgiving, and that's going to be a lot of fun!

I have stopped using FB, so if you want to contact me, please e-mail us, or write a message to Cheri's FB page.  Thank you all so much for your prayers and love.  There's some exciting stuff on the horizon, but I'll share it when it happens! :)  God bless, yumob!!  And Happy Thanksgiving!

Update on Cam: One week out...

Cam has been out of the hospital for over a week now, and seems to be doing well.  He's still taking a blood pressure pill and one other pill, but he doesn't have to take the caltrate anymore.  If we mix the pills in with 25% Juice, he doesn't throw up. :)  They are apparently some pretty gross little pills.  He will be weaned off them. 

He has been going to the doctor twice a week to get his blood pressure checked, and get blood drawn.  His blood pressure is getting back to normal.  At first it was on the high end of normal with the pills, but it is lowering.  So that's good news.  He should be completely healed within 2-3 years.  He has been acting normal and his face isn't swollen anymore. 
I didn't realize how stressed we had been during this whole trial.  As the dad, and as the "strong figure" I didn't realize how hard this whole thing has been on me.  When I returned to work, everyone could see a difference.  One man told me, "You haven't been yourself, and that's okay.  You've been through a LOT.  Everyone can see it."  I was distracted, and not able to remember things or stay focused very well.  I'm doing a bit better.  It's been helpful to work in such an understanding environment. 
  I've always known God's will would be done, and I'm really thankful that things are turning out so favourably for Cam and us.  Thank you for your prayers and for continuing to lift Cam and our family up.  God bless, yumob!  If you have any questions for us, please ask.

They are coming home!

It's official!  Cheri and Cam will be arriving in Katherine at 4:10pm tomorrow at the bus station! :)  Our family will officially be whole again.  Cam will need to go to the doctor to have his blood pressure checked and have a basic check-up.  He'll be making that trip twice a week for the forseeable future, but he'll be HOME. :)  Yes!  His kidneys will not be completely healed for 2-3 years, but they WILL HEAL. :)
  To each of you who have been fervently praying for our family and specifically Cameron, thank you.  Apart from God's mercy and kindness to our family, we wouldn't have faired too well.  We have been blessed with so many people helping us with the girls, offering their homes to us, a car while we were down in Adelaide, visits in the hospital from (to us) complete strangers who prayed with Cam and Cheri and me.  Friends on so many continents praying and encouraging us via Facebook or this blog.  We have been abundantly blessed.  We praise the Lord for his kindness, and thank Him for each of you.  Each prayer and encouragement means so much to me, and to our family.  God has been good to us.  May God bless each of you too, as you continue to serve Him and lift up those in need.  Keep being a blessing, yumob!

Second time around...

So, Cam is back in Darwin.  This is good, but I've also noticed myself(Jared) getting tired.  I'm tired of hospitals, tired of the smell of "extra sanitary", tired of the extra cold A/C, tired of measuring out urine...and I haven't even been doing it for the past week!  Cam is beginning to get better, and I can see it.  I want him to come home.  Like RIGHT NOW.  I know he wants to come home too, and all this is "getting old".

HOWEVER, on the bright side, we have been able to take Cam out of the hospital for extended periods of time, and just bring him back to sleep and get his blood pressure taken.  The staff here at RDH(Royal Darwin Hospital) are nice, too.  They've been very kind and understanding, especially when Cam has a fussy attitude.  All of the medical staff we've dealt with over the past 2+ weeks have been very kind.  There are all kinds of things we can be thankful for.

But, he's not ready to come home yet. (sigh)  We're getting close, SO close.  I know there are other families who have had to stay longer in the hospital than us, and their situation is permanent.  I'm thankful this is only for a "short" time in our case.

For all who have been praying for us, thank you.  Please pray for perseverance, especially as we near the (hopefully) end.  Or perhaps stamina would be a better thing to pray for.  We're not going to quit or anything, we just need strength.  Specifically, pray for Cam's blood pressure to be normal, and for him to be drinking enough fluids, as well as eating enough.  Until his blood pressure is consistently normal, he can't leave.  He's currently taking a little pill to help with that, as well as a calcium supplement and a medicine that helps him to pee.  When he can be taken off those, he will be coming home.  I know you've all been praying with me, and I look forward to praying more with you as well.  If there is anything you would like prayer for, just let us know and we'll be praying for you as well.  Thank you again for bringing our family before the Lord, and for encouraging us during this time.  Each of you is a blessing to us.  Thanks, yumob!

