‘Waking up strong in the morning.
Walking in a straight line’ lyrics by Silver Chair
Are you a morning person?
Joy comes in the morning… and
His mercies are new every morning
'Morning has broken like the first morning' Cat Stevens
Sunday 30 September 2007
Thursday 27 September 2007
क्नोव Your Enemy…
Who is our enemy and what does he want? John 10:10 says ‘He came to steal, kill and destroy. ‘ It seems he wants our lives.
And the book says ‘He is a liar from the beginning. He comes as an angel of light to deceive. And sometimes… he goes about like a roaring lion, ready to devour. He came to God with an idea to test Job. See Job Chapter 1… (But Job was a blameless man, and he wasn’t about to blaspheme. Job won and was restored after losing everything.)
The prophet Isaiah (Chap. 13) gives us some insight into the story of Satan or Lucifer as he was originally called. It seems he was a muso who got jealous of the boss (God) and wanted to be like him. He was top dog in the Angelic realm see this… something like Ziggy Stardust I imagine. When he fell, he took a bunch of fallen angels with him. ( I saw a car sticker today which read ‘Fallen’ I wonder where that word came from.
When Peter, was thinking of himself and wanted to argue about the fate of Jesus on the cross, Jesus replied,’Get behind me Satan.’ So from this, it appears the enemy can use our best friends sometimes in their ideas and speech. But it's not a war between flesh and blood but between spiritual powers of darkness.'
Jesus once said to Peter, ‘The devil wanted to sift you like wheat.’
Another time Jesus said to this apostles, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning.’ I will investigate this further.
Satan got to Judas, the betrayer of Jesus who went on to hang himself. And there’s other references to our enemy, not mentioned here.
When I first saw the light when I was 20, it was news to me that I had an enemy of my soul. But Jesus stays closer than a brother and God says ‘It is well with my soul.’ Whosoever calls on the name of Jesus shall be saved.
And the book says ‘He is a liar from the beginning. He comes as an angel of light to deceive. And sometimes… he goes about like a roaring lion, ready to devour. He came to God with an idea to test Job. See Job Chapter 1… (But Job was a blameless man, and he wasn’t about to blaspheme. Job won and was restored after losing everything.)
The prophet Isaiah (Chap. 13) gives us some insight into the story of Satan or Lucifer as he was originally called. It seems he was a muso who got jealous of the boss (God) and wanted to be like him. He was top dog in the Angelic realm see this… something like Ziggy Stardust I imagine. When he fell, he took a bunch of fallen angels with him. ( I saw a car sticker today which read ‘Fallen’ I wonder where that word came from.
When Peter, was thinking of himself and wanted to argue about the fate of Jesus on the cross, Jesus replied,’Get behind me Satan.’ So from this, it appears the enemy can use our best friends sometimes in their ideas and speech. But it's not a war between flesh and blood but between spiritual powers of darkness.'
Jesus once said to Peter, ‘The devil wanted to sift you like wheat.’
Another time Jesus said to this apostles, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning.’ I will investigate this further.
Satan got to Judas, the betrayer of Jesus who went on to hang himself. And there’s other references to our enemy, not mentioned here.
When I first saw the light when I was 20, it was news to me that I had an enemy of my soul. But Jesus stays closer than a brother and God says ‘It is well with my soul.’ Whosoever calls on the name of Jesus shall be saved.
Tuesday 25 September 2007
A Day in the Life…
Monday. Beautiful sunny day on the coast. It’s a typical day here, about 23 with a south easterly blowing. Today I went to Currumbin sanctuary as we have a yearly pass. Saw a couple of friends there by coincidence. It’s a small place here. Caught little train to a new playground. One high roped climbing thingo had Sam nearly fall (3 metres) but fortunately his arms were strong enough to hold him and I could catch him with another lady helping me. Inge tells me a child broke his arm there.
Then we went to new library and got some good books, and lo and behold I found one of Leone Peguero’s books! a friend of mine who started Bluecat publishing for children’s books, also my past teacher. So I look forward to reading that this week.
