FIVETRIBE

On Thursay afternoon Hooli asked to be baptised. He has been asking lots of interesting questions lately so I wasnt completely thrown by the request. He has always loved the JESUS movie, used to watch it over and over as a toddler so we eventually put it away as I felt the crucifixion scene was a bit gory for a lightie. Fast forward 2.5yrs and he is watching it again. He has been asking many questions around the story of Christ. Some have been tough - it is not easy to explain the mysteries of our journey. He asked me to explain what baptism meant and so I told him. I then asked The Man to explain it to him aswell. He was so beautifully receptive and insisted that he was ready to take the 'plunge' . The timing could not have been more perfect. The girls were at my sister. The Man was working from home so therefore available to do the dip. It was a casual yet utterly remarkable moment in our lives. I know some would probably frown upon the baptism of a youngster - I ch...

I was perusing my ScrapFan blog today. So great to go through all my old layouts and remember the years gone by. Am somewhat mad at myself for failing to complete a layout of myself at 37.....I must get on with my 'Mel @ 38' layout before my birthday rolls around this year! I was particularly interested to read this post (also copied below) that I wrote on 12 November 2008 - almost 3 years ago. Clearly simplicity is not a destination but an ongoing journey; something that consistenly tugs at my heart. Journalling is hidden but reads as follows: I have found that pursuing a life of simplicity comes at a cost few people care to mention. I am not saying its not worth it...simply that its not as easy as tossing out a few boxes of unwanted junk or saying no to arbitary requests on your time. Simplicity is not only decluttering your home and time but also decluttering (renewing) your mind. This is something I find far more challenging but a journey certainly worth t...

Looking back at My Steps to Change post I am now reflecting on how different our weeks have become: 1. Downgrade of our dstv to Compact.  My house is quiet, my kids are very busy doing stuff. Hooli created a house out of clay and playing in his fort, Lulu has been painting ceramics and designing stuff and Honey has been making incense and scented candles. The kids are also calmer and less irritable. 2. I have removed facebook and push email from my cellphone. I havent even really missed it at all. Facebook is wonderful and I really enjoy the times I do pop in - from my laptop at home. The email thing I am pushing further by  upgrading spam filters and unsubscribing from ALL newsletters I had previously subscribed to. My cell phone and I even spend time apart these days. :-) 3. I will read to my kids every day. This has been great, in the beginning the kids were restless and twitchy but now they really look forward to it. If we do it in the evenings they have to ...

Some of you will remember my Intentional Living post from last week. It is not unusual to have these *epiphanies* about life and purpose and change occasionally, but to *do* something about it it less easy. How quickly we can just get overwhelmed by the bigness of it all and let it paralyse us into further apathy or complacency. I do not want this to happen. For this reason I have decided to study again.   I will be the subject of my studies ..... I am going to be doing the online course called MyCube4Change. Go check out the videos on their site - I know many of you resonated with that post and perhaps this is also a tool that would interest you.. I am really stoked that my man is well on board and is, in fact, arranging for us to go away overnight next weekend to go through the course material and begin to make the changes that will facilitate the vision we have for our lives - both personally, as a couple and as a family.

To read (or write!)  a blog....or to read a book. This is the question. I have to say I tend to head online before I head to pick up my book. And this time I happen to know I am not alone. I am often overwhelmed (but in a good way) by the resources online (TED especially) and also the numerous books that are recommended to me on a daily basis. How to ingest all this stuff? Do I need to? How to avoid that *missing out* feeling if I cant get to see/read everything recommended. These are some of the items on my To Hit/Read List right now: Books: Five conversations to have with your daughter. We need to talk about Kevin. The Glass Castle Blogs/Websites Ted.com (actually got sidetracked now watching TED while copying the link for this post!!) Henri Nouwen - Youtube - Being the Beloved Brene Brown - she asks this question : How do we learn to embrace our vulnerabilities and imperfections so that we can engage in our lives from a place of authenticity and wort...

For some time now I have been suffering some sort of inner discord. It has presented itself rather oddly with me feeling not at peace in my skin or my soul or my head or anywhere. I havent felt *right* . Through a series of events which I will share later I have managed to isolate the stone in my shoe that is making pottering through this life mildly uncomfortable. My behaviour/ way I spend my time does not match my core values.  Just think about that statement for a moment. It is big .  I am not saying that I need to be a better wife/mother/christian/friend/daughter blah blah blah etc. It is more than all that. I have certain values/ideas/dreams that I hold to and yet my daily behaviour does not match/bring me closer to the outcomes I desire. Have you ever felt this way? I want to be more intentional about how I live. In a fun way. Not in a boring, chasing-after-the-wind way. The stuff I see in my minds-eye? I want to see it come to fruition. I have begun a process...