Friday 31 August 2012

Final countdown..................

The final countdown has begun, it was inevitable that the last weekend of the summer vacation would arrive and it is here.  This time next week, in fact after two days of teacher training memories of carefree summer evenings become a little distorted as we hit the ground running as a new academic session begins.  I am usually overwhelmed by the enormity of the demands I know a new session will bring and like many of my colleagues may have a somewhat restless night on Sunday, not out of worry, but probably just sheer adrenalin.  Additionally our visit from Her Majesty's Inspectors still loom so that will bring additional pressure from the top, we are hoping they will visit early...........

Today (day 249) I am thankful to be able to do a job I have wanted to do from the age of around 8, privileged to be given responsibility for the care of such precious 'cargo.'

Thursday 30 August 2012

The Waltons...........not quite

Goodnight John-Boy, goodnight Mary Ellen, goodnight Elizabeth................ John and Olivia Walton were raising seven children, well so are we, well, just for a day or two and it's all good fun.  It's good to be a back seat driver and just observe children, at play, falling out, making up, negotiating, taking charge, caring, sharing......... just being friends, it makes fascinating viewing. 

We have been blessed to be keeping watch over some children as their Mum and Dad take some much needed R & R and it has been non stop in our household today and if I'm honest I ache in lots of places, but a nice kind of ache, if that's possible!

I am thankful today (day 248) for the opportunity to keep on learning.

Wednesday 29 August 2012

The boys are back in town......

The boys are back in town, having thoroughly enjoyed their fellowship in the not quite wilderness, both keen to enjoy a long soak in the bath. Sam agreed it was good to try something he hadn't experienced before and would not rule out doing it again despite the wet weather, numerous frogs, flying insects and a dead rat.  Talk of fun games, good food and lengthy conversations about God really made me happy.

Incidentally when Aaron arrived home from camp I was on the phone and he commented on the breadth of my smile as I chatted and asked who I was chatting to.  I told him it was Aunty Shad, my sister....................... Time spent in her company, even when it is just on the phone is just an enormous blessing.  We take time to listen to each other, offer advice and just encourage each other.  We always finish our conversations feeling like conquerors and today (day 247) I am truly thankful.

With the Paralympic Games opening ceremony underway inspirational stories are in abundance and stop you in your tracks; not stories of pity, but as a commentator said, stories of how people have chosen to react to adversity.................  A story I hadn't heard before was that of Martine Wright who will be competing in the sitting volleyball competition. Wright lost both of her legs in the Aldgate underground explosion in the 7/7 London bombings in 2005.  She lost 80% of the blood in her body and was in a coma for ten days and had to undergo ten months of surgery following the injury. (Wikipedia)


 Commitment and Courage
'Rise up...take courage and do it.' Ezra 10:4
Terry Fox ran across Canada and raised twenty-four million dollars
 to fight cancer. What's amazing is that he did it with one leg; cancer
had taken the other. He planned to run twenty-six miles each day but
because of severe headaches, snow and icy roads, after a month he'd
only managed to struggle about eight miles a day. So why did he keep going?
Because the purpose in his heart was stronger than the pain in his body.
They could amputate his leg, but not his spirit! Commitment is a willingness
to do whatever it takes; it's a promise to yourself, from which you refuse to
back down. There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're
interested you do it only when it's convenient, but when you're committed you
accept no excuses-only results. Only you can decide whether the rewards are
worth the effort, for there are trade-offs. You can't have a healthy body and live
on junk food. A guaranteed salary is nonexistent when you start your own
business. Mindless hours of watching television and straight 'A's' are a rare
combination. Commitment means paying your dues. It also means disregarding
your critics. Jesus did that. 'But Jesus ignored their comments and said...'Don't
be afraid. Just trust me' (Mark 5:36 TLB). Ralph Waldo Emerson said:
'Whatever course you decide upon, there will always be someone to tell you
that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to
believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow
it to an end requires courage.'
UCB Word for Today

A poignant message for today's events.





 

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Girls like to have fun........

What to do when the boys are away
Oh yes girls should most definitely go out to play
Where oh where shall we choose?
Mmm, a place to dine by The Cam or The Ouse

A spot of shopping, the window kind of course
No persuasion necessary or any kind of force
And when offered a small thing as a treat
Gracie thought hard and books, books she said would be neat
Us girls we like to have fun
And a Mummy and daughter day we enjoyed in the welcoming sun..............

Today (day 246) I give hearty thanks for such a blessing, hope your day was too.

Monday 27 August 2012

The great outdoors............. here they come!

I know my Ayo was thrilled it was a holiday today, having clocked around 400 miles over the weekend and even the damp, grey skies couldn't discolour his delight.  The lie-in was most welcome.

I had to chuckle at my boys today, well, actually Sam, as he and Aaron set off for a couple of nights camping with our fellowship youth group.  Aaron loves the outdoors and is a bit of a veteran when it comes to camping having spent several years as a scout and having only last week camped with a best mate in the garden.  Sam on the other hand is more like me and aside from being very much a homebody loves his creature comforts and was hesitant when it was time to leave. I do though, have total confidence that he will embrace the experience for what it is, a time of fun fuelled fellowship and bonding.  Gracie was counting down till their departure, they were probably doing the same ............... glad for a bit of R&R from her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  She'll feel differently tomorrow when she wakes up and her best buds are not here!

An impromptu, but welcome visit from friends completed a full on day and today (day 245) I am thankful.

Sunday 26 August 2012

Celebrating more good times...................

When I woke up this morning I was still thinking about the lovely anniversary celebration and was reminded of a fun activity Ayo and I did around the time of our 10th wedding anniversary. We got pieces of paper and each had to write down 50 reasons we were glad to be married to each other. We then shared our reasons with each other. You know it was not hard work to think of 50 each. In fact we could have gone beyond 50. The reasons were varied and many were based on what we did to serve each other or what we did to express our love for each other, the little things that hadn't gone unnoticed. It was a simple activity, but brought so much joy.