The sun is pouring down on my verandah from the west and I’m very happy. Some people spend time with God by song, some by nature. (Psalm 19) I just have to look out the window. And I thank God the trees of the hill on the other side of the street were saved. We won the battle. And I think of my sister in Tassie trying to save trees there.
Then we went to new library and got some good books, and lo and behold I found one of Leone Peguero’s books! a friend of mine who started Bluecat publishing for children’s books, also my past teacher. So I look forward to reading that this week.
The sun is pouring down on my verandah from the west and I’m very happy. Some people spend time with God by song, some by nature. (Psalm 19) I just have to look out the window. And I thank God the trees of the hill on the other side of the street were saved. We won the battle. And I think of my sister in Tassie trying to save trees there.
Friday 21 September 2007
Craving Simplicity
I wrote Craving Simplicity when I was working in the city before I moved to the small coastal town of Tugun, Queensland. How life has changed for me with the advent of motherhood.
So here's how I used to be...
I don’t know about you but I’m craving a simple life. When my husband wanted to go surfing and take me also, he convinced me to take a lap top so I could proceed with my manuscript. While he was out braving surf rage, ( I concede the earth is shrinking with the population and less waves available to generations of new surfers) the tide came in and as it dawned on me I walked ½ a km then called on someone to lift me back up to the steps lugging this $4000 dollar item on my shoulder as the waves lapped up the rocks. And this is how it is, technology and nature and us sandwiched in the middle.
And back to work - I’m sick of meaningless emails. We have thousands at home that are yet to be deleted making the computer ‘dangerously low in resources.’ 40 emails a day was enough to make me allergic to it in my next job. Mobile phones ringing with all sorts of tunes, that demand a reaction eg. The Adams Family theme invading my thoughts on the train, yuk, people talking seemingly to themselves with a cord running to their ear in the streets, ‘Ill be there in a couple of minutes,’ they say and wonder why their phone bill needs studying and interpretation. One guy tonight after five crossing Collins St was giving instructions of how to overcome some major technical disaster in someone’s computer program and I was party to it. Do I want to be – no. Home phones like ours which have call waiting, message bank, star 10 hash. Telephone banking, information services that make you mad. Memories of America. This is where I think it’s vital to have a physical exercise program in place. One day I’ll do it I promise. No more laughing at power walkers.
Pornography through internet, television and cable bombarding us breaking down boundaries in the home, even setting the standards. What about queuing in banks even a bank as beautiful as the ANZ on the corner of Queen and Collins is nightmarish, the poor tellers, haven’t they clicked yet, the new world order is upon us with the cashless society and Bible prophecy warns people will eventually be stamped to buy and sell.666 is not the Omen, it’s conceivable. I’ve found a great time to go to the Post Office is 10 to 12, just before lunch (in the city that is) Road rage is the fruit of ‘no time’ and more and more cars on the road, old people with no reflexes, invincible P Platers. Priorities have changed, gotta support this lifestyle, the bills pour in relentlessly. Changing is hard. I work in advertising with deadlines to meet and Spring coming, ads, more ads, how do you stop time from ticking. How do you put people before the task?
Football season, clubs dying through expense, complicated politics. Hospitals, - don’t go there, literally. Trains with automated messages. Satellites crash landing, cams planted everywhere.
America, our cultural daddy shows no mercy or consolation, queues 1 ½hrs long in Disneyland, oh well I was able to get to know the Aussies next to me in the queue. Processed food, we’ve got it good here compared BUT... GST – gotta learn Myob or Quickbooks now whether I like it or not. Creative people all doing admin, tutors all telling you different things. And at home more headaches with mortgage, rates, credit, more credit, tax. I know a reaction to the debauchery in Rome in the early centuries AD was the creation of the monastery starting with one man retreating to a cave and gathering 12 converts. I crave to keep it simple but not sure how to. The clutter has to go. I acknowledge there’s been highs as well as lows in technology, science, etc and that we live in the best and most advanced country in the world. But we’re also slack.
