Not the Same

Back from the dead.

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 07:49:00 +0000

Hello everyone, it's been a long time!

First allow me to dispel any concerns: despite my post title and a long respite from blogging, I have not, as it may appear, been through a near death experience, nor had any motor vehicle accidents, mysterious diagnoses or family tragedies (thank you Lord!). I simply mean that after 13 non-blogging months, I am bringing this blog back from the dead, to once again diary my thoughts and musings!

Before we move on, let me summarise the past 13 months for you.
Teenagers, School, Marriage Ministry, Cooking, Kitchenaid Mixer :), Graduate Studies In Health Promotion, Hubby Turns 40, I Win A Weight Loss Challenge At My Gym, New Smartphones, Job Promotion, Being Faithful In The Little Things, Coffees, New Friendships, Footy, Stepping Up, Going Deeper, Refining The Dream, Enjoying Life.

And I ask you, isn't that enough??
An inbuilt facet of my personality always drives me to strive for more. I have to say no to myself more times than I care to count, and if I wanted to be a dill, I would try out 20 different careers and serve on 6 different teams at church, just for a season in each! I love to try things out, obviously.

But more than anything, this season has been about learning to dwell within limits- I can't be everything, but I can be something. So although I have fancies about opening a boutique patisserie or designing gorgeous weddings, I understand that I am here for a purpose bigger than my own desires, and I press on slowly towards the dream God has placed in my heart.

And what, I hear you ask, is that dream? Well it's not yet clearly defined, but it's something to do with improving health in under-resourced communities. In January I started a graduate diploma in health promotion, and for my first major assignment I looked at tuberculosis prevention in East Timor (Timor L'este). East Timor is a little country next to Indonesia which became an independent nation in 2002 after many decades of neglect and unrest. The East Timorese now face a huge challenge in establishing a solid economy, health system and more, and the rebuilding work will likely go on for many decades. I don't know where I'm going to end up, but this is the kind of work I want to do: helping establish systems to improve health in needy communities.

For now though, I have a long road of studying ahead, with many opportunities to choose to press on, rather than taking the easy road. I'm doing one subject at a time, so at this rate I'll complete my course in 3 more years- when my youngest daughter Betty is starting her final year of high school. And so every day I must choose to keep on the path- studying and following God, enjoying other hobbies such as cooking and occasional event planning, but staying true to the course that God has put me on.

This will be my last post on Not the Same. Due to the datedness (is that a word?) of my url (notthesamein2009.blogspot.com), I've decided to make the move to a fresh blog, so from now on, you'll find me at A Million Small Steps. Thanks for following me here for the past few years. I hope you'll come and visit my new blog site soon! God bless, Juliet.

Jo...

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:15:00 +0000

Hello lovely people!
I just want to share with you someone REALLY SPECIAL in my life! My oldest daughter Joanna! She doesn't feature in my posts a lot because, quite frankly, she often pulls a funny face when I'm taking photos of her, but she is a beauty!

See...
Jo, as she likes to be called, is a really tender compassionate girl. She feels for those who are alone and hurting, and steps in to help others when she sees people in need. She is a bit of a cool girl too, with a great fashion sense- you should see what she can do with a scarf!

I love my Jo.

Here are some more pics of my gorgeous girl!
Love you Jojo. Thanks for lighting up my world!

While you're all stinkin' hot...

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:44:00 +0000

Hello lovelies, I thought I'd bring you a little something to cool you down while sweltering in warm July temperatures (U.S. readers, at least!)

This was the sight that greeted me as I hopped in to start up my car last Thursday:

And on my side window, lovely little ice crystals looking very ethereal.

Here in Melbourne, we have been having some very chilly mornings, but thankfully these result in nice mild days, with even an odd spot of sun appearing here and there! I enjoy the differing seasons, which is a great thing, considering Melbourne is renowned for having "four seasons in one day!"

On a different note, after my last post on shopping, I wanted to share with you a few specimens of cute jewellery I found on etsy.com by a Christian jewellery artist. The shop is called ForTheCrossJewelery (all one word). She's off camping for the week, so her store is closed until July 17th, but you can still see some of her gorgeous work by clicking on the Sales link down the side. Her profile is also on there, and is definitely worth a read!

But here are some of my favourites from ForTheCross:

Gold Finger - Grannys Jewelry Box Ring.

Countess ChiChi, if you're listening, this one's for you!
Tres chic!

Aqua and Copper Vintage Flower Earrings!

Oh so sweet!

Ivory Rose- another head-turner!

Gettin' Squirrelly- Acorn Earrings.

Oh, I could go on, but it's best if you see for yourselves! Here's the link: ForTheCrossJewelery
Enjoy your sunshine!

P.S. Please have a look at my new Aussie food blog, too: Downunder Kitchen!

Adore 09 and Swine Flu scares... all in all, an interesting week!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:21:00 +0000

This week has been full of challenges, both spiritual, mental and physical. Last Wednesday the first case of Swine Flu was confirmed on our shores. At this writing, a whole ONE WEEK later, we have 32 cases in the state of Victoria alone. For me, nursing in a medical centre in one of the hardest hit areas, this has come a bit close for comfort.

