Wednesday 21 April 2010

The Indy Cooking Show

Thought you'd all like to see the film that my little brother, Benji, made of Indy, my daughter, cooking Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes. We didn't get round to filming the "Icing Stage", but we usually make a green-coloured, minty-flavoured butter cream to go on the top. My sons call these cakes "Hulk Cakes". Indy's not so keen on that, as she's far too girly!!!! Maybe I'm biased, but I think she's so cute!!! AND, I love the reality of my kids' relationships with each other, as it is featured towards the end!!!

Friday 16 April 2010

Rubies


"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." Proverbs 31 verses 10-12

Sometimes it feels like God is really trying to get through to me. When something is mentioned a few times, my ears begin to prick up, like our cats, and I start to pay attention. This week, there is something that keeps coming up....Rubies.

This week, I had the amazing privilege of meeting up with an amazing young woman. As a teacher, she was a regular attender at the Christian Union meetings that I ran. She was always smiling, always friendly. She was very bright, and clearly very thoughtful and sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. Recently, via Facebook, we have been reunited, which has been good, but to meet for coffee this week was just great. We had a good chat and generally caught up. She is now a very successful musician. She is also extremely beautiful, both inside and out. She has continued in her relationship with God and has come to know Him more. She has questioned her faith, lived her life and made great decisions for Jesus. To be honest, I felt so blessed to have been a part of her life as a teenager, and just delighted to know her now.

One of the things that I love about being a Christian is having "intentional" friendships. As a Christian woman, God has called me to many things, one of them is to be a big sister. I'm not talking about the biological type (although being just that to my little brother, Ben, is one of the greatest joys in my life.) In the Bible, in the book of Titus, older women are encouraged to "train" younger women. Surely this is what being a big sister is all about?

My lovely friend and I, had a big sister/little sister chat, whilst enjoying our cuppas. We talked about guys, and about relationships. We talked about marriage, and we talked about love. We discussed what the ideal wife should be like. We talked about the chapter from which the above verses came from. In Proverbs 31 of the Bible, we can read about "The Wife of Noble Character". It is clear that she is more than just a good woman. She is more than a "Yummy Mummy". She is clever and careful, a great business woman. She provides for her children and husband very well. She is a hard worker, and she shows kindness and compassion to those in need.

My friend and I talked about how it seems to be all about what the wife does, but I began to notice the verses about how the wife was treated, viewed and praised by her husband. It was then that I realised that this woman is able to serve so very well, thanks to the praise, encouragement and strengthening of her husband. You see, she would not be able to see her own potential or to live it out, without being treated so well. Her husband reminds her that she is precious to him. He praises her...publicly. He boasts about her to his peers. He is proud to be with her. He releases her to run her own business. He enables her to be productive and to serve outside of the house.

Because of the actions and words of her husband, she is "worth far more than rubies". Because he loves her so well, she makes a massive difference to her children, her friends, her employees, her community. She is not just important to him. To the world, she is "worth far more than rubies".

Rubies are quite interesting. There are two kinds of rubies - natural and cultured. Cultured rubies are made by human hands. They are the result of a chemical process - a beautiful one, but a chemical process none-the-less. Natural rubies occur naturally, and they are extremely rare. In fact, natural rubies are so rare that they are worth far more than diamonds.

Rubies are striking in colour. When I make Raspberry Jam, it's that "Ruby Red" colour that I wait for to know that the jam has reached it's boiling point. Only then can I pour my "Ruby Red" Raspberry Jam into warm, sterilised pots, wait for it to cool and smother all over a piece of crusty white bread....mmmmmm.

Rubies are beautiful, rare and striking. I love rubies.

This week, my mum and dad celebrate their Ruby Wedding Anniversary. They have been married for 40 years. Their marriage has lasted - a rare thing in this "day and age". They have produced two children, and have served God, and their church, together for years. They have many friends, and have survived recessions, unemployment, sickness, grief and great trials. I think that this is beautiful. Their commitment to each other is striking. Other people notice it and are inspired and encouraged, that they can make it in their marriages, too.

