Today's Answered Prayer

So I'm in the shower this morning and my left eye contact lens disappeared into my eyelid after a messed up blink. I was determined not to lose it, considering it is my last one, and if it got lost, I would be back to wearing my glasses for goodness knows how long. (I'm holding out getting new glasses until after commissioning!) I tried to get the lens out on my own for about 8 minutes.

In the end, I prayed: "God, help. I need my contact to see - but don't let me lose it down the drain." I heard Him quickly respond: "Get out the shower."

With that, I turned it off and as my foot hit the bathmat, I blinked and the contact lens landed on my cheek. Literally. Coincidence? I think not. Isn't it great to know God is interested in the little things of life as well as the big ones? Big ups to the Man upstairs.

It's a Miracle!!

So for the last 48 hours, give or take a couple, I have been more waddling, rather than walking due to my sore thigh muscles.

Today, I am pleased to report I feel somewhat (though I acknowledge minute in comparison) the joy that lame man must have felt when Jesus healed him. I CAN WALK! There's still a slight twinge in my thighs, but I am moving currently at twice the pace I was yesterday! Praise GOD!!

The Truth. Eeh.

I hear ya, Brother Jay!

A lot can happen in 24 hours

It has been an action filled 24 hours.

24 hours ago, I was just finishing doing my early morning lunges. Eeh. My muscles in my legs are making me achingly aware of their existence. I have tried to walk as normally as I can, but everyone at College was aware of my pain, despite my efforts. It's the sitting and getting up from sitting that is the worst.

I took the plasters off my cut yesterday. The general consensus has been, "Oh, that was deep." Hello! I've been saying that since I did it. It makes me wonder what it is about me that people don't believe when I say things. They have to see to believe. Sigh.

Then I went to the dentist. But at least my root canal is finally finished, albeit I am $480 poorer. (It's on my credit card, so donations would be appreciated.) I had a potentially embarrassing situation at the dentist when about 15-20 mins into it, the large amounts of water I had consumed throughout the day was ready for an escape. I had about another 45 mins of sitting in the dentist chair, praying that my bladder would be strong enough to hold it in. It was. Just. I got out of that chair and ran (well, waddled is probably more apt a description) to the receptionist who pointed the heavenly lavatory. Close call!

I got home and stopped in the drive for a quick chat to James who was leaving, and was instead ambushed by Kendal, Christina, Hannah and Naomi, who all made their way into my car. Then Reuben, Simeon, Cody and Patrick joined in. Thank goodness I have a wagon! Eventually the volume inside the car increased to the point it irritated me, so everyone was forced out. Then it happened.

While teaching Hannah to drive, she bunny-hopped (in my car) into the bushes around the flagpole area. Fortunately seatbelts were on, and as I realised what was happening, I grabbed the hand brake, so we didn't go as far in as we could have. Hannah got out and I reversed up, and suddenly the kids reappeared yelling, "Hannah crashed Corryn's car!!" I taught them the difference between a bunny hop and a crash and sent them home before they saw some scratches that weren't previously there. I've done worse myself, so I could see the funny side, but Hannah felt pretty bad, I think.

Then this morning my alarm went off at 5:45am. I thought about how nice my bed was, how sore my legs were, and whether or not Si would notice if I didn't show up. But I thought to myself how nice Si was being volunteering to get me into shape, and I didn't want to be the one letting down the deal. But it took a little longer to get ready - I couldn't quite bend down enough to reach my shoes! Anywho, he was easier on me today, which I fully appreciated, and I am starting to get movement in my legs again. Maybe by Monday I will be able to walk normally!!

The Elusive Word

Anytime I am procrastinating I tend to blog, and today is no different. While officially I am 'working on my Gospel of John' assignment, unofficially ... well, you know what I'm really up to!

But I thought I'd give you a little laugh at my expense because I just said one of those things that make me wonder if my academic brilliance was a fluke!

I was talking about about my cut finger (poor Rinny!) to James and said something along the lines of, "Yeah, it's healing but it's gonna have ... like ... one of those things ... ummm ..."

James' helpful answer: "A scar?"

Oh my gosh. I must be working too hard! Time for a game of Spider Solitaire I say!!

Personal Trainer? Personal Slacker!

So my alarm went off when it was still way too dark, but I jumped out of bed, put on my exercise gears and trodded up to the main building for my session with Si.

The building was in pitch black darkness. The annoying thing was I couldn't even get in to do my own thing because Simon or Tiko or Stu or someone has the key and don't usually open it until 7am. And it was too dark for me to feel safe enough to walk the streets of Upper Hutt by myself. So I went back to bed.

