blessed be your name

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Hillsong, Here We Come!!!

Tomorrow Keith and I head to Sydney for the Hillsong conference.
For anyone who doubts that satan is alive and well on earth I can tell you otherwise.
In my last blog, I was telling you all how much I was looking forward to worshipping with God's people, having been ill and unable to get to our church since February.
I woke up this morning with a raging sore throat and no voice. I couldn't believe it !
We managed to get a doctors appointment this morning which is difficult to do on a Saturday and I am armed with antibiotics, throat lozenges and lemon and salt gargle.
How can one be at Hillsong and not be able to worship God in song with Chris Tomlin, Israel, Steven Curtis Chapman, Darlene and Hillsong United ?
Its going to take more than having no voice to stop me worshipping Him who alone is worthy of all our praise !!!
There will be a full report upon our return :)
P.S. Happy Birthday Keith

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Hillsong Conference Sydney

Well after sharing my heart about my health and worrying in case no one would comment on a blog like that I was truly touched by all your good wishes. Thank you everyone who replied and who is praying for me.

Now that's the point of this blog ? More prayer please !!!

Keith and I booked last October to attend the Hillsong conference is Sydney. We booked while I was well. We are flying up to Sydney on Sunday July 1st and staying till the 7th .We managed to get accommodation in the hotel across from the venue. Its difficult to get accommodation there and I believe that God orchestrated us getting ours. I had called the accommodation organiser to book accommodaton and I was told that the closest accommodation available was a 15 minute train ride away. The next day I rang back again and I got the Managing Director who said that he could get us in the hotel across the road. Now that is usually booked a year in advance.

If we were 15 minutes away by train I just couldn't go. As it is, at present I am lucky if I can stay up for about six hours a day. I will have to pace myself and I will miss the morning sessions. I may make it to the workshops but I certainly will try and get to the five evening sessions. Even if I am exhausted we only have to walk across the road to our accommodation. How good is that?

I havent been able to attend our church since February. I do read my Bible and pray but thank God for the internet and sites where I can get good worship and sermons too !!! I am asking for your prayers, that God will sustain me during the Hillsong week, physically and emotionally. We are both somewhat exhausted and need spiritual refreshing. We want to be open to all that God has for us through the worship and speakers. I can't wait to be with God's people again worshipping Him but sometimes I feel that its going to take a miracle to get there .

So would you all please ask our Heavenly Father to give me the strength to make it through the week ?

Thanks, Gail.

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

None But Jesus.

In the quiet,

In the stillness

I know that You are God.

In the secret of Your presence

I know there I am restored.

When You call I won’t refuse,

Each new day again I’ll choose.


There is no one else for me,

None but Jesus.

Crucified to set me free,

Now I live to bring Him praise.


In the chaos, in confusion

I know You’re Sovereign still.

In the moment of my weakness

You give me grace to do Your will.

When You call I won’t delay,

This my song through all my days.


All my delight is in You Lord,

All of my hope,

All of my strength.


All my delight is in You Lord,

Forevermore .



(Brooke Fraser.)



As most of my faithful blogettes know, I have been in hospital this year and last year I alluded in some posts to the fact that I do have ongoing health issues . Don't worry, its nothing terminal , but it's bad enough to currently limit what I do on a day to day basis. Things were on the up and up at the end of last year and and as you can see from my January post Rowan and I made it to the U. S. A to have Christmas with my cousin and her family and then we headed to Georgia for the Passion Conference for college students. My husband Keith was invited to come with us when we were planning this but he declined the offer, as he works with students all year and then two weeks before we were going he wished that he had decided to go with us ,but it was too late !!! We had a great time and my health was excellent.

Things were looking good but in mid February I found myself suddenly in hospital for almost a month. I have had to face the fact that these health issues and pain will probably be ongoing and that I'll have to live with them unless God chooses to heal me. There will be good spells and also times of relapse. This is not easy, it does affect the family but God is sustaining us .

Why did I post this song ?? It was because the words,

"In the chaos, in confusion
I know You’re Sovereign still."

have really touched my heart and say for me what was I not clever enough to pen myself.

I have had prayer for healing, have been anointed with oil, pray basically every night with my husband for healing but I still suffer. However, through this chaos and confusion, I have come to a deeper place in God. I know that He is Sovereign and full of mercy and grace. I know that nothing is happening to me that is outside of His control. I know that He is using this illness to bring glory to Himself. I know Him more intimately because of this journey than I would have known Him, without being ill as I have had to depend on Him on a day to day basis to get through.

I have had much more time to read His word, to spend worshipping Him and focussing on prayer and I have had the opportunity and time to intercede for many other people and ministries that are on my heart. Being able to do this has really blessed me.

In the midst of chaos and confusion our great God is truly Sovereign. My prayer is that all of you who read this may know this reality.