Monday, 15 September 2014

Quick to Judge Slow to love

I really enjoy figuring out why people are the way they are. I like knowing why people are acting certain ways - is it ego, envy, insecurity, love or desire? It's like a puzzle for me. I'm also a lover of the English subject and reading books and watching movies often prompts this analysation of fictional characters - and I find this thrilling! However my enjoyment of figuring people out can often have negative consequences. It can lead to a casting of negative traits on to someone else, as I often conclude that people's motives are, well, not as good as my own. And so, the microscope on to other people comes off, and is turned onto myself in my efforts to figure out why I can be so darn judgemental.


This isn't an exploration in the broader judgment that can be found in Christians judging non-believers, or the loud, opinionated judgment sometimes expressed of, for example, politics on Facebook. It's a comment on the judgment of Christian brothers and sisters that occurs internally, or communicated to a friend or two. The kind of judgment we can convince ourselves "doesn't really matter". This post does not set out to answer any questions, but rather open up a topic for discussion - merely the pouring out of a discussion, so far only taking place in my head. 

I began to think about the nature of this personal judgment in a series that we were doing in Bible study on "loving our church". There was a focus one week of where we sit in church. I contributed this thought; "I'm often quick to judge others and quick to defend myself". I don't know if anyone caught what I said, but running through my mind was this kind of situation;



I arrive early to church (by sheer luck) and spot someone unfamiliar and so strike up a conversation (this person is going to feel so welcome!) and end up sitting next to them as the service starts. My eyes flick around to see where everyone else is sitting (ugh. They're sitting with their friends! Again!)


This example clearly demonstrates my disposition to "ruin" what could be deemed as good deed, with a judgement of my peers and an elevation of my ego. So it is here I pause my recount to proclaim that I am eternally grateful that my salvation is found in the grace of God - not in a balance of my good and bad deeds. 



The next week I'll arrive to church and get chatting to a friend who I may not have caught up with in a while. We'll sit together, and my eyes flick around again. (Whoops! I didn't even notice there was someone new! No. Don't worry that you didn't notice a new-comer, I'm sitting next to a friend who's had a hard week. I don't want to be one of those people always neglecting their friends for the sake of people they don't even know!)

My point in telling you these two scenarios isn't to advocate sitting either next to a new-comer or sitting next to friends in church. My point isn't even about where you sit. It's about the nature of judging others. In both these situations, my focus is not on how I can encourage others to be more like Christ, whoever I'm sitting with, my focus switches to pushing others down so that I can validate my choices and be puffed up with pride (as if anything good I do comes from my natural preference to serve others- ha!) 

It's tough to admit arrogance. It's the quality I find most unattractive, and in a time of captioning photos with phrases such as "I look so gross", it's easy to think that self-hate equates to humility. But humility as shown through Christ's example is found in 


Philippians 2:Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.


The familiar passage then goes on to describe the humility Jesus shows through the giving-up of His divine privileges in order to serve His creation. This is the humility we seek. There is no compassion in tearing others down.
Since noticing my tendency to put others down, I have concluded a few things about the nature of judgement:
1. Judging others promotes disunity.
You may have never thought about where others sit in church. But I've begun, been apart of, and heard about conversations among Christians that single out people as a plethora of unflattering things. Whether it's pointing people out as too fashionable. Too daggy. Saying that others try too hard or don't try hard enough. They're too exclusive. Too difficult to invite. Don't serve enough. So arrogant in service. Too concerned with theological correctness. Too emotion driven. Too coupley. Too cold. The list goes on - and that's the judgment that has been verbalised.
As if we, as Christians, don't have enough to battle against! Whoever I've decided to mentally or verbally attack is already a part of a battle. This person has a spiritual battle going on inside them as they fight all that this world has to throw at them. Then, as they come to a church community full of others fighting that same battle, instead of encouraging them to fight the good fight, I, a Christian, on the same team, belonging to the same spirit, hope, Lord, faith and baptism (Ephesians 4:4-5) provides yet another blow against my team-mate. "Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose."

