Listen Slowly

'...teach them to your children...' Deuteronomy 4:9 NKJV

Being a parent is a privilege, so you must convince your children that they're more important to you than career success or acquiring material things. Never miss a chance to tell them you love them. Be there!

Being a parent is a responsibility. God doesn't hold the government or the school system responsible for your children, He holds you responsible! 'Do not forget the things your eyes have seen...Teach them to your children and to their children after them.' Being a parent is a limited opportunity. If you neglect them long enough, your children will conclude they're not as important to you as the things you keep sacrificing them for. When that happens you've effectively lost them. Is that a price you're prepared to pay? If not, rearrange your priorities.

In his book Avoiding Stress Fractures, Charles Swindoll writes, 'I vividly remember some time back being caught in the undertow of too many commitments and too few days. It wasn't long before I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions through the day. Before long, things around our house started reflecting the pattern of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable. I distinctly recall after supper one evening the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me about something important that had happened to her at school that day. She hurriedly began, "Daddy-I-want-to-tell-you-something-and-I'll-tell-you-really-fast." Suddenly, realising her frustration, I answered, "Honey, you can tell me...and you don't have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly." I'll never forget her answer: "Then listen slowly."'

Gosh - I love that.

No time for the blog today. I spent the morning on a big walk with a friend, and Nixon. We contemplated an NA meeting but then much to my friend's frustration we flagged it. I just was not in the mood to spend one minute of this beautiful day inside a big room talking about drugged out pasts and current struggles. I guess i kinda wanted to enjoy the NOW.

I have managed to spend a couple of hours in the sunshine working in my garden. I am officially done weeding. Time to invest in some seeding mix and start planting now. That was quick. I didn't think i would get through all those weeds as fast as i have.

I have a hot date tonight which will consist of hanging out with two little girls and a Barbie dvd. Unfortunately, my own children are social things that have no need for me tonight. I am feeling a bit like the Dad in that Cat's in the Cradle song that i used to love so much as a kid. You know - When you coming home children? I don't know mum, but we'll get together then, mum - you know we'll have a good time then.....yeah that song. My children are officially too busy for me so i have to adopt someone else's for the weekend.

Back later - when the Barbie movie starts giving me a headache. I need to get me some more of that sunshine while i still can.

Sorry - i have to go weeding

A friend of mine laughed today when i told him that i could not hang around after having lunch with him - because i had to go weed my garden. Apparently that was an excuse that he had never heard a woman use before. I guess it is right up there with having to wash one's hair.

It was not an excuse though.

Day two of the Gardening Guru's return.

I am rather pleased with my efforts, if i do say so myself. That is a huge improvement from yesterday. I am wondering right about now, if the builder who is working on my bathroom now regrets telling me to add my weeds to his pile of rubbish so that he can take them away for me.

I will take a photo of my mountain of weeds tomorrow.

I have had a great day today. Well sort of. It started out a bit ominous and scary, but i got something over and done with that i was not really looking forward to, and i feel better for doing it.

Weeding and gardening in the sun always, always makes me forget my worries. It is better than counselling.

Use Your Authority

'I have given you authority...to overcome...the enemy...' Luke 10:19 NIV

Has Satan singled you out for attack? Are you wondering, 'Why would he even bother with someone like me?' The answer is - influence. Job's influence was a constant irritant to Satan. One day God said to Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him' (Job 1:8 NKJV)? Shortly after that conversation Satan attacked Job's health, his children, his marriage and his business.

You can't get God's attention without getting Satan's too! Whatever glorifies God, enrages our enemy. But you have the power to overcome him. Jesus said, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. I have given you authority...to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you' (Luke 10:18-19 NIV). Notice, you haven't been called to defeat Satan; Jesus already did that 2000 years ago. You have been called to enforce His defeat each day. Jesus already disarmed and made a public spectacle of him at the cross (Colossians 2:15). When General MacArthur met the Supreme Commander of the Japanese forces at the end of World War II, he took the sword out of his hand, declared victory and enforced the terms of unconditional surrender.

And that's what Jesus did for you at the cross. When He died and rose again He stripped the devil of his power and declared, '...All [power] in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go...' (Matthew 28:18-19 NIV). Go in His power. Go in His strength. Go in His name. He has given you authority over the enemy - use it.

It is nearly October. When is it going to start warming up!?!?!?! My fingers are too cold to type.

I have a busy day today. I have to deal with a ghost of drama past, after a pretty crap sleep and before i can have a shower.

Somehow i found myself sitting up in bed, with the laptop open, while i ate chocolate chip muffins in bed, at 1am. I have no idea how that happened. One minute i was fast asleep - the next i was dropping chocolate crumbs on my keyboard in my sleep! ;)

I better squeeze a run in at some stage today!

Because i had decided that i needed a sleep in my own bed for the first time in AGESSS last night - i cannot have a shower until i get to my friend's place this afternoon.

Right - i better get my unshowered butt moving.

The Gardening Guru is back

One of the loves that i discovered when i changed my life was gardening. When i disappeared from my Mount Eden apartment, to my little pad in Mount Albert one of the first things that i did was start a veggie garden. I loved it. All summer, in between runs and spending time with the kids, i worked in my garden. That summer the kids and i ate fresh veggies that i had planted from seeds - all summer. I remember when i went on a trip to the South Island, i hated leaving my veggies and sunflowers behind. I organised the dreaded - spit in your face when she talked neighbour - Penny, to water them for me.

I didn't bother with my garden last summer. After 7 months with a bracelet around my ankle, and being unable to leave my home, i spent hardly any time at home. I spent it up north with my friend Karen, at The Mount with my best friends Nicky and Ang, running with Nixon, and swimming and surfing in the ocean. After 7 months at home - home was the last place that i wanted to be last summer.

My green fingers are back with a vengeance now though. After neglecting the gardens, and lawns here for the last year, i have my work cut out for me. This is the state of my future veggie patch, after a couple of hour's worth of weeding.

Wish me luck!!!

We will be eating fresh peas and beans by Christmas if it kills me. : /

Today started out pretty crappy

...luckily it got better.

I took my grumpy mood out on a friend. He kind of deserved it. He kind of didn't.

These past few days, i have been feeling grumpy, irritable, picky, and just generally not very happy with the people that i have had around me. Those people had put my awful and indifferent mood down to my terrible bouts of PMS that i get every once in awhile. I knew it was more than that though. And it was. It amazes me these days, how my gut instinct is so darn loud that it is impossible to ignore.

Anyway - i found out what my gut had been screaming to tell me. Which now has me wanting to write about how i deal with conflict and arguments with the people that i love and care about. It won't take me long to describe what i do.

I get angry. I run away.

I don't want to have conflict with the people that i love, so i leave. The end.

Pretty much.

Unfortunately, that rarely solves anything.

I am sitting here trying to decide if flighting is better than fighting. I think it is - only marginally though. Luckily my friend was not keen on letting me fly away this morning. Three hours, two coffees, two all day breakfasts in the sun, and a walk along Point Chevalier beach while we marvelled at all the beautiful homes, and our eyes were not all that far from seeing each other again.

So what have i learned today?

