- Once again, I find myself burning the midnight oil. Quite literally. I must stop this if I have any hope of getting decent sleep.
- The All-Blacks played a fantastic game tonight, unfortunately losing to South Africa in the last minutes of the game ~ by only 2 points. Even I watched the second half of the game tonight, and was admittedly getting into it. Surely this is a sign of the times.
- My new favorite recipe at the moment is for chicken pot-pie. Nothing like great winter comfort food.
- My two new cooking ventures for the week are corn chowder (Served with American biscuits on the side. Now, for my Kiwi readers who may need a definition of what a biscuit is, or for those who may be a bit confused as to difference between a biscuit and a scone, click here for a thorough explanation). My second new cooking venture of the week is curry (made with curry paste and coconut milk and chicken and a bunch of veggies, all served over rice. Yum!). Nevermind the fact that I really don't have a recipe I'm following for that one, more like a few helpful hints from friends and lots of experimenting and 'a pinch of this and a pinch of that'.
- Speaking of experimenting, I invented a swiss chard-roasted pepper-garlic-parmesan-orzo dish the other day. I decided I love experimenting in the kitchen; it's a great creative outlet.
- 'Nuff said for now. Time for bed.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Random thoughts
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Musings
In the interest of bring an element of closure to my previous post, let me briefly say that we are now the very happy owners of our own dehumidifier. I am definitely looking forward to a drier, slightly warmer, and healthier home. If any of my American readers thought I was exaggerating in my last post, I dare you to come to New Zealand and see for yourself.
Now that we have that important part of life sorted, we can now move on to a discussion of slightly more significant proportion. In this week that we've had off, I have spent a fair amount of time pondering and praying through the season we are in, asking the Lord for His perspective and His thoughts on the matter. Following the hunch that what I am feeling is not representative only of us as a couple or us as a ministry, but perhaps is being felt on a regional, national, or even global scale, I'd like to share some of my recent musings, on a whim that perhaps it may strike a chord in the hearts of some of my readers. Following is an excerpt from an email which I wrote to a friend recently, which summarizes my thoughts quite well.
...This is a season to arise; to contend and hold fast; much is at stake, much hangs in the balance. It is a critical hour. Even as I write this, I am feeling again the sobriety of this...
It seems to me that we are in one of those seasons in which there is a window of time mercifully granted to us from the Father in which we have the choice to respond in wholeheartedness and devotion. It may or may not come as a surprise to you that the landscape of life, soceity, politics, and the church is changing rapidly. The battle between good and evil is raging, perhaps more intensely than ever before. And in light of that, I feel the urgency to arise and stand firm and labor in the place of prayer in order that the purpose of God may be brought forth ~ personally, corporately, nationally, globally. To wrestle with Him through the night until He releases the blessing of His power and presence and glory upon the earth. It's not time to play games anymore. Not that we have been before, but the reality of the significance of the seemingly mundane is pressing in upon us, and is demanding a response proportinate to the intensity of the times.
So, how, then, do we carry our hearts and respond? The only two things I know to do in such a time as this are to pray and fast. With as much grace as Heaven will bestow, pray and fast.
In the interest of bring an element of closure to my previous post, let me briefly say that we are now the very happy owners of our own dehumidifier. I am definitely looking forward to a drier, slightly warmer, and healthier home. If any of my American readers thought I was exaggerating in my last post, I dare you to come to New Zealand and see for yourself.
Now that we have that important part of life sorted, we can now move on to a discussion of slightly more significant proportion. In this week that we've had off, I have spent a fair amount of time pondering and praying through the season we are in, asking the Lord for His perspective and His thoughts on the matter. Following the hunch that what I am feeling is not representative only of us as a couple or us as a ministry, but perhaps is being felt on a regional, national, or even global scale, I'd like to share some of my recent musings, on a whim that perhaps it may strike a chord in the hearts of some of my readers. Following is an excerpt from an email which I wrote to a friend recently, which summarizes my thoughts quite well.
...This is a season to arise; to contend and hold fast; much is at stake, much hangs in the balance. It is a critical hour. Even as I write this, I am feeling again the sobriety of this...
It seems to me that we are in one of those seasons in which there is a window of time mercifully granted to us from the Father in which we have the choice to respond in wholeheartedness and devotion. It may or may not come as a surprise to you that the landscape of life, soceity, politics, and the church is changing rapidly. The battle between good and evil is raging, perhaps more intensely than ever before. And in light of that, I feel the urgency to arise and stand firm and labor in the place of prayer in order that the purpose of God may be brought forth ~ personally, corporately, nationally, globally. To wrestle with Him through the night until He releases the blessing of His power and presence and glory upon the earth. It's not time to play games anymore. Not that we have been before, but the reality of the significance of the seemingly mundane is pressing in upon us, and is demanding a response proportinate to the intensity of the times.
So, how, then, do we carry our hearts and respond? The only two things I know to do in such a time as this are to pray and fast. With as much grace as Heaven will bestow, pray and fast.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
My new favorite appliance
We've been using one for less than 3 hours, and the one we have now doesn't even belong to us. We've borrowed it from our wonderful neighbors, and already I am convinced that we must invest in one of our own. I actually think that someone somewhere needs to start a campaign to ensure that every household in New Zealand owns one. What is it? The humble dehumidifier.
The first 2 winters I lived in New Zealand, I thought I disliked winter here only because it was cold not only outside, but inside as well. This is true. But a few days ago it dawned on me the other reason why I don't get along so well with New Zealand winter. Not only is it wet outside (which I really don't mind all that much), but it's wet inside, too. The condensation on the windows every morning is enough to make one think that the rain outside managed to find it's way to the inside of every window. And not only that, but the air is damp....which makes it feel all the colder. Cold and damp, cold and damp; it's a vicious cycle.
This fact of life illustrates itself most in our home, unfortunately, in Taylor's room. One half of our house manages to stay pretty warm, but the other half of our house (where Taylor's room is), is seriously 5-10 degrees colder. And I really was starting to have some issues with the injustice that our daughter had to sleep in such less-than-ideal conditions (Nevermind the fact that compared with the majority of the world, she's sleeping in luxury). Anyways, that's how this spoiled American was feeling. Until the de-humidifier arrived on the scene.
Long story short, we're borrowing it tonight from our neighbors who are out of town at the moment, and after running it for less than 3 hours, I'm already amazed at the difference in Taylor's room. It's dramatically warmer than it usually is, and the air noticably drier, which makes for a much, much better sleeping environment. I'm already sad at the thought of returning it to it's rightful home tomorrow. Trade-me, (NZ version of E-bay), here we come!!
We've been using one for less than 3 hours, and the one we have now doesn't even belong to us. We've borrowed it from our wonderful neighbors, and already I am convinced that we must invest in one of our own. I actually think that someone somewhere needs to start a campaign to ensure that every household in New Zealand owns one. What is it? The humble dehumidifier.
The first 2 winters I lived in New Zealand, I thought I disliked winter here only because it was cold not only outside, but inside as well. This is true. But a few days ago it dawned on me the other reason why I don't get along so well with New Zealand winter. Not only is it wet outside (which I really don't mind all that much), but it's wet inside, too. The condensation on the windows every morning is enough to make one think that the rain outside managed to find it's way to the inside of every window. And not only that, but the air is damp....which makes it feel all the colder. Cold and damp, cold and damp; it's a vicious cycle.
This fact of life illustrates itself most in our home, unfortunately, in Taylor's room. One half of our house manages to stay pretty warm, but the other half of our house (where Taylor's room is), is seriously 5-10 degrees colder. And I really was starting to have some issues with the injustice that our daughter had to sleep in such less-than-ideal conditions (Nevermind the fact that compared with the majority of the world, she's sleeping in luxury). Anyways, that's how this spoiled American was feeling. Until the de-humidifier arrived on the scene.
Long story short, we're borrowing it tonight from our neighbors who are out of town at the moment, and after running it for less than 3 hours, I'm already amazed at the difference in Taylor's room. It's dramatically warmer than it usually is, and the air noticably drier, which makes for a much, much better sleeping environment. I'm already sad at the thought of returning it to it's rightful home tomorrow. Trade-me, (NZ version of E-bay), here we come!!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
24 Hour Flu
Fortunately, the 24 hours are just about done, which means that I'm feeling a heckuva lot better now than I was 24 hours ago. Hopefully no one else in the house will come down with the same bug; even though it's only 24 hours, it's never fun to be sick. I guess it is, however, one (unfortunate) way to guarantee that I'm getting some much-needed rest this week. I've realized this about myself: I don't rest well; I find it very difficult to sit still and do nothing productive. But I sure did rest today! Slept 'til mid-day and watched TV all afternoon ~ something I never do. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be back to normal so I can enjoy the rest of our week off.
Fortunately, the 24 hours are just about done, which means that I'm feeling a heckuva lot better now than I was 24 hours ago. Hopefully no one else in the house will come down with the same bug; even though it's only 24 hours, it's never fun to be sick. I guess it is, however, one (unfortunate) way to guarantee that I'm getting some much-needed rest this week. I've realized this about myself: I don't rest well; I find it very difficult to sit still and do nothing productive. But I sure did rest today! Slept 'til mid-day and watched TV all afternoon ~ something I never do. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be back to normal so I can enjoy the rest of our week off.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Slow day, slow week
Today marked the beginning of our (much-needed) mid-year week break at THOP, so we've slowed the pace down quite considerably, and are looking forward to 6 more days of the same. I don't think I got out of bed 'til 8:30 this morning; wasn't that just wonderful! I did manage, however, to find the motivation to go for a run and, more importantly, hang out 3 loads of laundry. The locals will understand the immense importance of this. I think that today and tomorrow are the only two days within a two week time frame that will be suitable for getting anything dry. By this time tomorrow, every laundry basket in this house will be emptied of dirty clothes, unfortunately only to pile up again during the coming days of rain, until the sun dares to appear again. Such is life in the middle of New Zealand winter. (Okay, Trena, don't even tell me how wonderful it is to be putting your wet laundry in the dryer....in the middle of summer!) I will not be homesick. I will not be homesick. I will not be homesick.
In other news, Aaron and I went out for dinner last night to this great restaurant, in celebration of his birthday and our anniversary. We'd never been there before, but the food was amazing and the atmosphere warm and inviting. We'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to eat out.
Today marked the beginning of our (much-needed) mid-year week break at THOP, so we've slowed the pace down quite considerably, and are looking forward to 6 more days of the same. I don't think I got out of bed 'til 8:30 this morning; wasn't that just wonderful! I did manage, however, to find the motivation to go for a run and, more importantly, hang out 3 loads of laundry. The locals will understand the immense importance of this. I think that today and tomorrow are the only two days within a two week time frame that will be suitable for getting anything dry. By this time tomorrow, every laundry basket in this house will be emptied of dirty clothes, unfortunately only to pile up again during the coming days of rain, until the sun dares to appear again. Such is life in the middle of New Zealand winter. (Okay, Trena, don't even tell me how wonderful it is to be putting your wet laundry in the dryer....in the middle of summer!) I will not be homesick. I will not be homesick. I will not be homesick.
In other news, Aaron and I went out for dinner last night to this great restaurant, in celebration of his birthday and our anniversary. We'd never been there before, but the food was amazing and the atmosphere warm and inviting. We'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to eat out.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
What's happenin' on the ministry front
It's been a long time since I've posted about what's going on at the house of prayer, so I figured it's time for a brief update.
