Taking a break

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas, we had a nice day. I love going to church on Christmas morning and being reminded of the amazing gift we have been given in the birth of Jesus and the glorious hope that we have.

Anyway, I'm taking a break from blogging for a few weeks - but I'll be back with lots of photos and updates!

But for me it is good to be near God;

I have made the Lord God my refuge,

that I may tell of your works.

Psalm 73:28

Our Story

I haven't been blogging long, but one of the things that impressed me most about blogging is the way in which it can be an encouragement to others. It really does bridge the gap of distance and makes this world seem closer. I know from my point of view I have been encouraged, simply from reading about other people's stories, many similar in ways to mine.

I am married to a wonderful godly man who is incredibly patient and loving towards me. We have known each other for eleven years and have been married for four and a half of those years. God has been very kind in blessing me with such an amazing husband. We've always wanted to have a family of our own - growing up I always wanted to have four children, two boys and two girls. I still like the idea of four kids, but we'll see what God's plan is for us!

We started trying for a family last year around October. I found out I was pregnant at the end of November, which was quite quick - we were envisioning it to take longer. So, needless to say, we were very excited. A few weeks later, after several visits to the doctor and some less than comfortable tests, we realised that I had had a miscarriage. Someone said once, "miscarriage is not for the faint hearted," and boy can I relate to that. I would never have thought that there would be such grief related to losing a baby that I only "knew" for a couple of weeks.

A few months later, we found out that we were pregnant again! Again, we were overjoyed at the prospect of becoming parents. I was feeling fine, but in my seventh week, I miscarried again. The rollercoaster of emotion was pretty tough, feeling the absolute highs of finding out we were pregnant, and experiencing the very lows of losing two precious babies. I am so, so thankful that I know the Lord, and that despite this pain, He really has been my comfort and joy throughout it all. By God's grace, both the miscarriages were early on in the pregnancy, which I am very thankful for.

So, that brings us to now, and we haven't fallen pregnant since. I have been to several doctors, just to check things medically - and I have been given the "all clear". Everything appears to be working as it should. I am obviously pleased and thankful for that, but still, each month brings its own sadness when we find out that I'm not pregnant. The specialist that I saw about four weeks ago said (in quite a blunt way - but I was appreciative of him getting to the point so quickly!) that the second pregnancy was "doomed from the start" because it was so close to the first miscarriage. He said that often your body needs longer to recooperate fully.

I am so thankful for reading many other's stories about their path to having children. You never want other people to suffer, but it is encouraging to know that I'm not alone in my feelings or experiences. I know that there are many, many others whose stories are so much more difficult than mine, and my heart goes out to you.

So, it has been a difficult 14 months, in many ways. Some days I will get sad at the smallest thing. I seem to notice babies and families a lot more. The majority of my closest friends are pregnant or have had babies. And our church has had a real baby boom the last year, so although that has been wonderful, it is quite confronting when you are bombarded by mothers and babies when you walk out of the church hall.

Another difficult thing has been getting through the arrival dates of our two babies. July 30 and October 4 were a little sad, particularly because I didn't have another date in mind (I wasn't pregnant again).

Despite this, my husband and I can say we are thankful to our Heavenly Father, who knows best. It may sound strange, but it has been a privilege to go through these trials, because through it, it has made us rely on God more and understand his faithfulness to us on a greater level. It has made me realise that I need him more each and every minute of every day. It is only by his strength that we have been able to keep going. I think also that we have learnt to not take this amazing gift of having children lightly or for granted. My husband keeps saying to me, "Jess, it will be worth the wait."

I hope and pray that we may fall pregnant again soon and that I can carry a baby to full term. I am so thankful for people like Kelly and her story, and her concern for others. She started a prayer blog for women who are waiting for children of their own. I'm thankful for having friends and family who are praying for us - you really cannot show greater kindness than that.

Now, this is a very long post - but I want to quickly say, that I chose my blog's title for a reason - I am learning day by day that true joy comes from knowing and following Jesus. Through my life, my experiences, my trials, I hope to give God the glory. I fail on most occasions, but giving God the glory is my goal, and it is my aim as we start a new year. I love the hymn, "Take My Life and Let it Be". The words are so beautiful. I hope they encourage and inspire you, as they have me. Thanks for listening.

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

New hairdo!

Well, I had my hair done yesterday and it is a coppery brown colour. It is the darkest I've ever been. I quite like it - nice for a change. I think it is taking my husband a while to get used to it, he has only known me as a blonde!