When ghosts of drama past resurface and threaten your current state of happiness - argue over all day breakfast at a cafe in Point Chevalier. If the bloated feeling from inhaling enough greasy food to feed a small village does not take your mind off of your differences - watching the weirdos that roam up and down Great North Road will.

Failing that - weeding always helps too. My garden is getting there after this afternoon!

Life is good.

Let the Refiner Do His Work

'He will sit as a refiner...of silver...' Malachi 3:3 NIV

It's hard watching someone you love going through the refiner's fire, but it's the only way to get pure silver. It's hard watching the refiner turn up the heat until all the scum on the bottom rises, every impurity is removed, and He finally sees His face reflected on the surface. But only then is the work complete. And that's God's goal for each of us.

When we pray, 'Make me more like Jesus,' we're asking the Holy Spirit to do a work in us. Usually we don't change until the pain of staying the same becomes unbearable. For most of us, knowledge is not the bridge to growth - pain is. No matter how much you love someone, don't try to rescue them from God's dealings. The worst thing you could have done for the Prodigal Son was go down to the pigsty, clean it up and make it comfortable for him. That's called 'enabling'. Let the refiner do His work! For much of his life Jacob didn't think he needed God. He'd probably have told you, 'I'm doing just fine, thank you!' But the time came when he had to go home, stand before his father and face the wrath of his brother Esau whom he'd wronged. And that's when he became willing to wrestle with God and say, '...I will not let you go unless you bless me' (Genesis 32:26 NIV).

Change usually comes when it hurts so much that you have to change, when you learn so much that you want to change, and when you receive so much that you welcome change.

Not in much of a writing mood this morning. I am missing being at my own home right now. I never seem to be able to write properly unless i am alone, and in my own space.

Think i might take Nixon to Pt Chev for a run along the beach before the weather packs up.

This house is so darn cold compared to mine.

Don Brash - Getting in touch with his bad self

I never thought i would agree with anything that John Banks had to say. I never thought i could think any less of Don Brash...and i never thought The ACT Party could make themselves look any more foolish than the day that John Boscowan stood there finishing his speech with a lamington squished into his forehead.

I was wrong on all counts.

Act split makes hash of dope policy

The Act Party's Epsom seat hopeful John Banks has dramatically shot down his leader Don Brash's views on decriminalising cannabis, saying it will never become party policy.

"Just because it's the view of the leader doesn't mean it has a paradigm effect on my free thinking around drugs," said Mr Banks, who is vehemently opposed to decriminalising marijuana or any softening towards drugs and alcohol.

The stance puts him directly against the views of Dr Brash, who at the weekend said his personal view was decriminalisation.

"So what?" said Mr Banks, a former police minister.

"So many of our vulnerable young people are at sea with alcohol and drugs and often both. They need life-rafts, not concrete boots."

Opponents have leapt on the diverging views as further evidence of the disintegration of the party, which will not have any current MPs in the next parliamentary term and has been plagued by caucus in-fighting and a leadership coup.

Labour's Epsom candidate David Parker put up a sign across his billboards in the electorate: "Vote Banks - Get Both Dopes!"

"This is a circus," Mr Parker said.

"Mr Banks is anti-abortion, anti-gay and now he's tied up with someone who is pro-decriminalisation of marijuana."

Mr Banks, who was not told of the marijuana announcement beforehand, said a softer stance on cannabis would not be party policy.

When asked if he alone made those decisions, he said: "No, but I'm telling you, the decriminalisation of marijuana is not going to happen.

"I'm in no awkward position. I've had people [in Epsom] asking me [about Dr Brash's speech]. It's his personal view, not a party view. It's not [party] policy, and it won't be.

"We need a public conversation around all of this. What we don't need - and I respect other people's view, including the leader of the Act Party - is to send out a message that we're going to go soft on marijuana."

Dr Brash is in lonely political territory; both National and Labour oppose decriminalisation of cannabis.

He said he would like the party to adopt his stance as its policy, but did not expect that to happen given that the board had set up a law and order sub-committee, chaired by Mr Banks.

He said it was not antagonistic to have the opposite view to the person he is relying on, given current polling, for his ticket back to Parliament.

"It's different. I accept that. We are close friends and I respect his judgement. We don't agree on this particular issue. We agree on virtually everything else."

He said it was an important debate, given the vast amount of police resources that appear to be having no impact on consumption.

Prime Minister John Key shrugged off suggestions that Act was imploding, and said National would continue to pursue mainly the party vote in Epsom.

Act candidate Don Nicholson said he did not have a view on marijuana, but he agreed with Dr Brash that current policy was not working.

Apparently there are huge debates going on everywhere all over the internet, and the blogosphere regarding the legalisation of marijuana now.

This is so dumb.

Watching Don Brash is like watching your grandpa trying to put on the cool moves and get all jiggy with it. Next he will be shuffling.

I am left sitting here wondering why this has gotten Don so much attention? Are the students and the stoners whose attention, and votes that Don is trying to get really so stupid as to believe that a vote for Don Brash means that marijuana will be made legal? Don Brash has about as much chance of making marijuana legal as Winston Peters has of stopping Asians moving to our country.

Is Don Brash so stupid as to not realise that most stoners don't get off their butts and even enroll - let alone get out of bed, or stop munching on junk food long enough to get their wasted asses to the voting booths?

And when are the Greens going to acknowledge just how huge marijuana's carbon footprint is?

While i don't agree with drug addicts being treated like criminals - i believe that addiction should be treated as an illness rather than a crime and that entrenching addicts in the criminal justice system does nothing but create a vicious cycle that is damn near impossible to extricate oneself from - i also don't agree with legalising the brain damaging stuff.

I have never been a pot smoker. I tried it a couple of times. The stuff stinks, made my mouth dry, and put me to sleep. I have though, known a few people that have been daily pot smokers for decades and not one of them has been sane. I wrote about my last experience with a man that thought there was nothing harmful in smoking marijuana every day. Lovely guy that he was - he was not all there.

The most compelling argument that pot smokers seem to have in support of the legalisation of the awful stuff is that alcohol is worse, or does more damage. Seriously? Is that the best they can do? That is like arguing that it is less harmful to jump off a bridge, than to walk out in front of a bus.

This whole argument is ridiculous, and nothing more than attention seeking from Don Brash - not unlike his silly Orewa speech - and our silly media play right into his hands.

Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. The Act Party are DUMB.

Don Brash is high on his supply.

Your Way or God's Way?

'He guides the humble in what is right...' Psalm 25:9 NIV

Did you hear about the old lady who earned a living by peddling her wares? Each day when she came to a certain intersection she would toss a stick up into the air. Whichever way the stick pointed when it landed was the way she went. One day a man saw her tossing the stick into the air: once, twice, then three times. He asked, 'What are you doing?' She said, 'I'm letting God show me which way to go by using this stick.' Looking at her curiously, he said, 'But why did you throw it up three times?' She replied, 'Because the first two times He was pointing me in the wrong direction!'

Hello! When you don't like the direction God gives you, do you pray, hoping He will change His mind and tell you what you want to hear? If so, you have never exchanged your will for His! Jesus said, 'I am the vine, you are the branches...' (John 15:5 NKJV). Only as you stay 'connected' to Christ will you bear fruit. Just as the life flows from the vine into the branches, so His power flows to you, then through you and begins to affect other areas of your life. The Psalmist said, 'He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.'

