The_PINK_world_of_Ally

new venue...

2011-01-12T05:06:00.000-08:00

http://pinkworldofally.wordpress.com/
if you still want to follow the pink world of ally ..i hve now moved to wordpress...

fav quote of the day

2011-01-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

it's the simple things in life.....

2011-01-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

one of my favourite things....... is to be off work and enjoy a long leisurely breakfast with my other half....reading the papers..chatting and then relaxing in front of the fire...this was this mornings offering ...homemade pancakes and blueberry syrup....delicious....

pictures:by my man

we are family......

2011-01-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

it was my mum's 60th last weekend...and we celebrated in style with a speacial meal at the Culloden with our wider family.....champagne breakfast at my house the next morning and Afternoon Tea at the Fitzwilliam hotel that afternoon.....not only was it lovely to celebate my Mums special day...but just as lovely to share it with such a brilliant family..i am very blessed to live my life surrounded by a loving and supportive group of people called family......

stuart took so many beautiful pictures of every part of the celebrations..this one of my mum,,brother, sister and me is one of my favourites...

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of The Dawn Treader..........

2010-12-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Official Synopsis: Return to the magic and wonder of C.S. Lewis’ beloved world – via the fantastic Narnian ship, the Dawn Treader. In this new installment of the blockbuster “The Chronicles of Narnia” motion picture franchise, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their cousin Eustace, their royal friend King Caspian, and a warrior mouse named Reepicheep, find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to the Dawn Treader. Their mission – on which rests the fate of Narnia itself – takes the courageous voyagers to mysterious islands and a river that turns to gold, to fateful confrontations with magical creatures and sinister enemies, and to a reunion with their friend and protector, the “Great Lion” Aslan.

i am so excited going to see this movie tonight....i have never seen a movie in 3D so this will be a first for me...secondly i haved loved C S Lewis' The Cronicles of Narnia adatped for the big screen so far.... ....( plus i bought the series of books for stuart as a gift when we were dating)....and lastly i love Aslan and can't wait to see him on big screen again....i will let you all know what i think later....

reporting back:...firstly loved the look..3d glasses..not..but most enjoyed my first 3d experience....this movie is possibly not as brilliant as The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe...but nevertheless still most enjoyable and as i suspected my highlight was seeing Aslan again...they have captured something of the Father heart of God through this mighty lion...

my life in 2010 via my facebook status updates....

2010-12-08T13:35:00.001-08:00

from this it confirms cups of tea are important to me....:-)

a break in the clouds...

2010-12-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

i came across this photo my hubby took and had named 'a break in the clouds'....this represents life at times to me..waitig for those beautiful moments when the cloud breaks and the sun pierces through....sometimes it feels like the clouds are climbing across the sky ever so slowly and then there are seasons when they are hurtling and the sun breaks through before you know it....the only thing is we never know on any particular cloudy day..which it will be...

compassion...

2010-12-08T12:05:00.001-08:00

stuart and i have been writing our first letter to a second new addition in our family..Ines in Bolivia ...who we are sponsering through compassion ...take a moment to check this organisation out and for a very small amount a month you could help some child be equipped for a better life.....sometimes for me it is easy to be moved with compassion in a moment of hearing tragic stories of people living in extreme poverty and then move on in my daily life and not respond.....thankfully this time was not one of those moments...it is brilliant to be a part of such a worthwhile work.....

tonight at stormont...

2010-12-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

Stuart and i were invited to an event in Stormont tonight held by

NICCY

(Northern Ireland Commision for Children and Young People)..it was so uplifting seeing primary school children who had been through workshops with NICCY learning about their rights.....being motivated to hold our countries leaders to account....so exciting to see these kids have a voice and make a stand for justice...

beach....

2010-12-06T15:14:00.000-08:00

no matter the weather the beach is still one of my favourite places..the wilder the weather the more dramatic the backdrop......on this early morning visit....the sand had a dusting of snow.....

inspiration of the week..

2010-12-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

this charity has been a real inspiration to me this week..check it out...

my new love....

2010-08-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

love

2010-08-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

this has to be one of my most favourite books i have read in a long time....so much so i have picked it up again tonight to begin reading it again..the message is simple..God loves us.......brennan has such an amazing understanding and experience of the father heart of God it is hard to read this book without the occassional use of a hanky.....i have been in a season latley of growing a deeper understanding of the love of God....i have always known God loves me and God is love...but began to realise i wasnt living my life reflecting this truth....it has been a season of revelation and understanding that has brought me more freedom and joy...if you are wanting a deeper revelation of the love of God..or maybe would even like a glimpse of what follows of Jesus cant live without...then get yourself a copy of this book...you wont regret it.......

bright star.....

2010-04-18T00:22:00.000-07:00

i watched this movie last night..about the poet John Keats.......i loved it..it was beautiful..artisic...romantic...tragic.........the movie title was one of Keats poems....as someone who studied english literature and a romantic at heart i highly recommend this beautiful story....

Bright Star, Would I Were Steadfast as Thou Art
by John Keats

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night,
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient sleepless eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors;
No yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever or else swoon to death

favourite things *11

2010-04-11T10:58:00.001-07:00

we cut our lawn today for the first time this spring....freshly cut grass is one of my favourite smells......instantly taking me back to childhood memories of carefree days playing games on the lawn with my friends.....

fitness....

2010-04-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

hubby and i played some more squash today......all in the pursuit of fulfilling the vision..........must learn to be more technical as sheer strength alone is not winning me matches against my 6ft6 hubby.......must get strategising for the next squash date....

since my exercise love is returning....inspire me...what is your favourite way to work out?....

how to design a bridge....

2010-04-11T01:54:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago i came across this quote...sorry i can't remember who said it.....

never ask a designer to design a bridge..ask them to design a way to the other side

since reading this quote i have thought about it quite frequently....i wonder why.....last night as i thought of it again..i thought of the country in which i live..northern ireland.....and thought afresh its not the questions as a country that we are asking that is the problem ..it is maybe how we are asking them, that keeps giving us the same boring result.....maybe we need to begin asking some of the same fundamental questions in a different way...to let us to come up with creative and innovative solutions to enable us as a nation to finally begin to move forward....something to think about as we are drawing closer to elections....

one more day....

2010-04-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

one more day left of annual leave before i have to return to work.....i have been off for a week...a much needed week of R & R...but the frustrating thing for me is it takes me until about two days ago to begin switching of and really begin relaxing.....and now i have to gear myself back up again for action.........note to self...learn to unwind faster.........

time to prioritise life......

2010-04-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

over the last few weeks i had to prioritise my life afresh...after allowing many things to slowly gather up and begin to fester in my life...until God in his faithfulness....caused me to stand still and have a fresh look at me...to recognise the reasons why i had allowed stress to creep in and begin to ebb away my peace.... the most important thing was taking time to climb the mountain and get alone with Jesus... allowing Him to speak into my life...reminding me that i am carrying things i was not designed to carry..choose to ....leave them with Him...thus enabling me to journey down the mountain back into life, without the weight of burdens he said he would carry for me.....the second thing that required an important place again in my life was exercise.........for many years i was super fit...it was a natural by product of my then career working with horses......so i took all its benefits for granted and it wasn't something i ever had to shedule in.........
for about two years God has been placing on my heart the desire to run .....i have spent moments enjoying the image in my imagination of me running with the greatest of ease feeling the wind in my hair

'me in my imagination' :-)

...but that's as far as it ever went i pushed it into the background and got busy with life again....until lately .....i have realised in a very real way the need to exercise on a regular base...i am made body, soul and spirit and i cannot ignore looking after all of these areas that make up me......so the vision is going to be brought into a reality, and it has begun this week.........i have dusted of my bike ...booked in regular squash matches...and yes i am gearing up to begin starting to run.................if only i would be obedient quickly and stop putting things off life would be simpler......definitely a work in progress....

what have you been challenged to make a priority in your life?...

