I Love My Family

Today, I'm feeling somewhat sad. Last year in Queens Birthday weekend we moved my mum out of her house that she's lived in for 38 years. My dad and her built that house and we moved in in 1984. My mum went to stay with my sister. I'm picking that she never thought she would die within 9 months. That she never got to live in her unit she was building out the back of my sister's house, that when in Queenstown it would be the last time, she saw my family altogether.

I spent the last weekend at my sister's house going through the last of her things.

How sad that when someone does there are just things.... random things. Like the tins of buttons, jars of paper clips and drawing pins. I brought back six glasses she had kept that she wanted to use in her new tiny home. They make me sad...that she never got to use them again.

It does make you want to live the very best life you possibly can. Love each other, hug your spouse and hug your kids. Deeply love them.

Every single time I see a monarch butterfly it makes me think of my mum.

Seen here with her 13 grandchildren!

1st Day of School

Our baby started school today!! What a day she had! She already told her teacher that she knows how to count to 100 and knows how to learn!

We are so thankful that she and her siblings get to attend our local Christian School. Knowing that they are being taught scripture, songs and Gods truth throughout the day. This is not something we take for granted. In a world that is growing more and more unstable.... we are blessed to send her here.

I cannot believe she is 5 and at school!! Where did those five years go!!

What a way to Eat

One of my latest reads....an excellent book by the way! Its fill with a commonsense way of eating.

For years since I was a teenager I totally bought into the diet culture and done ALL the diets in order to look a certain way. If we look back into the 1950s and further back than that we notice that not too many people were overweight. Why? Because they ate wholefoods, in their proper form. Raw milk, eggs, tallow/animal fat, cheese and animal organs (especially if you grew up on a farm) little sugar and little process food. They moved more in their daily life, didn't fear the sun and spent more time outside.

Fast forward to now.... I'm have a hypothyroid problem. Which means I just need to look at the wrong type of food...well you catch my drift. With the introduction of seed oils, plant-based milk and food and low-carb diet.... our metabolism are suffering. I've done plant-based, keto, fasting, high intensity exercise, prolonged cardio and everything else you could think of. Now as a woman in my 40s... I am reaping the un-rewards of those choices. Now I'm focusing of healing my metabolism by eating all the good things. No food group is off limits...apart from seed oils and for me gluten as it mimics an antithyroid enzyme.

I am no longer cold all the time, my thyroid has stabilized, no brain fog, more energy and I have more even moods. I am eating meat, eggs, animal fats even animal organs.... all the good food. If you look at what the French eat...you'd be surprised at the very low incidents of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. I do weights three times a week and that's it and move my body more.

Is the weight falling off....no but it's not getting any worse. I have to remind myself it's taken me years to get here plus I have had eight kids...this ain't going to be an overnight fix. My focus now is healing my hormones, my metabolism...life is too short to make myself sicker.

What A Gift

The Word, my favorite three-year-old, coffee and mid-morning sun. It couldn't have been better...what a gift!

Every single day we get gifts from God above. Sometimes/most of the time we are too busy to recognize them. Gifts that are hidden in the normal everyday-ness of our lives. Can you find them?

As parents we can get caught up in the world's culture that parenting is hard. But hard doesn't mean it's bad. Yes, we are raising our babies without a village, yes, we are raising babies with working grandparents or broken networks of families.... that's tough. But I reckon we are starting to believe the lie of the world that leads us to focus solely on ourselves. Me me me and more me!

It's time to take a look at what we are believing about our kids and parenting, what the Word says and how we can apply it to our lives.

"“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.”

- Ps 127:3

As Charlie sat across the table from me, she looked up at me and smiled and said what she always says, "I like to go by you mum". Which means she goes wherever I go. I love this.... what a true gift from heaven!

Blessings to you

Merry Christmas everyone!

I thought that I would share the benediction that Jamie shared this morning at Sunday's church service.

Gods' richest blessings on you all

The Lord bless you and keep you;

May the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

May the love of the Father, the tenderness of the Jesus, and the presence of the Holy Spirit always be on your heart and bring peace to your day.

May God the Father be with you on your journey.

May Jesus be the guide to your footsteps.

May the Holy Spirit strengthen you, as they watch over you, on every road that you may take over this holiday period.

May the love of God uphold you and the wisdom of God always lead you.

May God’s whisper cheer you on, and may God be the shield that protects you,

May the beauty of God be reflected in your eyes, the love of God be reflected in your hands, the wisdom of God

be reflected in your words, and the knowledge of God flow from your heart, that all might see, and seeing, believe

May your holiday be blessed by moments of quietness, strength in your weakness, grace in your meekness,

joy in your gladness, peace in your stillness.

May your holidays be blessed

If Not Now, When?

I don't know about how you are doing in this time...but for me and my family we are on our knees. You only need to leave your front door, and the entire country is blinded by Cxxxd talk. Frankly I am tired of it. There are other things happening in this world, there are other things that matter in this country. What is happening in this country is WRONG. If not now when is a good time to pray? When is a good time to seek the LORDS face? When is a good time to immerse yourself in scripture? When is the time to seek TRUTH? So, I encourage you...pray for your family, pray for your friends, pray for your community and pray for your country. Presently we still have God mentioned in our national anthem.... now is the time to be singing it over our country. We have strayed very far away from God....now is a good time to get on our knees...don't you think?

(Lyrics from What if His People Prayed by Castings Crowns)

What if the armies of the Lord

Picked up and dusted off their swords

Vowed to set the captives free

And not let Satan have one more

What if the church for heaven's sake

Finally stepped up to the plate

Took and stand upon God's promise

And stormed hell's rusty gates

What if His people prayed

And those who bear His name

Would humbly seek His face

And turn from their own way

And what would happen if we prayed

For those raised up to lead the way

Then maybe kids in school could pray

And unborn children see light of day

What if the life that we pursue

Came from a hunger for the truth

What if the family turned to Jesus

Stopped asking Oprah what to do

He said that they would hear

His promise has been made

He’s answered loud and clear, Yeah

If only we would pray

If My people called by My name

If they'll humble themselves and pray

If My people called by My name

If they'll humble themselves and pray

(Lyrics from What if His People by Casting Crowns)

2 Chronicles 7:14

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Say Yes

Our world is chaotic and hurting right now. Viruses, wars and fires can make anyone feel helpless and lost. 

When the harshness of this world creeps around seeking to derail we must become softer, gentler, love fiercely, nurture more, be kinder and step lightly with more grace and mercy. Smile with your eyes. 

Notice tiny flecks of beauty as you go. The dapple of early morning sunlight through the trees. The conversations of the birds in the trees. The first flowers of spring. The cool dampness of the grass under your feet, the crunch of gravel as cars slows at intersections. The butter yellow flower that has grown through the cracks in the concrete. The warm later winter sun soothing away woes. 

Bring yourself fully to where you are right now and invite God to join you. Tell Him your secrets, your dreams.... your worries. He wants to know. Pray for those who you love and those you don't.

Create. Bake. Read. Cook. Sew. Paint. Sing. Dance. Say yes. 

Be soft to be strong. Don't let the harshness and uncertainty of these times steal anymore from you. 

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10 v10