God will show you what is 'right' for you if you seek Him. Essentially, there are only two ways-His and yours! If you're tired of doing things your way, get down on your knees and ask Him to show you how to do them His way.

I love it. I think i have been guilty of throwing that stick up in the air more than three times in the past. In fact - i probably still do that every once in awhile.

I am really missing the girls. I hope my bathroom is finished so that they can come home, asap. I hope my bathroom is finished soon so that i can go home. I am getting homesick.

I am having a superb day. Absolutely wonderful. I received some awesome news this morning. I would elaborate regarding this awesome news, but again, to elaborate would mean poking a stick at a mentally unstable, and multiple substance addicted, violent, freak.

I can't be bothered doing that. I don't need that crap in my life.

I will say this though - I. Love. The. NZ Police.

I also love Google Images.

Thanks for playing. :)

Even his clothes and furniture?

Terry Serepisos declared bankrupt

Wellington businessman and former Phoenix football owner Terry Serepisos has been declared bankrupt in the High Court at Wellington after his last-minute bid for more time to pay debts was rejected.

The action was sought by lender FM Custodians over a loan Serepisos guaranteed to one of his companies, which subsequently failed.

The property developer owes creditors $203 million and had been selling his assets to try to meet his large debts.

His lawyer was trying to get an extra four days grace to secure a loan from Hong Kong.

However Associate Judge Gendall says there wasn't sufficient evidence to show the money would arrive or that it would cover the debt.

He also said when he adjourned the case last time, it was so creditors could consider a proposal to sell off Serepisos' property empire and that never went ahead.

He said it was in the interests of the wider commercial community to bankrupt Serepisos.

Serepisos had offered an orderly sale of a $232.5m property portfolio to try and meet the millions of dollars of debt.

The businessman has been selling off his assets over the last month and parted with a Ferrari car in the weekend.

The Ferrari F430 F1, set apart by a distinctive body and sharknose-like bumper, was sold in an auction for $204,500 on Saturday.

The judgment comes just days after Serepisos lost control of the Wellington Phoenix football club, which has been taken over by a group of Wellington businessmen.

A consortium of seven businessmen took over the team with a five-year contract on Friday.

The Welnix group is chaired by Kiwibank boss Rob Morrison and includes investor Gareth Morgan, Campbell Gower, Lloyd Morrison, Henry Tait, James Brow and Lib Petagna.

Creditors have also claimed possession of Serepisos' clothes and furniture.

Ouch!

Watch out for a naked Greek man if you are in Wellington!




Quote of the Day

I can't help myself

"I'm a bouncer - one of many - and i don't agree with that ConDUCT"




Dixon is so freaky that it is fascinating.

I think his best bet would be to admit that he has a drug problem - whether he does or not -  and to pretend to disappear to some rehab on a tropical island or something.

At least then his behaviour would make a bit of sense!

I can't stop laughing.

Must. Stop. Stick. Poking.

My Sunday Rant

According to the Arnotts website, New Zealanders love their Shapes and munch their way through 8 million packets each year.

That is so very many crackers.

So i am not strange or weird to admit that cheddar flavoured Shapes are one of my favourite things to munch on. I love them. I have loved them for a long time. During that terrible time of my life, when i was addicted to methamphetamine, about the only things i ate for a whole year were Skittles, pistachio nuts, Camembert cheese with rice crackers....and cheddar flavoured Shapes.

My mouth is no longer so dry that i need Skittles to salivate. I can no longer afford pistachio nuts. My body is no longer speeding so fast that my butt can afford to eat a block of cheese a day without it expanding to the size of a small house. I can though, still enjoy a box of Shapes every once in awhile - well i thought i could anyway - until i started hanging out with a particular friend of mine.

My efforts to consume a box of Shapes are hindered from the moment that i spot the box on the shelf at the supermarket. If i am with this friend of mine, he immediately launches into all the reasons why i should not purchase my Shapes, how gross they are, and how i "Don't deserve to have the body that i have if i keep eating that junk."

Sometimes his nagging advice has worked and i have put the box back. Three times though, i have ignored my nagging well meaning friend, rolled my eyes at him, and still purchased my Shapes.

Not one of those three boxes of Shapes have ended up in my stomach.

I get home with my beloved box of cheddar flavoured Shapes, and faster than i have opened the box, pulled open the tin foil packet inside, and reached into the box to grab a handful - the box is pulled out of my hands and like a 5 year old who has just arrived home from a long day at school - i am told that they will ruin my appetite for whatever meal is planned in the coming hours.

My friend closes the box and puts it in the cupboard.

I stare at the cupboard and say nothing. This happens every single time i attempt to consume a Shape cracker, until i give up and go home.

The funniest thing happens while i am gone though. My Shapes are NEVER in the cupboard when i return!

SOMEONE EATS MY SHAPES EVERY SINGLE TIME I LEAVE THEM ALONE.

I get told off every single time i even look at the box of Shapes, but as soon as i am gone, my friend devours the entire box on his own, then puts the EMPTY box back in his cupboard. Sorry - it was not empty last time. He left me two whole Shapes to eat when i returned. I know he left me two because when i complained that the box that i had returned to was now in the cupboard empty, after i was not allowed to eat them, so i had put it in the rubbish - he made a big deal of digging it out of the rubbish and showing me that there were still two in there - that he left for me.

THREE TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED.

Rant over.

As you were.

I am off to get three boxes of Shapes and eat them all on my own - without sharing - or getting nagged at.

Jonathan Dixon did a Tindall

Isn't this always the way? It is always the people who point fingers, accuse others, act so self righteous, and take it upon themselves to judge others - who are guiltier than sin.

Apparently, according to Jonathan Dixon's ex partner of 5 years their relationship ended because....wait for it.................................................................................HE CHEATED ON HER.

Crack up.

Even funnier is Paul Little's opinion of the whole drama in today's Herald on Sunday. This is bring tears to your eyes - funny.

As Queenstown's Jonathan Dixon faces court action over how some video surveillance footage ended up on YouTube, he might well reflect that he is lucky there is no law against bad Robert De Niro impersonations.

His pieces to camera as he presented the images from Queenstown's Altitude Bar showing English rugby captain Mike Tindall with a "mystery blonde" were meant to be heavy with menace and self-righteous umbrage as he interrupted transmission to comment sanctimoniously on what we were witnessing.

"Mr Tindall, you gave your word to God, Queen and country, and you come to my country with the Rugby World Cup and behave in a manner unbecoming of someone which is an ambassador of your country," he intoned.

I imagine he was referring to the moment when the mystery blonde pushed Tindall's shaven head into her cleavage, no doubt a welcome diversion from the dwarf-wrestling that was also among the entertainment offerings at Altitude that night.

Dixon's mum says he has strong feelings about infidelity (and, apparently, nuzzling). Given his standards in this regard, perhaps he should have pursued career opportunities in venues other than Queenstown bars - even one classy enough to provide dwarfs for patrons to play with.

Dixon himself said no one would make a cent from the release of the video. He obviously doesn't know how newspaper circulation works.

But he also needs to be more specific. Even the greenest tabloid lizard knows that you don't pay sources in cash but in travel, appliances and consumables.

