Time wise!

On the 4th of next month, May, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date will be:
01:02:03 04/05/06.

That won't ever happen again in our lifetime. In fact it will be approx. 400 generations before it happens again.

Bouquet to New Zealand Post

Today I received an advertising letter from Australia addressed to me at:
58A Lobham Street
Spreydon
Churchill 8002
NZ
They done good!

Resurrection Day

Am I really the only person in all the world that thinks Jesus rose from the dead on Monday, three days after He was put to death on Friday?
Like Jonah was in the whale time space and all that?

Goodbye Ruth

Yes, it was sad ~ and funny, but then that was Ruth. How much she achieved! I am so glad to have known her. Her death notice in the Press said something about her zanny humour. It is true, she could make a funny story out of any ordinary day.

When asked what she wanted for her funeral she said a lime green casket with orange flowers on it.

She had that.
I rest my case.

(Now where are those tissues.)

In Other Words

In this mornings Press was the following tribute to Ruth:

'Respected and loved by innumerable children who have passed through her classes.
An eventful life marked by vitality, courage, creativity, spiritual faith, family affection and engaging zaniness.'

And every word is true.

The Death of a Saint

Ruth died this morning, the city wept till lunch time then heaven cheered her in, did you notice?!

Naomi & Esther, how can you bear this day, my heart truly cries out for you both and your families.

For us she was a marvelous pioneer but even more than that she was such fun with any age group she was involved in. I don't think there are many who read this who will have known her where I knew her. But imagine for a moment the time this diminutive teacher went to school on mufti day dressed in her daughter's school uniform, the time one of the staff was scathing about Christine Rankin and the following day she came dressed as Christine, fun poetry she wrote for her classes and more. Yes, there was plenty of wholesome laughter wherever Ruth was.

Thank you Ruth for so gently pricking our balloons of smugness!

Her farewell is at 2pm on Monday, get there early if you want a nearby park and a seat in the church. Bring your hanky so you can laugh and cry and try to hide both, Ruth would love that.

No Ordinary Life in OMF!

The South Island OMF Conference was held at the weekend, it was really inspiring.

A hands on missionary couple was visiting from the Philippines; there were workshops and keen testimonies from young people who have been away short term.

Ah, those workshops for whatever stage you are at ~ Goers called: Triathlon Training, Senders called: Feeling the Heat and On The Receiving End and Supporters called: Cheer Team, Hotline Heroes or Go For Gold!

The ‘Lord of the Harvest’ was in control; there were inspiring stories of adventure, danger and resolution, God at work in so many places.

Watch this space. Next year I will tell you BEFORE it is on instead of after.

(A ‘feel good’ moment for me was when I was told that Opawa Baptist had the most representation there ~ though actually it was like being dux of Flag Swamp School!)

ANAGRAMS for a rainy afternoon:

DORMITORY
DIRTY ROOM

PRESBYTERIAN
BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER
MOON STARER

DESPERATION
A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES
THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH
HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE
HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES
CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY
IS NO AMITY

ELECTION RESULTS
LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS
ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT
I'M A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES
THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO
TWELVE PLUS ONE

MOTHER-IN-LAW
WOMAN HITLER

Thanx Katherine :)

Start with the Toothpaste

For a number of years now I have always put the top back on the toothpaste, hung up my clothes at night or put them out for washing, changed the dish cloth every day or 2, used bread crusts, saved stamps for missions and done all the ironing.

So why would I blog (boast) about that? Isn't it only what I should do?

It is for you to learn something good, before you become, what the lovely Shannon calls 'an ancient sage.'

It is like this: I prepare and teach spoken English every Thursday throughout the term; I also jointly facilitate a Search for Life course every Monday morning and for both of these I need to prepare resources.

Right up until the beginning of this year I would carefully prepare and share the needed resources and when I came home I put them on my desk. As the term progressed I could no longer use my desk, it became covered with (to me) valuable papers and folders, which I would need again if not this year then next year. If I was busy in the term holidays the papers remained on my desk, by the end of term 2 I drowned in papers ~ yet I still put the top on the toothpaste every time I used it.

Through a series of events, when I came home from Thailand all my papers were stowed in boxes. In a spare room in the house was a three story empty filing cabinet and I had to do some sorting both to tidy the room and find my resources. I did.

Now I not only put the top back on the toothpaste, hang up my clothes at night, change the dish cloth, use bread crusts, save stamps for missions and do all the ironing I EASILY find the resources I need for the 2 teaching slots each week and simply put them away before the week is up.

To be organised is so soothing, so uplifting, gives one a serenity of soul not evident before, (and maybe not even now) a security when precious resources can be quickly located.

My advice to you is don't get old being untidy with paper work, try this for a term and see how useful it is. Somehow it spills over to other areas, like the inside of my car is always tidy now, the lawns are mowed regularly and the pegs don't die on the wet ground but are picked up and put in their container. I have learnt IT IS NICE TO BE TIDY.

But then maybe I am starting to talk about the empty nest syndrome and that is worthy of a whole new blog .................... someday.