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Right Doors Are Key!

Vonita 5 Comments

bethany-stephens-218209.jpg

I cannot say I am big on plans. My personality is way too passive for plan-making. Usually I just drift along, waiting for life to happen, and hoping (and praying) for the best. Generally it has worked okay for me. It has given me my not-too-shabby life, but not an-overly-exciting life either. Just a bit of a comfort-zone-type of life. With poetry (and writing in general) being my very-much-needed outlet (yay for poetry). I digress. Sometimes, plans are good.

In their place. Because you know what they say about plans. (Actually, what do they say about plans? BRB, Google is my friend). Got it, this is what they say about plans:

Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.

Well, atm I am busy making plans. Oh, there is something else they say about plans:

Plans are nothing, planning is everything.

So this is getting a bit deep. What I really want to say is this.

Sometimes we really need a plan. Or at least I really need a plan. Something tangible I can obsess about. Keep me up at night. Distract me. And I have a plan(!).

Because everyone at some point in their lives needs a plan (my quote, you’re welcome)

I signed up for a Udemy course (yay Udemy, yay Max Schwarzmuller, yay Angular2). About 18 hours of knockout material to keep me busy, learning, upskilling, and generally being distracted. Of course 18 hours will be morphing into about 180, but sometimes needs must. And then we will make further plans from there. Or at least start knocking on doors. And hoping for doors to open. Not just any windows or doors. The right doors. To open. Right doors are key!

Pi

Vonita 14 Comments


I went on an interview once. It was our first year of marriage and we were on vacation in the U.K. A friend of mine managed to secure for me an interview at a British-based firm. One thing about me. I can always get the job done. But sometimes I need external sources. Use what I can with what I have. Google. Books. Peers. Whatever. That’s what resources are there for. To be used. Because resources.

This particular interview went particularly bad. Perhaps, in a way, they were trying to sift the English-speakers from the not-so-English speakers. Because I had to do a test. And one of the questions was, explain a paper clip. Now, I could see the paper clip in my mind, I could see how it should be used, but for the life of me, I could not at the time figure out how, even in my native language, to explain a paper clip? Words failed. Completely. A thin piece of wire twisted and turned and coiled to hold paper together? Nah, nope, not happening.

Next question. What is the value of pi. Omigosh! I learnt math at school and was good at it, but that was many years ago, and right now, right here, on vacation, without google (in fact, this was pre-google days) I could not think of the correct value of pi. 22 divide by 7? And approximate to something? Words fail. 

So it is with great pleasure that my son is able to recite pi correctly to the 120th decimal point. Winning the class competition and chocolates to do so. It might be a small achievement. But at least for a mother who failed miserably at some random interview test (thereby not getting the job or opportunity to move to the UK), there is a son who definitely knows his pi. 

On Being Envious and Content

Vonita 16 Comments


I have been struggling with envy the past few weeks. It is the easiest thing to fall into. There will always be someone who has more than we have naturally. We do not even have to look very far to find someone who will have more than we have. Sometimes it is not even natural things that they may have more of, sometimes it can be who they are. More leadership qualities, more energy, more friends, more personality.

Any of these things, if we feel we are lacking in certain areas, may easily cause us to become envious.

Envy is hard to overcome. It can be hard to overlook those trigger points, and get to a place where we can honestly say we are not envious. 

Envy is the complete opposite of contentment. We can never be envious And be content at the same time. They are two extremes. At the one end desiring something we do not have, and at the other end, being completely satisfied with what we Do have. And we all have. We are all alive. We are all breathing. While we are alive, we have.

So my goal for tomorrow is to pray for contentment. If, impossible in my own strength, then to God be the glory. Through Christ we can be content. Keep our eyes on the one true living God, for therein lies our peace.  

Resurfaced

Vonita 6 Comments

So my ex-friend whom I have been mourning for most of this year, not even having wished me a happy new year yet and it is already the first day of march, popped up this morning on mobile before the bells of seven am sounded, “sorry so early, left something at home can I please collect and take to the office”?

Phone on silent, yay. Too late!

Being Still

Vonita 7 Comments


Last night I was thinking of being still. I opened a book that I haven’t used in years to write some notes, and right there in front of me were some notes I had made from a long time ago. Exactly what I was thinking, ‘Be still and know that I am God’. 

