Jan. 25, 2008 - Checkmate!
We’ve been spending a fair bit of time indoors over the last week so we thought it a good idea to get ‘out and about’ (to quote a young Gerald Durrell).
With morning tea packed, we headed out to
We love our chess, the kids are members of the local chess club, but to play chess from this perspective I find quite a challenge!
(I even considered bringing our chess set with us so I could ‘see’ the game from a smaller vantage point!)
I lost my match against hubby, who also beat 15yo son in a previous match. The third match was a stalemate between both kids – but they had a lot of laughs!
Playing this way certainly worked out the muscles. The pieces are hand-made from iron, a project donated by the local Scouts.
I’ll look for a chance to play normal chess in the next few days so I can hopefully reclaim some lost dignity….if that does not work I’ll move on to Scrabble…then Yahtzee…then….
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Dec. 28, 2007 - A blog on the move!
I have loved blogging on homeschool blogger, and I thank God sincerely for all the wonderful friends/bloggers I have met through this medium!
Recently I decided to move to a new blog, though I may occasionally still post here about homeschooling, but for regular entries please come see me at He Knows My Name .
God bless!
Jenny
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Dec. 19, 2007 - Hold them in your heart
Over the last eight years or so I have been deeply grieved as each month passes with the glaring evidence of no new pregnancy to be excited about. So many of my friends, both younger and older mothers, have borne the precious fruit of blessed wombs over and again...and as thrilled as I am for them my own heart aches for what I am missing out on.
This year I finally laid down *my* desires for more children and accepted God's more perfect plan for my life - whatever that entailed.
My womb had already brought forth seven children, then the Lord showed me His pleasure by extending our family tree and allowing me to greet three grandchildren into the world, one I even helped deliver. One of those grandchildren was quickly captured up again into His loving Father arms and awaits my own embrace in heaven. And now there is a fourth little grandchild only weeks away from making his appearance!
Eight years ago He led us to homeschool the youngest two of our brood and this has been more of a gift than I could ever have imagined. Each day a blessing, a trial, a miracle of love given and returned, a renewed hope.
God has been faithful to me always, though I often wander away with my own desires and ideas. In the acceptance of my still empty womb this year, I was finally able to accept His knowing what is best and I put my complete trust in that, and I asked Him to give me understanding and peace to stay in that place within my heart.
One thing that impacted me was the realisation that my pride had been bruised by my inability to have more children. I saw myself as a failure, I worried that others would think I did not want more children or I was doing something to prevent a pregnancy.
I felt I had failed as a mother so far and wanted an opportunity to 'do it again' and make up for the inadequacies of the past...I was envious that friends who felt the same had been given just such an opportunity.
I am almost at the end of my 49th year, and I see that much of the last decade has been spent pining for something that, at times, consumed my heart and made me blind to the treasures already in my care. A regret I have is that I could have built stronger relationships with some of my children in that time, relationships which now are tentative and fraught with heartache.
But God is Goodness, and Light, and Hope. He is my Teacher, my Father, my Saviour. What relationships I cannot save, He can. What I have not the understanding to learn, He can teach me. What hope I have lost, He can revive.
I am blessed beyond measure, and accepting what I *have before me now* is the chance I needed to strengthen the beautiful family still close to my heart. I am not looking back, but looking forward to the important things, the people, the love of Jesus, in my life and the life of our home.
I encourage you to look before you - what do you have already that you are not treasuring or nurturing as you should? Is your heart pining for something God is holding back from you?
Let your desires go, and embrace in your heart those gifts bestowed with love from above. Nurture them, tenderly embrace them, hold them deep within your heart and ponder them.
May Our Lady's example of total trust in what God had planned for her be your guide.
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Dec. 12, 2007 - Christmas Meme ....
I have been tagged by Lynn over at Signs and Wonders, so here goes!
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper – its fun, to us, to rip the paper off presents so we tend to imagine everyone feels that way. And gift bags hold no mystery.
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? December 1st
4. When do you take the tree down? It will stay up until Epiphany
5. Do you like eggnog? I’ve never tasted the real stuff, but I love the fake…does that count?
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Baby Alive
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? We have a felt scene that my 13yo daughter made when she was 8. It’s so beautiful that I could never replace it.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My husband!
9. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Darrel Lea marshmallow nougat Christmas Pudding…I got one every year when I was growing up, but I never liked them.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas With The Kranks – it reminds me that its too easy to be consumed with the trappings of a commercial Christmas and self wants, when people are far more important.
12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? October, though I tend to make a lot of gifts during the year.
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fruit Mince Pies!
15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Coloured.
16. Favorite Christmas song? O Come All Ye Faithful
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? The last few Christmases we have been homeless and on the move from one state to another for work, so this year we are definitely staying home.
18. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Donner, Blitzen, Comet…Buzz?
19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Its always been Christmas Eve, but this year we are changing tradition and opening on Christmas morning.
21. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The obsession of shopping, thinking you need to buy things to make people happy, the crowds, the stress on people’s faces instead of the joy of Christ come to the world.
22. Best thing about this time of year? Having Mark home from work, no homeschooling for 6 weeks, being able to meditate on what really matters in our life – Jesus!
I'm tagging Cristina at Juggling Paynes, and David & Lana at Bruggie Tales.
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Dec. 6, 2007 - Happy Saint Nicholas Day!
Here in the Southern Hemisphere we have awoken to the excitement of St Nicholas Day. The children (both teenagers!) creep carefully to where their stockings have been hung to see if they are filled with gold coins or straw. Expectant fingers carefully touch the base of the stocking - is it heavy or light? Heavy! With lots of yummy gold chocolate coins!
This is only our second St Nicholas Day since joining the Church, but it has fast become a tradition we love. Our favourite St Nicholas story is by Catholic writer Amy Steedman, and the best place we found for information and ideas is the St Nicholas Centre.
For breakfast we feasted on Pfeffernuse, Speculaas and hot chocolate, with the added fun of father dropping 'real' gold coins into the hot chocolates and being St Nicholas for us. After reading Amy Steedman's story we continued on with Maria Von Trapp's memories of her childhood celebrations then finished our reading with an Italian folk story 'The Miller's Tail' which left us laughing loudly. I'm now looking forward to finding a recipe for the 'Good Works Cake' and baking it for tonight's dessert. Many recipes and ideas for celebrating can be found on this site.
Our lesson from St Nicholas is one of giving without fanfare. Jesus says in Matthew chapter 6 that when we give it is to be in secret. "Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be done in secret." St Nicholas is our example of that lesson and today we thank God for the saints who continue to teach us life lessons that glorify God.
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Dec. 3, 2007 - Pink Lake
When we move to a new town (and believe me, we have moved to many!) the first weekend is, by tradition, one of sightseeing.
After a visit to the Tourist Information Centre we arm ourselves with a bundle of maps, snacks, a flask of tea, fully charged cameras, the dog – and begin our exploring. Back in July when we first arrived we headed out along the winding tourist road to the Wind Farm, then back to town via
Tonight before dinner I suggested we go for a drive, and guess where we went? No disappointment this time – the water was indeed pink!
The edge of the water was solid foam in some places...
...and the smell was quite ‘on the nose’, but it did not dampen the wonder we experienced at standing on the shore of a pink expanse of water. How I marvel at the mystery of God’s Creation!
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Nov. 25, 2007 - Seals, sun, surf...summer is here!
The last four days have been hot, hot, hot! Summer has arrived sooner than we expected, but just in time for my husband who bought an old Toyota 4-Runner so he can drive us across all the beautiful beaches that scatter our southern coastline. But more about that later...
Last Thursday daughter and I went for a long beach walk and came across a large male sea lion, resting under the jetty. At first we thought he was injured as the 'local' seal, Sammy, was sporting a large gash across his back, and figuring it to be a shark attack wound we thought this beached sea lion may have suffered a worse fate. We rang CALM to ask them to come check him out and once they arrived they assured us he was just having a snooze. Whew!
Lizzie took some great shots. The first is of Sammy - he is an Australian Sea Lion, a territorial creature, and most days you can watch him playing up to the locals who toss fish carcasses from the jetty. He did not stray far from our sleeping friend, the wildlife ranger informing us that this was *his* beach and he would stand guard until the visitor left.
These next photos are of our beached sea lion...can you see the blob of seal poo behind him?? I stood in it. Yep, I slid and slipped in it, *just* stopping myself from falling flat on my rear in the middle of it! It took plenty of scrubbing in seaweed to get it off my thongs (flip-flops) and it smells worse than I can describe. The kids found this to be highly amusing, as teenagers do...
Back to hubby's desire to take us beach driving. This is his new toy, and the beach we drove to today - Wylie Bay. We're so excited about the summer ahead and are already arming ourselves with maps to out-of-the-way places.
God has given us so much in our marriage, our children being top of the list. Because the years left to us all living together under the one roof is rapidly ticking down (to my mother heart it is racing away!) we want these teenage years to be extra special...filled with family memories that will live on in their hearts always. Making life choices that build on that dream is a priority to us, always asking before we choose an activity "Is this beneficial for the family as a unit?", finding out what the kids would like to do and seeing if we can.
I relish every moment with these beloved beings God gave me. Like Sammy the sea lion I think I am quite territorial when it comes to family.
God bless you immensely today!
Jenny
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Nov. 23, 2007 - I think they serve this in Heaven!
If you know me well, you'll know that my all time favourite dessert is Lemon Meringue Pie..tangy and sweet, with that soft melt-in-your-mouth meringue sticking to the roof of your mouth...mmmmmmmmmmm!!
