Who Is This?

Who is this who calls me lovely

Who has saved a wretch like me

Giving beauty for ashes

To be His crown of glory

Who has bought me with His own blood

To clothe me as His bride

The fervent love of my redeemer

Wants me forever by His side

Have you listened to Melissa Otto's* music?  You will find her lyrics beautiful and honest like this verse from Who Is This.  I think her voice is gentle and earthy and sweet.  I think her youth is no obstacle in her music ministry.

I have been listening to her inspired music.  I have been yearning to grow closer to my Saviour.

I know my heart has strayed, and with baby-steps and His help I am getting reacquainted and unshackled.

Listen to Melissa's tracks.  Watch her video clips.  But grab a tissue box if you find your heart breaking.

A special thanks to Jenny and Sandy who have been praying for me and shouldering a little of my pain of late.

Proverbs 18:24 ~ There is a friend who sticks closer than a {sister} brother

*I am not paid to promote Melissa Otto, I simply feel compelled to introduce you to her if you aren't already familiar with her music.

xxx

How my neck gave me carpal tunnel syndrome

Or rather, how I thought I had carpal tunnel syndrome, only to find my neck was the culprit.  My neck apparently has an extra vertebrae!

As you know, I recently went to my local chiropractor to fix my dodgy sinuses.  She massaged my face from inside my mouth and adjusted my neck.  The pain relief was instant!

But the real cherry on the cake was the vanquished pain in my arms, wrists and hands.  This is a pain I have lived with for 3 years now, since early in my pregnancy with Dean.  The GP said it was carpal tunnel syndrome and will go after the pregnancy.  But then it didn't.  And I feared that it was there to stay.

Reading Jane's and Posie's battles with carpal tunnel syndrome, I thought I was staring down the same barrel.

What joy I am feeling now.  I can run my fingers through my sons' hair without pain.  I can knit, without pain.  I can rub Rick's shoulders, without pain.  I can type, without pain and I am guessing I will be able to machine quilt without pain when the time comes.  Yippee!

I heart my chiro.  She's the bomb.

My birthday . . . .

I wasn't really trying to hide, the blanket was shading my face from the sun!

It was my birthday last week.  Flowers from Rick and my little fellas, a delicious breakfast and a kip in the garden.  Bliss.

My boys have filthy colds so the day included much nose wiping and whinging.  Oh, poor little fellas, they have had hand foot & mouth virus and now colds.  Little troopers though as they had plenty of smiles and tricks just for me.

PS that bircher museli you see above was absolutely delicious and I will be sharing the recipe soon!  I think you will be surprised and will want to try it.

x's

A trip to the Botanicals

We went to our local Botanical Gardens this week.

I need to go back, and probably sans kidlets as they pestered and whinged and meant that we didn't take many photos and couldn't soak up Creation as much as we'd hoped.



Liam insisted on taking a photo and this is it.  I love maiden hair ferns, do you?

 Instead of relaxing, we all became a bit highly strung.  But I managed to snap this one of my big fellas...

But then Rick took this photo of us.  Obviously, we weren't all ready for the photo and he wasn't going to take another one!

But life is precious and this time with the children being so little will pass all too quickly.  Do you find yourself missing your children about an hour after they go to bed?  I do.  I think it is because they can drive me nuts all day and when I've had an hour to myself, to collect my thoughts and gather a bit of strength, I miss them and want to pour out some love on to them and not my angry voice!

Rick will return to work soon.  Since returning to Port Stephens, we have actually been able to benefit from all this time away from work aka unemployment.  It has been 3.5 months and really, the last 3 weeks have been wonderful.  It wasn't so wonderful before.  As much as we wanted to make Hervey Bay our home and we miss our family and new friends there, it was a difficult time.  Unsettling.  Both Rick and I lost weight which we aren't complaining about at all.  But when I'm asked how I lost weight, I say "buy the book I am writing, it is called the unemployment stress diet!".  Actually, I don't recommend it (and no, I am not really writing a book!).

I am grateful that God listens to my prayers and answers them in His time.  Throughout these past weeks I have meditated on this text:

But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

~Isaiah 40:31

Sometimes we have to wait, and He doesn't let us down, we do that ourselves.  So to avoid letting myself down, I claim this promise:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

~Proverbs 3:5,6

x's

Brave New Me :: Where am I?