Now I know I said there was no sermon yesterday, but I came across this and.............

Keys for a Successful Marriage by Larry Moreland

It is long but I am sure you will b blessed by it.

BUILD REAL GENUINE INTIMACY
God says in Genesis 2:24, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.” Intimacy is often thought of only in terms of the physical relationship. But when God says one should cleave to his wife, He is saying that there is total intimacy of spirit, soul, and body. If there is no intimacy of the soul and spirit, then the physical relationship will not be fulfilling.
Build closeness. Sit down frequently and talk things over. Be a good listener. Communicate. Share your feelings. Let your husband or wife know that he or she is the most important person on earth to you. Many times after marriage occurs, times of intimate sharing become less and less frequent, and the early super-romantic feeling dwindle, and the first tingly love is lost. Then some married partners say they are not “in love” anymore. But the early romantic spirit of courtship must continue to grow if the marriage is to be a successful marriage.
Also, sometimes when problems set in, one or both of the married companions start to talk with someone else instead of communicating with each other, if you need to talk to someone, both of you together should talk with your pastor, a trusted Christian friend, or a Christian counsellor.
But when you start sharing deep feelings with a friend at work, or with some other casual acquaintance — or when you bottle up your feelings — there is bound to be trouble. The husband and wife should share the deep feelings and innermost thoughts with each other. This is one of the reasons why God has designed that a man or woman should have a married partner.

KEEP ON BEING SWEETHEARTS
The great treatise on love is found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. God says, “Love suffers long, and is kind; love envies not, vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” It is helpful to note the things that love is and that love does. Love is based on giving, on pleasing God, and on being in harmony with one another. God so loved the world that He “gave” (John 3:1B). Love is manifested through giving. Love toward another is the willingness to give to that person whatever you have that he needs, because you know that such an attitude is God’s will. And when you graciously give to a married partner, good feelings will follow, and you will discover that you are in love all over again.
Don’t ever lay aside the spirit of courtship. Some men make provision for a special date with their wife each week. That isn’t a bad idea. Give it a try. And tell your wife at least once a day that you love her — and then show it ten times a day by your kindness, courtesy, and thoughtfulness. If each husband and wife would work as hard to keep each other as they once did to attract each other in the first place, most domestic home problems would be solved.
 
FORGIVE AND FORGET CONFLICTS
The instruction of the Bible is, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking, be put away from you … and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). Never be afraid to go to your marriage companion and ask forgiveness for a careless word or a wrong deed.
Some say, “But, I can’t.” Others say, “But don’t feel like it.” However, we must forgive and forget, not because we feel like it but because it is right — because God says so.
Do you know that when we trust Christ as Saviour, God the Father promises to remember our sins no more? He will never bring up those sins to us again. Can we not, with the power of Jesus Christ working within us, forgive our mate’s failures, and promise never to bring them up again? This is God’s way. If we will follow this procedure, the mind will more and more be inclined to forget. But if we don’t forgive, our bitterness and alienation will grow stronger, and a bitter spirit will develop and do much harm spiritually, mentally, and physically. We need to learn to never build walls, but to build bridges of love and understanding.
An anonymous writer says: “They say a wife and husband, bit by bit, can rear between themselves a mighty wall — so thick they cannot speak with ease through it, nor can they see across it — it stands so tall. Its nearness frightens them, but each alone is powerless to tear its bulk away; and each wishes he had known some magic thing to say. So let us build with master art, my dear, a bridge of love between your life and mine, a bridge of tenderness, and a bridge of understanding, strong and fine — till we have formed so many lovely ties, there never will be room for walls to rise.”
 
PRACTISE PRAYER AND BIBLE READING
The Psalmist says, “Thy word have I hidden in mine heart that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). And in the New Testament, we read, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We have many problems in life because we don’t take seriously the matter of hiding God’s Word in our hearts. The more that we build Scripture into our lives the greater will be our success in strengthening the marriage relationship. Seldom is there a divorce where there is a regular family altar with daily prayer and Bible reading.
Begin each new day with the family altar. By the “family altar” we simply mean that you take the Bible, read a portion from its pages, and then as a family kneel around the altar of prayer — and in simple language ask God to rule over your home, and ask His blessing upon all who dwell there. The God-fearing families of Israel “rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord” (1 Samuel 1:19). They started each new day with a family altar. Families that pray together stay together.
Read the Bible together. Study it. Memorise Scripture. Meditate on God’s Word. As we build Scripture into our lives we come to know more and more about God’s ways and will increasingly be able to live according to His will. But if we don’t concentrate on learning the Scriptures, then we open our lives to greater infiltration by the false philosophies of this evil world system.
 
LIVE ON A MATURE LEVEL
God says we should not be like children “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, who is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:14-15).
The Scriptures show us how to live mature lives, instead of being childish in our way of doing things. Some are inclined to say, “I’ll do things my way.” Others say, “But everybody’s doing it this way.” The Christian, however, must look to the Word of God and not to the sinful world for advice. The Christian who is mature says, “I’ll do it God’s way because He knows best.” The world needs to see more examples of true married love. Carefully read Ephesians 5:22-25 and note how married love is intended by God to be a demonstration of the love of God for the church. The Christian home is to be a home where love reigns supreme, a home where the husband loves his wife with the sacrificial-giving-kind-of-love which Christ has shown to us. The Christian home is a home where the wife lovingly and happily submits to her husband’s leadership. The husband is not to be a tyrant who thinks that all the wheels of the home must turn to suit his pleasure. The wife must guard against nagging and scolding. When there is disharmony in the home, God says our prayer-life will be hindered (1 Peter 3:1-7).
 

