The Blessing of Work

Work. The word itself just sounds like a bore. As soon as I write the word my imagination conjures up images of hard labour and days lost behind a desk. I wonder what you're thinking as you read the word. It's something that most people do, in some form or another, and that most people take for granted. Despite how you feel about work, it's an extremely valuable thing. It gives your days purpose and you get to contribute to society. It also provides money that can help provide for your needs and the needs of your loved ones.

After 6 months of not having work, I'm feeling a bit lost. My days often don't have a purpose or goal and time just slips away. You might think that this is the best type of holiday ever, but, after 6 months, it's just too much. I've developed bad sleeping patterns and the lifestyle of a hermit. I feel unproductive and, at times, a drain on society.

That said, I have now got a job which starts in the new year!! It's not what I was originally thinking of doing, and it's night shift, which is not ideal, but my perspective of work has changed. I'm thankful that I will now be able to spend at least some of my time (it's a part-time job) in a productive manner and that there will be some purpose to some of my nights. I'll be able to provide at least something towards my needs and the needs of those I love. I feel like I'm a participating member of society again.

So when you head off to work again after your holidays, have a think about what your work means to you. Think about what you can be thankful for with your work and your job. And have a think about what having work would mean to those who haven't got any.

Limbo

I'm living in Limbo. It's been just over 5 months since I got back to Australia, and it feels like I'm just sitting here waiting for my life to begin. Before I left the Netherlands, I was eagerlly awaiting a new start. I was thinking about all the possibilities that life held for me. A new place to live, a new job, a change. But it seems that this new start has been put on hold. I feel like someone has pushed the pause button on my life, and I have no idea when they're going to push play again.

 

I know this sounds quite dramatic, but it's the truth. I'm currently living with my parents and looking for work. That's about it. While it was nice to have some down time, 5 months is a bit of overkill. I'm not currently living my 'old life' in NL, but I also haven't started my 'new life' in Aust. It's starting to get frustrating.

Our own little world

So lately I think I've been a bit lost in my 'own little world'. What I mean is the things that we surround ourselves with on a daily basis. The things that we fill our lives with. Mine has been catching up with friends and watching a lot of TV and movies. Oh and of course looking for work. We surround ourselves with so many things that sometimes we don't look beyond. We don't look at the big picture. I need to admit that I haven't been looking at God's big picture lately. I don't feel like I've been filling my life with Him and His plans. It's hard to look at His picture when we're so wrapped up in our own, when we're focused on us.

So how do we get out of this little world that we've created for ourselves? We focus on God. We look at Him and to Him and focus our hearts and minds on Him again. It's not an easy thing to do, but there is so much about Him to focus on that we could spend our whole lives learning about Him and never fully knowing. I think it's time I got back into it. How about you?

When I have all the time in the world.

I often say things like 'if I had the time I would...' Do you say that? I think about the things that I would do if I had more time and think about how great it would be to do those things. Some of those things include:

- trying that new recipe

- reading that/those book/s

- seeing people

- organising things better

and the list goes on...

When it comes down to it though, I don't do those things. Like right now I have all the time in the world. I'm not working (although I am looking for a job) and I have no fixed commitments. So now I have the time to do all those things that I've been wanting to do 'if I ever had the time'. So now would be the time to tell you all about the amazing things that I've been doing. Unfortunately I don't seem to work like that. Since I have all the time in the world, I tend to do nothing. I watch TV, read articles (and Facebook) and just potter around the house doing not much at all. It's such a waste. So I've decided to try and do some things that are on my list of 'if only I had the time'. I'll get back to you in a couple of days and let you all know how it goes.

Radio Silence

So I haven't written for a few weeks, which I guess is not all that strange, but I thought I owed you all an explanation. On the 29th of July my Poppa died. Although this was a very sad event, I'm glad that he is now not suffering or in pain. We had the funeral on the 3rd of August and it was a really great way of saying goodbye to a wonderful man. We had a house full of guests as a lot of my family lives interstate and although it was a bit crazy, it was really nice having lots of people around to help take your mind off things.

