Blessed beyond belief
January 29th, 2010 by RoseAfter a long season of trials we have now found ourselves in a season of blessing, all our needs being met over and above anything we could have imagined.
It is a reminder to me that he certainly does work for my greater good and though the times being stretched are as uncomfortable as all heck, the time of triumph is reward enough to make up.
I am enjoying all the connections I’ve been making with people from the past as well as new ones who’ve arrived on the doorstep out if the blue.
Life is beautiful.
What is success?
January 24th, 2010 by RoseAn except from the book of a brilliant man I look up to.
I think you can see that my definition of success in business has nothing to do with profits solely for their own sake. This is very important. Success for me is whether you have created something that you can be really proud of. Profits are necessary to invest in the next project – and pay the bills, repay investors and reward all the hard work – but that’s all.
Nobody should be remembered for how much money they have made in life. Whether you die with a billion dollars in your bank account or $20 under your pillow is actually not that interesting. That’s not what you’ve achieved in life. What matters is whether you’ve created something special – and whether you’ve made a real difference to other people’s lives. Entrepreneurs, scientists and artists who died as paupers are often the heroes.
Successful people aren’t in possession of secrets known only to themselves. Don’t obsess over people who appear to you to be ‘winners’, but listen instead to the wisdom of people who’ve led enriching lives – people, for instance, who’ve found time for friends and family. Be generous in your interpretation of what success looks like.
In business, as in life, all that matters is that you do something positive. Thanks for reading – and enjoy your life. You only get one.
- Sir Richard Branson.
Wilfy
January 19th, 2010 by RoseHere are some pics of my little Wilfred.
That tiny little black dot, is the beginnings of my little boy. 21/08/09
Wilf’s grown from a dot to a blob. 07/09/09
Little Wilf now has a face. 19/10/09
Wilfy has a little arm poking out
Wilf about 20 weeks. 24/11/09
The next scans I post will be at 32 weeks and will be 3D, so hopefully will be able to see his face properly :-D I know it is a bit naughty to perv on him before he sees the light of day but I’m so keen to meet him!!
New Years Resolutions
January 15th, 2010 by RoseEach year I like to write down a few things I’d like to achieve for the year and usually I’m pretty good at completing them. Last years sadly got swallowed up by the aftermath of the fires but this year I’m determined to succeed.
So, here they are…
NEW YEARS RESOLUTION 2010
Deliver a healthy baby boy
Build a chicken coop & get chickens
Start a vegetable garden
Buy a Cabana Caravan (26/02/10 bought one)
See Jenna (Booked her ticket to Aus for 2 months arriving beginning of June *yay*)
Why I became and stay a Christian
January 14th, 2010 by RoseIt’s been on my agenda to write this entry for a long time and it’s inspired by re-reading Steve’s testimony on his blog again last week.
Why I became a Christian – The Beginning
My Christian journey started as a small child with my Mum giving me a small plate with the Lords prayer on it. I used to recite it every night before bed as a young child. Later at about age ten in a caravan park in Eden, NSW one summer holiday – I met a girl about the same age whose family were Christian, I didn’t have any exposure to Christianity before this aside from the Lords Prayer.
On that holiday I asked Jesus into my heart and life. I recall afterwards starting to go by myself to a Presbyterian church in Epping, Victoria for some time before finally being put off by their constant reference to us all ‘being sinners’ – even at that young age I knew that church should have been an empowering experience and not all doom and gloom.
I drifted away from Christianity and in 1994 in my first year of university after reading a small advert in the local paper, starting taking a meditation course nearby. I drifted along with them and at various stages had a varied involvement with them – preferring mostly the uni life of partying, getting drunk and having what the world called ‘fun’.
Around 1999-2000 I became more involved in the Indian religion from which it stemmed. This organisation followed these principals: vegetarian, abstaining from alcohol, smoking, sexual relationships and daily meditation with what they call the Supreme Soul.
It was during that time I was able to overcome my excessive smoking and drinking habits. Still to this day I am still vegetarian and don’t smoke or drink.
