Blog Break Time...

Tomorrow is the first of December. Summer. School holidays. Vacation care. Christmas.

Then it will be January. New Year. More school holidays. More vacation care. Then back to work. Then back to school.

So, to cope with December and to prepare for January, I'm taking a blog break. I have a house to clean. Bible studies to finish. Books to read.

Until then, may you all have a beautiful Christmas remembering our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And keep safe and well.

Can You Say "Holiday"?!?!?

Photo Source

Oh yeah! I'm on holiday! And it's for 2 weeks! Alas, I won't be sitting on a pristine white beach sipping mocktails in my swimmers. What I will be doing is spending 2 wonderful weeks with my mother who is visiting from interstate and my daughter! A '3gen' holiday! And I am excited, as is my little girl.

I have some cool posts scheduled (well, I hope you will think they're cool!) over the next 2 weeks. Some posts will require your feedback, and some will introduce you to some new bloggers! I'm looking forward to checking back in to see how you're all doing!

It's That Time of the Year...

Well, I'm not going to the beach for swimming, but for strolling and beach-combing. It will be way too cold for swimming where I'm going!

So...time to say farewell for a few weeks. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

Look Up and Live!

While on holiday in Tasmania I did a lot of thinking about where God fits in my life, and where He would fit into the lives of others. I thought a lot about how I lived my life over the last twenty plus years and I am very thankful that I am now walking back with God.

After thinking about the place that God should have in my life, I realised that He should be my number one focus. It’s so easy to get side-tracked by what is in front of us instead of seeking God first. I am guilty of not putting Him first, but I am constantly reminding myself that while what I do here on earth is important, it’s not the be-all and end-all of my existence.

My contemplation brought me to have the following thoughts:

Every day should start with the Word, even if it’s just a verse to meditate on during the day. This will allow for the Word to enter and stay in our heart before an extended quiet time when the day allows. Quiet time IS important, so even making an appointment with God daily is one way to make sure that HE gets your focus!

Every thought needs to be a right thought. This means vetting our thoughts. As my dear dad has said, “don’t even think a negative thought; keep them positive.” Our minds need to be re-trained to exclude negative thoughts. If a negative thought does come, put it in check and get rid of it. One way to do this is by placing a biblical slant on it. If it’s something that is from God, then it’s OK. If not then it must go!

Every word we speak should be able to come out of Jesus’ mouth. If it doesn’t, then we must not say it. Our words should encourage, edify and exemplify. The tone of our voice is important, as is our choice of words, and that includes swearing/cursing.

Every action must have an eternal focus on it. While what we do, ie work, house-keeping, etc, is important, these things are immaterial compared to our eternal focus. However these things can be used to glorify Him. We must not let these things become idols and take over our lives and consume all our time. On the flip-side, everything we do is for HIM as our actions are our example of Jesus.

Our thoughts, words and actions are all linked together. One manifests itself into the other and has an effect on how we live. Each moment of every day is an opportunity to live the joy filled life that God has planned for us. He has EVERYTHING under control; we just need to trust Him and give ourselves over to Him.

The world is constantly changing...our lives are constantly changing; but every change brings the certainty that we are one step closer to eternity with Him. What we do with our lives (thoughts, words and actions) and the changes we encounter is up to us. We can let life’s circumstances rule how we spend our time and how we think, and with what we say and do, or we can trust Him.

God is good, faithful, loving and, most importantly, our focus. Look up and live!

(The above photo was taken by me on Somerset Beach, Tasmania facing west towards Wynyard and Table Cape.)

Bon Voyage...

Tomorrow Jasmine and I are venturing to my home state to visit with my family for my 40th birthday, which is next Thursday! Did I type 'next Thursday'...I meant NEXT THURSDAY! Yes, I am a tad excited by it all!

I woke in the early hours (2am to be exact only to return to sleep at approximately 4am) with a sore throat, aching face and chest and the depressing thought that I have a cold...again! I had only just recovered a couple of weeks back from a cold/virus/horrible "keep me away from work thingie" that I picked up at the end of March. So, today I have been trying to rest while also packing suitcases for Jasmine and I to head to a cold climate!

I am about to enjoy some decaf black tea, pop some headache tablets and take more allergy/head cold medicine and pray that I can sleep!

I shall bid blogland a loving farewell for a brief duration and will return in a couple of weeks!

A Fast Year...

The year 2009 is almost over and it's been a full year with Jasmine at school. She enjoyed her first year at school after a shaky start, and also started dancing classes, and completed a couple of smaller after school activities involving athletics and tai kwon do. The school also has a learn to swim program, which, despite tears at the swim carnival, was enjoyed.

Our Christmas holiday is halfway over and we will soon return to normalacy. The weather has been hot, cool, humid and rainy, so our holiday activities have been somewhat limited. I've enjoyed some time at home alone with Jasmine holidaying with her paternal grandmother. We've been to the flicks, had some visitors, and will be having a trip into the city and the state library tomorrow.

All fun stuff and memories for my girl and I.

"A daughter is a gift of love." - Author Unknown

A New Season...

Today begins a new season for me. Not only am I on a "Mummy holiday" for the next week but I am also taking a Facebook holiday. In the last week or so I have removed myself from various areas in cyberspace, so Facebook is the next logical step. As I am connected with many friends and my family there, I don't want to delete myself permanently, so I am deactivating my account for a little while instead.

Psalm 119:37 tells me to "Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." (NIV)

While my friends and family on Facebook are not worthless, the time I spend on it sometimes is. So, I am going back to His Word so I can utilise my time (His time!) better in the here and now. He tells us in many places in the Bible how to utilise our time.

1 Peter 1:13 reminds us to prepare ourselves for action and be self-controlled. Colossians 3:2 is an instruction to keep our mind on heavenly things, not earthly things.

The most important piece of wisdom comes from Proverbs 4:23 - "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (NIV)

The enemy uses many diversions to get us away from God and His purpose for us. Facebook is one of these diversions. We all know what the others are, and I am guilty as charged at spending a few hours too many watching DVDs instead of spending my time with God. And it’s not only God who I need to be spending more time with; it’s other people also; my daughter, my sweetie, friends and family, and me. By me, I mean just having alone time by going for a walk, reading a book, sitting by the ocean admiring His wonders, and so on.

Our God loves us, and He wants us to utilise our time to the best of our ability. Our purpose is for Him. This new season will be the start of something good.

An Insect's Eye View...

This photo was taken at my friend Gina's house in Westbury, Tasmania. I set the camera on macro and took a quick snap and this is the end result. I love how it's blurry then clear, but not in any order. It's completely random, and makes me think that this might be what an insect would see being this close to the flowers. I wonder...

Two Sleeps To Go...

Hi to my blogland friends!

I thought I'd drop in and say hi before I knuckle down and really get ready for my holiday to Tasmania. The above photo is of me, of course, and behind/above me is the Brisbane Eye. It was set up for the 20th anniversary of Expo '88 and is set to hang about at Southbank for a while yet. I'm going to have a ride on it with Jasmine after we return from our trip.

Speaking of, the last week or more has been a tough couple for me, so I'd like to ask if you could say a prayer for me for not only a safe journey for Jasmine and I to Tasmania, but also that I can be relieved of the heavy burdens that I seem to be carrying at present.

Being a solo parent to a very switched on 4 and a half year old, plus working full-time, living away from a family support network, and also feeling the strain of a long distance relationship, I seem to be a tad overwhelmed of late. I know that God is looking after me, but I also know that I must rely on Him more for my strength. I cannot do it alone.

So until I post next, keep safe and know that you will all be in my thoughts.