I came across this quiz at Cristina's blog and wondered just what pie I'd be - Lemon Meringue of course! How could I have doubted that?!
| You Are Lemon Meringue Pie |
 You always know how to brighten someone's mood, but you're not overly sappy. In fact, you can be a bit too honest at times. And most people find that refreshing. While you're always true to yourself, you keep things light. That's how people are able to stomach your slightly bitter outlook. Those who like you have well refined tastes. You're complicated - and let's face it - a true enigma. You enjoy defying expectations, and there are many layers to your personality. There's not one easy way to define you. |
http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofpieareyouquiz/
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Nov. 20, 2007 - Summer is coming!!
Yes, indeed, I felt it this last Saturday!
The breeze stopped for an entire day and the air was hot...so hot hubby needed to hunt through the spider infested shed to find some pedestal fans as the ceiling fan was not playing the 'cool the family down' game. Oh, how nice it was...no shoes, cold drinks, ice-cream, kids swimming at the beach, cotton shirts...niiiiiiiiiiiice.
Until 6pm. As quickly as it had arrived, it left. The wind whipped up off the water and the rapid cooling of my home began...I sighed. Off went the fans, icecream was swapped for hot chocolates, and the doona was thrown back on the bed from whence it had been rescued just that morning.
But summer will be back - "occasionally" if I take to heart the meanderings of the locals who (by nature of the fact they have lived 80 odd summers in this seaside town) know. So odd for us who have just spent two sweltering hot summers in the Australian desert regions and have an abundance of summer wear lining our wardrobes begging to be worn again.
The upside of living in a cool climate (have I mentioned that between us and the South Pole there is nothing but icy ocean????) is that you always have opportunity to quilt.
As an unfinished quilt lay upon your lap it warms you. You find that you begin to relish snuggling up with a nice cup of tea, a good quilt design to embroider, and some Jane Austen to watch on the telly. And if someone is especially nice they will offer to refill your cup and bring some cake too. That's a very special joy to have at one's disposal. I'll just have to make lots of quilts whilst living here then, shall I?
Those knowledgeable locals also shared with me that they cannot remember more than 8 or 9 Christmases during their 4 score and ten years on God's earth when they did not wear cardigans...now, this is not the hot Southern Hemisphere summer I am used to. Does this mean the end of our family's traditional water fights on Jesus' birthday?? No more outdoor BBQ and sunning ones self while the children shower you in water bombs? The after lunch sleep under the ceiling fans whilst you recover your appetite for another round of BBQ-ing in the arly evening whilst fighting off marauding hoards of killer mosquitoes?? OH! But I love those traditions. Hmmmm....
Okay...new plan to formulate. Perhaps, finally, we can plan on the traditional Christmas Fare of roasted meats and vegetables, mince pies, plum pudding and brandy custard! It certainly would be interesting - and it sounds quite yummy. Perhaps I'll even manage to keep everyone awake after lunch and we can play board games, pull crackers, and sing songs.
Life is a constant carousel of change. Do we run from it or embrace it? Do we give in to despondancy because it's not what we'd hoped for, were used to, planned for - or do we enthusiastically open our hearts and lives to 'all things new'?
My arms are open wide.
God's blessings on you as the Advent Season approaches!
Jenny
PS: I have just finished the cot quilt for my newest grandson, due January! Have a look.
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Nov. 8, 2007 - Ask not what we got.....
We’re on the countdown! Two days before youngest son turns 15, and then six weeks to Christmas. Life in our home is a flurry of activity as we all focus on winding up for the year…though winding up has a way of making you feel like you’ve wound right down. Quick – give me a kick-start to get me going again!
Whilst trying to give mostly hand-made gifts again this year, it’s been hard to find hidden moments to work on surprise projects for those living in the same house. For those loved ones who reside on the other side of the country it’s been a breeze (apart from creative mental blocks!) so I’m up to speed with their presents, only lagging behind on the local variety.
Whispers, written notes, and questions abound as the teenagers plan their gift-giving – though truthfully, for the last while, they were still working through the ‘how do we finance this?’ dilemma. My enterprising 13yodd auctioned her collection of Archie comics on ebay and made a small fortune! With that success under her belt she is currently planning the next venture.
But seriously, in this lead up to Christmas my prayer is that we, as a family, can stay focused on the greatest gift, Jesus, and on the truth of what God did for us. He gave.
Too often with the young the focus of Christmas is on the getting…making sure your family and friends know what you want…the consuming expectation of gifts…the biggest focus being on ‘self’. Even though they enjoy ‘giving’ the bottom line is that Christmas is about the ‘getting’.
As Advent approaches we shall be talking to our kids about the true heart of giving, giving as God gave. Giving from a place of LOVE. Giving to bless. Giving to impart the love of Christ. Giving with no thought of getting.
We want them to give in more ways than gifts…to give with their time (doing for others ), with their ears (listening to others), with their eyes (looking at what others show them), with their hearts (sacrificially following the Holy Spirit even when their flesh wants to do otherwise), with their attention (looking for opportunities to make a difference, taking note of others needs and attempting to meet them), giving their whole self over to God’s will.
