Update

Celebrate GOOD Times

Posted on by lainamunoz

SO much life has happened.

I have no excuses or apologies but I will say that I absolutely miss writing – I miss updates and thinky thoughts. I miss having time and making time to do what I’m passionate about. This semester of school is full of doing things I need to do, which is fine haha I just miss the other stuff.

It’s so beautiful. I have the MOST beautiful friends here.

I think lately I’ve forgotten to celebrate the things that deserve a celebration. Life feels a whole lot like life lately and not quite like it’s exciting or BIG but honestly it’s freaking huge.

  • I’m engaged.
    Phill asked me to marry him a few weeks ago, or maybe it was a month or two – (Honestly this is my issue, school has been so full and fun this semester that it has been THE HARDEST thing ever to actually keep up with my own life.) So we are getting married at the end of November (just a few days before I graduate Hillsong College) and we begin more life together. He makes life feel like it was always meant to be this way, both very normal and very exceptional at the same time. He makes awesome feel like it is a standard that should have always been tied around my days, weeks, months… That is why I say we will begin MORE life together 🙂

[The Engagement: It was a Saturday and Phill and I were supposed to be spending the evening with a few friends but I text them to confirm and they bailed on us. The reason I didn’t think anything of it was because it had already happened the same way the week before as well haha. So Phill asked me if I wanted to drive in the mountains to go get some spring water (I don’t really think any of his requests are weird anymore although I realise how odd that sounds). So off to the mountains we went – we got some McDonalds on the way because we are really classy. I forgot to tell him I had to pee (this is relevant I promise) so when we pulled off in the middle of no where I told him he had to wait on the other side of the car which gave him the perfect opportunity to sort out the ring in his pocket. I did my business behind some bush and thanked the Lord for our Maccas (McDonalds) napkins. We walked down to this beach thing inside the mountains where we fist EVER hung out together. We weren’t even dating at this point although Phill was totally trying to date.
I saw a random fire set up and told Phill how irresponsible some people are to set a fire and leave it unattended. I didn’t drop this for a while. Phill told me this is where he knew he wanted to date me (no surprise, I’m pretty awesome) and said since this is where he decided he wanted to date me that maybe this is where I wanted to tell him I’d spend the rest of my life with him (awwwwwww). I was in disbelief, I knew the ring would be coming sometime but I thought it was still being built or designed or something, I believe my first response was “Wait you don’t have the ring?!” and then a few more sentences expressing my concern for the people who bailed on the fire pit. It all felt very surreal. I said yes and we sat out on the beach for a little while before decided to get pizza and celebrate with some housemates 🙂

The fire was set up by some of our friends and they even cut down a tree to build a seat.]

  • We had just about the most irritating month ever as soon as we got engaged; things just weren’t going our way (for lack of liberty to share the details).
    But if you can imagine the best soccer player you know was running straight at you but then instead of actually playing soccer he is just kicking you in the gut. It was like that for about a month. But thank the LORD for undeserved favor and stuff is getting back on track.
  •  Which brings me to my next thought: marriage counselling was awesome. We had the most amazing couple to talk us through all the marriage things and we did so well that they thought we cheated.
    ((Another thought: you deserve someone that you’re compatible with – so compatible that the online survey thinks you’ve cheated. I get that some opposites attract and as far as Phill and my personality goes we are quite opposite. But we ARE like-minded, more than I think we realised.)) It was such a relief to walk into conversations with a couple that had been married 35 years and for them to give us their blessing on our lives. I think too many people settle. Heck I’ve done it. We all have. So stop judging. But also stop giving up on the ‘someone out there’ who is perfect for you. I have as many reasons as many other to think otherwise but guys GOD IS GOOD and has stuff under control.
  • Another exciting part of my life is that 8 (EIGHT) of my family members will be here with me in a very short amount of time to celebrate this three-year journey of college and the lifelong journey of marriage. I seriously don’t know how I get to be so blessed. Seriously. I could cry. I feel very loved and honoured and SO EXCITED to show them this place. Australia has been so wonderful to me.

  •  Which brings me to my next point
    – lets be real this blog is an intro back into writing and the form is all over the place –

This one is a little nerve-racking.

I’m staying for a little while.

In January 2018 I will transfer into my Bachelors degree of Theology with a focus on Biblical Studies.

