God’s promises and love in my life

So if you would have asked me at 4:45 today how my day was, I would have told you it was going pretty rotten. I woke up to a dark rainy Monday morning.. not always the most fun way to start off your work week. After breaky I started on school. The rest morning wasn’t so bad, just hard to concentrate on school. People seemed to just keep coming. Keaton was at our house in the morning, then Maria watched Rose ( a little 2 year old from our church) and she was VERY distracting- in the cutest way. Then the rest of the Blakston clan came to pick Rose up. More distractions.
It was 11:20 by this stage and I hadn’t made to much progress on school, but I had to leave it and get ready for work. Lou dropped me off at work at 12 and I finished at 4. I did not feel very well at work though. I was sore and tired (from the weekend) and didn’t want to be smiling and chatty to people. I wanted to be in my cozy bed with trakies on. It’s continued to bucked rain all day (sunny and blue skies one minute, poring rain the next) and was a bit chilly (not like the beautiful sunny spring day we had yesterday). After I paid a library fine I went home. A pile of dishes and school work to be done, awaited me at home. It was 4:45 and I had had a crummy day. Then I looked outside right as the sun had broken through the clouds. Then the beautiful rain we need so much came falling to the ground. Though I didn’t see a rainbow I was sure there was one out there, and was reminded of God’s promises and love. After that It didn’t seem like such a bad day. I did the dishes quickly, finished my school quickly, ate a lovely dinner with my family and looked out at the beautiful sun and rain (which continued to shine and fall). I realized that It had been a pretty nice day. And they day wasn’t even over.. So I decided to post on my blog.

So Hello everyone (or anyone.. if anyone is reading this). I trust God is blessing you abundantly in my absence. I do apologies for the very long break I’ve taken from posting. I wont promise that I will start regulartly again.. but I decided that I should post today. :)

Let me share with you what has gone down in my life sense I last posted (8 MONTHS ago!!)

-I got a Job at WORD, ( a Christian book store in Frankston) that my neighbor manages, in March. Its going very well and I feel very blessed to have this job.

-In June and July Ruth and Kate (friends from the states) came out for 6 weeks. We had a blast; 5 giggle girls all in one room. We managed to show them a bit of our Country. We flew to Tasmanian and spent a week there with relatives of friends- who are now our friends :). We also took a road trip to Sydney with two girls from Geelong, Jane and Emily. We drove there in one day, stayed two nights with Jane’s Aunty and Uncle, saw everything there was to see in Sydney in one day, then drove home. :) It was a blast. Ruth and Kate left 2 days before we did.

-Thomas came three weeks after Ruth and Kate and is staying for 6 months to a year and working here and helping with the church. He has been such fun! The day we picked Thomas up from the airport we went to Kennet River alone the Great Ocean Road and stayed there for a few days.

- We’ve been to America and back. July 11 we took off, and landed again back home on the 15 of August. Highlights of this trip; Seeing Family again, International Conference08, Catching up with friends, being back home again in Indiana, Road trip to New York (stopped in Pennsylvania, which was great!), flying business class 20 out of 21 hours home. :)

-We left Charity in America. She stayed behind and is now at Purdue with Zachary.
- Allen came. Is staying for up to a year and working.
- A week after I got back I went snowboarding with some mates

-We flew to Canberra with the Blakstons and stayed there for 4 days.

So that’s a very quick summery of what has happened since I last updated you all. Just ask if you want more details.

Well I trust you all are doing well. God bless
In Him
Tamara Rose

Romas 14:8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

What Hurts the Most....

Is not being able to give them a hug and say "goodnight, I love you" every night, so that you're sure, if you die in your sleep, they knew you loved them..
Is knowing I can't be the older brothers for Benji
Is sitting down at the table and thinking "wait, not everyone is here".....
It's not having those other two opinions on Friday night when we're all arguing about what movie to watch.
Is knowing when when you just need one of those hugs only a big brother can give, that you can't have it.. yet.
Is not being able to be there for them when they need me and vise-versa
It's knowing that when I end this post and go inside that they're not home..
Is not having two more people teasing me..
Is knowing that they're growing up without me..
Is, when we Skye or talk on the phone, I can here them and see them but I can't touch them
It's not being able to get into trouble with them.. :) Or having them there when I get into trouble to tell me off.
Is knowing that no matter how loud I yell they wont be able to here me.. :)

~What hurts the most.. Is having the two people that are closest to my heart, be so far away from my hand.. ~





(yup, this is my bub- Allen)



(and this find fello I call Zachary)

This post is for my big brothers.. you maybe be thousands of miles away, but that distance doesn't weaken my love for you any! Miss you more then you know.. Thanks for being my older brothers..





(and these are my siblings.. I love them all so much and more.. :) what can I say, they're my best friends.. my heros, forever and always!)

And here is a video of me having fun and getting into trouble with some brothers of mine :) hehe- so much fun..

Welcome to a new year..

