I was thinking about our girls the other day and about the bigger picture. Eventually they will grow up and become adults and face really tough situations. Eventually they will have to make hard decisions, decide how to react to things and choose a direction. It seems so far off right now but thats ok because it means we have the next ‘however many’ years to prepare them for what life will throw at them.

Sounds very depressing to think about the harder things they will face but its true (and I’m a realist as opposed to being a pessimist). If we (hubby and I) don’t take our part of their future seriously, as well as preparing them for the more practical things then I feel that I would be being neglectful in my parenting (just me and my thoughts about myself, not about others).

For example, its fine to teach them to cook, how to budget, how to save, how to drive a car etc… but what about how to react when they are struggling? What about how to treat other people in circumstances where they are blindsided? What about how to rely on God, I mean REALLY rely on God.

That last one is one of the most important things that I want to teach them. Its something my parents taught me and I want to pass it on. As I said in a guest post over at Narelle’s blog last month:

“I grew up in a household where trusting God for every day things was the norm. My parents worked for a Christian newspaper in which ‘wages’ were given if available through supporting donors. It was a great way to grow up, every time we needed something my parents first port of call was prayer. We prayed for food, we prayed for money, we prayed about situations that were challenging and so I learnt to pray myself, and to trust God.”

Now our situation isn’t the same as it was for my parents…..yet. This doesn’t mean that we can’t teach them this lesson too. I want it to become so ‘normal’ to them to go to God first and so deeply embedded that it becomes a life skill.

Being a parent is very hard work. Its full of responsibility, worry, joy, sadness, battles, tiredness and fun. I hope I can look back in many years to come and not have regret about how I parented my girls (but the realist in me knows that I, like most of us will probably have regrets). The best thing I can do for them as I go along is to pray for them.

Ahhh, trust and patience, two things that often elude me. I have been a Christian since I was a little girl, I grew up in a family where trusting God was as normal as breathing and yet its a lesson I have to learn over and over. Quite a few of my friends and family have been going through very difficult situations lately. Many are due to illness and the rest due to life situations that emerge. I have found myself praying more than ever before. Not the ’sit down with a paper and pad and go through a list’ type of praying (which should work for me considering my affinity with ‘to do’ lists and my love of stationery) but more the ’shoot a prayer to heaven’ or ‘pray as I do a mundane job’ sort of thing. Some of the things I’ve been praying about have been answered in the way I hoped they would be but most are just drifting there, waiting.

A couple of weeks ago while compiling my first Weekly What List I decided on the spur of the moment to put ‘memorise a verse’ on that list. I haven’t really memorised a verse since I was at Bible college, around 17 years ago (unless you count Colin Buchanan songs). That’s pretty shameful I think for someone who says they live by the Bible.

I decided to look for a verse surrounding the theme of trust. I had memorised Proverbs 3: 5-6 when I was a kid so that wasn’t an option. Instead I chose a verse that I probably skimmed at some point. Its full of words that we all see as Christian cliche’s such as ‘hope’, ‘trust’, ‘joy’ and ‘peace’ which is why I would have skimmed it.

I have to admit, I didn’t remember that I was meant to be memorising this until around half way through the week. I started to memorise bits and eventually it all stuck. Then I decided I’d better actually figure out what it means, what’s the point otherwise? Here’s the verse:

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The verse I’m meant to memorise this week is this one, chosen because my jar of patience seems to have evaporated (must have left the lid off). Better get memorising hey!

Ecclesiastes 7:8
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

The other night I went to read a story to the girls before bed and selected a book that I’d had as a child. Its a story we are all familiar with, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. We all know how the story goes but as I read it to Miss K I started to realise exactly what was happening in the story. As a Mum I’m always on the lookout for things that could be a bad influence on my girls. I use Biblical standards as my measuring stick so that may differ from some. Usually its things on the TV or age inappropriate books or clothes but I wasn’t expecting to see this story from the angle of bad influence. The best way to explain it is to tell you the version of the story that was going on in my head as I read the words on the page out loud. So, snuggle up with your doona and your pillow behind your back and cuddle your favourite teddy as I tell the story of ‘Jack the Thief and His Crazy Mother’.

Once upon a time there was a single mother of an only child. She was very poor and one day she realised they needed to sell the family cow so they could buy food. She sent her little boy to the market to sell the cow and on the way there he met a man. Jack did something very silly and happily chatted to a stranger. He then willingly sold the family cow for five beans.

Being a little child Jack thought he had done the right thing because the stranger had told him that the beans were magic and he wanted to help his Mum. Jack’s Mum was so angry at him for listening to what she thought was rubbish that she yelled at him angrily and Jack went to bed.

