The crests of the Birds of Paradise are vibrant orange in the morning sun. The agapanthus blooms are tiring. The river stones cry out in the heat beside weathered boardwalks and the rippling water of the inground pool.
Yesterday kite surfers could be seen from this hillside retreat where spirits are soothed and merry hearts do good like a medicine. These past few days my hubby and I have been in the company of long time friends as we've holidayed in Northern NSW. There has been time for reading, watching of movies (just loved "Second Hand Lions" starring Robert Duvall and Michael Caine), swimming, sharing our hearts and considering the way forward.
Here we are at 54 and 43 years respectively. We have a few runs on the board and so do our friends. We cherish them for their very character, how they love, how they honour and banter with their spouses, how they dig their children, celebrate one anothers achievements and mourn together when life's seasons change. How as teachers, emergency service personnel, IT specialists, child care operators, business owners, individually and collectively, they invest in community and future generations; a lot of the time without even realising it! This seems to work, from what I can see from the outside looking in, by getting the balance right. They combine a vibrant love of life with a recognition that you've got to sew to make a difference, that if you want something to occur then make a plan, strategise, invest in your own learning, and share your knowledge with others, work hard, be a good mate, be hospitable. Be open to making new friends, don't hide behind walls, exercise in your local neighbourhood, laugh heaps! As my husband said recently, 'friends help you stay sane'.
Dave and I will come away from this time refreshed, having laughed, swum, eaten too much and ingested far too much coffee. Life's fun when we have an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude is an essential key ingredient in every relationship and helps smooth out the lumps. Developing an attitude of gratitude takes practice, like renewing the mind or making a great cup of coffee!
Why don't you join me and consider all the things we have to be grateful for today and develop a faith - filled heart of positive expectation. I know I am grateful for that rippling pool of water that's beckoning me right now. I think I might just go and dive right into life!
Thanks friends for doing life with us....
Christians Embracing Ability
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I am so excited about 2010 and the potential we individually and corporately have to stretch and explore and hone our talents. We can have an absolute blast this year. It is all a question of how we see ourselves and how we see our God.
Pride is a funny thing. No really it is. Pride is what has us focusing on our own short comings. Pride is what has us operate in fear and tangle up the important relationships in our lives. Oh if only we could focus on a God who loves us 'unrelentingly' (is that a word? I don't know but 2 members of my family who have established themselves as Grammar Royalty will certainly advise me).
Do you remember that childhood game of PICK UP STICKS where you had to be super careful not to upset the other sticks as you tried to untangle your own colour? Remember how if you caused collateral damage the turn moved to someone else? Our Christian life is a little like PICK UP STICKS. There's a lot at stake!
As a Christian my opportunity is to love my God through a grateful heart bursting with appreciation for the gift of salvation that is mine through Christ. My other opportunity is to love people hopefully without causing too much collateral damage along the way! None of us are perfect and sometimes we inadvertently bump other people's sticks and we get all tangled up once again. Our God tells us, my God tells me, that He will never leave me nor foresake me. So, that means, He's with me while I work through my mess of pride and sticks in my own eyes.
I hope you all have a fantastic 2010. Seize the day. Love your God. He is Lord OVER any and every problem.
And finally, play nicely!
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