Sat 29-May-10 (Torrential rain, footy, Cooma, National Day of Thanksgiving)

It started raining late last night and continued throughout the evening. I slowly got going in the morning and we were all hanging out in our pyjamas. I thought I should confirm Ben's game was cancelled and was shocked to hear it was still on. We madly rushed to get there (on the other side of Canberra) in time for the kick-off. It was pouring when we left but by the time we reached our destination it was wet but only overcast. The kids had fun playing in the rain and although they kicked the last four goals, they lost by a behind (i.e. one point).

We raced to a shopping centre to buy a gift for Tom's birthday and got home in time to change out of wet clothes and hit the road. We were 1/2hr late getting there. We had a nice time and drove back this evening. The drive back was a little wet but with little traffic.

National Day of Thanksgiving
Today is the National Day of Thanksgiving. It's an opportunity for Australians to celebrate and give thanks for our God given heritage as a nation and to demonstrate the God given values of honour, respect, thankfulness and gratitude towards our fellow man that have made us the great nation we are. It is a day for us to pause as a nation and say thank you to God and to each other for those many things we often take for granted but which really make our lives worth living.  We are asked to use this day to be a blessing to those who have been a blessing to us during the past year.

The history is that the Australian Prayer Network championed this cause and the Day was confirmed at a meeting of National ministry leaders at Parliament House Canberra on the 17 June 2003. They voted unanimously to support the Australian Prayer Network in their initiative. It was decided to hold a National Day of Thanksgiving on the Saturday of Pentecost weekend each year and to seek to have the day included in our national calendar. (taken from http://www.thanksgiving.org.au)

The reason for all of this background is that when the kids went to the car this morning they found a box of flowers with a handmade card attached. Psalm 40:4 was quoted and a lovely message, which was a blessing to me. It was unsigned. All I know is that it was a woman's handwriting. Thank you to the anonymous person, whoever you are! Feel free to identify yourself to me if you so desire.

Fri 28-May-10 (Morning hiccup, weekend ahead)

We were running late this morning, leaving home at 9:00am. School starts at 9:10 and it usually takes less than 10 minutes to get there. We jumped into the car to find it wouldn't start.

Cathy came to my rescue, collecting the kids as I was trying to arrange for roadside assistance to attend. I discovered during the call that I had subscribed when I bought the car, but I was able to sort that out.

They arrived less than 30mins and fortunately the battery didn't need replacing. It seems that someone (Ben) left one of the doors ajar (not the first time). After all the drama, I was only 1/2hr late to work.

Many people were away because of sickness or leave so it was very quiet with only my team present. It was a good opportunity to be a little less distracted.

We're all pretty tired from the week gone by. Ben has footy tomorrow and in the afternoon we are driving to Cooma for my nephew's (B&G's cousin's) 10th birthday party. We'll arrive home probably early evening.

We will try and get to church on Sunday. We haven't been very often since committing to go. We like going, but have been distracted due to other events on weekends for us and not feeling part of the church as per our previous experiences here and overseas. To clarify, we know quite a few people there and certainly enjoy their company and fellowship (I suppose that is a significant part of church community) but don't feel that bond to the church itself. Perhaps it's because we're not involved (albeit we're not ready to).

Mercer Worldwide surveys: TOP 50 - Quality of Living & Eco-city

Mercer run two Worldwide surveys. I have summarised how Canberra and Australia fared overall.

As a brief background for our overseas friends, Australia has 6 states, 2 territories (just think of it as 8 states), each with their own capital city. As a biased patriotic Aussie, I think the following results are very impressive

Quality of Living Survey
Canberra was rated # 26 behind: Vienna, Zurich, Geneva, Vancouver, Auckland, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Bern, Sydney, Copenhagen, Wellington, Amsterdam, Ottawa, Brussels, Toronto, Berlin, Melbourne, Luxembourg, Stockholm, Perth, Montreal, Hamburg, Nurnburg, and Oslo.

It was amazing for our small city to be rated ahead of every city in the US and major international cities like London, Barcelona, Tokyo and Singapore.

We had 4 of our 8 cities in the top 26, and another 2 in the next 10 places.

Apparently it's the first time Canberra has been included in this survey which ranks cities on a variety of criteria including:

• economic stability;
• infrastructure and transport facilities;
• crime rates;  
• the quality of restaurants, theatres and cinemas; and
• its relative strength in areas of education, the environment, housing, sporting facilities. 

Eco-city

Canberra was rated # 21 behind: Calgary, Honolulu, Ottawa, Helsinki, Wellington, Minneapolis, Adelaide, Copenhagen, Kobe, Oslo, Stockholm, Perth, Montreal, Vancouver, Nurnberg, Auckland, Bern, Pittsburg, Zurich, and Aberdeen.

This time we had 5 of our 8 cities in the top 25 (glad to see my American friends also scored 5 cities in the top 25). Like the other survey, overall we had six cities in the 50.

The criteria for this survey included:

• water availability;
• water potability;
• waste removal;
• sewage;
• air pollution; and
• traffic congestion.

Thu 27-May-10 (two nice, yet emotional meetings)

Jim, a colleague of mine from a former agency (back then we were both seconded from our respective police services) flew into town for a meeting and had time to catch up for a very long coffee (I took an extended lunch) break. We hadn't seen each other for some time. It was lovely to chat about those times, our respective families and "where to from here" for us both. It is also emotional (I don't show it) to see someone who brings back vivid memories of times together, including with Maria.

I arrived at Ben's footy training and engaged in deep conversation with one of the mums. She and I have been chatting briefly at training or the games but usually there have been quite a few distractions. We were both aware of each other's loss, but it wasn't until tonight that I realised she lost her husband to a rare type of brain tumour. Albeit there are some similarities in illnesses, their journeys were quite different. Her husband died within 2-3 months from onset of illness, partly because it wasn't diagnosed till extremely late. The outcome may have still been the same, even if caught when it was. She has two boys, one in Ben's team and an older brother. It was emotional, yet nice to talk with someone going through the same challenges, especially sharing about our kids' respective journeys.

Tue 25-May-10 (Happy birthday Luka)

Happy birthday to our precious nephew/cousin, who turns 2 today!

Luka, Gabi, Magnus (February 2010)

Maria & Luka (August 2009)

School photos

Here are Ben and Gabi's school photos, which arrived on Friday afternoon. I know it's a biased statement, but they are so gorgeous and photogenic, just like their mum!

Sun 23-May-10 (drive home. Pac-Man 30th Anniversary)

We stayed around until close to mid-afternoon. It was still raining and the kids had plenty of fun indoors.