Blind Side....

2010-04-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

stuart and i saw this movie yesterday ..i loved it......by the end i was holding back the tears ...and to be honest if i had been in a room alone i would have balled my eyes out like a little girl...why?...not because the movie was sad..the very opposite..it was so uplifting....it was the family snapshots in the credits of the real people the movie was about..that set me of...i think it is because we are adopting from Thailand and will also be a multi racial family..that it really struck a cord with me on one level...while being apart of a family from your culture and race is important on some levels..at the end of the day nothing is more valuable than being loved, accepted, wanted and believed in...on another level i was challenged ...as this young guy joined the family in the movie as a 17 year old..having had the most difficult start in life....after many years in youth work i have heard many say 'it's too late for him to make something out of his life'...that he was too 'damaged'......but thankfully no-one is out of the reach of God moving and changing their lives.....as christians there is no one we should think is to far gone to reach out the hand of help and hope to open our homes and lives to......i know we say all the right things but do our daily lives really reflect this belief..........so as i said before....i shed some tears at the end of this movie... it both uplifted and deeply challenged me.....

favourite things *10

2010-02-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

this is my all time favourite show...i never tire of re-watching the episodes.......i guess i appreciate other females who can talk fast..with little need for pause of breath.....a trait of my own which i have just learnt to embrace..and provide those having conversations with me ...with oxygen packs so they can keep up without passing out....:-)

favourite things *9

2010-01-30T12:25:00.000-08:00

you guessed it ...twinkle lights.......i love this little white lights .... like hundreds of little fire flies...i have them all over my house.....they add a welcoming glo...i can never have too many .......

in a weeks time......

2010-01-28T23:34:00.000-08:00

on the 5th of Feb i will have been married for ten years.....i can't believe it ...feels like only yesterday i walked up the aisle and said 'i do'.....it has been the best ten years and i am more in love with my husband today than ever......looking forward to celebrating it together in Prague......the best is yet to come........

when necessary use words..........

2010-01-09T04:44:00.000-08:00

i am quite a vocal person...when i feel stirred and passionate about something i find it hard to stay silent.........but that is all very well when it is something i need to shout about to the world...the downside to this kind of personality is when i know i should stay silent ....speak out loud anyway.....thankfully over the years those moments are not just so frequent.........the times of quiet created by my outspokenness that leave a heaviness in my heart...as i know i missed an opportunity to grow and handle something differently........the words resound in my head....WILL I NEVER LEARN..............but eventually after tossing and turning and beating myself up...i remember........grace.....mercy.....forgiveness........of which without i could not stand.......now the challenge is to receive them and walk in them and move on and grow....life is a continual road of highs and lows....the mountain top and the valleys.........both of which no man will escape...so we should all remember afresh that as much mercy as we pour out will in turn be poured out on us......and in my case i need gallons as i navigate this thing called life....so maybe today before we allow our mouths to open...we need to pause and think........do i really need to speak.........one of my favouite ladies once said 'Preach the gospel at all times... when necessary use words . ..... One filled with joy preaches without preaching......... - Mother Teresa......our lives should reflect Jesus...........whats yours reflect.............

we cannot stay silent......time to mobilise.......

2010-01-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

take a minute to watch this short clip...raising awareness on modern day slavery......if you are anything like me keep a tissue close by........as you who read this blog know that this topic is one very close to my heart....we must do all we can to bring an end to this!!

a day to remember........

2009-12-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

yesterday was one of the most memorable and life changing days i have experienced in a long time......our WithoutWalls Cohort went into Belfast City centre armed with a couple of cameras...bags of sweets.....wearing Hi Vis vests that made us shine as bright as the sun.....our aim ...to take portraits of those who normally couldn't ...either afford one or think they are not worthy of being in front of the lens.....we were a little nervous not knowing how we would be received or if we would even get to take anyones portrait at all........but we had the most amazing moments with people most would never see or notice.......as they are mostly down the side streets or crouched in doorways...while people bustled shoulder to shoulder pushing in and out of shops to buy their Christmas gifts...some of which they don't need or can afford...we had the privilege of sitting with those who only have the clothes on their back............my saddest moments were those who didn't want their picture taken.....not cause they were shy or like some of the ladies ..never like their picture taken....it was because they didn't want to see what they now looked like...a far cry from the days before alcohol and drugs became their addiction..............to the most moving moments ....watching those walk away and take out their portrait and stand staring at it for long time.........to keep the pictures flat for them we popped them into a christmas card which we wrote their names on it and a personal message.......and maybe for some that was the most special thing......its a privilege to begin to understand what mother Theressa meant when she said 'We can do no great things; only small things with great love'.......it makes me uncomfortable for people to say...'thats a great thing you are doing'......as really it is a blessing to be allowed into someones life and even for a moment stand where they stand............this day was not a one day wonder ...but the beginning of a new journey of doing many small things with great love.............we put together a little clip so you can share in our day.............

never stop learning........

2009-12-09T14:15:00.000-08:00

i think there must have been an embedded desire for knowledge that was set to go off when i turned 30......as much as i truly believe life is one big school with never ending opportunities to learn through all the things that arise on the journey... i have had a desire to learn and gain knowledge and equipping in a more education based way..... shortly after my 30th birthday.... there it was...the desire to learn....bubbling up under the surface until i can no longer ignore it....and instead of talking about it i have decided to do something about it....and am on the pursuit of some further training....i guess the older i get i see more and more the condition of the world i am living in and the great need to provide solutions to situations that effect peoples lives.....and in my life i want to be apart of the solution....not sit back hoping someone else puts in the hard work to sort it out.....there is also the possibility that the 'know it all' cloud that once hovered over me in my 20's has moved on and left a more humble 30 year old who sees the need to never stop learning.....

it is happening right here in the UK.....

2009-12-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

read this

i cannot stay silent......

2009-12-07T11:16:00.000-08:00

just wanted to share with you one of my favourtie portions of scripture.....one that has always moved my heart ...and very much how i want to live my life.......i think nothing stirs me more than injustice.....so much so i cannot stay silent and pray i will never do nothing..............

Psalm 82 (The Living Translation)

Give justice to the poor and the orphan;
uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
Rescue the poor and helpless;
deliver them from the grasp of evil people.

thought you may want to read it in another translation..it gives it a new edge......

(The Message)

"Enough! You've corrupted justice long enough,
you've let the wicked get away with murder.
You're here to defend the defenseless,
to make sure that underdogs get a fair break;
Your job is to stand up for the powerless,
and prosecute all those who exploit them.

God makes everything sparkle.....

2009-12-03T23:29:00.000-08:00

......this morning i woke up to our first heavy frost.....it is one of my favourtie things...God makes everything sparkle... winter trees look like they are wrapped in fairy lights and my once average street becomes a magical glistening wonderland....... i love that my Creator loves things to sparkle too :-)

WORLD AIDS DAY TODAY.......

