God makes beauty from ashes

Hey, I know, I'm a bit sporadic with these blog posts, huh? I'll have to make more of an effort to keep it consistent. Maybe at least once a week? Hopefully then, the posts wont be as long *wink* and then you and I can both keep a better track of where I'm at :) This week's been busy. Work and Uni are taking over my life, seriously. Especially Uni. I've struggled with sitting at my desk and trying to learn things I'm not very interested in...especially when its 80-90 pages of sentences where I'm having to look up every 2nd word. I can add anthropocentric, despotic and methodology to the words I know now. Lucky me :) The weekend was lovely as I got to see Sue, Christine and Mary Ellen. It was wonderful to sit at a cafe in Morley on a bright, Spring Saturday morning and see their lovely faces again. Sue looked lovely. Trim and classy, as she always is. Christine was a bit more subdued but of course she would be...Christine lost a good friend and her

2 blogs in one night :) lucky you, eh? *wink* I just wanted to write about the flowers I planted a week or so ago. I have called them my 'flower babies' and while it's all still quite new to me, I'm feeling very passionate about keeping them alive and well. Do you know I worried about my little flowers when I was away in Narrogin? I got back and didnt even unpack my suitcase. No. Instead, I filled up my pink watering can and strode out purposefully to the back garden where half of my flower babies live. I was devastated (truly) to find they weren't faring well. I planted 6 little flowers in a little row...and one of them was dead. It had drooped sadly and just looked grey and dead...and when I gently touched the leaves, they felt like paper - dry and fragile in my hands...and crumbly. It made me really sad. The other 5 were starting to droop so I watered them really well and talked to them. I've heard talking to plants helps them grow so I encouraged the

I used to have them, you know. "days of the week" underwear. They each came in a different colour and on the front in curly, girly font, was printed the day of the week. It made me feel more organised somehow wearing them. On a rebellious whim one day, I decided to deliberately wear the wrong day of the week. Ha! I strutted off to work thinking I could rule the world. That evening though, just after dinner, I experienced a really painful 'band' around my waist. My pelvis hurt terribly and I found that if I pressed down to the side of my lower stomach, the pain seemed more manageable. After throwing up and feeling my temperature rise, I finally gave in and took myself to hospital. "We'll need to examine you" The Doctor said, and with that, asked me to pull up my shirt and lower my jeans. The pain took over any embarrassment/modesty and I dutifully pulled my jeans down a little lower. The Doctor turned to the nearest Nurse. "I th

Hey, It's been a very busy week and a bit since I last wrote. The last time I wrote, I thought my emotions (mostly coming hard and fast and out of nowhere for no reason at all) and erratic hormones threatened to do me in. Seriously. But I'm okay. Praise God, I'm doing better with every day that passes. Mostly thanks to the amazing friends God has placed in my life. I was able to talk with Roz, G and be encouraged online through a friend who lives in Melbourne (Troy) and found myself more and more able to calm down with those I loved encouraging me that I was not, in fact, crazy - and that everything really would be okay. Deep down somewhere inside my panic, I knew that...but having G's gentle voice assure me that the world was really a beautiful place after all did wonders for my anxiety. I'm so glad he was there and that he stayed on the phone with me until breathing didn't hurt my chest any more. I'm really blessed by the friends I have.

My friend and beloved ex-neighbour Amy was over the other night. Amy is 20 years old, beautiful, toned and strong, fearless and has an infectious, beautiful laugh. Amy finds everything funny and is really good company. But trying to explain depression to her was as useful and enjoyable for either of us as releasing a bagful of confetti into the air on a windy day...and then hoping to collect every single one back on the same day. "All you have to do" Amy began, as she tucked one toned leg under the other and settled onto the leather sofa in the living room "Is two small things - they're sooo easy" Oh? "Yep" 20-year-old Amy continued, absentmindedly brushing her gorgeous glossy fringe from her beautiful face "First of all, you have to stop caring what everyone thinks of you. You have to. Just let it go. F*ck 'em. You dont need their opinion. You do what you have to do for you - f*ck the rest of 'em" That easy, huh? "A

I decided this morning that I would mow the lawn. Alun normally does it but as he's been away a lot, and our weather has been really rainy then suddenly sunny, the grass has loved this and has grown in the last month to my waist height. I was not looking forward to sorting the grass out. I hate mowing the lawn, you know. But I did it :) I pressed on. I mowed and sang along the songs on my phone's playlist. I pulled weeds and prayed for those I love. I mowed a little more. I filled our rubbish bin with wonderfully green, lush grass cuttings. Then on a whim, I decided to buy some flowers to plant in the empty 'borders' in our front and back garden. I walked to Bunnings (in the UK, it's called "B&Q") and wondered around frowning. How does anyone make sense of this place? Why is this every man's favourite store - it's mental! I think I was the only female there at 2pm on a Wednesday afternoon. I eventually purchased a little trowel, a tiny