When we got back into Canberra, I ducked in to do some essential grocery shopping before arriving home in time to sort out dinner and get some urgent washing on.

The kids crashed out after a tiring journey and weekend (we did about 750km overall). I'm feeling quite stiff in my neck and across my shoulders.

My brother Mark SMS'd to mention the Google 'classic view' had Pac-Man that you could play. It's there because of it's 30th anniversary. With the original sound effects it was hard not to reminisce about those days, especially (as Mark mentioned) leaning over the glass table-topped machines. Enough blogging...back to Pac-Man.

Sat 22-May-10 (Wedding)

In the morning the kids were running constantly around the house playing chasings before we headed up to Newtown and went to Max Brenner's. It was our first visit since Israel. It was okay, but the service was very slow (two people working with a large number of clientelle). We had planned to go to the bookshop "Better Read Than Dead" but time got the best of us.

The kids and I did the 70km trip to the Blue Mountains. We arrived about 10mins before the wedding started. It was such a lovely service. Not too long and all the things that were said and sung were said/sung. I took a few photos of the wedding but the quality isn't great as I still only have my phone to rely on. Don't the two girls look beautiful!?

There was butcher's paper over the walls so the kids got their one and only chance to graffiti legally! Great idea! It won't be too hard to guess who drew what.

We hung around until about 6pm, catching up with people, some I knew and others who approached me to share that although we had never met, they had prayed for Maria, myself and the kids. That was quite emotional for me (I didn't openly display it) and it was nice to be able to let them know how much that meant and as I have shared before, we felt the prayer coverage throughout the journey.

Jono and Janelle both seemed so happy. It appears from all the stories shared on the day that God really set them to be in this union. I was so happy for them, yet Maria's absence was the most noticeable it's been for me in the last four months. 

We returned to Mark and Cass' for dinner and Gabi got to be the "big sister", reading to the boys. She was in her element.

I slept on a mattress on the floor, which had a far better outcome for me.

Fri 21-May-10 (Drive to Sydney, neck injury)

We didn't get away until about 5:30pm, but had a good trip to Sydney, As we entered Sydney the rain came down.

It was great to see Mark and Cass's new home. There was some discussion as to who would sleep where. I ended up joining Ben in the spare bedroom bed. Unfortunately in the early hours of the morning he turned horizontal (not unusual) but kicked me a few times at the back of my head (must have been having a footy dream). I discovered when I woke in the morning that it had aggravated a pre-existing neck injury I have.

Thu 20-May-10 (4 months today)

It's hard to believe that four months has passed since Maria went to be with the Lord. Many of you are probably saying the same thing. While it probably seems like time has flown for you, I feel like time has almost come to a grinding halt and it all took place a year ago.

I thought about it a few times during the day but was not too affected. That said, work is busy enough to distract me from anything.

We're doing okay. We have just packed in preparation for our drive to Sydney tomorrow afternoon. We will stay with my brother Mark and his family over the weekend and are looking forward to seeing their new home. The other reason for our trip is to attend Janelle's wedding in the Blue Mountains on Saturday afternoon. That too will be a wonderful experience.

In both cases there will be a sad side, i.e. not having Maria there to share it with.

My current reading

Three nights ago I launched into "Bringing Up Girls" by Dr James Dobson. He is an excellent author. I'm reading a chapter a night so my aim is to finish the book in a month. It is a helpful distraction from sitting in front of a computer. I'm combining this with a couple of prayer books to focus on the kids, as well as the novels I'm reading to the kids.

I have been inundated with books/tapes/DVDs/CDs and plan to work through them. Hopefully I'll be literate by the end of this year.

Anyway, back to my reading...

Mon 17-May-10 (gastro/food poisoning)

I fell asleep just after midnight, to be woken about 15 minutes later feeling a little confused as Gabi was telling me how she had vomited. This continued for another half an hour before she fell asleep.

Gabi woke very tired but already seeming better. What I initially put down to gastro, started to make me think whether she had some bad food while we were out and about yesterday. A dear friend Cathy and I were in contact regarding her son's wrist injury from footy. The timing of our communication was perfect as she learnt about Gabi and kindly offered to pick-up and drop-off Ben. That load off my mind was a real blessing.

Throughout the day I couldn't keep up with Gabi's demand for food. I kept it pretty dry, but she didn't mind. She lay in front of the DVD player while I worked from my networked computer.

About 2:00pm after a 6hr stint I started to feel a little queasy and went for a lay-down. During this time I received a call from a former police colleague who had come across my name and upon researching the Internet to locate me, found the blog and called to pass on his condolences (thanks Jim). Between then and when I finally got up I heard Ben come home, Gabi came in every ten minutes to see what she could eat and I received an urgent work call.

Gabi was eating Dolmathes and Lasagne by the end of the day and went to bed looking and feeling great. Ben seems healthy and happy. I feel better earlier in the afternoon but plan to get to bed earlier tonight, just in case one of us has issues through the night.

Sun 16-May-10 (Footy, Cooma)

Ben played his first interstate game. Well, in fact it was in Jerrabomberra, only about 15 minutes from home, but in New South Wales.

It was one goal each half way through the first quarter. Like previous weeks they seemed to lose their way. In the 3rd quarter they made it an even contest and ran away with it in the final quarter. Had they been adding the overall score, they probably would still have just lost. Ben had a quiet game, still a little hesitant to get into tackles, but his marking and kicking has improved.

We drove directly to Cooma for lunch with Maria's parent, Effie and family, and their friend Rosemary. We went to Effie & Brian's afterwards for coffee and cakes care of Rosemary and Mama.

We got home about 6:30pm, all feeling quite drained. Ben slept for the last 15mins of the trip, which meant he struggled to get to sleep when bedtime came.

Sat 15-May-10 (sport)

Ben's footy was put over until tomorrow because it is the day when two AFL teams come to town. Today it was the Sydney Swans -v- the Western Bulldogs. We were going to meet friends there but en route I received a call from Paul to say that the game was sold out. We were shocked and the kids highly disappointed. I was tempted to purchase tickets online last night, but decided against it.

We headed to Woden and I appeased them with ice cream. We saw some people wearing Canberra Raiders gear, so we knew there was going to be a match on. I checked my phone and discovered it was against the Melbourne Storm. The kids are fond of a few of their players so we decided to go.

We rugged up as it was a 7:30pm match. Although Gabi is always keen to go to these matches, she is thoroughly bored. We left the stadium around 9:30pm and it was a chilly 8 degrees (especially sitting there for 2+ hours). Sadly Melbourne won the encounter 17-6. I thought the refereeing was a bit ordinary and was disappointed with some of the decisions that went against Canberra, but Melbourne deserved to win.

