I am a bit busy at the moment writing a long(ish) post which is taking some thought. Which is why my rambling have been a bit sparse. Don't worry, all will be revealed in a few days.
In the mean time if you are missing having a blog to read can I recommend you take a look at this one http://www.cfhusband.blogspot.com . It is written by a guy in America (don't hold it against him!) called Nathan. He is married to Tricia who has Cystic Fibrosis. She was about to go on the double lung transplant list when they found out she was pregnant. With the odds of either of them surviving being slim they trusted in God and went ahead with the pregnancy. Their daughter, Gwyneth Rose, was born at 25 weeks on the 8th of Jan, by emergancy C-section. She is a fighter and is doing well. Tricia just survived and has been up and down. She is fighter too. She is now sick/well enough to go back on the transplant list. They are just waiting for her new lungs now.
It sounds like a depressing story. But Nathan writes full of hope, humour and trust in God. It is a bit like a guy in the pub talking to you. I warn you though.... this blog is addictive. On the main page there is bit on the right which links to a post which says a bit about them. It is worth starting there.
Even if you don't check out this blog do please quickly pause now and send up a prayer for this family. They have really touched my heart.
Friday, 29 February 2008
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Domestic bliss
I wish you had been in my house this morning (that isn't just so that you could have done my ironing for me, while I sat with my feet up.) It was so you could have watched the scene that unfolded as I did the aforementioned ironing.
I swap toys around from upstairs to downstairs and vise versa. So today I brought our kitchen and kitchen things downstairs.
I left it all out for Tilly to play with whilst I did the ironing. I have never witnessed such industriousness. She pottered about so happily, chatting away. She cooked all sorts of things for me to try (some included Duplo men which had also come downstairs). Made me countless cups of tea. But most endearing of all was that she got a cushion from the sofa, sat Wilbur (her most beloved teddy) on it and loving fed and watered him. He got to try every dish. He got Duplo men to play with. He got hugs and kisses. He even got given more tea than me. Once she bumped her head (not very hard) and she got Wilbur to kiss it better.
She really is a little homemaker in the making. She delighted my heart and made my boring ironing a pleasure because I got to watch her. I hope that is love of homemaking grows and that I can help it to do that. Although when she gets to cook for real I will discourage her from using small plastic men in her recipes.
I swap toys around from upstairs to downstairs and vise versa. So today I brought our kitchen and kitchen things downstairs.
I left it all out for Tilly to play with whilst I did the ironing. I have never witnessed such industriousness. She pottered about so happily, chatting away. She cooked all sorts of things for me to try (some included Duplo men which had also come downstairs). Made me countless cups of tea. But most endearing of all was that she got a cushion from the sofa, sat Wilbur (her most beloved teddy) on it and loving fed and watered him. He got to try every dish. He got Duplo men to play with. He got hugs and kisses. He even got given more tea than me. Once she bumped her head (not very hard) and she got Wilbur to kiss it better.
She really is a little homemaker in the making. She delighted my heart and made my boring ironing a pleasure because I got to watch her. I hope that is love of homemaking grows and that I can help it to do that. Although when she gets to cook for real I will discourage her from using small plastic men in her recipes.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Some things about me
I got an email from a friend. It is various questions about you when you then forward on to people and you get to learn a little about people. I thought I would post my answers here. You will notice that I have taken out some of the questions this is because they are about the fact that it is a forwarding email thing.
1 WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE
Nope
2 WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED
on Friday.When I had to leave the girls for the weekend
3 DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING
Sometimes
4 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT
parma ham (can't eat it at the mo though)
5 DO YOU HAVE KIDS
Yes, two Martha (3) Tilly (1). oh, and one in progess
6 IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU
Hopefully. It depend if I was nice or not!
7 DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT
not really, pre-school children don't get it
8 DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
No. And I am glad
9 WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP
Even without being pregnant the answer would be NO WAY
10 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL
Don't really have one. I like rice crispies because you can also use them to make crispie cakes
11 DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF
No, then I am cross when I come to put them on.