So, where do I start?... ok, I'll just tell you as it is.

Hervey Bay didn't work out.  Unemployment and the threat of a long sweltering summer for us eskimos just didn't appeal in the end.  Rick and I decided that he should find full time work again and I will continue on at the home front until we are more settled.  What an upheaval- to say the least.  Twice in 11 weeks we drove 1300kms with two boisterous toddlers in the back seat.  Not my idea of fun not to mention I think I sped past a speed camera just hours after Rick did!

Hervey Bay is beautiful and the home of most of Rick's family.  We also attended Hervey Bay SDA Church while we were there and were met with a massive amount of support and christian love.  I will  miss my family and friends there very much. 

So where are we now?  Back in Port Stephens, infact we are only minutes away from our old house.  This area has a high demand on the rentals so we were blessed to get a house.  Being able to crack open our boxes of belongings and make this house our home has settled our troubled minds considerably.

And now another chapter begins.  Meanwhile, I'll be in the kitchen if you are looking for me (recipes to follow soon).

xx

Just before we left we had some family photos on the beloved pier



We are going to miss the pier where we visited almost daily




Just a random photo in a park in Kempsey NSW on our way home



It's in the little things . . .

When we moved to Hervey Bay we thought that all would fall into place once I find a job and that I would find a job within a month . . . ok, still looking for that elusive job but not for a lack of trying.  On last count, I have approached 50 businesses by either answer to an advertised job or cold call, more of the latter for lack of the former.  I have put myself out there, flogging a product that I am reluctant to flog as it is me!  It is weird 'selling yourself' to complete strangers some of whom I suspect have shredded my resume the second I left the premises (is that the correct use of whom?). . . but this is not going to deter me as my life is in God's hands.  He's got a plan for me.

So, to carry on until I get a job, I look for blessings and things to keep me positive.  Last week, in a last ditch attempt to find good tofu up here, I finally went where I should have gone first.  I went to an asian grocer.  You see, I could find the perfect tofu at our local Bilo back in Port Stephens.  But not here.  Every big chain supermarket here seems to sell only silken or nigari tofu.  Silken is too custardy for my favourite tofu dishes (salt & pepper tofu or Rick's favourite tofu marinade) and the nigari is too hard and crumbly.  I was actually feeling a bit glum about this, perhaps deflecting my unemployment-blues elsewhere!  But, at the local asian grocer, I found some firm tofu and all is well again.  Phew. 

It's a small thing but it makes a difference!  I think moving to a new place is most difficult in the little things . . .  you know, leaving behind that great hairdresser, dentist, playgroup etc that you took forever to find, just to have to find it all again.  Tofu was my stumbling block up here but I have found it.  It almost makes me feel like if I can find good tofu I can find a good job. 

My other concern with moving north, closer to the equator and into the tropics, was whether I would have to give up my new found love of patchwork and knitting.  You see, I thought it would be so hot up here that no one would be interested in quilting or knitting.  Boy was I wrong!  There is a community of quilters up here and I needn't worry about fabric supplies.  Dewdrop Inn claims to be the biggest patchwork shop in Queensland.  I don't know about that but it is in Hervey Bay where there isn't a Spotlight and the closest Lincraft is 30km away in Maryborough.  Yes, I know I could order super fabrics online for a good price, it is good to also go and visit and where possible support your local business.  They also have some yarns so I needn't worry about supply and the winter here was actually cold so there is a season for it, albeit short.

When the big things get me down, it is in the little things that a blessing can be found.

image credit
xx

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied

Another day and another job application.  I have approached in excess of 40 businesses either straight off the street or by formal application to an advertised job.  It is hard.  I don't know what I am doing from day to day . . . seek.com tells me . . . it isn't nice.  But I am out there still, almost 6 weeks on.  Somebody will hire me sooner or later!

This afternoon, I wandered out again into my father-in-law's garden, admiring the bounty of cherry tomatoes.

Some ready to pick and others showing in greeness the promise of a tomato-mouth-explosion yet to come.  It reminded of a bible text I read recently that a friend posted as her facebook status:

"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,

The crawling locust,

The consuming locust,

And the chewing locust,

My great army which I sent among you.

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,

And praise the name of the LORD your God,

Who has dealt wondrously with you,

And My people shall never be put to shame."