The kids didn't get into bed until 10:15pm, so Ben might be playing in slow motion tomorrow morning. After his match we'll be heading to Cooma to have lunch with Maria's parents, Effie and family, followed by cake to celebrate Mama's birthday from last week.

Fri 14-May-10 (Pupil free day, coffee)

It was a pupil (i.e. student) free day. I took the day off work and managed after a bad night's sleep to get up around 10:30am. I took the kids to Manuka for "brunch" and afterwards we went down to the lake to kick the footy and feed the birds. It was another gorgeous day.

After the lake we did the drive around the Embassies and High Commissions before heading home.

During the evening I made myself a couple of coffees and actually had a bit of success with my normally quite poor attempts at latte art. Life sounds pretty boring when things like this excite!

Canberra in autumn

Autumn/Fall is such a beautiful time of the year in Canberra. For those of you not familiar with our city and the colours at this time of year, here is an example below. If you click on the photo (I think it enlarges?) you'll see our Parliament House to the left (where the large flag pole is) and my place of work, which is the orange/red roofed buildings to the right.

Toby Mac

One of my favourite Christian music artists is Toby Mac. I like the diversity of styles in his music. I also like when he shares what's on his heart during his concerts.  Below is an excerpt I had to type word-for-word as I couldn't find the text via Googling. I haven't listened to it for a long time but happened to come across it in the car on the way to work today. I felt compelled to share it tonight for someone out there. Maybe it's for someone you know. I pray it speaks to those who need to hear it.

"No matter what you're going through, no matter how deep your problem is, no matter how deep that cut is that hurt you, no matter how deep a hole you got your life into this very night – God made you and God made me so that He could love us, so that He could love us. You see, sometimes when life is coming at us we get a little cloudy and we forget that simple thought that God loves us. And sometimes, maybe we turn our back on God and walked away. And maybe it was a bunch of little things, or maybe it was one big leap into something really foolish. But nonetheless you look up and you find yourself way over here and in your mind you're as far away from God's love tonight as you've ever been. But these are the lies that start filling our head. Lies like, "I've done too much, I don't wanna trudge back through all that junk to get back to God. I'm just going to live over here. I'm too embarrassed." These are the lies that fill our minds. But let me tell you about the truth tonight, this is the truth. No matter how many times you've been over here, no matter how far over here you are, no matter what you're addicted to, tonight you don't have to trudge through all that junk to get back to God. If you just turn around God will meet you right where you are. That's the truth. That's the truth. You are one turn, one second from God's perfect love and as soon as you turn around and ask His forgiveness, His love will shower over you. His arms will wrap around you because you are God's child and God loves His children, God loves you! 


And the reason we can do all that, the reason we can turn around is because there is a bridge between us and God and that's God's son and His name is Jesus Christ. He makes up the difference. God also created you and me so that we could adore Him, so that we could call Him "Abba" (Aramaic/Hebrew for "daddy"), so that we could worship Him together and raise our voices together..." Toby Mac (Bonus Track from Alive and Transported).  

Thu 13-May-10 (the rest of the day)

It was a nice day. I hosted a morning tea in memory of our wedding anniversary. I kept some cake aside for the kids. Work was busy enough to keep me distracted.

In the afternoon Ben went off to footy training and Gabi stayed with Mel. I collected Ben after training and we had dinner with Paul/Mel and family.

We arrived home a little later than planned. As tomorrow is a pupil-free day, I was able to read to them both before bed. They both seem to enjoy the one-on-one time together and their respective books.

Thanks to those for the email and SMS wishes for today.

Thu 13-May-10 (Wedding Anniversary...an interesting start to the day)

It's just after 5:45am and I have to say it has been an interesting start to the day. I should be asleep until 7:00am but a range of events have prevented this.

I woke just after 5:30am as I had a dream with Maria in it for the first time. As I was laying there praising God my phone beeped with an incoming SMS. My mate Mike (see yesterday's entry) was sending me a progress report from his hospital bed. He was doing well with the morphine doing its job (perhaps affected his ability to tell the time - a joke). I intend to visit him en route to work and found out he is in the maternity ward. I warned him about what too much beer and chocolate can do (another joke - he is much fitter than me). I praise God for an answer to prayer (for the successful surgery, that is).

As I lay there thanking God for Mike, I felt that rather than go immediately back to sleep (even though I feel like I need it), I should check my email for my bible study for the day (it comes it @ 4:42 each morning). Interestingly it wasn't there, but two other messages were since I went to sleep around 1:30am...

The first was from dear friends Alan & Jo from the UK (we were together in Israel). Jo had their first child, "Harry" (he looks very royal and handsome too) on the 8th. Congratulations.

The second message was from other dear friends from Israel, who are back in the US (Brian and Martha). Brian's sister Ruth recently had brain surgery for a lesion, which has now been diagnosed as Gloiblastoma Multiforme (GBM) - the same cancer Maria had. The good side of this news is that she is recovering well from the surgery. Like with Maria, the steroids are a real annoyance with sleep loss and all the other side effects it brings with it. Fortunately they are tapering them down. Praise God for the medical treatment and as she moves into the next phase of treatment (radio/chemo) we pray that God's Will and his light will continue to shine through that family.

I'm now projecting back 24 hours to another incident, which didn't seem like anything at the time, but as yesterday progressed it became clear that God was prompting me and I missed the sign. The background to this is that one of our dearest friend's (Janelle) friend, Kirsti, came to Maria's funeral from the Blue Mountains as she knew Maria through a women's conference they attended together some years ago. I hadn't met Kirsti before that day. Since January I hadn't thought about Kirsti (not to be offensive). Anyway, when I woke yesterday morning I had this vivid image of Kirsti but was confused as to whether he name was Kirsti or Kristi. After my brain got into gear and I clarified that, I continued on without giving it a second thought. While at work (I tend to be too busy to check private emails on my phone), I saw a message from Janelle and upon reading it discovered that Janelle was seeking prayer as Kirsti's young niece was having surgery for a brain lesion. That freaked me out!

Further to the previous paragraph, I've had a few visions/dreams lately which have been for others and I've carefully shared (as I'm conscious they could be coming from anywhere). The feedback I've received has been so positively interesting. I find events like these and what I mentioned about Kirsti, for me, confirm the presence of God as opposed explaining them off as "coincidences" or "natural phenomena".

On a day that will be one of the hardest "firsts" without Maria, I feel encouraged. Maybe my flatness (is there such a word) is lifting for now?

