tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76275374003838093852024-02-23T18:42:56.848+11:00Dreams Really Do Come True Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-51367458585709976872016-01-27T10:40:00.000+11:002016-01-27T10:42:15.823+11:00Christmas HolidaysWe went down to Victoria for Christmas, to visit Mum's family and spend a few weeks with them. We had a lovely time in Stawell, and the surrounding towns, and I took lots of photos! So here we go, a photo run-down of our 2 1/2 weeks down south... <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AbIIMGs1hCw56cDgwfZKH_kztH1_IxNAJBwCZGeidm6T81VeLv_vJ9iEKKToMtx-Lt6Lhaug_bABqlxYKI8RgicmVylviioJ-m_xQOUPTXM6tYMjxtsf1WCy-NCSdUm02U6vc8EsgQs/s1600/WP_20151222_17_38_32_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AbIIMGs1hCw56cDgwfZKH_kztH1_IxNAJBwCZGeidm6T81VeLv_vJ9iEKKToMtx-Lt6Lhaug_bABqlxYKI8RgicmVylviioJ-m_xQOUPTXM6tYMjxtsf1WCy-NCSdUm02U6vc8EsgQs/s320/WP_20151222_17_38_32_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pa and all of us kids (- me, because I took the photo) waiting for the Stawell Christmas street parade</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is so incredibly dry down south! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroYdSOcgTI-Kj6yPn0svMyM2Y9OLwIiV4RNEnJWEEvzyL3ARp-7ALtp1GDQQaDz_QW0XREO49Tec6wIFEhYO7hnpet3_Z80i_CyYFOI18Dm6NHyhQygiE-NprWYJSEr3WZEHWjsmS6Y4/s1600/WP_20151223_10_58_50_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroYdSOcgTI-Kj6yPn0svMyM2Y9OLwIiV4RNEnJWEEvzyL3ARp-7ALtp1GDQQaDz_QW0XREO49Tec6wIFEhYO7hnpet3_Z80i_CyYFOI18Dm6NHyhQygiE-NprWYJSEr3WZEHWjsmS6Y4/s320/WP_20151223_10_58_50_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...And yet so pretty at the same time</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASOi_WdIMNgQ9LrwE0dMFhSiBzVvwb9BC4gZWCmo5blwAGGfZUOZLz1a3URO4sJgaI7AmZhmhoY4UC_vdm1mIv2QCaEMv8p7CWCbgnBEvVedzT9P3kWQoqBx1P43Y1YWTqCdDLIQvWIM/s1600/WP_20151227_21_26_15_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASOi_WdIMNgQ9LrwE0dMFhSiBzVvwb9BC4gZWCmo5blwAGGfZUOZLz1a3URO4sJgaI7AmZhmhoY4UC_vdm1mIv2QCaEMv8p7CWCbgnBEvVedzT9P3kWQoqBx1P43Y1YWTqCdDLIQvWIM/s320/WP_20151227_21_26_15_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took the Transit 'offroading' up a mountain bush track and took photos of the sunset one night.This was taken at about 9:30pm. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While we are on holidays, we tend to go to a lot of cafes for lunch. And of course, while sitting at the table waiting for our orders, we take photos!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxS8RndexGvN6TqA_buVaiV31qcYJ4J90KZV1jRDrEOAdTxfowQL3oJUOXV7HmMlyfPE0sh7BK6anFbbrhAd1M7OO1Iyy7ffSeTXitXoXwfOjApxmkMcCWfBhvk_MxqMSsgJgK_91j0s/s1600/WP_20151228_14_00_51_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxS8RndexGvN6TqA_buVaiV31qcYJ4J90KZV1jRDrEOAdTxfowQL3oJUOXV7HmMlyfPE0sh7BK6anFbbrhAd1M7OO1Iyy7ffSeTXitXoXwfOjApxmkMcCWfBhvk_MxqMSsgJgK_91j0s/s320/WP_20151228_14_00_51_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real life, authentic Aboriginal art....</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole area is overshadowed by the Grampians Mountain ranges</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobIgDj-DjPGvylEG6D-4EwdjqAF9X_4UAjJs5saaw8SKFQRvPHD0PAwGEZgIlpeLjVHN8duFk_1EDxc5oLJZWWexK3fUj6C-Cgbrooc2naE55IerUtkXNsuwdA_no1Cju-PI6PDWlq3k/s1600/WP_20151229_12_26_35_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobIgDj-DjPGvylEG6D-4EwdjqAF9X_4UAjJs5saaw8SKFQRvPHD0PAwGEZgIlpeLjVHN8duFk_1EDxc5oLJZWWexK3fUj6C-Cgbrooc2naE55IerUtkXNsuwdA_no1Cju-PI6PDWlq3k/s320/WP_20151229_12_26_35_Pro.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is at the Botanical gardens in Ballarat (a city about 1.5-2 hours from Stawell) Ballarat is where Mum spent her teenage years and also where Pa lived until just a few years ago when he moved back to Stawell, his childhood town.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mum and Dad were married in Ballarat, and we found the spot where they had their wedding photos taken....23 years later</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklTnTdDwpOYguh8PGSfH_TcaPY50ucvKN_RsSf0npn9BslKhTG-DmKZNZFcYxN8IvgHDf3g8GT55vPyODA6DAf7Kcsz7TywxrFEkunIshj9cupM4QLxLyLBNlDljcq6QbyTKFSY6oP2M/s1600/WP_20160101_21_09_28_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklTnTdDwpOYguh8PGSfH_TcaPY50ucvKN_RsSf0npn9BslKhTG-DmKZNZFcYxN8IvgHDf3g8GT55vPyODA6DAf7Kcsz7TywxrFEkunIshj9cupM4QLxLyLBNlDljcq6QbyTKFSY6oP2M/s320/WP_20160101_21_09_28_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking the town of Stawell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcZFPCVaQGmAimQn0NvN7AYvj9zha-DqnZi0eLBIRDtFE3wsbw7v-45YBF5p_h94ZL38_NJS36awC5OUjkpZMIUe6XcMWLEx-Q2G7isoTUt3015n7Vu0fYPIOOzE-IITbuTxcN0GPF0I/s1600/WP_20160101_21_09_50_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcZFPCVaQGmAimQn0NvN7AYvj9zha-DqnZi0eLBIRDtFE3wsbw7v-45YBF5p_h94ZL38_NJS36awC5OUjkpZMIUe6XcMWLEx-Q2G7isoTUt3015n7Vu0fYPIOOzE-IITbuTxcN0GPF0I/s320/WP_20160101_21_09_50_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We all jumped out and took photos of the view</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMy1dKrjJhuxRLyUPABtfZnHHl4iRqRo2JvwzKdNYLUxhGL_4KTUml6ws8RktQAA5nNdNUpxQVOkjc7H1rI3F1ckDhmYoKxkpPw85BuLMvLlhx1tvw4o5PHXMIsI0kjbE1cUk2FvAs7A/s1600/WP_20160102_12_04_44_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMy1dKrjJhuxRLyUPABtfZnHHl4iRqRo2JvwzKdNYLUxhGL_4KTUml6ws8RktQAA5nNdNUpxQVOkjc7H1rI3F1ckDhmYoKxkpPw85BuLMvLlhx1tvw4o5PHXMIsI0kjbE1cUk2FvAs7A/s320/WP_20160102_12_04_44_Pro.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another day, another cafe lunch photo session. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_F7Nr6XNsDwSdSHKlkqWTT_AkarI0FgQSbIRjId-xcMN-M_EnIE7-l1wWWeex7v4H0Laxbhzk_oosULm-WBiVWtZL7t2c4IYIuB9swdcMsHQ0SCv4_JRONTjjiSLItdB27HIiGqXYEPU/s1600/WP_20160102_13_32_10_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_F7Nr6XNsDwSdSHKlkqWTT_AkarI0FgQSbIRjId-xcMN-M_EnIE7-l1wWWeex7v4H0Laxbhzk_oosULm-WBiVWtZL7t2c4IYIuB9swdcMsHQ0SCv4_JRONTjjiSLItdB27HIiGqXYEPU/s320/WP_20160102_13_32_10_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We headed up into the Grampians, and stopped by this man made lake, which supplies water to nearby towns </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the other side of the lake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7uRRAnLikO6qIJQT5DZAbd3iQsAWopvt_UuvY36i5MaJug0LxZCHyTVHOjyqEFe1I9kWhm7YKs1Fp6i4rxIoNlao9ILsFQKABDnCsbstYZZ6wECUR6vNNaO8FHz-FoJP9GFf0wZM9kM/s1600/WP_20160102_14_36_50_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7uRRAnLikO6qIJQT5DZAbd3iQsAWopvt_UuvY36i5MaJug0LxZCHyTVHOjyqEFe1I9kWhm7YKs1Fp6i4rxIoNlao9ILsFQKABDnCsbstYZZ6wECUR6vNNaO8FHz-FoJP9GFf0wZM9kM/s320/WP_20160102_14_36_50_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is up on the mountain at one of the lookouts. You can see for kilometers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went on a bushwalk which was only supposed to be 1km in and out, but that was a very conservative estimate. Anyway, partway down, people had stacked up hundreds of rocks into little piles. It was very odd. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss Ann (3), enjoying the bushwalk</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3f86aZOKUEiVorgk1PjEV3xWUCD34gsU7exxSf882P_pxBr-ghQD57PPLrS0hC1-0GF4Rtvx2VueI-ySZYoICP5qutDZf1eokJUyaY-5mnMJaqzMwoGla7C43gcEqKQkMBlrYi7BNGI/s1600/WP_20160102_15_38_28_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3f86aZOKUEiVorgk1PjEV3xWUCD34gsU7exxSf882P_pxBr-ghQD57PPLrS0hC1-0GF4Rtvx2VueI-ySZYoICP5qutDZf1eokJUyaY-5mnMJaqzMwoGla7C43gcEqKQkMBlrYi7BNGI/s320/WP_20160102_15_38_28_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the end of the '1km' trail... It is hard to see in the picture, but the green is not grass, but all trees</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXq4CuDtffOKFD0pVEK6G3B-oyW70tiRl6lRhF1fUR77Hba5a-T7QZK-NkSnuGF0waEZ0i4cdHpVqm4yrRpauRUePStTmtEdHSBdBfXCsAPsC3nKysybfpgkmCATPBsxwb2-dSDnHXFmM/s1600/WP_20160102_15_40_37_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXq4CuDtffOKFD0pVEK6G3B-oyW70tiRl6lRhF1fUR77Hba5a-T7QZK-NkSnuGF0waEZ0i4cdHpVqm4yrRpauRUePStTmtEdHSBdBfXCsAPsC3nKysybfpgkmCATPBsxwb2-dSDnHXFmM/s320/WP_20160102_15_40_37_Pro.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading back down the mountain</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgF0G97hadIVEiXCaNetq_qwsw94C3u1t2krcyF4yEegWBaxG59SwS3IY1E4LbwD5dAtrtszEKQTckpT-xqyGz2Bb83c6CPPe19H1WROk_pbuqyZy3E0W2drwceDNM6jGuGKUNBRquak/s1600/WP_20160102_16_17_16_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgF0G97hadIVEiXCaNetq_qwsw94C3u1t2krcyF4yEegWBaxG59SwS3IY1E4LbwD5dAtrtszEKQTckpT-xqyGz2Bb83c6CPPe19H1WROk_pbuqyZy3E0W2drwceDNM6jGuGKUNBRquak/s320/WP_20160102_16_17_16_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is another mountain in the Grampians called Elephant's Hide, because the surface is rock, and looks like the skin of an elephant. We didn't stop there though, so the picture was a drive by shot. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgi5VKB_sDLm7vTS6Rx7E4erDiKvJp6ttB5s9ygMK4zWHkbXRfHJzz7gO46fCB8nS5r6qpbKdTXenxLLny87O11ZLF6mxcSWqO8AIc1UnOpF4bqr5jROG771h16_Nes8-564MhTIieyM/s1600/WP_20160104_12_16_26_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgi5VKB_sDLm7vTS6Rx7E4erDiKvJp6ttB5s9ygMK4zWHkbXRfHJzz7gO46fCB8nS5r6qpbKdTXenxLLny87O11ZLF6mxcSWqO8AIc1UnOpF4bqr5jROG771h16_Nes8-564MhTIieyM/s320/WP_20160104_12_16_26_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSylyseh1xRwreRtvwrZA0Okc7aQ5HXm5mS3orwLOBULNPWO3EgxXlnmgwkLCb32SCmLHsiJSSFTT2ivENusjt_H7LVgiUbDD2fFFF_TZY5PP6G3ku9mokgfndrq0tv7uowMlMp5snUw/s1600/WP_20160104_13_56_55_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSylyseh1xRwreRtvwrZA0Okc7aQ5HXm5mS3orwLOBULNPWO3EgxXlnmgwkLCb32SCmLHsiJSSFTT2ivENusjt_H7LVgiUbDD2fFFF_TZY5PP6G3ku9mokgfndrq0tv7uowMlMp5snUw/s320/WP_20160104_13_56_55_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went to a place called Vaughn Springs, where they have a really long slide down the mountain. Unfortunately, it poured rain about 20 minutes after we got there, and we had to leave. But it was still fun. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joy and Ann in Horsham, another nearby town about 40 minutes from Stawell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioudxqtmbQIjFl_OPOsVPVqkuEss2JF2OS7Ai3YWT7q1ZRANIiOuMPZezxP7tNzcqBYh_ec54eFusXgiv40u0Hmgc10wxc4cpgBvdCGOzqakDdx_LHBfLvK-WT7LdscCQoe34GEoHiZJU/s1600/WP_20151223_20_55_58_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioudxqtmbQIjFl_OPOsVPVqkuEss2JF2OS7Ai3YWT7q1ZRANIiOuMPZezxP7tNzcqBYh_ec54eFusXgiv40u0Hmgc10wxc4cpgBvdCGOzqakDdx_LHBfLvK-WT7LdscCQoe34GEoHiZJU/s320/WP_20151223_20_55_58_Pro.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at our caravan park. Once again, this photo was taken at about 9:30 - it stays light for a long time down south!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDC5URhgX6wYIUlTzWijy9FYte-yF4K5fGN7-3JLi_Q9UEXHEvi64zPJeCx8WP0MFCeg-qT-Zhkx-XX_q9D7fTakPhaCivpVaKsUS3-f4UsesWa9BPYxjgBhjrOrQAApCvpcoXLBoAS0/s1600/WP_20160107_08_14_02_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDC5URhgX6wYIUlTzWijy9FYte-yF4K5fGN7-3JLi_Q9UEXHEvi64zPJeCx8WP0MFCeg-qT-Zhkx-XX_q9D7fTakPhaCivpVaKsUS3-f4UsesWa9BPYxjgBhjrOrQAApCvpcoXLBoAS0/s320/WP_20160107_08_14_02_Pro.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elise stole all our pillows to sit on while we were driving home - all 14 hours and 5 minutes of the trip.</td></tr>
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-27484696985219727442015-12-19T08:40:00.000+11:002015-12-19T08:41:47.866+11:00Listen! The Angels are Singing<br />
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQMNSjd0bZmz3pkcZ6eW4sJI6oLZ_dPBE479QqOeTduaw0Cmsd7" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="irc_mut" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQMNSjd0bZmz3pkcZ6eW4sJI6oLZ_dPBE479QqOeTduaw0Cmsd7" style="margin-top: 0px;" /></a>Carols are a wonderful part of Christmas time, but do we ever stop to think about what we are singing? The songs which many were penned years and years ago, hold wonderful truths and beautiful meanings behind the well-known lyrics. Hark the Herald Angels Sing is one such carol. It was written by Charles Wesley, in 1739. I have re-written the lyrics to Hark below - Hope you enjoy and Merry Christmas! :)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Listen! The angels are singing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Glory to Jesus, the newborn King!"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There is peace and mercy on earth now </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Because Jesus brings God and sinners together</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All the countries of the world stand and be joyful</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Join all of creation in singing His praises</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Join the angels and sing loudly,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Listen! The angels are singing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Praise be to Jesus, the newborn King!"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Christ is adored in the highest heavens</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Christ is the everlasting Lord</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We have waited years, now see Him here</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He was born of a virgin, He is her child</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He is God, and yet has become human</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Welcome Him as the Holy God</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He loves us enough to come among us and to live with us</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jesus, our Savior, God with us.</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Listen! The angels are singing </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Give glory to the newborn King!"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Welcome the Prince of Peace, who came from heaven</div>
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Welcome the Son of truth and righteousness</div>
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He will bring light and life to everyone</div>
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And he will rise from the grave with healing and power</div>
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As a baby, He lies quietly, setting aside His glory</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He was born that we no longer had to die for our sins</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He was born to raise us up from our lives of sin and despair</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He was born to give us a second life, and a new birth </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Listen! the angels are singing:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Let's praise and give all honor and glory to Jesus, our new born king!"</div>
Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-12690612347317078632015-12-17T17:39:00.000+11:002015-12-17T17:39:04.211+11:00Gingerbread house night!Last night was our Church's annual gingerbread house building night! After weeks of planning, days of ordering, shopping, and budgeting, hours of packing lollies, and many last minute jobs to complete - the night came together. Our car and house smelt like a lolly shop and bakery while our study became so packed with lollies and tablecloths you could barely move. This year was a lot bigger than last year: In 2014 we had 83 people attend, this year it was over 130! To give you an idea of what that is in reality, here are a few numbers: <br />
I bought:<br />
đŽ 19kg of bullets<br />
đŽ 19kg of freckles<br />
đŽ 50m of licorice<br />
đŽ 1260 musk sticks<br />
And the list goes on! We also packed over 700 individual bags of lollies and tied more twisty ties than I care to count! Anyway, here are a few photos from the night. By the end of the night, we had raised about $800 for Missons. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVL9heRMSiumkfzxrDdxPKjBFHrp3lKpM97fmdBxhdyJmP_QnWaJU8Wo7dWmzlwM29BKOAYrnwwQmRifbAtsZiUnxSJxxj6KEECKJRP4ktwGaFtD_7ufdBRTFBBS_9HqH6Hw-DlvlGN54/s1600/WP_20151216_15_05_31_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVL9heRMSiumkfzxrDdxPKjBFHrp3lKpM97fmdBxhdyJmP_QnWaJU8Wo7dWmzlwM29BKOAYrnwwQmRifbAtsZiUnxSJxxj6KEECKJRP4ktwGaFtD_7ufdBRTFBBS_9HqH6Hw-DlvlGN54/s320/WP_20151216_15_05_31_Pro.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What 102 gingerbread houses flat packs look like</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All set up, ready to go</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extra lollies and gingerbread men for sale</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had 16 tables, ranging from 6 to 13 people at each table</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decorating the houses!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just starting to decorate...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We finished them off by dusting them in icing sugar and wrapped them in cellophane, tied with a ribbon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the 96 completed houses</td></tr>