Back to Darwin! :)

Cam has now had his vascath removed (the tubes in his neck used to plug him in to the dialysis machine).  Thank you for your prayers during the removal time.  No more dialysis. :)

Plus,  I talked to Cheri this morning and they are flying back to Darwin tomorrow!  Yay!  We're not sure how long he may have to stay in the hospital up there, I'm praying we can all come back to Katherine on Sunday. (Though that is just a hope from a dad/husband, not a doctor.)  Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support for our family during the last two weeks and beyond.  Can you believe it's already been two weeks?  Crazy.

All of your prayers and encouraging notes have been a blessing to our family and we are in awe of how God has reminded us we are not alone in hardship.  Our Christian family has been such a support to us.  Though we've been far from our relatives and family, God's Family has held us up and supported us.  Thank you for walking this challenging road with us.  Praise the Lord Cam is healing up! :)  May God bless you all.

Jared for the Mullets

Quick Prayer Request.

Tomorrow, Cam will be going into "theatre" (surgery) to get his tubes removed.  Please pray it all goes smoothly.  It shouldn't take long.  Thanks, yumob! 
Here's the note from Cheri:

So Cam's getting his vascath out (the tubes in his neck they used for his dialysis) tomorrow morning! Yeah They tried to take it out today, but it was a failed attempt, as he had the opposite reaction to the sedative they gave him and ended up being agitated and throwing a big fit instead of sleeping... so they couldn't get it out unfortunately. They says about 5-10% of kids have the opposite reaction that it's supposed to give. So tomorrow he'll have to be put under I think. But thankfully it's coming out! Praise the Lord!

We're in the Home Stretch!

Well, the plan was to take Cam's tubes out today, but as sometimes happens (or maybe usually?) things didn't go as planned.  So, Cam gets a rest, and they'll try taking the tubes out tomorrow.  Coming back to the NT could be very soon!  Much sooner than we originally expected.  If everything goes well, we may have them back by the end of this week.  That would be WONDERFUL. :) 
  Thank you all for your prayers for Cam and our family.  You're all a blessing.  It's amazing how much things have changed in just one week.  We are convinced it is due to God's mercy to us, and the thousands of prayers offered to Him on our behalf.  Praise the Lord! God bless, yumob! (y'all in Kriol)

Update on Cam.

Dear Friends,
  Thank you so much for your prayers for my boy.  Cam is getting better each day, and didn't need dialysis.  His blood levels are going down on their own apart from dialysis!  Today is the second day in a row he will not need dialysis.  Things are looking up!  Thank you again for your prayers.  On my side of the country, it's good to see Alice and Bethany again and to spend time with them. 
  Cheri and Cam visited the Adelaide zoo yesterday, and Cam had a good time.  It was his first time "out and about" since being moved to Adelaide.  Praise the Lord things are going well. :)

Family situation update:

Hi Folks,
  Thank you for all your prayers for our family and for Cambo.  Though he seems to be doing better, and I posted a blog to that effect, it was simply a father looking for the bright side.  He is doing better because the dialysis is helping him.  Apart from the dialysis, his kidneys aren't up and running yet.  Please keep praying for them to start working again.  Thank you so much.
  In other news, I (Jared) will be going back to Katherine to be with Alice and Bethany, and since Cam is in a routine phase, we're just in a "waiting game" for his kidneys to start working again. He's doing better during his dialysis sessions.  He knows what it's for, "To clean my blood."  I think he's getting used to it.  His steroid treatment is over(it was a 3 day regiment).  Yesterday I had quite an adventure moving the car from parking place to parking place every 2 hours.  Cheri and I took the bus to the hospital this morning, it's much easier to find a parking place that way!  Since today is my last full day in Adelaide with Cam, I'm glad I don't have to run out every couple hours to move the car.
  The people we have been staying with here have been very encouraging, and have told Cheri it's just fine for her to remain at their house throughout the treatments.  What a blessing!  Thank you again for all your prayers and encouragement.  God bless, yumob!

Cam's Condition Clarification.

Cam still needs dialysis every single day, for at least a couple of hours.  His situation is still very serious.  If he doesn't have dialysis, his kidneys aren't working on their own.  Continue to pray for him. I'm sorry if the previous post was misleading.  I didn't mean it to be.  I was simply excited that he's getting better.  Bit by bit.

