Windows By the Bay

I am grateful for the lovely dinner I shared with 3 of my 'mother's group' friends last night. We got to sit right by the window and watch the sun set over the water as we chatted. The food was delicious, the company lovely and it was an all-round wonderful night out.

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.

I feel very blessed to have the chance to live in this beautiful country with safe and fun activities like the pool to enjoy together. It is also wonderful to see the kids having a blast in the water...although my little one is a tad too fearLESS and was of the opinion that she didn't require any adult supervision! Hmmmm I don't think so my dear!!!

Mel

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

I'm so grateful for my "God spot" out the back of my house. Andie, you've been here before, and we sat having coffee and chatting (that was so nice!).

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! :)

$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!

Hanging in the desert

I went to a seminar on the Gold Coast last night with one of my closest friends, Cam. A guy from the USA was speaking about times in the desert. He talked about Moses, and how he wandered the desert for many years- alone and with the Israelites. He said that these times God uses to refine us and prepare us for something big, the next stage on our jounrey with Him. He spoke about that it is in these times that we often feel the lowest and find stuff the hardest where God minsters to us the most. He draws close to us in these times and we can hear Him the clearest at these points- why? Well, I think because we listen more! In the desert you're alone, hot, tired and there is nothing around you to lean on or prop you up. It is in this time when life isnt rosy that we do seek more- more of God hopefully, but in our seeking we listen more. Look for His voice, for signs of life, water, shade. This guy was amazing and he seriously spoke to my heart last night.



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.

So much love in the room...

On Friday, my wonderful, long-time friend (who I've known since I was about 4 years old) came over for a play with her three children. We started the morning by celebrating her daughter's 4th birthday with a little party and then giving her a present. She is a huge "Angelina" fan (and 'no' that's not Brad and Angelina... Angelina Ballerina).

I'd found a DVD of the actual ballet, which she's been to see at the beginning of the year. She was so excited and asked to put it on immediately. This was great because my children had been asking to watch it too but I kept telling them they'd have to wait. So we put on the DVD and four eldest children sat mesmerized watching the ballet for about two hours. Occasionally they would call us to tell us what was happening in the story which I was impressed about because there was no dialogue to help them understand. They just had to watch really carefully.

I am grateful for this opportunity to sit and chat with my friend while the four big kids snuggled on the couches and the two little ones slept. It was a lovely morning and when the DVD was over my daughter kept lovingly trying to kiss my friend's son who she been snuggled next to on the couch and then later my friend's daughter was caught kissing my son and chasing him around for a bit more affection after they'd been together on the other couch. Ohhh there was so much love in the room. It was a very funny time watching them all - especially seeing the eldest two and realising that that's how old my friend and I were when we became friends and life had gone a full cycle.