surrounded by beauty

Was challenged a few weekends ago, 

to remember to balance my life with social stuff 

and 'business'.  

New job has meant more meetings out at night, which has been important but

has meant i've been tired for other stuff.  On reflection, i feel i'd lost my zing for life!

It feel like it took me ages to realise this truth.....

but a simple sentence from a valued pal or two, has reminded me of the beauty of 

fun, parties, doing stuff together.

A night outside with a lamb roasted, mosquito's buzzing, fantastic company.  Laughs and a good dose of Bridget Jones.

And tonight, polka dots, black canvas place mats, candles and serviettes to match ..... our wee family (eating left over lambchop), remembering good times and looking forward to more stuff in our future.

Beauty is indeed everywhere, stopping to create it or admire it is vital.  It's been a life-line for me over these past few days. 

Putting effort into creating beautiful moments with equally beautiful people has helped me not feel like we are this small litttle unit of 3.  We are more because of our family and friends. 

Our next thing is to have a daylight saving party on Sat- we're having kids on wheels in the couldersack with parents drinking wine or whatever,

human noughts and crosses and possibly hiding dessert around our garden for the kids to find.

Even if we don't get all that organised, at least we'll be doing something fun and for no particular reason except for 'being together'.

I feel particularly stupid at times,

forgetting one of the very things that makes me, me.

And i'd gotten too busy (hate that word) being busy. 

I'd forgotten. 

But friends/comrades/companions in this life, 

reminded me. 

People.

Love them ........   Love helping them ...... Love doing life with them.

some thanksgivings

This lovely lantern has a small but precious candle residing in it.  And I adore it. Everytime i walk past this little guy, the fragrance makes me feel alive. It is the sweetest smell around and if someone made it into a fragrance to spray on, i'd be buying it!

I currently adore this new addition to my room, the ladder holding all the neck warmers.  These particular neck warmers hide in my cupboard normally and my neck and i forget about them. But no more will that be happening.  I wore the stripey red one today with some new ace-black jeans. As i meandered around, i was glad of the ladder and it's ability to bring my wardrobe a splash of colour.  

I'm thankful for the outdoorsy areas which have changed our life.  Having grass has meant we've had more fun outdoors. We've picked walnuts off the huge tree (which i need to research more about as they are not worth the effort we make to peel and smash them, currently), sprayed water whilst jumping on the bounce-machine, we've shifted truck loads of firewood and we've eaten where the cicaders chirp.  Bliss outside the new abode and bliss inside. 

I am grateful for these areas of rest and the sense of peace they bring.  The end of the day cannot come too quickly sometimes as I fall into a chair in the lounge, or lie on my bed with the beautiful outside view.  Thank you God for our place, our home.  

Thankfulness always involves these two crackers. 

7 year old has given me some great quotes of late - we were watching some of the Sound of music, the part where Maria and Captain V are finally getting together.  I'm sushing the girls as it's such a beautiful scene, to which the 7 year old yum yum says: “Mummy listening to people is more important than listening to TV”.  (so true, so true!).  And then as we are praying before sleep time last night, the same child who is thanking God for things like how snuggly her mummy is (hmmmmm not sure how encouraging that is!), thanks God for mummy's nice eye shadow.  She quickly adds after that, “remember to take it off mum, in brackets”, giggle giggle. Amen.  Oh how i love to be around such flavour and such delight.

I am thankful, lastly, for truth.  I read this verse the other day - Psalm 51 verse 6 - Surely you desire truth in the inner most parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

I have been feeling overwhelmed by some different things of late.  I had some time sitting at my piano forte and as i poured out my heart to my God, i felt him reminding me of truth - his love, his care, his hand, on me.  

I pray for His truth in our inmost place, the centre of our being.  I hope that i'll be more attentive to that and not the silly-thoughts of my own head.  The end, for now, apart from this cooli quote to finish. xx

Henri J. M. Nouwen

To pray means to stop expecting from God the same small-mindedness which you discover in yourself. To pray is to walk in the full light of God and to say simply, without holding back, "I am human and you are God."