12 DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG
Physically? well i have given birth naturally twice, that aside not really. Emotionaly? Depends how pregnant I am. Spiritually? Yes
13 DO YOU BELIEVE IN LIFE AFTER DEATH
YES. YES, YES. Jesus went and came back and went again. can't wait.
14 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM
Ben and Jerry's Phish food
15 WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE
Their eyes or their hands
16 RED OR PINK
Pink (I am the mother of two girls)
17 WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF
My profile
18 WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST
Jo Wakia in Africa. Every day.
20 WHAT COLOR TROUSERS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING
Not wearing either at the moment - I am wearing other things though
21 WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE
If you don't count toothpaste...A fox's crunchy cream biscuit.
22 WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW
The computer hum and waiting for "MUMMY"
23 IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE
Dark purple
24 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SMELL
Washing that had dried outside, my children when they have just woken up.
25 WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE
My mother. for our daily check up
27 FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH
Show jumping and dressage
28 EYE COLOR
Green-grey depending on mood
29 DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS
No
30FAVOURITE FOOD
At the moment blood oranges - this baby can't get enough of them
31 SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS
Happy endings every time
32 LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED
I think it was Notting Hill
33 WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING
Red maternity top
34 HUGS OR KISSES
depends what sort
35 FAVORITE DESSERT
Lemon Meringue Pie (yet another food I can't have till this baby come out)
38 WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW
Agatha Rasin by BC Beaton. Meant to be reading Spot of Bother for book club
39 WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD
Don't have one
40 WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T. V. LAST NIGHT
Don't have one.
41 ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES
Beatles.
42 WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME
Thailand
43 DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT
Yes. When I am not pregnant - I can sit with my knees to my chest and my heels touching my bottom without holding my legs there (go on try it). I can also fold a terry toweling nappy (like your mum used to use)
44 WHERE WERE YOU BORN
St. Albans Hospital
1 WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE
Nope
2 WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED
on Friday.When I had to leave the girls for the weekend
3 DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING
Sometimes
4 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT
parma ham (can't eat it at the mo though)
5 DO YOU HAVE KIDS
Yes, two Martha (3) Tilly (1). oh, and one in progess
6 IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU
Hopefully. It depend if I was nice or not!
7 DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT
not really, pre-school children don't get it
8 DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
No. And I am glad
9 WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP
Even without being pregnant the answer would be NO WAY
10 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL
Don't really have one. I like rice crispies because you can also use them to make crispie cakes
11 DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF
No, then I am cross when I come to put them on.
12 DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG
Physically? well i have given birth naturally twice, that aside not really. Emotionaly? Depends how pregnant I am. Spiritually? Yes
13 DO YOU BELIEVE IN LIFE AFTER DEATH
YES. YES, YES. Jesus went and came back and went again. can't wait.
14 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM
Ben and Jerry's Phish food
15 WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE
Their eyes or their hands
16 RED OR PINK
Pink (I am the mother of two girls)
17 WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF
My profile
18 WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST
Jo Wakia in Africa. Every day.
20 WHAT COLOR TROUSERS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING
Not wearing either at the moment - I am wearing other things though
21 WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE
If you don't count toothpaste...A fox's crunchy cream biscuit.
22 WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW
The computer hum and waiting for "MUMMY"
23 IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE
Dark purple
24 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SMELL
Washing that had dried outside, my children when they have just woken up.
25 WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE
My mother. for our daily check up
27 FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH
Show jumping and dressage
28 EYE COLOR
Green-grey depending on mood
29 DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS
No
30FAVOURITE FOOD
At the moment blood oranges - this baby can't get enough of them
31 SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS
Happy endings every time
32 LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED
I think it was Notting Hill
33 WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING
Red maternity top
34 HUGS OR KISSES
depends what sort
35 FAVORITE DESSERT
Lemon Meringue Pie (yet another food I can't have till this baby come out)
38 WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW
Agatha Rasin by BC Beaton. Meant to be reading Spot of Bother for book club
39 WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD
Don't have one
40 WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T. V. LAST NIGHT
Don't have one.
41 ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES
Beatles.
