Happy 'not 48th' Birthday to me!

 

Recently I celebrated what has become known as my ‘not 48^th’ birthday.

Just to reiterate and for the record yet again, I am not nor did I turn 48 on my birthday. However, the cake that was put in front of me, is indeed the one you see in the picture complete with a ‘4’ and an ‘8’….and a few extra candles!

To complete the picture for you, some time before the cake was actually placed on the table in front of me, there was gross frivolity in the kitchen. Loads of laughter flooded the air and I simply put it down to the possibility of the children trying to find the right amount of candles for the cake or the possibility of the challenge of getting them lit without getting burnt by the sheer number of candles or before the first one burning down to the level of the cake itself!

As the cake was put before me proudly, our 12yr old daughter Cholae, spoke up with great certainty that her efforts would be rewarded. She announced that, “We didn’t have a ‘5’ mum, so we had to improvise!”

….and so my ‘not 48^th’ birthday was celebrated!

Improvising is a skill – it requires spontaneity, quick thinking, a willingness to fail, a Plan B without time to plan and sometimes a hope that, as in this case, the receiving party will have a sense of humour about your solutions or better yet, be oblivious about any sense of improvisation at all!

We are a people who are known to improvise well though aren’t we? We come from generations of ‘number 8 wire’ thinkers.

If you can buy it, build it.
If it’s broken, fix it.
If you don’t have it, close enough is good enough.

Improvising is in our DNA…
Improvising within our calling, however, can be a whole other ball game.

While there are practical things that we can improvise on – a change in a programme, a need to step in and carry out an interview, a change in the order of our day, an unexpected visitor…

There are some things that you just can’t improvise.
There are some things that you just can’t substitute.

Christ cannot be substituted
There is no substitute for

His undeserved favour
His unconditional love or
His amazing sacrifice.

As you go about the duties of your calling this week, wherever God has placed you, may He sustain you, may He supply all that you need, may He give you grace to handle the unexpected, may He give you patience to work around the unforeseen, and may His presence be upon you as represent Him authentically, in all that is required of you.

May the skill of improvising without compromising be with you in abundance!

Spring Dreaming

We're only hours away from 'daylight savings' - what better time to muse! As we prepare to push those clocks foward, the fatigue within me from parenting our young three screams, "Are you SERIOUS???!!!"....and yet, it will happen, with or without me!

Spring, despite being in September for us, has such a fresh feel to it. New beginnings are all around - it's almost like we get a second chance at our New Year's resolutions! There's cherry blossoms everywhere, people are trading their full-length active wear for slightly shorter versions, sunglasses are almost essential and BBQs everywhere are nearing their annual scrub down and prep.

Like everyone else, I'm breathing a little more deeply every time I'm out in the fresh air, taking in the changes of the season. And I can definitely feel, perhaps like everyone else as well, there's a sense of something new happening all around.

Problem is, I am terrible at starting and not finishing! I have more than a few crafts still awaiting that final sprint to the finish line. On average, I have about 12 books on the go and, unless it's a novel, I very rarely read from cover to cover! I dip and dive, take an idea here, a thought there...and however long I spend with whatever I'm choosing to focus on, it's just long enough to birth or rebirth another venture with gusto.

Fortunately for those I work with, I've learnt how to meld that natural desire of mine into my work so that I don't go starting multiple projects that never get finished! I fear I am still guilty of not finishing or following through on a fair few though...sometimes there are just not enough hours in my days!

This year, what I feel I want to begin is actually something I want to finish...ironically! Years ago, and I really am old enough to say that with clout, I discovered things I loved. Photography, reading, writing, creating, crafting...the list could really go on. With all that life brings though, it is just so easy for the things we love to fade into the background and, as I say that, it is not without a deep love and appreciation for the foreground. With life and love comes choice and a laying down of some things in order to pick others up. It has meant the most amazing of memories have been created but it has also meant that some of me has been squished to the edges. This Spring, it's time for the edges to thicken a little, and I do not mean my waistline!

I'm looking forward to smiling more, that just happens at this time of year as we start the build up to Christmas. I'm looking forward to starting more (personally not professionally!), and with that perhaps finishing a little! And I'm looking forward to where starting and finishing will lead me with 2019 just around the corner.

