time zone

When God created the sun, moon and stars I'm sure He had it all figured out how each day, month and year would perfectly function. My problem is, I wonder if He thought about the problem of having people in different time zones whom one wants to stay in contact with! Having friends and family around the world during the Christmas and New Year period has been lovely, but tiring! With early morning skype calls and late night conversations (for those on the other side of the world) and then all through the day with people in the same time zone!

Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful for the opportunity and blessing it is to have people all over the world.

It has made me think about a few things. The idea is captured in a little quote I read in 2012...

"Tis always morning somewhere in the world." by Richard Henry Horne (1803-1884)

Morning is a great time to count ones blessings.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."*

God is both faithful and merciful. I have reflected on both these characteristics this Christmas. When I reflect on the tragedy of death cutting a mother's life short. And God's loving comfort and support in such a time. When I reflect on all the suffering that people have endured this past year... it is easy to fall into despair. But Christmas reminded me that God is merciful. He sent Jesus into the world. God becoming man. God with us! so that He can feel our pain, and understand it. But more than that, Jesus came to bring the solution to suffering and death altogether. Doesn't mean that death will never happen again on this earth, but it's sting is not as strong when there is hope of eternal life!

More than a year ago now I saw a man on the streets of Sydney with a sign that said; 'Christ, hope to the nations'. That is another thing I have been thinking of this Christmas and New Year. That not only was Jesus good news to those who were already chosen by God -the Isrealites- but  He also come so that every nation and people might have the chance to accept His love. It's not a message that is only relevant in one part of the world, but every! And I guess for me, the celebration of Christmas around the world reminds me of that fact.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God."**

Patience. is a virute, I wish I had more of. but, it is easier when you know that the waiting has an end. There will be an end, a solution, an answer.... Sometimes, during these days of festivity, I have had to wait for people to call. Or for the right time to open presents. Or the appropriate time to set off ones own fireworks! It can be frustrating being on the other side of the world, and not knowing, or being able to be somewhere. I have been learning patience (through the many chances I have had when it was needed).

But it is not only during Christmas and New Year that I wait. I also wait expectantly every day (or at least I should) for the day when the pain and suffering, inequality and greed, war and corruption of this world will be no more. That too requires patience :)

I hope that your year will be one in which you learn many things. And take the time to reflect back on days, weeks, and even years worth of experiences to see where life is heading. What have you learnt... patience? faithfulness? mercy? humility? how to listen well? and what will you learn? Can you be intentional about what you learn?

ok, enough rhetorical questions for one day! :)

*Lamentations 3:22-23

**Psalm 40:1-3a 

sleep

“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”*

A few days ago, Emma and I were staying with some of my extended family and we were told that breakfast would be at 7:30am, and we would leave the house by 8:15 for the morning's excursions. The first morning, we beat them to the the breakfast table. The second morning, something went horribly wrong....

It was 7am, my alarm went off. I turned it off, and rolled over, thinking '10 more minutes'. A door slammed, I checked my phone, it was 8am!!! Ooooops! I jumped out of bed, and opened my door, right across from me -just like a mirror- a door opened. there stood a young lady with disheveled hair and shock written all over her face. I imagine that was what I looked like too. Emma and I stared at each other before silumtaneously asking what went wrong! why hadn't we woken up? why hadn't our hosts come and woken us up? What was the current plan for the day's activities?

It ended up being a lovely day, with a relaxed breakfast. But the situation, reminded me -of sorts- of what it must have been a little like when Jesus went off to pray and his friends were told to wait up for him, but when he returned he found them sleeping. oh, the shame! the awkwardness!
Our hosts were very generous, and laughed off our sleep in. I believe Jesus' response was a little more stern "why are you sleeping?", and they did not know what to say to him.**

Nevertheless, sleep is good! As Benjamin Franklin once said:

"Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

I have been trying to sleep quite a lot recently because I have a cold that just won't leave, so I don't think sleep is always bad. :D But it does mean that I get less time to do things in the day. Which is a bit frustrating when one is trying to be a tourist and see lots. As well as enjoy Christmas!!

But all this talk of sleep also brings me to an idea of spiritually sleeping. When we laze around, without really thinking about what we're going to do each day (or with our lives), just wasting time.... Some might say that it's relaxing, but at the end of ther day, it's not very satisfying (I don't find anyway)!

Jesus warn's that he will return suddenly, not on a planned date for us all to know. So I guess it was comforting that He did not return on the 21st of December 2012! Because I slept for most of it... :p  He says,

 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house*** will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”****

I hope, I -or anyone else- won't sleep through this Christmas period, but take time to understand why it is a merry and joyful occassion! Keeping watch, staying a "ALIVE, AWAKE, ALERT, ENTHUSIASTIC!"



*Luke 22:46
**Mark 14:40
****The owner of the house, I beleive, is the One who created this world, and has given people the responsibility to care for it, like tennants. Everything I own, I see, I touch, I eat... is God's because He made it all. 
***Mark 13:35-37

Cuddles!

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them”

I can't believe how much time has passed without my having a chance to write another blog! ...the joys of traveling!!
But here I am, and do I have things to say!! but I'll pace myself, because I know my readers need time to process all my thoughts (and make time to read them)!

In the past week and a bit I have spent time with lots of children! and it has been awesome! I saw my little cousins (11,5,4,3 and 1 years of age), and I stayed with a lovely family with a 3 and 1 year old, and babysat a family with 5 kids and had a fun afternoon with another family with 3 kids. and I did some craft with a few more kids :)

With each interaction I came away with two thoughts. One, children are trusting. and two, I can't help but cuddle them!

I enjoyed a lovely morning telling short stories about police and firemen jellyfish with a little boy sitting attentitively on my lap for a good 45 minutes! I find that as soon as you show interest in their toys you have a chance to earn their trust. My little cousin happily took out toy after toy, parading them all for me and my friend Emma to see. I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon making a transparent paper star with a boy who loves origami and it was a delight to see his joy in his creativeness and the beauty of the star. And I revelled in the chance to teach a tween a new card game which she was very quick to get the hang of and beat me at!

Children trust. It is so beautiful when they offer that trust, and it is so heartbreaking when that trust is broken or misused.
Trust is important for all relationships, but I think the childlike trust is aptly symbolic of the way we can and should approach God; the Loving Father. Who would never give a child a stone who asked for bread!** When a child trusts there is no inhibitions, they turn to you and expect there to be an answer. They also trust you to give honest answers to questions like 'But why?' and provide, and delight in their work and ability.

I have found that if I come to God like a child, eager to parade my treasures before Him, and ask him the tough 'why' questions, and trust and expect Him to provide... He is truly a Loving Father. Happy to listen, willing to answer, eager to provide the best gift we could ever need; life!

And I think God truly would like to cuddle us, of sorts. As in that's how much He loves His children! He likens Himself to a hen who 'gathers her brood under her wings'***. In Jesus I see a man who loved kids so much He welcomes them to himself even if others around him thought it was inapropriate for children to associate with a great teacher, yet he rebuked his disciples and instead let the children be brought to Himself. Sharing how their childlike trust was all that was needed to enter the Kingdom. It's just harder as an adult to have such a trust, because we see the flaws in people and know that sometimes trust is broken and misused. But God is not one of us, He is trustworthy. The only way to learn that is to come, like a eager child, ready to share your toys and questions, hopes and heart...

*Matthew 19:14
**Matthew 7:9-10
***Matthew 23:3