42 WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME
Thailand
43 DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT
Yes. When I am not pregnant - I can sit with my knees to my chest and my heels touching my bottom without holding my legs there (go on try it). I can also fold a terry toweling nappy (like your mum used to use)
44 WHERE WERE YOU BORN
St. Albans Hospital
Monday, 25 February 2008
Memo from God
This was on a prayer card at the back of church:
"I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (Something For God To Do) box. It will be addressed in my time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it or remove it. Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem. If it a situation that you think you are capable of handling, please consult me in prayer to be sure it is the proper resolution. Because I do not sleep or slumber, there is no need for you to lose sleep. Rest my child. If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away."
"I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (Something For God To Do) box. It will be addressed in my time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it or remove it. Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem. If it a situation that you think you are capable of handling, please consult me in prayer to be sure it is the proper resolution. Because I do not sleep or slumber, there is no need for you to lose sleep. Rest my child. If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away."
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Praying with colour
These are the pictures that I did while I was at Turvey. They each go with a verse that struck me. I used that verse to pray and kept bringing it to mind when I was drawing. They were all drawn in a book which is why they have scanned in a bit wobbly in places. There is one missing that I haven't done yet. I will add it here but post about it above so you can have another look. I will write the phrase that they are based on before each one.
On desert Paths
Your sins are as scarlet
He welcomes sinners
I shall be waiting for you
The hour of favour has come
If only you knew
My retreat
I have had a great weekend away at Turvey Abbey. (You can google it) It is a Catholic Benedictine convent and monastery. I went to a silent, lead retreat called: On desert Paths. It was themed around Lent.
It was silent in the fact that you didn't have to talk to anyone else. (There were 10 of us there.) But if you want the jam then you ask for it quietly. It makes you thin about what you say. It means that you can spend time with God and not feel obliged to chat to people. For someone who is not good at small talk this was great.
It was lead in the fact that we had 5 sessions as a group, each for about an hour. These were lead meditation/contemplations on passages in the bible. Sister J (who was simply lovely) led these. We did something called Lectio Devina! In a nutshell - you read a passage, pick out a word of phrase that strikes you, ponder it over and over, and let God speak to you through it. We heard each passage read out loud twice and watched a power point with nice pictures to go along with it. There was a gap between each reading of about 5 - 10 mins. At the end we all wrote the phrase which we had been contemplating on a piece of paper and put it in the middle, reading it aloud.
There were also all the chapel services which we could go to if we wanted to. The first was at 6.10am (that is right - AM). I decided to try and go to all of them (I'm not sure why - I guess for my retreat it was part of the experience). And I managed. I was a couple of minutes late for the one at 6.10 as I only got out of bed at 6.05!
So the day was mainly filled with those two things. We also eat lots of delicious food (in silence) and had time to pray, create pictures, and explore the surrounding area. The grounds surrounding the convent and the building themselves were beautiful. It was a very peaceful place to be. The nun's made us feel very welcome. It was a lovely place and a lovely time. I do hope to go back.
It was silent in the fact that you didn't have to talk to anyone else. (There were 10 of us there.) But if you want the jam then you ask for it quietly. It makes you thin about what you say. It means that you can spend time with God and not feel obliged to chat to people. For someone who is not good at small talk this was great.
It was lead in the fact that we had 5 sessions as a group, each for about an hour. These were lead meditation/contemplations on passages in the bible. Sister J (who was simply lovely) led these. We did something called Lectio Devina! In a nutshell - you read a passage, pick out a word of phrase that strikes you, ponder it over and over, and let God speak to you through it. We heard each passage read out loud twice and watched a power point with nice pictures to go along with it. There was a gap between each reading of about 5 - 10 mins. At the end we all wrote the phrase which we had been contemplating on a piece of paper and put it in the middle, reading it aloud.
There were also all the chapel services which we could go to if we wanted to. The first was at 6.10am (that is right - AM). I decided to try and go to all of them (I'm not sure why - I guess for my retreat it was part of the experience). And I managed. I was a couple of minutes late for the one at 6.10 as I only got out of bed at 6.05!
So the day was mainly filled with those two things. We also eat lots of delicious food (in silence) and had time to pray, create pictures, and explore the surrounding area. The grounds surrounding the convent and the building themselves were beautiful. It was a very peaceful place to be. The nun's made us feel very welcome. It was a lovely place and a lovely time. I do hope to go back.
