You are beautiful - Seeing ourselves

Many of us do not take the time to notice and acknowledge how beautiful we are as humans.

Many of us do not take the time to notice and acknowledge how beautiful we are as humans. We may be great lovers of beauty, seeing it in the people, places, and things around us, while completely missing it in ourselves. Some of us feel that it is vain to consider our appearance too much, or we may find that when we look at ourselves, all we see are imperfections. Often we come to the mirror with expectations and preconceived notions about beauty that blind us from seeing ourselves clearly. As a result, we miss the beauty that is closest to us, the beauty we are. Sometimes we see our beauty in a shallow way, noticing how well we are conforming to social norms, but failing to see the deeper beauty that shines out from within and that will continue to shine regardless of how we measure up to society’s ideal.

If we can cut through all these obstacles and simply appreciate how beautiful we are, we free up so much energy. We also become less dependent upon the opinions and feedback of others since we become our own greatest admirers. Many of us know that after a great yoga practice or a long, deep meditation, we are more able to see how beautiful we are. This is because we have released some of our baggage, thus unburdening ourselves and summoning forth the spirit that dwells within us. It is the heady combination of the divine spirit and the human body that conveys beauty more accurately than anything else.

To keep ourselves in touch with our own beauty, we can surround ourselves with images that reflect our beauty back to us—photos of a relative or child who has our eyes, images of teachers who embody spirit, or self-portraits that capture our essence in a way that allows us to see ourselves anew. The best way to keep ourselves in touch with our own beauty is to keep looking deeply into our own souls and opening our eyes to the human being we see in the mirror every day. ~ The Daily OM

Love it - Just had to be shared. Have a great day!

Shamgar's secret - 1

'...Shamgar...killed six hundred...Philistines with an ox goad...' Judges 3:31 NKJV

The Bible says, '...Shamgar... killed six hundred... Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.' (Judges 3:31 NKJV) Shamgar was just a farmer who owned a field, but he was willing to fight for it. His odds weren't good: 600 to 1. But he beat the odds, saved his field, and delivered Israel. So you can start out small and end up blessing others greatly. The Bible says, 'Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin...' (Zechariah 4:10 NLT) Every oak tree started as an acorn.

Tom Monaghan started Domino's Pizza in 1960 with one little shop. He struggled for eight years. When his shop burned to the ground, the insurance company paid him only one cent on the dollar to cover his losses. All he knew was pizza, so he started another shop. He worked 100 hours a week. Up to this point he had only taken one week-long holiday - for his honeymoon. By 1971 he was $1.5million in debt. But he stayed in his field, which was the pizza business, and tried something new. He limited his menu to pizza only, and decided to deliver it hot and fresh to customers at no extra charge. It worked. By 2007, Domino's Pizza had grown to 6100 stores across the United States and other countries. Today he's one of the richest men in the nation, and he gives most of his profits to charity.

What was his secret? He started where he was. He fought for what he believed to be his God-given purpose. And when he got knocked down he got back up.

SoulFood Reading: 1 Sam 14-15, Luke 23:44-56, Ps 91, Pro 21:28-31

That reminds me of one of my favourite sayings - that i read in an email like this, months ago...

"Roll with the punches, or get knocked out."

I remember those words, every time something happens that threatens to bring me down, and forget just how grateful i am to even be here today. That does not happen very often though, and that is another thing that i am grateful for - not much phases me these days. Every once in awhile i get emails from people, who have read something in a paper, or heard something about me, asking me if i am ok, and offering me their support. This is wonderful ,and i truly appreciate every kind word that i receive from every caring person, in my life. Usually though, i have not even given a second thought to the issue that i supposedly should be upset about! My friends seem to get more upset than i do. haha

I am truly blessed with wonderful people in my life, and I love that even having outright lies printed about me in slimy trashy, porn papers that no one reads - does not upset me.  This porn rag, seems to think it is appropriate to put someone who HAS shown great strength and courage to overcome adversity, and make something good of her life - down - and lie about her...then carry on to glorify a man who killed his own daughter, and then carried on to commit more violent crimes after his release from prison for her killing - Soulan Pownceby. This is the same porn rag, that published photos of my children.

They phoned me last week, for comment regarding my earlier posts relating to this violent criminal, to which my response was to laugh and say "no comment" ten times until they gave up and hung up. Obviously, this paper thinks that "No comment" is a license to print whatever fairytale they dream up that day.

No wonder no one reads their trash. ONE person brought this article to my attention, and he had only bought the paper because he has legal issues with them right now. Funny that. I have left it all week - to even mention this - because i wanted to wait until the issue in question was no longer for sale.

The slimy rag was The Truth - and it is not online. I refrained from talking about this because, i did not want anyone to buy it. Not because i was worried about what was said about me, but because i won't be used to boost their dwindling / non existant sales / circulation . I did not even buy it. I did flick it open while waiting in line at the dairy, but i don't purchase porn. So my friend has saved me a copy of the article - in case i decide to get legal advice re what the going rate for falsely accusing someone of criminal activity is. Imagine being a journalist for that paper? Shame.

Slime and sleaze will never bother me - I am so far above that, it is beyond a joke - but i will continue to be outspoken regarding the media's portrayal and glorification of a violent criminal living within NZ's society, who receives all the benefits of name suppression, while they (the media) continue to attack good people by twisting their words - or in the Truth's case, printing outright lies -  to suit their agenda - to sell papers - with no consideration for the effect that has on anyone involved - not even children.

How to be alone

I came across this by accident on a blog today, and thought i would share. I loved it. I guess it reminded me of the difference between being lonely, and being alone. I actually quite enjoy being alone. I actually really cherish time on my own these days...because i never get any time on my own!

Not that i am complaining. I adore that my lounge is full of teenagers - male and female - playing X BOX!!!

I now fully understand and appreciate why my Dad and Monica always refused to buy me an Atari gaming thing so that i could play Pac Man and Space Invaders from the comfort of our living room. They valued their sanity, more than my entertainment.

I can appreciate that concept right now...30 years later. I didn't when i was 10 though. : |

Find what you are afraid of most - and go live there

I have not been feeling well. I am on antibiotics, and pain killers and have not been feeling well at all. The girls have had friends here since yesterday morning, and Billy has not stopped playing the Xbox. All he does is sit on that thing, with headphones on, whining like an old lady and complaining every single time someone on the other end of that retarded game gets the better of him. He seriously TALKS aka WHINES the whole time he is playing.

Billy is a sore loser...and only gets sorer when i tell him to shut up. He starts his job on Friday. He is working on Friday and Sunday this week. Thank goodness for that. I woke up at 2am this morning and went out to the kitchen to get a drink...and he had a friend here playing it, in the lounge.

I HATE X BOX!

I am going back to sleep, before i go completely bonkers. In all honesty, i don't care about what i am afraid of...i just want to go live somewhere else and leave Billy and his X BOX here!



Give it all you've got

'Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.' Proverbs 13:4 NLT

By the time she was16, Romana Bañuelos had been deserted by her husband and left to raise her two children alone. Living in Mexico, she was poverty-stricken, untrained in any profession and unable to speak English. But that didn't stop her. She had a dream - one she refused to let go of. With only a few dollars in her pocket she headed for Los Angeles, where she used her last seven dollars to take a taxi to the home of a distant relative. Romana refused to live on the charity of others. Immediately she found a job washing dishes, followed by a second job making tortillas from midnight until 6 am. From her two jobs she was able to save $500 which she used to invest in her own tortilla machine. Over time, and with a great deal of hard work and study, she became the owner of Ramona's Mexican Food Products, the largest Mexican food products business in the world. And that's not all. She was hand-picked by President Richard Nixon to become the thirty-fourth United States Treasurer.

Romana Bañuelos exemplified what another president, Eisenhower, had to say about dreams and discipline propelling our future: 'We succeed only as we identify in life, or in war, or in anything else, a single overriding objective, and make all other considerations bend to that one objective.'

Whether you flip burgers or trade futures, remember these words: 'Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.' God will only add His blessing to your best effort, so today, give it all you've got!