Here in Australia, we are only at the beginning of our winter 'flu season', so it concerns me to think how quickly it is spreading already. It's been a challenge to get information to the doctors, reception staff and patients quickly enough to ensure everyone is well informed, knows how to prevent transmission, and how to advise concerned patients and suspected cases! I'm not naturally a germophobe, so it's also been a reminder to me to stay vigilant with hand washing and cleaning.
On the home front, and in between all this, I attended our annual women's conference, ADORE, which was held at my church over the weekend. Over the past three years, our conference themes have embraced larger and more purposeful living. This year, our theme was "She Extends Her Hands", an encouragement to "Live Bigger", and care for the needs of others in our world. The speakers were Pastor Bobbie Houston from Hillsong , anointed evangelist Janine Kubala, and our leading lady Georgie Baxter. We also had Compassion bring an interactive walk-through display which showed us all some of the horrible conditions some of the children of our world have to live in, and watched the testimony of Rafonzel, who was sponsored by Compassion throughout her childhood and through a university degree.
What a beautiful testimony it is! Through all of this, God has been prompting me to unearth the heart for missions that is in me. I had allowed it to be buried by other things because it seemed too hard to do something about the massive problems in the world- things like poverty, mass disease, lack of access to health care, education and basic sanitation. But Compassion's message is a simple one: "Change is about Me", meaning that if I do something to change one person's world, I will be changing the world for that one person. The video really brought that message home. I can make a difference in the world!
To be continued...

God is good, and that's ALL THE TIME!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:34:00 +0000

This week I have been having a bit of pain which we think is due to inflammation of the cartilage which joins my ribs together- pain around the sternum, radiating to my back either side of my upper spine. Before you get in a tizz though, let me assure you that we've checked out my heart, and all is well. This has all been a bit of a "pain", and has halted my gymming efforts. But on the finance front, we are forging ahead, and God is splashing out His blessing on the whole thing!

On Monday I asked my boss for an extra day's work so we can save for a house, and he was very agreeable about it, and said I could pick up the extra day as soon as I wanted to!
But at the end of the week, he also asked about my starting hours (I start at 9.30a.m. because I live about 45 minutes drive away, and have to get the kids to school). I said I'd thought of starting earlier, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to consistently make it there at 9a.m. My boss' response:
"Try to come in earlier if you can, we'll continue to book your appointments from 9.30, and whenever you get in earlier, you can claim the extra half hour."
That is amazing! I was just gob-smacked at God- how GOOD He has been to me!! So instead of earning 20 hours' pay a week, I will be now earning between 25 - 27.5 hours! GOD IS GOOD!! It really shows me that He is behind me making this step to change our financial management- He is FOR ME!
It has caused me to be thinking of one of my most favourite scriptures: Jeremiah 29:11-
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
Listen to this verse and it's fellows, as they are expressed in The Message Bible. Don't you feel so secure and loved as you read this?
Our God is kind and loving towards us. He's not harsh and judgmental!

Jer 29:11-14 in The Message:

"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen.
When you come looking for me, you'll find me.
Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed.
I'll turn things around for you. I'll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you. I'll bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it."

I hope YOU enjoy the goodness of our God this week!

In Him,

Cake Pops!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 06:58:00 +0000

Today I thought I'd try my hand at something new! Inspired by the entertaining recipe blogging of Pioneer Woman, and the baking genius of the lovely Bakerella, I went to the shops and armed myself with cake mix, frosting, lollies, chocolate melts and lollipop sticks.

In March, Pioneer Woman hosted a Bakerella cake pop fest, where a few lucky people got to go to her Lodge way out in the sticks of Oklahoma (read, gorgeous ranch accommodation with a to-die-for kitchen) and learn how to make these cuties from the master herself! Naturally, she blogged about the whole process, but if you, too would like to give these cake pops a go, you can find the step-by-step instructions here.

Well, lacking an army of readers to flock to my door to join me in my quest, I conscripted my three girls, who were gladly prepared to experiment with me! That is, until I stipulated that kitchen cleaning assistance would be required by all who wished to participate in cake pop decorating. This decree weeded out one daughter, who was disinclined to continue her involvement in the program.

Part 1: The coloured sugar.
Being novices to cake decorating in general, I decided we should start with something easy, so we opted for plain white chocolate coating, rolled in coloured sugar, with a candy star to finish it off.
The girls had 20 good minutes of fun massaging and shaking food dye through small zip-lock bags of sugar. Our zeal resulted in eight colour varieties, and used up all of my white sugar, but was great fun to do!

Inky hands!

Part 2: The cake pops.
With cake pops, you can pick whatever flavour of cake you like, and cake mix is fine to use, so I picked a Green's Lemon Cake, and added a splash of orange essence, and a few drops of rose pink and yellow food dyes to make a nice apricot colour. The finished cake, complete with finger imprint in the middle. This was the first cake I'd made that I didn't have to be careful with- I was about to turn it into a pile of crumbs before forming it into balls. So, sure as eggs are eggs, I gave it a good bash to get it out of the tin, which resulted in a goodly sized chunk ending up on the floor. I'll be more careful next time... I think!

We mixed the cake crumbs with a good wad of frosting until it was a moldable consistency, rolled it all up into small balls, and pushed lollipop sticks into them. We dipped the sticks into melted chocolate first, so they would hold inside the cake a little better. Then we put the balls into the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up, which they did nicely.

Now the funnest part- decorating!

Melting white chocolate in a bowl in another bowl of hot water. It's a bit more tedious, but a bit safer than doing it in the microwave. Believe me- I've had melting-chocolate-in-the-microwave disasters before!

Some of the coloured sugars on pretty plates... aren't they sweet!

Cake pop battle!

Oops, I popped!

An interesting perspective...

Cuties!

