It's a Start

Well today I took my own first harmonica lesson (on a dvd)


Learnt how to play 'When the Saints go Marching in' - probably the most basic version ever, but still mastering getting your lips round one teeny tiny hole - chords are no worries, your gob can go over three keys, but singling out one teeny tiny hole - that's gonna take a while I think.....


When The Saints Go Marching In - Basic - learnt - yus.


It's a Start......


Next Lesson - Hand Vibrato.

One Day...

Maybe minus the beatboxing...but one day...will hopefully play like this....


Rip.
It.
UP!

Sugar and Spice and All things nice

Fading at speed....my body and eyes and mind just want to sleep, still a few hours of writing to go before I even think about sleep....3 more days of this then a revitalizing break of uni for a decent amount of time.....until then, a lil recap of things that are nice is needed to get through these next few hours without seriously losing the plot....


(Non freaky) Jettys at night or sunset
Jellybeans
Babies/Little ones
Manea
My Niece
Holidays
Roadtrips
Passions of the heart
Music
My imagination when I'm on the cross-trainer or listening to my ipod
My Body Combat exercise dvd
Zumba
My Friends
Encouragement
Falling asleep outside on a nice day with the wind in your face
The wind in your face in the car
Adrenaline Sports
Not having to get up early on a real crusty rainy stormy day
Being able to stay in cosy and warm on a yucky night and just watch dvds and chat
Watching a fireplace/bonfire
Hugs - good, long, tight, full embrace ones
Free time
Appreciation
People playing with my hair (in a not creepy way)
Cold Hard Fresh summer fruits
Laughing cramp
Love
Laughing tears
Having someone to confide in
Jandals
Photos
Sleep
Rice crackers with sweet chilli philly
Icy Cold Water to drink
The feeling I will have on Thursday night!


On that note, back to it.
Yay for things that are nice.
Thank the LORD (literally) for them, it would be one sadddddddddddd place without it and assignments would be of the devil himself. For Real.

Beautiful Chaos

Beautiful
Unconditional 
Love.


99 Balloons





"Only separated from our time left on Earth''.


Blows my mind, people's capacity to deal with such intense suffering of losing a child.
Blows.my.MIND.


If you could do a deal with God....seeing a boy like Elliott and the love of his parents....saying 'God take me instead, I've lived a good life, let Elliott grow up, let his parents enjoy their boy, let me own Elliott's suffering, let me take his road instead.' I'd need a few kajillion lives though to 'save' or 'rescue' the kajillions of people that i'd want to. In saying that, I struggle with my own 'suffering' on a whole nother level, and yet here I am wanting to take on anyone else's, esp the bubbaz.....ironic.

Battle with the Media

Who Me?

Who would have guessed I...yep ME could be lost for words? 
No yap yap yap - actually silent and processing....
Who knew I was capable...
Woh siz.

Prayer

I go through stages or phases of not 'being into' prayer...Times when I get frustrated with prayer and don't wanna be a part of it, but be patient and close my eyes and reluctantly listen anyway (this doesn't happen often, but it does happen) then there are times, like tonight, where it's so....uplifting and encouraging. I'm all overwhelmed at the moe, for the next 3 weeks, because I have 3x2000 word essays to write, a practicum to do and all the work that goes with that, plus my work I have to get done from my own centre. Plus it's the 3weeks leading up to Christmas, so tonnes of social thangs on and my sister from another mister is coming back from England and staying with me for a week and I already have commitments within that week, let alone study and I want some serious catchup time with ma sister from another mister. SO, bla bla, feeling all overwhelmed and stress bally. BUT, after our flat Thursday night chat with my amazzzzing flatmates, and our prayer sesh, I feel like I can handle the jandle of the next 3 weeks. 


