Saturday, October 31, 2009
So very grateful!
Monday, October 26, 2009
soothing lullaby
I am grateful for a soothing song by Nickle Creek. It's very beautiful and it makes me feel like I sitting by a trickling riverbed. I have particularly appreciated this tonight as my computer has really played up and made about double the work of what it should have been! It has really helped to keep me calm (sigh) and for this I am extremely grateful.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Windows By the Bay
Splash
Well my grat for today, on this Sunny Saturday, is for a great swim at the local pool this morning. It is always so refreshing, fun and the kids always sleep so well afterwards LOL.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
145th post!
Sometimes I catch myself thinking that “it’s only easy to find things to be grateful for on the ‘good’ days” but so often I am reminded about how many things there are to be glad about on the hard days too.
Yesterday was one example where despite things totally not going to plan; I was clearly able to see acts of kindness, helpfulness and provision amongst it all.
I had to do the kinder run leaving at 8:10am, rush back to get the passports witnessed then go to the passport interview… that’s all but getting through all this was more of a challenge than I thought.
It started in the night with my almost one-year-old having a high temperature and vomiting on me by about 7am. Thankfully my precious father-in-law was able to drop my other son at kinder, which meant my little one could have an extra sleep. This made all the difference in him being able to sit through all the waiting of the next couple of hours. The passport lady was really kind and thankfully didn’t find fault in any of the forms (this was a huge load off my mind). The old lady at the bakery took a fancy to the children and gave us some free bread rolls. The doctor’s surgery near our temporary home is free/bulk billed for children, which is so different to our old one. They are really lovely there too and were so understanding as my little boy vomited again and was so unsettled. My husband then swapped around his day and took my daughter with him to do the kinder pick up and attend a parent-teacher interview. He then stayed out later and played with the two eldest at a park and brought dinner home with him!
So amongst the tears and sadness from my baby (I can call him that for another week!) there was also so much to be thankful for.
Andie
God spot
Every morning I sit out on my back deck, its not very big, but big enough for this fabulous day bed that I got (for a bargain!) last year. I sit and have breakfast out here. Sometimes I play some music; sometimes I just sit and listen to the birds. It's almost always sunny here (spoilt!) and I love just "being" here watching the banana palm trees sway. It's been like my little piece of paradise while I've been up here. I think I will miss this spot the most when I move on as it's been such a place of peace and refuge through this season. This morning I'm just sitting here with my coffee and thinking back of Gods provisions- like this one- refuge. It's so cool how looking back I can see how He's provided little gems like this to buoy me along the journey. My heart is bursting with gratitude this morning for these things. I'm praying that my next place has a spot like this- it's been so preciouus! :)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
$2 Tuesday
O.k so I a bit rushed tonight but I really wanted to grat quickly to say how thankful I am for a refreshing day "off" from playing my mum role today! My lovely hubby offered to have our 2 girls today so I could have some time to myself. I spent the day fluffing about and chatting with girlfriends uninterrupted which was such a treat! I even sat at the park for about an hour chatting and staring at the lake - sigh. It was delightfully relaxing and the weather was perfect for it too. I also wanted to grat about the bargains I got from the op-shop aswell. I managed to get 9 really funky tops for only $2 each wahooooooo!!!!!!! I took a punt and bought them and just tried them on and they all look great! So I have named today $2 Tuesday in honour of the fact that I also got 40 books in a kids series I love - all for $2...plus I nabbed some great bargains from the $2 shop this morning PLUS I got a movie on the way home becos tonight is $2 movie night at our local video shops HAHAHA!!!! Go figure?! All in one day - I love it!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Hanging in the desert
I finally understood my year of 2009. Its like it clicked. God has completely taken away everything or everyone that I used to lean on INSTEAD of Him. All year He has been saying to me, My love is enough. I am. I am enough. All year I've been trying ot get it. All year I've been trying to practise it, and well, to be honest friends, I've completely struggled. I've been closer to depression and all those nasty lonless things this year than I care to define. I never thought I'd be where I have been, emotionally and physically, this year. BUT you know what, I'm SO grateful for it. It's been unbeliveably tough, unbelieveably, BUT I see God in it. I see Him walking in this with me. I see Him steering the ship, and now- finally- I get it, in my heart. I get why I've been in the desert, and you know, I love it.
