It looked so easy when Aliesha was showing me how to add names to the Link column but when I come to do it....IT JUST WON'T WORK I am a stubborn creature and don't like admitting defeat! I will keep trying till the weekend, then I may be forced to offer bribes of iced chocolate again......
I think Steve or someone at Opawa needs to run a "Blogging for Dummies" evening!!!!!
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
I'm hooked on Elvis
I've been watching the documentary on Shine TV about Elvis and his amazing love of gospel songs and I have to admit I'm hooked. Man, he had an incredible voice. He sang those songs with such passion and feeling, and yet I couldn't dismiss how the media portrayed the other side to his life.
I kinda wondered how I am - singing worship songs on Sunday and yet what is the other side of my life like to the people I work with, and meet with the rest of the week?
I'm not beating myself up over it - it is just a thought that has been sitting with me this week.
I am also wondering how long before the song "He touched me" stops insisting on being sung in my head (and if I am totally honest, sung out loud in the shower!).
I kinda wondered how I am - singing worship songs on Sunday and yet what is the other side of my life like to the people I work with, and meet with the rest of the week?
I'm not beating myself up over it - it is just a thought that has been sitting with me this week.
I am also wondering how long before the song "He touched me" stops insisting on being sung in my head (and if I am totally honest, sung out loud in the shower!).
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Enter the Silence
I have been meditating on these verses from Lamentations 3 in The Message bible quite a bit lately.
When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face. The “worst” is never the worst.
I’ve been thinking especially about the phrase “Enter the silence”. I find that so hard to do. Even if the house is quiet my mind isn’t. It is always running from one thing to another, an assignment to finish, a house to run, meals to be ready at a certain time cos people have to be out early, remembering what it was I was asked to organise, thinking up ideas for Christmas presents, suddenly remembering that I am supposed to bring a plate to a meeting, quick prayers as people and their needs come to mind, another item that needs to be added to the shopping list and so on……. And sometimes I feel that I have short changed God. He is the most important person in my life but there are times when I feel I have squeezed in time alone with Him, rather than deliberately setting aside time to spend with Him and prioritising that time to the top of my list.
The times when as part of my conversations with God I stop talking and listen for what he needs to say to me are uplifting and energy renewing and I need to do this more often.
Even today at church as I sat looking at the painting of Mary I realised that for it to mean anything to me I had to “Enter the silence”. The thoughts that were swirling through my head, even as I was listening to what was being said, needed to drop away so that there was silence and stillness and I could wonder anew at the miracle of Christ’s birth and what that means for me. It was a precious moment in a busy weekend !
When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face. The “worst” is never the worst.
I’ve been thinking especially about the phrase “Enter the silence”. I find that so hard to do. Even if the house is quiet my mind isn’t. It is always running from one thing to another, an assignment to finish, a house to run, meals to be ready at a certain time cos people have to be out early, remembering what it was I was asked to organise, thinking up ideas for Christmas presents, suddenly remembering that I am supposed to bring a plate to a meeting, quick prayers as people and their needs come to mind, another item that needs to be added to the shopping list and so on……. And sometimes I feel that I have short changed God. He is the most important person in my life but there are times when I feel I have squeezed in time alone with Him, rather than deliberately setting aside time to spend with Him and prioritising that time to the top of my list.
The times when as part of my conversations with God I stop talking and listen for what he needs to say to me are uplifting and energy renewing and I need to do this more often.
Even today at church as I sat looking at the painting of Mary I realised that for it to mean anything to me I had to “Enter the silence”. The thoughts that were swirling through my head, even as I was listening to what was being said, needed to drop away so that there was silence and stillness and I could wonder anew at the miracle of Christ’s birth and what that means for me. It was a precious moment in a busy weekend !
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Watch this space !
Huge thanks to Aliesha who has shown me how to change stuff and link to other blog sites. Still some work to be done and final decisions on colours to be made. I owe her a coffee!!
Wondered why I kept getting this really good car park at work. After spending 30 minutes cleaning the bird droppings off my car I now know why people were steering clear of this park. Doh!
Wondered why I kept getting this really good car park at work. After spending 30 minutes cleaning the bird droppings off my car I now know why people were steering clear of this park. Doh!
