domingo, 29 de março de 2009

Update

Hey!

Finalmente cheguei a casa para as ferias da Pascoa! whoop whoop! Estava a ver que nao.

Depois de sair de casa em Cardiff as 7.45, apanhar um taxi, esperar, apanhar um comboio, esperar, apanhar outro comboio, check-in (que foi aberto para mim), esperar mais umas boas3-4 horas, embarcar no avião, passar 2 horas sentada a frente da miuda mais irritante de portugal, muito provavelmente do planeta, usar pela primeira vez o meu passaporte electronico e fazer a viagem de carro de Lisboa ate a Marinha - CHEGUEI!

O Marcos esta em Londres por isso dormi na cama dele ontem (e muito mais fofinha que a minha... nao sei porque é que ele tem direito ao melhor colchão da casa...).

Fui à igreja hoje de manhã e dormi a tarde toda outra vez... e esse é o plano para amanhã, também... dormir.

É muito fixe estar em casa mas estranho também. Parece que nunca saí (principalmente porque metade da (des)Ordem continua em obras, mesmo depois de meses a fio). Que de alguma maneira o tempo parou quando saí depois do Natal e continua agora. E o mesmo acontece com Cardiff. Quando lá chego parece que nunca saí. Não sei se faz algum sentido mas não arranjo melhor maneira de explicar.

Ah, de referir que tivemos de ir ao Modelo de urgencia porque tanto o champo que eu uso, como o gel de banho e a pasta de dentes que uso se revelaram inexistentes nesta casa (ok... se calhar compramos pasteis de nata, tambem...). Nao so isto foi um choque mas como tambem o desaparecimento da minha propria escova de dentes se apresenta como um misterio insondavel. Sera que se fartou de esperar por mim e resolveu ir a sua vida de escova de dentes? sera que alguem pensou "hmmm...so dois rapazes é que usam esta casa de banho, o que é que faz aqui uma escova de dentes cor-de-rosa a destoar? é melhor deitar fora...". nunca niguem saberá...

E depois da minha dissertação sobre a minha preciosa escova de dentes que espero que vos tenha deixado a todos tão intrigados como eu, despeço-me por hoje, meus caros leitores. O sono é muito...

Até ao prox post (prometo que seguirá em breve...)
ASG

segunda-feira, 2 de março de 2009

traducao

Portanto, pediram-me pra traduzir o ultimo post. Aqui vai:

sim, ainda estou viva meus caros leitores (sim, es tu, mae...). Pensei que estava na hora de actualizar isto...

A vida tem sido bem preenchida. Tenho aulas quase todas as manhas e tardes e so uma noite livre por semana (sexta). E ja estamos na quinta semana do semestre!!! o tempo voa! estou a tentar encontrar o botao de pausa mas nem encontro o comando neste cenario de guerra que o meu quarto se tornou, quanto mais! ja nem consigo ver o chao...

A ultima quarta-feira foi um dia e tanto. Assinei o contrato para a casa do proximo ano! vou viver com mais 5 raparigas. YAY! Nos decidimos (bem, a Becca e eu) que vai ser a casa mais multi-cultural dos arredores se considerar-mos Pais de Gales e Irlanda culturas diferentes. De qualquer forma, a Jo em si propria ja e multi-cultural. Definitivamente uma mistura de sotaques interessantes com duas inglesas, duas galesas (uma que soa muito galesa e outra com uma mistura de escoces, gales, irlandes e americano), uma irlandesa (que definitivamente soa muito irlandesa) e depois eu... bem, vamos poupar-me de vergonha e nao falar do meu sotaque.