2009-11-30T23:31:00.001-08:00

wear your red ribbon today to help raise awareness.................AIDS is a global emergency that affects every country and every city in the world. Right now there are 33 million people living with HIV – 80,000 of those people are in the UK....every wk in NI approx 2 people are diagnosed with HIV...........

quote of the morning....

2009-11-24T23:42:00.000-08:00

'people don't care how much you know, unless they know how much you care'....

look out for opportunities to make someone's day richer today.....

red ribbon......

2009-11-23T23:56:00.000-08:00

World Aids day belfast....tuesday 1st december

a picture tells a thousand 'beautiful'..

2009-11-17T11:02:00.001-08:00

celebrating failures.......

2009-11-09T23:25:00.000-08:00

love this post that my hubby wrote...very thoughtful........

new read.....

2009-11-09T12:06:00.001-08:00

just arrived...looking forward to getting stuck in tonight.......

i love this city...

2009-11-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

i love this city.....i love being in it...it just brings something alive in me..it feels like home.....i love seeing how it has changed and grown and been transformed from all that it has lived through....greater things have yet to come from this special little place called Belfast........

favourite things *8

2009-10-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

today has been RAIN.... RAIN.... RAIN...puddles deep enough to take a swim in........so my new favourite things are my short HUNTER lace ups .......they were my perfect companion today....made me want to jump in the puddles instead of going around them......

unexpected.....

2009-10-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

today i was blessed with a most unexpected treat today from my friends beautiful boutique.........Red Ruby Rouge.............brought sunshine to a dull rainy autumn day.....

early bird or night owl?....

2009-10-29T00:37:00.000-07:00

which are you?..........i used to be an early bird...as soon as i was awake i hit the ground running.........now it seems i like to wake up slowly with a cup of tea and a bit of quiet.....although in saying that...a strange transformation takes place on weekends or annual leave days.......i seem to turn into an early bird waking up before the alarm and ready to go..................so which are you.....early bird or night owl....or trapped somewhere in the middle?......

get your own coat....

2009-10-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

last night i stumbled upon a documentary on Fur Farming....killing animals for their coats all in the name of fashion....some of the images were so disturbing i can't even bring myself to put any on this blog......for those of you brave enough i have put a snippet of the documentary below........it is horrifying how cruel mankind can be to living creatures all for their own gain...images of animals being skinned alive...wild animals like Arctic foxes and mink being kept in tiny cages until they are big enough to be killed for their fur....horrendous....the stuff nightmares are made of......this is a huge industry and very much alive and well..fur is appearing more and more on runways and big designers are using real fur..for example during Paris fashion week it was reported that over 40 names used fur in their collections....celebrities are wearing real fur...all advocating that it is ok to do so.....when did this suddenly come about .......for those who believe there is such a thing as ethical fur farms.....think again....the way fur is bought and sold to the masses makes it impossible to tell what fur you are wearing and how it was harvested.......we do not live in the dark ages......with no other choice to keep us warm...we have no reason to farm wild animals and keep them caged and kill them for their fur...we have plenty of fibers to use to make clothing and fashionable items ...........

Take a look....who has most need of their coat?......

warning this documentary does contain upsetting images...........

Good people are good to their animals;
the "good-hearted" bad people kick and abuse them
proverbs 12v10
The Bible (message version)

The Harper Organisation.....

2009-10-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

check out and support this great movement...something very close to the heart of God and my own...

Soloist.............

2009-09-27T04:59:00.000-07:00

watched this long awaited movie last night...i was not disappointed..........

Learn to do good.
Seek justice.
Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows

isaiah 1:15-20

without walls........

2009-09-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

this is what we have been up to lately:

without walls cohort

favourite things *7

2009-08-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

one of my favourite things is seeing the nights draw in after summer.....the air smells like autumn and i begin to look forward to lighting my fire for the first time and long walks in cosy jumpers....we haven't exactly had much summer weather..so i am ready to move on and fully embrace the next season......

freedom writers....

2009-08-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

watched this movie last night...based on a true story....it was so powerful....if you have not seen it i highly recommend it...i must admit to shedding a few tears.....a fresh reminder how one person can make a difference...and things can change ....even if they have been the same way for a long time.....

what would they see?

2009-08-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

This last 6 months or so have been a very different season in my life and walk with God.........Stuart and i came out of full time ministry as we felt God calling us to live differently and engage more in our community instead of being bogged down with program that mostly kept us behind church walls......it has been eye opening in more ways than i had imagined........for those of us who have spent many years in christian employment..it is so easy to over time allow your work to be your relationship with God.....reading the bible is done with looking for a good sermon in the back of your mind..and our time spent in worship is at times distracted as we are leading the service etc...........we can easily confuse Gods approval of our life by the work we do for him...and somewhere along the road we lose the ability to simply... be.....to walk with Him to Know him... our relationship with God should be central to our service rather than our service being central to our relationship........if it were all stripped away and all that was left was you and God.....would your anchor hold?.........where is your identity found..................in Him...........or in what you do for Him........i feel he would rather have time with just us instead of endless program and meetings......we need some of that to of course...but it should never be more important than our personal relationship..........if we didn't have all the stuff we do in church or ministry to show people we love Jesus....what would they see of Him in your life...? Are you being the Church or just going through the motions?...

new book arrival..

2009-07-25T05:19:00.000-07:00

stuart blessed me with a new read.....it arrived this morning.........both my mum and sister are reading this book and i cant wait to get started....francine river's has such an anointing on her life to write.......her ability to draw you into the story and bring the characters to life is amazing......if you are looking for a new read....join me.....or if you have read it already let me know what you thought...without giving to much away :-)...

little boy in the wrong suit.....

2009-07-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

yesterday i nipped to the restroom at a cafe and on approaching i heard a little boy crying and shouting...'help me.... help me...... i'm locked in'..while thumping on the door................heart strings tugged.....i quickly assured him i would get him out...i ran off to get a useful tool to unscrew the lock and free him...on the journey i found his mum who joined me on the rescue......when the door opened a little boy dressed in his full spiderman outfit was revealed .....he ran into his mums arms sobbing.still traumatized from his ordeal....satisfied my work was done.....i went on into the ladies and as i closed the door..i heard the sobbing fade and the little boy say...'mummy if i had been wearing my Darth Vader suit i could've got myself out'.........that sentence alone made me smile the rest of the day..............

God so loved the WORLD.....

2009-07-12T05:04:00.000-07:00

picked this book of the shelf yesterday..didn't even know we owned it.......i haven't put it down yet......we all need to get clued up about the world we live in.....and the damage we are doing......and how we can bring effective change before its to late....

IJM.....

2009-07-07T01:24:00.000-07:00

we also came across this ministry...IJM...

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems.

these guys are doing some amazing things in the most difficult places and circumstances...check them out...

Brian Mclaren...

2009-07-07T01:16:00.000-07:00

stuart and i were at Rehab the last couple of days ..which was the over 18's venue at Summer Madness...we sat in several seminars by Brian Mclaren.. loved what he had to say...and more than that ... loved how he said it...he is so humble and full of wisdom and grace....i was only sad when it came to an end as i felt there was so much more to learn from this guy........we desperatly need these 'Fathers' in the faith..........looking forward to the release of his new book in the next year or so..

the real thing??

