Lord, thankyou for...???

I spent most of yesterday morning whinging to people about my crappy last few days. Then I went to one of my UTS small groups and we looked together at the set study, Psalm 23. Interestingly it seemed as though most people in the group where in a similar Jobian (ie "why me?") type of mood - so Psalm 23 was exactly what we needed to look at the see the providential hand of the Lord in caring for His people. The structure of the passage follows a 'He', 'me', 'You Lord' pattern - all the time emphasising God as the initiating, guiding, protecting and providing shepard.
It got me thinking about all the things that I am thankful to the Lord for. So I set some time aside this morning to sit down with a cuppa and write down every little thing that I am thankful for. In 30 mins I had filled up 4 A4 pages - and I have the impression that I haven't done my 'thanks Lord list' justice.
For those of you who read this who call on the name of Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, can I suggest that you maybe take some time to do the same yourself - and then proceed to bring them to Him in praise? If you feel the urge, maybe encourage each other by leaving a comment about a couple of the things that you're thankful to Him for here...


one of the things I was/am thankful for is the beauty of colour in creation - it's one of the things I love about autumn. Walking down my drive way this morning I looked up and saw all the leaves changing - just thought I'd share a little of my home with you.
Tonight is a big night - the Biggest Loser finale and reunion special is on! I have been addicted to this show since the beginning - the dedication that these people have shown to changing their lives just amazes and stupifies me! I can't wait! It's going to be so exciting!!!

Happy Days

I'm back. There were highs and a couple of lows. Actually really just the one low which came while visiting Nimbin. Ever been there? I have never been offered so many drugs in my life! The place is known for it - the 2 or 3 cops who are there turn a blind eye to it. Everywhere I went I was offered pot, mushrooms or hash cookies. The most depressing moment came for me when one woman approach me and offered me her supplies with her 4 yr old daughter in toe. This is all that these people live for - to escape reality and the world that they have come to know. Where is their hope? Where is their joy? Where is their comfort? In something that burns up and fades away after a few minutes.


They say (whoever those confounded people are that no-one can ever name!) that a picture paints a thousand words - so I thought I'd sum it up for you in photos. If you have the time and the inclination to put your words to my little holiday, as well as read a few more of my own, then feel free to click on the flicker box, then jodi's sets, then the ones that say ballina/byron.

but I shall leave you with one...


and you thought driving in a cast was hard!

Full and filled with the spirit

Since Thursday I've spent most of my time encamped at Elanora Heights Conference centre. 'Credo' has been on it's annual Easter Time Convention (ETC) and so about 100 of us have spent the long weekend pouring over the scriptures and looking the Holy Spirit. It's been great - why is this a part of the trinity that we (seem to) neglect so much? One thing that's come out of it was a clarification for me: a presumption that I've always had (quite incorrectly) is that giftedness = godliness - yet when we looked at the Corinthian church I realised that some of the most spiritually "gifted" people are also some of the ones that the apostle Paul calls the most ungodly. In my own life I've always accepted that the HS plays a vital role in my salvation and maturity (obviously) but I've not longed with the same yearning for the spirit as I have for other Christian virtues.
Like a child playing with the mud (for those who know Lewis) I am too easily satisfied - when there is so much more on offer. This is going to change...


on to other things - ever had one of those places that you just love going to - that seems like a second home because you're so comfortable there? Ballina is one of those places for me (20 mins south of Byron for those who haven't been there). It's the home of my favorite cafe's (Sirocco's), the big prawn, and my friends Jeff and Naree. So tomorrow morning I am booked on flight JQ 166 to go and spend almost a week up there. I'm counting the hours...

and here are a few other random things that I've counted this week


number of easter eggs or bunnie eaten: none (yet)
number of weddings attended: 1
number of casts I've been in: 3
number of hours in hospital: 20
number of times I've wanted to scratch under the cast but can't: 27
number of close calls I've had while driving a manuel with my right hand: not telling
number of times I wish they'd given me a waterproof cast when thinking about Ballina: about a million
number of times I wish I hadn't fallen down those damn stairs: infinite

Lucy...

Why are some of my most entertainig moments happening on trains this week? I shared a moment with a stranger this morning. A funky fun twenty something stranger. Her name was Lucy (at least that was the name on her necklace). We were a few seats apart and on a diagonal. After most of the carriage emptied itself of the bustling workers at Town Hall, there sat between us two girls. There was the silence of an early morning except for their chatter about their respective weekends which revolved around the dilemmas that they had faced whilst shopping. "I bought so much junk... It was all on sale... The only jeans that are out at the moment are skinny ones... It's not fair!"

