A New Year With The Lord

A new year is about to unfold
With new opportunities to explore
Doors will open for new experiences
New adventures with the Lord

Remember not the former things
The things of this past year
The Lord will do new things in us
Much more than we are aware

For He will make a way for us
As we put our trust in Him
And He will guide our every step
By His presence we have within

What God has placed within our hearts
We find we’ll be able to do
If we look for the opportunities
We’ll see the door to go through

We mustn’t let anything hold us back
But rise up and take our place
And be all that God wants us to be
With a fresh touch of His grace

© By M.S.Lowndes

 ⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

 ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

To our family and friends:

We pray that you have a blessed Christmas, enjoying time with family and friends, and remembering the love our God has for us, that He came to earth to die, in order that we may have eternal life!

With love 

Gary, Desiree, Sarah and Alexandra

On being 11...

On Thursday (15th), our Alexandra has been a part of our family for 11 years - how the time has flown!!

She brings a unique aspect to our family. She makes us laugh aloud, but also asks challenging, thoughtful questions and is not afraid to speak her mind.


She celebrated a week before her birthday (cause it was just taking too long to come!) She invited 2 friends for a sleepover - nail varnishing and a DVD - and then ten pin bowling in the morning.

Sarah and Alexandra baked and iced the cake themselves - including making the fondant flowers

Our bowling shoes

On Thursday, we gave the books a skip and spent time as a family ice skating (an open air rink at Cribbs Causeway Mall). Her choice of a meal was roast chicken with fish shop chips. And we watched a movie again in the evening.

On Friday, Gary and the girls went for a walk, and Alexandra just had to take her camera - her birthday gift - to start capturing everything she could!

We had such a super day, celebrating her life and giving our Lord thanks and honour for the person she is. We love you, Alli-K :)

Decking the Halls

Handmade advent calendars

And Mince pies - by Sarah

Advent

Well, we know that Christmas most probably didn't happen in December - way too cold in Israel for those poor shepherds and sheep at that time of the year! And the tree and tinsel and candles, etc were really pagan symbols incorporated into Christianity to try and keep everyone happy. And we have been through the "do we, don't we" debate - and for some years we actually didn't. 


However, one year I realized, that regardless of all the pagan stuff attached the "silly season", when I think of Christmas, I do think of Jesus coming to earth as a baby in order to later die on a cross and after 3 days to rise again so that my sins are forgiven and I can have eternal life (you too, by the way :)


And no, that is not the only time I remember that. But it is a good time to reflect again on what it all meant. And yes, we do now enjoy the "fun" bits, like the trees and lights and gifts.


Last year, for the first time, we decided to (loosely) follow advent. We light the candle every evening (although, this year Advent has started, and I do still need to buy the candle...oh, dear, sometimes time just does run away with me!)
But we have started reading our advent story :)

Last year, we read the first in the series - Jotham's Journey. It was great fun, and at some moments, a nail biting, hang onto your seat read - seems like Bartholomew's story is going to be the same. Set in the time of Roman occupation of Israel, Bartholomew is separated from his family and needs to learn to trust that God is in control, even during the storms of our life...sounds familiar!! And at the end of the story, he meets the real Messiah - saviour of the world.


And tomorrow, we are going to friends to make our own Advent calendars! Just in time, seeing as tomorrow is the 1st of December!


My prayer for you, is that you too will experience the peace that our Lord Jesus brings as we prepare our hearts and remember again His great love for us.

Liebster Award

OK, so,  Blogging was never something I thought I'd really get into. I am on Facebook (can hear the gasps of horror - Lol :) and I quite enjoy the instant contact with my friends and family around the world

But, since moving to England last year, I have realized I have friends who are not on Facebook, who would love to hear how we are doing here in our new home. And so we started this blog. I am not much of a writer (Gary and Sarah are the writers in our family), but I must admit, I quite like this form of digital journaling :)

I met my friend, Shirley, online, through a home education email loop and we made contact as we were both on the same journey of leaving South Africa to England. We have only met twice - once in Cape Town and once at their home in England. And I am once again amazed and reminded that sisters in Christ have Him in common and are family :) We have formed a lovely friendship and I am inspired and encouraged by her. (It was Shirley who shivvied me along to keep my blog going when it had lain fallow for a while and  for those whose mouths hung open on the news of me knitting...well, once again it was Shirley's inspiration - she is an avid knitter and handworker.)

