Love Languages - Works For Me!

Today is our 8th Wedding Anniversary, so I thought it fitting to make this WFMW about marriage.


"What would he really like?" is a question that often goes through my mind when searching for a birthday, christmas or anniversary gift, and because I like giving gifts, I spend a lot of time on this.


First of all today, I made this as his breakfast in bed.

And for the present? Bryce got a coffee grinder to go with the fan dangled coffee machine I bought him six months ago for no reason, just cause I wanted to give him a gift. At Christmas time, Bryce has been known to have up to 12 presents under the tree because I keep buying him little presents and wrap them up so excitedly and hide them beneath other presents.


I am a gift giver, so the way I show my love to Bryce is by giving him gifts. But if I really asked the question "What would he really like?", the answer would be time. Bryce feels loved and shows his love by spending quality time with me. Im sure he doesnt mind all the presents I buy him, but what would really fill his love tank quickly is if I suggested we go out somewhere. So that is what we are doing tonight.


Do you know what it is that makes you feel loved the most? What about your spouse or someone special in your family?

It could be:

1. Gift Giving

2. Words of Affirmation

3. Quality Time

4. Physical Touch and Closeness or

5. Acts of Service

Have you worked it out? Why not try to do something for someone special, in their love language, to say 'I Love You'.

See you later, I'm going to make dinner reservations :)

This information comes from the book "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. Well worth a read if you'd like to know more!

Click HERE to read my last post "Has Anyone Seen My Teeth?"

Has Anyone Seen My Teeth?

Todays post has been kindly authorised by Nanny who, for the prosperity and encouragement of my readers, has allowed this unfortunate story to be told.

I was woken at 6am this morning with a phone call.

Nanny, who is staying with us, has been going to work quite early each morning before sunrise, so in my half asleep state I assumed it was something to do with work. Poppa answered the phone and then a few seconds later I heard the front door open and a car take off down the street.

Nanny had forgotten her teeth!

You know that feeling you get sometimes, that you have forgotten something but you're not sure what it is? I am sure Nanny wished she listened closer to that little voice as she arrived at work and soon realised she had forgotten the plate which contained her two front teeth. A somewhat distressed Nanny promptly called Poppa and asked him to deliver her teeth as soon as possible.

When the sun finally rose and the teeth story was told there were a few chuckles around the breakfast table and everyone went about their daily tasks. But it was not Nanny who had forgotten the most important thing today.

I forgot to say Good Morning to my creator.
I neglected to thank him for the sunrise and the birds singing.
I ignored his promptings to read his word.
I was too busy to sit with him by the window.
I failed to stop and listen to him speak.
I cared not to ask him what he would like us to do today.

And for that oversight, there was something bigger missing from my day than a denture. And it wasnt put right till I called DAD to come help.

Next time you get that feeling that you have forgotten something,

Remember Him.
He is waiting.
Every Morning.

I Lost My Son - Again!

Yes, for the second time in just a few months, I lost my son! How could this happen, I hear you ask.. Well, let me tell you, I am NEVER taking him bowling again.

You might remember the last time I lost him... at the bowling centre... he had gone to the computer game section and I was looking for many minutes which seemed like hours. Well today when he went missing I went straight there ... but he was nowhere to be found!

I didnt have any other options, there was nowhere else to look. I did manage to mention to my daughter that he was going to be in so much trouble when I found him. That was just after she asked "Mum, shall we tell the lady that we have lost him?". No way. I'm not doing that again!

He turned up just after that - he had taken himself to the toilet. He's 3. How does he even know where the toilet is?! Never again I tell you. He's banned. No more games of bowling with mummy! (Not without any other adults present)

Luckily, God is not so harsh with me. I mess up all the time. Go places he doesn't want me to go. Do things he doesn't want me to do. Say things he doesn't want me to say. Most of the time for the same reason - 'cause I thought I could do it on my own. But he doesn't say "Right, I've had it with you. I'm never taking you out again". He just waits patiently for me to come back and then starts again.

"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched woman I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:21-25

God doesnt ban me from the good he has planned because I mess up. He works IN me transforming me from the inside out. Praise God!

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." 2 Cor 4:16-17

So I'll thank God that he is working in me,

I'll stop stressing about my present trouble and
trust it has some eternal benefit,

but I am still not taking him bowling again!

The Hunt cont.

This is a Kite, not an Eagle, but I'm nearly there!
(If you'd like to see a larger version - scroll way down to the bottom of the page!)

Start with Mark - Works For Me!

How long has it been since you have read your Bible? If it was just today, then I take my hat off to you, and you may go browse my other posts :). If it's been a while however, then I have just the tip for you!

Sometimes the reason we dont read the Bible is we are not sure where to start. Whether it's because you dont have much time, have never opened your Bible before, are having trouble understanding, or you are seeking inspiration and dont know where to look, this might be just what you need . Id like you to do something for me. Go and grab your Bible.

Seriously. I'll wait here. Off you go.

Open it up to the book of Mark. (New Testament - use your contents page if you like!)

Mark is the simplest of the four Gospels – it is the shortest, it contains the least amount of teaching, and it includes many stories from the life and ministry of Jesus. Yet it has everything that a person needs to know in order to become a Christian, and to live a life which pleases God!