SoulFood Reading: 1 Sam 8-10, Luke 23:26-34, Ps 54, Pro 21:18-21

 
Ughhhh...ever since my name was splashed all over the media, i have actually been scared of job hunting. I had my operation last week to get over and done with, and now the school holidays. I am going to force myself to become a contributing, tax paying member of society...ASAP. I will not be applying for jobs under the name Sperling though! haha
 
I am still finding it difficult, when i see myself referred to on TV and the newspaper as "Former P addict and prostitute"...I was invited out for lunch by a Herald reporter recently. I replied to his invitation to meet for lunch, by asking why the media insist on referring to me in that manner - instead of something like "Amazing woman who made dreadful mistakes and experienced a low that most people can not even imagine, but showed the strength and character to get herself out of that situation and emerge, a better person than she has ever been in her life."
 
I have not heard back from him - yet. I will let you know if i do though.
 
I had my operation on Thursday. I then had a wonderful, amazing weekend, meeting new people, and having loads of fun. Nothing, and no one that tried to ruin it succeeded either! Had an absolute blast with friends outside of Auckland. Spent the weekend laughing. It was great. It continues to amaze me, how i only meet good people, with good hearts, these days. This time two years ago, i could not handle even the thought of meeting new people, because every new person i met was worse than the one before. That is why i just became reclusive. Amazing how, we attract what we are. Isn't it?
 
I dressed up in a dress and heals as well, for the first time in years. Loved it. I had always promised myself, since i left that world, that i would never wear fake tan, or high heals again. I broke those rules last weekend and loved it.
 
I had the best sleep ever, overnight, and now i am just waiting for the girls and Nixon to come home. Billy is....i bet you can't guess! ON THE XBOX. : | Resting today, as i am sore from the op. Think i overdid it, too soon. Did not want to miss out on anything though.

Have just had the most beautiful bunch of flowers delivered to me as well. Thank you! You know who you are! I am very blessed.

The world's shortest fairy tail

THE WORLD 'S SHORTEST FAIRY TALE!

Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl "Will you marry me?" The girl

said:"NO!" And the girl lived happily ever-after and went shopping,

dancing, camping, drank martinis, always had a clean house, never

had to cook, did whatever the hell she wanted, never argued, didn't

get fat, traveled more, had many lovers, didn't save money, and had

all the hot water to herself. She went to the theater, never watched

sports, never wore friggin' lacy lingerie that went up her ass, had

high self esteem, never cried or yelled, felt and looked fabulous in

sweat pants and was pleasant all the time.

The End

Shining through the clouds - Grumps

Grumpy people can only affect your mood if you allow it.

The sun and stars can still shine in their presence.

When we're in a good mood, we shine like the sun. But if we find ourselves in the presence of a person, or people, in a grumpy mood, it can feel like a dark cloud approaching to dim our radiance and block our positive way of seeing the world. We can remind ourselves that clouds pass, while the sun and stars continue to shine above. Then it's easier to think of these "grumps" affectionately, knowing that they only have the power to affect our mood if we allow it. With the power of change firmly in our hands, we can choose how to respond to a grumpy person, or a grumbling group of people, with confidence and understanding.

Like a lighthouse, we can continue to shine through the darkness, offering our light to help others find their way back to their own. We can send them a silent prayer of peace or a sympathetic smile. We may sense that reaching out to offer a comforting touch or hug can ease their frustrations and cause the clouds to dissipate. If they need understanding, we can sympathize without reinforcing the negativity they may be experiencing by directing their attention someplace more positive. Helping them find the humor in their situation might be appropriate and is a great way to lift spirits, or a logical approach may help them see all the good in the situation, in their lives and in the world.

We might find that someone we encounter often seems to be in a perpetual state of gloom. Our tendency in such cases may be to try to avoid them, but instead we can make the choice to offer support that comes from the heart. We may be inspired to ask if they would like some help or to offer suggestions that have helped us in the past. We can include thoughts of their health and happiness in our times of prayer and meditation. When we lend our energy to uplift another in any way, we improve our own lives while making the world a better place for all of us. ~ The Daily OM

That not only goes for grumpy people. That goes for every other type of person as well.

I am really tired this morning. I don't do late nights very well these days. I think i am still recovering from Tuesday night, and how draining Nicole's shocking bout of PMS / bad moods have been this week. I got a night without the girls last night.

Billy was still here though, and up till all hours playing on his xbox. I truly would be going insane over the xbox, if there was not light at the end of that tunnel. He starts his new job soon, and will be getting a gym membership with his first pay...thank GOODNESS for that.
 
Off to hospital this morning. Hospitals and having to go there, are about the only time that i miss Danny these days. No...that is a fib...there is one other thing that occasionally happens in my life, that makes me cry and miss him...but i am not going to share what that is on here. :)
 
Mother Nature seems to have calmed down a bit this morning. Lets hope she stays that way.

Marriage rights - 3

'Live joyfully with the wife whom you love...' Ecclesiastes 9:9 NKJV

After the death of the child David fathered with Bathsheba, we read, 'Then David got up... washed himself... changed his clothes... went to the Tabernacle and worshipped the Lord. After that, he returned to the palace and... ate. His advisers were amazed. 'We don't understand you,' they told him. 'While the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again.'

Why did David mourn more intensely before the baby died than he did after? Because men grieve hard, but not necessarily as long. Once something's over, they've a tendency to move on. This can cause problems. Often men genuinely don't understand why their wives can't accept that 'what's done is done', and move on too. Listen to David's logic: '...I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, 'Perhaps the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live.' But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.' The Bible says that God '...comforts us... so that... When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort...' 

David's next move was crucial. He '...comforted Bathsheba, his wife...'  Notice, David didn't ask, 'What's wrong with you? When are you going to get over this?' He recognised that even though he was beginning to heal, his wife was still hurting. The healing process accelerates once you begin to empathise with, and comfort your mate.

SoulFood Reading: Song of Sol 5-8, Luke 22:63-71, Ps 39, Pro 21:9-13

 
ANOTHER marriage one. : | Maybe God is trying to rub it in...
 
Funny though, how it is so true, and obviously, always has been, right back to biblical times, how differently men and women think. A good friend of mine emailed me, upset the other night about an argument that she had with her boyfriend. I asked her what he was saying / doing now...and she said he was fast asleep.
 
Typical huh? She was up, unable to sleep, and still upset, and he was probably sound asleep, snoring so loud that it sounded like something resembling a freight train was going through their bedroom. I had to giggle to myself about that, as that was always the way things used to go with Danny and I as well...and the freight train sound is not an exaggeration! That man could SNORE!
 
Anyway...i am not liking on Mother Nature much at all at the moment. Hail in Howick this morning, trees down on the Pakuranga Highway, wind that chills you to the bone, and more rain than i can handle. I am well and truly over this hideous storm.

It is NOT OK

Boycott "the Contender" until they drop Soulan Pownceby from the card...

The Contender is TVNZ's reality TV show about boxing.

They are lining up controversial Olympian Soulan Pownceby to fight on the Kiwi series of hit reality TV boxing show The Contender.

The professional boxers convene at a training camp where they will live, eat, sleep and train together. Each episode will culminate in a five-round professional bout where the winner moves one step closer to $1 million dollars in prize money and the Contender title.

According to the Sensible Sentencing Trust says about Soulan Pownceby (http://www.safe-nz.org.nz/Data/powncebysoulan.htm);

"Killed his five month old daughter - who already had injuries from previous assaults.

Also committed four assaults upon his release from prison in 1998, including one on a woman."

This man should not be promoted as a role model at all.

Boycott "The Contender" while they have Soulan Pownceby on the card...he demeans the other fighters.

Obligations - to others and ourselves

Obligations can tend to feel heavy and overwhelming, there is nothing wrong with an occasional "no".

We all encounter obligations in life, from spending time with family and friends to being present at important functions in the lives of the people who form our community. Many times, the obligations are actually fun and fulfilling, and we want to be there. At the same time, we all sometimes experience resistance to meeting these obligations, especially when they pile up all at once and we begin to feel exhausted, longing for nothing so much as a quiet evening at home. At times like these, we may want to say no but feel too guilty at the idea of not being there. Still, our primary obligation is to take care of ourselves, and if saying no to someone else is what we have to do, then we do not need to feel bad about it.