Shirley from Under an English Sky nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award - thank you Shirley ;o)

Now Shirley shared that the word 'Liebster' is a German word which means 'dearest'. The Liebster Blog award is given to up and coming blogs with 200 or less followers,

So, the way this award works is to link back to the nominator - that would be Shirley ;o) 

The next thing is to share 5 other inspiring blogs - all of whom have less than 200 followers. Leave a comment on their blogs and let them know that they are nominated for this cute award.

THEN... post the award on your blog and enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling of friendship shared over the miles!

So, my five nominees are:


1) Patrizia at Our Home Education Journey - Patrizia has been home educating her 2 boys for just over a year now. She is an amazing example of perservering in finding what really works for her boys. And i have discovered many resources through her efforts ;)


2) Natalie - a friend from college days...oh, so many moons back ;) Natalie has adopted a little    treasure and this blog is her story.


3) Adele, at Life at Avalon - Adele is a stalwart home educator, almost at the end of her home 
education journey. But this blog includes their life on a small holding in Stutterheim, South 
Africa, with beautiful photos of "home"


4) Another amazing home educating mum, is Cathy. She is a fountain of knowledge and   
inspiration to many home educators. 


5) I have never met the author of Elastic Mom - I think she lives in South Africa and has beautiful pictures of their life on a farm.But what I appreciate the most, are her ideas for simple, frugal living.


I have discovered many other blogs through reading your blogs - and look forward to seeing who you nominate for new reading :)


With all my love
desiree

Image of the week

Lest we forget

For a couple of days before 11/11/11, people have been wearing their poppies in remembrance of WW1 as well as WW2 heroes (This year for the first time, there are no more living WW1 heroes).
In fact, many people at the same time remember those still in active service and those who have lost their lives in other wars and battles.
These men and women have given their lives so that we can live in freedom and safety.
And it is important to remember as "He who does not learn from history, is doomed to repeat it." - George Santayana 

Sadly, us humans have short memories as the genocides in Albania and Ruanda testify to.

Anyhow, one of my quirks, is that I attach songs to words and phrases. Sometimes, that comes
back at me, for example when I'm having a pity party, life is so unfair, and why me?? The song

Why me, Lord? what have I ever done
To deserve even one of the pleasures I've known
Tell me Lord, what did I ever do
That was worth loving You for the kindness You've shown.

pops into my head...and well, there goes my pity party!

The "Lest we forget" slogan brought to mind this song:

King of my life, I crown Thee now,
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary.

Lest I forget Gethsemane,
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.

How often we take what our Lord Jesus did for us on the cross for granted! We forget that 
He gave His life, not only that we can have physical freedom but that we can be free from sin;
He gave His life, not only that we can live in peace now, but that we can know "the peace of God that passes all understanding";
He gave His life, not only to heal our diseases and give us life in abundance but that we may live with Him for eternity.


He paid a great price for us! How He loves us! 

crosstwilight.jpg

ancientbritonpetros.blogspot.com

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us -
 1 John 3:16

Eagle Owl

Have a look at this amazing video of an eagle owl

http://www.dogwork.com/owfo8/

Time out

It's 7 o'clock on Friday morning. Gary has gone to meet a friend for breakfast and the girls are sleeping - they each have their own rooms, but lately seem to be sleeping together in each other's beds :) And I am awake, cause once awake, I can't get back to sleep. So a coffee and a muffin later, I decided to update our blog with the week's happenings


Not that we have been too busy this week - it has been our week off in our 6-week cycle. It is always amazing how we can keep going and not recognize our need for a break until we actually have one! (Although, this time round, I did know it was time when I thought last Wednesday was Friday!)


The girls baked condensed milk biscuits - see recipe in recipe tab. They outdid themselves working out how to get the chocolate dough inside the vanilla dough :)

I outdid myself  knitting this week - those needles clacked overtime - most I've ever done :)

 (My mother's comment when she heard I was knitting was "You? Knitting?? Well, that's surprising!" - says it all, doesn't it?)

Alexandra completed her scarf and I completed Sarah's for her - she just did not take to knitting. Alexandra is asking for the next project.

I then knitted a pair of mittens for Alexandra. I only had very thin wool, so I used 3 strands of different colours and it really worked! I started a pair for Sarah, but she asked to rather have a beanie, so I knitted that for her instead - amazingly, that also worked out fine - and more importantly, fits! And I have yarn over to make her the mittens as well.

