For Libito on becoming an official adult!

Let's hope that on turning 18 you stay out of jail ... (cmon, had to have ONE of your signature seducing the camera shots!)

... that you will always know you have friend who love you, and with whom you can also do such fun things as sing christmas carols and watch fireworks on the roof of the Entertainment center ...

Always ready and raring for any dress up party opportunity ... or else simply displaying your unique and funky fashion sense! In those famous words of Dead or Alive 'you spin me right round baby right round, like a record baby right round, round round...' (they seemed apt for the photo ;)

Party girl extraordinare - you're a girl who lives her life, always up for a good time - and helping others to do the same by sharing that beaming smile of yours around! (dance buddies forever!!)

Thanks Lib for being a great friend and person - I've always loved our chats over the years and look forward to lots more. I love your faith, your honesty and openess, your willingness to always give good sound advice, and your independent spirit! Just don't forget your friends in little old Adelaide at the same time, bcoz we haven't forgotten you ;) And, of course, HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY!!!

new things

<-- these are the newest and most comfortable additions to my 'loungeware' (according to Sussan's) wardrobe. Slipper choice is quite important, as many hours will be spent in them, and i thought these were appropriately cute yet warm, soft and cosy! (*these, along with many other items, were an end product of the ridiculously successful shopping trip i had with Dan last Sat - they were spotted and consequently enthusiastically admired! And were bought a wk later (by my wonderful and generous mother :)



And Lib, for your benefit, here is my new haircut, now a few weeks old. Does it look like it did in your dream? (as you can see this little photo shoot was yet another symptom of my productive procrastination on the weekend!)


















Anyway, hope you're all going well out there, and ... happy monday!

really, i am working!

Just came across this quote by Pierre de Coubertin, the guy who brought about the modern Olympic games (as opposed to the Ancient Olympian games held in Olympia, hence the name - quick history note!)

"There are two ways of understanding internationalism. One is that of the socialists, the revolutionaries, and in general of theoreticians and utopians... The second is that of men who make observations without prejudice and take reality, rather than their favourite ideas, into account. For a long time now, these men have realized that national characteristics are an indispenable precondition for the life of a people and that, far from weakening them, contact with other people makes them sharper"

One of Coubertin's visions for the Games was that the athletes would become like 'ambassadors of peace', and like in the ancient Games where warring cities would actually stop warring for a month while they competed in the Games (which were also a religious festival), the Games would affect world politics in the same way. But come WWI the Games got cancelled, rather than themselves cancelling the war, and Coubertin did his duty and entered the army. (Just for some context of that quote because ppl called him a hypocrite for entering the war)

Anyway, reflecting on various events of the past week, I was thinking that as well as referring to internationalism, that quote could also refer to 'interpersonalism', which is now officially a word! It can be hard to work out how to live life according to theories and visions, and it's only by experience or God-given wisdom that you can judge situations in their 'reality, rather than ... favourite ideas'. I also like that 'rather than weakening them, contact with other people makes them sharper' bit at the end - going into Uni I was a bit apprehensive about what being surrounded by new and different ideas and philosophies might do to me. But it does actually make you sharper, working out your own beliefs in the midst of people who think differently. One of the reasons I want to go to Rwanda is to experience different people and places, which I guess ties into it as well!

morbid may

Aim for Saturday:

• Do an essay for Classics

Instead, what I have done:

• Ironed 9 shirts
• Bought some new slippers (! now I have toasty warm yet funkily clad feet)
• Played the piano
• Done all the handwashing that has been put off for the past 3 weeks
• Watched TV
• Eaten 6.5 "sneaked" (i.e. out of the bowl) spoonfuls of apple crumble
• Am posting on blog

hmmm.....

Anyway, whenever I post it seems to be when I'm supposed to be doing work. But that's not just laziness - I can't think of stuff to post about! Ah well, I'll try and brainstorm :P

This week on Tues and Wed marked the one year anniversary of Tim's death, as well as of Cameron's Mum. As well as that it That brought to the fore different issues and emotions for everyone - for me unexpectantly I was pretty emotional on Sun and Mon, as I kept remembering the events surrounding that week last year, when it all happened. Altho we're all still grieving for Tim, I was also sad just contemplating on how it affected the ppl around me. It was good on Thurs at Transitions to talk and pray about it a bit - we haven't done that for a while.

