Don't just stand there.....

....do something!!

That's my theme for 2014.

I think it's called living!!

May 2014 be a wonderful year for you all :) xx

Serving Suggestions, Special: New Years

Here's a treat for you. 

The 'young' Ben, Hayley and Scott are played by Hayley's brother and sisters.

A future in acting perhaps!! 

Enjoy :)

(watch in full screen)

What's that sound???

Wait....

Oh...I remember now...it's the sound of silence!!!

It's just been awhile since I've heard it :)

We've had friends of Marnie's (Stephen and Karen and their 2 girls) staying with us from Brisbane for a week.  Sleeping in their tent in our backyard, but joining us for meals.   I enjoyed getting to know them and the days Marnie was working they took Denver with them on their outings.

They had never been to Tassie before and loved it.  But then who wouldn't!!

Here's a pic of some of them having a 'serious' game of Billionaire. Karen, her 2 girls, Marnie, Denver and Marnie's friend Craig...

On Christmas Day I volunteered to help at the Combined Churches free Christmas lunch (for those who were on their own/new to the area, etc)  We had about 55 people turn up.  I spent my time helping in the kitchen (mostly washing up).  I really enjoyed it ( and got a free meal too) and would do it again next year.

Here's a pic of some of the folk in the hall...

 

 

Karen, Stephen and girls left this morning for the ferry trip back to the mainland, and Marnie and Denver have gone camping for a few days. 

 

And that's why I'm hearing the 'sound of silence' and looking forward to a few days 'home alone' :)

 

 

 

Culling

No...I'm not out shooting wildlife!

I'm getting rid of excess stuff...

Admittedly it's not all mine (most of it is Marnie's and Denver's), but just knowing some of it is really stresses me.

And then this morning in one of my devotionals I read this:

"Never keep anything you are not using."

Food for thought?

KARAOKE: It's Christmas for Zombies Too

Ben was in a Secret Santa swap.  He made this video for Danielle.

Hayley did the drawings and Ben wrote the song, sang, played the music and animated the drawings!

He's even got the words there so you can sing along!!

Clever boy :)

(Go to full screen to watch it.)

The List

These are the Top 10 Books I have read this year.  All highly recommended and in no particular order.

If you want more info and reviews on them, go to Amazon and you should be able to look all of them up.

F = fiction  NF = non fiction.  It's interesting I ended up with 5 of each on my list.  I didn't plan it that way:

The Last American Man - Elizabeth Gilbert (NF)

The First Warm Evening of the Year - Jamie M Saul (F)

Redfield Farm - Judith Redline Coopey (F)

The Gifts of Imperfection - Brene Brown (NF)

Mere Christianity - C S Lewis (NF)

The Last Runaway - Tracy Chevalier (F)

All Is Grace - Brennan Manning (NF)

The Midwife's Tale - Grechen Moran Laskas (F)

I'm Off Then - Hape Kerkeling (NF)

The Light Between Oceans - M L Stedman (F)


What books have you read this year that you would recommend?

when in doubt....use humour

This is a postscript to my previous post, so if you haven't read it go HERE.

I do most of my thinking on my morning walk and my mind seems to function best in the (literal) greyness and fog.  And for the 'photo fans' here's a picture I took on my walk this morning at 6.30am...

So, just thinking back on my previous post, it occurred to me that perhaps I hide my vulnerability behind joking and humour.

I guess to some degree we all hide behind something.

What about you?

Character Traits

Q: What do you do when it's 2am and you can't sleep?

A: Get up, make a cup of tea and write it down!


So here it is....

I was having a conversation with a friend recently about character traits.  Those we desire/admire in ourselves/others.  Are we drawn to those traits in others that we lack?

We decided on two traits that were important to us.

Mine were openness and honesty.

His were confidence and vulnerability.

I desire openness (which on reflection is really another word for vulnerability...or allowing others to see our vulnerability) and honesty in others, and I consider they are character traits I possess.

He considered he was confident...but not vulnerable (?)

On first appearances the two traits of confidence and vulnerability appear to be completely opposed to each other, but then I thought about how the two can work together.

Is his confidence (strength of character) really masking his vulnerability? 

And is my vulnerability (or willingness to be vulnerable) really showing a confidence (or strength) I was unaware I had?

hmm....food for thought??

