Rope: thank you.

I've had the most beautiful couple of days.

Sometimes I think, is it possible, or fair, for one person to have so much happiness?

There is so much joy here right now. So. Much. Joy.

Joy in family, in relationships, in celebrations, in change and in the coming of age.

In the little, and the big, and the mighty and the "well I think it's significant, even if you don’t".

10 blessings of the week:

1. Finished my last exam. Aced it. Which means, I finished my degree (theoretically). No more exams, quite possibly ever. Feel free to high-five your screen, because I am.

these are my study notes on dam building.
because I'm hilarious.

2. The six year old I nanny made me a bracelet for my birthday. More then a week in advance. And today, she showed me her prize snowglobe collection.

“This is very, very special” she kept saying. I feel very, very special.

and next week? we are making a cake.

3. My parents come back from Africa in a week and a half. They have been doing amazing things {http://www.missionshub.org/dawbies-africa}.

4. Year 5 and 6 at my old High School are raising funds and goodies to send to the programs my parents have been working on. Next week, I get to go visit them and talk about Africa, HIV, hope giving, and loving from a distance. I love this. This is my dream life.

5. In one week, I get two weeks holiday. No work, and the very best company in the whole wide world.

6. This morning, I spoke at and went to simaid’s 30^th birthday party. It was wonderful. So much joy in hearing the history and future dreamings of an amazing organization, who holds one hand in Gods, and the other out in practical service.

30 years!

I met many wonderful people.

One man, who led one of the first Australian AIDS patients to the Lord.

Another, who is starting her own missions NGO. To feed starving people, she says.

What an honour and a privilege it is to care for people we have never met, over the other side of the world, through missions. We have the opportunity, by extension and support and within the body of Christ, to share the love of Jesus, to bandage wounds, to raise orphans.

To go into the homes of the sick, to equip others, to heal, to bring the good news to some of the most remote places in the world; from the innards of mega cities to some of the most rural and un-named corners of the earth.

In the name of Jesus we have the opportunity to practically, actually and spiritually love the broken and the hurting and the lost. Praise God. What an honour. I'm excited.

I made the time line. pretty excited about it.

yes.

newly residing in my belly.

7. As part of this, simaid had a silent auction. They sold one of my photos, as a huge print canvas. This makes me happy! Orange HOPE also now has business cards. And I love this all.

yeah!

there she is!

8. My younger brother dances. And my goodness, he dances well.

His concerts are one of my favourite nights of the year, I well with pride (and then jealous, go home and practice my own sweet moves in the privacy of my bedroom). He is talented.

Usually, it’s a family affair. Mum, dad, myself and all the grandparents. This year, it was just me. I was wedged at the edge of a row, in the teared section, with a several meter drop beside me, strangers by my side. During his dance I clapped too enthusiastically, and managed to launch my program over the edge. It all happened in a second, and I watched it float right out of my reach.

And then, at the end of the night they give awards. In front of everyone, for the whole huge dance school. And Ben won the Senior Perpetual. It doesn’t get much better then that and I was the only one to witness it. I may or may not have cried, and then this happened. To send over to mum and dad:

9. Yesterday, I hosted/ had my first ever thanksgiving.

Because:

a) I have a whole lot to be thankful for, and
b) sometimes I think I am American.

It went at least a hundred thousand times better then I ever could have hoped for or expected. It was beautiful, and I am very thankful for the people in my life, and the family that Christ bonds together with His sacrifice.

We cooked among eachother, prepared the most incredible spread, shared communion, chatted, and added little love to my thanksgiving tree. I roasted my first chicken, and made my first (mostly unsuccessful) pumpkin pie. I also cremated a loaf of bread, and managed to lose my phone inside the piano. But it was wonderful, there was a floor picnic, and I am thankful.