Feed My Sheep

A holy man spoke with the Lord about heaven and hell. The Lord said to the holy man, “Come, and I will show you hell.”

They entered a room where there was a large table, and a group of people sat around a huge pot of stew. Everyone was famished, desperate and starving. The stew made the holy man’s mouth water. Each person held a spoon that reached the pot, but each spoon had a handle so much longer than their own arms that it could not be used to get the stew into their own mouths. The suffering was terrible, and everyone sitting around the table were thin and sickly.

“Come, and now I will show you heaven,” the Lord said after a while. They entered another room, identical to the first — the pot of stew, the group of people, the same long-handled spoons. But there everyone was happy and well-nourished. “I don’t understand,” said the holy man. “Why are they happy here when they were miserable in the other room and everything looked the same?”

The Lord smiled, “Ah, it is simple,” he said. “Here they have learned to feed each other.”

The greedy think only of themselves.

When Jesus died on the cross, He was thinking of you!

Remember that I will always share my spoon with you.

How Aussie are You?

Ruby from Mumma’s Place just posted this Australian Meme, and I thought that it would be fun to see how Australian I really am.

(compiled by Dee from Downunder)

1. Been dive bombed by a magpie Yes, on my way home from school, as a child, although my brother was more frequently targeted.

2. Have seen a crocodile. Yes, I have even held one at Dundee’s in South Australia.

3. Have seen a snake in the wild. Yes, too many since we have been here. I HATE snakes, and anyone standing near me will tell you that my voicebox certainly gets a good workout when I see one.

4. Been bitten by a snake or other Aussie wildlife. No, they usually flee a million miles an hour in the opposite direction when they hear me scream.

5. Patted a koala – YES – in the Cleveland Wildlife and Conservation Park, although I noticed when I visited Dundee’s site that you can now cuddle a koala there, for a fee of  $5.00 per person,  too.

6. Seen a kangaroo in the wild. Yes, we have lots of them, and they even sometimes come and graze in our front yard.

7. Climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. No – I don’t like heights!

8. Climbed the Story Bridge in Brisbane. No. Same as above.

9. Visited the Sydney Opera House. No. It seems that I could do with some cultural edification.

10. Swam at the beach . I used to live at the beach as a child, but these days I’m more content to swim in our swimming pool.

11. Had fish and chips on the beach. No – I led a deprived childhood.

12. Been stung by a jellyfish. Yes, and they burn horribly for hours afterwards.

13. Had sunburn that peeled. Yes – I was so stupid as a teenager!

14. Camped under the stars. No – I like my creature comforts, such as running water, shower; soft, comfy bed and inside toilets.

15. Visited Uluru . Yes, and climbed up to Chicken Rock.

16. Driven the Great Ocean Road in Victoria . Yes, in the days when my husband and I travelled around in a caravan.

17. Seen the penguins on Phillip Island Victoria. Sadly, no, but I would love to!

18. Had an outdoor BBQ with Friends . This is our main entertaining method.

19. Played backyard/beach Cricket . No.

20. Watched a live cricket match. No.

21. Bet on the Melbourne Cup. No, I don’t gamble.

22. Attended the Melbourne Cup Live from Flemington. Same as above.

23. Attended a live Aussie Rules or rugby football game. No, I don’t like football – does that make me a bad Aussie?

24. Ridden a Melbourne Tram. No – we always have our own transport.

25. Snow Skied in the “high country” of NSW/Vic . Yes – well I attempted to ski, although I spent more time on my bottom than on the skis, and it was on our honeymoon.

26. Visited the Great Barrier Reef. No, but I would love to one day.

27. Been to Kakadu . This is also a place that I would love to visit one day.

28. Crossed the Nullarbor by road . No – there’s too many kilometres of nothing in between towns.

29. Gone down the Murray River on a paddle steamer . Nope – there sure do seem to be a lot of no’s here!

30. Survived a cyclone. Yes, but not in the eye of it – I was terrrified.

31. Survived a bushfire. No, thank fully.

32. Experienced a big flood. Yes, as a child in Blanchetown. My nanna’s home was inundated with more than a metre of water, but what I remember the most is the mess.