Simon the slacker. Apparently he set his alarm wrong and it went off at 6:45am. Sigh.

My very own Personal Trainer

So yes. College have bought a treadmill and rowing machine. And I've bought myself new running shoes. The combination seemed inspiring.

And Simon has nominated himself to be my very own personal trainer. He's meeting me at the main building at 6am tomorrow morning for our first stint. (Yes, there is a 6 o'clock in the morning!) Oh, help.

Arty Farty at Pataka

So after church yesterday, Rochelle and I went out with a couple from Mana Corps to a little cafe in Plimmerton for lunch. SSSSSOOOOOOO delicious and if I could remember the name, I would tell you so you could try it. We ate so much we nearly had to be rolled out, and the couple invited us to go to Pataka to look at an exhibition from a NZ artist William George Baker.

We went, and man I was so glad we did. I'm all arty farty inspired now to the point I even got out my paints and began a piece myself this afternoon!

Anywhos....Here's one of the biggest, and probably main attraction, of Baker's works. It's called 'The Lion' - not too sure why. It was huge. The funny thing is that I was telling Robert (our training principal) about the exhibition this morning and it turns out that our College owns it!! Ahaha. I wondered where the big painting from the foyer had disappeared to! It's in the exhibition!!

However, while I respect the huge amount of effort and time and money that would have gone into painting that huge thing, it's not really something I would spend money on personally. I just have different art tastes. But fortunately at Pataka, there was more than one exhibition on, so we meandered around. My favourite hobby being renaming the art pieces to whatever I would have called them had I done them. And, I admit, I think some of my ideas were better than the actual ones! (ahhhhh....so modest!)

This sculpture, by Judy Darragh, absolutely fascinated Rochelle and I. Yeah, so once again, something I wouldn't have in my house (only partly due to the fact it would take over half of my house - literally, it's huge!) but was incredible to look at. Yuo couldn't help but be drawn to it. Bottles, ping pong balls, records, styrofoamy stuff, paint, cork, felt, wool ... wow. She used just about anything and it was fascinating.

This top painting, Crash by Sara Hughes, was HUGE. (The colours are much brighter in person.) Rochelle absolutely loved it. I thought it was cool until I broke artist rule number one and went right up to it to have a close up look and felt sick. Literally. I'm not kidding.

While it's not the kind of stuff I do myself, I quite like the digital/modern/whatever you call it stuff. (Ok so I'm not an art student!) I haven't yet pinpointed what it is about them but there's something I find intriguing. This one below caught my attention. Episode 0015 by Kelcy Taratoa. (Actually I thought the artist's name was pretty cool too.)

Then there was all these mixed media pieces, which I inspected closely. I've never been able to do mixed media but if this arty inspired period of my life lasts long enough, maybe I will experiment again. We'll see.

So yeah, fun afternoon. If you are in the Porirua or greater Wellington area, I fully recommend checking it out. (And best of all, it's FREE!!) Go to the website link above to find out more details.

Ouch.

I am typing much slower tonight. Because I look similar to that smurf on the right.

I did the dumbest thing at lunch time today. Trying to cut open a panini, the knife sliced through a decent way into my ring finger of my left hand. It literally was half a second before blood starting pumping out with each pump of my heart. Kaboom - blood. Kaboom - blood. You get the picture.

I grabbed the closest thing - a clean handtowel - and applied a lot of pressure. I turned the oven off and realised that I couldn't put a plaster on it because (1) I only have little kids ones and the wouldn't cut it on this occasion, and (2) I couldn't remove the pressure from the finger to grab a plaster without a teaspoon of blood coming out every second. (And I am NOT good with blood!)

I rushed up to the main building, where fortunately Jill fixed me up. I was a little worried when I saw blood seeping through and she suggested getting some sort of drink with a lot of sugar because I was shaking. So I spent the next hour on my couch applying pressure (just to help out) and drinking coke. Then I realised there was blood on the oven. Argh. So I cleaned it and chucked out the ruined panini.

The finger is still throbbing and, due to Jill's remarkable first aid, my finger is four times the size of the rest, but I think it's stopped bleeding. I think I may survive! Thanks, Jill. :)

Good Grief?

I remember Shirlee starting a Bible Study with us back in Hamilton using a book called 'Good Grief'. The title sums up my week thus far. Though, even though I know it's 'good', it doesn't feel that way yet.

Annette, Jennifer and I went to Hutt Hospital yesterday to begin hospital visits (kind of a short stint at chaplaincy). I made it to the medical ward and it was everything in me to not run out. After a while I did excuse myself and head outside for air. It was just too similar to the ward where Uncle Bob died last year.

