Baptism would be a good theological headbutting issue to discuss in this almost non-forgotten series of mine but.....
Bek has beaten me to it and has raised some good questions on this post of hers. So rather than duplicate what she's done, why don't you head over to her blog and give your opinions on this topic? I'm sure she'd appreciate more than just mine!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Days Of Our Lives In Buntine
After a brief honeymoon down south in Pemberton and Donnybrook (which I'll blog about later), then back to Perth for two more weddings (which I'll also blog about later), we're now back in our little cottage in Buntine.
As you can see, some wealthy Perthites would probably scoff at our humble dwelling but it is our home. At times, I have found myself becoming frustrated with the lack of space (particularly in the kitchen cupboards), the unwelcome invasion of household pests (moths and ants mainly) and various other things wrong with the house. Then God reminds me of his goodness in giving us this house rent-free and although it may not be ideal by what the world says is a good house, it is far more than many people have.
Duncan is back at work and pretty busy while I am still happily jobless and not intending to look for work just yet (yes the hubby has okayed that).
Here is a typical day for me (so far) in Buntine:
Ebony is enjoying being a farm cat. Dunc picked her up from Sarah and Craig's in mid February thus putting an end to her turbulent relationship with Mr Mochs. She spent just over two weeks in the boarding kennels during the wedding/honeymoon period and since being back is quickly re-establishing herself as the queen of the house. I think she's enjoying climbing trees instead of just tall back fences.
We're getting a puppy in a few weeks, I can't wait! She's a Red Cloud Kelpie/ Border Collie X. And maybe one day we'll get some more chickens and hopefully some goats. I'm also trying to convince Dunc that Ebony needs a new boyfriend ;)
I'm really looking forward to being part of the community here. They are so friendly and welcoming and I can already see the community spirit in this place. Hopefully there will be lots of opportunities for the gospel.
And finally, here's some pictures of Ebony on her Daddy's lap before bed. He loves his puss :)
As you can see, some wealthy Perthites would probably scoff at our humble dwelling but it is our home. At times, I have found myself becoming frustrated with the lack of space (particularly in the kitchen cupboards), the unwelcome invasion of household pests (moths and ants mainly) and various other things wrong with the house. Then God reminds me of his goodness in giving us this house rent-free and although it may not be ideal by what the world says is a good house, it is far more than many people have.
Duncan is back at work and pretty busy while I am still happily jobless and not intending to look for work just yet (yes the hubby has okayed that).
Here is a typical day for me (so far) in Buntine:
- Sarah aims to wake up around 7am so she can have breakfast with Dunc before he leaves for work but, despite these good intentions, it has rarely happened. I am enjoying being a bed slug too much and usually get up around 8.30ish.
- Sarah unpacks more boxes and tries to find places to store stuff (often in vain). So she leaves stuff in mounting piles and many of it has been packed away to store at the in-laws for future use. If you gave us a present, thanks, we will use it, it's just that space is an issue.
- Sarah takes more stuff out of the cars and out of the shed and puts it in the house thus creating an increasingly claustrophobic environment.
- Sarah gives up for a bit and watches some telly.
- Sarah realises she is now a wife and should cook dinner for her husband and hopes she doesn't poison him.
- Sarah continues to make mess in other rooms of the house. It never ends!
Ebony is enjoying being a farm cat. Dunc picked her up from Sarah and Craig's in mid February thus putting an end to her turbulent relationship with Mr Mochs. She spent just over two weeks in the boarding kennels during the wedding/honeymoon period and since being back is quickly re-establishing herself as the queen of the house. I think she's enjoying climbing trees instead of just tall back fences.
We're getting a puppy in a few weeks, I can't wait! She's a Red Cloud Kelpie/ Border Collie X. And maybe one day we'll get some more chickens and hopefully some goats. I'm also trying to convince Dunc that Ebony needs a new boyfriend ;)
I'm really looking forward to being part of the community here. They are so friendly and welcoming and I can already see the community spirit in this place. Hopefully there will be lots of opportunities for the gospel.
And finally, here's some pictures of Ebony on her Daddy's lap before bed. He loves his puss :)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
I'm Back......With A Sneak Peek
I don't want to be one of those bloggers who apologises for their absence as if the blogosphere stops without them.
But I would like to let you know that I'm back online.....WOOHOO! And I'm sorry to anyone who has been disappointed by my almost two week absence. I had an excuse!
The wedding went really well. It was an exhausting yet amazing day. I made it through it and even had fun in the process. It was good seeing everyone, even though there were quite a few people I would have loved to have chatted to longer. My arms are still feeling a bit long and monkey-like from being dragged in fifty different directions....but it's all good.
