An Award From a Beautiful Blogger...

I have been blessed by my LOVELY friend and fellow Princess Warrior Chick, Jo from Princess Warrior Lessons, with a Beautiful Blogger Award. Thank you Lovely Lady...you are a treasure! And I do love this award as it SO suits my blog page design (these things ARE important, you know).

So, here are the rules for the "Beautiful Blogger Award":

Thank and link to the person that gave you the award! CHECK
Pass this award on to 15 fantastic bloggers you’ve recently discovered. I would CHECK but it's getting late...I need sleep...and I don't think that I could pick 15 as every blog I read deserves this award!
Contact the Bloggers and let them know they’ve won. CHECK, but pass (see above).
State 7 things about yourself for all to see. CHECK

Here goes...my 7 things for all to see!

1. I was once a state level BMX rider.

2. I am the middle child, black sheep and only girl in my family, besides my lovely mummy, that is.

3. I am scared of grasshoppers.

4. I have to eat sweets/lollies/candy/cookies/biscuits in even numbers. I can hear the word 'freak' being uttered even as I type this, but that's cool as I know I am 'odd'. ;-)

5. I am scared of the dark and am also claustrophobic.

6. I failed craft class in school but can now knit, sew, embroider, cross-stitch, crochet, quilt, etc, etc, etc.

7. My absolute favourite flower is a pale pink old fashioned and delightfully scented rose.

Once again, THANK YOU JO! It is an honour to be your friend!

Accepting the Exception...

The exception to the rule, that is. I am zapped and it's only Tuesday! Why does it feel like Friday? Is it because first thing Monday morning when I rocked into work I was asked questions within what seemed like a split second of putting my bag on my desk? It is because for the last few days I've had to deal with a maturing 5 (nearly 6) year old who tests my patience no end? Is it because the weather has been so crazy with heat then rain that my poor fibromyalgia-effected body doesn't know whether it's coming or going?

It is all of the above and more, with the more being tonight me making a faux pas of not monumental measure, but enough to make me feel a tad foolish. And no, don't anyone ask me to repeat the tale, as for me it's a very valuable lesson.

Matthew 11:28 tells us that when we are weary and heavy-laden, we are to come to the Lord. So, that is exactly where I'm going once I finish this post. To the One who will take me under His wings and protect me from the terror of the night (yes, I am afraid of the dark) and shield me from the fiery arrows of the enemy during the day.

I'm going to use this post as my Word List post for the week, and also fit in my 24 in 2010 scripture verse and a blog prize and more, so here goes...

My scripture memory verse for the 15th of this month is Psalm 34:4 -

I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

I was feeling fearful yesterday after calling my real estate agent to see whether or not my lease had been renewed. I asked my wonderful friend Jo Princess Warrior to pray for me. Not only did she pray but she also sent me some 'medicine', being Psalm 34:4-5 from the New Living Translation (and yes, my lease has been renewed for another 6 months with only a small monetary increase!). Wonderful words of comfort and promise that instantly calmed my nerves and made the fear leave. (Please see Extravagant Grace for some wonderful verse buttons from Philippians!)

Speaking of the lovely Jo, she gave me a 'When Life Gives You Lemons...Set Up A Lemonade Stand' award today. I am blessed! So, to bless some others I would like to give this award to my lovely blog friends Lelia at Write From The Heart, Paula at His Ways ... Are Not Our Ways, and Heather at On The Road ...Walking With Jesus. These are all ladies who have taken the lemons of life and most definitely turned them into sweet tasting lemonade! And their lemonade, sweetened by the grace and ongoing comfort of God, has helped to heal me and help me in many areas of my life!


I want to also bring attention to the lovely Christy's blog, Critty Joy. She has come up with a new concept called 'Pouring Out' and I love it! The concept is that for one week a month she will give readers a few challenges and then at the end of the week we can post on them. Well, this week has presented two challenges - writing a letter and making a phone call. Sounds pretty simple, but how often do you do it? Please check out Christy's Pouring Out challenges here. I am behind the eight-ball already on them, but I WILL take up the challenge.


So, that is my 'accepting the exception' blog post, which I thought was going to be small but isn't, hehe. Another exciting thing to report is that my little cherub has her first loose tooth! I am happy yet sad as it means that my precious little girl is growing up! I love her to bits, and the love grows every day despite the developing of my patience!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessings of Your Word, the friends You have sent my way, the honour of being 'Mummy' to my precious little girl, and for helping me to work out the reason behind my faux pas tonight. I thank You for all that You do for me. In Jesus' Wonderful Name, Amen.



(PS: Please check out my post below on Saigon the circus elephant.)

Just Call Me Joseph...

Yes, please do! Because I have done what Joseph did with Potiphar’s wife. I have fled from a situation that was not good. The situation was one that provided love, promise and a future. But God stepped in and opened my eyes to something new. Why did He do that? Because I asked Him to, and because, like with Joseph, when troubles arose I stayed in the presence of God, which in turn enabled God to speak to me.

Now, I’m not saying that running from a situation is the right response in all circumstances, but it was in Joseph’s case, and I truly believe that it was in mine. Joseph ended up getting caught and unjustly thrown into prison, but that was where he was able to dwell in the presence of God and he grew for God. My situation is not one where I can be caught and thrown into a physical prison like Joseph, but there is a flip side to the similarities. If I don’t dwell in the presence of the Lord and grow for Him, I AM going to be caught and held in prison. The prison that is my people pleasing and co-dependent ways; the prison I have lived in for the last twenty years.

