Two Piles

February 22, 2012 / Molly / No comments

As you can probably guess we are pretty snowed under at the moment. We are in week four of preparations for moving interstate and things are nicely on track. I think I may have packed around 60 boxes so far but I lost count somewhere deep into last week.

We have three large piles in our house right now but I wanted to share two of them with you as they represent where we’ve been and where we’re going. This is the first one:

Yes, we have a verge collection coming up and we’ve made as good use of it as we sorted through our house. We had to give away our animals and so their cages all came down. These were the duck and chook enclosures that we had spent a full day putting together last year. We don’t mind, we have to do what’s needed.
This large pile represents so many things but mostly it represents where we’ve been for the last 15 years. Some of what’s out there came with us from our previous house!

This is the second pile:

Yes, this is our growing stack of packed boxes. This of course represents where we’re going, all that we deem worthy to come with us! Turns out thats a lot but I don’t think its any more than an average family of four.

Moving is such an interesting thing. It gives you time to really look at what you have, what you’ve kept and why you’ve done so. You have to physically handle every single thing you own or at least eyeball it as you put it in the box. You have to let go (as was the case with our VW Bug and our ducks) but you also get to dream of where you’re going (as is the case with my considering how to set up the girl’s new room and my new art space). Its quite a cleansing experience in many ways.

Pile three is simply the pile for our garage sale coming up (March 10th for anyone in Perth, message me for details).

So, its anyone’s guess how many boxes I’ll end up with (after all, our removalists are yet to pack all our breakables and electronics/appliances) but I’m fairly sure that the pile out the front is finished. Its nice to be finished with the junk. : )

Category: All Sorts of Things, Deeper Thoughts, Family / Tags:

Saying Goodbye to the Funniest Things

February 14, 2012 / Molly / One comment

Just a few minutes ago I wheeled our pram out to the verge. No, it wasn’t with anyone in it unless you count the family of spiders who have inhabited it. Its been sitting out the back behind our shed (under cover) for the last few years. It really wasn’t suitable to donate to anyone, it had gotten to that overused stage and even had a bump with each turn of the wheels. Saying goodbye to the pram is just one of the strange goodbyes we are having to do.

For example, our budgie Babybird went to live with her new owners on Saturday. I must admit to not being too attached to Babybird but there were other memories associated with her cage. After one of the girls knocked over her original cage we had to put her in the huge mansion of a Weiro cage. That cage was where we had housed our first Weiro not long after we got married.

Today we said goodbye to the last four of our ducks. If you read my blog regularly you will know that we loved our ducks. Our drake was called Moseley and he was the proud father to nine ducklings. One friend took three of the ducks the other week, another took two and then today a man I don’t know paid us for the last four. How strange to be catching the ducks to take them out to his car. I just dragged their purple pond out to the verge too, ready for the verge collection next week.

Yesterday we had someone come and look at our modified 1968 VW Beetle, affectionately known as ‘The Latte’. It won’t be long before we say goodbye to her too. Latte was once our only car. The stares we got driving her around! At the time we had our gorgeous little sausage dog who would sit on the back ledge behind the seats (its a two seater). She’s for sale by the way, $1500 O.N.O. Its a shame that we have to give her up but we can’t justify taking her across the country with us.

Lastly, we took a diversion driving home from our friends house on Sunday and popped by our old church. This was the one where Michael and I met and grew up in. We also took a very quick spin around our old area and past our old house. We figured its probably going to be the last time we do that for a very very long time, even if we visit Perth (which we will) we won’t need to go to that suburb for anything. I lived in that house for close to 20 years.

Goodbyes are funny things. I’m not devastated by any of these, we feel that we do have to make sacrifices in order to follow God’s lead. Hopefully we will be able to get more ducks or chooks one day and maybe even a VW again. Actually, I’m sure we will as these things are intertwined with our character. I like that thought.