It was my thoughts exactly echoed back to me. A tiny message to hold on to and focus on. In the midst of turmoil, strife, negativity, cravings and the other earth battles we face, sometimes just to be still, let go and allow God his will be done.

The creator of heaven, earth, land and sky breathed life into us. We have power on our side.

The Story about a Duck

Vonita 4 Comments

There were two little children on a farm. They were surrounded by many animals. And chickens and ducks and pets. One day, the little boy was throwing stones. One of the stones hit a duck. The duck died while the sister looked on. The brother was too scared to tell his mother that he had killed the duck. So the sister hatched a plan. Don’t tell her. We can just say the duck died. The brother thought that was a good idea. And so that’s what they did.

The following Monday the sister told her brother to hand over his lunch money. He said no. Remember the duck, she replied. And so he handed it over. Same with her school bag. Carry my school bag for me. Carry it yourself, he told her. Remember the duck? He carried it for her.

Until he realized he could not go on. His sister was having all power over him. So he finally plucked up the courage and confessed to his mother. I killed the duck! he told her. His mother dealt with it, and it was over. No more power. No more having to hand over lunch money and carrying bags and being beholden.

And the next time his sister reminded him about the duck, he could tell her. It’s over, mother knows about the duck, I am free. 

Blessed Rest of Heart

Vonita 7 Comments

We sometimes sing a hymn, the first verse goes as follows:

“Oh blessed rest of heart
From doubting fear and sin
A rest in Christ the risen Lord
Who sweetly reigns within”

This week I have been fighting inner demons, struggling to overcome, feeling weighed down, and impossible to live with, and to just be.

And then this afternoon we sang these beautiful words, and I could just put everything aside. I could just be at rest. A load was lifted off my shoulders.

We serve a living God, one who is so much higher than our thoughts and circumstances and experiences. He is above all these things, and He cares for us. He loves us. He loves us through our failures and shortcomings and temptations.

Tomorrow I might be weighed down all over again. But it is now Sunday evening Sydney time, and for the rest of day I will be at peace. At rest. A rest in Christ, the risen Lord, who sweetly reigns within.

Classic IT Quote of the Day

Vonita Leave a comment

we’ll just have to reset expectations

Bully

Vonita 18 Comments


A few years ago we decided to make our transition to Australia official, and we accepted Australian citizenship. We are now Australian. We are able to sing the anthem with pride and ownership. Our prime minister, for all his faults, is Malcolm Turnbull. Not Trumbull. Not Trunbull. Turnbull. Maybe Trump and co liked the matching pattern of ‘Trum’ even though it is not a matching pattern at all. Turnbull is not perfect, and Australia is not perfect, but it is a good place to live in. The benefits far outweigh the negatives. The people are relatively friendly, there are no wars, it is safe, we have fresh food, lamingtons, shelter, work, and also, in general, there is courtesy. We wait in queues if we have to. We make way if we have to. We are protected by anti-bullying and harassment laws. 

Which means the brash and disrespectful tone of other leaders towards our own leader hits hard. It leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth. It is unnecessary and uncalled for. It is bullying behavior. 

And it saddens me. For many of my WordPress friends are from the US. Good, kind people that have been lovely towards me. That I now count as friends. I feel really warm towards this wonderful, caring community. 

We had the opportunity to vacation in the  beautiful state of California. One of the first sights one sees upon entry into the United States is a flag, as well as framed photograph of POTUS. For us it was a smiling photo of Obama. I’m not across the policies that he had, but as a person he seemed like a decent human being. Courteous, respectful towards his wife, calm, considered etc. Not a bully.

Our vacation timing worked out well. Otherwise we would now be facing a four year wait, at the very least. 

#iamwitharnold

#arnoldforpotus

Inspiration 

Vonita 5 Comments

For pure unadulterated inspiration, we need look no further than the Williams sisters and their dad. When (age 11) Serena was asked, if she was to become a tennis player who would she like to be like? She answered without skipping a beat, well, I’d like others to be like me. 

And in 2017, we have both Williams sisters in the Australian Open, well done Venus and Serena, and well done Serena on 23 Grand Slam titles.

Good on Dad for stating way back then, we will  one day see them in the finals.