Bethy, Bethy, Quite contrary, How does your garden grow?

It has been a while since I've tended to my little garden outside our window. Partially, I guess, due to the horrible weather - a whole lot of rain and not a lot of sun! That makes it difficult to muster the enthusiasm to check on their progress, give them fertiliser, and goodness knows they haven't needed any extra watering!

Lettuce and Rocket

The not-so-little pea plant

Anyhow, despite my neglect, I stumbled across a little surprise today...

Just a little peek!

Much happier pansies

I had totally forgotten that I planted these bulbs underneath a few pansy plants. The pansies weren't doing as well lately, and I think this might have been why! These little guys were forcing their way through and messing up their root systems! (I've done the pansies a favour and given them their own bedrooms). Can't wait for the bulbs to bloom! I think they were daffodils and bluebells...

More pinnies

                           

 

This afternoon I finally reached a point in the week where all of the jobs on my list were completed (ok, let's face it - most of the jobs), and so I treated myself with a few hours of cutting, sewing, and listening to sermons. Bliss.
Here are another two pinnies I put together this. I'm pretty happy with these two, and I'm getting quicker at making them, so it might be a viable product to sell and make a decent enough profit at the markets in September. Time will tell. In the meantime, I'm having fun!

Sweet little pinny

I got to go to the quilt and craft show on Saturday with some friends (hi, Manda) - which, for our age group is pretty daggy, but we don't care! I think the most valuable things to get out of events like this is not necessarily the things available to be bought, but simply the inspiration which in turn prompts refreshed motivation. So here's the first thing I've made since the show. It's the cutest, easiest reversible, crossover pinny for little girls. Nice to have a new design to add to my stall merchandise.

Pattern

Front, inside and out

Back, inside and out
(sorry about the blurry mobile photos!)

Now I just need to work out a reasonable price for them. The pattern also has matching pilchers (nappy cover), so this might add a bit of extra value if sold as a set...

Quality time with Jesus

Wow... it has been a while since I've posted anything on here - life just gets pretty busy sometimes, I guess. And I've never wanted to post anything on here just for the sake of putting up a post.

Lately, however, I've been thinking and reading about God's affection for us individually, and for us as the church; the body of Christ. It is good to focus on the theology of the gospel, as it is through the gospel that our minds are renewed and we are transformed into the likeness of Jesus. But in focusing on the theology, it can be easy to forget the significance and nature of our relationship with God. Because that's just what it is: a relationship! Whilst sorting through a box of old papers and mementos I've kept through my walk with God - notebooks, scribblings of great bible verses and quotes, notes taken from sermons, and prayers written from the heart - I came across a quote I pulled out of a book I read years ago by Joanna Weaver, 'Having a Mary heart in a Martha world':

"What an amazing thought that Christ wants to spend quality time with me. 

That he looks forward to our time together, and misses when I don't show up... 

A relationship doesn't just happen. It has to be nurtured, protected, and loved."

How true this is! When I compare this to my marriage with Marty (which I'm comfortable doing, because it is biblically a reflection of the church's relationship with Jesus), I suddenly understand the importance of time spent with God. I know that Marty and I struggle and we feel distant when we haven't had enough quality time together in a while. We will make it a priority, and even turn down invitations to hang out with other friends, or attend parties, if it means we can have that time to build our relationship.

Time spent with God is important - we know that - but to think about how much God wants to spend time with us transforms it from a duty ("I should do it...") to a delight ("I get to do it...").  It is no longer another item on the to-do list, but instead becomes something I get to do each day. We get to sit in the presence of the God of the universe, relating to him as our heavenly Father! We can pour out our anxieties, our pain, our joys, our grief, our hopes and our dreams to him, knowing not only that he cares, but also that He has the power to do something about it and He knows - with infinite wisdom - what is best for us, even when we don't. We know that when we open God's Word, it is living and active, and God can speak to our hearts directly through the words on those pages, if only we will stop and listen for a little while. And we know that when we delight ourselves in Him, he will give us the desires of our hearts, meaning he will transform our desires so that they align more perfectly with His.