The next morning Jack woke up to find that the stranger was telling the truth and the beans had grown all the way up into the clouds. Being a curious kid like most he climbed to the top and ran inside the castle he saw. In the castle was a giant who was happily minding his own business and counting the golden eggs from his very special hen. Wanting to please him Mum (who was so angry at him) Jack decided he had to steal the chook.

When the giant was sleeping he stole the chicken and ran off down the giant beanstalk where his Mum was waiting and encouraging him to take what wasn’t his.

Jack was so good at thieving that his Mum sent her little boy up the giant beanstalk once again and encouraged him to steal. Jack stole a talking harp this time but the giant heard the harp yelling and ran after them. Rightly so, his special harp was being stolen.

Putting on her best ‘I’m beautiful but a bit of a psycho’ face, Jack’s Mum grabbed an axe and instead of doing the dirty deed herself, she gave it to her child and said ‘quick cut down the giant beanstalk so that the giant falls and dies’.

Jack swung the axe as hard as his little muscles would let him and the giant fell off the beanstalk and landed hard on the ground. He died.

Feeling relieved to have gotten away with theft and murder, Jack and his psycho Mum lived happily ever after. What they did with the enormous dead giant that was lying outside their house we will never know but I’m sure she thought of something.

Ok, I know, its just a fairytale but our kids do pick up on things in these stories. It may just be this version of Jack and the Beanstalk but I’m fairly sure that most versions are quite similar. Anyway, when is theft and murder ok? Sure, Jack was defending himself but the giant was trying to retrieve what was stolen from him.

Yes. I did just do an in depth analysis of a fairy tale with a bit of humour thrown in. Do you agree with me? Are there any other fairy tales that you have avoided because of the messages they send? I’d love to know.

Isn’t it funny how standing in the middle of my 30s I can see the stages of life as they group into little boxes. I don’t know that I could see them clearly when I was in high school and in fact I was of the mindset that I would determine NOT to be part of certain stereotypes or stages. For one thing, I was never going to want to talk endlessly about the type of washing machine I was going to buy and what sort of powder (or would liquid be better?) I would put in it. I was not going to be interested in the housing market, the best way to make a potato salad or in discussing the most important political issues. No, I was going to be different and avoid all these things.

I remember being bored silly listening to other women talk about their washing machines at work functions. I wanted to talk about deeper things, more interesting things. Now, standing in the middle of my 30s I can clearly see that I have become one of them. Not only that but I’m HAPPILY one of them.

I wonder if you adjust your thinking more if you have your children in your early to mid twenties? My twenties were spent working, studying, traveling for fun and traveling for missions. We did not buy a house when we first got married, we saved our money and went on a world trip 2 years in. We did not buy a mainstream car but instead we cruised around in our modified VW Beetle with our sausage dog squeezed in the back. We did not have kids right away but we led youth group, taught Girls and Boys Brigade, worked in missions at home and focused on those things. We were doing our best to be anything but mainstream.

Us with our sausage dog with our modified VW Beetle

The modified back.

I suppose it all comes down to what you view as ‘normal’. Many of our friends chose to buy and house and have kids right away (within 2 years of being married) and our viewpoint for ourselves at the time was that if we did that, then we would get too comfortable and not do anything. We were especially concerned that we wouldn’t want to be involved in Christian missions overseas. For us, I think that was right. Now that we have a mortgage, two kids and talk in depth about washing machines and potato salad recipes the thought of breaking away and taking our kids overseas is overwhelming. For me it is very important to be willing to go wherever God leads so if he leads us overseas in the future I am going to have to get over that.

Have we become the thing we were avoiding? Maybe. Do I now fit into the ‘normal’ category? Probably. Is that ok for now? Yes, I think so. As long as, when the time comes I can put what God wants before what I want then for now its alright.

The other day I mentioned that Narelle over at Moment’s for Mum had a Giveaway (its still going so pop on over there). The giveaway is part of a series of interviews that Narelle is doing with Christian Aussie Mums and today my interview is up. Tomorrow I share with everyone a few thoughts on Trusting God. To read my interview go here.

In 1988 the famous shoe company Nike came out with the slogan ‘Just Do It’ to sell their shoes. We all remember it and we all often quote it. In 1990 I went on my year 10 camp and it involved a bit of abseiling. Not something that I was particularly excited about but I took the Nike quote and made it my own. I said to myself at the top of every cliff we faced, ‘Just Do It’ and so I did. In fact I quite enjoyed it.

