littlelaughalot
Thursday, November 23, 2006
4 YEARS OLD?...WOW!This is amazing....this little boy is brilliant...check this out!
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Can't wait!
The love of my life is coming home tomorrow...and the girls and I can't wait. It's been a long week....and I've really missed him. I'm glad for the experience that he will have had... but it's always nice to be back home. So...roll on tomorrow morning!!!
I had to pop into the Police station this morning as I received a phone call last night from a very nice constable, informing me that my handbag had been found. Now for those of you who don't know what happened...my car was basically broken into over 4 weeks ago now, and my handbag was taken. You know what it's like...all the hassle with cards, cheque books, national insurance cards, and driver's license.Anyway the cards are all replaced more or less now but the pain was having to reapply for a new driver's license and national insurance card...and I hadn't got round to it yet. I also didn't like the idea that someone knew so much about my details, like my address, date of birth..and all that kind of stuff as well as a photo and signature.
So the phone call last night was well received. Pretty much everything is there except for any cash. Everything's pretty soaked with all the rain....the thought of it lying out in this mad weather we've been having for the last 4 weeks doesn't really thrill me...so I don't think that I will be keeping the bag or purse....but the license and national insurance cards are gladly back in my possession. Certainly another answer to prayer!
So thank you to strathclyde police for the nice way in which you handled my unfortunate incident from the break in to the recovery of my bag. You were all very pleasant which really helps.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Bright and Breezy!
My dear friend Janey had joined the world of blogging! She may not be able to blog quite as often as she would like as she is a nurse and works crazy hours...but check her out at www.brightandbreezyjaney.blogspot.com
Hey Thomas....we have another pet. Yes that's right...another one! We already have a dog, two gerbils, and 3 budgies...but now we have a hamster called George. Why George...well Miriam said that he looked like a George...so there you go! Went into pet shop to buy budgie seed, had my two girls crying and pleading for George...and my heart was torn. Will I buy him...no I won't ...well maybe I should....no don't be silly...and then when Miriam actually went and got the woman to get George out and into a box, I knew that that was that! We were now the proud owner of yet another pet. What a sucker!Anyway, he is pretty lovely. The picture above is not George.....I couldn't take a picture as Thomas has the camera away with him...but this is pretty much what he looks like! Quite chubby and fluffy!
So...Thomas what do you have to say to that?
On Sunday my nephew was enrolled as a Junior Soldier. The service was led by our own Captain Alec Still and he really had prepared a lovely service. My nephew sometimes goes into fits of giggles with nerves but he did really well on Sunday. My sister had asked if I would sing, as I have done for her two other girls when they were enrolled, so I sang a beautiful song called "Hold me close" sang by Twila Paris. It really felt right for the occasion. It was so nice to be together worshiping with my family, as the rest of my family serve at a different corps from Thomas and I...and so it was just wonderful to be all together worshiping God just like the old days.
On Sunday night after the meeting we had a practice for B.L.O.C. and enjoyed fellowship with the guys...we then shared in a time of prayer for alpha..as our next topic is about "How do I resist evil?". Last time we got to this topic we really felt in the week following that we were certainly under attack from the devil...and so we really wanted to bring this concern before God.
And now...since I'm back in from Alpha...I can say that our night was really beneficial and the discussion went well. Just need to keep alert for the devil's attacks!
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Holy Spirit Day
Today we were at Stepps in the Salvation Army Divisional Headquarters, to host our Alpha "Holy Spirit Day". There were 12 of us and we had a really great day. We started off with a time of "B.L.O.C." worship, using the songs...Heart of worship...Open the eyes of my heart, Lord....King of Kings, Majesty.....and finally How deep the Father's love for us! This really helped us to relax and focus our minds on why we were together...to find out...what is the holy spirit?... and how can I receive the holy spirit?
Alec led us through the talks and was superb as per usual! He just gets things across really well and makes things easy to understand. Sometimes we make things far too complicated.
At lunch time we all went to the local Brewer's Fayre and enjoyed a lovely meal together..which is a really important part of the day. Everyone was chatting and laughing and just enjoying each other's company and it was great to be part of it. Needless to say with a deal like, "any starter or dessert for only 1.50 when purchasing a main meal' we were all rather stuffed by the time we got back to start off our discussion groups. Bobby had asked if I would sing "Written in red" but I have to say I've never sang with such a full stomach! Usually I prefer not to eat before I sing.
To close off the day we finished with another two songs....The power of Your love....and...my favourite at the moment...How great is our God. We then had a cup of tea or coffee, tidied up, and went home.
Great day...sad you missed it Thomas..and we'll miss you at Alpha on Monday too...but these things can't be helped.
I decided to change my blog template...and I am pretty impressed as I did it without my husband's help. So Thomas...I do watch what you do...and learn! The annoying thing is that half of the design of this templet can't even be seen while using Firefox...but when I am on Safari..(which isn't very often as it seems to just crash)..I can see the full design. It was the same with the last template as well....half of the design was missing. Does anyone know why that is?