What a joy it is (and I hope it will continue to be) to spend time in the presence of our Creator and sustainer.

Welcoming in the colder months

The weather over the past week has started to feel quite wintery, and consequently we've both had colds too. Feeling a bit better today, so to cheer myself up I've started planting some vegetables and pretty flowers that enjoy the change of season. (Only a few more weeks until it's actually winter!) I thought it might help me not to resent it so much, but instead to welcome it with all of it's nice qualities: hot chocolate, ugg boots, lovely knitted scarves, warm soup and crusty bread, and enjoying the warmth under my quilt as I stitch away at it...*sigh*

The little pea that could.
He's grown heaps just in the past two days!

On Saturday I went to a good old fashioned clothes swap - pay $10 entry fee, and fill a bag with whatever goodies you might find. It was a fundraiser for one of my friends at church who is shortly leaving to go on the Logos ship (the new ship to replace the Doulos). It was great! I picked up some great black jumpers and cardigans, 2 dresses, a skirt and a top.

There were quite a few clothes left over afterwards that no-one wanted, so I scoured through these last remnants before they were sent off to the Salvos, to see if there were any that would make good fabric. So far I've only made this little elephant from a short sleeved jacket, but I've also got some knitted jumpers that were a little worn in some spots, so I think they would make great soft toy monkeys (or something similar) I'll post them once I've figured out how to do it!

Yesterday I made these lovely homemade muesli bars... 

They are really easy (the hardest part is going and getting all of the ingredients!), and really good for you. They've got: rolled oats, quinoa flakes, linseed, sesame seeds, sunflower kernels - all lightly toasted - and then some dried apricots, apples and sultanas, along with soem melted honey and butter. It's essentially the same as making honey joys, but healthier :) I worked out that with this combo, they are a source of iron, fibre, omega 3, magnesium and protein! The good thing is, you can control what goes into them, unlike the ones from the supermarket that are packed with sugar and are pretty expensive!

This afternoon I quickly put together a door sausage for our front door - usually a bit of a daggy household item, but I thought this Florence Broadhurst print was rather trendy. 

But I don't think I made it quite long enough. Poop. 

Oh well, it'll have to do - It'll keep most of the cold air out!

That's what I've done thus far to welcome in winter.

How are you coping with the cold snap?

Finding my green thumb

This afternoon I spent some time outside getting my hands dirty. I went to the nursery and bought some peas and rocket to plant in pots - I think it's time I tried my hand at growing veggies, and these two seem safe enough to start with. While I was at it, I also broke down some pieces of bark by hand to make a mulch (why buy the stuff if you can source it from the garden?! If these go well, I might work my way up to growing full lettuces and broccoli. Not a lot else is in season that we use often enough in the kitchen. Fingers crossed, we might have some produce to eat in a few weeks time! There's something lovely about the idea of eating something straight from the garden - benefitting directly from your own hard work and ongoing care, and appreciating how amazing the Lord's creation is.

These are my existing plants, looking a lot happier with a little TLC, 

and a relocation to a slightly sunnier spot.

Parsley, oregano, rosemary,
succulents, and a chrysanthemum.

And my little yellow roses.

A lovely weekend

I've started on making a dress based on the one I found online last week, but it still needs a little bit of work before it's finished. Our dining table is currently covered with piles and piles of fabric, trims, buttons and pattern pieces, all ready to go and waiting on me finding the time *sigh*. Meanwhile, I did get the chance to put together this little number on Saturday afternoon, and I think this is the one I'll give to Lydia. It seems to suit Clare's (my sister-in-law's) taste. 

It's very sweet.

For Mother's day, Marty decided to make scones to take for afternoon tea when we visited his grandma in hospital. There are two things I don't cook in our house - pancakes and scones - and it's because he does them so well!

I forgot to get a photo of them completed with jam and cream because we were looking forward to eating them too much! These will have to do...

