Annie's Blog

 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature, and complete, not lacking anything. James 1. 2-4. NIV When I started this blog, I had hoped that it might be a place that might bring hope and inspiration and encouragement to others, especially those who are looking for something, to fill an empty God-spaced hole in their lives..  Today when I picked up my devotional book SEIZE THE DAY, with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, by Charles Ringma, I was struck by the above quote from James, the required reading, but I was also struck by the interpretation below it, headed When There is No Resolution, and a quote from Letters and Papers from Prison, by Bonhoeffer: "Nothing can fill the gap when we are away from those we love...It is nonsense to say that God fills the gap: he does not fill it, but keeps it empty so that our commun...

 lazy days for some of us watching the tennis..not nice to see injuries,  especially when they are playing in very hot weather... but nice to know the second week will not be as torrid as the first... Hope you are enjoying a break sometime today!

 In some parts of Australia, life is pretty OK and normal Some parts of the country are very dry, and VERY HOT... there is a funny Australian saying that goes "flat out like a lizard drinking"... and that is how many people have to cope with the extreme heat at the moment... doing nothing. prayers for those in the heatwave, that the cool change will come on cue or early (and safely) tomorrow with slightly less gusty winds and thus less fires and tragedy. Strange to be having funny heavy (normal) downpours of rain here, while others long for rain, and knowing that the monsoon has arrived in the north of the continent at last, with the threat of more cyclones. In Australia, one never knows quite what the next week will bring... well, maybe the week after, ( the weather bureau seems to be pretty good for the current weeks predictions).  So often spot on. Amazing that they are still playing tennis at The Australian Open.  Glad they cancelled games...

Warming up, cooling down.. It's summer! Finding new flowers blooming eating yummy tropical mangoes and yummy stone fruit starting a new healthy diet Fun with kids and family Unpacking boxes Enjoying 30 degrees Celsius after 42 degrees Celsius! Enjoying an overhead fan instead of an air-conditioner! Enjoying less smoke haze than last night after the record breaking heatwave blew away in a gusty south easterly change! Summer days and nights of watching cricket, and tennis swimming to cool off and exercise Enjoying a new church new people... Forgive generously      Love extravagantly          Live Abundantly. (words taken from the end of the Anglican church service).