Month: September 2013

God Delights In Us

There is so much beauty in this video. So much for us to learn from. So many parallels with our life with God. The dog’s human has obviously done some work to collect the leaves and provide such a playful, enjoyable environment. And then the dog simply delights in having fun with what his human has provided. He isn’t exercising as a chore or duty yet he is using his body to its full extent – the way God intended. and he’s obviously having a boatload of fun doing it too!

And the human – look at him. Is he complaining about the mess? Is he telling the dog to sit still? Is he barking (pardon the pun) orders at the pooch? No,he is delighting in it all. Is the dog trying to please his human friend or is he simply enjoying life, using all his senses to the best of his ability? Delight all round!

This is how God looks upon us as we live the lives in the place He has provided for us. God delights in us. Our lives don’t have to be full of rigidity, somberness and dull faces. We can live life! And have fun. We are allowed to enjoy life! In fact, He wants us to. He is pleasured when he watches us living and enjoying life within the environment He has provided for us.

If knowing that God delights in me as His child, how does this reflect in my role as a parent to my children?

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness.”
Zephaniah 3:17

Time for a TreeChange

Our life is about to radically change. Again. We’ve had a few major changes before – when we started homeschooling, re-joining the Defence Force and having a child enter the school zone have all been major changes that our family has undertaken. And there is a new one coming our way.

Moving Again

Moving interstate is nothing new for us but completely changing lifestyle is not something we do every other year.

Last year in June (2012) John went away up north on an military exercise. He came home early. And injured. Life has never been the same since. John has been working half days since that time. The injury, the medication, the half work days have all brought changes to our life. Changes we didn’t ask for nor want but they are ours to deal with nevertheless. He has done rehabilitation but the condition has not improved so he is being medically discharged. This will be massive for John as he has been a military man since 1976 (when he was 17 and I was only 7).

So in 42 days we will be jobless and homeless. Where shall we go? What shall we do? How shall we live? Making huge decision is different now that we have grandchildren.

Our first choice of lifestyle is not the city. We have only been in cities since we’ve been in the Defence Force. And we haven’t always been in the military. In the early days of our marriage, we owned a 10 acre block at Mannum (population: approximately 2,000) and lived in the shed that we built and our bus. John had stripped the bus, lined it out and that was our bedroom area for one and a half years. It was beautiful, all lined out with tongue-in-groove pine to make our bedroom and the nursery for Abigail. When I became pregnant with Rebekah, we made the hard decision to have a house built for us and forgo our dreams of building our mud-brick home. Fast forward a few years and yet another child and pregnancy and we moved to Strathalbyn (population approximately 3,500) . This time we only had a 1/4 acre block but we were satisfied and content to be contributing to the local community. Then after that started our journeying around the nation with the Defence Force.

And so, in 42 days we will be free from military life but we will also be homeless and we have no idea what we will do for an income. Scary!

Where Will We Be Next?

We’ve been in Mannum, Strathalbyn, Queanbeyan, Canberra, Bonegilla (15min out of Albury/Wodonga), Warner in Brisbane, Arana Hill in Brisbane and in the northern suburbs of Adelaide. My dad still lives in Broken Hill, John’s mum is in Adelaide and currently all of our grown kids are in Adelaide. Oh, the grand babies are all in Adelaide too. It may seem that Adelaide would be the most obvious choice but it’s not that easy. We loved the lifestyle but not the weather in Canberra. We love the weather and lifestyle in Brisbane. But we don’t like the city. Adelaide is a beautiful city… if one likes the city. And we don’t. Ideally we would like to be in a large country town that is independent of the city yet close enough for us to visit Adelaide (and we all know that I mean visit the grand babies, not the city itself) regularly. Any guesses on where we have decided? Feel free to throw a suggestion into the mix!

Prayers would be appreciated as we navigate ourselves through the next few months with regard to income, housing, lifestyle and John’s injury and changes to his medication and rehabilitation.

True Woman

The way to true femininity, true masculinity, true womanhood, the path to wholeness is to know God and to love Him.

The more we know God and understand who He is, the more we understand true sexuality – both masculine & feminine sexuality. We are made in His image.Once we understand the nature of God, our Creator, then we can quit striving to be feminine and we can just be who we are as women – and that will be feminine. Of course, that will look different to the many modesty/purity/feminine books with teacups and flowers on them but it will be true femininity.

Our womanhood, our femininity, is not found in hair salons (as much as I like them) or the nail salon nor in makeup or clothes. Our attempts to glorify our-self starts and ends with self confidence and self esteem – all substituting ‘self’ for God. But made in His image, He has given us dignity, purpose and respect… we can stop focusing on what we achieve in life and instead focus on what we have been given.

My Role as Grandparent

I’ve done a lot of thinking and reflecting over the last few months as I want to know what my role is as a Nonnie. Naturally I want to spoil my grandchildren with a few little treats. I want to spend time with them, and maybe even do those things with them that I never got around to with my own children. The messy things like art and craft.

