answers

The question:: What should I do?  

 When faced with unusual, uninvited and uninspiring circumstances.  

The simple answer ::  Serve him diligently wherever you are.

Inspired by a conversation around the dinner table.

After all, to become like christ is to lay down your life and serve.......whatever the assignment.

This piece of art a subtle reminder within a display as

part of an amazing garden in a little town just outside of my hometown.  

I love how he speaks in the ordinary and daily events of our simple lives.

coffs harbour :: here we come

deep roots

It's been such an amazing time over the last couple of weeks here in Queensland.  I really feel like we have been here longer than we have.  I have seen so many dear friends and family and been given so many blessings while I was here that I am feeling gradually restored and super blessed.

Such wonderful times spent with my two beautiful nephews, mum, sisters and brother in laws.  Love that we can all be so 'real' with each other and just hang out together, joking, teasing, jumping on the couch to get the best spot first and all that 'family' stuff.  We three girls seriously make good babies....they are all the cutest kids out.

Another fab thing is that there is one of my best friends here who has booked me in for two hour long massages for each week I am here.  She is seriously the 'best' at massage that I have ever had.  So fantastic and relaxing for a weary mama.  Her gift to me along with coffee dates and catch ups.  She is an inspiration to me as we have shared out faith from the time when we were both just babies in the things of the spirit....she is strong and gentle all at the same time.  We know each other so well.  She has seen the best and worst of me and we are both ok with that......special friends.

Second, I have a car to use the entire time I am here to go anywhere I want and a place to stay all free of charge.  Plenty of home cooked meals from my master chef grandmother.  Today a whole truckload of baking arrives from the country kitchen of my great aunt who took the entire family out for a beautiful lunch her treat.  The kids were so excited as we have never been 'out' for lunch to a proper restaurant.  Probably because of their age and my lack of motivation to wrestle toddlers in public.

It was so nice to see the kids interacting with her and I could just tell she had the best day!  She has never married and has no children so it's a real gift and treat for her to be included in the lives of our young children.  I felt God may have just blessed her today too.  She just loved the chance to do something nice for all of us.

Third, another of my dearest friends in town arrives for a visit unexpectedly last week with a rolled up wad of cash with the insistence I use it for 'fun'.  We also have a fun day out planned next week.  Ladies lunch on the range....nice.

This morning, a fantastic start to the day with some time to sleep in, kids holidaying at the farm for 'two' nights at their request.  Photos of my first church and time to ponder some memories.  Then onto a great coffee catch up with another newer but very wise and special friend.  He has wisdom beyond his years and I have much to learn.

As if that wasn't enough, yesterday I got to spend the afternoon with a couple and their youngest child who have known me for such a long time and we have a bond which is rock solid.  To see my 'blokey' male friend say with tears in his eyes how much his heart had broken for me these last months and sit humbly, grieved but in unity and mutual trust in God was so precious.  These are the moments when we see Jesus with skin on sitting at our kitchen table.  That and the jokes about man scarves which he struggles to understand.  I may just knit him one for fun.

Next week sees a visit to their property further west, to share some more special times, pray and eat together and maybe take a ride around to check out the land, crops and cattle.  Probably sneak in some driving lessons for Lachie too I reckon.

Such dear treasured friends forged in hard times many years ago and through weekly get togethers and stitch and bitch nights with his wife, one of my closest of friends.  They saw the way my life was transformed by the power of salvation, believed in me and rejoiced when God ordained my marriage and praised him for his faithfulness.  They are heartbroken by the sins against myself and children yet even in that confession, there is healing and the peace of God.

To be known so deeply without need for explanation or justification is a precious gift I will not ever take for granted.  Country bred people seem so much more generous in spirit and available in subtle ways I can't easily articulate.  We stick together, pitch in, help out and lend a hand whenever the opportunity arises.