Too fast the years pass and the day when they will leave to begin lives separate to us will come suddenly, so there is an urgency in our hearts to go over the lessons of the past and refresh their values. Using special times such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, marriages, deaths, births, the Eucharist, Feast Days, prayers…those are the opportunities to share God’s ways, His desires for His children, sacrifice, loyalty to Christ, covenants, hope – so many things!
I hope they ask me too. May this year be the beginning of a long and Godly lesson we carry through life.
God bless you today!
Jenny
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Oct. 25, 2007 - LOVE
It seems I catch up on blogging just when another month is ready to slip out my door – almost unnoticed. Why is that when you are waiting for something it takes forever and the days and weeks drag out? Yet when you are trying to get all your ducks in a row, and to all outside appearances look as though you have the semblance of a well-ordered life, the months whiz on by spinning you giddily in their hurried path?!
Well, that’s been October for me…hmmm…think it was September too…and August, July…whoa! And it’s only HOW long to Christmas?!
Speaking of days, months and years washing over me with the suddenness of a flash flood, I find myself reflecting back almost 15 years to the birth of my youngest son as though it were only yesterday. What a struggle he had to enter this life, but once arrived he has spent the last 15 years marking each moment with a “Sam” insignia. There has never been a day in those years when I have not seen him, met the morning with his huge smile and strong hug (although these days he has to stoop to cuddle me) and been the recipient of his immense measure of love. He is the child I begged God for - the child who filled my aching arms after a deep loss had robbed me of so much joy. I cannot yet imagine him marrying and not being here with us, but I know in my heart some young woman will one day be incredibly cherished by this lad whom God gifted us with.
Children grow so quickly…they change and mature, they challenge and ponder, they drink your patience dry…and then they love you with a fullness that saturates your heart and soul leaving you with a deeper appreciation for the adults they are destined to become, adults who will continue the tapestry of life God has planned for them. I have always been excited at the prospect of watching my children embark on adulthood and life in their own ‘stride’, wondering what new things they will grasp of Christ that I have missed along the way…I have prayed that their walk with Him would be far stronger and deeper than mine.
The thought of not being there to see them live their future had eluded me…then over the last month a possible life-threatening health scare changed my hopes for the future. Being confronted with my mortality rocked my world for the better part of two weeks – suddenly there was not time enough to do all those things I had planned and dreamt about. But mostly, there was not enough time to LOVE...to just LOVE the people in my life. I was not frightened of dying, I was filled with grief for my family…for what they would feel and the realisation that I had held back a lot of myself from them. With increased awareness the depth of love for my husband and children spread into every particle of my being and my life…it always had, but now it was urgent to love them more, to listen intently to their voices, to applaud their uniqueness and their passions, to offer them that extra part of me that I had always (unknowingly until now) reserved for myself. Suddenly there was a wholeness to my being that I could expose and spill upon those I loved the most.
In the process of this experience they changed too. When they spoke to me their eyes were more intense, their embrace was tighter, longer, impassioned. There was a thread between us that seemed to strengthen, yet it was with gentle strength, hopeful strength. They began sharing their deepest thoughts and the desire to fulfil dreams intensified. We were journeying an unknown path and I thanked God I would not be alone…together we had LOVE and HOPE.
In the midst of this time I was reconciled to my eldest son, who had turned from us a few years back, requesting we step out of his life. What a grief as a parent to have your firstborn ask this of you…no, demand it. God showed me through those years that my prayers were powerful because I had no human contact to sway them…I had to rely on the Holy Spirit’s guidance every day to pray for my son, to know what was important. Being reconciled now is evidence to me once again of God’s grace, and how He uses these hard times for His own purposes.
I’m not sure where I’m really going with this blog entry, except that I have a hunger to encourage mothers to give of their whole selves to their families. The only guarantee we have in life is that we shall meet Jesus when this life’s breath has expired…and when that will be is only known to Him. The old saying “Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today” takes on new impact when you apply it to LOVE. You can never show too much…you can never give enough…you can never receive more than you need. LOVE is the most intimate and raw expression of self you can offer. LOVE has no boundary line…there is no price high enough to obtain LOVE…The ultimate cost of LOVE was paid for by Our Lord, and from that gift, freely given, we have LOVE to give that will never run out.
You do not have to keep a part of yourself locked away. When you do that you are robbing others. The gift of LOVE is precious, and it is only when we open our entire being to those we love that we allow them to know who we really are. Yes, there are times when unveiling who we are can hurt us, when some will cast our LOVE aside and not cherish it, BUT Christ did not let that stop Him from giving His all. He knew the treasure He had for those who received His sacrificial LOVE was worth all the rejections. Good will always outbalance evil. LOVE will always be perfect and untainted when it is grounded in Him. I’m sorry that it took a life threatening situation to shake that truth into me, but what seemed a horribly bad situation God was able to use for good, and I know I am a different woman today because of it.