I'll be back soon with a full update of our wedding day from beginning to end but I'm just waiting to get more photos from people. Dunc brought his laptop to the reception so that people could copy photos from their digital cameras but not many people did it and I can't find what format the photos that are on there are in. Some people have put theirs on Facebook....thank you! If anyone out there went to the wedding and has photos, please email them to me or Facebook them.
More photos coming soon. Please be patient.....as I'm trying to be.
Marriage is very very good :)
I've got Kool Mints between my teeth ;)
But I would like to let you know that I'm back online.....WOOHOO! And I'm sorry to anyone who has been disappointed by my almost two week absence. I had an excuse!
The wedding went really well. It was an exhausting yet amazing day. I made it through it and even had fun in the process. It was good seeing everyone, even though there were quite a few people I would have loved to have chatted to longer. My arms are still feeling a bit long and monkey-like from being dragged in fifty different directions....but it's all good.
I'll be back soon with a full update of our wedding day from beginning to end but I'm just waiting to get more photos from people. Dunc brought his laptop to the reception so that people could copy photos from their digital cameras but not many people did it and I can't find what format the photos that are on there are in. Some people have put theirs on Facebook....thank you! If anyone out there went to the wedding and has photos, please email them to me or Facebook them.
More photos coming soon. Please be patient.....as I'm trying to be.
Marriage is very very good :)
I've got Kool Mints between my teeth ;)
Friday, April 11, 2008
Diary of a Wedding Planning Machine: Stickybeak
One more sleep and my surname will change. Well, much more than that of course - my life will change.
If you're a regular reader of this blog and would like to witness two fellow bloggers tie the knot, then you're welcome to rock up to the ceremony, have a stickybeak and enjoy some afternoon tea. It's at Scarborough Church of Christ (402 Karrinyup Road, Gwelup) at 1pm TOMORROW (Saturday 12th April).
Seriously, don't feel weird if you want to come and have a squiz. There will be STACKS of people. As long as you're not a creepy stalker type, you're more than welcome :)
As for this blog, well.....I'll be back!
Don't nobody go nowhere.....
If you're a regular reader of this blog and would like to witness two fellow bloggers tie the knot, then you're welcome to rock up to the ceremony, have a stickybeak and enjoy some afternoon tea. It's at Scarborough Church of Christ (402 Karrinyup Road, Gwelup) at 1pm TOMORROW (Saturday 12th April).
Seriously, don't feel weird if you want to come and have a squiz. There will be STACKS of people. As long as you're not a creepy stalker type, you're more than welcome :)
As for this blog, well.....I'll be back!
Don't nobody go nowhere.....
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Diary of a Wedding Planning Machine: Why Are We Doing This?
After all the stress this wedding has caused, the logical question seems to be....
"Why bother?"
Seriously we don't need all this 'stuff' to be married. The traditions, the rituals and all that jazz. We could just elope on the beach and it makes our marriage no less 'real'. Part of me still wants to.
Coupled with the preparations, we've had grief from people who have complained, let us down and threatened us that they may not come to the wedding unless we bow to their wishes and wants. I've seen the uglier side of some people we know. I've seen the uglier side of myself. The wedding has been taxing on my physical, mental and spiritual health. I love Duncan and I want the marriage, not the wedding.
Why bother?
Well, it's a chance to share Jesus with those we love as they share in our wedding day.
Now I know our wedding is not primarily an evangelistic event. It doesn't mean that we use this opportunity to talk about Jesus and never talk about him 1-1 with our friends. It doesn't mean that we bible bash people until they go, "Yeah okay, we know you're Christians" because they already know anyway. There will be a lot of non-Christians there and, for many, it will be the first time they've been to anything remotely 'Christian'. But that doesn't mean we have the 'get the fish into the barrel and shoot them' mentality. We just want to make the most of this opportunity.
My prayer is for more people to respond to Jesus by following him as their Lord and Saviour. Then all of this stress will seem like nothing in comparison to the joy I know I'd feel. However that doesn't mean that we cut people off if they don't become Christian. No, they are our friends and family and we will love them always, regardless.
"Why bother?"
Seriously we don't need all this 'stuff' to be married. The traditions, the rituals and all that jazz. We could just elope on the beach and it makes our marriage no less 'real'. Part of me still wants to.
Coupled with the preparations, we've had grief from people who have complained, let us down and threatened us that they may not come to the wedding unless we bow to their wishes and wants. I've seen the uglier side of some people we know. I've seen the uglier side of myself. The wedding has been taxing on my physical, mental and spiritual health. I love Duncan and I want the marriage, not the wedding.
Why bother?
Well, it's a chance to share Jesus with those we love as they share in our wedding day.
Now I know our wedding is not primarily an evangelistic event. It doesn't mean that we use this opportunity to talk about Jesus and never talk about him 1-1 with our friends. It doesn't mean that we bible bash people until they go, "Yeah okay, we know you're Christians" because they already know anyway. There will be a lot of non-Christians there and, for many, it will be the first time they've been to anything remotely 'Christian'. But that doesn't mean we have the 'get the fish into the barrel and shoot them' mentality. We just want to make the most of this opportunity.
