Friendship Prayers

We cleaned out our filing cabinet today. We were ruthless. We contributed to the death of the planet. We tried not to by putting the piles of paper in the recycling bin. We didn't keep much at all. But I did keep this. Because is this worth far more than the paper it is on.

Prayers from the Year Eight Camp 2007

(Written by the year 8 students after reading through bible verses on friendship during devotion one evening. I haven't changed anything about these prayers from the pieces of paper they were handed to me on.)

Dear God, please help anybody in the world to have friends. Amen

Dear God, Thank you for giving us a life with friends and family. Amen

Dear God please keep people safe and not lonely. And help people through the hard times. Amen

Dear God, please help us to see ourselves as us and not care what others think of us. Amen

Dear GOd, Please help us to make close friends and to keep them for life. Amen

Dear Lord, we pray that through this camp the year 8's can build strong friendships that will last forever. Amen

Dear God, please help us to remember to not judge people by their looks but what's inside. Amen (Prov 27:19)

Dear God, friends are people who we should trust but we should still forgive our enemies. In your name we pray, Amen

Dear God, please allow us to help our friends when they are in need of help. Let us have the courage to sacrifice things for our friends. Amen

Help us to be honest to those we care about. Amen

Dear God, give us the strength of wisdom for the rest of our lives. Amen

Dear God, we thank you for everything in this beautiful world. We ask you to help the world see that just a small thing can make a huge difference, even just to one person. Please help us to see what friend is worth and to help us keep them. And friends are nice. Amen.

- - 0 O 0 - -

Is there wisdom here for us from these "babe's"? I know there is for me.

Like my pictures? (Closed)

{This competition is closed. Thanks for joining in!}

Ever thought one might look nice on your lounge room wall? Or your on your desk?

Well, since this is my 350th post here I feel like celebrating - by giving away an 8x12 inch print of one of my photos.

The winner will be able to choose any image from my Flickr account to be printed and posted to them. (I reserve the right to say 'not that one' to any image with people in them if I deem it inappropriate for the winner to have a picture of that person.)

How to Enter:

• Add a comment with your name and place where you would hang your print if you win.
• That's it!

I will choose the winner the old fashioned way - names on paper out of a hat - and will announce it here in 10 days time (8th March) - which just happens to be my birthday!

Now... Go! Comment away. And, Good Luck!

Back to School

Truly!

Tomorrow morning I am heading back to St Pauls College to sign 9 hours a week of my life away to sharing the job of Boarding House Chaplain. Yep! Back at the same school and back in the boarding house - although under a guise that suits me a bit better I think. And I'm pretty excited about it too.

I know I said I was having a break from youth ministry but, well, I guess something (Someone?!) just calls you back to where your gifts are and where you are needed. What better place for a person to be right?

At this stage I think I'll mostly be taking on the girls while Paul looks after the boys. Suits me fine! And some of the overlap stuff... not really sure about the details but then ministry like that usually works around the gifts of the person doing the ministry combined with the needs of those being cared for at the time. It's a little transient - like me.

So there you go. That's my big "I have NEW JOB' news!

As for the studio work.... It's not super busy at the moment so she's coping with out a second pair of hands for now....

Happy Day of Love!

I made 60 of these and 80 heart shaped biscuits with red icing for morning tea at church today. One elderly lady, whose husband died a few years ago, made me especially glad I went to the effort when she said "Thank you for the special gift. I don't have a valentine anymore so this is really nice."

I hope that whatever your marital status is that you feel loved today.

Album Love

Maybe we live under a rock but - Have you heard of Owl City? Until a week ago we hadn't.

Then Joel's brilliant sister gave him this album for his birthday.

Now I think we know most of the songs off by heart. We LOVE Owl City! Catchy tunes and entertaining, heartfelt lyrics make us smile and want to sing along.

Check them out and see what you think.

And expect to listen to them if you visit us soon!

Perspective Check

Today as I baked cookies and cupcakes Joel was sitting with an elderly gentleman as he died. Sure gives me perspective on my life and reminds to enjoy the countless blessings God has given me instead of pulling sour faces at everything and whinging about nothing.

And to be nicer to Joel - his job is tough.

We have returned!

And I don't think we're going anywhere for a while! (although Joel is away right now...!) Our holiday was wonderfully relaxing and fun. And so many other things have been happening that I need to tell you about too. So keep an eye out for:

1 - A review of camp

2 - Holiday highlights

3 - The suspected reason for a trip to the hospital (no baby, so don't even ask!)

4 - News about my work situation (Spoiler alert - I have a new job!)

5 - And more pictures (I've updated all my Daily Click photo's so you can head over to see those but I have definitely taken more than one a day!)

So hold on a little longer and I'll be back in force!

Pictures: Top - a morning at the beach teaching Zaylia that it's not such a scary place - by the end of our time there she was having fun!

Bottom - the stunning Tamara growing bubby number 2.