Finished specimens... I thought I'd try the Bakerella trick and put a coloured backdrop behind them. I couldn't quite get the right angle though- you don't see any polystyrene blocks in her pics, although I bet they are there! I think it's the camera- I was just using my iPhone camera, and couldn't take great closeup shots of multiple pops. That'll teach me for not recharging the camera batteries!
Gift of love. My darling hubby got the honour of having the first one. I picked a real cutie for him- cos he's a real cutie!
My pick. Mmm, it was yummy! But very sweet. I'll definitely make these again, but only for parties or gatherings of some kind. I don't think my pancreas will stand it if I make them just for our family too often!
1st date...

1st kiss... don't they make a great couple!

Yummmm!

In Him,

Ooh, ooh, ooh, I just got an award!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:51:00 +0000

I have absolutely no idea how to do this, so it's a learning process, folks! Please forgive me if I botch it all up! Today I was having a little surf on my bloggy friends' sites, and to my awe and shock(???) I found that Miss*Suzanne over at I Was Thinking had given me a pretty award! Thanks so much, Miss Suzanne!
Here is the award:

“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to a few bloggers who must choose a few more bloggers and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

Now apparently it is my esteemed task to nominate some of my bloggy friends for this award too, so here goes:
I nominate my lovely sister Amanda, who has just started blogging at In His Image, the gorgeous MamaBear, at Bears In Exile/Return Home, the courageous Terri, at Once in a Lifetime, the famously entertaining Ree at The Pioneer Woman, and the like-minded Tammi at Valley Girl.
Lovely ladies, please pass this award on to some of the bloggers you follow and appreciate, and include with the picture the text which is written beneath it.
Happy blogging, lovely friends!

In Him,

Post script: I just heard from my lovely friend Denise at Shortybear's Place, who I omitted from my awards because I couldn't access her blog last night. Glad to know she's still blogging! Denise, here's your nomination too!

God infuses inner strength into me!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:57:00 +0000

I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me.
(Philippians 4:13- The Amplified Bible)
I love that thought!

In Him,

One at a time's good fishing!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:42:00 +0000

First, let me start by saying that this post has nothing whatsoever to do with fishing. Don't get me wrong- I like fish, especially thick salmon fillets, seared and cooked to perfection in a hot cast iron pan and drizzled with olive oil and lime juice! Excuse me, I'll just go and have some dinner and then return to finish my post...

Ahhh, that's better! Now, the fishing... The title above is a saying that my darling husband's grandad used to say. It's drizzled down through the decades, much like the olive oil, and is now used frequently in our own household.
'One at a time's good fishing' basically means that if you focus on one thing at a time, and don't get impatient and try to rush things to get a speedier result, you'll be more successful, effective, satisfied, etc.
Recently, I've decided to do this with my weight loss efforts. Although I'm continuing to be mindful of what I'm eating (most of the time!), I felt led to choose one thing and be consistent and committed in that one thing day in, and day out. I've committed to a minimum of 30 minutes of activity/exercise EVERY day of the week except Sundays- our day of rest, but also one of our fullest days at the moment, with church till 2pm, and back there for the marriage course at 5 till 9pm!
So far, I've exercised at the gym 4 times and gone for walks 3 times in the past 8 days... I'm on track! And my good friend the tape measure is showing pleasing signs too, with a total loss of another 6cm (about 2in) in the past week, from waist, bust & hips.
This leading came through hearing three different people, over two days. Firstly, a lady on Focus on the Family radio broadcast, who did this very same thing- one step at a time. Then over coffee with some godly girlfriends, someone mentioned a message preached several years ago which was on conquering your mountains one step at a time! Lastly, I have a life coach named Joyce- perhaps you've heard of her- Joyce Meyer? I was listening to her podcasts for four hours the next day, while painting LOTS of walls! And she counselled me in exactly the same message: "Choose one thing in your life that God is speaking to you about, and really commit yourself to change in that area". Can you hear her voice? I can!
So that's what I'm doing. I've committed to myself and God as my helper and accountability partner. Maybe sooner, rather than later, I'll be posting some before and after pictures!
In Him,

St Paddy's Day Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 06:58:00 +0000

365 Days of Grateful

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 08:36:00 +0000

An hour ago, I ducked out to the shops for some dinner and some low fat icecream treats. Although I'd already opened my blogger account, and was very ready to start pondering about all the things I'm thankful for, I felt sorry for my darling husband who was fainting for lack of dinner. OK, I made that bit up, but anyway, I sorta thought I'd better get my butt into gear and find some dinner for the poor fella. Near the icecream freezers, I heard a plaintive cry- the magazine section sat calling to me. Only half wanting to resist that temptation, I wandered over and had a look-see at the home magazines. Notebook was sealed up so I couldn't look inside, but I got it on a whim, tucked it under my wing (after paying for it, of course), and took it home to savour later.

I knew it was a God-thing when I opened it up just now, and came across an article entitled "365 Reasons to be Grateful". Hailey Bartholomew, a photographer and mother of two had been feeling generally low, and was encouraged by her mentor to reflect on each day, and write down what she was grateful for. Being a photographer, her writing soon transferred into polaroid photographs of the things in life that were a blessing to her. After a year, she had an album full of treasures- from poignant moments to simple joys. But more than that, she felt her whole outlook on life had lifted: "I'm so happy lately... I have so much and all I need, and so much love in my life."

So what about us? As Christians, we don't just get to be grateful, but we have Someone to focus our gratitude on- we can be thankful towards our loving, detailed God, who has given His life for us, and put so many delightful things into our world! What things are you thankful today? Take some time to think about these, and give thanks to God.

