I hope that anyone who is reading this is having a very lovely Christmastime! ❤️May it be very special for you as we give praise that our beautiful loving Lord came to our world as a little baby  ❤️ He loves you so much! He cares for you so much! His birth, death and resurrection shows us the depth and width of His love! ❤️

   It is Christmastime! It has been quite a “ different”  type of year! No one really expected that it would be such a year!  Our loving Lord and His tremendously loving love though has never ever changed! He is with us all the time through whatever our lives and days are holding. He knows our every tear, our smiles, our pain, and wants to keeps gently reminding us that He loves us and very much cares about us ❤️

  I think that this bunnies picture is so cute! All the bunnies have prettily wrapped presents to give to the bunnies inside!  I don’t know if the presents are for a Birthday , Christmas or for some other event! 

May each day we give out “gifts” of kindness, caring love and sunshine to everyone that we are in contact with ❤️ There are many ways of doing this and will be an encouragement to others that is more appreciated than the most prettily wrapped presents ! 

 With Christmas soon coming I was thinking about gingerbread men! When I was at primary school, gingerbread men were sold at the canteen and they were very popular! Ginger has such a strong aroma! Mum and I never made gingerbread men BUT we used to make a lovely ginger slice! I don’t know now what the recipe is but i can remember that it was so very  gingery and lots of fun to make and bake!Gingerbread men are very cute! They are always the same shape, although their faces differ from one gingerbread man to another! 

   Gingerbread men are a bit  just  like us! We are all the same in that underneath we all feel happy, sad, have pain, get tired, have times of joy. And everyone has cried in their life. And the main thing that we all have the same is that we all want to be loved just for being us. It is so very special that our loving Lord very much loves us just as we are. He created us...and loves His creations! 

      I saw these pictures of Noah’s Ark the other day, and thought that they looked very cute! I also wanted to share them with you to make you all smile also! Our Loving Lord is with us through all the stormy times of life. We are sheltered in His care and His love as we trust Him. His love is a million times more precious and more beautiful than even the most  beautiful coloured rainbow! And His love shines through the sunshine and rain ❤️

      Mum got Dad to buy me some special “ silly socks” from McDonalds last week! They are being sold to complement with McHappy Day when money from all the Big  Macs sold that day are used to help run the Ronald McDonald Homes where families can stay near the hospitals when their sick kids are having treatment. The money raised through the sales of the socks also go to the Ronald McDonald Homes. The socks are very cute! They have Big Macs and French fries on them!     

         Socks and stockings keep our legs warm. In the way, the love of our Loving Lord, and our family keeps our inside heart and spirit warm! Even if the weather is cold outside, as we rest in His love and know that He cares about how we are feeling, love full of warmth can help us as we go through times of pain ❤️

 The Melbourne Cup is often called : “The race that stops the Nation”!! People all over Australia stop what they are doing for the few minutes that the race is on, to see what horse wins! May we in the same way each day “stop” and think of our  many blessings, and give thanks for the loving care of our Loving Lord Who loves us and sends sunshine, rain, clouds, blue skies and very majestical thunder and lightning! He created the seasons and has made  different things to happen in every season! 

 The other day, there were verses from a song that all of a sudden “ popped” into my mind, and sometimes when that happens the song verses  keep coming into your thoughts all that day! The song verses were :

“In your time, in your time

You make all things beautiful

In your time 

Lord my life to you I bring

May each song I have to sing

Be to you a lovely thing

In your time” 

And at the same time, I kept thinking about pretty butterflies that are all sorts of lovely colors! Our Loving Lord’s love for us is like all the pretty colours of a butterfly! The variety of  colours reflect all the different parts and times  of life! His love endures for us through our sad times, happy  times, painful times, excited times, and one day  when there is a “New Heaven and Earth” all things will be completely beautiful! I like to imagine that  there will be lots and  lots of pretty butterflies flying around!

 Every so often we receive a newsletter email from Nestles which contains recipes to cook. Of course,  they always contain Nestle brand products! I had a little laugh to myself last Friday when we received  their newsletter at 5 p.m., just the right for families to then plan to cook the recipes over the weekend, but first go to the supermarket and buy the Nestles brand ingredients! The recipes were for  “ Rich Flourless Chocolate cake”, “ Easy ChocolarexBanana Cake” and “ Rich Caramel Mudcake”! They all look and sound very rich and chocolatey! 

