Asking for Help: Part 3

Asking God for help when I don’t know who else or where else to turn is an easy and natural thing for me.

However, I’m embarrassed to admit that I rarely wait long enough in prayer to hear from the Helper. I am usually so full of my circumstances and my stress that there is no space or quietness to hear his voice.

Conserving Water

I live in Perth, Western Australia, where water is a scarce and precious resource. Over the past decade, our government has been steadily working to educate people on why and how we should conserve water in our homes. 

 

I thought it would be good to share some of these tips with you; even if you don’t live in an area where water is scarce, conserving water will save you money!

What if it’s true...? Part 8: I am a new creation

Which is the real me?

The one who feels the sickening despair of falling short? Of making mistakes, getting stuck in sinful habits, of failing to do the good I know I should do?

The one who wakes feeling unloved, unworthy and half-defeated, knowing that another day is before me, with the same old trials and temptations, the same opportunities to fail the way I did yesterday?

Developmental Leaps Part 2: After age 1

At the same time that I was reading up about Wonder Weeks, I came across a wonderful online resource exploring the developmental leaps in children after age one, and specifically the effect of these leaps on sleep: Bedtiming. Unfortunately, the authors are no longer posting, but the archives are fascinating reading if you are interested in childhood development.

The knowledge that there were known, predictable developmental leaps at certain ages (18-21 months, 2.5 years, and 3.5 years), and that these leaps affected specific parts of the child’s mind, has been really useful to me as a parent of my younger two children.

These posts in particular were very helpful:

Reunions

I have always stayed far, far away from the various reunions I have been invited to over the years.

Something inside me cringes at the idea of making small-talk with people whom I knew very superficially in the past, have not kept in contact with, and have nothing in common with now except a memory of a shared location such as school, work-place, etc.

What do you like about your home?

There are many 'features' of our home that I like now, after disliking them intensely for a number of years.

For example, our home is small by modern standards. When I first started entertaining family and friends, it was a shock to discover that our cosy dine-in kitchen was definitely a tight squeeze when guests were present. And once my eyes were opened, I started looking enviously at others' homes, planning renovations, researching styles in print and online, and endlessly day-dreaming about my dream home.

Jane Austen: Persuasion

There are no Jane Austen novels that I dislike. But Persuasion is my absolute favourite. I think the reason is that the plot is soooo romantic... and now you know that this is not really a serious book review at all. :-)