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

Cute as a button

I've been planning to make a dress for my niece for her first birthday, and yesterday afternoon made this one to test out a pattern I've had for a while. It has turned out pretty well, so I think I'll probably give it to her anyway! It was really quick to make, so I might make some more for the next stall we do at our church's Art and Craft show. 

And after trawling the net for some more ideas for little girls dresses, I found one that looks like it would be very quick to whip up. Might give this a go tomorrow (I think I've got just the print for it...)

See Ellen Luckett Baker's blog:
http://thelongthread.com/?m=201006

Only God can touch the heart

In talking to one of my friends lately, I've discovered the reality that we as Christians can (and should) be faithful in speaking to others about Jesus, but only God can change their heart. I find this frustrating, and yet liberating, all at the same time. It's frustrating because I care so much for these girls, and want them to 'get it'; I want to see them come to know Christ as their Lord and Saviour, not just believe in His existence. Even Satan believes God exists.

But I trust in God's sovereignty, and this is why I feel liberated. I don't need to worry if I'm not eloquent in explaining the Bible; I don't need to be the world's next Billy Graham to see people saved. God is the one who does all of the saving, and He is also the one who works in the hearts of those He draws to himself. I am merely an instrument in his hand. There seems to be a point where theological reasoning can only get us so far. There is a big element of faith involved - which is a heart issue - and only God has control over that.

Perhaps through this frustration, God is humbling me and teaching me what it means to be the tool and not the craftsman. It means getting on my knees in prayer before I open my mouth to say a word. And to seek after the Lord to join his mission, rather than trying to embark on my own.

Ode to the Op Shop

This morning I dropped off a box of donations to the Salvos, and popped in to see what they had for sale. This is what I found... The cutest little milk jug for $2, and a gorgeous cream waffle cotton and jersey knit quilt cover for $10! Once I've given it a wash I'm looking forward to snuggling down under the covers in winter with this lovely find on our bed. Scrumptious.

Never underestimate the great things that can turn up in op shops!

Revisiting our priorities

The sunset on the way home from Wagga Wagga

Sometimes what God wants for us can be very easy to discern - he very clearly tugs on our heart strings, giving us that 'gut instinct' that what we are choosing is the right thing to do. But other times... I don't know... he seems to withhold from us, like a wise parent, knowing that the process of deciding will be more beneficial for us than the outcome of the decision itself. That's what God seems to have been doing for us lately. And while it is completely frustrating in the short-term, coming out of the other side I can see His hand at work.

To keep it concise, Marty has been in a very stressful work situation for the past 9-10 months, and a move to regional NSW has sounded very appealing. He was offered a great job in Wagga Wagga, and was due to go to a final interview today at 11.30am. We went down on the weekend to have a look around, get a feel for the area and see if it's somewhere we could see ourselves living. By the world's standards, everything was fitting into place and it was a very simple decision to make. We could have bought a 3 bedroom house on a half-acre block; he would've had a 25 minute commute to work through beautiful countryside; and we would've had a much more relaxed pace of life. Just what everyone wants, right?

But having this all laid out in front of us meant that we were also given the opportunity to refine and crystalise what our core priorities are. I like lists. And so I found it most helpful to make one of what our top priorities are, and we came up with this: 

1) God, and serving him with our lives

2) Our marriage

3) Our family

4) Our friends

Once we had done this, I realised that they are all people-centred priorities. Owning a house and living a comfortable life don't even make the list! And God never commanded us to do either of them. But he does command us time and time again to love people, and I think that's a love-in-action kind of love. God has given us so many excellent opportunities at this point in our lives to minister to individuals around us, and to move now - for us - I think would be to throw them back in God's face, saying that we'd rather the kinds of opportunities that fit in with what we think ministry should look like.

Marty came at it from a different angle. He felt that it was important to ask what our situation would look like from an outsider's perspective (Christian, of course). What - in our situation - would faithfulness to God look like; faithfulness in work, in relationships, in finances, in home life, in our marriage..? If we were able to remove ourselves from our circumstances and look at it objectively, what path would be most God-glorifying? [I love how God guides each of us differently, but brings us both to the same conclusion. I guess that's one of the joys of marriage under Christ. He unites two different people by his Spirit, and uses us to shape and refine one another through times like these.]