Cam's moved out! :)

Cameron was moved from the PICU yesterday morning at about 5:12 am to a normal children's ward. :)  He is getting better, and may be able to stop dialysis soon.  We can see he's getting better!  He will be moving to his own room today.  :)  YAY!
  I could tell he's getting better, because yesterday he was asking if we could play a "real game", specifically "duck duck goose" or hide and seek.  He settled on a couple of games of Trouble in his bed with me and Cheri.  He is eating more, and is hopefully only going to be here for a couple of weeks.  Each day they look at his blood tests and blood pressure, measure his urine output, and decide if he'll need dialysis.  Today he does, but perhaps tomorrow he won't?  We'll see.
  We are extremely blessed, because we've been told that Cam should make a complete recovery.  We'll keep taking it a day at a time.  Thank you again for all your prayers.  You are a blessing to us, and we have seen God's hand at work here.  We have been extremely blessed.  There are many families whose children must be on dialysis daily for 4 hours at a time.  We saw a 14 year old boy yesterday while Cam was on dialysis.  I'm assuming he's been on dialysis for a long time, because all the nurses talked with him, and he seemed to be at home in the dialysis room.  There was another little boy who looked about 3 years old, and he's there usually every time Cam is in there as well.  As you pray for Cameron, please pray for all the kids who have kidney failure and their families.
  God bless, yumob!  May God give you plenty of reminders today to be thankful and lift others up to Him!

A more detailed description of Cam's condition & some pictures

We had a long talk with one of the renal paediatricians who did the biopsy on Cam's kidney.  Cam's biopsy showed that the cells in his kidneys are swollen, and his capillaries are blocked & clogged up in his kidneys... so the filtering system can't filter properly. Since there are a lot of these in his kidneys, some may be clogged more than others, which is why he still can produce a small amount of urine. His blood pressure level has remained normal, which the doctor's are very pleasingly surprised about, as this condition would normally raise blood pressure. However, there is still a chance his blood pressure could raise (specifically when his kidneys begin to function normally again, as the fluid rushes through). His condition is most likely due to his body's immune system reaction to an infection -- so his immune system is attacking his kidneys. Since his kidney malfunction is very severe, Cam has needed dialysis (usually kids with this condition do not need it, but recover without it) In fact, we were told that Cam is in the top 1% of severity of kids with this disease -- as the other 99% don't need dialysis. Cam will be receiving dialysis for everyday this week, at least. They will be starting him on 3 days of steroids (starting tonight), which are anti-inflammatory drugs, and will hopefully reduce the time Cam needs dialysis and further his kidney's recovery.  He is also having a restricted diet while in hospital (only restriction of certain foods -- e.g. sweets are good, and some health foods are bad!).  Even though his condition is serious, the doctors seem very encouraging that he will recover and most likely have no further complications or long-term issues.

Some praises to be thankful for:
-God has provided accommodation for Jared & myself (this is Cheri writing the blog this time! :) )
-God provided a car for us to use while here!
-So far no issues with Cam's blood pressure
-Good procedures so far, and a hopeful outcome.

  God Bless,
     Cheri

Here are some pics of Cam's time so far:

 Cam @ Katherine Hospital

 Cam leaving Katherine hospital to ambulance, to take him to airport to fly to Darwin... 

Cameron & Daddy in the ambulance, all ready to go! 

 Another pic of Cam @ Katherine hospital...

  Cameron in Adelaide, after his biopsy, and during dialysis....

Being read to by Mummy... much better than movies! :)

Update on Cam, 3

We have been overloaded with information in the last day.  We have settled in in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, and have talked with so many doctors I don't know all their names. :)  Cameron has a busy day today.  As I write this blog, he is in surgery having a biopsy done on his kidneys so the doctors can better diagnose what is causing his kidneys to malfunction.  Later on today he will be going through kidney dialysis.
  Basically, we're going to be here for at least 2 weeks.  I (Jared) will stay for the first week, or at least until we have a clear idea of what has to be done to help Cam.  The doctors we have talked to have been very encouraging, and we know that Cam's situation is VERY serious, but not life threatening.  The doctor told me last night that in the short term, Cam's outlook is very positive, however we'll have to see what the long term looks like.  The biopsy will help to decide that.
  Cam has been a good boy, in spite of all the pokes and jabs and blood taken.  He's doing okay.  When we get into a routine, that will be helpful.  Part of the stress has simply been not knowing what's next.  The doctors assured me that there will be a routine once they have figured out the best way to help Cam.
  We are thinking of the long-term, and I may be going back to Katherine while Cheri stays with Cameron, we're still thinking and talking about it.