Lessons that I hope won't retreat!
These are the main things I have learnt over my weekend away. They are in no particular order and I reserve the right to add to them at any time!
Quiet - There is really power in being quiet. It made me realise that so much of what we say isn't needed. There has to be balance of course, but I think that I need to think before speaking. This is particularly true when in "discussion" with Martha. I need to be quieter, not louder. There is real power in that.
Interruption - At Turvey they have 5 services a day. On top of that we had 5 meditation sessions over the weekend and meals etc. Every time you get into something you had to stop and go into a service or a group session or eat something. Sister J says the 5 services can be like a constant interruption. But that is why they are necessary. They bring you back to what is important. Why you are there.
I was walking in the garden on Saturday and said to God: I came here to get away from interruption and I am constantly being interrupted. God said: I know. It has to be like your life or you won't learn how to take the lesson back with you. I said: Damn! But, as ever, God was right. I have to find the moments to meet with him in my everyday life. If I am interrupted then that is fine. It is ok. God will be waiting for the next moment. And it reminded me that He is in all the moments. Whether I am focusing on him or not.
To be in both places - I felt a bit mean leaving Nick and the girls to go off by myself. On the Friday night in chapel I realised that I needed to be there, sitting with Jesus, in order to be able to do what he wants me to do in the rest of my life. In those moments (sometimes weekends) is when I get the strength I need to do the other things. And they are not selfish but vitally important.
Different ways of praying - We were encouraged to use colour in our prayers. You think of a piece of Scripture and draw with what ever colour comes to mind. This is a form of prayer that I have been doing for a while in various ways but have always felt is a bit silly. It was great having it put forward. It is a great way of letting the word sink into you. I drew various pictures over the weekend which will appear in another post (as long as they scan in ok!)
There are lots of different types of prayer. They all have a place and they are all good. Try them out. See what works. And remember that different things suit a certain season.
As you can see I brought a lot back with me. I hope that I will be able to carry some of this into my daily life. But I do know that it was not in vain and God really used this time. I hope to go back there soon (well once can leave the tummy tot!)
Quiet - There is really power in being quiet. It made me realise that so much of what we say isn't needed. There has to be balance of course, but I think that I need to think before speaking. This is particularly true when in "discussion" with Martha. I need to be quieter, not louder. There is real power in that.
Interruption - At Turvey they have 5 services a day. On top of that we had 5 meditation sessions over the weekend and meals etc. Every time you get into something you had to stop and go into a service or a group session or eat something. Sister J says the 5 services can be like a constant interruption. But that is why they are necessary. They bring you back to what is important. Why you are there.
I was walking in the garden on Saturday and said to God: I came here to get away from interruption and I am constantly being interrupted. God said: I know. It has to be like your life or you won't learn how to take the lesson back with you. I said: Damn! But, as ever, God was right. I have to find the moments to meet with him in my everyday life. If I am interrupted then that is fine. It is ok. God will be waiting for the next moment. And it reminded me that He is in all the moments. Whether I am focusing on him or not.
To be in both places - I felt a bit mean leaving Nick and the girls to go off by myself. On the Friday night in chapel I realised that I needed to be there, sitting with Jesus, in order to be able to do what he wants me to do in the rest of my life. In those moments (sometimes weekends) is when I get the strength I need to do the other things. And they are not selfish but vitally important.
Different ways of praying - We were encouraged to use colour in our prayers. You think of a piece of Scripture and draw with what ever colour comes to mind. This is a form of prayer that I have been doing for a while in various ways but have always felt is a bit silly. It was great having it put forward. It is a great way of letting the word sink into you. I drew various pictures over the weekend which will appear in another post (as long as they scan in ok!)
There are lots of different types of prayer. They all have a place and they are all good. Try them out. See what works. And remember that different things suit a certain season.
As you can see I brought a lot back with me. I hope that I will be able to carry some of this into my daily life. But I do know that it was not in vain and God really used this time. I hope to go back there soon (well once can leave the tummy tot!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