In terms of day-to-day life, things are carrying along much the same that they always have ~ prayer meetings every morning (except the weekends) with the community of young adults the Lord has gathered here, meetings in the afternoon a few days a week for Aaron and I and various other ones, and two nights a week at the house of prayer ~ both teaching and prayer meetings. That's the basic schedule on paper, but in reality, what we are doing requires much more than what the weekly schedule portrays ~ in terms of both time and also heart.
The first couple years that we were here, we were leaning into sovereignty in an intense way as we were finding our own feet and doing our best to lead others in the midst of our own instabilities and uncertainties. There was much grace, for which we are grateful. But there comes a time in the season of pioneering in which a shift is required ~ from "leaning in" to "pressing in". A time in which (under the guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit, and with much help from Heaven, of course) it is necessary to confidently move forward and initiate change and growth, rather than simply waiting for change and growth to happen. And so is the season we now find ourselves in. Though this shift isn't necessairly manifested in a dramatic schedule change (though modifications to the schedule and routine of life are inevitable), it is more apparent in the initiatives that take place behind closed doors; the decisions made at 'round table' discussions; the subtle re-orientation of time and energy, finance and pursuits; establishing infrastructure; long-term preparation and planning; and perhaps most importantly, the raising up of other leaders who will help us guide this community into all that God has for us as a people, both now and in the days to come.
So, that's our life these days. Is there a lot happening? In the day-to-day-ness of life, sometimes it feels that nothing exciting is happening and things are pretty mundane. But as I step back and look at the bigger picture, it becomes quite apparent to me that much really is happening ~ probably even more than I can see. Now that's exciting.
It's been a long time since I've posted about what's going on at the house of prayer, so I figured it's time for a brief update.
In terms of day-to-day life, things are carrying along much the same that they always have ~ prayer meetings every morning (except the weekends) with the community of young adults the Lord has gathered here, meetings in the afternoon a few days a week for Aaron and I and various other ones, and two nights a week at the house of prayer ~ both teaching and prayer meetings. That's the basic schedule on paper, but in reality, what we are doing requires much more than what the weekly schedule portrays ~ in terms of both time and also heart.
The first couple years that we were here, we were leaning into sovereignty in an intense way as we were finding our own feet and doing our best to lead others in the midst of our own instabilities and uncertainties. There was much grace, for which we are grateful. But there comes a time in the season of pioneering in which a shift is required ~ from "leaning in" to "pressing in". A time in which (under the guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit, and with much help from Heaven, of course) it is necessary to confidently move forward and initiate change and growth, rather than simply waiting for change and growth to happen. And so is the season we now find ourselves in. Though this shift isn't necessairly manifested in a dramatic schedule change (though modifications to the schedule and routine of life are inevitable), it is more apparent in the initiatives that take place behind closed doors; the decisions made at 'round table' discussions; the subtle re-orientation of time and energy, finance and pursuits; establishing infrastructure; long-term preparation and planning; and perhaps most importantly, the raising up of other leaders who will help us guide this community into all that God has for us as a people, both now and in the days to come.
So, that's our life these days. Is there a lot happening? In the day-to-day-ness of life, sometimes it feels that nothing exciting is happening and things are pretty mundane. But as I step back and look at the bigger picture, it becomes quite apparent to me that much really is happening ~ probably even more than I can see. Now that's exciting.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Time to take a little time out
I'm posting this evening from a local hotel room. Aaron and I have taken a much-needed night away to get some good R&R after an intense week at the House of Prayer. We might as well take advantage of having Nana and Grandad in town and give Taylor the chance to enjoy a fun night at home with them!
The second All-Blacks game of the season is on TV tonight; of course, someone here is extremely excited to watch it! And speaking of the All-Blacks reminds me of the Haka, which reminds me of our latest favorite YouTube video. (I've posted this link is for my Kiwi readers; I'm afraid that this will be irrelevant to my American readers). Here's to New Zealand!
I'm posting this evening from a local hotel room. Aaron and I have taken a much-needed night away to get some good R&R after an intense week at the House of Prayer. We might as well take advantage of having Nana and Grandad in town and give Taylor the chance to enjoy a fun night at home with them!
The second All-Blacks game of the season is on TV tonight; of course, someone here is extremely excited to watch it! And speaking of the All-Blacks reminds me of the Haka, which reminds me of our latest favorite YouTube video. (I've posted this link is for my Kiwi readers; I'm afraid that this will be irrelevant to my American readers). Here's to New Zealand!
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Fieldtrip to the Fire Station
Today Taylor and I went with the rest of her pre-school class on a fieldtrip to the local fire station. The kids loved it ~ Taylor's favorite part was when they were allowed to climb in the engine and sit in the seats! Here are some photos of the day:
For Taylor, the bus ride was almost as exciting as the fire station itself!
They divided the kids into 2 groups while they did the tour.
This is the group that Taylor was in.
All the kids got to stand on the hose while they turned on the water so they could feel the water filling the hose under their feet. They loved it!
Taylor with her teacher, Mrs. Bennett
Each of the kids had a chance to hold the hose and spray the water.
Taylor's favorite part of the fire station was getting to sit in the engine!
Monday, June 02, 2008
What New Zealand Thinks About American Politics
But first, a brief explanation for the photo you are about to see. "Tui" ads are famous in New Zealand for featuring a sarcastic statement, followed by the notorious "yeah, right". Some of the billboards are borderline offensive, some are pretty dumb, a few will definitely make you laugh out loud, and others are downright clever. After seeing this ad on my way to the airport, I couldn't resist taking a snapshot. I will leave it up to you to determine which category this one falls into:
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Oh, Happy Day!
Aaron has been in Vanuatu for the week, visiting a good friend who lives up there....and Taylor and I are so excited that he is coming home! As much as I've enjoyed having lots of quiet around the house and lots of alone time, I'm missing my hubby tons and can't wait to see him tonight. And there's a little girl here who will be so happy to see her daddy!
Speaking of the little girl, she had a couple late nights recently, so I was quite delighted when she woke up (and therefore, I also woke up) at 8:30 this morning! I think that both of us were quite ready for a long sleep-in; and it's amazing what a good mood she woke up in. Good thing, too, 'cuz someone will be having a bit of a late night again tonight since we have to go to the airport to pick up her daddy! Tomorrow is a public holiday in New Zealand, so no pre-school for her. Maybe she'll surprise us with another big sleep-in tomorrow. Now wouldn't that be a treat?!
Aaron has been in Vanuatu for the week, visiting a good friend who lives up there....and Taylor and I are so excited that he is coming home! As much as I've enjoyed having lots of quiet around the house and lots of alone time, I'm missing my hubby tons and can't wait to see him tonight. And there's a little girl here who will be so happy to see her daddy!
Speaking of the little girl, she had a couple late nights recently, so I was quite delighted when she woke up (and therefore, I also woke up) at 8:30 this morning! I think that both of us were quite ready for a long sleep-in; and it's amazing what a good mood she woke up in. Good thing, too, 'cuz someone will be having a bit of a late night again tonight since we have to go to the airport to pick up her daddy! Tomorrow is a public holiday in New Zealand, so no pre-school for her. Maybe she'll surprise us with another big sleep-in tomorrow. Now wouldn't that be a treat?!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Recap of the week
It is just about bedtime, but before I call it a day, I am enjoying the silence of my house, the smell of my imported Vanilla Caramel Yankee Candle, and a few moments to reflect on the week gone by. I've had many meetings this week with various girls from our community, which have been a good chance for me to re-connect with them on a heart level. I have certainly been challenged, encouraged, mystified, and forced to lean into the great Leader of the ages for a new sense of wisdom, strength, creative ideas, clarity, and discernment. That's not always an easy place to be in, but I know enough to know that it's a good place to be in.
The other aspects of my week have been good, too. Taylor has done amazing at pre-school! I think it's safe to say that we're well past the stage of 'tears when saying goodbye', which is absolutely wonderful. She's adjusted well, really enjoys it, speaks positively about it at home and is eager to go in the mornings. I can already see such growth in her confidence, especially when it comes to making friends. She has really fit in well, and it seems to be a good bunch of little girls for her to be building relationships with. Speaking of building relationships, I have really enjoyed getting to know the other moms in the 'drop off' and 'pick up' times. There are already a few coffee dates/play dates that have been discussed, which I am really looking forward to. I guess on the front end I was a little unsure what that dimension of the 'pre-school experience' would be like, but I have genuinely enjoyed the brief conversations I've had with so many of the moms, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know them better. I think I'm discovering that it's nice to have a circle of friends in which I relate not as a "leader", but just as a normal person and another mom. Not to mention the fact that many of these girls will be Taylor's peers throughout the coming years of her school experience, so it's nice to begin establishing relationships with their moms now; relationships that very well may carry on for the years to come.
And in between all that, I even managed to go running a couple times (oh, I still do miss going up the mount!), enjoy great times with Taylor, keep up on the laundry and grocery shopping and such, and find a little "me" time, as well. If I can manage a bit of time for ironing, vacuuming, and a quick tidy of the house tomorrow, I think I'll be off to a good start for the week.
Too late to worry about all that now. Time for bed. 'Night!
It is just about bedtime, but before I call it a day, I am enjoying the silence of my house, the smell of my imported Vanilla Caramel Yankee Candle, and a few moments to reflect on the week gone by. I've had many meetings this week with various girls from our community, which have been a good chance for me to re-connect with them on a heart level. I have certainly been challenged, encouraged, mystified, and forced to lean into the great Leader of the ages for a new sense of wisdom, strength, creative ideas, clarity, and discernment. That's not always an easy place to be in, but I know enough to know that it's a good place to be in.
The other aspects of my week have been good, too. Taylor has done amazing at pre-school! I think it's safe to say that we're well past the stage of 'tears when saying goodbye', which is absolutely wonderful. She's adjusted well, really enjoys it, speaks positively about it at home and is eager to go in the mornings. I can already see such growth in her confidence, especially when it comes to making friends. She has really fit in well, and it seems to be a good bunch of little girls for her to be building relationships with. Speaking of building relationships, I have really enjoyed getting to know the other moms in the 'drop off' and 'pick up' times. There are already a few coffee dates/play dates that have been discussed, which I am really looking forward to. I guess on the front end I was a little unsure what that dimension of the 'pre-school experience' would be like, but I have genuinely enjoyed the brief conversations I've had with so many of the moms, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know them better. I think I'm discovering that it's nice to have a circle of friends in which I relate not as a "leader", but just as a normal person and another mom. Not to mention the fact that many of these girls will be Taylor's peers throughout the coming years of her school experience, so it's nice to begin establishing relationships with their moms now; relationships that very well may carry on for the years to come.
And in between all that, I even managed to go running a couple times (oh, I still do miss going up the mount!), enjoy great times with Taylor, keep up on the laundry and grocery shopping and such, and find a little "me" time, as well. If I can manage a bit of time for ironing, vacuuming, and a quick tidy of the house tomorrow, I think I'll be off to a good start for the week.
Too late to worry about all that now. Time for bed. 'Night!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
City girl turned country
That's exactly how I felt about myself as I leaned over the fence watching the late afternoon sun disappear behind the silouette of a farmhouse and the red-brushed trees lining the paddock where Josie the horse was grazing. Did I mention that this was in my back yard? It was at that moment that I felt miles away from my familiar suburbia/city upbringing.
