Category: Blogging challenges

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity

Sipping from the saucer #10

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today: blessing #10.

As part of the ‘new membership’ package at my new gym, I was offered a free ‘create a workout program’ session with the Head Personal Trainer. I felt pretty bad, because the Head Personal Trainer then had to arrive at his gym at stupid o’clock, because I normally work out from 4.30-5.15am. I apologised in advance, and we set the appointment for 4.45 this morning.

Fortunately, last night I mentioned this appointment to my husband, who woke me at 4.15am with ‘didn’t you need to be going about now?’
I jumped up, was dressed and out of the door in 2 minutes, and arrived at 4.35… but HPT was already there. Whoops!!

Never mind. He put me through my paces; and my left tricep is currently screaming, thank you very much, so I guess that’s all fair 😛

Blessing number 10? A thoughtful husband, without whom I would have been even more embarrassed than I already was.

Have a great day, dear Reader! Be blessed today!
– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges

Sipping from the saucer #9

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today: blessing #9.

And seeing as yesterday’s post, blessing #8 (published earlier today; sorry about that!) was an image, I thought I’d do likewise today. Because today I want to talk about my new gym.

I joined on the 31st of May, and had my first session on June 1st. And I’ve been going regularly (4 to 6 days per week, depending on other commitments) since then.

And I’m loving it! This was what it looked like this morning…

no other people. And because no-one was there to listen to – or even program – the centre-wide sound system, there was no other noise, either… exactly how I like my workouts 🙂

I unlocked the place. I turned on lights and equipment. I turned off equipment, and lights, and then locked up when I left.

It was just about the workout. And that’s perfect for me.

What a blessing, hey?

Here’s wishing you (again!) a blessed day today, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity family anecdotes places to visit Work

Sipping from the saucer #8

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today: blessing #8… and it’s the reason why this post is late! Check it out:

Not one, not two, but FIVE tickets to SeaWorld, courtesy Hubby’s work and his colleagues. So that’s where we were yesterday – and a BRILLIANT day was had by all 🙂

Here’s wishing you a blessed day too, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity

Sipping from the saucer #7

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today: blessing #7… and it’s another work-related one.

As Head of Middle School, I decided this year to institute a new policy for my students: mobile phone collection during the school day. So I collect the mobile phones from the kids in my care – students in Years 7, 8 and 9 (11 to 14 year olds) – at the beginning of the school day, and then they collect them again at 3pm, prior to leaving the campus. It’s been working REALLY well, and the instances of cyberbullying between the hours of 8 and 3 have dropped to zero. (Surprise, surprise!)

But that’s not the point of my story. Instead, the story starts when I was on a deadline, to purchase the hardcover mobile phone storage case, so that I could use it to keep the kids’ phones safe. (There’s a HUGE amount of $$ that the school will be liable for, should any harm come to a kid’s phone while it’s in my care!) So I’d done the research, and decided to purchase a sturdy, the-best-that-money-can-buy storage case, from the Jaycar outlet that was closest to the school.

The trouble was, to make the case ready for phone usage, I needed to purchase it on the Friday, so I could have it over the weekend and cut out all the little holes so students could insert their phones securely, first thing Monday morning. But other commitments after school on Friday afternoon meant that I needed to duck out during the day to buy it.

Which wouldn’t have been a problem… but I have a fairly heavy teaching load on a Friday, with very little time between classes in which to shop.

So I found a spare 45 minutes. Not a huge amount of time, but enough – perhaps – if the traffic was light, and if I could find an easy park (I’d never been there before, and I’ve already mentioned how awful I am with parking at locations where I’ve never been before,) and if the service at the store was great, and if they had in stock the exact case which I needed to purchase. And if, after all that, the traffic was light on the way back to school, so I could get back in time to teach my next class.

Yeah. That was a lot of ‘if’s. And yet…

Who said God isn’t good? It all happened! And with 3 minutes to spare!!!

A blessing indeed. In fact, so much blessing that I was left sipping from the saucer 🙂

Have a great day, dear Reader!
– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity family anecdotes Life More about me

Sipping from the saucer #6

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today, blessing #6.

