Birthday Love Language

I'm gonna party like it's my birthday.....cos it is!

It's funny, I've been thinking a lot about the five love languages - you know, the five ways people tend to give and receive love - physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, giving/receiving gifts and acts of service. Well, I'd like to add a sixth love language. You see I feel loved when people remember my birthday.

Last year so many people forgot my birthday and I felt very unloved. That might sound strange to you because some people see birthdays as no big deal. But to me, birthdays will always be a big deal. It's the one day of the year that's your special day, regardless of the fact that many other people in the world share your birthday. Birthdays are an excuse for a party, a celebration, a time for getting together with others. Even if you don't feel like celebrating your age increase....just do it! You'll feel better.

I don't know why so many friends and family forgot my birthday last year. Perhaps it was because for the first time in many years, I didn't have a party. It's like people only remember when you invite them to something to remind them. I went to a friend's house on my birthday last year and when she didn't say anything........

Me: Do you know what day it is?
Friend: Um, Wednesday.
Me: Do you know what DAY it is?
Friend (looking confused): Nope.

I raised my eyebrows. After a few seconds she remembered in a rush.

So I'd just like to remind you that today I'm 24 no more. Now I'm 25 - halfway to the big 5-0, a quarter of the way to the century. Only 75 more years and I'll get a telegram from the queen. Actually no, she'll be long gone. Maybe it'll be from William.....or a president?

AllI want is for people to remember it's my birthday. That's all. I don't care about presents, although I am grateful for those I do receive. Actually I don't care if I don't get any presents this year due to living in a small cottage. No excuses for not remembering. There are enough 'reminder devices' around. I always mark important birthdays on my calendar. Facebook is good for reminders too. By the way, THANK YOU to all my Facebook friends who wrote birthday wishes on my 'wall'.

Like last year, I'll be spending the day alone. Duncan is working and I don't have a job yet so I've decided that I should spend some of the day getting reacquainted with Brad and Hayley. No, not our friends, the couple Duncan works for. Brad and Hayley, the main characters in the book I'm writing. Yep, today I'm gonna start writing again! It's a pure coincidence that Duncan works for a couple with the same names as my main characters.

Tomorrow, my parents are coming to visit and we're going out for dinner and I get cake. WOOHOO!

Have YOU remembered what day it is? :)

Our Baby

No, I'm not pregnant!

But until we have kids of our own, I'd like to introduce you all to our newest 'baby'.

This is Maya. She is a nine week old Red Cloud Kelpie/Border Collie cross. I didn't know at first, but Maya is actually the name of a town just north of Buntine. Oh well, it just shows she's a local dog. We got her off a friend of ours who has her mother.

Duncan has grand plans for Maya to be a top class working dog. She has stacks of energy and can run and run when she wants to. I could never have a dog like that in the city.

Maya is my first ever doggy as my dad would never let me have one. Duncan's never had a dog either. I did feel a sense of 'Angelina Jolie guilt' about buying a puppy instead of a 'pound dog' who desperately needs a home but Duncan plans to get me another dog in the future that will be more of a pet and company for Maya.

Here are some more photos of dear little puppy

Sharpening her teeth

It's a hard life being a dog!

We were wondering how Maya would be received by the other furry member of the household. I thought she could expect a hiss and a swipe from Madam Puss upon arrival but Ebony was at first only intrigued by this strange creature although she still gives Maya a bit of a wide berth. Maya finds Ebony simply fascinating since she has never seen a cat before and follows her everywhere, wanting to be her friend. Ebony looks at Maya with disdain, probably thinking, "What a stupid animal. It has none of my grace and elegance." Maya is quite boisterous and lunges at Ebony which of course causes puss to run off. Ebony then gets more than a bit annoyed and has given the pesky pup a few swipes to warn her to back off. I've advised Ebony that she would be wise to make friends with Maya now while they are roughly the same size before Maya realises that cats are for chasing.

Giving each other a wide berth.

"But I just want to be friends"

"Please...please."

"No, wait, come back!"

The beast spots her unsuspecting victim.

"Where are you, Ebony?"

"Up here you dumb canine."

Safe....for now.

Maya trying to show Ebony she's a nice doggy....after getting a swipe from a very annoyed puss!

Stone the Crows!

And that they certainly did! A fitting result for Wirra's 200th game.

After two months I finally got an excuse to act like we'd won a grand final and behave like a madwoman (which Duncan would say is nothing new!)

Friday Funny

Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?"

"Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home!'"
"That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome."
"Is it common?"
"Well, 'It's Not Unusual'."

An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.

Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any.

What do you call a fish with no eyes?
A fsh.

I went to a seafood disco last week...and pulled a mussel.

Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

Netball Wrap-Up

A few people have asked about how my first game of netball went last week. I left a comment on my original post here but thought I would provide a few more details.