I've posted some of my blessings in my side bar. I could share so many. Please let me know some of the things you are thankful for too. I would love to hear from you! By the way, you can visit Hailey's Grateful Project at www.youcantbeserious.com.au and click on Flickr. Please check it out- she has a lovely talent for capturing beauty in the ordinary.

In Him,

P.S. I had fun playing PhotoStory Friday over at Mama Geek's blog: Works For Us
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

What really matters?

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:12:00 +0000

Well hello my friends! After a long break from blogging, I'm back with some words to say.
My quest to be extraordinary continues, (referring to the title Not The Same), so with a new year comes a new look, but the title still stands- I want to live a meaningful and victorious life in Jesus my LORD.

Although not so many victories on the weight loss front, I have grown so much in other areas of my life in the past year or so. God has brought me on such a journey of self-discovery in the almost three years since we came to Enjoy Church, and I'm so thankful to HIM for the work He's been doing in me. I turned 33 last week, and confess (not boast, because it's definitely God's amazing power at work), that in the past year I've become more confident, more able to minister to others, even more lovely than I ever thought I could be. But there's so much more than this to be had in God.

Today we farewelled our dear friend Rosa, who passed away last Wednesday -on my birthday- from breast cancer. She was 52 years old. Her funeral was full- our 800 seat church had hardly a seat left vacant. What a woman. She didn't have any great achievements listed against her name, had not started any business empires or benevolent charities. But 800 people turned out today because her short life had touched theirs.

I have known Rosa for only two years, but in that time she was a great blessing to my life. The words spoken today highlighted what was important to her - Loving God, and Loving Others, and have made me want to re-assess my work-life balance. What really matters in life? And how can I make space in my life to ensure I do those things well?

The past few weeks have been extremely busy. With several ministry roles on the go, as well as a full schedule at work, I've found myself with little time or energy to devote to my family. Lord, I know it's time to take stock of what's important in my life. Can it be that it's time to cull things again? I can't even think what I could cut out of my life, but I know somehow I want to make time to be more available- not just for people God sends to me (which I'm pretty good at!), but specifically for those He's already placed in my life. How long since I had a cup of tea with my own Mum? She lives only an hour away. And I want to sow love and real caring into my children. In a few short years they'll be women. Lord, help me to show them the way- what it really means to follow you and love others. Lead me in the way everlasting.

In Him,

Fantastic Weight Loss Site!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 07:41:00 +0000

Hi everyone, I just wanted to jump in here and tell you all about a fantastic website I've just encountered: www.calorieking.com, or for us Aussies, www.calorieking.com.au! Not only do they have HEAPS of calorie values for foods we eat & buy every day, but they also have a recipe section with a clever twist- go to Recipes>> Advanced Search, you can specify the type of recipe you want including low fat, low sodium, and several more, as well as the type of meal or dish you are wanting to cook.
I wanted to bake something low in calories for Bible Study tomorrow night, I used this search, and came up with 10 recipes in the baking category which are under 100 calories per serve! And the US site has 20!! I thought that was great!!
So I think I'll be making the No-Fat Brownies tomorrow... I'll let you know how it goes! But if you've got some cooking to do, or even if you're planning to eat out soon, why not head over to the Calorie King site too, and see what you can find!!

Blessings,

The ultimate secret!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:18:00 +0000

This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. - Mark 4:26-27

Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. - 2 John 1:8

This Monday, I went to the gym. That in itself is nothing truly exciting... I've been going an average of three times a week for several months now. But on this particular day, I began some new exercises which, throughout the days following, reminded me of the existence of some well insulated and long-forgotten muscles! Although the resulting twinges are unpleasant, they also produce a certain joy- reminding me that I do indeed have the necessary equipment I need to become lean and toned!

I've been thinking about the fact that beneath the unlikeable layers of- shall we say- adipose tissue, I have muscles which are secretly growing and becoming stronger and healthier! But as new fibres knit silently together in the unseen layers of my body, I must be careful that I do not counteract their progress by eating recklessly!

You see, there are two aspects to this 'secret' principle. The first is that when I exercise regularly, although I can't see it for some time, my muscles are growing, and my health is improving! But the second aspect, the flip side, is that all the secret snacks and indulgences I consume are undoing the good work I've achieved during my exercise time!

The first passage, Mark 4:26-27, mentions that man scatters his seed upon the ground, and then it inevitably grows a crop. What I want to know, and what I'm asking myself is... "What seed am I sowing?" If I sow chocolate bars, chips and double-sized meals, guess what I'll be reaping?- Double-sized me!!! But if I sow diligent exercise, with moderate food intake, I will reap the good health and pleasantly shaped body I desire to have!

But what about the predicament I'm in at the moment... I'm exercising virtuously, and my muscles are doing their secret growing thing. (good muscles!) But a war is being waged within me, as I continue to succumb to food temptation frequently; secretly undermining my own efforts! (Excuse me while I ramble off in a despondent Romans 7 tone... "Oh wretched man that I am; what I should do, I don't do; and what I don't wish to do, that I do...etc., etc.")