  

Silence

Even the idea of it scares people i think.
What to do with ones thoughts when one comes rather close to them? The answer often comes in that silence.
We are surrounded by such a lot of noise!
Heard the cicada's lately?  In NZ they are buzzing but it has to be fairly quiet to notice them, for me anyway.
Having two min silence for Christchurch yesterday involved the quiet hush of the room you were in or the place you were at and it drew your mind, once again to this event.
As I waited I felt tears well up. I thought about a few things, people, the humungeousness of it all and i offered silent short sentences to Him who knows everything.
I felt glad to have had that time.  A time to notice breathing and thoughts, a time to stop.

Maybe silence can be likened to a fuel-stop.
Or a reality check.
or just a breather.
Maybe silence would go nicely with a cuppa.


When I took that moment of silence with people all around my country, I gained something.  Perspective.  Peace.  Refuelling for the next part of my day.


Hoping for more moments like that.  The little poem at the end is a lovely silence prayer.  Enjoy, maybe in the quietness of your own head or space.

Henri J. M. Nouwen

Dear God,
Speak gently in my silence.
When the loud outer noises of my surroundings
and the loud inner noises of my fears
keep pulling me away from you,
help me to trust that you are still there
even when I am unable to hear you.
Give me ears to listen to your small, soft voice saying:
"Come to me, you who are overburdened,
and I will give you rest...
for I am gentle and humble of heart."
Let that loving voice be my guide.
Amen.

I’ve been hiding for a bit.  Hiding in February land.

It’s overtaken my life rather rapidly and I’ve had no time or sense to stop.

Birthday’s, speaking engagements, weddings to officiate, jobs to start are just some of the things I’ve found in the land of February.

This week is the first of the last few, that I’ve found an averagely empty calendar. 

Such excitement has filled my mind.

Oh what to do, what to do?

I’ve have definately been thinking non stop of my dear-heart friend and her family in Christchurch, praying for strength to cope each day with the dramas that surround her.

I’ve reminisced about this wedding I officiated over the weekend in the beautiful Lakelands of Rotorua, NZ.

I married my childhood friend (and her man), someone who I did so much life with, a precious woman indeed.

I officiated the wedding in the heat of the afternoon on the side of this inviting lake.

I had the time of my life, seeing friends who I’ve known forever, (see our old neighbous Matt!) and connecting with some I’d not been with for eyons.

Before I went away I’d joked with a few friends that I was staying in a hotel room alone and how boring that probably would be (even though I knew it would be good for me to have some alone time).  I’d commented on how much fun I’d not have, eating breakfast on my own at the fabulous hotel I’d been booked into.

I recall that before leaving, with this information in my head, I took a moment (a very brief moment, not a long ritual here at all) to kind of hand that over to God. So glad I did. A short talk asking Him to watch over my time. I have to keep remembering, and I do know it, but here in lies another testimony of his goodness to me, caring for the inner most parts of my humanness.

Turns out I had a room mate.  An older shy lady who crocheted up a storm for needy people all around our country.  Admittedly the snoring was harder to cope with but she was pure delight to room with.

Turns out I caught up with someone that had been part of my life many a year ago. Absolute bliss.

Not sure if you’ll ever read this but I thank God for hanging out with you over the weekend. You made my weekend.  When you told me things from our childhood that you had remembered, it kind of did this great thing in me.  It reminded me to always make an effort with people, no matter when or where as it might just come back and be a gift!  It was a gift being with you. I laughed a lot.  I was hugely encouraged and enjoyed the incredible companionship you offered.  You made me feel welcome in your world and not alone in my own.  It was fabulous hanging out with a great man who was living and loving life. And it was quite fun testing your blood sugar with my machine.  Well done 6.2.
Thank you, you did my heart good!

My livvy got a card from a boy in her class last week– dear Olivia, thank you for helping me and caring for me. From Hamish.  I asked her about that when i returned home, she replied she had simply helped him with a few things at school.  I think he’ll possibly never forget that, I hope she will learn about the positive-ness of helping another.  What a gift, realising you can make a difference, even when you are a sprog!

It is officially March-time now and as my friend Han Han reminds me in recent conversation, "IT's Ok to say No Sarah, remember how you got good at that last year?"
Whatever comes my way, i so wanna enjoy this journey i'm on, with balance (saying no when i need to) and with all the incredible people that are part of my journey.  I am particularly happy to say that the stranger-man from the wedding who kept inappropriately grabbing my butt, is not going to be journeying with me. I feel he is best left behind.

xx