Anyway, I've had a successful weekend of Christmas baking, a raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake, mini oreo baked cheesecakes and chocolate caramel slice - yummo! We had an early Christmas dinner with my husband's extended family tonight. It was at his cousin's place and they have their own woodfired pizza oven outside, so we put on our own toppings and cooked them all up. Delicious.

A new look!

Do you like my new photo and look of my blog? I decided it was time for a change. We are in summer in Australia and our Christmases are hot, not snowy. We go to the beach a lot, and have lots of barbecues outside. So, I thought it was fitting to make my blog look a little more like what we are used to now! I took the photo in my header in January this year when we were on holidays - this is in my state - isn't it magnificent?! My husband is on the very left and the rest of the people are friends of ours we went away with.

I'm having a bit of a change tomorrow too - I'm getting my hair done a bit differently. I've been blonde all my life, but I'm going to go slightly darker - not much - but a little. Hopefully it will look ok!

Today, I'm going to do some Christmas baking - the first thing on the list is a Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake for a dinner tomorrow night - yum!

Friends

I just got home from my work Christmas lunch, it is our annual event that wraps up the year before a long holiday. I am so privileged to work with so many wonderful people. We shared a lovely meal and laughed about many funny things that have happened throughout the year. They organise humorous awards that get given to people for funny things they've said or done during the year.

So, I'm officially on holidays - and to be honest - it feels a little weird. Great, but weird. Another year is (almost) over and in a couple of weeks we will begin a new one. How time flies!

I just want to remind myself of how God has been good this year, how fortunate I am to be where I am right now - not looking behind me, and not worrying about the future, but being thankful and content now, this very moment. My work colleauges, who are my dear friends have been such a joy to me this year.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?" Ecclesiastes 4:9-11

Motivate me Monday

The last week has been a really busy one for me. Fortunately, it seems to be slowing down a little, before it starts to pick up again just before Christmas. It's funny how we can make ourselves so busy with "things" at Christmastime, when the true meaning of Christmas is to appreciate and celebrate the birth of Jesus. I'm speaking for myself when I say that my focus hasn't been on him quite as much as it should be. I want to make sure that I prepare my heart in the lead up to Christmas, so that I don't go through the 25th December, enjoying friends and family, opening presents, eating delicious food and that's it. Oh, how careful we must be to avoid that happening!

In regard to my devotions lately, I have been reading the book of Leviticus (in a read through the Bible plan). I've struggled a little, not wanting to skim over it or skip it altogether, because it is in the Bible for a reason, and it is the word of God. But it has shown me that at times when we struggle with our learning and understanding of scripture - not to give up, and also, to not be afraid to read other books of the Bible or to do things differently. Kristin Chesemore from Girltalk says of her dad, CJ Mahaney: "Growing up, Dad always encouraged us that the goal of the spiritual disciplines is to "make your soul happy in God" and to preach the gospel to yourself--not to finish a book. He wanted to make sure we didn't feel obligated to complete a book we had begun if it was not feeding our soul." I thought this was great advice. Now, in saying this, I intend to keep reading Leviticus, but I'm going to read other sections to keep my "soul happy in God" at the same time. I don't want to be discouraged or disheartened and give up my devotions because I'm stuck in a bit of a rut. I shouldn't really be surprised that we can find opposition to spending time with God in so many different ways, including this. I really liked this quote by John Owen.

"There is no duty we perform for God that sin does not oppose. And the more spirituality or holiness there is in what we do, the greater its enmity to it. Thus those who seek most for God experience the strongest opposition.”
John Owen, Sin and Temptation, edited by James Houston (Minneapolis, Minn: Bethany House Publications, 1996), 18.

I experience opposition in many different forms - but I'm determined to "throw off the sin, that so easily entangles" and seek the Lord. I hope you'll join me.

To read more posts for Motivate Me Monday, visit Sarah Mae's blog.

What a week it has been!

Well, this week has been a busy one - no time for blogging. Today I enjoyed a bit of a sleep in and then when out for breakfast with my husband. It was a very nice morning.

Today I finished off a present for my 10 month old niece. I have made a sign to hang on her wall in her bedroom for Christmas. I bought a canvas, covered it with a pink and light green fabric , painted it with mod podge and then painted her name on it. I'm not sure whether to paint a flower on it aswell.

I also offered to make her a dress for Christmas day. Because it is summer here, it should be nice and cool for her. I'll make sure I take a photo of her in it.

Anyway, I'm off to finish watching a Christmas movie on TV. Have a great weekend.

Everyday Unwrapped

Emily, over at chatting at the sky has been talking about treasuring the everyday moments, particularly as we, "...celebrate what is, while anticipating what is to come." I know I have been insanely busy the last couple of weeks and my to do list is only increasing as we approach Christmas and New Year. It is easy to get hung up in the rush, and not really appreciate the small things. Here are a few photos that explain my week, and why I really should acknowledge the little everyday things, and be appreciative. Thanks for the reminder Emily!

