FAMILY GALLERY

Here are some pictures from my FAMILY GALLERY! We used to have chickens, ducks, and more geese, but they were eaten (not by us). Sorry girls, but as you can see, the cute guys down the bottom have been taken.

Aren’t children and pets a blessing. I am one sitting at my feet now – the pet, not the child.

Aaron was born 3 months premature. He hates it – but we call him our miracle child, but after losing 3 as still born – 3 ½ months premmy – he was truly a wonder baby. He has continued to bring us joy over the years – both in the bad and good times. He made his decision to follow Christ last year, and next year he and his lovely fiancé, Emily will be married at Hillsong Chapel.

The brown puppy below is called our `miracle dog’. Recently he ate a cane toad, and was very sick. We were sure he would die – we sat and watched him stop breathing and get really stiff. The next morning we woke up to find him jumping up at the door, wanting to be let in (they usually sleep in the bedroom).

These are just a few of the MIRACLES I have seen over the years. God is truly a GREAT GOD!!

What do we do?

November is a really busy time for teachers in Australia - reports, end of year concerts, presentation nights and of course, who can forget those `Teacher Get-Togethers'. When you work at 3 different schools, you also have the choice of what things to go to, without out offending the others.

Well, as Mark and I are simple Aussies, the decision was made for us - one school is going to an expensive restaurant and the others are having barbecues at the Principal's homes.

Then there is the Kid's Club end of year Break-Up. In the many years before I became a leader, they would always have this big, expensive do. Well, not only do I not have the time to organize this, but we don't have the money. Last night the decision was made, to my sigh of relief, that we are just going to sing one song at the Church's Christmas Service and our Break Up will be a Pool Party at the Minister's place. Another barby - but who cares. It will give me an excuse to go to the Gym in the holidays!!

Finally, Mark and I are to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary this year. I had all these plans, like my friends have done - to have a party and renew our vows. Of course Mark is not a romantic, and it's not the same when you don't have family around to celebrate with you. So, it will be a simple, quiet dinner, just the two of us, like any other anniversary - thanking the Lord that we are still together, loving and caring for one another.

Isn't it great that we have a wonderful God that takes care of all those decisions we have to make. I have so many favourite verses that it is hard to pick one. If you haven't guessed already, `I LOVE MY BIBLE'. But God made that decision for me too. My promise for this week, when life as become just a little overwhelming, is found in the wonderful Psalms.

"O Lord, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the Heavens.
When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers -
the moon and the stars you have set in place -
what are mortals that you should think of them,
mere humans that you should CARE for us!"
PSALM 8:1,3&4

I got a `double wammy' this week. Mark and I are reading Hebrews together, and we discovered that this verse is repeated in Chapter 2, Verse 6 of Hebrews. I guess it must be something really important God wants us to remember.

CHRISTMAS 2008

HAVE A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS

I left my journal entry a little open ended yesterday - time ran out. But I'd like to continue with a little bit more on prayer. In my first book, `In the Palm of His Hand', I wrote about my Mum, who just loved to pray. She would get up early every morning, and if I happened to see her, I would stand and watch her, on her knees, sometimes in tears, praying for each member of her family.

I guess, as the only Christian in my family, now my sisters have passed on, I feel it is my `obligation' to do the same. Unfortunately, this is not a real gift the Lord has given me. Oh, I get up early in the morning - that's no problem. I go for my walks, and I talk to the Lord, but lately my life as been so stressed out, I've been forgetting about praying for others.

I pray little prayers during the day, and Mark and I pray together over devotions, but like I said in my journal, when it comes to those times `just before or after the stressful situation' I forget.

At Kids Club yesterday a little boy summed it up perfectly, just how I felt. He said: "I don't pray when something happens, because I'm too worried". Of course our young minister went on to say, that this is the best time to pray, because God helps us not to worry.

It's sounds simple, really, so why don't we do it. I'd like to give you some great `spiritual' answer, but for me, it is simply that those chemicals in my brain just seem to go beserk, and I forget. It's not that I don't believe that God isn't with and won't listen - the knowledge of his omnipresence is what keeps my faith strong. But at stressful times, I just forget!! But I'm going to work harder at it - because I know having a little talk with Jesus in those `stressful' times is what the Lord desires of us all.

HAVE A LITTLE CHAT!

Have a little chat with the Father,
It can really be lots of fun.
He loves to talk, and listen too,
When He's sitting there with His Son.

Sometimes it's a bit of correction,
Or a little rebuke you may need.
But His words are always said in love
As He plants a little seed.

Have a little chat with the Father,
Each and every day.
It's amazing how at peace you feel,
As you LISTEN to Him when you pray.

Mostly its words of encouragement
With maybe a little `joke'.
He'll make you feel really important
One of His special folk.

Have a little chat with the Father
Conversation is a two way thing.
I can tell you from experience
It has a lot of joy to bring.

