And now to December
November & December have been busy.
Here’s a peek at what we’ve been up to through my Instagram lens…
made some new friends & caught up with some old ones
was at the first Together for Adoption Australia Conference
played tourist in our own city
took some time out to stop, relax and reflect…
while eating some seriously good cheese
celebrated with friends, 10 years married to the one I love
then we celebrated alone…
at a twilight market
walking through the city…
and finished with my favourite…
an espresso martini
we started advent not only with chocolate calendars but with a Jesse Tree
family and friends have welcomed new babies
and we’ve had fun exchanging gifts with beautiful friends
before the Boy finished school and the Girl finished kinder
I celebrated the birthday of a really true friend
on a cherry and berry picking adventure
and now we are days out from Christmas.
Have an amazing Christmas and New Year!
Allowed To Breathe
I know right? I haven’t blogged in a month and all I blog is another video. Things are crazy busy here. This short film is good though. Real good. It’s Ilana’s Story.
What if life is more than a beating heart…
I’d love to share something with you that is close to my heart. On November 18 & 19 2011, The Babes Project will be hosting the first ever Together for Adoption Australia Conference. But don’t dismiss this if you are not interested in adopting. I’d love you to read the following blog post from The Babes Project website.
Who should come to Together for Adoption Australia 2011?
(original post by Together for Adoption & The Babes Project www.thebabesproject.com)
In a little over six weeks, we we are hosting the first ever AustralianTogether for Adoption conference. As we draw closer and continue to promote this event we’d love to tell you a bit more about it and answer the question “who should attend Together for Adoption Australia?”
Firstly, the conference is for anyone who has been adopted. In other words, if you are a Christian we want you to consider attending Together for Adoption Australia 2011. Every Christian has entered God’s household through adoption (Ephesians 1:6; 2:19).
The conference is first about vertical adoption (i.e., God adopting us in Christ). It is second about the care of vulnerable children and horizontal adoption (i.e., couples adopting children, foster care, and other ways of caring for at-risk children). If you desire to learn more about what it means to be adopted by God, you will find this conference to be very profitable. We are convinced that the more we think about God’s gracious provision of vertical adoption, the more we will see and appreciate His glory, grace, beauty, love, etc. Adoption is first about the glorious God of the universe coming to profoundly needy people in the person of His Son to give us the adoption as sons and daughters (Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5). When we grow in our understanding of who this God of grace is and what He has done to adopt us through Jesus Christ, we will find our love for and our pursuit of Him progressively increasing. Ultimately, the aim of Together for Adoption is to see people grow in their enjoyment of God as their Father to the “praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). If this resonates with you, let us encourage you to consider attending the upcoming conference.
Even though the conference is first about vertical adoption, don’t think that orphan care and horizontal adoption will be a conference afterthought. No, we believe that Christians who are deepening in their understanding of God’s gracious provision of adoption as sons will find themselves joyfully compelled to extend this same kind of compassion to orphans and vulnerable children, both here and abroad. Christians who love the wonderful provision of vertical adoption will become increasingly passionate about “visiting orphans in their affliction” (James 1:27), whether through short-term mission efforts, humanitarian assistance, advocacy, adopting a child, foster care or assisting others in the process in some way. Certainly, God does not call every Christian couple to adopt, but He does call the church to care for orphans—adoption and advocating for vulnerable children being one way that the church can fulfill this calling.
If you have been adopted by God and believe that God has called the church to care for orphans and vulnerable children, let us strongly encourage you to prayerfully consider attending Together for Adoption Australia. We believe that you will walk away from this conference better understanding why it is that vertical adoption is the highest blessing of the gospel, rejoicing afresh in God’s grace to you in the gospel, and joyfully motivated to act on James 1:27, both locally and globally.
You may register here.
Pop over and register. It’s so accessible at $50 for two days including lunches or $80 for a couple. I’d love to meet you there!
Something blue
We ordered my Christmas present today and I’m pretty excited!
It was the display model, the last one in stock so we got a great price on it.
Perfect for cruising along the foreshore when we go camping after christmas.
Perfect for riding down to the shops in the morning for a paper and some fresh bread.
Perfect for family bike rides.
Term 3 holiday list
I like school holidays. Does that make me weird?
I know not everyone does, but I look forward to the slower mornings and longer days with the kids outside now that the weather is becoming nicer.
I’m not one for packing the break full of things to run around and do though. I find our kids need the slower pace.
But… I find that holidays can be over way too quick and before I know it, school goes back and the things we said we wanted to do at the start, we never actually get around to doing.
So this holidays we have made a short list:
1. Toast marshmallows outside after dark
2. Have a craft day
3. Lots of bike riding
4. Go see a movie
5. Go for a bush walk
6. Make lemonade
Simple but fun.
What are you doing over the break? Do you make lists?
Working around home
I work for a grassroots non-profit which has resulted in me being able to do part of my workload from home. I like this. It has been perfect for this stage of life as I’ve moved though the transition of little ones at home to starting their school journey.
Sometimes though it’s a struggle to find the time and space to work effectively in our smallish 3br, 1 living area home. I’ve worked from most rooms of the house at one time or another and I’ve worked at most times of the day/night. Yep, I love the ability to be flexible in when and where I work.
But this would be my favourite way to work at home. Now we are coming into warmer weather I love being out on our back deck with a good coffee and a good soundtrack (and sometimes a little something yummy).
What’s your favourite way to work or even blog from home?
