A Favourite...
Check out A Social Network Christmas for a more modern take on an old Christmas story. Imagine if Mary & Joseph were your friends on Facebook?! In an age where many people broadcast their good news far and wide via FB and Twitter and the like, perhaps we could use those social networks as a forum for broadcasting God's good news this Christmas.....He loves us and made us; We destroyed that precious relationship by rejecting Him; He gave His Son for us - to rescue us; We can respond with our hearts and minds and lives....And in process, reignite that precious relationship with Him. That's what makes our Christmas MERRY!
A Friend....or 2 or 3 or.....
To all readers of this blog....thanks for reading! And for encouraging me. Your words and comments mean a great deal and keep me keeping on. Merry Christmas friends! Hope tomorrow is a special day for you and yours. Praying for you all! And we'll talk again, sometime soon:)
Showing posts with label favourites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label favourites. Show all posts
Friday, December 24, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Friday Friends & Faves #10
Friends....
I made a new Facebook friend this week, thanks to my sister. Hello Kate! (Her name is Katelyn but she prefers Kate:) Here's a few things about Kate before I tell you about the GREAT thing she is doing. She turns 21 in January. Her Dad is a pastor and her Mum is a midwife and has recently been through a battle with cancer. Kate is currently deferring her uni studies and is a huge sports lover, keen hockey and soccer player. She took up photography as a hobby and stress relief in high school. Her dog Nala just had 9 puppies. (Thanks T for the details:)
I made a new Facebook friend this week, thanks to my sister. Hello Kate! (Her name is Katelyn but she prefers Kate:) Here's a few things about Kate before I tell you about the GREAT thing she is doing. She turns 21 in January. Her Dad is a pastor and her Mum is a midwife and has recently been through a battle with cancer. Kate is currently deferring her uni studies and is a huge sports lover, keen hockey and soccer player. She took up photography as a hobby and stress relief in high school. Her dog Nala just had 9 puppies. (Thanks T for the details:)
Now, the reason Kate makes it onto Friday's Friends & Faves is because she is doing something terrific with her photos.....31 Days of Gratitude. I hope that if you click the link, you'll find and enjoy the photos and comments that she has creatively put together. Thanks Kate for reminding us to walk through life with our eyes wide open to see the blessings God has placed in our life and to be thankful for them...even the rain!
Faves...
I guess Kate's 31 Days of Gratitude is a favourite. But I also wanted to post a couple of links to Christmas ideas that I really like. This is a great time of year for celebrating with friends and families and we can make it even more special with some of these clever, inexpensive ideas.
Question Jar....although we would probably NOT do this cozying up with a hot chocolate on the couch in front of the fireplace.
"May your Christmas be Merry & Sprite"...a little bit of festive fizzy:)
Christmas Decorations recipes...from one of my favourite on-line recipe websites.
Faves...
I guess Kate's 31 Days of Gratitude is a favourite. But I also wanted to post a couple of links to Christmas ideas that I really like. This is a great time of year for celebrating with friends and families and we can make it even more special with some of these clever, inexpensive ideas.
Question Jar....although we would probably NOT do this cozying up with a hot chocolate on the couch in front of the fireplace.
"May your Christmas be Merry & Sprite"...a little bit of festive fizzy:)
Christmas Decorations recipes...from one of my favourite on-line recipe websites.
Have fun being festive my friends!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Friday Friends & Faves #9
Friends:
My friends Heather and Cam work for Student Life - a Christian group at work on a number of university campuses throughout Australia. God used time in Student Life small groups and one-on-one with SL staff, way back in the mid-90s, to change my life forever. And Heather and Cam were at uni with me and involved as students with SL.
Now, years later, they continue to share the love of God, the salvation gift of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit with new generations of uni students. They do it on campus...and off (as you'll read below). And it is their heart to share the life-giving and changing message of Christianity that has challenged me in the past couple of weeks since I read the email below.
I hope that as we head into December...a time for remembering Jesus' birth and all that event sparked....we might take to heart Cam's example and have a real boldness and passion for sharing the faith we have.
A recent trip to Victoria by Heather and Cam was marked by this little gem in their journey. They shared it in a recent email:
My friends Heather and Cam work for Student Life - a Christian group at work on a number of university campuses throughout Australia. God used time in Student Life small groups and one-on-one with SL staff, way back in the mid-90s, to change my life forever. And Heather and Cam were at uni with me and involved as students with SL.
Now, years later, they continue to share the love of God, the salvation gift of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit with new generations of uni students. They do it on campus...and off (as you'll read below). And it is their heart to share the life-giving and changing message of Christianity that has challenged me in the past couple of weeks since I read the email below.
I hope that as we head into December...a time for remembering Jesus' birth and all that event sparked....we might take to heart Cam's example and have a real boldness and passion for sharing the faith we have.