Category: All Sorts of Things, Family / Tags: ,

Things I Wonder…

February 7, 2012 / Molly / 3 comments

As the craziness of the last ten days continues and in-between phonecalls, boxes and dust I have had a few thoughts and wondering. For example;

- What does the inside of my new house look like?
- Will I paint the best I’ve painted in our new place?
- Will the girls make new friends?
- Will they keep in touch with their old friends?
- Will I EVER drive again? (doubtful)
- Will I be a good Pastor’s Wife?
- How often will we visit Perth?
- Will all our stuff fit in the new place or will the new place seem empty?
- Will there be snakes in our backyard? (I saw one once while visiting the city we are going to live in, in the suburbs…not far away!)

Of course there are other thoughts that belong to this side of that marker:

- Will I find a home for our ducks?
- Will someone buy our VW Beetle?
- Will we rent or sell?
- Will my health settle down or will this stress cause me more damage?
- Will we be able to afford to fix the things we need to on our house before we go?
- Will I handle saying goodbye to so many friends at once?

As much as I wonder about these last six things on the list I am trying very hard not to worry too much. I figure, God has provided this position, he’s called us to it and the details between then and now are really his to take care of. We will of course follow his lead but I do believe that he:

- Already knows who will take our ducks.
- Has selected the person who will buy our bug.
- Knows the answer to whether we will rent or sell (and has sorted out who and when).
- Can carry me through this stressful time.
- Can provide what we need to fix our home.
- Will be with me as I say goodbye (and also as I say hello).

He Owns the Cattle
(on a Thousand Hills)
Words and Music by John W. Peterson

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills,
The wealth in every mine;
He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills,
The sun and stars that shine.
Wonderful riches, more than tongue can tell -
He is my Father so they’re mine as well;
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills -
I know that He will care for me.

Psalm 50:10
“For every beast of the forest is mine,
and the cattle upon a thousand hills.”

Category: All Sorts of Things, Deeper Thoughts / Tags: , ,

Moses

February 2, 2012 / Molly / One comment

The other day Miss K was sitting at the table and somehow the conversation came up about Moses. By Moses I mean Moses in the Bible. She asked me to tell her the story of Moses and then later that day she wanted to watch the ‘Prince Of Egypt’ which is an animated version of the story. I quite like that animation, I think it does the story justice.

Anyway, as I told her the story I tried to make the exciting bits exciting and the sad bits sad and the dramatise the whole thing as best I could. In telling the story I was reminded of a few things that I had forgotten.

1. God’s plan to rescue the millions of Hebrew slaves began many many years before it happened. The moment Pharaoh declared that all Hebrew slave boy babies were to die God used this awful situation to set a series of events in place.
2. This series of events happened as people trusted God. His mother did so by putting her baby in what seemed a dangerous situation, inside the basket on the river.
3. It also brought out boldness in some. Look at his sister Miriam and her boldness to go right up to the Princess and offer some help. Think about Moses’ brother Aaron and how he spoke for him.
4. God shows us that our failures will always be used to glorify him. Moses killed a man whether accidentally or purposefully and it was because of this that he shook of the shackles of being that Prince of Egypt and instead became a humbled shepherd. Being a shepherd, it turns out, is more useful. Take note those who feel they are in powerless situations of no standing.

Of course there are many more things we can learn from the amazing story of Moses and I love that my daughter(s) are interested to see what happens. Two of my all time favourite history lessons are in the Bible and both happened in Eygypt, the story of Moses and the story of Joseph.

I am grateful that at a time when there are some real changes in our household the Lord uses the simple act of my daughter asking for a story to remind me of just how far back he arranges things and sets them in place. Psalm 139 comes to mind:

LORD, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up;
You understand my thoughts from far away.
3 You observe my travels and my rest;
You are aware of all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue,
You know all about it, LORD.
5 You have encircled me;
You have placed Your hand on me.
6 This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me.
It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.

The rest of the chapter can be found here.

I have decided to join Cath from Squiggle Mum with her new post idea for ‘Growing In God’. At the start of the month we are invited to share how our family grows in God through something we talk about or do together etc..

Category: All Sorts of Things, Deeper Thoughts, Family / Tags: , ,

Amazing!