2. Judging others is illogical. 


Judging others's actions is truly the most illogical move I can make in light of the unity found through Christ. Judging others does not produce of community of "one mind and purpose". Furthermore, it does not reflect someone who has been forgiven for turning their back on their creator. Judging others shows that we have not understood the grace extended to us. I have been forgiven, I am free from the curse of condemnation and yet I choose to continue condemning others who are, likewise free. Why reintroduce something we have been saved from? Jesus has covered their sins in his blood so that they may be reconciled to God and protected by Jesus in the wake of God's righteous judgement, but for some reason that's not good enough to be free of my petty judging. 
3. Judging others is hateful.
Casting judgment on others shows our impatience, unkindness, envy and pride. It dishonours others and is selfish and angry. Judging others means we're keeping tabs on people and are delighted when we have a one-up on them. Judging others does not protect our brothers and sisters from spiritual battle, it promotes distrust, discourages hope and refuses to persevere with others. As you may have picked up, this is a direct subversion of the 1 Corinthians 13 description of love. 

4. Judging others doesn't change them


As I was thinking about this topic, I was also struck by what might be seen as the other side of the coin - rebuke. How are we supposed to carry out our obligation of rebuke if we're never concerned with what our brothers and sisters are doing? Shouldn't we be prepared to call people out on ungodly behaviour? How does the proverb "Better is open rebuke than hidden love" fit in? Now, I'm by no means, any authority on rebuke, but as I was rolling these questions around in my brain my gut told me "rebuke feels different from judgement" and I equated that feeling to an encounter I had with rebuke:

I had a group of friends when I was at uni, mixed of Christians and non-Christians. In this group I had a close Christian friend who was a guy, and a close non-Christian friend who was a girl. After a while, it became clear that the girl was developing feelings for the guy. Well, this is awkward - I thought - he wouldn't ever go out with a non-Christian. But that can be an awkward thing to explain. So I left the situation alone, thinking it would sort itself out. Soon I began to get weekly updates of small romantic gestures the boy would show the girl. A flag was raised at the back of my mind but I pushed it down - surely she had just misunderstood. Soon, she was certain that he was going to ask her out. Oh no, someone was going to have to do something. So I prayed that someone would, and, what were the chances - he and I were due to catch up for coffee. So I brought it up with him and turns out he had never thought of her in "that way" and had no idea that he was leading her on. Situation clarified, we became closer friends and so did they. Later he and I and some other Christian friends were talking about rebuke. "Like that time Polly rebuked me" he said. What? I didn't rebuke anyone! Rebuke in my mind was hard, painful and messy - necessary, but possibly at the cost of a friendship. He went on to talk about rebuke being a form of encouragement; "just encouraging someone to stop what they're doing to be more like Christ" he said. 

When I cast judgement on someone in my head, or through verbalising slander to a friend or in a group, it is not for the purpose of encouraging someone to be more like Christ. Furthermore, when I rebuked my friend I had no need to chat to others about it. I never considered it a point for gossip. The situation made me sad, prayerful and ultimately wanting God's glory to be shown. I asked God for guidance in changing the situation and He did. This seems to sit in stark contrast to judging others. When I'm scrolling through my Facebook feed and roll my eyes at a status, it's not because I want that person to grow more and more in the love of God, it's because I've decided that whatever they've posted isn't up-to-scratch. 

If we're truly saddened by someone's ungodly actions then our natural response is to bring it before God, remove the plank in our eye and ask for guidance. Judging others does not change them (as if the real problem is with them to begin with.)