2009-07-06T11:37:00.001-07:00

last night we were driving home and i noticed this new billboard advertisement for Belfast Zoo........

when i saw it, out of my mouth came 'how sad....seeing the real thing is a lion thats lost his 'roar' behind bars .(note the word wild bottom left).. on our honeymoon we had the privilege of being on the Serengeti in Kenya seeing lions roam wild in their natural habitat..i have been spoiled ever since...seeing this stirred something deeper on the inside of me.....is this evidence of the culture we live in ..to choose the safe option instead of living adventurously....that we are happy to follow a tame Jesus that won't ask us to do anything that would take us out from the comfort of our caged lives? ...i am reminded of the C. S Lewis quote from Chroniciles of Narnia when Lucy is asking about Aslan.... ... "Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy. "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. ... Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. ......

favourite things *5

2009-06-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

one of my favorite things is the smell of the ocean on a warm summers evening......

another way is possible......

2009-06-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

a week or so ago i was walking to my car where i park for work ..when i saw an extremely tall guy opening the door to his little white mini ...i thought that in itself would be fun to watch .....when from behind came his wife holding the hand of their little toddler and carrying a little baby..i watched stunned as this family of four all piled into this itsy bitsy car...one which is even smaller than my bubble on wheels......why has this stuck in my mind i wondered...and i guess.. it's cause it has challenged me in the whole area of materialism...that there is always the pressure and expectation to buy bigger and better....and a silent expectancy that when people have kids they automatically need to find the cash to get a bigger model to hold their expanding brood...............well i have proof it's not necessary...i witnessed one very tall man his average sized wife one toddler and one baby all get into this car and be seated and strapped in safely...and this wasn't just a one of cause their real car exploded..i see them every day.......i find it inspiring in the age we live.....it is possible to live differently and go against the flow....another world is possible.....it just depends on whether or not we want to pay the cost that goes hand in hand with going against the grain......

tick tock........

2009-06-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

"What I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it."
Author Unknown

time is one of the most important gifts we can give to someone....and more importantly to God..lately i have felt like time is slipping by so quickly......and not that it has been filled with meaningless things. some are important some necessary and some fun but also there are some parts of time i know i waste.........i really want to try and become more organised in certain areas of my life....so that less precious time is wasted.......it has always been said that time flies when you get older..but i overheard an old man say last week that it used to be the case ....but these days it goes just as fast for young people too............what does that say about the age we are living in.....blink and you will miss it.....what are you spending your time on???.......

never let go.......

2009-05-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

i was driving to work this morning with this david crowder band song playing in the background....i was singing along not really paying attention to the words.....when suddenly i began crying while singing and the words started standing out..and God was speaking to me through them..........

You Never Let Go

When clouds veil sun
And disaster comes
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
When waters rise
And hope takes flight
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul

Ever faithful
Ever true
You I know
You never let go
You never let go
You never let go
You never let go

When clouds brought rain
And disaster came
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
When waters rose
And hope had flown
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul

Oh, my soul
Overflows
Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, my soul
Fills hope
Perfect love that never lets go

Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, what love, oh, what love
In joy and pain
In sun and rain
You?re the same
Oh, You never let go

thankfully He never lets go...even when i become busy and distant ,,,He never moves......even when i get it wrong time and again....he never gives up.......even when life throws everything at me....He is able to bring me though..........ever faithful and ever true.........

if you have walked away...HE HAS NEVER LET GO.........

perfect timing....

2009-05-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

what poetic timing ...i opened relevant magazine on my birthday and this was the article i found....

We were gathered to celebrate one of our friends crossing into his 30s, the first from the group besides 50-somethil'lg Kris.

"What did you just say?" I grimaced at her. "You're all going to love being 30. The whole decade of your 30s is fabulous!" Despite being well shy of the normal age for dementia, I thought Kris must be losing it.

The food arrived and the little ones grew quiet while they smeared pizza in every direction, sometimes even mouths. I listened carefully while Kris explained her outlandish statement. ·Later, I mulled over this strange teaching from my wise elder. My brow remained furrowed, but I vowed to investigate once I turned 30 in two years' time.

I'm now approaching 32. I love my 30s, and you can, too. Here's why.

Thirty-two is two times 16, which is when

I thought I became an adult. I considered

my adulthood as starting at that tender

age because I could then hurtle along at owtrageous speeds in a metal box with rubber wheels, potentially able to kill any number of people in my path. That, if nothing else, is not a responsibility to entrust to a child.

At 18, I received legal permission to die defending my country (though I didn't). And

I moved out of my folks' home permanently just before I turned 19. There was a beer

on my 21st, and marriage a few months

later. Surely these marked the passage into adulthood. Then a little creature named Phoebe entered the world v.tlen r \'las 25, and I became "Daddy." Wrth a bit oi help from my

wife, I could actually make people.

But an uneasiness accompanied all of

these stages. I didn't quite feel like an adult, and other adults didn't seem to regard

me as one. From my peers to my parents' generation, no one regarded me as a grownup. Not much was expected from me in any sphere. I still hovered awkwardly in family gatherings, sat lowest in the pecking order at work, and in church I wasn't really allowed to lead anything except young adult ministries.

Upon entering my 30s, though, something shifted in how people saw me. Probably I

was standing taller-my shoulders finally broadened from my scrawny wedding picture. But I also had more than just a couple months or a year of experience

in a few things. People consulted me on important questions. I started to feel not just grown-up but downright presidential!

From puberty, most people enter a decadelong search for who they are, why they're here and where they're going. Our heads spin: the world is your oyster, the sky's the limit, see it and be it, dream big, shoot for the moon.

This smorgasbord of opportunities and the ability to visualize doing anything, plus the pressure of finding a mate and a source of income, leads us to a state of mental anguish. What if we fail? What if we change our minds? We carry the angst of having to move quickly and enjoy everything, or else the train of happy living might pass us by.

To some extent, the questions and concerns are valid. The choices and advances we make in our 20s can take us in radically different directions for the rest of our lives. But we let the pressure crush us, leading to stress or paralysis. For me, this angst led me to move 35 times while in my 20s, with 12 different jobs, including part-time gigs. I can partly attribute these moves to a desire to do whatever work God had for me anywhere in the world. But I also know now that a share of my choices followed my own psychological need to find the "best," the "right."

Entering my 30s, this pressure is off. Yes, I'm still pushing in new directions, trying to achieve more, considering new work and places. There's not the same force behind it, though. I'm comfortable knowing I will get where I'm going eventually.

In my 20s, I tried to show that I was grown up. I wanted to do what was necessary to get "promoted" from the kids' table.

During my 20s, I met weekly with a group of Christians ranging in age from 21 to 72. I remember thinking the group must be grateful to have a few of us young ones adding pep to the geriatrics. Looking back now, I see that we gained as much, if not more, from them. They also had to forgive plenty of our twentysomething quirks. We thought we knew more than we actually did. We'd contribute the latest thing we'd learned, as if no one had ever learned that lesson. We brought seemingly urgent prayers for the next major life decision. We attempted to reduce our angst by showing we could shoot for the moon, all the while fearing we might blow it to smithereens.

Now, I'm 32 and things have changed. I've made my share of mistakes, but life goes on. I don't need to prove to anyone else that I'm an adult because I feel like I actually am one.