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-9072361216525066172015-11-16T10:16:00.001+11:002015-11-16T10:16:32.039+11:00A Letter <i>To the Body of Christ ~ His Church, </i><br />
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I know you are reeling from the sudden turns of events in Paris and in the world, and I know that everything seems confused in at the moment. But let me say, don't loose sight of what is happening here. We shouldn't be surprised, we shouldn't be taken aback. These times were long ago predicted in the Bible. Our response shouldn't be one of fear or confusions, like those who have no light, for we have the Light. <br />
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I sorrow for those who have lost loved ones, for those whose lives have been torn apart by these tragic events, for those wives who no longer have a husband, for the children who no longer have a mother or a father, or both, for the grandparents who have lost their grandchildren, for the close friends and extended circles. So many lives lost, so many more hearts broken, so many people now waking up, and wishing they didn't have to face the morning. We cry with them, and we hold their hand through pain that we cannot even begin to imagine. <br />
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But my heart is broken for the Muslims, those who have lost their way, these precious people whom God loved, whom God sent His only Son to save, and who longs to hold them as close to His heart and He holds me, and holds you. These people are not the enemy, rather, they are the victims. They are the victims to a lifelong time of fear, of evil and of hate. Their actions are not right, and they are not to be excused, but the <i>gift of salvation still extends to them</i>. The same God who reached out to me and to you, reaches out to them, and waits only for a whispered prayer to receive them into paradise. <br />
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We need to stand up for these people - the ones who are so lost their eyes are blind, their ears are defeaned. We need to interceed for those who cannot see the way by themselves. Without our example, how they are going to know the love of Christ? <br />
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The world might be closing the borders on the Muslims, they might be shutting their doors, retaliating with soldiers and with violence, but we, the Children of God, we must never close our hearts.<br />
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I not only stand for Paris, I also stand for Iraq, I stand for Kenya, I stand for Egypt, I stand for Bali, I stand for the USA, I stand for Australia, I stand for every country that has been touched by the terrorist attacks, and every country which needs God even more today than they did yesterday. And I pray that you will stand with me and in Him, for without His hope, the world has no reason to live. And without His love, we have nothing to give. <br />
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I want to finish with this song from Planetshakers 'We cry out'. Please listen and make it your heart's cry, for only when we turn to God will we see change in this world. <br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-85881601260076976722015-11-13T15:09:00.000+11:002015-11-13T15:09:04.536+11:00Church Camp and CarolsWell, it has been awhile! It is coming into Summer, into the Christmas season, towards the end of the year, the times of cooler summer nights, while the days reach a delightful 40 or so degrees (no sarcasm - I love the heat :) )<br />
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Our annual church family camp was only a few weeks ago, and was heaps of fun. It was held at Tahlee, so it was different for me to be actually participating in a camp, rather than cooking for it - although I did that too. :) Our Church camp is rather relaxed and chilled, without much planned, so there is plenty of time to just hang out with each other fellowship. I had been at Tahlee cooking all week leading up to the camp, so it was great fun to greet each new arrival as they trickled in over the course of Friday afternoon / evening. The first thing that was planned on Saturday was indoor games in the morning, so we all met in the main auditorium where we played games such as Ninja, Ship Shore Deck, Lifeboat and Capture the Flag. the games were good fun, although I was in the yellow team, and we so totally lost. ;) <br />
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Afterwards, our Church has this unique tradition at camp where we do gumboot throwing competitions, I know, strange isn't it?!? But anyways, it is actually more fun than what one would think. We played in categories, preschoolers, primary aged girls, primary aged boys, high school girls, high school boys, then adults, both men and ladies. It hadn't occurred to me that, seeing I finished school last year and had had a birthday since, I was actually in the open aged ladies competition, until we were lining up. But, there I was. So when it was my turn and picked up the boot and chucked it as far I could. Some of the others had techniques and would spin the boot around and around before throwing up, gaining momentum, I guess. Others would do a bit of a run up. I just stood there and threw it, but it must have been the power of a left-hander, because, to my great surprise and shock, I won the ladies category with a throw of over 11 meters! I won a bag of Freddo Frogs :D <br />
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On Saturday night, Mum and I ran a Family Feud Trivia Night. We had deliberated long and hard over this night, because a standard family feud game only includes 8 people (we had about a 100) and a trivia night would probably go over the younger kid's heads. So, after quite a few brainstorming sessions, and a few late night calls on the week leading up to the camp while I was at Tahlee, we came up with a mixture. During the afternoon, we set up tables in the auditorium, with 8-10 people at each table. When everyone entered, they made teams at the tables. Each table got to choose 4 people to come up to the front and play a Family Feud round (if you don't know what I mean by Family Feud, it is a game show on channel 10 - look it up! :P) Between each Family Feud round, there was bonus rounds, and each round accumulated points for an overall winning table of the night. The bonus rounds varied from general trivia night quizzes, to quizzes on movie quotes, a don't forget the lyrics round (where we would play a segment of a song cutting it off part way and they had to write down the next lyrics) and a few rounds especially for kids - including a spelling bee. It was a really fun night and although Mum and I were both absolutely exhausted by the end of it, it was well worth the work and effort we had put in. <br />
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Sunday morning we held Church by the lake, which was lovely, as usual. the best thing was that this year - a first in the 5 years we have had Church camp - it didn't rain! After the church service, we had water baptism in the lake and then a shared BBQ lunch. It was a lovely time, and afterwards, it was time to go home. I think at least 4 of us kids came home lobsters from the sun! :P<br />
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One last thing before I go, or you go, one or the other! ;)<br />
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It is coming, rather rapidly, up to our Church's annual Christmas Production. The carols include a variety of singalong carols, song items, and drama. If any of you are in the vicinity, and would like to come along - it is on the 6th of December, 2015, at Generate Church, corner of New England Highway and Kelso Street Singleton, NSW. We have free entertainment - such as jumping castles, rock climbing, etc. - from 3:30pm and dinner is available (I think it is something like hot dogs for $1.50 - but don't quote me on that! :P) - and our cafe will be open, from where you can buy anything from a milkshake to a coffee. The carols start 7:00pm, and finish at 8:30, so it doesn't go too late. If you have any further questions or queries, please comment and I will do my best to answer them. :) We would love for you to be there if you can make it!!!<br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-19569305615900085972015-09-17T16:00:00.001+10:002015-09-17T16:00:50.026+10:00Farewell Rainbow CakeA friend from our Church is going to England as an exchange student for six months - leaving today, actually! So I was asked to bake a farewell cake for her at our youth group. It was the first time I had done a farewell cake, so I hit google to try and find out which design to do. In the end, this was what I ended up with....<br />
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Making the cakes: I decided to make a rainbow cake. Well, actually, everyone else decided that I should make a rainbow cake. I was feeling tired and not too well, so I didn't feel like putting in the effort for a rainbow, so I went searching online for an easier way to make them. I had made two different types of rainbow cakes before: the first method is to place all your coloured batter in separate Ziploc bags, snip off the end, and put a drizzle in the bottom of the pan. Then get the next colour, and repeat. Continue until all the batter is used up. This makes the cake come out in little stripes, like in the middle of this cake:<br />
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The other method is to bake the cakes all separately and join them with together with icing later. Although both methods work well, they are time consuming and I didn't have a lot of that. So instead, I coloured each cake and poured them into the pan on top of each other, hoping that it wouldn't come out a nasty brown. <span id="goog_1445164472"></span><span id="goog_1445164473"></span><br />
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These were my colours: (I have seemed to lost one of the photos, there were 5 colours... )<br />
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I poured the mixture in on top of each other. And then tapped the pan several times on the bench to get rid of any air bubbles. It took a loooong time to cook, and I probably had too much mixture in the pan, but anyways! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-tNHPZee2x7F-EJ3A_8yMd6BrqD5fapQsyFabR3Hwibq7xEvu6pENup90P5g1_bE0TiAm8dLEKBskgUEi89TX00ufYIGquHZn9HyyrcgzAb7obLWAkIvIgBJJbloRDUgCk6RZIl5mow/s1600/WP_20150911_11_14_21_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-tNHPZee2x7F-EJ3A_8yMd6BrqD5fapQsyFabR3Hwibq7xEvu6pENup90P5g1_bE0TiAm8dLEKBskgUEi89TX00ufYIGquHZn9HyyrcgzAb7obLWAkIvIgBJJbloRDUgCk6RZIl5mow/s200/WP_20150911_11_14_21_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKlCYP_vt7iCS6sHp1f4mhzg9vay8lHWf0xlFmUfEfGZsGQwjOMhy_CjXWRuFumC4RVr3rkHDzLhUYqCJ6Bj7Gj2XeZ4BX71YM2iDflPQpLLp_216JFggjhr51Ckyle548uXkdFkfmG4/s1600/WP_20150911_11_15_39_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKlCYP_vt7iCS6sHp1f4mhzg9vay8lHWf0xlFmUfEfGZsGQwjOMhy_CjXWRuFumC4RVr3rkHDzLhUYqCJ6Bj7Gj2XeZ4BX71YM2iDflPQpLLp_216JFggjhr51Ckyle548uXkdFkfmG4/s320/WP_20150911_11_15_39_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a> This is the mixture poured in - and then I swirled it just a little with a knife before cooking it (Right)<br />
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And this is after it is cooked: (I cut it open to fill it with icing and also to see how it worked out.) I was happy - and relieved! - with the results.<br />
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For the icing, I decided to try something new, as you do when you are cooking a cake for a event! :P I read that adding copha to the icing would make it set harder crust better to get a nicer finish. I had to leave the copha out in the sun for about 9 hours before it was soft enough to be beaten up. Here is the recipe:<br />
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It makes quite a lot of icing, well and truly enough to this cake, and I put a lot on!<br />
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Ingredients: <br />
500g butter<br />
250g copha<br />
1kg icing mixture<br />
Splash of milk<br />
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Method:<br />
Beat butter and copha together until fluffy and white. Add icing mixture and beat well, scraping down the sides regularly. Add milk if it needs to be a little thinner. <br />
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Then I iced the cake blue, cut out fondant countries, and made a little plane. I didn't get photos of the process, but here is the finished product: (the lighting isn't great, but by the end I really couldn't care less if the photos came out well :P)<br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-42507368762605286132015-09-04T15:46:00.000+10:002015-09-04T15:46:14.353+10:00Dots on a Page<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://wesleymemorial.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/world-in-hands2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://wesleymemorial.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/world-in-hands2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I have been thinking lately about one awesome aspect of our God: He has our best interests at heart.<br />
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I know that is a highly spoken of topic, and so probably comes as no great surprise to any of you. But, stop and think about it this way....there are over 7.3 billion people in this world, to get a picture of exactly how many 7.3 billion people are, please take a quick look at this link:<br />
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<a href="http://www.datapointed.net/visualizations/population/world/seven-billion-plus/">http://www.datapointed.net/visualizations/population/world/seven-billion-plus/</a><br />
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Isn't that an amazing website!?! And now visualize each one of those dots as a person, someone with dreams, someone with hopes, someone with love, and someone with the need for God. And imagine one of those dots as you. <br />
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We are getting a picture here of how insignificant we really are. When we were reduced to just a dot on a page, we become small, not noteworthy, and <i>just another number</i>. <br />
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But thank God, we are not just another number. We know how complicated we are, what our hopes and dreams are, and how the part we have to play in this life is not unworthy...but God knows us more than we even know ourselves. And He has our best interests at heart. <br />
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Now choose another dot on the page. That person - wherever they be, whomever they are - is loved by God and their best interests are on God's heart. <br />
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Another dot; another person, another valuable being, another who God has the best planned for.<br />
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Move down ten lines and twenty across. That dot too, represents a person who God loves, whose best interests are closest to His heart.<br />
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And the it goes on and on and on! How awesome is our God! Not only does He love each and every one of us, but He has the blueprint to the perfect life for us, ready for us to reach out and accept His guiding and promises. <i>And He does it all without compromising anybody else. </i><br />
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Often, with our human limitations, we prioritized something at the expense of another. We cannot attend to everything all at once, do everything to the best of our ability, and achieve the highest. We simply can't. So we choose, we decide that in order for this to thrive, this idea, dream, or project, will have to either be put on the back burner or left all together. And that is not a bad thing. We have to prioritse God's will in our lives and foucs on only what He has for us. <br />
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But God doesn't have to make that choice. He doesn't have to sacrifice the person down the street's best because it is more important that you get the opportunity. He doesn't prevent us from achieving the best, because the person sitting next to us in church deserves it more. No, rather He has everybody's best interests at heart so that what is best for you is for you, and what is best for our friend is best for them.<br />
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To sum it up: God hasn't forgotten you. He holds you close to His heart, and he wants the best for you. But He hasn't forgotten the other 7,000,000,299 people in this world either. He holds them close and wants the best for them as well. So we have to trust in Him. Trust that He knows what He is doing. Trust that He knows best for you, for your neighbor, and for your friends and family. <br />
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I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything - so I am just letting you know that I am still alive. :) I hope to update soon with things I have been doing, trips to Tahlee, Church, TESOL, etc. etc. However, this was on my heart, so got typed up first. Hoped it blessed you today. <3 </div>