5. Judging others changes me


Judging others turns me into a hypocrite. If I can't extend grace to others - what makes me think that they'll extend the same grace towards me? If I let out a remark about my annoyance at someone missing a meeting, then when I miss a meeting, how should I expect anyone to sympathise with me? I've turned myself into a hypocrite by explaining that a certain type of behaviour isn't good enough when it's often a behaviour that I will eventually replicate. Getting annoyed at people's vanity - as if I've never been vain, hating arrogance and selfishness as if I'm not marked by a struggle with both. If I'm not quick to compassion, then I shouldn't expect others to be compassionate towards me.

Furthermore, the more you practice something the better you get at it. It's a pretty obvious statement that, in this case, provides a cruel reality. 


My resolve


Upon my thinking about my tendency to judge others, I've set myself a challenge. The moment I begin to think about someone else in a negative light, I decide to pray instead. I pray that I can be concerned with what my actions and motives are and that I may have a compassionate and tender heart. I pray that in all they do, they might be seeking to respond to the love of God.


Can I tell you, it has been an incredibly freeing experience. Instead of mulling and chewing over the actions of another person, busting to tell someone my beef and adding it to the list of things that frustrate me about someone - the problem lifts and I'm no longer burdened. Furthermore, if my judgment is valid and the person is in need of rebuke, I can be sure that my actions in confronting them will be God-driven and that, if I'm the right person to intervene, God will be the one to put it on my heart again as a concern for a brother or sister. 


Although I slip up, I'm trying to be someone who is quick to love and slow to judge. 

Friday, 20 June 2014

Guys, when your friends get married - an appeal from their wives

Thank you to all those who have replied with thoughts to this post; it is obviously something that many have had experience with and it has been encouraging to see such a response. As a disclaimer, this post is not a full and accurate depiction of my thoughts on the married-single friendship dynamic (I am, at the very least, sympathetic to struggles on each side). It has been an immense privilege to have heard the stories of many single and married women dealing with issues of loneliness due to friends being at different stages - and this issue may be best left to a further post. If you are a single person, struggling with having friends who are married, or a married person, feeling misunderstood by your single friends; know that this post does not set out to speak to you. If you are, however, the friend of a man who is married or in a committed relationship this post may bring some insight as to what the wife/girlfriend of your friend may be feeling like. And perhaps, to be more specific - what she is feeling like when particularly harsh words are used against her.

My husband and I were the first to get married among our circle of friends and it's brought some social challenges as to how we spend our time. As a result, mean-spirited or not, I've been at the heart of a lot of comments made to and about my husband. This post isn't to take a stab at all those who are the good friend of a husband or a boyfriend - I thank God for the role these men have in my husband's life. They're wonderful Godly men and some of whom just trying to manage this odd transition between their friends being school-boy bachelors shifting to committed husbands. I hope to bring to light the weight of some of the comments made during this time.

"You're so whipped" this (and its many variants) has been said of my husband, in front of me, at various points in our relationship - and over a year into marriage, it hasn't stopped. What this comment sounds like to my ears is "he used to give us all his time, now he's giving time to her and sometimes even choosing to do something with her over doing something with us." 


To be honest, I think this is just a testament to my husband - people love hanging out with him and are saddened when someone else takes his time up. But it also isn't very encouraging for either of us to hear;

If a husband looks over to his sick/tired/upset/bored/lonely wife and decides to leave, or say no to another activity, it should hardly. be. surprising. A husband has vowed to love his wife like Christ loves the church. I'll just let that sink in for a second. 


Being told that he's "whipped" for choosing to go home to get an early night doesn't make his job of giving up something he wants to do any easier. It also doesn't make his wife feel any less guilty about influencing his decision to stop doing something he's enjoying. Believe it or not wives like seeing their husbands have fun and have good time to bond with their friends. I don't like to play video games or drink scotch - him doing these things with you means that I don't need to.