In early 2004 I was still practising my meditation often getting up at 4am and having half an hours mediation time in the stillness of the morning. One morning, I had this strong desire to put the TV on which was in my room. This lady appeared, dressed well and a strong American accent – she was saying the most amazing things that related to things going on in my life. This woman was Joyce Meyer, a well known Christian Preacher. Before long I was waking each morning at 4am to listen to her. She had this amazing no nonsense way of communicating her message. It was what I needed though I didn’t pursue Christianity – I still identified with my other religion.
That same year I started talking more through the Internet with a guy from England called Steve. After many hours of conversation we met in person and fell in love. In November 2004 I moved to England and we spent two years there.
During that time we attended when we could the nearest meditation centre about an hour or more away for this organisation. It just didn’t ‘fit’ right though and I was forever questioning their beliefs and not being content with the answers I was getting.
I was homesick and missing the family/community environment being a part of something like that offered and kept getting the push inside me to visit a church.
We attended a number of churches, what an eye opener and I am so glad we stuck with our search and were not put off by some of the strange places we encountered.
Finally, at the beginning of the New Year in 2006 we went to a service St Johns Church of England in Woodbridge, Suffolk and the very first morning we were there, God sat a retired vicar next to us. We became friends and attended some small groups at their house on a number of occasions and pumped them with questions and such like. It took many months for me to finally make the decision as an adult to become a Christian.
I made the decision that if I lived my life by the principles of Christianity, and it turned out to be wrong, I had lost nothing. But, if I lived my life by the scientific principles of atheism, or indeed New Ageism, and THAT turned out to be wrong, then I had lost everything. I asked Jesus to become Lord of my life. I made the decision in faith, there was no bolt of lightening or Road to Damascus experience for us like Paul experienced in the Bible to have him convert from his Roman ways to be a follower of Christ.
In November 2006 we moved back to Australia and tried out a few churches in our area before making our home at New Horizons Assembly of God Church in Whittlesea.
Before we went there we did attend a different church in the area, the vicar of which ran a course called Introducing God. It was really at this point I really clicked into knowing WHO Jesus is and WHY I need him in my life. He also lent me a book called ‘More Than A Carpenter‘ by Josh McDowell. The book put things into perspective in such a way that I really couldn’t ignore it any longer – and argued so well that Jesus Christ was the Son Of God, that logically I could no longer argue against it. At that point I decided I had to find out more, and began to seek out who Jesus really was.
Steve and I were baptized in water, by Pastor Shane at New Horizons in October of 2007. Since that time I have been given more and more evidence that Jesus is Lord because the Bible IS accurate.
Life has taken many twists and turns – without my faith, this religion – I wouldn’t be where I am today. I would be so bitter and angry as I have a lot to be bitter and angry about with the experiences I have endured in the past; sexual, physical, emotional abuse and abandonment to name just a few.
It is of great comfort for me to know that the world and the people in it are going to hurt me and let me down. But my heavenly Father loves me eternally and at any time I can go to Him. I know that when I take the love and approval I need from Him than people – the greater I become.
Why do I stay a Christian?
In my time as a Christian I have witnessed some miracles, been blessed beyond measure and had the opportunity to serve on the mission field in Africa, in and around my home town and amongst my friends and family. I’ve seen lives changed and people so broken you would never think they could be fixed be healed in their hearts and in their lives by the power of God.
It is certainly an amazing life I lead now I have learnt that God is more interested in my character and not my comfort and I have come to try my best to ‘consider it pure joy to go through trials’ because I know they are shaping my character and developing my relationship with God even more.
Grandma’s Heavenly Cake
January 10th, 2010 by RoseTwo little boys are telling Grandma how “everything” is going wrong: the bully at school, their parents grounded them and they have colds.
Meanwhile, Grandma is baking a cake. She asks the boys if they would like a snack, which of course they do.
“Here, have some cooking oil” she says.
“Yuck”, says one boy.
“How about a couple of raw eggs?”
“Gross, Grandma” says the other boy.
“Would you like some flour then? Or maybe some baking soda?”
“Grandma, those are all yukky!” they said in unison.
To which Grandma replied:
“Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves, but when they are put together in the right way they make a wonderfully delicious cake! God works in the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and eventually they will all make something wonderful!”.
Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
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