Things you can be praying for:
1. Wisdom for the doctors.
2.  Healing for Cam.
3.  Peace for us.
4.  That the biopsy will really give the doctors a clear understanding of what needs to be done to help Cam.
5.  Please pray Cheri and I will take care of ourselves so we can better serve Cam and help him.
6.  Pray for Alice and Bethany while we're apart from them. (though I'm sure they're having a blast with their friends in Katherine!  They are in good hands.)

Things to praise God for:
1.  We are in a country and a city where Cam is in the best possible place to help him!! (He even has his own personal nurse!)
2.  We got to fly on the same plane down to Adelaide.
3.  So many people are praying for us that we can't even count them all!
4.  Good friends watching over Alice and Bethany in our absence.
5.  Cheri's teachers have been very understanding of our situation, and have given her "study leave" as a result of the circumstances.

Thank you again so much for your prayers and love.  We know God is in control, and we feel blessed to know so many people are lifting us up in prayer, and especially Cameron.  God bless, yumob! :)

Cam's in Darwin, where to next?

For all of  you who have been praying for us, and specifically for Cameron, thank you.  Today we were airlifted by CareFlight up to Darwin.  I have spoken to one of the doctors here, and the renal(kidney) ward here isn't sufficient for Cam's needs, because it's not focused on children.  So, in a matter of time(within the next day or so?) we will be leaving the NT and Cam will be flown to Adelaide, SA. (South Australia)
  We are waiting on his blood tests to come back to find out when exactly we'll be leaving, but the later it gets, the more it seems we'll be going tomorrow.  On a positive note, he did use the toilet today! :)  He hasn't used it since early EARLY this morning, which is a sign that something is very wrong with his kidneys.  He's a bit puffy in the face, and legs, because the water is being retained and not "flushed out"...bad pun?  maybe.
  Anyway, he needs help they can't give from Darwin as well as they can give it from Adelaide.  Thank you for your constant prayers.  Since we have friends on both sides of the world, I'm confident we've been covered nearly 24 hours a day with your prayers.  I think without them, we would have long ago lost hope.  If I sit long enough with my thoughts, and the "not knowing" I could let worry creep in.  HOWEVER, that is NOT the road we want to take. :)
  Cameron is in God's hands, as he always has been, and we will trust God with whatever may come.  Just because I haven't put it on the blog yet, Cam apparently has GLOMERULONEPHRITIS.  
  That means his kidneys aren't working properly.  Dangerous situation.  The doctor told me tonight that they may not know what is causing his kidneys to fail for quite awhile.  ...  Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement for our family and my boy.  
  I will be glad when this is all a memory of "Look how God brought us through this."  Until then, we truly covet your prayers and are daily encouraged to see how many people are raising Cam up to our Father in Heaven, who DEFINITELY has this under control.  Each of you are a huge blessing to us.  Thank you so much for your love and prayers.  We will continue to keep you all posted, and again, THANK YOU so much for all of your kind words, and help.    God bless, yumob!  Any friends in Adelaide?  It would be great to see you. :)

New update on Cam

Thank you so much for praying for our family during this time.  Unfortunately, Cam's situation isn't getting better.  His kidneys are not improving, so we've been told we are going to Darwin.  Actually, I'll be going to Darwin with Cam, and Cheri will be staying home with the girls.  He will be airlifted in just a matter of a couple of hours.
  There are pediatricians who can monitor his condition closely in Darwin, instead of having to have phone conferences back and forth about him.  Please pray for a quick recovery, but I have a certificate for a week of "missing work" from the hospital.  If you have a specific question and would like to know more, please simply ask me on this blog.  Or email me.  Thank you so much for your prayers, and for your support during this trial. 
  Remember, God is in control, and He has us all in His hands.  No worries, mate... right? :) Thank you again for all your prayers.  We are so grateful for each of you.  'til next time!

-Jared for the Mullet Mob

Update on Cam's situation:

Cheri called and told me Cam would be in the hospital for a couple of days.  She is staying with him tonight at the hospital, I will be staying with him tomorrow night.  Thank you all for your prayers.  He had a bit of a rough night last night, throwing up 3 times.  No new news from the doctors.  Tonight I'll be staying with him, and I'll be praying he can come home soon.  Hopefully we'll have more news to share later on.  Thank you for your prayers.  We really appreciate them and feel blessed to know so many people are lifting up our boy.  God bless, yumob. :)

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST.