The same goes if a husband chooses to go to his wife's thing (or spend a night in with his wife) over going to a friend's thing. To say that he is "whipped" for choosing to go to his wife's event strips him of his autonomy and sets him up as a person, now void of all opinion, being blindly led by what his wife has decided for them to do. My husband is strong, free-willed, kind, caring and thoughtful. He takes his role of a husband seriously, and when he decides something for the sake of his wife, it hasn't been lightly decided - and it hasn't been decided by me.


I would expect that a husband acting in love for a wife would be met with a "good job mate" or a "hang in there, you're doing well". Buuuut I get it. He's rejected, left, "dogged" your group - it's easier to shoot-off a comment and blame it on the wife than call him up and ask him what's the best way to hang out now that he's married.


Guys, when your friends get married - hear this appeal from a wife: please always be as eager to help my husband in his marriage as you were on our wedding day.


I'm aware this may be coming off as selfish - as if this rant were trying to claim more time from my husband and keep him back from hanging out with his mates. I'm in no way trying to hold the vows my husband has made to me over him so that he does what I want. But I am trying to point out that these promises we've made to each other we take seriously. We invited friends and family to witness our marriage and likewise vow to help, through prayer, that we might keep our promises. Whether he reads this post or not, he'll make the same decisions about his time and that I'll still love the way he uses his time. 


I love getting to represent Christ and the Church with my husband because we firmly believe that this is the way that God wants us to glorify Him. There are times when people ask how they can pray for us, where people want to ask us for advice or want to chat more so that they can know how this life stage is affecting our decisions.


However there is a great deal of times that I enter a room and hope that us being married won't be brought up. There are times I pray that I can stay up later, talk more and be excited more than my mood or energy allows so that we don't have to be the first people to leave. There are times I clench my teeth and smile because another insensitive comment has been directed towards me. Then there are the times we've sat, silent and shocked, feeling misunderstood and alone on the way home in our car.


However hard you're finding this transition, however hurt or cut you feel, however confused about how friendship changes after someone gets married you are; know that we're finding it just as hard and confusing. We constantly talk, worry and pray about the way we use our time. Then a comment like this comes along to cut us down. So we talk, worry and pray about it more. 


So we would love your support and encouragement in this challenging time, and we would love for you to pray that we might know how to use our time wisely. 

Thursday, 24 April 2014

Wear it; Eyeliners

Chatting with a few gals about different eyeliners and what they're good for. Here are 10 of the eyeliners I own along with prices, reviews and what I use them for :)

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Pencil Eyeliner


  • I use black pencil eye-liners to line the water-line or tight-line as well as on my lid to push into the base of my lashes for extra pop.
  • I use dark blue or grey pencils for the same, if I want a softer look or to bring out the blue in my eyes - also great for those who have brown eyes.
  • I use nude pencils in the water-line to make my eyes look bigger and refreshed.
  • I use sparkly black mainly on my upper lid if I'm going for a night out and what a bit of sparkle.



1. Rimmel Scandal Eyes (AUD $9.95)


I own this in "black", "deep blue", "nude" and "sparkle black"

This is my go-to pencil eyeliner and I really can't fault it. Good staying power (it's waterproof!) easy application, a range of colours and at a low cost.


2. MAC Softsparkle Eye Pencil in "Night Sky" (AUD $29)



Again, great staying power, gets the job done and adds a bit of sparkle. This one is a limited edition but you can grab these Mac Eye Pencils in "Coffee" or "Ebony". It's a little less smooth in the application process, I find it sometimes tugs on my lids - a firmer consistency than Rimmel Scandal Eyes. 

3. Australis Eye Pencil in "Black" (AUD $8.95)

This works perfectly fine as a pencil liner, however it's staying power isn't nearly as good as MAC or Rimmel as it's not waterproof. I would recommend this if you just want to test out pencil eyeliners if it wasn't for the fact that Rimmel Scandal Eyes retails at just a dollar more. 

