The history of the 'Finger'

Well now…here’s something I never knew before, and now that I know it, I feel compelled to tell you all.

Isn’t history more fun when you know something about it?

Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers.
Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore they would be incapable of fighting in the future.
This famous English longbow was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as “plucking the yew” or “pluck yew”.
Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English won a major upset and began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French, saying,
“See, we can still pluck yew!”

Since ‘pluck yew’ is rather difficult to say, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to labiodentals fricative “F”, and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute!

It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows used with the longbow that the symbolic gesture is known as “giving the bird”. It is STILL an appropriate salute to the French today.

And yew thought yew knew every plucking thing!

10 things I have to say

Ever had things that you've wanted to say to someone, but you have refrained because it's either too embarrassing to say, or you don't want to hurt someone's feelings. Well, I have made a list of things that I have wanted to say to people in the past but never have and probably never will. I'm not going to say who they are in reference to, but that's part of the fun!!

1. You have a lollipop head.

2. I lose a little more respect for you every time you open your mouth.

3. Grow up – maybe then things will start happening for you.

4. I wish you would talk to me. Spend time with me. Get to know me instead of refusing to make an effort. I am tired of constantly pushing and making the effort. I had such high expectations for our relationship and they have never come to fruition, and I fear they never will.

5. Every time you say something that shreds my character to pieces, I laugh it off and pretend you didn’t really mean it. I will also continue pretending that you care, when I truly know you don’t give a rat’s tutu.

6. They way you are so anal about everything makes me want to grab you by the shoulders and then slap you silly.

7. I admire the way you have lived your life. I want to know more and more but am too shy and reserved to ever ask.

8. I avoid you because I don’t want to have to endure another hour long story that bores me to tears and that I’ve heard 10 times before.

9. Every time you email I get ready to pee my pants. It usually is a highlight in my boring day.

10. You always talk at inappropriate times and it drives me nuts!

Communion

What do you think about or pray about during communion?

This is something that I think a lot of people have questioned, but never asked about.

Most times I wander off, try not to fall asleep, and other times I pray for forgiveness. I think about the things I have stuffed up on and think on how I am going to do better next time. Sometimes I think about the cross, and other times I pray for God to bless us with children.

Somehow, I feel like I am missing something. I was thinking about this during communion last week. What is it that I am supposed to do? Meditate? Pray for forgiveness? I am sure that God calls us to something, but I don’t know what that something is!

Is it because we have miss-construed the original meaning of communion? Have we made it into something that it was never meant to be? Therefore we are all feeling a little lost? Should communion be something that we partake of throughout the week, and not just for 10mins on a Sunday?

Should we be communing with God every day? I believe so. But how do we implement this into our Sunday services? Or, should our Sunday service just be a little ‘taste’ of what communion with God should be like every week. If so, are we living up to this standard?

I don’t really have many thoughts on this issue, just lots of questions. I would be really interested to know what other people do or think about during communion. Does anyone have any ideas as to what we should be trying to do on Sundays, and every other day of the week? Has anyone found something helpful or heard of anything that sounds like it might be hitting the nail on the head?

Yet another update...

Things are good.

I had a little meltdown a couple of weeks ago and it felt like I was just going to get swallowed up in it all. Thankfully though, I have managed to pull myself out of that hole (thanks to some friends) and have taken a new outlook on life.

I have been trying to concentrate on all the good things that have come out of this experience.

A) We are one hell of a fertile couple!! We fell pregnant within the first month of us trying. This gives me hope!! Hope that we are not damaged goods, and that everything is working!! With super sonic sperm and excellent egg....I have faith we will fall pregnant again

B) This is probably the most important thing of all, my relationship with God grew. I have been drawn closer to God at a time in my life where I most needed it. I normally would have gone running for God, but now I know that he does speak into my life, and I just need to learn to listen to him more. I have learnt that he does indeed love me, and it has been the biggest comfort for me to dwell on the fact that God probably cried when my baby died, and that he is holding him/her in his hands and looking after him/her for me for until I get to meet them.