        The main “ ingredient” in life is love! Love from our Loving Lord, our family and our friends  mixes through our days, and helps us  to cope with whatever the day or our life is holding. Just like a very rich chocolatey cake, our lives are filled with immense richness when we remember that we are very loved ❤️💗

 It is great that the Myers Christmas windows are still going to take place this year, even though there is the current virus situation! The display was cancelled but now they are back as there has been discussions of how to do them in a safe way! I can remember going to see  them after doing my VCE  year 12 exam at the Royal Showgrounds ! I was doing my year 12 by correspondence but had to do my exams there. Mum and I caught a train from our local rail station  to the Showgrounds so that  I could sit the exam, then we caught a tram to take us to the City to meet up with Dad who was working at the Bank in the City. We all then went home together on the train! It was fun and enjoyable to look at the Myers Christmas Windows, especially after the stress of an English Literature exam! 

         It is lovely to see and feel the warmth of sunshine coming through a window! It makes you feel encouraged and blessed inside! Our Loving Lord’s love is just like that! It is like the sun brings a big glass window from our Lord each morning and through the window comes the beautiful rays of our Lord’s deep and eternal for us! May His rays of love feel you with warmth today 

The mail delivery seems to be very “ up the pole” at the moment! When you post a letter or mail, you don’t really know how long it will take to get to the destination...or even if it will arrive at  all! ( It usually does though!) 

    In all the uncertainty that life brings where we are unsure  of what the day will hold, and what will happen next, may we be hugely grateful and richly encouraged that our Loving Lord and and our Heaven Father is watching over us, knows the present and the future, and will one day welcome us with wide open arms and is preparing a beautiful new home for us❤️

  One morning last week, I was feeling quite chilly soon after I had got up, then all of a sudden the words of a hymn popped into my mind! “When morning gilds the skies, my heart awaking cries : May Jesus Christ be praised!” It is very descriptive way of describing the start of the day! Whatever the day would bring, I knew that our loving Lord, who created the skies themselves and brings each morning so that we start a new day, would also be watching  over and caring  for us! ❤️

 The other day, a slice of Mum’s white bread that she has for toast had a hole in it! After the bread was toasted and buttered, the butter went through the hole and landed on the plate! 

    Just like the butter, our Lord’s love for us and His light, comes through all the things that make up our day and brings comfort in the midst of our pain and tiredness. Unlike a small hole, His love and light, is very,very wide, deep, and high! It is ongoing and continual now and eternally! ❤️

It is a not good when you have a part of your body that is sore, and then that is the particular part that gets hurt in another way! I had a sore toe/foot due  to a bump on it, so then as I walked through a doorway I accidentally caught my foot on the edge of the door! That made it doubly hurt! 

 Our loving Lord sees all the little and big  things that happen and  make up our day. He tenderly and caringly watches over us in all our hurts. Though physical pain is extremely awful, sometimes our heart hurts even more! May we find comfort in the knowledge that He knows every inner sigh, inner pain, and has promised to hold us always and ever in His loving hand. He will always and ever carry us through ❤️

 It has been so very “chilly” lately, particularly overnight and in the mornings!  The coldness really “ gets into your bones!” I can imagine the inside of my bones become a big chunk of frozen ice! Then, when I put the heater on, the bones start to thaw! I can’t even imagine the heat that we usually experience in January and February at Summertime! It seems such a big difference! 

   May we always show “warmth”  to everyone we are in contact with each day of the year whatever the season!  May loving kindness to others help to  be like a blanket that envelops others as they endure the pains that everyone goes through as we walk through life. May we take refuge under the warming wings of our Loving Lord ❤️

  I got a surprise when I was in the kitchen the other day and saw a bowl of strawberries on the table! They were very nice and big ripe red ones! I didn’t know that it was the time for strawberries to appear! But... they were there in the bowl! I thought that they were more a Summer season fruit!     

Caring for and about other people never “ goes out of season”! Showing love and encouraging them as we all travel along life’s pathway, is for each and every day! The love of our loving Lord encourages us, and we express His love in what we do and say ❤️

 We have a big plastic container of lavender disinfectant on a shelf in our laundry.It is a Coles brand disinfectant and when used, the lavender smell is  lovely! Lavender has a beautiful aroma and fragrance! It is like our Loving Lord’s love. His love fragrances our lives! When we are in pain, tired, feeling unwell, the fragrance of his love envelops and enfolds us even more, as we  rest in His love ❤️

 Carrot flowers are very pretty! They look like white snowflakes! They are the flowers that sprout from carrots that aren’t dug up for a while. Many years ago, I remember some carrot flowers that sprouted in our garden! They were so beautiful! It is amazing that our loving Lord can create such a beautiful flower from a simple sprouted carrot! Even more than that, He cares so much about us! He makes everyone with much beauty and watches over us each day! 

