Welcome twenty twelve....

"You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.  The wilderness becomes a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy.  The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain.  They all shout and sing for joy!"  - ps 65.11-13


This scripture, God made alive to me in 2010.  I've come to realise that when it comes to the end of one year, you can look back - and see the harvest in the difficulties.  When you come through the challenges, and have a bit of time to 'recover' - you can see God's goodness and His hand there, while you were struggling.


Things don't always look like what we expect.  Sometimes we have a sort-of imprint in our minds of what 'abundance, lush pastures, joy, flocks of sheep and carpets of grain' look like.  


After 2011, I found myself waiting for this amazing 'harvest' to arrive near the end of the year... only to discover, the harvest happened through the year.  The greatest harvest was in my heart.


I leave 2011 knowing Him in ways I never would have before.  Knowing He sits with those battling death, and never leaves.  Knowing he is literally with you in every circumstance.  Knowing He wills people to live more than we ever could.  Knowing that He alone governs our breathing, our living, and our dying.  Knowing He is the Healer.  Knowing that He restores relationships.  I have found myself challenged in some of the fundamentals of my faith, and leaving with a new 'knowing' in my heart that there is no other that I would rather rest my life upon - than the One who holds life together.


There were other harvests - some of those being the help that was extended to us through the difficulties - practical, emotional and spiritual help.  Prayers, meals, help at home, help with childcare, conversations, listening ears, love and support in SO many other ways.  Harvests in relationships with others...  Sometimes its not until you go through difficulty that you realise the great things God has put in and around your life.


I've come to appreciate 2011 and each challenge.


I must say, I have great anticipation for 2012 in my heart - I am SURE that there will be fulfilments of some of the promises that we (and many others) have only longed for or dreamed of.  I believe there is a harvest that follows faithfulness.  God is good and is worthy of serving with everything you have.  I know no-one greater and want for no other.


Happy 2012 everyone.  May it truly be crowned with the goodness of God and a harvest that is visible to you for your life.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

So, you might remember from this post, that I've always wanted to celebrate thanksgiving.

In September I extended an invitation to two of our friends, to see if they wanted to join us in celebrating it together.  They were most obliging (I think it was knowing they would be partaking of a feast by my hands that won them over).

So we had either Monday 10th October - Canadian Thanksgiving, or Thurs 24 Nov - American Thanksgiving - to choose from.

I googled a traditional menu, and accustomed it a bit to suit us "Kiwi's" -

Menu:

• Stuffed, roasted chicken (instead of turkey)
• Roasted vegetables
• Green salad
• Green veges
• Pecan slice (instead of pie)
• Pumpkin pie
• Iced tea
• Wine

Let's just say, it was a load of cooking, but a most enjoyable evening!

The beautiful thing about it - was that none of us have had a fantastic year this year - but we all had plenty of deep things to be greatful for.  I mean, for each of us, the year has had many wonderful high points - but underlying these have been many difficulties and challenges.

Some of our thankful things.... life, our marriage partners, our children, our extended families, our church families, our friendship, our homes, where we have been taken this year - and so many other things.

I'm pretty sure we've settled that it's a tradition from now on.  Maybe next year I'll kiwi-fy it instead of going with the American feast!  You know, pavalova topped with fresh strawberries & chocolate - and all the rest!

And in the words of my friend as they left - there goes another 4 1/2 hours - just flying past.  Great company.

What things are you thankful for?

Thankful Thinking.......

You know, life, even at the best of times - still has some sucky bits.

Lately, I've got a bit tired of listening to moaning.  I've got to confess, I've been a bit moany myself and the listening to moaning is only making it worse.

One thing I like to do, is think about someone elses difficulties/problems etc for a while.  Nothing like a bit of perspective to make one moan a bit less.

The other thing that often works - is being thankful.  Sure life is hard at times, and we all need people we can talk to about our difficulties - but our focus needs to be shifted if it's about us all the time.  We weren't put on this planet for ourselves.