The last person to be bothered by any of this would be Tindall. Britain now has more CCTVs than it has people who have been on Antiques Roadshow. As the wall-to-wall footage of the recent nationwide riots has proved, there are cameras everywhere. Even someone who earns his living playing rugby couldn't have failed to notice that a Queenstown bar is a public place, so he can't have been terribly concerned by other people seeing what he was doing.

Many people will have found Tindall's actions troubling because a man in his position is meant to be a role model. Even Dixon appears to have fallen for this notion. Perhaps if anything good is to come out of the affair, it will be an end to this. Between their diva antics, loyalty to the highest bidder and verbal skills of a glove puppet, it's hard to see much worth admiring, though I'll grant you most have excellent hand-eye co-ordination.

Tindall is connected by marriage to England's royal family. Given the off-field behaviour of many of the Windsors in recent decades, his mild bar-room shenanigans down south must make him a dead cert for the Good Conduct Award at the family's annual prize-giving ceremony this Christmas.

He has a point re the recent shenanigans of the Royals. Will anything ever look bad after Charles expressing his desire to be Camilla's tampon, or Fergie's gross toe sucking antics? Mike Tindall is going to have to try a lot harder if he is trying to live up to those standards.

At the end of the day, this whole saga has been a PR dream for Zara Phillips. I would like to think that if i ever have a "Tindall" done to me again, i would handle it as well as she has. Her smiling face in our media has been lovely to see.




There is a man who would not take it anymore!

My daughters are spoiled

Last week, Jorgia got to go to Eden Park with her Dad to watch the Aussies get their bums handed to them by the Irish. According to Jorgia, her Dad said that it was the best game that he has ever been to.

Right now, Nicole is at Eden Park watching the All Blacks play France - with her Dad.

I am sitting here, at my friend's house, watching the game on a TV that has a big box connected to the back of it - and no ariel. I am trying to look on the bright side - at least i can see three of everything.

I am wondering right about now, if my ex husband would consider adopting me.

In Need of God's Help

'My help comes from the Lord...' Psalm 121:2 NKJV

Did you hear about the guy who prayed, 'Lord, so far today I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, lost my temper, been nasty, greedy or grumpy. But in a few minutes I'm gonna have to get out of bed, then I'm gonna need all the help I can get.' We smile, but the truth is, it's hard to acknowledge our need of help, especially in a world that prizes self-sufficiency.

The most dangerous time in your life is when you think you don't need God! Complacency will set in. Smugness will grow. You'll say, 'I need you, Lord,' then act like it all depends on you. As a result your faith will be unused, and when you're not using your faith you can't please God (Hebrews 11:6). If your vision doesn't require God, it's not of God! When He gets involved in your vision, He becomes the only means of achieving it. Without His help, what can any of us say or do that truly makes a difference? We can't even begin to make progress until we humbly acknowledge that we are powerless over most things in life. We are, but God's not! Whatever you're facing today, read these words and rest in them: 'He will never let me stumble, slip or fall. For He is always watching, never sleeping. Jehovah Himself is caring for you! He is your defender. He protects you day and night. He keeps you from all evil, and preserves your life. He keeps His eye upon you as you come and go, and always guards you' (Psalm 121:3-8 TLB).

My day started out normal enough. True to form though, nothing ever stays normal with me for long.

There was no coffee in my friend's home. Anyone that knows me knows that i cannot function without a bucket of caffeine in my system first thing in the morning. By noon, without caffeine, i am nearly dead. Making sure i have coffee for the following morning is one of the things that i usually make sure of, right before i hit the sack. I usually do this because i usually take a coffee to bed with me!

So i headed down to the local New World, in my jammies.

As i was jumping back in to my car, i noticed a little dog that was following everyone back to their cars. No one was paying much attention to it. I actually thought it belonged to one couple but then they just hopped in their car without the poor little guy.

This New World is on a busy road, and it was only a matter of time before someone hit him, so i stopped my car, and had a little chat to him. He has a collar but no tags on him. I offered him a ride, you know, just to make sure that he didn't get hit by another car.

I then drove back to my friend's place with coffee, bread, butter, toilet paper, and a stray dog. I strolled down the driveway with my shopping and a little dog under my arm and my friend is still laughing about me going out for bare essentials and coming home with a dog.

Now me, you know - being me - is struggling to phone animal control. I don't like animal control much. This little dog has no tags which probably means he is not registered. I know from experience what that means. It means darn near close to a grand in fines. It also means about $300 bucks to get him out of jail.

What if the owner can't afford that? I really hate how animal control fine people through the nose for dogs that are not even dangerous to anyone but themselves.

So today, i am going to make posters with the little guy's mug shot and put them up at the New World and the surrounding neighbourhood. THEN i will ring animal control - if that does not work.

In the meantime - Nixon is hell jealous. He growls every time i go near the little fellow. My friend has named him Joan Jett. Joan was named before we noticed that he had a wing wang.

Joan Jett without his Runaways - found at Stoddard Rd New World.

If you recognise Joan please contact the doesn't need another dog - no matter how much my friend loves him -  helpline @  jackie.sperling@xtra.co.nz

Finding the Right Person for the Job

'...To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow labourer.' Philemon 1:1 NKJV

Paul called Philemon 'our beloved friend and fellow labourer'. Obviously Paul had found the right person for the job.

How do you do that? Perhaps by enjoying their uniqueness. Fred Smith says, 'One young woman worked for me matching colours of ink. She could get tears in her eyes over certain shades of blue. "Isn't this a beautiful match?" she'd ask. I could never figure out what went on in her head to make matching blue such a remarkable occurrence. But all I needed to do to keep her motivated was to share her excitement and appreciate her work.'

We can find the right person by knowing their capabilities. If a musician has limited talent, it's a mistake and a disservice to talk to them about the joys of being a Mozart. In motivation, desire must be matched with ability.

Then: by knowing how much responsibility they can handle. Some people can take on full-sized responsibility but not sole responsibility. Something in their psyche says, 'I don't want the whole load. I want somebody to lean on, to report to.'

We can find the right person by giving them a reputation to uphold. One leader writes, 'One of my bosses had a way of saying nice things about his workers that got back to them...and we couldn't keep from trying to do more things he could tell. People will work hard to uphold a good reputation.'

Finally, by knowing what they thirst for. People have different thirsts. One of the secrets of identifying a person's thirst is seeing what motivated them in the past. People rarely outlive their basic thirst. When we satisfy that, we motivate them.

 I. Am. TIRED.

And.

Grumpy.

That was not the best sleep that i have ever had. I need about 3 more cups of coffee and a shower before i will even begin to resemble a normal human.

Back later.



Sorry - i needed a laugh before i jumped in the shower! ;)

Learning from the Prodigal Son

'When he came to his senses...' Luke 15:17 NIV

Do you have a prodigal heart? The parable of the prodigal son teaches us that by listening to God we can avoid tragedy; that by living under His rule we're saved from our misguided tendencies. Jesus said, 'There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said..."Father, give me my share"... Not long after...[he]...set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine...and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out...to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything' (Luke 15:11-16 NIV).