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<br /><br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-76184877963066368562015-07-08T17:34:00.000+10:002015-07-08T17:34:13.831+10:00What Type of Learner Are You?<a href="http://www.lifeisfreedom.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/tesol-ECM-College-Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.lifeisfreedom.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/tesol-ECM-College-Logo.jpg" height="151" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">I recently - as of Tuesday! - started a new course, one which I am very excited about. I am doing a Professional Diploma of TESOL, which stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. It is a 600 hour course, and once I have completed the foundation course and the nine electives, I will be qualified to teach English as a second language in any international country. It feels so good to be studying again after being at a bit of a loose end for the past 6 months or so! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was learning today about the different learning types. There are four main categories, and numerous smaller ones. "<span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">The four main learning styles are visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and tactile. A visual learner learns best by seeing the information set out clearly and recalls information by remembering where it was located on a page. An auditory student learns best by hearing the lesson, discussing and talking about it and then by using rhythm and sound to recall the information. A kinaesthetic learner uses movement as a memory aid. They prefer to learn while doing and often find it hard to sit still through a lecture. A tactile student learns by touching and so therefore prefers writing and drawing as ways to not only convey information but also to remember it. They also learn well in hands on activities and through presentations and demonstrations." (taken from my answer to the 16th assessment question). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was a test included in my 450 page text book, to determine what learning type you are. I thought it would be fun to put it in here so you all can find out for yourselves...if you feel so inclined. :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Directions:</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rank each statement below as 0, 1 or 2. </span><span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Write 0 next to the statement if it is not true. </span><span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Write 2 next to the statement if you strongly agree with the statement. </span><span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Write 1 if this is sometimes true.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The intelligences which you score the highest in are the ones in which you are</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">strongest. </span><span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the Left Brain and Right Brain Learning section simply mark a yes or a no </span><span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">relating to the question. The section where you mark a âyesâ the most times is </span><span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">the learning styles you identify with the most.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Linguistic Intelligence</u></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I like to write stories and poems. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I read something everyday for enjoyment âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I enjoy doing crossword puzzles. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a good letter writer. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Total Score âŚâŚâŚ</b></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Musical Intelligence</u></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I often sing in the shower. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know the tunes to many songs. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have no trouble identifying or following a beat. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have a very expressive voice, varying in intensity, pitch,</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">and emphasis. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Total Score âŚâŚâŚ</b></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Logical-Mathematical Intelligence</u></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I can calculate numbers easily in my head. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I liked maths classes at school. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am interested in new developments in science. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I believe that most things have a logical and rational</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">explanation. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Total Score âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Spatial Intelligence</u>
I like to draw. âŚâŚâŚ
It is easy for me to find my way around unfamiliar places. âŚâŚâŚ
I pay attention to the colours I wear. âŚâŚâŚ
I like photography âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
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<b>Total Score âŚâŚâŚ</b></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<u>Bodily/ Kinaesthetic Intelligence</u>
I like to dance. âŚâŚâŚ
I engage in at least one sport. âŚâŚâŚ
I find it hard to sit for long periods of time. âŚâŚâŚ
Most of my hobbies involve physical activity or sports. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<b>Total Score âŚâŚâŚ</b></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<u>Intrapersonal Intelligence</u></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I consider myself independent. âŚâŚâŚ
I have hobbies or interests that I enjoy doing on my own. âŚâŚâŚ
I keep a journal and record my thoughts. âŚâŚâŚ
I like to work on my own instead of working in groups. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<b>Total Score âŚâŚâŚ</b></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<u>Interpersonal Intelligence</u>
I have more than one close friend. âŚâŚâŚ
I consider myself a leader and often assume leadership roles. âŚâŚâŚ
I like to entertain friends and have parties. âŚâŚâŚ
People often come to me with their problems. âŚâŚâŚ</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<b>Total Score âŚâŚâŚ</b></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<u>Left Brain Learning</u></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am more aware of the beat than the melody in music Yes/No
I learn by listening and taking notes Yes/No
I understand something new by piecing it together Yes/No
I prefer to write directions rather than use a map Yes/No</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<u>Right Brain Learning</u></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I remember people by their faces rather than their names Yes/No
I am more co-operative than competitive Yes/No
I like to be spontaneous instead of planning ahead Yes/No
I prefer my workplace to be comfortable and messy Yes/No</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Results (remember that these results are taken from a learning English and a teacher's point of view) :</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Linguistic learners</u> are interested in words and their origins and word puzzles </span><span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">such as crosswords.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Musical learners</u> enjoy working with the rhythm of the language. Speaking activities focusing on expression and pronunciation and any activities involving music or poems will appeal to this group.
<u>Logical and Mathematical</u> learners enjoy solving problems and may enjoy a task based approach.
Students with a <u>high spatial intelligence</u> will enjoy tasks that incorporate creative activities such as art and crafts.
Students with a <u>bodily/kinaesthetic</u> learning style will respond well to tasks that involve movement such as role plays and running games.
Students with strong <u>interpersonal intelligence</u> will work well on group tasks and on collaborative projects.
Students with strong <u>intrapersonal intelligence</u> will work well on individual projects. They are able to reflect on their own learning and may respond well to keeping a journal.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What were your results? If you'd like to, please share them in the comments, I'd love to hear about them. :) I was a Intrapersonal Learner, with a left brain dominance, and am a visual learner, if you were going to categorize from just those 4 options. It was interesting that I was a left brain dominance, because I am also left handed, so I wonder if that has anything to do with it...?? I scored a 7 in the Intrapersonal category, and the bodily/ kinaesthetic learner category earned the lowest score with a sad 1. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22.0799999237061px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyway, I hope you are all having a great week and have fun with the quiz! </span><br />
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-15617995254559202832015-07-03T13:44:00.002+10:002015-07-06T20:59:57.409+10:00The Secret of Contentment<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://goodnessofgodministries.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/i-can-do-all-things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://goodnessofgodministries.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/i-can-do-all-things.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength."</i></div>
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<i>~ Philippians 4:11-13</i></div>
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Do you ever feel like you are in a stagnant stage of your life? You know, when you finish school, or studying, or some other milestone in you life. Milestones are a major point, but it is only until we are passed them that they becomes a marker in our life's journey, not a boulder which we can't seem to get through.<br />
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"Just wait on God, you are in a time of waiting at the moment."<br />
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"It is easier to steer a moving car; drive in the light you have."<br />
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Have these ever been spoken to you? I have heard both, and what makes life confusing is that they seem to contradict each other. One is saying to wait for God to show you His plan, while other is saying go forward, and He will direct you has you go. So do you wait for His guidance, or do you move forward, believing that He will guide your steps? I believe both are a word in season, and both are equally true. But I think it depends on one crucial point: Being content where you are at the moment. God never ever wastes time, and so if you are following and seeking Him with all your heart, mind and strength, then He will direct your paths. That's a promise:<br />
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<i>Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.</i></div>
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<i>In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.</i></div>
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<i>~Proverbs 3:5-6</i></div>
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You have to trust that God will lead you, when the time is right. And while it might seem that you are chafing at the bit, and not doing anything for yourself, for Him or for anyone else, the lessons and character which are being built and developed are well worth the wait. God never wastes time, and so everything you experience, is for a reason and for a benefit. True, not all circumstances are God's plan, because we live in a broken, fallen world, but<br />
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<i>And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose.</i></div>
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<i>~ Romans 8:28</i></div>
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We have all been called. Some of us are called to the international mission field, others to the mission field in our town, and still others are called to the mission of our house, home and families. But nonetheless, we are all called and none is more important than the other. But sometimes it seems that the calling will never come true, and although you are saying yes to God and to whatever His plans are for your life, nothing is happening. </div>
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It is then that we have to learn to Trust. Simply sit back and learn to trust God. God won't move us on in life until we have learned the lessons from the situations we are in. And when there seems not to be any lessons to learn, well, that is a lesson too. </div>
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So it all boils down to this simple point: The Secret of Contentment is to trust in our Lord and our Saviour. And lastly, look at the last verse of the Philippians passage, verse 13:</div>
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<i>I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.</i></div>
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<i>~Philippians 4:13</i></div>
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All things. That means everything, the things which are both hard and easy. It takes just as much strength to sit back and wait for God's plan, seemingly to be doing nothing, than it does to be on the front line everyday and every hour. There are seasons for both the busy and the quiet. There are reasons for both. And there is strength available for us in every season - the seasons of action, and the season of waiting. </div>
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The secret to contentment is to Trust in our Lord, knowing that He is there for us every minute of every day be it full of achievements, battles and breakthroughs, or be it full of the quiet waiting on His promises, His strength, His love, and His peace is there, ours for the t</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-54505325697407240742015-07-02T12:47:00.000+10:002015-07-02T12:47:01.924+10:0070th Birthday Cake Days 4-5 & Elise's BirthdaySo here is the last two days of the cake, a little late, but nonetheless, here it is... :)<br />
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<u>Day 4 - Covering and Spraying</u><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ma4fb0YldVJFgOr1ilj1MN-eofKNGidmcttvV8pWZwqjHdsQJVyHMailMolUTBu0oWJKvKBOo-60gVA0I28xDN0EdT9T8leHdISBXs1FOZrucPYUnHCp0mKAdlImlMHWVySFnkX5dyg/s1600/100_5664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ma4fb0YldVJFgOr1ilj1MN-eofKNGidmcttvV8pWZwqjHdsQJVyHMailMolUTBu0oWJKvKBOo-60gVA0I28xDN0EdT9T8leHdISBXs1FOZrucPYUnHCp0mKAdlImlMHWVySFnkX5dyg/s320/100_5664.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part-way through putting cocoa through the fondant - it took a long<br />time and boy did my wrists know it by the end! :P</td></tr>
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I had thought long and hard about how to make black icing. You can buy pre-c<br />