I know I'm out coming out of it because I feel myself wanting to stay there now- which sounds completely ridiculous I know!! but we are so close now- me and my God- I hear Him; I feel Him; we chat. That's what He's taught me in the desert. If i hadn't had all my vices stripped away; if I hadn't had 'poeple' let me down and not be around for me; If I didnt have to struggle with doing many things solo that I normally would have taken someone to, or had someone to help with, I wouldn't know the depth of Gods love for me. I just wouldnt be able to get it. I understand that now. I get Him. I'm so greateful for my desert season cause I know this now, and I KNOW that he is enough. Isn't that cool!!
This guy spoke last night, and all I could do was nod and go "yep, I get it". I finally understand that God loes me enough to let me go into the desert for a season to refine me; to refine 'us' and our relationship. That's such a privilege.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
So much love in the room...
Open wide come inside...
This grat is dedicated to my beautiful daughter who just turned 3! Wow what an amazing gift her life has been to me. She is such a cheeky cherub who I marvel in wonder at each and every day. The way she is learning how to structure new sentences, how on Thursday she couldn't hop and on Friday she could!! Man it melts my heart to watch how gentle and nurturing she is with her little sister. So many millions of things I love about her. She just sparkles and lights up my world. So today we celebrated her birthday with a play school party and all her little friends came to join in the activities I had planned. There are so many things I am grateful for it's hard to know where to start - p'haps with the weather which held off raining so that the kids could all have a great go at jumping on the new tramp...or p'haps that my 15 month old slept in till 8:45 am this morning (unheard of) allowing me some precious time to organise last minute things?! Well actually I think I will start with how grateful I am for such generous, loving and kind friends and family. From offers to help clean, bake and lend me things, thoughtful, creative and beautiful presents and simply their 'presence' on the day...I really am thankful for our friends and family both big and little. I feel so blessed to be able to share this special time with people I love and care about and who obviously love our little girl back!
SOLD!...or not
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wonderful warriors
I have this little network of what I've come to look at as "warriors" in my world. God, I am SO grateful for them. They journey with me through the ups and downs of the year thats been; we laugh together at life and I share their journies too. What a blessing it is to have them in my world. I am SO grateful! They never cease to amaze me with their kind words of encouragement, the little texts or the prayers of love and support. They are real and honest and faithful- they indeed show me the aspects of God, I really see the face of Jesus in them. What a priviledge.
I wish I could give you all a glimpse into my heart and see it exploding with love for them.
My prayer is that, in return, that i can be even half the friend that they are to me. They are such treasures!
Tam
Celebrating Life grat
My little sister has taught me a lot. She also keeps me accountable for so many things without even realising it. When I was pregnant for the first time, I started feeling fearful about all the things that could go wrong (the "what if....."s) but she helped me see that I could just be happy in the moment and enjoy my pregnancy while everything was going well. If something did go wrong, then I could face that if it happened.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Thai, cars and signs of hope
We got back from our walk, and after a challenging couple of days, I felt refreshed and had my head full of my "God music" that I played as I walked. My other neighbour, Terry was waiting at my front door. He gave me a slip of paper with one of his clients names on it- saying he was looking for a car! how cool, I only told Terry that I was selling my car in passing the other day as I re-told the story of the scammers. I'll ring the person today, and whos knows what will come of it. To be honest, it doesnt matter, what it reminded me is that we never know what's around the corner with God. It renewed my hope in tomorrow. Praise God!
Terry and I ended up going out for a bit of dinner (mmm thai...) which was such a blessing as we chatted and ate. Thanks God for all this.
Grateful for the family lunch we had today, where we went to my brothers Tafe and watched Andrew at work as he served up a yummy lunch for us. So grateful to see my brother getting excited about his hospitality course and having a dream to someday set up his own cafe.
Also grateful for Tupperware! Been selling heaps of it which means extra cash and a massive glory box full of Tupperware that I didn’t pay for!!
Also grateful for my new job that I start on Monday!! Yah!!! I’m so excited about it because it’s what I want to do, both business and IT and will be getting a salary higher than what I was on in my previous job!! There is no such thing as a bad economy with God! :)
Monday, October 12, 2009
What a MESS grat!