There is a skill to balancing our obligations, and it starts with simply becoming aware of our schedule. We may notice that three invitations have arisen in one weekend, and we know that we will pay energetically if we attempt to fulfill all three. At this point, we can take the time to weigh the repercussions of not going to each event, considering how we will feel if we miss it and how our absence might affect other people. Most of the time, it will be clear which obligation we can most easily let go and which one we simply can’t miss. Sometimes we have to miss something really important to us, and that can be painful for everyone concerned. At times like this, reaching out with a phone call, a thoughtful card, or a gift lets people know that you are there in spirit and that your absence is by no means a result of you not caring.

Meeting our obligations to others is an important part of being human and not one to take lightly. At the same time, we cannot meet every obligation without neglecting our primary duty to take care of ourselves. We can navigate this quandary by being conscious of what we choose to do and not do and by finding concrete ways to extend our caring when we are not able to be there in person.  ~ The Daily OM

I have been sidetracked and busy lately...sorry!

Back to normal tomorrow...i promise...maybe ;)

PS - I have forgiven Nicole for the terrible bout of PMS that took over her body this morning, and nearly made her head twist around 360 deg while she tried to throw Nixon out of the car. My normal Nicole has been returned to us.

Thank goodness for that.

Dateless?

I thought i would help Lisa today, and let everyone know that she is in need of companions...to take her...to...things.

If you would like to put your name forward please feel free to email me your details - not too many details though - you don't want to end  up the subject of her next bout of bathtub remorse - and i will be more than happy to pass those details on to her.

Lets find Lisa a hot date!

I'm going out on the town tonight...yiipppieeee...a friend of mine is taking me out for a belated birthday celebration. I hope no doors get smashed in my absence, like the last time i went out!

Later. :)

Marriage rights - 2

'Live joyfully with the wife whom you love...' Ecclesiastes 9:9 NKJV

In discussing marriage on his TV sitcom, Jerry Seinfeld tells his friend why he's not married: 'No healthy person would want the neglect I have to offer.' Let's face it, even the best marriages are made up of two imperfect people who sometimes neglect each other. And when you've been hurt it's easy to react in the flesh instead of responding in the Spirit. Some hurts go deep. At this point we must remember that forgiveness is a decision, but trust is a process; when it's been torn down, it takes time to rebuild. Men and women often perceive trust differently.

When a woman's been hurt, her husband may think an apology should immediately enable her to trust him again, move on, and not talk about it. That's not so; two things need to happen. First, the offending partner needs to acknowledge what they've done. Don't just tell your partner to 'get over it'. Validate their feelings, even though they act like they don't want you to. Acknowledge their pain. When others rationalise or trivialise what's hurting us, it only makes us angrier. Only when we feel validated do our wounds begin to heal. Second, the offended partner needs to make sure that bitterness doesn't creep in. 'How can I do that?' you ask. By refusing to stay hurt any longer than is absolutely necessary, and by allowing God to heal your heart and restore your love. The Bible says, '...If you hear His voice today, don't be stubborn!'
When God gives you the grace to forgive and release the hurt, you need to seize it!

SoulFood Reading: Song of Sol 1-4, Luke 22:54-62, Ps 3, Pro 21:4-8

Someone that i know and love must need marital advice at the moment...because i certainly don't! I always laugh at how these little emails are always relevant to my life - but i struggle to believe that i will ever be married again...so who knows why these ones are being sent to me.

I had a bad morning this morning. Nicole was an absolutely awful teenager. Both the girls were late for school this morning. and i had to phone Nick, and bother him at work, to get him to help me. Nicole is now grounded from her cell phone and her hair straightener, for at least a week, and until she can apologise to everyone in our home. I am STICKING to this punishment after this morning, as well.

I am the first to admit that i am too soft on my children. I feel a lot of guilt for the time that i was so messed up, and not in their life, so i do too much for them. I tend to let punishments slide. I forget punishments when they suck up to me, because they have decided they want something, and i don't like to tell them off, or be the mean parent.

The time has come to let that guilt go. She was so awful, that she tried to throw Nixon out of the car, when i took her cell phone off her.

I cannot believe my morning.

Paul Henry's Acceptance Speech

I know everyone in New Zealand has already seen this...but for my friends who are overseas and might have missed it...You have to watch this. It has cracked me up, several times today. Paul Henry is the funniest man on New Zealand television.

Paul Henry's acceptance speech after winning the New Idea People's Choice Award at the Qantas Film & Television Awards 2010.

My spam button

...on my yahoo / xtra email account...i ADORE it.

It enables me to end an email exchange with someone ( or not even start one ) and never see their name in my in box again. People can keep sending me emails until their hearts are content...and i never even know about their attempts at getting my attention...unless i click on my SPAM folder.

Sometimes, i click on my SPAM folder...sometimes i laugh at the names that i see in there...sometimes i don't recognise the names because they are Nigerian or some...thing. When i have finished giggling, i then click on "Empty Folder"...and continue to happily go about my day.

One thing that i never do, though...is open SPAM email. I would never consider that a productive way to spend my time. I do not want to help anyone get their millions of dollars from some foreign bank account that they cannot get to. I do not think it would be wise of me to confirm my internet banking log in via email, even if the email does say that it is from my bank. I am not the type of person that ends a conversation, then continues to reply to ridiculous emails from drag queens that think they can advise others who to vote for, when they could not even get their act together enough to enroll themself to vote.

Soooo...if i have told you that "this is the end of our correspondence" you can safely assume, that your emails are going directly to my spam folder...and will never be read.

This blog post is directed at any drag queen former Mayoral candidates, who quit and are unable to vote, as well as any other ridiculous people that seem to be crying out for my attention at the moment...ie hookers with bathtub remorse.

Gosh, i love that spam button...almost as much as i love my life. You lot should try being happy. It truly is wonderful. :)

Marriage rights - 1

'Live joyfully with the wife whom you love...' Ecclesiastes 9:9 NKJV

Sonja Ely writes, 'I was watching my five year old granddaughter play with her toys. At one point she staged a wedding, first playing the role of the mother who assigned specific duties, then suddenly becoming the bride with her 'teddy bear' groom. She picked him up and said to the 'minister' presiding, 'Now you can read us our rights.' Without missing a beat, she became the minister who said, 'You have the right to remain silent, anything you say may be held against you, you have the right to have an attorney present, you may kiss the bride.'

To know what your marriage rights are, you must understand that, first, marriage is God's idea. In Eden He said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.' (Genesis 2:18 NKJV) The word 'comparable' means 'compatible with his (or her) needs'. When you marry someone, you marry everything they've been through. Each of you brings your own baggage. Unless you sort out what to keep and what to discard, things can quickly erode.

You must also understand that when you leave God out, you have problems. Satan has made marriage one of his prime targets. He loves to promote strife. When it comes to marriage we must learn to forgive, 'lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.' (2 Corinthians 2:11 NKJV) God's plan for your relationship is strength and harmony, not strife and confusion. He wants to help you build a strong, loving union that glorifies Him. To do that, you must show grace, and resolve to make Jesus Lord of your relationship.

SoulFood Reading: 2 Cor 11:16 - 13:14, Luke 22:39-53, Ps 19, Pro 21:3

Forgiving is huge, isn't it? I can't quite accurately describe how good it feels to be able to do it though. I am reminded right now, of a quote. I am a bit of a sucker for good quotes these days. I love them...

Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for." -Bob Marley

Anyway, i am completely and utterly over this weather. I jumped out of bed about an hour ago, to take kids to school. It was beautiful and sunny, and now it is pissing down, cold and windy, just like it was all weekend.

Nixon is dying for a run, and i would not mind getting out of this house!

Joke time

Which Wanganui District Council candidate won't be able to vote for himself?

Here's a hint; up until Friday, this Wanganui District Council candidate was also a candidate for the Wanganui mayoralty


Click here for answer lol ...

The media don't fool all of us

Pin-up fight boys on reality hit list Stuff.co.nz

The following news item is written by a Neil Reid. I will struggle, after reading this, to believe a word this man writes, ever again.