oloured fondant, but it is so much more expensive, and also it is a different brand, which can make a lot of difference if you are not used to working with it. So, I was looking for some different options. Although you can buy black food dye, it doesn't work because the icing is pure white, and so you can only get a grey. (The same happens with red, by the way.) After doing lots of research, I finally came up with the following method, and hoped it would work... When kneading the icing to make it pliable, I mixed in a lot of cocoa powder as well. This gave the fondant a chocolate colour as well as flavour, which I thought was really nice. To cover the cake, I used 1.5 kg of fondant. I could have really used some more, as I found out later, but you can never truly tell until it is too late with these things! <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xverukWI9qjR9pe0782_hyphenhyphenBmVQnJqwe3CJ1tYrGvry0HfUWq8MmwoT_W_P09FKSNDZ3YmIVyUpNUzawfRc2zjdwQSM0Yy6CQ1X8Zzc1dGjI_UIOPqb4k4w0LE-XmiX7R2zJPKGymAEU/s1600/100_5668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xverukWI9qjR9pe0782_hyphenhyphenBmVQnJqwe3CJ1tYrGvry0HfUWq8MmwoT_W_P09FKSNDZ3YmIVyUpNUzawfRc2zjdwQSM0Yy6CQ1X8Zzc1dGjI_UIOPqb4k4w0LE-XmiX7R2zJPKGymAEU/s320/100_5668.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the Fondant is on. If you look in the top of the left sleeve,<br />you can see the patchy icing job. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDCkautHFpMAc1EVkHlKn1fDOFt1LkTSjr6538oLWQVSBJAYb-Z5TXI6e4-s6z5ecqEsqST7wQc0mDonyrXfxWhukq85C3YnANp9_s_f6UWnzDHja4Uy1-zPcnN23_siIYBBKa_GVUWc/s1600/100_5665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDCkautHFpMAc1EVkHlKn1fDOFt1LkTSjr6538oLWQVSBJAYb-Z5TXI6e4-s6z5ecqEsqST7wQc0mDonyrXfxWhukq85C3YnANp9_s_f6UWnzDHja4Uy1-zPcnN23_siIYBBKa_GVUWc/s200/100_5665.JPG" width="200" /></a>Then I rolled out the fondant big enough to cover the cake. I didn't take many photos of this phase, because I get in the zone of cake decorating, and don't think about much else while I am concentrating. :) To work out how big you need to roll the fondant, measure the widest part of your cake, plus the sides, and add a couple more centimeters all together and then roll out the fondant that large. I have a PVC pipe which I use to help roll out large pieces of icing. When it is big enough, I rolled up the icing around the pipe, and then unrolled it over the cake. Fondant is quite heavy and so you need to cut off the excess quite quickly otherwise it will tear over the corners. Smoothing down the edges and pressing into the corners, I cut of the excess and used my fondant smoother to make sure it was lying as flat as possible. Unfortunately. because of the extra cocoa powder, the fondant dried out a lot quicker than usual, and I had trouble getting it off the table and onto the cake. This led to a rather dodgy icing corner on the cake, which we smoothed over as best as we could, but it still wasn't perfect. The rest of the icing went on quite well. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiajR38S-Imqrckh318cIFtvqoZ2tQXHjLNlZLZsQDtyaQv2X6ODLpm1Pp_pzxBbnwst7riwovZqEJktex0QTzzcCeTTmxrx0MyOg9fF-uh1Epx5-k_J4aZ0X7TLEOzPMu1pFfMI6x9LY/s1600/100_5672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiajR38S-Imqrckh318cIFtvqoZ2tQXHjLNlZLZsQDtyaQv2X6ODLpm1Pp_pzxBbnwst7riwovZqEJktex0QTzzcCeTTmxrx0MyOg9fF-uh1Epx5-k_J4aZ0X7TLEOzPMu1pFfMI6x9LY/s320/100_5672.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spray painting!! :D</td></tr>
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Then for the black! I bought some Wilton Black colour mist, and literally spray painted my entire cake. I used the whole can, and had to go back to the shops to get another one to cover some patchy areas. But it worked quite well. The spray takes a long time to dry, so I left it overnight. The colour seemed to be a bit too brown at one stage in the drying process which had me quite concerned, but it darkened as it dried, to a nice black, which I was happy with. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YXnRF7gCmoPEt-PtENqpqrnhS9Ji_EC6lCDmLOUHzECDgSIsivO1oUmtcMaC10SDpezx-TEa-lYoqVyf78nKqh5LuLovzWhen_a8vGVeJo9fDZsI1Cev5oKX-uL0cBo_NVnxZw48Vbo/s1600/100_5674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YXnRF7gCmoPEt-PtENqpqrnhS9Ji_EC6lCDmLOUHzECDgSIsivO1oUmtcMaC10SDpezx-TEa-lYoqVyf78nKqh5LuLovzWhen_a8vGVeJo9fDZsI1Cev5oKX-uL0cBo_NVnxZw48Vbo/s320/100_5674.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just after I sprayed the cake. It is a little patchy, which<br />I did fix up later, and you can see how the colour darkens later<br />on.</td></tr>
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<u>Day 5 - Decorating</u><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWtaFmqW4mzsqANwRI9bidGvEkURkdAHAZxp2cUqp9hzRJXElgT9GhbD8el7s_pMioqO67cHhHidS9TWK9Q-CkrHIXrKq-Pesi2WcO_LDNfbOq2We5k3ZnF1tk_wb2GquOlx622zecCQ/s1600/100_5679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWtaFmqW4mzsqANwRI9bidGvEkURkdAHAZxp2cUqp9hzRJXElgT9GhbD8el7s_pMioqO67cHhHidS9TWK9Q-CkrHIXrKq-Pesi2WcO_LDNfbOq2We5k3ZnF1tk_wb2GquOlx622zecCQ/s320/100_5679.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product!</td></tr>
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The next day, I used both the paper map of the cake and the original picture to help me get the decorating right. I coloured some fondant orange (using a mixture of red, black and yellow food dye) and let it to rest about half an hour. Normally I colour the icing the day before, because it gives the fondant time to set again with the extra liquid in it, and also the colour can deepen with time. But we had been too busy the day before, and I hadn't had time. <br />
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I cut out the white and orange pieces, and layed them onto the cake, arranging them until I was happy with the look. Then I flipped the pieces of fondant over, and rubbed a little water on the back to make it stick, and then I was done! (there are no photos of this process, because, once again, I was in the zone, and it is too hard to take photos while decorating. :P)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijP7lfLeP99Af3zrgJqsjvJz0ayzF8KfQpRF9EqJWiSj45Cx3XWlEHd-XaWY3FfTrvoFyL-CRO7hfeEGAjwzYdZGgdT-78SA_T9i01JLG5agf1JmOic2nmAP0PFIKu8xcG6igDbNap0bY/s1600/100_5675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijP7lfLeP99Af3zrgJqsjvJz0ayzF8KfQpRF9EqJWiSj45Cx3XWlEHd-XaWY3FfTrvoFyL-CRO7hfeEGAjwzYdZGgdT-78SA_T9i01JLG5agf1JmOic2nmAP0PFIKu8xcG6igDbNap0bY/s320/100_5675.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cake - it is not a particularly good photo,<br />because of the sun, but you get the idea. </td></tr>
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Saturday was also Elise's 13th Birthday. She had a lovely day. We opened presents in the morning, and she was most delighted with her Kindle Reader from Mum and Dad, and an assortment of other things from us kids. <br />
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Grace and I made her birthday cake. It is Cinderella from the new movie which was only released a few days before her birthday, and consequently was also one of her birthday presents....<br />
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(A side funny story :D...... When Grace and I were making the cake, we were having trouble getting the shape of the cake right (aka the skirt). The doll we had bought was quite tall, and we had to build the cake up to make it proportionally accurate. Then, after we had shaped it up, we had to cut a hole down the middle for the doll to sit. However, that too proved to be difficult. I cut down about half way, and then we had the bright idea of chopping the doll at the knees. So, with no anesthetic, and a bread knife, our poor Cinderella became an amputee! :P) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaqlpJaHNhcI8dvLSlYieq7_61JN3BVWJuHBh-YQ1rtbnyWRJgtJtaDJDloN6OYeQWlTK2Ppz1M7KSbf1VJ2CtD7zxk5ITYt7S96jwmW46Oyod0tv-ORCJj7XI1csqGr18Fjtlb5mdHc/s1600/100_5682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaqlpJaHNhcI8dvLSlYieq7_61JN3BVWJuHBh-YQ1rtbnyWRJgtJtaDJDloN6OYeQWlTK2Ppz1M7KSbf1VJ2CtD7zxk5ITYt7S96jwmW46Oyod0tv-ORCJj7XI1csqGr18Fjtlb5mdHc/s320/100_5682.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosie waiting for the show to start, all dressed<br />up like a pirate. :)</td></tr>
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In the afternoon, we all went to see the stage show of Pirates of Penzance that Mum and Dad were playing in. We had all been to see it at least twice before, but this time we had front row seats, and it never gets old. I did take some photos, but was later told that photos weren't allowed, so unfortunately I won't post them....<br />
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That evening, Mum and Dad had another show, so we rushed home, had dinner, and then they left again. Elise got to rediscover all her presents and answer the numerous phone calls!<br />
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Being the last show, Mum and Dad had to pack up the instruments and everything and then attend the presentations afterwards, which meant they didn't get home until about 1 am. Dad and I had an early start at Church the next morning (we had to be there by 8:00 am) so we were all exhausted by the days end, but it was good.<br />
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-71545510330606436242015-06-25T20:03:00.000+10:002015-06-25T20:04:59.104+10:0070th Birthday Cake, Days 1-3 I intended to post this series day by day as I completed each step, but due to being extremely busy and my computer not wanting to log in, I am going to post the first three days all in one go. <br />
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I am in the middle of making a 70th birthday cake for a surprise birthday party after church this Sunday. I make special birthday cakes using the Planet Cake method, which is generally a three day process. However, because of a 'unique' feature of this cake, as you will see later on, I have stretched it to a five day process. <br />
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Uncle Paul (for whom the cake is for) is a sports fan, and particularly likes the West Tigers from the NRL, so I thought that I would make a Tigers football jersey cake. <br />
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<u>Day 1 - Planning and Shopping</u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg3CloBQDT8lNzryx4676NsCkJGOXghrIrgQAdfs4dfCUgkzM9xJZ5_3fo3IAb4OQ17Cllgc-qKBGb2-wWcay2Dpu4uPd99PHV1Px3jCOfPJyB0QmqEc0tfLHMPcnTAUuITHxs6m08XRiKhqy8R04iNfO-aZbco9-EJCi8ouL_leOoeUygy3mzYQMSaghv8Kv9kUvF2MLmz=s0-d-e1-ft" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg3CloBQDT8lNzryx4676NsCkJGOXghrIrgQAdfs4dfCUgkzM9xJZ5_3fo3IAb4OQ17Cllgc-qKBGb2-wWcay2Dpu4uPd99PHV1Px3jCOfPJyB0QmqEc0tfLHMPcnTAUuITHxs6m08XRiKhqy8R04iNfO-aZbco9-EJCi8ouL_leOoeUygy3mzYQMSaghv8Kv9kUvF2MLmz=s0-d-e1-ft" /></a>Although I have put this down as the first day, I actually do the planning for cakes some weeks ahead, just because I like to be well organised and totally know what I am doing. So, the first thing I do is find my inspiration picture. I am not very good at designing and visualising a cake in my head, so I always like to search the web and find a picture I can base my design off. Sometimes I use the basic ideas and change the colour scheme or design a little, but this time, because there is really only one design of jersey, I just chose a picture and will (hopefully) replicate it fairly directly. <br />
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This is the inspiration picture. The things I will do differently is I won't have the NRL shield-trophy-thing or the Tigers logo on the stripes nor will I put the grass around the edge. That's the plan anyway, I might change my mind, but I don't think I will.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZWgRRVxEUgadbBIRs8asWsd5kPnQiK7PWZgkQHJQsNnYAeieMOaAnOxEqgXWz8W6DBjQVluORsm-Pi2hOok1RXVQ9id9W-hRf85Dsh_E-2gv-Zmjf5igZBV03H-2TiLQlSh-iMIlk6w/s1600/100_5616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZWgRRVxEUgadbBIRs8asWsd5kPnQiK7PWZgkQHJQsNnYAeieMOaAnOxEqgXWz8W6DBjQVluORsm-Pi2hOok1RXVQ9id9W-hRf85Dsh_E-2gv-Zmjf5igZBV03H-2TiLQlSh-iMIlk6w/s200/100_5616.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'The chosen ones'</td></tr>
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The first thing I did was choose my baking pans and trace them onto paper, making a life size map of the the cake, and then I coloured it in to make a paper replicate for reference later on. I don't normally do this but because it is a shaped cake, and I have only done one other shaped cake, I wanted to see how the cake pans would 'shape up' (so to speak. :P)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkxZApS-9QyZXPfXRpY316hv7QHPPOAMzgm8J7uTuSDNEQJTLJXNcdNjz8NK_qL9tcijI8rMBfJAiq4COcDvFIWJRDxTV41CxGoVG0VHyuy_-_O_8JBo6yIluo1zWdZoWHKNxz8I3ykk/s1600/100_5617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkxZApS-9QyZXPfXRpY316hv7QHPPOAMzgm8J7uTuSDNEQJTLJXNcdNjz8NK_qL9tcijI8rMBfJAiq4COcDvFIWJRDxTV41CxGoVG0VHyuy_-_O_8JBo6yIluo1zWdZoWHKNxz8I3ykk/s200/100_5617.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
The paper cut outs..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfnH0oFcKXa74wNWq4kC04qgrXO5akodlVmgGGszXGP-Ox5jwGHFafMFMt8US8wHPmajj6meJFvDnrlCDSLttO1lI282Wwzr51vFXML1Qu5AcQYn-NNkjIfxfAyHPcA2Bznq5RYZEHec/s1600/100_5618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfnH0oFcKXa74wNWq4kC04qgrXO5akodlVmgGGszXGP-Ox5jwGHFafMFMt8US8wHPmajj6meJFvDnrlCDSLttO1lI282Wwzr51vFXML1Qu5AcQYn-NNkjIfxfAyHPcA2Bznq5RYZEHec/s200/100_5618.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
After I had sketched on the design...<br />
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And the coloured in version. I got tired of colouring black part way through, and had to enlist the help of some willing younger siblings. :P<br />
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After I did that, I worked out how many cakes I would need to make, how much ganache, how much icing and then wrote my shopping list. And went shopping! BTW, you can expect some funny comments from the checkout people when you buy 7 blocks of chocolate! This time, the lady asked if I was doing some cooking, or was just buying some chocolate to nibble on. Umm.... I am cooking. Mum laughed and said she hoped it wasn't just to nibble on, and the checkout lady's comment was 'You'd be surprised.' Which makes you wonder what other people buy...perhaps 7 blocks of chocolate isn't so bizarre after all!<br />
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<u>Day 2 - Baking the cake and making the Ganache</u><br />
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I didn't take any photos of the making the cakes. But here's one of once they are cooked and cooled: They are dark chocolate mud cakes, and I doubled the recipe for the big one...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqm7f3GNhbFOMUb-Z8OeUHdhhlE2E5WwROLmHle_tfcUS7-mXPyThxU_vv9pjzQj597MAu03QfuttXFANAmnxL4qD_ouAxJroNYj7xPMJLjPe76hb9vdSb9tun7DzZtkzAsFnCZqNhkoU/s1600/100_5654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqm7f3GNhbFOMUb-Z8OeUHdhhlE2E5WwROLmHle_tfcUS7-mXPyThxU_vv9pjzQj597MAu03QfuttXFANAmnxL4qD_ouAxJroNYj7xPMJLjPe76hb9vdSb9tun7DzZtkzAsFnCZqNhkoU/s320/100_5654.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Ganache is a icing like mixture which is made by grating chocolate and pouring nearly boiling cream over the top and whisking until smooth. You let it set overnight (or at least several hours) and then spread it onto the cakes to make a smooth, yummy surface to place your fondant on. I one and a halved the recipe for the ganache - so it was 1.8kg of grated chocolate and 900ml of pure cream. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpq3w20LJxhrKI06LFNxDfxdRnWhLsKqONzgPEQIJoSlFMUJuQ4U6o_amHuqnTAGkjS-MIvDLdSvpKNG_Hi_oFUjQ5tC_QMtpsrt5Q5PBim7wElDr34izASEt7BndGbQQ5YZoRHr3qsk/s1600/100_5648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpq3w20LJxhrKI06LFNxDfxdRnWhLsKqONzgPEQIJoSlFMUJuQ4U6o_amHuqnTAGkjS-MIvDLdSvpKNG_Hi_oFUjQ5tC_QMtpsrt5Q5PBim7wElDr34izASEt7BndGbQQ5YZoRHr3qsk/s200/100_5648.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CKkFTIU2pn_NVPQdxYJBr4NIY6i8y_cCQRaTqqvprKJQ-7finCsK6iKLm7acClsKNvUsbTDUbougcP8zxcvOIaSqeMc-pU67sGjDJOaMT9J7Xtwn1SOVtY1o5m0C-qcPHHRJ29kgBlg/s1600/100_5642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CKkFTIU2pn_NVPQdxYJBr4NIY6i8y_cCQRaTqqvprKJQ-7finCsK6iKLm7acClsKNvUsbTDUbougcP8zxcvOIaSqeMc-pU67sGjDJOaMT9J7Xtwn1SOVtY1o5m0C-qcPHHRJ29kgBlg/s200/100_5642.JPG" width="200" /></a>This is what 1.8kg of chocolate looks like as a block and then grated. Thank heavens for electric graters!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When it is all mixed together....</td></tr>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy6Yr9d_dcEuUe-Zm3StPN2wRJIFwtNmkBczP5eL9lgfXjqjrOy_tN2QgAyUV46WD8w9pbvZkB5XGkV3q-h6Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe> This is what happens when you pour boiling cream into grated chocolate - steam from the cream fogged up the lens of the camera for the first few moments, so it is hard to see, but it does clear shortly...<br />
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<u>Day 3 - Ganaching the Cake</u><br />
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To get the angle of the sleeves of the shirt right, I cut the sleeves off from the paper cake I made, and then used the paper cut out to slice the cake. Then I assembled it...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcdSDtoUdK50j0A0QxIo5nCDOHTWrjgIH1b75GBghf5agtXE9J7wAUceBUiZbty3OEnKUWxZJ6DRXMGKDMZx4tstKzC8NqusmgGz2wmF1yq9Ph0ATYgx83nhtmFyWdELQz1r4eA088dQ/s1600/100_5655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcdSDtoUdK50j0A0QxIo5nCDOHTWrjgIH1b75GBghf5agtXE9J7wAUceBUiZbty3OEnKUWxZJ6DRXMGKDMZx4tstKzC8NqusmgGz2wmF1yq9Ph0ATYgx83nhtmFyWdELQz1r4eA088dQ/s320/100_5655.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I cut all the pieces of cake in half longwise and filled it with a layer of ganache, and then covered the cake with the ganache. The purpose of ganache is to make it taste nice, and also to create a level, smooth surface to lay the fondant on. Whatever imperfections or rough edges are left in the ganache, show up in the fondant, so the aim is to make it as smooth as possible. I didn't take any photos of the process because I was doing it last night from 8:30 to about 10:30 pm, and I was tired and over it... so that's that. :P<br />
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But here is a photo of the cake in the morning, after the ganache has set hard. I went over the cake again this morning with a hot knife and some more ganache, trying to fill out any crevices or marks which I might have missed. The sleeves are not quite even, and the top of the shirt curves slightly, but other than that, I am pretty happy with the shape. The ganache also is fairly smooth and there aren't any glaring rough sections that I have noticed as yet. I could have covered it with fondant today, but I chose not to because it is not needed until Sunday and once the fondant is on, you can't keep it in the fridge because the fondant will sweat and go soggy. And I didn't want the colour to fade. Hence, I will cover it with fondant tomorrow, and do the final decorations on Saturday. And I will be using an interesting technique to make my fondant black. I am partly excited and partly apprehensive about using said method.... so stay tuned as to what happens tomorrow...! <br />
