bliss!

it's late, and I'm tired... But today has been a good day. A movie with some of my best girl-friends ever... even if it was High School Musical 3 - cheesy laughs - thanks to Symon who first got me into it. lol. Pick up another buddy, head home, pick up the hubster and the three of us set sail for a gorgeous wedding at Waipu. Then we three return home, Dave and James for man-time, Arna for sleep-time... chicken soup for tea, and a good Indiana Jones flick to finish it off... ahhhh holidays, they're lovely ain't they. This is just my tribute to my friends... girls and guys, older and younger - I love you all, you are all spesh to me - and I love spending good time with you! Thanks for loving me! Arna

Practicing what I've preached.... ouch!

A couple of weeks ago, I had to re-apply for the job I currently hold... and have held for a year and a half. The job is a semi-management role, I work closely with my Team Leader, and look after the staff. Thanks be to God, that I know I have done the job excellently, achieved and exceeded all expectations of me. I got interviewed in the week before I left for our holiday, and was to find out the result this week. Four other staff applied for my role, all considerably less experienced in the field of work, the tasks it involves, in years of service etc than I. Today, I found out that I didn't get it. In fact, a person I have invested hours of time in character and technical development, so she would be suitable for my job when I got "promoted" got it above me. Now they say that it's all based on the interview, and it's all on points basis. Which is rubbish when you've been around for a while and seen what I've seen in that place. So, the very words I wrote yesterday about shattered dreams etc came flooding back to me this afternoon as I cried, and cried... and somehow, in it all I know God has a much higher purpose than I realise. When you're in this kind of situation, you have to make some very crucial decisions. And as I sat in the car mulling it all over this afternoon, the word, "eternity" came to mind. Then again I realised that it's actually not that big of a deal compared to eternity (while I'm still swallowing these words and will be for a few days). I know God is far more interested in how I take this, how I treat my boss, the other manager, my direct colleague, and the staff member how got the position over me - that matters far more to God. My attitude. I had to get out of bed, take a shower and a long think... which is why I'm still up way past my bedtime. On the comedy show banana's I once saw this excellent comedian. He turned what sounded like a very serious heart-moving story, into a total laugh. But it spoke to me through the tears (of laughter). He talked about eagles. How eagles are majestic birds, big and strong. When they're high in the sky, the only challenge an eagle faces, is the wind. The wind, is opposition. Or if you like, any lovely challenge life throws at you - which seems to be daily at the moment. The question was, what does the eagle do with that wind/challenge/oppostion? He uses it to soar to greater hights and levels. May we all be able to hold our heads high in the face of failure and rejection, and show the world what great stamina our God has placed in us. The stamina to remain diligent, faithful, kind, loving, gentle, even to remain positive. May we show the character of our great God in how we handle the hurdles even other people place before us. May people look on at us, and speak no wrong. And may we all be people who use the challenges of life, the wind, the opposition - to soar to greater hights.

I'm BACK!

Refreshed, relaxed, regenerated and all the rest.... the sound of a weeks holiday. Also tired and looking forward to the next holiday, but that's life. While we were away, we spent about an hour in the local cemetary on Norfolk Island. It's an island of history, so you learn a lot from the cemetary. Especially when you learn how all the people between 1793 and the early 1900's died. You come across some interesting things, like... brutally murdered, drowned, executed and so on... pretty grim, but fascinating at the same time. There was one or two things from the cemetary that struck me though. Between 1793 and the early 1900's, the majority of the deaths - I mean about 50%-75%..... were babies, and young children. As young as 2 days old, to 2 weeks, to 2 years, to 9 years. Hardly any teens, and plenty in their early 20's. Mums who died giving birth, with infants who died 3 weeks later because no one could really care for them. It was quite saddening really, and makes you think about how short and how fickle life can be, and how many curve balls it can throw you. There in the history, I found a place of heartache, sorrow, shattered dreams, hopelessness, weakness, broken hearts, why's and how's that can't be answered.... not really a place of joy. The cemetary down the road will be just the same if I took an hour to look through it. Thank God that we have hope in death. Hope in circumstances which seem lost. Hope in place of shattered dreams... healing from broken hearts, strength in weakness. Joy in death. The lost don't have that... which is why we're still here, so we can offer them more to this life. Many of the older graves had verses etc on them, and you know the people had a strong faith even in death.. but many sufferred a lot of pain. Here is one that was rather astounding, Dave looked at me and said "that one deserves a photo," when I asked why, he said, because it makes a statement: Annie Maria Adams, aged 4. Take a good look, and soak in what the statement at the bottom says...

And it's true... He can do no wrong.