When God says no, heed Him. When He pulls back on the reins, thank Him. It's better to be alone and walk with God than be surrounded by those who'll hurt you. Prodigal, things won't improve until you start doing things God's way! Are you willing to repent and come back home? In three back-to-back parables, in Luke 15, Jesus pointed out that the shepherd went looking for his lost sheep, the woman went looking for her lost silver, but nobody went looking for the lost son. That's because he knew the way back. And it happened when 'he came to his senses'. The rebel who left home saying, 'Give me', humbled himself and came back saying, 'Forgive me.' When he did, his father embraced him and said, 'This son of mine was...lost and is found...' (Luke 15:24 NIV).

Today your Heavenly Father is waiting to welcome you home.

Ahhhh what a morning!

Not being in my own home is HARD. I forgot a ton of things that i needed so i had to come home. I got stuck in traffic because of an accident on the South Western. Then i was late for a meeting. That was ok though, i made it there in the end and all went well.

It's been a funny morning. I have laughed a lot, and that is always a good thing. I was thinking about blogging about why my morning has been so funny, but i have promised myself to minimise the amount of time that i spend poking sticks at douche bags and people that i don't care about.

I love my life. :)

Who needs a ceiling fan anyway?

No more steam - i have the mad ventilation going on now! ;)

My bathroom - there is a bush growing through the wall!

What Sank the Titanic?

'These things happened...as...warnings for us...' 1 Corinthians 10:11 NIV

Scientists now say it was a series of slits, not a giant gash, that sank the Titanic, the opulent, 270m ocean liner that went down in 1912 on its first voyage from England to New York. Fifteen hundred people died that night in one of history's worst maritime disasters. The most widely held theory was that the ship hit an iceberg, which opened a huge gash in its side. But an international team of divers and scientists recently used sound waves to probe through the wreckage, which is buried in mud four kilometres deep. Here's what they discovered. The damage was surprisingly small. Instead of a huge gash, they found six relatively narrow slits across the six watertight holds. 'Everything that could go wrong, did,' said William Garzke Jr, a naval architect who helped the team with their analysis
.
So, what sank the Titanic? Four things-things that could sink you too! First, they thought they were immune, that it couldn't happen to them. Secondly, they were 'asleep at the wheel' and failed to heed five different warnings. Thirdly, it wasn't one big thing, but a series of small things that took them under. Finally, the problem that finally destroyed them was hidden beneath the waterline, out of sight. The Bible says, 'These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us... So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall' (1 Corinthians 10:11-12)!

Not one of us, however strong, wise, successful or virtuous, is immune to failure. So stay close to God!

Ugh. Today is one of those days that i just want to curl up under the covers and stay in bed. I didn't sleep well over night. It was freezing cold but i was too asleep to actually get up and close my bedroom window. I was not asleep enough though, to feel like i got any sleep by the time 7am rolled around.

A builder starts work on my dump today. A year after i first alerted my landlord to the fact that my bathroom floor is soggy and has a big hole in it, and that this place is mold ridden - he has decided to do something about it. Apparently, this will take about a week and during that time i will have no bathroom, so Billy and i are off to stay at a friend's place for a week or so, and the girls will be staying at Nick's.

In the meantime, i am still house hunting. I have two houses to look at today. I looked at one the other day and just got depressed. You could smell the dampness as soon as you walked in the door. There is no point in me moving at all, if it is just to somewhere else that is just as bad.

I have counselling today. I have not been to counselling during the entire time that i have been fixing my life. This is the first of ten counselling sessions that i will be attending over the next ten weeks. Until recently, i didn't think i needed counselling. I know that i didn't need it to recover from drugs or to leave that hideous life behind me. When i went to the doctor back in August, he prescribed me anti depressants. I never did fill the prescription, and i recovered from that down time ok. I don't want to be on any drug.

I had a follow up appointment with him last week though, and i expressed to him my concern regarding my inability to make any decisions. I change my mind constantly. One minute i have made up my mind and am going to do something, and the next i have decided to do something else. It is almost like living in a constant state of confusion regarding what the heck i am going to do with my life now. Even just deciding to move house is proving difficult. One minute i am thinking i will get a nicer 4 bedroom house and get a flatmate to make things cheaper - the next i have changed my mind.

I just struggle to make decisions - about anything - and that has worried me lately.

For the first two years of my recovery from that awful life, it was enough that i had just gotten away from that drug, those people, and those choices to make me happy. Just having a good relationship with my children again, and being healthy was enough to make me over the moon happy. It was enough to make me feel good about myself, and like i was doing something worthwhile. Little things like just cooking dinner, and eating around the table with the kids and listening to how their days went were huge blessings. You know - those things that i took for granted for so many years excited me.

26 months on though, that is no longer enough to make me feel like i am doing something good or worthwhile. I need to fix this inability to make decisions that i have going on. No anti depressant is going to help with that - so counselling here i come.

Scary - wish me luck!

Life Stabilisers - 2

'...like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm.' James 1:6 CEV

Here are two more life-stabilisers.

First, submission. Our ego always wants to 'do it our way', for our purposes and our pleasure. The result is a hardening of the attitudes-a dangerous resistance to God. So His Word says, '...warn each other every day...that none ...will be deceived by sin and hardened against God' (Hebrews 3:13 NLT). Like a pond gradually freezing in winter, our self-will slowly rigidifies, destroying our spiritual sensitivity. The Spirit's gentle influence no longer moves us; we're left feeling content and justified doing our own thing, to our own demise. It's not wrong to have our own will, and God won't 'cure' or 'deliver' us from it. But He intends us to line our will up with His. A good racehorse must have a will in order to win, but its will must be submitted to the rider's directions or winning will be impossible. 'The sacrifices of God are a broken [submitted] spirit [will]: a broken...heart...God...will not despise' (Psalm 51:17 NKJV). Secondly, self-sacrifice. The world's philosophy is 'Get and keep all you can!' Few things sabotage our peace and stability like this philosophy. 'Take care of yourself' isn't a kingdom principle. 'If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for Me, you will find true life' (Matthew 16:25 NLT). Psychologists say that grasping, and holding on to things and people only makes us anxious, possessive, controlling and difficult to live with! That's why Jesus said, 'Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses [invests] his life will preserve it' (Luke 17:33 NIV).

You've tried everything else-now try giving yourself fully to God!

 OK so today i have a problem.

About 6 weeks ago, when i was going through my last bout of highly depressing, train wreck resembling drama, this weirdo spot appeared on my nose. I had terrible pimples as a teenager, but they kind of stopped appearing on my face around the same time that i started reproducing.

My thoughts when this spot appeared on my nose?

Great - now i am old enough for wrinkles, but still young enough for pimples! The best of both worlds!

This pimple though, has never entirely gone away. Like a flashing light at a level crossing, it seems to reappear every time i get a little bit stressed, worried, or upset. It had gotten to the point where i checked it every morning to see how i was feeling - not unlike having a mood ring connected to my nose.

I had been good, and not picked at it, or tried to squeeze it. I had learned from my teenage experiences with spots that , that is never ever a good idea. Sometimes though, i just couldn't help it and a couple of times i tried to just scratch the little mofo off of my face. That has only ever resulted in it turning bright red.

On Saturday night a lovely friend of mine, who had been kind enough to point this spot out to me in the first place, and ask me why it had not gone away (prior to his pointing it out i had just thought it was too tiny for anyone to notice) decided that it would be a good idea to put some wart cream on it. I have never had a wart before so i went along with this brilliant idea of his. Because i have never had a wart before, i had no idea at the time that this cream actually burns warts off of your skin.