Depois tivemos a nossa assembleia geral do GBU. E assustador pensar que ja passou um ano... Se pesquisarem no blog podem encontrar o post acerca da ultima reuniao.
Votamos para a nova lideranca que foi aprovada por unanimidade! Estou em pulgas para ver como Deus vai trabalhar este ano atraves e neste pessoal.. Orem para que, como GBU aqui em Cardiff, possamos estar aptos e motivados para suportar os nossos lideres em oracao e qualquer outra forma que seja necessaria. O trabalho deles nao vai ser nada facil mas e tao encorajante ver a maneira como eles se levantam, dispostos a darem o seu tempo e esforcos para servir o nosso Deus, Todo Poderoso.
Agradecemos a Deus pela maneira como ele trabalhou o ano passado pela lideranca anterior. A maneira como vimos a Sua mao e provisao nao se pode descrever em palavras. E, de novo, este pessoal foi fantastico. A maneira como eles nos lideraram e permaneceram firmes na Palavra mesmo em tempos dificeis foi extraordinario de ver!

Entao agora e hora de olhar para tras e lembrar o que Deus fez este ano e agradecer-lhe por isso. Nos oramos pela a lideranca e pelo grupo e Deus respondeu as nossas oracoes de uma maneira fantastica e impressionante! E tambem tempo de olhar para a frente e pedir-Lhe a Sua visao e caminho. Que novamente nos possamos ter os nossos olhos em Cristo.

Os ultimos dias tem sido preenchidos por estudo para um teste que tenho esta semana (neste momento ja esta feito e correu bem).

Hoje tivemos housegroup. O tema foi a crucificacao de Jesus e foi tao bom trocar ideias sobre o significado da cruz para nos como crentes e tambem para nao crentes. E tao fixe aprender com os outros sobre a verdade que Deus nos revela atraves da Sua palavra!
E foi tao desafiante ouvir um nao crente dizer que, se tudo aquilo de que nos estavamos a falar era verdade (sobre Cristo e o que Ele veio fazer), entao as pessoas deveriam olhar para a cruz que veem em todo o lado (colares, igrejas, quadros, etc) e ver quem morreu la e que morreu pelos meus pecados. Ele disse que as pessoas deviam deixar de associar a cruz com religiao como uma instituicao porque, e passo a citar: "aquele homem morreu pelo que eu fiz. nesse caso, eu teria o martelo na minha mao, meu!"

Muitas vezes, como crentes, olhamos para a cruz e achamos banal. E so um simbolo que representa a instituicao religiosa como este tipo disse. Mas nao... a cruz foi onde o nosso Salvador morreu por cada mentira que eu digo, por cada pensamento que nao deveria ter, por cada pedacinho de orgulho ou inveja. tudo para que eu pudesse usufruir de uma relacao com o Deus Santo e viver com Ele para sempre. pois... parece que este nao crente foi mais sabio e certo nestas palavras do que eu sou nos meus grandes discursos, muitas vezes. Humbling.

Esta semana vai ser tao cheia ou ainda pior... Ainda bem que tenho conseguido dormir a noite...

Ok, tenho de ir. Josue para acabar antes de amanha e ainda so vou a meio...

ASG

traduzido de Life (CU, AGM and Housegroup)

segunda-feira, 23 de fevereiro de 2009

Life (CU AGM and housegroup)

yes, I'm still alive my dear readers (yeah, that would be you, mum...) so I thought it was about time to update this, really...

Life has been really busy. i have lectures pretty much every morning and afternoon and one evening free a week (friday). And it's week 5 of spring already!! where did time go?? i'm desperately trying to find the pause button but I can't even find the remote control in the war scenario my room has become. I can't actually see my floor...

Last wednesday was an eventful day. We signed for our new house! I'll be living with 5 other girls. I'm so excited about moving in with these lovely girls! We've decided (well, Becca and I)that it'll be a multi-cultural house if you consider Wales and Ireland as a different culture.Anyway, Jo in herself is already multi-cultural as Becca said very well. It'll definitely be an interesting mixture of accents with two english, two welsh (one that sounds very welsh and another with an interesting mix of scottish, welsh, irish and american), one irish (that def sounds very irish) and then myself that sound very... well let's save me from embarrassement and not talk about my accent.

