Alex's music night at school

This is a little video of Alex's last performance with his friend and the music teacher. When they had started they realised the bass that the teacher was playing was seriously out of tune but still it sounds great to me! Not bad for his second live performance ever. We filmed it just using the video feature on our photo camera so not the best quality, but good enough.

Note the school uniforms...very AC/DC.This is the first time I've uploaded a video so fingers crossed!

Anyhow we're just so proud of our boy. I think there are big things in his future. He is so joyful in his love of the music, i really believe its a gift from God and there's a plan in place for our baby.

Convalescence

Im actually dressed today (this photo from a week ago!)

Nothing like a bit of enforced rest to bring you back on a level playing field...and give you time to blog!

Its now nine days since my hysterectomy and all is going very well. Russ has taken time off work and is looking after me so well! The boys are treating me like the most fragile little ornament and I'm quite enjoying just stopping for a while.

Its been a little gift of some time to collect my thoughts. Think about what I'm doing and why. Where I'm at in my life and where i want to get to.

Its been great for Russ to stop also. We've really been reduced to the absolute basics. We cook and eat. We watch movies or read. We sleep and we talk. All perfectly wonderful restorative stuff.

Before i went into hospital I packed up my desk and for over a week Jake has had his computer set up here. A few days ago i got him to pack it up and I'm back to playing here again. No amazing creations but lots of looking and touching and getting inspired. I visited daisys very quickly on monday and Barbi had a care package for me so a few new toys to play with.

But i'm not in a rush. There's time when i feel better. Its so nice nice to read a whole Jane Austen in a day and a half with lots of dozing on the couch. Then sit up to a beautiful home cooked meal with my boys, before an evening curled up on the couch with a rug on my knees and the puppies curled up alseep at my feet watchin australian idol. Russ just called me in to look at the junk mail. No reason but "gosh there a lot of good fathers day stuff Lin, but i don't need anything but look at this"

I have a half hearted scarf on the go and theres a comfort too in the clickyclack of knitting needles. Jake is in his room and you can hear him chuckling away with his friends online. Alex is picking away at his guitars, switching from acoustic to electric with ease. Ben arrived home as black as a coal miner from work and keeps coming and getting me to check whether he's got it all. I keep saying behind your ears but will he listen?
All in all a pretty contented little home now that our little worry time is over.
I wonder if its afternoon tea time yet?

Love this.....

The Pear Tree.
There was a man who had four sons. He wanted to teach his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.
The first son went in the winter. The second in the spring; the third in the summer and the youngest in the autumn. When they had all gone and come back he called them together to describe what they had seen.
The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them. He said it was ripe and dripping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.
The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen only one season in a trees life.
He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy and love that comes from life can only be measured in the end, when all the seasons are up.
If you give up when its winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer the fulfillment of your autumn.
Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don’t judge life by one difficult season. Persevere though the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time.
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God. Happiness keeps you sweet. Trials keep you strong. Sorrows keep you human.
Failures keep you humble. Success keeps you glowing, but only God keeps you going.

Prayers.

I've been praying heaps lately.
Its an out of character praying too.
Usually I talk to God at night before i sleep. Its a calming, peaceful resolution to the day; and I imagine that in the act of unburdening, I fall asleep in his arms.
That was a comfort to me for years, even before I re promised myself to Jesus.

(I hope I'm not scaring you off here, bear with me...)

But my new praying is different, its focused. I can describe it to you like this.

My world at the moment is a little like walking in an earthquake zone. Just when I think i can walk with surety there is another lurch to the earth, and I reflex and throw my hands out to steady myself. And unlike other times when that would spell an unravelling, "c'mon Linda its time to drop your bundle". Instead i resettle quickly, like oil on water, as shaken as I am, it smooths amazingly quickly. I feel Gods hand on my shoulder saying "steady girl.."

While I'm still not sleeping well; instead of it being an anxious time when I lie awake listing all my woes of the moment in order of crises. This is a sorting time. I'm picking up each worry in my mind. I'm turning it over mentally in my mind until I know it well and then; early in the morning while our home is still and quiet, I'm slipping out of bed and coming to my desk. And then I'm speaking to my Father. Its clear and coherent, its delivered in order, scrutinised so I can articulate the hows and whys and whats. Because I have placed it in a semblance of order. I can also deliver it in context. "Please can you help with this, I understand/ don't understand that this is part of your lessons to me; your bigger picture. I trust that you know what you re doing."
When its in context i can make sure I put my gratitude first, and acknowledge my wonder at his work in the world and in my life.
I can think of all the people who need God to look kindly on them and I can ask for favour for them.
One by one; by name; from my list.
I can be remorseful
for when I've not strived to be Christ-like as much as i know i should.
And then I can hand over my burdens, like a little bundle of speech cards.
Sorted in order, clarified, in context.
I need give them no more thought. God now holds them in his hand.
Then I thank him.
When i start my day i feel as though my shoulders are light.
My heart is full, replenished.
Ready.