Moving to Melbourne

We are moving to Melbourne! I must say that I am a bit excited about it. I am going to miss my family and friends...there will be many times that I will feel lonely and homesick for them all, I know this. But, I am looking forward to a new adventure. I've been needing an adventure for a very long time. It's time to climb out of this rut I've been unable to get out of and there's nothing quite like shaking things up a bit than moving to a new place.

There is so much to explore and experience in and around Melbourne. I haven't been there for many years, but I know a lot of people who have either lived there or spent time there. I'm quite sure that I will be sharing many of my experiences in Melbourne with you here on My Perspective. Lots of photos and anecdotes.

Stay tuned for when the journey begins...

Weekends in Queensland

Weekends in Queensland can be a lot of fun. Summer in particular seems to be the favourite of most people. My guess would be because of the multitude of outdoor activities there are to do when you live in a warm climate. Outdoor activities are the must do and we did them this past weekend. Saturday was spent at a great park with a big playground for the kids to play on. A picnic in the humidity, but tolerable because of shade and a lovely breeze. Good friends, food and relaxation.

Sunday was a really fun day spent out in the sun. It was a boat and beach day for us...and lots of other families too. I'm not a huge fan of boating, but I have come to appreciate being out on the water and being able to go to beaches that I wouldn't otherwise be able to access. The kids just love it and I have to admit, it is very relaxing being surrounded by water.

Here's to Twenty Ten!

The new year is upon us...again. They seem to go faster and faster. Is time actually speeding up?
I'm glad it's a new year. I love a new year. The hope of a fresh start. The anticipation of new projects. The anticipation of self growth. The hope that something REALLY good will happen this year.
I have things I want to do this year. Some of them are the same plans that I had a year ago and never quite motivated myself to do them. I'm determined to do them this year. Life is passing me by, and I'm letting it. I'm tired of wasting my potential. Time for me to grab it and hang on for the ride.

A Christmas Gift

It is almost Christmas day. A day that has different meanings for different people. This year, more than any other, the true meaning of Christmas has dawned upon me. More than any other Christmas (that I can remember) I have heard the Nativity story over and over again. The full impact is hitting home. It's not about a man and woman travelling to a city and the woman giving birth in a stable. It's about God, the Creator of everything that ever was and ever will be, coming to Earth in the human form as Jesus. Jesus, the Christ. Jesus, our Saviour. Jesus! God! A Being that no one has ever seen, according to the Book of John. His glory is so great that no mere human could stand it! God reduced His glory to become Jesus the Man that we have heard so many amazing stories about. Jesus, what He gave up so that we could be saved from eternal death. He loves each one of us so dearly that He gave up His omnipresence forever! His OMNIPRESENCE!!! That really blows me away! Being a mere mortal, with a selfish, evil nature, I can't even comprehend that kind of sacrifice. I just know it's bigger than we can fully understand until we meet Him face to face. He sacrificed SO much to become a human. To be born in the most humble of places, a stable. To live a perfect, selfless life of service and love to others and then to be tortured, humiliated and killed by evil men. Men that were so proud and narcissistic that they couldn't see past their own greatness to behold the Glory that was before them. Men that allowed Satan to completely control them. Satan thought he could beat God. How can you beat God? You can't! Jesus did die and then He rose from that death. He beat death! God gave humans the greatest gift ever possible. A beautiful, perfect baby that became a perfect man, the Saviour of humans. He gave us the gift of salvation. That IS the best Christmas gift you or I will ever be given.  All we have to do is accept it...and for most, that is the hardest part.

Stuff

I was talking to a friend of mine after church yesterday and he told me about the epiphany he had had in the past few months about our society's apparent need for stuff. Stuff that we bring home from the shops and don't really use. Stuff that we are given that we don't want or has no real use in our life. Stuff that we don't use anymore, but we keep it "just in case". Stuff that accumulates in our cupboards, under our houses, in our sheds, under our beds...everywhere. He was appalled by it and by the fact that he is one of those people.
I agreed with him. I absolutely HATE stuff!!! I am not a hoarder and get rid of things as soon as I don't use or need them anymore. Even so, there is still stuff in my house. Sitting here, I look around the room and see stuff that I haven't used for ages, and may never use again. It's there "just in case". Well guess what, it's leaving my house in the new year. I know how stuff affects me. It makes me feel claustraphobic, depressed, unmotivated, tied down, irritated, like my house is never tidy... I've realised that the less stuff someone has, the happier they are. If someone is a collector of stuff, their need for it grows and grows and they are never, ever satisfied with what they do have. Who wants to be like that? Not me, that's for sure. Who wants to raise their children to be like that? Definately not me. Unfortunately, they have already started wanting stuff they don't need. It's almost a losing battle. I say 'almost' because there is still time for me to teach them not to want everything and only have what they need.
This Christmas people will be getting more stuff. Stuff they don't really want or need  or they'll use it once or twice and then it will be added to their collection of other stored stuff.
Advertising companies have an awful lot to answer for. They are so clever. They make us think that we need stuff. All kinds of stuff. And then the next big thing comes along and we are made to think that we need that too. And so it goes on and on and...