Taylor and her little friend/neighbor, Abigail, enjoyed a long run-around in the big field next to our house this afternoon, while all us adults (Abigail's Grandma, mom, dad, Nana and Grandad Walsh, and I) leaned against the fence watching the girls and chatting about nothing really in particular. Bek (Abigail's mom) acutely pointed out that this was the New Zealand version of "porching". (For those of you unfamiliar with the term, " Porchin' " is American slang for sitting on your front porch, sipping a glass of ice tea, serenely watching the world go by). It was kinda one of those moments where I felt more noticably the extreme difference of environment and lifestyle that I live now, compared with the life I once knew in America.
Not that every day is filled with lazily leaning against fences shooting the breeze watching my 4 year old princess run and dance and freely enjoy the sunshine and cool air of fall. Actually, those 45 minutes felt much more like the exception rather than a rule, so much so that many times I was interrupted from my own reverie wondering what I was supposed to be doing that I was forgetting, only to remember that there was actually nothing else beckoning me; and in fact that this was the most important thing I could be doing: enjoying watching my daughter enjoying life.
Perhaps I need to make an effort to be deliberate in putting aside all the "important" things which must be done and stop for a minute to enjoy. To quote the song from the movie Mr. Holland's Opus, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans..."
That's exactly how I felt about myself as I leaned over the fence watching the late afternoon sun disappear behind the silouette of a farmhouse and the red-brushed trees lining the paddock where Josie the horse was grazing. Did I mention that this was in my back yard? It was at that moment that I felt miles away from my familiar suburbia/city upbringing.
Taylor and her little friend/neighbor, Abigail, enjoyed a long run-around in the big field next to our house this afternoon, while all us adults (Abigail's Grandma, mom, dad, Nana and Grandad Walsh, and I) leaned against the fence watching the girls and chatting about nothing really in particular. Bek (Abigail's mom) acutely pointed out that this was the New Zealand version of "porching". (For those of you unfamiliar with the term, " Porchin' " is American slang for sitting on your front porch, sipping a glass of ice tea, serenely watching the world go by). It was kinda one of those moments where I felt more noticably the extreme difference of environment and lifestyle that I live now, compared with the life I once knew in America.
Not that every day is filled with lazily leaning against fences shooting the breeze watching my 4 year old princess run and dance and freely enjoy the sunshine and cool air of fall. Actually, those 45 minutes felt much more like the exception rather than a rule, so much so that many times I was interrupted from my own reverie wondering what I was supposed to be doing that I was forgetting, only to remember that there was actually nothing else beckoning me; and in fact that this was the most important thing I could be doing: enjoying watching my daughter enjoying life.
Perhaps I need to make an effort to be deliberate in putting aside all the "important" things which must be done and stop for a minute to enjoy. To quote the song from the movie Mr. Holland's Opus, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans..."
Sunday, May 25, 2008
The start of yet another week
Does anyone else feel like time in just whizzing by? Seriously, how in the world is it already the 25th of May?!
This week promises to be full and quiet all at the same time. I already have 3 one-on-ones lined up with various ladies from our community, a night out at another friend's house....and not to mention the usual schedule at the prayer room. And it's only Sunday night. Who knows what the rest of the week will bring. As for the "quiet" part of the week, I'm looking forward to many long evenings with candles lit and commentaries out and the opportunity for some good, solid Bible study. With so much travel last month and then Taylor starting pre-school, having a birthday, etc. etc. etc. , life has gotten away from me and I've had to re-establish my routine of spending consistent time with the Lord. Either I'm turing into a heathen and my human weakness is showing itself more, or I am simply growing more honest with myself, but as the months and years go by, I'm more and more amazed how apparent it is when I don't spend consistent time in the Word and in prayer (and also how quickly my capacity for Him shrinks). I suppose that only goes to show how completely barren we are and how utterly helpless we are to live the way He desires us to, in our own strength. Good thing He doesn't ask us to.
Does anyone else feel like time in just whizzing by? Seriously, how in the world is it already the 25th of May?!
This week promises to be full and quiet all at the same time. I already have 3 one-on-ones lined up with various ladies from our community, a night out at another friend's house....and not to mention the usual schedule at the prayer room. And it's only Sunday night. Who knows what the rest of the week will bring. As for the "quiet" part of the week, I'm looking forward to many long evenings with candles lit and commentaries out and the opportunity for some good, solid Bible study. With so much travel last month and then Taylor starting pre-school, having a birthday, etc. etc. etc. , life has gotten away from me and I've had to re-establish my routine of spending consistent time with the Lord. Either I'm turing into a heathen and my human weakness is showing itself more, or I am simply growing more honest with myself, but as the months and years go by, I'm more and more amazed how apparent it is when I don't spend consistent time in the Word and in prayer (and also how quickly my capacity for Him shrinks). I suppose that only goes to show how completely barren we are and how utterly helpless we are to live the way He desires us to, in our own strength. Good thing He doesn't ask us to.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
My beloved mount, I bid thee farewell....
The season in which I enjoyed the luxury of going up the mount 2-3 times a week has come to a definite end. Granted, at the time, I never would have considered going up the mount to be a luxury....it was more of a (sometimes) enjoyable chore. But it's funny how rosy life looks in hindsight. (Hmm. Let's pause for a moment to allow that statement to sink in. Next time I am tempted to complain about how hard life is now, it may do good to remember that in a few years ~ or months~ from now, I may look back on this season and realize just how easy and glorious it was 'way back then').
Anyways, back to my original point. With gas nearing the $2/litre mark, spending at least $10 round trip to go to the mount, multiplied by a few times a week, is not exactly fitting in the budget any longer (for my American readers who may be a bit rusty on your english-metric conversions, there are approx. 4 litres in a gallon. Now do the math......). For about a week, I was wondering if my well-established exercise routine had also come to a grinding halt. It was at that point that I made a surprising discovery. I actually really missed working out. I felt lazy and sluggish without it. I may even go so far as to say that my psyche and self-esteem were affected slightly. So, I decided that something was better than nothing, and it would do me well to go for a 30-minute jog around our neighborhood a few times a week. It's certainly not half as good of a workout as ascending the mount (and not even near as mentally appealing as the mount), but it still keeps me in the routine of excercise. And, as long as we're on the topic of appreciating what we actually do have instead of moaning about what we don't, I really couldn't ask for a better neighborhood to run in. It's beautiful, safe, has tons of cute houses, and even a hill or two to remind me of the mount.
The season in which I enjoyed the luxury of going up the mount 2-3 times a week has come to a definite end. Granted, at the time, I never would have considered going up the mount to be a luxury....it was more of a (sometimes) enjoyable chore. But it's funny how rosy life looks in hindsight. (Hmm. Let's pause for a moment to allow that statement to sink in. Next time I am tempted to complain about how hard life is now, it may do good to remember that in a few years ~ or months~ from now, I may look back on this season and realize just how easy and glorious it was 'way back then').
Anyways, back to my original point. With gas nearing the $2/litre mark, spending at least $10 round trip to go to the mount, multiplied by a few times a week, is not exactly fitting in the budget any longer (for my American readers who may be a bit rusty on your english-metric conversions, there are approx. 4 litres in a gallon. Now do the math......). For about a week, I was wondering if my well-established exercise routine had also come to a grinding halt. It was at that point that I made a surprising discovery. I actually really missed working out. I felt lazy and sluggish without it. I may even go so far as to say that my psyche and self-esteem were affected slightly. So, I decided that something was better than nothing, and it would do me well to go for a 30-minute jog around our neighborhood a few times a week. It's certainly not half as good of a workout as ascending the mount (and not even near as mentally appealing as the mount), but it still keeps me in the routine of excercise. And, as long as we're on the topic of appreciating what we actually do have instead of moaning about what we don't, I really couldn't ask for a better neighborhood to run in. It's beautiful, safe, has tons of cute houses, and even a hill or two to remind me of the mount.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Apple Butter Time
Well, I finally got around to making my apple butter, and my efforts were rewarded this morning with a nice piece of toast richly slathered with a thick layer of the delicacy. Here's the original recipe as written, complete with my own notes of what I did and what worked for me.
Put 3 quarts of (homemade) apple sauce in a sauce pot. Cook on low with cover off for about 24 hours. Then add:
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
Cook slowly, stirring frequently until think and mixture sheets from spoon ~ about 1 hour.
So this is what I did: I used about 7 lbs. of apples, peeled, cored, and sliced them, and put them in a pot with a bit of water. I cooked the apples until they were the consistency of applesauce ~ about a couple hours. This yielded 1.5 quarts of applesauce. So I continued to cook the applesauce until it reduced quite significantly and became darker brown in color. I found that this process only took about 6 additional hours of cooking time, not 24 ~ maybe due to the fact I was cooking a much smaller quantity? Or maybe my impatience? Not too sure. Anyways, at that point I added half the sugar and spices (since I started with only 1.5 quarts, not 3), and then let it cook for an additional 30 minutes or so. At this point, I declared it done, and poured it into a jar and stuck it in the fridge. (Didn't make enough of it to have to worry about canning it. Nevermind the fact I've never canned before and don't have a clue how to do it). I probably ended up with about 2-3 cups total.
It sure tasted good to me this morning ~ perhaps the closest I've come yet to the 'real stuff' of my memories. Still don't know if I have the right consistency, but by the time it's on the toast, it's hard to tell otherwise. And it tastes great!
Dad, as the master chef, do you have any comments you'd like to add? I know it's been a while since you've made it, but seeing as how I was 4 when our family made it, I think you'd remember quite a bit more than I do! :-)
Well, I finally got around to making my apple butter, and my efforts were rewarded this morning with a nice piece of toast richly slathered with a thick layer of the delicacy. Here's the original recipe as written, complete with my own notes of what I did and what worked for me.
Put 3 quarts of (homemade) apple sauce in a sauce pot. Cook on low with cover off for about 24 hours. Then add:
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
Cook slowly, stirring frequently until think and mixture sheets from spoon ~ about 1 hour.
So this is what I did: I used about 7 lbs. of apples, peeled, cored, and sliced them, and put them in a pot with a bit of water. I cooked the apples until they were the consistency of applesauce ~ about a couple hours. This yielded 1.5 quarts of applesauce. So I continued to cook the applesauce until it reduced quite significantly and became darker brown in color. I found that this process only took about 6 additional hours of cooking time, not 24 ~ maybe due to the fact I was cooking a much smaller quantity? Or maybe my impatience? Not too sure. Anyways, at that point I added half the sugar and spices (since I started with only 1.5 quarts, not 3), and then let it cook for an additional 30 minutes or so. At this point, I declared it done, and poured it into a jar and stuck it in the fridge. (Didn't make enough of it to have to worry about canning it. Nevermind the fact I've never canned before and don't have a clue how to do it). I probably ended up with about 2-3 cups total.
It sure tasted good to me this morning ~ perhaps the closest I've come yet to the 'real stuff' of my memories. Still don't know if I have the right consistency, but by the time it's on the toast, it's hard to tell otherwise. And it tastes great!
Dad, as the master chef, do you have any comments you'd like to add? I know it's been a while since you've made it, but seeing as how I was 4 when our family made it, I think you'd remember quite a bit more than I do! :-)
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Happy Birthday, Taylor!
Taylor and Nana decorating cupcakes to bring to pre-school
Cupcakes decorated and ready for the morning!
