Moving home

There are so many things that make me excited about moving home to Melbourne.

I'm excited about the \church plant!

I'm excited about being able to actually follow AFL again because the games are on at a decent hour (or not to far away to attend in person!).

I'm excited about being around my wonderful families.

I'm excited that I am moving into a Unit that I already know and love, that I already know where I am going to shop and where I will go on my walks.

I'm excited about being ten minutes away from Fi!

And I'm also excited about being around for family things.  Each Easter my parents travel up with their friends and stay at the King Valley.  They usually bike ride to the Milawa Cheese Factory and meet my Aunt, Uncle and my Cousins.  (If you ever get a chance, go there.  It is such awesome cheese!)

My cousin Kate, who was the flower-girl at my wedding and is now 10 years old, sent me a message on my Mum's phone when they were hanging out.  At first I felt my normal sadness that once again living in Sydney I was away from all the fun, and particularly missing out on spending time with my beautiful cousins.  But then I realised that next year I could go!

There will be lots of really sad things about leaving.  People and ministries and places that I have become attached to.

But so many good things too look forward to!
love B

When I survey

My parents are Christians, and did a very kind service to me of sharing Jesus with me from a very young age.  I don't remember a time when I didn't love God.

So it's always hard for me when it comes to "testimonies" to find a moment when I "became a Christian".  But that is something I treasure rather than worry about.  It's actually a special thing, to know Jesus as Lord and Savour and have no memories of him being anything but :)

My first memory of understanding Jesus death on the cross, relates to the song "When I survey".  It was my Dad's favourite hymn and he would often sing it to me as a lullaby. I have no idea of the age of this memory (it mustn't have been too big, if I was still being sung to sleep!) but I remember reflecting on one of the verses.

See from his head
His hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingle down
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so richer crown

I remember listening and thinking that when Jesus died, he had a horrible painful crown of thorns.  But that crown was the most special crown in the world, because Jesus was dying for me.  Jesus died because he loved me.

And so, today, many, many years on, I cry when I sing that verse.

Good Friday indeed.
love Belinda

Wedding

So lovely to have something happy to celebrate. Such a special family day.

Congratulations to Joel and Angela Grant

love B

When life gets busy...

A few things happen when life gets busy.

Number One- fiction writing goes out the window. It's really sad, as I suspect my mental health would survive the busy-ness better if I could escape regularly from all the tasks spinning round in my head with a short trip to my fantasy world. Hoping that today will be the day to get back into it.

Number Two-Shopping goes out the window. By shopping I mean regular grocery shopping. Of course I still shop- otherwise Tim and i would be taking out every meal (that's just for the really, really busy times :). But it tends to me a quick duck to the shops after work to get something for that particular night. It is the breakfasts which suffer the most for this situation. Don't tell Tim, but I'm having Maggi noddles for breakfast this morning ;P

Number Three-The house. It is atrocious. Praise God busy time for me coincides with holidays for Tim- so it's not a total loss. If I can managed to put cloths in the washing machine and clear the dish rack, then generally speaking when I wake up/arrive home the washing is on the line and the dish rack is full again.

Number Four-Early nights and early mornings. Generally, when I'm busy when I wake up in the morning I can't get back to sleep, I'm thinking to much. It's a bizarre form of insomnia because for some reason those same thoughts didn't bother me when I originally went to sleep. So I get tired earlier so go to bed earlier, then wake up earlier again. Vicious cycle :)

Number Five-I can't wait, wait, wait for holidays!

love B
PS It's a totally stupid, particularly given that my family haven't even celebrated it for years and years themselves- but I always miss my Mum and Dad and Sister alot on Thanksgiving. We lived in the states for two years and I loved that holiday. For the first ten years or so back we used to have one ourselves. Poor Tim has had me groaning all week about Turkey and pumpkin pie. He tries to be sympathetic, but he just can't get passed the idea that pumpkin in a pie sounds disgusting. Oh sweet oblivion!

10 things that make me happy

My friend Jean tagged me for a meme. Ten things that make me happy.