I feel like a blessed woman to have roots so deeply here in my original hometown yet grateful for the wings God gave me to fly and make a new future and bring beauty from ashes.  A reminder that all things are truly possible with him and I can rest in that and take my hands off the wheel.

Tomorrow night dinner date with some other mates and introduction to their new baby girl.  Happy days indeed and a sleep in for me again tomorrow.  I know I love Hobart but life is pretty sweet these days.

from the past

This is my first church that I knew as a child.

I couldn't count the times I have sat in these pews for mass, weddings, christenings and funerals.  It holds many memories and still stands a massive building for such a small town.  

The birth of my faith began here with little seeds being sown which God would pick up and begin to shape in years to come.

The many happy events of wedding day's and celebrations and rites of passage. 

The many forced confessions at allocated reconciliation times and repetitive hail mary's to absolve me of my sins.

Some sad and tearful days to farewell family and friends and those gone too soon.

So many memories and familiar feelings I can't help but experience when walking the grounds.

chemistry

Today I was chatting with a friend of mine who is new to the christian lifestyle regarding relationships after only knowing the secular status quo.  It got me to thinking what do I really think and I also remembered a post from a fellow blogger and friend which you can check out here at the old wise man

He has some great thoughts on the topic which are a refreshing change to the crap cosmo dishes out for today's generation.

I lived with very liberal and lust driven selfish attitudes  in regards to dating, sex and men before finally making a decision to pursue a christian lifestyle.  I must stress that this is something I struggle with particularly now having been separated for over two and a half years!   To be honest, I would hate to think whether my convictions would be so strong right now so prefer not to put myself in temptations way.

I am after all only 34 and you know what they say about women in their thirties!

Anyhow, after much consideration,  I firmly believe that sex belongs within the liberating and freeing embrace of marriage.  I hope I can last the distance!  Not easy once you know what your missing.....but well worth it.  That is how I entered into my 'christian marriage' and prior to the shocking confessions etc it certainly was a much more satisfying, liberating and peaceful physical connection.  A natural extension of mutual love, commitment and covenant.

What an amazing gift God gave men and women! I now see it more about what can I share and give rather than what I can get which is the exclusive language of lust.

Anyhow, that was probably an 'over share' a hazard of that darn up front nature of mine.

My friend posed the question of whether I thought that it was ok meeting up for coffee/ exploring with multiple people of the opposite sex with the view of potential relationships.   I would have to agree that it's fine to have other friends in the early stages.  I do however feel that once a mutual decision is made to pursue a deeper connection and have a go at a relationship, other people should be of a less intimate emotional nature.

How a casual coffee ties in with dating and marriage from my point of view is that as a Christian, that would be the natural goal of a relationship rather than a partnership not offered in covenant before God.

I mean, surely one would not wish to have multiple relationships off and on with no appropriate and liberating way of expressing deep love and affection???  I know that would frustrate me no end!  Not that I think that anything should be rushed before it's time....after all.....timing is everything.

By this, I mean that our emotional connections are the first point for intimacy.....it's not too far a stretch to go from coffee and a listening ear to something else without an advance decision as to what you think regarding emotional and physical purity.

Purposely reserving that for the special person you decide to commit in lifelong partnership with and resisting the instant gratification that lust or deeply emotionally involved connections temporarily provide.

I know that for me, my relationships with men changed when I got married as I didn't want to risk forming an intimate emotional attachment with anyone else.  I felt that it was critical to follow the guidelines of two becoming one.  Men and women are a complimentary partnership and meant to be sealed rock solid with God as the glue so to speak.  Of course, we do live in a crazy mixed up world so that doesn't always end up as the result despite best efforts or intentions.

I can recommend an excellent author called Edwin Cole who wrote a great book called "The Glory of Sex"  among some other great titles.  He was a Christian author and poses some challenging questions to today's generation as I believe he wrote almost prophetically before his time!  Then again, maybe not, after all, the issues of desire/ lust etc have been around forever....think Eve in the garden.