My health is still in the unsure basket, but it appears not life threatening any more. I am open to God using any situation He needs in order that I grow in Him, and I am committed to sharing the journey with you…even if it’s hard.
I just want to ask you to LOVE.
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Sep. 30, 2007 - Making use of your gifts...
Two years ago when we were in the midst of a 6 months stay in a tourist park I was confronted with a dilemma. My husband had accepted a temorary teaching position, hoping this would lead to a permanent position later on. We put all our things in storage and moved to the Northern Highlands of New South Wales and into a tiny tourist cabin.
There were some really wonderful things about cabin living. You could only take the barest essentials with you so life was materially less cluttered. You became acutely aware of the comfort of others as you all squashed in to the room/cabin. You bought only the food you needed on a day to day basis so there was no waste or excess. You discovered it was possible to grow closer as a family, even after all those years of homeschooling.
But after lessons are done each day, what next? Well, being in a caravan park offered them daily opportunity to hone their Mini-Putt-Putt-Golf skills, develop hand/eye co-ordination in the daily Ping-Pong games, as well as the endless family Pool tournaments. Yes, we were overcome by ball games of one sort or another!
All this was well and good for the first month or so, but I hankered for something new, something for me. So I began to sew. I bought quilting magazines and began a journey that answered a deep longing in my heart - I finally discovered a way I could pour out all my pent up creative energy! Making that first quilt block felt like 'coming home'...it was the most natural thing.
Two years later and that love of sewing has merged itself so deeply into my being that to go a day without threading a needle, or cutting glorious fabric, is a day I regret.
I share this because I was 46 when I discovered my love of sewing. It chnaged my life...it broadened my ability to give to others, it opened up to me doors in my mind that I felt were firmly shut. The creative doors. I cried out to God for 10 years beforehand to allow me a creative spirit - and in His time He showed me the way to use the gifts He had given me long before the earth was made.
What are you wanting to do in the future? What dreams and abilities do you have that you have not challenged or discovered? Pray. Find out. Then use them to bring joy to others and yourself!
If you would like to see some of my work you can go to my quilting blog.
Dream, ladies....dream. :-)
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Sep. 29, 2007 - Thank you!!
Thank you Natural Paths for choosing my blog for the 'You Make Me Smile' award!
After a desert journey of almost 2 years my 'mission' over the last 3 months has been to bring joy and laughter to people's lives and it's SO nice to find out I have.
But the true credit goes to my kinfolk, the husband and kids who love me unstintingly - I am so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by people with a totally kooky outlook on life, the universe and everything! Within the madness we call our family they allow me freedom to revel in each day with the deepest appreciation for each moment God gives me, in the wackiest of ways, and that, dear friends, makes my heart and soul dance for pure joy!
It's hard to choose who to pass this award on to next, as there are so many incredible people who inspire me and make me laugh...but I'm going to single out Juggling Paynes. Why? No matter what my day has been like I can always wander over to her blog and smile...those really wide smiles that make people ask you "What are you smiling about?". If you don't believe me go have a look yourself and it won't be long before you're smiling too.
Have a wonderful day!
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Sep. 27, 2007 - What is important....
Goodness – where did September go??!
It’s always a big month in our house as we batt our brains to come up with the ‘right’ gift for hubby. In
Actually ‘truckload’ is quite an exaggeration as dh never asks for much…never wants much. His stock answer for ‘what do you want for your birthday, dad?” is “peace and quiet”. For a while there the kids would pretend to be ‘Peace’ and ‘Quiet’ on those special days, but being kids it barely lasted till breakfast when their ‘Ruckus’ and ‘Loud’ personalities would emerge instead. This always ensures a rumble through the house after teasing dad, with screaming kids running away from dad as he chases them and throws them onto the couch declaring himself the mighty victor. Meanwhile mother stands over the cooktop making pancakes that ache to be smothered in butter and maple syrup.
Of course this scenario is repeated on both of dad’s special days this month. So as this September draws to its close we look forward to next year’s re-enactment of the teasing, scuffling, chasing and victor’s breakfast once again. I love tradition.
September also uncovered some health issues that may have serious impact on a family member, and in turn the family as a whole. Over the next week or two we shall discover more, but for now this awareness has magnified every moment we share together, and the measure with which we show love and appreciation towards one another. Each smile, every deed, all those unspoken words of gratefulness that suddenly seem to want to spill across our lips, every spontaneous hug….they take your heart to a new depth in the very core of your being.
In our lives, so much of day to day family dynamics is glanced over as one would slide one’s eyes across an old newspaper – yet when the threat looms that these seemingly mundane things may be taken away you discover yourself memorising the movements of a young hand as it sweeps a stray lock of hair behind an ear, or listening with rediscovered intensity the deep chuckle as a lanky teen shares a joke. The eyes that you have gazed at each morning for so many years suddenly seem older, you see the lines that time has carved and you say a silent prayer of thanks to be loved by so wonderful a man as this. Yes…little things become big. And what you thought were the big things, the important things, fade away.
Today take your eyes off the big stuff.
