Birth Days

Birthdays come and go fairly regularly here.  Happily, we still make a fuss about the day and today was no different.  My older son's fourteenth birthday.  You can read his birth story on other birthday posts here and here.




Looking cool in Canberra!



Much loved uncle.

Today I have been reflecting on the special-ness of each child's birth.  It is a day to celebrate and remember for them, but especially precious to the mother and father, but particularly I think mothers.  I try to make mention of each of my siblings birthdays to Mum and a special point to remember the birth of my sister who died.  Her birthday is very precious to my mother as is my own little son's who did not live long enough to mark his age in years but days only.

The birth days of my children are THE most special days of my life.  Now that I have grand children, I look forward to a day when I can recount to them the excitement and anxieties of their birth days.

He has set the solitary in families!

My own four children and the little grandchildren.  Since these six are all born within three years of each other it will not be long until they are almost like sextuplets!  And note the sweet little girl on the right ♥
I hope this happy snap makes you smile ~ it sure does me!

Giving Thanks!

Yes, I am still mooching about my friends leaving, about not enough school work done to show for this year, about the lack of improvement in my general health.  It seems that where I am now may be as good as I am going to get and that takes quite a bit of acceptance.  Previously, when I have had health traumas I have bounced back quickly in spirit even when the body has been lagging, but this time, I am pretty sluggish all round :- (

I have such sweet and gracious commenters ♥  Thanks for your encouragement earlier in the week and continuing prayers.

Being Thanksgiving Day in the US, it is a good opportunity to list some of the many things I have to be thankful for and there are sooooo many!



* I am thankful for a generally sunny disposition.  I do get down, stressed and melancholy but never for long. Laughter is the best medicine and a merry heart helps to dispel most situations and brings a little sunshine to others as well.

*  I am thankful for friends, both in real life and on the blog, who are tender and thoughtful towards me and others when it is needed.  Funny thing is that lately I think I have expressed more in my blog than in real life simply because I am almost entirely house bound at present.

*My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (and this is really top of my list!)  Once again, I can say, He is faithful and His mercies are new every morning.

*The three little babies born into our family this year. If you are wondering why I haven't been posting pics it is not lack of enthusiasm.   It is a problem with my loading device. Promise some photos as soon as that is remedied.
(Have pinched a couple for this post.  Ain't they sweet ♥)

*For the Groves Presentation Night last night.  The great staff from Groves always seem to encourage both children and parents in our homeschooling journey.  It was just what I needed to re-boot a little enthusiasm into the end of this year and look forward with some excitement to the year ahead.


 
 
Psalm 100
 ⁴Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
 ⁵For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Her Price is Far Above Rubies

This year seems to have been filled with momentous events both joyful and sad.
Today two special friends of mine are leaving town and my heart, which has been heavy with many worries and sorrows lately, is very melancholy.
Since my blog is a record of the highs and lows of my life, I could not let the departure of these beloved friends pass without mention.  In fact this woman has had numerous mentions in the past, though not by name, especially in my early days of blogging and in reference to Titus 2 teaching.  What a wonderful, friend and councillor she has been, speaking the truth in love and leading by example.  She had her failings, and would be the first to admit it, but she has a great capacity for generosity and hospitality which has endeared her to the brethren here and will be her mark that is left behind.

This is the testimony that I would like to leave behind.
A Godly Proverbs 31 woman, A teacher of all things good as per Titus 2, a mother in Israel.
Farewell and God speed. ♥

Shakespeare at my feet.

It's almost the end of term and I would love to be able to enumerate for you all the wonderful achievements for the year.  I wish I could say we are finishing off on a high note and studying the Bard, or performing him.

The reality is we are chugging along, hoping to finish before mid-December.  We are all feeling the effects of a stressful year which has presented many challenges.  We are also beginning to feel the notorious Rockhampton humidity which arrives just after the heat to stifle the breathe out of you and sap away the energy.

The honorable William Shakespeare, at least my lovely fat copy of his complete works, is at this very moment lodged under one side of my office chair!  Argh, wash my mouth out with soap!  That thick volume was the nearest book I could find, sufficient to hold me up when the wheel broke off and I was about to use the computer just now.  Ah, how the mighty have fallen.

I would prefer to say I am leaning on God's Word but could not stoop so low as to use that sacred book in such a fashion.

I am finding little time for reading or writing blog posts but it seems that many are in the same boat as I am missing some of my regular favourite reading places and not seeing a lot of comments when I do post.  These are the cycles and seasons of the internet no doubt, just as in our own real lives.  One thing I really want to do is catch up with friends on this holidays.  Busy lives make that very difficult.

The strange upside to the deaths and funerals in our family recently has been an unusually long amount of time to spend with relatives.  With the two funerals just two days apart many travelled and stayed, making it possible to see one another more than the usual few moments at a service.

I often thank God for the marvellous blessing of a great family.  This has been brought home to me very forcefully these last few weeks.  I am so thankful, proud and happy to come from such good stock!  Of course we have our skeletons....and then there is me :-(  but a finer bunch of people one couldn't hope for in their family. 

Trisha commented on my last post about the good family stories I have recorded for my children and later generations.  If the Lord tarries, this is my hope.  To continue to record as much first hand family history as I can.

Have a great week!




^{Ephesian 2:3-5
3}Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
 ⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
 ⁵Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

We will not forget....

"They will  grow not old,
as we who are left grow old........"





This Remembrance Day, we remember and honour not only those who gave their lives that we might live, those who age did not weary, nor the world condemn, but I am also mindful of the many who returned and built our nation through hard work, commitment, loyalty to God and country. The ones who did grow old.

Since last year's Remembrance Day the two remaining veterans of our family have passed away. Only at his funeral last week did I learn of one uncle's wounding and gallantry medal.  These were men who did their duty and came home keeping much of the memories they held to themselves.  Though he was military in his running of "the ship" this man was one of the most loving, affectionate and communicative of his gender that I have had the privilege to know.  He was my mother's brother.

My father has also lost a brother this last year.  (Both men were ninety.)  This uncle was the family historian and he has passed really valuable information and photographs to me as one who wishes to take up this mantle.

Though I am proud to have these men as my ancestors along with my beloved grandfather who fought in the Great War, I am also thankful to God that I do not have loved ones who were involved in later conflicts, nor any of the young folk in our family currently serving in conflicts.  I pray for the three who are training with the Navy at this time.  God Bless them and Australia.

Lest we Forget

<sup>Ecclesiastes 3


1</sup>To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
 ²A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up
   that which is planted;
 ³A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
 ⁴A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
 ⁵A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
   a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
 ⁶A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
 ⁷A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
 ⁸A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

God grant me the wisdom and grace to know the times

 and the seasons.

Theodore's Got Talent!

For your listening pleasure. 

Two wonderful young people with a heap of talent from the tiny Central Queensland town of Theodore.  This is an interview with Steve Austin on ABC radio from the Hotel Theodore.  It includes three songs and two are written by Joe.

Joe and Shontel

Forgive me if I seem excited, but these two are each children of cousins of mine.  Their dads are cousins and the mothers were sisters!  This is why I feel at liberty to correct the spelling of
Shontel's name.
Joe being quite a bit older has been singing around the district for a lot of years, many with his talented parents who had a dance band and now solo.  Shontel is only sixteen but seems to have been performing a long time, too.

(The pair also sang at their Great Uncle and Grandfather's funeral yesterday.)