My apple butter project (and posts) have been put on hold for a much more important occasion: yesterday Taylor celebrated her 4th birthday! We had a wonderful day celebrating the life of our beautiful little princess. She went to pre-school and had a little celebration there, and then we had a small family party at home in the evening. Here's some photos of the festivities:
Taylor and Nana decorating cupcakes to bring to pre-school
Cupcakes decorated and ready for the morning!
Celebrating Taylor's birthday at pre-school
Butterfly birthday cake
Opening presents. Notice the Snow White costume......
one of her favorite gifts
Strike a pose with the new panda unbrella!
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Apple Butter
Some words, when spoken or thought, immediately trigger memories and emotions, often having nothing to do with the actual meaning of the word itself; but in the heart of the individual, the emotion is so closely tied to the word, the two might as well be inseparable.
And so it is for me whenever the words "Apple Butter" are mentioned. I have very vivid memories of my mother's homemade apple butter. I only remember her making it once ~ maybe twice ~ when I was quite young, but I can still taste it, richly slathered on a thick slice of homemade bread. It was a big family project when we made it ~ who knows how many jars of the stuff we canned that year ~ but it was "all hands on deck" all day in the kitchen as we peeled, cored, chopped, and cooked the apples we previously picked together. I can still feel the chilly fall New England air, see the frosty condensation of the kitchen windows, and smell the aroma of cinnamon and allspice through the house. And so to me, "apple butter" means warmth and family, affection and longing, returning to my roots, and most of all, memories of my mother and of my childhood.
I guess it goes without saying that whenever fall rolls around, I usually start to crave it. Several years back, the craving was particularily intense, so I set off to see if I could find her recipe somewhere, but to no avail. My apple butter craving was left unsatisfied....until a couple years ago, when somehow Dad found the original recipe buried deep in the recesses of some box hidden away somewhere. Miracle! The only problem is that Dad didn't just find a recipe. He found recipes: an old newspaper article with various recipes on it, a couple pages of mom's hand-written notes, and an index card upon which mom had written a recipe ~ of course, every single one of them being different. And of course I don't have a clue which one is the "right" one. I've only made it a couple times since discovering the gold mine of the original recipes, and unfortunately I haven't been able to reproduce that which I remember. I've gotten close, but not exactly close enough. (Which, I must confess, probably has something to do with the few shortcuts I took to cut back on time, and also my lack of all the necessary equipment needed to make proper apple sauce and apple butter).
So, in response to the requests for my apple butter recipe, when I dig them out of my recipe box in the next couple of days, I'll try to make enough sense of it all so that I can post a recipe that won't be too confusing ~ and more importantly, one that will yield apple butter worthy of the memory which inspired the project (and this post!) in the first place.
Some words, when spoken or thought, immediately trigger memories and emotions, often having nothing to do with the actual meaning of the word itself; but in the heart of the individual, the emotion is so closely tied to the word, the two might as well be inseparable.
And so it is for me whenever the words "Apple Butter" are mentioned. I have very vivid memories of my mother's homemade apple butter. I only remember her making it once ~ maybe twice ~ when I was quite young, but I can still taste it, richly slathered on a thick slice of homemade bread. It was a big family project when we made it ~ who knows how many jars of the stuff we canned that year ~ but it was "all hands on deck" all day in the kitchen as we peeled, cored, chopped, and cooked the apples we previously picked together. I can still feel the chilly fall New England air, see the frosty condensation of the kitchen windows, and smell the aroma of cinnamon and allspice through the house. And so to me, "apple butter" means warmth and family, affection and longing, returning to my roots, and most of all, memories of my mother and of my childhood.
I guess it goes without saying that whenever fall rolls around, I usually start to crave it. Several years back, the craving was particularily intense, so I set off to see if I could find her recipe somewhere, but to no avail. My apple butter craving was left unsatisfied....until a couple years ago, when somehow Dad found the original recipe buried deep in the recesses of some box hidden away somewhere. Miracle! The only problem is that Dad didn't just find a recipe. He found recipes: an old newspaper article with various recipes on it, a couple pages of mom's hand-written notes, and an index card upon which mom had written a recipe ~ of course, every single one of them being different. And of course I don't have a clue which one is the "right" one. I've only made it a couple times since discovering the gold mine of the original recipes, and unfortunately I haven't been able to reproduce that which I remember. I've gotten close, but not exactly close enough. (Which, I must confess, probably has something to do with the few shortcuts I took to cut back on time, and also my lack of all the necessary equipment needed to make proper apple sauce and apple butter).
So, in response to the requests for my apple butter recipe, when I dig them out of my recipe box in the next couple of days, I'll try to make enough sense of it all so that I can post a recipe that won't be too confusing ~ and more importantly, one that will yield apple butter worthy of the memory which inspired the project (and this post!) in the first place.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Living off the land
One of the great things about this time of year in New Zealand ~ especially Tauranga ~ is the abundance of fresh fruit that abounds in our and our neighbor's back yards. Currently in our kitchen I have four grocery bags full of fresh fruit ~ apples (picked by a friend from an orchard in Hawke's Bay), fijoas, kiwifruit, and avocados (the latter 3 from our/a neighbor's back yard). Some days I open up our pantry and begin to think that we could easily eat nothing but fruit and be completely satisfied for weeks on end. Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. On a more realistic note, I was thinking today that it's probably about time to whip up a small batch of apple butter. After all, I need to find something to do with the bag of apples in our pantry!
One of the great things about this time of year in New Zealand ~ especially Tauranga ~ is the abundance of fresh fruit that abounds in our and our neighbor's back yards. Currently in our kitchen I have four grocery bags full of fresh fruit ~ apples (picked by a friend from an orchard in Hawke's Bay), fijoas, kiwifruit, and avocados (the latter 3 from our/a neighbor's back yard). Some days I open up our pantry and begin to think that we could easily eat nothing but fruit and be completely satisfied for weeks on end. Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. On a more realistic note, I was thinking today that it's probably about time to whip up a small batch of apple butter. After all, I need to find something to do with the bag of apples in our pantry!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
First Day at Pre-School
Taylor's day was a grande success. Of course, it does help that mom stayed with her for most of the morning to help her adjust to the new environment, people, and routine. But, by the time I did manage to leave, Taylor was happy to let me go, and completely un-impressed with my return at the end of the day (which, by the way, is a very good thing!). She even confidently announced to me that she wasn't ready to go home. I'd say that's a great sign! As it turned out, she knew one of the little girls in her group from a play center that we occasionally attended several months ago, and one of the girls she met when we visited the pre-school was also there, so it was nice for her to recognize a few familiar faces. No pre-school on Wednesdays, so tomorrow we get the morning at home; we'll see how things go Thursday and Friday.
Here's her "first day of pre-school picture", my little baby, all grown up. For some reason, she wanted her ball in the picture with her, even though we left it at home. Silly girl! :-)
Monday, May 05, 2008
Home from Camp
The leaders doing a dance on the first night
We've made it back from camp safe and sound, and I've just about recovered from the typical sleep deprivation that always accompanies a week away at camp. It was a fantastic week, though definitely intense as the Lord was doing a deep work in many of the girl's lives. The spritual battle around us was real as many issues were brought to the surface and we were fighting for the freedom and liberty and wholeness of this generation. Never before have I realized the great honor that it is to stand before a generation of young women and call them forth into who God created them to be, and to fight for them in the place of prayer that they would not draw back from the high calling on their lives to be lovers of God and lovers of people. It really was a great week.
Taylor and her little friend all dressed up for the banquet
And now we are back just in time to prepare for the next season of life which is abruptly upon us tomorrow ~ Taylor starts pre-school! Where, oh, where have four years gone? Our little baby is growing up and ready to take her first big step of independence. I am trying not to ask all the philosophical questions ("Is she ready?", "Are we ready?", "Have we equipped her well enough for this next season of her life?", etc. etc. etc.), though sometimes it's hard not to. I seriously couldn't ask for a better pre-school to send her to; I just hope the adjustment won't be too hard on her. I guess we'll be finding that out soon! Watch this space for continued reports of Taylor's new adventures.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Off to Camp
This morning, Sabrina, Taylor, and I will fly down to Wellington to be involved this week in a camp for teenage girls called "Purely Girls!". (Check out the website if you want to read more about it). Then tomorrow, Nic and 3 girls from my THOP worship team will join us down there. If you've been reading this blog for a year now, you may remember that we went down south last year for the same camp. It was lots of fun and we're all looking forward to the opportunity to go. I'll be leading worship and speaking 1 session again this year, and the girls from my worship team will be helping me out. Nic and Sabrina will help look after Taylor, minister to the girls, etc. It promises to be a really fun week; please keep us in your prayers as you think of us ~ for health and safety and strength, grace for Taylor as she will have less time with Mommy than usual (due to my camp responsibilities), but most of all, that the campers who are coming will have genuine encounters with Jesus and that their lives will be transformed.
Not expecting to have internet access at camp; I'll try to post if I do, but most likely look for me next weekend when we get back. Have a great week!
This morning, Sabrina, Taylor, and I will fly down to Wellington to be involved this week in a camp for teenage girls called "Purely Girls!". (Check out the website if you want to read more about it). Then tomorrow, Nic and 3 girls from my THOP worship team will join us down there. If you've been reading this blog for a year now, you may remember that we went down south last year for the same camp. It was lots of fun and we're all looking forward to the opportunity to go. I'll be leading worship and speaking 1 session again this year, and the girls from my worship team will be helping me out. Nic and Sabrina will help look after Taylor, minister to the girls, etc. It promises to be a really fun week; please keep us in your prayers as you think of us ~ for health and safety and strength, grace for Taylor as she will have less time with Mommy than usual (due to my camp responsibilities), but most of all, that the campers who are coming will have genuine encounters with Jesus and that their lives will be transformed.
Not expecting to have internet access at camp; I'll try to post if I do, but most likely look for me next weekend when we get back. Have a great week!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Time for something new
With Nic and Dayna's move, 2 new bedrooms have become available in our house, which means that Taylor got a new room over the weekend! And along with the new room came a new bed ~ quite a step up from the toddler-bed-converted-from-the-crib that she had been sleeping in ~ which is now way too small for her. And the special thing about this furniture is that it was mine when I was a little girl, my mom's when she was little, my grandparent's when they were married, who got it from his parents. Yuppers, it's been in the family quite a while. Needless to say, it makes me so happy to see that Taylor gets to have this furniture in her room now. And she's pretty happy herself, with her new furniture in a much larger room than what she had before. Who wouldn't be??
With Nic and Dayna's move, 2 new bedrooms have become available in our house, which means that Taylor got a new room over the weekend! And along with the new room came a new bed ~ quite a step up from the toddler-bed-converted-from-the-crib that she had been sleeping in ~ which is now way too small for her. And the special thing about this furniture is that it was mine when I was a little girl, my mom's when she was little, my grandparent's when they were married, who got it from his parents. Yuppers, it's been in the family quite a while. Needless to say, it makes me so happy to see that Taylor gets to have this furniture in her room now. And she's pretty happy herself, with her new furniture in a much larger room than what she had before. Who wouldn't be??
Friday, April 18, 2008
Re-entry
Scientists use the term to describe a spacecraft's return from outer space into the earth's atmosphere. I think it also to be an appropriate term to describe the 24-48 hour period in which I experience a notable transition in my circumstance or environment. I've learned this about myself ~ I am slow to adapt. Even insignificant change ~ like, for example ~ returning home after being overseas for a week ~ is enough to cause me to feel slightly disoriented, overwhelmed, and unsettled. It kinda feels like an emotional and mental "no man's land", in which the routine of vacation is past, the realities of normal life have suddenly arrived, but the normal routines which support those realities aren't yet re-established. Usually within a day or two, I've found my feet again and am back to normal, but it always feels a bit strange in the waiting. Such is my life today.