My son, Cameron, is currently in the hospital.  He has been vomitting and can't keep anything down.  The doctor has told Cheri his kidneys are not working properly, so he has been throwing up.  Please pray for healing and for wisdom for the doctors.  I don't know what else to say.  If you have questions, post them here.  Please just pray.  Thank you.

-Jared

A Walk Through the Cemetary

Our family has been living in Katherine for 9 months now.  It is beginning to feel like home, and since it's not a HUGE town, we are getting to know people around town.  Working at the motel for 6 months helped with that, and working at Mission Australia now is helping me get to know more people yet. :)  Each person has their own story, and each person has a dream of some sort.  They have goals they want to accomplish, things they want to see happen in their lives.  It's been neat to cross paths with many of them.
  I've also really enjoyed taking bike rides with my children.  For the first time in this Mullet family history, we all have bikes!  Going on a family bike ride is relaxing (usually...) and the kids love it.  Any time I say, "I'm going on a bike ride!" the kids all yell, "Can I come too?" :)  It makes my heart happy.  It's neat to spend time with them, and it also gives opportunities to teach things like, "Watch for cars.  Look out for the person in front of you and behind you--if they fall, help them up.  We help each other."
  One evening we took a bike ride over to the hospital about 2 km from our house because there's a bike path there.  They also have the cemetery 1/2 km from the hospital.  I've always been interested in going into grave yards and reading people's headstones.  I think about what they might have been like, look at how long they have lived, and read what their family had as their epitaph. 
  There are so many different messages on the headstones, and each tells a bit of a story: "Beloved   Husband and Father" "Beloved Wife and Mother,Dearly Missed" --"Reunited at last." 
  Some of the graves had Bible verses on the headstones, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."  "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." 
  Some of the grave markers were so worn out with age over the years that it was hard to make out the name on the stone.  Some were impossible to make out.  Those were the gravestones that made me think the most, and those ones allowed me to teach a lesson to my kids.
  Psalm 103 tells us  "As for man his days are like grass.  He flourishes like a flower of the field, the wind blows over it and it is gone.  And its place remembers it no more."  The truth of that passage became very clear to me.  This life is short, before we know it, we'll be just a faded memory.  Perhaps no one will remember us in the future.  However, there is One who will never forget us.  There is One who has everything we will ever do written down in His books.  He knows how long we'll be here on this earth, and He loves us.  He also gave us a promise:

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 
1 Corinthians 15:58


No matter how short my life is, if I am living it for the Lord, I have NOT wasted it.  If I am keeping in step with the Spirit, God is glorified and my life is not wasted.  Even if everything seems like it's crazy and a bit upside-down, if I'm truly giving my life to Christ, it will all work out.  Nothing a believer does by the power of the Holy Spirit is ever wasted.  Even if no one remembers or even knows AT ALL, our Father in Heaven does not forget, and He is honored and glorified through our acts of love and kindness.  Even the "little" things, which really aren't as little as we think.  May God be glorified in us, His children, as we seek to serve and be a blessing and light in this world.

Prayers from a tired Daddy...

As I was praying with my daughter I had a thought.  How often do I simply pray, "Lord, please bless _______'s sleep.  In Jesus name, amen."  How often do I pray about things that really matter, in the hearing of my children?
  There are a lot of excuses I use when praying with the kids, "I'm tired."  "They don't need to hear me pray a long prayer..."  "I'm tired."  "If I get it done quick, then the kids can just go to sleep."  And at various times, these excuses are valid.
  But the question I ask myself is, "What am I modelling for my children?"  If the only time they see me pray is at dinner or before bed, what kind of example am I setting?  And when I pray, why not pray with them about things that are relevant to their lives, and Biblical?
  The reason we should be praying is because of our love for the One we are praying to:  our Father God.  I understand that God is different from our earthly fathers, but let's just think about something for a moment.  In "real life" if I just talked to my dad 2 times a day, and all I said was "Thanks for the food, and help me to sleep."  How strong would our relationship be?  And imagine if I never listened to him when he tried to tell me something.  I never listened when he told me he loved me; or I ignored his warnings to avoid trouble...and then I taught my children to be the same way (of course not on purpose, but by default.).
  How is the best way for me to model a loving prayer life to my children?   I know the answer, but it means work.    LOVE God.  Just like every relationship that's worth anything didn't just happen overnight, there is a daily struggle to spend time with Him, talk to Him, read His own letter to me(you know, THE BIBLE).  It seems to me the best way to model prayer, and model love for God is to actually love him and let the kids see it.  They will be able to tell by my life, and my love for God should overflow into my prayers.  It's easy to talk with someone you love, and it's not awkward.
  I hope yumob will pray for me in this regard.  Pray that I will be a faithful son who truly loves God, and searches for time to spend with Him--and that I teach my children to do the same.

