Shhhhhhh

I am thankful that both my children are asleep and my house is quiet!!

I mean I desperately love them...but I am still feeling like I have not caught my breath from doing the 42 hours I worked last week while caring my girls fulltime with no break!!!  As a result, my housework has spiralled out of control and the simple things have been seriously neglected, plus my girls have had to put up with a stressed out mummy which is no fun whatsoever for anyone. So here I am, enjoying the peace and quiet and the opportunity for my brain to listen to the thoughts in my head and regaining my all-so-important sanity!!!!

Mel

What did you say?!

Did you ever have that moment when you take a deep breath out and think you have finished something, only to abruptly realise about 2 hours later that you haven't?! Well this happened to me this morning and man did I feel discouraged! Having finished my massive submission to WW's corporate in the wee hours of the morning, I finally felt as if I could focus on cleaning my house and regaining some normality and composure to the chaos that is currently our house. BUT ALAS as I opened my emails this afternoon I saw it. Yes there it was, the email that said "Have you remembered your submission to Big W...it is also due now!!" Nooooooooooo how could I have forgotten this? There is 2 submissions, every qtr, and yet the first one was so massive and intense this qtr, that once it was done I had totally put the other out of my mind!!!!! 

So after taking a few deep breaths, I decided to suck it up and get it done, rather than put it off until tonight. And so, now it is finished and snaps for Mel, I have actually managed to regain that order in the house along the way!!! And so girls that is tonights gratitude...that IT IS DONE ... OVER... FINITO and now I have the bright prospect of a fun and productive week without the strain and stress of the past few weeks!!! (Insert happy sigh here)

SPRING

I am grateful for this new season... SPRING!!! Spring excites me because it’s not only a new season, but we begin to see rays of sunshine and the cold slowly starting to disappear, people going to parks, flowers, colour, for some reason people seem happier in Spring! Recently God reminded me that just as the natural seasons change, so do our seasons in life. Quite often we go through seasons in life where we are waiting on answers or change or things to occur and can easily find it difficult to believe that the season we are in will never change. God makes a promise - 1 Chronicles 5:20 “He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.”

I just wanted to take this opportunity to inspire a new sense of HOPE just as God has done for me and which I am forever grateful for. If you are feeling like your spiritual life is cold and dragging or you are going through things at the moment and you are just waiting for things to come to an end or for answers, then i want to encourage you... just as Spring has entered, so is your new season!! The key is to believe it will come no matter what your circumstance is!! :)

Coffee, coffee and more coffee...

Need I say more?

They've been getting stronger, sweeter and consumed a little more frequently than usual!

I am grateful for my cappuccino machine. It has not let me down the past few weeks and I really appreciate that (and probably so does everyone around me... otherwise I'd be tired and grumpy- well, more tired and grumpy anyway!)

Oh sweet beans. Yum!

Recent Grats

My husband, children and I are moving to Thailand in 4 months. Here's some things I am grateful for that I sent in a recent email:

Cheap airfares!

We are booked to leave on January 14th 2010. Unbelievably we got $99 tickets to Kuala Lumpur! All up we will get the 5 of us to Chiang Mai for around $1000!! YAY!

Renting our house-

At the end of this term, a beautiful Christian couple (whom we've known since youth group days) will begin renting our house with their four children. Praise God we didn't even have to go through an agent or advertise. This was a complete blessing. We "officially" move ourselves out this weekend and then the cleaning begins!!

Our first visitors "booked"-

For my birthday in August, my parents called me to say that they'd booked tickets to come and stay with us in March next year! This is really exciting.

Packing up-

I admit, I have found it difficult trying to pack up the house on top of the normal busyness of life.

It's also been overwhelming at times realising how much there is to get done before January but God is so faithful.

He continues to go before us and make the way so I know it will all be okay.

Our 2 beautiful mothers have been so helpful as always. My mum has been working day and night to help me pack the house up in a very short amount of time and Dave's mum, cooking us meals and minding Tobi and Eli so that there were some quieter moments to get jobs done. I would not have been able to function without their advice, direction, assistance and thoughtfulness.

Storage-

My husband's parents are not only housing us for 4 months until we leave, but are also able to store our remaining furniture and belongings for as long as we need. We are so grateful for their flexibility and their provision in this area.

Health/Immunisations-

A GP has offered to assist our family both with consultation and cost. in preparation (health-wise) for the move, This is a huge load off our minds.

Provision-

• It seems that every week we are meeting new people who share our passion to raise awareness and stop human trafficking. We have received money to help support us going to Thailand.
  
• We've also had offers to keep our family in their prayers (we really need this).
• Our couch sold (without having to advertise).
• We were introduced to a young lady Rachael, from Sydney, who feels called to raise money for ZOE and could turn out to be a great 'Australian' administrative support person one day.

Our friends-

Their words of encouragement help to keep us 'going'. We serve a wonderful God. Without His strength, we would not be doing this but He often uses our family and friends, to prop us up during the tougher days.

(We are heading over to ZOE Children's Homes)

Toddler Tanty

There is something to be said for friends who are in the same stage of life as you!!! My gratitude today is for the fact that I have great friends who battle the same daily battles with their toddlers as I do! I know it might sound a bit weird, but it's amazing how satisfying it is seeing another toddler have a tantrum for their Mum!!! Today my grat is for the fact that I was able to reassure my friend that this was totally normal and that I in fact also face these challenges, despite my child 'appearing' angelic whilst in her company! Well t'was only about 2 minutes after we had parted I that I was treated to my very own personal toddler tantrum...LUCKY ME!

Mel:-)

Take a deep breath

There are some weeks that seem harder than others. Some weeks that are filled with emotions, physical exhaustion and just so many demands on your time that it just seems the hours are blurring into the next with barely a chance to catch your breath. (SIGH) Yes, this has been one of these weeks, but I am reminded in so many different ways that I have a big God who is there for me with a listening ear, a compassionate heart and I am grateful for all the small but significant ways he communicates this to me. I dare not think how I would cope without this reassurance and strength...Mel