4. Two Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Black (AUD $26.95)

This eye pencil is very soft with almost a gel-like consistency. It comes with a smudger on the end to get that smudgy/rough look. It's completely budge proof once it sets too! I hardly ever reach for this - I find it a little hard to apply; it's so soft that it's hard to sharpen and it's tough to apply precisely so it ends up in smudges all over my lids. I'm not a smokey-eye kinda gal but on the rare occasion that go there, this is the best eye liner I have for the job. 

5. Maybelline Color Show Crayon Khol in "120 Sparkle Grey" (AUD $6.95)

The range of colours in this pencil are great - I'm keen to pick up more colours to have a play around. I picked up the Sparkle Grey colour as I wanted to start experimenting with greys for winter. My eyes are grey-blue so I was hoping to play that up but this grey is far too light and doesn't quite suit me. I'm not too impressed by the formula, probably comparable to the Australis pencil and I haven't worn it long enough to see how long it stays. I think they're great if you're going for a fun pop of colour and, at such a low cost it can't hurt to have a few at your disposal. 

Jumbo Eye Pencil

  • I use these as a base for eye shadows or as an eyeshadow itself.


6. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil (AUD $9.95)

Seeing as there are 45 billion reviews on this I'll keep it short. I own this in "milk", "sparkle nude" and "black bean" and I love them as a base for eyeshadows.

Liquid Eyeliner

  • Liquid eyeliners are great when creating any winged look - sharp, precise and super black. They can create a wet look so I often matte it down with a black shadow. 
  • My lashes are a bit uneven so sometimes I need a pencil liner or eyeshadow to make sure there's no white between my lashes and the liner.


7. Rimmel Glam'Eyes Professional Liquid Liner (AUD $11.95)
I have been reaching for this more and more - living the clean, sharp lines it gives. Sometimes I even use a different liner to create most of my winged look and then just use this for the sharp tip. Easy to control and has a thin pointy tip so it's easy to get it precise.

8. Natio Liquid Eyeliner Black (AUD $14.95)
This was the eyeliner I regret buying the most. I picked this up, desperate for a new liquid liner and tried- oh how I tried to make it work! The formula and colour are perfectly fine, it's the applicator that had me struggling. The tip (that hopefully you can see in the pic) is solid - not a brush or a sponge, but solid plastic. It was like dipping a blunt pencil in product then forcing it onto your lids; as if applying eyeliner isn't difficult enough! Thoroughly disappointed.  

Felt Tip Eyeliner

  • A relatively new craze - often easy control as it feels like you're using a pen! Great if you want sharp, defined lines.


9. Smashbox Limitless Liquid Liner Pen (AUD $32.95)
I loved this Liner Pen - easy to use and budge-proof. I used it up pretty quickly so feel like I didn't get much bang for my buck. I would only recommend this if you're having mega issues getting a winged look, otherwise I say persevere!

Gel/Creme Eyeliners

  • Gel or creme eyeliners might not seem like the most popular choice these days but they're certainly showing up a lot more often. 
  • If you like wearing eyeliner on your upper-lid or think you might be a bit more handy at applying your eyeliner with a brush, this is the way to go!


10. Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Liner (AUD $39)


If, for some reason, I was only allowed just one eyeliner product, this would be the one. When I discovered this I used it most days for a year. That's right, this little tiny pot lasted me over year. This is a really great consistency, smudge proof and although it's not marketed as such, from my (accidental) tests seems to be waterproof. I use this for everything. Winged, smokey, eyeshadow base, to fill in the gaps between my eyelashes and occasionally on the waterline. So black, so smooth, so easy to use. It's also hypoallergenic, so for those with sensitive skin like me it's dreamy. Not sure how it stacks up with other gel liners out there, because really, I've never had the urge to try another brand!

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Hope that helped if you're on the hunt for a new eyeliner. What are your best and worst eyeliner experiences?




Sunday, 22 September 2013

Support it; Op-Shops

Since there is now a great Op-shop around the corner from me, I have been able to see so many benefits of popping my head in once or twice a week, here they are!

