i found some of our wedding photos no.5

mmm...which one will we have!?

Fi and Jodie - how beautiful are they!

The corny bridal party dance. Our 1st dance as hubby and wife was "aaaattttt laaaaast my love has come along (i dont know who sings it)

We had a band play for a few songs - just to change things up a bit. These guys did a fantastic job! They are on the worship team at Thornlie Church of Christ.

*mmmm*

The boys go for the grab

The lucky guy - "Pagey" Darren got married to Alyse this year in Feb.
That stupid garter was too big for my leg. During the ceremony I felt something slip down my leg, I thought I had either peed myself or my undies fell down I PANICKED!!

Shane Beckingham graced us with his stick dance.

hence the reason we call him stix.

About to get clotheslined on the way out.

Bye Everybody!! I think that look was given to one of the boys from Mandurah who shook Russ's hand, handing him a pack of condoms! Nice.

open forum not so open

Now I dont mean that in a bad way. I mean in it by way of I was under the impression that we were there to talk about whatever was brought up by anyone.
We had Barry Austin facilitate the meeting, just to have someone outside the church and who could control any outbursts or what have you. He did a really good job.
He started the meeting by telling us why the meeting had been called (russ and i looked at each other confused and a few people didnt realise that there was a particular issue that had caused the meeting. We understood that it was to generate communication)
I wont go into all the details of the issue because i dont have a whole heap of time or space to write. But put simply. Our pastor would like his wife to be his co-pastor. She has been studying at Bible College and she actually started at Bible College before our Pastor did, and she is fully qualified and they would both like to be recognised for the work they both put into the church. The way that this was put to the congregation has upset many people. People were wanting to know why they hadnt know about this previously when our Pastor renewed his contract in 2005/may have been 06? Why the eldership had known and had been praying about it for a while and didnt tell the congregation? Etc Etc.
All I could keep thinking was this: We are stuck in a small church mentality. I dont really want to know the ins and outs of every little decision that gets made for the church. I trust my elders and pastor enough in the decision making process.
When this proposition got put to the church we were given a few weeks to pray about it. However people started mumbling (of course) and talking behind peoples back. Now we have alot of very hurt people including our pastors wife and our pastor, and a few elders. Alot of things came out at the meeting that I was very surprised at, but I wouldnt post here as it involves peoples hurts and i dont feel comfortable posting them all over the net.
As I metioned before about what I was thinking, (small church mentality where pretty much the congregation decides on everything) I was waiting for a space to say it, one of our elders who stepped down a couple of months ago brought it up. He put it in a way that I never could have put. He said that we are no longer at the size where the congregation should decide everything and that he would love to see this church trust their leadership team. I am still a little confused, as to how some people who have been in this church for 10 - 20 years dont trust the leadership of the church . I have been there for about 18mths and I trust them, if I really have an issue with something, I would approach them about it. Its been hard leaving a church where being a member of the congregation you are told whats happening and encouraged to pray, but the decision isnt made by me/congregation to now go to a church where every single tiny thing gets put to the congregation, including whether we let someone head up a new ministry! It drives me insane! (im all for you Greg!)
Which I may have to do. Regarding the issue of considering his wife as a pastor doesnt seem right to me. I dont believe that women should pastor churches - whether she is co-pastoring with her husband or not. Im sure you'll all beat me up about it, but I dont care. Call me a traditionalist, I dont care. I dont see the reasoning for it and I cant find any Scripture that encourages it. (sorry if im wording it all wrong)
I fully agree that his wife needs to be recognised for what she does, and the part she plays, but I dont agree with making her a pastor.
Anyway, thats a little info to let you all know how the meeting went.
Russell didnt want me to go because it may not help me in the state im in with this church, but I went anyway promising that I wouldnt say a word, pull a face (just joking) or anything! And I did, I just sat there and listened. I had nothing to be worried about.

i feel a little woooooozzzzy.....im starting to have head spins.
but i will never take it out....never!

My nape piercing

Im a little worried. The piercing I have in the nape of my neck has been sore the past 2 days. It hurts to turn my head and just a couple of minutes ago Ive started having head splitting pains stemming from my neck to the back of my skull! AHH it really hurts. I soaked it last night for like 20 minutes with double sea salt, it felt better this morning but now sitting at my desk all day, its starting to hurt again.
I dont want to have to retire my piercing, Ive only had it for 7 months! I will never take it out....NEVER!!
So, if I dont post in a few days, you'll know why, Ill be slumped at my desk, face first in my fruit salad.

the silent treatment

I really suck at "trying" to do the silent treatment. I cant NOT say anything. Ive tried to be silent with Russell, but I just have to have my say. But I thought this was funny anyway.


The Silent Treatment
A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each
other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day,
he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 am for an early morning business
flight.
Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a
piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 am" He left it where he knew she
would find it.
The next morning the man woke up, only to discover it was
9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see
why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the
bed. The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."

Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

fearful

Im a little worried. On sunday night our church is having an open forum (meaning all the people who have an issue will turn up and have a slinging match)
I know they are going to try and control it, but we have some pretty hard headed people! I feel like if I go, I will have to defend my husband and his ministry, and that Ill get even more frustrated (which will not help with the state im in with this church). So, do I go - get frustrated and upset, or sit back and try not to have a care in the world. I have a strong conviction about supporting my husband, so if he goes (which I think he is) I will go. Ill try hide in the shadows, but I probably wont be able to help myself, and end up saying something stupid. Becoming evermore the Ice Queen of the congregation.
Please pray this meeting isnt a slinging match, and that all people that go will have respect for each other. I know this is something the church needs, (they really need to get those communications lines working again) but Im still anxious as the clock ticks down...

oops....

I just realised the full effects of blogging yesterday afternoon. On my way to the train station I received a call from my husband "gone shopping have we?"
oops....he wasnt meant to know I bought some books for myself. All I could do was laugh...I got caught! Oh well - at least its out in the open!
I didnt think that he would look at my blog, so I thought I was safe, ah well, theres always something to learn everyday.

I decided a couple of months ago to branch out and find some new authors. Boy did I find some good ones. Before even reading any of this chicks books, I ordered a whole series and hoped for the better. I apologise to all the boys out there - their fictional, historical, and romantic! Its based on the American civil war, and follows a family through the years. I recommend these books to all girls out there. I give the series as a whole 9/10. I loved them. The author is Lyn Austin, and Im just about on my lunch break and Im going to make a run for Word Bookstore to pick up some more books of hers!

This (1st picture) is the first book in the series of 3. It is a little slow and a little corny on the romance juices. But I plugged through and actually ended up really liking it.

This is the second book in the series and is taken from the view of the North. It is a lot more interesting than the first one, as it takes on another character, so instead of just following the one person, you follow a couple.



This was by far the best of the three. It is taken from the view of the slaves and it was interesting, bold, and actually God really spoke to me through this one! I didnt think it possible with a fictional book, but hey, God works in mysterious ways! 10/10 for this one.

the masquerade ball...

About to head off to the party

the masquerade ball...

Me and my man, (im not really that pale, I did something by mistake


Me and Alicia, Boo's older sister, who I went to school with

The birthday girl, Boo, and her man, Danny

Chris and Jenelle with their home-made masks (and no they are not pot-heads hehehe, no pun intended)

At the end of the night, sitting in the car waiting for our Maccas's order
I think the car was wondering what all the flashes were about.

Ferrell Russell and his never ending beard!


The lights were doing weird things to my camera

on a funny note...

Many years ago, when I was around 9, my little bro was in grade 1 (6yrs old) and we were at school together( of course).
Mum used to come pick us up from school in a little mustard yellow beetle, and one afternoon when she came to pick us up, I toddled off to get my bro as he was playing somewhere. When I got to him I told him mum was here and she was waiting, when all of a sudden he told me to **** *** you stupid **** (so and so and so on, im sure you'd figure it out - he was nasty)
I immediately ran off to "dob". I told mum what happened and she dragged him home.
As soon as we walked in the door she dragged him to the bathroom and proceeded to stick a whole cake of soap in his mouth and twist and turn so it got caught in his teeth (smart mum :) !)
I distinctly remember sitting in the kitchen with my younger sister (4 at the time), we could hear him coughing and crying, and then him coming into the kitchen afterwards. I started to sniff the air and said, Boy Robert, your breath smells nice! (He didnt take to kindly to my happiness)
Anyway, thought it was a funny story, and we both laugh about it today, he reckons he never did it, but I hold claim to the truth (hehehe)

just to make vawz feel better

I failed my drivers licence the first time because, would you believe this was written on that piece of paper they record everything on, was she was "brutal and savage".
Now I can recollect a few moments during my test that I may have been "brutal and savage", hence I failed.
But dont worry, I got my automatic licence a couple of months later as I couldnt be bothered trying again for my manual, (how I ended up getting being a long story) which I know have. Yay!

need some soap?

Upon further ponderance from this post on Vawz's blogspot. Not about the scooter business, but about the language business.
Now, dont go thinking Im trying to tell anyone what to do... Im not. This is purely my thoughts, and they are not to be taken as Gospel (no pun intended)
I know that times are changing, and that we as Christians should always try and be relevant, but since when did it become ok for us to use bad language? I know you could be the most full on, passionate, christian, but how do you justify your language?
I know I will probably be heavily criticised for this, may even be called a goody-2-shoes, but, I honestly dont understand, since when has it been ok? Why is it ok? What are the reasons for using it?
Words can pierce someone, and can effect people for years.
I know what a struggle it is. Believe me, I know! Sometimes it seems that "swear words" express our emotions perfectly! But thats no excuse. Im sorry if your thinking Im some harsh legalistic twit, but Im drawing a line in the sand, and this is something Im not willing to cross.

sorry, couldnt help myself

For some reason, all I could think of when I saw this, was my dad....go figure

im turning into an old fart!

