atableinthewilderness

Happy Birhtday to ME!

Yes, it's my birthday today - 39.... not quite ancient, but older than I was yesterday. Cya

Back to school...

Well, you must be thinking I'd abandoned our blog in an act of dispair, but no, it did cross my mind at one stage but I decided to continue. We have been very busy over the last week, catching up with friends, getting the kids back into school - which they start on Monday. I've also been busy looking for work and what has been even more fun, others have been seekig me out, not just for work but to hear what happend while we were away - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Back to seeking work, it does the ego a whole lotta good when you're sort out - even if you don't take the role it's good to be approached. I'm also looking all over Oz and around the world at the moment too, don't want to make the net tooo small ya know!!!

The kids are all doing well and Sarah is making our temporary house a home - which she does so well, you should have seen our apartment in Prague, very comfortable and homely. We now have a new van, well not new 1997, but very much suited to our needs - thanks God. Things are going well, even after a personal crash during the week. Let ya know more of our ongoing adventure soon, might even get Sarah on soon, maybe. Cya.

Signing on

Sorry if I'm not blogging as much as I used to but as you could understand we are busyier than ever with settling in and trying to find out where to from here. I also have limited internet access and this slows me down a bit.

Yesterday went to our old Church to share what had happened (why we were back earlier than expected) and to anwer any questions about the experience. I had only one person ask any deep questions, which sadly to me wasn't surprising. We won't be returning to membership at this church so therby ending a 9 year realtionship with the instituion, which comes with good memories, regrets and baggage for both parties I'm sure.

Today I also went to 'sign on' - in Oz this is where you sign up so you can; 1. get some welfare payments while you look for a job, 2. get a reference number so you can actually get a job, 3. feel like a looser all over again. Not really, they were very encouraging and helpful and I was surprised at how much help they offer in starting a business, training etc. My formal interview is on the 21st so still got some time to get my paper work in order - I hate paper work and filling out forms. I have decided to through my net wide as possible and look into as many options as I can, so if you know of a great position going for someone with the Pastoral Gifting let me know... Cya.

Living in the Saturday ...

As we move back to Oz good friends of ours are moving to Charlotte, USA. So what have we been doing over the last few days, packing up someone else's house to move - pretty ironc and very sad - but at least we got to spend a week with them, hanging out and sharing eachothers storys - we will miss our messy friends.

We also caught up with my Dad last night, which after moving furniture all day was the last thing we wanted to do, but we had a great time. What surprised me was, his and his 'significant others' willingness to enter the mess of what has happened (without judgement) and also, how much we enjoyed telling the great things that happened while we were away. They are not bloggers so they didn't keep up except for the occasional letter from me - very occasional. Just to watch the video of our visit to my childhood home and the funny things that happened was great to hear, even if they were coming from our mouths. Sometimes you just have to listen to yourself to hear good things that you need to hear.

I think we tend to live in two camps, those who deny life and those who drown in it.

Those who Deniy life won't go near any pain past or present for fear of being comsumed by it (denial of Good Friday). And those who Drown in it are so overwhelemd by the pain of life that they never actually risk living at all, there by denying Easter Sunday. So what does it mean to live in Saturday, having a hand on both but not being burn't by either?

Today Matt and I started a new tradition in our home - well it's not new if you know my Relatives - Brian and Rose Pleace. We started the overwhelming Saturday Fry up, you know an English breakfast at noon - bacon, eggs, muffins, tommatoes, sausages, plus a touch from the USA pancakes with maple syrup (on the same plate). Why are we doing this, well its good food for a start but mainly it's a great way to enjoy eachother as we make, serve and eat together. But also a commitment to walk the road on a Saturday and celebrate the pain of life and cry out for the joy of heaven - which we can taste but not bask in yet - no matter what theology we believe. Cya.

Settling in 2

Earlier today I blogged about how flat we are all feeling, you know how it is (and it didn't get posted)?!? Returning from overseas, catching up with all those people you hadn't seen in months, the excitment of the warm weather etc. but then it hits you like a brick - you start to vasilate (sorry for the spelling) between anger/rage and sorrow/depression - two of these are valid the others just selfish - not getting our house doesn't help but the biggest thing we keep asking is .... WAS IT WORTH IT?!?!?! As Sarah says, "when I get there I've got some big questions to ask Him". Then there 's the next big questions - WHAT NOW?!?!!? As others keep telling us, take your time and be gentle - thanks Graham M - were trying to take your advice. Cya.