In Romans 7, Paul talks about the inward battle that he is experiencing as he tries to do what he know is right. Man, I know what he's on about!! But since he's been through the same struggle before me, and because the Bible is God's great instruction manual, I thought I'd go there to see what answers Paul found for his situation. Just after Paul's cries of despair, I found Romans 8:5-6:
'For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.'
Herein lies our ULTIMATE secret! I will continue to have these mental and emotional battles until the day I die, and NEVER see the good fruits of my hard work if I continue to listen to the mind of my flesh. This mind INSISTS and PERSISTS, saying "Go on, have one... you're not getting anywhere anyway... you won't succeed in reaching your weight loss goals!"
I have to choose to IGNORE that voice, that mind; and focus on the Spirit, God's gentle voice that whispers to me "Resist the temptation, Juliet... in due time you will reap a harvest if you don't give up!" Ladies, I know I'm not the only one out there who struggles with this issue! Let's press on together this week, listening to God's voice, and remind ourselves of the good results that are being produced secretly in our bodies as we continue to do what we know is right.

Blessings,

Blue skies and harlequin bugs...

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:03:00 +0000

Well folks, spring has come upon us down here in Melton, Australia, and boy, aren't we glad!
The sudden migration of creepy spiders and bugs indoors would be a source of great chagrin, but is tempered by our overwhelming relief at being able to shed a few layers, and sit at the computer without a blankie in the middle of the day!

The first few days of spring have brought with them some milder weather, some lovely blue skies, lots of greenery, and plenty of bugs. We've had three spiders in the past week. Two were dealt with by my awesome hubby before I had any knowledge of them, but one I had to squish with my own shoe... while I was wearing it!! I'm very brave.

Harlequin bugs, little skinny things, are enjoying finding a mate and 'hooking up' in strange places like shower cubicles or our bedroom cornices.
My husband and I joked that they were in the right place for it!! ;o)
However it's possible that, I, rather than spring, have stirred up the creatures. Last weekend I spent a vigorous 30 minutes pulling out rebel weeds near our bedroom french doors. I sweated and strained, and cleared a patch the size of two men's hankies. They were big weeds, people!

Still, I hold out hope. Despite lots of weightier priorities, I'm hoping that the whole family will chip in, and with lots of effort, we will resurrect our back yard. My lovely family-in-law are coming over for Boxing Day Dec 26th, and in true Aussie style, will want to hold their own cricket Test Match. The Boxing Day Test is a sporting institution here in Melbourne, and many a backyard cricket match is held on the same day! It's usually to compensate for all the turkey and Christmas pud that's been consumed.

Here are some BEFORE photos, so you can sympathise with me. Yes, we have a LONG way to go!

Wish me luck!

Blessings,

Not the same... again!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:19:00 +0000

Yes, I know- I just changed my blog look a week or two ago, but I wasn't happy with the tan & black look which was a bit boring after the header had been scrolled away!
So now for something completely different. This time it's mostly my work- a lot of tinkering around with hex codes & html... aaargh! But still, I'm happy with the result... for now. :o)

But I have an announcement... for those of you who remember the course I was madly completing earlier this year. Today my certificate arrived in the post- I am now officially a Nurse Immuniser! It's a nice feeling to receive fruit from your labours!!
On the home front, it's a cold & rainy winter this year in Melbourne. We have had several downpours, and even hail twice, I think. Thankfully I was in my nice Corolla, and not pedalling to & from work with one of these contraptions!
Well, once again, I have spent so long tinkering with my blog look, that I've run out of time to produce anything of real substance! Even now, my husband is giving me 'the look'- My bad. We were going to watch a movie together tonight.
OK, I'm getting off now! I'll catch you again in a few days!

Blessings,

Going well...

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:05:00 +0000

Hello again Lovelies!
I just want to share a little something that's been helping me on my weight loss journey lately. A few weeks back, I was sick, under pressure at work, and generally eating just about whatever I liked! As a result, in the past month, I only lost 1kg, instead of the 2 or 3 that I had hoped for. I was fast slipping back into the scary eating patterns and resignation I had had before. But then something within me said NO. I don't want to undo all my hard work. I don't want to gain the weight I've lost. I believe God was causing some righteous indignation to bubble up in my spirit, and whispering to me "Don't give up... you CAN do it!"

So last Monday, after having bought takeaway TWICE during the day, I decided that I didn't want to continue this silliness any more! So I made a reward chart for good behaviour, just like I do for the girls and their chores. Every day, I reward myself $3 on the chart if I have not given in to temptation that day. When someone offers me something and I have a small serve, that's OK, I'm being polite and moderate at the same time. But if temptation is telling me to take a bigger slice, or another piece, that's when I have to decide what to do. My issue is not so much what I put into my mouth, but the amount of power I allow temptation/the flesh, to have in my life!
I also reward an additional $3 for exercise done with the proper amount of effort! Whenever I can, I will put away my weekly earnings to accrue for my new wardrobe that I will undoubtedly be needing in a few months!!! So last week, I earned a grand total of $24- enough for a cute new shirt perhaps! But not yet. So far, even though I'm just writing some money on a wall chart, I'm finding that I'm motivated to make sure I get to write up my $3 or $6 for the day! I am noticing some improvement in my body shape, and I don't want to lose it again. I might only have been losing a little bit at a time, but the fact is, I am losing it, so if I just continue in that, I will eventually reach my goal- if I don't give up!
Our Sunday message this week was about selecting scripture from the Bible to use as weapons when we feel the attack of the devil on our lives, just like David selected some stones to kill Goliath. Well, here's one of my weapons for this situation: Galatians 6:9- Let us not become weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up!
Have a great week, everybody, and don't give up!!!