So, just a random post on some things I am thankful for - might become a regular:

• health - even though this is an ongoing battle for me - 13 weeks on from being close to death, I am alive, and mostly well.  And I am greatful.  I even got told today that I am a miracle - for my "wellness".  Thank you God.
• my family - my princess A who is so delightful at the moment.  My hubby who is a real treasure.  The wider extensions who all just add that bit extra to our lives.  The little man who I am longing to meet.
• our vehicles - they are old and shabby in places, but we have two of them (which makes life WAY easier) and they both still pass their warrants with minimal work required.  I often think how I'd like a "better" car - but at the moment, they are doing us just fine.
• our home - we have worked hard to renovate it, get it nice and make it ours.  It is a stepping stone - but it is a blessing.  We are beginning to reap the rewards of our hard work.
• friendship - I like to think that there are many different "shapes" and "colours" of friends.  Some fit better together than others - but they each add their own bit of colour to life.

In all of the above things, I could very well find things to moan about.  But I'd rather live happy.

What things are you thankful for?

Would you like trim, or full fat milk with that????

Sometimes - I forget to be thankful.

Three weeks after our wedding, I turned 21.  For my birthday, my husband bought me this amazing (and expensive) espresso machine.

3 and a half years on, I have to confess that I haven't used it all that much.

Most people that know me, know I LOVE a good coffee.  Really LOVE.  I enjoy coffee dates more than nearly anything else.  A celebration for me, is best celebrated in a coffee date & a card.

But I've hardly used my coffee machine....??

Ok, so there are reasons.  It is partly to do with the fact that I don't do trim milk.  And to me, trim and latte in the same sentence is ridiculous.  It's like having a massive feed of macca's and having a diet coke.  (I must also confess that I do just that).

In the year following our wedding, I worked at losing 20kgs.  Full fat milk coffee's on a regular basis were just not going to work in achieving this goal.  So, the machine got neglected.

That is pretty much the only good reason I have, apart from making them takes time - but probably less time than boiling the jug and preparing for a perk or (dare I say it) instant.

Anywho - on the thankfulness part.

Last week, I randomly started discovering tiny baby white-tail spiders on my bench.  With ant-sized bodies.  Being pregnant, of course - this was much of an over-reacted drama series, inclusive of very premature nesting.  I pulled out the oven and fridge and cleaning everything and fly-spraying everything.

Of course - just like one of those terrifying films, it didn't work.  I was still finding baby white-tails on my bench.  Some dead (mostly because of the gallons of fly spray floating in the atmosphere at my disposal) - but most of them ALIVE! 

All I could imagine was eventually finding this massive nest of white-tails all running frantically - and FURIOUS mumma ones who are going to bite me all over.  (Yes I am a walking drama sometimes.)

Well, after a search operation, I discovered their source.  They were alive and kicking in bulk, inside my COFFEE MACHINE!

On the discovery of this, they were completely obliterated by fly-spray.  If that did not kill them, they probably would have drowned in it anyway.  I found no adult ones, there was no drama - it all happened very slowly.  After all, I was pretty sure an ant-sized one couldn't really do much harm.

The point is - it made me think about the fact that I have this amazing, well thought out gift - from my best friend.  I have hardly shown my appreciation for it, apart from that it takes up a lot of space on my tiny bench a prized position on my bench.

My husband is NOT at all a gift giver, nor is he a card writer.  I purchase all the gifts in our house.  He gets really stressed when it comes to our anniversary, my birthday, Christmas or Valentine's day - when he has to think about a gift or something 'romantic' to do.  It does not at all come naturally to him.  In fact, it works best if a few weeks before my birthday I write him a list of things I would/could like, and he picks something.  Or, like he has done for the last two years, he gives me money.

This gift was thought out, meaningful and something awesome!  I have sent a pretty poor message of appreciation for it.

Perhaps it's time we sit and just have a little think about thankfulness.  What kind of message of thankfulness are you demonstrating to your family, your love and your kids?

Happy Valentine's Day New Zealand!  Make sure you tell those people who are special that you love them!  ♥