Since then, I've been helping my parents clean out Poppa's room, which is a task and a half. It's been confirmed that my Poppa is where I get my hoarding trait from! It's fun looking at all the photos though, especially the older ones and ones with my parents in them. There's some great photos with amazing fashion.

I've also spent a long weekend down in Goolwa with my Mum, just relaxing. It's been great to get away from the house and to also just forget about the long list of things that I need to do. The weather was divine, so sunny, and it was great to sit outside reading and playing board games.

So now I'm back in Adelaide and ready to get some things done.

How do you pray for a dying loved one?

Visiting a dying loved one is a hard thing. Wednesday was especially hard for me to visit my Poppa. Over the 80mins that I was with him, he was up and down like a yo-yo. Firstly he was hardly talking and didn't really recognise that I was there. It was heartbreaking and very hard for me to bear. After a little while he rallied a bit and during his lunch was even joking with me! He was being a bit cheeky, which is the way that I want to remember him, because that's a big part of his character.

I'm not sure what is hardest- loosing my Poppa due to death, or losing him to old age and him living, but being a vegetable. That last one is the way that things are going at the moment, and it's hard. It's hard seeing such an independent and strong man simply lying in a bed waiting for death. How do I pray for him? Do I pray for him to get better and to prolong his life, or do I pray for death to come swiftly? I believe that God has the power to do both of these things, but when Poppa's like he is at the moment it's hard to believe that he will be getting any better. Maybe it would be better if he was able to be in heaven with God?

And then there's the toll that it's taking on the family. It's especially hard for my Mum, who just wants her Dad back. It's also draining, as we're spending time with him twice each day (between the three of us). If things go on the way that they are for a few months, we'll all be exhausted at the end of it. But is that what I should be thinking about? The toll that it takes on the family? Shouldn't I just be praying for him to hold on as long as he can, so we can spend more time with him and not worry about the stress? But then that in itself is selfish, because wanting him to be alive just for the sake of being alive may not be the best thing for my Poppa.

The best thing that I can do is to leave it in God's hands. It's a hard thing to do, but who better to give the situation to? I pray that my Poppa can not suffer and be in pain and that God will take him when the time is right. Please can you pray this with me?

Sweden

The last stop on my Scandinavian tour was Sweden- well Stockholm to be precise. Although I travelled through Sweden on my way to Norway on the 5th June, I didn't get to Stockholm until the 10th and I stayed until the 12th. Here's my impressions, some photos and even a video!

Stockholm:
A light drizzle of rain here and there didn't stop me from heading out and about to see Stockholm. There were so many big old buildings that were so beautiful. I don't even know what half of them are! I caught the changing of the guards (as I did in other capitals), but here it was crazy busy. So many tourists and so many big tour buses all over the place. Since being back in Adelaide, I've realised that that's probably because the youngest Swedish princess was married on the 8th, so people probably stayed around after that for a couple of days to see the sights. There was also crazy young people in flat-bed trucks with music, yelling and dancing driving around all over the city. I wasn't sure what that was about, but a google search told me that it's a tradition for high school graduates on their graduation day!

What I would be doing today if I was still in Europe!

So today marks the first day of my three week Contiki tour of Southern Europe. If I was still in Europe that is. I warn you that this post will probably come out a bit whiny, but I swear that after it's all out, I will try my best to move on and get over myself.

So today I would be heading to Paris to start my tour that would take me through France to Spain, along the French Riviera, through Italy and finishing in Greece. I was looking forward to this tour soooo much. And not just because it took me to Italy, which is that place in Europe that I most want to go. It was the perfect tour for me (despite being with Contiki- which I was a bit wary of to start with). In all my research about tours, this was the only one that had the option to go to Pompeii in Italy, as well as all the other places that I want to go in Italy. I had finally booked and payed off this tour, after a lot of hesitation and wondering if I could even afford it, and was very excited.

