Christmas

Well, Christmas has come and gone...
I am happy to say that Melbourne's "Carols by Candlelight" was much better than Sydney's carols!:) 
We had a wonderful Christmas eve with the empty nesters - all the kids came home for Christmas eve;) That's always my favourite part of Christmas...going home to mum and dad... having a Christ-centred celebration and just enjoying each other's company. Of course I love giving out gifts to my family too!! 


Next Christmas I'll be a doting aunty! I'm so excited! This baby is going to be one good looking kid! & soooo loved! Already his/her grandmothers are doting and spoiling the child with Christmas gifts even though it's still not born. I've seen a different side of my dad...a softer side. It's beautiful to see how a baby shows people in a new light...I love it! 


After a lovely church service, we had Christmas day with mum's extended family...and David and I played chocolate Trivial Pursuit at home afterwards...his aunty dropped it at the door early in the morning before knocking and disappearing before we could even hear a car.  Very kind of her to think of us:)


Well, I got my Christmas spirit in the end. Had a great time in our new church. ...& David added to my butterfly collection! A new pendant with various coloured stones. Now I have a butterfly for almost every outfit! haha! (4 different styles & colours).


It was a nice Christmas overall:)

Christmas...where is The Spirit!

After watching half of Sydney's  "Carols in the Domain" on tv last night, I was disappointed that the Christmas spirit is only lingering for those who still believe in it... all these celebrities singing words they obviously don't feel... the songs that should bring joy and happiness...and awe - are just songs being sung in the spotlight to millions of people live and on tv. Except for the santa ones, of course... 


I'm amused that Twisted Sister have been stuck in my head the last 2 days! Their version of "Oh Come all ye Faithful" - it's twisted, but it has FEELING! These men sing about "Christ the Lord" with no hesitation. I have no idea where they stand in terms on religion and God...but they can sing about Christmas in a much better manner than these "amazing celebrities". 


THEN....I arrive at church this morning...Wow! The singers brought to life many of the songs that had no life on the tv last night. A feeling I haven't experienced in years when I hear these Christmas carols. 


Our church is so awesome! The people are so real...they don't necessarily go out of their way to make things awesome - it is natural to them to bring out the feeling in all they do. This morning the music was just so special. It evoked the old Christmas feeling of when this was all normal to society. It was all about Jesus. It was pure and humble. 


I hope Melbourne's version of "Carols By Candlelight" on tv evokes more Christmas spirit than Sydney's concert. I also really want Ray Martin back! He actually cared about the real Christmas spirit. One of the co-hosts that replaced him really disappoints me. There is something about her that makes me unable to look at her without feeling a darkness about her. My spirit wants to scream at her - "How dare you present Christmas when you heart isn't even right!" But I can't do that. I just hope her darkness doesn't spread. 


Well, I guess I can say the Christmas bug has taken a bigger bite. It's finally beginning to feel like Christmas:)

The Christmas bug has begun to bite...

Well, almost...a little...I've been Christmas (& Birthday) shopping every night after work this week... I've been to  a few Christmas functions (family friends annual catch ups)...and work has the Christmas trees up...and the radio is playing nice songs... but I still feel I'm working and too busy to let the bug bite work properly.


Today was our first final day of  'official' programs. Thursday and Friday are the final Thur & Fri for the year...next Wednesday we hold our Christmas party for our clients, and then they go home for their holidays...then Thursday is MY final day before holidays! Friday is Christmas eve... 


I need to make time to spend with my husband and enjoy this season...we've hardly had ANY time to spend TOGETHER in the Christmas lead up. I feel if we don't stop and make time, it will soon pass us by... 


We put up our tree...but couldn't find the decorations!! I know where they should be...but moving house seemed to lose them amongst other packed things!


I think the next few days will be much more Christmassy... :)

Christmas is fast approaching!

Every time I hear the song, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..." I feel as if the music is jerking out of the world I'm living in and making me realise it's ALMOST Christmas! Yikes! 