And I used circular needles for the first time to complete a cowl. Now, this was a bit of a challenge! My friend told me it is easy to knit with circular needles, but only told me after, that she has never actually knitted in a round!! The first few rows were a nightmare, trying to keep the yarn from twisting and trying to remember where I was in my knit/purl combination, working with 96 stitches (so it takes a while if you need to count your way through the stitches to see where you are!) and not being able to see the pattern till about row 4! But with help and encouragement from my friend Elsje and other friends on facebook - as well as an offer of a whiskey to help me get my head around it...mm, not sure how that would have helped :) - I did it!! Brownie points for me :) OK, so the cowl did not come out the way the pattern shows - not surprising, seeing as I used 8mm needles (all the shop had), instead of 10mm and chunky wool. It now fits twice around my neck instead of fitting snugly, but it works and I've worn it - so very chuffed. (But yes, will have to go back and do it "properly", the way the pattern intended it to be)

Maybe socks next?...

We also visited MShed - and amazing museum of Bristolian history. Lots to see and do, including finding where you live on a large aerial photo (on the floor)

Also, some grissly reads, like the cover of a book made out of tanned human skin. The victim was a criminal, executed for murder - his body was given to the doctor to use for research - the only legal way to obtain cadavers for study purposes in those days.

On Wednesday evening, we had a movie and popcorn evening -  watched 

Disney's "Tangled".

Managed to get some housework done - a bit of spring cleaning - although I think I prefer "autumn cleaning" - for one, it's cooler, and on cool, rainy autumn days, there's no temptation to go out somewhere :) 

We also had dentist appointments - never an exciting prospect. But apart from possible future orthodontics, both girls came away with a "no problems here" from the dentist, so they were relieved. Gary had a filling. Me? Well, somehow, I didn't have an appointment. Wonder how that happened?? I'm sure I made one....

Psalm 34:8

New International Version (NIV)

 ⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good;
   blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

OHC - SQUIRREL HUNT

This week's outdoor challenge is Chipmunks, but as we do not have chipmunks in the UK, we focused on squirrels instead, primarily the indigenous red squirrel.


We started our indoor time reading the first few paragraphs of Beatrix Potter's Squirrel Nutkin - an impertinent little red squirrel.

Using our encyclopedia, we then did a little reading about squirrels as well as how they differ from chipmunks. 


Then we looked at the red and grey tree squirrels. The red squirrel is indigenous to Europe and the UK but in ever decreasing numbers. 

About 200 years ago, the grey squirrel was introduced to Europe and the UK to the detriment of the red squirrel - primarily for 2 reasons: 1) the grey squirrel is bigger and stronger and can easily take over the territory. They are also more hardy than the red squirrel; 2) the grey squirrel carries the deadly squirrel pox virus that can kill a red squirrel within 2 weeks.


Using Red squirrels in Britain and  Save our squirrels we learnt about the food, habitat and family life of red squirrels as well as the differences between red and grey squirrels. We also did a Nutitude Test :)


Then we went out for our squirrel hunt. We knew that we wouldn't find any red squirrels as they live primarily in coniferous woodlands (the grey squirrels don't like the little seeds of the pine cones) as well as more to the north of England and Scotland,but initially it looked like we wouldn't see any grey squirrels either. But right near the end of our walk, our perseverance paid off and we saw 2 little grey squirrels:

Back home, we completed a notebook page.

Then, after looking at pictures from our next impressionist artist, Berthe Morisot (1841-1895), we painted squirrels using acrylic paints thickened with egg shells, flour, sand, salt, etc. Berthe used heavy globs of paint, thick brush strokes and bright colours. 

Miss A's picture

 While the girls did their paintings, I finished reading Squirrel Nutkin to them - a sweet, enjoyable story, regardless of how old we are :)

Waiting on the Lord!


We have been in the UK for 18 months now and are still (!!) waiting on God to reveal His purposes and plans for us here. It is, quite frankly, exhausting! We feel frustrated, disheartened, disillusioned. We have prayed, and asked, and waited. And we are still waiting. And waiting. We question why? What's the point of praying? We have suggested options to the Lord. But He seems to remain distant and silent. To be honest, I have come close to losing my faith in His ability to answer and provide.


This morning I read a devotional I receive daily from Alpha and Omega publications daily-focus  
Does your faith limit God in what He can or cannot do in your life? Are you willing to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10)? God knows what He is doing, and the last thing He needs is your advice. He is waiting to see if you will trust and believe in Him for the impossible, instead of telling Him what to do. Will you trust Him today for the answers you need?