February 2, 2012 / Molly / 3 comments

I’ve been putting off writing this post for almost a week now. I’m not too sure what to write really or whether I want to write this on my blog. Let me just say this, God has provided my hubby with an amazing job opportunity which means that we will be leaving Western Australia. He applied for this job back in October last year, was interviewed in December and was accepted last Sunday. In time you will know where we are but I don’t want to spend the next 7 or 8 weeks blogging about moving (actually I might not have the time once the packing boxes arrive!). To summarise though here is what moving interstate means:

At this end of the 8 weeks
- saying goodbye to friends and family
- giving away our ducks, finches, chooks and budgie
- culling our belongings
- dealing with people I’ve never dealt with before such as banks, removalists, realtors, painters etc..
- packing packing packing

At the other end of the 8 weeks
- getting to know new people
- becoming a Pastor’s wife again
- changing schools for our girls
- getting new pets at some point
- unpacking unpacking unpacking
- doing all the things you have to do when you move state (as in transferring records, changing licenses etc)
- getting used to a bigger house that has an air con that works, ceiling fans and a dishwasher (haven’t ever had any of those unless you count the big box air con in our window here that stopped working while we were in Cairns).

Only a week before we got the news we set up the girls trampoline which was their Christmas present. At the time we knew that we may have to pack it up again in a few weeks time but we promised them that we would set it up. They love it and I’m sure it will look great in the new backyard.

So. Moving. Once we have things booked up and have gotten a hold of packing boxes I’ll be on my way. Feel free to share any interstate moving tips with me!

Category: All Sorts of Things, Deeper Thoughts, Family / Tags: ,

Favourite

January 27, 2012 / Molly / No comments

For quite a long time now, probably since high school I’ve had a favourite Bible passage. There are many verses that I cling to in the Bible but this passage springs to mind more than others.

Philippians 2

1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
2 fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love,
sharing the same feelings,
focusing on one goal.
3 Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility
consider others as more important than yourselves.
4 Everyone should look out not only for his own interests,
but also for the interests of others.
5 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God,did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.
7 Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form,
8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.
9 For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—
of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Why do I love this passage? Because no matter what I do in my life, no matter how I feel, no matter how good or bad things get I can be reminded of what Jesus actually gave up for me. I can be reminded how much he humbled himself, is ridiculed and poked fun at on a daily basis, is the butt of jokes, not taken seriously and considered a fake and yet there is nothing in him that says woe is me.

This is the attitude we are meant to take on ourselves. I think we assume that because Jesus is God, living on earth and going through the agony of ‘even to death on a cross’ (google that sometime and see exactly what that means!!) was nothing to him. Oh we know he cried and said it would be too hard to bear but we think that it wasn’t that big of a deal for him to go through with it. I don’t think thats true. It was a big deal. He was after all 100% human, just because he was without sin doesn’t mean that it was an easy thing to do.

I love this passage because it refocuses me on Jesus. It reminds me to look out for others before myself. It readjusts my thinking when its gone off track.

Do you have a favourite passage? I’d love to hear what it is and why.

Category: All Sorts of Things, Deeper Thoughts / Tags: , ,

My Phoenix Trader Page on Facebook

January 23, 2012 / Molly / No comments

As some of you know I have started selling cards for Phoenix Trading. My trading website is here. I started a facebook business page almost right away and at the moment I have 27 ‘likes’. I would like to increase that number as I want to use facebook as my main advertising and information area for the moment. I’m not too good with sending out newsletters or emails and I think most people find them spammy anyway. I may have some sort of sign up thing later on my facebook page.

I am running my first facebook competition! The aim is to get my page to 200 ‘likers’. I have a weekly organiser to give away to the person with the most referrals when I hit that number. Suggest this page to your friends and ask them to click ‘like’ but also to drop me a ‘hello’ letting me know who sent them! Competition will go for as long as it takes. (To see the organiser click here).