Our relationship with the Father
Can only grow with prayer.
When we take a little time each day
To talk, listen and SHARE!

Ruth Cheater.

Journal - Friday October 31st 2008

Greetings!! I notice I have two more followers - welcome!!

This week, started as last week - on a high, then down low - but I am pleased to say that it has finished on a high. I have been busy with testing, marking - which call me crazy, but I actually really enjoy. Unfortunately, it is quite monotonous and makes me really tired. (no misspellings yet).

Wednesday was not so good, but actually from there it went up. I was involved with an accident on Rosedale Rd/Gin Gin Rd. While waiting for traffic, so I could turn, a car came into the back of me. There was only a little damage to my car. I got off the road though, to get `addresses and thing' and noticed the car behind me had gone into a pole, followed by another car into his boot. The police told me it wasn't my fault, but that's what they said last time. Mark isn't even mad at me, but for the last few days I have still felt a little guilty. What made me worse was when I went to Oakwood on Wednesday afternoon and the rumours had spread. Everyone thought I was dead - except those who saw me standing on the side of the road. (still no mispellings yet, the computer doesn't know how to spell Rosedale and Oakwood).

So, after such a bad week, why I am I feeling better. Well 4 reasons:

1) Mark has been really good about it. We even went out to dinner last night, after he'd gone mad at me for buying more stuff at `Koorong'. My boot won't shut, and he's a little concerned about that, so he's taken my car into get some quotes today.

2) I received a bunch of flowers from one of my student's parents, who saw the accident. She said she thought I needed to be made to feel better. I was overwhelmed. I don't get flowers very often. Mark isn't really a flower giver!!

3) At my meeting with Wayne (my principal at Oakwood) yesterday, he said he was talking to the Principal at Elliott Heads, and she had told him how good I was. She was worrying about not having me next year.

4) On my walk today, the Lord reminded me to stop worrying about myself and start praying for the other people in the accident. I have been feeling a little down about my prayer life lately. I pray in the morning, I pray during the day - but I never seem to take time to pray when I am going into, or have been in stressful situations. Isn't that stupid!!

So - it's time to get to school for more testing, and a weekend of marking. What a wonderful day!!

HELP ME PLEASE!!

This `blog' is very boring at the moment, I know. Unfortunately, by `helper' is away at the moment and has been going through some rough, busy weeks with sick family, funerals etc, and she is moving house. So I'll give her a couple of months to settle down, before I start asking questions. Meanwhile, you'll just have to put up with boredom.

The main reason I wanted to start this BLOG, was so that I could encourage others with God's Word. The more I start writing, the more I think of other ways this blog could be useful. I intend to put on some `Kid's Club/Sunday School' stuff, and maybe for those who do `hometeaching', maybe some things that I'm learnt over the years - Lesson Plans, Information about Learning Difficulties etc.

But none of this will work, if I can't find how to get others on to my sight. That is my objective for this weekend. Of course, I'd like to find others to follow myself too.

So, please be patience!!

Journal - Saturday 25th October 2008

I can't believe it - two days in a row!!

I have had a real week of annoying dreams - mostly school related. Whenever I start at a new school, I always feel like I'm a `new teacher' on probation for at least a year. I guess I am really. I am following in the footsteps of a Support Teacher who had been there for many years - I am being compared, whether I like it or not. But why, after all I've been taught in the Word, do I still feel I have to prove myself to others?

Anyway, back to the dreams. Last night I was at a parent/teacher interview. You know the kind at High School, where all the teachers are set up in the `auditorium' or big room, and you have to go around to each them. In this case, I was the student. I can't remember any of the specific comments - all I know I woke convinced I was the worst student (teacher) ever.

I do believe the Lord is trying to tell me something though, because when I woke up I read my Bible - (Ecclesiastes 3).

"God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planned eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I concluded that there is nothing better for people to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they can. " ECCLESIASTES 3:11&12.

Then Charlie spoke to me from his book `Encourage Me' - the chapter entitled - `You are not a nobody'. He talked about the people behind the scenes in the lives of Martin Luther, Dwight L Moody, Charles Spurgeon and of course Paul - whose names we don't even know.

"Some of the parts that are the weakest and least important are really the most necessary. .... So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honour and care are given to those parts that might otherwise seem less important." 1 Corinthians 12:22, 24.

If it weren't for the heroic `nobodies' there wouldn't be the top-notch leaders in the Church - or in my case, schools. Most importantly of course, God doesn't see you as a nobody, He has selected you for the role in which you are placed. Be ENCOURAGED!!

Thanks Charlie!! Thank you Lord!!

Finally, there was my devotion in Bob Gass' `Word for Today'. The question was asked what does God value in your job peformance - the answers:
1) Humility and servanthood, not pride and a sense of entitlement.
2) Courage and risk taking.

I think it's time I took God's words to heart!!