1. Sunsets

2. Cherry Blossoms

3. Dates with Tim

4. Sharing Jesus with people who don't know him

5. The kids at church, and particularly being called "Aunty Belinda" (or Blinda, or Binda, or Bananna or whatever version they say!)

6. Praying and reading God's word and seeing it change people's lives :)

7. Nights of chatting with friends that slip into the early hours of the morning, because you are having so much fun.

8. Playing silly games with my Grant family

9. Telling old stories with my Clarke family

10. Walking on the beach

Tough stopping at ten. Praise God for so much joy potential in my life!
love B

30 years worth of thankyous!

On Kyck we were challenged to not be people who were focused on gaining things that don't last (money, fame, things etc), but to be people who thanked God for the good gifts he gives us.

So, to celebrate my birthday- I thought I would thank God for things that he has given me over the years of my life.

Year 0-Thanks God for giving me life!
Year 1- Thanks God for giving me awesome parents who told me of you and loved me so kindly and wisely
Year 2- Thanks for my sister!
Year 3-Thanks for the Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles and Cousins who bring such joy
Year 4- Thanks for the house I grew up in, particularly the huge backyard where I could run around, dream, make up stories, and talk to you
Year 5- Thanks for primary school- for the things you taught me and the lessons I learnt about life and the world you created
Year 6- Thanks for my Grandparents farm- a place where I experienced so much joy.
Year 7- Thanks for St Mary's and St Paul's where I had such fun at church and where I learnt so many amazing things about you and your son.
Year 8-Thanks for the imagination that you gave me, and the many fun years (still continuing) of making up stories
Year 9-Thanks for friends you gave me
Year 10-Thanks for the time you gave me in the states- the beautiful world of Madison that you decided in your Divine plan to share with me
Year 11-Thanks for the experience of living in another country- and the love you gave me starting then for people who are from countries other than Australia
Year 12- Thanks for the church I went to in America- particularly my Sunday School teacher Laura who helped me understand what it means that we are all sinners
Year 13- Thanks for High school. Even though it was a hard 6 years, I learnt so much and I grew so much and I am thankful for how you used it to shape me into the person that I am.
Year 14- Thanks for Youth Group- for the leaders, for the opportunities for ministry, for all the fun times, and for the friends.
Year 15- Thanks for Jesus! (That is relevant for every year- but I might as well stick it here, and 15 was a hard year and knowing that Jesus died for me was something that helped get me through it)
Year 16-Thanks for letting me go overseas to Europe. You have blessed me with so many special experiences and I am grateful.
Year 17- Thanks for Beach Mission! It was such a key time in my walk with you, the friends I made are so precious, and it was there that I realised I wanted to spend the rest of my life telling people about Jesus. What a blessing!
Year 18-Thanks for giving me a love of learning.
Year 19-Thanks for Uni. Thanks for that fun crazy time. Thanks particularly for the Christian Union I was apart of- for the fun, the friendships, and the Bible teaching and training which has made such a difference to my Christian life and service.
Year 20-Thanks for my friend Fi- thanks for the way you have used her over the years to be such a source of encouragement and fun!
Year 21-Thanks for teaching me that I should find my self-worth in you and not in other people (still learning that one- but 21 was a key year)
Year 22-Thanks for giving me jobs- allowing me to earn money. Thanks for the growing up that took place and the lessons I learnt.
Year 23-Thanks for introducing me to the most amazing man in the world. Thanks that (after a while!) he decided to ask me out. Thanks that despite my worries over the previous 22 years that you had it all figured out!
Year 24-Thanks for my marriage to Tim. Thanks that despite the fact that we are both sinners, that you have used us to grow each other. Thanks for all those amazing fun times.
Year 25-Thanks for the chance to do an apprenticeship at RMIT. It was just amazing to have people donate money so that I could spend my time reading the Bible with Uni-students and encouraging them in their faith. Thanks for the blessing of being trained by the gifted and godly Steve and Heather. I grew so much.
Year 26- Thanks for Scots Church- for all the things we learnt and the dear friends we made. It is such a blessing even now when we are far away that we have such caring lovely "couple friends" who welcome us back as if we never left.
Year 27-Thanks for Bible College. I still can't believe I got that one precious year of studying your word. Thanks for that unexpected Gift.
Year 28-Thanks for Chatswood Baptist and particularly the chance of getting to work there. Only you could work things out so well! Thanks for Children's ministry and making it fun as well as challenging
Year 29-Thanks for the way that despite hard things and trials and time away from family, that you have held me tight to you, and grown me in my faith.