 MAKE A TOTAL COMMITMENT TO CHRIST
The Bible says, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman wakes but in vain” (Psalm 127:1). A city may have a watchman or even many watchmen, and take all kinds of precautions against attack — but if the Lord is not in His rightful place (and if the Lord is not guarding and protecting that city), then everything else they might do for protection is in vain. It is the same in building a marriage. We may do many things in building a marriage, but if we are not allowing the Lord to be in control and to build our home, all is in vain.
Jesus is the cement that holds the home together. He is the Guide, the Teacher, the One who unites, and the One who plants love in the heart.
Pray alone with your husband or wife: “Lord Jesus, we want your will. We give our home to you. We ask you now to take control of our lives and of our home.” And then renew this covenant frequently. When two people are rightly related to Jesus Christ, they will be rightly related to each other. It is our choice. We can have a happy and successful marriage if we will do things God’s way. Joshua told the people of his day that they had to choose which way to go. “Choose you this day whom ye will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Continuing with our weekend of socialising we set off to meet up with family and engage in some overdue fellowship and as usual our lengthy-ish car journey provided us with an opportunity to open up the 'Aina' discussion forum and today we were dissecting the topic of respect under the umbrella of cultural traditions.  Ayo was explaining to the kids that they were going to be meeting a member of the family for the first time (his eldest cousin) and that it would b important to show her respect when greeting her, which according to our culture would be for Gracie, a light curtsy and the boys a gentle bowing of the head (a full prostration would not be necessary!!!!)  We discussed the use of the expression Aunt and Uncle when addressing people who were not either, that again this was born out of a tradition of showing respect to people who were more senior to you.  They were fascinated and chuckled amongst themselves.

I believe that respect should be a two way traffic, but also that the respect that is born our of cultural tradition gives us the foundation to build upon.

On the menu today was lovely food, over flowing conversation and side splitting laughter and a lot of love.  As my hubby said, it was just a truly wonderful day spent in relaxed company called 'family.'  What a blessing!  The fast pace of busy lives means that we simply are often limited to catching up during the holidays, but boy do we make up for it and today (day 244) I just simply give thanks to my Father in heaven.




Saturday 25 August 2012

Celebrating good times.............

Celebrations are a wonderful thing whatever the occasion and what an auspicious one we enjoyed today...................  Very good friends ours were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and so we headed up North laugh, sing, dance (a little) and just bless them with prayers for another 25 years.  We were also thrilled to meet up with some other pals we hadn't seen for a while............... history is a wonderful treasure to hold on to, it is the glue that connects our past, present and future.  It is the thing that gives instant conversation pieces, that makes you smile, laugh and cry,  the map of your life so far and all it has been (including the not so good bits).  It is the genuine love connection amongst friends and there was plenty of that today.   I am so thankful today (day 243) for the history that made today possible.

Now today was a quadruple celebration.  Alongside the silver wedding anniversary we were celebrating a 21st and 18th birthday and a graduation.  God is good and His grace certainly sufficient................ People were there to honour the Man responsible for this blessed union and rejoice with all the celebrants.

There were no heavy sermons about marriage, each is unique to each couple, instead, votes of thanks and words of encouragement. 
On that note I thought I would finish my post today with some light quotes I came across, some made myself and Ayo chuckle.

I love being married. It's so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. - Rita Rudner
 
For two people in a marriage to live together day
after day is unquestionably the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked. ~Bill Cosby, Love and Marriage
 
A good marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband. Michel de Montaigne
 
A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Mignon McLaughlin
 
It is sometimes essential for a husband and a wife to quarrel - they get to know each other better. Goethe

My wife and I have the secret to making a marriage last. Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, a little wine, good food..... She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays. - Henry Youngman

Before marriage, a man will lie awake all night thinking about something you said; after marriage, he'll fall asleep before you finish saying it.- Unknown

We have the greatest pre-nuptial agreement in the world. It's called love.- Gene Perret

This is my favourite;
You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly. -Sam Keen




Friday 24 August 2012

grocery loot and outdoor loos!

Now remember yesterday I mentioned I was gearing up to doing my monthly grocery shop to be delivered.................... well I completed it and then missed my slot and there were none left!  Guess where I very early this morning?  Yep, Tesco, doing my monthly shop.  Thank goodness I do not drive a car the way I steered my groaning trolley.  It was probably my fourth visit this year as I have been converted to getting the groceries delivered so I felt quite disorientated and it took me a lot longer than it should have done, not helped by the fact that things had been moved around!!!!!!!!

I am thankful though that it has been done and that I stopped when the trolley started to throw food out as I walked purposefully up the aisles because I would have needed to go back out and purchase an additional freezer.  My crew did humour me when I returned with my loot.......

Hoping your Saturday has been far more eventful / exciting!

Now laughter was certainly the best medicine tonight as I caught up with my sis / cuz after their (her and her boys) trip to a bit of wilderness, under the comfort of a yurt.  Well she confirmed for me that it is perhaps not my thing...... it was the mention of slugs and spiders and not so comfy loos that did it for me!!!!!!!!!!!  Importantly though she said that they had a really wonderfully refreshing time of fellowship as a family and made new friends.  They had a blessed time and that makes me really happy and for that I am thankful today (day 242).

Thursday 23 August 2012

Acts of random kindness.......................

I don't know about you, but certainly in my household food consumption goes through the roof during the summer break.  Basically if you snooze, you lose the treat you had your eye on!  It is certainly taking me longer to complete my online shop tonight, but I thought I'd share a blessing I received the other day, the kindness of a stranger.  I had to do an interim shop to tide us over before my monthly big shop and so popped to our local grocery shop.  On completion I off loaded the groceries to be checked out when a woman passed by and gave me a money saving coupon which reduced my bill by one seventh, which as a mum feeding a family of 5 with very healthy appetites is huge.  More than the coupon itself I was really touched by what was a random act of kindness.