Thanks to everyone for their ongoing commitment and prayer for us (especially of late).

I wonder how my colleagues will find the idea of me supplying morning tea today to celebrate what would have been a wonderful 15th wedding anniversary. I miss you Maria, and I know you know that!

Wed 12-May-10 (Prayer request - Mike)

A dear mate Mike is having surgery to his ear at 1:30pm (local time) today. Grateful for prayer over the surgeon and staff as well Mike and his family experiencing God's peace, which surpasses all understanding.

Tue 11-May-10 (Birthday, exhaustion)

Today is Mama's (Maria's mum's) birthday. Happy birthday. As we said on the phone, we love you.


It is not even 10pm and I'm in bed about to sleep. I'm even having trouble typing this entry on my trusty laptop that sleeps with me. Pretty pathetic, don't you think? 


I hit the point of exhaustion around 3pm at work and was actually held back with something urgent to deal with until 5:30pm. By the time I collected the kids, got home, showers, had dinner and got them to bed (and read to them) it was way past their bed time. The blessing is that I did a full day's work in the office so I don't need to do any tonight.


I look at the mess around the house and the things I need to do in preparation for tomorrow and I just can't muster the strength. I'm overwhelmed, but tomorrow is a new day.


Today was hard enough (especially for Maria's mum) being another first. Thursday is going to be a real challenge for me as it would have been our 15th wedding anniversary and over 21 years since we started dating. 

Sun 9-May-10 (first Mother's Day without Maria)

Happy Mother's Day to all the mums out there!

We ended up spending the night at Paul and Mel's. We all headed to church after a yummy breakfast cooked by Paul. I found it very difficult to focus on the sermon, not because of its content, but rather the distraction of the day.

After church we got KFC to have at the Cemetery. There were dozens of cockatoos feeding off all the flowers left by loved ones at different grave sites. These birds are very cheeky. I forgot to take photos. One the subject of photos I still haven't done anything about our broken camera, so my phone continues to be the source of our images. 

We were happy to find the granite stone and plaque in place. I now need to organise the porcelain / ceramic photo that will be included. The three of us spoke about how we were feeling on this first Mother's Day without Maria. We all agreed to feel sad and empty (i.e. a big part of of our lives is missing).

I received a phone call from Pastor Gary (in Cooma) who held Maria's services. He felt blessed that someone in the prayer group before church (who didn't really know us nor was at the funeral) had us on their hearts and committed us in prayer. It was lovely to have a chat with him.

I made calls to Mama (Maria's mum) and my Mum. The former being quite emotional. My first without my wife and her first without one of her children.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent quietly at home playing and watching some TV. 

I'm drained (emotionally and physically) to the point that I feel like I'm coming down with the flu (not the case). Each day is a steep climb. It is a mixed blessing because on one hand as you get to the end of a day (the "peak") you look out and feel proud of that achievement, however standing on that peak allows you to see what climb lays ahead for the following day. 

It's now just after 9:30pm and I'm well and truly ready for bed. I had planned to be in bed by now but the soaking of whites put me behind schedule. I'm now waiting for this final load of washing, which I need to get out and dried by the morning because there are pieces of uniform for the kids. I should be in bed in the next half-hour, which is impressive by my standards.

Brokenness

This has been my bible study over the past couple of days (word4u2day). It's on "brokenness". I wanted to share it with you as an encouragement. I hyperlinked the additional readings if anyone's interested in getting into it or just having a look.

Brokenness (1)
'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit...' Psalm 51:17 NIV

For a plant to rise from the soil the seed must be broken. For a baby chick to experience larger life, the shell must be broken. Even a thoroughbred horse must be broken; it must learn to respond to the tug of the reins and the sound of the trainer's voice. Get the idea? The world around us might not see value in broken things but so often with God brokenness is just one step away from beauty.

When we hear the word 'brokenness' we normally think it means 'no good anymore' or 'useless' but that's not it at all. And neither is it a reference to experiencing some sort of personal tragedy. Many people suffer tragedy without drawing closer to God or even acknowledging Him. No, spiritual brokenness is the process through which God strips away our self-centredness so that the character of Jesus can shine through us. At the end of the day the issue with brokenness is not so much our circumstances, but our response. When God blocks every exit we try to take and then eventually we come to see that He alone is our answer, we make a life changing discovery. 'And what's that?' you ask. Simple: when God is all you have; God is all you need! Bottom line: God's power is released through those who have given up trying to do it in their own strength!

SoulFood: Num 27-29, Mark 7:14-23, Ps 44:1-8, Pr 11:9

Brokenness (2)
'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit...' Psalm 51:17 NIV

Sometimes God lets us hit the bottom in order to find out that He's the rock at the base of everything. Gideon was ready to face an army of 135 000 troops with just 32 000 men, then 22 000 of them left him before the battlefield was even in sight. Do the maths. Gideon's thinking, 'We're mincemeat!' Then God turns up the pressure another notch, saying: 'The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, "...My own power has delivered me."'(Judges 7:2 NAS) He ends up winning the battle with just 300 men! Do you see what's going on there-the first battle to be fought was a battle of ego! Why do you think the Lord's Prayer ends with: '...Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory...'? (Matthew 6:13 NAS) To remind us that any power we have comes only from God! And who should the glory for our success go to? Straight to God! How long does this arrangement last? Forever!

Brokenness doesn't mean being a wimp, suffering from an inferiority complex or having a case of low self-esteem. No, it's just that sometimes God has to take you down before He can raise you up. People who have been through God's breaking process don't find it hard to pray, 'Jesus, whatever will make You famous-I'm up for it!' Can you pray that prayer today?

SoulFood: Num 30:1-32:24, Mark 7:24-37, Ps 44: 9-16, Pr 11:10-11

Sat 8-May-10 (kids, footy, dinner)

The kids pulled up better this morning. Gabi decided to come into my bedroom very early so I could start reading the first book in her new set ("Camp Club Girls"), which I recently bought.

Gabi asked me this morning about the possibility of adopting a sister her age, a little younger or even a little older. I explained the bureaucratic difficulties associated with this, being a single parent. What I didn't explain was the difficulties I have at present only managing two kids.

Ben's footy: He not only played the full game but was given a certificate for the Most Improved Player. He marked and kicked well and just started to get into tackles towards the end of the match. Pretty good effort considering how sick he appeared last night.

I brought a couple of our dear friends' boys home with us. I had almost forgotten what it was like to occupy a two year-old, let alone nappy changing! Now that brought back some memories! Gabi was really good with James, taking on the "older sister / mother" role and able to win respect (as opposed to when she tries it with Ben). Paul generously took Ben and Gabi home with him so I am able to attend Justin's 40th dinner. A bigger effort than mine considering he'll have six kids to care for as Mel is out of town.