Year 30
Plenty of things I could say- but as it's only been 11 and half hours (or less than an hour depending if you are going via the actual time of birth), I won't dwell on them ;)
But even though I don't know what this year holds- I know that it is in the hands of a creator who loves me.
Thanks God for being in control of my life.
I love you.
Amen
B

Family

I've been thinking a bit about family lately. Not that this is complete surprise, given we are staying in Melbourne and it's Christmas time.

We've got to spend lots of time with Grandparents. Photos seem to be a bit of a theme. Nan and i got out the photos from when I was little. "You were so lovely. So friendly and happy. Don't know what happened!" Grandma and Grandpa feel sad because though we always take photos they are always digital. They want something they can hold in their hand or put in an album to remind them of the years that been. That for them is a big part of how they cling to us when we are often far away. I'm printing some out this week for them.

Tim and I were given a great honour as some of our dear Melbourne friends asked us to be the God parents of their soon to be born child. They said they wanted God Parents who would be godly models that they wanted their child to emulate. It's one of those compliments that makes me feel both very happy and unworthy.

On Christmas Eve night we had our first Christmas party of just the immediate Grant family. Tim's parents, us, and his siblings and their respective attachments. Elise Tim's sister said "It's so much more fun now. Their used to be only three of us, but now I have two sisters and a husband." I get a bit teary when I think about those words.

People always talk about "Do you have a family?" or "Starting a family". I get really, really mad when i hear that. It seems to imply that because Tim and I are as yet to have children that somehow we are not really a family, that we don't fit into that category because there are only two of us. That we are not in and of ourselves legitimate.

But it's even more than that. Do I have a family? YES. I have the most marvellous, wonderful family! I have brothers and sisters and Aunties and Uncles and Cousins and Children and parents and Grandparents. Some are because of the blood in my veins, some are because of the wonderful man that I married. Some are because of dear relationships with Christian brothers and sisters.

And I am so thankful.
love B

Christmas Cooking

WARNING TO FAMILY MEMBERS- CHRISTMAS TREAT SPOILER ALERT!!!!

When Tim and I first started working in ministry- it occurred to me that Christmas cooking would be a cheaper way to deal with the struggle each year to scrounge together enough money for all the gifts. So, with every Christmas magazine I could find at the time, I pulled together a list of interested Christmas gifts to make for relatives. As my sister and my Mum are not sweet tooth's and so wouldn't be such fans of that kind of thing- I recruited them to help with the process. And so a tradition has been born.

I love it. I love the process of choosing what we do. And I love the chance to cook with and for my dear families.

The first item on the agenda was biscotti- as I felt like giving our "present plates" a sophisticated edge. One thing I learnt from my collection of I think about 8 different Christmas magazines is that almost anything can be Christmasy if you just have the right ingredients or colours. Cranberry and Pistachio biscotti- surprisingly easy!

Second item was another "Not-really Christmas but we can just make it green and red and no one will mind" item. Turkish delight! I'm a little nervous about it's chances (last i heard it was still yet to set), but the idea was so cool that we couldn't resist!

Candy Cane merrange (sp). We were a bit sceptical about whether we could match the cool red food colouring swirls that the magazine suggested- but I think they turned out pretty good.

And finally- the truffles. Sandy had organised some of her youth group girls to join us on cooking day- it was lovely to meet them and it great having them on board

Have I mentioned lately that I love Christmas?

love B

The Lasagna sandwich

Well, we are on holidays and in Melbourne and it is less than a week until Christmas.