C) My relationship with my mum is improving. I have experienced a bit (not much mind you) of what she went through when they were trying for kids. Mum had 3 miscarriages before I was born, the very last one being still born. I have known the basics and that it was a sad time for them, but I never knew how devasting it could/can be.

D) Our relationship (Russell's and mine) has just been strengthened and become more intimate than I thought possible. I know our relationship should constantly be growing, but I never knew how such a devastation could bring such intimacy! I love him more than ever and I just yearn to 'have his children'. I could not think of a better husband. God really knew what he was doing when he brought us together. I wouldn't want anyone else to father my children.

E) There are a lot of people out there worse off then me/us. I'm not discounting our pain but I am trying to centre myself on the fact that there are people out in this world that have gone through just as much pain and suffering as us AND more.

f) I have a really good boss and workplace - this is a real blessing to have.

I guess the best thing that came out of this experience was the fact that a lot of my major relationships grew and are still growing. I couldn't ask for much more. While I still have bad days-days where I wish that we were still 'expecting' and get upset over it all, the majority of the time I am happy. God has begun a process of healing in me, and it is sooo good.

Now, it's over to super sonic sperm and excellent egg - and most importantly God.

A little comic relief

When I have a day like I have had today I tend to start to lose my marbles.

*Insert Russell’s joke….”You had none to lose anyway babe”*

I have had an extremely busy day at work today and have been so stressed that I start to go a little crazy (and I somehow still manage to post on my blog!)

At 3pm this arvo I went for a walk. I had to get away from my desk, and even though I’d already had lunch, I was STARVING! So I headed off to get a sausage roll & biscuit.

When I hopped onto the lift I noticed I was the only one in the lift. I remembered over hearing someone sometime ago saying they didn't think there were security cameras in the lift, so I started to dance.

Now, while I was dancing I was also singing…

“Adventure World….Adventure World….something something something… Adventure World…”

Now, this isn’t just a little bit of bopping. I’m talking air humping, twirls, and altogether genuine silliness for 11 floors.

Then, I stopped in my tracks. How would anyone know whether there are cameras on the lift? It wasn’t a security person I had over heard but a colleague. I work in a bank for goodness sakes! I’m sure they have cameras on the lifts.

I started to smile. As I reached the ground floor I hopped out of the lift and saw a customer standing there. I just burst out laughing. I wasn’t laughing at him, but I just couldn’t contain it any longer! The poor guy just stood there staring at me, and I ran out of the building.

Thankfully on my way back up to my floor I was able to restrain myself. I will have to save my silly dancing for the shower from now on I think.

Quotes of the day

I've had a Keith Green song stuck in my head all morning!! So I thought I would throw up a few of his quotes. What a remarkable man.

"It's time to quit playing church and start being the Church (Matt. 18:20)" — Keith Green, as quoted by Melody Green in the introduction to A Cry in the Wilderness, Sparrow Press, 1993.

"I repent of ever having recorded one single song, and ever having performed one concert, if my music, and more importantly, my life has not provoked you into Godly jealousy or to sell out more completely to Jesus!" — Keith Green

"No Compromise is what the whole Gospel of Jesus is all about... 'For I tell you...no man can serve two masters...' (Matt. 6:24). In a day when believers seem to be trying to please both the world and the Lord (which is an impossible thing), when people are far more concerned about offending their friends than offending God, there is only one answer...Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him!" — Keith Green, No Compromise album, 1978

Growing Inwardly or Outwardly

Recently Russell and I have been talking.

This is a good thing considering we're married and all!!

We've been talking about growth within small groups and how the church grows as a whole.

We recently heard someone saying that in order for the church to grow (numbers wise) we need to have our small groups constantly multiplying and changing. Now, I am not against change, and I am not against growth. What I am against, is the way this happens.

I (we) don't think it is helpful in any shape or form to simply change a group of people just because they need a change. I think it is good to be doing life with people. How do you do life with people? Get to know them over a long period of time and to grow together. How can this happen if you never get to that point with people?

We have been in our small group for over 2 years now, and we are now only starting to get to the point where we can be truly honest with each other, and where we can speak into each other's lives! How is it helpful to be constantly changing a group of people and never really connecting to anyone?