This may be a little weird, but I think im aging before my years! Ive turned into some nutty old woman. I have a new passion - my veggie patch! Although my little veggie patch is currently in pots, they are starting to thrive and I am finding myself looking on the internet for homemade remedies for pesticide! I find myself calling my brocolli's, my babies, and my strawberries, my sweets! WHATS WRONG WITH ME!? Its like Ive taken some "wifely" medicine, and Ive become all domestic! I find delight in spending my saturdays in the garden (taking care of my babies) cleaning the house, and finding little projects that I can do. For those of you who dont know, I tend to think sometimes Im invincible and that I can do anything. I like to "make" things. Ill see someone do something on t.v. and think "I can do that - easy peasy!" I was watching "Better Homes & Gardens" (yes I know, another fuddy duddy show) and saw them show how to make your own coffee table - alas this is my newest project. To build my very own coffee table. I will begin tomorrow (sat) and I will let you know how I go. I will also hopefully update some photos from a masquerade ball I am going to on Saturday night for a 21st birthday party - Russell wants us to go as Goths! "crazy boy" But I will upload some photos hopefully and let you see us dressed up as dorks! Take care everybody!

bringing the outdoors inside...

Last night Russell had youth and got the kids to go looking outside the church to find something that symbolised their relationship with God at the moment.
Some of the things these guys came up with were amazing!
One had a stick that had a fork in it. One side went down and was all smooth, the other side was slightly going upwards but had all nobbly bits. He concluded that while the path away from God may be smooth and easy, it leads to nowhere, but the one that is a rocky road leads to God. Another guy came back with a whole heap of sand and nuts. He said that he was the sand and without God he is nothing, dirty, useless. God is the nuts, and when those nuts are planted in the sand, they take root and grow and make something beautiful.
Some other guys brought in bark from a tree saying their relationship is dry and brittle.
It got me to wondering, if I could think of anything, what would I describe my relationship with God to be? Would it by dry and brittle like bark? Or would it be flourishing like spring flowers, or is it a little seedling - OR is something is that has nothing to do with plants or the outdoors?
Ive concluded (ive gone with the plant thing) that my relationship is like my little brocolli plants, their new and starting to sprout, but their leaves are getting eaten up by bugs.
Ive kind of had to start on a new chapter with God, but I feel like Im being eaten up by numerous different things in my life at the moment. Ive covered my little brocollies with flour because apparently it kills any leaf eating bugs and deters them, so Im guessing Ill have to do a similar thing in my life. Cover myself with his word, Godly people, quiet times, and prayer.
My question - what is your relationship like at the moment?

Health Q's and A's (its a joke)

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.


Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.


Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!


Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.


Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!


Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?



A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.


Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!


Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.


Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

a warning to all men

Harvey and Gladys are getting ready for bed. Gladys is standing in front
of her full-length mirror, taking a long, hard look at herself.
"You know, Harvey," she comments, "I stare into this mirror and I see an
ancient creature. My face is all wrinkled, my boobs sag so much that they
dangle to my waist, my arms and legs are as flabby as popped balloons,
and...my butt looks like a sad, deflated version of the Hindenburg!"
She turns to face her husband and says, "Dear, please tell me just one
positive thing about my body so I can feel better about myself."
Harvey studies Gladys critically for a moment and then says in a soft,
thoughtful voice,
"Well, there's nothing wrong with your eyesight."

He never even heard the shot.

no offense intended

this is quite funny

a Taste of Chaos

Last night i had the priviledge to go the the taste of chaos 'concert/gig/thingy'
i got to see Underoath play. Those of you who dont know who they are, they are a fantastic underground band (although not so underground anymore as they are kinda hitting the big league). russ and i have been waiting patiently for about 18 months to see these guys play and we finally did last night! they were awesome, timmy's beard is MASSIVE! anyway, if you wanna check these guys out, here are a couple of their 2 latest cds!
p.s. we waited in line for 1 & 1/2 hours to meet these guys and get their autographs! they are so humble and down to earth guys. we strongly recommend them to you all!!!


'They're only chasing safety'


'Define the great line' (Latest one out)

immmm baaaack!

A big apology to all. I have been on holidays and neglected to let anyone know! Russell and I headed on a camping trip in Yanchep on Fri 29th and got back Tue 3rd. Then we spent the rest of the week home cleaning up, and simply relaxing and reading. I am feeling very relaxed and feel I have caught up on a lot of lost sleep. This is the first holiday I've had in over a year, so it was very much needed. Anyway, I will get back into the spring of things and hopefully have a whole lot to blog about!! Chat soon!!