Writing those words- you would probably think I would be welled up with joy. And I will be. Just. Not. Yet.

I'm still in recovery.

I'm still in recovery from two weeks of Christmas craziness at church, the two and a half mad days of packing, 5 hours of steady cleaning and then 10 hours of driving.

Something I observed and was pointed out to me while I was working for RMIT is that after an intense period of work it takes a few days for me to properly relax and in fact for the first few days I often feel emotional and miserable. And while being in Melbourne is keeping off the misery and I am very tired and very, very emotional.

We stopped at my Grandparents for the night last night, and I was so happy to see them but also felt down to know that it had been a whole year since I had seen them! That just seems too long and it was unsurprising but still sad that my wonderful Grandmother (who is starting to loose her memory) kept referring to me by the names of the female Grandchildren who she actually does see on the regular basis :(

But we had lasagna for tea, so that made me feel a bit better.

Several years ago, actually its probably more like 7 years ago, I mentioned to my Grandma that I liked lasagna. From then on, any time I went to her house there was always lasagna. And I mean always. Our family would arrive and Grandma would have a lovely dinner made for us, and then she would pull me aside and say "Bindy, there is also some lasagna here for you if you would prefer it". And there in the fridge would be the two lasagnas she had made especially for me to get me through the time we would be staying with them. Even as her memory has been fading, my love of lasagna has somehow stayed with her.

But my favourite was when Tim and I were driving down to Melbourne or up to Sydney one time and Grandma made us sandwiches to take with us. I took a bite. It was absolutely delicious, but like no sandwich I've ever had. So I opened it up.

She had made me a Lasagna sandwich
love B

Avoiding a Martha Christmas, and having a Mary Christmas ;)

I love Christmas. I am a total Christmas junkie! I love carols, I love lights, I love the smell of fresh pine wafting through the house. And I love the Christmas story- because it's not just a story it is true and when I remind myself of that I get overwhelmed with amazement at my incredible God.

This year though I am finding myself sliding into a very Martha Christmas. Martha is the sister who was so busy serving that she didn't have time to sit at Jesus feet and listen. Her sister Mary however just sat at Jesus' feet to listen And as I sit here this morning getting ready to wrap 50 odd presents for the kids at church, and ice some thank you gingerbread biscuits for my beautiful, beautiful team of Sunday School teachers- I am tending to think of Christmas as a chore rather than a point of celebration

Ironically I am spending most of my time working hard so that other people do see the true meaning of Christmas- I'm just so busy doing it that I'm forgetting myself. But I don't want a Martha Christmas. I want a Mary Christmas ;)

So, I thought I'd post up some special memory of Christmas that I have, some serious some not- to get my mind back in the right frame.

-Sandy and I loved Christmas time, because suddenly their was a whole new realm of pretend play opening up for us. We would spend hours under the Christmas tree, pulling off the angels and taking them on little adventures

-Mum and Dad and Sandy always kindly set aside my two favourite jobs for me to do- and even as an adult they sometimes still do. I was the one who put the star on the top of the Christmas tree, and I was the one who set out our nativity scene. The nativity scene was made in Bethlehem and was unpainted, wooden and simple. I loved it because it seemed so much closer to what the Bible says than the usual Mary in her beautiful blue robe and Jesus with blond hair.

-My sister was in Israel a few years ago and bought me my own little wooden nativity scene. I am so excited about bringing it out for my Playtime kids on Tuesday and giving them a sense of the simplicity and preciousness of the first Christmas.

-My favourite time of Christmas, funnily enough, was always Christmas Eve rather than Christmas. Christmas Eve had such a sense of anticipation. It was also when we went to church- and that to me was when Christmas went from just another holiday to something special. I remember a late night service at the small church near my Grandparents farm. We sang all those beautiful Christmas Carols and then we walked home under a sky full of country stars. I looked up and imagined the star of Bethlehem- gleaming to show the Magi the way.