I'm also writing this for my own accountability so that when I wake up tomorrow morning, or have a freak out dance over the weekend from being well and truely OVER assignment writing, I can read back on this and remember the prayers ma flat dudes prayed. :) Even small things like 'that i'll be surprised with how much I can get done, and how much I can write the words and information I come up with' and that 'i will have a hardout.....like 'dose' of motivation and perseverance and just..the ABILITY to do it all'. Stoked. :) Easy to please. :) 


Totally realized the importance...like it finally hit home (took 25years, but finally tonight) about how important it is to spend some chill-out alone time with ma Jesus aye. Fully prayed for it to be a desire, and a priority rather than something to 'fit in' or do the rushed 5mins before sleep time, or 5mins rushed in the morning, but that it's a totally spesh time you put into each day.  

I've never been more exposed to prayer than I have this year, or had so much of it - in groups. I've always prayed every night before bed...well mostly. There will also be stages/phases where i wont, but they never last long. But in terms of group prayer, nevvvver so much as this year, challenging...for me...because I def prefer my alone Jesus chats, but.....good.

I'm glad Jesus is patient, cos no-one else could put up with my excessive rambling. 

The words 'concise' & 'summarize' will never be in my vocabulary. I am incapable of being/doing those things.:)

I am of it...

Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free. 
Eugene V. Debs


I love that quote....I just wish good ol' Eugene didn't stop there....I wish he kept writing to include so many more...like...


While there are the forgotten, the hated, the neglected, the unloved. 
While there are the physically and mentally abused.
While there are the cheated, the betrayed, the forgotten, the castaways.
While there are the kids taken from Cyfs, the teens thrown out or run away from home.
While there are the teen pregnancies, the teen abortions.
While there are the eating disorders and the self harmers.
While there are the drug addicts and alcoholics.
While there are the terminally ill.
While there are the street kids and gangs.
While there are the refugees, prostitutes and strippers.
While there are the burglars, thieves and rapists.
While there are the blind, deaf, crippled and deformed.
While there there the forgotten, the hated, the neglected, the unloved.
I am THERE, I am relating to THEM, I'm putting my needs second to them, I am LOVING them.
While there is the unloved...I can love, because I am loved - unconditionally. 


At some point we all fail to love unconditionally, if someone betrays us, we can react without love, if someone lies, cheats, uses, abuses, ignores, rejects, backstabs, gossips, acts different, looks different to us or to what we are comfortable with, we might love...but not unconditionally.


Love those words of the hosanna song...


Heal my heart and make it clean;
OPEN UP MY EYES TO THE THINGS UNSEEN,
SHOW ME HOW TO LOVE LIKE YOU, HAVE LOVED ME (<------ unconditional love)
BREAK MY HEART WITH WHAT BREAKS YOURS;
Everything I am for your Kingdoms cause;
As I walk from earth into Eternity.


Praying for that to ring true in my life aye.
Walk the Talk.

The animal created by Accident - the Cat

So, it's too late now, I'm going to have nightmares....I just google imaged 'evil cat' which wasn't hard...and def isn't short of images - which proves my point they are nothing BUT evil....a complete accident of an animal created probably only when God sneezed...which in ancient days people thought you're soul left your body when you sneezed...which is probably what happened when God created 'cats', in that short time when he sneezed and his soul/spirit left his body, evil came in for that split second...and formed....The Cat....


I was home alone today...had been in my room for ages....walked downstairs to go out....went to turn the lounge light on....and this CAT...freeken stray that had been LOCKED in my house was throwing a absoloute SKITZ, running up and down the ranchslider at the back of the lounge, freaking out knowing it had company in the house it had randomly decided to get locked in....then it started trying to get OUT of the ranchslider by running INTO the glass I dont know how many times. Phsyco!


Naturally, I fa-reaked out....ran upstairs and locked myself in my room, leaving the front door open....I didn't come down for ages....but ran out the front door and closed it after turning the alarm on...waited to see if the alarm went off, then left down the driveway. Came BACK, thought 'maybe the alarm isn't set to go off for small evil demons like cats', so caned it in the front door and back into my room...and locked the door. Didn't come out till a flatmate came home!


It should be a public holiday when the world finally decides to make cats extinct. 
I live in hope for that day....

