Bloggers Bible

Here's something I came across and thought it was great.

To dye or not to dye?

As a teenager I loved to colour my hair. I have had almost every colour (at some point) apart from green & blue. I haven't coloured my hair for years now,
a) because its unusual to see people with hair my colour in this country
b) because I'm lazy
c) I hate the roots showing through. Ugh!

I read this blog post tonight and though it was worth reading and knowing about. My mum tells me this kind of stuff all the time, but then again while growing up she would say that chewing gum caused cancer and many other things that she felt were unhealthy and I should stay away from.
However, she might have a point about hair dye. Read it for yourself and decide.

Nuturing vs sheltering

I wrote this while pregnant with Miss #2 -and over 4 years later my opinion hasn't changed:

When my children are of age, they too will have to make the choice as to what kind of life they want to lead, and whatever their choice I will be there to support them and love them for it. They will have to make their own decisions, but I will know that I will have given them the best opportunities and experience to help them make an educated decision.

I'm happy to see that TFI's official stance is being spelt out clearly on the topic of children's education and child rearing. It's about time. :)

Pregnant and bicycling

Cycling is commonplace here in Japan. Everyone does it; kids, grannies, grandpas, buisnessmen in expensive suits, woman, fashionable young people, housewives, teenagers... it's a part of everyday life, cheap and practical.

It came as a surprise to me that several of my Japanese acquaintances have expressed alarm at the discovery that I bicycle while pregnant.
I didn't think anything was out of the ordinary, although I have yet to notice a Japanese woman on a bicycle while pregnant, I'm no extreme cyclist. I cycle to the local shops & parks on a footpath or side of the road a few times a week tops and with my 2 yr old in the child seat on the back of the bike 3/4 of the time. I'm pretty clumsy and have bad balance at the best of times, but I reckon I'm doing pretty good -no accidents or scrapes yet- and it's actually easier to cycle with Miss #3 behind me; smoother ride, better balance. :) I can't ride up hill at all and happily get off and walk my bike uphill whenever I encounter one. Yesterday I noticed our 80-something-year-old neighbour doing the same. Ha ha!

After a few hours of listening to Miss #1's classmates mothers express alarm and concern about cycling while pregnant I decided to look it up and see what all the fuss is about.

Here's what I found:

Bicycle Victoria info

Notice board with good suggestions


So if you're worried about bicycling while pregnant, you don't have to! Just follow these common sense tips and you should be fine:
Stay within your comfort zone
Carry a bottle of water
Don't ride uphill (unless you're a hardcore cyclist)
Drive safely
Running shoes are best (no high heels)
Don't ride on the road
Sit up straight & relax.

I stumbled upon this post today. It's amazing how reading about others difficulties and struggles can help you put your life in perspective. One can't help but admire their outlook.

This blog is empty because:

Too much to write about.
So much on my mind.
Not enough prioritizing.

Odd socks?

I really do have a good reason for this. See the misshapen foot -the RIGHT foot? Sigh... well its not just cos I have BIG feet, I mean, they might be big but they're not usually THAT ugly!



Just over a week ago I stubbed my toe real hard. But I'm getting ahead of myself and should start at the beginning. It was a difficult morning and things weren't going so well. I paused mentally (but not physically) to hear from the Lord and began receiving instructions about enjoying the moment and doing something different i.e. having a dress up Word time with the girls and acting out our Bible story while dancing to a song. Thinking to receive the rest of my directions on-the-go I began shouting out instructions to Chia & Amelie whilst striding briskly into our room to play an mp3 file. Next thing I knew I had stubbed my toe harder than I ever had in my life (and I'm pretty good at stubbing my toe, I reckon I could get some sort of award for "champion toe stubber.") This beauty below is the bane of my poor toe.


It was hard. Very hard. So hard I couldn't say a single bad word, only mouth "OH!" over and over. My toe was no longer even with my other toes, it was pushed up and onto my foot. It was definitely dislocated and maybe more.

