Jono Miller

Monthly Update January 2012

Tue, 03/01/2012 - 13:08 |

LOOK BOTH WAYS

‎Thankfulness and Anticipation

I want to look back on 2011 with thankfulness. Try it. Try listing all the things you can be thankful for last year.

I thank God for a place to live, a car, a job, a wonderful school of staff and students, a church family, my family in various parts of the world, visiting and visits from friends, rugby, Gollans, Weldons, Turners, Kids Club, coffee, Skype, NZ, Ukraine, Australia, mountains, Millers, Pirinis, van Ballegooys, Walkers, Kirkegards, Bryants, Watkins, Facebook, cricket, health, table-tennis, good food, and there is so much more I could add. I notice how richly God has blessed me with good people in my life. Thank you to everyone reading this who has been a part of my life this year. That’s looking back.

Looking forward, I have anticipation. Sure I have some plans (see below), but my greatest anticipations are revolved around little bits of unknown. Because I choose to place my faith in God and His good plans for my life – I eagerly await the outpouring of His grace in my life in the ways He chooses. I anticipate good relationships with friends, renewed friendships, growing to be more filled with His Spirit so that selfish desires become less and my desire for godliness increases.

“The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.”(D.L. Moody)

In anticipation I ask the same from God.

UKRAINE CONNECTIONS

Praise God for UTSIM. Thank you to the generous donors who helped boost the work that Sveta and Natasha are doing this year. Later this year I hope to have some face to face time with Natasha in Ukraine to ascertain the future direction of UTSIM and how God would like to utilise what has been started in Ukraine in the area of education. I am open and ready for God to move in any direction – even to expand or to condense.

Please also continue to pray for Vlad. His appeal date is coming up very soon – January 11. Please pray for the lawyers preparing his appeal and the judges who will decide. Pray for Vlad as he will be moved to a different prison on the 6th in readiness for the appeal. Also, you can join the Facebook group Justice for Vlad Schaslyvyi if you would like to stay more updated.

LIVING DOWN UNDER

HOLIDAY TIME

I’m writing this from sunny QLD, beautiful one day, perfect the next. I’m staying with my brother Tim and Judith and family. My nieces are really growing up so quickly. It is great to be able to hang out with them. I spent the Christmas to New Year period down in my favourite part of the world, Eureka. It was another great Xmas at the farm, with the Murphy Maulers once again defeating the Wellings Warriors in a thrilling cricket match that came down to the final wicket being taken on the second to last ball and a win by 2 runs!

I have enjoyed down time, reading, sleeping, scrabble, coffee, tennis, 500, etc. It is good to refresh and recharge – but I feel ready to get going with a few things again. Being made in the image of God, we are made to create, to work, to also rest, to enjoy and to celebrate.

I even found a definition of me in the flat where I was staying. Except they spelled my name with two letters different!

2012 PLANS (D.V.)

So what does this year hold? I have a number of tentative plans which, although they may change, I’ll lay out here. I ask you to pray about these plans, that I will be sensitive to God’s leading, that He would teach me and use me to bring glory to His Kingdom.

January:

·Bribie Island Beach Mission, QLD

·Lonsdale Kids Camp, NZ

·Visit family, NZ

February:

·Casual teaching, NSW

March:

·Casual teaching, NSW

·Short term mission trip to Tajikistan

April:

·Possible trip to Thailand

·Casual teaching, NSW

May:

·Casual teaching, NSW

·Possible Aussie Outback trip with Dad

June-August:

·Ukraine

September:

·Possible trip to Nepal to see the Himalayas (long-time dream of mine)

Oct – Dec:

·Casual teaching, NSW

It sounds like a lot of planning, but I want to hold these plans loosely and be ready for what God has for me. I have prayed and ask you to pray about these plans also.

If I missed seeing you in 2011, I would love to catch up with you in 2012. Please help me make that a reality. The people God places along my path are important to me.

WHAT YA READIN’?

I read Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. It was not as good as The Poisonwood Bible but an interesting read exploring human relationships as well as challenging our stewardship of planet earth.

I have now started Resurrection by L. Tolstoy. I am enjoying the range of feelings created and the deep insight of human dilemmas that Tolstoy uncovers.