Revived and Pressing Onwards
Yes! It is Sunday and another week as ended while yet another has begun.
Just as I realised that this is also being blogged onto the Seaweed Soup blog site, I guess I should firstly mention what a blessing it was to have been at the OCF meeting on Friday. I was having quite a horrible week, or maybe even two weeks and was seriously considering NOT going. I would go into detail but I feel that perhaps I should not dwell on all those horrible "memories" but instead Praise the Lord for the refreshing Bible study we had. I think it was so appropriate to be reminded of some of the Bible passages since even though I have read them over more than a couple times (though probably still not enough times), being reminded of basic principles surely is ALWAYS important.
I had been struggling in the particular area (as unfortunately I am sure many other people also struggle in this area) of spiritual discipline and I wish there was some way we could all actively help each other better, though I cannot think of a convenient but still practical and beneficial way of doing so. If you think of anything, please let me know.
I wish we could have longer more personal Bible studies or maybe if we were all to be more honest, open and personal in our discussions. I still feel like I talk too much in our little group and feel slightly strange since in groups like these, I'm usually the quiet one though I guess I hate the awkward silence more than I hate to talk in bigger groups. I mentioned, I think, to a few of the Seaweed Soup group as well as to my dear friend,Michelle Hey, who recently left, how much I really miss GOOD Christ-centered as well as personal conversations. Michelle, I don't know if you read these blog things but if you do, I really appreciated having you around to talk to about those things we talked about. It was especially good to talk about the things that we have both gone through and understand in terms of things that go on in O.M., on the Doulos, etc. I only wish you could stay here longer but I know that you need to be back in Australia to encourage and build up the people around you there, as well as study (of course). After you left, I have to admit that even though I have been surrounded by quite a few close friends, I have felt somewhat "alone" in the sense that it was hard to talk about things that were seriously on my heart. How do we find the balance between sharing concerns and almost gossiping? How to find the balance between informing someone of tragedies and judging for them? How do you know if you're sharing the burden with someone whom you know can HELP you carry it instead of bringing that person right down? I guess we just all have to pray for wisdom and discernment.
By the way, since I'm writing this public blog, I might as well put it out here: if there are any girls (and girls only) who are either in London or Bromley who might want to have a more one-to-one Bible study, I wonder if we would be able to do that on a more regular basis or something as I am sure it would be beneficial for both of us. Do email me or something.
Just one more thing before I 'sign out', for those of you reading this blog from some other far away place (i.e. Singapore, USA, Australia...wherever), just wanted to thank you especially for your faithfulness in prayer and support. If you do have a spare moment or two, perhaps you wouldn't mind adding to your prayer hit-list (as I am sure you MUST have one), you could prayer for a few of my friends who have not yet accepted Christ: Trish (Raised as a Catholic but claims to be an Atheist), Vini (Hindhu), Claire ("no view"), Rebecca ("no view really") (the 4 names mentioned above are some of my Mathematics buddies studying with me in Kings College London) and also please for another friend who lives quite close to me in Bromley named Anastasia who is Russian and was a former classmate who is trying to also get into Kings College. There are a couple more people but in the interest of allowing you to pray more specifically for these people, I will leave it here for now.
Trying to remember you all in my prayers and please do keep in touch to help me do so.
Because of Jesus,
Debbie