My worries about having those 'win at all costs' types in my team turned out to be completely unfounded. My teammates are great, what I know of them so far. We didn't get much chance to talk except to quickly introduce ourselves but it was soon clear that some of them had been out of the game for a lot longer than me. They seem like a great bunch of laidback chicks and we are quite a diverse team too, ranging in age from maybe late 30s/early 40s right down to lower high school. Only in a country town could you get that. :)

My team, the Warriors, went down to the Shooters 36-24. I played GS for the first half and GA for the second and was surprised that I could actually still shoot and get the thing in. I used to play GS (goal shooter for those who don't know anything about netball) a lot when I played in Albany but I thought they'd prefer someone taller in the position. It turned out I'm one of the tallest in my team. That has never happened before! I'm only 164cm tall.

Apart from feeling quite fatigued and sore after the game, I had a great time and now we're up against the Skunks tonight. I'm not expecting to win. The Skunks are made up of teachers and students from Dally District High and I've seen them play...they're good. Oh well, we'll just do our best and have fun regardless.

Bandwagon Jumpers and Brave Eagles

They may have lost but I'm still so proud of my boys, the Eagles.

Why? Because they didn't get thrashed for once. They played in good spirits, cut down on the undisciplined onfield acts and very nearly pulled off an upset win.

I missed the majority of the game because I was down in Albany and out to dinner for my dad's 60th. When we left they were 20-something points up and when I got the full time score on my phone saying they'd lost, I was very disappointed. But still proud. They have a lot of improving to do but I think they're on the right track.

Woosha said, "I think tonight was a pretty good improvement on our previous performances. They played with more confidence tonight, a bit more self belief, they need to now build on that."
Source

The good thing about losing is that it makes you appreciate winning. I was preparing to jump up and down like we'd won a grand final if the Eagles had beaten North Melbourne. I look at fans from teams like the Western Bulldogs, St Kilda and Melbourne that haven't won premierships for YEARS yet they still have their loyal fans that stick by them week after week, season after season. I'd like to think that if the Eagles got the wooden spoon for 10 consecutive seasons, I'd still be there supporting them.

The last time the Eagles had such a miserable season was 2001. I should be miserable right now but I'm not. 2001 was a pretty horrible year all round for me. It was the year I moved to Perth and I was living in feral student housing with feral people. All of my closest friends and my immediate family were left behind in Albany and it took me a while to get into the swing of my uni course. On top of that, I had to adjust to city life. The only good thing that happened was that I turned to Christ and made some new friends, many who I'm still friends with. Maybe that's why I'm not so miserable now despite the Eagles having such a wretched season - everything else in life is going so well and I have Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.

In a world of disposable relationships and things, many people don't know how to practise loyalty, particularly young people. Footy may be trivial compared to much more important things (such as marriages) but it's a good place to start practising loyalty and faithfulness to one team.

Speaking of loyalty, I recently saw on my brother Tim's Facebook profile that he's quitting supporting the Dorkers after 10 years. Prior to then he was an Eagles' supporter before he made the traitorous move just to annoy me. I left him a message on his wall, asking if it was true...

Me: You're quitting supporting the Dorks?!?
Tim: Well, I've lost the passion. Go Hawthorn!

Yep, he's jumped ship but he still taped the Dorkers match yesterday. Perhaps he just wants two teams? I notice he's picked a more successful team in the Hawks. Bandwagon jumpers! Sheesh!

Hitting the Court

Tonight will be my first real venture 'out into the community'. That is, beyond church.

I've joined a local netball team and tonight is our first match of the season after having a bye to start off with.

I shouldn't be, but I'm actually a little nervous. Partly because I haven't played netball for 10 years and I'm hoping my team don't think they've got a real doosy playing with them. I used to play when I lived in Albany and the competition was...well...what you could expect in an all-female league. Bitchy at times! I took up basketball a few years ago in Perth and quit after a couple of games because I just couldn't stand it. It was a Christian competition yet some of the girls were the most unsportsmanlike I had ever met....worse than in Albany and we were just kids then. During my first game of basketball, one of my teammates got shoved over so roughly she hit her head on the floor and was only semi-conscious after that. Then the next game, we overheard the opposition saying how small we looked and that they were predicting we'd be crap. Let me state again that this was a CHRISTIAN basketball competition.

I'm hoping this competition will be different. I know there are always going to be those who take it WAY too seriously but hopefully most will just see it as a night out with the girls and a bit of fun.

So why am I playing netball again after 10 years? Well, firstly because I enjoy the game itself and secondly, it's a good chance to meet other women outside of church. Tonight will be a chance for me to walk my talk and be a Christlike example on the court. And yes, I'm hoping that I may build close relationships with those in my team and share Christ with them. Just blogging about it makes me a bit scared because who am I to think I can bring the good news to them? But I'm not alone. I'm not going out into the community because it's trendy, rather because it's a command from Jesus himself.