Blessings,

Time for a change!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:23:00 +0000

Hello Lovelies! As you can see, I've updated my tired old blog template. I don't yet possess the clever skills to properly create or re-create a new look, so I've found a lovely one from Candy's Templates.
Sorry all of my lovely favourite blog lists etc have disappeared with the reno. Promise I'll get them back up soon. It's late, but I just had to get a little post up after all my tinkering- if for no greater reason than to get rid of the bright green pic which was at the top of my previous post... can't have that- it doesn't match the new colour scheme!!
So here's a more appropriate match. As this post doesn't really have a theme today, I can really put any pic I like, can't I!OK, it's a car. What's a nice girl like me doing putting car pictures on her blog?? Hmm. Well it matches, and it's HOT too. And you can blame my darling hubby for the influence!!
So anyway, it's definitely time for a more serious post, so I'll be back tomorrow hopefully- If I get the house in order!!
Catch you soon!
Blessings,

Yaaaaaaayyyyyyy!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:55:00 +0000

Yes, I'm finally through accreditation- we've come out the other end, and in general, the clinic has come out fairly well! There are some small changes we need to implement, but I'm a happy camper!!
The clinic accreditation visit was today. This was me, most nights last week and early this week. (except, a girl version, and my desk was covered, rather than stacked!!) I put in so many looooong days, working into the wee hours on things like computer security policies, new staff induction information, and triage guides for non-clinical staff. I'm glad it's over! There's still plenty more to develop, but I told my boss very nicely but clearly, that I won't be taking any more work home, at least not for another 3 years. But in reality, if we haven't got everything running smoothly by the next accreditation, I probably won't still be there- that would generate some serious deficit in my job satisfaction levels!!!

Anyway, what am I doing, still rambling on about work! Let's change the subject, shall we?
On the health front, I am much improved, thank-you! That cold lurked around for far too long... got into my chest, and I had to go on antibiotics even! Well, I'm still putting up with the remainders of it, but will be safely back at the gym in the next day or so... I had 1.5 weeks off- will I even be able to use my muscles again???

I have been so blessed with comments from lots of bloggy friends lately. Thanks everyone! It's late, and I've had enough of pulling late nights on the computer, so i'm gonna go. Promise I'll be back to talk about something more substantial soon. In the mean-time, Live Well everyone. And don't eat too many sugar-free sweets- I hear they produce certain unsavoury side effects!!!!?!

Blessings,

Coughing and sniffling!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:07:00 +0000

Hi everyone, I've been gone for a while- sorry! A few of you have left comments to make sure I'm OK. Thanks, I appreciate your concern. Right now I have a cold, so I'm coughing and spluttering my way through the day- Lovely! Feeling a bit under the weather!
But generally, I have been good. Just life & work have been getting busier. Even today, my day off, will be mostly spent on work stuff, so please excuse the short post- I'm really just wanting to let everyone know I haven't dropped off the face of the earth!!!

But I do have to tell you all about the Making Marriage Better course I mentioned last time! We had our first night last Sunday, and it went really well! I am so excited and expectant of improvement and health for these marriages, and I'm also expecting we'll have some great growth in our own marriage as we lead the other couples through the course! In the course, we watch teaching videos covering one aspect of marriage (eg communication, family of origin, etc.) per week, and then follow with small group discussion looking at our own lives and learning how to apply skills and truths into our relationships on a daily basis. The teaching is really well communicated, and full of truths that will set people free! I'm excited!

Gotta go already- get back to working on my "work stuff". By this time next week, I should not be needing to bring any more work home. Phew! Catch you then!
Blessings,

P.S. Hopefully next week I will put up a cast of characters, so you can see who we all are! Stay tuned for that one!

New Insights!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:09:00 +0000

Hiya, everyone!
It's pretty late tonight, but I just wanted to pop in and say hi to y'all.
Last week I really struggled with my thoughts, and was tempted to eat lots of naughty foods. I must admit, I gave in a couple of times, too. But I'm learning to encourage myself, and continue with the discipline of healthy eating. Where previously I would feel a strong sense of defeat, and be easily persuaded to give into temptations, now I find I can get back up, and keep on heading towards my goal- praise God!!!
Today at the gym I had my weigh and measure. It's been 2 months since I started there, and I've lost a total of 24.5cm (almost 10 inches!!) off various body parts, and about 3kg in weight! I'm so glad I haven't given up when I've struggled... I'm still on the road to victory!

My darling husband and I are about to start facilitating a fantastic marriage enrichment course called Making Marriage Better. (Click here to learn more about that!) We're really excited about it, and looking forward to ministering to many others through the course! But to facilitate (lead) the course, we first have to do the facilitator's course- naturally! My DH has already done it, and has been facilitating mens courses since last Feb., but I am in the midst of my training now.

The reason for all this chatter is to tell you about the wonderful insight I learned on Saturday, while watching the training videos. It was something I'd heard before, but on Saturday, the penny really dropped! I believe it's something that will really help me, and it may also be of help to you, so here goes...
The trainer, Helen Meyer, was discussing four areas of recovery: areas of a person's life which may need work in order for healing to take place. These areas are: spiritual area, cognitive area (thought life), behavioural area, and feelings or emotions.
Very often, pastors, counsellors, facilitators, etc. lean towards one particular area, and therefore they may try to help a person using only a narrow approach. (I hope you're following me!!) An example of this may be using cognitive techniques, but failing to address the spiritual roots of the issue, or conversely, using prayer and deliverance ministry, but not acknowledging the need to process emotions! "OK, OK," you say, "just get on with it and tell me the new insight you had!!"

Well, it was this: I realised that I too have a bent towards a particular area- namely the Behavioural one, and that my difficulties in conquering some of my lifelong issues (such as lateness and unhealthy living) may be due in part, to my lack of focus on the other areas of recovery! To explain what I mean a bit more, I'll detail what behavioural work consists of.