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
The coffee machine - or Life's lesson 25431
Today I learnt that you can buy special detergent to clean all the gunge out of your machine - that you don't have to endure endless cups of coffee tasting slightly of CLR cleaner, (believe me it tastes revolting) which a certain person decided was the only way to clean the machine.
Yes, the taste did eventually disappear, and I have to confess I wasn't very gracious about not so good tasting coffee.
Yes, the taste did eventually disappear, and I have to confess I wasn't very gracious about not so good tasting coffee.
Monday, November 21, 2005
cluck, cluck, carked it
Arrive home from work, 6 hens impatiently waiting to be let out of the hen house.
Alastair arrives home from work 5 hens happily scratching in the hen run, 1 hen keeled over by the bushes!
We knew the chooks were coming to the end of their productive life, but we were hoping they would hang on til Christmas. I like having hens, they eat our food scraps, fertilize the vege and flower garden, and produce eggs. It seems mean to have to dispose of them. I shall be shopping or visiting or something while the deed is being done.
They will not be gracing the dinner table!!!
Alastair arrives home from work 5 hens happily scratching in the hen run, 1 hen keeled over by the bushes!
We knew the chooks were coming to the end of their productive life, but we were hoping they would hang on til Christmas. I like having hens, they eat our food scraps, fertilize the vege and flower garden, and produce eggs. It seems mean to have to dispose of them. I shall be shopping or visiting or something while the deed is being done.
They will not be gracing the dinner table!!!
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Assignment finished
Woohoo!! The last assignment has been handed in. It involved a late night Thursday - a brain too tired to figure out the title for it, a mad panic Friday morning to make last minute changes and print it out and then a dash to be at the course on time - but IT IS FINISHED!
I have rediscovered my love of learning by doing this course. I enjoy being challenged and made to think - of having to look at my beliefs and theology and re examine them. My faith will be the stronger for it.
I have also learnt that if I take too long writing a blog my computer kicks me off the net!!!!
I have rediscovered my love of learning by doing this course. I enjoy being challenged and made to think - of having to look at my beliefs and theology and re examine them. My faith will be the stronger for it.
I have also learnt that if I take too long writing a blog my computer kicks me off the net!!!!
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Then and now
Know Me Before You Judge Me
I was thinking the other day (yes, yes, I do think sometimes!) about what church was like when I was just a new christian and it wasn't cool to be anything other than a pentecostal. It felt to me like everyone was competing with each other. Competing to:-
be the most spiritual
attend the most services
be on the most amount of committees
have the most spiritual gifts
Pray the loudest and the longest
Speak in tongues the most
Learn the most memory verses
Have the best behaved kids
Give the most
Done the most witnessing
Attend the largest church
Have the biggest response to altar calls
I'm glad things have changed (although some might argue they haven't really). I really admire the young people and how they can be honest with where they are at - when they are struggling as well as their good times. They will be the better for it.
I was thinking the other day (yes, yes, I do think sometimes!) about what church was like when I was just a new christian and it wasn't cool to be anything other than a pentecostal. It felt to me like everyone was competing with each other. Competing to:-
be the most spiritual
attend the most services
be on the most amount of committees
have the most spiritual gifts
Pray the loudest and the longest
Speak in tongues the most
Learn the most memory verses
Have the best behaved kids
Give the most
Done the most witnessing
Attend the largest church
Have the biggest response to altar calls
I'm glad things have changed (although some might argue they haven't really). I really admire the young people and how they can be honest with where they are at - when they are struggling as well as their good times. They will be the better for it.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Blogging
I think this Growth Coach needs some growth coaching on how to set up a blog site properly!
And she also needs to finish her assignment!
And she also needs to finish her assignment!
Friday, November 11, 2005
Procrastinating no more!
All I wanted to do was post a reply to Jasmine but somehow I have ended up creating my own blog site.
I had been thinking about it for a while, but the procrastinator in me.........
With Michael and Miriam (my eldest son and his wife) going overseas to live shortly I thought it would be good for them to keep up with what I am thinking and where I am at, as well as all my other friends.
I had been thinking about it for a while, but the procrastinator in me.........
With Michael and Miriam (my eldest son and his wife) going overseas to live shortly I thought it would be good for them to keep up with what I am thinking and where I am at, as well as all my other friends.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)