But as you should all know, I'm no longer in Europe. I'm back in Australia. Which, of course, means I had to cancel the tour. So I still haven't been to Italy. I'm quite sad about not being able to do this tour, but I have to remember the reason I decided to come back to Australia. I'm so glad that I was able to see my Poppa again, and to spend a bit of time with him. He's still alive, but he's not very well at the moment, and we still have no idea of how much longer he'll live. Italy, and the rest of Europe, will still be there in 1, 2 or 5 years. My Poppa won't be. I'm glad that I came back to Australia, it's just when I'm sitting on the couch at my parent's place (where I now live) looking at a day of doing not that much (and staring into a week of not that much), it's hard not to be sad that I'm not travelling around Europe. It's hard not to be sad that I'm not living one of my dreams rather than sitting on the couch.

Is there a good type of homesick?

So at church tonight we were singing a song that really made me think about my church family in NL and to really miss them. I miss talking with them, praying with them, worshipping with them. I love them and now I'm stating to feel a bit homesick for NL. Man this whole having lived in two places thing is hard!

And then it got me thinking (along with the sermon at church tonight). I've got another home that I'm homesick for. It's a different type of homesick though, because I haven't been there before, but I'm eagerly awaiting the time that I can be there. This third home is heaven. The word 'heaven' will probably have many different meanings to the people who read this blog. As a Christian I believe that it is a place where I will meet God face to face and know Him more personally then I do now. It's a place where there is no more pain, suffering and death. Why do I believe these things about heaven? Well God has told us what heaven will be like in the Bible.

'Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelations 21:2-4

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty homesick for this. I can't wait to be there with God and without the pain and suffering that this current world has. So when I think about it, I have 3 homes to be homesick for- Australia, the Netherlands and heaven. What about you? Are you homesick for heaven?

Norway

What can I say about Norway?! It was the country that I was looking forward to the most on my Scandinavian tour, so I spent the most time there, 5th-10th June. If you ever get the chance to go to Norway, do it. Don't think twice about it, just go. Let me tell you, it does not disapoint. I would have loved to explore this beautiful country more thouroughly, but alas time was against me. So I only spent time in Oslo, Bergen and the surrounding areas. Here's my thoughts.

First impressions:
Nature is everywhere. Having been living in the dead flat country of NL, it was so amazing to see all the mountains and valleys. I took the train for 7 hours between Oslo and Bergen and it was spectacular! Each corner that the train rounded gave a stunning view of mountains, trees, water and valley. In the higher sections of this trip there was also snow! I tried reading and watching tv on this trip, but my eyes keep gravitating to the window and the view. Needless to say, I didn't get much of either done.

The capital- Oslo:
A couple of days in Oslo at a youth hostel gave me a chance to relex a little without have to chat to a host, as I was still feeling a bit sick from the cold that I had before I left on my travels. I feel a bit guilty about staying indoors rather than sight-seeing, but I was able to see the main sights on the day that I left. Although I felt like it was a very industrial city, the harbour was spectacular. Driving into Oslo on the bus we also had a great view of the islands and inlets. On the 7th there was a regatta in the harbour, which made for some pretty views. 

Out west- Bergen:
The second biggest city in Noway is situated on the west coast and deep in fjord country. I took the train across the mountains, which had stunning views at every turn! The city of Bergen itself is very hilly with cute little houses and stone streets everywhere. It's also surrounded by the mountains, which makes for a great backdrop. While I was there I went on a train/bus/boat tour to and on two of the fjords. I could share so many photos with you (I took about 250), but here's just a few.

 

 

 

Alena's 1st Birthday

Coming back to Aust has its pros and cons, and this is most definately a pro. Since I was back in Aust before my only niece's 1st birthday, I was able to join in the celebrations in person. We had loosely planned some kind of Skpye during the party, but I wouldn't have been able to be there in person. Since all my plans were thrown out the window, I was able to fly to Canberra for the weekend for the festivities and some much needed family time. In attendence was my parents, two brothers and their wives, myself, and some friends and relatives of my sister-in-law. 

Having not seen Alena in 8 months (except on Skype) it was so great to have a cuddle and to see how much she's grown. She's such a lovely little girl who is so smart! I loved playing with her and all her toys, watching her open her birthday presents and just spending time with her. Hopefully I'll be able to see her a bit more now that I'm in the same country!!

Here's some pics of the weekend for your enjoyment (some are blurry as it's hard to get a good shot of a wriggling kid!)

 

 

Am I dreaming?