Scientists use the term to describe a spacecraft's return from outer space into the earth's atmosphere. I think it also to be an appropriate term to describe the 24-48 hour period in which I experience a notable transition in my circumstance or environment. I've learned this about myself ~ I am slow to adapt. Even insignificant change ~ like, for example ~ returning home after being overseas for a week ~ is enough to cause me to feel slightly disoriented, overwhelmed, and unsettled. It kinda feels like an emotional and mental "no man's land", in which the routine of vacation is past, the realities of normal life have suddenly arrived, but the normal routines which support those realities aren't yet re-established. Usually within a day or two, I've found my feet again and am back to normal, but it always feels a bit strange in the waiting. Such is my life today.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
On our way home
Last night we met up with Aaron's friends again and had a night out on the town at a marvelous Thai restaurant. It was fun to get to know them more, listen to the stories of life in Hawke's bay so many years ago, and also hear more of what God is doing at Hillsong and in the wider region of the South Pacific.
Aaron and I have had a fantastic week together in Sydney, but it's now time for us to head on back home. I am certainly looking forward to seeing our little Taylor tonight; not looking forward to the mountain of laundry we are bringing home and the shopping duties at Pack 'n Save that await me tomorrow.
Our return home coincides with a new season for our family. Nic and Dayna, our wonderful boarders/friends/sis(-in-law) have found a house of their own and will be moved out by this weekend. And thus begins a new era of life for our little family here in New Zealand. It's been over 2 years since we've lived as just the three of us, so no doubt it will feel quite a bit different ~ yea, more quiet ~ around our house in the coming days and weeks. The good thing is that as much as we all love each other, we are all excited about the change ~ the girls are looking foward the brand new house they get to live in and we're all excited that we get to have a bit more space and quiet than we've been used to.
Last night we met up with Aaron's friends again and had a night out on the town at a marvelous Thai restaurant. It was fun to get to know them more, listen to the stories of life in Hawke's bay so many years ago, and also hear more of what God is doing at Hillsong and in the wider region of the South Pacific.
Aaron and I have had a fantastic week together in Sydney, but it's now time for us to head on back home. I am certainly looking forward to seeing our little Taylor tonight; not looking forward to the mountain of laundry we are bringing home and the shopping duties at Pack 'n Save that await me tomorrow.
Our return home coincides with a new season for our family. Nic and Dayna, our wonderful boarders/friends/sis(-in-law) have found a house of their own and will be moved out by this weekend. And thus begins a new era of life for our little family here in New Zealand. It's been over 2 years since we've lived as just the three of us, so no doubt it will feel quite a bit different ~ yea, more quiet ~ around our house in the coming days and weeks. The good thing is that as much as we all love each other, we are all excited about the change ~ the girls are looking foward the brand new house they get to live in and we're all excited that we get to have a bit more space and quiet than we've been used to.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Other highlights from the Sydney trip
- Some tastes from America. We went to Outback steakhouse one evening, and I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that Lipton iced tea is as common in Sydney as it is in America. I've decided once again that Australia seems to be a combination of the USA and New Zealand. I've loved the little reminders of home!
- Sleep-ins and afternoon naps the past couple days. It's been so fun to be able to relax, read magazines, and not have to worry about making dinner, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, and all the other aspects of normal life. This week has been such a treat!
- Meeting some of Aaron's friends from back in the day. He's got 2 mates from Hawke's Bay who are now on staff at Hillsong. We went out for lunch with one of them the other day, and tonight we're all going to go out for Thai food. It's great to hear stories of the days long ago!
Tomorrow morning we head back home. Even though I'm not quite sure I'm ready for vacation to end, I can't wait to see Taylor!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Livin' It Up In Sydney
Pictures from the conference
We've had a great weekend in Sydney so far! Over the weekend, were ministering at a young adult conference hosted by a Korean missions organization, Come Mission. The theme of the conference was "Devotion", so Aaron spoke for the three nights on devotion to the person of Jesus (intimacy), devotion to His ways (Sermon on the Mount), and devotion to the mandate of Jesus (Missions in the context of the end-times). I led the ministry times from the piano with their worship team, which I thoroughly enjoyed ~ I always love the opportunity to minister together with Aaron. There was a genuine hunger for the things of God, and we trust that the Lord touched many hearts and lives.
Pictures from the conference
I found it very enjoyable to expereince the Korean culture first-hand; they are a precious people with tender hearts towards the things of God. Although Aaron has spent a considerable amount of time with Koreans, I never have before, so I was able to experience some new things for the first time: namely, delicious Korean barbeque! By our request, we went to the same Korean restaurant three times over the weekend ~ the food was so good! What they do is bring a charcoal fire pit to your table, and then bring very thinly sliced meat marinated in the most yummy sauce, and you cook it at your table. It was so, so good!
Our host, Gloria, sharing with us her cultural tradition of Korean BBQ.
Cooking some mushrooms on the BBQ
Now our work is over, so it's time for us to play! We've just arrived at a hotel in the center of Sydney, where we'll enjoy a couple day's break before we head home on Thursday. It's an amazing hotel in an amazing city; we're looking forward to the opportunity to have a good break, just the two of us; long overdue, and much-needed. No doubt we'll be livin' it up both in the hotel and also in the city; little bit of rest, little bit of adventure, hopefully some good eating out, and maybe even some good shopping await us!
Friday, April 11, 2008
On Our Way To Sydney
Currently signing in live from the Koru Club lounge in Auckland International Airport. I gotta say, these lounges are God's gift to travellers. Once you've been in here, you never want to go back to waiting by the gate. Who would when there's comfy couches, a full all-you-can-eat buffet, nice restrooms and showers, wireless intenet, and the list goes on and on? This is definitely the way to spend a 4-hour layover. I sure do feel spoiled.
Well, our departure from home wasn't quite as easy as it could have been, though definitely not as hard as it could have been either. Last night as Taylor was going to sleep, she was complaining of a stuffy nose. Oh, great. Last thing we need before we leave is a sick kid. She slept pretty good, but woke at 5 complaining of a sore tummy. I think it's just a bit of a stomache ache ~ not a flu bug; thank goodness. Nana has told us she's definitely not herself, but not feeling too bad. Though it's no fun for her or for us having her sick, at least we know she's in great hands and I have a feeling she'll be doing better soon.
Hopefully more news to come from Sydney!
Currently signing in live from the Koru Club lounge in Auckland International Airport. I gotta say, these lounges are God's gift to travellers. Once you've been in here, you never want to go back to waiting by the gate. Who would when there's comfy couches, a full all-you-can-eat buffet, nice restrooms and showers, wireless intenet, and the list goes on and on? This is definitely the way to spend a 4-hour layover. I sure do feel spoiled.
Well, our departure from home wasn't quite as easy as it could have been, though definitely not as hard as it could have been either. Last night as Taylor was going to sleep, she was complaining of a stuffy nose. Oh, great. Last thing we need before we leave is a sick kid. She slept pretty good, but woke at 5 complaining of a sore tummy. I think it's just a bit of a stomache ache ~ not a flu bug; thank goodness. Nana has told us she's definitely not herself, but not feeling too bad. Though it's no fun for her or for us having her sick, at least we know she's in great hands and I have a feeling she'll be doing better soon.
Hopefully more news to come from Sydney!
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Lots goin' on.....
It's been a full couple weeks 'round these parts! After Nana Dot left to go back to Hastings, Aaron spent a few days in Wellington for a ministry trip. Upon his return, we had John and Julie Dawson in Tauranga for the week. It was great to have them around and to receive who they are and all that they impart to a community when they come. When someone like them come into town, it's inevitable that things are shifted and stirred; it's been exciting to watch God move and listen to all that He is saying in this season. We are so, so encouraged; and though this season certainly has some challenges, we are amazed at all that God is doing.
In just a few days Aaron and I will leave Taylor here with her Nana and Grandad and head off to Sydney for a week ~ mostly ministry, partly vacation. Aaron is speaking at a Korean church, and then we'll take two days at the end of the trip and enjoy a short "holiday", as they call it here. Aaron also has a couple friends who live over there who we'll hopefully get to catch up with. I can't even comprehend a whole week being childless; I'm sure I'll be enjoying it, but also missing our little princess, too. I'm most excited about having a couple of days to ourselves. It's been so long since we've had that luxury; we're going to be lovin' every minute of it! Everyone who I've talked to that has been to Sydney tells me that I'm going to absolutely love the city and we're in for a great time. Can't wait!
It's been a full couple weeks 'round these parts! After Nana Dot left to go back to Hastings, Aaron spent a few days in Wellington for a ministry trip. Upon his return, we had John and Julie Dawson in Tauranga for the week. It was great to have them around and to receive who they are and all that they impart to a community when they come. When someone like them come into town, it's inevitable that things are shifted and stirred; it's been exciting to watch God move and listen to all that He is saying in this season. We are so, so encouraged; and though this season certainly has some challenges, we are amazed at all that God is doing.
In just a few days Aaron and I will leave Taylor here with her Nana and Grandad and head off to Sydney for a week ~ mostly ministry, partly vacation. Aaron is speaking at a Korean church, and then we'll take two days at the end of the trip and enjoy a short "holiday", as they call it here. Aaron also has a couple friends who live over there who we'll hopefully get to catch up with. I can't even comprehend a whole week being childless; I'm sure I'll be enjoying it, but also missing our little princess, too. I'm most excited about having a couple of days to ourselves. It's been so long since we've had that luxury; we're going to be lovin' every minute of it! Everyone who I've talked to that has been to Sydney tells me that I'm going to absolutely love the city and we're in for a great time. Can't wait!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Easter Egg Fun and All That Jazz
Yesterday I decided to dye and decorate Easter eggs with Taylor ~ something which, believe it or not, I've actually never even done myself. Not even as a kid. I remember decorating Easter eggs once with my mom one year, but for some reason we didn't do the dye thing. So I decided to give it a go this year, and it was a raging success. I'm actually not sure who had more fun ~ Taylor or myself. Here's some pics of the fun:
Then, this afternoon, Dayna and I headed into town for a few hours to enjoy the annual Jazz festival. And enjoy we did! There were multiple stages set up with multiple bands playing ~ basically there was live music everywhere you looked. Our favorite band was a group of 7 guys who were absolutely awesome ~ 2 saxaphones, a trombone, piano, electric guitar, bass, drums, and 5 of the guys sang. Not only did they have definite talent, but they had great stage presence ~ the importance of which can never be underestimated when it comes to live performance. We must have stood there and listened to them for at least an hour ~ they were fantastic! There's just something about good live music that does something for the soul. And as a musician, I love listening to and being inspired by different genres of music. Definitely one of the most fun events I've been to in a while.
