I just want to send this out to the big blue yonder because I ahven't been able to tell many people today, but I GOT IN!!!!:)
I ahve been accepted into THE most awesome sounding course, and will be able to do it alongside work, and everything else that happens here!!!:) I am sooo excited!
More news to come, or you can write back, if anyone isd reading this, or you can wait till I get around to wording this properly in my next newsletter:)
Bye!:) Sleep calls LOUDLY!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
My Big Amazing Greek Family
Yesterday I became truly and genuinely proud of my family heritage! My family is Greek, well one side, that is. You wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at me I don’t think, but there you have it. Try and imagine what my relatives are like, and I would say that they are “more Greek than the Greeks” with the familiar example being the family in the movie, My Big fat Greek Wedding!
I went out with some relatives who were in town yesterday. It was so lovely to see them, though I don’t really know them at all well, but they were known, and family, and very much like home in many ways. It was just lovely to be there sitting chatting with them.
The wonderful part though, came when one of them was saying that the University in Beijing had started teaching Greek as one of the language subjects, because, she said, as you know, Greek is the root of most languages…and the American constitution was one vote shy of being written in Greek! And so it went on.
As you may know from the movie, that’s one of running amusements of the movie, and here it was in reality, in MY family!
I was so blessed by that, that this is my family, in all it’s diversity and variety! How great is our God who has created all things in perfect fullness, and creativity and diversity beyond our wildest imagination, and that this family, which in many ways, I feel so removed from, is as much my family as any relative ever could be!
What an awesome gift!
I went out with some relatives who were in town yesterday. It was so lovely to see them, though I don’t really know them at all well, but they were known, and family, and very much like home in many ways. It was just lovely to be there sitting chatting with them.
The wonderful part though, came when one of them was saying that the University in Beijing had started teaching Greek as one of the language subjects, because, she said, as you know, Greek is the root of most languages…and the American constitution was one vote shy of being written in Greek! And so it went on.
As you may know from the movie, that’s one of running amusements of the movie, and here it was in reality, in MY family!
I was so blessed by that, that this is my family, in all it’s diversity and variety! How great is our God who has created all things in perfect fullness, and creativity and diversity beyond our wildest imagination, and that this family, which in many ways, I feel so removed from, is as much my family as any relative ever could be!
What an awesome gift!
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Imagine…
Three Aussies, in Hong Kong on Monday….at a Thai Cooking course, with a Chinese, Nepalese(!:)), Japanese and Filipino lady alongside us!
We all have a new appreciation for the flavour sensations that go into Thai cooking, and the process that they take to become such delicious combination of flavours.
Some of the things learned included making tamarind paste from scratch (you have to soak it in water- like taking the roots and soil of a plant and soaking the ‘soil’ part off the roots and seeds… chopping chicken to a fine mince, grinding your own curry paste in a mortar and pestle, till the lemon grass, garlic, chilli and various other goodies really are a paste, then assembling everything back together into a mouth watering meal.
My friend Kate and I often give thanks for the amazing breadth, diversity and wonder of food that is available around the world, and it was such a joy to appreciate a little bit more the richness of culture that is tied into one culture’s food! YUM!
Three Aussies, in Hong Kong on Monday….at a Thai Cooking course, with a Chinese, Nepalese(!:)), Japanese and Filipino lady alongside us!
We all have a new appreciation for the flavour sensations that go into Thai cooking, and the process that they take to become such delicious combination of flavours.
Some of the things learned included making tamarind paste from scratch (you have to soak it in water- like taking the roots and soil of a plant and soaking the ‘soil’ part off the roots and seeds… chopping chicken to a fine mince, grinding your own curry paste in a mortar and pestle, till the lemon grass, garlic, chilli and various other goodies really are a paste, then assembling everything back together into a mouth watering meal.
My friend Kate and I often give thanks for the amazing breadth, diversity and wonder of food that is available around the world, and it was such a joy to appreciate a little bit more the richness of culture that is tied into one culture’s food! YUM!