Don't get me wrong. We've had lots of friends move away who are very godly, wise and mature people, and I am confident that God is using them to influence people where they are. But for us I know that God wouldn't want us to cut short the relationships we have been cultivating with particular people who need to know him, for the sake of meeting our own selfish desires. It has been one of those big life-decisions that could have gone either way, and yes, God will use us wherever we are, but he has also blessed us immeasurably in so many ways. We are trusting that he has been guiding us this far and that He will continue to guide us as long as we seek after him.

Marty showed me this passage on Saturday, and it was when I read it that I was completely at rest with what we had decided to do.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. 

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, 

the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - 

comes not from the Father but from the world. 

The world and its desires pass away, 

but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 2:15-17

A little bit more cuteness

Oh, and I guess I should supplement today's serious, deep post with a little bit of cuteness in the form of Lydia, our niece on the Southwell side of the family. These photos are a few months old now, but still cute all the same! She's a very pretty baby...

Lydia and Uncle Marty

At Jane's 40th birthday party, Jan 2012

Lydia's first swim, Dec 2011

Suffering = Sanctification

As I was praying this morning, I was reminded of the passage in 1 Peter about God's purpose in trials and suffering. I strongly felt the Spirit prompting me to look it up because it is so relevant to both Marty and I in each of our unique trials at the moment. I love it when God speaks through His word like that, and I can't get enough of reading it! Here it is...

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while 

you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

These have come so that your faith 

- of greater worth than gold, which perishes 

even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine 

and may result in praise, glory and honour 

when Jesus Christ is revealed...

 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, 

the salvation of your souls."

[1 Peter 1:6-7,9]

It is such a wonderful passage because it highlights so many truths:

1 |  Our suffering is only temporary. 

      God will carry us through it, and will bring us out the other side.

2 | When we come out the other side we will not be the same as we were beforehand. 

     He is refining our faith, just like gold is refined through fire.

3 | Our faith is God's priority. 

     He wants us to be growing and to be refined so that we are conformed to the likeness of Christ.

4 | The gospel doesn't end with us. 

     If it ended with us, we would be tempted to get puffed up with pride. 

     Instead, the culmination of all of our suffering and refinement is that God will be glorified when Jesus is  

     revealed.

I find it so encouraging amidst trials to read this and understand that there is purpose in what I'm going through, and that God is working perhaps even more intensively than if things were a lot easier for me. Looking back on seasons of my walk with God, I am most grateful for the times of trial and suffering because I can now see that it was in those times that I grew the most; that I was forced to my knees in submission to God's will, and I learned how to really, truly trust my Heavenly Father. Nothing compares to these times, and if God's priority is that we keep growing in our faith, then we should expect them, anticipate them, and rejoice in them because the Lord has our full attention and can work most powerfully in us through them.

"In the daytime there are stars in the heavens, 

but they only shine at night.

And the deeper that I go into darkness,

The more I see their radiant light.

So let me learn that my losses are my gain,

To be broken is to heal,

That the valley's where your power is revealed."

['In the Valley', Sovereign Grace]

Praying in true repentance

Lately I've noticed that I rarely recognise and truly repent of my sins. If I am to be truly honest, I have a pretty poor perception of how sinful I really am. Often my sins are not overtly noticeable to others - I sneakily make sure that my actions seem pure on the outside - so it's easier to get away with it. Often I can't even see them in myself! But at the heart level, my motives can be so repulsive to God. And to be honest, I rarely acknowledge this.

We are so frequently told that Jesus died once for all of our sins - which is true - but I think this allows me to settle into a level of complacency that is unhelpful, if not destructive. When was the last time you actively sat down and listed your sins to God? Sins of omission, or commission, of actions, of thoughts, and of motives? While Jesus has died and risen in our place, paying the penalty we should have paid for our sinfulness, we still need to be repenting daily in order to grow in righteousness and to develop a deeper and richer relationship with the Lord.