It feels most media have left it late to mention Christmas... the 2 radio stations I listen to most have only just begun to play Christmas music... I think maybe the Christmas bug has not bitten me yet because I haven't had time to stop and think about it! It's hard to get into the spirit when you are working and hardly have any shopping time...and then realise you are quickly running out of time! I don't finish work until 23rd Dec....I used to always finish the week before Christmas when I was casual. I loved the lead up week...now I feel I don't have enough time to enjoy it...


I'm also widely aware of the fact society is trying to rob us of our Christmas and turn it into something pagan... As far as I'm concerned, I am a Christian and I celebrate Christmas. I will NOT say "Happy Holidays" or "Greetings of the season" or anything that strips away the true meaning of this time.


At least we have that right! We have the freedom to choose what we believe and nobody can strip that from us:)


So, in conclusion:

Merry Christmas!!! 


What an exciting time for us Christians!:)


N.B. The green and red colours are not deliberately scattered;) I tried to make each line alternate, but the final product was different to the draft!

Don't live in the past!

One thing I want to say today.... Don't live in the past.
You need to move on. Let go. Forgive and forget.
If you stay stuck in the past, YOU are the only person who gets hurt. You will end up a sad, lonely, person who has pushed everybody away with your bitterness. 


In particular I want one person to remember that you have a wife! She needs you!
Stop wasting your time trying to manipulate others and send abusive messages when you have a wife who needs your unconditional love and attention! 

Every moment you spend in bitterness and resentment is another moment wasted which could be better spent in joy with your wife. 

Put her first - love and respect her the way she needs and the way God desires!

Be the Godly man of the house. That is your mission. Take your role seriously and be the man God called you to be! Take that gorgeous girl and enjoy the moments! Live in the present! 

Set up by God!

Something unusual happened to me after work... I drove to the shops, parked in one of my usual spots...then decided to park on the other side because I didn't really need to go to the shops in the middle of the centre...just Safeway (supermarket).


So...after doing my shopping, then sneaking a peek at some windows (sales!), I headed back to my car... as I began to walk through the exit, this older lady stopped me and asked if I knew where she could catch a taxi... She seemed desperate for help and a bit distressed. So, I tried to figure out what to do to help...we started walking, and we decided that she would wait for me to walk all the way to the concierge desk to ask for the taxi rank. What I discovered was the taxi rank was a long walk from where she met me at the exit/entrance, and the taxis don't just come and wait. They need to be called. So the lovely staff at the concierge desk told me they could call her a taxi if she came to them... so I had a good workout walking back to her, then walking with her all the way back to the concierge....and as we arrived, the staff smiled and immediately helped the lady with the taxi, as if she'd been waiting for her. It was so nice to see them interacting. She was Greek and the staff was Italian. They sounded like friends, even though they'd just met!


It was also nice to see the lady lose her distress and regain her joy. The sad part was that she told us she had asked many others for help, but nobody helped except me. They said they didn't understand... It took a bit of my time, but I didn't have anywhere better to be. 


As I was walking back to my car...I suddenly realised that if I had parked in my usual place, I never would have used that exit...I never use that exit. I also usually go to the other supermarket at the opposite end of the centre...I felt like God had set me up! He set it all up so this lady could get home with a smile on her face...

Crazy Melbourne weather

"I'm melting! I'm meeeeltiing!!" 
Ok, I'm not.but it's SO HOT in Melbourne right now it's crazy!
I just made a short black coffee and added some ice cream just to make it a bit more 'hot day' style... but it just melted! I thought an affogato was a little less insane than a long black in a 30degree (celsius) house!! I guess any hot coffee is insane in this weather....haha! I did put the coolers on in the lounge when I got home, so at least that room will be nice:)


I like spring....but I'm not happy about 30+ degree days most of the week! I wonder if I could live like an eskimo... but I'd hate snow... 


Oh well...I'll get over it :) At least I can relax at home tonight:)