But we’ve got to guard our hearts, redeem the time somehow for the days are so short, keep them stress free somehow, spend some time alone to maintain sanity, appreciate nature, breathe fresh morning air, listen to the birds, invest in a pet, spend time in the garden, play music that calms and delights us, and probably most of all make time to see our loved ones. As I listen to Don Henly The End of Innocence on Foxtel it sums up something I’m trying to convey. I remember the days when we got milk delivered, the small grocery store on the corner, a simple lifestyle with little paperwork, the 3 channels on TV if you were lucky enough to have one. The writing of letters as a way of communicating, Orchards, creeks, muddy unmade roads with only a few cars occasionally to be seen. My mother would make sure Sundays were a peaceful family time. There were eight of us. ‘The Wonder Years’ has a point. I only wish the rest of the world would agree. I don’t want to be intolerant. I love my pen in hand with my journal which consists of paper on my lap so there’s some hypocrisy involved. I guess I better go live in the country.
So here's how I used to be...
I don’t know about you but I’m craving a simple life. When my husband wanted to go surfing and take me also, he convinced me to take a lap top so I could proceed with my manuscript. While he was out braving surf rage, ( I concede the earth is shrinking with the population and less waves available to generations of new surfers) the tide came in and as it dawned on me I walked ½ a km then called on someone to lift me back up to the steps lugging this $4000 dollar item on my shoulder as the waves lapped up the rocks. And this is how it is, technology and nature and us sandwiched in the middle.
And back to work - I’m sick of meaningless emails. We have thousands at home that are yet to be deleted making the computer ‘dangerously low in resources.’ 40 emails a day was enough to make me allergic to it in my next job. Mobile phones ringing with all sorts of tunes, that demand a reaction eg. The Adams Family theme invading my thoughts on the train, yuk, people talking seemingly to themselves with a cord running to their ear in the streets, ‘Ill be there in a couple of minutes,’ they say and wonder why their phone bill needs studying and interpretation. One guy tonight after five crossing Collins St was giving instructions of how to overcome some major technical disaster in someone’s computer program and I was party to it. Do I want to be – no. Home phones like ours which have call waiting, message bank, star 10 hash. Telephone banking, information services that make you mad. Memories of America. This is where I think it’s vital to have a physical exercise program in place. One day I’ll do it I promise. No more laughing at power walkers.
Pornography through internet, television and cable bombarding us breaking down boundaries in the home, even setting the standards. What about queuing in banks even a bank as beautiful as the ANZ on the corner of Queen and Collins is nightmarish, the poor tellers, haven’t they clicked yet, the new world order is upon us with the cashless society and Bible prophecy warns people will eventually be stamped to buy and sell.666 is not the Omen, it’s conceivable. I’ve found a great time to go to the Post Office is 10 to 12, just before lunch (in the city that is) Road rage is the fruit of ‘no time’ and more and more cars on the road, old people with no reflexes, invincible P Platers. Priorities have changed, gotta support this lifestyle, the bills pour in relentlessly. Changing is hard. I work in advertising with deadlines to meet and Spring coming, ads, more ads, how do you stop time from ticking. How do you put people before the task?
Football season, clubs dying through expense, complicated politics. Hospitals, - don’t go there, literally. Trains with automated messages. Satellites crash landing, cams planted everywhere.
America, our cultural daddy shows no mercy or consolation, queues 1 ½hrs long in Disneyland, oh well I was able to get to know the Aussies next to me in the queue. Processed food, we’ve got it good here compared BUT... GST – gotta learn Myob or Quickbooks now whether I like it or not. Creative people all doing admin, tutors all telling you different things. And at home more headaches with mortgage, rates, credit, more credit, tax. I know a reaction to the debauchery in Rome in the early centuries AD was the creation of the monastery starting with one man retreating to a cave and gathering 12 converts. I crave to keep it simple but not sure how to. The clutter has to go. I acknowledge there’s been highs as well as lows in technology, science, etc and that we live in the best and most advanced country in the world. But we’re also slack.