~ Joel 2:25, 26

Our lives are in His hands and although times are lean and troublesome, He will restore us.  What a promise!

My little men go nuts when they get outside so it was very hard to get these photos of them.  Most of the snaps I took were blurry or of the moment just after they were looking and saying "cheeeeeeeeeese" ie the back of their heads!  There is no relaxation with little men around but they are a joy beyond all words.  I can only imagine that the love God has for me (and you) are like the feelings that I have toward my two sons only His love is multiplied by infinity- and I love my sons tremendously.  I am not afraid.



Book Loving :: Steps to Christ

Do you own any books that you have never read entirely?  Sure, I bet you do . . . like those moments when you thought you should cultivate a wider reading range and bought War and Peace or the complete works of Shakespeare.  I bought the complete works of Jane Austen and have so far read only 2 novels but enjoyed the others via BBC!

Ten years ago, I acquired a little book (only 90 small pages), called Steps to Christ.  I have, from time to time, flicked through its content but never read it from cover to cover.  This past week, I read it.  I read some chapters twice even, not because I didn't understand but because it was so wonderful and uplifting.

As the title suggests, it is an introduction to Jesus Christ and His lovely perfect character, how to meet Him and what it all means to you!  I have been greatly blessed by reading it through and can only recommend it to anyone who wants to grow closer to Jesus.  If you are looking to find something new that is outside of what the bible teaches, you won't.  This book is built from bible texts and compels you to go back and read the bible for yourself.  Yes, it takes away any fear of reading God's Word.  Just delightful.

I would also like to share with you a little personal testimony.  Before arriving in Hervey Bay, I hit the lowest of lows and am not proud of myself for how I handled it.  But since we've moved, to a home that is not our own, with no job and prospects bleak, Rick and I have leant on Jesus.  We have been impressed to pray together every morning at 6 am.  God has made it possible for us to open a little book of blessings to the boys every morning after breakfast and have prayed together as a family.  We do the same again after dinner.  Rick and I have been praying on our own too.  And none of this is in our own strength, we are compelled by our love of God to talk to Him, to read His Word and fellowship with other christians.  We have received a massive blessing and a major dose of faith.

If you are needing a major dose of faith but don't know where to start, read Steps to Christ.

x's

Fi

My brave new life

Oh wow!  I have not blogged in quite a while and in my absence a couple of delightful curious creatures have bravely joined my rambling blog.  Hello to all!  Welcome and to the rest of my dear readers, thanks for sticking by me.  Do I need to re-introduce myself? Hahaha

I will give you a brief update.

Early July Rick, my two boys and I, dug up sticks, packed it all into a container (for storage) while we hiked it up the Pacific Highway to beautiful and sunny Queensland.  The winter here is a delightful spring for Sydney and I hear, since we left Port Stephens, the rain has barely stopped there.  I will not gloat any further as I will be paying for it come summer!!  Sweat, chaffing and heat-induced drowsiness come to mind . . . the locals tell me you get used to it, but may take a couple of summers . . . yikes. Oh and probably no baking or knitting!  What's a girl to do?!

We are blessed to be house-minding until mid October, thinking this would give us plenty of time to find work, save and then move into a rental.  Well, there doesn't seem to be a shortage of rentals but there is a massive shortage of something else, WORK!  Yes, 4 days after arriving I hear the news that Wide Bay (Hervey Bay) has the highest unemployment in  . . . wait for it . . . all of Australia!  Sheesh.  And they are just the reported figures from Centrelink.  That does not include those unregistered (ie me), partners of those on Centrelink who may be looking for work or those who can only get 8hrs/wk but want more.  IT IS REALLY BLEAK.  People with horticultural degrees get interviews for lawn mowing jobs (I kid you not, it is true!).  Employers have never had it so good!  I even heard last week that degree graduates are going for traineeships where once upon a time a school-leaver would qualify.

I have been networking like a crazy woman for the past 4 weeks.  Rick and I have been praying.  This is a trial and a test of faith.  But I know that this time will pass and it will be a distant memory- oh to be at that point already!

So as you can see, I am returning to work after 3 years of bringing up babies and working part time from home.  Rick's body needs a break, my brain needs a recharge so we are swapping roles.  Well, that is the plan anyway.  So far we are both stay at home parents and the kids seem to love it.