Yesterday I decided to dye and decorate Easter eggs with Taylor ~ something which, believe it or not, I've actually never even done myself. Not even as a kid. I remember decorating Easter eggs once with my mom one year, but for some reason we didn't do the dye thing. So I decided to give it a go this year, and it was a raging success. I'm actually not sure who had more fun ~ Taylor or myself. Here's some pics of the fun:
Then, this afternoon, Dayna and I headed into town for a few hours to enjoy the annual Jazz festival. And enjoy we did! There were multiple stages set up with multiple bands playing ~ basically there was live music everywhere you looked. Our favorite band was a group of 7 guys who were absolutely awesome ~ 2 saxaphones, a trombone, piano, electric guitar, bass, drums, and 5 of the guys sang. Not only did they have definite talent, but they had great stage presence ~ the importance of which can never be underestimated when it comes to live performance. We must have stood there and listened to them for at least an hour ~ they were fantastic! There's just something about good live music that does something for the soul. And as a musician, I love listening to and being inspired by different genres of music. Definitely one of the most fun events I've been to in a while.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
It's the calm before the storm
It's currently 12:30pm. The house is relatively quiet, but not for long. Graeme and Sabrina get back from their 3-week trip to Korea in a few hours, and then tomorrow Nana Dot (Sabrina's mom) flies in from Napier to stay with us for several days. Between a birthday celebration for somebody in the family, hopefully a few hours at the Jazz festival in town on Saturday, and Easter on Sunday, it's going to be a full weekend. Wow.
It's currently 12:30pm. The house is relatively quiet, but not for long. Graeme and Sabrina get back from their 3-week trip to Korea in a few hours, and then tomorrow Nana Dot (Sabrina's mom) flies in from Napier to stay with us for several days. Between a birthday celebration for somebody in the family, hopefully a few hours at the Jazz festival in town on Saturday, and Easter on Sunday, it's going to be a full weekend. Wow.
Monday, March 10, 2008
And she ran.
Rumor has it that someone has forsaken the traditional "walk" up the mount in favor of a "run" up the mount. All our sources seem to indicate that although this workout is definitely more demanding than any of the previous ones, the benefits ~ both physical and psychological ~ far outweigh any losses incurred: namely extreme fatigue upon reaching the summit. It is unclear how long this trend will last, though chances are strong this may now be a new routine. We will continue to monitor this situation closely, and will be the first to report any breaking developments in this story.
Rumor has it that someone has forsaken the traditional "walk" up the mount in favor of a "run" up the mount. All our sources seem to indicate that although this workout is definitely more demanding than any of the previous ones, the benefits ~ both physical and psychological ~ far outweigh any losses incurred: namely extreme fatigue upon reaching the summit. It is unclear how long this trend will last, though chances are strong this may now be a new routine. We will continue to monitor this situation closely, and will be the first to report any breaking developments in this story.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Starting to think about starting pre-school
The other day, I had to walk over to the school next door to attend to some business. I took Taylor with me for the fun of it, and on the way home, I decided to stop in and visit the pre-school that Taylor will be going to in a few months. I thought it would be a good idea to bring her by so that when we talk about her going to pre-school, she would know what it looks like and have a bit more of an idea of what to expect. And she loved it! We walked around and had a good look at everything and met the teachers. Then two little girls walked up to us, befriended Taylor, and continued to show us around. Although Taylor was a bit shy at first, I could tell that she got way more comfortable even in the 30 minutes that we were there. It's weird to think about Taylor being away four mornings a week, but I know that it will be good for her and that she's going to absolutely love it. She's already talking about going to pre-school soon like a big girl, and she's really excited about it. And in the meantime, I'm glad that we still have a few more months before everything is going to change!
The other day, I had to walk over to the school next door to attend to some business. I took Taylor with me for the fun of it, and on the way home, I decided to stop in and visit the pre-school that Taylor will be going to in a few months. I thought it would be a good idea to bring her by so that when we talk about her going to pre-school, she would know what it looks like and have a bit more of an idea of what to expect. And she loved it! We walked around and had a good look at everything and met the teachers. Then two little girls walked up to us, befriended Taylor, and continued to show us around. Although Taylor was a bit shy at first, I could tell that she got way more comfortable even in the 30 minutes that we were there. It's weird to think about Taylor being away four mornings a week, but I know that it will be good for her and that she's going to absolutely love it. She's already talking about going to pre-school soon like a big girl, and she's really excited about it. And in the meantime, I'm glad that we still have a few more months before everything is going to change!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Quote for the day
"Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just that His justice cannot sleep forever." - Thomas Jefferson
If this was true of America way back when Mr. Jefferson spoke this, how much more is it true of our nation today? We are on the precipice of something big; maybe it's mercy, maybe it's judgment; most likely it's a carefully-orchestrated combination of the two. His justice has been sleeping for a long time. One thing I know: I have no doubt whose side I want to be on when the day dawns.
"Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just that His justice cannot sleep forever." - Thomas Jefferson
If this was true of America way back when Mr. Jefferson spoke this, how much more is it true of our nation today? We are on the precipice of something big; maybe it's mercy, maybe it's judgment; most likely it's a carefully-orchestrated combination of the two. His justice has been sleeping for a long time. One thing I know: I have no doubt whose side I want to be on when the day dawns.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Church
Church this morning was awesome. Our pastor preached one of those in-your-face, say-it-as-it-is, don't-hold-back kind of messages. God has been doing some awesome stuff in our church recently ~ mostly the 'behind-the-scenes, DNA-forming, vision-establishing' type of stuff ~ which I believe the out workings of such will become more and more apparent in the week-to-week life of the church ~ if it hasn't already. This morning's message was a taste of it. Our pastor and his wife have boldly charted the course for this church. They are unapologetic in saying that the 21st century western church looks nothing like the church of Acts 2. And whatever it takes to get back there is where we are going. We want God in our services ~ not just a visitation, but His habitation. And if we have God, then that's all that really matters. It's not about programs, events, or the like. It's about Him.
It's getting raw. Real. Authentic. Unapologetic. And I'm lovin' it.
Church this morning was awesome. Our pastor preached one of those in-your-face, say-it-as-it-is, don't-hold-back kind of messages. God has been doing some awesome stuff in our church recently ~ mostly the 'behind-the-scenes, DNA-forming, vision-establishing' type of stuff ~ which I believe the out workings of such will become more and more apparent in the week-to-week life of the church ~ if it hasn't already. This morning's message was a taste of it. Our pastor and his wife have boldly charted the course for this church. They are unapologetic in saying that the 21st century western church looks nothing like the church of Acts 2. And whatever it takes to get back there is where we are going. We want God in our services ~ not just a visitation, but His habitation. And if we have God, then that's all that really matters. It's not about programs, events, or the like. It's about Him.
It's getting raw. Real. Authentic. Unapologetic. And I'm lovin' it.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Taylor's Little Adventure
Nana and Grandad planned to take Taylor to the beach this morning, but when we woke up, it was cloudy and raining. So they changed plans and went to the hot pools instead, and then when the sun decided to come out, they then headed to the beach. Taylor loved every minute of it! Here are a couple pictures of the fun:
Having fun on the waterslide at the hot pools
Lovin' the sand, lovin' the water, lovin' the beach, lovin' life.
If only I could know what you were thinking....
Looks like sea gulls like hot cross buns, too!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Windows, screens, flies, and pest control
I'd like to offer a brief, un-solicited endorsement for my favorite new product when it comes to the topic of pest control. But first, a bit of cultural education for my overseas readers to help set the stage. One of the funny things about homes in New Zealand (especially older homes; not sure about the new ones) is that none of the windows have screens in them. Now, for those of you who, like I once did, live in a climate in America in which the windows remain closed for 360 days out of every year due to the presence of heat or air conditioning, it may seem like a non-issue that windows can be screen-less. But, unfortunately, neither heat nor air conditioning exist in most homes in New Zealand, which means that come summer, the windows are open all the time. (Actually, if you are a true New Zealander, the windows remain open all year round, regardless of the temperature outside. But that's a whole different topic for a whole different post. In our house, the windows stay closed during the winter). Anyways, open windows during the summer (sans screens) mean only one thing: the presence of a myriad of flies and other annoying bugs. Constantly. Why there are no screens in the windows here, I have no idea. Maybe I should go into business here selling screens for windows. I bet I could make a killing. Especially if I find all the North Americans in the country and target my business toward them. Anyways, I've been driven crazy by the flies for the last 3 summers we've been here. Until about 9 hours ago, when Aaron bought and installed this cool thing on our wall that squirts out an insect deterrent about every 7 minutes or so. Although the house isn't completely bug-less at present, I've noticed a great improvement already. Give it a couple more days, and I'm hoping we could be borderline bug-free around here. I think that every home in New Zealand requires one of these. Maybe my next business will be promoting the new-found Robocan.
All that to say, if you don't own a Robocan and if you're frustrated by the endless number of flies in your home, head down to your local Mitre 10, and buy one today.
I'd like to offer a brief, un-solicited endorsement for my favorite new product when it comes to the topic of pest control. But first, a bit of cultural education for my overseas readers to help set the stage. One of the funny things about homes in New Zealand (especially older homes; not sure about the new ones) is that none of the windows have screens in them. Now, for those of you who, like I once did, live in a climate in America in which the windows remain closed for 360 days out of every year due to the presence of heat or air conditioning, it may seem like a non-issue that windows can be screen-less. But, unfortunately, neither heat nor air conditioning exist in most homes in New Zealand, which means that come summer, the windows are open all the time. (Actually, if you are a true New Zealander, the windows remain open all year round, regardless of the temperature outside. But that's a whole different topic for a whole different post. In our house, the windows stay closed during the winter). Anyways, open windows during the summer (sans screens) mean only one thing: the presence of a myriad of flies and other annoying bugs. Constantly. Why there are no screens in the windows here, I have no idea. Maybe I should go into business here selling screens for windows. I bet I could make a killing. Especially if I find all the North Americans in the country and target my business toward them. Anyways, I've been driven crazy by the flies for the last 3 summers we've been here. Until about 9 hours ago, when Aaron bought and installed this cool thing on our wall that squirts out an insect deterrent about every 7 minutes or so. Although the house isn't completely bug-less at present, I've noticed a great improvement already. Give it a couple more days, and I'm hoping we could be borderline bug-free around here. I think that every home in New Zealand requires one of these. Maybe my next business will be promoting the new-found Robocan.
All that to say, if you don't own a Robocan and if you're frustrated by the endless number of flies in your home, head down to your local Mitre 10, and buy one today.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Rainy Sunday Afternoon
It's been raining all day long. And it sure doesn't show any signs of letting up any time soon. Some days I can't stand this weather, but today I don't mind as much. It lends itself well to a whole afternoon of sitting in my room in silence and solitude with the candles lit and the commentaries out. Oh, wait. That's for another day when the house is empty and I don't have the responsibilities of being a mother and doing the grocery shopping and entertaining the cutest little 3-yr. old in the world. Not that I'm complaining about that part. But there are some days when I can't help but wonder what it would feel like to have a good solid chunck of time to myself. Blah, blah, blah.
Aaron has been out in the rain all day playing golf in a championship tournament in Rotorua. Sure hope he's enjoying himself despite the lousy weather.
Anyways, I'm looking forward to checking out this local noodle joint for the first time tonight. I sure hope it's as good as I'm imagining it to be, or else I'm gonna be quite disappointed.
It's been raining all day long. And it sure doesn't show any signs of letting up any time soon. Some days I can't stand this weather, but today I don't mind as much. It lends itself well to a whole afternoon of sitting in my room in silence and solitude with the candles lit and the commentaries out. Oh, wait. That's for another day when the house is empty and I don't have the responsibilities of being a mother and doing the grocery shopping and entertaining the cutest little 3-yr. old in the world. Not that I'm complaining about that part. But there are some days when I can't help but wonder what it would feel like to have a good solid chunck of time to myself. Blah, blah, blah.