Procrastinating is not really my thing. I hate having piles of things I need to do and have tended to apply the ‘Just Do It’ slogan to my life as time has progressed. It helps me to not think for too long and worry too much before doing something scary (although for some reason it does not work when it comes to my biggest fear – driving).

This all brings me to my love of painting (wait for it, you’ll see the connection). The other night we watched the movie ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring‘. Its a made up story about my favourite Vermeer painting (with the same title as the movie). I have always loved this painting, even before I knew that it was very popular and famous. The first time I saw it in an art book I loved it. I wasn’t so much drawn to the expression on her face but more the way he painted the fabric and the use of chiaroscuro. Looking at it again in the movie (which I found to be bland) just makes me want to paint again. Not just paint but paint portraits in oils. I keep throwing my old friend ‘Just Do It’ at my brain but for many reasons it slides right off.

I haven’t painted, I mean really painted for a number of years. I keep referring to myself as an artist who loves to paint which is true, and yet I don’t. How can I really paint when I can’t set up my easel anywhere permanently? How can I paint without interruption? I worry about the smell of oils and turpentine around the kids. I could just paint in acrylics but I’m still stuck with the issue of space. Our house is small but one day I’ll be able to set myself up again and get moving.

‘Just Do It’ no longer cuts it. I can no longer just do things without considering all the factors involved. My kids have to come first and our house has to be safe for them. I physically can’t seem to get beyond buying supplies and scribbling in my sketchbook until I can set up a space safely and leave it there for more than two hours.

Ahh how things change when you have children. I wouldn’t swap it for the world although I might buy myself a print of ‘Girl With A Pearl Earring’ and put it where I can see it to keep me inspired.

Thank you Karen for giving me the Sugardoll award. I have to write 10 things that you don’t know about me. Here they are:

1. I do not consider myself talented. I actually see my artistic/creative skills as mostly learnt. I however see myself with a good eye for perspective and colour. I am a visual person.

2. When in a restaurant I have to sit with my back against a wall if possible. I don’t like not seeing behind me.

3. I have been to all the states and territories in Australia.

4. I have known my hubby for around 21 years now. Been together as a couple for 18 of those, married for close to 14.

5. I can never decide what my favourite colour is. I go through phases but tend to have a favourite set of colours (currently robin’s egg blue, electric blue, frog green, aqua and turquoise).

6. I have been a Christian (as in Jesus follower) since I was in primary school. My relationship with God continues to grow as time goes on but I would say I learnt the most during my teen years. I may not have dealt with the deep tragedies that many have but I have had my up and down times with God anyway. I have mostly learnt that blaming God for things achieves nothing but bitterness.

7. I love photography but never really list it as one of my arty skills. This is mainly because I can never get my head around the tech talk of the subject. I have no idea about pixels and megapixels and the rest.

8. I am 1/16th Spanish.

9. I once was in a choir that toured Queensland and yet I don’t think I can really sing. I love to sing ‘You are my sunshine’ and ‘So Good (I got you!)’ to my girls. Little L always says ‘Aye!’ at the end of So Good.

10. When I was a teenager I had a lot of Garfield stuff. I actually didn’t like Garfield at all but someone thought I did and got me a book of it. The rumour spread and before I knew it I had soft toys, books, comics, socks, knickers and even a bedspread with Garfield on it. I always felt bad about saying I didn’t like it that much so just used it all anyway. No wonder everyone thought I liked it. The same thing happened with Pandas. I don’t really like them (or dislike them) but some people thought I did and I ended up with Panda stuff all over the place.

Now to tag a few people myself. These bloggers always make me smile and I know all of them IRL (in real life)! Ok here goes, I award the sugardoll award to:

Heidi over at Baby Brain Babbles. I’ve known Heidi for a few years now and she recently started a blog. It needs some love!

Erin from Erin’s Antics. Erin is from our church and I think she’s a star!

My friend Narelle over at Moments for Mum. Her blog is full of inspirational encouragement.

Suki over at Tamptation. Suki makes me laugh. I met her via Etsy.

Sarah from Tea For Bini. Sarah is a fellow Perth Etsian and sells funky stuff!