I think that if we are to be growing, we should be inviting those who are questioning and curious about God to our small groups. This would be growth! Growing externally rather than just shuffling people around internally. Shuffling people around internally gives off the impression of growth, but it's not real. I view growth as seeing people who don't know Jesus, come to know him!

I have been in that many different small groups throughout my life that I couldn't count the number on 2 hands. I find it really sad. You grow bonds with people and just as you are about to break through to the next step in your relationship, you are split up and placed with a new bunch of people that you have to start over with!

I feel like I am going to be terribly misunderstood here. I am not against people joining small groups and people being invited along, but I think we need to be intentional about the people we invite. I don't think it very wise to just be growing via inviting Christians along. It's kind of like a church who say they have grown 100 members this year, but all they've done is 'stolen' people from another church. How is that growing? It's not! It's fake growth! It's growth that looks good as figures on paper, but it's not the growth that takes possibly 10+ yrs for someone to come to know God. It's not the rewarding growth!

I want to be a part of helping someone to come and know and love the God that I love. I don't want to do constant 'outreach' to people who don't need 'outreach' . I want to actually serve and reach people who don't know and have never experienced God's love.

A change in the air

You may have noticed something different today!!

I got bored and started playing with my template. Hopefully I haven't royally screwed anything, but who knows.

Let me know if you see anything outta whack.

I seem to have lost all my links, so I will hopefully have that sorted out soon! It'll give me a chance to refresh them anyway!!

Oh!! And can anyone guess what the relevance of the leaves have in my life at the moment??

A Mighty Heart film review (not really though)

The 2nd movie we watched over the weekend was ‘A Mighty Heart’.

This flick was about American Journalist, Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and executed while working in Pakistan in 2002. All the while his wife was 5 months pregnant with their first child.

This film rocked me. It made me think about what I would do in that sort of situation. I honestly do not think that I would handle it as well as this woman has. It also made me realise that I have been through nothing compared to some people, and that I truly am blessed.

The film was filled with hope more than anything else. One of the things that Mariane says near the end of the film is: “And kidnappers - their point is to terrorize people. But *I* am not terrorized, and *you* can't be either”

From what I have read of her and what little I know, she seems to be very strong and is set on trying to get people to communicate.

This was a great film and I would recommend it to everyone. Instead of revenge, there is hope, and a yearning for a solution, which is what our world needs at this present time.

“We are two people who met and fell in love because we have the same ideal. And all my life and all his life and our life together is just a big effort to try to create a dialogue between civilizations.” Mariane Pearl

The Kingdom movie review

On Friday night we got out a couple of movies. Ironically they were both about terrorism and both from different views.

Interesting.

This was a very interesting movie. At the start is has a timeline of events in the history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I couldn't find the same timeline so I have compiled my own timeline from what I could find off the net. I hope it has the same effect on you as it did me.

1932 - The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is established.

1933 - Oil found in Saudi Arabia.

1938 - Oil is discovered and production begins under the US-controlled Aramco (Arabian American Oil Company)

1957 - Osama bin Laden born

1960 - Saudi Arabia is a founding member of Opec (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries).

1972 - Saudi Arabia gains control of a proportion (20%) of Aramco, lessening US control over Saudi oil.

1973 - Saudi Arabia leads an oil boycott against the Western countries that supported Israel in the October War against Egypt and Syria. Oil prices quadruple.

1979 - Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic relations with Egypt after it makes peace with Israel. Extremists seize the Grand Mosque of Mecca; the government regains control after 10 days and those captured are executed.

1980 - Saudi Arabia takes full control of Aramco from the US.

1981 - Bin Laden visits mujahedeen refugees and fighers in Pakistan who fled after Soviet Invastion of Afghanistan. He sympathizes with them and begins collecting funds and supplies for the mujahedeen.

1987 - Saudi Arabia resumes diplomatic relations with Egypt, severed since 1979.

1990 - Saudi Arabia condemns Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and asks the US to intervene; it allows foreign troops, the Kuwaiti government and many of its citizens to stay in Saudi Arabia but expels citizens of Yemen and Jordan because of their governments' support of Iraq. After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, bin Laden volunteered to the King of South Yemen to bring all the Arab mujahedeen to protect the kingdom.