Lots of exam papers to mark....but thankful for being a teacher to so many great students

A lovely husband who stayed up until 11.30pm making gingerbread with me on Monday night

So many ideas and unfinished projects, but lots of loved ones to make things for

Spending time putting Christmas decorations up and talking to my husband about the year that was on December 1st

Stopping and looking at the little things and appreciating how well my mother knows me to buy me this decoration!


Trying to remember how quickly this goes, and not to rush things but to know that to everything there is a season.

Cherishing a family

Knowing that despite all things, I can find rest here.

Christmas tags & the giveaway winner...

Yesterday I spent an hour making little gift tags for our Christmas presents. I cut out bauble shapes from white card (I just traced around a glass and added the top part) and then using my trusty Cuttlebug and alphabet, I cut out initials. One of the letters I raised. I'll punch a hole in the top and thread them through ribbon and attach to the presents.

And, the winner of my first giveaway goes to (drum roll)......JULIE!! Congratulations Julie, your name was drawn out of the hat! Please email me your address at: choosingtofollow@gmail.com

Thanks to everyone who participated and stay tuned, I'll do another one of these later on.

Family photo

This morning we had a family photo with my husband's family, mainly for a surprise for his grandmother for Christmas. We decided to all wear jeans and a white shirt - I think it turned out quite well. We had over 50 photos taken. It was quite difficult getting the little ones to always look at the camera. I'm third from the left.

My first giveaway!

A couple of weeks ago I sent Lindsey a little gift pack of things from Australia (where I live). See this post if you want more details. I'm so glad you liked it Lindsey - I had so much fun putting it together. And I was pretty sure you would like the Donna Hay Kids' issue magazine - isn't it great?! Unfortunately, they only do one a year.

(photo from Lindsey's blog)

But, because Lindsey loved this magazine (apparently it is a little like Martha Stewart Kids magazine) I thought I would do a little giveaway. So, if any of you would be interested in winning a copy of this beautiful magazine, leave a comment explaining why you want to win and I'll announce the winner on Monday next week. [And because I'm quite new to this blogging world....your chances of winning are probably better, because I'm sure there aren't that many readers! :)]

The Gingerbread House Event

Well last night I had eight friends over - with one main aim - to decorate gingerbread houses. It was such a fun night, we ate as we decorated, we laughed (and almost cried when Hayley's house collapsed!) They all left with beautifully decorated and wrapped houses. Everyone loved their aprons, I think they turned out quite nicely! All in all, a great night, I highly recommend organising one. I intend to do the same next year.

The construction site

Oh no! Hayley's collapsed - she used a different recipe and it turned out a little heavy!

My creation - I made a small one

See the aprons - each had a Christmas fabric frill at the bottom

The wrapping station (we're renovating, hence the patches on the wall & ceiling)

Aren't they beautiful?!

Two little houses, don't you just love the roof tiles?!

Works in progress...

That's my pink and yellow house at the bottom

My friend Camille, posing with her creation

Photos

I love these photos so much. They were taken a couple of years ago - we were attempting (poor attempt I know - they are lousy quality - I think there was something wrong with the camera) to get a "nice" photo to frame for some family members for Christmas.

Regardless of their poor quality I love them because they seem to capture something more real. Have you ever taken a photo that was technically bad but you love it anyway?

By the way, we have since bought a new camera....a nice digital SLR, no blurry photos anymore. :)

The Gingerbread Construction Party is on its way!

Well ladies, the gingerbread is made, the aprons are finished, the Christmas tree is up, the new tablecloth is made and put on the table and only 7 hours to go until we start decorating those delicious little houses. Stay tuned for some photos!

Motivate me Monday

I'm continually amazed at the treasures that we have in the Bible. How encouraging it is - my aim is to memorize many of these verses - how helpful they are in times of trouble and anxiety - both for us and those around us.

May you be

JOYFUL

as you read this beautiful verse from Lamentations. (Click to enlarge & yes I took the photo!)

I've found it helpful (and humbling) to realise that my need for God is each and every day. I can't expect to read my Bible and pray lots one day and feel like that should "last me" the week. What a joy it is to get to know our Lord each morning! And to know that regardless of our efforts, his grace is sufficient.

A great reminder!

This post is from CJ Mahaney's blog. I thought it was extremely appropriate, given my sense of feeling overwhelmed yesterday.

In All thy Ways by CJ Mahaney 25/11/2008

My tendency is to charge into the day intent on getting stuff done, attacking my to-do list motivated by self sufficiency rather than by humble dependence upon the grace of God revealed in the gospel.