Behavioural work is:

Taking responsibility for your behaviour
Structuring your life for behavioural change
Making it easy to do the right thing
Making it hard to do the wrong thing!
Putting off/putting on - taking action
Support and accountability in a group or with a friend.

Wow, I hear bells ringing!! That is me to a T! Any of you who have been reading my blog for a while will agree, that's what I'm all about.. it's in just about every post I write! Sooooo, of course, the Holy Spirit was giving me a bit of a nudge, saying "What about the other 3 areas... perhaps it's time you looked at some of them a bit more seriously."

A challenge for all of us, perhaps, to move out of our comfort zone and explore a wholistic approach to our own change! How very strange for me, being confronted with this new truth! Even now, I'm trying to avoid a behavioural approach, such as putting in place a structure so I can address spiritual issues etc. Hee hee, isn't that funny!
So I will avoid it. I won't strategise, I'll just carry my course book around a bit, refer to it now and then, and wait for the Holy Spirit to speak some more. That was fairly loose, wasn't it??!?

I'm sure you want to know what the other three areas entail too. I've abridged them, because of course, they're under copywright, but at least you'll have the general idea!

Spiritual work includes:

Conversion, Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Forgiveness, Inner healing
Deliverance, Spiritual warfare, and devotional life.

Cognitive work includes:

Renewing the mind, Bible study and replacing negative self talk with Biblical truth
Challenging faulty beliefs and lies
Learning new truths about yourself (eg Who I am in Christ!)

Feelings work includes:

Learning how to identify and express feelings
Allowing yourself to experience feelings (eg suppressed feelings!)
Expressing feelings responsibly

How do you work through things in your life? Do you focus on one of these areas in particular? I hope this new insight has been helpful for you! I'm off to bed now, but will continue to think and pray about these things in the days ahead. I'd love to hear your comments about this!

Have a great week everyone!

Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com

Lemons!

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:23:00 +0000

Just wanted to share the laugh with you...

Remember those alarm clocks I bought 2 posts back?
Well you guessed it- they were lemons!... Not one of them worked!!!!
Can you imagine my flabbergastered-ness (is there such a word??), when I got up at 6.30a.m. and investigated these silent creatures...
despite fiddling with the various settings, and trying again numerous times to get the alarms to activate, the biggest alarm evident was a small line on the digital display which flashed when the alarm time was reached. No loud siren, no flashing red lights, just a little flashing line next to the time display!
My response: "Well, that's really going to wake someone up, isn't it!!"

At least, by then I was well and truly awake, and we did of course get to school on time!!

Back again in a few days for our next installment of Give a Hoot!
Hope you can join me!!

Blessings,

Alphabet meme...

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:27:00 +0000

Hi to all... I'm not wanting to overshadow my earlier post (please read it- entitled "What?!? Late again?"), however, I've been wanting to do one of these memes for a while now, and there never seems to be the perfect time, as I'm always in the middle of a topic! So here goes, enjoy some light reading about moi!!

I got this from MamaBear at Bears In Exile (see my favourite blogs list on the right hand side), and I also spied it last week at Shortybear's Place!

A)Age-32
B)Burger of choice-Homemade- lean beef patty on soy & linseed roll, with baby spinach, fried onions, beetroot and mustard- yes, I really am living well!
C)What kind of car you drive-2005 Corolla Levin Wagon- sporty model in dark blue (with plenty of dust, as we live in a dusty town, and have become used to water restrictions!)
D)Dogs name-Do not have a dog. (Have a friendly cream coloured cat named Glory!)
E)Essential item you use everyday-Computer- that was predictable, wasn't it!
F)Favorite TV show- Dr Phil, previously loved Alias!
G)Favorite game to play- Word games... surprised??
H)Hometown-Melton, Vic, Australia
I)Instruments you play-None
J)Favorite Juice-Don't really have a favourite these days, but I used to love Apricot Nectar
K)Whose butt you would love to kick- Nope, no-one's coming to mind at the moment!
L)Last restaurant you ate at-Taj Agra- delicious Indian food in Ringwood, Vic.
M)Favorite Muppet-Does Ernie count??? - He's a lot like me!
N)Number of piercings-One in each ear.
O)Overnight hospital stays- 4- 3 were bouncing babes, and one was for a fractured radial head... (broken arm, in earth speak!)
P)People you were with today- My very good friend Camille, and my spunky famille.
Q)What you do in your quiet time-Snuggle up with a good book.
R)Biggest regret: Well, MamaBear said "Between me and God", and after pondering it a moment, I realised that my biggest regret is also staying between me & God- you guys all don't need to to know about that ole thing!
S)Status-Very happily married.
T)Time you woke up-6:30a.m.
U)What you consider unique-My Mad Menggie- second born daughter, with a way out personality! (And loving it!!) ------------->>>>>>>
V)Vegetables you love-Pumpkin!!! Mushrooms!! Eggplant... (don't tell Mum- I hated eggplant when I was a kid!)
W)Worst habit-being late for things.
X)X-rays you have had- Back ( long time ago), and elbow (when fractured, obviously.- 2001)
Y)Yummy food you ate today- I made a delicious vegetable & barley soup last night which I had for lunch, and then!!!! a delicious steak smoked on the barbie, courtesy of my highly skilled hubby! (for dinner!)
Z)Zodiac sign-Well, I don't like zodiac signs, never read them, but if you have to know, It's Aquarius.

Blessings,

What?!? Late again?

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 05:19:00 +0000

(Time to give a hoot about being on time!)