I'll get to Paul and Mel's later tonight and haven't decided yet as to whether to take up Paul's offer of sleeping at their place and go together to church in the morning, or transferring the kids to my car and coming home. I'm very conscious of their family's need to celebrate Mother's Day in the morning.

Fri 7-May-10 (sick kids, the weekend ahead)

Gabi started to feel unwell at school yesterday afternoon. She struggled to get out of bed this morning, complaining of body aches, a headache and sore throat. Her throat, while red, had no signs of infection (yet). Ben was quite sluggish this morning and didn't seem himself. 
I gave them paracetamol and allowed them to lie around and read while I tried to get some work done. They picked up after the pain relief kicked in.

We all had a lengthy nap late in the afternoon and woke in time for dinner and to watch Second Hand Lions. We were spoilt to have some scrumptious brownies dropped off (thanks Robyn). Speaking of food, we have been spoilt by many people with delicious meals. There are too many people to name. You know who you are.

As we approached bed time both complained of throat issues and rejected their ice cream (that is a sign of real illness). Ben started to experience rigors and didn't look well. He is of the opinion that he'll be right for football tomorrow. We'll see. Gabi is a little better than she was this morning, but not great.

I have a dear mate's 40th birthday dinner to attend tomorrow night, but it's not looking a guaranteed prospect. However, a lot can change over 24 hours. If they are better in the morning I will be making 11th-hour approaches for a babysitter as I've had no such luck securing someone.  

Sunday is Mother's Day here in Australia. The kids made very special cards for Maria in which they wrote lovely messages to her. Sunday will be a hard day, but we are all prepared as much as one can be.

Mon 3-May-10 (Birthdays)

Happy birthday Mum. We love you.

It is also a dear friend's birthday. Happy birthday Claudine.

Technology's great...when it works

I was just about to hit the save button to finish off more than three hours work on a complex schematic and I lost it all!!! Absolutely irretrievable. I was in a bad mood late this afternoon and into the evening, so this has not helped my cause. To make matters worse my right hand (fortunately not my good one) is reeling from the after effects of its high velocity reflex collision with the stone (quartz) desktop.

I am quite certain I won't be in a communicative mood tomorrow.

Sat 1-May-10 (Football, Hospice, Dinner)

Ben was up early, wandering around the house in his gear. I knew before even getting out of bed as I listened to the thump of the studs from his boots on our floorboards. Considering it was his first match (another first without Maria to share in it) he did okay. I was proud of him (would have been regardless how he went). Hopefully Ben has learnt from this first experience and will further improve throughout the season. Fortunately there was no official scoring or premiership points because the game was well and truly over by the end of the first quarter. To their credit, our kids improved with each quarter.

We had a celebratory lunch, then got home in time for quick showers before heading to the Hospice for the Reflective Service. All was okay until we walked into the Hospice and I started to feel the memories pouring back. This was further exacerbated while sitting in the Chapel and seeing families in the area where we used to wait around or congregate when having a break from Maria's room. I could feel their pain. Ben and Gabi were both quite emotional. It was lovely to share it with Elaine and her daughters (as mentioned Alan passed away 17 days before Maria) and neighbours. It was also really nice to see Mary (head of Pastoral Care) who led the service. We first met her when Maria started home-based palliative care.

In the evening a bunch of neighbours had a lovely Chinese dinner at Elaine's home across the road. I put together a DVD of Alan and Maria for everyone to watch, while the kids went over to another neighbours to watch their own DVD–giving me the opportunity to catch up with others.

A highly emotional day.

Fri 30-Apr-10 (Weekend ahead)

Ben had his best mate Matt over for a play date. His brother Josh joined us a little later and the five of us went through three pizzas for dinner. I let Ben and Gabi stay up later tonight, so they were pretty exhausted by the time they got into bed.

Ben is very excited about his first AFL match in the morning. Fortunately his matches are at 10:45am each week so it shouldn't be too cold by that time of morning.
The kids and I will be attending a Reflective Service at the Hospice in the afternoon. We decided not to invite any family or friends. Apart from us, there will be our neighbour (and friend) Elaine, who lost her husband Alan at the Hospice two-and-a-half weeks before Maria. A few neighbours will also be present. In the evening a larger group of neighbours will congregate at Elaine's home for a dinner and time together. I've just worked on creating a DVD that incorporates slideshows from both Alan's and Maria's funeral services to play.

We'll try and get to church on Sunday and probably relax as much as possible. 

Happy birthday Kathy...

...our dear sister from Israel who is now back in Texas enjoying her special day with her precious family.

We love you.

Thu 29-Jun-10 (Gabi in the paper, Ben's last pre-season training session)

Yesterday a friend bumped into Gabi and said he had seen her photo in the Chronicle newspaper. Gabi said it must have been mistaken identity. She mentioned it to me in passing but I didn't really take much notice.

Last night I received an SMS from a friend saying Gabi was in the paper when at drama on one of her play dates last week. I told Gabi this morning, who was very excited. Unfortunately, for some reason the paper did not arrive on our driveway as yet. I'm hopeful that we don't miss it.

Ben had his last pre-season training session this evening. It's getting that little bit colder each night. He is sleeping well on Tuesdays and Thursdays because of the activity. Here are a couple of photos of him in his gear. He disappointingly wasn't allowed to sleep in it as it needs to be ready for Saturday morning's match.

A DVD worth watching

Some weeks ago I was given a DVD called "HOPE - When Life Hurts Most" by Louie Giglio (thanks Ado). After promising to spend more time with God in such busy times, I finally got to sit down tonight after finishing work at home at watch the first part (The Anchor of Hope). As it's nearly midnight, I'll need to wait until tomorrow night to watch the second/final part (The Megaphone of Hope).

I really enjoy watching an effective communicator who teaches in a real and passionate way. In fact, sitting here brought back memories of the latter part of Maria's illness as we sat and watched Louie's "Indescribable" DVD, which was awesome. Maria too was really encouraged and moved by his teaching.

Website revamp

I have started to experiment with our family website and plan to revamp it as I teach myself on the run. It will hopefully have a new look and feel over time. Much of this will be subject to my ability to 'play', when I have the time.

To get things started, I created a very simple "flash" type intro, which includes photos to music (the intro can be skipped).

I intend to do some more with the intro down the track to make it look professional (well as best as can be when you are talking "self-taught").