-But my most precious Christmas memory wasn't even at Christmas. One night when I was Fourteen (I don't even know if it was December), I remember I was lying in bed and I couldn't sleep. I remember thinking about Mary, who someone had told me was probably very young when she had Jesus, because that's when people got engaged or married in those days. I thought to myself Mary might have been my age. It spun me out so much that I sat up in bed. I looked down into my arms and imagined a little baby in them. And then it struck me. Mary wouldn't just have held a baby. She was holding Jesus. She was holding God! God had become a baby. That was when I finally started to understand.

Immanuel. God with us.
Mary Christmas,
love B

Engaged!

I am so very excited!

Tim's "little" brother (he's the tallest in the family!) has just gotten engaged to his girlfriend Angie. Angela is not only one of the 6 people who read my blog ;) but she is also a dear friend and I am so excited that she is going to be my sister!

Congratulations Joel and Angie! My prayers are with you as you prepare for your big day and your life together to come.

Wish I could be there with you to celebrate! Weeks like this are the hardest ones to be away!

love B

Update

Well, well, well- this blog has been pretty low on my priorities these last few weeks!

In fact, I keep toying with the idea of canning it- as the reality of things like blogs is- if you don't write regularly people stop reading, and when people stop reading...then motivation to write gets a little low. But I think I'll keep it up, for those of you who still read it, and in the hope that one day I might actually get into the habit of writing more, I'll get more people reading it, and so on.

What's been happening?
MELBOURNE!!! Times Two in fact.

Our trip down to Melbourne was lovely. Absolutely lovely. To give you a sense of how good it was, Tim had been talking it down for weeks, because he knew that often when I look forward to something I get such high expectations that when it happens I'm bound to be disappointed. But not this time. Melbourne was so much better than I expected.

It wasn't hectic, or at least, I didn't find it hectic! By other people's standards it might have been seen to been a tad people heavy! But it was perfect for me. We had some great catch ups with friends, we had some lovely family time, and we had some lovely Tim and Belinda time- including a trip down to our old favourite haunt: The Snooty Fox.

A personal highlight for me was a small but significant one. Some of our dear friends in Melbourne are a couple that got married two weeks before us, and who went to church with us for many years, and who we used to spend a great deal of time with. They have two kids, a 3 year old and a one year old- and I was a little worried that after 8 months their three year old daughter Luella wouldn't quite remember us, (just one of the prices that you pay for moving interstate and not visiting as often as you like). But while Luella was a little shy when she saw me at church, when we came to their house, she was in the bath and wanted to see me so she began to yell out across the house "BBBBEEEEELLLLIIIIINNNNDDDDDAAAA, BBBBEEEEELLLLLLIIIIIINNNNNDDDDDDAAAAAA!" So cute and very nice to know even our littler friends haven't forgotten us!

The week back was hard for various reasons, one of them being I was home sick. Tim was also stressed about his essay he had due the following Tuesday.

But bless is cleverly-hidden-until-now-academic-side, Tim has an amazing capacity to write essays very fast. He began actually writing late on Sunday and still had 2500 words to go on Monday morning. He got home at 2 and started work. One minute he was planning on missing class on Tuesday to hopefully finish it off, the next minute he was suggesting I proof read he work. He got it done so early we could spend the evening watching Stargate Atlantis. My clever, clever boy!

And then, then it was off to Melbourne to see my Sainters take on Geelong- thanks to my incredibly generous parents. It was a lovely family time- as Dad had been away two weeks before, and our time with Mum had been limited to breakfast at the airport before she joined him! It was a fantastic game- with a not so fantastic result. As Tim reminded me though, as I dejectedly dissected the game, in a world (or city at least) where sport is the main idol, it is great to have a relationship with the real God that puts everything in perspective.

And, funnily enough, after an Afternoon in the rain and cold, I find myself sick at home with the first proper cold I've had all year.
So that has been the last m0nth.
Prayer points: Please pray I get better, pray I have a productive forward thinking time as I work through the school holidays (no formal programs so good time to prepare for the term/year ahead). And pray that I trust God with my health, my future and my job.
And Thank him for a fantastic time in Melbourne
love B

Do not worry

Hi Friends,
I've been thinking more and more lately about how thankful I am to my parents for the way they brought me up. I think this new found awareness relates to my job. As I think and pray about how best I can encourage the children in my church, I realise what a huge role parents have in this process, and particularly remember and appreciate things Mum and Dad did. The songs we used to sing, the little Bible studies we used to do, the prayers before bed every night. These are things that were just there for me and Sandy but now I think- praise God! How much easier is it for me to read my Bible every day when the habbit was impressed upon me before the age of ten!