I now have half an alcoholic nose.

Thank you kind friend, for turning a spot that was hardly noticeable into something that resembles Mount St Helens - before it blew.

Goodbye cruel world.

Bill wasn't funny, and neither is Ben

Fake pilot a TV3 comedian

The Herald has reported that the man who attempted to breach airport security over the weekend was Ben Boyce of 'Bill and Ben' fame. Apparently he was filming some kind of stunt for his show 'Wannaben'.

What is it with these two?

I wonder if Ben will escape charges, or subsequently receive a discharge without conviction due to his ability to make people laugh?

Does being considered funny by a few people make it ok to break the law?

I guess we will find out.

I guess you can't buy the kind of advertising 'Wannaben' is now receiving, either.

What is the point of CCTV cameras

when the images come out looking like this???

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10752764

I. Don't. Get. It.

That could be anyone. In fact, it looks like the dude that was stocking shelves at Countdown yesterday. .

I might ring the police.

Life Stabilisers - 1

'...like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm.' James 1:6 CEV

Are you winning or losing most of your spiritual battles? Are you down more than up? Do you feel frustrated? Are you going in circles? Is your experience full of stops and starts, a constant guilt-failure cycle?

That's not God's plan for you. You can live a stable, consistent life! But it will require life stabilisers such as decisiveness. Israel wanted to have it both ways: God's blessing, yet the right to disregard His Word; freedom to live like heathen nations, yet be His special people. But Joshua declared it unacceptable. '...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...' (Joshua 24:15 NIV). The church at Laodicea also wanted it both ways, but God pressed them: '...You are...neither cold nor hot...make up your minds...' (Revelation 3:16,19 CEV).

God requires a direction chosen, a goal set, and a mind made up. Wavering classifies you as double-minded and guarantees you will '...[not] receive anything from the Lord...' (James 1:7 NIV). To live a stable life, you need faith. You are called a 'believer' because faith must characterise not just some, but every, area of your life. 'Without faith it is impossible...' (Impossible! Not unlikely, improbable or difficult) 'to please God...' (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). Faith is not what you study on Sunday morning, it's what you do 24/7!

The Bible says, 'My righteous [ones] will live by faith.' (Hebrews 10:38 NIV). You say, 'Where do I get faith?' By meditating on, and living in God's Word (Romans 10:17). Who possesses faith? The spiritually exceptional? No, '...God has dealt to each one a measure of faith' (Romans 12:3 NKJV). That includes you! Faith, not feelings or circumstances, is what makes your life stable!

I haven't had much time for the blog lately. I have been busy, and i just haven't had much to write about, really. I have been uninspired. That has made me realise that i am always the blogger extraordinaire when life is going absolute shite, but when things are going good, i struggle to write.

The kids have been all good.
Other relationships / friends in my life have been all good.
I haven't received any more speeding tickets.
Nixon has been behaving himself and has not landed himself in jail lately.
I have had no disasters to write about.

I am good at moaning and groaning, but i get writer's block when i have nothing to moan or groan about. Weird.

So i have been thinking, over the last couple of days about ways to fix this. I could do something crazy to create some drama in my life which will result in me having something to write about. I could just stay in bed and completely make some crazy stuff up. I could write about nothing. I could write a LOT about nothing.

I could poke more sticks at crazy people that i read about in the news. A friend of mine though, says that i do this too much and one of these days someone is going to hunt me down and do something awful - like egg my house, or something - so i have been trying to refrain from too much stick poking lately. My friend's well meaning advice has taken a lot of the fun out of my blogging though. Maybe i should just ignore him.

In the meantime, while i decide what to do about my writer's block because life is so good right now, i will just threaten to egg all of your houses if you don't keep reading my random crap.

My life is too stable. It is normal.

I can't believe i just typed that.

http://27bslash6.com/overdue.html

Yikes Poor Lisa

Lisa Lewis assualted at family function

Streaker-turned-prostitute Lisa Lewis was in hospital last night after being punched in the face and having her teeth knocked out.

Lewis was in Waikato Hospital with a neck brace and under instruction not to move, said her boyfriend Drew Crocker.

Crocker, speaking from her bedside, said he and Lewis had recently patched up their tempestuous love life and were on a visit with his family when she was assaulted.

Lewis became a household name after streaking in a bikini during an All Blacks match in Hamilton. She went on to become a high-priced prostitute, trading on her notoriety.

"She took a swing at him and missed and he popped her in the mouth," said Crocker. "He knocked her teeth right out.

"She's got a neck brace on. She's not allowed to move."

Crocker said Lewis was taken to hospital by ambulance. Police had also attended and spoken to the man who had struck her. "We're going to press charges."

Crocker said the assault came at the end of an argument during which the man accused made a derogatory comment about Lewis.

"He said something and I never stood up for her. She walked off and went away."

Crocker said Lisa returned to the family function, tried to hit the man who had made the comment and was then hit.

"It would have been one of the hardest punches. We've had a bad run with my family. It's shown my family are not going to show any respect to Lisa. I don't know why they need to keep going like they are."

I'm not a fan of Lisa Lewis. I think the industry that she works in is immoral, self destructive, and hideous, and i think she is more than a little bit bonkers...but what the HECK?

Time for Drew Cocker's family to realise that he is a big boy that can make his own decisions and when they hurt the person that he has chosen and loves, they hurt him as well. We can't choose our children's partners.

What a way to start a life together.

God Will Bring You Through

'...I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me.' Acts 27:25 NIV

On his way to Rome, Paul-and 275 others-were shipwrecked.

We can learn three important lessons from their story. First, that we must listen to God. If we don't, we'll experience heartache and loss: '...Paul warned them, "Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss"... But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and...the majority decided that we should sail on...' (Acts 27:9-12 NIV). Notice, being in the majority doesn't make somebody right. Who are we listening to? Do they know God? Are they walking by faith or by human reasoning? Jesus said, '...he who receives whomever I send receives Me' (John 13:20 NKJV).

Secondly, the purposes of God will always overcome the plans of men and women. God can actually make mistakes work for our good. Through this shipwreck Paul landed on Malta and introduced the Gospel to its people. Instead of beating ourselves up over mistakes or arguing about who's right and who's wrong, try to see the hand of God in it.

Finally, whatever we've lost, God can restore it. '[The people of Malta] honoured us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed' (Acts 28:10 NIV). Don't limit God. He will use people to bless us-people we haven't even met yet. Jesus said, 'Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return' (Luke 6:38 NAS).
Let's be encouraged; God will bring us through!

I love that.

I have had the crappiest of all crap sleeps, in the history of crappy sleeps. I did not get to sleep until after midnight. I have been awake, drinking coffee and eating Oreo cookies, in bed, since 5am. Somehow, i don't think that coffee and a boat load of sugar were ever going to help my sleeping efforts.

Time to pull the curtains, shut the laptop lid, and spend a day in bed, i think.

I have not done that for awhile.

Excuse the language - but i love this

A Tui for Tindall

Too good not to steal. Thanks Keeping Stock!

