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Have just fixed them so hopefully you can access them now all who have been keen to take a peek;)

Well I never

I am still chuckling to myself...

Ever been serenaded by Jehovah's Witnesses at your door?

I still find it comical to think the guy managed to get through some JW training and then feel free to break into song on his umpteenth visit...

"I just called to say I love you!"

Poor David was the recipient of such a serenade. I was in our bedroom upstairs and assumed it must be a relative... though I couldn't place the voice.

I can only imagine my poor husband's face when greeted in this way!!

I am still chuckling to myself.

(I don't know if the 2nd JW he was with (more trained guy) appreciated his introduction... perhaps he had words to him afterwards)

It really made my day and tickled my funny bone!

Help from blog readers needed

This week David began a Bible study in our home. He decided to use a DVD - the Gospel of John which is acted out, using word for word Scripture (Good News Bible). After we watch a small section of DVD we stop, open to the book of John and are challenged with questions relating to that passage of Scripture.

It was encouraging to see some of our neighbours (who have started coming to church) come and join in the study. Was great to have a study in our home again, too...

After the study I had an opportunity to get to know one lady - a Sudanese Mum who has started coming along to church. It became apparent through the study, when she was called on to read the Scripture, that she couldn't read at all. After apologising for her having been embarrassed at not being able to read - I privately asked about her background and was astounded to find that she had not learned to read in Sudanese either. She said it was typical for Sudanese women to have about 1 year (for a few more fortunate ones up to 6 years) of education. The things I take for granted... My heart goes out to her, and many like her who have active minds and not the opportunity... and then add an entirely different culture to that struggle...

I have agreed to help her learn to read..

I am praying about this and doing some research but would also like to invite you to join in praying with me.

I would also like to ask...

Do any of my blog reading friends know, or have heard of a program for teaching adults to read?

I have great materials for children but want to be careful to avoid anything that might look childish or might seem a little goofy to a very capable Mum...

Ideas/insights please??

Family

Nice to just hang out with family - letting cousins giggle, play in the park, build things from lego and enjoy some time at the beach ...

Nice to see cousins getting to know each other again, Uncle playing shop with Owen (in a comical way only Uncle can...), Auntie playing on the sand, chatting and catching up.... Pleasures of the family God has blessed us with.

Never been unloved

Our family has really enjoyed this little music video clip.

Great reminder that though we have been many things (unapproachable, unteachable, unwilling...etc.) and yet...

we have never been unloved!

enjoy

Cousins and Chocolate Cake

It has been cousins, cousins, cousins! We are enjoying the company of my little sister, Evonne and her hubby and two precious little ones for a couple of weeks. They are up from Canberra, taking some time to defrost and to join our noisy family hive!

Joshua and Julia baked a chocky cake together...

We made quick work of it...

Was able to mind Samuel so that Mummy and Daddy could duck out together for a bit. This is the look I got from poor Samuel... I guess I am still somewhat of an unfamiliar face!

He did eventually warm up to the idea of this funny lady who looks a tad like Mummy...

And some other recent cousin moments... Owen tickling Sarah's toes. She let out a hearty giggle which encouraged Owen and the two were having a cute tickly precious moment... And ah that Sarah giggle!

Boy cousins...

It has been great fun watching them grow, change, learn new things, laugh together and even hear them say funny things their Mum or Dad's say...

I have many precious memories of cousin fun. I hope these days and memories are precious for them....

I hope they encourage eachother as they grow...

Children are so precious!

After the delicious indulgence in black, juicy mulberries I decided to make the most of the warm weather and bring out the wading pool. Well this is something we have not done for a long time and it was met with delighted squeals, kazillion questions about what it was doing there on the front lawn ;) and then shouts of glee and jubilation!

Did Mum ACTUALLY say...

She walked about in the cool of the garden. From the corner of her eye she spotted something... something dark, delicious and pleasing to the eye.

When she saw that it was good for food and pleasing to the eye ... she took and ate.


and ate again

and again

When questioned, she answered, "my brother, he gave to me and I ate!"

Letters and poems

I have recently come across a letter from a friend. A letter I kept because it was precious to us. It was written after Owen was born and was a real encouragement to us. We were in the Czech Republic and our friend who wrote it, Marcus, had come to serve in the summer camp team. He later married another girl, Amy, from the team who served in the summer camp team there too. In the letter he wrote to David as a Dad - embarking on the challenge and joy of raising a child with a disability. Along with some personal words of encouragement was this poem. I think he enjoyed writing the poem as he adds a few cute humerous bits.

While I was sleeping,
Your wife was bequeathing to you a jewel.
Indeed a holy tool,
Used in the Lord's hand to manifest his power in ALL his creation,
Yes in every tongue and tribe and nation
And with my wife did show elation that as the cattle were lowin'
The Lord, by his hand hath brought forth Owen,
Ah, that Owen with a big O
For little did you know
That your amount of arrows were low...
So Owen was sent tither,
To increase your quiver!!
To convinue on,
He (Owen) has conquered his first dawn,
And many others since that day.
Yet darkness dines in a dim lit world unless the Son of man cometh swirl away
Over dark depravity
To give us joyous gravity
In heaven.
So my pen returns to write of my new friend Owen,
That your eyes might see the light of Christ glowin'
For though the world is dark and dim
Christ shines his light before all men.
So though you hunger and cry for milk
May it too become a loss
Compared to Him hung on a cross
Who rose again to glory on high
To soon appear to every eye!

When writing a letter to a friend - a letter to encourage or just to show you care, why not write a poem, little limerick or ditty -

We really enjoyed ours.

In case you were wondering

Just in case you were wondering - my cheeky hubby snuck onto my blog and posted that last one!