In case you haven't had the opportunity to visit, the website (dedicated to Maria) is www.kaizik.com

Sun 25-Apr-10 (Anzac Day, previous week)

We have just finished the kids' last week of school holidays. It was a busy week for a range of reasons, especially as I didn't have holidays. Because I'm feeling quite flat at present (combination of general exhaustion and probably part of the grieving process) I'm going to keep it brief.

Mon, Wed, Fri

Spent with Kathryn and her girls. They were busy with activities at home, the park, gold panning and Questacon. Both our families had a family night dinner and DVD night on Friday, which was lovely. A nice way to cap off the week. Taking the kids for 3 of the 5 days was a blessing beyond words for me.

Tue (20th)

It was three months since Maria went to be with the Lord.
The kids saw a movie and played at a dear friend's place (thanks Doreen). 

Thu

Both kids had separate play dates at their best friends' homes (thanks Karen & Leanne), with Ben having footy training at the end of the day (thanks Paul for chauffeuring him).

Sat

A whole day of hanging around the house. I spent a bit of that time out doing a major shop. Watched a movie together. Otherwise very quiet and lazy.

My brother and his family moved into their new home. Because of my sheer fatigue and laziness I haven't spoken to them as yet to see how the move went. Will follow that up on Monday morning.

Sun

Got up a little late and sluggish. After a pancake breakfast made our way to the shopping centre as we had missed church. Forgot that because it is Anzac Day, the centre didn't open until 1:00pm. Made the trek back and spent 3 1/2 hours there getting last minute things for the kids and buying myself some new business shirts and ties. Unfortunately none of the hairdressers were open so Ben still looks like a mop head and Gabi's not far behind. We'll try tomorrow. Spent the afternoon/evening getting on top of some loads of washing, followed by the bedtime reading ritual (with both separately) before having some prayer time with Justin. 

Tomorrow is a public holiday here in Australia. What will we do? All a bit jaded. Probably just hang around the house, call my brother, as well as get out for a short stint to the hairdressers and have my suits dry-cleaned. Boring life, no?

Sun 18-Apr-10 (events of the week)

After a busy Monday, Tuesday was generally a good day. The antibiotics started to take effect.

On Wednesday, Maria's parents collected the kids and took them to Brian and Effie's in Cooma. I took Dad and Mum out for dinner, then went off to a movie with a dear mate (Justin) as it was the last night "The Green Zone" was showing.

Thursday was another nice and busy day at work. Dad and Mum headed home during the day. After work I went to Justin and Kathryn's for dinner and a lot of time just fellowshipping. It was so relaxing and nice. I did however miss not having the kids around.

On Friday I left work earlier in the afternoon, packed and headed to Cooma. Had a nice evening and headed off on Saturday morning for Maria's parents' (Mama and Baba) home. We spent the afternoon around the house. I had a lot of time to play with the kids (felt some aches and pains this morning). In the afternoon we headed down to one of the boardwalks with Mama and came across a seal and a couple of stingrays. We drove around to another spot, where we came across a seal lazing on the rocks.

Today we went to the beach (I forgot our swimmers) with Baba, so we went into the water in our shorts (and Gabi with a t-shirt of course). The water was so warm and the weather delightful.

We ventured down to the boardwalk again to find two seals and five stingrays. There were some guys cleaning their fish, so they put the leftovers next to us for the rays to come up and take, which gave us the opportunity to hold and pat them. they are slimy, yet velvety. The kids were so excited.

After lunch I chatted for a while with Mama and Baba. I took this photo of Mama with the kids on their balcony before we left. As you can see from the background, they are quite close to the water.

We hit the road a lot later than planned, but had a good trip back.

Mon 12-Apr-10 (very long day)

I got off to work early in an attempt to get a full work day in, so I didn't have to do extra hours at home because of the school holidays and how I'm feeling.

I contacted our GP in the morning and she arranged to see me before she started seeing patients in the afternoon. I ducked out from a busy morning to see the doctor and while waiting for my script (I have bronchitis that is also affecting my trachea and sinuses) I heard squealing and looked to see Ben and Gabi running toward me. They had been to a movie (How to Train Your Dragon 3D) with dad and mum and stopped on the way back to get some shopping. They were in the playground and happened to see me. As I left, they asked when I'd be home. I said, "before it gets dark." Famous last words.

I got back to the office in time for a critical meeting, which led to a few hours of work. I left at 7:00pm, feeling quite weary and stuffy. It was nice to spend some time with the kids reading to them individually before bed.

It's nearly 9:00pm and I am about to get to bed myself to try and rest in preparation for what might be another busy day.

Sun 11-Apr-10 (events of the last week)

I haven't posted for a week, mainly due to work and illness. There is not too much to write about from the early part of the week.

My parents arrived on Thursday to stay for a week and see the kids perform at "Grandparents' Day", held at their school on Friday (their last day of term). As I wasn't able to stay around for the performance, Gabi's teacher kindly had the kids do a mini performance at the end of the school day for me to see.

I woke on Saturday morning with stomach cramping on top of the flu and chest issues. After breakfast I slept through until lunch. I went and kicked the ball with Ben (as promised the day before), then slept until dinner.

On Sunday we went to church, visited the cemetery, had lunch nearby and headed home. I slept again from mid-afternoon until dinner.

Apart from feeling unwell, I think my body is taking the opportunity to catch up on months of lost sleep. I feel sad for the kids, but my body won't allow me to be very active.

I'll be working through the school holidays. Mum and Dad will take care of Ben and Gabi throughout the week as well as a visit to Cooma. I'll be trying to arrange play dates for the kids throughout the second week.

Sun 4-Apr-10 (Easter Sunday)

There are quite a few photos in this entry, but due to me not having had our camera attended to, I'm using my phone at present.

The kids woke me very excitedly to tell me that they had a present for me. They took me into the front part of the house to show me they had cleaned it all up –– even my work desk. What a blessing!

The kids then opened gifts from each other, me, grandparents, and friends from the States (thanks O'Meara clan).

Gabi also made me a lovely card.

I knew a dear friend was working all night and her kids were away, so we had her join us for breakfast. She generously brought along breakfast as well as her family's bunny.

We headed off to church and afterwards came home for an Easter Egg hunt. I went off for a nap to try and get through the day. The three of us headed to the Cemetery (the granite stone and plaque should be finished in the next few weeks) to hang out briefly and leave some flowers from our garden...

...before heading over to dear friends where we spent the next 5+ hours. The three of us really love their company. We even had a traditional Greek egg-cracking competition with the eggs Gabi and I prepared (see photo below) the previous evening.