My prayer is for more people to respond to Jesus by following him as their Lord and Saviour. Then all of this stress will seem like nothing in comparison to the joy I know I'd feel. However that doesn't mean that we cut people off if they don't become Christian. No, they are our friends and family and we will love them always, regardless.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Diary of a Wedding Planning Machine: Invitation and Table Seating Politics
Attention all married people!
Did you ever have this happen at your wedding? Guests complaining that you have invited their worst enemy and telling you not to seat them on the same table. Or even threaten not to come because of someone else who is going to be there.
Well, we have and it really got my goat. It started when I began doing the table seating arrangements (a fiddly and painstaking job). I casually mentioned to a friend what table she might be on but told her not to say anything to anyone because nothing was set in stone by that early stage. The very next day she told another guest what table she was on and who with and made it sound like it was all definite. A couple of hours later, Duncan got a text message from this guest saying that they didn't want to come anymore because she heard she was going to be on a table with someone she didn't like (which wasn't true anyway). Duncan tried to appease this person by saying we'd seat her elsewhere. I told him he should have told her where she should stick her invitation!
A few days later, I got a text message from a good friend asking if her worst enemy was coming to the wedding. I told her yes but just to the ceremony as I'm not close enough to this other person to invite her to the reception. The next thing, my friend was ringing me and whinging that she didn't want this other person there, in other words, it sounded like that she was threatening not to come if I invited her enemy. I pretty much told her where to go and then she shut up and is coming to the wedding.
In the last few weeks, we've been finding out about all these little (or bigger) grievances that our guests have with each other that we never knew about. And guess what? All of the people complaining have been women! No surprises there, I guess. Most of the guys I know are mature enough to just deal with it if someone they don't like is there.
A friend said to me last week that she reckoned for someone else to dictate who the couple invite to their wedding is the height of bad manners. I agree! I have been on tables at receptions where I've felt really uncomfortable but I just dealt with it because it wasn't my wedding and I don't want to make anything more difficult for the couple. There is a maximum of 10 and a minimum of eight people on each table at our reception and that's more than enough to avoid someone if you really want to. Obviously we're not going to deliberately sit known enemies together but sometimes that's the way the cookie crumbles. I'm not going to go around forcing people to reconcile - that's their business - but I do expect a bit of maturity and unselfishness from people in their twenties and thirties who are old enough to know better.
The next person who complains is off the guest list - I don't care who they are. I just can't believe some people would consider missing their friend's wedding because of one other person. One couple I'm friends with from student housing days are coming to the wedding and don't know anyone else except me. They said they are happy to sit with anyone, even a bunch of old ladies, and just talk to whoever. I wish more people would be like them, although the ones who are causing trouble are a minority and in no way reflect the rest of the guest list.
Did you ever have this happen at your wedding? Guests complaining that you have invited their worst enemy and telling you not to seat them on the same table. Or even threaten not to come because of someone else who is going to be there.
Well, we have and it really got my goat. It started when I began doing the table seating arrangements (a fiddly and painstaking job). I casually mentioned to a friend what table she might be on but told her not to say anything to anyone because nothing was set in stone by that early stage. The very next day she told another guest what table she was on and who with and made it sound like it was all definite. A couple of hours later, Duncan got a text message from this guest saying that they didn't want to come anymore because she heard she was going to be on a table with someone she didn't like (which wasn't true anyway). Duncan tried to appease this person by saying we'd seat her elsewhere. I told him he should have told her where she should stick her invitation!
A few days later, I got a text message from a good friend asking if her worst enemy was coming to the wedding. I told her yes but just to the ceremony as I'm not close enough to this other person to invite her to the reception. The next thing, my friend was ringing me and whinging that she didn't want this other person there, in other words, it sounded like that she was threatening not to come if I invited her enemy. I pretty much told her where to go and then she shut up and is coming to the wedding.
In the last few weeks, we've been finding out about all these little (or bigger) grievances that our guests have with each other that we never knew about. And guess what? All of the people complaining have been women! No surprises there, I guess. Most of the guys I know are mature enough to just deal with it if someone they don't like is there.
A friend said to me last week that she reckoned for someone else to dictate who the couple invite to their wedding is the height of bad manners. I agree! I have been on tables at receptions where I've felt really uncomfortable but I just dealt with it because it wasn't my wedding and I don't want to make anything more difficult for the couple. There is a maximum of 10 and a minimum of eight people on each table at our reception and that's more than enough to avoid someone if you really want to. Obviously we're not going to deliberately sit known enemies together but sometimes that's the way the cookie crumbles. I'm not going to go around forcing people to reconcile - that's their business - but I do expect a bit of maturity and unselfishness from people in their twenties and thirties who are old enough to know better.
