i'm organising a girlie video (they're dvds these days) nite for next frid or sat with some of my cousins. I was given 2 dvds one with 3 classics: casablanca, gone with the wind, doctor zhivago and the other is a girlie movie called the Notebook. Will also try to get that Lake movie with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock....i just read the name on Lill's blog and forgotten it already :)
I love casablanca, so will definitely watch that for the 100th time :) Not a great fan of Gone with the Wind, and have never seen Doctor Zhivago...so will reserve judgement. I know I've seen the Notebook...my cousin loved, but truly I can't remember it...she seems to think i enjoyed it but i don't remember thinking that much about it, so will see. I seem to think it's for a younger generation...
Not sure what my men will be doing, but if my Mum's watching it with us, we will have 20 questions to answer...hoping she will visit someone just to save all the chit chat :)
As for New Year's eve i'm going to my cousin's place for a quiet nite...good food, good company and lots of laughs. Another late one of course! But will recover the next day. So should be nice and relaxing. Might find some alcohol free bubbly.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
servanthood
One of the great things about my Lord and Saviour was the choices he made. He chose to be a servant instead of a King. He chose to suffer instead of rule. With one word he could have saved himself a lot of pain and humiliation but he chose obedience and self-denial.
I believe I have failed the self-denial test of a good and faithful servant. To deny one's self means to ignore the offences of others and pour blessings on them...as my Saviour hung on that dreadful cross he said...Father, forgive them. They know not what they do...
Even though he was meant to sacrifice his life...a part of God's upside down thinking...Jesus still felt the need to intercede on our behalf. As he prayed in the garden before he was arrested...his thoughts turned to us. Not just his followers at that time, but to all those who would believe because of them. He thought of you and me.
That phrase: a good and faithful SERVANT. Not a good and faithful LEADER. Servant for me is the key. We focus on being good and faithful and we all want to hear that when we stand before our LORD. But SERVANT, who wants to be that? Who can truly say they are a SERVANT?
We all have areas we are good at serving in but that's not the same as being a SERVANT. A servant attitude.
When the LORD has asked me to forgive because he forgave me, I have been able to do that except for ONE. Some of the offences have been huge but i have overcome them all except ONE.
The point is I haven't been able to practice self-denial. Every day I love that person, but it only takes one thing to happen and it will remind me of the hurt and betrayal. I know that this person has been consistent for a year now but it's the four years before that. I hate lies.
The LORD is asking me to be like him and every day I keep saying to him I CAN'T DO IT! Yet i know how much he has forgive me for and continues to do so.
Right now I'm struggling with IS IT WORTH IT? I write that and the Holy Spirit within me screams LOVE IS ALWAYS WORTH IT.
I just hope before i meet my awesome MAKER that I have moved on and let go of this corpse hanging on to me. OK so I'm the one doing the hanging on. Self-denial, servanthood...why must they go hand in hand????!!!
I believe I have failed the self-denial test of a good and faithful servant. To deny one's self means to ignore the offences of others and pour blessings on them...as my Saviour hung on that dreadful cross he said...Father, forgive them. They know not what they do...
Even though he was meant to sacrifice his life...a part of God's upside down thinking...Jesus still felt the need to intercede on our behalf. As he prayed in the garden before he was arrested...his thoughts turned to us. Not just his followers at that time, but to all those who would believe because of them. He thought of you and me.
That phrase: a good and faithful SERVANT. Not a good and faithful LEADER. Servant for me is the key. We focus on being good and faithful and we all want to hear that when we stand before our LORD. But SERVANT, who wants to be that? Who can truly say they are a SERVANT?
We all have areas we are good at serving in but that's not the same as being a SERVANT. A servant attitude.
When the LORD has asked me to forgive because he forgave me, I have been able to do that except for ONE. Some of the offences have been huge but i have overcome them all except ONE.
The point is I haven't been able to practice self-denial. Every day I love that person, but it only takes one thing to happen and it will remind me of the hurt and betrayal. I know that this person has been consistent for a year now but it's the four years before that. I hate lies.
The LORD is asking me to be like him and every day I keep saying to him I CAN'T DO IT! Yet i know how much he has forgive me for and continues to do so.
Right now I'm struggling with IS IT WORTH IT? I write that and the Holy Spirit within me screams LOVE IS ALWAYS WORTH IT.
I just hope before i meet my awesome MAKER that I have moved on and let go of this corpse hanging on to me. OK so I'm the one doing the hanging on. Self-denial, servanthood...why must they go hand in hand????!!!