BIG GULPS HUH.

Australia has felt like home since the first few months of being here and although it still sort of throws my head for a spin I’m happy to announce that I’ll be here a bit longer. Phill and I will continue working here in OZ while I work on my degree.

  • FINALLY – PHILL AND I SIGNED A LEASE ON A COTTAGE!

How adorable is that sentence? Phill moves at the beginning of October and I’ll move after we get married. I forget what a miracle life actually is. What is my life that I get to live in Australia in a cottage and marry the man who spoils me with breakfasts on the weekend and support for all things my heart dreams up.

Life should be celebrated and I am thankful.

Thanks for letting me update.

I’m organizing my chaotic life to let me do what I love (actually writing more than once a year). As I said… no excuses, no apologies. It’s just how life has been

(ABSOLUTELY FREAKING CRAZY… and so SO wonderful)

Bullet Point Update

Posted on by lainamunoz

  • I have an issue of collecting lots of ideas in my heart and wanting to write about all of them but struggling to clarify what I am meaning.
    • I have 3-4 pending ideas on posts any given week
    • I have one on my heart specifically that I’d love to share with you all but I don’t feel like I’ve focused and thought through the subject enough to be satisfied with my work.
    • I’m extremely passionate about a lot of things but sometimes I forget that I am until I begin to speak.
  • The semester is picking up a lot faster than I expected
    • Colour Conference 2016 is RIGHT around the corner
      • I have this sinking sort of understanding that I’m going to learn A LOT this year. I could sort of explain why but I don’t care to.
    • Easter is the Sunday after Colour. Yup.
    • Assessments are already due this coming week.
      • I’m already done with them 🙂
  • Second Year classes are blowing my mind
    • Worship Theology –
      • One of the greatest questions I’ve never been asked before, “When you pray, who do you tend to address first and then in what order do you address? (i.e. Father, G-d, Lord, Jesus, Abba, Holy Spirit, Daddy)
    • Old Testament – Psalms
      • I feel like it’s the bible half of a songwriting lecture
      • The Hebrew Poetry is gorgeous and somehow the beauty translated
      • It had to be G-d breathed
    • Tutorials – New people to learn and believe in
      • Everyone has, “a really good tutorial this semester”
        • That’s because our intake is amazing
      • I already love them all and can’t wait to do life with them this semester
      • Acts is leaning on my heart and I have a desire to see a grace-filled community in tutorial.
    • Chapels/Church (they aren’t the same thing)
      • Not the same thing BUT – there is something different going on this year
      • Chapels haven’t felt like this before. Everyone is engaged and passionately seeking something more.
      • Church feels more like family than ever, I don’t feel like it’s really a Sunday without serving with my team and picking on Paul for coffee.
    • Me
      • I’ve had random fatigue since coming to Australia again, it got better but I still felt a tad off.
      • My overthinking is hella annoying right now
      • I’m beside myself when I think about how blessed I am to be here, with these people and learning in this environment again.
        • #WeGETtodothis
      • I frequently have extremely weird dreams – EXTREMELY weird
      • I’m excited to refocus my passion and time to fit in writing a book this year. Jesus bless it.
      • I love you all

        I keep reading Philippians over and over in different versions and study Bibles because I can’t get over how full of thanks and blessing that book is.

The picture was brought to you today by my 2009 year old self. It was one of my favourite hair styles I had. But it hardly has anything to do with todays blog. Except that I like baking… that’s another point under the “Me” section I guess.

Before The Beginning

Posted on by lainamunoz

I suppose this is a bit of a reflective post. But, I suppose it’s also an update.

I’m not sure what constitutes a reflection vs. sitting and wondering where the heck a year went but it will end up one of those.

We’re almost to the start of another year of school and have three beautiful new students who’ve moved into our home here in Sydney – I think that’s why the realization of, “Wait, no? I JUST got here!”

But alas, I have to act like I know my way around campus now.

One thing I quite enjoy to do is look through old journals, also I don’t mind if I start a journal on a particular date and end up finishing it off exactly a year later. I’ve been scanning through my journal that I’ve kept this last year and recounting all the things that I could only see clearly after the fact. Trials that seemed never-ending that now I am thankful for. Blessings that I couldn’t have counted on from anywhere that gave me exactly the provision that I needed and many, MANY friendships that I never knew could grow so deep. I’ve been so blessed this year and I can only attribute it all to a G-d who’s had my path and story written since before the beginning. He knew me; the G-d of all of heaven and earth and the creator KNEW who I was and my personality and character before my mother knew of my existence AND He loves me.