But there’s more to parenting and grand parenting than that. It’s not only about the grandchildren but also about our adult kids as well. I want to help and support my kids as they strive to be godly parents.

I have searched through the Scriptures to see what the Bible has to say about the role of grandparent. To be honest, there wasn’t a lot in the way of direct commands… but we know that God’s Word is wisdom and so from my reading I have collated some ways that I intend to be intentional… and grandparent with purpose.

Marriage

I know it’s a controversial issue in the Christian blogosphere but it has never been in our family. I strive to model biblical submission as I subject myself to God and then to John… Our marriage is a living example of the church’s loving submission to her head, Jesus Christ. ~Ephesians 5:24 ~Ephesians 5:25

Just as we carefully guarded the hearts and minds of our children from the sexual immorality, we want to do the same for our grandchildren. We aim to support our adult kids parenting choices but even if they are not the same as ours, we will exercise discernment and self control with our choices of entertainment and speech.

Confession – Apologise

I want to be an example in the area of confessing my sin, apologising, seeking forgiveness and restoration whenever possible. John and I believe that the three most important words in our marriage are not so much “I love you” rather, “I am sorry“. ~Colossians 3:13

Stewardship

Living with integrity, being a positive role model with our time, money and resources is another way I can be a role model to my grandchildren. I want them to see me leaning on God for provision of my needs. I want them to see me being a good example of looking after my own body and health. ~Matthew 6:31-34

Model Seasoned Speech

I want to model the THINK principle for words are very powerful.I want to be an example who speaks kindly to others, one who speaks with godly wisdom, one who speaks words that encourage and edify. ~Ephesians 4:29-31

Tell them the Gospel

Rom. 5:12 I want my grandchildren to know the whole story.I want to share God’s overwhelming grace with them – not just teach them about obedience or adherence to codes and rules. I desire, as much as our adult kids permit me, to impart the Scriptures to the little ones. I want to impart to them the law of God, to show them their need for a Saviour. I want to point them toward Jesus Christ – for He is the only way to be saved. ~Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Model Love

If I love God with my whole heart, mind, soul and strength then it stands to reason that I will also love my neighbour and those in need. I hope and pray that my grandchildren will see me model this love. ~James 1:27

I will be a Chief Story Teller

Oh, the stories I will tell! But we learn through stories. They reach deep into our heart and help us connect with God and with others. Stories join people together with strong cords of history, of culture… they give a sense of belonging. The fibres of that cord are laughter, familiarity, grace, forgiveness, repetition and security. ~Deuteronomy 11:19

Relationship

I want to build a relationship with my grandchildren. Relationships are life’s most vital, most central, often most impacting vehicle for which we learn lessons. When the heart is filled with nurturing and right relationships, abundant life will flow. Christlike behaviour and Christlike attitude will be developed. As well as a relationship with our Father, God uses relationships as a means of grace, in His transforming work in our lives.

I want to be a role model – I guess that much is evident. Just when I thought our hands-on, full-on days of younger children were coming to an end there is nothing further from the truth! Parenting and Grand Parenting are all about being a role model, a living example to those who are watching. We are to model the love and character we desire to see in our children and grandchildren.

Pray, pray and pray some more

This parenting gig is almost designed to have us on our knees, desperate for God, leaning upon Him daily for sustenance, grace and strength. And so I will pray for my grandchildren but I will enthusiastically pray for my adult kids… I pray that they will see the need for His grace and strength, that they will rely upon Him and not upon their own strength and understanding. I pray that they will be led by the Holy Spirit, that they will grow in godly wisdom and knowledge and understanding of the Lord.

Flashback Friday

Two of my guys are behind bars in 2006.

A Journey Through Life – A Fairytale

Once upon a time there was a young married couple. They were passionate, zealous and on fire for God. They were on many various ministry teams and always doing something for God. Not only would they talk about God but they would also talk about church. Most, if not all, of their time was church and ministry – always serving others.

And then they learned what the true Church is. They looked around and couldn’t see her, as she is supposed to be, anywhere in action. It all looked fake. People playing at church. Playing at serving others when the widows and single mums still did it hard every other day of the week. This young couple saw some things that were absolutely atrocious and should never be associated with God’s people. The young couple became disillusioned.

Everything was wrong, wrong, wrong. Everyone was wrong and on the path to eternal damnation. But they could see this. They had the truth. It was up to them to show the lost the way!