So please pray that I will conduct myself in a manner worthy of Christ tonight. In the past, I have been a bit of an aggressive player, which is fine, but I want to make sure my aggression is used positively. Win or lose I don't care, I just want to enjoy my sport with the others. It's only a game!

Wedding 2 2008

Now that I've finally found my USB drive among the clutter, I can get around to showing you all some photos.
This was the second wedding we went to this year back on the 10th February. Duncan's friend Micah got hitched to Morris at Hyde Park in North Perth. It was a lovely wedding but a STINKER of a day. Most of the guests were standing under the shade provided by the huge trees but it made very little difference to the humidity. During the ceremony, I could feel the sweat trickling down my legs.

We weren't invited to the reception (too many people) but they provided a really nice afternoon tea in the park afterwards. They even gave out personalised bottles of water.
















And here are some more pics of the day...






























Vows.















The kiss!














Both sets of parents prayed for the couple.












Signing away.




























Micah's sister Rachel (who was one of the bridesmaids) sang while they were signing the register.



















Having pro photos done with Morris's family.















Me. My head looks out of proportion!
























One of my fave photos of us :)

Milestones

Today, the 12th May 2008, is a milestone day.

Emma and Peter have been married for one year.
Its also been a year since we lived together.
Duncan and I have been married for one month.

I was thinking about Emma's wedding and how we were getting ready in the morning one year ago today. Just after 2pm we arrived at the church. A year ago tonight, we were partying on at the reception. Duncan and I were just dating then. A year later, we'd be married too.

Today we celebrate one month of being married. Woohoo some people may think saracastically. One month? Big deal! But in the first month of marriage there's a lot to adjust to if you haven't been living together before.

Sharing a bed is weird. Especially for Duncan since it was his bed first and now he has to adjust to a woman taking up half of it. A couple of times, I've rolled over and brushed against him in the middle of the night, initially thinking, Oh my gosh, who's in my bed? Then I realised, Oh they feel a bit hairy, oh it's all right, it's Duncan. ;) He has to put up with my moaning and talking in my sleep and I have to deal with his snoring. On our honeymoon, I was talking in my sleep a LOT and he said one night I said loudly, "Don't, you'll poison her!" I was having a dream that Duncan was crushing up a bath bomb and was going to put it in Ebony's food! The other night, Duncan woke up to me yelling, "Lift it up! LIFT IT UP!" When he asked me about it, I couldn't remember what on earth I'd been dreaming about. Last week, I had a virus which gave me bad stomach cramps, so bad that I was in agony on occasions. He said, "Honey, could you please keep the moaning down a bit." I said, "Hmph."

Marriage is testing my cooking skills. When I was single, I didn't put a lot of effort into my cooking because I was happy with simple meals. Now that I'm cooking for someone else, I'm making a lot of effort and I need to be organised with my shopping and planning meals as the supermarket is half an hour away. Since Duncan's working and I'm a bum, I feel I need to earn my keep in some way and that includes being a domestic super wife. :)

On the whole though, everything is going well and we're grateful that God has helped us adjust quicker than we expected.

Here's to many more milestones.

Underbelly

The final episode of hit Australian TV series Underbelly screened last night.

I taped it due to being a bit behind in my viewing after the honeymoon. But it's not like I didn't know what was going to happen. We all know Carl Williams gets arrested, right?

Now it may sound strange to many of you, but Underbelly was what got me more excited than I have been in a long time. I was in Melbourne the week before it was launched and the hype was huge. It was also just before it got banned in Victoria for the time being. Everywhere I went on the tram, I looked around me and wondered if this location was going to feature in the series. I went to Carlton and walked past all the Italian restaurants, wondering if this was where the Carlton Crew once hung out.

You may think I'm a weirdo for being so excited about a TV series full of blood and guts, murder, crime, drugs and sex. Far out, I was planning a wedding and I was excited about that? I was excited for a few reasons:

• The stellar cast. It's like a who's who of Australian TV.
• The fact that it was based on real life events. I know a lot of it was fiction because a) most of the characters featuring in the series are now dead in real life and b) no-one was around to hear gangsters discussing crime. Those bits had to be fiction. I saw an interview with Vince Colosimo on YouTube and he said the fact that it was a based on real life was what made him want to be a part of it. I'm a bit of a history buff (even recent history).
• The fact that it was based in the beautiful city of Melbourne.
• It's eye-opening. This stuff was going on around many people and they didn't have a clue. I know nothing about the underworld.