Friday, November 17, 2006
Good friends!
On Wednesday Janey my wonderful friend and Claire who was up to stay with Janey for a few days came over to stay for the night. It had been over a year since I had seen Claire and it was great to spend some time with them both. We had some brilliant times together when we used to go to the Salvation Army's music camps every year. That is how I actually met Janey and it has been about 16 years since we became friends.
Claire works for the Salvation Army as a Children's Officer and I couldn't think of anyone better for the job...she is an absolute nutter. She loves activities with the kids and puts her all into everything that she does. She just overflows with energy, and is a real inspiration. On Thursday along with Roscoe, we all drove through to Livingston to the McArthur Glen designer outlet (obviously once I had dropped the kids off at school)...so that was really nice.....Needless to say that in order to catch up with my cards and housework, it was quite a late night for me. Of course I did have an ichat with Thomas at around 11.30pm which was fantastic.
Unfortunately for me (or maybe more so for him) with it being so late by the time that he can check in...I am tired...AND IT SHOWS!...so I am not really looking my best....meanwhile with the time difference he looks quite chipper and he's all ready to go for a nights shopping at "the mall"! The ichat stuff is great...and because I can see him and obviously hear him I can be in my computer room either engaging with him face to face...or still be in the room bobbing about doing other things and still chatting, just as if he where at home, and I think that that is making a real difference for me. I feel as if I still have spent time with him even though he is so far away.
Anyway...it's Friday night and I am off to watch some "Children in need" and soon Janey will be coming over to spend the night again. She is watching the girls tomorrow with Roscoe while I am away on our Alpha "Holy Spirit Day!..It's going to be great!
P.S. We were in hysterics using Janey's new phone with the picture warping you can do. Probably most of you have it or have seen it, but I never knew about it....everyone got a shot at being warped...but the best had to be Miriam's. Oh...it's good to laugh!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Good advice.Been hearing a lot from anonymous lately....unfortunately nothing remotely constructive but instead trying to be destructive....this is why sadly I have had to limit the freedom of leaving comments. I'm very flattered that you still take time to read my blog and I hope that you continue to do so....and so how do I respond....read this...
Rom 12:14,17,21
Ask God to bless those who persecute you�...yes, ask him to bless, not to curse... If someone has done you wrong, do not repay him with a wrong. Try to do what everyone considers to be good... Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good.
Pretty good advice....and I'm going to take it. I will not return evil with evil....I am not going to put you down or slag you off....but instead I am going to pray for you. Pray that this terrible bitterness that you seem to have goes away...so that not only can you be of real help to others, but you can enjoy your own life more. All the best my friend...and God bless.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Farewell, my love.
Well tomorrow Thomas is off to Philadelphia for a week, so it will be just me and the kids! I don't mind being in the house at nights or anything, and I can spread out in the bed....but a week is quite long for me to be apart from him.I will really miss you Thomas...the girls will miss you too! I am praying that the journey will be safe...and that you will come home safe and well. I want you to have a great time. I know you are there to work, but enjoy yourself when you have your free time.
So there's nothing much else to say other than "I love you!"
Tonight is parent's night at my girls' school. They both got excellent reports, so I am looking forward to what their teacher's have to say about them both.
Well done girls, Mum and Dad are proud of you both!
Been busy with the card making for the last month or so, and have just got quite a few large orders finished and packed. I must confess that I quite often watch the "create & craft" channel. The majority of the cards made are not really my particular taste, but I enjoy watching the tools and materials that they use...and occasionally I can be inspired to create something.I've been watching them using a heat gun...which is a tool that blows gently but gives off a very intense heat. You can do a number of things with them...but quite simply the idea is that you use a stamp with a nice design on it or perhaps it may just be wording.....you ink up your stamp with an ink that is not too quick a drying one...pour embossing powder over the stamped image...and then heat with the heat gun. It's brilliant to watch, as all of a sudden the powder changes...it kind of melts and leaves a shiny raised print which is then attached to your paper or card. It gives a really professional finish to an otherwise boring stamped image.
I treated myself to one of these today, and I've been experimenting with larger stamps to make a main design...but also with tiny little stamps which can be placed randomly over card and then embossed to make lovely backing paper for cards or scrap-booking.
So I guess I had better get on with my own Christmas cards now!
Monday, November 13, 2006
"Ready for love"Amazing.....absolutely amazing song! Neck tingling action guaranteed.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Everything's rosy...or is it?
Received an interesting comment last night, or should I say this morning, which really challenged me. Unfortunately I can't respond personally to the individual as they did not leave their name but just left "anonymous" instead!.....and I quote...
"i do not think that it is appropriate for you to be discussing these things for anyone and everyone to read. i too feel opposition from people when i try to follow God's plan for my life but i discuss it with certain people i trust-not the whole world. you are giving your church a bad name"You know... I love this blogging business. I don't do it very regularly (unlike my dear hubby...headphonaught...)