Thankfully DH was home and took me to the doctor right away. My toe popped back into place when I tried walking. Big relief, but it still hurt not to mention was twisted at a 15 degree angle i.e. pointing out towards my pinky toe . The doc was nice and didn't subject me to too much prodding or twisting. He rubbed it a bit, put some cream on and said he didn't think I quite broke it, just hit it very hard, but if it still hurt in a few days I should go elsewhere and get an x-ray. He put a mini cast on, wrapped me up and sent me home.

So now you know what lies beneath & if you should see me wearing odd socks just pretend it's stylish. :) My foot is so fat only one pair of shoes fit me. Sniff sniff. I miss these already!

Anyways, vanity aside, the Lord showed me that this a gift from Him to help me slow down and work with my spirit helpers more. It has had the desired effect, as now Amelie can move faster than me, I have to choose between showering or cleaning the room, and not a day goes by that I don't think of how much I took for granted. I never thought that one little toe could effect my life so much, and I took good health for granted. Now I relate to old people that shuffle past me on the street, and am forced to slow down in general. I know this isn't a big deal, I'm not suffering, I am young, strong, healthy, will heal with time, and am whole in body, but really, think about it. We are so blessed with good health. So VERY blessed.

Another thing the Lord said was along the lines of learning humility through the things we suffer. Oooh, yes Sirree! I most certainly am learning that one, because it is humbling for me to ask others for help with little things, carrying baskets of wet laundry, chasing my kids, walking at a snails pace, asking people to slow down so I don't get left behind etc.

My foot now looks like this:

Yesterday I went to another doctor who was rather suspicious of how I injured my foot and took an x-ray. My toe is fractured and will take 2-3 months to heal completely. It doesn't hurt much now. Please pray I learn humility from this.

Lessons learnt

Something I have learned since the start of the Winning Offensive is the importance of personal presentation and looking the part.
I'm a full time teacher & would wake up and jump right into the day; personal grooming would consist of getting dressed and washing my face; pulling my (often) un-brushed hair back into a ponytail. After a while I would feel the way I looked: harried, tired, disorganized, unkempt and plain old uninspiring. It was the well meaning comments of friends and co-workers on a daily basis that finally got to me; "You look so tired today, are you feeling ok?", "Rough night?", and so on. As a parent of young children there are always rough nights, but I received these comments even when well rested and feeling great.
Around the same time I began meeting mothers in the neighborhood who would in turn introduce me to their friends. It turned out that many of them as well as their families and friends have seen me around the local area - taking the kids out, exercising, shopping, etc. & it was a bit surprising for me to realize that I was recognized.

My first child was born when I was 19 and I was a "no make up" type of girl, thinking that it was only for occasions such as Outreach, follow up, witnessing, parties etc. and subconsciously that mindset carried over with each child I've had. I also felt that I couldn't afford daily time to groom myself, after all there is laundry to be done, house to keep clean, kids to care for, meals to make, school to be corrected and more.

Now I'm in my mid 20's and that attitude doesn't cut it. Japanese place a high importance on outward appearance and personal grooming, and society expects mothers my age and older to dress neat, clean, on the conservative side, wear make up, and look the part.
While I won't get into the exact same look as those in secular society it has dawned on me that wearing a bit of make up on a daily basis adds a lot to my self esteem and appeals to those we are trying to reach. As the Lord has said "I want to explain that your image and how you look and come across are a big part of your testimony and sample. There is so much about this in the Word-for example, how rich people want to invest in a work that's thriving, and your appearance and how you carry yourself can sometimes determine whether or not they will invest in you, or see you and your cause as a worthwhile one. -Mature Beauty"

I spend 5-10 minutes every morning for personal grooming while listening to an inspirational audio file or music. My make up routine is minimal but the feeling of satisfaction I get when I catch sight of my reflection on bad days and look better than I feel makes me feel better, not to mention knowing that I look suitable for unexpected visitors or running an errand has boosted my self esteem & has inspired others in my home and area to do the same.
Even better than personal gratification is the influence it has on my children. They are becoming aware that personal grooming & care is important and that it goes hand in hand with witnessing and winning the world for Jesus! On the odd days I have skipped this routine my kids notice and politely remind me. If you're a mother of two or more kids, try investing in your appearance if you don't already. My kids are ages 18 months to 6yrs old, and I've found that it's good to wake up a little earlier than them, or put on music they can dance to, or give them some small personal grooming activity to do while I do mine.