Today (day 241) I am thankful to be reminded that the little things in life make a big difference, they gladden the heart and send a tingle through the soul.

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Summer time and the livin' is easier!

I was busy doing some work when a tall, dark and very handsome husband arrived home a little earlier than he had anticipated and his arrival brought a wide smile to my face, even though he had only been away one night!  I can now lawfully send Gracie back to her bedroom tonight and not have to share (I use the word share loosely) with my girl who is prone to spreading out and taking up all available space in the bed, leaving me clinging for dear life......................  I do miss my husband terribly when he works away and have to busy myself to make the time pass quicker.  Busying myself is just what I continued to do today' 

The study is almost ship shape ready to receive all that the new term will hurl at it and it's been a thorough job, taking everything out of the enormous bookshelf, sorting, dusting and replacing.  My schoolbags are feeling lighter too (though it won't be for long).  I am not quite sure where the energy required came from having stayed up till 3.00am chatting to my boy Sam.  Actually my eyeballs are beginning to sting with tiredness now.

It is lovely seeing how much the kids are just enjoying their summer break, from the moment they open their eyes; spying on Aaron and Grace as they lie back to back on the trampoline, watching Gracie trying to be one of the gang when Aaron has his friends over and quietly telling her to give them space (I don't think she has quite grasped this concept yet)!  Watching them I am reminded of the first line of the song .........'Summer time' by Ella Fitzgerald;
                                                 Summertime and the livin' is easy (well it's easier than the fast pace that often accompanies term time).

Thank you Lord today (day 240) for blessing my children with carefree summer days.



Tuesday 21 August 2012

'Errand' days..........

Do you find some days are 'errand' days, when you just have lots of miscellaneous jobs to do,  home and away.  Well today was such a day and I am thankful that I did not have to rely on the energy from eating my three shredded wheat to sustain me because I didn't have any......................  When I have such days I tend to be quite blinkered, just wanting to get the jobs done, but it is on such days that it is vital to approach the tasks diligently so that I don't end up like a cat chasing its tale!  A possible obstacle can be not prioritising properly and unecessary procrastination. 

So as the day progressed I could tick completed tasks and that spurred me on to tackle the others.  At this time of year it is the norm for me to have a few more 'errand' days, but I am sure that if I approach them in the same way as I did today I'll get them done and for that today (day 239) I am thankful.

Monday 20 August 2012

Running the race.......................

One of the things I really enjoy about being on holiday is staying up late to watch movies and every now and again I watch something other than 'Bond.'  Tonight I watched one that really moved me to tears, 'The Secret Life of Bees,' a heartwarming story about family and the power of love.  I recommend it highly.

Sometimes things don't always pan out the way you wanted / thought / envisaged and very soon doubt sets in.  You have to hold on to the knowledge that your life is in His hands and that he has a plan for us that often is not our plan.  What we need to do, though is to keep running the race and let Him do the rest............

To Win in Life

'Run in such a way as to get the prize.' 1 Corinthians 9:24
William Arthur Ward wrote: 'Believe while others are doubting. Plan while
others are playing. Decide while others are delaying. Prepare while others are
daydreaming. Begin while others are procrastinating. Work while others are
wishing. Save while others are wasting. Listen while others are talking. Smile
while others are frowning. Persist while others are quitting.' To win in life
requires three things:
1) You must start. That may seem obvious, but many of
us are stuck in the starting blocks waiting for something to get us going. What
has God called and equipped you to do? Step out and do it, and He will
empower you!
2) You must give it your all. Divers in the Olympics don't save all their effort
for their final dive. They concentrate on nailing every single one, increasing
their chances for a gold medal. Don't settle for mediocrity at any stage of
life (Philippians 3:14).
3) You must never quit. In the 1992 Olympics, Derek Redmond of Britain was
competing in the 400 metre race when he suffered a torn hamstring and fell. As
the other runners breezed past him, he began to struggle to his feet. His father,
whose face was covered with tears, suddenly ran down from the stands to help
him up. Slowly, agonisingly, they made their way around the rest of the track and
crossed the finish line as the stadium in Seoul burst into thunderous applause.
Redmond didn't win a medal, but he won something more important-the respect
of the world. The Bible says, 'Run in such a way as to get the prize.'

Be encouraged today (day 238) and thankful for such a reminder.

Sunday 19 August 2012

Ahhhhhh ..................Refreshing!

Grandma kick started our day by blessing us with a phone call to wish us a 'Happy Sunday,'  a blessing that just stayed with us all day and today (day 237) I really do just thank God for her and the overflowing love she has for us that she demonstrates in so many ways.

I am sure like me you might have been thankful for the brief appearance of the rain today.  It did kind of appear from nowhere and disappeared rather quickly too, but nonetheless it was refreshing.  My
hubby took advantage of it by chillaxing in his hammock!

Just thinking of that word 'refreshing' and the way we use it to mean different things; today the rain was refreshing in the real sense, just like a holiday is too.  Experiences can be refreshing; catching up with old friends, remembering how far you might have come on a particular life journey, meeting someone for the first time and having a conversation with them that deeply touches you, even rearranging the furniture in a particular room or tidying a cupboard can be refreshing, doing something you never thought possible.  The list is endless. 
Personally I would add to my list, starting the school year with an organised, bright, pupil centred classroom (it gets a little messy as soon as you add the kids!!!!!), spending one on one time with my husband and hanging with my sister. 

