It turns out- despite my initial thoughts to the contrary- that Belinda is actually quite a tricky name to say and spell.
This is particularly true for those who did not live in Australia during the names hay-day years of 1978-1982.
A man at Gloria Jeans asked me my name, looked puzzled and then asked how to spell it. My friend Bek and I laughed when up on the screen poped "Berinda".
I went through the first six months of mainly music with a name tag reading Blinda.
And most of the time I need to correct, as people assume I've said Linda, Melinda, or even Brenda.
But my favourite so far happened today. Little Hayley is told every week to say "Bye Auntie Belinda" at the end of playgroup.
This week, without prompting, she tried it.
"Bye bye Auntie Banana!"
love B
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Reflection on the term that's been
Technically the term is not over yet- I still have two playgroups, several meetings, a Bible study and a scripture Easter lesson to go!
But I've spent much of the weekend thinking about the term that's been and I thought I'd share a little (don't worry, not everything!) of what's been coming up.
As I approached this year i was excited. For the first time in many years, with the exception of moving house- I was hitting a year without major changes. I normally hate change, and so I thought that it was going to be an easy year start.
It wasn't.
For a start, my job ramped up a notch. Normally when I tell people that I work 4 days a week Tim pipes up with the quip "No, you work full-time, your just paid four days". I normally disagree, but I've had to confess that this year- due to some ministry commitments that I have somewhat willingly taken on- it is definitely heading to at the least 4.5 days, some weeks 5.
Plus, to my complete shock, the fact that there wasn't any changes was hard.
So many people in my life are going to changes. Good changes. Exciting new jobs, changes to their families, whatever it might be. And in many ways I was feeling like i was being left behind- like my life and my world were stagnant. Envy- the sin monster who is my most violent of foes- reared up more overwhelming than ever.
It's been a hard term.
But I've been learning alot.
Unsurprisingly I suppose- the hard things have been nosing me toward God, and I've actually seen my trust in God grow. My huge fears about the future and what we might be doing are still there, but they now stand along side a strange new feeling, a sense that maybe uncertainty and suffering are okay- if they are for Jesus.
And I've rediscovered in the last 4 weeks a love for my job.
As term began I knew I was leading a Bible study- and I knew I didn't have time for it. I felt a bit resentful that once again something had fallen to me to do- because there was no one else. My feelings where not helped when the first week for various good reasons- no one came. I sat in the room where the Bible study was suppose to be and managed just to hold in my tears.
The next week Bible study happened. And it was wonderful!
I forgot how much I loved leading Bible study. I forgot how special it is to sit down with other Christian women and see what God has to say to us. In my frustration at the situation I forgot the privileged that it is to serve.
So those are some of the things that have been going on. I am very tired and weary, and looking forward to the holidays so I can stop, and work four days for a change :)
So tired in fact, that I can't think of a good end to this post. So...
love B
But I've spent much of the weekend thinking about the term that's been and I thought I'd share a little (don't worry, not everything!) of what's been coming up.
As I approached this year i was excited. For the first time in many years, with the exception of moving house- I was hitting a year without major changes. I normally hate change, and so I thought that it was going to be an easy year start.
It wasn't.
For a start, my job ramped up a notch. Normally when I tell people that I work 4 days a week Tim pipes up with the quip "No, you work full-time, your just paid four days". I normally disagree, but I've had to confess that this year- due to some ministry commitments that I have somewhat willingly taken on- it is definitely heading to at the least 4.5 days, some weeks 5.
Plus, to my complete shock, the fact that there wasn't any changes was hard.
So many people in my life are going to changes. Good changes. Exciting new jobs, changes to their families, whatever it might be. And in many ways I was feeling like i was being left behind- like my life and my world were stagnant. Envy- the sin monster who is my most violent of foes- reared up more overwhelming than ever.
It's been a hard term.
But I've been learning alot.
Unsurprisingly I suppose- the hard things have been nosing me toward God, and I've actually seen my trust in God grow. My huge fears about the future and what we might be doing are still there, but they now stand along side a strange new feeling, a sense that maybe uncertainty and suffering are okay- if they are for Jesus.
And I've rediscovered in the last 4 weeks a love for my job.
As term began I knew I was leading a Bible study- and I knew I didn't have time for it. I felt a bit resentful that once again something had fallen to me to do- because there was no one else. My feelings where not helped when the first week for various good reasons- no one came. I sat in the room where the Bible study was suppose to be and managed just to hold in my tears.
The next week Bible study happened. And it was wonderful!