The mothers I meet are happier to invite me to social events and introduce me to their friends because I look less like someone who is struggling to get through the day and more like someone who has their act together; is happy, successful and can handle the challenges of life. In short, a successful missionary mother who has a lot to offer.

Well, I'm not an outreacher, and although I strive to be an instant witness, at times I forget to take tracts & Activate mags, yet am contributing towards the Offensive and the kids are learning to improve one step at a time.

Although I may not be a full time witnesser I know that I am contributing to the Offensive through my sample and the sample of my children.

My hope is that this write up might encourage other mothers to put a little thought into their daily appearance and let them know that it's not time wasted or being vain, but rather part of our being professional and attracting others to our lifestyle. Like Peter said: "As your circle of contacts and friends expands, you should be dressed appropriately to receive visitors that drop over unexpectedly. As they grow closer, people may stop by at times, or neighbors or people you're ministering to in the local community might pop over as they get to know you better. -A Professional Lifestyle for the Offensive"

Camera shy

My Dahling S.O is currently obsessed with filming me. He films does it wherever and whenever -everyday things, special things, boring things, exciting things, yet only for a few minutes at a time, and truth be told, it’s starting to un-nerve me a bit. I’ve asked him to stop or at least explain why, but he’s tight lipped and determined about it all. I’m terrified of video cameras, well, any camera actually. It’s as if you’re frozen in time when you are caught on camera. Some have suggested I try out modeling, but at any rate I’d be horrible at it. Camera lenses make me freeze, tense up and stumble around nervously, (check out the glazed look in any and all photos of yours truly, complete with cheesy fake grin to hide my nervousness). Perhaps he’s trying to cure me. We shall see.

The Ultimate Extreme Sport

I’d like to tell you about a fabulous guy I know, so sit back and read on.

Today I watched as he put training wheels on a bike so Miss 3 could ride it. After sitting still for a long time she decided it wasn’t worth the effort (later we discovered she had a fever). Little miss 18 mths saw her chance for a go and was delighted when daddy interpreted her grunts and squeals, lifted her up and pushed her up and down the street for a few minutes.

This what memories are made of and I wish I had brought the camera, yet I don’t think I’ll easily forget the sight of him bent over almost double pushing a size 16 bike bearing the littlest tyke (who, with feet dangling high above the peddles, was wearing an oversized raincoat) while carrying an umbrella over her. He walked at just the right speed, continually guiding her little hands to the handlebars lest she let go of both at once and come in contact with the wet asphalt.

I had it easy, keeping an eye on Miss 6 & Miss 3 as they walked with their umbrellas. It was drizzling so we headed off to a second hand store just down the road, a short enough walk to get home easily if the drizzle became rain & just long enough to feel like we had been out & about. Halfway there the Heaven’s opened and I was brought back to the monsoons of my early childhood.

We sped on, splashing through puddles, clutching umbrellas tightly, and laughing all the while.

My hero was devoted to his little charge. The rain beat down; soaking him to the bone, but not a drop was to be found on the little tyke.

Unexpectedly, the store was empty of people, the doors were closed, yet the insides were strewn about outside. With many apologies and much bowing one of the workers brought out popsicles for the princesses and explained that they were closed for the day to rearrange the store. The princesses were delighted and thought it great fun to wait it out under the overhanging roof in hopes of the downpour easing up. Super Daddy decided to brave the floods, dash home and rescue us with a van. Off he went, a too-small-umbrella held high, looking like a streak of lightning in his grey shirt and white sneakers.

A short time later he drove up, dashed out (umbrella-less) and proceeded to whisk the princesses off to the awaiting carriage… err van.

At home he helped dry them off, dress, & feed them, tucked little Miss 3 into bed for a nap, and insisted that I join the sleeping beauties for a few winks.

Later this evening I came across this article which I thought summed it up quite nicely. He really is a hero, our hero, participating in the ultimate of extreme sports.

Fatherhood: The ultimate extreme sport

By Glenn Stanton, Senior Research Analyst for Marriage Studies at Focus on the Family

Fatherhood and family life are popularly perceived as mundane, but experience says otherwise.

