It has been awhile!

I can't believe it has been so many weeks that I last posted a blog post. A lot has been happening, but just wanted to say that I'll be posting an update tomorrow with some exciting news!

Bushfires

I don't know if this has been shown on the news in other places, but our country has/is experiencing the worst bushfires in our history. The fires started in the state of Victoria on Saturday and they are still burning. Nearly 200 people have died, many more are missing and over 1000 homes have been destroyed.

The heat and wind are expected to pick up in the next few days, so as you can imagine, this is not a good thing for trying to control the fires. Please pray for rain (which is not forecast) or at least the authorities to get control of these terrible fires. Pray also for the victims and their families, that they may come to know the Lord who is able to comfort us in times of greatest trouble.

Crafty update

I finished sewing a little Babushka doll for my god daughter's first birthday this coming Thursday. While I was making it, I thought it would be cute to make her a little matching t-shirt. I had a new white singlet and drew up a design and this is how it turned out. Hopefully she'll like it! It was fun to make, definitely one that I'd do again.

It is 'Australia Day' today - a national holiday for all us Aussies. My husband and I are going over to my best friend's house, along with some others for dinner and to play board games, go for a swim and hang out together - it should be great.

I go back to work tomorrow (I'm a teacher) after about five and a half weeks holiday. I'm not dreading it, but it is always a little difficult to go back after such a nice break. I work part-time, while we wait to hopefully start a family of our own very soon. I'm looking forward to meeting my new classes, and teaching some of the students I taught last year. Please pray that it is an easy transition!

A pedicure

This afternoon I had my first pedicure and it was great! A friend of mine gave me a gift voucher for a day spa and I decided to spend some of it on a pedicure. I didn't realise the attention and effort they put into one - it was fantastic and very luxurious. I highly recommend it!

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

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

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.

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.

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. :)

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 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.

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.

Well, I've started!

I've been debating this for a while now, but today I've jumped in and started a blog of my own. I'm not sure where this is going to go...but hopefully it will be a fun journey! I had difficulty with the blog name, there are so many good ones out there - but one of my favourite Bible verses is Nehemiah 8:10 - "...for the joy of the Lord is your strength."