Lord, you are a great and mighty God who doesn't need my help or advice. Forgive me for telling You what to do and limiting what You want to do in my life. Help me today to trust in Your way and Your will. In Jesus' name, Amen.


Friends recently went on a church camp. The speaker was Mike Endicott. He made the following comment: When we come to God, we should give Him our problem and not the solution (paraphrased). 
I have found in my prayers, that I am quick to tell God what/how the problem should be solved, instead of leaving the problem with Him and waiting (Urgg! The dreaded word!) - let's rather say, "Trusting" Him to solve it in the way He knows is best.


So, today, I choose to trust...yes and to wait! Our God is faithful!

 God wants to carry us through our efforts in serving Him. 

eagle20soaring.jpg

theworshipdare.wordpress.com

Isaiah 40:31

New International Version (NIV)

³¹ but those who hope (wait on) in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary, `
   they will walk and not be faint. (parenthesis mine)

Knit one, miss one...


well, those of you who know me well, know that handwork and I don't quite make easy bed fellows. But the cooler weather and other friend's blogs have inspired me to try some knitting. So far in my life I have managed to finish 1 small square that our home school co-op in South Africa did as a project - we ( and that is not a royal "We" - I had nothing to do with this part!) sewed all our squares together to make a rug for charity. 
All my school knitting projects were completed by my wonderful Ouma :)


I therefore, needed to find the easiest recipe, oops, I do mean pattern, I could find. Another form of inspiration came from this book:

 I loved reading this and at the back is the pattern for the scarf knitted by the beginners in this book. And so I headed off to a craft shop and bought yarn and needles for myself and the girls. I bought a tweedy colour for myself, 6,5mm needle, blue-white double chunky, 10mm needles for Alexandra and a mixed, purply colour, needle size 6,5mm for Sarah. 


My scarf is complete now - took longer than I think they did in the book and is a bit broader than it should be, but I wasn't going to pull it out and start again - I realise again that I am a "let's get this project finished" kind of person.

Alexandra loves knitting - reckons she probably loves it more than the wearing of the scarf - we pulled hers out twice already to get the correct width - she didn't mind having to start over again at all! Hers is almost done :)

Sarah also enjoys hers, but reckons she wasn't quite born to knit as Alexandra was. She is taking hers on camp with her this weekend.


Mm, so what will be next. There is a pattern for an afgan on the book, and my friend Elsje sent me some links for an easy (?) Prohibition shawl...just need to figure out all the knitting-speak in the patterns!

Impressionist art


Did you know that Jane Austin first named Pride and Prejudice, First Impressions? Today we started looking at Impressionist artists. Using Artsmarts4kids and a book I bought in South Africa (and one we used for a term with our homeschool co-op) 

we started with Edouard Manet (1832-1883). Using the idea from the book to melt wax crayons, and then practice Manet's dabbing-line style with ear buds, they drew any picture they liked (the book suggests a still life but as Manet favoured blue/grey/black and white colours - judging by pictures we saw on Edouard Manet - I decided to rather give them free reign) Manet is not seen as a true impressionist - didn't label himself as one, either - and still favoured people instead of nature scenes. He also painted indoors, from memory or models, instead of outdoors.


Sarah and Alexandra are not too confident painting people and so painted their own pictures:

Unfortunately, i don't have a hot tray, so we had to run back and forth to the stove to re-melt the wax!

Alexandra 

Cinderella's carriage


I have found that I don't really miss many South African foods here. I buy Mrs Balls from Sainsbury's and rely on friends to bring Smarties, Peppermint Crisp and SAD fruit Dainties. The only thing we have had to get used to, is UK mayo - just isn't Crosse 'n Blackwell. For the rest, we happily use what we find here :)


But! The one thing I do miss and can't find in England - or at least here ion Bristol - is pumpkin. We have to make do with butternut and sometimes hubbard squash, but no pumpkin  



Except, that is, at Halloween! And so (even though we don't do Halloween, we DO love pumpkin), I have bought a huge Cinderella Pumpkin 

chopped it up and frozen 

for all our favourite recipes: pumpkin pie, fritters, pumpkin bredie, etc, etc. Tonight it is bobotie and roasted pumpkin 

I'm sure before Halloween is over, I would have bought another 1 (or 2)!