Soulan Pownceby

Two pin-up boys of the New Zealand fight scene – controversial Olympian Soulan Pownceby and kickboxing legend Shane "Chopper" Chapman – are being lined up to fight on the Kiwi series of hit reality TV boxing show The Contender.

Also on the hit-list for talent scouts are Daniel McKinnon, Moyoyo Mensah, Robbie Berridge and American import Jameson Bostic.

They would form a six-strong New Zealand team to take on an Australian team in a series to be filmed in Auckland early next year.

"Getting Soulan and Shane on board would be huge for the profile of the show," a boxing insider said.

"Both are class performers, have proven records and plenty of supporters. They would certainly make the show a must-watch."

While he has a proven record in the ring, Pownceby's selection as a member of the New Zealand team at the 2004 Athens Olympics was widely debated.

He said before the team's departure: "If I don't go to the Games I have nothing".

Pownceby said the debate had been "the biggest pounding I've ever had, spiritually".

He said he had endured hardship throughout his life.

His sister was murdered by her partner in 1990. The man then killed himself.

His father, a United States Navy serviceman, had never recognised him. His mother died of cancer in 1993.

Sunday News revealed plans for the TV show –a co-production between Sky TV and Australian TV network Foxtel – last weekend. It is understood weekly "Bledisloe Cup" bouts are to be held in a purpose-built venue, and the final at Auckland's Vector Arena.

The series is expected to be co-hosted by Australian-based ex-Kiwi model Charlotte Dawson and retired league great Steve Price.

Why would Neil, and The Sunday News attempt to make this man out to be some kind of hero, that had overcome adversity, and gone on to do great things with his life, when that could not be further from the truth?

Here is the real story regarding Soulan Pownceby ...and his criminal offending, which includes the "manslaughter"  of his 5 month old daughter.

Why do the media feel the need to attack people, and invade the lives of people that have done absolutely nothing wrong...yet they protect a monster like this? No - protect is not even the correct word - glorify is more appropriate.

I am just gobsmacked at this reporting.

Well done Metservice

Keeping Stock: Well done Metservice

It's easy to be critical of the weather forecasters at Metservice. Sometimes they fail to predict adverse weather events, and we slag them off. Sometimes they warn of adverse weather events which turn out to be far less menacing than predicted, and we accuse them of being alarmist...read more

Keep the torch burning

'...The race is not to the swift...' Ecclesiastes 9:11 NKJV

In Ancient Greek marathons a torch was handed to each runner at the starting line. To win, they had to cross the finishing line with their torch still burning. What a picture! '...unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required...' In God's Kingdom you are called to run your best race and cross the finishing line with the fire in your heart still burning. The torch race was a tough one that led through mountains and valleys. Doubtless there were times when others would pass you by, when your strength would fail, when you lost your way and had to get back on track, or stumbled and had to get back up. What counted in this race was not style, but staying power!

The Bible says, 'Run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus... lest you become weary and discouraged...' How did Jesus run His race? As a boy of 12 He told His parents, '...I must be about my Father's business.'  Later, when the crowd tried to take Him in a different direction and impose their agenda on Him, He said, 'I must work the works of Him that sent Me...' Facing the cross, He announced, '...For this cause I was born...'

On the cross, He announced, 'It is finished!' In Revelation we see one of our last recorded glimpses of Christ, and '...His eyes [are] like a flame of fire.'  He crossed the finishing line with the torch still burning. And He is your example!

Gen 2:7-25, 1 Cor 15:39-55

Very good.

What is not very good though, is this weather. I am getting cabin fever stuck inside. Actually, stuck in my room because Billy and his friends have taken over my lounge with their x boxes for the past 48 hours. Nicole has been confined to her room as well.

I'm over this weather. I had a nice drive, and a nice visit with a friend planned today. Nixon peed on my bedroom floor too...he refuses to go outside in the rain. He is even more wussy than i am. : |

Jevan the quitter



Jevan the quitter with his crown

 Keeping Stock: Jevan the quitter

Oh dear; how sad; never mind. Jevan Goulter has pulled out of the race for the Wanganui mayoralty, announcing his decision on the day that voting papers were posted...read more

To add insult to this poor man's self inflicted injury - he is not even guaranteed the one vote that most politicians are guaranteed - his own...because he did not even bother to enroll to vote!

Jevan Goulter is not even on the electoral roll.


"Don't vote for me for mayor" - Jevan Goulter

Ohhh Ok Jevan - I won't vote for you. But only because you told me not to!



Jevan in drag lol



"Don't vote for me for mayor" - Jevan Goulter

Wanganui mayoral aspirant Jevan Goulter has taken the incredibly unusual campaign step of asking people not to vote for him - for mayor that is.

After a colourful campaign involving drag, crowns and radio altercations, the 21-year-old gay man is now asking Wanganui voters to ignore his name on the ballot papers when it comes to the mayoral race, but instead vote for him as a council candidate. He is running for both mayor and council.

Here is this afternoon's full statement from Jevan Goulter:

When I arrived in Wanganui, I came with the ambition and motivation to lead the city, to change the city and to shape the city into what I wanted to be a progressive, open minded, accepting and safe community.

I wanted to provide opportunity, activity and leadership to the residents of Wanganui.

As I begun to meet people and the community I realised how downtrodden many people had been by the Laws leadership. I realised how many people really were and are under represented and intimated by their civic leader. I knew straight away that this is not a way to lead your city.

I set out on a path with hope and a message "Vote Leaders and not Puppets" and I feel I have got that message across to a lot of people.

When seeing how much influence Michael Laws has has over present leaders and hopeful candidates in these elections, I realise how important it is to vote for change.

The idea of a Michael Laws puppet being elected for another term scares me and upsets me to the point of sickness.

I am a very confident and capable person, smart, strategic and am very proud of what I have achieved in the race so far, I also have a lot of integrity and pride, which is why I have thought very hard in the short amount of time that I have had, about this next decision.

With the latest poll how it is, things look like it could head back into a Laws administration, which is one thing I definitely do not want and definitely do not wish upon Wanganui.

Today ballot papers have started going out, so it is important that I leave this announcement no later than now.

I do not want to be the reason why a fresh Mayor is not elected to lead Wanganui. I have realised that the person who will be elected is not going to be myself.

I must thank all the support and all the people however that have helped me and guided me through these times.

So with that, I would now ask the residents of Wanganui who are supporting me to continue in doing so by ticking my name for council. Remember you have 12 votes and you do not need to use them all. Only vote for who you would like to see elected.

For those kind enough to give me their mayoral vote as well, I would ask that you refrain from doing so and utilize that important vote on another candidate that has the ability to win who will represent you well.

Seeing now that I will not be voting for myself, I would like to let my supporters know that I will be giving my mayoral vote to Annette Main and I believe that the "Main for Mayor" campaign is an honest one and if successful Wanganui will have a leadership style capable of heading this City into the future.

I now relish the opportunity to serve on council and use my skills, qualities, attributes and experience to work with Annette Main as our City civic leader.

Annette is an accepting person and very diverse with the capability to act and represent Wanganui. This City will be in safe hands if she is elected and I have the confidence that she can lead.

I will still be advocating and pushing for the original things that I have wanted to see happen. Ice Skating Rink, Curb Side Recycling, Free Parking for Senior Citizens and Affordable and Sustainable Rates.

I also will continue on to ask, no, beg, other Mayoral Candidates, Ray Stevens, Phillipa Baker-Hogan and Jango to accept defeat now and not continue on what may be an egotistical journey. The vote splitting is not healthy and I do not believe it will see a good result.

I have accepted that this race is between Annette Main and Dot Mckinnon and I hope that the other mayoral candidates can realise this as well and pull out. This is what I believe needs to happen to ensure full change and a fair chance at a fresh leadership style.

So please, Ray, Phillipa and Jango, do not be blind, realise that we can not win this race and make a smart, sensible and intelligent decision and encourage your votes towards the other two candidates. By staying in this race you are not doing what is right, which is representing the residents and Wanganui community.

People need to realise that a vote for Dot is the same as a vote for Michael.

With that I thank you for reading and continue to ask for you support and vote for council so that I can make my contribution to Wanganui and have the chance to be part of a fresh, honest and accountable leadership style.