Uncle Bob and Nana both died nearly a year ago. We were expecting Nana, but not Bob. And me being me, has pretty much kept it all inside, trying to be brave, trying to be strong for the rest of the family, and trying to not look weak in front of the rest of the world. Bad move.

It took until the Christmas holidays (6 months) for Nana's death to hit me. And outside of just wishing she was here, I feel like I have accepted and pretty much adjusted to her not being here anymore. I feel like I have grieved healthily for Nana.

But until yesterday I had barely shed a tear over Uncle Bob. It's not that I didn't love him. It just didn't come out. And this morning at College Worship, I ended up at the mercy seat (down the front) bawling my poor eyes out. Over how sudden and unfair his death was, over the upheaval it has caused in Aunty Val's life, and the effects it had on my two cousins and their families. And how I miss him.

It doesn't help being told "Well, at least you know they are in Heaven with Jesus." Yeah, I do. But that doesn't stop the ache or the gap in your life now. It doesn't stop you wanting to scream "This sux!" So that is what I told God. Exactly what I felt and I had the sense of Him so close beside me, letting me know that was alright.

So now I'm in the computer suite, not really feeling up to the crowds at morning tea. My perfectly applied make-up has now all gone, but I feel so much better, like a weight has been lifted from my heart. And just a little bit of hope has been planted: that God won't judge my feelings, and that He will be with me throughout life - whatever happens. Maybe that is the good side of grief.

Oops, I did it again!

I just came over to the main building quickly to check my emails etc., and for the FOURTH time in TWO weeks, I have locked myself out of my house.

D'oh!

Rochelle

I took this photo of Rochelle this morning at Mana Corps (previously Paremata) where we are on Mission Placement each Sunday, and thought it was too good to keep to myself. Here, have a giggle at her expense:

What a legend.

Mother's Day 2007

So Mum, Dad, Matt and Popa came down to Palmerston North for the weekend, being the first Mother's Day since Nana died, Mum wanted to spend it with Aunty Val (who funnily enough lives in Palmy.) Thus, I drove up Friday night and came home late Saturday night as I had to be at the Army down here for actual Mother's Day.

It was awesome getting away - something I really needed to do - and awesome catching up with everyone. I hadn't seen Popa since Christmas and he is looking a little older and frailer, though he is now 93.

We had a few good laughs, most of which I can't share on such a public forum. Anywho, here are some family snaps, including a fav of my bro Matt and my darling mum - the BEST mother in the world!!!

Matt and I try to have a nice photo but Mum pushed her head in between.
Unbeknownst to the other sibling, we were both licking Mum.
And when we realised what had happened, I cried from laughing so hard.
Clockwise from top left: Mum and Aunty Val with Popa (Just a little family resemblance!!); Dad with Christine and Mike's daughter Madeline; Popa and Aunty Val asleep (there's always someone!); My cousin Christine and her husband, Mike.

The trek to Spiritual Day

So I just had one of those moments that you wish you had a camera to capture it on. Today is Spiritual Day (the joke being 'the only day we're spiritual'). Thus we get all decked out in full uniform and attend meetings, today being run by the TC. But that's not my story.

I get all in my uniform and check outside it's not raining before I venture up the road towards the main building. About three metres from my house, the rain turns to drizzle. Within a metre, it's raining.

I try to walk faster, which is near impossible in my stilletos. So I make the call. Either the shoes or the hair is going to go. The stillettos come off. In my little stocking feet, I begin to run up to the building.

I'm about half way when I remember this skirt is a little big for me when the gravtitational forces begin pulling it down.

Picture me, if you will, in stockings, holding my shoes/bible/bag/skirt up, running. Laughing as then my stockings start to come down.

Fortunately, I made it to the main building in time to re-adjust myself before the others arrive. Phew!

Photos of My Wellington Whanau 2007

It's a pretty poor collage but here's some shots of all the cadets and their whanau on campus except for Ross and Jo, who live out at Kapiti. I'll get one of them eventually... Clockwise from top left: Rochelle, my Mission Placement buddy (hehe); Stu and Kylie with Kayla, Cody and Naomi; Kevin and Janette aka Janice; ME or as the rest of the known world knows me: Crinniebabes; Andrew with his boys Louie and Terry; Lachlan and Julie with Hannah and Ethan; Beth and Steve; Annette and Perry with Patrick, Emily Bemily and Christina; Sue and Si with Nique the Squeek and Kendalicious; and in the middle Shelley and Tiko with Simeon and Reuben aka Poo poo bum bum.

Malo e lelei!!

