Happy AUSTRALIA Day!

Happy Australia Day! For yesterday. I know, it's late, and I don't have a good enough excuse. But I did have an absolutely awesome day yesterday. Just going out to the South Perth foreshore... with a heap of wonderful people... sitting there admiring the view of Perth city and the Swan River... eating good food... chatting and sharing experiences... walking proudly with an Aussie shirt, cap, cape and tattoos... singing and waving my arms in the air... standing to sing the national anthem whilst feeling so thankful for the beautiful free country I live in... watching the amazing Skyshow fireworks display... the bright colours lighting the sky, the loud bangs sounding across the river, the looks of awe on the kids faces next to us... celebrating love and family... thinking of all the people in Albany, knowing that in Australia we are one big family and knowing that I'll be 'home' soon... and just simply enjoying wonderful company and the fact that I am Australian!!

And just to add some randomness here's a photo I took of Perth city a couple nights ago...

Life is Fleeting

The last couple of days have been quite tough. On Saturday I was at Serpentine Falls (with Jodi and Rachel) when a 21 year old slipped off a ledge near the falls, landed on rocks about 20m beneath her and then into the water. When I got home later that afternoon the news reports confirmed she had died (with severe head injuries). Since then I have been plagued with flashbacks of the event, so much so that on Saturday night I just could not sleep. I had difficulty eating, sleeping and simply being myself. Everytime I closed my eyes I could see it over and over. Talking about it helped, but then I began reliving the noises etc associated with the event. It was scary, traumatic, and rather unbelievable. I am surprised at how little it has touched me emotionally. But I do feel extremely sorry for her loved ones and family, for her boyfriend who was up the top and had to see it happen, for those who had to swim out to here and pull her into shore, for those who had to hear my story, for those who had to silently suffer, for those who grieve and sorrow. At the same time it is rather agitating and frustrating because I keep thinking about it.

Today I am feeling much better. I slept well, am eating normally, and the flashbacks are slowly disappearing.

But something like this makes you really wonder and think. Mum reminded me of the Year 7 graduation speech I heard a month ago. Nothing is coincedence. It was not chance that we changed our plans and happened to be at the falls at that particular time. It was not coincedence that I was there to witness the traumatic event. Everything happens for a purpose, and God is always in control. I will never know why God chose to take her life at that particular point in time, or why I was there to witness it. But what I do know, which has been emphasised again, is that life is fleeting. God can call us at any time. It's difficult to think this way, for we as humans cannot always comprehend His works and divine decree. Yet "the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind" (Job 12:10). And I think it is sometimes good to ponder these things. For me it makes me feel so small in such a beautiful, amazing world, created by an awesome God.

At times we cannot understand why. Yet we can be thankful for the life God has given us, and the new life we have in Jesus Christ. So then the aim is to glorify Him in everthing, as the One who creates and gives life, and as the One who is in control. As the One who has placed us on the earth to praise Him and to spread His Name.

A Week to Remember

What a week! I am sitting here rather exhausted, but with an abosultely fantastic week behind me! It's feeling so much more like home here in Byford, and I'm not quite so homesick thanks to some great friends, busy days and enjoying myself on many occassions.

Ten-pin bowling... out to dinner... new bed... hanging picture frames... catching up with friends... swimming in the pool... getting lots of teaching resources for free... reading a whole book (actually an accomplishment for me!)... going to the cricket... seeing 2 streakers and one that got to the middle of the ground and started dancing... simply relaxing and doing nothing... shopping...

To think that I could have such a great week, when for many the week was one of devastation and loss. I am truly blessed. My sympathy goes out to all who have been affected by the floods and fires that have shaken the lives of many. May they also see God's hand and work in this. I also hope that the recovery process goes smoothly and that everyone may feel the spirit of Australia.

Photos make it interesting...

Oops I was going to add some photos to that last post, but forgot. So here's some photos of Albany, just to make it a bit more interesting... :)
And to make my homesickness seem somewhat worth it.......

Homesick

Being bored isn't such a great thing... At the moment it tends to make me homesick. Yes, I'm sitting at home on the computer. But it still doesn't quite feel like home... So at times I still long for the beautiful place just 400km south... for the comfort and people of my hometown Albany. So here's just a little list of the things I miss the most... mainly for my own thoughts and trying to get over it all!!

- All the amazing people who made my life so interesting... There are way too many to mention by name, but I love you all, you don't know how much I miss you!
- Coming home to a clean house (yes this house is still in some shambles)...
- Driving home and seeing the mountains in the distance and the kangaroos in the paddock by the side of the road...
- Going for beach walks, just because I could and the beach was only 10 minutes away...
- Taking photos of the amazing views to be offered... and knowing where they all are
- Playing cricket on the front driveway because there was lots of room
- Driving to work at 5:45 in the morning... yes a very strange thing to miss
- Knowing where everything is, never needing a map or gps
- The smell of fresh rain... here the rain smells horrible, boy I miss the country. And yes, I do know what the rain smells like here, because it rained a couple days ago. To think I got away from it...

And that's just the start of the list. But then again, the optimistic side of me thinks that a swimming pool in the backyard, warm weather and blue skies, new opportunities and experiences, no job pressure and sleepins are pretty good. So whilst it is difficult, I am trying to make the most of some of these things...

Welcome

Welcome to my blog! Having just moved from Albany to Byford in the Perth metro area, I thought it fitting to start a blog that will help me stay in touch with my awesome family and friends. When contemplating what to do on a lazy Friday afternoon I had the idea to create a blog, whereby I could share my thoughts, news, photos and general me-ness. So welcome!