It’s my birthday today. I love that I’ve managed to make it to 44 without too much damage, physically or emotionally, to myself… and hopefully also, to those I’ve interacted with over the past 40-something years!

Anyway, yesterday after work, I arrived home with my cherubs remembering what state I’d left the house in, that morning. Knowing that Hubby would be leaving during the day for a three day conference, I’d done only the ‘most-urgent’ of the housework that morning (plates into the sink, not even rinsed) because I’d be able to complete the rest of it in the afternoon, at a more leisurely pace, without feeling as though I was a ‘bad housewife’ – because of the lack of a Hubby to witness just how lazy I could be! (And how slowly I could get it done…)

So I unlocked the house and walked in – and found the kitchen and dining room clean, a HUGE bunch of flowers on the table, and a box of chocolates and note with them!

“Happy birthday my love!!! Sorry I’m away. See you soon. Love Ian.”

I must admit, I found it difficult to read through the tears in my eyes. What a sweetheart!

And if Hubby isn’t a blessing from the One who created me, I don’t know what is.

I hope you have an awesome day today too, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges

Sipping from the saucer #5

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today, blessing #5.

Decades ago, I remember Hubby and I listening to a tape (yes, tape – I *did* just say ‘decades ago!’) by Christian speaker Chuck Missler, on the Old Testament passage where the Israelites were in a battle against their enemies, and God was fighting alongside them with hailstones. And more were killed by hailstones than by the Israelites. Chuck Missler made the point that God must have a pretty amazing aim! To be able to set into motion the hail – in exactly the right places so that only Israel’s enemies were killed, and not the Israelites themselves! (Whoever heard of hail discriminating before?)

Anyway, knowing about that story makes mine own tale of blessing seem like child’s play. And yet to me, it was miraculous. You see, it was just about to start POURING down as I was leaving a late-night church meeting, and the car park was pitch black and not covered. So I ran towards the driver’s door, thinking ‘how on earth am I going to be able to see the lock to open the door, and get inside before the rain starts?’

I arrived at my door, key at the ready, about to start fumbling when ‘flash’  the sky lit up, the instant I had my key near where I thought the lock would be. Lightning had streaked across the sky, making the car door as distinct as if it had been broad daylight. The key went straight in, and I was able to slide into the driver’s seat, close the door and even turn the engine on before the thunder rumbled.

How cool was THAT?!!!

God is truly an awesome God, don’t you think?

Anyway, that’s my ‘blessing’ for today. Have a great one, dear Reader – and I’ll see you tomorrow for blessing #6!

KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity

Sipping from the saucer #4

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today, blessing #4.

When I was 17, I started dating a guy who smoked. Being from a family of non-smokers, he was my first introduction to cigarettes. After a little while, I too started the habit.

We broke up, the boy and I, and a little while later (and with the help of more than a few Snickers bars!) I quit too. And haven’t touched them since.

Nor do I like the smell of smoke, be it from cigarettes, cigars, wood smoke or traffic fumes. So when I was clearing up our backyard after a storm recently, burning off all the fallen branches (we live on acreage, with significant numbers of branch-dropping gum trees) I was raking up around the bonfire, and was finishing up the last section that wasn’t smoke covered. All that was left was to rake the small section that was currently covered by the smoke from the fire.

I figured I’d need to wait, and rake that section when the wind changed direction. The thought crossed my mind that it’d be really cool if the wind could swing just at that moment, so I wouldn’t have to wait, but I mentally laughed at myself and started walking away.

Then the smoke cleared. The wind had dropped, meaning that all the smoke rose skyward, straight up, and the area that I hadn’t yet raked was smoke-free! I guffawed – how awesome is my God, huh?! So I raked it, praising God, and then the wind returned and smoke covered that area again when I’d finished.

That had me smiling for the rest of the day. In fact, I’m smiling now, recounting the story to you.

What a great God He is!

Here’s praying that you have an amazing day, dear Reader 🙂

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity

Sipping from the saucer #3

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today, blessing #3.