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-81469216016654262222015-06-17T15:47:00.002+10:002015-06-17T15:47:20.749+10:00Making Gravy I was making dinner last night, and whilst making the gravy, I thought that I could share a few tips and ideas as to making nice gravy that have helped me. I used to make really bad gravy most of the time and lumpy and thin at the best of times. But, since being at Tahlee, I have picked up a few good gravy ideas, so here goes... :)<br />
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The first tip is NOT to guess that you know how much gravy powder and water you need, but actually measure them out according to the directions on the packet. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsshhwkNMd959oyeIkVXMmOnwLCoeLzrFDphIFd_t0cqGCrglALjufAXErohnl2_35vnc9rz-WjiXEePfaDPtHTw6d02Lb7L7S8PNf918VyHAAvrv2WnFthyphenhyphen6yt2A2t1EOubQt9OtmB4/s1600/100_5622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsshhwkNMd959oyeIkVXMmOnwLCoeLzrFDphIFd_t0cqGCrglALjufAXErohnl2_35vnc9rz-WjiXEePfaDPtHTw6d02Lb7L7S8PNf918VyHAAvrv2WnFthyphenhyphen6yt2A2t1EOubQt9OtmB4/s200/100_5622.JPG" width="200" /></a>1) Measure water in the saucepan I generally use 3 cups of water because there are a lot of us who really like gravy... but it generally makes a little too much. Based on the packet, you need 1 and 1/2 tablespoons for every cup. (except this time I was using a different brand which claimed you needed 3 tablespoons. Whatever. :P) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVJG6SIBY7SpzMdMOThtQFvu4G0KmQ2mtpsT0YeGsOMrvbIo705QJSS1ZmGZ96Tz1kwttcnmF-lK3itgNQBTxpvIiptnuXmJlFUuwO-y8zV2lhbH4SMMuONNgT42-yXLAs2ZLJWBQgVk/s1600/100_5624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVJG6SIBY7SpzMdMOThtQFvu4G0KmQ2mtpsT0YeGsOMrvbIo705QJSS1ZmGZ96Tz1kwttcnmF-lK3itgNQBTxpvIiptnuXmJlFUuwO-y8zV2lhbH4SMMuONNgT42-yXLAs2ZLJWBQgVk/s200/100_5624.JPG" width="200" /></a>2) Measure out the gravy mix into a separate bowl. Heat the water on the stove until just simmering. You don't want it to be simmering or boiling, otherwise the gravy will go lumpy. It is ready when bubbles begin to appear on the bottom of the pot. And if you are unsure when to go, earlier is better than later.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsxzUfpNLbAceGIYHeSUKb8-szIZ7JiM0NfGFs0HPlbV5kHvc4Z_FeIzQcYWzkyH9wQJVTJy6R7bnJ-U81CgVS8N7hrP60utdxssHH3D7HbX1MsDsJIJXhiLS_wj1cBoVWYimATwzlnk/s1600/100_5626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsxzUfpNLbAceGIYHeSUKb8-szIZ7JiM0NfGFs0HPlbV5kHvc4Z_FeIzQcYWzkyH9wQJVTJy6R7bnJ-U81CgVS8N7hrP60utdxssHH3D7HbX1MsDsJIJXhiLS_wj1cBoVWYimATwzlnk/s200/100_5626.JPG" width="200" /></a>3) Whisk in the gravy mix, shaking it into the water. Keep whisking furiously. If it doesn't go lumpy in the first few moments of having added the powder, then you are pretty well safe. If it is going to be ruined, then this will be the time. It will go lumpy also if your water is too hot.<br />
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4) Continue to slowly whisk until the gravy is thick. It is best not to let it boil. <br />
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And there you have it. It took me quite a few times to get the temperature of the water right... and for the record, when you are making gravy for 50 people, there are a lot of lumps to pull out before you serve it! That happened at Tahlee, so I went home and practised. Now I am quite proud of my gravy making skills. :P<br />
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* Disclaimer - the gravy I made last night didn't work as well as other times, I think that it due to the brand. We normally just use the home-brand gravy mix, but for some reason we had this other one in the cupboard. It was also gluten free, which I think didn't help the consistency. That being said, it was a lot nicer today when I heated it up to put on our chicken sandwiches, maybe it just needed a bit of time!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-32075482806314406812015-06-12T16:18:00.000+10:002015-06-12T18:54:08.331+10:00Of Ships and Shoes....<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ASrpBTHKsOGGhef4DsBNiJNux_wh5UKpRU8BBrbJvM3vfVxAU6f4F3qm1g7tOJ94VwzQvG08ufRCT7BSJHkJStcq-h8bdTxV8N1R3ECsXscwLZasdfgqEGP5X_x7kfhbje5Sgk-j38E/s1600/100_5607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ASrpBTHKsOGGhef4DsBNiJNux_wh5UKpRU8BBrbJvM3vfVxAU6f4F3qm1g7tOJ94VwzQvG08ufRCT7BSJHkJStcq-h8bdTxV8N1R3ECsXscwLZasdfgqEGP5X_x7kfhbje5Sgk-j38E/s320/100_5607.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annie finally asleep. <br />
She is the one on the left...</td></tr>
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At the moment, I am sitting next to Annie's cot, where she has <i>finally</i> dropped off to sleep. She has been in bed for probably close to two hours, but only now have the 'shores of sleep' arrived. So now I can type in peace... :P</div>
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I have been on a Swahili learning spree the past few days. I have been trying to learn the language for quite some years now, and have recently been using the Before You Know It program, known, creatively, as Byki. Byki has a large number of languages, and two programs: express and deluxe. Express is free and contains quite a few word lists while the Deluxe version costs about $60 or so, and contains hundreds of lists, activites, test etc. Although I have been doing a list every now and again, I have been really hitting it hard the past few days, hoping to surge ahead with it. I now know over 160 words and phases in Swahili, ranging from '-a rangi ya urujuani' (purple) to 'Nimetuma maagizo ya kushika chumba' (I have a room reserved.) The best part of the deluxe version is an activity where you can record yourself saying the word, and they will rate it from beginner to advanced. I try to aim for halfway there. Some words, such as 'Kwa heri' (goodbye) and 'Jina langu ni...' (my name is...) I can do quite well, almost advanced, but others such as 'restorenti' (restaurant) and 'Kuro' (deer) I am no where even close. I cannot roll my 'r's, nor make a really hard 'k' sound. The other one I have trouble with is 'Unasema Kiingereza' which is a worry, because that means 'Do you speak English?'<br />
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This Sunday is our Mission Sunday, and the missionaries we support are coming to speak. They are only in Australia every two years, so it is a special service when they come and talk. The GenKids (the kid's church for primary ages) are baking biscuits, cupcakes and slice to sell afterwards to raise money for the missionaries work. Lately, James (10) has recently discovered that cooking is fun, and makes Anzac biscuits nearly every Tuesday afternoon, while some of us are at violin lessons. Now he gets to put his skills to good use, as we will bring in a batch or two of Anzacs to sell. We are also going to make some raisin slice, which is one of our Church's favourites. Apparently, a lot of other people are bringing in chocolate based goods, so we tried to think up something different to do to create a variety. It is surprising how hard it is to choose a recipe for slice or biscuits without chocolate! </div>
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Dad and I went for a drive on the long weekend Monday, to the little town of Wollombi. Wollombi is a historical town, and although people live there, is mainly a tourist attraction. The main street, which comprises most of the town, is lined with small wooden shops, from little cafes to the 'general store' to restaurants and the museum on the corner. The road from Wollombi to Sydney was built by the convicts and so much of the town's history stems from them. Parts of the road which was built are still in use today. On the Monday of every long weekend, Wollombi hosts a country fair. However, by the time Dad and I got there, everyone was packing up, and so there wasn't much to see at all. We went there to get some driving hours up. It took an hour to get there, and a hour and a half to get home because we went a different way. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.esellerpro.com/2759/I/181/6/1329202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.esellerpro.com/2759/I/181/6/1329202.jpg" height="180" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a crankshaft pulley for those who<br />
don't know and aren't interested</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">We have a car! Our Transit (which has 12 seats) has been broken down for the past week, and we have been restricted to the Corolla, (a measly five seater). We have been having trouble getting the Transit to start for some while now, but the past few times it had been near impossible. We had to roll start it down the hill of our driveway. Anyway, last week when Mum went to start it, it wouldn't for ages. And then finally it started up, but made a clunking noise. Then the steering and the brakes seized up and then, horror of horrors, a piece from the engine just dropped out onto the ground! Well, we weren't going anywhere until Dad got home from work with the little car. Dad said that the piece which fell out was the crankshaft pulley (for those who are interested or who know what it is). Being unable to buy the correct part in town, he bought the piece on Ebay and we had to wait for it to show up. Thankfully, Dad was able to car pool with some work buddies all week, so we at least at a car which half of us could go somewhere in. The part showed up yesterday, and Dad spent the evening on his back under the car fixing and replacing it. So now we have a functioning car again! </span></div>
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That has been some our week, and it is hard to believe that it is Ijumaa (Friday) again already! I don't know where the week has gone. It reminds me of the passage out of the Grandma's Attic books where Mabel asks her mother how to make time go more quickly. Her mother replies, "Plan to do more things than what you have time for. I know, I have been doing it for years." It is true though, for the more you try and fit into your day, the quicker the time goes, and sometimes, the less you get done. Are the days really meant to go that quickly, I wonder? Something to think about anyway... </div>
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~</div>
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<a href="http://images.bwbx.io/cms/2013-07-18/comp_ships30__01__630x420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.bwbx.io/cms/2013-07-18/comp_ships30__01__630x420.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>By the way, if you are wondering where the title of the post comes from...it comes from the 'Walrus and the Carpenter' by Lewis Caroll, part of which is:</div>
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Ships and shoes and sealing wax.</div>
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Cabbages and Kings</div>
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There is a lot more to it than that, but that is the part I know. Basically, it means this post is about anything and everything that I could think of, and there is no real rhyme or reason to it at all. :)</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-10069846126528542632015-06-10T16:11:00.002+10:002015-06-10T16:11:28.859+10:00Book Review: Rescue the Captors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/2940011285295_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/2940011285295_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG" height="320" width="205" /></a></div>
I found this book, 'Rescue the Captors' by Russell Stendal on Kindle... for free! As I am into missionary biographies, I was eager to give it a go. It was excellent.<br />
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Basically, the story line is Russell is a missionary in Columbia, gets captured by Marxists guerrillas who want a ransom for him to help pay their rebellion. Russell decides to love his captors rather than grow bitter and angry at the mistreatment and torture he receives from them, and not only is he allowed to leave the camp after 142 days in captivity, he goes back and visits his captors, leading many of them to Christ in the years to come. Most of the book is written while he is in captivity, and throughout the book you also learn about his early life as a child and then his growing up years and his married years. Russell's parents were well to do standard American people, when Russell decided to pray that his parents would become missionaries so that he wouldn't have to wait until he was grown up to tell others about Jesus. His parents had no intention of going anywhere when Russell prayed as a four year old. Four years later, the family found themselves in Columbia working with the Indians, their language and translating the Bible. Russell grew up among the Indians, did college via distant education so he could remain with his parents, and thoroughly enjoyed his life. His parents moved back to the States when Russell was grown up, but he remained, married a half native girl, and continued his work. As a young missionary, Russell made many mistakes, trying to fit God into his big, illustrious plans for the work instead of allowing God to make the plans. Russell got into massive debts, for God's Kingdom, and came very near to entering the drug trade just to make ends meet. However, God taught him important lessons about keeping to His morals, and money management.<br />
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But that really isn't the main point of the book, although it is interesting and a good read in itself. The main point of the book revolves around marriage, family and the church, and Matthew 5-7. Russell realized that the church in Columbia wasn't growing and thriving because there was no solid families in the Church. People would become Christians, and then their families would break apart, their marriages would split, and all because the new found Christians would become Bible bashers in the hope to be witnesses to the rest of their families, and then the families would point out all the areas where they still failed, call them hypocrites, and the fighting and separation would begin. Russell's friend, Ricardo, was also very concerned about this problem and prayed that God would give him a sermon, like the one which Jesus preached in Matthew 5-7 (the Sermon on the Mount). which would solve all of Columbia's marriage and family problems. God told him, 'Matthew 5-7'. Basically, all that was needed, he already had. Ricardo started to study the Sermon on the Mount, and Russell joined him. They unlocked many of the truths and the healing powers within the sermon, and consequently have run marriage workshops, where thousands of marriages have been restored over the years. Not only have they been restored, but the couple comes to God, and their entire lives are turned around. Even non-Christian couples signed up for the course, because they could see the difference which it was making. The book outlines many of the different truths found in Matthew 5-7, which relate to marriage and family life, but also to forgiveness, prayer, love and relationships in general. <br />
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Rescue the Captors is an amazing, though provoking book and I highly recommend it. It is not the easiest read, simply because of the thoughts which it raises, however it is well worth the effort. At the end, there a several appendixes, where he further outlines and covers different sections of the Sermon, from the Beatitudes to the Lord's Prayer. Russell also includes five beautiful poems written by a lady named Doris McLaughlin, whose troubled marraige and family life were restored after she decided to start putting Jesus' teachings into full effect. And He gave her these poems. They are so beauitful and well written, but I will only put one down here, you will have to read the book to find the others. <br />
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Line Upon Line</div>
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Line upon line,</div>
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Precept upon precept,</div>
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Higher than high</div>
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Live unto me.</div>
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Fellowship sweet,</div>
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Higher than high,</div>
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Live unto me.</div>
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Lift up your hands,</div>
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and lift up your voice.</div>
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Higher than high,</div>
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Live unto me.</div>