Memorise the Scriptures

'...The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.' Romans 10:8 NKJV

Nothing pays greater spiritual dividends than memorising Scripture. Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be more effective. Your counselling will be in demand. Your outlook will change. Your mind will become more alert. Your confidence will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.

Even if you've tried memorising Scripture and given up, try again using these seven simple steps.

(1) Choose a time when your mind is free from outside distractions.
(2) Learn the reference by repeating it every time you say the verse. Numbers are more difficult to remember than words.
(3) Read each verse through several times - both in a whisper and aloud. Hearing yourself say the words helps cement them in your mind.
(4) Break the passage into its natural phrases. Learn the reference, then the first phrase. Then repeat the reference and the first phrase as you go to the second phrase. Continue adding phrases one by one.
(5) Learn a little bit perfectly, rather than a great deal poorly. Don't go on to the next verse until you can say the previous one perfectly.
(6) Review the verse immediately. About 20 to 30 minutes later repeat what you've memorised. Before the day has ended, firmly fix the verse in your mind by going over it 15 to 20 times. (You can do this as you drive or do your job)
(7) Use the verse orally as soon as possible. The purpose of Scripture memorisation is a practical one, not academic. Use the verse in conversation, in correspondence, in everyday opportunities. Relate what you've learned to your daily situation. You'll be thrilled with the results!

Ok so i lied when i said that i was completely cured of World Cup fever.

Billy and i headed into Ponsonby last night to watch the USA Eagles play Russia, at a pub, and on a big screen. We had a great time, and really enjoyed watching the match. I was surprised at how many Russians are lurking around this country at the moment. The pub was nearly full of them, and we felt like the minority - in our Yankie caps.

I'm tired now. That was a late night, and i am not used to late nights these days.

House hunting and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz for me.

Dwarf throwing in the land of the hobbits for Mike Tindall

Here is a royal headline to be proud of!

Zara's hubby puts head in girl's boobs at dwarf-throwing contest

I did not realise that dwarf throwing competitions were anything more than a myth. Mike Tindall the English rugby captain, and Zara Phillips' husband has proven that they are real though. He has been keeping himself busy in between matches by spending his time dwarf throwing, and boobie face planting.

Nice one. That will impress the in laws.

It doesn't get better than that!

NZ's very own civil war

Battle For Cup Fanzone Continues...

Honestly - this is so funny. New Zealand had 6 years to get it right, and we didn't. Now, AFTER the disaster that was the opening night of the Rugby World Cup every official man and his dog has an answer to getting it right for the next 6 weeks.

Where were all these answers for the past 6 years?

So instead of actually just enjoying the biggest thing to ever happen to New Zealand, all we get to read about every single day, is the sh*t fight that is going on between the Auckland Super Sh*tty ( thanks Robert Guyten ) Council, and National's Murray McCully.

In between having our newspaper taken over by all this childish finger pointing and stealing of each other's toys, we are tortured further with Len Brown, and his flipping watering crocodile tear eyes on Campbell Live. Next thing we know, he will be punching himself in the head again, and telling us that the only person who could have organised and safe and fun opening night is Jesus.

I have an answer to end the civil war.

'Party Central' or Auckland's Waterfront - Don't. Go. There.

There is nothing to do or see down there anyway.

The End.

Easy - and cheaper than a civil war.

God Is Getting You Ready

'...first sit down and estimate the cost...' Luke 14:28 NIV

Before God gives you more, He observes you with what you already have. Furthermore, when He speaks a word over your life it's like a seed; it needs time to take root and sprout. If God has planned it for you, don't be impatient; '...wait for it; because it will surely come...' (Habakkuk 2:3 KJV).

Patience develops in us the ability to stand up to the pressures that accompany blessing. Look back; aren't some of the things you've been through the very things that have equipped you to handle what you have now? Had God given them to you sooner you couldn't have handled them, and He loves you too much to let that happen.

Think: if you're having difficulty handling criticism from a few people, how would you cope if God made you pastor or company president? Are you ready to pay the price? And, more importantly, are you able to pay it? The more God gives you, the more He holds you responsible for. Jesus said, 'No man builds without counting the cost.' Sometimes we want things because others have them. You say you want a husband and children, for example - but are you ready to start living sacrificially? You say you need a wife, but are you ready to give yourself for her (Ephesians 5:25)?

Whatever you're going through today, there's great peace in knowing that nothing the enemy does can pre-empt God's plan. So, 'Don't be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep travelling steadily along His pathway and in due season He will honour you with every blessing' (Psalm 37:34 TLB). Rejoice; God is getting you ready.

House. Hunting.

A year after i first showed my landlord my squishy bathroom floor, and first began sending him photos of the mold problem in this house he appears to be paying attention to me.

My landlord has sent two builders around since last week to assess the mold / dampness / rotting bathroom floor that has actually caved in now. One came on Friday. He had a look at the bathroom, crawled under the house, then disappeared without so much as a goodbye. His car was in the driveway one minute - gone the next.

I think how big the job is scared him.

Yesterday, another came over, this time accompanied by one of the owners of the property. The owner must not have liked what the first builder had to say.

Builder number 2 told the landlord that the whole bathroom needs replacing, plus the wall in between the bathroom and my bedroom, and half of my bedroom floor.

The landlord just looked at him and asked "What if we do nothing?"

What. The. Heck???? was pretty much the look on the builder's face as he explained that the whole bathroom floor will eventually cave in and they will be liable for any injuries or damage that is caused when that happens.

So basically, my landlord or one of them -  the house is owned by a family trust - thinks that it is ok to continue to rent out a house - not just rent it out but also charge a criminal amount of rent - with a caved in bathroom floor and a whole pasture of mold spores growing under my bed.

There is something for me to learn from this. I will appreciate my warm, dry, vermin free home - as soon as i find it - that much more after living in this dump. God is getting me ready for my new home.

Hopefully.

House. Hunting.

Quote of the Day - 3

Quote of the Day

Blessing Comes by Association

'...the Lord has blessed me for your sake.' Genesis 30:27 NKJV

There is a principle in the Bible you need to learn if you are to enjoy God's best in your life: blessing comes by association! The Bible says, 'He who walks with wise men will be wise...' (Proverbs 13:20 NKJV).

The story of Israel entering the Promised Land teaches us that we can keep company with people such as Joshua and Caleb and go in and possess it, or hang around with the other ten spies who believed it couldn't be done and die in the wilderness. When Joseph entered Potiphar's house, he brought great blessing with him. When he went to Pharaoh's palace, the entire nation prospered. When Jacob wanted to return home to his own family, Laban his father-in-law said, 'Please stay...for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.' The Philippian church had a long partnership with Paul in spreading the Gospel. They supported him financially and he ministered to them spiritually. He writes, 'I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now' (Philippians 1:3-5 NIV). And what was their reward? Paul says, '...all of you share in God's grace with me' (Philippians 1:7 NIV).

This word 'grace' simply means 'all of God you'll ever need, for every situation you'll ever face'. How wonderful! Paul got it from Jesus, and the Philippians got it from Paul. Learn to recognise those who walk in the blessing of God and get as close to them as you can. Blessing comes by association!

House hunting is depressing me. Very. Badly.

I need to associate with someone who has a free mansion maybe? Even just a dry one, without mold or holes in the bathroom floor, and no mice would probably do though.

Back later.