Feet

The washing of....

Who will I 'let' wash my feet....

Whose feet should we/I be washing...

Poppa Grandad

We had a old guy speak at our church tonight, he spoke about introducing God to children and it not just being about bible stories, etc.

Whenever I talk to or interact with an old man whose really warm and friendly and loving, I want to CLAIM him as my poppa or grandad....tonights guy would be a awesome grandad i bet. :)

I never had a grandad or Poppa. My Poppa (mums dad) died a couple of years before I was born and my Grandad (dads dad) died before I turned 1 of cancer. So I got jipped of having one. I really wish I did and have always wanted to claim me a old man I can call Poppa or Grandad. I remember my principal in Intermediate, I really wanted to claim him as my grandad. He was all grey haired and funny and loving but strict at the same time, and just looked like the cliche grandad.

My Grandad will be in heaven, I'm looking forward to seeing him there and getting to know him. It's expected my Poppa gave his heart to the Lord in his final days, I sure hope so. I've always felt without knowing why that my Poppa would have really changed my life, for the better.....and/or just had a really significant part of my life. He was my lebanese Poppa, all brown and handsome like (in a grandaughter kind of way) and his stories of his life were amazing, he was a truely remarkable man. :)

Yep.

Love Lost

"And if you flash your heart, Iiiii Iiii wont deny ittt."

" I promise."

" So if you flash your heartttt, I wont mistreat it."

" I promise!".

"Keep me in mind,

When you're ready,

I am here,

To take you every-time".

Flip.

Intense.

Loving this song right now though.

Fruity Spirit

Mother Teresa said, 'A day lived without showing love for others, is a day not worth living.'

Loving people must be a way of life, a fixed attitude, a commitment we make every day.

William Barclay said: 'More people have been brought into the church by the kindness of real Christian love than by all the theological arguments in the world. And more people have been driven from the church by the hardness and ugliness of so-called Christians than by all the doubts in the world.'

Being unselfish in attitude strikes at the very core of our being. It means we are willing to forego our own comfort, our own preferences, our own schedule, our own desires for another's benefit. And that brings us back to Christ.' - Bob Gass

There are those people that are sooooo easy to love then there are the ones that are not so easy...liiiiike...for me...

I really dont love those boy racer fellaz who love freaking me out late at night in my car by side swiping it, wanting to play tag or race or whatever....I want to NOT love them and ram my car into theres....

Like those people who yell and scream and abuse you for no reason (talking when I spent nearly 4years in the bank here) just because you're there and they are having a bad day.....= easy target. Honestly I got abused so much, people are verrrrrry anal about their money. And not once was it anything I'd done. This one lady I still remember ACTUALLY yelled at me for being TOO happy! She let it rip in the bank. My face went sooooo red, I wished her well then went out the back and had a cry, man was she evil. I didn't love her.

If any.single.person hurt my niece, I would very very very much not like them. I would want to lock them in isolation and feed them slugs and raw chicken. If a drunk or speeding driver owned a car with my family in it....I would struggle with forgiveness and want to introduce them to a hungry pitbull....or let them play kiss and catch with a crocodile.

I gotta remember here, I AINT Jesus....I am human....frick, but so was he....

Ummmm. Guts.

I do love, very very very much. I guess I just want to act more like him towards those people who the majority of the world would react with bitterness and hate and anger towards......the boyracers, the angus members of public, the rapists, the pedophiles, the murderers, the drink drivers, the backstabbers and manipulators, whoever....and see them as Jesus sees them. Because now, when I see a terrorist on t.v who just sassed hundreds of lives....or a guy whose just stabbed some innocent old lady 80 times in her home, or the guy whose just been caught for raping 12 woman over a few months, or the drunk driver who killed a young couples 3 children, or the pedophile who just got found out for sexually abusing his nieces and nephews, or the industries overseas which lure in young girls from the age of 5 to sell them for sex....I definitely dont have a feeling of love towards them. I want to cry for the families of the victims and feel an automatic love for them.....but for the accused/guilty....aint no lovey dovey feelings there.