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1. Good for your wallet 

If you're like me, an injection of something new in your wardrobe every-now-and-then often feels needed to stop that "I have absolutely nothing to wear" thought that comes while looking at your over-flowing supply of clothes. This used to mean I'd scour the internet/shops for something that I didn't really need but felt entitled to, to preserve my contentment with the "clothes situation". Now, anytime I feel that need, I wander down to the Vinnes across the street and pick up, lets me honest, another black T. But, instead of paying the 20-dollars-plus-postage I would normally spend, I usually just have to pull out a 5-er and grab something to eat with the change on the way home. 

2. Good for your wardrobe

A bonus for your wardrobe is that the more you shop at an op-shop, the more you can't help thinking that there are a bunch of clothes that would be better suited on the racks of this store than behind your cupboard door. It's easy to implement the rule that every time you buy a piece of clothing, you give one away - just grab what ever you can't remember the last time you wore and chuck it in their clothing bins when you go to shop. This helps to keep an always-fresh, always-something-to-wear wardrobe!

You can always pick up something that has potential and alter it yourself!


3. Good for the environment

The more times we buy new clothes and throw them away, the more we're contributing to the big issue of waste. Recycling has never been more important for our environment and op-shops give us a way that we can have a fresh wardrobe AND help the world that we've been made stewards of. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Don't get me wrong, sometimes we need to buy new clothes and old ones are too worn-out to give in, but make sure you add your local op-shop to the list next shopping spree with a few old things in hand - you might be in for a surprise.



4. Good for totally hipster/indie/vintage/shabby/chic home decor

DIY home decor is big at the moment (just check out pintrest) and it's a great feeling to be able to spruce up your bedroom/living room/kitchen with that something new, or in this case, old. Op-shops are great for things like photo frames, plates, vases and teapots with authentic vintage patterns for stupidly low prices. 
A cool tip that I've seen is to buy a lot of things and group them together. That way, even if you're not in love with everything in the group, it still gives off the vibe you want.










5. Good for others

Most op-shops aren't actually set up to benefit our wallets, wardrobes or homes - as handy as they may be - but what do these charities actually do? Here's how your support can help the work of...

Vinnies: St Vincent De Paul Society, in their own words, seek; "to live the gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice, hope and joy, and by working to shape a more just and compassionate society." If that doesn't convince you to visit your local, your donation of clothing and money (when you pick up and item) goes towards helping those who can't afford material goods: win-win! Check out Vinnies here.

Salvos: Your donations to the Salvation Army, amongst other things, helps them to facilitate their Community Services Centres as well as their Bridging program - helping those recovering from addictions to be trained to find work. So pop into a Salvos or shop online here!



6. Good for the soul

Visiting op-shops frequently reminds you that hey, clothes are just another thing - another thing to take our focus away from God, another thing that we can obsess over too much and spend too much money on. Clothes and fashion pass away so quickly, but the only thing that doesn't change is the word of God. Clothes are a great gift that God gives us to stay warm and express our individuality so let's shop for clothes in a way that glorifies Him by using our money wisely, helping the environment, and helping out others.



Still not convinced?

If you've been there, tried that and found that op-shops are a little disappointing, I want to say, well, of course they are. They're full to the brim of out-of-date and unflattering clothes that no one else wants. But we all have that friend who pulls out some totally cute vintage dress and, when we ask "from where?" they always answer "an op-shop! it was only 2 dollars!" But let me just tell you, those people, those people who seem to have a wardrobe full of cute op-shop finds have them because they're op-shop regulars. I'm not saying that, after being inspired by my brilliantly-written 6-point pro's of op-shopping list, that you will go out and find a whole new shabby-chic you, but I can tell you, the more you go, the more you'll be surprised, the more money you'll save, and the more you'll come to love your local op-shop.