This week has been a week of worries. Now that term has ended, I've found myself realing under the things I intended to get done "Once the term was over". And there are all these things that are happening this term. Good things, like coordinating a church wide effort to memorise verses of the Bible, and running a pre-evangelistic event to encourage Mum's to read with their kids. Not to mention starting up the Women's ministry side of my job! I feel tired just thinking about it. And that's on top of a whole lot of life stuff that's coming up that I have to process.

And over and over again I hear the Jenny Flack song "Do not worry" that my Mum used to sing to me when ever I got worried. At the time (and I've told Mum this) I used to get a little annoyed, feeling like "I want to worry, and singing a song isn't going to stop it anyway"! But I know that it did help, and now? Now it runs into my head and reminds me of a greater perspective.

I won't give you the whole song (though I know it word perfect :) but here is the start:

Do not worry over any old thing
The birds don't worry and hear how they sing
Leave all your worries to the King of Kings
and do your best and leave the rest to the Lord

I would appreciate your prayers this week. Just pray that I get done what needs to be done and that I trust God with tomorrow.
love B

Interesting Typo

Interesting Typo pointed out by my beautiful Sandy- in my last post I said that Uni students realistically only working 26 days a week! Actually, working 26 days a week is not something the ordinary Uni student does- though I wouldn't put it past my conscientious sister :)

And for a birthday Update- I am having a lovely day. I had the worlds BEST banana bread at Envy Cafe (a cafe which Tim doesn't like that much so it was a lovely Birthday concession), and then we had a picnic by the beach. I also had some nice phone chats with friends and family not to mention a very funky fruit hamper from Mum, Dad and Sandy. And my present from Tim? A T2 collection of sample teas. So exciting!

Now, back to my Nana nap!
love B

Happy Easter

Happy Easter Folks!
I remember when I first started working- I finally got public holidays. When you are at Uni and you realistically worked 26 days a week (I know you have exams, but seriously, who works in the first few weeks of term anyway), and so public holidays (which you often didn't get anyway) just seemed like another day off to add to your billion other day offs. But when you work full-time and you somehow have to fit all the stuff you used to get up to into 4 tiny weeks, public holidays suddenly become very important, precious, and surprisingly long things.

Well, working in a church is a whole other kettle of fish!

This week has been the second craziest week I've had since I've started this job. There's been playgroup parties and puppet shows, working on my normal day off (which is doubly huge because it's my day off AND a public holiday), and lots and lots of tasks that needed to be sorted "Before the holidays".

But it's also been awesome. I love my job. But I'm very glad to have a more restful week.

As good as this weeks been, it's also been a bit sad, as I contemplate my first birthday away from my Melbourne families. Last year I had the best of both worlds, as we few down to Melbourne just in time to be shouted Indian dinner with Mum and Dad. But this year it will be just me and Tim.

Having said that- I'm very excited, Tim is making plans, secret plans, and I don't know what they are. I love surprises.

And I am also really looking forward to these next few weeks not just doing my job, but having time to actually think about what I'm doing. The what and the why and the how better questions.

Anyway, that is my rambling update on my life these last few weeks.

May this Easter be a great time for you to reflect of what it means that Jesus could say "I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me will live, even though he dies (John 11:25)
love B

And All together

And here we are all together at the wedding of my sister-in-law Elise. Doesn't she look amazing!

I love these kind of candid shots you get when trying to get everyone together!

My In-Laws

Thought I would show you some photos from a family wedding of my lovely In-Law connections

Tim's sister Elise and her fiance (and soon to be husband) Harry

Tim's brother Joel and his lovely girl friend Angela

Tim's parents Lois and Ian

The boys posing :)

And who is this stunning couple?

hehe
love B

Long socks and Lasagna

I love Melbourne!