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Do some things make you cry? Some things really make me cry- yup there are the 'normal' things that are sad, or emotive, but then there are random things, when laughing, or other expressions of joy just aren't enough! Other times there just isn't any explanation! Once I even cried when a wonderful friend called to say they were getting married- great big tears of joy!:)
I have a song that makes me cry every time! I love it, and wouldn't ever want to stop singing it, but every time! It makes me cry! Some years ago, a friend requested that a large group of us sing it...to each other! Now, they are some truly powerful words when you think about it, and something super challenging in being each others servant, no matter what the person and circumstance! So I guess I will continue to sing, and cry at strange time, and remember my cool friend who first reminded me that we should be servants of Christ to each other!
Brother Let Me Be Your Servant
Brother let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace to
Let you be my servant too
We are pilgrims on a journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load
I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night-time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the truth you long to hear
I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through
When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born of all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony
Brother, let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have to grace to
Let you be my servant too
I have a song that makes me cry every time! I love it, and wouldn't ever want to stop singing it, but every time! It makes me cry! Some years ago, a friend requested that a large group of us sing it...to each other! Now, they are some truly powerful words when you think about it, and something super challenging in being each others servant, no matter what the person and circumstance! So I guess I will continue to sing, and cry at strange time, and remember my cool friend who first reminded me that we should be servants of Christ to each other!
Brother Let Me Be Your Servant
Brother let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace to
Let you be my servant too
We are pilgrims on a journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load
I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night-time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the truth you long to hear
I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through
When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born of all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony
Brother, let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have to grace to
Let you be my servant too
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
This weekend has been one of great thanksgiving, starting with the sermon at Church on Sunday, entitled "Thanksgiving: the only way to live"
We were taken through Psalm 100, and Colossians 3:15-17.
Two comments that the visiting Speaker made are as follows:
If I can't give thanks for all I have been given, how can God give anything else?
The Tourist demands.... the pilgrim gives thanks...
The weekend that followed was one of giving thanks, for so many things!
At one stage I was given some news, and for a while the implications didn't really hit home, but all at once, I realised that it was an amazing answer to a prayer I have prayed often in recent months! I realised that I have picked up this prayer, turned it over in my hand, prayed it, then put it down till the next time I picked it up, and while I expected it to be answered in some way, I was in awe of the way it was answered.
My first reaction to the news that shock(good shock!) and surprise... then the joy and awe came that a pray that I have prayed for so long....was heard, acted on, answered, in the most perfect way!!!
What an awesome God we have!
We were taken through Psalm 100, and Colossians 3:15-17.
Two comments that the visiting Speaker made are as follows:
If I can't give thanks for all I have been given, how can God give anything else?
The Tourist demands.... the pilgrim gives thanks...
The weekend that followed was one of giving thanks, for so many things!
At one stage I was given some news, and for a while the implications didn't really hit home, but all at once, I realised that it was an amazing answer to a prayer I have prayed often in recent months! I realised that I have picked up this prayer, turned it over in my hand, prayed it, then put it down till the next time I picked it up, and while I expected it to be answered in some way, I was in awe of the way it was answered.
My first reaction to the news that shock(good shock!) and surprise... then the joy and awe came that a pray that I have prayed for so long....was heard, acted on, answered, in the most perfect way!!!
What an awesome God we have!
Friday, August 11, 2006
Yesterday morning I found myself asking…. What on earth am I doing here?!
This morning I sat looking at the photo below and again asked myself the same question…
This my gorgeous niece, Evie- growing up very quickly!:)
I was then reminded of something I read yesterday morning before the day began, before the drama’s, the unexpected, the precious conversations with people saying “I want to bring my students here so much as there is no place like this anywhere else”, Or people organising evenings to opens the imaginations and eyes of people who have never seen what it might be like in another person’s shoes,let alone the traps that poverty bring; before all the coffee runs, the drinks with friends, the lovely conversations with current housemates and special text messages, before I discovered the precious gift of 2 rosebuds on one of the plants in my garden late last night…
It reads:
Look at God’s incredible waste of His saints, according to the world’s judgment. God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, "God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him." Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be. (My Utmost for his Highest, August 10, Oswald Chambers)
Oh to bring him Glory in each day, moment and random conversation!