33. Know who the Wiggles are. Yes, although our children know them more.

34. Know who Humphrey the Bear is. Yes, I do – that’s telling tales, now isn’t it?

35. Watched Play School as a kid or mum of a kid . I watched it as a child.

36. Watched Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. Yes, I spent many hours watching Skippy and the park rangers.

37. Own an Australia Flag. No.

38. Know the words to Advance Australia Fair. Yes, most of it.

39. Eat Vegemite . Yes , I’m a happy little Vegemite as bright as bright can be!

40. Drink Milo . Yes, it’s one of my favourite drinks, even as an adult.

41. Know what lamingtons are . Yes, although they are not my favourites.

42. Know what Pavlova is . Yes, but not something that I eat – too sweet.

43. Know what Tim Tams are. Yes, but they’re too sweet.

44. Eaten a meat pie. Yes, we frequently have Pie Floaters.

45. Gave or received a “dead arm” . No, I don’t play games that hurt.

46. Have owned an Akubra hat. No – too expensive.

47. Own/owned an Australia Cattle dog. Yes, when I was a child.

48. Been to a B& S ball . No, I lived in the city.

49. Drive a ute. No.

50. Say G’day. Not usually, although my son does frequently.

51. Can cook damper .  No.

52. Can make billy tea . No, it sounds as if I truly have led a sheltered life, doesn’t it?

53. Supported a sausage sizzle . Yes, sometimes.

54. Own John Williamson CD/Music. No.

55. Owned backyard chooks or know what chooks are. Yes, we have all sorts of chooks – bantams, Rhode Island Reds and Isa Browns.

56. Call the toilet “the dunny” . No, not now nor ever.

57 . Wear thongs (on your feet…). No, although my husband and son do. I wear Masseur sandals which are much more comfortable for me.

58. Support Aussie Music. Yes, Christian Aussie music.

59. Enjoy a beer. No – yuck, I don’t even like the smell of it.

60. Swallowed a fly. No – the thought of it makes me feel queasy.

Well, I did consider myself to be a dinki-di Aussie, but my answers indicate that I have lots to do and see to class myself as a True-Blue, Dinki-Di, Dyed-in-the-Wool Aussie!

I’m with Ruby – this post took quite a while to answer all of the questions, but if you have the time, sit down and reflect on just how Australian you really are – the results may surprise and even shock you!

Image from Here.

A Chill in the Air

Has anyone noticed a very definite chill in the air? ‘Tis only autumn here,  but already I have a long sleeved blouse, pink woollen jacket, a heavy corded jacket, long skirt and socks – I know, not a good look, but socks are delightfully warm.

The skies are a bleak, dismal, grey, but praise God, for with the grey clouds come the rain, and we have had about 13 millimetres (over half an inch) – wahoo! The temperature here has dropped dramatically during the last couple of days, and I fear that we’re in for a long, cold winter.

In South Australia, the whole state stops just for the Adelaide Cup, which is a horse racing meeting. Fancy that – fancy stopping just for a horse race! Preposterous! Utterly absurd! Think what effect that this holiday is having on our state’s economy.

Do we stop homeschooling for the day? Nope, we’re not stopping our lives for a horse race. Our homeschooling day is happening just as usual – maths, English, Bible, social studies, science and computer. What about you – do you take the holidays as they come, or perhaps only some of them? Are you strongly opinionated about some of the holidays, or don’t you care either way?

Do You Know how to Crochet?

A man and woman had been married for more
than 60 years. They had shared everything.
They had talked about everything. They had
kept no secrets from each other except that the
little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her
closet that she had cautioned her husband never
to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought
about the box, but one day the little old woman
got very sick and the doctor said she would not
recover.

In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife’s bedside.

She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box.
When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totalling $95,000.

He asked her about the contents. “When we were to be married,” she
said, “My grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll.”

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two
precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two
times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with
happiness.

“Honey,” he said, “that explains the doll, but what about all of this money?
Where did it come from?”

“Oh,” she said, “that’s the money I made from selling the dolls.”

A Prayer…….

Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man;
Love to forgive him;
And Patience for his moods;
Because Lord, if I pray for Strength,
I’ll beat him to death, because I don’t know how to crochet. (Now this is me – perhaps I need to learn!!!)

I received this story, as an email, from a good friend of ours, and it was just too good not to share. What about you – do you know how to crochet?

Change Your Thinking