Now that I've got that sorted....I'll get back to bed :)

Keeping company with old friends...

...getting back to my hippy roots with Carole King, Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young...

Loving Neil Young's new cd Prairie Wind!



 

Pen's Tiny House

My friend Pen has a 'Tiny House' in her garden.  It's beautiful.  Go take a look HERE.

giving and forgiving

read this recently on giving....


"I am a humble pensioner myself for my daily bread;
Shall I forget my brothers who seem in greater need?
I know not how it happened that I would have more than they,
Unless God meant that I should give a larger part away.

 The humblest wayside beggar and I have wants the same,
Close side by side we walked when God called out one name.
So brother it but happened that that name was mine;
The food was given for both - here, half of it is thine."

(Helen Hunt Jackson)

and this on forgiving....

Unchrist-like Forgiveness

There are some people whose forgiveness is little better than their malice. They never let you forget that they have forgiven you. Indeed, you sometimes almost wish they had not forgiven you at all, so miserable and so aggravating is their charity. Let us learn to forgive generously, richly, making our forgiveness complete, sweeping forever away—all grudge and bitterness.

(In Green Pastures - J R Miller)

 

 

 

New love of my life...

HA!!  Bet that got the family worried :)

 

I just love my new lawn mower.  How did I ever live without it!!

Worth Watching

For you folk in Aussie land, there is a good show on SBS tomorrow night (10th December).  This is one of the charities I support.  Their website is here. They do amazing work.

 

 

THE SURGERY SHIP

Tuesday 10th December at 8.30 pm (60 minutes)

Channel: SBS

Surgery Ship, The. Surgery Ship follows the remarkable story of the Mercy Ship docking in Guinea for 12 months and performing thousands of life changing and life-saving surgeries for conditions that have often long since been eradicated in the Western world. Amongst the volunteers are a dozen Australian doctors and medical staff taking this special journey. These world-class medical teams perform thousands of procedures representing a turning point in the lives of many, but limited time and resources mean just as many are turned away in a life or death decision made on the spot. (From Australia) (Documentary) M(A,G) CC

Lynda's Christmas Letter 2013

Just typed up my Christmas letter.  Some of you will get a copy in the mail (if I get around to doing my Christmas cards), but thought I'd post it here too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To everything there is a season, a time for ever purpose under heaven: (Ecclesiastes 3:1) A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; (Ecclesiastes 3:4)
Dear family and friends,

As this year comes to a close it seems my' time to weep and mourn' is coming to an end and I am entering my 'time to laugh and dance', but at the moment I'm in my 'time to wait' ...but that bit isn't in the Bible :)

Since moving to Deloraine in July 2012 I've had Marnie and Denver living with me on and off (more on that off), as Marnie continues to deal with various health issues. Hopefully the worst is over and things will improve from here. At the moment we are sharing a 3 bedroom rental house.

So this year my life has been put on hold as I cared for Marnie and Denver. But things are looking up! Natasha and Jefferson are buying me a home of my own! I'm not enjoying the search for the 'perfect' house, but Jefferson assures me the wait will be worth it :)

It has also taken me 12 months to find a church, but I now feel happy and settled at the Deloraine Uniting Church (which is a union of the Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian churches, although there are still some independent churches of the three denominations in Australia).

I'm loving living by the river and mountains but I did initially miss the sea (after my 18 months in Stanley). I walk the paths around the river early every morning when it is quiet and peaceful with no people around. It's my time for relaxation, exercise and prayer.

Christmas day for me will be a bit different this year as I have volunteered to help at the free Christmas lunch that the combined churches in Deloraine provide for those who are in need of some company on the day. I'm really looking forward to it...even if I am only washing dishes all day!!

I wish you and your loved ones a joyous and peaceful Christmas with many blessings in 2014.

much love, Lynda xx

 

A walk on the wild side

My son Jefferson is visiting from Sydney for a few days.  Today we went on a bush walk to the Alum Cliffs near Mole Creek.


Here's Jefferson, Denver and Marnie taking a break along the track...

From the lookout at the end of the walk it's a long way down...

To the Meander River flowing through the bottom of the  canyon...

Looking to Mt Claude and Mt Roland in the distance....