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      Lately there has been an advert on the tv for jars of Australian made peanut butter. It seems to be on the tv each day! I am wondering if the  makers of the peanut butter think that with most people needing to stay at home due to the virus situation, everyone is having peanut butter sandwiches?! It brought back memories of when Mum and I used to cook peanut butter cookies for her to take with her for morning tea for the ladies at the Craft Group she attended. The recipe used a whole jar of peanut butter, and so our kitchen had such aroma of peanut butter whilst we were making. cooking and cooling off the cookies! It was a very easy recipe though! You just needed to combine the peanut butter with some sugar  and an egg, then shape the cookies into round balls, and bake them in the oven! 

   Often when we hear things said or are reading the newspaper, something reminds us of something else that happened at an earlier time. It brings back special memories! When I see or hear the word “ kindness” I think back when I was a little girl and heard the word  “ lovingkindness” said in a bible verse. I thought ( and still do!) that it was a lovely warm and beautiful word! To me, it seemed to be full of sunshine and warmth, with it being a big bundle of love and kindness combined together! May our love for our Loving Lord be a big part of kind actions or words that we do and say each and every day! 

 I had a little giggle to myself the other day when I read a news story about free doughnuts! There is a company who sells doughnuts online, and delivers them to customers at their home. To support and encourage everyone to stay home, the company is delivering free packs of their doughnuts five times each week! People can leave their address details on the site, and 5 people are randomly chosen! But... they do need to be home when the doughnuts arrive or they are not left! They are also called : “Houghnuts” instead of “doughnuts” as they are considered to be “healthy doughnuts”! They are “Gluten free. Vegan. Refined Sugar free. Baked not fried” !! 

   This brought back lovely happy memories of when I was a little girl, and I belonged to the Woolworths “ donut club”!! I had a little card, and each weekend you could take it to the Woolworths Bakery, get it stamped and receive 2 free cinammon doughnuts! I think they did this to encourage the rest of the family to buy other items from the bakery section of Woolworths at the same time! Cinnamon donuts have such a lovely aroma when they are warm! I always thought that it was cute that donut holes were sold also! 

      Donuts remind me of love! They are shaped as a circle and have no end! It is like we are in the empty middle area of the dough, being hugged. Love is eternal! The love of our  loving Heavenly Father and our Lord is eternal, forever and ever and includes right now! Unlike a soft donut though, love is strong. It endures through all that the day and our lives hold! It is strengthening and encouraging! 

 I was looking the other day at pictures of the Aurora Borealis ( Northern lights ) and Aurora Australis (Southern lights ) and they are very beautiful! The sky  looks so very lovely with the blue, green,yellow, pink colors! The sky looks so very magestic! It is really beautiful! 

I started thinking and it struck me that it is just a tiny glimpse into the majesty and glory of our beautiful loving Lord! May we praise Him every day! And He deeply loves us! 

    It is bit “frustrating” when you lose something, and you spend ages and ages looking for it...then discover that it was exactly where you always keep it! This happened to me the other day! My eyes must have kept overlooking it! I was at the same time glad that I found what I had lost!

    Our Loving Lord watches over us all the time! He will never ever lose us! He knows what we are going through and how we are feeling, and gently cares for us and gives us the strength we need to face each hour. May His love for us always and forever and ever encourage us ❤️

  Dad has been getting  tins of diced beetroot from Coles lately. I am not sure if it is new product or not, because I thought that you only could buy beetroot sliced, not diced! He has it in salads. I am always a bit “wary” of beetroot as I don’t want to drop it as it is hard to remove beetroot stains! 

    Our Loving Lord wants to leave His love as  a “ beetroot stain” on our hearts! He loves each one of us so very much! His love encompasses our day and life, and we see His loving blessings  in many, many ways through our day. Just like the beetroot is “diced” so the month is also “diced” into days and we can be thankful for new blessings each and every day! ❤️

I was looking at pictures of pretty butterflies the other day, and as I looked   at them their colours  reminded me again of how beautiful they are! It is quite amazing that our loving Lord paints each one! Our loving Lord works his lovely artistic touch on each one! At the same time, His love touches our lives, and when His love mixes with inside tears that we may have due  to pain,our walk through  life becomes full of His colourful majestic touch through each day ❤️

Mum has been enjoying having apricot jam on toast. As she liked it, she been having it a bit thickly on the toast. But lately her skin has been irritated. We then discovered that she was allergic to an ingredient in the jam! This was making her feel not too good! 