"...But the LORD directs his steps."

As I walk through life, I find myself asking questions.  And then thinking of scenarios.  For example, "What if there was a pool full of Jell-o and I was allowed to swim in it?"  My kids and I ask each other "Would you rather..." questions.  For example, "Would you rather eat chicken, or pizza?"  Or, "Would you rather skydive, or cliff dive?"  Then the kids get in on the action...  Cam cracks me up with, "Dad! Would you rather jump off a cliff of Jell-o into eyeballs, or jump off of water into water?"(Yes, he has seriously said that.)
  We think of a lot of scenarios in our lives.  We think about the "what-ifs" that we can't control but we think about what we'd do if we could.  "If I had a million dollars..."(I could buy bananas in Australia! lol)
  I was thinking the other day about the sovereignty of God.  He has a plan for our lives, even when we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow.  "For I know the plans I have for you..."  I imagine God up in heaven saying, "Now, little does he know it, but you'll like the part that comes next...."  Or, "Look at what happens next!"
   God has a plan for our lives.  I'm thankful we can trust him with our futures, no matter what may happen.  I've had so many plans and scenarios in my life, and God has used some of those scenarios while leaving others undone(or perhaps yet to happen?)...  I take comfort in knowing that my God is in control of everything.  Nothing surprises him, and in his infinite wisdom, he uses everything to shape us into the men/women He had planned.  No matter what the circumstances are, He will complete the work He began in us.

 "The mind of man plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.

He is Faithful.

Triumphant blogs are hard to write when you're not feeling triumphant.  Putting your best face forward doesn't always require a mask.  I don't necessarily thrive on uncertainty.  I feel down, useless, and unwanted.  I feel weak, stupid, and pathetic.  But the thing is, MY HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL ELSE.

  I've been tempted to believe the lies that say, "You're not supposed to be in Australia, Jared.  You're not with Wycliffe anymore.  What's the point?  Your family is all in the US, and they miss you.  Don't waste your time here.  Go home.  Go home."

  I've been tempted to believe the lies in my own spirit that I am worthless, can't do much, and I'm not needed for anything anyway.  The lies press in on every side so much so that I almost want to just quit. Who needs this anyway?  But there is always one quiet, gentle voice, saying, "I brought you here.  I am not looking for what YOU can do for ME.  I'm interested in the man you are becoming, and I am shaping you.  Don't give up."  

  Sometimes that really angers me!   I wish I could just simply go through life being "religious"--doing all the "right" things, and not worry about the inner man.  I wish it was all how I looked on the outside, because I can play the game pretty well.  I've been a Christian for years.  I know how to act.  But is the Holy Spirit truly the one in control, or is it just my fear of what people might say?   The thing is, God IS interested in making me truly sanctified starting from the very core of my being    outward.

  This is such a struggle because every single day I am faced with my sin, my deceitful heart, and my deep sadness and nagging doubts.  I know I'm unworthy.  I know I have no hope to become what God wants me to be... APART from Him. 

  I serve a loving, understanding, patient and kind God.  Even when my deceitful heart is raging within my chest and I'm trying to crawl into the coffin next to my old man(the one who was crucified with Christ--Gal. 2:20), and completely stop doing anything the Lord has called me to do---God has defeated my deceitful heart.  I don't need to listen anymore to the lies that try to sway me and draw me into despair... away from the God who loves me.        

He tells me, "Call me Abba, Father."  He takes my hand, and leads me on, He speaks Truth to my heart.  As I read the Bible, God speaks to my heart and tells me the truth about Himself, about me, and about the world I'm living in.

