I'm Back

Well it been a while since I have posted anything here. What have i been doing?

My Birthday.
Well back in April I had my 25th birthday, which was pretty cool. We went out for dinner and my grandmother came too, because it was the completion of 25, 50, 75. Meaning that my mother turned 50 earlier this year and her mother also turned 75 so we all thought that was a pretty cool thing to celebrate.

WALK4BIBLES

Every year The Bible League puts on a series of walk a thons in different cities in Australia to raise money for Bibles for people in countries where it is hard to get Bibles. This year in Sydney it was on the 10th of May. A group of us from church went and did it, there was a choice between 7km and 14km (guess which one i did). It was fun but tiring,

Goodbye Aunty Janet.
My Aunt went to Africa as a missionary in the middle of May. She was there before with her husband but he got sick so they had to return to Australia. My uncle died and then my aunt had to get further qualifications so she could return.
We had a big farewell do with my mother's family up at her aunts place a couple of hours from Sydney. It was a really good day and good to catch up with everyone.
The day before she left there was a special farewell service for my aunt at her church which we went to. Then we had a lunch at my grandmothers place.
The next day a whole lot of us went to the airport to say good bye to her. It was very sad but good. Everyone that was in her family cried except my brother and my father.


What else has been happening?
Well I have been doing a bit of casual work, around the place, but that seems to have dried up lately. But I do have a job interview tommorrow for a full time position. I will post about what has happened with that at a later date hopefully it won't be so long between posts though.

Easter

Well my Victorian relatives (and the one that is studying in Adelaide) came up for Easter.
My Adelaidian cousin came up by plane and on Thursday, and stayed at our place Thursday night cause we live close to the airport. Her plane was meant to be arriving at 8:40 on Thursday, so she was up at 4:30 but there was a hydraulic leak or something on the engine so the plane was cancelled. She didn't end up arriving till 12 in sydney.
My brother met her at the airport and they were catching the bus back but my brother forgot to check which direction the bus was going in so they went the wrong way and didn't arrive at home till 2.

All my mother's side of the family got together on Friday evening at my mother's sister's place. It was really good for everyone to be together especially when everyone is spread so far and wide.

On Sunday afternoon we went and visited my father's mother. that was a nice time too.

We also had some good church services, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday with the Easter Feaster. I think that everyone who came enjoyed the time. Lot's of yummy food and celebrative time for the service.

What have i been doing lately...

I have been slack with this of late, but i will rectify that. I have been back in Sydney for a little over two months, you may be wondering what i have been up to...

Christmas
Well we had our annual Dinkum/Aussie carols, wish was really good, we had 43 people attend, and everybody enjoyed it.
We had 31 people come to our Christmas day service, which was good, and everyone who came enjoyed our service.
The Christmas Lunch was a succes we had 49 people come and we had enough to eat and there was even a little left over.

I spent christmas evening at my aunt's house, which was a fun evening, and included the watching of Merry Christmas Mr bean, and a good catch up time. We went together to the family gathering at my grandmothers house, prior to which we chopped up the fruit salad for lunch. It was a lovely time at granny's house including playing Uno Attack and Disney Trivial Pursuit.

Mum's Birthday and Australia Day.
Just before Oz day my mother had her 50th birthday, it was a good day doing exciting things, like palying the game that my brother gave her called backwords, where you either have to work out what a word said backwards is or turn a forwards word backwards. Hilarious fun.
The best present that my mother got though was that my brother and sister in law returned from England that day, which was exciting for all of us.
As the birthday was so close to australia day we had the big party on that day, it was also a welcome home for jon and amy. It was a lot of work but it was an enjoyable time, especailly seeing all the rellies.

What about the day to day?
Well I am looking for work again it's not always easy but God is here and i know that he has a plan for me, i just have to trust him. It's good to be back with my family, but i do miss Tassie sometimes especially the people.

Christmas in Ausralia on a Scorching Summers Day

Last night we had our Aussie Christmas Carol Service at our church. This is a tradition in our church, on the Monday before Christmas each year we have a carol service that is devoted to Australian Christmas Carols that don't talk about snow. That would be entirely inappropriate as we have Christmas in Summer and even in winter most of Australia doesn't get snow.
We usually do have some traditional carols as well but non of the ones that talk about snow. One of my favourites that we sing is called See The Sun.
See the Sun Leigh Newton © 1988

1. See the sun ride high across the blue,
See the summer eucalyptus hue,
See the jacarandas all in bloom,
Signal Christ will soon be here.

2. See the star that points the way to life,
See the kings who travel through the night,
See young Mary riding in her plight
With the child still in the womb.

3. Praise the child we now await to come,
Praise the boy born as the Father's son,
For this baby is the only one
Who can lead us back to God.

Bridge
But the summer knows that life is cruel;
His pain will not be easy.
When the bushfires roar across this land
His life will then be given.

4. But for now our child will soon be born,
Born our brother in the early morn,
Born a servant who will calm the storm

I like this because it uses Australian imagery that I can relate to at Christmas time, and although I have not been personally affected by bushfires I know people who have and it is a reminder to us of the reason that Christ came which we should remeber even at Christmas.

Another of my favourite Aussie Carols is a more traditional one called A Christmas Lullaby or The Silver Stars
The Silver Stars Are In The Sky
Words John Wheeler Music William G James
The silver stars are in the sky,
The red-gold moon goes riding high,
O, sleep my little one sleep!
Once long ago, against her breast,
A mother rocked her child to rest,
Who was the Prince of Heav'n above,
The Lord of happiness and love.
O, sleep, my little one sleep!

The boobook calls across the night,
The brown moths flutter in the light,
O, sleep, my little one sleep!
In Bethlehem long, long ago,
When roads and paddocks gleam'd with snow;
On this same night, that mother mild,
Lull'd into dreams her royal child.
So, sleep, my little one, sleep!
Sleep ...

I like this one because it also brings in The Aussie imagery and it reminds us that Jesus came as a baby like we did and had a loving family like us.

The service was really good we had glow sticks and it was really fun.
God be with you and your family this Christmas and remember the real meaning of christmas.