I am sad to say that I have not done anything crafty in weeks.  Does that mean I am not a true crafter afterall?  Hope not.  The sewing machines are in storage, my hand sewing (hexagons) also got packed but I kept out a little knitting and mending.  Just have not been inspired.

And last but not least, Liam turned 3 and in preparation for this little milestone, we are attempting toilet training again for the umpteenth time.  So far, he's coming along well.  Lots of wee-wees from "his tunnel" as he likes to call it (hey whatever works) but he is refusing to poo and I fear a back-log is going to come forth when we least expect it!

Got any good tips for getting a toddler to poo on the toilet?

xxx Fi

Closure

image

Closure is a good thing.  We always talk about it being good ... and yes, I really do think it is good.  After months of uncertainty, of compounding negativity in so many facets of life, I finally have some closure!

Apologies have been made and accepted.  New boundaries have naturally formed, but a chapter is closed and the rest of life's story can continue to unfold without dragging the heavy baggage of hurt.

The c-word is unlikely to label me!  I feel some freedom now to tell you what happened.  It was a dodgy pap test result.  I have always had normal results so at the 2 year mark, I didn't rush out for another test.  I let another 6 months pass, distracted with what all mums are distracted with, before I arranged for the inevitable.  Five weeks later I am having a colposcopy.  It's tiring and confronting having people look up your baby-shute especially when there is no baby up there!!  Unfortunately, I have more of that to come- minor surgery and frequent paps . . . or so I suspect as the biopsy result is due in two weeks.  C-word is unlikely and yet to be ruled out completely but I have stats on my side.

I have deliberately been a bit vague on all the big issues going on.  It is because they are deeply personal and needn't be told in detail.  But I will tell you that I have never been this in love with my husband Rick as I am now.  We've been together for over 6 years and yet, despite thinking I was already in deep love, I have fallen even further.  Rick has stood by me during the toughest few months of my life.  We've communicated on a new level, bared souls, boosted eachother's spirits, sat in silence watching our little people, I cried, I sobbed, we prayed, we confessed and despite it all we laughed.  There is always a silver-lining to every cloud, I totally believe it. 

And my last piece of news is that we are moving and I am returning to full time work.  Good-bye Port Stephens NSW, and hello Hervey Bay Qld!  We move in 5 sleeps and will take 1 sleep enroute.  The little fellas are so excited with Liam asking every time we get in the car if we are going to Poppy's house.  We are moving to be closer to family- a move we should have made 3 years ago in hindsight.  I am just happy it is finally happening.  And returning to work?  I'll let you know how that goes once I actually find a job.

via

If 'struggle is nature's way of strengthening' then I am going to be mighty strong by the end of this one!

My dear friends, thank you for clicking on my blog today when I have of late offered you nothing.  You know some of the struggles that I have faced lately, but because more and more kept landing on my plate, I didn't couldn't drag you through it too.

You know about my lost friendship with two people I thought were rock-solid, who I thought knew and understood me, who I thought would stand next to me rain, hail or shine.  The dissolving of that friendship, that I truly cherished but couldn't do a thing to save, crumbled me.  Up to that point, my husband and I had been enduring one trial after the other that we faced as a family.  Little did we know what was to follow.

Without getting too depressing, there is more.  A major family rift; a life not realised; a life changing decision and the c-word.  Yes, I have to undergo a test to rule out the dreaded c-word (can't say or write it as it isn't a reality so why bother?)

That is where I have been . . . under a massive rock.  I'll admit that my faith has waned, and I felt the strain but I know my Saviour has never left my side and watches over my family.  Next to my computer, I have an excerpt from that poem 'Footprints', it reads:

During your times of trial and suffering

when you saw only one set of footprints,

it was then that I carried you ...

On a lighter note, I have completed some knitting projects, finished the back of my quilt and need to update you on my hair (as one does).  I hope to get that all to you soon.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope this post wasn't too dreary and awkward.

Love  Fi xxx

Baking Therapy :: Apple Muffins

I am so into diversional therapy right now! 

I like to report in to God's office every morning with reading the bible and prayer- to seek comfort and motivation.  That is great to feed the inner Mary but she doesn't get the housework done.  So to feed the inner Martha, who better to turn to than our modern-day Martha, Martha Stewart.  I catch her shows some mornings and find myself doing the housey chores during and for a few hours after.  As long as I stay focused, I can get almost everything done before lunch time, even cooking the dinner!!