So I have some good news to share that I realised I haven't yet ... guess where I am going for a week in our winter recess ... ah yup ... Tonga, aka the Friendly Islands. For various reasons, including my (hopefully) commissioning at the end of the year, Mum and Dad have shouted me a trip to Tonga for a week in July with my beautiful friends the Siufanga's.

I'll be travelling back with them and staying at their parents, Sila and Malia (click here, I googled them and this is what I found. Hard-workers for Jesus - woop woop!) Lol.

Anywho, I'm so excited. Hopefully my new passport arrived this week - my old one expires while in Tonga - and I am finally going to see the place the rest of my family have been to!! (Dad, Mum and Matt have all been with the Hamilton City band on trips in the past.) Actually more than anything else I am excited about experiencing a new culture and spending time with some of the godliest people I know.

Tiko told me I was saying 'Malo e lelei' wrong (but he's Fijian, so I'm telling myself it's his accent!) I hope I won't embarrass the Siufanga's too much with my poor skills. Rochelle and Sarah (who have both lived in Tonga for a time) have been trying to teach me some other words but my memory's so bad. Could be interesting. But listen to this email Natasha sent me when I told her (it made me laugh for ages):

"One of the greatest words you need to know is "tulou" pronounced "too-low"....as in when the english missionaries came to tonga and walked into our little village huts the doors were "too low' for them to walk through...so Tongans thought it meant "excuse me" cos they always walked in saying "too low" as they walked passed the tongans sitting down, so it means "excuse me" and when you say that you will be the best 'palangi' our family has seen...haha...just kidding... "

Haha.

Anywho...will update you on my adventures as they unfold. Wooooooooohooooooo!!

College Kids 2007

I've never seen so many kids of so many backgrounds and ages get along so well as this year at College. (Albeit, there are some moments of tense standoffs and general playground arguments!) Thus, I had to do a little intro to show you the kids who have stolen our hearts, and most of the lollies from our houses- well, at least mine!

Above from left: Monique, Christina, Emily, Kendal and Patrick ... these are the kids of my session (God's Fellow Workers 06-07) and-

Below from left: Louie, Kayla, Hannah, Naomi, Ethan (in front), Simeon, Cody, Reuben and Terry ... the first year kids (Witnesses for Christ 07-08)

Plus there are three staff kids on campus: Tim (if you can really call him a kid!), Sarah and Kate. I don't have a photo of them, sorry.

Red Shield Appeal

Love it or hate it, I just completed my stint at my 26th Red Shield Appeal. Over the years, I have had my share of excuses about why a person couldn't donate (I sometimes wonder if they realise it's not the end of the world and I'm not going to stalk them until they give.) I had a couple of good moments that I just had to share.

The first was a comment from a mother to her adolescent son, "Don't stare. We'll have to give them our change." An absolute classic.

And the second was a conversation with a guy who came out of the supermarket and it went along these lines:
Him: "Sorry, I have no money."
Me: "No worries."
Him: "It's okay cos I work for the Sallies."
Me: "Oh that's cool."
Him: "Well, I'm doing community service."
Me: "Okay." What am I meant to say next, I wonder.
Him: "And I have no money because I spent it all on beer." He motions to his supermarket purchase.
Me, as he hops on his bicycle to ride away: "Well, have a good evening."
Within in a minute he rides back. He forgot his helmet and doesn't want to be fined by the cops.
Strange conversation. I can't help but smile. God bless that man for lightening up my supermarket appeal stint.

I also met a man who worked for nearly a decade at the Training College, and two Catholic sisters who wouldn't stop raving about the Army, amongst others. Overall I thought it was a fairly quiet afternoon collecting. Then Simon and Stu came to relieve me and Lachlan, and with that it was done until 2008.

Some thoughts from the weird world of BCM

So a few things have been said around the College that has made me smile, and in some cases laugh out loud, so I thought I'd share them...

Firstly...
In the middle of our Foundations for Mission class, Simon says: "I think-" "Isn't that incompatible?" interrupted Annette.

Secondly...
Last night I was babysitting Kendal (birthday in December) and Monique (birthday in September), when Kendal (aged 5 AND A HALF - can't get that wrong!!) came up to me and said, "Do you know what's funny? I'm older than Monique and I'm taller than Monique, but her birthday is before mine!" Then she started laughing uncontrollably. What the heck are Sue and Si feeding these kids!?!

And lastly...
I'm still seriously considering taking Kevin's advice about our Out-Training Assignment, due Friday. Part of it is a 3000 word reflection, which I am having a hard time focussing on. He suggested instead of writing an essay, I just hand in three photographs for ... a picture's worth a thousand words.