Marriage/relationships are hard enough without any additional pressure!  I think we run the risk of 'grass is greener' syndrome if we hook up with many people as the tendency is to only take the good and walk away from the not so pleasant character traits.

Also, I believe marriage and family are the cornerstone of the intention God had when he made men and women.  We need so very much to support the healthy boundaries that promote the freedom of marriage rather than confuse it as a boring life sentence with rigid rules disallowing other opposite sex relationships.

So whilst an early courtship is by no means the same as marriage, doesn't it deserve the very best attention the same as anything we nurture in life.  If we want good results then the principles of delayed gratification serve us well in health, study and many other areas why not one of the most potentially important relationships in our lives.

This mixed up world often opposes monogamy and also marriage, singular commitment and considers this a 'prudish' attitude.  We as christians would be naive and foolish to buy into that kind of thinking.

Further more, lust is unreliable.  Chemistry is so important and the romance definitely an important part of a partner.  However, I truly believe that we can 'lust' after anyone and appreciate physical attraction far too easily if not determined to reserve and not awaken desire outside it's rightful secure place.

It starts in the mind and I guess that is why Jesus warned about not even 'thinking' or indulging/allowing a thought process to spiral!!!  For our own benefit.....and he knew how much we would be motivated by the flesh...

Whilst I do think this can be an issue for women (me included) my reading and experience suggests that 97% of men, christians included struggle with this issue and need to come to a point of allowing God to do the work in guarding this precious gift our sexuality.  Again, I believe we are foolish and naive to ignore this other 'elephant' in the room in our conversations and community.

Lastly, relationships are fundamentally a choice.  They are a choice in the beginning, a choice in the hard times and a choice when the disappointment of life push us to believe that if we were with the 'right' person things would be better.

Get the chemistry right, common values and honesty then hopefully a partnership supported by the foundation of God and commitment to walking that out rain, hail or shine are the reliable things when asking whether something could work or not.

Any one game to share thoughts on this post????

half way mark

Today is exactly half way through our month in the sun.....apart from all the rain that seems to be hanging around.  Not dampening the spirits however.

It really feels like it has been 5 minutes in some regards as the time has gone so fast, yet when I consider all the catch ups, events and the like we have done.....we are doing well!

We have been absolutely blessed in so many ways that I am once again humbled.  God always provides what we need and then some.  Lots of little and big, organised and random things have made this trip easy and full of fun and restoration.

Some extravagant and generous gifts leave me feeling full and reassured that I am intimately known and loved.  People stopping by who have shared deeply the journey of these last months and offered what they could in love and care......a beautiful thing to be a part of......the community of people knitted together in common love and unity.

It feels like time to really press in and seek God for some wisdom, revelation and renewal in the next part of our trip.  To begin, a fast from a few 'pleasures' that may sharpen my ability to 'hear' what he might say to me.

I am looking forward to some more dates with dear friends this week, sleep ins while the smalls stay over for more 'holidays' at the farm, outings for ladies luncheons and sipping coffee outside in the sun (when the clouds clear) while reading and dreaming of things to make and plan for when we return home.

a quiet life

I know I keep banging on about my new favourite read.........but seriously this particular article is worth checking out Kinfolk for.

The words are by Julie Pointer and my favourite line is highlighted in the pic.

My solitary times fortify me to listen more clearly and to love better when I am in the presence of others.

I get that.....well said.

Romans :: always a gem in this book

Romans 8:28

The Message (MSG)

 ^26-28Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter.

He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God.

That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

Farm Life :: a visit from the vet.

One of the cows is not doing too good.  She is with calf and hasn't been able to get up for a couple of days but not yet ready to deliver.  

Felix absolutely engrossed in what is happening, running over to give us all updates on what Felicity the Vet is doing.

Annabelle however is staying very close by as she is a bit scared of the cattle.  Grandy and the vet in the background giving some 'medicine' to the cow.