I feel like I'm living in a dream. This may be because it's 1am, or it could be my jet-lagged/sleep deprived brain. Or it could be the fact that I just can't believe I'm back in Australia for good. Have I really just finished living in the Netherlands for 11 months? It feels like I'm just getting ready to go and live there. My time in the Netherlands feels like it went very quickly and that I really wasn't there for that long. Has it really been so long since I've seen Adelaide and all the lovely people here? It feels like I saw them all last week, yet I still miss them terribly.

As I start settling back into Australian life, I can't help but think that I'm only here for a short time. I feel like I'm on holiday and will soon be heading back 'home' to the Netherlands. I guess that I felt more at home and settled in NL than I thought I did. I just can't help thinking that I'll wake up in my little loft bed in my Dutch appartment and get ready to catch the tram to, well anywhere. I keep thinking that I'll be hearing Dutch all around me and that I need to be prepared for whatever the weather will throw at me. At least that last bit's a little true still. Seeing as it's winter (my third in a row!) in Australia, I do have to be ready for cold, wind, rain and even sun. But that's beside the point. I will have to adjust to my 'old home' being my 'new home' and it's a little strange at the moment. Well what can I say, I've only been back in the country for a day!

As I set up my room at my parent's house, I have to start looking to the future and stop dwelling too much on the past. I've had my year in the Netherlands and now I'm back in Australia and I need to start living my life here. I'm so glad for the opportunity that I had to spend that year in NL and I can't believe it actually happened! Yet again I went after what I wanted to do with my life and made it happen (of course with God's help!). Now I wonder what God has in store for my future!!

The best laid plans

Here I sit, on my last night in NL, with bags packed and garbage bags of things to give away. I'm hoping that all of the things I want to take back don't add up to me being over my airline's allowed limit of 20kg checked and 7kg hand luggage. It really hasn't sunk in that I'm leaving the Netherlands for good tomorrow, and there's a couple of reasons for that.

Firstly, my plans have chanced drastically and suddenly. I was due to stay in NL until the 4th of September, but with the discovery of my Poppa's cancer and his current hospitalisation, I've decided to go back to Australia now. I changed my flights on Monday, so I've only had the past 4 days to pack up my life here and attempt to say goodbye to as many people as possible. This means that instead of having another two months, I had a week. That's a big change and hard to get used to.

Secondly, it usually takes a while to get used to leaving a place that's been your home for the past year. I can't imagine not being here and walking the streets of Den Haag and visiting the beach at Scheveningen. I can't imagine not living in my appartment with Mara and hearing Dutch all around me. It's surreal that on the weekend I'll be back in Australia!

So as I sit here thinking, I'm both happy and sad that I'm leaving. I'm sad that it has to be under the circumstance of my Poppa having cancer and having the possibility that I won't see him again before he dies. I'm sad that I've had to cancel travels and time with friends. I'm sad that I can't say a proper goodbye to so many people. I'm sad that I'm heading into another winter. I'm happy that I'll be seeing my parents in a few days. I'm happy that I can be starting a new stage in my life. I'm happy that I get to catch up with dear friends again.

So basically I'm a mixed up person at the moment and I think I will be for a while as I try to process all that's happening and as I try to settle back down in Australia. I'll let you know how things go.

Denmark

From the 3rd-5th June I was travelling in Denmark. This was the first stop on my Scandinavian tour. To be fair, I was only in Copenhagen, but I thought that I would share some of my impressions and experiences whilst I was there.

First impressions

Flying into Copenhagen I was struck by how flat it is. I know that this shouldn't be new for me as I live in NL, but I did notice. I was also stuck by the amount of bikes that were around. I knew from some Danish friends, that people often rode bikes in Copenhagen, but I wasn't prepared for just that many. Also I noticed that they seemed to ride quite fast, but that could just be me.

Time with my host

For my two nights in Copenhagen I was able to stay with a local Danish girl, Grethe. She met me at the airport with a sign, which was the first time I think I've been met with a sign that had my name on it! It was actually very handy as we hadn't met before, and neither of us had even seen a photo! It was great spending time with Grethe and getting to know her. She was so laid back and it was good to have some company. We had breakfasts (when she didn't go to the office early) and dinners together and it was so relaxing. We even cooked a Danish summer meal together with frikadeller and a dessert called koldskål, literally translated as 'cold bowl', which is a buttermilk soup that you eat with biscuits. Grethe even changed the recipes a little in order to make everything lactose free!!