Spend any time watching television and you will see a commercial promoting some soft drink, SUV, or dandruff shampoo product via images of extreme sporting activities. Gusto-filled 20-somethings are seen jumping off cliffs that are scary just to look at, with nothing more than shorts, T-shirt and a parachute. Others ride mountain bikes at literal breakneck speeds over rocky terrain or snowboard down vertical mountain faces of virgin snow. The message is clear: these young men are fully engaged and living life to the fullest.

However, these young daredevils only fool themselves, for they have not even approached the envelope of extreme. This vaunted territory is exclusively the domain of the family man. He alone lives life on the edge of what G. K. Chesterton called "the wildness of domesticity." The home, he says, "is the one wild place in the world of rules and set tasks."

French poet Charles Peguy describes the life of the family man the same way: "Family life is the most 'engaged' life in the world. There is only one adventurer in the world, as can be seen very clearly in the modern world: the father of a family. Even the most desperate adventurers are nothing compared with him. Everything in the modern world … is organized against that fool, that imprudent, daring fool … against the man who is daring enough to found a family."

Indeed. But what makes family life so adventurous? Well, the same thing that makes extreme sports so fun to do or watch. The possibility of failure is sky high-the reality that the whole pursuit could turn into tragedy.

Raising a family will give you a far greater rush than anything you see on these commercials. It is frightening work to develop and protect the little human beings entrusted to your care and nurturing. It is a challenge to grow a marriage, because you must hold yourself out, vulnerable and open before another person, day in and day out. The risk is great because you could really get hurt, or you could hurt others. But the payoff is great, like nothing else in life!

Family life is riddled with paradox. It is intoxicating, yet sobering. Confining, yet freeing. Demanding, yet rewarding. Fulfilling, yet depleting. Dangerous, yet safe. Unsettling, yet comforting.

I am a man fully engaged in the ultimate extreme sport, yet no other life could coax me from it. It is substantial and it is the pulse of being fully alive. It is the kind of adventure we were all created for.

(Glenn Stanton is a home-schooling father with five little ones age 7 and under.)

PS -Congratulations to this lovely couple on the newest addition to their family.

Somebody loves me

Somebody sent me these quotes today. Somebody loves me.

"The responsibility of carrying the torch is no light responsibility, and it's a responsibility that's been carried primarily by the first generation. The SGAs don't quite realize how heavy the responsibility of carrying the flame is, and I haven't just plopped the torch into their hands and said, "Here, carry this," because that would have been a crushing weight and more than they would have been able to bear. Instead, I have helped them to get strengthened -to get trained. I've put them through the fire, through the tests, through the purging, and I will continue to do so in order to strengthen them." ML# 3663

I realize that being fully persuaded and willing to stick it out is a huge part of carrying the weight. I think that’s one reason why the Lord has been allowing us to go through trials of loneliness, feeling unneeded, negativity etc... We have to decide that we are going to stick it out regardless of all this... None of these things move me type of stand.

When you're down,
I'm the one who pulls you up.
When you're crying, I'm by your side.
When your life is full of obstacles,
I'm there; I am your Guide.

And I know you feel there's much more
To this life than just what it seems.
There's that world you see when you're sleeping,
The place you go when you dream.

And I've got this one thing I'd like to offer you;
It's a love you've never seen.

It's gonna be okay, look Me in the eye,
You know that Somebody loves you, yeah.
It's gonna be okay, come on, don't you cry.
You know that, hey, I love you, yeah.

Come on, I'll lead you up to this next step.
Hold My hand, I'll show the way.
When we get to the top,
You'll be astonished
At the view that lies ahead.

‘Cause I've got this one thing I'd like to offer you;
It's a love you've never seen.

It's gonna be okay, look Me in the eye,
You know that, hey, I love you, yeah, yeah.
It's gonna be okay, come on, don't you cry.
You know that Somebody loves you, yeah, yeah.
It's gonna be okay, look Me in the eye,
You know that, hey, I love you.
It's gonna be okay, baby, now don't you cry.
Somebody loves you .

And I'm always with you,
Just say My Name & I'm there.
Your invisible Guide forever,
Here forever and ever, I'm right there.