For now, this is as good a start as I can manage and I'll pay for how late I've stayed up to start but start I have. For you, what dreams float around the edges of your life? Which ones are ready to meld into who you are today and where do you find yourself this Spring? Muse away but be warned - you really do not have as many hours in today as you did yesterday! Don't forget to put your clocks forward tonight!

Gap Filling

It would seem I need to fill the gap between 2010 and 2018! Let's just say, we've grown considerably as a family - these are our bunnies and life with them is pretty, freakin awesome!

To Sniff or To Blow!

There are days, like today, when I wish I could trade my nose in for a new one and yet, if this is the sum total of my problems, I'm well aware I get off lightly!

After dreaming of what might make an interesting blog yesterday, I've spent almost the entire day with a box of tissues at my elbow and have done rather little in the way of anything constructive today except, perhaps, look after my daughter, fire-up some neurons in that growing brain of hers and entertain the debate of whether I should sniff or blow everytime my nose ran!

The highlight of my day you ask? Feeding Cholae a chocolate biscuit! ....oh Plunket Schmunket to all of you who can hear your plunket nurses saying, "You do realise, you're setting up habits for life!" It was a chocolate wheaten afterall - there's nourishment in that isn't there?! And in defense of plunket nurses everywhere, my nurse is fantastic!

For every other mother out there who feeds the occasional chocolate biscuit, I hope you enjoy this....!

And to add to my parenting skills for the week, someone has just learnt to pull herself up...on everything!! Do you think this is too close to the TV even if it is The Wiggles??!



And as far as sniffing or blowing is concerned, I have to say I've ended the day not really caring just as long as it doesn't drip!!! :-)

Our Baby Girl!

Wow! How time flies and how things change...I simply can't believe it's been so long since I've written. It feels good to let my fingers fly over the keys for no other reason, really, than my own selfish need to unwind a little!

After all my ranting and raving in the last post, Cholae Julienne Baker was born on the 22nd January 2009 - not the way we planned but she came out with 10 fingers, 10 toes and a pretty healthy cry so we were happy! She was 7 pound 5 ounces and we have to confess - she is the apple of our eye! This smile says it all...

She is such a delight and there is always something that we're learning as parents. I have to say that I feel at times that my choice of parenting style goes a little against the 'kiwi norm' (if there really is such a thing!) but as I see the results in Cholae and as I see her personality and character traits starting to take shape, I'm pretty happy with what we're doing! You're all probably wondering what the heck we do differently but in a nutshell, we just don't let her 'cry it out' when it comes to sleep and I'm still breastfeeding after a year (and quite happy to keep going at this stage!). Might not sound like much but the advice to do exactly the opposite can at times be overwhelming!

Anyhow, Shaun and I are almost fully settled in Pukekohe - just a few more boxes to go this weekend...or next weekend. I hope to be able to write a bit more but no promises! We really have hit the ground running here and there doesn't ever seem to be a dull moment! Now I'm thinking through my to-do list for tomorrow wondering what moment might turn into a good blog....til tomorrow - or another day!

P.S. - more photos of Cholae on facebook :-)

How's this for interesting...

The bump is growing fantastically - 33weeks now. I regularly have all this movement where my tummy takes on a life of its own and there's all this squirming going on just under the surface. It's just the most amazing thing! An absolute miracle that's going on inside - I'm looking forward to when I can grab a foot or an elbow sometime in the last few weeks!

Anyway, the midwife was over the other day and we've been talking waterbirth/homebirth etc and going through all the information and options. Of course, when you mention this to others (after the silences or the gasps!), you get every horror story around - when you go on your own hunt for reliable information, stats and personal experience, the idea is not so scary, precautions and all!

Because of the different reactions I've had (which I haved weighed up with everything else!), in passing I asked the midwife why so few people outside of birthing/pregnancy circles were confident in natural birth and her response was, "You're a Christian right?" (to which I answered yes!) ...she then went on to say, "Well, that belief in God gives you and other Christians a confidence that your body can do what it was designed to do. It's like with everything you have to think about, you have one less worry because of your faith in God."

