Pocket money.

Last fortnight I posted our new point system at home to help with rewards and behavioural management. We are also using it as a way to help the children to learn to manage there money.  So each point equals 5 cents.

To help our children develop good money habits, we are starting with the idea of using 10% for Charity, 10% for savings, and then they can choose what to use the remainder for with in reason.

With the remainder I hope to encourage them to start setting up there businesses, but for now we are focusing on the saving and giving elements.

So this was our first week of them giving from their own money. They had $5.40 to give. I asked my facebook friends for some advice on charities that they could give the money too.

Here is the working list of charities and ideas that they can give too.

Of course the first meaningful one on our list is the
Hope for Accreta Foundation.  Others on the list are;
Samaritans Purse Operation Christmas Child.
Australian Red Cross
Baby Mum Australia
Tear Australia and "useful gifts"
Heartfelt
SIDS
Starlight
Ronald McDonald House
SIM - Serving in Mission 
Guardian Care
Cycstic Fibrosis
Gospel for Asia 
Chilout
Oxfam
Kiva.org
The Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission
Compassion Australia
Epilepsy Australia
Heart Kids
Cancer council

So that is a good start. They give there money this fortnight to buy a chicken via Tear Australia "Useful gifts", and look forward to researching and learning more about the other organisations and what things they do to help the communities they are working for. Maybe one day they will start their own, or run some fundraising events for charities that they find are close to their hearts.

Do you have your children give to charity? What works for you? And who do you give to?

My father passing away.

For those of you that know me in my personal life know that my father passes away in February. February 18 to be exact 3 days after my birthday. He bhad prostate cancer that spread through his body at a fast rate. He was given his diagnosis 7 months before he passed away. He has always been a very strong man, rarely sick, apart from having diabetes. I have seen him injure himself and get up and get on with things, but this really took him down big time. He very quickly went from a man that was very capable, strong, and hard working, to someone that was weak and struggled to get out of chair. It is very hard to watch that happen, particularly because he didn't know Jesus. I many that go through these things blame God and really question whether there is a God and if there is how can he say he loves people and let them go through is pain. I can totally understand those questions why people ask them. For me however there was no question that God was in it and He brought about so many blessings that day. We all must at sometime leave this world for the next. We don't know when that day will come, all we can hope for is that is peaceful and we are surrounded by the people we love. And Dad was.

We don't have a lot of money at our disposal so we had organised to go to my see my parents every Friday as the live around 1 and hour away from us. Well on the Thursday mum rang to say Dad had choked and it wasn't looking good. Well we had no money, the next day was payday and we were due to go see them, but they weren't sure Dad would make it through the night. However there wasn't anything we could do, so we just had to pray that we would get to see him one last time before he passed away. So the next morning we arrived, and Dad was heavily drugged and coming in and out of consciousnesses. We took the children in to see him, they all had there activity books as I didn't plan to leave anytime soon. They all prayed for him, and gave him a kiss and a hug, told him he loved them, and just at the right times he woke up to hear them and say he loved them as well. Which was a real blessing, that they and he was able to have that last I love you. This was just one of the many blessings that surround Dad's passing. We were also very blessed with an understanding and supportive friend who was able to come pick up four of our children and have them for the night. This allowed me and Ben to say the night near by. I think I always actually planned to spend the night with Dad but didn't mention it to anyone but Ben. Well we got everyone organised, Ben was able to stay at my mums, the night with Isaac (2years) and Xavier had a pram that he would be able to sleep in lent to us by one of my cousins. Mum was so wrecked and distraught that the hospital let here sleep in one of their beds in the next room. Xavier and I spent the night with Dad. Another great blessing in it was how content Xavier was, only waking to be feed and changed and very happy the remainder of the time.

That night I don't think I will ever forget. Next to Dad's bed was big reclining chair, were I sat holding his hand and watching Forest Gump for the last time with my Dad. Dad was asleep for it most of the time, waking up here and there. I remember him waking a little and asking if he was in pain, he said no, and then needing to using the toilet so I helped with the bottle, then he woke a bit later and said he had pain. I called the nursed and they came and gave him pain relief and changed him. Helped him have a little drink, and get comfortable. Mum woke about 5am and came back in to the room. The night had been mostly peaceful and calm. Then around 6.30 am the 18th of February Dad breathed his last breath, while Mum and I were holding his hands. I can't explain how grateful I was to the Lord for allowing those last 20 hours to be with him while he passed. It was so precious and I am so thankful that I could be there. I am also very thankful for being his daughter. I was able to pray right after his last breath and thank God for the privileged of having him in my life.

While other question God, I have no doubt that God brought many blessings in this situations and I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father, allowed me to be there for my Earthly Father for his final farewell.

I love you Dad. I look forward to seeing you on the other side. :0)

The Best!