I didn't get the job at the Papershop which was a bit disappointing, but what I was expecting - the guy found someone with more experience. I was kicking myself after the interview for not saying that I would be 'very happy to learn/get experience' etc when he asked if I had any retail experience, rather than just 'no I don't...', but I figure it's best to learn from experience rather than dwell over things you can't change! And anyway, he said he'd keep my resume, so who knows!

Just to add some colour, here's a cool pic I found last nite (just randomly looking thru photos - a good late nite activity to provoke warm fuzzies!) at my friend Richo's (aka Thea) birthday party in Dec last year - we all went camping up at a property in the hills which was the best idea, and just after we'd all finished exams - good times! I like how you can see movement in the picture, and the two progressive expressions on Richo's face on the right - wonder what Em was saying!

sweetness and might

So at the moment I'm at home with a few hours to kill - I have productive ambitions (thinking 'I could do some work') but they're yet to formulate into actions (i.e. the fact that I'm blogging, not working :oP) Nothing too hugely exciting to report at the moment, other than the fact that I've got an out of the blue job interview at the Papershop (newsagency) at Erindale tomorrow (i dropped in my resume there on the off chance a few months ago) - very exciting, tho Mum had to talk me thru the initial excitment freakout at first ('what about uni? what about Rwanda? what am i going to wear?!') It's times like these I feel young and inexperienced :P But hopefully it'll go well - it's a real answer to prayer bcoz I've been stressing about a job for a few months, it's close by, and I'd really love to work there!

Also I'm getting more and more excited - or maybe I should think of a new word, anticipatory (if that doesn't exist, it does now!) - of the trip to Rwanda. This time in two months I'm going to be there, after being to Egypt and Kenya as well - yikes/woohoo! At the moment I'm filling out various visa's, and working out if I can stay on for two extra days at the Mully Children's Family (Christian home and education for street kids in Kenya, set up by the Mully family - amazing story of just giving everything up to begin this place, and trusting in God - Joh Henley (nee Flood) has stayed with them accumulatively for a year and been very involved with them) with Brad and Joh, as well as Mike and Karen Roe. I still can't quite believe that I'm going, I feel so lucky!

My cousin Susie, who's over in Adelaide at the moment, came over for dinner last night - lovely lively conversation, lots of laughs! It was great to see her, and have some family bonding time :)

ALSO, I've decided to get Confirmed in the confirmation service on Sunday (as in I didn't just decide just then, I've been pondering over it for a few months) which I'm really looking forward to. Amongst other things, one of things that I realised was that I can't wait till I have all the answers to get confirmed (as much as I'd like to know everything, unfortunately (or fortunately!) I don't, and never will!) - I know enough that I do want to publically commit myself to God. Actually I had this really wierd dream about it last night, that we were having the service in this little wooden hut at the bottom of a cliff on some wild and windy beach, and then my Godmother was there... anyway...

treasures...

I'm back home now, which is weirdly familiar, but strange at the same time! It's lovely to sleep in my own bed again and be with my beloved fam, but I had a great time with the girls at Mim's as well (with only a couple of grumpy incidents!) I always wanted to share a house with some friends at some stage, so I guess I got to do it! Might be doing it again in sep/oct when Mum, Dad and Jon go to NZ ...

In other news, I got my hair lopped off the other day. A bit shorter than I anticipated, but I've had the urge to cut it since uni started (i remember hearing somewhere that dramatic haircuts can signify a change in your life - maybe that's the case?) and I really like it. It's a bit sad I know, but I get a bit of a rush from it, lol!

I wish we could adequately put across to people how we see them, rather than how they see themselves - ugly, incompetant, unloved, inadequate. Sometimes if we do see beauty, competency, gifts, love someone, or just really appreciate them being their unique selves, we don't always say - we need to more!

Self-esteem, or lack thereof, is one of the biggest issues facing us today I reckon. It's something we all struggle with at times, and I find pretty frustrating sometimes!

That's why we need to keep coming back to the love God has for us I guess - sure life can suck at times, but 'God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him' (rom 8.28), and He did everything needed so we could come back into a relationship with Him (if we want it) thru Jesus. God doesn't make mistakes!

*sorry if this is a bit of a muddle of thoughts!