I never set out to represent the gay community as I have always said however I feel regardless of saying that, my actions have done so, and I have done a pretty good job in Wanganui.

Gee...i wonder what all his supporters will do now? So many undecided voters in Wanganui this morning after last night's announcement!
 
I think my eyes just rolled so far back into my head, that they are stuck.
 
Guess what doofus? No one was going to vote for you anyway! I heard that Annette Main visibly cringed when he endorsed her last night, at the candidate's forum. I can honestly say, that if i was an undecided voter, who was struggling to decide between two good candidates, and Jevan Goulter endorsed one of them, that would certainly help me make up my mind - to vote for the other one!
 
Talk about the kiss of death.

A good weekend to be home after all

Chaos as big blow roars in - National - NZ Herald News

Around 2000 people were still without power in Auckland this morning after a stormy night which battered much of the country lifting roofs, bringing down trees, and cutting power to thousands.

Wind gusts which peaked at 150km/h at the Manukau Heads felled power lines, cutting electricity in Warkworth, Remuera, Mangere and large parts of West Auckland.

Thousands of households as far north as Dome Valley near Warkworth and as far south as Huntly were without power.

Large trees crashed on to the Waikato Expressway 50km south of Auckland, striking one vehicle and creating traffic chaos.

Diversions were set up for at least half an hour as police used chainsaws to remove the toppled trees.

An overhead sign fell on to the Northwestern Motorway between Newton Rd and St Lukes, closing the west-bound lanes.

Grey Lynn resident Debbie Pope had her car partly crushed by a huge pine tree which fell in Shirley Ave.

"I thought it was thunder at first, but when I looked out the window there was a tree, larger than my house, covering my car," she said.

The tree crashed between two houses, missing by 3m the bedroom where she had been. "So I was pretty lucky in the end; it probably would have crushed me."

The MetService issued 30 severe-weather warnings covering every main centre in New Zealand.

In Auckland, wind gusts frequently topped 100km/h.

Electricity lines company Vector believes about 30,000 people around Auckland lost power at some stage during the storm.

Around 2000 people were still without power this morning, of which about half were in Piha, west of the city.

Police were called out to at least 18 incidents of fallen trees blocking roads in the region. An ambulance spokeswoman said a car had hit a tree in Tuakau, resulting in one person being taken to Middlemore Hospital with moderate injuries.

Today's outlook

* Fairly windy, with more showers, some heavy.
* Lower half of the North Island can expect gales.

Yesterday

* Lightning strikes
* More than 2000 over 24 hours.Wind
* Manukau Heads - 155km/h.
* Auckland Airport - 100km/h.Rain
* Matamata - 16mm of rain in one hour.
* Hail - 1cm in Upper North Island.
* Snow in South Island.

(Source: Andy Downs, MetService forecaster)

We must be so sheltered, in our little home here. The only time i really noticed the storm was when i took Nicole out last night. We stopped at a shop. I opened my car door to hop out, and the thing blew open, and nearly off it's hinges.

Even The Herald did not get printed in time overnight - When was the last time this happened? I can't recall it ever happening.

Looking out the window,  the weather is already packing up again. I think all of New Zealand should do what i am planning on doing today. Staying in bed, nice and safe,  hiding from the bad weather, and xbox noise - which has already started again this morning.

Arrrrghhhhh!

Strive for integrity, not popularity

'The integrity of the honest keeps them on track...' Proverbs 11:3 TM

Joseph refused the advances of Potiphar's wife, not because he thought he couldn't get away with it, but because he knew he couldn't live with himself if he accepted them.

Ted Engstrom writes, 'The world needs people who cannot be bought; whose word is their bond; who put character above wealth; who possess opinions and a will; who are larger than their vocations; who don't hesitate to take chances; who won't lose their individuality in a crowd; who will be as honest in small things as they are in great things; who will make no compromise with wrong; whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires; who will not say they do it 'because everybody else does it'; who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity; who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning and hard-heartedness are the best qualities for winning success; who are not afraid to stand for the truth even when it's unpopular; who say 'no' with emphasis, even though the rest of the world says 'yes'.'

In what he calls a compromise of integrity, psychiatrist Leo Rangell analyses the relationship between former President Nixon and some of his closest confidantes in the Watergate scandal. He records a conversation between Senator Howard Baker and Nixon aide Herbert Porter. Baker: 'Did you ever have qualms about what you were doing?' Porter: 'Yes, I did.' Baker: 'Why didn't you do anything?' Porter: 'Group pressure... the fear... of not being considered a team player.'

So strive for integrity, not popularity!

SoulFood Reading: Lev 16, Lev 23:26-32, Heb 9:1-14, Heb 13:11-16

Honesty is huge. It is so much easier to lie sometimes. It is especially easier to lie, when you know that the truth will upset, anger, or hurt someone that you care about. It is even easier to lie when lying, will save our own butts.

I can't lie these days. I just don't have it in me. I used to be able to. I used to be able to do a lot of things, that i am no longer able to do. For that, i am grateful.

How about that storm? I drove Nicole and her friends through Howick at about 7pm last night, to drop them off at another friend's house, and the thunder and lightening just about gave us all a heart attack. It came out of nowhere, but then was gone just as fast. I love thunder and lightening. I really miss the electrical storms that i grew up watching from the lake cabin. We just don't get them here in New Zealand, like they get in America.

Anyway, there were trees down on Whitford Rd at 7pm last night. I was more than happy to get back home and crawl into bed for the night, and listen to the storm from here. I wonder what the damage is out there today. It looks like it is a fairly sunny day. Although, in saying that, yesterday started out nice as well.

I am annoyed right now, at the weather reports telling us all to stay inside all weekend, and batten down the hatches. I cancelled cool plans because of that weather report, and now it is beautiful out there, and i am stuck here listening to Billy and his friends play xbox all weekend. The new Halo game was released this week. He went and got it yesterday morning...at 10am, and was still up playing it at 4am, when i took Nixon outside for his business.

WHAT THE....?!?!?!?  I thought there was thunder going on outside still...until i got up and realised it was just the noise from the game.

I can not WAIT for that kid to start his job!

Quotes of the day

I just came across this on Kiwiblog.  Reading this made coffee come out my nose. I laughed that hard. How true to form are every single one of these quotes? lol

The winner - MikeE_NZ : is pretty happy right now that David Garrett didn’t read The Silence of the Lambs. -

John Key: Pass

Rodney Hide: We are the only honest party in parliament

David Slack: It’s not black or white

Guyon Espiner: ( smiling )

John Boscawen:

Leighton Smith: It’s a helengrad communist conspiracy theory

Newstalk ZB: We don’t want to talk about that today

Garth McVicar: He’s our man

Paul Henry: It’s Hone’s fault

Hone Harawira: Mofo’s

Heather Roy: My lips are sealed

Roger Douglas:

Phil Goff: Arafat was a good kisser

Chris Carter: I’m back

Willie Jackson: He wouldn’t get a maori passport

J.T.: ( laughing hysterically) They’re all crooks

Michael Laws: I’ve got a headache and need a lay down

Hahaha...i can't stop laughing.

Sorry to my American, Aussie, and UK friends and family that totally won't get the humour in this. I will have a hunt around on the net for something funny for you, as well!

Seeing Inside - Sight Versus Vision

Sight is the ability to see the physical world while vision is the gift of seeing beyond it.

Sight is the ability to see the physical world while vision is the gift of seeing beyond it. Sight enables us to take the physical world in so we can participate in it with knowledge. It brings us pleasure through our eyes, which perceive the colors and shapes of all the myriad expressions of nature and human beings. It helps us feel in control, allowing us to see what is coming toward us, which way we are going, and exactly where we are standing at a given moment. We are able to read signs and books, navigate the interiors of buildings with ease, sense and perceive how a person is feeling by the expressions that cross her face.

As anyone who has lost their eyesight can tell you, though, there are things that are clearer when you cannot see the world through your eyes. One of the reasons many meditation instructors advise sitting with the eyes closed is because we automatically become more in touch with our inner world when we are not distracted by the outer world. It is in this state that vision becomes our mode of seeing. Vision comes from within and shows us how to navigate the realms of thought, feeling, and emotion. It enables us to see things that aren’t yet manifested in the world of form, and it also connects us to that part of ourselves that exists separately from the world of form.