Now back to the outdoors, a lovely tent is currently adorning my garden as Aaron and one of his best pals prepare to spend the night with nature.  'All the best,' I say to them.  Personally I prefer 5star accommodation ....................... although I might be persuaded to try a yurt.

What ever you have been up to this weekend I pray it was refreshing...........

Saturday 18 August 2012

Fellowship, indoors and out............

I cannot recall how well I might have performed in the egg and spoon race as a child, but today all that was forgotten as I held my extra large spoon firmly and raced towards the finish line.  It was the finals of the ladies' race and even my shorts that were threatening to greet my ankles did not stop me from going for gold and a gold medal was my prize.  In fact the Aina tally was 5 gold medals not that we are competitive by any means!!!!!!!!!!!  Our Sam, who clearly had consumed more than three shredded wheat this morning managed to toss the wellie beyond the designated marker into a neighbouring garden.

A great day of fun was had by all as we gathered together to fellowship with other churches in a family fun day; praise and worship followed by a short sermon by a minister who only spoke French (his wife was by his side to translate) and interestingly enough he and his wife live in Angouleme, a town we visited a couple of times during our recent trip!  In fact they previously lived in the neighbourhood we stayed in when we went South last year.  What a small world indeed..................

In between the Olympic inspired games, sack race included, we took shelter from the sweltering heat under the shade of a gazebo and the children, who obviously are not affected by the heat practised for the 2016 trampolining event on the bouncy castle.

I am thankful to you Lord, today (day 236) for such lovely fellowship, indoors and out.

Friday 17 August 2012

Sisterly natter.............

It's always just lovely to have a lengthy natter with my lil' sis.  We usually go on until the charge runs out on one of our phones!  I am incredibly blessed and privileged to have her in my life, seriously, I am.  Her words of encouragement always make the difference to any situation, her thoughtfulness is sincere and from the heart and her love for me unconditional and without measure.  We laughed so much as we reminisced, shared and rejoiced of God's goodness to us and prayed for His favour in all our lives.

Today (day 235) I am thankful for such a treasure..................

Thursday 16 August 2012

Don't worry 'bout a ting'............

Even the dining table could not escape the wrath of operation 'get ready' today as it was covered in a blanket of paper.  In fact so were the dining chairs, but thankfully by
evening the mound had reduced.  Well that's what I'm telling myself!  I am sure at one
point I was talking to the paper, perhaps pleading with them to go away..................


In order to keep my feet firmly in the land of the sane I stopped for a break and a bite of inspirational reading.  I know this is a message we've all heard time and time again,
but at times I know I certainly need the message again..........................  what about you? 
Hearing or reading a different take / perspective on something certainly brings forth
fresh insight.  I am today (day 234) thankful to the author of this interpretation.

Stop Worrying About It!
'Do not worry.' Matthew 6:31
If you let them, two things will rob you of your peace of mind:
1) The past. We all make mistakes-even the folks you admire and think
never make mistakes. The Bible says, 'For every man shall bear his own
burden' (Galatians 6:5 KJV). We all struggle in certain areas. We all say
and do things we wish we hadn't said or done. 'So what can I do?' you ask.
Ask God to forgive you, then trust Him to make it work out all right. He can
do that. He can help you clean up your mistakes and grow stronger through
them. For example, when you say something you shouldn't, instead of obsessing
about whether or not you offended somebody, ask the Lord to let them know
your heart was right even though you put your foot in your mouth. Trust God to
work on them and give you favour. That way you don't have to spend the next
several days feeling anxious, or cringe when you meet them.
2) The future. God won't meet tomorrow's needs until tomorrow comes.
So when you are having an attack of the 'what ifs,' stop and consider these
words from the lips of Jesus: 'Therefore do not worry, saying, what shall we eat?
or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For after all these things the
Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added to you' (Matthew 6:31-33 NKJV). Victor Hugo said,
'When you have accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace; God is awake!'



Wednesday 15 August 2012

Staying on task to get the job done!

Last Sunday someone 'thoughtfully' reminded me that there were only three weeks left of the holiday and how quickly the holiday was passing by.  I have to admit I was in denial at the time, but had to face up to it today when I had to succumb and knuckle down to some serious school work.  Before I could even begin to plan and prep for the autumn I had to sort through a year's mound of paper; Aaron will testify to that as he made the many trips to the recycling bin for me!  If I'm honest it is a task I don't relish because I know that it will be quite a task and although it took all day I have to say it was refreshing....  Since I was on a roll I I helped my hubby tidy his desk too.  Onwards and forwards with phase 2, operation 'get ready.'  I can see many more hours of grafting ahead, but it's necessary.

Certain things we do in life cannot be fast tracked or will yield a poor dividend.  Rather we must follow a step by step process, making sure we do not cut corners regardless of the apparent enormity of the task.

Be encouraged if you have some tasks you have set yourself and it feels like you are in the wilderness. You will get there!  If you find yourself flagging put on some inspirational music and look to the source of your strength, reach out to the Man who knows the tasks you have to fulfil before you do!  I  have barely dipped a toe into the sea of tasks in my little book but I am thankful for what I have been able to do today (day 233).


Poetry .......................mmm, it's worth a try!

Though I'd try my hand at a bit of poetry..................

A long walk through the thicket was the order of the day
As friends came round for a bit of a play
24 degrees or so, they say
We didn't get lost or lose our way
Thankfully the trees provided some shade
As frequent laughter we certainly made
To the left to the left as bicycle bells rang
Was the chorus we all happily sang
As we walked through the thicket today................

Thanking you Lord today (day 232) for childhood summer days!


ps I apologise as my laptop decided to freeze during my publication and when it did publish it said Tuesday, but on refreshing the page it has changed to Wednesday, so I will have another post for Wednesday.

Monday 13 August 2012

Simply beautiful............