What does loving those people look like? Even though I might not meet them, having a heart which reflects how Jesus would see them, react, respond and talk about them is what I want aye.

Times like this (and a kaillion other times too) I wish I could just get on the phone to Jesus and book him in for an appointment to get his face to face opinion/advice on it all. That would be super sweet AND suuuuuper convenient! :D

Rita

Loves

Jesus' Style of Luff

Fear or Love

What's it better to be driven by with God?

Fear or Love?

Or doesn't it matter?

I dont know if everyone is the same....but in doing good, I am driven by love for him. When I am tempted to do something not so Jesus like, whether it's a thought, a action, a re-action, something you dont do when you should, whatever....the thing which stops me doing it, is by fear of what God may do. Not out of love. Most of the time anyway.

Also, ever had anything happen, which at the time was so insanely horrible, totally testing/challenging, a real nightmare, tough tough time to live through....but looking back on it now, you see the good in that happening, and how it saved you from a whole lot of other stuff happening and can see how you are stronger or wiser because of it? What if that challenging time doesn't go away though? Like....someone who was in a accident, lost their leg or whatever. Looking back they can see how it may have saved them from making other tragic mistakes in life or taking the 'wrong road in life' and they have learnt that lesson or come out stronger because of it - doesn't mean they can go grow a leg back now though can they? So they are stuck with that their whole life. It'd be so good if you could learn lifes lessons, then when your at that time where you dont need that lesson to remind you every day for the rest of your life to be there, because you are stronger, you are wiser, you are more mature, etc. That when you got to that stage, it went away. I suppose that isn't life though is it, like a woman who has a baby, then learns her lesson, cant very well just have her baby go back into a egg and boy bit again can she. Life.

Also....

Does anyone else look forward to heaven as much as I do? I dont know what to expect with heaven....the line in the song Amazing Grace, always makes me think about it...''When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the Son/Sun(?), we've no less days to sing his praise than when we first begun''. So.....I totally love Jesus...and probably sound like the lamest person in the (christian) world saying this...but TEN THOUSAND YEARS...praising Jesus....wow, I doubt that it'd even be possible for people in heaven to get tired of doing that, but are we gonna be on our harps and singing and bowing to God for eternity? Which, as a Jesus fan I should probably be stoked about....but since I was little, I've always asked God for my 'heavenly reward' to be brushing those lions aye. Ha, I'd be pretty happy keeping those lions looking good, by brushing their fur and manes all eternity long. Maybe have a sneaky ride every now and again, use them as a pillow when it's time for a avo nap in the meadow with the waterfall in the background. :D Scenery in heaven is going to be a winner yea! And i'm pretty excited about a new heavenly body too - I told God (several times) that I'm going to be the one running round heaven in her undies for a few years, stoked with the new heavenly body I've got. :D Looking forward to meeting my Poppa, he died before I was born, supposedly gave his life to the Lord in his last hours. Look forward to seeing my beautiful Uncle Don again, died 12years ago. My Nana x2. My Grandad Chook, he died before I was 1. And for my own piece of mind, I like to think that dogs go there too, so see my 4dogs up there. No cats in heaven though, that'd be crazy and a big mistake on God's part if he allowed them into heaven. ;) But yep, looking forward to heaven. Eternity...how can you even fathom that.

I wander when it will be...the rapture, be super stoked if it came in this lifetime. Love my whanu to go to heaven together, in the rapture, without any of us having to mourn the loss of each other. Supposedly there are signs happening on Earth that it is coming soon, but how long has that been happening for? I think that there are still things I'd like to do on Earth before the rapture, like find love, get married, adopt and/or have some kids. But, I think a trip to heaven for eternity would be a pretty good alternative if it were to happen. The amount of love you'd feel and get 'up' there would probably sass any of the love you'd get from a partner or kids down here anyway. Cant imagine anything being as awesome as what Jesus' love must be like. Imagining a hug with him gets me in tears everytime aye, when I'm needing a dose of love, I picture that in my head. And cos it's in my head, I can be a Jesus hog, so I do, and he's just the right height for my head to nestle into his chest, and he cuddles nice'n tight, not all limp and creepy like some people..AND he doesn't let go. I'm really really looking forward to a real life Jesus hug. You have to wait in line, cos I'm gonna hog him for ages, and you cant push in, cos then I'd just do my secret whistle to 'my' lions that i'll be looking after up there, then you and my lions can wrestle together, while I get my hug on.