Then we had our Annual General Meeting for CU. It's scary that the last AGM was more than an year ago! If you look through my old blog posts you'll find the one I wrote about it.
We voted for the new committee that was aproved unanimously! I'm really excited to see how God is gonna move this next year and work in and through these guys. Pray that we, as a CU, may be able and willing to support our leaders in prayer and in anyway we can. these guys' job is not going to be easy but it's so encouraging to see the way they stand up, willing to give their time and effort to serve our Almighty God.
We praise God for the way He worked last year through the committee at the time. The way that He provided was immense... beyond belief. And again, these guys were amazing. The way they lead us and stood firm in the Word even through tough times was such a blessing!

So now is a time to look back and remember what God did last year and thank Him for that. We prayed for the guys of last year's committee and for the CU and God answered our prayers in an amazing, astounding way! But it's also a time to look forward and ask Him for His guidance this next year. That again we may know nothing but Christ crucified.

The past few days have been filled with work for a test I have this week... scary. I really don't like statistics...

Today we had housegroup. The subject was the crucifixion of Jesus and it was great just to discuss with those guys the meaning of the cross for us as christians and for non-christians. it's so cool to learn with each other the truth God reveals through His Word.
And it was so challenging to see a non-christian saying that if all we were saying was true (about who Jesus was and what He came to do), then people would have to start looking at the cross, even when represented in necklaces, churches, paintings, etc, and seeing the man that died there and that He died for our sins. He said that people should stop thinking about religion when they see a cross because, and I quote, "that guy died for my stuff. I would have the hammer in my hand, man!"

Sometimes as Christians we see the cross and it doesn't mean much to us. It's just a symbol to represent religion as an institution as this guy said. but no... the cross was where our Saviour died for every lie that I tell, every bad thought I think, every bit of pride or envy. so that I could have a relationship wit the Holy God and live with Him forever.so yeah... this non-christian guy was wiser and more focused in these words than I am many times. Humbling.


This next week will prob be as busy if not worse... I'm thankful I have been able to sleep well at night so I can have the rest I need.

Right, gotta go, now. Joshua to finish till tomorrow and I'm half way through... eek.

ASG

segunda-feira, 2 de fevereiro de 2009

Mind blowing...



So, after talking a friend he asked me to check Louie Giglio's talks on youtube.

I had never heard of this guy but I came across this serie called "How great is our God". And it completely blew my mind...

Above are part 4 and 5 that refer to the wonders of our body "fearfully and wonderfully made" by the Almighty, creator of the universe, all powerful God.

Have a look on youtube for the first part (about the universe) or other series.

Also, FREE week started today and I'm so excited! Loads of leaflets and questionaires going around, street drama and music, lunch time talks and events in the evening. Check the website http://www.cfcu.co.uk/ for more information.

Prayer meeting this morning had loads of people even if it was at 8am. praise God! let us be faithful in prayer for our non-christian friends.

seriously guys... pray. When you pray you are asking and talking to the God that created the universe and everything that is in it. The God that was willing to come down to the tiny and miserable world and die for us. Even better... you have the promise that He'll answer to His people that turn to him.WOW!

ASG

sexta-feira, 16 de janeiro de 2009

Get praying!

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Guys... get excited about this. Such an amazing opportunity to share the Gospel so please, please pray for everyone that is involved and for each Christian student as we go out and give a copy of Mark's Gospel to our friends, making the commitment of reading it with them.

Let's pray that God will move amazingly in Cardiff University and all around the UK through this project