The next person who complains is off the guest list - I don't care who they are. I just can't believe some people would consider missing their friend's wedding because of one other person. One couple I'm friends with from student housing days are coming to the wedding and don't know anyone else except me. They said they are happy to sit with anyone, even a bunch of old ladies, and just talk to whoever. I wish more people would be like them, although the ones who are causing trouble are a minority and in no way reflect the rest of the guest list.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Diary of a Wedding Planning Machine: Two Not One
It's amazing the number of people who plan their weddings to a tee before they get engaged or even meet someone!
Trust me, as soon as you get engaged a lot of your carefully made plans will go out the window.
I thought I'd get married outside - I'm not.
I thought I'd have a small-ish wedding - no chance there!
When I was a teenager (and not Christian), I planned my wedding, even though I was far too young to get married and didn't have a boyfriend. I (like many non Christians) expected to live in a defacto relationship before marriage and already own my own home. Obviously Duncan and I are not living together and we don't have enough money to buy a house.
Times change and so do decisions.
I hear so many chicks saying, "My wedding will be like this.....". For a start, it's not my wedding - it's ours. A wedding is between two people. You are not marrying yourself.
Some singles have criticised me for changing my plans so Duncan and I can compromise. I tell them that if they get engaged, their carefully made plans will probably change too as they'll want to compromise with their fiance.
A marriage is about two not one, or rather about two becoming one. A wedding is a good place to start practising that.
Trust me, as soon as you get engaged a lot of your carefully made plans will go out the window.
I thought I'd get married outside - I'm not.
I thought I'd have a small-ish wedding - no chance there!
When I was a teenager (and not Christian), I planned my wedding, even though I was far too young to get married and didn't have a boyfriend. I (like many non Christians) expected to live in a defacto relationship before marriage and already own my own home. Obviously Duncan and I are not living together and we don't have enough money to buy a house.
Times change and so do decisions.
I hear so many chicks saying, "My wedding will be like this.....". For a start, it's not my wedding - it's ours. A wedding is between two people. You are not marrying yourself.
Some singles have criticised me for changing my plans so Duncan and I can compromise. I tell them that if they get engaged, their carefully made plans will probably change too as they'll want to compromise with their fiance.
A marriage is about two not one, or rather about two becoming one. A wedding is a good place to start practising that.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Can't Keep Up?
In the busyness of life, we often can't find the time to read as many blogs as we'd like.
RSS is the answer (if you didn't already know that).
I didn't know much about RSS until I had to teach a class on it at work last year. That made me motivated to learn about it for sure. You see, when I wanted to see if someone had updated their blog, I'd just click on the link to their blog from the sidebar on mine. This works fine in theory but some people have SO MANY blogs that they link to, it becomes hard to check them all the time. And then when you do check them, you find that the blogger still hasn't updated their blog after MONTHS so it seems like a waste of time checking it out.
RSS enables you to be informed when a fellow blogger has updated their blog. Instead of you going to their blog, their blog comes to you. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication (and there are other abbreviation explanations as well, depending on which site you go to). You can install an RSS reader and subscribe to individual blogs that you enjoy reading. Just Google "RSS reader" and whole heap will come up. Most are free. The one I used at work was RSS Bandit but there are heaps of others. It takes a bit of getting used to. For some strange reason, I still enjoy going to individual blogs and having a squiz.
More info on RSS.
Why am I telling you this? Well, because when I'm on my honeymoon, I probably won't be able to blog much, if at all. I don't want to lose any readers so RSS will yet you know when I'm back on board again :)
RSS is the answer (if you didn't already know that).
I didn't know much about RSS until I had to teach a class on it at work last year. That made me motivated to learn about it for sure. You see, when I wanted to see if someone had updated their blog, I'd just click on the link to their blog from the sidebar on mine. This works fine in theory but some people have SO MANY blogs that they link to, it becomes hard to check them all the time. And then when you do check them, you find that the blogger still hasn't updated their blog after MONTHS so it seems like a waste of time checking it out.
RSS enables you to be informed when a fellow blogger has updated their blog. Instead of you going to their blog, their blog comes to you. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication (and there are other abbreviation explanations as well, depending on which site you go to). You can install an RSS reader and subscribe to individual blogs that you enjoy reading. Just Google "RSS reader" and whole heap will come up. Most are free. The one I used at work was RSS Bandit but there are heaps of others. It takes a bit of getting used to. For some strange reason, I still enjoy going to individual blogs and having a squiz.
More info on RSS.
Why am I telling you this? Well, because when I'm on my honeymoon, I probably won't be able to blog much, if at all. I don't want to lose any readers so RSS will yet you know when I'm back on board again :)
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