This morning, my inner-Martha energy produced these sweet muffins.

Keeping it real with this shot!

This delightful recipe came via Catherine who found it in a Donna Hay Magazine.

Mine did not turn out as aesthetically beautiful due to the pan and patty case combo I used.  It was a cupcake pan and the cases are for a muffin pan as their bases are bigger.  The result was tipping cases and the muffin mix spilling out over one side.  Still tastes jolly good!

My only change to the recipe was that I cut the sugar down by a third and I used demerera sugar instead of raw as the sprinkle on the top.  I didn't have any raw sugar left and the demerera had a promise of toffee sweetness (according the to pack!).  The muffins were still very sweet. Oh, and I used a pink lady apple instead of a green one.

And I couldn't blog a baked goodie that wasn't in a fancy patty case or show a glass of milk without the quintessential stripy paper straw.  I'm pretty sure I bought these both from here

What is your favourite diversional therapy technique?  Do you have a combo like me?

My Creative Space :: knitting therapy

Yes, I know, it has been 2 weeks since my last blog post.  I am sorry!  I did not intend to shut you out these past two weeks but . . . . too many personal and highly sensitive issues going on that I couldn't tell you and my mood was very low.  I have felt such disappointment, sadness, shock, displacement and lack of direction recently that I didn't want to bring the world down with me.  Prayer, reading His promises and confiding in those I trust most have brought me out of this darkness.  And carrying me through the anxiety ? . . . knitting of course!

I would love to tell you more about this little project but I will wait until it is complete.   It is a gift for someone I love very much.  It has such a sweet little 'butterfly' stitch, can you see it?  It will look better when finished and blocked.  I already have plans for this stitch in other garments too. . .  really leaning towards aqua and chocolate next . . . gotta get some more yarn!!!

Now, back to Our Creative Spaces (sad about no more space on Kootoyoo but I understand!)

xxx

Voyeurism

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Hello blog friends and clickety-clickers!  Are you well today?  Me?  Well, I have been better and I have been worse.  The 'worse' has brought out a thought I can't let go of just yet. 

Is blogging voyeurism? 

Before I started this blog, I had read only one blog that I was introduced to through a magazine.  I didn't see anything wrong with reading this blog as long as what was written on the blog could also be written on a postcard or published in a paper or magazine.  And now, almost 5 months on, I still feel the same way about blogs.  But I have found that there are blogs I choose not to read because of the high personal content that I don't feel like I should be privvy to although the author has chosen to put it out there.  I exercise choice- the free will that God gave me.

Why is this still bugging me?  Well, remember the perished friendship I wrote about at Easter?  He told me that he thought I didn't like him and his wife because I hadn't made personal contact with them in a few weeks.  They never asked me what was wrong, and plainly assumed I had a problem with them which I didn't, hence my utter shock.  And besides I am a very open person, I would have told them everything that's going on if they had asked. 

He emailed me saying that he has looked at my blog and concluded that I was having a social life without them- sorry, didn't know that they were into crocheting granny squares, knitting and cooking for my family because that is what I blog about, no?  He then went to on to say that he was sorry he read my blog because that reduced him to voyeurism.  He told me when I started this blog that blogging is voyeurism and he and his wife do not subscribe to it.  Was I offended? No!  Everyone is welcome to their own opinion.  But I was offended that he chose to read my blog instead of talking to me as that is not a healthy way to conduct a friendship.  Perhaps that was voyeuristic?  What do you think?

This is the third post out of 70 odd that I have written something deeply personal.  I just want to know what your thoughts are on blogging- Why do you blog?  I see bloggers who aspire to be published authors, who promote their online business, who are staying in touch with family and friends from across the world and who simply like to connect with others who enjoy similar hobbies.  Many are a combination of the above.  I have come across bloggers who I feel share a lot of personal stuff, but I don't read them.  I don't read blogs that don't interest me or offend me or that make me feel uncomfortable.  Perhaps you have already stopped reading this post and have clicked on to something else.  No one makes us read blogs.

Along the way, I have learnt a bit about blogging etiquette, much was already common sense.  Should I be commenting on every blog I read?  I do when I have something to say, but sometimes I don't have something to say back to the author- is that bad?  Is commenting on a post like signing a visitor's book?  More people visit my blog than comment- I know because I look at my stats- it doesn't bother me . . . does it bother you?