A recent trip to Victoria by Heather and Cam was marked by this little gem in their journey. They shared it in a recent email:
Well, we’re not even in Victoria yet (still staying with friends in Sydney) but Cam has shared his faith multiple times – with servo dudes and a guy we met on the bus on the way to see the sights of Darling Harbour. Cam’s still dripping from the apartment complex pool where he shared his faith with residents Athol and Zumi. I’ve learned to substitute prayer for panic whenever Cam is taking longer than I thought in the shops, or down town or even in the toilet. He’s just sharing his faith (or in the case of the toilet, reading apologetics books). But Cam would be quick to remind you not to be in awe of his gift of evangelism (or ablutionary reading), but to ask God to give you courage to step up to bat. He would say that remembering to ask the Golden Question – have you had much to do with Christian things? – is a matter of practice and courage. So fresh from the pool, here’s how the conversation went 5 minutes ago...
Cam: Hi I’m Cam. Do you guys live here?
A&Z: yes. What about you?
Cam: I’m from Toowoomba and I’m on my way to Victoria to help Christian uni students reach out to schoolies and see if any of them want help connecting to God. What about you? Have you had much to do with Christian things?
A&Z (positively): we’re Hindus, but we’ve just been to Hillsong Church, our first experience of Christian things.
Cam: was that a positive experience for you?
A&Z: it was great!
Cam: what did you like about it?
A&Z: people were so alive and enthusiastic and loving. And we’ve got Christian friends now.
Cam: how does that affect what you think about Christianity?
A&Z: we like it, but we don’t think it’s right to just follow a religion.
Cam: you mean a religion where it’s all about following rules?
A&Z: yes. It doesn’t seem right to have to follow a lot of rules to get something.
Cam: I’ve got good news for you: the essence of Christianity is actually relationship, not rules. It’s all about having a friendship with God. Following rules can lead to problems like pride and thinking you’re better than others because you’re following rules well. But Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So I had a close look at Jesus to see if what he was saying was true, and I learned that the way we go through Jesus to God the Father is through Jesus’ forgiveness for things we do wrong. This leads to us being humble, which puts us in a better position to extend friendship to others.
A&Z: wow! That makes sense. It would stop a lot of wars and things.
Cam: now, because I’m grateful for forgiveness, I make choices to do what God wants, not because it’s a rule, but because of my friendship with God. So are you interested in finding out more about a friendship with God through Jesus?
A&Z: yes!
Cam: do you have an iPhone?
A&Z: yes!
Cam: go to the Apps Store and get a free application called Knowing God Personally (gospel presentation developed by Campus Crusade for Christ)
A&Z: Great! I’ll do that!
Favourites:
My sister Megan has put her talents to work this year and been very creative....with material. I really admire her efforts, particularly as Home Ec was not my strong suit in school and I spend way more time unpicking than sewing if I ever do it. Megan's on-line store has lots of cute items for kids and if you're looking for a special Christmas gift, check out Tail Endz Even if you're not in the market for kids' clothes and bags, have a look anyway, just for the "Awwwww....cute" buzz:)
My sister Megan has put her talents to work this year and been very creative....with material. I really admire her efforts, particularly as Home Ec was not my strong suit in school and I spend way more time unpicking than sewing if I ever do it. Megan's on-line store has lots of cute items for kids and if you're looking for a special Christmas gift, check out Tail Endz Even if you're not in the market for kids' clothes and bags, have a look anyway, just for the "Awwwww....cute" buzz:)
Friday, November 26, 2010
Friday Friends & Faves #8
Friends....
Did you know? You are not alone in reading this blog?
I found that surprising!
This past couple of weeks I have been HUGELY blessed to receive emails from girls all over the place who have told me how much they enjoy reading Keep It Real and how much encouragement they receive from it. That blows me away, even though it has been my prayer. I guess what it says is "Once again, God has answered my prayers." Thanks Father!
I also just wanted to let you know about the journey of some of your fellow readers...your 'Friday Friends' so to speak. Here's some of what's been happening...
And in between the BIG stuff, everyone's been doing all the little stuff that makes this thing called LIFE happen.
Isn't it an encouragement to know that so many people are living and loving, just like us? Hope you feel a little more connected to them today.
PS: You are more than welcome...any of you (even ones who have already done it!) to make contributions to Friday's blogs. Anything you can write...from a few sentences to an essay....is welcome. Tell us a bit of your story. What's God been doing in your life? Teaching you? What have you learned lately? Just email them to me, via my personal email or through a Facebook message. Thanks.
Faves....
This one won't be everyone's cup of tea...it's a bit too specialised for that. But a website I stumbled across in a Google search that has become invaluable to me is Chronicles of a BabyWise Mom.
Jam packed with solid advice on baby and child raising, it has been a help when I have had questions...BIG ones and little ones. It covers soooo much about child raising...as the topic list on the right side of the home page shows. Some of the topics I have read about include: E.A.S.Y., playtime, nappies, cluster feeding, schedules, sleep, baby food, wrapping, "The Happiest Baby on the Block", toys, etc.... And you don't have to be a subscriber to the Baby Wise philosophy to get some good ideas from the website. Anyway...for those of you in the baby/child years, perhaps you'd like to have a quick visit and see if it's of any use.