Two comments for you. One is from Gilmore Girls:
Emily: "Go for traditional vows. Make up vows can be so tacky. Shirley Martin (made up name)'s daughter vowed to cook her husband lasagna once a month. Now a word like lasagna should never appear at a wedding."
(note: Tim and I did make up our own vows)

Next is a philosophical point from my wonderful sister Sandy:
You can always push down long socks, but you can't pull up short socks to make them long.

I love Melbourne!

PS Capsicum is not a vegetable either.

Cousin Mary and the Emphatic future negative

This weekend, my cousin Mary died. She is actually my Grandfathers Cousin, but she is alot closer to my family than that particular title would suggest. With no children of her own- my Mum and her sisters have been very dear to her, and she has been part of Sandy and my life as long as I can remember. My first memory of her was while doing a school project on my family tree- and sitting for hours and hours with Mary as she shared the details of our carefully researched family history- one of the passions of her life.

It is a sad and happy time, because Mary was a devoted Christian. She was one of the most supportive of all our relatives of Tim and my decision to go into ministry- and her kind words of affirmation stired us on in that difficult process. It is great to know that she is with Jesus.

Today in Greek we were looking at a concept of the technically named Emphatic future negative. It is a method of expression in Greek to talk about something that will never happen in the future. But the expression "it will never happen" doesn't really capture the force of it. A better way is to say "It will definately not happen" or even better "It will never ever happen". It is a concret promise of what has no possibility of ever happening.

So, with dear cousin Mary in mind- how exciting it was today to read the words of Jesus in John- that use this emphatic future negative:

"...and anyone would comes to be I will never ever drive away" John 6:37

"The one who follows me will never ever walk in darkness, but have the light of life" John 8:12

Isn't that so cool! Mary has died, but she has the light of life, and will never ever walk in darkness!

Pray and Praise

Here is a gorgeous picture of my sister in law Elise and her fiance Harry at their engagement party yesterday. Aren't they gorgeous! It was such a special day- and I think I appreciated it more because it was the first time that we'd seen both of them since they moved to Sydney and also since they got engaged.

Elise is a nurse, and she has been doing quite a bit of nursing work in Burma and Thailand and is really passionate about it. One thing that she learnt when she was over there was that the Karin tribe's Christians celebrate the big occasions in their life (such as birthdays) with a time of prayer and praise to God. Elise was inspired by this, so she attempted to start this tradition among the Grants by organising us all to spend an hour on the morning of their engagement party singing songs to God, sharing reflections from his word for her and Harry for their marriage, and praying for them and for the family and the party.

It was such a special time, particularly poignant since Harry became a Christian last year-and as this was an answer to all our long terms prayers- it was so special to have him pray with us!

One thing that Elise said that really got me thinking was that she said "Why is it that our response to special occasions is to eat and drink and dance?". I don't think any of these things are wrong- in fact, I think these are great gifts from God to help us express our joy ('specially dancing- oh how I'd missed it!). But as God gives us these, as well as the blessings of marriage, life and family how much more appropriate is it to sing his praises and thank and pray when we celebrate!

I was talking with a friend last time I was down in Melbourne last time and she asked "Do you feel like an in-law with Tim's family or do you feel like family?", and since then I've been realising more and more what a blessing it is to be part of the Grants. They are one of the best models I've seen of Christian hospitality. It is the kind of house that is always full because Joel and Elise feel so comfortable having their friends round- and from the moment I first walked in I was welcomed with open arms. And Tim and I knew we could turn up without notice and always we would be looked after and Lois (Tim's Mum) would be able to accommodate us into whatever meal was on- because she is always prepared for any unexpected visitors.

Living in Sydney is giving Tim and I chances to practice this hospitality as we host interstate guests and have College friends round. I pray that Tim and I will have a house as welcoming as the Grant, and one that's first reaction to good news is prayer and praise.

love Belinda