But we’ve got to guard our hearts, redeem the time somehow for the days are so short, keep them stress free somehow, spend some time alone to maintain sanity, appreciate nature, breathe fresh morning air, listen to the birds, invest in a pet, spend time in the garden, play music that calms and delights us, and probably most of all make time to see our loved ones. As I listen to Don Henly The End of Innocence on Foxtel it sums up something I’m trying to convey. I remember the days when we got milk delivered, the small grocery store on the corner, a simple lifestyle with little paperwork, the 3 channels on TV if you were lucky enough to have one. The writing of letters as a way of communicating, Orchards, creeks, muddy unmade roads with only a few cars occasionally to be seen. My mother would make sure Sundays were a peaceful family time. There were eight of us. ‘The Wonder Years’ has a point. I only wish the rest of the world would agree. I don’t want to be intolerant. I love my pen in hand with my journal which consists of paper on my lap so there’s some hypocrisy involved. I guess I better go live in the country.
Tuesday 18 September 2007
As a Parent I wish I would have…
Got down on the ground with him/them
Taught him/them ‘no’ early
That way they wouldn’t argue and negotiate
Done daycare once a week. It will ‘tame’ the child
And they would learn sharing
Tried all foods all the time. They go off and on food
Not had a biscuit in the house
Done less TV, more outdoors activity
Hey but thankfully it’s never too late, according to the British ‘Nanny’
See abc.net.au for more advice and tips for certain age groups from newborn to schoolage
Taught him/them ‘no’ early
That way they wouldn’t argue and negotiate
Done daycare once a week. It will ‘tame’ the child
And they would learn sharing
Tried all foods all the time. They go off and on food
Not had a biscuit in the house
Done less TV, more outdoors activity
Hey but thankfully it’s never too late, according to the British ‘Nanny’
See abc.net.au for more advice and tips for certain age groups from newborn to schoolage
Thursday 13 September 2007
Play it again Sam
Tomorrow we celebrate Sam's 4th birthday. It seems a little while ago he was just a faint red line on a strip of paper. He's brought great joy to our lives. It's a learning curve being a parent and hopefully keeps us young.
I had given up on the idea of being a mother but gave up a few days work down to 2 to relieve some stress. I was 45. We went to Tasmania and were travelling down the East coast toward Hobart when we stumbled across a lovely old Christian couple who ran a resort. The lady told me of all sorts of miracles. She was really quite an amazing woman. When we left there after a bite to eat she offered to pray for us and prayed for conception and for travelling safety. We left there at night and just missed a kangaroo as it hopped past.
The next day we were in Scamander. My sister, a Tasmanian, later told me a backpacker was murdered there and another tourist. An unsolved mystery. Doug went out for an early surf and then we went onto Hobart for New Year's Eve. Turned out I had become pregnant in Tasmania!
A few months ago he said, 'When I turn 4 I want jelly, cake, fireworks and a cup of tea.'
I had given up on the idea of being a mother but gave up a few days work down to 2 to relieve some stress. I was 45. We went to Tasmania and were travelling down the East coast toward Hobart when we stumbled across a lovely old Christian couple who ran a resort. The lady told me of all sorts of miracles. She was really quite an amazing woman. When we left there after a bite to eat she offered to pray for us and prayed for conception and for travelling safety. We left there at night and just missed a kangaroo as it hopped past.
The next day we were in Scamander. My sister, a Tasmanian, later told me a backpacker was murdered there and another tourist. An unsolved mystery. Doug went out for an early surf and then we went onto Hobart for New Year's Eve. Turned out I had become pregnant in Tasmania!
A few months ago he said, 'When I turn 4 I want jelly, cake, fireworks and a cup of tea.'
Friday 7 September 2007
Secret to: Long Life Guaranteed
It’s in the book both old and New Testaments and it’s as relevant today
There’s one thing we can do to obtain long life (and success also)
HONOUR your father and mother. So tell it to your children…
‘Honour your father and your mother that you may live long on the earth and have good success.’
Forgive your parents if you need to. When you’ve done all that from the heart you can take the promise. Long life and success.
There’s one thing we can do to obtain long life (and success also)
HONOUR your father and mother. So tell it to your children…
‘Honour your father and your mother that you may live long on the earth and have good success.’
Forgive your parents if you need to. When you’ve done all that from the heart you can take the promise. Long life and success.
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