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Life up your voice </div>
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and life up your hands.</div>
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Line upon line</div>
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Precept upon precept,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Higher than high,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Live unto me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Higher than high,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Live unto me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am your Lord.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am your Savior</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Higher than high,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Live unto me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lift up your hands,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and lift up your voice.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Higher than high,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Live unto me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am your Lord.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am your Savior.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Line upon line</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Precept upon precept,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Higher than high,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Live unto me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Higher than high,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Live unto me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>~ Doris McLaughlin</i></div>
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-46691133980572550852015-06-09T21:01:00.000+10:002015-06-09T21:01:57.070+10:00A Week at TahleeWell, I am back from a week at Tahlee! It was a busy, but thoroughly enjoyable time. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera so I have no pictures to share with you all. So you will have to imagine what the kitchen looks like:<br />
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The Tahlee kitchen is a commercial kitchen, with one main island bench running nearly the full length. At both the short ends of the rectangle room, there are sinks, and a commercial dishwasher (one minute cycles are the best!) Along one of the long sides there are two double gas stove tops, and two commercial ovens. The other long side is used up by a storage bench and the double opening doors onto the dining room.<br />
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Then there is a small pantry, where cooking staples and dishes are kept. Opposite to this, there is a corridor of fridges - two four door fridges, and on the opposite side are freezers. And then there is upstairs, where a table is set up for extra preparation or eating area, and a laundry around the corner. The cool room is also located upstairs - a massive, walk in fridge, which opens into a walk in freezer (which is pure torture in winter :P) Then if you continue, and head outside, there is a two roomed pantry and separate equipment pantry. <br />
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The dining room is a heritage building, and can seat up to about 120 people. It is wood paneled, from floor to the high ceiling, and has two marble fireplaces, one of which is in use. Above the mantle, there are mirrors which reach up to the ceiling. There are four double french doors along one side, which open up to the veranda. <br />
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Hopefully that made sense.... I tried to draw up a map on Paint, to depict the kitchen, but it is much harder to draw a to scale floor plan than one would think. So here it is.... roughly drawn to scale<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjw3W-D6TZSmMmZzxLSyBSANbcL8YLQzf1f1yLFvgewqHHV1jgK-5gtfXJU7uc0o85lL4WmYa6Zvocp-rHPzap8mlQo3gTOTdG6KXHsqIB57A24zX09CB3lLBsSaqsJ1JWm6IVGdmI-Q/s1600/Tahlee+Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjw3W-D6TZSmMmZzxLSyBSANbcL8YLQzf1f1yLFvgewqHHV1jgK-5gtfXJU7uc0o85lL4WmYa6Zvocp-rHPzap8mlQo3gTOTdG6KXHsqIB57A24zX09CB3lLBsSaqsJ1JWm6IVGdmI-Q/s640/Tahlee+Kitchen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
So we had a school group of 50 people in from Wednesday lunch to Friday afternoon tea. Breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and supper. And then while the school group was still in, another two camps also entered, one group of 27, and the other of 15. Thankfully, they only overlapped for one meal...lunch. But they all had lunch at different times. One group was at 12:15 pm, the school was at 12:35, and the third group at 1:00 pm. To help with all the different times and amounts which we needed to cook, I wrote up the schedule on the wall with whiteboard marker, as it just wipes off at the end of the day. It worked really well, and I ended up writing the menu, numbers, dietary requirements, times, etc for every day. <br />
<br />
The menus differ between the kids and adult groups quite significantly. The school had meals like pizza, chips and salad for lunch, and spaghetti bolognese for dinner, while the other groups had soup and salad wraps for lunch and roast chicken and vegetables for dinner. It made me wonder at what age kids stop liking 'kids food' and start eating the more 'grown up' food, like curry and corned beef.....<br />
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Cooking for that many people mean long hours in the kitchen. We started at 6:30 in the morning, and sometimes didn't get a break until 2:30 in the afternoon, breaking only until 4 where the dinner shift would continue until about 8 or 8:30 at night. Despite the fatigue, and aching feet, there is a lot of reward and satisfaction in feeding 60 plus people. And I think that my favorite times are before breakfast, because it is quiet and is your chance to set up the whole day in being prepared, and then after dinner, when four or five of the staff members come in and help clean up the kitchen. The laughter and the fun we have while doing hundreds of dishes is quite amazing. :) <br />
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And doing the afternoon teas, the morning teas and the suppers are the worst meals to do because you have to bake something, plate different snacks, and most of the time immediately after you just fed everyone a substantial meal. And making enough piklets for 50 plus people is a really slow, boring job. Just saying. ;P<br />
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But I really have no complaints. Being there is like being at home, and I can't wait to go back for the next camp. <br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-58518955240681989722015-06-03T07:29:00.001+10:002015-06-03T07:29:36.820+10:00A Quick Post<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tahlee.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Tahlee-Ground-1170x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tahlee.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Tahlee-Ground-1170x500.jpg" height="170" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This part of the camping ground at Tahlee. The dining room and kitchen <br />are further up the hill....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is just a really quick post to say that I won't be blogging for this week, as I am going to Tahlee to cook for three concurrent camps. I will get back next week, but I will take plently of photos, and you'll get to hear about it later. :)Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-66451064483855695362015-05-29T15:56:00.002+10:002015-05-29T15:56:23.261+10:00Magnets, Pirates, and Heavy Keyboards <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3ez3CZVa6XMDRNYg9e2K1KCMwGnSyOMsyE5ifCJLMuSyMCBhvwW1AZqUIMPDOxjWygM26xXK8f2pHV-3Bd3De3ogA_gedQweIGQh0hKU7cRCyQdRu6h_WgjSZmMOep7yuqDt8tlKv7U/s1600/100_5594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3ez3CZVa6XMDRNYg9e2K1KCMwGnSyOMsyE5ifCJLMuSyMCBhvwW1AZqUIMPDOxjWygM26xXK8f2pHV-3Bd3De3ogA_gedQweIGQh0hKU7cRCyQdRu6h_WgjSZmMOep7yuqDt8tlKv7U/s200/100_5594.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The magnets in the molds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A few weeks ago, Rosie turned five. One of the presents she received was a make your own fridge magnet set, and I was nominated the plaster of Paris overseer. So we sat down on the kitchen floor, mixed up the plaster, spread it into the molds, placed the magnets into the back of them, and left them to dry for at least twenty-four hours. We got back to finishing them the other day - taking the molds off and painting them. They worked out quite well, despite the fact that some of the bigger figures are too heavy for the magnets and have trouble staying on the fridge, and that the head of the horse has broken off now and has found its final resting place.....don't tell her though, we managed to dispose of it before she realized. :)<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJatrhZmo_cJ28GKDC4UbnH9qLSJVHEZZHqc4vMrRnZi-PsRpQMA2vMdcM0qvB_KzpABngAwmLAqtX_2hsuKsvTxmg4FxJuXXpPdZztZpyX7BR6Ad7-Juo4RY-UqeQemCgKZ1dqyUm8AE/s1600/100_5595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJatrhZmo_cJ28GKDC4UbnH9qLSJVHEZZHqc4vMrRnZi-PsRpQMA2vMdcM0qvB_KzpABngAwmLAqtX_2hsuKsvTxmg4FxJuXXpPdZztZpyX7BR6Ad7-Juo4RY-UqeQemCgKZ1dqyUm8AE/s200/100_5595.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out of the molds...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZdNtut7tm8gHxBUTmub78NxTm8QlOQY0xNLSj1IduOgD2fy8qzqH_76dZcC8RJcpnkYH84Kdpx0JEboKOVn08Q0IR3mhzTcTNqRSCbO_hGept0BSBQsw5zsBjuqhyFvg8_7YLGAZzPo/s1600/100_5600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZdNtut7tm8gHxBUTmub78NxTm8QlOQY0xNLSj1IduOgD2fy8qzqH_76dZcC8RJcpnkYH84Kdpx0JEboKOVn08Q0IR3mhzTcTNqRSCbO_hGept0BSBQsw5zsBjuqhyFvg8_7YLGAZzPo/s200/100_5600.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product - Rosie painted these ones...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZvWXTkVuInsh1kgFSWC2hXawh_x1wuLenk0LqH6LG3MM0AnAT56ZcmvVpUBf_uP6NLOLAHJliALgsGawbYex5fmZbACGuNxG_HhQZ-IagOMVVTQYR6t77X002a1GYVqmxWn0eDZE5CU/s1600/100_5599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZvWXTkVuInsh1kgFSWC2hXawh_x1wuLenk0LqH6LG3MM0AnAT56ZcmvVpUBf_uP6NLOLAHJliALgsGawbYex5fmZbACGuNxG_HhQZ-IagOMVVTQYR6t77X002a1GYVqmxWn0eDZE5CU/s200/100_5599.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I painted the ones on the left, and Elise did the<br />ones of the right (including the unfortunate<br />horse.)</td></tr>
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Dad and I drove to Newcastle on Tuesday afternoon, to keep my four week check up appointment after having had my tonsils out. Everything is going well and healing nicely, which is good. I drove some of the way there and back, clocking up another 1 hour and 45 minutes to my driving tally. Because the appointment was late afternoon, by the time we got out on the freeway and swapped drivers (I was NOT going to drive in peak hour Newcastle) it was getting dark enough to put the headlights on, and count the hour I did on the way home as night driving. By the time we actually got home, it was pitch black. It is really hard to drive in the dark! I found it difficult to see where the road was curving, especially when cars were overtaking me and shining their headlights into my side mirror. It was most annoying to be momentarily blinded by the reflection. <br />
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Yesterday, we went to the nursing home with the rest of the outreach group, and put on a concert for the residents there, for Australia's biggest morning tea event, raising money for cancer research. We sang songs all together, such as How Great Thou Art, the Millennium Prayer and I will Follow Him, from Sister Act. That is such a fun song! Then Emily, Joy, Elise and I did Broken Vessels, and It is Well. We borrowed the Church keyboard again and boy, is it heavy! I am very stiff and sore today from carting that keyboard from the car, to the auditorium, back out, and into the car again. But the actual concert went well, and I think we all want to come back and do it again one day. <br />
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<a href="http://www.essgee.com/image/PiratesCD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.essgee.com/image/PiratesCD.jpg" height="200" width="198" /></a>On Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons, Mum and Dad go to Pirates of Penzance practice. SATS (the Theatrical Society in our town) puts on a musical every year, and this year, they are doing Pirates. Mum and Dad are both in the band, and having been putting in long rehearsal hours. On Thursday nights they practice for three hours, and on Sunday, eight hours, although the band members don't have to be there the whole time (only for six hours.) The musical is coming together, and they had their first dress rehearsal the other night. Dad said the costumes and the set looked really, really good. We are all looking forward to going and watching the show. <br />
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Today Dad and James are heading off to a Father and Son's Camp, at a Christian camp site called Tahlee. The men from our Church are going down to help clean up the campsite after the massive storm which swept through the whole region about 5 weeks ago. They are going some time after Dad gets home from work, and will be back tomorrow night. We girls are looking forward to watching some girly movies over the weekend, I even went out and bought some more popcorn, just to be well stocked. :) I think the first movie on the list is 'Ever After', starring Drew Barrymore, be<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tahlee.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Fireplace-1170x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tahlee.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Fireplace-1170x500.jpg" height="136" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the Tahlee Campsite</td></tr>
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cause Elise hasn't seen it yet, and Joy only half of it. I'm not sure what else is on our list, but that is a good start anyways. It is quite cool here, and raining, so a movie weekend is sounds like the best plan to me. :)<br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-52580478587290159222015-05-28T15:07:00.000+10:002015-05-28T15:07:00.232+10:00On Dragon's SkinC.S Lewis wrote an amazing passage in his book 'Voyage of the Dawn Treader', which I'll get to in a moment. However, if you are not familiar with the Narnia series, here's a quick run down: In the first book (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) we meet the four children - Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. They discover a magical land named Narnia, where the white witch rules. Her wicked reign has caused winter to come over the land, and never Christmas. However, with the coming of the children, and with the help of Aslan, the great lion who is the true King over Narnia, they hope to set everything right. There is just one problem - Edmund has turned traitor and betrays his siblings and all of Narnia. Edmund is rescued from the clutches of the white witch, but she demands blood as payment for treachery. To save the human boy, Aslan takes Edmund's place. As the ancient prophecies foretold, the white witch got her moment of victory. But it is short lived. Aslan returns to life, bigger and more majestic than ever, and defeats the white witch in the following battle for Narnia. The four children are crowned high kings and queens over Narnia.<br />
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In the second book, Prince Caspian, the children return to fight the wicked usurper king and his cohorts, and restore peace to Narnia. Prince Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne comes into power, and Narnia remains peaceful and prosperous under his reign. <br />
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The third book - from which following passage is taken from, is the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Edmund and Lucy return with their 'beastly' cousin, Eustace Scrub (and yes, he deserved it.) to find Prince Caspian taking a voyage out beyond any maps and charts to discover what happened to seven lords and perhaps even reach Aslan's land. During the voyage, Eustace, most of all, learns an important lesson. <br />
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<a href="http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx242/ashymolassy/WallpaperSoAshamed.jpg?1289442159" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx242/ashymolassy/WallpaperSoAshamed.jpg?1289442159" height="235" width="320" /></a><i><span style="color: #505050; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">âI wonât tell you how I became aâa dragon till I can tell the
others and get it all over,â said Eustace. âBy the way, I didnât even know
it </span><span style="color: #505050; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">was</span><span style="color: #505050; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> a
dragon till I heard you all using the word when I turned up here the other
