more music monday: i love You, my Dear.

the new album from bethel music, the loft sessions, is ah-may-zing. and maybe you're sick of me saying that, but this one might just take the cake. i know bethel is so full of Spirit so that makes receiving this album different than others. (i also have a really good looking friend that goes there which also might affect my bias).

this song, written and sung by hunter thompson, fires me up. i am falling more and more in love with my Savior all the time and i love listening to songs that cause me to reflect on who He is and what He's already done for me.

the fun, dance-y sound of this song reminds me that no matter what is going on in my life, i still have a reason to celebrate. it's not about me, but about God who came, and comes, and will come for me. He's coming for His bride. and even in the "valleys" of life, He continues to ravish my heart. (i also think ravish is the greatest word to describe how God acts and how He makes me feel!!)

worship is inclining our hearts to Him, always (as said by reuben morgan) so whether that is worship through work, through community, or through, quite literally, worship music, i want these lyrics (and lyrics like these) to always be the song of my life.

i am Yours and You are mine
i am ravished by the sight
of one glimpse into Your eyes
my lover's coming for His bride

for there is none upon the earth
that i desire before You, lord
for You've been faithful all my days
Your love endures, it will never fade away

i need to say what my soul is singing
i need to say what heart is screaming

that i love You my Dear
i love You my Dear, my Dear

You're everything i ever wanted, everything i ever needed
You're everything i ever wanted, everything i ever needed
You've ravished my heart, You've ravished my heart

allie in oz: day 16!

hello friends! it's been a while!

brooke and I are now back in "sydney" - aka an hour outside of the city in the area called st. mary's - for the moment. we spent the last week in what I have termed "meh melbourne". more on that later. mainly we just unsuccessfully shopped but we had some pretty exceptional days like two along the great ocean road and a wonderful day of nature and penguins at phillip island. we stayed with lovely people. now, as I already mentioned, we're outside sydney at pete's family home (he is the blonde man from the new years photos!) and he is taking us to a family friend's (of his and brooke's) vacation home in wise man's ferry, a beautiful beach side cottage! hello! today brooke and I did one last wander around sydney's circular quay (where the opera house and bridge are located) and took a ferry to beautiful watsons bay for lunch. it was super windy but the sun was blazing and the temperature was perfect! I bid adieu to my beloved city. sad, sad day.

I'll be back next year sydney! xox

allie in oz: day 9!

what a great day touring to and along the great ocean road. way too much to type but the pictures will speak volumes.

to give you a taste, lots of rock/limestone formations. spectacular sights. God is quite the artist and He's totally showing off for us! weather has been awesome and it looks just like a dream... everywhere!

we went to the grotto, bay of islands, bay of martyrs, london bridge and the twelve apostles. we also saw the sunset over the rocks and it was beautiful.

we waited for the penguins but they came home late and we couldn't see them at all. too bad. that's what we went to the aquarium for.

also, i skyped my family last night/their morning and it was so revitalizing. i was feeling pretty homesick but now I'm encouraged and can take on the world. with that, i feel i could be here for a long time and be ok.

tomorrow's going to be a bug, beautiful day. we're going on a helicopter ride!!

allie in oz: sydney day 7!

what a lovely day it was for the beach. hot and sunny. we spent most of the day at balmoral beach roasting and toasting in the sun with an occasional excursion into the incredible ocean. this was followed by returning home to shower and pack our bags for melbourne bright and early tomorrow morning (as in like 5 hrs). it has been such a wonderful blessing to be able to stay with the boyle's while we've been in sydney! they have been so, so good to us - feeding us, guiding us, giving up their beds for us (thank you nicole!) once we had packed we headed to newtown to finally have max brenner chocolate. and oh man, was the wait ever worth it! we had three different milkshakes - chocolate, cookies n cream (although the name they have for it is much cooler but I forget it now), and peanut butter!, chocolate banana crepes, and chocolate pizza with a crunch - crust with chocolate, corned flakes, white chocolate, nuts and marshmallows! ah-may-zing! although not the tidiest meal to eat. lots of napkins were needed. when we finished that, michelle drove me down to the opera house to take artsy pictures with my heart bokeh. we also went to another location where I could see the bridge and the opera house in one place. the pictures turned out very cool! can't wait to share!

as i said, tomorrow we begin 6 days in melbourne. the flight is an hour and a half and for thursday and friday we have a tour along the great ocean road. but there will definitely be pictures of that. after that I imagine lots of shopping and sightseeing. i'm looking forward to the philip island penguin march which is the main reason i wanted to go there in the first place! everyone says great things about melbourne so i can't wait!

see you soon ;)

...but hopefully not too soon. i like it here!

allie in oz: sydney day 6!

this morning we went to hillsong at the city campus. much smaller than I expected. excellent worship as I expected. talked to someone about college there. they love it. i hope one day i'll go and love it too.

afterwards we met up with michelle's friend laura in darling harbour for a delicious chicken caesar salad and views of the harbour and the best looking people. (debatable.) we wandered to get gelato post-lunch at which time michelle decided to entertain us all - movenpick staff included - by smearing it all over her face (photo top right). thanks for the tears and incredible ab workout!

then shopping. finally purchased clothes.... that I can wear in the canadian weather woop woop!

then brooke and I took the train to parramatta where we got a free shuttle bus to hillsong's hill's campus - the original campus. much bigger. jad gilles did worship. sooy good. good message on making and completing resolutions for the new year. saw some friends from across the church and chatted for a bit before hopping on the bus, then train again to get "home". there we chilled and chatted with michelle's lovely parents and now we catch up on facebook, photo editing and eating food.

i also want to organize my suitcases. the wheel broke on my way here so I bought a new one. and ya, it's purple.

tomorrow we have a very strenuous but fun day planned. but you'll have to check back on that then. same place, same time!

allie in oz: sydney day 5!

balmain breakfast - yum! glebe markets. raining but still got some great jewelry.
weather cleared. met friends - pete, laura, bec, and ben - waiting down at mrs. macquarie's chair for spots overlooking harbour for nye fireworks. sat there in the shade for 10 hrs with heaps of food and laughs. at 9 there was one fireworks show. followed by spooning and a nap. then the big magnificent show at midnight! we could see at least 5 different sets of fireworks from our spot. it was absolutely amazing. i'm seriously in love with this place. they highlight there incredible and extensive best features so well. sights to be seen from everywhere.

tomorrow we do hillsong. i can hardly wait!!

allie in oz: sydney day 4!

great day at the taronga zoo. amazing set up and gorgeous sights overlooking the city. we saw baby tigers, sat next to kangaroos and were entertained by talented seals.
after a day of animals, we headed to the theatre to see annie. it was a great show - lots of talented young girls dancing up a storm.

tomorrow's a big day in sydney! new years eve. the place is sure to be packed and wild. we're staking out a place at circular quay - aka by the opera house - for a golden view of the fireworks from the bridge. i can't wait for my first (of hopefully more than one...) new years in sydney!

allie in oz: sydney day 3!

bondi beach. luna park. dinner in darling harbour.

lovely.
and slightly burnt.