        Our loving beauty Lord “ spreads us thickly”  with His love every day! He cares about every part of our  life and covers it all like jam with His love. His love is a million times sweeter than jam ❤️

It was so very great when we heard news that the teen who was lost on Mt. Disappointment last week had been found! I was using my iPad when all of a sudden a news alert came over the top of the screen announcing the happy news.  People all around the country were so very glad! It really showed that people are very caring about what is happening in the lives of others, Most people didn’t know the boy, yet we were all very concerned for his welfare and so very glad and relieved when he was found! May we all  care for each other and all that their lives are holding, Knowing that others are supporting you in prayers and thoughts  gives strength in all that life is holding ❤️

This month’s picture on the Council calendar is a picture of an ice covered flower! It is completely covered in ice! It looks so very pretty! But... it makes me feel chilly when I look at it! The sun would have probably “ thawed” it out very soon though. The sun is still there on Winter days, just hiding behind clouds! Smiles are just like “ mini rays of sunshine” !😀 They  bring warmth to all who see and receive one from another person! The person who smiles feels the warmth also! Our loving Lord sends smiles of love to us. We don’t see his smiles,but feel His warmth and love ❤️May we give smiles to others and bring warmth to their day! 😀

Wintertime is here! It is a good time for eating soup,sitting near the  fireplace or heater, and reading books! We don’t experience snow where we live or have snowflakes, but pictures of snowflakes are so very pretty! Our loving Lord displays his beautiful artistry in every snowflake that falls from the sky! You are all snowflakes also! Each of you are very pretty inside, and that shines through in all you do. Just like the snowflakes, our loving Lord expressed His lovely artistry when he made you! ❤️❤️💗💕💖 He cares so very, very much about you! 

      I enjoy having cornflakes for breakfast each morning. I was thinking the other day that it is not a “ fancy” breakfast cereal,BUT  there are millions of people all around the world, just like me, who enjoy eating cornflakes each day! It is like life. The most main “basic” things  in life are love and faith, and they give richness to life! They endure through hard, happy, struggling, joyful, laughter, weeping times, and the “  milk” poured on top of it of the cornflakes are the everyday little blessings that our loving Lord sends from above ❤️

  When Mum used to cook pikelets,she used to have a teatowel that she kept to cover over the cooked  pikelets as she was cooking, to keep them nice. It was fun seeing her adding to the pile, then covering them with the teatowel! The teatowel had a lovely baked aroma which was very warming and homely! Even now when I see that teatowel, I can smell the warm homely   pikelets smell! 

    The love of our loving Lord and of our family, both those who are with us as well as those who have passed away and gone on before us, is warm on the most coldest, wintry day or times in our lives. Just like the pikelets did with the teatowel, love leaves it beautiful scent on our hearts and on our pathway through life. It gives us strength to face that hour, it comforts, it sustains, it encourages, it will always and ever remain! May we remember that are forever wrapped in His teatowel of love! 

I was writing a letter  the other day on my iPad and in it I was writing about “flower box windows”. But...I wrote the wrong word and instead it turned into “flower box widows”!! This made me laugh! I could just imagine many widows with boxes of colourful flowers on their heads! Some widows may have beautiful roses in the boxes, other ones may have  pretty pansies,whilst others have boxes of colourful tulips on their heads! 

    I send to you all many boxes filled with petals of love to comfort, encourage, and bring a touch of joy to your day. When you are tired or in pain, think of these petals of love I have sent, and may they reflect the love of our Loving Lord ❤️

It was so very odd on Good Friday! Even though the temperature was a bit coolish, the  sun was shining nice and brightly and it was lovely looking out through the windows at the sunny weather. Then, all of a sudden just before midday, the skies turned so very dark and there was not much sunlight at all! It got so dark that we needed to put on the kitchen lights! Then an hour later the skies were light and sunny again! It was quite funny as Mum, Dad and I all at the same time thought the same thing, without any of us saying a word! We all thought at the one time that it really reflected what happened on the original Good Friday when the skies turned dark at midday! It was  a very special reminder to us of the beautiful love of our Loving Lord as He was on the cross in the darkness! 

In a world that sometimes may feel a bit dark,His love is like a bright candle that shines and guides is through. May we taken comfort in his loving light ❤️

HE is RISEN! 
   HE is RISEN INDEED! 

This week is Easter week ❤️ I hope it will be a very special time for you. Many people all around the world will be celebrating it differently this year, being confined to their home. Many people usually gather together at Churches or homes to share the Easter Time of reflection, celebration and services together. It is also often a time of catching up with family and friends. It is sad that people can’t be together face to face. At the same time, love for each other bonds us together,  cords that  aren’t broken by distance or time! Our Heavenly Father’s love and our loving Lord Jesus’ love is eternal, deep,wide and tall! They showed the huge love they have for us when Jesus opened wide His loving hands on the cross❤️ We are never alone. He tenderly watches over us to see each teardrop and smile.

May we find rest in His wide open arms ❤️