morning. I want to tell you how I stopped being one.â</span></i><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âFire ahead,â said Edmund.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âWell, last night I was more miserable than ever. And that
beastly arm-ring was hurting like anythingââ<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âIs that all right now?â<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>Eustace laughedâa different laugh from any Edmund had heard him
give beforeâand slipped the bracelet easily off his arm. âThere it is,â he
said, âand anyone who likes can have it as far as Iâm concerned. Well, as I
say, I was lying awake and wondering what on earth would become of me. And
thenâbut, mind you, it may have all been a dream. I donât know.â<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âGo on,â said Edmund, with considerable patience.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âWell, anyway, I looked up and saw the very last thing I
expected: a huge lion coming slowly toward me. And one queer thing was that
there was no moon last night, but there was moonlight where the lion was. So it
came nearer and nearer. I was terribly afraid of it. You may think that, being
a dragon, I could have knocked any lion out easily enough. But it wasnât that
kind of fear. I wasnât afraid of it eating me, I was just afraid of itâ if
you can understand. Well, it came close up to me and looked straight into my
eyes. And I shut my eyes tight. But that wasnât any good because it told me to
follow it.â<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âYou mean it spoke?â<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âI donât know. Now that you mention it, I donât think it did.
But it told me all the same. And I knew Iâd have to do what it told me, so I
got up and followed it. And it led me a long way into the mountains. And there
was always this moonlight over and round the lion wherever we went. So at last
we came to the top of a mountain Iâd never seen before and on the top of this
mountain there was a gardenâtrees and fruit and everything. In the middle of it
there was a well.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>"I knew it was a well because you could see the water
bubbling up from the bottom of it: but it was a lot bigger than most wellsâlike
a very big, round bath with marble steps going down into it. The water was as
clear as anything and I thought if I could get in there and bathe it would ease
the pain in my leg. But the lion told me I must undress first. Mind you, I
donât know if he said any words out loud or not.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>"I was just going to say that I couldnât undress because I
hadnât any clothes on when I suddenly thought that dragons are snaky sort of
things and snakes can cast their skins. Oh, of course, thought I, thatâs what
the lion means. So I started scratching myself and my scales began coming off
all over the place. And then I scratched a little deeper and, instead of just
scales coming off here and there, my whole skin started peeling off
beautifully, like it does after an illness, or as if I was a banana. In a
minute or two I just stepped out of it. I could see it lying there beside me,
looking rather nasty. It was a most lovely feeling. So I started to go down
into the well for my bathe.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>"But just as I was going to put my feet into the water I
looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkled and scaly
just as they had been before. Oh, thatâs all right, said I, it only means I had
another smaller suit on underneath the first one, and Iâll have to get out of it
too. So I scratched and tore again and this underskin peeled off beautifully
and out I stepped and left it lying beside the other one and went down to the
well for my bathe.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>"Well, exactly the same thing happened again. And I thought
to myself, oh dear, how ever many skins have I got to take off? For I was
longing to bathe my leg. So I scratched away for the third time and got off a
third skin, just like the two others, and stepped out of it. But as soon as I
looked at myself in the water I knew it had been no good.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>"The the lion saidâbut I donât know if it spokeââYou will
have to let me undress you,â I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I
was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him
do it.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>"The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it
had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt
worse than anything Iâve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it
was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You knowâif youâve ever
picked the scab of a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it is such
fun to see it coming away.â<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âI know exactly what you mean,â said Edmund.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âWell, he peeled the beastly stuff right offâjust as I thought
Iâd done it myself the other three times, only they hadnât hurtâand there it
was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more
knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was I as smooth and soft as
a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of meâI didnât
like that much for I was very tender underneath now that Iâd no skin onâand
threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After
that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and
splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why.
Iâd turned into a boy again. Youâd think me simply phony if I told you how I
felt about my own arms. I know theyâve no muscle and are pretty mouldy compared
with Caspianâs, but I was so glad to see them.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>"After a bit the lion took me out and dressed meââ<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âDressed you. With his paws?â<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âWell, I donât exactly remember that bit. But he did somehow or
other: in new clothesâthe same Iâve got on now, as a matter of fact. And then
suddenly I was back here. Which is what makes me think it must have been a
dream.â<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âNo. It wasnât a dream,â said Edmund.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âWhy not?â<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âWell, there are the clothes, for one thing. And you have
beenâwell, un-dragoned, for another.â<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âWhat do you think it was, then?â asked Eustace.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i>âI think youâve seen Aslan,â said Edmund.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.5pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
Without God, we are all dragons of a sort - prickly, ill-shaped, disformed and sometimes downright dangerous. And we cannot improve ourselves. We can try, we can try peel back our layers of self, greed, envy, bitterness....but no matter how hard we try we cannot change. It takes the power of Jesus to peel back all our layers and reveal our true person underneath. It hurts to have our flaws and failures exposed and removed, and it stings our pride. But those layers are removed, there is such freedom! God dresses us anew in His grace and forgiveness. The old self is gone, and 'we are in Christ a new creation.'<br />
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-77443627057427708902015-05-25T15:41:00.000+10:002015-05-25T15:41:04.112+10:00Psalm 23 in Kid's Church I have decided that my aim to post daily does not apply to weekends. :P <div>
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At Church, I run Kid's Church for the little ones - from ages 2 to 5. Our group is called 'NewGen' because our Church is named Generate Church, so all the kids group, youth, music etc, all has the word 'Gen' in. The primary aged group is named 'NextGen.' </div>
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When you have six children, all five and under running around, it can be hard to get a message across. To illustrate my point... One day we were learning about Samuel and I had just given them the rundown on how God talked to Samuel when he was just a little boy, and how God talks to little children as well, that you don't have to wait until you are grown up to listen and obey God's voice and so on. I finished and there was dead silence around the table, then one little girl piped up, "There's a pencil under the table!" Right..... glad you were all listening! :P </div>
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Some days they are really good and other days, I'm not sure they even heard the story, but I get encouraging reports from parents on how their kids were singing the songs, or talking about the stories, so I know it must go into their minds somewhere! </div>
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This week, we were studying Psalm 23. We had done this last week, but had run out of time to do the craft, so I decided that it wouldn't hurt to carry it over two weeks anyway. Normally, I make a little slide show animation using Power-point where the story is animated with characters and scenery, and I read out the story as they act it out, like an Bible story book, only on the computer. However, since we had done that last week, I hit YouTube to try and find another animation or something that I could play for them. I found one little video made by some Kid's Church group where a little shepherd was singing the 23rd Psalm. I really liked the animation, but did not like the song. It was one of those high and squeaky, this-is-for-kids-so-let's-sound-like-kids-while-we-sing-it-and-don't-worry-too-much-about-pitch-either sort of songs, which I am so not in to! But I couldn't find anything else, so I put the video into movie maker, stripped the audio from it, and layered Keith Green's version of Psalm 23 into it instead. I had to remove some of the footage because it was too long, and also had to chop the instrumental out of the song to make the pictures line up, but in the end, it worked quite well. I would post it, but I think it would be breaking copyright, so I won't...just in case. :)</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/d9/d6/f9/d9d6f9ed894e6cb693a46bc351e1f574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/d9/d6/f9/d9d6f9ed894e6cb693a46bc351e1f574.jpg" /></a></div>
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After we watched the video, and talked again about how a shepherd takes care of sheep, and God takes care of us, we did a colouring picture, and then made little sheep with Psalm 23 printed on them, like in the picture. This was the picture which gave me the idea, although our sheep weren't quite as perfect, as 3-year-old's insist on putting legs in strange places! But they were cute. I was going to put cotton wool on their backs, but ran out of time....and glue. So we didn't. :)</div>
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So next week we are going to be doing Psalm 150. I'm thinking we could do a music day, and make instruments or something.... I might even bring my violin in, although I haven't decided yet if I want to subject my violin to at least six pairs of eager hands.....</div>
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Psalm 150 here we come!!</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-90498255856288343832015-05-22T16:26:00.003+10:002015-05-22T16:26:46.975+10:00Miracle MakerIt has been quite busy here today, what with general life, comings and goings and final preparations for the violin eisteddfod tomorrow. So today, I thought I would just post one of my favourite songs at the moment.<br />
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The song is called 'Miracle Maker' by the band Delirious? and although their version is pretty amazing, I discovered yesterday that Kim Walker Smith (the lead vocalist for Jesus Culture) also does a version, which is also beautiful. <br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-90411326191783284172015-05-21T17:03:00.001+10:002015-05-21T20:08:51.470+10:00On this Day in HistoryI thought it would be fun to find out what happened on this day in history so here goes...<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Amelia_Earhart_1928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Amelia_Earhart_1928.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a>On the 21st of May, 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Charles Lindbergh was the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1927, five years earlier. Amelia Earhart was the first to second his feat, as well as the first woman. She attempted a flight around the world in 1937. Approximately five weeks after her journey began, her plane disappeared somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, and no one knows what became of her.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Africa_Lake_Victoria_10_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Africa_Lake_Victoria_10_006.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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On the 21st of May, 1996, an overcrowded ferry capsized on Lake Victoria in Africa. Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake, and connects the countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. The ferry was licensed to carry 430, there was at least double that on board. There were 443 people on board in the first and second class, but no one knows exactly how many were in the 3rd class area. It is estimated that between 500 and 800 people were killed, and only 114 people survived.<br />
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<a href="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1157/1001374689_9324bbbf04_o_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1157/1001374689_9324bbbf04_o_d.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
On the 21st of May, 1840, New Zealand was officially made part of the British empire. New Zealand had been discovered and explored by both Abel Tasman and James Cook. James Cook claimed the <br />
land for Britain, but it wasn't until 1840 when the appointed governor, William Hobson, received enough signatures on the treaty between the British and the Maori chiefs to officially make New Zealand a part of the British sovereignty. <br />
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<a href="http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks13/1303341h-images/person-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks13/1303341h-images/person-09.jpg" height="200" width="141" /></a></div>
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On the 21st of May, 1848, Edmund Kennedy landed at Rockingham Bay ready to explore Northern Queensland. Edmund was a young explorer, who had been sent out from Sydney to explore the northern parts of Australia. He planned to start his journey north of Townsville and make his way along the coast to Cape York to meet up again with his ship, Ariel. However, he met with hostile Aborigines along the way and died at the end of their spears. <br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Detail_Lewis_%26_Clark_at_Three_Forks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Detail_Lewis_%26_Clark_at_Three_Forks.jpg" height="200" width="175" /></a></div>
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On the 21st of May, 1804, Lewis and Clarke set out for their famous journey with Sacajawea, their Indian guide. Their goal was to find a practical and relatively safe way across to the Western half of the USA for commerce and trade. The underlying purpose was to claim the land before the British did. Their journey didn't end until September, 1806.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/WcbbustCBarton2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/WcbbustCBarton2.jpg" height="194" width="200" /></a>On the 21st of May, 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross. She first came across the Red Cross in Sweden, where she was taking a holiday from nursing duties. S<br />
he decided to found a Red Cross in America to assist with the aftermath of the Civil War. The Red Cross grew phenomenally during the World Wars, as well as the Influenza epedemic and the depression which followed World War 1. Today, the American Red Cross is one of the largest volunteer organisations in the world, with networks in 187 countries.<br />
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/2f/2e/97/2f2e9752af812f423620dbc521187577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/2f/2e/97/2f2e9752af812f423620dbc521187577.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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On the 21st of May, 2015, God's mercies were new again this morning, just as they are every morning since the start of time to the end of the time. Great is His faithfulness.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-36049756615994180982015-05-20T16:11:00.002+10:002015-05-20T16:11:32.463+10:00Beyond Fear<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fear is a funny
thing. We can be afraid of someone,
something, an event, or even ourselves.