This morning I sat looking at the photo below and again asked myself the same question…
This my gorgeous niece, Evie- growing up very quickly!:)
I was then reminded of something I read yesterday morning before the day began, before the drama’s, the unexpected, the precious conversations with people saying “I want to bring my students here so much as there is no place like this anywhere else”, Or people organising evenings to opens the imaginations and eyes of people who have never seen what it might be like in another person’s shoes,let alone the traps that poverty bring; before all the coffee runs, the drinks with friends, the lovely conversations with current housemates and special text messages, before I discovered the precious gift of 2 rosebuds on one of the plants in my garden late last night…
It reads:
Look at God’s incredible waste of His saints, according to the world’s judgment. God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, "God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him." Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be. (My Utmost for his Highest, August 10, Oswald Chambers)
Oh to bring him Glory in each day, moment and random conversation!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
The following stream of emails have been sent around this week in an effort to maintain conact with the Land of Aus and has provoked much food for thought!
So wherever you are in the world, on behalf of all the Australians, I hope you are enjoying your Bananas!:)
I love bananas and one of the joys of living in Hong Kong is the fact that bananas (and fruit in general) are so cheap and so good.
Well think on this, bananas in Australia have just hit $3.65 EACH that's around $20 Hong Kong for which you could buy about 30 or more bananas here.
A jewellery store in Australia is now giving away a free banana with every ring sold!
The reason given is the cyclone damage done to the Banana crop this year, although there is also a view that some profiteering is going on and it is an excuse. Be that as it may, Enjoy your bananas
Yes, we have no Banana’s
Folk Song written By: Frank Silver and Irving Cohn (1923)
There's a fruit store on our street
It's run by a Greek.
And he keeps good things to eat
But you should hear him speak!
When you ask him anything, he never answers "no".
He just "yes"es you to death,
And as he takes your dough, he tells you...
"Yes! We have no bananas
We have no bananas today!!
We have string beans and onions, cabBAges and scallions
And all kinds of fruit and say
We have an old fashioned toMAHto
A Long Island poTAHto, but
Yes! We have no bananas
We have no bananas today!"
Business got so good for him that he wrote home today,
"Send me Pete and Nick and Jim; I need help right away."
When he got them in the store, there was fun, you bet.
Someone asked for "sparrow grass"
and then the whole quartet
All answered:
"Yes, we have no bananas
We have-a no bananas today.
Just try those coconuts
Those wall-nuts and doughnuts
There ain't many nuts like they.
We'll sell you two kinds of red herring,
Dark brown, and ball-bearing.
But yes, we have no bananas
We have no bananas today."
hi,
all this panic about bananas makes that old song bananas in pyjamas all the more `meaningful` {?} the village where i used to live is overgrown with those huge triangle shaped `Chinese bananas` - in fact all the time I was there I’d be given more than a family of 3 could reasonably be expected to eat; daily! maybe we should do some business{?} no but really it does seem a bit odd that wild bananas are doing so well but not cultivated ones.
So wherever you are in the world, on behalf of all the Australians, I hope you are enjoying your Bananas!:)
I love bananas and one of the joys of living in Hong Kong is the fact that bananas (and fruit in general) are so cheap and so good.
Well think on this, bananas in Australia have just hit $3.65 EACH that's around $20 Hong Kong for which you could buy about 30 or more bananas here.
A jewellery store in Australia is now giving away a free banana with every ring sold!
The reason given is the cyclone damage done to the Banana crop this year, although there is also a view that some profiteering is going on and it is an excuse. Be that as it may, Enjoy your bananas
Yes, we have no Banana’s
Folk Song written By: Frank Silver and Irving Cohn (1923)
There's a fruit store on our street
It's run by a Greek.