Reet

Likes

Jesus Hugs, Lions and Eternal Thinking.

Born Free

This is insanely .....insane.

These guys (MIA) ususally do crazy messages in their songs aye....this is the most....insane..

Embedding was disabled...so if this link doesn't work, just type 'born free' by MIA into youtube...it's like 9mins long...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk0oeOs3qVU

Teen Girl Squad

Oh this is abbbbbsoloute genius. Well it cracks me up anywayyyy.. TEEN GIRL SQUADDDD! :)

http://homestarrunner.com/tgs13.html

Reet

Likes

The Randomness of Teen Girl Squad

"But we still serve a good God"..

John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his brother."

http://www.godtube.com/featured/video/ryan-chad-arnold-inspiring-story-brotherly-love/all

Reet

Loves

The Fact We Have Eternal Life

Wish I Was A....

Nuff Said...

Reet

Likes

All of This.

Need a Miracle

So it seems no matter how many votes I get each day for this scholarship I've applied for through AMP, the larger the gap is between me and the top few people....Today I'm sitting on 1,087 votes, which is really amazing....THAT many people have voted for me to win my dream, to go on Mercy Ships and serve for 2months (hoping those 2months will help me realize whether I go back long-term or not when I graduate).

These top few people though...have nearly 2,500 votes. I'm wanting to do this honestly and morally. I know some of them are doing it by telling their voters how to vote unlimited amount of times by clearing memory on their computer. This IS my dream, I'd like to say I'd do ANYTHING for it....but....I gotta be.....**Bona Fide**....definition of that, is the title of my blog name!

Hence....this blog posts title...'needing a miracle'. I need a miracle to be able to get the Peoples Choice Scholarship. That's a whole lot of votes I need to catch up, get in the lead and STAY in the lead for the next 36 days, agh.

I want this SO so SO SO bad! I do have to trust though, that if I don't win - there is a reason that I cannot see or understand, as to why the timing just isn't right this year. Ma Jesus sees the bigger picture, and he knows when is right - as HARD as that is...to be 'ok' with that. Not saying I'm not going to cry a river if I don't get this scholarship - I know I will. But I will rest assured after the tears have fallen, that Jesus knows best - he knows my heart - he knows how bad I want this - and the right thing will happen - and it will be the best thing for me - no matter how gutted I am about it.

Doesn't mean I'm not going to try as hard as I can through as many channels as I can to get these votes. Doesn't mean I'm not going to pray heaps about it, to get votes, to think up new creative ideas on how to get votes, and if I dont get enough votes, to soften the hearts of the judges of AMP.....and help them sense my inTENSE passion for this kinda thing through my application so they PICK MEEEEE.

(If you havn't seen my application yet - here tis)

http://doyourthing.co.nz/2010-02496/rita-oliver

But then, I don't think anyone actually reads my blog except Jesse. ;) It's more just a brain bla for me anyway - but sup sup Jessicaaaaa.

Reet

Likes

Dreams

Cried a RIVERRR

Oh my goodness, I cried a riverrrrrr!

Just watch...

http://www.godtube.com/featured/video/soldiers-surprising-their-loved-ones

Reet

Loves

Reunited Love

Voting Opens Tomorrow

Voting opens TOMORROW! The 15th, to the public. Ohhhh I'm so nervous. I want this so bad! There are 114 pages of people...each page has about 20 people on it, asking for scholarships for THEIR dream. I'm sure if there was a test to be done...calculating who wants their dream the most...I'd be in the final 2...I cry even thinking about how badly I want this.

