Bula or G'day to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I had struck a very personal and close relationship with God eversince 7 years of age. Since then, almost everything that had occured in my life, I had personally considered it from God who I strongly felt His love and care for me.

There have been countless incidences or 'moments' I felt was from God in my life but there was one that was quite direct and of which I would like to share with you.

I was sixteen years old when I realized my mother's lack of trust for me in attending parties of which I was invited to. I can control myself because I feel God is with me in everything I do and everything I go through in my life, thus, I have never been tempted to those activites of smoking, drinking or even sexual activities.

A close friend of mine was holding her sixteenth birthday and she wanted me to attend although we both knew the situation regarding my mom and I as I was the only daughter in my family and mom was always overprotective. Dad agreed to my attendance and I enjoyed myself that night with my friends who were non-smokers and non-alcoholic drinkers. Mom picked me up pronto at 10pm sharp and as I entered the car front seat, she shrieked, "DID YOU SMOKE???" I told her the truth that I didn't and the ride back home was a long one full of interrogating questions. Unfortunate for me, my cotton top did smell of ciggies from the majority of those invited were under-aged smokers. I despised mom, wished I could commit suicide - anything as long as I was not her daughter. I didn't like the way she questioned me, not trusting me with simple responsibilities to look after myself. That night, I went to bed and asked God to sustain me and these angry thoughts of my life.

No dream came to me that night, until the wee hours of the morning. I saw whiteness everywhere, without any blackness or any other thing. Everything was white and peaceful. I looked around and desperately wondered where I was and then heard an audible voice slowly say to me,

"LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR FATHER AND YOU WILL LIVE A LONGER LIFE"

I woke up trying to match that voice with any of my family members, but that voice could not be differentiated to a man or a woman's voice. I reckoned it was GOD's voice. I cried as I told my parents about my dream and I somehow gathered my life to be short-lived unless I obeyed my parents and continued to love my GOD and Saviour Lord Jesus Christ.

Three years later at nineteen years of age, I am still reminded of that early morning dream. The most emphasized verses in the Bible during youth devotion with Church members, comes from Ephesians chapter 6 verses 1-3
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" - which is the first commandment with a promise - "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth"

I do my utmost best to listen and honor mom and dad. I still feel and see GOD's miracles work into my life at UNSW and into my personal life with uni friends and my family here at Sydney. Life is sweet and still moving because my
"GOD IS GOOD. ALL THE TIME"

Hey there,
Several years ago my family moved from a small country town where we were all happy to Sydney, where none of us were very happy. We left my brother behind and all of my friends. We had lived in Sydney before and we knew what it was like. That was probably why we were so unhappy: we knew what we were coming back to.

Well, we had been back for a month or so and we decided to go down to Cooma for a visit. I was very excited. The next morning when I got up, I felt sick and threw up. I felt sick for the rest of the day. The morning after that I threw up again and again. We made it to the doctors and he thought I had giardia. I had some awful medicine but it did not work. But in the middle of the day I felt well enough to go on the trip, so we left. 30 minutes out of the town I felt sick and when we arrived there it was not long before I was throwing up. The next morning and the morning after that I threw up several times. We came back up to Sydney and I was alright.

About a month later we decided to go back down again and the next morning, I threw up. The same thing that happened last time happened this time, only worse. I threw up more and more and was hardly eating and was losing weight. Mum was getting really scared and so was I. After 6 or so days I stopped but then it started up again and for weeks it continued. It was leading up to Christmas and I was eating little and doing little apart from throwing up. I was angry and upset at God and the doctors who were misdiagnosing me, judging from the lack of cure.

My mum and I were praying that I would be fine for Christmas day, and we were praying hard. 2 days before Christmas we went back to the doctor and he thought very hard and finally said that it might be silent reflux. This is caused by stomach acid building up and when lying down, it 'tickles' the back of your throat, causing you to feel sick, especially in the morning. It is called silent because it does not have 'loud' symptoms such as heartburn. He prescribed some medicine, saying that it would take 2 days to take effect. The next morning I threw up, but I still had great hope for Christmas. If anything, I should feel more sick on Christmas when I am excited and have little sleep. Christmas came on and, although feeling slightly queasy, I did not throw up. I knew God had honoured my prayer and I do not believe it was a lucky coincidence.

I still have silent reflux but I know how to combat it and it is very little problem to me now. I have had several other God moments, but that is one of the most poignant.

Jess