Today…listen with your heart. Look with your love. Hug them so hard they will always remember today.
God be with you.
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Sep. 4, 2007 - You can't wear red and hide...
August passed by quickly this year, and with it the Southern Hemisphere winter blew its farewell kiss.
Spring has indeed sprung Down Under, and as we look hopefully to the blue skies above for a promise of many long sunny days ahead we stop to thank God heartily for the immense measure of grace He has bestowed upon as we begin this new season of life.
It is now just over six weeks since we arrived in town. Naturally shy as I am (though friends would laugh at that as once I know you I chuckle loud and heartily and seem anything but shy!) I had to plan on putting my best foot forward from day one and set about opening doors quickly. Defying my natural tendency to let things unfold ‘as they will’ I purposefully looked for avenues that would lead to fellowship and fun for the whole family.
Before embarking on so wild an adventure I needed to finish unpacking our boxes, make sure the pantry and freezer were well stocked, and all amenities located. Only when I deemed the new house to be ‘homed’ did I set off for the first step towards settling down and being a part of a new place – a place we hoped would be our permanent home.
I decided firstly to take stock of myself – after living in the desert for 18 months my beautiful coastal life seemed to whisper that a personal makeover was long overdue. A new hair colour and new hairstyle – both of which I was immensely pleased with – was just what I needed to match my now sunny disposition. Living in a town with incredibly cold winds blowing up from the Antarctic I also purchased a long coat – red! If any colour says ‘here I am’ it is indeed red, a colour I had until now avoided for that very reason. With conscious forethought I was well aware that my habit of hiding would have to be tossed aside whilst wearing the red coat. ;-)
But a new life heralded a new outlook, a heartier spirit, and a renewed confidence in mankind and oneself.
So with a smile on my face, day six in the new town saw me, with teenage daughter in tow, heading for a quilting exhibition/cancer fundraiser purely to be out and about and meet fresh local faces. What a brilliant plan that turned out to be.
By the following week I had signed up, along with aforementioned daughter, to the Port Patchers. What a mosaic of ladies! - different ages and backgrounds, nationalities, life experiences - but with two things in common – a love of fabric, and hearts larger than life. Joining them each Friday is like coming home for Christmas and being surrounded by a safety net of loved ones who embrace and encourage you with their whole beings, eager to ply you with their latest carrot cake or chocolate mud slice to boot! In just a few short weeks I have been blessed to see into the lives of some extraordinary women and have grown in gratefulness of heart for a God who so easily led me to them. And not just me – they have taken my 13yo daughter under their wing and made her a part of this ‘family’ too. For a teenager with no grandparents, aunts or uncles, this has been an unmistakeable touch of grace. Thank you Lord.
Back to week one…we signed the kids up for the local chess club where they have met some very clever young minds, but even better they sit under the tutelage of a retired gentleman who has chosen to pass on his love of chess to interested teens. He brings along cakes and crackers, a big smile, and an incredibly gentle and patient countenance. Those Wednesday afternoons have become a highlight of the week for my children and for hours after dinner that night they replay their winning (or losing!) moves for their father and me. We now have a chess board set up permanently in the centre of the dining table for impromptu games before breakfast or over meals.
Week two saw 13yodd begin her first official art course. Alongside eight other teenage girls she is learning about many forms of drawing and painting. For two weeks she had a guest tutor who has had his work hung in
Almost 15yods, who in the past has struggled to find friends that ‘clicked’ with his idiosyncrasies, has gathered himself three mates, each very different from the other, yet all very nice young men who seem to cover all of my son’s interests.
This town is very music/arts focused so our next ‘new’ experience was to buy the kids a guitar and then raid the library for videos, cds and books they could learn from. My ears are still smarting from their first week of twanging and endless attempts at tuning but dad has now stepped in to help…please Lord let them learn quickly.
There are endless bike paths along the ocean roads, just a minute’s walk from our house. Last week when we were out and about I had my first bike ride (well, bike ride attempt). Growing up I was never able to keep my balance on a bike, roller skates, scooters…something just did not work in my balance and I would fall immediately someone let go and pushed me off on my own. Eventually I gave up and realised I would never enjoy the freedom of pedalling with the wind behind me. Fortunately I was able to stay put on a horse so my mid-teens saw me galloping through bush and stream on a neighbour’s mare. However, as I watched my kids gliding along the path ahead I had this surge of ‘need’ to ride a bike. What ensued was a half hour of raucous laughter as both of them held and let go, over and over, as I gallantly struggled to maintain balance and ‘ride the wind’ at last! That was the most fun I’d had in ages…and I am not giving up. Once dh lowers the seat on dd’s bike (my kids are taller than me) I shall set off once again to overcome my hurdle.
Some people find new situations easy to flow with, new relationships easy to build upon, new experiences easy to embrace…as much as I have wanted that to be my natural inclination it has not been – until now. This life-changing lesson all stemmed from that one encounter a few months back when God allowed me to see my enemies for what they really were, and in doing so He showed me what each day without them could be like if I just stepped up to the plate and took hold of this precious gift, called life, saw through the fear and looked at the joy beyond.
