It's been a really long week...it started out not too bad with Round the Bays which was an awesome experience. We walked 8.4km as part of a charity fun run with Fit 4 Life around the Auckland Harbour with 70,000 other people....that was the fun part of the week.
On Monday, we were confronted with the horrible news that a very close friend of ours was diagnosed with melanoma cancer. Our world shifted that day. We've spent a lot of time with them this week as they processed this new reality in their lives. It's been a tough week on them and on us as we begin this journey with them.
After such a difficult week, Bryce and I have been so tired. We've not only had our friend's illness, but we've had some work stuff going on as well as family arriving soon. It's been a hard week!! So, today we stayed home from church and instead Bryce led our family in a bible study about the sheep and goats found in Matthew. In that passage of the Bible it's talking about how there will be those who will be helping people, being kind and merciful to those in need as if it was Jesus standing there in front of them, and then there will be others who will have excuses and reasons why they couldn't help or shouldn't help and Jesus says they will be sent away from Him. I was quite convicted about how in the past I have said things like "That's just not my area of expertise, or gifting" and perhaps kept my distance.
In the last few years God has certainly been working in the area of mercy in my life. Firstly as I journeyed with my friend S as she struggled with trying to conceive a child and secondly, with my friend C as she faces the unimaginable loss of her 16 year old son to cancer. I've have learned much and been put into situations where I have felt so out of my depth and helpless and useless, but I have done it. And now, this new journey with my friend. Some days I am not sure if I can be what I need to be for these friends, but God has certainly met me and given me the strength to help and be there in any way I can.
It's been a rough week!! I hold my kids a little tighter and make sure I tell my husband how much I love him everyday.edit
I love the Academy Awards....the glitz, the glamour, the fashion, the emotional acceptance speeches and well, just everything!! Highlight of my year.
Last night, I had a small party to watch the Oscars. It was the first time I had done that and it was fun. We had prizes and were able to chat about movies. I marvel on how movies are a common thread that brings people from diverse backgrounds together. They are our stories, our legends, our oral histories.
It's so fun how I think about my life in the context of movies.....Footloose, Top Gun, The Princess Bride & The Karate Kid are symbols of my teens and youth. Steel Magnolias, Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, Out of Africa always remind me of the years Bryce and I were dating. Big, Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, Speed and Maverick are the hallmarks of my early married life and early parenthood as well as the 90's (Big was in the 80's but it's my blog. :)). Hairspray, Mamma Mia, High School Musical, any Disney movie, The Proposal, The Lord of the Rings are the route markers of my life in the 2000's.
And yet.....while those movies are significant in my life, bringing back memories of moments with my precious husband and family, I really want most of all for the signposts of my life to be a bit more significant. A kind word said here, someone's life I have been privileged to see change as a result of their relationship with God, introducing someone to Jesus Christ, that conversation that was hard, yet produced personal and spiritual growth.
My life will never be glamorous. I will never wear high fashion or high heels. I will never have Ryan Seacrest interview me on a red carpet...BUT...one day I will stand before the ultimate award-giver and give an account of my life, well-spent or not. I think that's the only "red carpet" that will count in the end and in truth, the only one I should be thinking of. But in the meantime....Oscar, Oscar and well done to Meryl Streep (Best Actress) and Bret McKenzie (Best Song and a Kiwi).edit
2 years ago we were so excited to open the doors of Fit 4 Life. It has been a wonderful, challenging and sometimes scary journey since. We've seen over 600 people come through our doors and had the opportunity to learn how they can have a relationship with God. Exciting!!
1 year ago, we celebrated our first birthday. We had cake, we decorated, we celebrated.....3 hours later, New Zealand changed forever with the Christchurch Earthquake....12:51pm was the moment that time stood still. I remember so clearly sitting at my desk in the HTL Ministries office working, when I flicked onto my news website and saw what had happened. Once I saw the Cathedral's spire gone, I knew it was bad. The rest of the day was a blur of watching news, trying to piece together the events and praying for our friends and those we didn't know in that devastated city.
1 day ago - Fit 4 Life celebrated it's 2nd birthday, but this year it felt different. No cake, no decorations, no real celebration. It just didn't feel right as we stopped at 12:51pm for two minutes of silence to remember the 185 lost lives, the 11,000 injured and the destroyed buildings, businesses and homes to celebrate.