Tell me what you think.  I want to be a considerate blogger and I think perhaps I need some scope from you! 

Thank you...

xxx

Friendship

photograph taken from God Loves Me Baby Bible by Zonderkidz

Good morning on this beautiful Easter morning!  How are you today?  Choc-full, or have you only just started?

I have something pressing on my heart today.  I have had one of the worst weeks of my life.  A friendship died this week.  He was someone I admired and trusted who shattered all that in the course of 24 hours.  I value my friendships highly and feel like I am in mourning even though no one has died.

In my grief, though, I have been comforted but not just by my other precious friends throughout this 48hr ordeal.  I don't wear my christianity on my t-shirt.  It is a deeply personal thing but I will share it with others if I feel impressed to.  That is why I don't harp on about it here.  But Easter, along with Christmas, are times when I can safely talk about it without offense, don't you think?

I just want to tell you that  'A man who has friends must himself be friendly,^[a] But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.' Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV)

You can make all the friends in the world, but there is only One friend that won't ever let you down and in turn, will always love you, be kind to you, show mercy toward you and forgive you.  I want to be more like Him and I have many different friends who show these qualities too.  I am very grateful for my friends.

Today, the christian community are celebrating Christ's victory over death, the consequence of sin.  And, he gained this victory for all of us!  Hooray!  There is no heartache in this earth that can take away His love. 

I hope you are experiencing this friendship with Jesus.

Well, thanks for reading this far.  I am off now to eat some chocolate, not because it is Easter, but because it is chocolate (unless it's Easter here everyday)!

Blessings to each of you

Fiona xxxx

Book Loving :: God is a Knitter too!

I have recently discovered the wonderful writings of Max Lucado.  He captures God's love perfectly in his children's books, so much so that I find myself captivated.

God Thinks You're Wonderful is the first of his books to make it to my little library.

He writes so simply yet captures the essence of God for little children (and big kids aka me) so concisely.

And he reminded me today that God is a knitter too!  God knitted us, using our mother's womb.  He knitted my children, using my womb.  I love that analogy, not just because I knit but because the process of knitting is highly tactile and personal.  Every garment I knit, the entire length of yarn used has passed through my fingers, not an inch I haven't touched.  The process is time consuming and I do it as a labour of love.  Each garment is unique and covered in my fingerprints.

xxx

Winners & Losers

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I watched Winners & Losers on the 7 network last night.  Did you?

When the girls all gathered in the toilets, exactly where they were 10 years earlier and remarking that it is like nothing has changed despite all the changes in their lives, I totally related.

How is it that experiences at school, or for childhood that matter, can stick with you and rear its sometimes often ugly head with the correct triggers?  These four girls felt like losers again, why?  All because they saw their highschool bully and it was like 10 years on had not changed them at all, for a moment anyway.

I was bullied at school and who knows, maybe someone will list me as their bully (although, I don't believe I was).  And I still carry the scars that really hurt at seemingly random times.  For instance, I find it hard to trust and easily make friends with women who I think are stunningly beautiful.  They can be really nice but I find myself wondering what their true motivation is in talking to me.  I have recently met two ladies who I think I very pretty, always dressed nicely and are very nice but it has taken me a while to not feel like an ugly troll around them.  They make me feel this way by just being caste from the same apparent mold as some of the girls that used to bully me.  And then, let's face it, I began bullying myself internally and guess what?! I still do!!  These ladies are truly very nice and I am finding myself becoming less neurotic around them.  I would even bet that if they knew that they are who I am referring to, they would be shocked.  All reason tells me that but long ago deep scarring just doesn't seem to be ignored/healed easily. 

But I am a work in progress!  Praise God that "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!" (NIV) 2 Corinthians 5:17

I have been healed many times over by falling in love with Jesus.  I am so grateful that I have answered his knocking on my heart's door because he is my strength and my shield (Mathew 7:8 and Psalm 28:7) I am healed and can turn to Him in my weakness (Romans 8:26, 1 Cor 2:3, 2 Cor 12:9-10).

Do you have triggers that can bring you back to that moment you were made to feel very small?