I guess for many Christians, Underbelly may be a liberty garden issue. The fact that there's so much explicit language, nudity and sex may be too much of a temptation for some and to remain faithful to Christ, they may choose not to watch it. It's sad that the language is no different to what many of us hear every day.

I'm sorry the series has now ended. It was great seeing many of my TV favourites back on the box again. Melbourne is a great city but I can definitely see, like most cities, that it has an underbelly.

And I still can't get over Martin Sacks with that moustache. He'll always be PJ to me.

Did you watch Underbelly? What were your thoughts?

The Fruit of our Liberty Gardens

My old church is currently doing a series on those issues that the Bible is somewhat silent on and how we can live as Christians in all areas of our lives - marriage, parenting, work/study, money matters, the environment and politics. You can listen to the sermons online here if you're interested.

An issue that I (and many other Christians) have is that how I follow Jesus looks very different to how following Jesus is for someone else in the same area of life. It's from these differences of opinion and lifestyle that judgemental attitudes often form and divisions between brothers and sisters in Christ are created. The trouble is, we both think our way of following Jesus is 'correct' in that particular area.

Not so long ago, I read an excellent post on the Womanly Pursuits blog about this issue. Kimi (the author of the blog) refers to the teaching of her father-in-law and what he calls 'liberty gardens'. You can read the post here. Basically a 'liberty garden' is how we put our freedom in Christ to work in our own lives. Two people may have very similar understandings of scripture but the outworking of it in their individual lives may look very different. For example, we are told to 'flee sexual immorality' in the Bible but the steps a person takes to obey that command will differ depending on the person's individual convictions and temptations. Liberty gardens are not so you have the freedom to sin but rather to develop responses to scripture that nurture and grow your spiritual life. And of course, that makes it hard to get on with others who have such contrasting liberty gardens to our own and it's easy to slip into accusing one another of legalism or sin.

Kimi uses the example of two single girls who had very different views on dating, both of which they claimed to have derived from scriptural guidelines. One girl had decided she would only see her male friends in mixed groups and never meet a male friend alone, even in a public place. Another girl, her best friend, had decided she would meet up with male friends alone but only ever in public. The girls' friendship became strained as the first girl struggled with not judging her friend and the second girl struggled with not accusing her friend of legalism. So who's right? Does one have to change? Can the friendship survive despite having such different liberty gardens?

I'm sure we can all think of issues where we have different opinions to our Christian friends. But not all issues fall into the liberty garden. Murder, for example, is clearly forbidden in the Bible. Some examples of liberty garden issues may be public education v Christian education, politics, modesty in clothing, food and diet, birth control, music and dancing.

We have freedom in Christ to apply his commands in our personal circumstances and live for him in all aspects of our lives. We are all different and have the privilege of experiencing the wonderful diversity God has created among us. The conservative can get along with the hippie, the person who 'courts' can be friends with the person who 'dates'. We all have the freedom to learn from one another and sometimes we may even change our stance on certain issues after observing a fellow Christian tend to his/her liberty garden.

The point of the post was to observe the fruit our liberty gardens are producing. Galatians 5:19-23 outlines the difference between good fruit and works of the flesh. We are not free to serve ourselves, rather we are called to serve one another in love. So if someone's liberty garden is causing them to become sexually immoral, angry, jealous or drunk then there may be weeds in their garden they need to address. For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Kimi also mentioned that it's good to observe the lives of godly people and their liberty gardens.

I found this post extremely helpful in how to relate to fellow Christians who disagree with my liberty garden and if disagree with theirs. What about you? How do you differ with your friends on liberty garden issues yet still maintain a friendship? Remember, it's all about the fruit!

Friday Funny

Okay, you may assume I'm 'anti-men' with this Friday Funny....but that couldn't be further from the truth. Sorry to my man and all men I consider to be friends. I just couldn't help laughing.

MEN ARE LIKE.......

1. Men are like .......Laxatives ..... They irritate the crap out of you.
2. Men are like ........ Bananas ...... The older they get, the less firm they are.
3. Men are like ........ Weather ..... Nothing can be done to change them.
4. Men are like ........ Blenders ..... You need one, but you're not quite sure why.
5. Men are like ....... Chocolate Bars ... Sweet, smooth, and they usually head right for your hips.
6. Men are like ....... Commercials ...... You can't believe a word they say.
7. Men are like ........ Department Stores .... Their clothes are always 1/2 off.
8. Men are like ........ Government Bonds .... They take soooooooo long to mature.
9. Men are like ....... Mascara ...... They usually run at the first sign of emotion.
10. Men are like ....... Popcorn ...... They satisfy you, but only for a little while.
11. Men are like ........ Lava Lamps ..... Fun to look at, but not very bright.
12. Men are like ........ Parking Spots ...... All the good ones are taken, the rest are handicapped.