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For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matt 25:35-40

Monday, 19 August 2013

Make it; tiered cupcake stand

So my lovely sister-in-law moved out this week and is into indie-chic-DIY-recycled stuff so I made her a tiered cupcake stand out of some things I picked up at Vinnies!

NOTE: you can use this for anything; to organise makeup, store nick-nacks or as somewhere to chuck your keys!

(all together this project cost $6!)

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So here are the materials you'll need; some plates of different sizes, and some glasses that are a similar height. You'll also need a hot glue gun!







I was a little worried that a plain white plate would be too boring, but it ended up really working as a break between the other two colours and ended up to being better than another patterned plate.



The smallest size is actually a set of coasters!



I decided to get two different sized glasses that were a similar height



So first up I cleaned the plates - the glasses were pretty dusty and it took a while of soaking in warm, soapy water to get the sticky residue from the stickers off.




So this part is the trickiest bit because you need to work quickly and accurately. You'll need to put hot glue all around the rim. If you take too long the glue will dry and loose it's sticking power. But if you work too quickly it can end up a bit messy, and once there's glue inside you won't be able to get it out at the end.
My advice is to hold the nose on the glue gun close to the rim. 





Then stick the glass, rim-side down, into the middle of the first plate.





Then (and this time you don't have to be so neat) hot glue like crazy! Then stick the next plate on top.



Then repeat the process!




Until it looks something like this! ^

I then adorned mine with cup-cakes!














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Let me know what you think, if you make it yourself or have any other variations you've seen or done!

Monday, 12 August 2013

Watch it, Read it, Listen it; Angelica


As most of you know, at Open Doors this last month we've been plugging BLACKOUT. After BLACKOUT was over, we were really encouraged to hear from a girl named Angelica, who decided not to talk, text or use technology for a weekend to raise money and awareness for those who are persecuted because of their faith.

Read her interview below or go to http://www.myheartbleeds.com.au to read her story and many more.

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What is BLACKOUT? //
BLACKOUT is a cause aimed at raising awareness for the persecuted church; to be silent so you can give a voice to those who don't have one. By giving up talking, social media, email or texting for 48 hours, you can be a part of the change and help spread the word about our persecuted brothers and sisters who need our help and our constant prayer. 

Why did you do it? //
I did it because Jesus tells us to. In Matthew 25 Jesus says that, "for what you do for the least of these you also do for me." As a Christian I felt I should act on my faith and by taking part in BLACKOUT it was one step into doing that. 

Was it hard? What did you BLACKOUT from? //
It was difficult mentally and quite draining. I did no talking, no technology and no texting, so my brain was working hard to keep my mouth shut and my fingers away from my phone. The first day was the real challenge (I did talk twice) but by the second I felt much more at ease, eventually learning to relax. Prayer helped immensely, I think it was what pulled me through. 

How did you tell people about it? //
At church I showed the Open Doors video of Fatima, how her faith was so strong that she was wiling to die for Christ. It was a very confronting clip that struck many on how we take for granted our freedom to talk about God, but how most still remain silent. So through the video and talking about the cause, I found so many people willing to donate, most giving more than anything I ever expected. It shows that anyone can deliver Gods message and make a change, even a 16 year old teenager. 

What did it teach you about the persecuted church? //
How resilient they are. Their faith in God is built so firmly on His foundations that they wont fall or stumble. They face daily threats of imprisonment and death for their faith but just live each day for God, knowing that His eternal promise is their prize. We can learn so much from these people. 



What did you learn about God during the weekend? //

I learnt that God is unfailing. Even when we need help with the smallest of things He still hears us and gives us the strength to make it through, nothing is insignificant for Him.



Why should we support the persecuted church? //
By supporting the persecuted church you are giving these people yet another reason to praise God. The bible says to build up one another. By taking part, raising money and prayer, you are responding to a call that God has set for His people. You are a part of Gods greater plan, much greater than we can ever fathom. 

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Go to myheartbleeds.com.au to find out more.

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