Looking Back and Heading Forward

    On the Friday before Christmas last year I was excitedly and slightly anxiously awaiting Roby’s arrival at Philadelphia Airport where we would meet again for the first time in nearly two and a half years. Last Friday I sat awaiting my parents arrival at Melbourne airport where I collected them about 4 months after moving to Victoria.  

When my parents arrived at my home in Victoria

    In the time between those two events I have become engaged, applied for a visa, finished my first school year as a full time teacher, turned another year older, become an aunt, kayaked on the Mississippi River, fished for salmon on Lake Ontario, moved to Australia, celebrated 2 years with Roby, visited New Zealand, planned a wedding, and so many more big and little things in amongst those! Looking back on this list, knowing the complexity of many of these things, it’s easy to wonder, “How on earth was all this accomplished?” I’ve come to know that

A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.*  

    The Lord makes crops grow in their season and orchestrates our lives to his glory and for our good. Oh! What good the Lord has shown me this past year through wonderful Christian homes in which to live and visit, supportive fellowship groups, volunteering opportunities, and Bible teaching churches. Each of these even a world apart, yet united through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God our Father. A tremendously supportive and loving fiancé, awesome parents, sisters, grandparents, soon to be in-laws, friends and colleagues who the Lord has woven into this sliver of my life to make his beautiful tapestry. It’s moments of reflection like this that make the moments of doubting God’s goodness and foresight seem totally vain. They also remind me that no moment is outside of God’s control and even when I doubt and fear, God is using that experience to mould me into the human he wants me to be.  

    All these things are working toward the long awaited completion of God’s plan and the wedding of the Lamb at which point all those who “believe in their heart that Jesus is Lord and profess with their mouth that God raised him from the dead”** shall rejoice and feast in the glory of heaven.  

    While we wait for that time, we have been gifted human marriage as a mere reflection of this to remind us of Christ’s love for the Church as we depend upon Him and love one another. Would you join us next week as we celebrate the gift of marriage here on Earth and look forward to the coming of God’s kingdom? Lord willing Roby and I will be married on 5th January 2023 here in Australia (4th in US and UK)! The livestream option will be available across the globe and we hope you’ll be able to join us! Click this link for information.

    May God bless you with the knowledge of the peace that is accessible only through the Saviour, Christ Jesus, 


Jacqueline 



* Proverbs 16:9

** Romans 10:9


Location: Victoria, Australia

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