We read in the Bible that âperfect loves casts out all fear,â and that âGod
is loveâ, leading us to conclude that when God is in us, we should have no
fear. But as imperfect human beings, we
forget that He who is in us is greater than he who is defeated in the world,
and we become fearful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I was reading Judges one day, I came across the story of
Gideon â how he defeated the Midianites with only three hundred men, how he
trusted God, even when His plans seemed rather weak by manâs standards. But something else stood out that I hadnât
noticed before. Gideon was scared, every
step of Godâs plan. (The following
passages are from Judges 6 and 7) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span class="text"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> ...</span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">while his son Gideon
threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></i></span><span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So he said to Him, âO
my Lord,<sup> </sup>how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my fatherâs house.â</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span class="text"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><span class="text"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now Gideon perceived
that He was the Angel of the </span></i></span><span class="small-caps"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 115%;">Lord</span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. So Gideon said, âAlas, O Lord </span></i></span><span class="small-caps"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 115%;">God</span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">! For I have seen the Angel of the </span></i></span><span class="small-caps"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 115%;">Lord</span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> face to face.â</span></i></span><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span class="text">Then the </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"> said to him, âPeace be
with you; do not fear, you shall not die.â </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></i></span><span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So Gideon took ten men
from among his servants and did as the </span></i></span><span class="small-caps" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 115%;">Lord</span></i></span><span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> had said to him. But because he feared his fatherâs household
and the men of the city too much to do it
by day, he did it by night.</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></i></span><span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now therefore, proclaim
in the hearing of the people, saying, âWhoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from
Mount Gilead.ââ And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten
thousand remained.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></i></span><span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It happened on the same
night that the </span></i></span><span class="small-caps" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; line-height: 115%;">Lord</span></i></span><span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> said to him, âArise, go down against the camp, for I have
delivered it into your hand. <sup> </sup>But if you are afraid to go down,
go down to the camp with Purah your servant and you shall hear what they say;
and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.â</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></i></span><span class="text" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And so it was, when
Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he
worshiped.</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At every stage, Gideon had some fear,
something he had to overcome. First, it
was the threshing wheat in the wine press.
He didnât want to let anyone know that he had grain; he feared someone
would take it away. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="text"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Secondly, he doubted he
could lead Israel at all. He claimed his
family was least in the tribe of Manasseh, and he was the least of his
family. He made an excuse to cover his
fear â because the </span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Israelites</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> have been oppressed by the Midianites for seven
years. The Midianites had driven the </span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Israelites</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> out of their homes, they were living in caves, and they had
destroyed everything they owned. And
yet, we see that Gideonâs family had grain (Gideon was threshing it), animals
(he makes sacrifices to the L</span><sub style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ORD</sub><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">), and in a later verse, God says
âtake your servant PurahâŚâ indicating that Gideon âthe least in his householdâ
had a servant as well. It would appear
that Gideonâs family was not doing too badly, but once again, his fear of the
Midianites had overcome him, as he made excuses not to follow the Angel of the
Lordâs directions. </span></span><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Gideon speaks to the Angel of the
Lord, and when he </span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">realizes</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> who it is, he fears for his life. This fear, however, is not cowardly. Many other times, people have feared for
their lives when God speaks to them. He is so holy that we canât handle
it. â</span><span class="text" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For no man shall
see Me, and live.â (Exodus 33:20b)
Nearly every an Angel, or the Angel of the Lord, visited people, they
have said, âDo not fear.â It is normal to have a healthy fear and respect for
our God, because He is beyond and above anything we can ever be or
imagine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="text"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Fourth, God told Gideon
to tear down the statue of Baal and the high places his father had set up. These were obviously sinful, and had to go,
to signify that Gideon was now following God wholeheartedly. Gideon did so, but he did it at night, so no
one could see him, know it was him, and condemn him. He was afraid to take a public stand for
God. He had convictions in his heart,
but </span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">wasn't</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> prepared to let anyone else know about them, not yet anyways. </span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Next, God allows anyone in Gideonâs
army who is afraid to step down. He
didnât want men who </span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">couldn't</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> trust in Him enough, so He allowed them to go
home. The fact that God pointed this out
shows that Gideon is changing. He still
might be afraid, but his faith is growing, and when 22,000 people go home, he
is not one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Sixth</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, God is gave Gideon an extra
sign, one that will strength his faith, one that will keep him strong until the
end. But this time God also addresses
Gideonâs fear, âIf you are afraid to go downâŚâ
Gideon had to overcome his fear of visiting the enemy camp before he was
able to hear Godâs promise on the victory.
However, he didnât have to go alone, God provided someone who was
willing to go with him, Gideonâs trusty servant, Purah. Purah was obviously not afraid to go down to
the camp with Gideon, and, by surrounding himself with people who were strong
than he was, Gideon too overcame his fear of the Midianite camp.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> And
finally, when Gideon heard Godâs promise - heard the dream which the Midianite
had had, he fell down and </span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">worshiped</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> God.
He had no fear now. His eyes were
totally focused on God, and Gideon knew that God, not he, would accomplish the
task. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Reflecting upon this, I </span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">realized</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> that it is okay to be
frightened. It is okay to be nervous
about what tomorrow may bring because God can and will still use frightened
people. We donât have to be brave and
strong before He will use us. If our hearts are seeking Him, then He will make
us brave. But we must not stay in that
place of fear instead we need to allow our faith to be strengthened and grow
strong. If our eyes are fixed on Him,
our fear will melt like snow at the sight of the Son. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Fear not, for I </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">am</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> with you;</span></i></div>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Be not dismayed, for I </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">am</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> your God.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I will strengthen you,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes, I will help you,</span></div>
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<span class="text" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.â</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">(Isaiah 41:10)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love. (2 Timothy 1:7)</span></div>
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</span></i><o:p></o:p></span>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-44410405968858122602015-05-19T21:36:00.000+10:002015-05-19T21:36:21.690+10:00A Musical Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKoin50sh_cfINrHWQrPOqxfxDfLaOfLw58gEgGaH5qHHp9f2YjCfFe1RgBJE0vczyo4wJg4WiynBf8c2zX5KIOQDglPIej7KvWc_71owIBrZ4OsQGPvh8ErndfPTMeAaoxRtYEcWHqc/s1600/100_5563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKoin50sh_cfINrHWQrPOqxfxDfLaOfLw58gEgGaH5qHHp9f2YjCfFe1RgBJE0vczyo4wJg4WiynBf8c2zX5KIOQDglPIej7KvWc_71owIBrZ4OsQGPvh8ErndfPTMeAaoxRtYEcWHqc/s320/100_5563.JPG" width="320" /></a>We had a busy day today, mostly centered around music. Coming up this weekend, Joy, Elise and I have a violin eisteddfod. It has been about four years since we have done one, so it should be good.<br />
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However, with only four days to go, the practice is getting rather.... shall I say, intense? I haven't decided yet what songs I am going to play in each section, and don't really want to have to make that decision!</div>
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One of the songs I am learning - hoping to pull together for the weekend - is the theme from the movie Schindler's List. It is such a beautiful song, so emotive and sad.... it also hits some really, really high notes, which are proving to be a challenge! But hopefully, I'll get there.<br />
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See what I mean? It would have to be one of my favorite violin songs. I'm going to play quite a mix of modern and classical, because I have Rolling in the Deep (by the Piano Guys) and My Immortal (Evanescence), as well as Concerto in A minor, 3rd movement, and Concerto in G minor, 1st and 2nd movement, both by Vivaldi. I have one more song than categories, so one will have to be dropped, but I haven't decided yet which one. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrbpeapo0OsdHjsxcuBmPOcNwQo07kVI0MK5yPH0zHPR6r0K1v2u-JoqtlKQVuwELnvRpoNJaLJS1HdMJ8FTy0jykwHxAFtdbKNR_gxY6bCyM_ovHjjo2YsART_yq3W89AMKR3b7jwM4/s1600/100_5561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrbpeapo0OsdHjsxcuBmPOcNwQo07kVI0MK5yPH0zHPR6r0K1v2u-JoqtlKQVuwELnvRpoNJaLJS1HdMJ8FTy0jykwHxAFtdbKNR_gxY6bCyM_ovHjjo2YsART_yq3W89AMKR3b7jwM4/s200/100_5561.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3CsJF8lBfdwR0IeEYLfQKE5iJWPCRngpyWz1FUoHZCCScH5xoDQ8TmTQ2nXRxQuCnhQ4Pni1bUUQYWaA7b3BxKtudV3tD8vRNBDGazmVnQGSiiSUcY6wDDoVh-XY1JmMPL0cDW3tEzKI/s1600/100_5562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3CsJF8lBfdwR0IeEYLfQKE5iJWPCRngpyWz1FUoHZCCScH5xoDQ8TmTQ2nXRxQuCnhQ4Pni1bUUQYWaA7b3BxKtudV3tD8vRNBDGazmVnQGSiiSUcY6wDDoVh-XY1JmMPL0cDW3tEzKI/s200/100_5562.JPG" width="200" /></a>I helped Rosie (just turned 5) with her violin practice today as well. And yes, she had a peg on her bow. This is to help her keep her bow on the strings and not run it off the end of the violin. <br />
We had violin lessons today, and Rosie did really well - she is excited to be learning ' fingers' next week, a.k.a using the fingerboard to create more notes than just the open strings of G, D, A, and E.<br />
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Our teacher was pleased with the progress I had made with my songs, and if confident that I can pull them together, which makes me feel better about the whole thing, as I am feeling a little under prepared. <br />
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A couple in our Church do a nursing home outreach. They go into the homes and perform concerts, mixing hymns, popular 70s songs which the old people would know, and Church songs together to meet them where they are at. Emily, Joy, Elise and I are joining their concerts, and we went around after violin to run through our song. We are just doing one this time, and have chosen 'Broken Vessels' by Hillsong. Joy is playing guitar, Elise the violin, I am playing keyboard and everyone is singing. We borrowed our Church keyboard, since we don't have one of our own, and it was so nice to play! It was my first time playing it, and I really enjoyed it. <br />
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I was trying to get a nice photo of Rosie, Annie, and James but this was the best I could get... <br />
Annie didn't want to stop for a photo because she didn't want her 'eyes to be bright' which I think meant she didn't like the flash. And James wouldn't give me a proper smile, just a crazy pose. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tpsUKfG6UnL8vNbWvTsaIqHBx1UcOjsBZMjPhsKX59NJbhCA9wWASMZV7DuYYx9bKvrz013ymvPULdxcqgwVUUchqGcr5Y6Ga0Icu1kxVNlJQ8_vSgMfyJkXI0vsvw925vvrd8kQQtU/s1600/100_5570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI99JF1zNrARphOOexJRyBtTR6R6Wm88ShrE7Dj9L8v9J9DkdJMs1yUZvP4hlZ24_6Ff5r84PXFUzCfcEeoJg84dc9GvSDR0sb6x4kpKgi0waVNlD0E3DUuRc7F7Ikrhcfy6mGlJoCpfs/s1600/100_5567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI99JF1zNrARphOOexJRyBtTR6R6Wm88ShrE7Dj9L8v9J9DkdJMs1yUZvP4hlZ24_6Ff5r84PXFUzCfcEeoJg84dc9GvSDR0sb6x4kpKgi0waVNlD0E3DUuRc7F7Ikrhcfy6mGlJoCpfs/s320/100_5567.JPG" width="320" /></a><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tpsUKfG6UnL8vNbWvTsaIqHBx1UcOjsBZMjPhsKX59NJbhCA9wWASMZV7DuYYx9bKvrz013ymvPULdxcqgwVUUchqGcr5Y6Ga0Icu1kxVNlJQ8_vSgMfyJkXI0vsvw925vvrd8kQQtU/s320/100_5570.JPG" width="320" /></div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7627537400383809385.post-2671459161622794462015-05-18T12:26:00.000+10:002015-05-18T12:37:52.058+10:00Welcome to my blog!<h3 style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/013/0/6559819/il_340x270.416624985_ddm6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://img1.etsystatic.com/013/0/6559819/il_340x270.416624985_ddm6.jpg" width="320" /></a>My name is Jessica, and as of the end of last year, I am a homeschool graduate. I am the second oldest in my family and live in NSW Australia with my family: Mum, Dad, <a href="http://amityinchrist.blogspot.com/">Emily</a>, Grace, Joy, Elise, James, Rosie and Annie. That's right - I have six sisters and one brother, and yes, he copes just fine. :)<br />
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<i>Behind the name of this blog...</i></div>
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I chose 'Dreams really do come true' as the title of my blog, because I wanted to have record of how God will fulfill the dreams and promises I believe He has given me. And whilst I am in the waiting zone of those dreams, there is still plenty to do! I just need to realize it.<br />
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The URL of the blog differs from the title 'Dreams really do come true'. In fact, it is 'yungundoto.blogspot.com.' Yungu ndoto is the Swahili words which mean 'My dream.' This is purely because EVERY title you can think of which has the name dream in it, has been used by some other blogger in the past, and therefore is unavailable. Hence, I had to resort to a foreign language. Swahili is one of the official languages of Kenya - along with English - and Kenya is where my biggest dream and promise lies, so the title is relevant...to me anyway. :)<br />
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I hope to blog regularly - I would like to say daily, but I don't dare! - about <i>ships and shoes and sealing wax, cabbages and kings. </i>My interests and passions lie in the directions of;<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"> Jesus</span></div>
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Kenya </div>
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Teaching </div>
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Music </div>
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Writing</div>
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Cooking </div>
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Kid's Church </div>
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I'm sure there are others, but is all I can think of at the moment, so that will do for now. :P </div>
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I hope you enjoy looking around and maybe even stay awhile! </div>
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Blessings,</div>
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Jessica</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12971016992510552315noreply@blogger.com9