He had my 2015 mapped out and He knew just how long it would take me to finally arrive in Australia.

He has my 2016 in His hands. I fully expect this year to learn and grow be it painful or fun. I am looking forward to a year of abundance in both memorable experiences and the ability to give even more of myself. I have had a BLESSED year and I hold G-d to His word when we learn that He takes us from glory to glory. He is in the business of having better tomorrows, ones where we look a little more like love and compassion.

In the year of abundance I’ve also been praying about a job, I’m ready to work anywhere I can but also whilst on the job hunt praying that G-d opens the doors He intends. With school (and writing) being the priority that it is this year and the goals I’ve set for myself I think my biggest prayer is for a job that is well paying and flexible for all the opportunities I have to serve here at Hillsong. Pray with me, if you will as I look and pursue opportunities. I’m very ready to be back in the working world all the while praying that G-d grows my capacity to accomplish all the dreams He’s allowed invade my heart.

It’s not a balancing act, it’s a faith act.

  • If you will pray for a flexible job, this upcoming year and the strength to continue and flourish in all the goals I’ve had set.
  • If you can financially support this in between area my gofundme account is still up and running. Any support is appreciated more than words and a huge blessing for school fees and rent… and food… I still eat food.
    • And as always, the fact that anyone reads this means the world to me.

      My gift that I love to give is words in any capacity I can articulate them.

Assessments, Assignments and Assassinations

Posted on by lainamunoz

This is a very collegiate post; not in the sense that it will be educated and polished, but simply an update on how college is for me. The first few weeks of HILC (Hillsong International Leadership College) was full of the same three questions that we now all make jokes about.

  • What is your name?
  • Where are you from?
  • What stream are you in?

Super boring, totally doesn’t provide the best means to get to know anyone… We ask in hopes that from that 1. The new intake student will then begin rambling their life story in order that we can figure out if we are a good pair for friendship or 2. It will keep the conversation going until the next ‘activity’ or thing happens so that it isn’t awkward. Now that we are past that we are getting a morphed version of the same set. If we happen to run into someone that we don’t know (which at Hills campus happens ALL the time) the questions look like this:

  • What is your name?
  • What intake are you?
  • What stream are you in?
  • How do you like college so far?

To which, every Hillsong student replied, “SO good!”

So, How DO I like college so far?

It’s an important question to ask myself if I’m being honest. How am I enjoying life? How am I really?

I’m alright, I think that’s the most honest answer I can give. We have first semester performances coming up in roughly 2 ½ weeks, which is exciting and nerve-racking when you take a step back and realize what you signed up for. We have a larger assessment on Amos coming up the week before. The assessments are hard, not as in they are difficult to get the answers but sometimes they’re hard to think about the answers. They can be lengthy but mostly the fact is that we are being asked questions that we have PROBABLY been asked before but this time we are required to actually give an answer. An educated and leadership minded answer. We are thinking about our futures in ministry and the Kingdom and how this all relates to our relationships with Jesus. It’s just a little different when life becomes real.

So as you see, the busy is starting to hit a little harder. It isn’t impossible; it’s just more entertaining to get your assessments in when G-d is sifting your heart in the process. I feel like this season has taken so many different turns in direction and what I’m learning about. It doesn’t feel as if G-d is changing the call on my life and my passions but it does feel like He is moving me forward in all of what He HAS called me to do, which just looks different – it looks more aggressive, it looks more like praying constantly because the farther I get into this the less I feel like I know what I am doing. What a tense beauty life is becoming.

Along with the turning things in and thinking through things, I feel like G-d has been dropping just as many things to let go of. He is asking me to put to death insecurities that I legitimately didn’t realize that I had. I was talking with some of my Songwriting class about how we came here feeling like we were adults and pretty set as far as our thoughts on how our relationship with G-d was and soon came to realize how much more work Jesus has to do on us. Ugh, it’s a mess. I’m a mess.

This is just a brief update this week… just thought it would be good to let you all know the practical side of how life is lately.

Hopefully this is short, sweet and to the point