Friday, December 28, 2007
updates
My energy must be returning. Today had my nieces and nephews (5 altogether) over for a swim. They spent almost 5 hours in the pool! I was in with caleb for an hour or so but he was starting to overheat. We kept the snacks and drinks rolling while myles continued to play and entertain.
My 2 yr old niece and caleb watched from the balcony with my mum and i. Then we had pizza and packed them off home. They looked so wasted they were practically ready for bed!
Not sure if I mentioned it but ended up using my small christmas tree from London, it's made of twine and has a little cane basket at the bottom. Decided it was much better than a plastic tree and it's small enough to put on our dining table so caleb can't reach it :) Will use it next year too as will have 2 little ones under my feet.
Pregnancy...going well but i'm noticing strong smells more this time around. My mum was cooking earlier this week and I felt queazy. Had to go sit outside. Petrol fumes and rubbish smells just make me want to spew. Last time I would just hate the smell but my tummy didn't react. Mum thinks this means I'm having a girl.
New year around the corner - a time for new year's resolutions. I wonder what the new year will bring? I'm hoping for lots of good news and no family losses - too many deaths in my family over the last few years. This year we had 2. Just births and weddings, I hope.
Two of my cousins are having children around the same time as me - all in Sydney. One in late May, the other in mid-June and then me -end of June. Makes it all the more exciting. Except they are in their early 20s and I will be 40 next year.
A big year for bdays in my family - myles and I will be 40, and my Mum will be 60. Next year will be a year of saving. I am hoping to go to Ireland beginning of 2009 for a cousin's wedding. Taking my whole tribe. It will be our 40 pressie to each other. If baby no.2 is born in end of June then he/she will be 8 mths which is young i know but as long as we time it well he/she may sleep most of the way...caleb on the other hand...it will be an adventure!
As for my Mum, will throw a 6oth party which will be no small event. Haven't figured out how to do it, but my next house had better have big living spaces because she will invite her whole family. At least 50 people...not including all the little ones.
Oh well have a year to work that out. It wouldn't be so complicated if I wasn't sure where she plans to be in November. She's going home to Samoa sometime next year with her siblings to renovate their family house. It's one of those silly follow your heart kind of plans because none of them live at home and only one of my cousins remain. So who knows who will maintain the place. But it's something they have to do. And I don't like standing in the way of decisions made from the heart :)
As usual lots of plans but I'm reminded of that verse from Proverbs...a man's heart plans his way but it's the LORDS who directs his steps. I wonder what direction my steps will take this year, care of the LORD?
My 2 yr old niece and caleb watched from the balcony with my mum and i. Then we had pizza and packed them off home. They looked so wasted they were practically ready for bed!
Not sure if I mentioned it but ended up using my small christmas tree from London, it's made of twine and has a little cane basket at the bottom. Decided it was much better than a plastic tree and it's small enough to put on our dining table so caleb can't reach it :) Will use it next year too as will have 2 little ones under my feet.
Pregnancy...going well but i'm noticing strong smells more this time around. My mum was cooking earlier this week and I felt queazy. Had to go sit outside. Petrol fumes and rubbish smells just make me want to spew. Last time I would just hate the smell but my tummy didn't react. Mum thinks this means I'm having a girl.
New year around the corner - a time for new year's resolutions. I wonder what the new year will bring? I'm hoping for lots of good news and no family losses - too many deaths in my family over the last few years. This year we had 2. Just births and weddings, I hope.
Two of my cousins are having children around the same time as me - all in Sydney. One in late May, the other in mid-June and then me -end of June. Makes it all the more exciting. Except they are in their early 20s and I will be 40 next year.
A big year for bdays in my family - myles and I will be 40, and my Mum will be 60. Next year will be a year of saving. I am hoping to go to Ireland beginning of 2009 for a cousin's wedding. Taking my whole tribe. It will be our 40 pressie to each other. If baby no.2 is born in end of June then he/she will be 8 mths which is young i know but as long as we time it well he/she may sleep most of the way...caleb on the other hand...it will be an adventure!
As for my Mum, will throw a 6oth party which will be no small event. Haven't figured out how to do it, but my next house had better have big living spaces because she will invite her whole family. At least 50 people...not including all the little ones.