As some of you know, I’m one of those crazy people who drives to the gym for an early-morning session before the rest of the world gets up.

Well, I was driving home after my session recently when I noticed a car behind me was driving with no lights on. We were in an 80-kilometre-an-hour section of road, heading quickly toward the 110-kilometre-an-hour section, and when I say the car had no lights on, that’s what I meant. Zero lights – and the stretch of road wasn’t the safest. And it was super-dark, so I was worried for the driver’s safety. Very worried.

My first thought was, ‘How can I get the driver’s attention, to let him know?’ But there was no way I could, of course. So I turned to prayer.

“Please Lord, please let the driver of the car know that they haven’t yet turned on their lights…” and then I watched, anxiously.

Maybe five seconds passed. Literally – only five. Then their lights turned on.

How awesome is God, huh?

I mean yes, that *could* have been co-incidence… but then again, how much of ‘God-incidences- are explained away by such a ‘reason’. Me? I prefer to believe that God is involved.

Have a great day, dear Reader!-

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity

Sipping from the saucer #2

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today, blessing #2.

I’m not big on jewelry. Apart from my earrings, which I never change, I wear a watch, three rings (engagement, wedding ring and Hubby’s wedding ring) and a bracelet. And I only ever put on my watch, rings and bracelet when I leave for work, and often take them off on the return trip.

Cue my clumsiness. I was sliding my rings onto my watch band, as I always do, when something happened and I dropped my engagement ring onto the floor of the car.

Well, I was driving. Not particularly conducive to an immediate search.

So I looked when I got home. Kids out of the car; my seat goes back, and I’m there with my head between my knees, cursing the fact that the space between drivers seat and console in a Toyota Aurion, is so incredibly tiny.

It’s pretty clean down there, but I do manage to retrieve the odd receipt  and some fluff. There a blue hairband wedged down there too – but no sign of the engagement ring.

I sigh.

The other rings are safe, with the bracelet, on the watch band. And – as per usual – I’m on a deadline, because it’s a school evening and there’s homework to get done and dinner to prepare, cook, eat and clean up after, prior to teaching again later that night.

The thought darts across through my mind. ‘Wouldn’t it be awesome if the ring was hiding under the hairband.’ I ignore it and pick up the hairband, preparing to excavate the depths of the cavity between drivers seat and console.

But no need. There’s the escapee – hiding under the blue hairband, waiting to be retrieved.

Less than a second’s worth of looking! And life was back on track, and the kids’ homework and dinner could happen on time 🙂

God is awesome. It was definitely a ‘sipping from the saucer’ moment.

Have a great day, dear Reader!
– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Blogging challenges Christianity family anecdotes

Sipping from the saucer #1

I work at a Christian school. The pastor of the church which established our school has a saying: “The LORD has blessed me so much, my cup is overflowing (taken from Psalm 23) and I’m sipping from the saucer.”

I like the visual, so I’m using it here, in this month-long blogging challenge focusing on the blessings God has poured out on me.

Today, blessing #1.

I’m claustrophobic – so much so, that I never drive other people’s cars, and driving through roadworks, and parking in crowded car parks, unnerves me.

Well, I was having one of those days when you visit several different places in the space of just a couple of hours, with different things to do in each location, and with different children each time. The final place I wanted to get to was a shop on a main road, which offered only reverse parking, and it was 4.45pm (and the place was due to close at 5pm).

Did I mention it was school holidays? So not only was it the main road, but it was busier than normal. And I was in a rush. And this road is well known for the fact that every car park fills up within seconds of being vacated.

Miss12, sitting in the front seat, was asking me where we were going next and why I was stressing. I told her that I was going to need two car parks, one in front of the other, just to park. A statistical improbability – however, God knew what I needed.

I drove along the road. It was now 4.48pm. No sign of crowds diminishing. Then I saw it. Right out the front of the shop I was heading to: not one, but two car park spaces, one behind the other, so no reversing required.

Praise God!

Suffice to say, I had shopped and was walking out of the shop by 5pm.

Because God’s awesome like that.

Have a great day, dear Reader – and see you tomorrow!

— KRidwyn