1991 - Bin Laden was about to mobilize his forces, but was disappointed to learn that the U.S. was sending forces to Kuwait.

1994 - Islamic dissident Osama Bin Laden is stripped of his Saudi nationality.

2000 - Saudi Arabia becomes the no.1 oil producer in the world, and the USA becomes the no.1 oil consumer.

2001 - 11 September - 15 of the 19 hijackers involved in attacks on New York and Washington are Saudi nationals.

I highlighted the points I found interesting.

1990, bin Laden had offered his help to the Saudi Arabians, and they turn to the U.S. for help. This probably pissed him off just a little.

It is also very interesting the way that Aramco was slowly taken over and out of the hands of the U.S.

Now, I don't know much about the history of all this, and it is hard for my feeble mind to understand all of this, but I find it very interesting to see how everything came into play, don't you?

The movie was about a bombing that happened in a U.S. facility populated by Americans in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The F.B.I then sends 4 agents to Saudi Arabia to investigate, and they in turn become targets.

It is a little biased towards Americans, but I feel that they did well to show the side of a Saudi Arabian cop. They showed him at home with his family and praying with his family. It causes the audience to sympathise with him and to see him as a human being, not as another 'arab' who is frustrating the case (to begin with).

The one line at the end of the movie is "Don't worry we will kill them all". Which leaves you feeling that the violence in this world will never end. It was a bit of a depressing end unlike the other movie we saw on the weekend.

I would recommend this movie as it gives a little insight into the history of the country and how we have ended up in the 'kufuffle' we are presently in. It is a little gory and has a bit of language but its message is worth it.

There are so many other things you pick up in this movie, but I can't go into them all as my mind is still a little 'all over the shop'. I would need to watch it again and physically write down points as I saw them.

If you've seen this movie and picked up something that I haven't written about yet, feel free to leave a comment...I'd love to hear what other people got out of it!

I got the moves!!

73 words

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A blessed woman

*sigh* my man is good to me

This morning after I hopped out of the shower, there was a present waiting for me at the bathroom door. Some nice lingerie….and perfect size….awww

Then, when I get to work, I open up my lunch box to find it full of ice blocks and a note saying, “See you at lunch”….double awwwww

I am a truly blessed woman.

Biting the proverbial Soundwave Bullet

Well, I did it. I coughed up the $121 per ticket to go to Soundwave this coming March.

I was thinking about it on Saturday night, and how we were so upset when we missed Incubus last time they were in Perth, and I couldn't miss that opportunity again.

We had decided that we wouldn't go because we couldn't really afford it. Yesterday while I was at work though, I just bit the bullet, bought the tickets and gave them to Russell as an early Valentines present - I hope he takes me with his 2nd ticket!!

I love my man, and I really wanted him to be able to go see all these bands. 40 bands!! - so it kind of works out at $3 per band, which is really good value - you can tell I'm trying to convince myself can't you!?

Russell usually misses out on this stuff, and I feel bad because I'm not really a night person, and I get tired going out to pubs to see bands, so Russell usually misses out on seeing bands when they come to Perth. That's why I decided to get a treat...a treat before we have kids, to go act like hooligans and bop along to some cool tunes.

Now, where did I put my short shorts and big sunnies?

27 Dresses

On Friday night, we small group girls went out for a girly night. We saw 27 dresses. It was ok. A typical chick flick that always turns out.

It had funny parts but it wasn't as funny as I expected it. It would be a good movie for a rainy night when you have nothing else to do, and feel like a little pick me up.

I love Katherine Heigl, I don't know what it is, but I really like her. She is fast becoming one of my favourite actresses.

But, all in all, if you are feeling like a girls night, or a quiet night in, check it out.

It was a good excuse to spend time with the girls and to walk around Freo.

Thanks for a good night and the laughs girls!!

A spirit of Fear

As you can probably tell, I’ve had a bad couple of weeks.

It’s funny how everything has panned out recently.

When we had the miscarriage, it was during holiday time and we only saw the small group once. We were isolated and had no real support or anyone to talk to. I’ve come to realise that it is during these times that Satan really likes to get a hold of you.