I am so incredibly blessed, and not because I asked to be, but because God in His mercy decided to give it freely out of His love for His own.
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Aug. 13, 2007 - Van Gogh's Seaweed Stacks?
We spent last weekend driving around the Cape Le Grande National Park where there are an inordinate number of magnificent beaches complete with pure white sand, turquoise blue water and a varied assortment of nature's treasures.
This stunning area is just 50 klms from our front door, and with so much beauty on offer we quickly purchased a yearly pass entitling us to unlimited use of the many beaches and bays within the confines of the National Park.
First stop was Cape Le Grande itself. My first impression as I gazed along the secluded beach was a mental picture of Van Gogh's "Haystacks" - though the stacks that were dotting the coastline before me were not hay, but seaweed.
Sam and I found them to be soft seats, though a bit damp after a few minutes...
After a morning tea of honey cakes, fresh strawberries, and coffee we set off for Hellfire Bay. This beach was simply glorious! The sand is like finely crushed quartz, squeaking as you walked along. At times it gave me a feeling like nails on a blackboard but the view was so spectacular that I chose to forgive and focus on its isolation, silence, and uniqueness. We will be back here within weeks for a dawn b-b-q breakfast.
Our next stop was Lucky Bay, voted the most beautiful beach in Australia.
Lucky Bay was discovered and named by explorer Matthew Flinders in 1802 after his ship, The Investigator, took refuge in it's sheltered cove.
We unpacked lunch in a lovely shaded area above the bay and watched as a cheeky crow swooped down to steal a carton of eggs from some sleepy campers. There are some great camping areas available all through the National Park, but hubby prefers the softness of his own bed so we'll make do with long day visits in the coming spring and summer.
We came across some strange trees, with what looked like the bush coconuts we found when living in Alice Springs last year, but these were very spiky, almost alien looking. Hmmmm....
Lizzie and dad took lots of photos with their digital cameras while Sam and I pined away in envy. We are both ready to buy our own cameras! This area is filled with so much beauty and needs to be captured in a myriad of glossy prints. I did manage to have some time alone with Lizzie's camera while she munched on a Babybel, though. Food....it always works.
The day drew to a close, so we packed up our sandy shoes and headed back to the car for the 30 minute drive home. So close...all this beauty was at our doorstep. There is so much life around Esperance - I am looking forward to the many discoveries yet to come!
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Aug. 2, 2007 - Revealing my enemies
Some of the best ‘life-giving’ Scriptures can be found in the Psalms.
I admit I spend a lot of my Bible reading time being nourished by the words in red, Jesus’ words, but when I’m feeling at a loss for an answer or need inspiration to bolster my mind into an attitude of praise (some days I struggle with circumstances and personalities and I need extra prodding to lift my heart in praise) I open at the Psalms.
I tend to focus on all the passages that are uplifting, or tell of the goodness of God and His promises to His people, but I rush through all the ‘enemy’ verses as I have never found that the armies of
I was walking the dog, lost in my own private thoughts and discussing what I had read earlier that day with God. Not expecting Him to voice an opinion I continued my one sided ramble as the miles passed and the sun sank lower on the western horizon, grateful that I had this time to breathe in some privacy and walk off the day’s frustrations.
That particular day our family had come under a lot of rebuke and was made to feel unnecessarily pressured. Unable to do anything to relieve the situation I had the sense that people were closing in on me with demands that could not be met to their satisfaction and it unnerved me. My husband was experiencing this alongside me but being different genders and personalities we tended to deal with it differently, hence my need to walk it out alone.
With the house coming into view I felt a quietness cover my spirit and, slowing my steps, I looked for a log to rest on to enjoy the soothing peace that was steadily moving through my entire body. It was then that God spoke to my heart, revealing His Psalms to hold new meaning and new hope in my life.
My enemies were all around me…they were closing in…they were seeking to destroy me! Fear, pressure, intimidation, depression, hopelessness…these were my enemies! Enemies that stalked me each day, enemies that I did not recognise because they were so familiar, so much a part of me, enemies that sought to destroy me.
What a revelation! What a wonderful release from a lifetime of entrapment! I recognised the principal players in my mental downfall and I named every one of them out loud as I walked back to the house – knowing that they would never again hide under the cloak of familiarity. Unmasking every evil one filled me with anger, then tears, then joy!
My enemy was no longer hidden behind the trees because now I could see the forest. I felt the breath of freedom sweep through my tortured mind and the lying manacles of almost five decades fell crashing to the foot of the Cross. Jesus had set me free.
It has been two months since that experience and my life has become one that I would never have imagined. I wake in the night smiling – yes, smiling! My step has a skip in it, the worries that consumed me before no longer bring me grief and I am confident in the woman I am.