These are photos of my beautiful orchid that just made me smile when I went into the bathroom this morning.  I have had this one for over two years, but this year it has flowered most abundantly.

















I was a little concerned about how they would fair if the bathroom got too warm in our absence, but it was a sight to behold, just beautiful...............


I love fresh flowers, particularly orchids and to wake to such a sight this morning just made be happy.............. ahhhhhhhh, the simple things and today (day 231) I am thankful.








Sunday 12 August 2012

Home sweet home...............

Home sweet home, 630 miles, 17 hours in total and I am so thankful today (day 230) for safe keeping in His hands.  It is true that no matter where you got it is lovely to be home and touch base with all things familiar.  The sun was eager to show us that it had made appearances in our absence and shone brightly.

After getting a little shut eye (second instalment to follow shortly) we caught up with our church family later on in the day.  Much later, obviously suffering withdrawal symptoms I felt it necessary to touch base with another old friend, James AKA 007, but you know sleep got the better of me.  Oh well there's always tomorrow!

We kept company with the BBC this evening to watch the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.

I hope you have had a champion week-end.

Saturday 11 August 2012

A different kind of post......


My post today is going to be a little different to usual as it will be an ‘en route,’ come along for the ride style.  I hope you enjoy it.

Three and a half hours into our drive and we have just stopped to stretch and flex!  Lengthy car journeys are great for just nattering, don’t you think?  We have been kept company so far with the smooth voices of ‘The Overtones’ singing of Good Ol’ Fashioned Love; the unmistakable gravelled tone that is Tina Turner and blasts from the past from Michael Jackson.  Quite a mixture you say, well Gracie asked for The Overtones, I requested Tina and Michael kind of happened and lead us into some serious discussion about the power of the media.  We were dissecting one of the tracks ‘They don’t care about us’ and Sam said he didn’t think that such a perhaps politically infused song would be ‘pc’ today and would be serious bait for the media moguls or perhaps not, given the recent focus on the antics of a major UK media group.  MJ’s career and life at times were certainly putty in the hands of the media, see-sawing in and out of favour.  Ayo brought into the debate his recollection of how the late queen of disco, Donna Summer’s career took a nose dive after she made a statement based on personal opinion………..  He went further to say it is disgraceful that the highest political office too could be determined by the most powerful media giants.  The source of this power, money or apparent wealth / worth!

The media is certainly a powerful secular force; paparazzi with their long-lens cameras have certainly captured many a shot that those whose privacy has been invaded would rather the world had not seen.  We know more recently that private conversations have been listened to, perhaps most disturbing, those of victims of crime / tragedy. 

What about us mere mortals………. are we  victims of a more discrete media circus which means we too can fall in and out of favour, at work, in our social circles, at church, in fact anywhere.

On a completely different note, does anyone else read magazines back to front or is it just me?  I don’t know why but I somehow enjoy the read more.  Now that I have interjected such media worthy (lol) information about myself back to serious stuff.

Having discovered that our route to Calais would take us through Paris we are moving at a more leisurely pace now due to expected city traffic, but looking forward to glimpsing the Eiffel Tower……………………… and what are we discussing now, tie-dye tops  and bell-bottoms and all things fashion.  Aaron, having woken up from a short snooze is making serious contributions and Sam is again at the helm of what is the Aina conversation vessel.  Last night he was quizzing us on the differences between the meanings and uses of certain words, e.g. ‘because’ and ‘since’, ‘envy’ and ‘jealousy’ etc.  It kept us busy for a while!

Now (nearly 7pm) we are only 200 miles or so from Calais and have stopped again, this time for a more substantial bite to eat - so onwards and forwards to catch that ferry back to England!

It’s not often you are overtaken by a coach or caravan (OK two caravans) and an articulated lorry, but today due to the leisurely pace of our drive we were …………ha ha.  I think even the drivers of said vehicles were surprised!

10.00pm we are here, duly checked in by both French and English border control (I blame the four dodgy Nigerians I’m travelling with!) and now we are waiting to board The Pride of Kent.  We gave three cheers to our wonderful, careful driver, yours truly, for his hard work today and Gracie gave him an additional vote in the form of a sincere prayer of thanks.  Today (day 229) I am just full of thanks.
 
I hope you enjoyed following our journey today ………………

Friday 10 August 2012

Au revoir 'Les Bambous'...............

Here we are, last night at the very lovely 'Les Bambous' and our wonderful hosts treated us to some very juicy tomatoes from their allotment.  We're packed up, we've cleaned up (I know what you're thinking, cleaning ............ on holiday!) and will retire to bed soon so that my hubby in particular is rested for the drive to Calais.

I apologise in advance if my post tomorrow appears disjointed; I will probably be writing in bursts as we will be in transit for most of the day.

Heavenly Father I give thanks today (day 228) for journey mercies ahead of our travel home.

I also wish my gorgeous niece, Nia-Maya, a very happy and blessed day as she celebrates becoming a teenager tomorrow!

Thursday 9 August 2012

Sincere votes of thanks.........

Penultimate day of our hols.  Today (day 227) I thank you Lord on behalf of all the Ainas here present for a memorable two weeks.  We are thankful for the provision of finance, food, sun splashed days, hospitable hosts, leisurely, long walks (we are all pounds lighter................. yeah right), but most of all, for family fellowship and memories made that will last a life time.

The sun treated us to a spectacular display , 35° C, I am thankful for air conditioned cars!

Now if you are in need of inspirational reading the 'Word for Today' has been doing a series titled 'What kind of example are you.'  Each day for the last 6 days there has been teaching;

'Be an example - an overview,' 'Be an example...in...speech,' 'Be an example...in conduct,' 'Be an example...in love,' 'Be an example...in spirit,' 'Be an example...in faith.'  
The last of seven instalments is tomorrow and is titled 'Be an example...in purity.'   If you can, cast your eyes over all seven.

