We have sponsored some students in Cambodia who recently graduated high school. They came from the slums and even though they don't have much, they are grateful for what they have. Many of these are things we take for granted in Australia. They are grateful they were able to go to school, for the bottomless lunches they enjoyed, for the opportunity to go to university, for friends and family... The apostle Paul told us to give thanks in all circumstances, not just when things are going great. No matter what your circumstances, you have things you can be grateful for such as Jesus, sunny spring days, music, food, friends, etc.

Cambodians don't have much compared to most Australians, but I have found that they are generous with what they have. The poor widow in Luke 21 put a couple of small coins in the offering which were worth a few cents. Even though wealthy people were giving large amounts, Jesus said that she gave more because she gave all that she had. You might not have a lot, but how can you share what you've got?

I have found Cambodian people to be very polite - they smile, offer friendly greetings, and enthusiastically thank you. Being polite shows that you value and respect others. It doesn't cost you anything to be polite. Here are some ways you can be considerate of others:
hold the door open for someone
say hello
say please and thank you
let someone go in front of you
give up your seat on the bus or train
take your phone call outside
put your phone away and give people your full attention
don't interrupt people when they're talking.
Being polite is a way of loving people which is one of the two most important commandments in the Bible. And it doesn't cost you anything to be polite.

This is one of the great lies of the developed world - that the more you have, the happier you'll be. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon says that having money and stuff doesn't make you happy. I have met people in Cambodia who live in the slums and have very little who are happier than people who live in in mansions and have a lot. We are constantly bombarded with advertisements that tell us we need the latest gadgets and fashions, the fanciest holidays, houses and cars... But when you get those things you don't feel happy or even content. 

I like to dabble in a bit of amateur photography and I love taking photos where the background is blurred while the main subject is in sharp focus, like the photo above. The Bible tells us that this is how we should look to Jesus—that we should forget everything around us and focus on him.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Colossians 3:1-2 (NOG)
Since you were brought back to life with Christ, focus on the things that are above—where Christ holds the highest position. Keep your mind on things above, not on worldly things. 

Matthew 6:33 (ERV)
What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do.

Jesus isn't something you can schedule in on Friday night and Sundays, while you focus on your friends, studies, social media accounts, etc. the rest of the week. He wants to be first in everything you do. You should put him first and honour him in your friendships,  your studies, in your social media use and in all areas of your life. The other stuff doesn't matter in the light of eternity. Do you fix your eyes on Jesus all week or just on Sundays?

This is so good!

I don't know if you've tried archery before, but it's pretty important to look at the target when you release the arrow. If you look away your arrow is likely to go AWOL. (side note: if you haven't tried archery, you should - it's fun).

Hebrews 12:1-2
Let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.
Paul talked about how important it is to look ahead when you're  running a race. If you look behind you, you actually slow down and start veering out of your lane.

King David said, my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord (Psalm 141:8). 

In Matthew chapter 14 Jesus sent the disciples on ahead of him in a boat one day and he walked on water to catch up with them later. Peter asked Jesus if he could walk on water too and Jesus said, 'come.' Peter started walking on the water toward Jesus! But then he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the wind and the waves. He became  afraid and began to sink. Have you ever thrown yourself into something full of enthusiasm and expectation, only to get distracted by discouragement and doubt? Did you take your eyes off Jesus and start to sink? The good news is Peter didn’t drown - Jesus reached down and saved him. He reaches down to help pick you up too. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Don’t let fear and discouragement keep you from living your best life for him. 

I have a confession. I am writing a book - it will be a girl’s guide to life, body, mind and spirit. There have been times when I have been distracted by the wind and the waves - they took the form of self-doubt, the sheer enormity of the task, tough questions that I didn’t know the answer to and other hurdles. I believe that if I keep looking to Jesus for wisdom, strength, patience and perseverance I can walk on water (or at least publish this book). 

What is your walking on water challenge? You might have a sin you need to deal with, a relationship to repair, a difficult situation to endure, an illness to survive, a mental health challenge to overcome, a goal to achieve. Whatever it is, fix your eyes on Jesus!

Binging is a word you hear a lot - we binge on chocolate, fast food, Netflix, social media, alcohol... I know a lot about binging, I used to have an eating disorder. I know for a fact that in most cases, neither binging or completely denying ourselves is good. God intended us to have balance in our lives. There is nothing wrong with chocolate, fast food, Netflix or alcohol as long as it is part of a balanced life (and you are over the legal drinking age). 

Luke 9:23 says, Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. When we binge, we are thinking only of ourselves and how to gratify our selfish desires. So how do we stop? 

Ephesians 5:18 talks about binge drinking. Paul said, Don’t be drunk with wine, which will ruin your life, but be filled with the Spirit. Here's my paraphrase for the 21st century, Don't binge on wine, chocolate, chips, Maccas, cake, Netflix, Instagram or Snapchat. Instead binge on the things of the Spirit - reading and studying your Bible, prayer, worship, giving thanks. You get drunk on wine by drinking too much of it, so it follows that you become filled with the spirit by feeding it - reading the Bible, praying, meditating on God's Word, singing songs of worship, giving thanks to God for all that he has done for you...

Often binging is triggered by certain emotions or feelings such as despair, hopelessness, depression, guilt, shame, pain... Ironically, binging usually increases these feelings, rather than relieve them. One of the most effective ways of getting our minds off of ourselves is to do something for someone else. Being kind to someone else can be a great release valve to those negative emotions. In Ephesians 4:32 Paul instructed us to Be kind and compassionate to one another. Next time you feel yourself spiralling towards another binge session, do something for someone else - ring or visit a friend (don't just text or message them), make someone a nice card and send it to them, help your mum with the chores, play a board game or computer game with your brother or sister, write positive, encouraging comments on people's social media posts, bake a cake and take it to your neighbour...

It's obviously a bit more complicated than what I've outlined above but next time you feel yourself spiralling out of control and tempted to binge on [insert your weakness here], fill up on the spirit instead of chocolate and be kind to someone. It might not solve all your problems, but it might help.

I enjoy some amateur photography and snapped this wildflower recently. I like how the flowers are in focus and the background is blurry. If I tried to get everything in focus the wildflower would get lost in the rest of the landscape. Life is a bit like that. We need to make Jesus our focus and keep our eyes on him. Sometimes we're so focussed on ourselves and what's happening around us that we lose sight of Jesus and he kind of blends into the background.

Hebrews 12:2 says, We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. So how do we keep our eyes on Jesus?

• read your Bible
• pray
• fast (you fast social media or devices so that you can spend time with Jesus)
• worship and sing to him
• practice gratitude
• serve other people, help the needy.

Choose one thing that you will do this week to keep your eyes on Jesus and not the world.