Did you know? You are not alone in reading this blog?
I found that surprising!
This past couple of weeks I have been HUGELY blessed to receive emails from girls all over the place who have told me how much they enjoy reading Keep It Real and how much encouragement they receive from it. That blows me away, even though it has been my prayer. I guess what it says is "Once again, God has answered my prayers." Thanks Father!
I also just wanted to let you know about the journey of some of your fellow readers...your 'Friday Friends' so to speak. Here's some of what's been happening...
- a baby growing in Mummy's belly
- lots of babies born....scales definitely tipped in the boys favour
- resignations
- new jobs
- an engagement
- divorce papers signed
- injuries
- recovery
- travel
- moving house
- children graduating
- attending new job interviews
- birthdays
- farewells
- buying land
- 'welcome home's
- funerals
- last days at work
- assignments done
- marks received
- prayers prayed...some answered 'yes', others 'no' and I guess there's a couple 'wait awhiles' too
And in between the BIG stuff, everyone's been doing all the little stuff that makes this thing called LIFE happen.
Isn't it an encouragement to know that so many people are living and loving, just like us? Hope you feel a little more connected to them today.
PS: You are more than welcome...any of you (even ones who have already done it!) to make contributions to Friday's blogs. Anything you can write...from a few sentences to an essay....is welcome. Tell us a bit of your story. What's God been doing in your life? Teaching you? What have you learned lately? Just email them to me, via my personal email or through a Facebook message. Thanks.
Faves....
This one won't be everyone's cup of tea...it's a bit too specialised for that. But a website I stumbled across in a Google search that has become invaluable to me is Chronicles of a BabyWise Mom.
Jam packed with solid advice on baby and child raising, it has been a help when I have had questions...BIG ones and little ones. It covers soooo much about child raising...as the topic list on the right side of the home page shows. Some of the topics I have read about include: E.A.S.Y., playtime, nappies, cluster feeding, schedules, sleep, baby food, wrapping, "The Happiest Baby on the Block", toys, etc.... And you don't have to be a subscriber to the Baby Wise philosophy to get some good ideas from the website. Anyway...for those of you in the baby/child years, perhaps you'd like to have a quick visit and see if it's of any use.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Friday Friends and Faves
Hi Faithful Readers...and First-timers!
I have decided to keep Friday's both real and simple. And I need your help to do it.
First, the 'faves' bit. I'll post a website or blog that I read and find helpful. Maybe you'd like to check it out too. Feel free to make suggestions via my email or facebook of blogs or sites you like too.
And second...the 'friends' bit. If you would like to have your say in more than a comment...and I know some of you have had trouble commenting....please Facebook or email me with your thoughts or something you have written and I will endeavour to post it on a Friday.
So friends...get creative...get real!...and send me your suggestions for useful websites and your murmurings. Looking forward to hearing from you....soon!
BTW...today's fave is also a friend (so clever!):
B is also a 30-something Mum....although she is nowhere near as advanced into that decade as I am. She has two blogs worth checking out....you'll see the links to them on this page...just to the left and down.
B Being Cool is a fun look at 'cool' stuff. And considering B's impeccable taste...this stuff is super cool. From websites to accessories to books to 100 cats on the lose in IKEA, if you are looking to increase your coolness quotient, look no further than www.bbeingcool.blogspot.com
And for something a little more life-altering....B also writes Walking With B......her wonderful attempt to 'be real' in the area of spirituality and life. You'll find thought-provoking posts on Sunday mornings and their craziness, perfection and its craziness and all manner of other crazy and not-so-crazy topics.
Keep up the great work B....I love your work!
Finally...if you'll indulge me. Here's my latest favourite photo of my little man....
I have decided to keep Friday's both real and simple. And I need your help to do it.
First, the 'faves' bit. I'll post a website or blog that I read and find helpful. Maybe you'd like to check it out too. Feel free to make suggestions via my email or facebook of blogs or sites you like too.
And second...the 'friends' bit. If you would like to have your say in more than a comment...and I know some of you have had trouble commenting....please Facebook or email me with your thoughts or something you have written and I will endeavour to post it on a Friday.
So friends...get creative...get real!...and send me your suggestions for useful websites and your murmurings. Looking forward to hearing from you....soon!
BTW...today's fave is also a friend (so clever!):
B is also a 30-something Mum....although she is nowhere near as advanced into that decade as I am. She has two blogs worth checking out....you'll see the links to them on this page...just to the left and down.
B Being Cool is a fun look at 'cool' stuff. And considering B's impeccable taste...this stuff is super cool. From websites to accessories to books to 100 cats on the lose in IKEA, if you are looking to increase your coolness quotient, look no further than www.bbeingcool.blogspot.com
And for something a little more life-altering....B also writes Walking With B......her wonderful attempt to 'be real' in the area of spirituality and life. You'll find thought-provoking posts on Sunday mornings and their craziness, perfection and its craziness and all manner of other crazy and not-so-crazy topics.
Keep up the great work B....I love your work!
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