I forgot how much I loved leading Bible study. I forgot how special it is to sit down with other Christian women and see what God has to say to us. In my frustration at the situation I forgot the privileged that it is to serve.
So those are some of the things that have been going on. I am very tired and weary, and looking forward to the holidays so I can stop, and work four days for a change :)
So tired in fact, that I can't think of a good end to this post. So...
love B
Friday, March 26, 2010
Sans Tim
Some reflections of my week sans-Tim.
-It was great to have heaps of time with people this week. I am an extrovert extraordinaire who has her people time partially curtailed by a slightly less extroverted husband. But without Tim I knew I'd go crazy being alone so I had lots of catch ups and it was wonderful. Though I have to say it was weird to get to the end of the day and not be able to tell Tim all about it! It made me appreciate again all the interesting, unique and absolutely lovely people I have in my life. Seriously- do other people have such crazy, wonderful friends too?
-I'm not good at being alone in my house without a book, the TV or the Internet to occupy me. It is actually quite a sad state of affairs. Ironically I lead a Bible study which involved prayer on Thursday and we talked about how hard it was to prioritise it- so I practice what I preached and instead of turning on the TV or opening a book over dinner I talked to God.
-Christian books are great. Actually- I realised this just before Tim went away- as I found myself enjoying the books I was reading to prepare for some Revelation studies I'm leading with our youth. But it was after he left that I decided that reading a bit of a Christian book before bed each night would be fun, and so far it's proven right!
-I feel more godly when I don't have someone there to sin against. I don't think I AM more godly when Tim is away- its just that selfishness is less evident when it's only you seeing it!
-God was soooo good. Almost (almost) without exception I had a fantastic, fun, encouraging ministry week. I didn't come home once needing to "debrief" or "refresh" after a difficult conversation or situation. This was a direct answer to my prayer of "Dear God, please make it a week where I don't come home discouraged or upset and then have no one to comfort me".
-I think God did help make me more resilient, which is good because with a life of ministry ahead of us I'm sure this won't be the last time we spent more than a week apart.
It was a great week. But I missed Tim even more than I thought I would and it was so great to stop by and see him today. Probably the best thing to come out of this week was just realising just how special Tim is and the richness, fun and wisdom he brings into my life.
All in all lots to be thankful for.
love B
-It was great to have heaps of time with people this week. I am an extrovert extraordinaire who has her people time partially curtailed by a slightly less extroverted husband. But without Tim I knew I'd go crazy being alone so I had lots of catch ups and it was wonderful. Though I have to say it was weird to get to the end of the day and not be able to tell Tim all about it! It made me appreciate again all the interesting, unique and absolutely lovely people I have in my life. Seriously- do other people have such crazy, wonderful friends too?
-I'm not good at being alone in my house without a book, the TV or the Internet to occupy me. It is actually quite a sad state of affairs. Ironically I lead a Bible study which involved prayer on Thursday and we talked about how hard it was to prioritise it- so I practice what I preached and instead of turning on the TV or opening a book over dinner I talked to God.
-Christian books are great. Actually- I realised this just before Tim went away- as I found myself enjoying the books I was reading to prepare for some Revelation studies I'm leading with our youth. But it was after he left that I decided that reading a bit of a Christian book before bed each night would be fun, and so far it's proven right!
-I feel more godly when I don't have someone there to sin against. I don't think I AM more godly when Tim is away- its just that selfishness is less evident when it's only you seeing it!
-God was soooo good. Almost (almost) without exception I had a fantastic, fun, encouraging ministry week. I didn't come home once needing to "debrief" or "refresh" after a difficult conversation or situation. This was a direct answer to my prayer of "Dear God, please make it a week where I don't come home discouraged or upset and then have no one to comfort me".
-I think God did help make me more resilient, which is good because with a life of ministry ahead of us I'm sure this won't be the last time we spent more than a week apart.
It was a great week. But I missed Tim even more than I thought I would and it was so great to stop by and see him today. Probably the best thing to come out of this week was just realising just how special Tim is and the richness, fun and wisdom he brings into my life.
All in all lots to be thankful for.
love B
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Mission time...and NZ
When its time to write a blog post- conveniently under the box where I write is a box to "label" my posts. They have suggestions of what you might label your posts, like "Vacation", "Fall" and..."scooters"?
the other ones are very American, but I can't exactly work out why enough people in this wide world would blog about scooters for it to be a "e.g." of what to label a post!
Anyway, this is just a way of introducing the fact that I am writing about two very different things today, and it will be labeled accordingly.