Grace
I've been trying to sell my car, and I very nearly got scammed last week, by a man posing to buy the car for his son. He was just setting out to rip me off. That's a long story girls, but again I found myself really disappointed and questioning why people do these things. A Christian acquaintance of mine up here, made some really nasty comments about me this past week with were really uncool, and again I found myself questioning why we do this to each other. Isn't it about love? grace? How disheartened I feel at all the selfishness, dishonesty and cruelty. How easy is it to get resentful of all this and become bitter. I so don't want to live like that. Lately I feel like I'm watching my own movie though with people just throwing stuff at me. It's been a real barrage of things just presenting themselves to me and I feel totally out of control watching all this occur in front of me. It's hard not to hold on to the feelings that this naturally brings up. Instead though, I'm choosing to turn it around. I'm praying for the scamming man! and the others that are doing these things. God reminds me that that none of us are perfect. I'm far from it so who am i to cast the first stone?
This year has been by far my roughest year (roll on 2010), but as I reflect on it I see God's steady hand with me. This morning in one of our 'conversations' He told me that He is here, and that He walks with me through every moment. He sees the disappointments and tears that others don't. He will never leave. How amazing is He that He still has time to care about lil old me! I think it's cool that He cares about the man who was trying to rip me off; about the friends who are unkind or the people who are not thoughtful. It reminds me that it's all about Him. None of us deserve grace, that's why it's grace.
So this long-winded grat and it's roundabout way it just that- I'm thankful for His unfailing love; for His grace and for His refining in times like these. Whilst it's hard to see at the time, I know that He is going to use all of these experiences for His purpose- so that's pretty cool.
tam
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Disorganised but still blessed
I am not the worlds most organised person and while I do have several good reasons for being this way, lets just say...I don't plan ahead efficiently like some of my close friends. No, you wont find me at the Toy sales in June buying up my Christmas presents early, nor will you find me tucked up in bed early the night before a big party I am hosting the next day. No...I am the gal who stays up till 4am desperately getting everything cooked, cleaned and decorated for the arrival of guests at 10am!!! Anyway the point I am trying to make here is that we have wanted to buy a either a trampoline or swingset for our daughter who will be 3 on Sunday, but despite my best attempts at getting to the shops, I missed out on the swingset that I really wanted (that was on special). Not only did they take the 'bargain' price off the item they added another $150 to the price!!!! Anyway all hope was lost or so I thought BUT 3 days before her birthday and all the big stores have started having sales on tramps and swingset again and wallaaa we have found ourselves a fantastic bargain for her birthday!!!!!!!!! Yes, I am disorganised but still blessed!!!
A moment in time
I am grateful for the opportunity I had to see my Grandpa again after not seeing him for far too long. He is getting really old and I had never had a chance to introduce him to my youngest daughter who is now 15 months. It was a bit touch and go as to whether I would be able to go due to my girls being sick but my doc gave us the all clear so off we went to visit along with all the cousins, aunt and uncle and grandparents! It was so lovely to have the chance to see him again and I was very grateful that there were lots of other adults around to help keep my kids entertained so I could have a chance to sit and talk with him. I have a real soft spot for Grandpa as he is just like a really old version of my Dad!
Perfume Grat
I have a few bottles of nice perfume but my favourite perfume ran out a couple of days ago and I began to wonder when I'd be able to justify buying myself some more.
Food grats...
I really didn't feel like heading out late to do the grocery shopping the other night in the rainy, cold Melbourne weather but I am grateful that my in-laws offered to stay up and babysit our sleeping children allowing my husband and I to do the shopping together!! This just never happens anymore so it was so much fun being out late and cruising round Coles finding bargains and chatting together. I know... how exciting is MY life LOL!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Two grats...
I am grateful for a really lovely weekend filled with fun and friends, it left me in very good spirits and reminded me of how blessed I am to be surrounded by so many amazing people!
I am also grateful for peace - and the chance to 'grow up' in such a blessed nation, with so many opportunities, not the least of which is freedom! How blessed I am to have this when so many other throughout history have not.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
closing doors
"step, bang, ...ouch, I guess that's a no then..."
Still, I'm thankful He does close some, it at least enables me to go "OK not there, right, next". and I'm sure He is preventing me from making mistakes too. Plus WHEN He does open one, I'll know and I'm looking forward to that day where He will confirm His presence and will.
Have a good week ladies :)