We tend to think of aging as a downward spiral. From 25 years onward, aging equals deterioration. We expect to say goodbye to laughing regularly, dating without the everlooming word "marriage," and playing pick-up basketball without inflicting damage to joints and ligaments. Meanwhile we say hello to forgetfulness, high insurance premiums, and a peer group that goes to bed at 9 p.m. and barely keeps up with the fashions of the '90s.

In my conversation with Kris, she had something positive to say about every decade-exploring your identity in your 20s, finding footholds in your 30s, and she said that our 40s and 50s will be alright, too. I see her and other friends her age gracefully tackling life changes, like becoming a regional director of an organization or helping their children select a college, and I suspect she's right. I even know some 70-year-olds who make me look forward to that decade-I can't wait to sit in my armchair, occasionally looking out at my bird feeder and telling my 25-yearold friends to stop stressing about everything.

But for now, Kris was right-I love my 30s. ~

3 and 0...................

2009-05-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

as i write this i have only a couple of hours left in my twenties..before i move forward into a whole new decade...season...chapter in this adventure of live....driving to work this morning i began to reflect over the last ten years and started remembering just the huge amount that has gone during these years ....from walking up the isle to marry stuart at the age of 20....to all the opportunites and experiences....joys and and heartbreaks...amazing people i have shared hearts with.... which all have very much shaped who i am today..i just became overwhelmed and began the thank God that i made it through to the other side still holding onto Him......i feel my twenties have been a foundation laid in my life for the bigger picture and plan God has for my life to be built upon and expand......so i am moving into this new land of 3 and 0 with expectation ....a little sadness that life passes so quickly....but gratefulness to my Father God for all he has done and all he has yet to do..i give him all the glory...........

breaking the silence...................

2009-05-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

there has been a blogging famine at pink world of ally...not because i have nothing to say (i can hear some of you laughing)...but because my weeks have been so full..... i have not taken time to sit down and type.......so this mini post is breaking the silence.....

if you follow me on twitter you will see i am fasting coffee for the rest of the week.......for several reasons.....
1. i have become to dependent on my caffeine kick in the morning....instead of going to bed earlier
2. i have been drinking much to much and my tummy hates me for it
3. cause i think it will be good for me

anything God is encouraging to you to give up for a few days....

booze and bibles..............

2009-04-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

i will be there morrow night ...check it out and join us

beauty is in the eye of the beholder............

2009-04-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

such a beautiful day today...i had expected rain...but instead had sunshine......we took our lovely wee dog to our favourite beach to gallop chasing her favourite object....her beloved tennis ball..........my brother happened to be in the area and he and his wife and my nephew all joined us....with ice cream cones and a ball game....which i feel the boys took far to seriously........it was so refreshing.....i love open spaces...............the beach is one of my favourite places...where i can exhale.. connect with God and feel refreshed......i asked my four year old nephew to find me something beautiful on the beach for me to keep...i had in mind something sparkly or a pretty shell or stone....he took the challenge and set off...within moments of 'searching'.....he came running hand outstretched holding discovered treasure for me ........a big black stone covered in sand........beauty really is in the eye of the beholder..i guess to find real treasure you have to be prepared to 'really' search....anyway i said thank you and dusted it off and placed it in my pocket...which i am sure i will rediscover in a couple weeks time.........

smile......

2009-04-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

today as i was walking to work....rushing along under the weight of my bag and all the things i was trying to juggle.......an old lady was making her way along the street towards me...she was bent in two and slowly shuffling along with the aid of a stick..... when i came level with her......she lifted her head and greeted me with the biggest SMILE ever.......and said 'good morning'........well....she may aswell of handed me a big bar of chocolate...cause it lifted my spirt and made me grin all the way down the street to the front door of my work..........and throughout the day it has come back to memory and blessed me........that lady had every excuse to complain....as every step she took was such an effort...but yet she was enjoying her journey and taking time to look up.............it really challenged me.....take time to look up.....no matter how much a struggle your day is.........you could miss a blessing..........

face to face..............

2009-04-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

what did we do for communication before, blogging, facebook, twitter..texting........the list goes on and on.......it makes me laugh...these days i don't seem to be able to resist a new form of communication....i hope i don't lose the ability to actually just sit across from someone .....making eye contact..... and sharing hearts......what do you think? ...i wonder do these new ways allow us to keep making our lives busier and busier cause we can do a quick tweet or update our blog in an attempt to build relationships and connect with others......as much as i enjoy all these new forms of expression that are ever shrinking the world ...i can't help shake the thought..'what is it going to look like for humanity in 50 years time'........will we become a people shut of from reality ......reaching out for contact through the good old www..... all the while desperately craving human contact instead of a blank screen....but unable to remember how ......i think we need to make sure we work hard to remain face to face as we get drawn deeper into this ever growing virtual world......

are you ready to be you?.......

2009-04-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

stuart and i are speaking at a church weekend away and as you may have seen from stuarts blog the subject is 'Identity'.......and it really struck me tonight while preparing just how much God has healed me in this area.........i can honestly say i like being me...i have grown to accept who God made me to be...when i now look in the mirror i see myself.....not lots of flaws and hang ups i used to see..............as i have faced up over the last few years to my weaknesses in bare honesty before God and begun to really allow Him to bring truth and healing to the very core of me.....learning to live trusting Him instead of hiding behind all my deeply embedded coping mechanisms the fruit has been...i have learnt to except me.......God's question to us is.......are you ready to be you?......

note to self.......

2009-03-31T12:16:00.000-07:00

do you ever know all is not ok but you cant put your finger on what's different......well that was how i was feeling late this afternoon....i normally finish work at 5:30pm and today i couldnt understand why it had gone so quiet and why everyone around me seemed to be going home extra early....i kept checking my mobile phone which was my watch as well today as i forgot my wrist one..... and it said 4:30pm.....so i got on with some work and busied myself for a while longer...all the while thinking...it is such the ghost town here this afternoon.....then my phone rings and stuart asks 'are you home yet'...to which i reply 'no, dont be silly its only 5pm'........stuart laughs not sure if i am serious or not and says.....alison what time is it.....annoyed at being asked such a silly question..i look at the little clock near my desk and ..say 6.10pm......penny drops.....ahhhhhhhhhh.........my mobile phone hadn't changed automatically from the time change the other day and here i am wasting my time away at work when i should be home eating my tea.......no wonder the day felt never ending.........i hung up andnot wanting to waste any more precious time and swiftly made my way to the car............feeling like quite the sad girl.....note to self......update clock on phone asap...........

favourite things *4

2009-03-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

it's been a while..but here is one of my all time favourite things......this thing takes me straight back to my childhood every time and is as comforting as a hot drink on a cold day or putting your socks on after they have heated up on the radiator..........here it is........

i love to listen to the call of the wood pigeon in the early morning....and just to bless me i often have one sitting on my chimney top on sunny mornings and his call echos down into the living room........:-)

listen out for him..........

forever being changed.....

2009-03-27T01:23:00.000-07:00

i have been reminded afresh over the last few days.....how much my life has changed since i first met Jesus and began following Him...........it is so easy to be lulled into a sense of not going anywhere or that nothing is changing in our lives fast enough.............we need to be reminded to look back and see how far He has brought us.........as i remember back to the day i gave my life to Him 15 years ago i am amazed at who i have become.....from a broken mess full of anger and hurt ........ to one filled with joy, peace and purpose..........i would be nothing without HIm and i am grateful that He will complete the good work He started all those years ago...............i heard someone say 'i am not were i want to be yet...but thank goodness i am not were i once was'......

take a moment today to look back and see how far He has brought you.......................its a marathon not a sprint.........

pinatas and helium balloons..................