Jesus was an amazing guy when He was on this earth. Jesus saw things for the way they really were. He wasn't afraid to say what He felt, even if to some it could cause offense. He wasn't afraid to let the people see that He didn't particularly see eye to eye with some of the things the Pharisees said or did. Jesus wasn't afraid to let people know when it was wrong to treat a place of worship as a market stall and selling place. He made it quite clear that this was not acceptable. Jesus saw things as they really were.......Jesus was keeping it real!
I was thinking about these Pharisees, the folks that Jesus should have really got on with.....well should He have? Yet He hung around with ordinary folks, unbelievers, sinners, the lepers and the sick.What could He have been thinking?...what would people think? Well, these people had something that was real....something that the Pharisees didn't have...and that was an encounter with Jesus. These people saw the amazing miracles Jesus performed, they saw the love that He had for them, they saw the love that He had for His Father. But they also saw the outrage when Jesus upturned the tables in that holy place,... they heard Him when he told the Pharisees what they were doing wrong. Here they were standing in front of the Messiah, the Son of God and they didn't even recognise Him...they didn't know Him....they hadn't even encountered Him.
The worst thing the "church" can do today is to let folks out there think that it is perfect! Far from it. It wasn't even when Jesus came amongst them...even then they weren't perfect...now that's something.
I got to thinking too about how the bible really doesn't hide the fact that there was a lot of issues and problems surrounding the church...why, if you have a look at Revelations and to the letters to the churches...you can see there a clear picture of some of the shameful things that were going on. Why would God want us to read this.....won't it put people off "church"?....or worse off of God?
I love my church. I love all the people in my church. I appreciate that as a church we are all at different stages in our faith, and sometimes we just expect everyone to be on our wavelength....and I'm guilty of that just as I'm sure many others are too....but there is nowhere else I would rather be than in church worshipping God with like-minded people. But there's the thing..."people"......we are all human...and believe it or not, the church is full of humans...and sometimes we humans can be...dare I say it....wrong sometimes...hurtful sometimes....lacking in faith sometimes! Do I shock anyone by saying that! I shouldn't think so.
This is real life....we are not perfect. We are sinners saved by His amazing grace....but we are certainly not perfect. And you know something...I am glad about that....because if the "church" comes over to people as being faultless and perfect, if the "church" make out that everything's all rosy so as not to put folks off....then it will do just that...and I'll tell you why,....there are people out there whose lives are broken,.....who lives are far from perfect, and the church will be the last place they will ever come if in their mind we have made them believe that we the "church" never make mistakes, never have a disagreement, never SIN...they will never step inside the door. How can a broken person ever feel comfortable and feel acceptance from such a place. No...that is nonsense.
I love my church...as I've said already...I love my brothers and sisters in Christ,...and if you were to look back at all my posts you would see good times and bad times...you would see real emotions and feelings from a real person... and from a person who is encountering Jesus more and more each day. Maybe that is why the imperfections seem more annoying now, because I am realising more and more just how imperfect we are as people, as Christians and as a church.
People aren't perfect, and I don't think that will be a shock to anyone....and neither is the workplace, or your neighbourhood, or your family, or your Church! Does anyone actually think it is. Am I shocking someone out their with this gobsmacking news. I don't think so. I think people would respect the "church" more if they knew we are just as susceptible to failing just as much as everyone else. My church is no different to anyone other out there.
I don't want to be afraid of telling my experience..otherwise what's the point of even blogging. What's the point of trying to witness, if it's fake or if it's only talking about the good times and giving an unrealistic view of the Christian life and experience. I want to be like Jesus...and keep it real! But there is one thing that I really want to say and that is this. I am not perfect, my family, friends and Church are not perfect....I don't put my church down, but with comments like that...the comment I refered too....well that's not going to particulary encourage anyone either when comments are free and accessible for the "whole world" as you put it to read. Never once will I put my Lord down. Never once will I find fault with Him. We are the ones who let Him down. God is perfect......we are a work in progress...and so is the Church....why?....because the people are the "church".
So thank you for your opinion, even although you felt somehow that you had to hide your identity .....you got me passionate about something and that's always good. I thank Jesus for being the radical man that He was, and for being the wonderful Saviour that He is.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Feeling miserable!Aaaah...I've cold the cold! Runny nose...then blocked.....then runny...then blocked....I wish it would make up it's mind....a thumper of a headache, sinus pain, sore throat...the works. I have the strangest airy sound in my ears ....probably because of the void that is in my head...yeah...I'll say it before you do!
Saw this and thought that this was an ingenious design....not way up there in the heights of fashion...but essential when experiencing the dreaded run.
So anyway, I have done as much as I can do around the house just now before my head explodes. I'm going to have some lunch, that's if I can actually taste some flavour...and then I am going for a lie down before school is out.