The kids went to bed quite late, with their exhaustion quite evident. This in part is due to last night's changeover from daylight saving (i.e. their body-clocks would think it is an hour later). Let's hope that means extra sleep at the other end.

HAPPY EASTER FROM THE THREE OF US!

HAPPY EASTER, Resurrection Eggs & Maria

I was about to post this entry when I realised it is just after midnight, so I've re-typed this first paragraph to wish everyone a HAPPY EASTER!

"Resurrection Eggs" –– While we were in Israel some dear friends had a (plastic) carton, which simply contain 12 plastic eggs (one for each of the 12 days leading up to Easter). When opened, each egg contains a small figurine/toy/symbol (except the final one, which is empty to represent the empty tomb) to represent the lead-up to Jesus' arrest, crucifixion and resurrection. It comes with a small book that has a bible verse and speaks a little more into the subject. It's not only a great illustration for us, but is very effective in children's ministry and outreach.

The reason I share this is not to give the marketers a plug, but rather because of the memory it holds for us. Maria purchased this during her illness as she was keen to make it part of our family tradition. Unfortunately she purchased them after last Easter, so she never got to enjoy the experience with us.

What I emphasised in each of my Easter cards to Ben and Gabi is that while this a time of sadness for us as a family, there is happiness and hope. Why? Because Jesus' death on the cross for our (i.e. everyone's) sins and His subsequent resurrection has given us all the chance to have eternal life with Him in heaven. Maria went ahead of us to experience what a place of no pain and suffering is like. 

I am so ENCOURAGED and EXCITED that up until now (before and after Maria's illness) the kids have not strayed from their respective personal decision to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Why the JOY for me? Well, not only is it the most important decision they will ever make while alive on Earth (actually for anyone, this includes you), but the kids have done so without any intentional influence under such difficult circumstances. What I mean is I have been very careful not to use my faith as some type of emotional blackmail for the kids to follow, only in the hope that this will allow them to be reunited with Maria one day. They just know the truth. For those of you who know them very well would also attest that Ben and Gabi are no dummies or pushovers.

Is it easy to follow Jesus? Not on your life. When the world moves in one direction, driven by having "things" (fame, popularity, wealth, the perfect face/body, bling) as their gods/idols, to step out and be someone who "is in the world" but "not of the world" is like walking against the flow of that tide. As you know, it is far simpler to go with the current than against it. That's why being a true follower of Jesus is not easy.

I know there may be some of you out there reading this and thinking about stories (either personal or you're read/heard) of people claiming to be Christians who are hypocrites as they behave in a way that does NOT upholds what God teaches. You may think that of me for some reason. Up until I made my commitment in 2001, I felt hurt or betrayed by the church because of the innumerable incidents that "Christians" were responsible for, without understanding among other things that we live in a fallen/sinful world and it is the people (not God) who have chosen to sin. This is starting to lead into a sermon or personal testimony, which I'll leave for a time when I have the physical strength to do so.

I just want to finish off by thanking God because He loves each of us so much that He chose to send His one and only Son into the world to be THE atoning sacrifice for all of our sins. All we have to do is accept the FREE GIFT of believing in Jesus' resurrection (from the dead) to experience eternal life. HAPPY EASTER!

Sat 3-Apr-10 (quieter day, increased unwell-ness)

I tried to sleep in a little as I had some issues through the night with an increase in chest symptoms––feeling as though an infection is coming on. The kids still have their coughs, which come and go.

We ducked down to the local shops so the kids could discretely buy each other an Easter Egg. It gave me a chance to do the same for them, as well as buy some smaller ones for a "hunt". At home they worked on cards for each other.

I had to decline a dinner invitation for this evening. It was well that I did as I seemed to decline and needed to sleep in the afternoon, which took the edge of how I've been feeling. Unfortunately that improvement has now worn off.

We watched a movie together over dinner. Although they didn't get to bed until nearly 9pm, we gain an hour overnight coming off daylight-saving. For many out there without kids, that means an hour's extra sleep. If Ben has his 6:00am wake-up, it will actually be 5:00am. He's very good at occupying himself, but let's hope he's not too noisy as his Star Wars play can sometimes lead to the mimicking of laser weapons being fired.

I'm off to bed shortly myself to see if more rest will help because we will have an Easter Egg hunt before church, church itself, and another dinner invitation tomorrow night.

Fri 2-Apr-10 (church in the park, visit)

The day started with church in the park. After the glorious weather we've had in recent weeks, the weather change finally came through and it was a lot colder and more overcast than what we've been accustomed to. It was enjoyable.

I spent the afternoon at home with the kids playing Clone Wars (play acting, that is) and had a visit in the afternoon from a dear friend who also brought a meal (thanks Cath). It was nice to hang out over a coffee.

I have been struggling with this chest complaint and asthma and my coughing started to increase, so I got into bed a little earlier than normal to try and sleep it off.

Thu 1-Apr-10 (first week @ work, sport, meals, tomorrow's church service)

April Fools Day was a quiet one with the three of us forgetting about it, and no-one at work having the time or energy to come up with a prank.

With tomorrow being the Good Friday public holiday and Monday also being a public holiday for Easter Monday in Australia, this means that my first two weeks at work will be short ones. That said, the first week has been quite exhausting for me, not only managing the days, but also making up additional work hours at night. I'm starting to sleep again, so that's a good outcome. I am however feeling quite run down with the chesty cough and what feels like some asthma. Nothing of any real significance, just annoying.

The kids ran their Cross Country events at school today. Both did quite well––better than they expected. I was proud that they competed, especially for Gabi who was very reluctant in the lead-up to the day.

I got to school late due to work and traffic issues. It was therefore a rush to get Ben to his first AFL (footy) training session. He seemed to enjoy it.

It was lovely to come home to find that our table had been set and a meal as well as some Easter treats had been left for us (thanks Viv).

On the topic of meals, I failed to mention the other day that we were blessed with an impromptu meal on Tuesday evening, which really helped out (thanks Jennie). Sometimes my mind is sharp and sometimes it's custard!

It's going to be interesting to see how the weekend goes––our first Easter without Maria by our side.

Tomorrow morning our church is doing a service in the large park at Gordon (across the road from the school where we worship), followed by morning tea, activities and hot cross buns. We're looking forward to it. The kids only got into bed a few minutes ago, so hopefully they'll sleep in (but they won't).

Prophecy (not mine) – something very special, yet highly emotive

In the days after Maria's passing, I would think every now and then about a prophecy that Maria had received at a conference in 2006. I had never heard it, but knew that Maria had a CD that contained the audio at the time.