Mission time:
On Sunday Tim will be away for 8 days on College Mission. He is going to Pitt town (I know what your thinking, it sounds like a HOLE!!!!), where he will be helping out with various bits and pieces as well as preaching during the evening service on the 28th of July. Please pray for him and the team.
But also pray for me. I'm beginning to feel a little petty about this, particularly as some wives are having 8 days looking after kids without their husbands. But I am really nervous about it. I hate being home alone, and I'm really going to miss him. Pray for me too- particularly that I will get better at coping without him- as I'm sure I will have to do at various stages in our ministry careers!
NZ- just because until now I haven't put any photos up or talked about NZ and I think I should show you at least a few snaps. It was wonderful and beautiful and just what I needed.
Just a bit of a snap shot of the lovely scenery- and the only "selfie" I was happy with out of the 8 or so we took :)
love B
the other ones are very American, but I can't exactly work out why enough people in this wide world would blog about scooters for it to be a "e.g." of what to label a post!
Anyway, this is just a way of introducing the fact that I am writing about two very different things today, and it will be labeled accordingly.
Mission time:
On Sunday Tim will be away for 8 days on College Mission. He is going to Pitt town (I know what your thinking, it sounds like a HOLE!!!!), where he will be helping out with various bits and pieces as well as preaching during the evening service on the 28th of July. Please pray for him and the team.
But also pray for me. I'm beginning to feel a little petty about this, particularly as some wives are having 8 days looking after kids without their husbands. But I am really nervous about it. I hate being home alone, and I'm really going to miss him. Pray for me too- particularly that I will get better at coping without him- as I'm sure I will have to do at various stages in our ministry careers!
NZ- just because until now I haven't put any photos up or talked about NZ and I think I should show you at least a few snaps. It was wonderful and beautiful and just what I needed.
Just a bit of a snap shot of the lovely scenery- and the only "selfie" I was happy with out of the 8 or so we took :)
love B
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Melbourne Moment
I'm started doing the strangest thing.
When I draw into St Leonards station- I close my eyes just before we pull up.
You see, most of the time, in my day to day life- I don't ever think I'm in Melbourne. It's not that Sydney is not lots like Melbourne in lots of places- but the places I lived and worked in Melbourne and the places I live at and work at and visit in Melbourne are just so different.
But one day last week when I was pulling into St Leonard's station I had a weird moment. You see, for a second I thought I was pulling up to Box Hill station. Not that there is anything special about Box Hill station- nothing special other than the fact it is in Melbourne.
And so I've gotten into the strange habit of closing my eyes at that moment. Because a few seconds later I see the big St Leonard's sign and we come out the other side of the tunnel and I know I'm in Sydney. I try to saver my Melbourne moment just that little bit longer.
It's strange to be homesick when I'm going to Melbourne tonight. But short trips are funny. They are a taste, rather than a bite, of what it is like to live there. So it will be wonderful and unsatisfying.
Homesick can overwhelm if I let it. But I don't.
When I was a kid, we lived in the states for two years. When people ask me how I find it I say "Wonderful..." and then I have to pause and clarify, "Well, I was really homesick and didn't realise how good it was when I was there but I look back and it was great".
I was so homesick in the States- I feel a wasted what was a really unique, special time in my life.
I don't want to do that here.
I don't want to look back on four years of moaning and groaning.
I want to LIVE Sydney.
So I keep homesickness at bay.
But each day I go to work I close my eyes on the train. I remember how much I love Melbourne and I grieve a little. And then I get on with my life.
love B
And so I've gotten into the strange habit of closing my eyes at that moment. Because a few seconds later I see the big St Leonard's sign and we come out the other side of the tunnel and I know I'm in Sydney. I try to saver my Melbourne moment just that little bit longer.
It's strange to be homesick when I'm going to Melbourne tonight. But short trips are funny. They are a taste, rather than a bite, of what it is like to live there. So it will be wonderful and unsatisfying.
Homesick can overwhelm if I let it. But I don't.
When I was a kid, we lived in the states for two years. When people ask me how I find it I say "Wonderful..." and then I have to pause and clarify, "Well, I was really homesick and didn't realise how good it was when I was there but I look back and it was great".
I was so homesick in the States- I feel a wasted what was a really unique, special time in my life.
I don't want to do that here.
I don't want to look back on four years of moaning and groaning.
I want to LIVE Sydney.
So I keep homesickness at bay.
But each day I go to work I close my eyes on the train. I remember how much I love Melbourne and I grieve a little. And then I get on with my life.
love B
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)