God has been speaking a lot to me over the last 7 months about my life. On the outside I appeared to have been living the life that God wants (and I had been trying to!), but deep down on the inside, behind closed doors, I had not been living the life that I know God wants for me. And I have felt it! Man oh man, have I felt it! The emotional pain that I have endured over the last 7 months has been immense. But I have endured it as I have remained in the presence of God, despite my shortcomings and my sins.

But, a new season is upon me! A weight has been lifted and I am free to be the person that God pre-destined. Yes, this means that I have given my life over to God; He is my focus and He is who I am going to cling to as I journey with Him on this next phase. It seems that as my fortieth birthday approaches I am getting closer to arriving at my promised land and exiting the wilderness that I have aimlessly been wandering in.

Yesterday I wrote a list of what I will do from now on:

I will not settle for less than what God intends for me
I will not bend God's rules to suit my wants
I will not disrespect God's Word by picking and choosing what to follow just to make another person happy
I will learn more about God my Father
I will discover more about Jesus my Saviour
I will quieten myself to hear more from the Spirit my Comforter
I will be all that God knows me to be
I will not participate in any 'Kevin' type behaviour*

So basically I will focus on these things to keep me on the journey that I know God wants me to be on. No more bending the rules to please myself or another. No more letting my human side dictate what I should be doing with my life. No more settling for less than what I deserve!

Joseph knew that his purpose was to do God’s Will. I have spent the last twenty years doing my will, and while I have been so blessed with so many people and things, it has kept me in the wilderness. God has sustained me during this time and His presence has always been near, but I have been too busy doing my own “thang”, thinking that the way the world sees life and relationships is what will complete me! Wrong!

I now have a feeling of peace in my heart and my mind (which for me is SO important given the state of it!), and I know for certain that running from the situation that I was in, fleeing from the pain, hurt, incrimination, humiliation, and the feelings of disgust I felt for myself, and more, was what I had to do. I’m not likely to be thrown into a physical prison like Joseph, but if I don’t stick close by God I will get put into a prison of stagnation by my own doing.

Interestingly enough, I just checked my inbox while waiting for Bible Gateway to load and I read this from Joseph Prince in a devotional email:

“The Battle Is The Lord’s

2 Chronicles 20:15 “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

When faced with a problem or challenge, we tend to ask ourselves, “What am I going to do?” And well-meaning family members and friends will come along and ask, “What are you going to do?””

How apt is that?! Amazingly apt! My battle is not mine, it is the Lord’s. The repercussions of my situation are the Lord’s. I cannot reason or rationalise about the situation, so I will leave it to the Lord to sort out. Amazing stuff!

I will end this ridiculously long post with what the benefit is to remaining in the presence of God:

“...the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” – Genesis 39:23 (NIV)

Success...success in the Lord!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for finally opening my eyes up to the truth. Thank You for planting Your words into my heart and bringing Your truth to fruition. I promise to remain in Your presence and to live the life that You have planned for me. In Jesus’ Wonderful Name, Amen

*My sincere apologies to anyone named Kevin, or who knows and is related to a person named Kevin. This is a light-hearted and loosely used term that will prompt me to NOT look to a man to complete me!

(Image courtesy of BIBLE ART GALLERY.)

PS: I have truly been blessed today after a tumultuous week, when even my blogging abilities were made fun of; I've received a Best Christian Blog of the Week Award by cybeRanger. What an honour! All glory to God for this one!

Thank You for Love and Friendship...

My lovely friends Naomi from Among the Gum Trees and Jo from Princess Warrior Lessons blessed me with some blog awards a while back, and I have been very remiss in not posting them on my blog. And I have been very remiss for not thanking my dear friends for the awards, or for thinking of me. You both have already blessed me on your blogs previously (click here), so...thank you so very much ladies!

PS: As this is my second post for the day, please don't go leave until you've taken a peek at my earlier post from today on "Humbled by His Mother". You will be glad for the message, especially once you head over to Tracy Berta's page and read her post. Yes...blog hop time, but it will be worth it! Go...check it out...now!

PPS (21/12/08): Now, I'm not sure if I am the Paula (the joy of there being another Paula in blogland...Paula, Sweet Pea...love ya!) but I thought I'd add this award to my post that came from Naomi's page also. And even if I'm not 'the' Paula, the award pic is just what I'd like for Christmas, hehe.

Thank You and My Apologies...

First up, I want to say thank you to my lovely friend Jo from Princess Warrior Lessons who has awarded me with the above. Thank you so very much for this, you are a gem. I also want to say thanks to Naomi from Among The Gum Trees for tagging me in her reading blog.

Now, secondly, I'd like to send my apologies to these ladies for not reciprocating in their blog tags and to let them know that I do appreciate their kind gestures and thoughts.

The last week or two have gone by in a bit of a blur for me, so my posts have been sparodic and my thoughts have been even worse. I am heading to my home state and town in a few days for a week or so and I'm actually struggling with getting my packing done while also dealing with life in general (you know...work, child, etc, etc, etc).

So, to alleviate some of the pressure I made the decision just now to not stress about things, to let people know I'm thinking of them (thanks again ladies) and that while I will be keeping up with my online study offline I won't be posting much on here (if at all) for the next couple of weeks.

I will be back with a vengeance and look forward to catching up with all my blogland friends when I do.