But the thing that stands out most? My family have the best part of me at last, and it is good. The wife and mother I offer them today is a new creation, finally set free from her enemies. The house is filled with new laughter and there is a casually relaxed atmosphere that just 'breathes' in every room.
May the Lord bless you today with fresh eyes to see the enemies that rob you of the life He wants you to have, and the courage to name them and throw them down at His feet.
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Jul. 30, 2007 - Graces and God
Nine days have passed since we pulled our car off the highway and caught our first glimpse of the ocean side town of
Hubby began work just 36 hours after we arrived here, so the last week we did no schooling but worked at unpacking boxes and rebuilding the ‘atmosphere of home’ in the house we have been assigned. The house itself is lovely and with a view over the back fence of The Bay of Isles we have surely been graced by the Lord’s provision. So many things I had in my heart but never mentioned have been given to me – a bay window, sandstone block walls, a large family room, a formal loungeroom, a fan forced oven, lavender in the garden, deep blue carpets, shabby chic curtains, a walk-in wardrobe….I could go on, but I think you get the point? My Father has shown me His provision in a new way, this was a gift all wrapped in love and grace that I had been waiting for yet did not consciously realise. The sense of ‘home’ was already waiting for us when we opened the door, adding our own belongings just enriched that atmosphere.
It has rained here more in 9 days than we had seen in the last 6 months living up north in the desert. I lay awake for an hour just listening to the heavy drops meet the earth, and in the morning as the skies cleared and the blue heavens above broke wide to greet me I breathed in the moist air and laughed. How different this was to covering one’s face to the red dust of the outback!
Yesterday we walked along the Jetty and discovered this to be a favourite Sunday morning pastime for many locals. A mobile coffee shop, The Coffee Cat, is set up on the grass and even though the waiting time for our cappuccinos was 30 minutes we discovered this to be the best coffee we’d tried in many a year.
When you place your order you are given a pager enabling you to go off for a walk along the sand, lay on the soft grass and doze in the warm sun, or run your dog along the water’s edge to pass the ½ hour.
A large sign at the start of the jetty warns you to be on the alert for sea lions, as they frequent the waters thereabouts, and not to try and touch them. There did not seem to be any about so we continued the long walk way out into the ocean until we reached the end and stopped for a while to watch a lady fishing for squid and snapper. By looks of things this a popular relaxation for the town as hoses and scaling benches are provided liberally along the jetty edge.
Turning to come back and retrieve our hot coffees we looked down into the water as a heavily whiskered face broke the surface – a sea lion. Lizzie had her camera so she was able to follow the fellow along the line of the jetty as he lolled and posed for the amusement of all onlookers. He seemed to be quite a dab hand at modelling as he paraded up and down his ‘runway’ stopping every once in a while to pose for a snapshot before diving once more below the surface in a very casual manner.
Today the sky is grey and dim as we begin our 3rd term of the school year, but it did not stop the kids from taking Jack-the-dog down to the ocean before breakfast for a swim. I was concerned that Jack would fret moving here, he had free reign of the land where we lived previously and spent many an hour roaming the red dirt for kangaroo bones to chew, or chasing live ones as they bounded across his path. However, he is a
So here at last we hope to stay…our final harbour. I will not have trouble getting used to this life!
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Jul. 17, 2007 - The 40 hour countdown!
40 is such a great number. For me it has always symbolised the end of a time of trial, a time of waiting, a time of growth.
Right now we are at 40 hours and counting...counting down to the moment we drive through the gates of Tardun for the last time and set our compass for another adventure! This move is the one we hope to make our last, the move where once we arrive we get that gut feeling that this is plot of earth our life roots are meant to push down into, strong and deep. That has been our prayer, and our hope.
Cleaning and packing has taken up most of the last week, though regular breaks to walk out back and drink in once more the stark desert view has left me with mixed emotions. The land here is beautiful in its barreness, offering me endless hours of private walks where my mind was nourished by the silence the outback offers the lone wanderer. It is that which I shall miss. I am a creature who desires time alone to ponder, pray and refocus, so having these bush tracks invite me daily to spend time exploring them has been an intimate gift, a very tangible gift, of God's grace.
Our new home is by the Great Southern Ocean, and the walks that will entice and refresh me will be along the sea shore - such a different view than here, but I am ready for the call of crashing waves once again. I have missed the salt water assailing my senses, something I spent the first 32 years of my life taking for granted. In just 5 days time my footprints will mark white sands and the start of our newest life chapter will begin....I can't wait.
Prayers for safe travel and good health are always gratefully accepted. See you when I'm there!
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Jul. 4, 2007 - We're on the move again!
At the moment we are cleaning and packing, eating our stores of frozen goods and perishables, waiting for the big day to arrive when, with dog in tow, we begin the 1400 kilometre drive south to our new home!
Hubby begins his new teaching position on July 23rd, and our hopes are that Esperance will be the final stopping off point for this gypsy family. Did you know that the word esperance means 'hope'. That gives me goosebumps.
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