Phoenix has a great new range out in the 2012 brochure. Here are some of the cards available:


Box of Cakes $3.60


Peacock $3.60


Pink Sneaker $3.60

Category: All Sorts of Things / Tags:

Interstate Op Shopping

January 21, 2012 / Molly / 2 comments

While visiting far north Queensland I couldn’t help myself and went off to visit a couple of my fav op shops. The Endeavour ones in Cairns are by far the best with great quality items. On our first visit my hubby got a great leather laptop bag (no pic) but it was on my second trip, this time with Mum that I scored some great stuff. Here is my haul, well most of it:

The light grey jacket was $7.95 and the grey top was also $7.95, more than I usually pay at an op shop but they both fitted so well and are new. The green top from Suzanne Grey was $1 as was the striped JAG top!!! Made up for the higher priced items. The DVDs are mostly older musicals and were all $2-$3 with no scratches. The girls particularly love Calamity Jane and Annie. I also got a bag of dolls clothes with some small doll’s house furniture thrown in for $4. Considering a new Barbie doll dress costs $6 and they got about 15-20 clothes in the bag that was also a great score! The total, including the doll’s clothes was $35. Not bad, not bad at all!

Category: All Sorts of Things, Thrift/Op Shopping / Tags: ,

Cairns Week 6 – The Final Week

January 21, 2012 / Molly / No comments

I was all too aware that this last week was our last in the run up to getting on a plane and returning home so we made the most of it. Somehow we managed to fit in a few more trips to places around the area and a whole lot of swimming in my parent’s pool. We managed to spend a lot of time (and snapshots) on capturing still shots above the water, that was so much fun!!


My brother driving on water.

Another thing that we all did together in the last week was go back to the Botanical Gardens and see the world’s largest (and stinkiest) flower. By the time we got there it was dying but you can still see how big it is (and thankfully it had lost its stink!):


My sister in law next to the flower.


Rainforest walk canopy


Can you spot the building? This is the Botanical Gardens Visitors Centre

The girls enjoyed some special time tinkling on the piano with Nanna:

As well as a day of doll’s clothes washing in the backyard:

We also went for a visit to the Crystal Cascades. We went there last year but it was pouring with rain so this visit was quite different. The cascades are really pretty and we even saw an eel and turtle in the water as we walked along.


Miss K spotted this very interesting caterpillar which my brother told me will become a moth.

On our last day there (last Thursday) we managed to squeeze in a visit to the Cairns Contemporary Arts Centre and see some interesting artwork. There was this huge sculpture by Ron Mueck called ‘In Bed’. He really is an amazing artist, this lady is so retrospective and realistic. I was sure she was going to move her eyeball and look at me any second!


The girls outside the art gallery.

After that we had lunch together with all of us (there are ten of us when we all are together). My brother and hubby managed to get the same coke names, great way to finish together:


I wonder if coke cans from the US have ‘buddy on them.

Finally it was off to the airport with all our luggage. There was a lot of luggage and we did make it within our limits but only just! Our flight home was uneventful and the girls slept. Thank you to Michael’s Dad who picked us up.

Now we are back in the land of heat and dry. The grass is a bit brown but our house sitter did an amazing job keeping our animals fed and our garden producing tomatoes and cucumbers! I can’t believe that our mango tree here is actually growing decent mangoes. I’ll share a garden up date post a little later. Now I’m up to labeling school supplies and sorting the house! Happy Perth Summer everyone!

Category: All Sorts of Things, Darling Daughters, Family / Tags: , , , ,

A New Year and a Blog Overhaul

January 17, 2012 / Molly / 3 comments

I thought it was high time I changed the look of my blog. I don’t have extra cash to pay someone to do it properly and I’m not too handy with html so I fumbled my way to a new banner and blog theme. I have no idea how to get rid of ‘Amanda’s Musings’ (or make it smaller) in the top left corner so it stays for now. Anyway, I’m happy with how it all looks, totally different to what it was. I also used one of my own paintings in the banner so its much more ‘me’. I probably will tweak it still here and there but for now its staying!

Category: All Sorts of Things / Tags:
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