2009-03-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

today was my little nieces 2nd birthday party....i think it has been quite some time since i consumed so much sugar....and i must admit on occasion being a little more hyper than the kids......maybe it was the intake of helium from stray balloons that did it ..i'm not sure....... when the kids struggled to break open the pinatas to release the goodies...the grown ups were very quick to step up and give it their best shot....at one point launching it free into the sky missing my mums head by a whisker......i on the other hand used my two year old niece as my cover story saying she needed help to hit it as she was to little to reach.......i think that on the inside we are all little kids waiting for a moment to drop our grown up guard and take our best shot at the pinatas...eat jelly....and make our voices like mickey mouse with the thanks of left over balloons............happy birthday lovely becca.......sleep well....x

we choose peace................

2009-03-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

our wee country has been shaken this last couple of days with the shooting of two soldiers and one policeman and others seriously injured.....a flashback into the past of what used to be sadly common place...years later ..standing out starkly on front pages of newspapers....today i had a lady come into my workplace...who was shaken and in tears...as the motorway was closed due to further scares..and she could not get home.......she said through tears....i dont have the strength to go through this again...meaning the mindless hateful shedding of innocent blood on this land..........i said to her.....we as a people cannot be silent.....we need to join our voices and proclaim aloud...that we refuse to go backwards ...we refuse to walk the old path of violence...we choose peace and we refuse to settle for anything less..................she dried her eyes and said....yes you are right.........
as the church we need to be heard and seen in these days more than ever.....leading the way of peace......we do not have the time to be complacent.....expecting someone else to fix it.........

soar in the storms...................

2009-03-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

i have been so bad at blogging this last few weeks.......as i feel that there is so much going on i dont know where to start...so sometimes instead of just choosing one thing..i do nothing........i am in the throws of diving into a new job at the moment.....and still living in a building site...after the flood..........so much is happening in the world of ally........in the midst of all this excitement i am always learning more about myself and being stretched in my walk with God.....having so much in my life changing all at once..is always fertile land for God do do some refining....and my goodness...He is making good use of this time..................one thing God has been speaking to me about this week in the midst of all that is going on ........is to be like the eagle and learn to soar in the storm......Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it. The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher

the rest of my thai trip journal........

2009-02-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

the rest of my thailand trip journal is moved to our adoption blog....

thailand..................day one......

2009-02-12T00:46:00.000-08:00

the night before we left for Thailand..i had pulled my back............so thankfully when we got to amsterdam the flight on China airways was not full so they gave us an extra seat to enable me to stretch it out...so grateful....stuart was ever the gentleman and sacrificed his comfort for me ..thank you....during the flight i felt waves of emotion come over me every so often...a mixture of i cant believe we are going to the land that will become apart of our lives forever...and being surrounded with 80% men on the plane alot of who were going to Thailand for other reasons.......when we landed and arrived in immigration the queues were endless and the first greeting was the heat mixed with the smell of food......i was glad for my trusty handheld fan...stuart mocked..but i noticed many an envious glance as people tried to make their own fans.............always be prepared.............

eventually we got through and were met with out private transfer.........how grateful was i to see and air con Mercedes when those next to me were getting into a hot tin mini bus...i may have cried if that was me......especially when you leave and irish winter and land in 35 degrees C.............off we went being whizzed in and out of the Bangkok traffic....instantly noticing the unique driving skills of the motoring community ....indicators are just to make a fancy light show...nothing else......
when we pulled up to our first hotel.we were surround by bell boys all around the car and greeted with multiple bows and smiles...what a welcome...all the tiredness fell away and we were blown away with their welcome.......the hotel was amazing ....we went to the restaurant for a complimentary drink ..stuart chose coffee....unwise when u want to sleep soon i pondered....i thought i would try the thai iced tea..thinking that would be refreshing...........i was wrong.......it was thick condensed milk with tea mixed in..not what i was expecting...stuarts coffee looked good.......

we slept for a few hours....and then went to meet our tour adviser...who was very sweet..........when we had gone through everything..we asked her to translate into thai the address for the social worker at the adoption centre we were to meet the next day..........she was very puzzled as to why we wanted to go there...i think it was a first for her....but she went a step further and phoned the office instead making sure all the arrangements where in place...............

,that night we went to the two night markets in bangkok..it was a riot of all our senses the sights, sounds, smells., poverty standing alongside wealth ....so much to take in ............we quickly learned to keep our eyes on the pavement while weaving through the crowds as they were all shapes.......there felt just too much to take in with a jet lagged head......after a couple of hours we took a taxi back to our hotel..............

even the taxi rides are a cultural experience...with things written on ceilings incense burning.......multiple gods lined up along the dash........its a wonder the are room for passengers.......

as our first day draws to a close.....i am so glad we came here first before coming to collect our baby..........as i think all at once would have been alot to deal with................

He is faithful......

2009-02-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

i am back after my two week trip to thailand.........we had such a great time packed with so much of everything......it will take a while to process....although we came to earth with a bump as our home had flooded while away...but praise God our neighbours noticed and called the police.....it could have been so much worse...so once it dries out in next two weeks we will have a couple of months building work to enjoy.......life is never dull........but in all these things He is faithful and sees the bigger picture.....

mousey mousey.........

2009-01-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

i was off work on tuesday and took my mum out for lunch to Eden Pottery......very pretty with cute hens roaming about outside...its so close..i am wondering why its taken me so long to go..........lunch was lovely and i had brought along my Thailand guide books to let mum look through the pictures..... more for my enjoyment i think....when we were about to go our separate ways and head for home......she announced that she had hardly slept a wink the night before....due to a chewing sound coming from her attic.......before i knew it i had been talked into her car and on my way to her house to help catch her rodent intruder.............it didn't matter that i was protesting the whole way there ...declaring what little help i would actually be if something tiny and furry made a sudden move in my direction.......she wasn't taking no for an answer.....and with much giggling and shrill screams.........we managed to set out the cheese for mousey.........hopefully he will decide to move house on his own..........

surrounded in seconds........

2009-01-10T07:07:00.001-08:00

we went to our local duck pond today for a walk with jude....wearing about ten layers each..and armed with old bread for the geese and ducks......as soon as we rounded the corner all the geese locked eyes on my bread bag and made a B line for me....within seconds i was surrounded with giant birds....i was a tad nervous......incase they got impatient and began a pecking assault.....as you can see one from one of the pictures...i even dropped my bag...such was the urgency to give the bread out quickly to save myself...:-)...........although i have always had a soft spot for these birds since i watched the movie 'fly away home' many years ago........................

exploding yogurt and bottomless bags of apples.........