POSTpost - well it seems as though the first blog went through after all, fancy that...

Settling in???

Settling in to our new abode. It's a little more than we had in Prague but a whole lot hotter!!!! Can you tell? I've hit the sad's, yes when you've caught up with all those that you know and are just getting into life again the downs hit home hard. I/we are feeling very sorry for ourselves at the moment and just looking for the good things in what's happened - very hard from this end I might add. I hope it was all worth it God 'cause at the moment I'm having my doubts! Cya.

Ups and Downs...

So the last few days have had their ups and downs.

Down – it was a long flight with not much sleep – 24 hours travelling - 17 flying.
Up – the kids loved their personal entertainment units on the two long flights – thank you God!!!

Down – we landed at midnight so our tickertape parade was cancelled due to bad light.
Ups – we got to land with good friends who understand us and love us anyway. We got to surprise some people with our return – I love disrupting the status quo.

Up - we get to spend a few weeks with our other good friends before they …
Down - take off and leave us for the USA – selfish, just when we need them the most. (one of the reason they are leaving is ‘cause we had left….)

Downs – we are still suffering from jetlag (I don’t think I am but any excuse for an afternoon snooze) and the kids are still walking around like the living dead in the afternoon.
Up – the first three days of weather were blessedly cooler than usual so we could sleep when needed – tomorrow is 38 (101) degrees - plus it's great to have 'summer friends' with pools.

Down - can’t get back into our house till June so we have had many tears and much disappointment over that.
Up – we are moving Monday to our “Castle on a hill, near the ocean” (Czech out the blog dated 01/01/04) Cya.

New Year update...

Greetings to you in the New Year - we hope it will be all you and God want it to be for you.

So what have we been up to since making our announcment to head home? We've been packing and cleaning up. We went out to dinner with some good friends here in Prague and had a laughing good time in a great Italian Place, yes Sarah, "Sean Connery and Jonny Depps favourite restaurant in Prague".

We then returned to the Peach for some "Fire works". Nothing to most, but to us Australians a moment to be enjoyed - they are illegal at home. So I got to supervise 4 boys salivating as they played with fire sparks - so primative!! We all survived, though there was some close moments - great time.

New Years day, I dropped our good friends Artie, Elsabeth and family at the Airport for their 3 month trip home to the States - have a great time, we will miss you and hold you to your promise of coming to Oz soooon. Tonight we all went out to get some presents for family and some friends at home - weight permitting.

Thanks to all those who have emailed us with encouragment and thoughts. A lot of you have asked if you can do anything for us, which is very humbling, but there is. Could you pray that our house will become available very soon. Our tenants signed a 12 month lease and they are entitled to see their time out - they are great tenants - but we just want to move home without having to rent for a few months. Unless there is a very cheap castle we could move into over looking the Ocean??? I didn't think so, so prayer about moving home would be great. Cya.

Chrismas Cheer

Hey, many Christmas blessing to one and all. Hope you all got what you wanted and if not what you deserved! We had, as you could imagine a busy Chistmas with 9 kids, 4 adults and three visitors on the day, but when all is said and done - I'm glad it's over!!! The kids got to ice skate on the lake, so the 'White Chrismas' dream has happened - Yeh!!! Spent boxing day with new good friends eating left overs, being silly and talkng heaps - thanks for a great arvo guys. Cya.
PS - big news to be annoucned soon....

Clean up day...

Saturday is our big clean up day, all the kids have sections of the communal living area and they are over seen by one of the adults. My section is the lounge, computer and sun rooms. My charges this month are Beau and Abigail. To begin the clean we usually wrestle, if the kids can pin me for the count of three I will do all the cleaning and they can go a play - to date I have never had to clean by myself. Later this afternoon Sarah and I went and did our final Christmas shopping - Ye HAAAAA!!!!! No we're not arguing anymore. Cya.