“I have noticed that the people who are late, are often
so much jollier than the people who have to wait for them.”
- E.V.Lucas (English Writer, 1868-1938)

Tee hee, is anyone else laughing?? I think there are a few more darlings like me out there- fun, likeable, but terribly undisciplined in some areas of their lives! It's true, I have struggled with lateness for years ('scuse the airing of dirty laundry!). But, where once it was just me running to the school office for a late pass, now I have three adorable offspring doing exactly the same!

"Oh," you say, "That's no laughing matter!" And you're right, but it's not an easy thing to change! Over the past few months alone, I've tried schedules, bribes, early morning TV to get them up, no TV, 'cause it's too much of a distraction, porridge, scrambled eggs, cups of tea, promises of McDonalds brekkies (naughty mum!), loud music, getting grumpy, early morning cuddles, and delivering stern lectures in the car on the way to school! All this, and we're still arriving late almost every day, getting detentions and notes home from school.

(Despite this horrific divulgement, please don't leave me and run off to another blog where the author has her life more under control! I'm gonna get better... promise!!)

Isn't it weird how we tend to blame ourselves for our dysfunction, but then not actively try to fix it! Having had the problem for so long, part of me recoils at the idea of trying to address the issue yet again. But that's not what this blog is about, and that's not what this year is about! I don't want to remain the same as I have always been! I don't want to be a victim to the bondages I've always had! So it's time to tackle the problem head on, to go out with all guns blazing, and all the rest of the colloquialisms we can think of! (except the one about sticking your head in the sand!!)

Step 1: Today after school (and 2 detention notes- head hangs in shame...), I went straight to The Reject Shop and bought 3 alarm clocks. They're not just any alarm clocks, either- they're siren clocks with a rotating light like the ones you find on a police car- sure to make the slumbering sweeties jump out of their skins!

Step 2: I set them all to go off at different intervals: firstborn's at 6.30 a.m., followed by 6.31 and 6.32 for second and third-born respectively. This way (hopefully...) subsequent alarms going off in other bedrooms will keep all in a state of semi-alertness!

Step 3: I've set my own alarm for 6.15, so I will be up and ready to take advantage of their semi-alert states.

Step 4: Needing a bit more fire-power, I turn to the Bible for something to help me. Ooh, just what I'm looking for:

"The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the
path of the upright is a highway." (Proverbs 15:19)

Wow, this really speaks to my issue, and yours too, if you struggle with a similar thing! It means that if I am lazy or have a resigned attitude about my problem, then all I will encounter will be obstacles and troubles. Indeed, if I look with that mindset, I may not really try to walk the path at all! But if I have a right mindset, and diligently work to be on time all the time, then it will become an easier road to travel!

Rightie-o, then (...you British chaps, how exactly do you spell that word??), it's time I started putting all this into practice.

Lord, you know how much I struggle with this lateness issue! Please help me to be diligent to get up when I need to, and be there to help my girls get organised. Help me to remember to turn to You when I'm struggling to do the right thing! Amen.

Lovelies, I'll be sure to report back to you, so stay tuned for further installments of Give a Hoot! If you feel you also need to address some of the poor habits in your own life, and would like to follow along with this theme, you can find the original explanatory post here, along with a button link to declare that you, too, are giving a hoot about the things in your too hard basket!
Until next time, lovelies, have a great week!
Blessings,

Time to kick some ______ !

noreply@blogger.com (Juliet Fieldew) — Wed, 28 May 2008 08:03:00 +0000

“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've brought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” -Dr Seuss.

Hi everyone! In my last post I decided it was time to start giving a hoot about all the things I'd been ignoring in life-problems that are too big, issues that need addressing, and good intentions that need to be planned on purpose in order to be achieved! I'm sure you all know what I mean! But before focusing on individual things, I thought a list might be in order... does anyone else out there love lists too? I know I do!! If you are doing this with me, it's time to do an inventory too. What things do you want to see change in? What things do you want to achieve for your own personal growth or health, or to enrich the lives of those around you?

Proverbs 20:5 says "The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out."

We can have so many desires and intentions for good milling around inside our heads and hearts, but oftentimes we find we are not very focused, and as a result, we accomplish little. I believe that as we begin to draw out our intentions, plan how to achieve them, and act on them, we will begin to see new fruit- growth, change and maturity in these areas of our lives!

So here goes... These are some of the things I have been feeling convicted about:

My own health- adopting a permanent healthy way of eating and using food, and a permanently more active lifestyle!
My family's health- doing what I can do to help them with health challenges, and be an example for them/encourage them in the adoption of a healthy lifestyle too!
My relationship with my husband- there are many things I know he would love me to do, perhaps I could do more to bring a sense of wellbeing and togetherness in our marriage!
Being on time- making whatever changes I need to make to help me and my children be consistently early or on time to things! No more lateness!
Caring more for my appearance- No. I'm not talking about expensive beauty treatments every week, or designer label jeans (although praise God if you have these!), I'm simply being convicted about taking more care over what I have- caring for my skin, for instance! I feel it's time I stopped taking what I have for granted, and started purposefully caring for what I have. It makes me feel happier and more lovely, sets a good example for my girls to follow, and makes my husband feel more positive too! (But more about that in another post!)
Being a better steward of my finances!

Over the coming weeks, I will look at these one by one, and no doubt, add more along the way! I hope you'll enjoy the journey with me! Sadly, I have to make a dash now- it's time to go to Bible Study! Have a great week, and I'll see you again soon!

Blessings,