Finding joy in the everyday

I was writing in my journal yesterday evening and the news came on - I heard the newsreader announcing that the Australian people would be going to a Federal Election in 5 weeks (21st of August) to select a new government to lead this nation.  Both leaders of our major parties were then interviewed and they used the words " trust me ".  I chuckled to myself as at that very moment I was writing the following verses into my journal.  “Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength” Isaiah 26:4 “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” Psalms 118:8 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 Sorry politicians - my trust is not with man, but with the Lord Jesus Christ - my heavenly father. It doesn't take very long to find the words " Trust in the Lord ", they are repeated time and time again in the Bible.  When a politician says "trust me"...

(Mum and I) More Than A Mother When God set the world in place, when He hung the stars up in space, when He made the land and the sea, then He made you and me. He sat back and saw all that was good, He saw things to be as they should. Just one more blessing He had in store; He created a mother, but whatever for? He knew a mother would have a special place to shine His reflection on her child's face. A mother will walk the extra mile just to see her children smile. She'll work her fingers to the bone to make a house into a home. A mother is there to teach and guide, a mother will stay right by your side. She'll be there through your pain and strife, she'll stay constant in your life. A mother will lend a helping hand until you have the strength to stand. She'll pick you up when you are down, when you need a friend she'll stick around. A mother is one who listens well, will keep her word; will never tell. A mother never pokes or pri...

I am puzzled by people . . . For a few years we had a drought – water restrictions were in place, we couldn’t water our gardens probably and we all bemoaned the lack of rain. Month after month with no rain and the gardens looked sicker and sicker — everyone wanted rain.  This year we have had some good rains, and in the last week we even had rain that lasted 2 full days rather than just a few hours.  It was beautiful.  Overcast, grey, cold and wet but I couldn’t believe the number of people bemoaning the rain.  These weren’t even people who had outdoor jobs, they were office workers.   I love it when it rains.  I can snuggle up at home, cook a roast, make hot chocolate and listen to the rain fall on the roof.  We don’t live in a location where it will rains for weeks non-stop ( not even for days) so why complain about 2 days worth of rain.  This rain is so precious as it is filling up our dams that will supply the water that we need during ...

I would like to tell you a story about a little girl . . .  This is a story about a little girl growing up in a small rural community in Australia.  She was the youngest of 4 children and much loved by her parents, in fact she was very special to her parents as her older sister had died from cot death and she was considered a precious gift from God. Her family lived a simple life, living by the Word of God, they followed the scriptures as God had planned for us to do.  Her home was filled with love and laughter, life was very good to her.  She was allow to roam the farm where she lived, play in the creek, catch tadpoles, build cubbyhouses and get up to mischief with her older brothers.  She loved to day-dream, read and draw but didn’t like to dust and clean the house — why did she have to dust while her brothers did more interesting things outdoors? As for washing the dishes, she was sure she did far more than her brothers. But she was different to others i...

You probably expected to see some masterpiece this week - no - instead you will be seeing some of my more '"arty" photos that I took whilst I was on holidays.   To take these photos I had to get up very early (before the sun rose) and endure icy, frosty, cold and foggy conditions.  They were all taken in the Adelaide Hills (country South Australia) which is a farming community eg cattle and vineyards.   I grew up in this area and it is so beautiful. Enjoy. . . winter in rural South Australia . . . It was completely worth getting up early to take these photos, even if my toes got very cold. Thanks Stephen for driving me about:) * * * P.S. Happy Birthday to my eldest brother

  While I was away my family called and text me on a very regular basis, wanting to tell me about their day, share their grumps or wanting to know where to find XY&Z.  It is lovely to be wanted and needed but there were times when I wanted to turn the phone off!!  I don’t always answer at once, e.g. during meals or outings as I think this is rude, as a result my family did have to wait on occasions. My mother made a comment about the evils of mobile phones and its affects on society and it got me thinking, could I live without a phone, the answer is yes, but in our hectic world and it wouldn’t take long before I would really miss it.  I have lost count of the number of times I have rung my husband from the hardware shop telling him I can’t find the item he has sent me to buy!  It also is useful when visiting MacDonalds ( shhh don’t tell anyone ) and phoning up children to find out what they want.   But on a more serious note, it keeps me in touch...

During my trip to South Australia my brothers and I visited Sevenhills in the Clare Valley, a wine growing district 130kms north of the city of Adelaide.   Sevenhill was established in 1851 when the Jesuits, who settled in the area, planted vines to produce sacramental wine. From these modest beginnings, the Jesuits' focus on wine has remained, with Sevenhill adding to its sacramental wine production with an extensive range of table wines. The last of the Jesuit winemakers had died and after much hunting, for the first time in 150 years a woman is now making the sacramental wine. The Jesuits  no longer live at the estate, now it is used only as a retreat (building below) and to produce the wine.   The old buildings had so much character and I just loved the stonework. On the estate is the St Aloysius' Church, quite an impressive church considering its location in a farming community.  It was completed in 1875 and has been used ever since.  The church was v...