The beautiful city of Copenhagen 

I only had one full day in Copenhagen, but I used it as much as I could. I started off with a 3 hr 'free' walking tour around the city. These tours are fantastic (at least the two I've been on) and usually very informative. The tour guide, Igor, knew his stuff and made the tour interactive and interesting. After the tour you would think I would be all walked out, but there was still more that I wanted to see, so I went for my own walking tour to see the extra things that I wanted to see. Here are some of the photos I took on my wanderings around Copenhagen (rove over picture for explanation). Enjoy!

Time is ticking...

So I've (re)booked my flights back to Australia and in exactly 2 months I fly off into the unknown. Well it's not exactly entirely unknown since I'm heading back to Adelaide, a place that I know and love. It's got me thinking though and I'm not really sure what I'm thinking. My thoughts are bittersweet. I've made the Netherlands my home for the past year and in that time I've made friends, fallen in love with a city and lived. I've had experiences, conversations, laughter, tears, and a whole life that doesn't include Adelaide and all that my life there held. I'm thankful for my time here and I'm really sad to be leaving.

On top of this, I've changed. I've started thinking about what life will be like back in Adelaide, and I've got to the stage where it's sinking in that it will be different. I will have been away for a year, and in that time me, and other people, will have changed. Things that were the norm when I left won't necessarily be the norm any more. I've got a picture in my head of what Adelaide is like and it's a year old. People have moved on, I've moved on. How do I fit back into that? Last time I went back to Australia from living in the Netherlands it was not back into the 'old' life I had, but onto another change and another city. This time I'll be heading right back to where I was and trying to fit my new self into that world. Can I do this?

Another question I've been thinking of is whether I should even try to fit myself back into that life. Things will be different, so should I be trying to live as if they weren't? I don't mean that I won't spend time with my friends, do the things that I love doing and become a totally different person, but maybe I should be looking at this as a new adventure, the next stage in my life, the next change. So what if it's in an 'old' place, it's a place that I love and who says I can't make a new life in an old place?

Danish frikadeller vs Norwegian 'meat cakes' vs Swedish meatballs

I've just got back from travelling in Denmark, Norway and Sweden and I thought that I would start telling you about my adventures by addressing this VERY important question- which is more tasty? The Danish frikadeller? The Norwegian 'meat cake'? or the Swedish meatball? Having tried all three in the last 10 days, I feel very qualified to try and answer this question.

The Danish frikadeller

This is a flatter 'meatball' which was handmade by my lovely Danish host and was made of beef. It was served with potato salad, tomato and cucumber. It was the perfect light summer meal for a warm sunny day in Copenhagen.

The Norwegian meat cake (kjøttkaker)

These beef meat cakes were served with potatoes, carrots, mashed peas, lingonberry jam and gravy! I think these were homemade, but were bought in a pub in Bergen. This was a very heavy meal, especially for lunch, but the gravy was spectacular. The company of my Norwegian host was also delightful.

The Swedish Meatball (köttbullar)

The Swedish meatball is probably the most famous (thanks IKEA) of the three types of meatballs. These were pork, I think, and were served on a bed of pureed potato and a heavenly creamy sauce. There was also lingonberry sauce and some garnish of cucumber. These meatballs were light and the potato was amazing. They were again homemade, but bought in a cafe in Stockholm.

The verdict:

After sampling these three different meals, I have come to a conclusion about which is the best. Before I give you my answer though, I must say that the scientist in me is a bit annoyed. Due to the fact that I only tried one sampling of each from only the one restaurant, it's not exactly scientific. Also it's only based on my opinion and what I find tasty. So disclaimers over, although I found them all enjoyable, my favourite was....the Swedish meatball!! They were just so light and tasty, as was the potato and the creamy sauce. Delicious!

receiving encouragement

I'm a person who likes giving encouragement. I especially like encouraging people to stretch themselves, to try new things and to grow. This is especially true when it comes to their relationship with God and the way that they serve Him. I guess that's part of why I like my job so much. I get to do this a lot. I get to help people think through topics and ideas. I get to be on their journey with them as the mature and grow.