And so the couple started speaking out, telling anyone who would listen. They stopped attending church for it was all just modern counterfeit, man-made ego antics anyway. When they did occasionally see people they would yell, er preach about the pagan origins of modern church practices, decrying all the hypocrisy. What the couple failed to realise at the time was that they simply were not helping anyone or any situation. They were just as much part of the problem that they were speaking against! Not only were they yelling to the believers (although they believed them to be false converts or duped believers) but the non believers were also witness to all these outpourings of misplaced zealousness. What a shame the non believers didn’t see the love and passion the couple had for the Lord God. Instead what they saw was a man and a women, bitter and angry. Instead of being told all about the Lord God, they were yelled at and told how wrong everything was, how evil the world is, how bad the church is. If only they would repent and turn to THEIR way of thinking – then they would be saved. No, sadly the unbelievers saw nothing of value, no treasure to be sought. Instead they turned their hearts away from the Lord. They filed that anger, which looked like hatred to them, in the back of their mind. If you are reading this and are one of those people, please stop by and spend a few minutes to view this presentation.

A few years went by and life dealt this now not-so-young couple some blows. As it does. The couple experienced some dark and down moments. They realised that they were not the only ones with the truth [end sarcasm]. They realised they had ‘thrown the baby out with the bath water’. They had gained a little insight into the beauty of the Church but became disillusioned because it wasn’t always so. However, they had stopped being part of the Church, thereby becoming part of the problem. They had started pointing to the Church more than they were pointing to Christ. Throughout all this, sadly, there was little support from friends or brethren in the Lord. I’m not too sure why not but that’s sometimes how life goes. Isn’t it?

This couple’s journey isn’t wasted and it isn’t sad. The road that they walked was instrumental in getting them to where they are now. Now, they do not point out the evils of the church or of every Christian they see. They are busy enough minding their own business, striving to live a life pleasing to the Lord. The not-so-young woman in this story doesn’t believe she has all the answers. She doesn’t think that life is Us vs Them. She knows Jesus Christ. He has transformed her life, He has forgiven her and saved her from the wrath to come. There is nothing worthy in her, aside from Christ. She has no goodness to be emulated, she doesn’t have her doctrinal ducks all lined up in a row. She has a website but in it she doesn’t tell you how to live, how to homeschool, how to worship, what to watch, what to listen to, what to believe, what to wear, or what to eat. She simply wants to point to Jesus Christ. She has stopped focusing on all that is wrong with the Church and the world and is just getting on with living to the glory of God. Those who listen and watch, do so. But she has learned that she is not responsible for their actions, their beliefs or even whether or not they believe her. Her mission is to preach Christ.

I have seen enough of life to know and appreciate that we are all different. We come from different cultures with different backgrounds. We each have different assumptions or preconceptions about the Bible, about God and how the world should be. I am not going to attempt to tell you what the Bible says or how the world should be. But I will encourage you – I will strongly tell you – to examine what you know about Christ. If you know nothing of Him, then please take a look at this website. If you do Know Jesus, then I encourage you to tell people about Him. Don’t tell them what they should believe – tell them of Jesus. Tell them of God’s love for mankind. Lead them to the Cross. And trust. Trust that the Holy Spirit has led them to that point and He can take it from there.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me,is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

~ Jesus Christ in the Book of John, chapter 10, verses 27 through 30.
John 10:27-30

AhmoCoco – Almond & Coconut Milk

Almond & Coconut Milk

AhmoCoco? Have I gone mad? What am I concocting in my kitchen now?

After my successful attempt at making a latte from homemade almond milk I knew that I wanted to try and thicken it with natural ingredients. I considered using oat milk and that would certainly raise the protein amount per cup but it would also add a few more carbs – not what I want. I thought also thought about incorporating flax milk and that is certainly is on my to-do list.

However, my son-in-law, who is a Personal Trainer and certified Holistic Lifestyle Coach gave me the idea of adding in some coconut milk. And so my AhmoCoco was born!

Same ingredients as my Almond Milk except I added 1/2 cup of Coconut Milk. Textures it beautifully. And if I don’t have any coconut milk in the cupboard or fridge then I will simply add 1/4 cup of dried coconut to the almonds for soaking and make as usual.

AhmoCoco Milk

1/4 cup almonds
3.5 cups water or coconut water
2 medjool dates or 3-4 dried dates
½ tsp vanilla
Pinch celtic sea salt
Stevia Extract (Nunaturals Pure Extract Powder or NOW Stevia or Nirvana Choc Flavoured Stevia Drops)
1/2 cup coconut milk

Soak almonds and dates in water overnight.
Drain and rinse almonds and dates.
Put into blender with coconut water. Blend.
Add salt and stevia to taste.
Place tea towel or nut milk bag over bowl and drain/squeeze. Pour liquid milk back into the food processor, add the coconut milk and give a quick whizz. Season to taste.

Notes:

Left over almond pulp can be used in cakes, muffins, breads or dehydrated and processed in food processor as almond flour.
The addition of coconut water gives this milk an extra boost of nutrient goodness.
If coconut milk is unavailable, simply add some dried coconut to the almond/date mixture , soak overnight and complete the recipe as usual.