And given the active presence of pride and self-sufficiency in my life, it is imperative for me at the outset of each day to devote time to humbling myself before the Lord and acknowledging my dependence upon him for all that awaits me.

As I devote myself to this spiritual discipline, the words of Proverbs 3:5–7 frequently inform my meditation and prayer:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. (ESV)

Alongside my open Bible, I find the exposition of these verses by nineteenth-century pastor Charles Bridges in his commentary on Proverbs to be helpful and insightful. He writes:

Let our confidence be uniform. In all thy ways acknowledge him (Proverbs 3:6). Take one step at a time, every step under divine warrant and direction. Ever plan for yourself in simple dependence on God. It is nothing less than self-idolatry to conceive that we can carry on even the ordinary matters of the day without his counsel. He loves to be consulted.

Therefore take all thy difficulties to be resolved by him. Be in the habit of going to him in the first place—before self-will, self-pleasing, self-wisdom, human friends, convenience, expediency. Before any of these have been consulted go to God at once. Consider no circumstances too clear to need his direction.

In all thy ways, small as well as great; in all thy concerns, personal or relative, temporal or eternal, let him be supreme.

-Charles Bridges (1794–1869), from A Commentary on Proverbs (Banner of Truth, 1846/1968) pp. 24–25.

Overwhelmed

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment with all that I have to do at this time of year. Lots to organise, lots to get done and not a lot of time to do it in. Yikes! I'm trying to remember this verse:

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

A great idea...

Just quickly - have a look at this post from Dana about creating a Jesse Tree which is a great way to teach little ones about Christmas.

A sheep in wolf's clothing?

We have the most gorgeous dog. She is so gentle and friendly. But she does the most ridiculous thing with her teeth when she is focused on her ball. She starts looking vicious - she gets her teeth out and her focus does not leave that ball. She could fetch all day. Crazy dog.

New fabric

I got some new fabric on Saturday...not sure yet what I'm going to do with it. I bought some brights (aquas, hot pink - when I took the photo it looks more blue), which should be fun to use. And I bought quite a lot of the pink fabric with flowers on it. It is really sweet, would look great in a single bed quilt for a little girl. Oh, and I thought I would post one more photo of the progress on the Christmas aprons for the Gingerbread House Construction Party next Tuesday night. They are coming along nicely I think - mind you, it is a very simple design.

Motivate me Monday

During this week I started a blog and joined the 5am club. It has been a big week! You don't know what the 5am club is? Head over to Sarah Mae's blog to find out. It has been a joy to be involved in this, in so many ways. I think it is great timing too.

Even though the club has '5am' in the title, I have been rising consistently at 6am (mainly because my schedule allows me to have an 'extra' sleeping hour at the moment) the last few days. The main reason for this is to start the day off in God's word and prayer. And what a blessing. I can sure relate to what Paul said about "...the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." When I hear that alarm my first reaction is to hit snooze and not worry about my quiet time, or that I'll fit it in later - but often that is not the case.

The trick I've found is a quick prayer to God to give me strength and energy and perseverence to get up out of my warm bed. That feeling of extreme tiredness soon fades and I do feel really thankful in getting up and spending that time with the Lord - before the rest of the day rushes to a start.

I'm reading through Leviticus at the moment (in a Bible reading plan) which has been a bit of a struggle, but the 5am girls have helped me stick with it. I found Lisa's email particularly encouraging this week - she shared Psalm 112:4 - Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

Despite the difficulties that we are facing at the moment, it is so amazing and not to mention comforting, to know that Jesus is our light and that He indeed is gracious, compassionate and righteous. Have a good week. :)

Sunday

Sometimes I can get discouraged when I'm trying to tell others about the amazing power of the gospel. I feel like it's not getting through. I teach 15 year old girls at a Christian high school - (not all the families are Christian) and I have them twice a week. It is sort of like two one hour Bible studies. Sometimes they respond well and it is really exciting, other times I feel like it has no impact at all. I heard this scripture in a sermon a little while ago, and it was a fantastic reminder, I hope it is for you too - whatever your circumstance.

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)

Some of my quilts

I've made a few quilts over the past six years, mainly for other people. Here are some of them.

I made this one for my husband - before we were married - it is quite simple, but we use it a lot.

This was one of my first quilts before I really knew what to do! It is super cozy and I love the colours.