Aaron has been out in the rain all day playing golf in a championship tournament in Rotorua. Sure hope he's enjoying himself despite the lousy weather.
Anyways, I'm looking forward to checking out this local noodle joint for the first time tonight. I sure hope it's as good as I'm imagining it to be, or else I'm gonna be quite disappointed.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Saturday mornings in the prayer room
...Are usually pretty quiet. A lot of people in our community have designated Saturday as their day off, so most of the time it's a small little crowd that gathers together to spend the morning in the prayer room. Although the numbers are low, Saturday mornings have consistently been some of the sweetest times. Today was no exception. There's just something about a small crowd gathering for no other reason than to be before Jesus and to lift up our voices in intercession on behalf of this city and this nation.
This afternoon we diverted from our normal routine of grocery shopping for something lots more fun ~ one of Taylor's little friends, Noah, had a birthday party today! Steve and Trena threw a great party, and Taylor had the time of her life playing with all the kids there.
Aaron is playing in a golf tournament all day tomorrow, and Nic is away for the weekend. So except for church and grocery shopping, tomorrow promises to be a low-key day. A much overdue low-key day.
...Are usually pretty quiet. A lot of people in our community have designated Saturday as their day off, so most of the time it's a small little crowd that gathers together to spend the morning in the prayer room. Although the numbers are low, Saturday mornings have consistently been some of the sweetest times. Today was no exception. There's just something about a small crowd gathering for no other reason than to be before Jesus and to lift up our voices in intercession on behalf of this city and this nation.
This afternoon we diverted from our normal routine of grocery shopping for something lots more fun ~ one of Taylor's little friends, Noah, had a birthday party today! Steve and Trena threw a great party, and Taylor had the time of her life playing with all the kids there.
Aaron is playing in a golf tournament all day tomorrow, and Nic is away for the weekend. So except for church and grocery shopping, tomorrow promises to be a low-key day. A much overdue low-key day.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Long Overdue Update
Wow. What a month it has been. It feels as though I've scarcely had time to sit down and read a blog, muchless write one. So here's the scoop on what's been going on in life recently.
Wow. What a month it has been. It feels as though I've scarcely had time to sit down and read a blog, muchless write one. So here's the scoop on what's been going on in life recently.
- Family. It's been great having Graeme and Sabrina around! Taylor, especially, is thoroughly enjoying all the time with and attention from her grandparents. They're getting settled in and trying to establish some sort of routine, but doing really well.
- THOP. It's been a great start to the new year. Neither of the interns who applied for the Feb. internship were able to come. But this has actually worked out really well, as we've been able to focus as a community on what we're really about at our core: prayer. It has also allowed us time to invest in the establishing of infrastructure, long-term planning, and leadership development that will be necessary to sustain growth in the future. The prayer room is open from 8am-noon Mon-Sat and 6pm-10pm Mon-Fri. We've also moved yet again to a new facility ~ somewhat. Those who have been following this blog for the last year may remember that last Feb we unexpectedly had to move into the church nursery b/c the main building wasn't ready yet. Well, at the start of the year, we were able to move downstairs into the Kidsworld room, which has been great. It has a full sound system, and plenty big enough for us. Well, just this past week, the Pastor and his wife offered to us to move upstairs and use their sanctuary, if we'd like to. We decided to take them up on their offer ~ and it's been awesome! Especially since we can use their drum kit! Our little community is awesome; they are so genuine and hungry for the Lord, and it's really fun doing this thing together.
- Travel. Aaron has several trips lined up throughout the next several months. One of the perks of having grandparents around is that we're planning a week of "Taylor and Nana/Grandad bonding time" in April so that I can join Aaron when he goes to Sydney! I can't remember the last time we got on a plane together to go somewhere just the two of us. Actually, that's not entirely true. I can remember. It would have been 4 years ago, before Taylor was born. It's going to be awesome going away together for a week, not to mention the fact that I get to see Sydney!
- Hospitality. When it rains, it pours. After several months of not doing much in the line of entertaining, this week alone we hosted company for a meal at least 4 times. Graeme's brother and siter in law were in town, so we had them for a night, we hosted a welcome back party for Graeme and Sabrina, had two couples over who are moving/have moved here, and also hosted a couple girls from Kansas City who have been in town for a few days. It's been fun, but sure has been pretty busy!
- The mundaneness of life. It all sounds so exciting ~ going here, doing this, family in town, etc. etc. etc. And it sure is exciting. I love what we do and wouldn't trade it for the world. But lest I give a false impression that life is all a party, I won't hesitate to say that there is no shortage of the less-glamerous day-in, day-out rigors of life. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, paying the bills, and running errands abound in good measure, as they always do in the life of any mom.
All in all, we're alive and well down under, carrying in our hearts the vision from Isa. 24 that the earth will hear singing from the ends of the earth (that's New Zealand!), proclaiming the glory and majesty of the Righteous One.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Life's Unexpected Turn
This is may be old news for many of my readers in blogdom (that is, if there are any of you left after my recent prolonged periods of silence). However, chances are that if you live outside of either Kansas City or New Zealand, and/or haven't spoken to us recently, you won't have any idea of the impending changes in the Walsh family. (drumroll, please....)
Aaron's parents are (probably temporairily) coming back to New Zealand. On Wednesday.
We seriously couldn't be happier, but unfortunately, the circumstances aren't so grand for them. They have been denied their green card, and therefore must return to New Zealand to appeal the decision, a process which could take anywhere from 6-12 months. There are no guarantees that the appeal will be won, so the future is most certainly uncertain. But one thing we are sure of ~ everyone is looking forward to the fact that the whole family gets to be together, for as long as this next season will last. Little Taylor is absolutely beside herself, and asks me at least three times a day how many more days it will be until Nana and Grandad come!
So no doubt there will be lots of stories ~ and pictures ~ yet to come over the next few months. Who knows how long this season will last, so we'll be holding onto every moment of it while it's here.
This is may be old news for many of my readers in blogdom (that is, if there are any of you left after my recent prolonged periods of silence). However, chances are that if you live outside of either Kansas City or New Zealand, and/or haven't spoken to us recently, you won't have any idea of the impending changes in the Walsh family. (drumroll, please....)
Aaron's parents are (probably temporairily) coming back to New Zealand. On Wednesday.
We seriously couldn't be happier, but unfortunately, the circumstances aren't so grand for them. They have been denied their green card, and therefore must return to New Zealand to appeal the decision, a process which could take anywhere from 6-12 months. There are no guarantees that the appeal will be won, so the future is most certainly uncertain. But one thing we are sure of ~ everyone is looking forward to the fact that the whole family gets to be together, for as long as this next season will last. Little Taylor is absolutely beside herself, and asks me at least three times a day how many more days it will be until Nana and Grandad come!
So no doubt there will be lots of stories ~ and pictures ~ yet to come over the next few months. Who knows how long this season will last, so we'll be holding onto every moment of it while it's here.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Random thoughts
The mount wasn't what I was expecitng it to be. It was way worse than I ever imagined it could be. It reminded me of the first time I ever went up, and I was wondering how it could ever have been that I actually ran up that hill at one time. It's amazing how long it takes to gain something, and how quickly it can be lost. Hopefully it won't take me a whole year to work back to where I was 6 weeks ago.
Enough on that depressing topic. I've stayed up far too late this evening surfing the internet, looking for new worship songs. It's no secret that my worship notebook is filled mostly with songs that are, well, old. And I'm in desperate need to learn some new stuff. Forunately I found a couple good ones; now I've just gotta learn 'em.
Tomorrow is a prayer room day for me, which means it's now officially past my bedtime and if I have any hope of getting a decent sleep tonight, I better hurry myself off to bed.
The mount wasn't what I was expecitng it to be. It was way worse than I ever imagined it could be. It reminded me of the first time I ever went up, and I was wondering how it could ever have been that I actually ran up that hill at one time. It's amazing how long it takes to gain something, and how quickly it can be lost. Hopefully it won't take me a whole year to work back to where I was 6 weeks ago.
Enough on that depressing topic. I've stayed up far too late this evening surfing the internet, looking for new worship songs. It's no secret that my worship notebook is filled mostly with songs that are, well, old. And I'm in desperate need to learn some new stuff. Forunately I found a couple good ones; now I've just gotta learn 'em.
Tomorrow is a prayer room day for me, which means it's now officially past my bedtime and if I have any hope of getting a decent sleep tonight, I better hurry myself off to bed.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Getting back into the routine
It's been quite a week! It's amazing how long it takes to unpack after being gone for a month. Although I feel like I am mostly settled back in, there are still a few piles of things that need to be put away and a few remaining jobs that must be done.
No sooner did Aaron unpack his bags, when he started packing them again; this time, for a ministry trip to Hawaii. He left early yesterday morning, so us girls are holding down the fort at home.
Tomorrow morning I begin my routine of going up the mount. My "week of getting settled" is over, and it's now time to re-engage in the disciplines of life, as much as will allow being a "single parent" for the week (though, thanks to Nic and Dayna, it really doesn't feel like I'm that much of a single parent at all). As much as I'm not looking forward to the rude awakening that awaits me when I realize just how much one can become out-of-shape in the span of one short month, I am looking forward to getting back out there and working my way back into running up the trail. And one added perk is that I get to wear my new workout clothes and try out my new running shoes, so if nothing else, at least my expedition up the mount will have purpose beyond simply exercise! :-)
It's been quite a week! It's amazing how long it takes to unpack after being gone for a month. Although I feel like I am mostly settled back in, there are still a few piles of things that need to be put away and a few remaining jobs that must be done.
No sooner did Aaron unpack his bags, when he started packing them again; this time, for a ministry trip to Hawaii. He left early yesterday morning, so us girls are holding down the fort at home.
Tomorrow morning I begin my routine of going up the mount. My "week of getting settled" is over, and it's now time to re-engage in the disciplines of life, as much as will allow being a "single parent" for the week (though, thanks to Nic and Dayna, it really doesn't feel like I'm that much of a single parent at all). As much as I'm not looking forward to the rude awakening that awaits me when I realize just how much one can become out-of-shape in the span of one short month, I am looking forward to getting back out there and working my way back into running up the trail. And one added perk is that I get to wear my new workout clothes and try out my new running shoes, so if nothing else, at least my expedition up the mount will have purpose beyond simply exercise! :-)
Monday, January 21, 2008
In New Zealand once again
We're back. The last couple days I have been busily unpacking and getting re-settled in, doing laundry, grocery shopping, and even taking down our Christmas decorations. I think we are probably the only family in the world that still had Christmas decorations up on the 20th of January, but all for good reason!
Our time in the States was wonderful. So wonderful it was painful, actually. We saw so many dear friends, enjoyed lots of time with the family, did tons of fun stuff, and of course ate lots of yummy American food. The whole trip was a precious gift from Jesus, for which I am most grateful. I think it will take me a while to get re-settled back into life here; part of my heart is most definitely still in America.
Today we begin to gear up for this next year with the House of Prayer. We begin an abbreviated version of the prayer room schedule tomorrow, gearing up for the normal schedule which will start in early February. I'm excited about this year; it feels as though it will be a significant one, though I'm not exactly sure in what ways. I'm provoked to seek the Lord and to ask what He is thinking and feeling when He looks at this little city called Tauranga; I know He has much on His heart and that His plans and purposes for this city will prevail.