I love how Jesus is portrayed there – not merely as a normal man, but rather as a man who maintains that he is the Christ, who is in total control of every situation, has complete authority over evil, power to heal and restore, and amazing wisdom that confounds his enemies. At every turn, the reader is prompted to make a response about whether Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God: “Who do you say that I am?”

The entire Bible is God’s inerrant, infallible, inspired revelation to humankind. And it is very important that we are familiar with the message of the Gospel, as revealed to us in the life of Jesus. The Gospel of Mark is a great place for you to rediscover afresh your love for Jesus, and maybe even to be surprised once again by the manner in which he lived, died, and rose again.

Here is where I suggest you read. Start at chapter 1, verse 1.

Why not read it right now? Blog surf later on! It'll be the best thing you do all day!

Leslie has done an absolutely awesome job of running you through how to have a quiet time - pop over to Sunday School Blog to learn more!

Pulling Weeds

This week I went for a bushwalk with a very special friend of mine. It was about an hour of strolling in our gumboots over the 40 acres looking at the scenery, checking the water levels, catching glimpses of wildlife, removing fallen branches from the horse trails and ... pulling weeds. In the middle of the bush.

I didn't realise this was a necessary part of living in the bush, but apparently the best way to keep the land healthy and free from being overgrown, is to keep on top of the weeds as they sprout up.

My 3yr old son has a knack for gardening and tried his hand at weed pulling while I was talking in the carpark at church. Yep, you guessed it. He and a little friend were pulling all the newly planted seedlings out of the garden. That is NOT the kind of weed pulling I am referring to!

My bushwalking friend had a keen eye for plants and knew that those pretty little flowers would grow up and end up killing all the native vegetation that we were currently enjoying, making it uninhabitable. She knew that a little effort at each walk through the bush would save a lot of chainsaw time later on.

I took a walk with God today. I had to put on my gumboots because he had sent the rain, preparing the ground of my heart for a little weed pulling of his own. Sometimes he and I walk and admire the scenery and stop to look at new things which have blossomed or grown. Sometimes he surprises me with wildlife experiences. Sometimes he shows me some dry patches in need of living water. Sometimes he helps clear obstacles to make my path easier and other times, we pull weeds. Weeds of pride, self sufficiency, anger, intolerance, jealousy, envy, discontentment or worry. An insurmountable task if you consider all the areas that need work, but tackling one spot at a time as he points out the rogue plants and pulling them out together isn't so bad.

And the result is a well watered sanctuary where I can sit with him and enjoy his company. And when someone else sees it, they might even say "How do you keep this place so nice?" and I'll look at him, and he'll smile and say "Tell her!"

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11

Time to take a walk?

Faith Lifts - Works For Me!

Greetings! Today over at Rocks In My Dryer Shannon is hosting links to stop parents going crazy keep the kids occupied during summer holidays. Well, I am an Australian, and it is winter, but I am posting something that will help more than you will ever know...

I dont like to admit this, but the level of holiday enjoyment usually comes down to two things:
1. Whether I'm looking forward to my day with the kids and
2. Whether I join in the holiday fun

So before you go getting all those games and activity tips from the other cool ladies, might I suggest you try this one.

Faith Lifts is an awesome website which will send morning devotions straight to your inbox, and their parent site - 5 Minutes For Mom, has some great stuff to bless and encourage you before you spend the rest of your day seeing to others needs.

Go ahead and sign up, I guarantee your holidays will be drastically different if you start each day right!

And if you'd also like some uplifting easy listening music - you really need to check out WOW online! Or....go back to Rocks In My Dryer and enter the competition to win 20 CDs!

Score!

I have some exciting news ... I scored 200 in Ten Pin Bowling!!! Woohoo. That was one of the goals I set this year! Along with taking a photo of that soaring eagle and writing a book.

Do you know what your goals are in life? I am turning 30 very soon, and as I look back over my little bit of living what stands out to me most are not the times I was involved in the most ministries, or successful at work, or excelling at study, but the times that I took time out from the busyness of life and decided to do something different...

Deciding to quit uni and go to Bible College
Marrying my Knight in Shiny Armour
Not working so I could stay home with my kids
Running a women's conference
Moving to Bundaberg
Starting to write

Ooh, I really would love to tell you all those stories now but that will have to wait till another day (or we could do coffee if you like :)

When you take time out to consider what's really important, things change.

When we moved to Bundy, I had extra opportunities for taking time out because there's not really much to do here :). I had time to think about my goals in life, and I was able to make them a priority and spend time on them. And I'd just like to say, spending time on things you enjoy is awesome! I could blog, bowl and chase eagles forever!

Now bowling and photography might be fun and refreshing things for me to do, but they don't provide life with much purpose. But speaking and writing, now that's my passion! My life verse, what I think God wants me to do, is this:
"To prepare God's people for works of service until the body of Christ is built up and we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Eph 4:12-13

God is the one who provides our passion and our purpose in life. God wants us to be 'doing life' in a way that honours him and fulfils his purpose for our lives.

Are you faced with a hard decision or want to discover your purpose? Try this:

• Take time out, set aside time away from the busyness of your life.
• Pray, read the Bible and listen to what God might be saying
• When you have a peace about it, make your decision.
• Then hold on!

"Now choose life...that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life..." Deut 30: 19-20