Oh well have a year to work that out. It wouldn't be so complicated if I wasn't sure where she plans to be in November. She's going home to Samoa sometime next year with her siblings to renovate their family house. It's one of those silly follow your heart kind of plans because none of them live at home and only one of my cousins remain. So who knows who will maintain the place. But it's something they have to do. And I don't like standing in the way of decisions made from the heart :)
As usual lots of plans but I'm reminded of that verse from Proverbs...a man's heart plans his way but it's the LORDS who directs his steps. I wonder what direction my steps will take this year, care of the LORD?
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
christmas
Christmas, family and pregnancy is a lethal combination for doing nothing but just that. I have no energy to do anything else like write, read or even watch tv.
Today was spent sleeping and eating...that's all I had energy for, oh plus looking after caleb every now and then, thanks to my Mum taking responsibility for him today. Myles has had another bout of the cold. Christmas starts on Christmas Eve for me. We got home at 4amish from my cousins house.
Spent Christmas Day recovering and having lunch with my household and myles bro.
Oh well, I just have to go at what pace my body sets. I'm just grateful my Mum is around to do so much during this busy period.
My son had a great christmas. Hanging with his cousins, being spoilt. I am grateful the LORD has surrounded him with family who actually beam at the sight of him and whisk him out of my arms to spend time with him.
Even my 2 year old niece who usually makes way too much noise was telling grown-ups to 'ssshhhh' because caleb was having a nap. They are going to be best of friends. Thanks LORD.
Today was spent sleeping and eating...that's all I had energy for, oh plus looking after caleb every now and then, thanks to my Mum taking responsibility for him today. Myles has had another bout of the cold. Christmas starts on Christmas Eve for me. We got home at 4amish from my cousins house.
Spent Christmas Day recovering and having lunch with my household and myles bro.
Oh well, I just have to go at what pace my body sets. I'm just grateful my Mum is around to do so much during this busy period.
My son had a great christmas. Hanging with his cousins, being spoilt. I am grateful the LORD has surrounded him with family who actually beam at the sight of him and whisk him out of my arms to spend time with him.
Even my 2 year old niece who usually makes way too much noise was telling grown-ups to 'ssshhhh' because caleb was having a nap. They are going to be best of friends. Thanks LORD.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
catching up
I have been trying to catch up on reading other blogs that I enjoy (Faith and Lill, and one of Faith's church leader ones). I feel like I've been gone for months because there is so much to catch up on. I keep going back because I think I've missed posts. I know it's partly because of the cold and being overtired from my many late nights with family.
I realise that everyone has such busy lives. This is the busy season. Christmas around the corner. For me, I have yet to organise Caleb's birthday party and haven't started Christmas shopping yet. But I love Christmas because I love buying pressies for my huge family.
This year we are trying something new - they call it Kris Kringle...where you put everyone's names in a hat and pick one. So you buy a great present for one person instead of lots of little pressies for everyone. We tried this a few years back, but we ended up buying other presents for everyone so it didn't work.
My Christmas starts on Christmas Eve. We get together as a family...in my case that's my brothers, sister-in-law, 5 nieces and nephews, cousin and her husband, plus 4 adult children and their partners, plus my two men, and my Mum. We have a bbq together and hang out most of the afternoon till Christmas arrives at midnight. We normally have a little thanksgiving service just before Midnight then when it arrives we pop party poppers and give out pressies.
Have a few treats and then we start departing....about 3amish. Yip, we are a family of night owls. And we train our kids from an early age :-). Actually some of the younger ones have a nap and wake up when the service happens.
Then we all sleep in Christmas morning...but some of us are too excited and still get up early. We have a family lunch and my brother-in-law normally joins us Christmas day.
Right now Myles and I are trying to decide what kind of tree we're going to get. We normally get a christmas tree in a pot with the aim of taking care of it and using it every year...so far I've killed 3 trees...I think...i leave it full of decorations for too long so they start life water deprived....and no matter how much i water them it's too late :-(
So not wanting to kill any more beautiful trees, I'm thinking of a plastic tree...but i hate plastic trees...so have to go tree hunting for an alternative until Caleb is older and we can go try a real tree again....maybe with age I will have learnt the error of my ways and will actually remember to look after the tree past Christmas Day!
I realise that everyone has such busy lives. This is the busy season. Christmas around the corner. For me, I have yet to organise Caleb's birthday party and haven't started Christmas shopping yet. But I love Christmas because I love buying pressies for my huge family.