I was listening to lies and thoughts that were just downright ridiculous! We hadn’t seen anyone for about 4/5 weeks and the strain of trying to cope with everything allowed me to weaken and to listen to the enemy.

You would think that I would know what was going on, but because I felt so isolated and alone, I would listen to things that were just dragging me lower and lower. It wasn’t until I was able to spend some time with a couple of friends this week that I was able to share my burden and to be refreshed. I realised that I had been allowing myself to believe the lies swirling around in my head and that I had been self-destructing.

When I think back to all the things I had listened to and believed, I realised just how stupid they were. It’s funny how when you are feeling weak and defeated, that you believe some of the most outrageous things.

But, I think I am on the mend. I am still grieving, but I am clinging onto the hope that God has good things in store for me. I have been living with a spirit of fear, and it is really hard to train your thoughts, but I hope that through this experience God will teach me to listen to him, and not to the lies of our enemy. That God does not in-still within us a spirit of fear. That instead of trying to look after myself, to place myself in his hands and to allow him to heal me.

Romans 8:15
“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Kate n' Jos Engagement Par-tay - 2nd Feb

Setting up the fairy light canopy
This took an unexpected 5 hours!!

Kate with her pretty curlers in her hair

The end result. Looks pretty good if I may say so myself

Mum did kate's hair and makeup. Kate looked gorgeous

Mum, Granny (mum's mum) and Me. See any similarities. I don't

Me and my man

My little brother Dru. As you can see, he's not so little. I LOVE this photo

Mum also make thier cake. It was yummy and looked fantastic! This is mum in the car....careful with those bumbs doll!

Me, mum & kate after wildly jumping on the castle. I'm surprised all our hair looks ok!!

Kate n' Jos Engagement Par-tay - 2nd Feb #2

Sally and I

Mum looks like she is about to face plant the bouncy castle!!

I love this shot too! Looks like I'm about to land on mum!

Later on the boys got on. No more fun!! They were trying to tip it I think

The prtty lights in the dark...oooooohhh good job Jos!!

The cake

Cutting the cake

Kaylee and Robbo. I think he is doing blue steel or something. It took like 3 shots to get a photo of them, and not one of them Robbo looks normal!!

Me & my man - again

Russ and his dad...he looks like a cheeky boy in this!!

Opening presents the next day. Kate looks really tired!!

Can you guess what this present is??

Sorry again

Yes, this is one of those post’s again.

Believe me, I’m as sick of going over this as you are…but I feel as though I am stuck on this rollercoaster ride, and I can’t get off, I guess that’s life though isn’t it? Life is a rollercoaster, you can either enjoy it or you can grumble the whole time.

For the past few days all I’ve had going through my head is:

“I had a miscarriage”

I had a miscarriage

I had a miscarriage

All day and night I can’t believe what has happened. It all feels just so surreal. I cannot believe that this happened. I cannot believe that I am one of the statistics. 1 in 4 have a miscarriage. 1 in 4. I am that 1. And it really sucks. Why couldn’t I have been one of the other 3?

Was it because I let Jet do a ‘bomby’ jump from the top of the couch onto my tummy one too many times?
Was it because I played netball even though I thought I was going to pass out on court?
Was it because I tried to ride my bike up that blasted hill and just about karked it?
Was it because I ate all that soft cheese when I knew I shouldn’t have?
Was it because I wasn’t eating enough? Even though I was hungry at work, I would be too busy to eat.
Was it because God didn’t think that I would be a good mum and so he took my baby away?
Was it because I was starting to doubt that God could perform some sort of miracle in my life? Was it my doubt or disbelief?

I know I am not the only person to go through this. There have been so many women to go through what I have, and there will be many more women to go through what I have. I am in no way trying to have a pity party, and I really truly am sick of getting upset over this. It’s something I really can’t explain. To lose the connection I had and to just pretend that everything is ok is just too hard and emotionally tiring.

I am so over this.

Today is a crap day.

The girl at work announced her pregnancy today. We had been hoping to announce together.

WHEN will this end??