So even though it's not as attractive as praying in thanks, praise, and petition, we should not neglect the important step of confession as we fall at our Heavenly Father's feet. Perhaps the best place to start is by asking the Spirit to reveal the repulsive things in us that we can't necessarily see.

Jai, 8 weeks old

So I thought yesterday's post was a dose of cuteness, 

but then my brother sent through these photos of our nephew and I. just. melted... 

This is cute!

Num! Num! Num!

 This is 'Stompy' the dinosaur (the one on the left!). We gave him to Jai when he was born. 

Wish they lived closer...

A little dose of cute-ness

Hooray for a new look for the blog! In keeping with the cute-ness of this new design, I thought I'd share a bit of what I've been doing to give my little sewing machine a bit of a work out - I made these and many others to sell at a church car boot sale recently...

 

It feels good to be making use of the great collection of fabric I've been building up for so many years. 

Happy Thursday!

Then we shall see in full

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

The skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

Night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;

No sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, 

Their words to the ends of the world."

[Psalm 19:1-4]

I love how God reveals himself to us through his wonderful creation. It's easy to see on beautiful days like today was (in Sydney, at least) that the heavens certainly do declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of his hands! God is gracious and merciful to those of us who might doubt his existence or majesty by creating such a beautiful world in which he makes his glory known.

I went on a bike ride through the national park with my Dad on Wednesday and while it was exhausting, I'm glad we did it. At one point, we were riding for quite a while up one of the hills, and as we reached the top to stop for a drink we noticed a beautiful view over the valley through the trees. So I took the opportunity to take a few photos and take it in as we took a little breather. The view made the climb to the top of that hill worthwhile.

But then we hopped on our bikes again only to find that 50 metres further up the road was an even more spectacular view - not through a tiny peephole created by the surrounding trees, but an almost 180 degree view over the valley. And it was gorgeous. (The photo from my phone doesn't do it justice!) The warm sun flooded the folds in the earth, giving life to the foliage as it smiled back up towards it.

As we rode on, this got me wondering what it'll be like once we finally leave this broken, bruised earth, and get to meet Jesus face to face in Heaven. Don't you think we'll be thinking, "What the heck were we so excited about earth for?! This is incredible!"? At the moment all we see is a small display of God's power through his creation, yet it is fallen, and we are sinful. But when we reach heaven, we will see Jesus in his full splendour, through pure, sinless eyes. I look forward to that day, and I'm amazed to wonder - if this is the limit of our imagination; if this is all we know of how beautiful creation can be, then how indescribably spectacular must Heaven be?

"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. 

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

[1 Corinthians 13:12]

Love a bargain.

Yesterday I stumbled upon what I think is my best bargain yet - this dress was on the clearance rack in Myer, and has apparently been there for a while because it had a small tear in the lace. After finding out the price was marked down from $165 to $25, I couldn't help giving the repair job a shot...

It worked! A little bit of hand stitching, and now I have a new dress to wear to one or two of the many weddings we have coming up this year :)

Very pleased that Mum taught me to sew. And gave me an appreciation for a good ol' fashioned bargain. Thanks, Mum!

Who do you say that I am?

Sometimes as Christians, Jesus can become so familiar to us that we can no longer see him for who he really is. I've been reading Mark Driscoll's 'Vintage Jesus', in order to look at him with fresh eyes and hopefully to improve my ability to convey his uniqueness and his majesty to those who don't yet know him. My quiet time today involved looking up claims that Jesus made about himself, drawn from chapter 1, 'Is Jesus the Only God'. They got me excited, so I thought I'd share them.