This year we are trying something new - they call it Kris Kringle...where you put everyone's names in a hat and pick one. So you buy a great present for one person instead of lots of little pressies for everyone. We tried this a few years back, but we ended up buying other presents for everyone so it didn't work.
My Christmas starts on Christmas Eve. We get together as a family...in my case that's my brothers, sister-in-law, 5 nieces and nephews, cousin and her husband, plus 4 adult children and their partners, plus my two men, and my Mum. We have a bbq together and hang out most of the afternoon till Christmas arrives at midnight. We normally have a little thanksgiving service just before Midnight then when it arrives we pop party poppers and give out pressies.
Have a few treats and then we start departing....about 3amish. Yip, we are a family of night owls. And we train our kids from an early age :-). Actually some of the younger ones have a nap and wake up when the service happens.
Then we all sleep in Christmas morning...but some of us are too excited and still get up early. We have a family lunch and my brother-in-law normally joins us Christmas day.
Right now Myles and I are trying to decide what kind of tree we're going to get. We normally get a christmas tree in a pot with the aim of taking care of it and using it every year...so far I've killed 3 trees...I think...i leave it full of decorations for too long so they start life water deprived....and no matter how much i water them it's too late :-(
So not wanting to kill any more beautiful trees, I'm thinking of a plastic tree...but i hate plastic trees...so have to go tree hunting for an alternative until Caleb is older and we can go try a real tree again....maybe with age I will have learnt the error of my ways and will actually remember to look after the tree past Christmas Day!
Monday, December 03, 2007
missing in action
it's been a long time. I have been busy with our family wedding and lots of family gatherings. When we have family gatherings we stay up all night laughing and talking. So when I get home I just crash. I think we all run on adrenalin and if neighbours hear us they would think we were having a party and drinking too much alcohol. But we're all just happy to be with each other, eat lots of food and drink coffee and tea.
The last visitors left on the weekend. But then I caught a cold end of last week, which i still have but even worse I have passed it on to my little son. His first sickness since he was born almost 12 mths ago. We're off to the doctors soon to make sure it's nothing more than just a cold...being 1st time parents.
Plus Caleb has been teething during the whole wedding etc so he's had it rough lately. But you would never guess it looking at him happily playing every day. He's getting his molars so his gums are a bit swollen.
My mum of course arrived like the tornado she is. Within the 1st day I already had a list of things I should and shouldn't do with Caleb :-)
She is returning from Adelaide tomorrow after spending a week with her eldest sister who has alzheimers. Myles will be glad to see her so she can take care of us. He took the day off today from work.
My Mum is the best cook I know. She's a perfectionist and wouldn't think twice about spending hours and hours in the kitchen cooking and baking. She's already decided Caleb is having a blue teddy bear cake for his 1st bday party.
I've been so busy it's now creeped up on us and the hardest thing we have to decide is who to invite. 1st birthdays are meant to be huge, but they really end up being about all the guests and not the child. So I've been trying to think of ways to make it about Caleb, celebrating with him. Not that he will remember it - but i will have video footage!
So it's a pool party for the kids and bbq for everyone....that's the plan so far. Will wait and see tomorrow what my Mum has planned in her head....i can see the guest list getting bigger :-)
The last visitors left on the weekend. But then I caught a cold end of last week, which i still have but even worse I have passed it on to my little son. His first sickness since he was born almost 12 mths ago. We're off to the doctors soon to make sure it's nothing more than just a cold...being 1st time parents.
Plus Caleb has been teething during the whole wedding etc so he's had it rough lately. But you would never guess it looking at him happily playing every day. He's getting his molars so his gums are a bit swollen.
My mum of course arrived like the tornado she is. Within the 1st day I already had a list of things I should and shouldn't do with Caleb :-)
She is returning from Adelaide tomorrow after spending a week with her eldest sister who has alzheimers. Myles will be glad to see her so she can take care of us. He took the day off today from work.
My Mum is the best cook I know. She's a perfectionist and wouldn't think twice about spending hours and hours in the kitchen cooking and baking. She's already decided Caleb is having a blue teddy bear cake for his 1st bday party.
I've been so busy it's now creeped up on us and the hardest thing we have to decide is who to invite. 1st birthdays are meant to be huge, but they really end up being about all the guests and not the child. So I've been trying to think of ways to make it about Caleb, celebrating with him. Not that he will remember it - but i will have video footage!
So it's a pool party for the kids and bbq for everyone....that's the plan so far. Will wait and see tomorrow what my Mum has planned in her head....i can see the guest list getting bigger :-)
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