The follow up...

I know you can’t see me, but trust me – right now I am looking very, very, attractive. My nose is a delicious apple red colour that has skin about to peel off; the dark circles under my eyes, along with the bloodshot red in them, are combining to make the irises a startling shade of aqua and the razor like ribbons that are in my throat are giving my voice a tone which is about as sensuous as that of a husky dog that’s mad because she hasn’t eaten properly in a while.
Can you tell I’m not so happy about having the flu but that I’m trying to look on the lighter side? I felt very silly (not to mention clichéd) about the fact that yesterday afternoon as I was queuing up at Franklins all that my basket had in it was soothers (butter menthol and blackberry), cold and flu tablets, packets of chicken noodle soup and aloevera tissues (and for the record, after you go through a box full I don’t think the aloevera’ness of them makes that much of a difference!).
Last night after a nasty bought of coughing, puffy eyes and running nose, I caught myself saying “it’s not fair” - mostly just because I hate getting sick like this, and I hate the fact that because of my silly lungs it seems to happen more often than other people and I resented working really hard on a seminar on ‘prayer’ and then not being able to give it.

But then I realised the touch of irony that this should happen right after my last post about ‘contentment’. Is He giving me the opportunity to put my words into practice? I think so…

In reflection about this I was reminded about a seminar that I wrote for staff eQuip a couple of months ago. It was on contentment, specifically the Phil 4:11 passage that I mentioned last post. And the thing that stood out to me then, as it does now, is that the apostle Paul stresses that he has learnt the secrete of being content. This is a discipline, like all other aspects of godliness, which must be exercised and worked upon. It isn’t something that we should expect to come easily or naturally – after all, Paul wrote those words as an old man sitting in a cold prison cell after he had been beaten and almost killed numerous times for the faith.

So I am choosing to exercise the discipline of contentment in my life – even when I don’t really feel like it. Today shall not be a day or opportunity that is wasted. Here is my aim for the day and hopefully my encouragement for you – if your name is in the address book of my mobile then know that at least one other person has been praying for you (individually) today.


On another note here are a couple of photos from Stacey and Nick’s engagement party on Sunday arvo. It was a lovely celebration – nice and low key because of Stace’s instance that there were no speeches or balloons (although someone seemed to break the rules and sneak three balloons above the cake!). Congratulations guys!



And some new photos from Cathy and Lachlans wedding are in flickr too