Jesus claims:
...he came down from heaven. No other religious figure has claimed to come from heaven, only to have visited temporarily.
(see John 6:38)

...he isn't just a 'good teacher'.
(see Mark 10:17-18)

...he is the Son of Man; the fulfilment of prophecy.
(see Matthew 5:17)

...he performed miracles. Opponents of Jesus outside Scripture even testify to his miracles.
(see John 10:36b-39)

...he is God.
(see Matthew 26:63-65)

...he was sinless.
(see John 8:46, 1 Peter 3:18)

...he can forgive sin. All sin is against God, and only he has the right to forgive it.
(see Luke 5:20-21)

...he is the only way to Heaven and eternal life.
(see John 14:6)

In response to Jesus' claims about himself, a response is essential. Jesus was either a 
liar, manipulating vulnerable people by claiming to be able to forgive their sins;
lunatic, claiming to be God even to the point of crucifixion; or 
Lord, deserving our repentance and acceptance as saviour and redeemer.

Hope this is encouraging!

The unwasted life

"The unwasted life is the life that puts 

the infinite value of Jesus on display 

in everything you do." 

John Piper

Yesterday afternoon, as I ploughed through a mountain of ironing, I started watching John Piper's sermon from the 'One' conference held in Sydney in August last year. I haven't had a chance to finish it yet, so I've still got more of it to look forward to. He starts by flipping our question of "why does God allow suffering?" on its head by pointing out that it is only by God's infinite sustaining grace that we will even get to take our next breath! We don't deserve life, and to presume that we are entitled to be spared from the death and suffering that we rightly deserve is folly. 

Piper then goes on to discuss what an unwasted life looks like. It involves magnifying the Lord - like with a telescope to show how 'big' he is. It is our life's purpose to point to Him and demonstrate through our words, our actions, our thoughts, our decisions, how awesome He is and how much we need Him. I think to be honest, the vast majority of us forget this. We don't fear God, as we are commanded in Proverbs 9:10, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Instead we slot God into a 'comfortable' compartment of our lives, only talking to others about him in a manner and at a time that suits us. What if, for example, I were open to hear the Holy Spirit's prompting as I spoke to my non-christian friends? Would the conversation look any different to what it does presently? Would I be more bold about telling the truth of the gospel in its entirety, rather than emphasising all of the 'God loves you' parts over the bits about God's wrath and condemnation? Would I be more urgent in expressing that we only have two paths to choose from, and only one of them leads to life? 

I'm not advocating that we necessarily start using a 'turn or burn' methodology, but just wondering if there are enough Christians out there presenting the gospel in its entirety, expressing the full extent of its powerful message, not just relying on 'evangelism-by-living-by-example'? I guess the perfect model of this would be Jesus - tough but tender. He knows exactly how to use tough words to produce soft hearts, and love is in everything he says and does even when it may seem harsh. 

I pray that God gives us the wisdom to discern how to do this, and the faith to trust that by his Spirit he will give us the words we need when we need them.

Speak Lord, for your servant is listening

We heard a sermon at my brother's church based on 1 Samuel 3, the story of God speaking to Samuel while he was sleeping three times before he realised it was God and was ready to listen. I was a little worried about the content of the sermon when the pastor was opening up our minds about how we can all hear from God, and that we just need to listen. Thankfully he clarified in the second half of the sermon that we need to exercise discernment to know if it is in fact God speaking. If we are not discerning enough, we could read into any thought, idea, or 'sign', and claim it were from God.

I thought I'd share the four ways to find out if it is God's voice (based on Bill Hybels' book, The Power of a Whisper):

1) Pray. Ask God if it is really from him.

2) Is it Scriptural? Make sure you know the scriptures well so that you can discern this.

3) Is it wise? Make sure you weigh this according to God's wisdom, not the world's wisdom.

4) Is it in tune with my own character?

5) What do people you most trust think about it? i.e. people who you know fear the Lord and will challenge you if necessary.

I pray that God opens my ears to hear his voice and to honestly say what Samuel said, verse 9 "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening".

Jai Samuel McCaffery

Marty and I have just got back from Adelaide, on our trip to visit our new nephew, 

Jai Samuel McCaffery.

 He's pretty cute! Jai and I got to have nice long cuddles each morning while Mummy and Daddy were getting ready for the day. We're good friends already.

 Amazingly, Aaron and Claire had us stay with them for four days, so we had a little taste of what life is like with a new born; very tiring, but pretty special...

I love being an aunty!