As we age, even those of us with perfect eyesight will generally lose some of our acuity, but this loss is usually replaced with inner vision. This is the time of life when we are meant to turn inside and take what are sometimes the very first steps of a journey that cannot be traced on a map. We call upon intuition and feel our way along a path that ultimately carries us beyond the realm we can see with our eyes and into the land of spirit. ~ The Daily OM

Sometimes i feel like i have too much vision. Sometimes, i wish i could still live in a state of ignorant bliss, and not see things for what they really are. Sometimes, i think my intuition, and my 20-20 vision, create more problems for me, than they solve, or prevent. I have even tried to obstruct my vision lately, and purposely not see things.

But then i think back to how unhappy i was back when i was damn near blind. I remember how blessed i am to be me, and to even be alive...and gratitude takes over again.

Where is this bloody storm that is supposed to be coming? There is not a cloud in the sky, or wind. It feels like a beautiful spring day. I put off spending the weekend in the Hawkes Bay with someone this weekend, because of the weather, and now it is beautiful out there.

Tony Marsh has a lot to answer for! I was looking forward to spending a couple of days inside, working on the book, while the rain pounded on the windows. The book by the way, is coming along very nicely.

Back to it.

Performance-based or grace-based?

'...'Those... hired last... you paid... the same as... us.' Matthew 20:12 NCV

In Christ's parable five different groups of workers are hired. The first group complained when those who worked only the last hour got paid the same wages as those who worked all day. They are typical of performance-based Christians. They think that because they avoid certain sins, God's getting a good deal. Instead of rejoicing with those who come late to the Kingdom, they're resentful.

They're easy to spot because they've three characteristics. They show a complaining spirit. They overlook the good, home in on the negative, and seek out people who agree with them. What's the cure? A good memory! Recalling what God has done for you, and all the grace-based benefits of His love you enjoy each day. Performance-based Christians have also got a resentful spirit. Instead of resting in God's grace they act like duty-bound soldiers - conscripts, not volunteers. They struggle constantly for God's approval, never feel like they measure up, and their hostility prevents them from experiencing joy. But the moment they begin to reflect on God's goodness to them, their resentment begins to lessen. Finally, they show a judgmental spirit. 'It's not fair,' they think. 'I did the work and they get the credit.' They forget that God dispenses gifts - not wages. 'He does not... repay us according to our iniquities' (Psalm 103:10 NIV), but lavishes us with grace and mercy.

So who are these grace-based Christians? Latecomers with no contracts or merits; their relationship with God is based solely on grace. They're happy with whatever He's offering, humbled by His goodness, and motivated to work by overwhelming gratitude.

2 Cor 9:1 - 11:15, Luke 22:24-38, Ps 24, Pro 21:1-2

I like it.

I have met a few people lately, that say they are Christians...but i just don't see it. They are selfish to the point of being unbelievable. They are mean. They are dishonest. They gloat about other people's unhappiness, and just don't seem to care about anyone around them, least of all the people that they say they love, or care about. They get joy out of putting other people down. They appear to have no morals when it comes to relationships or sex. I would not even call these people "Performance based Christians" because they do not even endeavour to avoid certain sins...they literally seek them out.

Did i miss something? I used to keep up with the trends, and fads, but i must admit that these past few years, i have not really given a toss about those things...one look in my wardrobe would prove that.  Did it all of a sudden become "cool" to call yourself a Christian, just for the heck of it?

I totally missed the fact that it had become a fashion statement to call yourself a Christian these days. Thank goodness for that. I will continue to plod along, and choose grace and gratitude...and the happiness that comes along with it.

Good morning!

Why the name suppression?

Court suppresses details of sportsman who died after P use - Crime - NZ Herald News

A Bay of Plenty sportsman who collapsed and died after using methamphetamine and cannabis during a training session has had his identity concealed by the courts.

At an inquest into the man's death in Tauranga yesterday, Coroner Wallace Bain suppressed the name of the deceased, as well as any significant identifying details, following a request from the man's family.

The court heard how the man collapsed while resting during a heavy training session, which followed him smoking about five puffs of methamphetamine - also known as P - from a pipe and consuming cannabis head mixed with tobacco.

The amount of cannabis consumed was described as being three times larger than the usual cones of cannabis, being the size of a "compacted jaffa lolly."

After collapsing, the man began convulsing, with the seizures lasting for three to four minutes.

The man was taken to Tauranga Hospital and taken off life support several days later.

Pathologist John Viggiano, who performed the autopsy, told the court that in his opinion death was due to brain swelling, caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain after a fatal cardiac event.

The cardiac event was likely to be related to the use of methamphetamine and cannabis.

There were no signs of a gross bodily injury or a head injury, he said.

Dr Viggiano said both methamphetamine and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were present in the blood samples taken from the deceased.

Dr Viggiano told the court that when the sample was extrapolated back to the time of consumption it was estimated that the level of methamphetamine could have been as much as 2.2 or 2.5 milligrams, placing it within the toxic range.

Dr Viggiano said methamphetamine affected the central nervous system and changed the channels in the brain.

It over-stimulated various sensory nerves, raised the pulse rate and heart rate and seizures could occur when the brain was starved of oxygen, resulting in sudden cardiac death, even in the fittest person.

Dr Viggiano said this could happen at any level of drug use and cannabis consumption could also increase the risk of cardio-toxic death.

The combination of extreme exercise and drug use increased the risk of cardiac-toxic effects and proved to be a "fatal combination" in this case.

The mother of the dead man told Dr Bain it was shocking to learn of her son's drug use as it was "very much out of character for him to take drugs" and not something he would normally do, being an extremely fit person.

Dr Viggiano said there was no evidence to suggest her son was an abuser of drugs but said he clearly had a lethal reaction.

Dr Bain reserved his findings into the cause of the man's death.

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is a member of the "amphetamine" group of synthetic or designer drugs that have a powerful simulant effect on a person's central nervous system. It is extremely addictive and destructive.

The crystal form of the drug is the most pure and becoming more common. It is called "ice" due to its appearance - white or translucent crystals.

Some P is imported from countries like China but most is manufactured in New Zealand in clandestine drug laboratories known as "clan labs".

Increased use commonly results in compounding paranoia, psychosis and extreme mood swings, and this in turn can lead to violence and violent offending.

Nothing will ever change, or improve until the stigma, and the shame that is involved with addiction to methamphetamine is dispelled.

If i was his family, i would want what that drug did to my loved one made public, in the hope that it would stop someone else from making the same mistake. His life was lost in vain, as long as his name is suppressed and no lessons are learned from his death.
 
Very sad.

Reason # 54,354 why you should never shag a hooker and not pay

Expatriate Scottish police officer in New Zealand sex scandal - The Daily Record

A HEARTBROKEN celebrity prostitute has retaliated on the web after being dumped by her Scottish TV star policeman lover.

I cannot believe that the media have even picked up this story. This is even less newsworthy than the attention that i was given...although in saying that, i guess unlike me, Lisa wants this kind of attention.

New Zealander Lisa Lewis, 29, claims she fell for expat John Goddard, 25, after he booked a steamy sex session.

She knew him two weeks. One would think that a hooker, of all people, would be able to recognise the difference between love ...and lust.

The £3000-a-night escort told how the traffic officer - who stars in a hit Kiwi telly show - accidentally broke her ribs during a steamy romp.

He is hardly a TV star! He has appeared on "Road Cops" for about 2 minutes in total. Gosh the media love to twist this stuff...

But days later, Goddard ditched the stunner - who fears he was pressured by worried police chiefs.

And this attention seeking is exactly why the police would have been pressuring him - if they were.

Following the split, Lisa bizarrely climbed into a bath in her bikini to record a teary seven-minute chat about the failed relationship.

The clip has already been watched by hundreds of fans around the world.

See earlier post with Lisa's video - one of the weirdest displays of behaviour that i have ever seen from someone aspiring to be elected to a public position - right up there with Jevan Goulter's weirdo antics in Wanganui.

