for those who don't want to just wait it out

like the song says this is a blog for someone who wants to say something (anything) and who's happy to wait and see what time will bring...

Monday, November 27, 2006

It's play time...

Tonight i hit the town with Tim Goldsmith, who (little legend that he is!) helped teach me how to play with my new camera and get some more out of my shots. I was getting the hang of it by the end - here's one of my favourites that i thought i'd share...


Don't we live in a pretty city?

Friday, November 24, 2006

Please Welcome...

Gemma Grace Keighley.

Although she was born three weeks ago, I just got to met her yesterday and she is adorable! Jeff and Naree, you have produced a truly beautiful little girl.

And can I just add - it is slightly scary when you get to that age in life when a lot of your friends are having babies. But I guess that's the good thing about them belonging to friends - these ones I can hand back to the owners when necessary!

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Yesterday was one of those days that you pray will come along - and when it does it just sort of throws you for a loop.

So my friend "M" has been back in town, from London, for a little while (actually she flew back to London today so time has been a little too rushed!). We first met a few years ago doing makeup together. All my makeup friends know that I'm a Christian and are usually pretty happy talking to me and asking questions about it from time to time. But when "M" called and said she wanted to catch up over a coffee and chat - well let's just say that I didn't expected it to be quite so directed.

Long story short - M was in London for the bombings last year, and was supposed to be on one of the buses, but wasn't because she had just quite her job the day before. Since then she said she's been thinking about 'spiritual' things - why should she not have died or escaped that situation. M came back to Sydney for a break and met up with an old friend of hers (who I have also met before) - named N (ok - I know the initials are a little annoying but keep trying to follow, it's important for me to protect their privacy). After a late night of talking they realised that they have a lot in common, a lot of hard life experiences that have meant that they feel a 'spiritual connection' to each other. In their own way they love each other and their connection meant that they decided to get married. It's important to know at this time that when I met N, he was actively pursuing a gay lifestyle.

Their marriage is a sexless 'spiritual' one (as well as now legal). In M's words they are on a spiritual journey together. Which is why she wanted to speak to me and ask questions. She has felt the presence of evil in her life and so is on a quest to find the truth.

I sat and listened for a while, all the time praying for God's wisdom to know how to answer her questions and try and point her in the way of The Truth. After a basic gospel presentation I told her that I believe that (along with our own rebellion) evil (Satan) wants to pull us away from God and confuse our questions. We talked for ages and somehow I started talking about CS Lewis' book "The Screwtape Letters" (for those who haven't read it it's fictional piece written from the perspective of a snr devil to a jnr devil trying to tempt a Christian away from following Jesus - it's brilliant, go and get it if you haven't already read it). M was really interested in it and said she's track it down to read. After some more chatting, and more questioning I asked her if she'd be interested in going to a Christian bookshop then to go and get some books for her to read. Expecting that she's say know, I was stunned when she looked at me and said, "Really, you'd have time to take me?" (you better believe I was going to make time!)

We left Koorong with a bible, Screwtape Letters, A Case for Faith, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, essays debating the claims of Darwin vs Lewis and a couple of others. It was great. She kept on walking around saying that she never imagined that there could be so many books written about it, and wondered at how, unlike many other 'religions' Christianity is free to be questioned, challenged and investigated - that I/we could follow a God who is big enough to be questioned...

For those of you reading who are praying people can I please ask you to join me in praying for her - praying that God and His Holy Spirit will help her in her search for the Truth. That she wont be swayed by other human arguments but by His Word. Actually, maybe that's a good prayer for the rest of us too.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Wandering around the shops today, there was something profoundly wrong with the fact that i heard christmas carols - surely it's to early???

Sunday, November 12, 2006

It's been a bit of a long week. A few end of year things at Credo have taken up some emotional energy - saying some goodbyes have been harder than what I thought as has trying to help people in the process of reflecting on the year that they've had and how they have grown in spiritual maturity...both have required more than at time I thought I could give.

Added to that was the 6 or so hours I spent on google trying to find out what the link is between gingerbread houses and Christmas, and why we put them together for evangelistic events (if anyone knows pls tell me, my 6 hours of typing and reading didn't give me a reason only a history lesson!) So when I got to CCSI's gingerbread event on Thursday night to MC I was a little apprehensive as to if I would have enough energy, but it seemed to flow ok. The night itself was a hoot - I got to wander around and watch all sorts of women (including my mum) playing with bags of icing sugar and all sorts of sweet decorations. (NB - this is what the gingerbread houses could have looked like - but didn't)

Friday night I was speaking at a gingerbread event, for a church that I don't have any connection to, which I can sometimes find a little hard but I was feeling all ok when I started out the front door. Then I got in the car and turned on the ignition (not the engine) - funny thing about not having a handbrake on properly; turns out that cars can roll down hills, and through a metal gate and almost down an embankment in my garden... so I wasn't in the calmest state arriving to the church hall that night. The cars a bit scratched up, and the gate probably needs to get replaced, but praise God that was the worst of it!

Add to that a day of make-up eventing in the city, a late night playing poker (thanks to the boys for inviting me along as the token chick) - all made this a nice Sunday to hang by the pool or on the couch having nanna naps. Now I'm set for another Monday.

Friday, November 03, 2006

The Festivities: Day 2

It's official. Never again will I have a birth day - from now on a birth festival is the only way to go and I encourage everyone to embrace this philosophy! Thanks for the calls and well wishes - I think some people may have been a little surprised that I answered my phone by singing happy birthday to myself, but you get that...
Dinner last night was great, and the company was a lot of fun! Thanks to my mum and Penny (pictured) as well as the waiters who took the pictures and sent over the free drinks!


This morning was a somewhat rude awakening as I hit the gym for a session with Eva (the wonderful woman whose been helping me shape up) and felt as though my limbs were going to explode. But as always I felt better for having put some physical discipline in my life.
The highlight of the day though was going up to Gosford late this arvo and seeing Poppy sitting up in his bed, moving his left side and cracking jokes with the nurses as we got him cups of tea. It's the simple beauty of touch sometimes that makes the difference. I heard from my parents that he was doing better, but to see it for myself, to have him squeezing my hands was more precious than anything.
The festivities will officially conclude tomorrow night with the 'Credo/CS' end of year formal acting as my unofficial birthday party. Now if only I could get the 100 or so students going to remember to bring me presents...

Thursday, November 02, 2006

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME...

Ah yes, the festivities have well and truly begun! I'm learning from my sister that birthday's shouldn't be limited to a 24hr time frame, so I'm determined to enjoy mine for as long as I can!
It started last night after bible study when I raced home and, facing the prospect of not getting presents until tonight I insisted on opening some - why go without pressies all day if you don't have to?
The highlights so far have been going to 'bills' for breakfast in Darlinghurst with Emma and Annemarie (thanks esp going to AJ for taking the time off work to come as a surprise for me) and then getting home just now to find this lovely bouquet of flowers waiting on my door step - some of my favorites, sunflowers, irises and best of all, peonies! (sorry about the average photos but that's what you get from a ph camera!)
Tonight I'm off to Balmain for a girly gourmet Indian dinner with my mum and Penny. I love the place that we're going to (sorry, forgot it's name) - they let you draw on the table as well as having the most amazing dishes...
What will tomorrow's festivities bring???