Who AM I ?

God tells me and you..

Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart."

Some of where I come from was Wales, UK.

(Left) great grandmother Charles (maternal) with her daughter and new husband, plus other family members.

I was the fourth child of five born to my Australian mother and English father.

My mother with her five children. I am in front on the right.

Looking at this photo today I realised all of our body language is tilted towards our mother. We were all very close to her.

Mum taught us a faith by example.

Our life revolved around God.

The country home we grew up in south western New South Wales.

My sister stands outside and I took this photo with her brownie camera.

This sister has always been my best encourager in my faith, she has never wavered.

 Our background can form us for better or worse.

I came from a strong Christian background and for this I am thankful.

However, ultimately it is up to us and our choices as to where we go in life.

Today it is popular to pass the blame for doing the wrong thing onto someone else.

When I grew up we made the best of our lives and if  it went wrong we shouldered our own responsibility.

There was no passing the buck.

I have made good choices and bad ones, the same as you.

Learning lessons is what has been important.

Growing in wisdom and maturity, knowing when you are wrong and admitting it, and asking and accepting forgiveness, makes for a healthy life. 

No one is perfect.. I certainly am not!!!

I get distressed sometimes when people judge.

They think I have the perfect life and it is all together,

 just because I laugh much of the time. 

Not So....!!

What I do have is a strong unwavering faith.

A faith instilled in me from a child.

Some children choose to turn away. I choose to stay.

Genesis 8:1, And God Remembered.................(Us)!!

From eight to eighteen years of age. I grew up without a father.

This was no excuse for me to do the wrong thing.

I was not forgotten. Because God remembered.

You are not forgotten either.

God Always Remembers!!!

Shining * STARS *

You are all shining STARS glowing and twinkling out love.
I take nothing in life for granted and am praising God for all of you.
Know you are special, unique and beloved of the Lord.
It's not what happens to us in life, but how we react in times of adversity.

My Miracle:

*For my son Lee-Joel, that he and  his beautiful wife and son re-unite.

                             Grandson Izaiah and Lee-Joel (works in construction).

1 Corinthians 13:7-8
"LOVE bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails."




*For my son Peter, to gain a beautiful Christian wife.

Peter

(Coach driver to the mines, far north Queensland.)

Proverbs 18:22 

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing,

And obtains favor from the LORD."

Both son's know the Lord. Both are believers in the Word. 

                                                  My Sons                                       
                                          

Amazing Grace

My eldest child, daughter Femia, (named after her Italian Nona) pictured here in the middle rear line of her school class.

She was a very shy child who lacked confidence. Yet with the encouragement of a wonderful teacher, Mr Maxwell, she soon realised a talent for athletics. I believe she still holds the school record for long jump, thirty three years later. She went on to become the school athletic champion, competing at state level.

On her first evening at a new church she was watched by the young man playing the piano. They went on outings with the church youth and soon became an item.

In 1985 Femia and David married in a huge Italian wedding.

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

(1 John 4:7-8)

Standing on a platform, they cut the wedding cake together.

 “Love is not self seeking, it’s not easily angered,
 it keeps no record of wrong.”  
 (1 Corinthians 13:5 )

Time Goes By and they build a Firm Foundation in Jesus Christ. 

 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
(Hebrews 10:24)

Next month they celebrate twenty five years of marriage

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:"
(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

The family that prays together stays together.

With their three children and a new son-in-law, this year.

Sepia Family

I am the baby in my mothers arms and this photo was taken after the war in the late 1940's.

At this time we lived in a housing commission (government) home in Canley Vale NSW.

My father was a return soldier from the second world war and it had taken a toll, something he never got over. He'd served in the Middle East and on the Kokoda Trial in Papua New Guinea. He never lost his English accent and I can still hear the way he asked if a "pot o tea" was ready. He'd laugh and say, everything good in life was Buckshee (free).  

When I was five the family purchased and moved to a small acreage at Horsley Park.

My father built on to the four roomed house adding two extra rooms.

My mother cooked on a fuel stove which also served to heat the home (poorly).