2009-01-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

tonight stuart talked me into to going grocery shopping...i wanted to put it off cause i have a great dislike for it....but he lured me with the promise of Costa coffee when we finished...so i agreed........now before we actually started our rounds of the aisles...i set up some guidelines..strict i hear you say...but necessary......as when i shop with stuart i spend my time phoning his mobile asking ....where on earth are you...as once he gets behind that trolly its like i don’t exist ...one minute i am right beside him....stop to look for something...glance up to talk and he is gone...................well this shopping trip turned out to be a comedy act...and i was the act.......i was in the fruit aisle choosing suitable bag of apples...found the perfect type....lifted the bag to put in my now vanished trolly....and the bottom fell out of the bag and the whole aisle was covered in rolling red apples....and of course i had no one to laugh with as stuart had disappeared.....i looked up and immediately noticed a girl at the till had seen the whole thing and quickly averted her eyes...so i wouldn’t see her snigger...so red faced and flustered i started chasing apples and picking them up so the passing elderly didn’t need an ambulance.....................i quickly trotted a few aisles along and was reunited with husband and trolly and quickly gave off for him disappearing and that i had no one to share my embarrassment with.........so on we went to the dairy aisle...and i was trying to choose which yogurt i wanted...i had the ones i wanted turned round ....and you guessed it .......he and the trolly were no where to be seen........muttering about what i was going to do and say to him.....i realised my hand was sticky looked down and i was covered in yogurt....out of hundreds of pots..i had chosen the exploding pot.....and again i was alone covered in yogurt.....and no one to share it with............so i rounded the corner found an assistant and asked for something to clean my jacket..so i didn’t start smelling like baby puke (and for those that know me..yes it was my north face puffa)...one of the assistants kindly offered me his sleeve......by this stage i was fit to be tied........i was sure this shopping trip was a set up.....it took me at least five minutes to locate my lost husband and trolly.....to which i crumpled and insisted on leaving....he wanted to know why my coat was wet..and why i was clutching a big handful of tissue paper........we started sniggering and he convinced me to stay.....i took hold of the trolly for the rest of our trip...and didn’t let go till we reached the checkout..........phew.......an ordinary night out with stuart and alison at the shops......

the barbarian way................

2009-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

started this book today....i love the title 'the barbarian way'......speaks volumes in itself of what it is to really lead a christian life...not a religious life that attends church on Sundays and then lives a double life the rest of the week........but a life dedicated to following Jesus...whatever the cost...wherever He leads.......so challenging......it moves me to be reminded...how easy it is to tame the Lion of Judah...so that we enjoy our salvation....but not have our lives and comfort interrupted.......He died a brutal death on the cross for us to win our freedom..........the least we could do is follow Him with everything...........

butterflies in my tummy........

2009-01-04T23:58:00.000-08:00

stuart left at 7:15am this morning for his first day at his new job.....he was so excited to get started at something totally new..a whole new chapter..........ion the other hand i seem to be carrying his butterflies in my tummy....what a supportive wife i am..........this is the first day of a whole new way of life for us.......exciting.............i love it...............its like God has just opened the holding pen and released us into the wide open expanse with endless adventure awaiting to be lived..............praying you have a brilliant day stuartie...............xx.......

significant day......

2009-01-03T12:45:00.000-08:00

tomorrow will be a significant day for stuart and i.........we are going to church....no that's not it we do that all the time............we will be going to church and not leading anything...wow.....just being there.......worshipping.......fellowshipping...........all those sort of normal things.........its the first time in many many years.......wonder what it will feel like....will it be heavenly..or will i feel like i have forgotten to something................:-)...........anyway we are looking forward to it CFC here we come...home again.....

lovely husband.....

2009-01-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

what a lovely husband i have been blessed with....stuart is off for a couple of days till he starts his new post on monday...and i had to go to work..........when i arrived home tonight.........dinner was being lifted out of the oven....smelling amazing........and a roaring log fire ready to warm up my cold toes............welcomed home.................

the best is yet to come....

2008-12-31T11:03:00.001-08:00

what a year.........well today was stuarts last day at SST church as their youth director...........over the last few weeks we have said all our goodbyes to all the different youth groups and leaders and church as a whole.....and as we step out of 2008 and bravely into 2009...we step into a whole new realm......our first time not in full time youth work.........and in the new year i take up a new post aswell...........so its all change..........we are so excited to see what God is going to birth in 2009...He has guided us so clearly this far........and we know the best is yet to come...................

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone.......may 2009 be packed with blessing, revelation and amazing testimony..........

new picture..............

2008-12-30T14:52:00.000-08:00

hope you all like my new header picture......it was taken by my talented husband over the holidays...it is an early winter morning on portstewart strand beach....which is on the north coast of ireland......... where we got engaged 10 years ago.....its a very beautiful and special place.........

what does he do differently?.........

2008-12-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

do you ever wonder how something doesn't work for you...like a DVD......or some other electrical object...and you are sure you have followed all the rules and done everything correctly...but still nothing...it refuses to co-operate.......then i mention it to my hubby.....who walks straight to it......puts a hand on it....and guess what....it works.......then i receive the ................look.........which means....what on earth were you doing.....just use it properly...................i don't undertand....i really do try to listen and do as i am told......any one else have this happen...or is it only appliances that gang up against me in my house........

its mr perfects fault.............

2008-12-27T10:39:00.001-08:00

well its all this little guys fault...i know its mr perfect you ask....how could he possibly do anything wrong...well i will tell you........night before last stuart and i called down to visit my mum for the evening...we brought some foodie treats..enjoyed snaking together and watching the movie..Wallace and gromit...curse of the were rabbit.....occasionally nodding off and having random conversation....when stuart announced it was time to go home.....so the obedient wife that i am ....i gathered all my bits and pieces from the kitchen table and followed him out to the car..jude tucked underarm.......we had been home about an hour happily snuggled in front of a roaring fire...when the phone rang and a distressed mum....said...did you happen to see my car keys when you were over earlier.....i thought for a moment ...confidently replied...no.......she said she had torn the house apart of over an hour without success....i helpfully gave her a few spots to check..said goodbye....carried on enjoying my fire and watching some TV.....another hour passed...phone rang........panic stricken mum.....voice shaken...says...i am trying not to panic..to late i think...but i have walked the garden with a torch..emptied the bin onto the garage floor looked under and above every object in the house...they are no where to be found......remembering to myself that i was known as the best finder in my family growing up...i decide to stay on the line and talk her through different hidy holes.....imagining all the places they could have sneaked to......after about 30 mins of my services......mum says..there is no way you could have taken them...NO.....i say to be ridiculas...while i walk to the kitchen ....i was only wearing my jacket...as i stoop to put my hand in my pocket..and in the same motion pull out a set of keys.....stunned and silent i stare.....these cant be yours i ask....with a mr perfect key ring.....YES.....she screams...they are...................i said a few words i cant recall................i had them all along..................as i said its all mr perfect key-ring..........i bought it for stuart years ago.....and for years it was on his car keys...and a few months ago.....we gave mum a spare key to our house and i stuck it on his old key ring................mum joined it onto her car keys and the rest is history.............needless to say i had to out my shoes on and drive to her house and return the keys..............as they were the only set...............sorry mum..............

people watching.........

2008-12-20T14:54:00.001-08:00

one of my favorite pastimes is..........people watching....i never tire of it...........it was a rainy cold saturday today so stuart and i hid out for a while in one of our most loved cafes ‘open house’ not only do they make great coffee...but they have the biggest floor to ceiling window with seats all along...perfect..... you can sip away while observing..........such sights pass by...........today we had a lady getting so cross cause people kept bumping into her oversized umbrella....never mind the fact she was almost taking their eye out as she walked down the middle of the street with her umbrella shielding her vision.......

this started stuart of on one of his pet hates....the dangers of walking in crowded streets in the rain.....apparently protective eye wear should be issued ...so he feels........and many interesting fashion statements.....one in particular sticks in my mind was two young girls wearing thigh high illuminous socks with shorts...each to their own i say...makes for interesting viewing...............i love trying to imagine what people are up to and what kind of life they lead...and conversations they are having...stuart says i am wasted and should have been a detective..............take time out to see what sights pass by your window today.........

memories...........