I hope you have found healing too.

xxx

Psalm 46:1-3

Psalm 46:1-3

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 02:10 AM PDT

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

I just looked at yesterday's bible promise.  A timely reminder.

Let us all pray for Japan.

Let us all pray for the oppressed across the world.

Let us pray for our neighbours who may be victims of domestic violence or sufferers of illness or experiencing depression.

Let us uphold everyone, this earth, in prayer.

I believe that Jesus is returning and that there are signs, birth pains if you will, prior to his return.  I don't know how long it will be but I am hoping it is soon.  I want to go home.

xxx

Simple Life Challenge :: No More Shampoo

THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED, SEE EDIT BELOW 24/05/11

Since my debut into the blogging world, I have slowly been discovering all the wonderful blogs out there from adorable people who seem to love to share!  I can't begin to tell you how much I am learning about sewing and knitting, photography, food and the internet in general (oh goodness, also learning the convenience and inexpense of internet shopping overseas!) and now I see a challenge!  Well, this is what Brave New Me is all about - meeting challenges head on. 

So for a few years now I have wondered if I can go self-sufficient - eco friendly if you will, to improve our savings account, our health and to educate my boys.  Now seems like the best time to start as there is an abundance of information and support networks to do it.  And being brave and new means, NO MORE EXCUSES!  So what that we rent, I can build a portable veg garden!  The "I can'ts" can turn into "So what, I can learn and make do!"

Ok, this first challenge of doing away with shampoo actually commenced about 3 weeks ago.  A friend of mine, Rahni announced on facebook that she washed her hair with bi-carb soda and conditioned with apple cider vinegar.  I had heard this to be a beauty secret of beauties from bygone eras and thought perhaps I should give it a go.  My hair has been severely damaged by over zealous hairdressers waving brushes of gooey chemicals, bleaching my hair within an inch of my life.  My hair was so brittle and falling out that I knew I had to do something.  So I did!  And the result?  ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!  I totally recommend it to everyone! 

I followed the information from Heidi&Seek but in a nutshell, this is what I do (which is virtually the same):

1. Mix about a tablespoon of bicarb with about 1/2 teaspoon of water to make a paste (I use a plastic cup). You can add more water if you don't want it pastey. Then I just part my hair and rub it in. I don't even wet my hair first (I do this before getting in shower in front of the vanity) as I like to see where I've put the bicarb.

Edit: Must use on wet hair, not dry!  see extract below from this excellent site.

How do I go shampoo free?
Use one tablespoon of baking soda per one cup of warm or hot water. You can double or triple the recipe if you have very, very long or thick hair. But do not use more baking soda, your hair will become hard, dry or feel brittle if you use too much. You can put this mix in a recycled shampoo bottle, and apply to your hair with warm water.
The mix should not feel gritty, and should be a liquid. If you have very short or thick hair, you may find it easier to make a paste with a tablespoon of baking soda (or less) and sprinkle it over very wet hair and massage in. Otherwise, spray or pour the mixture onto your hair and work it in. Let it sit about a minute, and then rinse. I personally find it easiest to make a liquidy paste in the palm of my hand with about half a tablespoon, and then sprinkle and massage into dripping wet hair. I have very short hair, so I use less. Experiment and see what works best for you, there are no official rules.
For a typical rinse, make up a solution of one to two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) per cup of water. Apply to wet hair, massage into scalp and rinse off with cold water. Please note, you don't always have to apply a rinse with every wash! I personally find I only need to do a rinse every 2-3 washes.

I start with the crown and part, then along the front hair line, particularly the temples and then around the back. Then I just do a random dab here and there.
2. Before jumping in the shower I pour about 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into another cup and top it up with water and take it into the shower with me.
3. When in the shower, wet your hair and rub it all over. It will feel really funny and your hair will feel knotty and tangled and it will squeak! Yes, I reckon that is where the term squeaky clean came from!! Massage it in, you actually want to promote the natural oil production (your hair will not go oily from doing this!). Then rinse it out.
4. Finally, I grab the cup of vinegar and dip the ends of my hair straight into it! Works better for long hair I reckon. Then with the rest of the vinegar I pour it over the lengths. I actually bought a plastic sauce dispensar for this as it works like the squeezy tubes that hair dye come in. Then rinse the lot out. You may think at first that your hair is knotty but you will be surprised at how easily you will be able to run a comb through it!  The vinegar smell doesn't last long but if it bothers you, spritz your hair with rose water or perfume.