Sometimes the shoe is on the other foot, which is what I want to talk about today. In the mail a couple of weeks ago I received a lovely letter from the lovely women in ES (Evangelical Students, ES, is the IFES group at universities in Adelaide). It was such a surprise to be recieving a letter with the sender address as Flinders ES. I had no idea what it was, and was so touched to read what was written. It's such a blessing to know that people back in Aus are thinking of me and praying not only for me, but also for the ministry that I'm doing here in NL. Almost any time is a great time for encouragement, but for me it was really great timing, and just what I wanted to hear, so thanks girls!

How are you going to encourage the people in your life this week?

staring out my window

This is today's view out of the kitchen doors to the balcony.

Why am I sharing this photo with you? Well lately I've been standing at the doors and just looking. What do I see? I see the cat on the balcony of an appartment closeby. I see the surfboards in a backyard. I see the trees blowing in the wind. I see kids playing in the park. I see rain falling on the roofs of sheds. I see lives being lived around me. I've been taking in the view and thinking. What do I think about? I'm not really sure. I watch people. I look at their houses and I wonder how their lives are- what they treasure, what they do, if they're happy. I think about the weather and wish that it was sunnier and warmer. I think about the life I've been living here in NL and how I've changed. I think about how I'd like my life to be. I think about what life might be like when I return to Aust. I think about the people I miss and the people I'll miss when I leave here. I think about God and how He's working in my life and how I can best follow Him.

Sometimes, for a different perspective, I sit on the ledge and look out the front window.

showing friendship

Since moving away from Australia, I've been thinking a lot about friendship. I've moved a lot in my life and made many friends along the way, but leaving a place is always hard. It makes being a friend to those you've left behind a difficult situation. When living in the same city as a friend I love being able to spend time with them, attend special occassions and basically just live life with them. This is, for obvious reasons, not possible when you don't live in the same city, let alone the same country. On my holidays in Aust, I would try to visit friends that I haven't seen in a while. It's part of keeping up with them, because I believe that friendships blossom when you can actually spend face-to-face time with someone. These days the internet has made it easier to keep in contact, but I think it's also decreasing our quality of friendship, but that's a story for another time.

Since living in NL, I've been trying to work out how to best be friends with people back in Aust. It's one thing to remember their birthday, when Facebook reminds you, yet I believe friendship is so much more than that. In the 9 months that I've been living here in NL, I've missed the weddings of about 6 couples that I've been good friends with. And it's almost killed me. Such an important milestone in their lives, and I couldn't be there with them to celebrate. So I've been wondering how to be a friend from afar. Is it enough to have Facebook chats once in a while, or send letters/emails/cards? Is a phone call or a Skype chat enough?

I'd love your thoughts and ideas on the subject. Is there something that you do to stay in touch with friends, or some way that you show them that you're thinking of them when you can't be with them?

IFES Spring Retreat 2013

As mentioned in one of my earlier posts I helped to organise a 'Spring Retreat' for International Students within the Netherlands. The theme was 'Grace and Rest' with guest speaker Lauran Bethell. It was a great time of fun and fellowship with students from around the world, and was such a joy to be involved in it. I could write some more things about it, but this short video on Youtube is a much better way of showing you what the retreat was all about!

tiptoeing through the tulips

Well spring has sprung in NL and it was time to enjoy it. Although it's still less than 20 degrees celcius, it's amazing what a bit of sunshine can do for one's spirits! The other week Bethany, a friend from the US, and I went to the Keukenhof. This is a massive flower garden that is only open March-May for the showcase of spring flowers, such as tulips, daffodils and hyacinth. While I was on the look-out for the perfect purple tulip, I was suprised by the variety of tulips (let alone other flowers) in the garden. Variation with tulips is in colour, size (both of petals and stalks), patterns, doubling or not and even the way that the flower opens. It was truly amazing to see. So basically I just wanted to share some of this variety with you. Our God is a creative god.