2008-12-18T15:40:00.000-08:00

tonight was the last night of our 20's cell group.....its so hard to believe......i have to admit it has been one of the most special parts about our time spent at SST....we have been blessed sharing our lives with this amazing group and seeing how God shaped it and all of us.....they blew us away tonight...with the most amazing 'memories' scrap book..that i think is one of the most precious gifts we have been given....and a giant wicker hamper stuffed with so many wonderful treats...and Thai spending money 'well elephant riding money'......for the first time in a very long time i was ...speechless......words could not be found tonight to express how much we love and will miss these guys...and how the memories we made together will be threads woven through our tapestry of life....... you all know who you are...keep running the race.....don't give up.......never settle for the ordinary..keep standing out in a world that wishes you would blend in ...but desperately needs you not to.....

toot...toot..........

2008-12-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

today was a day to remember.........we added a new addition to our family........a new car for me.......this is my first very own not shared cute little car..............we got up early this morning and went to collect it..and there it was all shiny....bright eyed and bushy tailed and waiting to come home with us and keep our other car company in the drive at night..........incase you wonder what it looks like imagine peppa pigs head turned upside down and there you have it....

cute..a little cartoon car all for me........toot toot..........

the Great I Am..........

2008-12-10T03:49:00.000-08:00

God was so right when he said 'I Am'.....He is not the God who dwells in the past or waits in the future but lives in the right now with us...............sometimes i find it tempting to visit the place of the 'what ifs'.......which of course is only tormenting as 'what ifs' are impossible...........we cannot live only in the future with our hopes and dreams.......and we most certainly will not find life and freedom if we only choose to dwell in the place of the past.........the place God reminded me to dwell last night is in the 'right now' with him.........as he holds my future and guides my steps.............and promises to use my past experiences breakthroughs and mistakes to bring hope to others in this broken world.... and lead them to Him........

hot cordial...........it works..............

2008-12-09T04:55:00.000-08:00

i have had the rotten flu the last few days...so not even been up to blogging...i know shocking............stuart says that i am the worst patient ever.........not sure i agree :-).........well my mum rang me this morning to say that she read in the newspaper that drinking hot fruit cordial helps fight of cold/flu virus .......something my mum used to always give me if i was sick............so stuart nipped to the shop and came back with a bottle of ribena and as i sipped on a cosy mugful.......it was like my childhood comforts came flooding back...................so maybe its not really that it helps medically....but more like it bring us the comfort and safety of childhood memories when we are feeling a little vulnerable and weak....................so for the rest of the day i will be working my way through that cordial bottle......staying cosy under lots of blankets.......and looking forward to feeling me again...........................

favourite things *3

2008-12-04T11:53:00.000-08:00

one of my most favourite things are my beloved 'uggs'...let me tell you i could be a very successful sales rep for these squishy, cosy delights...i got my first pair over two years ago and i have to confess...my other shoes......hardly get a look in.....they have been my extra special friends over the last few days of below minus temps...brrrrrrrrrrr.......but my toes are always snug.........

change part 2*

2008-12-02T01:05:00.000-08:00

well for some reason today feels the day to share another blog i have been writing for about a year, check it out here

as you will see we have been on this adventure for over a year now....and as its such a long process in this country ...lasting a few years...we felt it better to wait until we have moved along the process a little first..........please forgive many spelling mistakes..as up until now it has been a diary so we wont forget any dates and details........

tapestry of life...............

2008-11-30T06:55:00.000-08:00

as we are on the countdown for the last few weeks of service at shorestreet..we are beginning to realise that there are lots of very special people we are going to miss having in our lives on a regular basis......it is always exciting to move into a new season..with endless possibilities and new experiences...but this morning as i looked around...i must admit to feeling a little lump in my throat....as following Jesus and moving when the pillar of fire moves....is not only challenging for us....but also for those who are left behind.............but i know there are those who are part of the tapestry of our lives..who God has placed in our hearts for a season and then those who we will live this adventure alongside us at different stages yet to come..........'all things work together....'.........yes i love change........but its not always easy in the transition..........

change is here.......part 1

2008-11-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

well it has finally arrived...we are moving into a new season.............see stuarts blog for the first installment...........life is never boring chasing the Wild Goose................

learn the unforced rhythms of grace......

2008-11-27T09:42:00.001-08:00

i read this on a blog i follow a couple of days ago..and it has stayed with me..i particularly love it in the message....

The words of Jesus from Matthew 11

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

and the same passage in The Message version of the bible

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

i really love the line.......i will show you how to take a real rest....and .......learn the unforced rhythms of grace...............

it is possible.......

2008-11-25T00:53:00.000-08:00

was just noticing a sticker stuart has stuck on the back of his work laptop which says

another world is possible

i love this - and was just thinking afresh what that would look like....if i lived the life i talk about.........

i just don't......

2008-11-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

we live in an interesting world.........and again we are rapidly moving into the 'silly season' for those of you that know me well you will know i don't celebrate Christmas.....for many reasons.......this is not a new decision but one i have gladly stood by for more than ten years...i can hear some of you gasp....thinking to yourself..i thought she was a committed christian...how could she possibly not celebrate Christmas of all things.........easy.....i just don't...........the 25th December comes and goes in my house like any other...and it is liberating.........more so than ever before.....when people ask me have i started my Christmas shopping yet....and i say no..we don't buy xmas gifts in my family...but bless each other throughout the year with treats .....instead of going in to debt and stress to buy things not wanted or needed just because it happens to be the 25th December.......instead of the strange looks and disdain i have often been met by..... i am now met with longing eyes and the remark..i wish i could do that.....you can..........we do so many things because of tradition..some good..some not so good....or because it has always been done.......or everyone else seems to be doing it.......without really asking .....why am i doing this...and what is it all rooted in?....well i asked that question years ago.. God clearly answered.... here i stand........standing out.........

i love days off......................

2008-11-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

i had a lovely day off toady....started slowly...always good on a day off......then talked hubby into joining me for an hour or two shopping in town..it was time for a cosy winter coat purchase, to fend of the biting wind...its so cosy.....then we got lunch at Nando's ...which certainly helped us see better (lots of chili and spices)......then home again..........and evening coffee with my brother and his family......i love days off.....back to work tomorrow..........

he began to make it beautiful.......

2008-11-17T02:58:00.000-08:00

last night as i was talking at one of our youth groups..God reminded me of a moment in my life..when He broke through the silence...and changed my life forever........people can try to use intellectual arguments to try proving God does not exist....some even spend their whole lives trying .......but no one .....no matter who they are can ever rob me of my personal experience with a living God who heard my cry many years ago and broke into my mess and began to make it beautiful..........i got quite emotional as i recounted that moment..cause it is as real to me today as it was then..........that was the first of many....i worship and serve a God who hears me and ...........responds........

favourite things *2

2008-11-16T06:58:00.000-08:00

i love days when the sky is bright blue....but its cold enough to see your breath.....