We're back. The last couple days I have been busily unpacking and getting re-settled in, doing laundry, grocery shopping, and even taking down our Christmas decorations. I think we are probably the only family in the world that still had Christmas decorations up on the 20th of January, but all for good reason!
Our time in the States was wonderful. So wonderful it was painful, actually. We saw so many dear friends, enjoyed lots of time with the family, did tons of fun stuff, and of course ate lots of yummy American food. The whole trip was a precious gift from Jesus, for which I am most grateful. I think it will take me a while to get re-settled back into life here; part of my heart is most definitely still in America.
Today we begin to gear up for this next year with the House of Prayer. We begin an abbreviated version of the prayer room schedule tomorrow, gearing up for the normal schedule which will start in early February. I'm excited about this year; it feels as though it will be a significant one, though I'm not exactly sure in what ways. I'm provoked to seek the Lord and to ask what He is thinking and feeling when He looks at this little city called Tauranga; I know He has much on His heart and that His plans and purposes for this city will prevail.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Back in Kansas City
Well, it sure was an interesting Christmas. Everyone in the house got the 24 hour flu starting on the 23rd, and by Christmas Day, our little Taylor was in bed sick all day long. The good thing is that we have a few different Christmases this year with all the family and friends, so she still got to enjoy opening presents here in Kansas City.
Yes, we're in Kansas City now! We flew in late last night and I'm already enjoying every minute of being here and drinking it all in. Dad and Joanie flew in from CT to have Christmas with my brother and his family, and to be here with us for the next few days. It's been so much fun being with both sides of the family, and also seeing friends today. I 'just happened' to run into a couple of friends at the mall and at ihop ~ it's so special to be able to see people here that I love. Yes, it's my first day here and I've already managed to hit the mall, this time with Dad and Joanie. Here's a couple of pictures of Taylor and us on the Merry-Go-Round:
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Couldn't be happier
It's been a fun week here so far! We've enjoyed seeing our friends again and having time together; it's just like old times. It's going to be so fun having Christmas up here; the next few days leading up to Christmas will be full of parties and celebrations with their family and friends. These are good times. I'm so grateful that we can be here; I'm holding on to every moment of each day and enjoying it thoroughly.
I'm also lovin' being back in America. It's so nice to be in a 'real' winter again ~ cold air and snow outside and central heat and warm fires inside! The U.S. still feels like home, and it's so refreshing to be back amongst 'my people', to drive around town and see familiar stores and restaurants, to walk through Wal-mart and see familiar items on the shelves, and to eat American food. It all tastes just as good....no.....way better....than I remembered it! Good thing I worked out hard this morning. I'm going to have to keep that up the way I've been eating recently! :-)
It's been a fun week here so far! We've enjoyed seeing our friends again and having time together; it's just like old times. It's going to be so fun having Christmas up here; the next few days leading up to Christmas will be full of parties and celebrations with their family and friends. These are good times. I'm so grateful that we can be here; I'm holding on to every moment of each day and enjoying it thoroughly.
I'm also lovin' being back in America. It's so nice to be in a 'real' winter again ~ cold air and snow outside and central heat and warm fires inside! The U.S. still feels like home, and it's so refreshing to be back amongst 'my people', to drive around town and see familiar stores and restaurants, to walk through Wal-mart and see familiar items on the shelves, and to eat American food. It all tastes just as good....no.....way better....than I remembered it! Good thing I worked out hard this morning. I'm going to have to keep that up the way I've been eating recently! :-)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
And it snowed....
It was snowing in Spokane before we got here, there were snow flurries as we were landing, and we woke up this morning to more snow flurries. With 5 inches of snow on the ground, I might just perhaps be the happiest girl in America this morning. It's amazing here and I'm so, so thankful to be here. Can't wait to play in the snow with Taylor!
The trip here was great. A long 26 hours, to be sure, but this may have been the easiest trip we've done yet. Taylor was absolutely incredible ~ no meltdowns, no attitudes. She was happy and pleasant for 26 hour straight. At 10:30 this morning, she is still fast asleep ~ one tired girl, to be sure.
Christmas music playing, snow falling, cold outside.....I seriously couldn't be happier. It's gonna be a great month.
It was snowing in Spokane before we got here, there were snow flurries as we were landing, and we woke up this morning to more snow flurries. With 5 inches of snow on the ground, I might just perhaps be the happiest girl in America this morning. It's amazing here and I'm so, so thankful to be here. Can't wait to play in the snow with Taylor!
The trip here was great. A long 26 hours, to be sure, but this may have been the easiest trip we've done yet. Taylor was absolutely incredible ~ no meltdowns, no attitudes. She was happy and pleasant for 26 hour straight. At 10:30 this morning, she is still fast asleep ~ one tired girl, to be sure.
Christmas music playing, snow falling, cold outside.....I seriously couldn't be happier. It's gonna be a great month.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Off within the hour...
The bags are packed, the itineraries are printed, passports in hand, hopefully nothing forgotten. We're about to leave our little Shire and head off on yet another adventure; this time knowing at least in part what awaits us.
I'm planning on posting from the States, though I'm not sure what our internet access will be for the first week of the trip.
We're off!!
The bags are packed, the itineraries are printed, passports in hand, hopefully nothing forgotten. We're about to leave our little Shire and head off on yet another adventure; this time knowing at least in part what awaits us.
I'm planning on posting from the States, though I'm not sure what our internet access will be for the first week of the trip.
We're off!!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Maybe I need to make something clear...
Lest there be any misunderstanding in the mind of any reader, bringing Aaron to the airport is never a good way to start the day; it would be the mother-daughter date at the beach that absolutely is. :-)
Seems like posting at 1am has gotten the better of me......
Lest there be any misunderstanding in the mind of any reader, bringing Aaron to the airport is never a good way to start the day; it would be the mother-daughter date at the beach that absolutely is. :-)
Seems like posting at 1am has gotten the better of me......
What a fantastic way to begin the day
After dropping Aaron off at the airport first thing this morning, I decided it was the perfect opportunity for a little mommy-daughter date. With the airport being only a 5 minute drive from the beach, off we went for a little morning adventure. At 8am, we were the first Starbucks customers for the day, and after purchasing two muffins and some orange-juice, we wasted no time heading for the shore. Unfortunately, it wasn't the warmest morning that's ever been, but we enjoyed a simple breakfast picnic regardless, and then took our time for a little walk on the beach to collect shells. It was a great morning to be alive. And a great morning to be a mom.
We had the whole day (and evening) to ourselves, Taylor and I. The rest of the family are in other cities around the nation, so we kept ourselves busy cleaning and packing, cleaning more and packing more. I did spend a bit of time on the phone with United tonight sorting out their schedule change to our itinerary which resulted in a less-than-sufficient layover in L.A. Though we have now gained another connecting flight to our journey Stateside (bringing the grand total to 5), we have gratefully lost the stress caused by merely thinking about clearing immigration and customs, waiting for luggage, and racing from terminal one to terminal eight - in less than one hour and forty minutes. With a 3-hour layover now, we can now enjoy a more leisurely pace before gearing up for 3 more flights before we reach Spokane. I am already praying for grace for our little one. And for mom and dad, too. If you think of it, please pray for us, too, as we begin our month-long adventure: for grace in the long travel, for health for the whole family during our entire time away, for no delays (weather-related or otherwise) as we fly throughout the entire U.S., and finally that this would be a refreshing time in which our hearts and bodies are strengthened and prepared for the season to come. Speaking of rest, time for me to get some. 'Night.
After dropping Aaron off at the airport first thing this morning, I decided it was the perfect opportunity for a little mommy-daughter date. With the airport being only a 5 minute drive from the beach, off we went for a little morning adventure. At 8am, we were the first Starbucks customers for the day, and after purchasing two muffins and some orange-juice, we wasted no time heading for the shore. Unfortunately, it wasn't the warmest morning that's ever been, but we enjoyed a simple breakfast picnic regardless, and then took our time for a little walk on the beach to collect shells. It was a great morning to be alive. And a great morning to be a mom.
We had the whole day (and evening) to ourselves, Taylor and I. The rest of the family are in other cities around the nation, so we kept ourselves busy cleaning and packing, cleaning more and packing more. I did spend a bit of time on the phone with United tonight sorting out their schedule change to our itinerary which resulted in a less-than-sufficient layover in L.A. Though we have now gained another connecting flight to our journey Stateside (bringing the grand total to 5), we have gratefully lost the stress caused by merely thinking about clearing immigration and customs, waiting for luggage, and racing from terminal one to terminal eight - in less than one hour and forty minutes. With a 3-hour layover now, we can now enjoy a more leisurely pace before gearing up for 3 more flights before we reach Spokane. I am already praying for grace for our little one. And for mom and dad, too. If you think of it, please pray for us, too, as we begin our month-long adventure: for grace in the long travel, for health for the whole family during our entire time away, for no delays (weather-related or otherwise) as we fly throughout the entire U.S., and finally that this would be a refreshing time in which our hearts and bodies are strengthened and prepared for the season to come. Speaking of rest, time for me to get some. 'Night.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Really in the homestretch now
With less than 7 days to go until we leave, the excitement is really starting to build. I can't believe that soon I will be home. It's almost too good to be true.
But in the meantime, life here is full-go until the day we leave. Tomorrow we have class at our house, and an end-of-year BBQ in the evening. Thursday I'm in the prayer room in the morning, and then out for lunch with a friend. Friday evening is the intern graduation. Saturday morning brings an early start, as Taylor and I will drop Aaron off at the airport. Believe it or not, he's on his way to Wellington this weekend for At Thy Feet, a solmn assembly in which many are gathing to fast and pray for New Zealand. He will return home Sunday night, and then we fly out Monday evening. And somewhere in there I'm packing and getting ready for the trip. I wasn't kidding when I said it was full-go until we leave!
It will all be worth it. In less than one week, we will be relaxing and enjoying this view:
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Lovin' the stormin' weather
Hail in the garden
I need to preface this post by providing a bit of explanation that New Zealand doesn't have anything close to the kind of storms we had in Kansas City. Thunderstorms are very rare here, and hardly ever will you see a really good one. One of the things I miss about Kansas City are those spring-time thunderstorms. Not the wimpy ones, but those really intense ones with loud cracks of thunder, lightning that streaks across the sky, straight-line winds that make you feel as if you're about to blow away (but do nothing more than blow a few leaves off the trees), pounding rain, and - if it's a really good one - a nice display of hail. As for the tornadoes, well, I certainly don't miss those.
Well, last night, we had one heckuva good storm 'round here. The thunder and lightning weren't much to write home about, but the hail sure was. It wasn't all that big (not complanin' 'bout that), but the impressive part was the amount of it. Truth be told, I don't think I've even seen this much hail produced in a good 'ole Kansas City storm. Don't believe me? Check out these pics:
Hail in the garden
Our back yard....
...and our deck.
Taylor discovers hail. She kept calling it snow! :-)
Gotta say, it sure was a nice little taste of home.
Promised Thanksgiving Photos
One of our good friends, Karina. She's a Kiwi who's a self-professed "should have been born American", who loves Thanksgiving.
Better late than never!
Our $80 golden turkey. Much to my dismay, I did overcook it - just a little.
One of our good friends, Karina. She's a Kiwi who's a self-professed "should have been born American", who loves Thanksgiving.
Good lookin' spread of t-day favorites!
Our other friend, Chelsea, who made some killer pumpkin pies
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