I was pretty impressed with that answer but I have to confess to a bit of a struggle as I've thought more about it all, for a slightly odd reason...most of the people who have reservedly tried to convince me that 'hospital is best' are Christians!

Now don't panic if you're one of them because I wouldn't have talked so much about it if I wasn't prepared to hear the good, the bad and the ugly - that's real life with friends and family! If you're also one of those women who went to hospital and cried, "Give me the drugs now!" or had some type of intervention through circumstances that were out of your control, you are still up there in my books - hey, you've actually had a child!! I'm still just planning to have one...although the reality is creeping closer by the day!

The real challenge for me in all of this was the perception of my midwife that there's a link between Christianity and confidence. I think that the confidence she was talking about is not just in support of labouring as naturally as possible but that she is also alluding to the ability to be able to make a decision confidently as a Christian and then relax, knowing/having a peace that God is ultimately in control.

The decisions there are to make around having a child seem to be endless as the time draws closer - there's always some new research to consider and a few more 'dos and don'ts' added to the invisible 'Responsible Parenting of a Newborn Baby' list but the challenge for me is clear - I have to do my part to make an informed decision and then confidently rest in the knowledge that God is in that decision and ultimately in control of the whole situation.

I hope that I'm one of those Christians that carries a Godly confidence in all that I do to the point where people wonder where it comes from and I get the chance to share.

...and until the due date, enough talk about how this baby is going to arrive!! I'm going to continue to wash all the little gifts of clothing and nest to my hearts content! I never thought I'd bake so much in my life...not that that alone is nesting but it is great to be able to be home and to have the time to do it all the same! If you happen to be around, drop in and enjoy the latest treat sitting in the pantry but be warned, Shaun may just beat you to it! :-)

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Man - where has this last year gone?!

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since we were married!

The actual day of our anniversary (20th), we were away with about 50 other Salvation Army Officers at a 3 day fellowship/retreat so after some clever scoping, I found a little cafe out in Whitemans Valley, Upper Hutt and off we went on a sunny Saturday morning. It was seriously gorgeous! Child friendly even, so we will definitely be going back again!

After a year of marriage though, I can report that we are happily, happily married and can't wait for our first little one to arrive! Here's to many more years of fun, laughter, good times and challenges shared.

The bump is here!...

It has taken a while but somewhere about week 20, I popped!...
and here's the result!
I have a much fuller face than I'm used to so when I'm brave enough, I might put a full body shot in... watch this space!
Rest assured, I'm enjoying it all the same - especially now some movement has started. The baby loves to flip-flop at some odd times through the day!

In general, it has been a shamefully long time since I have blogged and I've had some cracker attempts in my head. I've been a bit of a shocker at taking time for myself though so again, watch this space - I fully intend to write more!

SOS - A Tribute to 'Uncle Bob'

It's been a shamefully long time since I've posted anything but I was moved to write today. I'm on holiday but in order to avoid the huge stack of emails in my Inbox on return, I've logged in and waded through them every couple of days.

Today, I was shocked to read of the passing of a great Salvation Army Officer - Major Bob Millar. I've only known Bob and Evelyn a few years but what a great impact they've both had on my life. It's funny reading Bob's blog (http://www.millarbug.blogspot.com/) as I've missed his stories!

While I was in Christchurch on out-training, Bob and Evelyn took me under their wing, looked out for me and treated me like a child of their own. I love catching up with them when I can. While I was there, Bob got me involved in the street ministry (SOS) and I learnt some of the biggest lessons of my life. I had my theology challenged to the very core and Bob barely said a thing - it was simply what he did.

He had a heart for 'the least of these' and his life challenged me to change and to action.

Evelyn - my heart goes out to you and your family. Thank you for all you did for me - you were my saving grace, your attention and encouragement were both timely and a gift from God.

Red Hot

Dear 'Anonymous' (aka 'too-chicken-to-leave-a-name'!!),

Regarding the post below, if you are referring to these...

...I would have to say I much preferred these!

Although at least our MC (some cagey guy from Blenheim hiding behind those other shoes!) waited until the reception to break the colour theme of the day...wise man!

Your sister in Christ

Mrs Baker