  So, I think again about the desire to be "religious" instead of "sanctified"...  If simply having an outward show of religiosity does nothing to bring me closer to the Father God who loves me, nothing to truly bring about an inner sanctification, I need to spend more time focusing on Him.  I need to turn my deceitful heart over to God and allow Him to cleanse and purify it.  Though I fail every single day, I trust that God's Word is true.  

  

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it  until the day of Christ Jesus."  Philippians 1:6

Psalm 103 (NIV) Scripture Song.

This is a Scripture I put to music to help myself and my kids to memorize the Bible more.  I hope it's a blessing to you all as well.  Just copy and paste the link below to the web address browser.  God bless, yumob!  :)


https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/97689563/Scripture%20Songs/Psalm%20103.m4a

Mullets, Motels, and Ministry

It has been far too long, and life has changed quite a bit.  There have been many things going through my mind that I wanted to share with you all.  God has opened doors for ministry even when I feel like I'm not doing enough of it!

Jared(I) has been working at the motel and we are getting into a routine...Though it is not "professional ministry", God(in His grace) brings people to me.  There has been more than one occasion where people have said, "Are you a Christian?  Will you pray for me?"
  One evening Bethany and I rode my bike(she sat on the seat and I pedalled) to the grocery store (Woolies).  After picking up our items and hopping back on the bike, an indigenous lady started waving in our direction.  I didn't know her, so I looked behind to see if there was someone else who was standing there...but it was just me.  She came over and introduced herself as the sister of another lady we knew from Barunga.  She said, "You're with the Christian mob, aye?"  and then she asked me to pray for her.  Immediately after I finished praying for her, another olgamen(old woman) took my hand and said, "Pray for me too."  So, with Bethany on the back of the bike, we prayed.

The motel is going through renovations right now, and we've had several different men come to work with us.  I was helping one of the men and he said, "So, how long do you think you'll be in Katherine?"  I simply said, "As long as the Lord allows."  And then he shared that he was a Christian, too, but didn't go to church.  He asked me if I thought God was more pleased with the Christians who go to church than with those who don't.  It reminded me of Jesus' parable about the tax collector and the Pharisee praying side by side.  Which one went away justified in God's sight?  I told him that going to church doesn't make us more holy in God's sight, or save us.  The only thing that saves us is Jesus Christ's death on the cross and resurrection.  If we believe in him, confess our sins, and confess Jesus Christ is Lord, that's when we're saved.  However, church is good to give us encouragement from other believers and help us to grow in our walk with the Lord.

There have been random times when people just say, "Are you a Christian?" and then I get to share my faith with them! :)  This doesn't happen every single day, but I'm thankful when it does.  Please pray for me as I work and adjust to the motel...there have been times when I say, "This isn't what God built me for!"...and yet, that is where he has put me for now.  I want to serve well and be an excellent employee/boss--which is challenging at times.

Cheri has been doing well and is building strong friendships with a couple of different ladies in Katherine.  It has been very encouraging for her.  She is such a blessing to me.  She's learning how to sew as well, which has been fun for her.  One of her new friends in Katherine came over today and taught her. :)  I know Cheri is a blessing to the ladies she is getting to know, as well as to the ladies she has known for a long time.

The kids are doing well and the adjustment to Katherine has been pretty easy for them. :)  School is fun for them, and they are learning to swim--in school!  These past two weeks, Bethany and Cam are having swimming class every day, and in the next couple of weeks, Alice will go with her class.  Cam LOVES IT.  He comes home and tells me all about it.  Bethany does as well.  She told me last night, "Dad we played [name of game] at the pool and GUESS WHO WON?  EUGENE!"  She is such a vibrant passionate little girl.
  Alice is looking forward to her turn.  They are all making new friends, and Alice told me today, "I know all the kids in the classes 1 and 2."  Knowing that they are doing well is encouraging to me and Cheri.

We have the curriculum for the children's ministry now, and are looking forward to meeting with the other church leaders to hammer out the details.  Please pray for all of us, and for the kids in our church as well as throughout Katherine and the Northern Territory.  We are in a hurting place.  Also, please lift up our pastor and his family as they wait for their visas to be approved.  The sooner they can get to Australia, the better.

Thank you all so much for all your prayers and support of our family in the direction God has led us.  We really cherish you and praise the Lord for each of you.  Please feel free to drop us an e-mail, or comment on this post, too.  It really means a lot when we hear from you.  May God bless you as you continue to serve Him where He has put you.  Pray we would serve well in whatever circumstance God places us in.