Lisa, who became famous after streaking in a bikini at an All Blacks rugby match in 2006, said: "He said he was a fireman. But I can understand his initial lie.

"During the booking I kissed him - a passionate kiss. I don't ever do that with a customer. There was an attraction, it was physical, spiritual, emotional. I told him I would repay his money as I never saw him as a customer."

She was stunned to turn on her TV and see John on hit reality show Road Cops, which follows officers in Waikato.

Lisa recalled: "I sent him a text. We eventually had make-up sex and he wound up fracturing my ribs.

"He rolled over and his elbow accidentally went into my left rib."

Last night, Lisa said: "John told me he couldn't stop thinking about being with me, thinking about marrying me.

"The next thing he is saying, just leave me alone. I'm left hurting and the worst thing is I can't get him out of my mind.

Honestly - am i the only woman in this world who is intelligent enough to realise that a relationship has absolutely nowhere to go when it starts by having sex with someone in exchange for money? The number of hookers that i have known, who are stupid enough to think that this could ever possibly be anything more than what it is - sleaze - that it could ever be love....astounds me. Pretty Woman was a movie ladies. It was NOT real.

"I believe he has been told to choose work or love."

You knew him for two weeks! Hello?

John yesterday admitted knowing Lisa but added: "I have nothing to say."

When all the media were swarming around me, i received an email from Lisa, encouraging me to go public with "everything."  What she thought "everything" was...is anyone's guess. I assumed though that her advice was mainly due to her dislike of someone else. I ignored her advice.

Lisa - if you think that this is somehow going to get your Scottish cop back, you are so wrong. The poor guy is probably wiping the sweat off his forehead and thinking, thank God he got out when he did.

I guess this is about when i should point out to any man that might read this, again, including the Scottish cop, that when you visit a hooker, you are not paying for sex. You are paying for her to go away afterwards...quietly, with no drama...or youtube videos!

I saw a funny comedy thing on TV last night and laughed to myself. Two politicians talking about what to do regarding the "Prostitution Bill" and one of the politicians yelled out "PAY IT!" haha

I guess John Goddard's first instinct, in lying to her about his occupation because "he did not know if he could trust her" ...was spot on. He should have listened to his gut instinct. It never lies to us.

What is good for me?

When we are soul searching, be it for the smaller or larger decisions we face during the day, we can learn to ask, is this good for me? ...Is this what i really want? ... Is this what i need? ...Does this direction feel right for me? ...Or am i succumbing to the control and influence that i sometimes allow others to have over me?

It is not unhealthy selfishness to question if something is good for us. That is an old way of thinking. To ask if something is good for us is a healthy behaviour, not to be shamed of, and will probably work out in the other person's best interest too.

We shall not wander down a selfish path of self-indulgence by asking if a thing is good for us. We shall not stray from God's intended plan, God's highest good, by asking if a thing is good for us. By asking ourselves this simple question, we participate in directing our life toward the highest good and purpose; we own our power to hold ourselves in self esteem.

Today, i will be acting in my best interests. I will do this with the understanding that, on occasion, my choices will not please everyone around me. I will do this with the understanding that asking if a thing is good for me, will ultimately help me take true responsibility for my life and my choices.

BUSY DAY... but at the same time, not much going on.

Nixon and i did our run. I baked my fantastic chocolate chip cookies. Cooked dinner for all 5 of the teenagers that i have in my home tonight. The girls have friends staying the night, courtesy of the teacher's strike that is on tomorrow.

NOT ME has paid us another visit, and gotten right up my nose today, as well. Last time NOT ME visited us, she left the oven on 180 deg all night - for 12 hours. Today, NOT ME broke my favourite plant pot...she has also used up nearly all of the shampoo and conditioner that i purchased at the hair salon the other week - expensive stuff that i was told would last me for months...is now nearly gone. NOT ME must have beautiful hair that is full of volume, just like i am supposed to have right now.

I got yelled at for eating two squares of a king sized Cadbury Caramello chocolate bar, that i had purchased for the girls this afternoon. They must have been saving those two squares for FLIPPING, NOT ME!

I'm tired :)

Alexei Sayle on Reformed Drug Addicts

hahahhahaha! I love it.

I have LOTS of email debt at the moment. I have 21 emails that i need to reply to. If you are a friend of mine, who has emailed me over the past week, and i have not replied - I am sorry. I am going to endeavour to pay all my email debts in the next 24 hours.

:)

The best of both worlds

'...whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets... everything...' John 3:36 TM

It's said that the wealthy English Baron Fitzgerald had only one child, a son. Early in his teens the boy's mother died. Tragically, in his late teens the boy also died. In the meantime, Fitzgerald's financial holdings greatly increased due to acquiring the artwork of Europe's greatest masters. Before his death, Fitzgerald left explicit instructions that an auction be held at which his entire art collection would be sold.

A big crowd of prospective buyers gathered. Among them were many well-known museum curators and private collectors eager to bid. The artwork was displayed for viewing before the auction began. Among the paintings was one that received little attention. It was of poor quality and by an unknown local artist. It happened to be a portrait of Fitzgerald's only son.

As the auction began the auctioneer read from Fitzgerald's will, which clearly instructed that the first painting to be sold was of 'my beloved son'. Because of its poor quality the painting didn't receive any bids - except one. The bidder was the old servant who'd helped raise the boy and had dearly loved him. For less than a pound he bought the painting.

At that point the auctioneer stopped the bidding and asked the lawyer to read again from the will. The crowd was hushed as he read, 'Whoever purchases this painting of my son, gets all my art collection - the auction is over!' Christ: without Him you have nothing. But with Him you have the best of both worlds: this one, and the one to come.


Ezek 43-45, Luke 21:12-24, Ps 78:32-39, Pro 20:20-21

I love this. Maybe this means that i have to take a really, really crappy job, and that will lead me to something amazing! Yep...i think that is what this message is trying to tell me today.
 
I am listening to Radio Live at the moment. Laws is holding a mayoral debate between the two Invercargil candidates - The current Mayor, who has been Mayor since 1998, Tim Shadbolt, and Suzanne Prentice - a country music singer, apparently. I have never heard of her, but then i am not the hugest country music fan.
 
I can't stand Tim Shadbolt. He is a joke, and has been since his flour bombing, returned servicemen antics back in the 70s...and one that won't go away. A bit like Jim Anderton really, he is old, tired, egotistical, and just won't go away.
 
No idea about Suzanne Prentice, but from this debate, she doesn't seem to really know what is going on. Now Shadbolt is suggesting she be his deputy. God help Invercargill. Shadbolt just put Laws on hold.
 
This is the first local body elections that i have ever really been interested in. I have always voted in National elections, but the local elections have never really interested me - not even when i was a homeowner. So, this is the first time, that i have really noticed, that pretty much anyone can put their hand up, and run for council or the mayoralty...and if you live in a small town, especially, you have a fairly good chance of being successful.

Lisa Lewis, currently a prostitute, and adult entertainer is running for Mayor of Hamilton. Last night, she posted her thoughts on her recent break up with a local cop, on her Facebook page, while lying in the bath in her bikini, and listening to sad songs.


 
While i can empathise with her hurt feelings, or broken heart, like it is nobody's business, and wish her only the best, i can't help wondering - Are local body elections, a bit of a joke in NZ?

I think i might move to Raglan after all...and run for Mayor. Does Raglan have a Mayor?

Goal Setting and the Law of Attraction

Goal Setting and the Law of Attraction

I came across this article, completely by accident just now. I loved it, so thought i would share. There is some fantastic advice here. Advice, that i need at the moment, as i am struggling with the thought of looking for a job, after my name and face were splashed all over the national media recently.

With all the current media attention that is being focused on the Laws of Attraction and New Age thinking, there are many individuals out there who are now re-evaluating the importance of goal setting and the power that positive thinking has in achieving these goals. Setting specific goals is as important for you to become successful, as the process by which you actually go about meeting your goals.

Goal setting and the laws of attraction go a long way in providing you with the power of fulfilling a basic need. In the case of psychology, it is commonly believed that every individual will follow a certain pattern of behavior or will act in a specific manner to achieve a desired goal. Thus, setting goals is extremely important to society, as it helps to control and gauge, to a certain extent, the behavioral patterns of individuals within the society.