But, we are still very excited about what God has done and will continue to do through our ministry. We're privileged to be able to go to work in a fantastic place with a wonderful mission and vision. So while we remember a year ago, we also look forward to the future...to what God is going to do through our ministry and even more so in this land we call home.
Hopefully in a year we can have cake and balloons and celebrate again!!edit
The sad news of Whitney Houston's death has travelled around the world and in some ways is very shocking to hear, but in another, who's really surprised after the years of drugs and partying.
We were reflecting on her life and music last night while we watched a countdown of her biggest hits on TV. My hubby said "What a waste of life", but then said, "Well, not all of it". That made me pause and think. Whitney Houston started out with such promise, such talent and such a future and then because a lack of self-discipline, a lack of boundaries with regards to her personal life and making the wrong choices with the people in her life, all of that became corroded and ultimately destroyed her. Whitney definitely delivered. She left a legacy of beautiful music, at least one decent movie and of course, her daughter. Her life was not a complete waste, but imagine what it could have been.
At this time in my life (I'm only 6 years younger than Whitney), I have to ask myself the same questions. Did I start out with such promise and now have allowed a lack of self-discipline and boundaries corrode that? I know I have made good choices with the people in my life. My husband is the perfect man for me. I haven't completely let go of all self-discipline (I do get out of bed each day :))....BUT.....imagine if I really got some lingering areas under more control and worked harder on things that God is bringing to my attention. What a great opportunity to be able to make sure that when I go to be with the Lord that people won't say "What a waste of a life and talent". I want my legacy to more than a few "songs" and a decent "movie". I want to know that my life has been involved in seeing others' lives transformed as they come to know Jesus, grown in their relationship with God and others and leave their own legacy behind.
Pretty inspiring thoughts!! So now...to put it all into practice. :)edit
For the last few days I have been going through some anxiety related physical symptoms. What I hate about it is that it is a vicious circle. Your mind starts on something, then the body follows, then the mind worries, then the body gets worse. Aagghh!! I have been having to work so hard this week on stopping thoughts, on focusing on what is true and trying not to worry about things I have no control over. The problem is that some of my anxiety stuff is related to things I DO have control over which means it is really up to me to make the appropriate changes to reduce anxiety. That can be daunting. The journey seems long and impossible and success appears distant. That in itself creates anxiety. I have no answers, no profound thoughts, just real life. This is is me today!
Last night my daughter and I watched "The Help". We had missed it at the movies and I started reading the book the other day and thought we needed to watch as it seems like it's the movie of the year in many ways. What an inspiring story of courage, of loyalty and doing what is right even when the mind and body want to do something different. It also put into perspective the minor issues I am worrying about, or rather that the things while big in my world in the real scheme of things are nothing compared to the fear and poverty of mind, spirit and body that so many live under. So I got busy and stopped worrying (well, mostly stopped worrying).
If you haven't seen the movie or read the book...do so!! Well worth it.
My last blog post had me leaving on a jet plane...well, I haven't been gone that long....actually I was only gone two weeks, but for some reason just couldn't get my act together to blog. Oh well!! The beauty of it all is that it is still here waiting for me. Hard to believe that 7 months have gone since that post.
It's been a beautiful day here in Auckland...particularly stunning because beautiful days have been rare this summer. So disappointing, but what can one do about it. Nothing at all!! We managed to have a weeks holiday at the beach and had great weather for most of it which was fun. Now we're back into school routines as the new year starts.
My parents visited again for the summer and it was awesome to see them! The house must have been happy too as it suddenly started to fall apart just in time for the "landlords" to fix things for us. I must say I have extremely generous parents with all the time and money they've invested so we can live comfortably in their home. My dad left last week and Mom leaves tonight!! Boo hoo!! Never like these goodbyes and the kids always miss their grandparents so much. Hate this living on different continents!!
January came and went without any drama for me apart from having an MRI for my pituitary adenoma (small tumour). That was planned and I managed to go through it without freaking out. So proud of myself. Small spaces are not my friend AT ALL!! We had a good time hanging out at home, going to a few movies (New Year's Eve was a fave), running errands and working around the house. Bryce went back to work in January so he's been back into normal routine for awhile. Me...I am still yet to get back into the swing of things. That's ok!
So...this post was just to say hello, to remind the world that Christy is still alive and well and to get me back into recording the ups, downs and the whatever elses that life brings.
I've been married for 32 years to the love of my life and we have two awesome adult kids and a fantastic son-in-law. Big new adventure moving to Texas from New Zealand in February 2021