Before the year ends (one hour to go 45 mins here in Perth) I thought I would summarise this past year. Here goes:

Family, creativity, travel, wedding, Mexico, Cairns, Sydney, play, knitting, mad at God, happy at God, mad at God, happy at God, mad at myself for being mad at God, claying, sickness, coughing, more coughing, teething, nappies, rolling, crawling, walking, running, bumps, kid’s corner, giggles, tantrums, dora, high5, sadness, struggles, rain, garden, green, fruit, museum, circus, city, zoo, cousins, brother, sisterinlaw, Mum, Dad, Mum and Dad again, Paronella Park, birthdays, hospitality, cooking, cakes, cupcakes, bikkies, Powerhouse Museum, drawing, sketching, beads, listing, Etsy, Madeit, Melville Baptist, hearing half sermons, creche, outside play, sandpit, iphone, music, steven curtis chapman, keith green, painting, butterflies, character makeover, sadness, happiness, tiredness, babies, babies and more babies, Adelaide, friends, Christmas, New Years.

Nothing is in order of course, just random thoughts as they came to mind and of course I’ve missed quite a few things. Happy New Year everyone!

You’ve all heard the line (verse):

Luke 2:14
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

and I’m sure most of us hear this and have one of two reactions. We either take no notice, after all its just a line that is printed on Christmas cards and sung in Christmas carols and is a bit of a cliche or we think ‘peace? Where? When? Yeah right!’.

Last Sunday Pastor Mike Fischer mentioned something interesting in his sermon. He noted that Jesus did not say he was here to bring peace to the earth, not physical peace anyway. In fact in Jesus own words:

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn” ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ (Matthew 10: 34-36 and also in Luke 12:51)

Why would the peace-loving, gentle, anti-violent Jesus say such a thing? He was making a reference to what would happen when a family member chooses to follow Him. He was acknowledging what would happen when one person disagreed with the choice of another person. By all accounts around the world this is exactly what happens. Whether in true violent fashion as seen in some places or whether in mild sarcasm or bullying as in many cases, it happens.

Why would Jesus want this and what ‘on earth’ were those angels going on about when they said that Jesus birth would bring peace on earth? Were they dreaming? Did they have their heads in the clouds?. Physically maybe but technically no. As Mike said last Sunday the peace that they were talking about was much more one on one than we think. It was all about our personal peace with God not peace between one man and another. I don’t believe there will be true peace between men until all is said and done.

Our personal peace with God will depend on many things. Our view of God and whether he exists, whether we are angry at him for something or not, whether we think God is someone worth thinking about etc… If there is no peace then there is war and if there is war between you and God then there cannot be rest.

For me, when asked what I consider to be the real meaning of Christmas this is my answer. Its about our peace with God, after all thats what all the ’stuff’ about the baby, star, manger, animals etc.. is really based upon. Its about Jesus being born so we could have a way to God through him. I believe that all of this is true and real.

Next time you sing the words ‘Peace on earth’ remember, this may just be (I believe it IS) the most important thing to consider. What if God is actually real and you don’t have peace with him? Take a minute this Christmas to think deeply about this. I do hope you find peace (with God) at the end of 2009.

Yesterday in the early hours of the morning, little L and I flew back from Adelaide where we had been visiting family for the last 5 days. Since L is under 2 yrs her ticket is free but she has to sit on my lap. On the trip over we were given a seat with a spare one between us and so she was able to spread out and go to sleep and I was hoping for the same on the return trip.

After being seated right up the back of the plane (the very last row) a young boy, around 12 yrs old was given the seat next to us (only two seats per row either side of the isle). I didn’t mind, I figured I’d be pretty lucky to get a seat for L this time too. I noticed the host (as in male hostess) was talking to him and told him that some food would be rustled up for him. Being a Virgin flight we had to buy all our food so I asked him if he had any money to which he said ‘no’. I told him that if they didn’t bring him anything I’d buy him a sandwich or something. He was happy to chat about where he was going and was very impressed with my new phone.

After a short time the hostess came over and asked if I’d be happy to shift to a row where little L could have her own seat if they shuffled a few passengers. Seeing as this was a 3 hour trip I said yes of course. After gathering my stuff together the boy stepped out of his seat to let me pass and as I went I asked the host if he was being given a meal and told him that if not I’d be happy to buy him one. The host said yes he’d have a meal so I proceeded to my new seats and got comfy.

A few moments later the host came over to me and said that it was really nice of me to offer and therefore my meal and drinks would be complimentary when the hostess came down the isle with them. I was a bit embarrassed but said thank you very much.

Now, I’m telling you this not to blow my own horn but to pose the question…should we be rewarded for behaviour that is actually ordinary and human? I mean, surely most people would have done the same thing rather than eat in front of a hungry 12 year old, after all, its only a few dollars? I was very appreciative of the Virgin staff giving me a free meal but I wonder why they were so surprised? Don’t people care for people around them? Don’t others think of doing this? Is it so rare that they felt the need to reward me? I don’t think that what I offered to do was anything special but I do think its interesting that they reacted that way. What do you think?