ASG

sexta-feira, 26 de dezembro de 2008

The true meaning of Christmas

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
(Isaiah 9:6-7)
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Christmas is more than Santa, is more than christmas trees, more than a family tradition or a time of the year when we feel we should help those in need. It's even more than a story about a baby being born.
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Christmas is about Mary and Joseph obeying to the word of God despite the shame, persecution and even death that they could face from society (and this includes kings!). it's about Mary's answer to the angel and the submission that it shows “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
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Christmas is about God, the "Holy Holy Holy" (Revelation 4:8), the Mighty God, sending His son to this messed up world. It's about the father willing to give the life of His son to allow us, that sin against Him everyday, to come and enjoy eternal life with Him.
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It's about Jesus Christ, the One that created the entire universe, the One that was with God and was God (John 1:1) being born to this world, becoming one of us but living a perfect life. It's about the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5)walking in will and obedience to a hill out of His own city, carrying His own cross until exhaustion. The Root of David (Revelation 5:5) being mocked, bruised and killed for our transgressions as Isaiah 53:5 says
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"But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed."
(Isaiah 53:5) NIV
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so that if we believe in Him we may have eternal life and not face the eternal death that we deserve for our sins:
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"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
(John 3:16) NIV
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About the Wonderful One rising again, victorious over death, seating now at the "right hand of Majesty in heaven" (Hebrews 1:3)
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And the most amazing promise that He will come back in his Father's glory:
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"For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels,
and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."
(Matthew 16:27) NIV
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So, if you are a christian, this should blow you mind! These are amazing news! We can have in Christ that was born in this earth, that we celebrate at Christmas, the assurance of a life spent with God. God sees in Him His perfect life and our sins are forgotten.
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If you are not a Christian, you are not in that position, yet. You are dead because of your the things you do wrong (sins). Even if you think you are a good person, you are not perfect and the Holy, Just God has to punish you as He can't live with sin. You'll spend eternity without God.
But He loves you so much. He created you. he designed and planned you carefully. And He says that if you believe in His son, Jesus Christ and that He came to die for you and to be punished in your place. (John 3:16)And you repent for all the things you have done against God and ask Him to forgive you for that, He will welcome you back and he guaranties eternal life with Him. You'll live with Him forever. I'm not saying you'll be perfect (yet) and your life will be easy. But He will be always there to help you. That's what His word, the Bible, says. If you have any questions and you know any christians, ask them. I'm sure they will be more than happy to try and help you. If you don't, leave me a comment and I'll try to help in what I can.
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This is the true meaning of Christmas.
ASG
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sábado, 18 de outubro de 2008

What's up?

So, long time no see for you all!!

I know, i know...it's all my fault, I haven't writen for ages... shame on me.

so, what happened since i last wrote? LOADS! I've been incredibly busy for the last 3 weeks.
I have heaps of deadlines for uni, plus lectures but that's not new.
Today I spent the day working lying in my bed which resulted in a terrible back pain. And I still have loads to do!! Arrrggg...
I have books that i want to read sitting in my shelf for ages. Just finished "What to do with these musicians?" by Marcus Witt and I'm hoping to read "Too busy not to pray" by Bill Hybels that Rach lent me next.

Then CU. This is probably the area I'm the most excited about. We had 229 people in the first meeting. I think in the last few weeks we had less people there but still a really good number. Pray that people would come along. We are looking at "Distinctive living" at the main meetings. Last one was about sex, drugs and alcohol and how the christian should face these issues. Quite good.
I'm also one of the leaders of housegroup this year. We are going through Mark's gospel and it has been amazing!! There is so much to learn about Jesus' life and having time to get stuck into the Bible and study the One that came to save us is such a privilege!! This is part of the UCCF evangelistic project "FREE". It's all about Mark's gospel and Jesus. In february, we'll have access to the "FREE" Gospels to hand out to our friends and make the commitment to reading it with them! I've seen the gospels and they are really good! I'm so excited about this!!!
We had prayer meetings everyday last week to pray for FREE and on wednesday night we had a night of prayer after CU which was amazing and really challenging! Each passing day I'm more aware of how important prayer is. And what a priviledge we have to talk with the True, Living God, the King of Kings!!
One of the main focus of CU this year is to encourage accountability and me and Jo are going through Daniel together. I had read Daniel before but it's amazing how everytime you read it you find interesting facts!

Tomorrow is church - it's crazy the ammount of engagements that happened during summer (in church and CU apparently)!! And we have 3 new babies in church! So cool!

Right, better be back to heart connexins. I have a group project/essay to do and I'm PROPERLY late.

Take care
ASG