And he keeps good things to eat
But you should hear him speak!
When you ask him anything, he never answers "no".
He just "yes"es you to death,
And as he takes your dough, he tells you...
"Yes! We have no bananas
We have no bananas today!!
We have string beans and onions, cabBAges and scallions
And all kinds of fruit and say
We have an old fashioned toMAHto
A Long Island poTAHto, but
Yes! We have no bananas
We have no bananas today!"
Business got so good for him that he wrote home today,
"Send me Pete and Nick and Jim; I need help right away."
When he got them in the store, there was fun, you bet.
Someone asked for "sparrow grass"
and then the whole quartet
All answered:
"Yes, we have no bananas
We have-a no bananas today.
Just try those coconuts
Those wall-nuts and doughnuts
There ain't many nuts like they.
We'll sell you two kinds of red herring,
Dark brown, and ball-bearing.
But yes, we have no bananas
We have no bananas today."
hi,
all this panic about bananas makes that old song bananas in pyjamas all the more `meaningful` {?} the village where i used to live is overgrown with those huge triangle shaped `Chinese bananas` - in fact all the time I was there I’d be given more than a family of 3 could reasonably be expected to eat; daily! maybe we should do some business{?} no but really it does seem a bit odd that wild bananas are doing so well but not cultivated ones.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
More awesome comments from Selwyn Hughes, Christ Empowered Living (my new Favorite book!)
Often, I have been asked, "what is God's overall purpose for out lives as Christians?" My reply has always been relationships.
We learn from teh Triniy that relationship is the essence of reality and therefore te essence of our existence... and we also learn that the way this relationship should be expressed is by concern for others. D. Broughton KNox.
Our Lord's mind was not preoccupied with himself but with how he could bring his Father's love to the men and women who crossed his path.
"Clyde Narramore says,"we don't know who we are until we know whose we are."
It follows then that we need supernatural support if we are to relate well to others because what often destroys relationships is the fear of getting hurt. When our relationships are governed more by a fear of getting hurt rather than by a desire to love, our relationships will be superficial. We will get close enough to people to be socially acceptable but not close enough to get hurt.
One definition of love is this: “love is moving towards others without self-protection”
In Parenting Adolescents, Kevin Huggins says: A person cannot be free to make another’s well being his top priority until he has entrusted his well being to Another. This frees us to relate even in the most painful relationships as Christ did with the goal of being a servant rather than a consumer.
“The measure of our relationships with others is the measure of out relationship with God”.
I have loved reading this book as it put relationships into the correct context and perspective it should be… in line with Jesus, that all of our needs are met in Him alone, that if we don’t live in right relationship with God first, then all others will be incomplete.
What good books are you reading???:)
Often, I have been asked, "what is God's overall purpose for out lives as Christians?" My reply has always been relationships.
We learn from teh Triniy that relationship is the essence of reality and therefore te essence of our existence... and we also learn that the way this relationship should be expressed is by concern for others. D. Broughton KNox.
Our Lord's mind was not preoccupied with himself but with how he could bring his Father's love to the men and women who crossed his path.
"Clyde Narramore says,"we don't know who we are until we know whose we are."
It follows then that we need supernatural support if we are to relate well to others because what often destroys relationships is the fear of getting hurt. When our relationships are governed more by a fear of getting hurt rather than by a desire to love, our relationships will be superficial. We will get close enough to people to be socially acceptable but not close enough to get hurt.
One definition of love is this: “love is moving towards others without self-protection”
In Parenting Adolescents, Kevin Huggins says: A person cannot be free to make another’s well being his top priority until he has entrusted his well being to Another. This frees us to relate even in the most painful relationships as Christ did with the goal of being a servant rather than a consumer.
“The measure of our relationships with others is the measure of out relationship with God”.
I have loved reading this book as it put relationships into the correct context and perspective it should be… in line with Jesus, that all of our needs are met in Him alone, that if we don’t live in right relationship with God first, then all others will be incomplete.
What good books are you reading???:)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)