This is a double bed sized quilt. A friend of mine made one in pinks and whites and I absolutely loved it - so I tried it in blue and white. I made it a bit bigger by adding the flying geese border.
This one is a baby sized quilt made out of flannels. It is a really easy design (raggy patch style). I thought the frog fabric was so cute. I'm keeping this for our baby and think I'm going to keep it in the car for those journeys where they need something over them. I'm currently working on a pink one for a baby girl too. (Yep, I've made quilts for babies that don't yet exist...you can never be too organised, don't you think?!)

I made my niece and nephew a quilt of their own a couple of years ago. Joel's was pretty simple, I used robot fabric along with some brights. This was Casey's. I love it. It did take quite a while. I followed a pattern for most of it, but for many of the applique blocks, I did my own thing. The colours were great. I might have to do this one again one day!

More to come another time - I'll have to take photos of the other quilts that live at different homes!

It's the weekend!

Last night (Friday night) we went to our friends house (Ben & Kylie) and went to this gourmet pizza shop. It is in a lovely location and serves the best pizzas! They also serve dessert pizzas, which may sound unappealing, but they are magnificent! The owner regularly enters into international pizza making competitions and won in New York a few years ago. Now, that may not sound such a big deal, but coming from Australia and winning a pizza competition in New York is quite impressive!

Here is a picture of Kylie and myself. I'm on the left.




Also, I thought it would be fun to post a photo that I took earlier in the year to show you just how beautiful Australia is (or at least a part of it). Many of you in the US have been mentioning the first snow falls that have been happening lately in the lead up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Well, it doesn't snow here at all (in this part of Australia anyway), but we sure do have magnificent beaches! The following photo was taken on Australia Day (26 January) this year at our local beach (about 10 minutes from my house). Australia Day signifies the date when the First Fleet from Britain landed in Sydney Cove on the 26 January 1788. The fleet carried many convicts, due to a few things that happened, including the American war of Independence, Britain needed a new place to send its convicts. And when you look at Australia on a map, it was the perfect place - we're one big beautiful island - obviously surrounded by sea! Anyway, I took the photo just as the sun was setting - my friend Camille was pregnant with her daughter (she had her three days later!) and the little boy is her son.

Reading a classic

Last night I started a new book, I thought I'd go with a classic. Yep, Little Women. I do remember seeing the movie (the version with Winona Ryder), but I don't think I've ever read the book. So, I started it. It's always nice to read a classic isn't it?

And for those mothers out there, if you haven't visited the Girl Talk blog, I highly encourage you to do so! They are posting this week about mothering (...to the glory of God). I could listen all day to Carolyn Mahaney on this subject - she is so wise yet incredibly humble. I love her quote from Wednesday's post:

"Faith toward God is the foundation of effective mothering. Success as a mother doesn’t begin with hard work or sound principles or consistent discipline (as necessary as these are). It begins with God: His character, His faithfulness, His promises, His sovereignty. And as our understanding of these truths increases, so will our faith for mothering."

I'm not a mother myself yet (but am hoping and praying that I will be very soon!), but I am so encouraged by this message.

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. Psalm 40:4-5

A new system and aprons to make...

Well, I love to cook - I'm not quite sure where that originated from. I didn't grow up in a family that spent a huge amount of time in the kitchen...but I absolutely love it. I think I like it so much because it is another outlet for me to be creative. My friends and family know me well and often for my birthday and Christmas I receive a new cookbook. So, my collection is getting quite large. Sometimes I enjoy just flipping through them, for no other reason than to see the lovely pictures of well displayed food and delicious ideas. But with this growing collection of recipes, I tend to forget which ones I've used and if they were good or not. So, I decided to try a new system - not very sophisticated, but easy. I bought a packet of the coloured star stickers and after each recipe, Craig & I will have a chat and rate it. Gold is for amazing, silver is for really good, blue is for good, green for ok and red for stop! (ie. never do again!) I'm even starting to write down little comments or changes to the recipes directly in the books. Some people may not like that, but I think there is something great about looking at an old cookbook of an older relative, seeing that it has been used well and even documented. It's like a little piece of history. Here's what dinner looked like last night, thanks Donna Hay!

Changing the subject now...in two weeks I have organised a 'Gingerbread House Construction Party' at my house for a group of girls from church. Usually we do this as a church event running over two nights where we see around 120 women constructing and decorating gingerbread houses to take home to eat or decorate (or both). This year we aren't having one at church, so I decided to throw my own party, although there will only be about ten of us. It should be heaps of fun. I decided last week that it would be extra fun to make Christmas aprons for all the girls coming, so when they arrive they see an apron on their chairs that they can wear and then take home afterwards. I've cut all the aprons out of a dark apple green coloured curtaining material, I just have to sew them now. I've got just under two weeks, so I have to stop procrastinating and get to them! Here's what they are starting to look like. More photos later.