I was chatting to our dear friend Doreen (who was with Maria that night and out of all the people, was also one of the few people spoken to). Doreen asked me about the CD.

Tonight it all came back to me, so I dug around and listened to it for the first time. It was amazingly emotional for me to do that. It blew me away also because as I listened to the lead-up and subsequent to when she spoke with Maria, but it was at the time she made Maria stand and spoke over her that the spirit released this sister's words in a powerful way. Feel free to listen for yourself, by clicking the link, followed by the image of Maria in an armchair, or directly via http://www.kaizik.com/journey/Music_favs_files/Maria_VCF.wav

I have started to pray over what it all meant (Maria would occasionally mention it while we were overseas).

A dear friend called just after I had listened to it for the first time. She wisely said that the prophecy (if it's truly prophetic) will be revealed but not always in the way we expect. Having listened to it again, I already have experienced some deeper understanding of it (I have goosebumps as I type).

I have cut the relevant excerpt and uploaded it to the website. For the Christian contingent out there who were close to Maria, I'd love for you to listen to it and give me some interpretation of your own to see what aligns with my thoughts.

Tue 30-Mar-10 (work, Ben, juxtaposed emotions)

It's now after 12:30am and I have just finished work for tonight. I didn't get to start until nearly 9:30pm as Ben needed one-on-one time, which meant reading him an entire Asterix book and chatting. He is a little emotional at present.

Quick summary of the day so I can get some sleep:

• Prayer time with Ben's teacher was encouraging.
• Work day in the office went well.
• Two workplace assessors came to examine my home work areas and to make certain recommendations.
• As mentioned, some emotions from the kids this evening, especially Ben, about missing Maria.

There is a real juxtaposition between my emotions where I am witnessing God's miraculous power firsthand through the healing and restoration of others, against the harsh realisation that part of the reason for these "events" is Maria's illness and my continued recording of our journey. So many things have happened in the last week that have been mind-blowing to me as a Christian, but not to have Maria to share it with or for her to see the fruits, can at times be crushing. Thankfully He is there to pick me up and continue to carry me. 

Further to the previous paragraph, if you're wondering why I have elaborated on the events, it is out of respect for people's privacy that I am not willing to.

Mon 29-Mar-10 (first day at work - a long day all round)

It's about 8:45pm as I type this quick post before I launch into some reading. Given I didn't leave the office until 5:00pm, I have far less than the mandatory extra 2.5hrs of work to do at home. That is fortunate as I feel like I've already worked a week without respite!

Before giving a summary of my day, I wanted to thank those of you who sent through messages of encouragement last night and this morning.

We got to school @ 8:30am (a little earlier than planned) to meet with someone on an unrelated matter before preparing myself for the drive in. Gabi found the separation difficult, albeit we have tried to build up to this. I have prayer time with Ben's teacher before school tomorrow so we'll see how tomorrow goes.

Shortly after arriving I dropped into an Induction Workshop for some new-starters and was pleasantly surprised to see one of my neighbours there––he has joined us on a 12-mth contract.

Throughout the day I had briefings and sorted out paperwork, as well as started reading material to get familiar with the role. I ensured I made time to have coffee with one of the team to get an insight into her both as a person and a colleague (the latter being from the perspective of how I can best integrate as the new manager without disrupting the ongoing smooth flow of the operation). She has been with us for 33 years and plans to retire at the end of this year, so I half-jokingly told her my plan to suck every bit of information from her brain by then. I'm grateful in advance for her wisdom and reputation for having a strong work ethic (I got to observe that today for myself). 

I bumped into a few colleagues including someone who I probably haven't seen for around 15 years. Amazingly he has recently started in the department in the same job I also started in (in 2004). Although he and I had worked in different police task forces in Sydney those many years ago, we knew each other because we had travelled together during joint operations.

I wasn't there to collect the kids, but the feedback was positive as to how they coped. As I said earlier, I didn't get away until nearly 5:00pm. On the way to collecting the kids it suddenly dawned on me (especially when I saw a vehicle identical to Maria's in Israel) that Maria won't be home to welcome me/us. In addition to that immediate emptiness, I also felt the loss of not coming home to the things she would lovingly prepare for afternoon tea and dinner (all that hard work, which I too often took for granted).

Upon collecting Ben we were invited to dinner. I decided to accept (thanks Karen) as we were only going to do baked beans at home (I hadn't fully planned for today - but am about to put some things aside for tomorrow).

Because of the dinner, chat and prayer, we didn't get home until around 8:00pm. I quickly got Gabi into bed and took the opportunity to have a lengthy father/son chat with Ben.

Life Scripture

At the Vision men's retreat last week one of the challenges/encouragers mentioned before we had quiet time was whether we had a specific "life scripture" (a reference to examine your life in the light of scripture, how I'm fulfilling it or how I can fulfil it better).

I've been praying for it and it fell into my lap yesterday. Why? Because it covers the key qualities I am seeking in my life and will challenge me every day in reflection (i.e. not missing opportunities; showing conviction, courage and strength; but doing all things in love for others).

I wanted to share it with you and intend to chat with the kids to see whether they would be interested in adopting it as our family's "mission" or "vision" statement.


1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (Contemporary English Version - CEV)
Keep alert. Be firm in your faith. Stay brave and strong. Show love in everything you do.

Sun 28-Mar-10 (last day before work, busy day with kids)

Ben was collected in the morning by his mate's dad and the three of them headed off to Canberra Airport for its Open Day. Gabi and I went to church (the first time in six weeks, given other events and our absences from Canberra).

We raced home and headed off for Gabi's school picnic. The kids ran around in the glorious weather (it has been 25-28 celsius with blue skies for the last few weeks) while the aduklts caught up. I was grateful to not only get to know a few people that little more, but to meet a few new people and spend some quality time with them. Ben was dropped off during the picnic and really enjoyed his time at the Airport.

We headed home and I started making preparations for tomorrow, being my return to work.

A dear brother came over in the evening and we had over an hour of fellowship and prayer. It was great to not only delve into prayer but to also chat about the Rugby on Friday (he was also at the Stadium) and general guy stuff.

With the new routine about to kick in, I know that Gabi will find it challenging as I'll be dropping off that little bit earlier but more importantly won't be hanging around (that's the part she loves). A couple of mums are taking the kids for separate play dates tomorrow afternoon, which will allow me to attend this late work briefing –– that's a huge blessing.

There has been quite a bit over the last week causing me some emotional drain (in a positive way). While I was hoping to be feeling charged at this moment (I'm at the other end of the spectrum - again not in a bad way), I am looking forward to the work challenge that lies ahead of me.