It's gonna be okay, look Him in the eye,
You'll know that Jesus loves you, yeah.
It's gonna be okay, come on, don't you cry.
You know that, hey, He loves you.

You know I love you,
Somebody loves you.

(Invisible Guide)

work

For the past year I have been a manager in our center/home. I live with 27 people, soon to be 28, ages 0 -50+ years old. But that’s a whole other story that I don’t have time to go into right now. I will post about it later. Let it suffice to say that my life is very busy and I’ll admit, rather unusual.

So back to my thoughts on my journey. As a tall, gangly, and shy 13 yr old I preferred books to people, silence to talking, and doing things alone to being in crowds of people. When I was 13 an uncle and I went to visit an aunt, whom I had never met before. Although she had kids my age none were home at the time and as they had a whole afternoon of business to discuss I was very bored. This aunt, being sharp enough to notice the subtle signs of boredom in young teenagers promptly asked me “What sun sign are you?” she asked. I was taken back but told her. “Oh, then you’re great at organizing!” she told me, and then proceeded to ask me to sort through some boxes in the garage.

Did I do it? Yes, I sorted, wiped, labeled, scrubbed, stacked, and swept until it was spotless and sparkling. She was surprised and thankful, but not nearly as surprised as I. I could do something! I was good at organizing, and look; there were the shelves and empty boxes in the garage to prove it.

Ok, so skip forward to the present. I home school my kids, ages 1-5, but for the first 2 years of Miss 5’s life I had no idea what to do or how to do it. I was random and disorganized and the very thought of planning a regular schedule made me cringe.

2 years ago Dawn joined our center and became The Princesses main teacher, taking a big load off me and I was left with the “Physical Education” “Arts & Crafts” “Home economics” “Life skills” and all those things that don’t need much planning or thinking ahead.

Last year I was voted as Home Manager, (one who manages the center or home that full time members of TFI work and reside in) and I became less involved in my princesses teaching and more involved in managing. It’s been a great year, although a tough one. My Significant Other was gone for almost 4 months and I juggled the three princesses with the help of the fabulous people I live with, which is also another tale that I won’t go into today, but I do want to say that this time as a manager has taught me priceless life lessons, helped me face my fears in many areas, brought out my weak points, taught me to communicate with others, shown me that I can do difficult things, and brought me to a place where I am happy to give up managing and go back to full time teaching of my 3 munchkins, err, princesses.

Anyways, there you have it. The nominations are posted for all to see. The elections will be held tonight and so I do not have long to wait to see the path that my life will take.

To all the mothers I know... Happy Mothers Day!

BEING A MOTHER


Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby.... somebody doesn't know that once you're a Mother,
'normal' is history.
Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first....somebody doesn't have the two or more children.
Somebody said the hardest part of being a Mother is labor and delivery....somebody never watched her 'baby' get on the bus for the
first day of kindergarten..or on a plane headed for military 'boot camp.'
Somebody said a Mother can stop worrying after her child gets married....somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or
daughter-in-law to a Mother's heartstrings.
Somebody said a Mother's job is done when her last child leaves home....somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your Mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her....somebody isn't a Mother.

This isn't just about being a Mother; it's about appreciating the people in your lives while you have them....no matter who that person is.

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your Habits, they become character.
Watch your Character, for it becomes your Destiny

'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle'.

'As you mature, you realize it's better to find someone who's got your back than someone who turns your head.'

'There comes a time in your life when you realize who matters, who never did, and who always will. Don't worry about people from your past,
there's a reason they didn't make it to your future.'

Romans 8v28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose.

LOL!

Never liked it in the first place... well, only if it's updated daily. :)

sheesh...

When I decided to make this blog I had so much to say. However, since making it I haven't had a thought to blog about.
I guess this would be a good time as any to say... this won't be updated daily, or weekly, nor even monthly. I can't say how often I'd update it, except that I will when I feel like it or when I have something note worth to say.

We're into the second round of The Winning Offensive meetings... 2b i to be precise, and that's not a spelling mistake. We are taking our time with them and will have 2bii next week. We only have one shot at this planning stage and want to do it well.

The content of this blog will be....Lets see what comes ay?