Lucy and I were looking at them, looked up and then sheepishly realised that we'd both been eavesdropping on these strangers. We smiled at each other, looked away; looked back and smiled at each other all over again. Both getting up at central, Lucy came alongside me and whispered conspiratorially:
(Lucy) "And to think, we used to be just like them once".
(me) "I know! Don't you wish you could go back to when skinny jeans were your biggest problem?"
>insert laughter from both of us<
(Lucy) "you have a great day"
(me) "yeah you too. bye"

Well i thought it was nice... how often do you have those moments with strangers in an often cynical and isolated world?

PS: from my vantage seat this morning I witnessed three guys give up their seats and two step aside - all for the girls. The girls smiled and accepted their offers. My faith in chivalry is being restored!

a little rant...

Another seemingly wasted day in a hospital waiting room (that was most of last Thursday too). Now my arm is in a cast - for a few hours today it was in a full cast, then they changed their minds so now half of it is.
But here is my real thought for today: where are all the gentlemen? Is chivalry really dead? Catching the train home this afternoon was a bit of an eye-opener. There I was (rather obviously in pain) fat cast poking out of a big blue sling and struggling to hold on to my bag. On the train and looking for a seat in a full carriage when I spotted two guys, legs sprawled out over two seats, which of course would be the only ones left... I pondered what to do for a minute as I was trying not to lose my balance while these young punks just stared at me. Fed up I gave in to impatience and said "do you think that you could make room?" they actually grunted at me before one of them relented and moved over.

what's going on? Are guys afraid of treating girls like girls? Where are the opening of doors? Getting up so little old ladies (or pregnant women or girls in a cast) can have a seat? Will the real men of this world please stand up and be gentlemen?!

just one of those days i guess

Ok - so this has not been the best morning. I forgot to set my alarm last night - so, inevitably, I woke up at about 8:50, ten minutes before my first small group was supposed to start at UTS. That was just not going to happen this week. So, I rush around my house getting myself ready and also making sure the place looks good in case any real-estate people want to come through. Race up the stairs...realise I left something down stairs...run half way back down them (for those of you who know yes I'm talking about my spiral staircase) and then fell down the rest of them. One minute I was upright, the next, I was hard on my butt at the bottom bawling my eyes out in pain.
bashed my elbows (especially the left one) and busted my left wrist. The ligament is strained and there's a possibility that I've popped some small disc that's in there somewhere... ggggrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and these exclamation points are warranted!)
so it got me thinking - let's see whose broken or fractured the most things. Here's my list (bottom to top):


2 toes
chipped bones on both ankles (inside and out)
fractured left knee
fractured left hip
broken one rib, fractured another
broken one knuckle on my right hand (he deserved that punch though)
left arm - four breaks all at the same time (2 bones, 2 breaks each)
fractured both collarbones
fractured 2 vertebrae in my neck
and did you know that there's a bone in between your two top teeth? Done that one too...

anyone think they can do better? I drink lots of milk, maybe I'm just too adventurous or too clumsy

my band of brothers...

Can my weekends be getting any better at the moment? For someone who has worked for most of her weekends since 14, I am reveling in something that a lot of my peers have taken for granted for a long time - weekends off. I've had the last 2 completely off from doing any Saturday makeup jobs, and I am loving them! This morning saw Penny and I woolfing down scrambled eggs, steamed flat mushrooms & crispy bacon on sour-dough bread as we caught up at New Orleans Cafe in Crows Nest. Next I was off to the greens of Bobbin Head road to watch the first game of the season for the Emerald Greens A6 team followed swiftly by racing back to Lane Cove to watch the firsts of A4 play. And it was wins all round! 3-0, 5-0 and 5-1; these guys were on fire! So I am shamelessly ripping off their logo created (I think) by Lachlan (hope that's ok lunch?) in order to promote them to people outside of the CCSI circle (next time I'll take my own photos but dad has the camera this weekend).

I'm going to call them the band of brothers from now on - cos that's why I go to support them. One well intentioned co-watcher/cheerer today asked me which special one in particular I was there to watch (ie a boyfriend?), to which I somewhat sheepishly responded that they're all special - they're my brothers in Christ. On his blog, Lachlan asked the question "can there be fellowship in football?" - and I think the answer is yes. In paraphrase, Psalm 133 says:

How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
Like precious oil poured on the head...
For there the Lord bestows His blessing,
even life evermore

But more than us living in unity together (and yes I am aware that I've slightly just called myself one of the boys - a phrase that I detest for girls!) and having fun together - here is a great time and chance for God's community to be growing together and witnessing to others. So I shall keep going and cheering and screaming and jumping up and down like a mad woman (something that I am now paying for as it hurts to talk, I think I've thrown my neck out and I have an overly pink face courtesy of the late afternoon sun). But now I get to relax tonight with a good movie, a heat pack for my neck, a glass or two of my favourite red, my fluffy pink slippers and comfiest trackies - I wish the same simple pleasures on you all!