Even though I got good results straight up, some people say that it takes a few washes before your scalp is used to it and you could go oily a bit faster ie wash every day or second day but after about 2 weeks you'll be washing only twice a week! It worked straight away for me.

My hair is still showing signs of the damage caused by bleaching but to touch it, it is really soft now.  Brushing my hair twice a day has really helped too.
Yesterday, I checked back in with Hayley from Heidi&Seek as her post was back in 2009.  This is what she had to say:

Hi Fiona,

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

You asked whether I'm still using ACV and bicarb for my hair - the answer is yes! Although I've occasionally used a Lush shampoo bar instead of the bicarb, and I can't tell the difference between them in terms of how my hair feels afterwards.

I missed the foam of shampoo for a while after I started on the bicarb, but now I don't really notice too much.

How are you going with it?

If you have any questions about ethical/second-hand shopping or buying clothes that suit you, I'd be happy to answer them!

Cheers,
Hayley

You can find Hayley's new blog here.

Have you made any changes for a more Simple Life?  What would you like to simplify and why?

xxx

Quirky & Boring? Can the two exist?

As some of you know, I am totally new to this blogging thang.  So, when the opportunity arises, I go for a jaunt in blogland and soak up all the creativity and inspiration out there.  It's like stepping through the wardrobe! 

Last week or so, Pip at Meet Me At Mikes introduced Michelle from Hugo & Elsa on her blog and I was whisked away to a little country paradise in Tasmania.  When I find a new blog that tickles my fancy, I do a random flick through their history.  And it was at Hugo & Elsa that I found this little game.  Now, this is from a post from 2 years ago and perhaps this game has run its course (or is still running).  But it sounds fun, so here I go:

Here's how to play:

1) Link to the person who tagged you
2) Mention the rules
3) Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself
4) Tag six other bloggers by linking to them
5) Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged

1. I love love love promite on raison toast.  I have introduced this delicacy to my husband who after saying that he was never going to try it was sprung in the kitchen one morning munching on it.  He loves it too and has tried to convince his eldest son to put it on his cafe's menu!  I suspect my husband had been consuming it for a while before I discovered his little secret.





L- top drawer                                                                                        R- 2nd drawer

2.  The cutlery tray in the top drawer must have all the spoons spooning and the forks hugging and the knives . . . well, they just lie there as they can be rather unruley.  But surrounding the tray is a free-for-all and lets not talk about the second drawer!  The mess polarizes the order in the tray and that strangely makes me happy.

3.  When I was little, I jumped out of my car seat and put my hands over my mother's eyes while she was driving and squeeled "guess who?!" . . .  no one knows what I was thinking.




image source


4.  High on my list of blessings-in-the-little-things are sundried sheets. . . going to bed on a cool evening and slipping between sheets that were earlier soaking up the rays is what good dreams are made of.  I would do this every evening if I didn't have to make the bed up by myself!

5. I recently discovered that if I wear my black maxi dress that doesn't have straps (boob tube style) when I haven't shaved my legs for 2 days, the little spikes actually start pulling the dress down as I walk!  It made for an awkward grocery shopping experience last week.




image source

6.  I have never been to the snow - been as close as compacted shaved ice but not snow.



Okey dokey - here are six lovely bloggers that I think you would enjoy a frolick through their corner of the blogoverse and I am inviting them to play along:

I was told to get a hobby - Jen has an awesome blog about her crafty hobbies and her babies.
Country 2 the City - Ms Rita is a talented design student who has recently cruised into the Blogoverse.
Life on Planet Baby - Jane's blog is sublime!  Very honest and funny and full of useful tips especially for bloggers!
Little Poppa & Me - Tammi's blog is inspirational, relaxing and full of homemade eye candy.  A very talented kiwi living in WA
Meet Me at Mikes - I'd be very surprised if you haven't met the talented and published Pip.  She's very inspiring and happy!  Pip's blog is a safe haven when feeling low and uninspired.
Hugo & Elsa - Michelle's photography will have you booking your next holiday in Tasmania.  Beware, you may find yourself licking your computer screen as she showcases her perfect cupcakes.  A little piece of escapism.

Boring and Quirky - Can you meld the two?
xx