Happy Feet - Gone to the Penguin Farm

...where he will get to swim around for miles and miles with no fence, and eat unlimited amounts of fish.

Concern over Happy Feet's well being

Happy Feet has stopped transmitting.

The Emperor Penguin was released into the Southern Ocean eight days ago with a transmitter glued to him, which has been relaying his position back to scientists in New Zealand.

However, not a peep has been heard since Friday.

Sirtrack, which is monitoring Happy Feet's progress, says this indicates the satellite transmitter has not broken the surface of the water since that time.

Sirtrack engineers have confirmed the satellite transmitter was operating as expected at the last transmission received.

"This leads to the conclusion that either the satellite transmitter has detached or an unknown event has prevented Happy Feet from resurfacing."

The transmitter was designed to detach from the penguin when he moults in the new year.

"In any wildlife research project it is accepted that there may be a premature detachment of the satellite transmitter," said Sirtrack.

A statement on Sirtrack's website says there is a small chance that solar flares at the earth's poles have interrupted the transmissions from reaching the satellites, but data has been received from other satellite transmitters located in New Zealand.

Sirtrack has contacted the company that operates the satellites, and expects a response from them by mid-week.

Am i the only one who is reminded of the many times that my parents told me that my much loved pooch had gone to live on a farm - after reading that story?

Why don't the media just tell it like it is?

After spending 80 thousand dollars nursing Happy Feet back to health, he was just pushed off the side of a ship 2500 miles from his home, and left to swim with a full stomach all that way back home - ALONE.

Who on earth thought he was going to survive that?

I hope the penguin farm is an awesome place Mr Happy Feet.

Cables help

Ok...so it helps to have all the cords and cables plugged in properly.

The girls now have a flash new computer, that is way faster than the old one for the bargain price of $75.00. I wish i had known i could just get them a new and better one, the last time i paid about 70 bucks to have that silly power supply thing replaced.

If you are in need of a new computer on a budget, i can totally recommend QMB Computers in Stoddard Road, Mt Roskill. They have a whole pile of these things and all of them are only $75.00.

They are fast, and run like a dream, first try - when all the cables are plugged in correctly.

Very friendly chaps too - even to a silly woman like me.

New Zealand's Terrorist

I'm no terrorist, I just wanted a wife

This has made me laugh. Did you lot see Mark Taylor on 60 Minutes last night? Did everyone else just sit there laughing at the thought of John Key, a week earlier, announcing that we have an al Qaeda terrorist in our midst?

At the age of 38, he has five kiwi ex wives. That alone would be enough hell to make the al Qaeda stronghold of Wana seem like a peaceful place.

He was feeling lonely and went to a part of the world where he thought he might be able to find a wife that might not leave him.

His IQ is below 80.

I guess Mark might be the type of person that al Qaeda tries to recruit. I mean you would have to be pretty clueless to strap a bomb to yourself and blow yourself up but ummmmm...

Seriously?

This is our terrorist?

I can't stop laughing.

Live!

'They will still bear fruit in old age...' Psalm 92:14 NIV

Have you noticed that no matter how old certain people get, they never lose their attractiveness? It just moves from their face to their heart. Today, you get the impression that a person's usefulness ends at 65 or 70. What nonsense! What a waste of potential!

Picasso produced some of his greatest works at 90. Rubinstein gave one of his greatest recitals at 89. Marjorie Stoneham Douglas, who's credited with saving the Florida Everglades, was still fighting for the cause at 100.

Read your Bible: 'Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated' (Deuteronomy 34:7 KJV). '...the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning...' (Job 42:12 NKJV). Noah built the ark when he was 500, went into it for a while, then came out and started the world all over again. 'It ain't over till God says it's over', and if He 'ain't said so' live every moment He gives you to the fullest! 'The older the violin, the sweeter the tune', so pick up your bow and make some music. When someone told the 89-year-old poet Dorothy Duncan that she had lived a 'full life' she replied sharply, 'Don't "past tense" me!'

If you're not too old to learn and you haven't outlived your enthusiasm, you can 'still bear fruit in old age'. It's up to you. If you can breathe, pray! If you can speak, encourage others! If you can recall, share your wisdom. Remember creation? It's wonderful what God can do in just one day. So give Him all the days you have left.

Oh yay. Now that i am in my old age i should be fruitful. ;) Way to start my Monday morning!

The girls blew their computer up last week. On Friday, i went to a computer shop to get the power supply replaced. This has happened before. They turn it on and it just goes pop - no computer for the girls. Actually...that is a lie. No laptop for me because as soon as their computer dies - i lose my laptop.

When i took their computer into a computer repair place on Friday, i went somewhere new. I usually go to this place in Pakuranga that is very good. Last time this happened it cost me 60 bucks or so and was fixed in a matter of hours.

FRIDAY though - i went somewhere new, that a friend recommended. The Asian man behind the counter explained to me in very broken English that my computer was an old geriatric crap one that was not worth fixing and that i should just purchase one of his fantastic and fast Pentium things that will go wayyyy faster and be much better - for $70. Yessssss....the girls will be so happy with a faster computer, i excitedly thought to myself while totally ignoring the normal feeling that i usually get when things are too good to be true.

B.U.M.M.E.R.

It did not work, at all. Windows would not even start. It just kept giving us some error message.

No laptop for me. All. Weekend.

Mr Asian man is going to get blogging revenge if he does not rectify this today! My friend is now warning me that i might get the "Tree-adds" after me if i do that!

Wish me luck. I cannot go another night without my laptop.

Start Praying!

'...Noah...warned by God...[saved] his household...' Hebrews 11:7 RSV

Are you close enough to God to hear His warnings when danger approaches? Noah was, and he saved his family. Are you close enough to your family for them to have confidence in what God has spoken to you?

You can change the direction of your family without argument or discussion. How? Through prayer. Your loved ones need to be sheltered under the covering of your prayer life. If you don't have one, get down on your knees and say, '...Lord, teach me to pray...' (Luke 11:1).

We are emotionally overwhelmed and spiritually depleted because we haven't learned the power of prayer. The lack of it has left us weak and anxious. We blindly make decisions for our businesses, our relationships and our ministries without taking time to talk it over with the Lord. The story of Noah teaches that you can't prepare for trouble without a warning from God. That means staying close to Him and hearing what He has to say. You can do great things after you've prayed, but you can do nothing of eternal value until you've prayed.

'If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land' (2 Chronicles 7:14 RSV). God promises to intervene on behalf of the person who prays in His will. '...if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him' (1 John 5:14-15 NIV).

My birthday got a lot better, which was a good thing. It could not have gotten much worse. I ended up having a lovely day in the sun. We went to Mission Bay and ate fish and chips from The Fishpot Cafe, off of newspaper in the sun. I received a gorgeous home made card, that was even signed by Nixon. I didn't have to cook dinner because a lovely person cooked dinner for me. Then we ate ice cream that was drowned in Hershey's chocolate sauce, for desert.

I got spoiled.

I am enjoying the rain today, and had a huge sleep in. I only dragged myself out of bed when Nicole required taxi service. It is so rainy and windy out there today, that i am tempted to just go back to sleep.

I can't though - i have promised two little girls that i will teach them how to bake my famous chocolate chip cookies.

I better get moving.

In a minute.