I have been thinking about the idea of "The Best" recently. Having the best car, the best house, the best school for your children, the best food, the best Life! But what is the best? I think as a society in general that we spend a lot of our time trying to do our best, but not really knowing what the best is, as long as it is better than someone else. Something that I have learned and continuing to learn is that the best is not the same for everyone. The best car for my family is not the best car for the family next door. I would actually like to encourage you to stop worrying about what others are doing. what the books are saying about what is best for you, but to start listening to God, and your self about what REALLY is best for you, your family, and your best life. I know over the years I have spent so much time chasing my tail, try to do what works for other families because it sounds better than what I am doing, and of course I want the best for my family. But in the end, God has made us all different, that difference is for a reason. Seek out your reason, Rest in Him, and only do what is BEST for your life.

More Children!

Yes more children! I would love to have more children! I get asked a lot if we are done yet or will we keep going? My simple answer is Yes! My long answer is I'm loving this sooooo much, why would I want to stop. When I cuddle my baby, kiss him, feed him, spend time with him, I am so in love. Plus the more I have the better I'm getting at it. As I go along I learn more about myself and about loving, caring and bonding with my babies. The joy that they bring into my life is astounding! Yes there are times when you are sleep deprived and weary, we all have those hours, days, weeks, sometimes months, but the joy and delight they bring is so worth any of that.

There are longer answers to this question. However my simple answer is, why would I want to give this up, I'm just getting good at it. :)

My Testimony to Christ

Hi, I've been a christian since I was 20, so 11 years now. I was not born into a Christian Home, but my parent did attend the salvation Army church most Sundays, Until my one of my older brothers pasted away when I was 6, and they blamed God, so my father refused to go to church from then on, and shortly after we moved State. So we were the family that only really went to church for Christening's that weddings, that sort of thing. But I was always drawn to what the pastor or preacher had to say, I loved it so much I would often go and sit in the very front seat. I had several times when I began to explore Christianity but the timing was not right. It wasn't until I was at University Study performing arts that the timing was right. I was in second year of my studies when a friend and I decided to have a day trip back home, which was a bit over a 2 hour drive each way. So we visited her family and then my family, and then she asked if we could go to church on the way back home. I had no problem with that, I was still intrigued by God and Church. SO we went and God so clearly spoke to me during that the time there, I was in love. So I would drive back to that church every couple of weeks and attend the service. It hadn't even crossed my mind that there might be a church close by that I could attend every week, at that point. So finally after many months I did finally attend a church in my area. However there wasn't really anyone to join me on that journey. The friend that introduced me to church was on rocky road in regards to her relationship with Christ, and really struggled with me loving Him. So not having anyone to be my spiritual parents and guide me in the way to go, I was a sitting duck for the Enemy and was easily lead astray. So interestingly enough the person that lead me to Christ was also the person that lead me to drugs. And after some short time of trying to live in both worlds, I soon stopped going to church. But God being God that was not the end of the story... I remember very clearly sitting in my car driving along this country road, thinking to myself, "I've got it sorted, I'll just live my life the way that I want to, smoking, drinking and so on... and then just before I die I will say, God forgive me for all my sins and I will shoot on in to heaven" Well just at that very moment the back of my car came out from under me, and I was given a choice, to fall down the cliff, or turn the wheel hard and run into the hill. It never even entered my mind to say "Lord, forgive my sins" at that point in time. While my car rolled three times and was a mess, written off, I only had minor injuries. I could have died, and it's a wonder I was able to get out of the car. I knew from that point on there was no messing around with God. He was in control and had protected me from serious harm, and I am eternally grateful for the lesson He taught me that day. Because of Him, I went on to start a Christian Theatre company, directing plays, which lead me to meeting my husband of now 9 years and we currently have 6 lovely little blessings to raise in the ways of the Lord.
Praise God, I'm so over joyed that He Loves Me!

Table of Prayer!

"The family that Prays together, Stays together"

We have always wanted to have a close family, and have tried a few things in the past, but have let things go, mainly because the children where a bit too little to participate.

My how children surprise you!

The other night we where all sitting around the dinner table, when the children were being really loud and not settling, out of the blue I had the idea to get them to pray. So I asked them all to think of someone that they would like to pray for. We all (include My husband and I) took turns praying for our friends and family members. It was great! Our children always have enjoyed praying, we pray for the before they sleep, and now they are a bit bigger they like to pray at bed time for people as well. But this was the first time we had done it all as a family at the dinner table.

Praise God for my Children
...and there persistent spirit!

The next night we sat down to eat, totally forgetting about the impromptu prayer meeting the night before, to have dinner. Then Sophie ran to get the children's bible which we read to them most nights at the table, after there daily reading, they then asked if we could pray?, I was totally shocked at how excited they where to do this again. So we did! Then the next night Daddy was not feeling so well, so each of the children Prayed for Him to feel better, and then another need arose so we prayed.

Now we Pray together most nights! How amazing...they are so open to God, and have this simple faith. There is no "if" God exists for them, they just know he does! And they are eager to learn more about Him, who created them for a purpose!

Hallelujah, Glory be to God!