So, what is God saying to me? If rubies are rare, beautiful and striking, and I am worth far more than them...am I rare, beautiful and striking? If I follow in my parents footsteps, will my life reflect the beauty of a ruby? If I serve, bless and enjoy...will other people see me as striking? Will I stand out and shine?

I'm not sure...but I am so grateful for a God who creates such beautiful gems...and then tells me that, to Him, I am worth far more. Thank You, Lord.

Monday 12 April 2010

The "New"

I'm feeling a bit odd at the moment. I'm feeling a bit on edge...a bit impatient...a bit...well, fidgetty. After making a decision to close one door, I know that another will open.....but what will it be?

You see, I LOVE new adventures. Since the age of 16 my life has been pretty unpredictable and constantly changing. A'Levels, a new school, new relationships, Uni, leaving home, different creative projects, teacher training, a new home town, a new job, a new and unexpected baby, a new husband, a new house, another new baby, another new house, pet rabbits, another new baby, two rabbit funerals, a new kitten, her new kittens, a new church, another new rabbit, a new set of friends, a new business, a TV appearance, another lost rabbit, more kittens, a new cat, new hobbies, new friends, new nurseries and schools......bit mad really, but I thrive on change. I love new stuff. I enjoy new possessions and new places to visit. I find making new friends fun and easy. New is good. New is exciting. New is satisfying. New makes me happy.

So.....here we are...me and Dave, three kids, busy home, car journeys, church activites, vet bills, gas bills, water bills, electricity bills, parents evenings, gardening, cleaning, trips to the rubbish tip, shopping for food, family occasions, meetings, car servicing, car taxing...bla bla bla.

"Me and Dave" is good. We try to spend special time together, including date nights and weekends away. We try to keep things new and exciting in all sorts of ways....hee hee hee. I can tell him (and he is helpful) when I'm feeling "the need for new"!!!

With our kids, I try to keep things pretty fast-moving and fun, as well as times of calm and peace. Random trips to the seaside, silly dinners, theme nights and special time together.

But as for the rest, I just have to get on with the mundane bits of life. I REALLY do not enjoy them. In fact, I avoid them, running for the hills, screaming, "Leave me alone!!" Mundane is boring. Mundane is mind-numbing. Mundane makes me want to shout, hit and scream. Mundane drives me mad. It's so...so... mundane!!

My poor, darling husband has to deal with my constantly itchy feet. "Let's get chickens!! Let's move far away!! Let's go out!! We should decorate that room!! We should buy a B&B!! What about setting up our own business?!" There have been a few times that Dave's come home to find various jobs around the house and garden that I've started - steaming off wall paper, painting furniture, moving shelves around, digging up various plants. He's very patient with me. He often finishes off the jobs that I start, and get bored of. He is kind and loving, and he gently reminds me of reality every now and then.

And you see, that's another problem with loving "new". I get bored very easily and very quickly. I have felt, for a long time, that this is a failure on my part and that, somehow, I would need to correct this fault in my character. Until a conversation with a lovely lady from our previous church, I had felt that that problem was my not finishing things. This wonderful lady explained to me that my starting things was what was important, and that God had given me this passion, boldness and ability in starting new adventures, for His purposes.

So, I have begun to really enjoy starting things. I have come to terms with the fact that I love "new", and that my passion, inspiration and boldness enable others to continue with great things that I start.

So, as one door closes, I am praying for another to continue what I started. I am praying for the humility to pass my adventure onto another, who will take it to greater heights. I am praying, also, for my new adventure...what will it be? I am praying for the patience to wait until my new adventure begins. But, most of all, I am praying that I will find the "new" in the mundane, in the everyday, and that I will enjoy the adventures that already sit at my feet.