If you're a random reader, even if you're not.... vote pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

http://doyourthing.co.nz/2010-02496/rita-oliver

Mercy mercy mercy mercy shipsssss.

I'd love to be on it later this year. I already have approval from work and uni.

Nothing stopping me.....except the money...

Praying, hoping, wishing.....

Reet

Loves

Votes

Mercy Ship Dream...in Progress...

So, I applied for a scholarship today, to get my two months on Mercy Ships this year...or next...as soon as I'd be allowed to go. 'All' I need is 5-6k..... but that is ALOT when you're studying, I cant even save 100.00 without a bill or car problems popping up, let alone 5-6k. :p

I so badly want to go....I want to see Africa, the ship is docked in Togo this year. I want to spend time with the children of Africa, the beautiful bubbaz, I want to comfort them while they are recovering from surgery...I want to run and play with the children off board the ship. I want to just...be there...help, support, laugh with, cry with...love them alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.

I dont know when I hear back about the scholarship....but there were 113 pages of people who'd applied for scholarships too...each with about 20applicants per page....so...one in a kajillion chance....but could you cross your fingers....toes...legs...arms....for me anyway....DONT uncross them... ;) ;) Prayer is definitely good too! :D

Reet
Likes
Wishful Thinking of accepted scholarships.

I did it....

Kareoke...me...last night...I did it...!Didn't need a few wines...didn't need to justify my inability to sing...I just did with awesome awesome people.

Steven.G and KevinNGdawg are my kareoke man heros!

I did kareoke.....and cant WAIT to do it again! So much fun!

I love how the songs soooooooooo to not match the random random asian video clips playing behind it....I think we had the song Sexy Back on...and behind it was people in the olympics....and another song, quite emotional, had gangster asian rappers being angry up in the screens face....so crack up.

Reet
Likes
Kareoke

Free as a Bird

So I might have a...NOT so secret fetish with kareoke...I've never done it...but it stems from my MASSIVE wish that I could sing...I really really cant...no modesty here, I'm as flat as...a flat thing...AND just really cant reach any notes..WHICH is why if you're ever in my car, the music is always SUPA loud...I LOVEEEE my car time, me, loud music, and me 'singing'...fa-reak-ing...LOVE it! I loveeee music, If i got to pick any talent..as a wish...it'd be to sing...I feel mad restrictd when i try sing a song...when I cant belt it out how the singers can...especially if it's a jesus one...and the ones where I wish I could be singing to a kajillion people on stage! :) Still...I do love to sing! Makes me so so happy. :) Not sure I would ever do the kareoke...sadly, I'd probably need a couple of wines and make it VERY clear to people that I KNOW i cant sing...BUT that i'm going to pretend that I can... :)

ANYWAYYY rambleeeee.......I remember this movie Duets that I saw a few months ago...it's pretty old..but it's all about these people entering this kareoke competition (got Gwyneth Paltrow, Huey Lewis) ....but this dude when he sings this song...heck he's awesome...love his voice. Turns out it's not really his voice, I googled the real guy. :) But this end song he sings....big fan aye, in the context of the situation its really quite beautiful...but luckily the clip doesn't give anything away, just incase you watch it someday...take a look anyway. :)
Black men can always sing aye, I was born in the wrong part of the world! :) (just joking jesus, nz kicks bootay).



Reet
Loves
Duets

You Said

Okay So I cant find the awesome version that I like by Shane and Shane, but here is the closest thing to it, still by one of them....it might actually be the both of them...I dunno...but yep, flippen love it. One of my fave worship songs....I'm going to ask Joe.G if he can do it next time he leads, we havn't done it since the awesome Ryan Lang lead it years ago. Time for abit of 'you said' i think...close your eyes when you listen to it, the video is lame and distracting....I just love listening and closing my eyes....I hate that I cant go hard on a guitar strapped round my neck, this is one song that I so so wish I could strum on.....