I am sure I've said it before but my prayer and belief is always that 'He who has begun a good work in me will be faithful to complete it.'  Amen.  It is necessary to remember that each of us are a work in progress at the hands of the Master Artisan...............................

Wednesday 8 August 2012

Birthday celebrations down South...............

And........................ our young man turns 20!  I didn't mention this in my post about 'August' yesterday because I wanted it to enjoy its moment.  A most important reason why August is so special is that it's Sam's birthday month and we were privileged to spend it with him today.  We kick started things by waiting up until just after midnight to sing to him before we all retired to bed.

Now he does not like fuss at all, but little brother Aaron woke up early to cook him some french toast and the smell wafted into our room teasing us so we joined in with the early morning festivities and indulged a little, well I ate mine and then pinched a little of Ayo's when he was momentarily distracted!  Birthday messages from Grandma and Aunty Sade were warmly received by Sam.

We worked it off in the pool with a good session of fun in the sun; ball games and races, it really was just lovely.  Feeling refreshed Sam suggested a leisurely walk after which we all admitted it was perhaps a little ambitious.  We simply could not compete against the blazing heat, but we loved the companionship and fellowship the walks gave us.

I mentioned earlier that Sam does not like fuss and together with Aaron insisted on being the chef (yes, even on his birthday) and co-chef.  Don't ever under estimate the benefits of team work because together they served up a meal to be proud of and repeated sometime soon!  Totally calorific sundaes finished the meal and I have to say no one moved from the table for a while............... we were unable to move if you get my drift.


Today (day 226) I am thankful to be able to wish a very happy birthday to a most special young man.


Tuesday 7 August 2012

August......................

Ayo was chatting about the summer holiday and the fact that we are already in week three of six.  I said to him that right up till midnight of the last day of the holidays I would savour every moment.  When the new academic session starts in September it is full on and together with the darker, shorter evenings it can be quite a climb to get back into the swing of things so the month of August is truly a special month for this reason and many others.  More than two decades ago I would have been just one month away from saying 'I do' to my prince and we would have been very busy with the final preparations.

August is a month of long, lazy days; late morning starts, bbqs, meeting up and catching up; a time to slow down and wind down; a time to enjoy home made ice-cream sundaes and fresh fruit salad as we watch movies till late.  At some point I will need to have to use some of the holiday to have a sort through of last session's 'bumf' and plan and prepare for the new, but even that is refreshing so I won't mind (well, perhaps a little)! 

Continuing with lazy days whose idea was it to take that evening dip .........the water was c--o---l---d!  Thank goodness the hot shower that swiftly followed.

Today it was the turn of our Gracie to cook up a storm and so she did, further employing my services as a loyal kitchen hand.  Now she loves pasta and so decided to treat us all to macaroni cheese, her favourite.  She then insisted on decorating the table with a grand candelabra and carefully draped the curtains nearest to the dining table.  God bless her initiative and efforts, they were very much appreciated by us.

Today (day 225) I am thankful for this most precious holiday month of August.

Monday 6 August 2012

Now you see it.......... now you don't!

No holiday would be complete without our 'come dine with me' event.  Having earlier chosen the order of participants and some subsequent re-arrangement it was, by default Ayo's night to wow us.  Wow us he did or should I say we did.  As we all know behind every great cook is a willing kitchen hand, moi!

With very hungry children waiting in the wings we had work briskly and the dish they were waiting for ............. Moussaka.  At regular intervals we we interrupted with cries of 'Is it nearly done,' 'How much longer.'  Do all the great chefs have to put up with this?????????????




At one point Gracie was convinced that more hands = dinner to the table quicker!











Still the wait was certainly worth it............ 

Now you see it.................











Now you don't............










My heavenly Father I thank today (day 224) for your provision of our wonderful evening meal which according to Aaron was worthy of full marks!




Sunday 5 August 2012

Champions...................... all of them!

Sunday already, my how time flies!  Hoping yours has been and continues to be a happy one today.

The light rain earlier today has been most refreshing, after which the sun seemed to shine brighter than before; the beautiful potted plants and vegetable garden were most grateful for it I'm sure! 

We stayed in today and pottered around, in between catching up with the Olympics; I particularly enjoy track events, specifically the sprint races although I am partial to the swimming and gymnastics.  For me it is not necessarily about the winning (although I know for the athletes they have their eyes firmly fixed on first prize and rightly so), but the great achievement of being at the Games, that each athlete has accomplished - the culmination of hours, days, years of training, loyal support, sacrifice and sheer determination is to be highly commended.

We all have our goals / aspirations, I have a few though I hasten to add they are not Olympic ones!  The road ahead of achieving them definitely appears blurry at times, is certainly weary at times, uncertain too, but today (day 223) I raise my cup of tea to the 14,000 + athletes who are there because they didn't give up.

Saturday 4 August 2012

Oh my offspring.................

My Gracie loves nothing more than a morning cuddle and snuggle, all the more sweeter during vacation time, but her style of arrival makes us laugh.  Ayo and I have a kind of deal with her;  when she comes into our room in the morning if we are not stirring then it means we are still asleep and she should retreat.  Well at home she has worked out the floorboards in our bedroom that creak loudly enough to wake us up then she cannot be taken to task.  The little minx has twigged that as there are no creaky floorboards in our holiday bedroom she needs to employ a different strategy; hence the 'I'll stand at the door that I've just opened wide enough to allow the bright morning light to stream in whilst I cough loudly too!'  It sure worked this morning.

Continuing with my offspring, Sam is very taken to doing press ups at the moment, spontaneous press ups and today was no exception.  As we took our long walk we suddenly realised that Sam had dropped off our radar.  Where was he?............... face down on the rocky path doing press ups and Gracie promptly decided to take his exercise to another level by sitting on his back!