Me.

Mum sewed all our clothes on her treadle sewing machine.

That's another good memory.

It hummed along and she sang...Toora Loora loora...or some other song.

She was always singing in those years. Later she played the church organ until her finger became too stiff. Now it's the harmonica.

Mum is 92yrs old now.

Pictured here with my granddaughter Shiarn.

Luke 12:22

Then Jesus said to his disciples:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.
Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them."

Yes we made it! and the best heritage my mother imparted was a love and desire to follow Jesus,

Children are of the Lord. 'Sepia Saturday.'

I know this photo isn't as old as most posted on here, but it is the original colour.

This is my daughter Daniella at age 9 months.

She looks apprehensive, not sure what was going on.

 

This is her again, grown-up and married with  to little boys of her own.

                                                                              

And an old fashioned look of these two same little boys taken by my elder photographer daughter.

                                                                    

Elyshah Liam is on the left and Antonio Elijah on the right.

Both boys are almost six feet tall today and tower over their mother.

Antonio, Daniella and Elyshah.

I am a proud mother and grandmother.

(just wish the boys wouldn't straighten their hair)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proberbs 3:5-6



                                  

HAPPINESS IS: Receiving The Happiness Award......

   

Oh My Oh My !!!
What a Blessing...

Dearest Sister Ann Marie has bestowed 'The Happiness Award' on me.
Please visit this dear Sister at http://franciscanlife.blogspot.com/

This is wonderful encouragement, to laugh at life and see the bright side of everything.

A friend of mine passed away recently from cancer.
Her name was Carole.
I went to visit her husband Michael yesterday to see how he was coping.
At first the talk was serious.     
Then he opened up and told me about his 6 year old grandson sitting beside him at the funeral.
The discussion there went something like this..
"Is Grandma in the box?"
"Yes, Sammy, she's in the box."
"What's she doing in there?"
"She's resting.  God let her come down from Heaven to look at everything."
"Can she see us Grandpa?"
"She sure can, she's looking at us through her photo on top of the box."
"Is she happy Grandpa?"
"Yes Sammy, see how she is smiling, she is very happy...
When all the singing is over, she will go back to Heaven."
We rejoiced together at how he was able to convey God's love to his little grandson.

Carole had chosen all the Hymn's and songs to be sung at the funeral and again at the crematorium.
Her last choice was, "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life!"

I can almost see Carole smiling as I write this.
So, in memory of a true Lady, who even at the end wanted others to be happy..
I pass on the Happiness Award.

I had to choose 5 sunny people for this.
It is to go to Bloggers who truly have 'Happiness' in their heart and pass it around to share with others.
As per the example of my friend Carole, they always look on the brighter side of life.

The choice was not an easy one.
As...you are all winners in my eyes!!

1.  http://livinitupinky.blogspot.com/
2.  http://kleiindehandvandepottenbakker.blogspot.com/
3.  http://therantingsofachristianhousewife.blogspot.com/
4.  http://cassandra89.blogspot.com/
5.  http://chattycrone.com/

LETS KEEP ON MAKING THE WORLD, A HAPPIER PLACE.

Beautiful Carole, a true Proverbs:31,  Woman.

Eighteen Years Gone With The Wind

Two Brothers, Eli (right)  Antonio  (left)

This photo of my grandsons was taken when Antonio was about 5 years old.
My eldest daughter, his Aunty dressed the boys in old world clothes prior taking the snap.

 Antonio turned eighteen years old last week. He is pictured here at school in uniform. 
In his final year he looks forward to completing exams and attaining a good O.P. result to enter University. 

Coming from an Italian background, he will spend a year in Italy before commencing studies to become a Physical Education Teacher.

 Antonio's eighteenth birthday.
He is pictured on the left of his mother (my daughter) with his younger brother on the right.
It's a long way from the photo of the two little boys above.

The Joy That You Give...
Time is not measured by the years that you live.
But by the deed that you do, and the joy that you give.
(Helen Steiner Rice)

Those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.
(Proverbs 14:22) The Bible is the way to go.