On the other hand, the laws of attraction simply state that you can attract into your life anything that you think about. According to the law, all your dominant thoughts somehow find a way to manifest.

When establishing certain goals in life, you need to apply the laws of attraction. And, it is very important to set goals that overlap, over a period of time, with one another. In doing this, you can create a continuous flow in your personal development and progress and you can become a lot more productive. Thus, to encourage these laws of attraction, there are certain New Age beliefs that guide you towards developing goals as the days go by. There are two types of goals, long term and short-term goals and these New Age beliefs will help you focus on them all day long, as you go about doing your other activities.

Once your daily goals have been set and re-assessed, you can boost your levels of self-esteem and you will have a greater sense of well being too. Once this feeling sets in, it is time to take the laws of attraction to a whole new level, by using the ability to think positively to bring about a positive change and to achieve goals. In the case of short term goals, your power of thinking positively and promoting the laws of attraction will lead to other smaller achievements, which will in turn lead to long term, bigger success.

Another factor on which short term and long term goals should be set is the basic therapeutic benefit that will give you a more exciting and interesting life. As you go about establishing goals and working through your goal plans, you will develop a more positive, better outlook on life. On account of the positive perception, you will radiate energy that will spread to individuals you come in contact with. In doing so, you will be spreading the laws of attraction to other individuals, who are more receptive and open to these thoughts.

Goal setting is a powerful talent and a beneficial process that should be taught to the youth of today. Instructing children to set their very own goals and establish certain plans for meeting those goals will encourage the opportunity for greater success. It will also boost self-esteem, increase creativity and improve the quality of life. Setting goals helps to enforce and encourage the laws of attraction.

All of that advice - along with the fact that God helps those, who help themselves...should mean that there is a job out there just waiting for me right now!
 
Must...stay...positive!

40 + 1

How does it get any better than this? I just had the BEST weekend, with the kids, Nixon, and two of my best friends, down at the mount. Despite the rain...it was an AMAZINGLY fun weekend.

Much to Billy and Jorgia's dismay, we had to stop in Paeroa and take photos with the L and P bottle. I figured that i have lived in New Zealand for over 20 years now, and driven past that bottle without stopping so many times, that it was about time i did stop, and get the gratuitous tourist shot. That is one more thing crossed off my bucket list.

It was kind of weird, driving down to Papamoa, without Danny. Him and i used to spend a ton of time down there, and the last time i drove down there was with him. I am amazed actually, that i am still alive after the number of times we drove down there, and started popping party pills, and drinking before we were even past the Bombays.

I thought that i might get sad, driving down there without him, but it was so much more fun this time. Sober! We all had an absolute blast.

I am so tired though. I guess that is what happens when you get to be 40 + 2 days! Will write more tomorrow.

Home detention for text driver

Home detention for text driver - National - NZ Herald News

A 21-year-old Hawkes Bay driver who struck and killed 93-year-old Phyllis Penman on a pedestrian crossing when distracted by an incoming text message has been sentenced to nine months' home detention and disqualified for three years.

My first thought when i read this was - ARE YOU KIDDING ME? He KILLED someone. This man took a life, and got 9 months home detention. I sat in my apartment ruining my own life, and let drug addicts and hookers scab P off me and i got 7 months home detention. Other than contributing to the huge social disaster that is the supply and demand of methamphetmine in this country...i never hurt anyone else. This man killed someone and his sentence is only 2 months more than what i received.

I have read a lot of comments over the internet, complaining and ranting about the perceived injustice and leniency of this sentence.

Curtis Lawson had sent two texts moments before the collision and had got a reply to one.

But then i read that last sentence...and i was forced to sit back and chill re my judgement of Curtis Lawson, as well as the judicial system, and the punishment that they have handed down to him.

I am assuming that due to a lack of mention of any prior criminal offending, that Curtis is a normal, law abiding citizen, who made a mistake. He probably thought that the worst thing that could happen to him when he chose to do the wrong thing, was, a $150.00 fine. He broke the law. He did the wrong thing. However, how many of us can say that we have not broken that exact same law? Some of us, on a daily basis.

Despite the law change, i continue to see drivers texting, and talking on the phone without hands free, every single day. Sometimes, i even do it myself. None of us ever think that something like what happened when Curtis chose to text while driving, will ever happen to us.

There is no doubt in my mind, that Curtis never dreamed his actions would take some one's life that day. Nine months home detention, and 3 years loss of license, is going to be hard. Home detention is not fun. It is not the holiday that some people perceive it to be. That though, is not where Curtis' sentence will end.

He has to live for the rest of his life, knowing that his choice, his mistake, a mistake that many of us make on a daily basis and don't suffer any consequences for, ended some one's life. That is his real sentence. A sentence that no doubt, will be more difficult than any sentence a judge could have given him.

How does the saying go? He who has no sin, should cast the first stone? Hopefully, we can all learn something from this terrible story.

Make your car a NO PHONE ZONE.

Kia Kaha Curtis - Take that terrible choice, and situation, and turn it into something positive.

Do something

'...Live purposefully...' Ephesians 5:15 AMP

Are you easily swayed by what others say and do, or do you have a plan and stick with it? Are you doing what you love, or just doing things out of mindless routine? Mark Twain said, 'The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation.' In other words, love what you do and do what you love!

Many of us never get around to fulfilling God's purpose for our lives because we're so busy keeping everybody happy. This world is filled with people who think they know what you should be doing with your life. No, it's your life, and when you stand before God He won't ask anybody else about it except you!

Are you courageous enough to follow your heart rather than the crowd? Are you focused, even when many voices try to draw you away from your purpose? An interesting phenomenon occurs when you have no strong convictions or clear purpose of your own; you tend to get irritated with those who do.

The term 'whatever' seems to be especially popular these days. While we must always strive to live in harmony and to consider other people's feelings and viewpoint, God's Word condemns complacency, indifference and an unwillingness to stand up for what we know is right. We need to be intentional. We can't just stand around waiting to see what everyone else is going to do, then follow the crowd. There are basically two kinds of people: those who wait for something to happen, and those who make things happen. Don't say, 'I wish they would do something about this problem.' You are they - do something!


Ezek 40:10 - 42:20, Luke 21:1-11, Ps 78:17-31, Pro 20:15-19

I love it. This is exactly why i will never regret being so honest and open about my past, and my opinions relating to prostitution, and drug addiction. I will always want to help and provide hope for anyone who might be in the situation that i was in 15 months ago. Right now, the best way for me to do that is to share what i have been through, how low i got, how i got better, and changed my life, and how absolutely wonderful life is for me now.

I have said it before, and i will keep saying it. I am not special. Anyone can make the changes to their life, that i have made, and be a healthy and happy person, who loves them self and their life. Anyone can reject shame, and live a life that they are proud of.

On that note...i am off to Papamoa to spend the weekend with my besties - Nicky and Ang...I am taking Billy, Jorgia, and Nixon with me. Nixon will have to sleep in the car tonight...here is hoping he does not poo inside the car then jump around in it, and spread it over every inch of the interior, like he did when Danny and i took him to Papamoa when he was a puppy! haha. I think i am safe. He does not seem to mind the car these days, and Nicky and I will take him for a long walk along the beach to make up for it.

Expect lots of photos!

I am a bit bummed out that i am missing out on the rugby entertainment that will be happening down in good ole Wanganui this afternoon! But i will be there in spirit! .

BIG rugby match this weekend takes place right here in little ole W(h)anganui, where Chester Borrows' Parliamentary XV takes on Michael Laws' Mayoral XV in the curtainraiser at Cooks Gardens. We reckon that the pollies will be queueing up to deal to Laws at the bottom of the rucks:  he may have been imprudent to even hint at a Lazarus-like comeback! ~ Keeping Stock - This sporting life

I hope Mr. Laws survives in one piece! I have heard that he has protection, in the form of a big Samoan player! ...PHEEWWWW....Good luck to all my friends down in Wanganui. I hope you all kick some parliamentary butt!

Right...Papamoa...Here i come! Right after I get another hour or two of sleep in time. haha