Sam continued to 'show off' with an impressive meal of stir fried noodles.  We of course thanked him by leaving empty plates and I washed up and tidied the kitchen for him!  He'll make a wonderful husband...............  in due course!

I am thankful today (day 222) for more heart warming memories made.








Friday 3 August 2012

Walk and talk.........the order of the day


A lengthy walk was the order of the day! We zig zagged in and out of the sun under shadier cover as we strolled; Gracie looking very much the part in her fuchsia top and complementary blue skorts and a rather fetching, flouncy hat that did the job of protecting her neck and face from the hot son. She looked like she had stepped out of the latest catwalk showcasing summer fashions. It was a lovely walk as we savoured the lovely French countryside and admired the varied styles of maison and exchanged greetings with passing locals. We diverted to pick up some groceries for our bbq, but not too much (we remembered we would be carrying it back!)

As Sam commented the long walk provided us with an opportunity to banter, about so many different things; not that we can't when we are in the car, but it releases my hubby from the sometimes mentally taxing concentration needed when driving in unfamiliar territory, not to mention the exercise factor involved. Mind you I think the jam doughnuts might have cancelled that!


Later on we put to good use our groceries; thank you to Sam and Ayo for a scrumptious alfresco meal. I am thankful today (day 221) for our most lovely walk with it's endless conversations and laughter.

Thursday 2 August 2012

An anthem for daily living.............


How often have we heard or sung this phrase and yet each time you meet it again is hits you as if you are encountering it for the first time!  This is indeed the day (day 220) the Lord has made,' and we have rejoiced and been glad for it..................

Maximise This Day

'This is the day the Lord has made.' Psalm 118:24
God determines the number of your days, but you determine how they
are spent. The Psalmist said, 'This is the day the Lord has made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.' Yesterday is a cancelled cheque,
tomorrow is a promissory note, today is all you've got. And you can begin
your life over today, if you live by these words: 'Today I will delete from
my diary two days-yesterday and tomorrow. Yesterday was for learning;
tomorrow will be a consequence of what I do today. Today I will face life with
the conviction that this day will never return, that it may be the last opportunity
I'll have to contribute because there's no guarantee I'll see tomorrow.
Today I will be courageous enough not to let opportunity pass me by; my only
alternative will be to succeed. Today I will invest my most valuable resource,
my time, into my most important possession, the life God has given me.
I'll spend each minute purposefully, making today a unique opportunity. I
'll tackle each obstacle knowing that with God's help I can overcome it.
Today I will resist doubt and pessimism and warm my world with a smile.
I'll maintain a strong faith, expect nothing but the best, take time to be happy,
see every task as an opportunity to honour the Lord, and endeavour to leave
His footprints on the hearts of those I meet.' John Boykin wrote, '
Time is your life-nothing more, nothing less. The way you spend your hours
and your days, is the way you spend your life.' So pray, '
Lord, help me to maximise this day.'

I loved today's reading so much I had to extract the key things I took from it;

Yesterday is a cancelled cheque
tomorrow is a promissory note
today is all you've got
 'Today I will delete from my diary two days-yesterday and tomorrow
Yesterday was for learning; tomorrow will be a consequence of what I do today
Time is your life-nothing more, nothing less. The way you spend your hours
and your days, is the way you spend your life.' So pray, '
Lord, help me to maximise this day.'

This really is an anthem for living isn't it!


Wednesday 1 August 2012

Summing up his decades...................

I was reading an article earlier in which three women were asked to sum up the adult decades of their lives; it was a fascinating read.............  As always it got me thinking so I decided to interview my husband and ask him to sum up his 20s, 30s and now his 40s.  Here's what he had to say.............

20s - Getting married and becoming a dad at a relatively young age, he began trying to establish himself as a good husband and father based on the examples set by his parents. As a fresh-faced Architecture graduate he was not really sure which direction to take professionally, and he realises now that he had not been fully aware of many of the business opportunities outside of his main-line profession.  He gained a lot of God-experience by seeking to build upon the Christian background, which was the only type of life he'd known, on a personal level. He also gained a good deal of life experiences from working in the real world and  by being a member of gospel choir. 

30s - By his 30s, he had realised what a blessed and fortunate person he was! Loving, caring, gorgeous wife (his own words!), another beautiful baby son, and then several years later, the icing on the cake in the form a the blessing that is Gracie! God had really been good, and he was determined more than ever, to keep his focus firmly on Him - but he realised it got harder as one's life became fuller! Work-wise, he had began to establish himself in the new profession into which he had stumbled, i.e. information technology, specifically database management. He was also determined to pursue what had now become a passion, i.e. music, and by now he had taught himself to play the guitar, the saxophone and the keyboard and drums!
Mid to long-term goals are now the order of the day.

40s - So far has definitely been a decade of early stock-taking and reflecting for him. Personally and in our family life with children ranging in ages from nearly 20 to nearly seven, he has realised even more so that a living Godly example is one of the greatest legacies one can leave their child. He's determined by God's grace, to keep improving in this area.  He's feeling particularly blessed in his role as music/ worship leader and "elder" in our church, and prays that he can continue to be effective in this area.
Professionally, he believes he now knows the type of manager that he is (a process manager, not a people manager). He has identified certain strengths in himself and is determined to build on those by setting himself targets. He also realised he has to face his areas of weaknesses (not just professionally) and hand them over fully to God.
He loves family times away like this one, and also the quiet times we spend away as a couple whenever we get the opportunity.

I have thoroughly enjoyed hot-seating my one and only and thankful today (day 219) that he has fully embraced the experience of being my celebrity blogger!

How would you sum up your decades?