The Beauty & Blessing in Family-ness
I celebrated Mother's Day with Kenneth's family on Saturday. We took his mum up to the Dandenongs arboretum and had a picnic there. Aunty Marianne was looking lovely .. perhaps too daintily clad for Kenneth's outdoor and adventurous ambitions! That's what sons are for huh! So besides a freezing mum, the views from the peak of the arboretum where we laid out our picnic were maginificent! The trees in their autumn hues were simply breathtaking and there we so many cute, exquisitely perfect little mushrooms scattered at the foot of the trees akin to a smurf's humble abode I thought! I so felt like pinching them .... but refrained when I remembered most wild varieties are poisonous to touch.
While driving home. we also came across a persimon tree which looked so much like a Christmas tree with orange lightbulbs! The persimon tree sheds all its leaves during the persimon season and so you've got this tree, totally naked (of leaves) save for its rounded orange fruit bobbing off the branches in the wind! We also visited a chestnut farm coz Aunty Marianne is nuts abouts chestnuts ... like the pun? Hehehe ...
On Sunday, Danie and I gave mum her roses while still in our flanels and sweet sleepy eyed (why do mums arise so early?!!). We visited my parents' church that day as my mum was preaching on a passage from Ruth. It was about Ruth's fillial piety to her mother-in-law Naomi and it was an excellent message! She used the most apt stories and Chinese sayings to convey a spiritual truth. Makes it so easy to remember! So proud of mum!!!
My family will be properly celebrating a belated M-Day next weekend when Fel gets back from Port Augusta. We thought we'd do something different and have a leisurely lunch at a winery in the Yarra Valley. My dad has never been to a winery so needless to say he is the one who is hopping up and down and thrilled to bits!
It was such a relaxing weekend with no big agenda to rush to - just time to spend with family and I am growing more and more aware of how preciuous these times are.
God is such an ingenius creator! Imagine first thinking up the whole concept of a family. He could have created Adam, then created Eve.... and then created a second Adam and a second Eve and chosen to multiply ppl that way. Instead God had a higher plan ... his mandate for us is to love one another and to multiply! He designed every human to be part of a family from Day 1. He made us relational beings and having people to relate to no matter what culture we've been birthed into is a basic human need. He designed it such that the father provides protection and leadership, and the mother nurture and comfort within the family.
Dominique (finally) had her 2nd baby on the weekend - what a joy and delight baby Chole is, just by being her! Everyone around her loves her dearly and she hasn't even done anything to earn that love - it is so natural to simply love her! Isn't God good in wiring us to love our young this way?
During my moments of quietness and intimacy with God this past couple of days, I have felt prompted to pray for families. I believe the family unit is under attack and in dire need of prayer. We need unity in our biological families and unity within our spiritual families (church, LGs etc). The enemy knows that families who are God-fearing and growing in Him together are a force to be reckoned with on earth!!! It is his ultimate agenda to pull that plan apart. I shared this with my Lifegroup on e-mail and challenged us all to be alert and mindful of this. We should be active within our own families to bring healing, reconciliation, understanding, fogiveness, love and encouragement to the people God has divinely chosen and appointed to be in the same family as each one of us!
I want to see my family (both present and future) and the Lifegroup I lead to be known as "the initiators" - to be the FIRST to extend a hand of reconciliation to someone we have an "issue" with, be the FIRST to extend a hand of friendship to a lonely neighbour, be the FIRST to extend kindness to the elderly gent on the train who has no seat, be the FIRST to change the atmosphere and boost the low morale at work!!!
It's amazing how far one's musings on Mother's Day can lead ... God designed Family-ness to drive Happiness!
While driving home. we also came across a persimon tree which looked so much like a Christmas tree with orange lightbulbs! The persimon tree sheds all its leaves during the persimon season and so you've got this tree, totally naked (of leaves) save for its rounded orange fruit bobbing off the branches in the wind! We also visited a chestnut farm coz Aunty Marianne is nuts abouts chestnuts ... like the pun? Hehehe ...
On Sunday, Danie and I gave mum her roses while still in our flanels and sweet sleepy eyed (why do mums arise so early?!!). We visited my parents' church that day as my mum was preaching on a passage from Ruth. It was about Ruth's fillial piety to her mother-in-law Naomi and it was an excellent message! She used the most apt stories and Chinese sayings to convey a spiritual truth. Makes it so easy to remember! So proud of mum!!!
My family will be properly celebrating a belated M-Day next weekend when Fel gets back from Port Augusta. We thought we'd do something different and have a leisurely lunch at a winery in the Yarra Valley. My dad has never been to a winery so needless to say he is the one who is hopping up and down and thrilled to bits!
It was such a relaxing weekend with no big agenda to rush to - just time to spend with family and I am growing more and more aware of how preciuous these times are.
God is such an ingenius creator! Imagine first thinking up the whole concept of a family. He could have created Adam, then created Eve.... and then created a second Adam and a second Eve and chosen to multiply ppl that way. Instead God had a higher plan ... his mandate for us is to love one another and to multiply! He designed every human to be part of a family from Day 1. He made us relational beings and having people to relate to no matter what culture we've been birthed into is a basic human need. He designed it such that the father provides protection and leadership, and the mother nurture and comfort within the family.
Dominique (finally) had her 2nd baby on the weekend - what a joy and delight baby Chole is, just by being her! Everyone around her loves her dearly and she hasn't even done anything to earn that love - it is so natural to simply love her! Isn't God good in wiring us to love our young this way?
During my moments of quietness and intimacy with God this past couple of days, I have felt prompted to pray for families. I believe the family unit is under attack and in dire need of prayer. We need unity in our biological families and unity within our spiritual families (church, LGs etc). The enemy knows that families who are God-fearing and growing in Him together are a force to be reckoned with on earth!!! It is his ultimate agenda to pull that plan apart. I shared this with my Lifegroup on e-mail and challenged us all to be alert and mindful of this. We should be active within our own families to bring healing, reconciliation, understanding, fogiveness, love and encouragement to the people God has divinely chosen and appointed to be in the same family as each one of us!
I want to see my family (both present and future) and the Lifegroup I lead to be known as "the initiators" - to be the FIRST to extend a hand of reconciliation to someone we have an "issue" with, be the FIRST to extend a hand of friendship to a lonely neighbour, be the FIRST to extend kindness to the elderly gent on the train who has no seat, be the FIRST to change the atmosphere and boost the low morale at work!!!
It's amazing how far one's musings on Mother's Day can lead ... God designed Family-ness to drive Happiness!
posted by Stephanie | 5:05 PM
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