It's weird. Its 2008... But for those of you who are still stuck in 2007, still saying "next year I'll do this or that" when its really this year, or still writing the date 1/10/2007.. I'm with you. I always do this though, and it takes a few weeks for me to stop doing all those things and realise it really IS a new precious year God's given me. *smile* Its funny.. at the begging of each year I wonder and wonder what God had in store for me.. then at the end of it I look back and see what God has shown me, taught me, put me through and for what reasons (some aren't always clear), what blessings he's poured out, what hardships he's strengthened me by.. etc.

~2007~

What God has taught & done for me this year.

1. Taught me to trust Him with my heart.
2. Looking to Him for answers.. not the world.
3. Held me together, when I thought the goodbyes would rip me apart.
4. Taught me about death- in a very real way.
5. Granted the desire of my heart: trip to America
6. Provided food, clothes, and breath every single day {plus much much more!}
7. Given me counselors & friends to encourage, build me up, teach me at just the perfect time.
8. straightened my priorities out- made me take a second look at what I've got.
9. kept my family safe.
10. Peace.

[this is only a very small, veg list of what God did for me over 2007. Ask me for more details if you want them. Trust me, I could go on and on..]

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I must say having having New Years in Australia is a bit different.. 1/1/2008: I went to Sorrento font beach, read bit before everyone else came, ate lunch, played botchy ball, swam and got salt water in my eyes, talked with lots of friends, made sand angles, played Frisbee in the ocean, got a tan/ little sunburn, ate ice cream, missed my brothers and snow, and laughed.


:-j
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Many prayer request for our family & family Church family- go to Charity's Blog.

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It's hot here.. and I have a pool waiting for me.. so God bless you all in this New Year! and...

WELCOME TO 2008!

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Song of post: All Men Will Know- Acappella {thanks to Edwin Allen Henry Blackwood the Second}

Christmas...

Christmas. A happy, busy, stressful, joyful, crazy, lovely time of the year!
Christmas. before I moved to Australia..
I used to jump out of bed in the mornings and run to my window to look at my beautiful white Christmas, then quickly make my way the living room where out stockings full of candy hung and join in with who ever else was up in the trading. Mum's amazing breakfast comes next, then family worship (as always) and then opening presents! :) Then all the laughing, hugging, "Thanks you" 's and all that jazz. *sigh* I love my family.
Usually, a few days before Christmas day my mum's family would get together (the Coles) for a lovely feast, singing Christmas carols, pressys, laughing, and enjoying this big crazy bunch of people I love so much it hurts! Most of the time the day of Christmas -after we had had our family Christmas in the morning- we'd get together with my dad's dad's family (Blackwoods) for a late lunch, which is always great. The day after its my dad's mum's family (Wallace) we get to spend time with. You really can't beat family. And around that time we'd have a few other little ones with friends, church, adopted grandparents etc.
Christmas in Australia.
So, this is only my second Christmas here, and last year i did get my white Christmas (it hailed for 10 min in the morning), but this year it's suppose to be a little more sunny and warm, and we're planing on going on a picnic in the City. Starting new traditions here has been much harder then I thought. In my view Christmas with out all your family, isn't Christmas at all. And i must admit i sulked a fair bit this year- about not having my brothers, my extended family, the beautiful white Christmas I always remember waking up to etc.-, but i finally realised God has placed in our lives a surrogate family, and I'm happy. And hey, nothing compares to a white Christmas, but a picnic in a beautiful park, with my new family here, doesn't sound so bad ether. :)
So, Have a blessed Christmas. Now matter where you are. No matter how hot or cold it is. Enjoy it. Thank God for this time to spend giving, laughing, rejoicing in Christ- who is God- becoming a man and dieing for our sin, realising what's important to you, thanking our Redeemer for the life He's giving us and love it.
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Random fact about me you might not have know [before reading this post, I mean]

1. Sometimes the laugh gets stuck in my checks
2. When I am {attempting} to cook, i have to measure "a pinch" :P
3. I once ate half a mud pie with worm in it (my siblings made me!)
4. I can touch my nose with my tong
5. when I laugh hard I cry
6. I have walked through (and ordered) a Drive through.
7. I weed-whacked (for you Australians that's whipper-snipped) for the first time in my life two days ago... and almost killed myself!!
8. I have been proposed to by four different people ( 2 lil' boy, a guy my age, and one old gentleman old enough to be my great-great grandfather) in the past year.
9. I have walked 1/5 of the way across a frozen over lake when there was no only like 3 little patches of snow on the ground
10. I don't like coffee

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Family. I love 'um.. but that doesn't mean I always like them. :)

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Anyways, that's about it for now. So lovelys, I pray you have a
VERY beautiful Christmas, and a lovely New Year!
God bless
with love in my great Savior,
Tamara Rose

Onions make me cry...

Look at this people, I'm updating and it's only been like a few weeks! :)
Warning!
this is going to be a very random post, most likely.

Today I made dinner! *gasp* I know, I know! Don't worry, mum was helping a bit, and Maria was in the next room, so it was all under control. But I didn't do too bad, I don't reckon (ask my family if you want to know the real story :))

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As some of you know i work (Volunteer) at a nursing home, and yesterday i went and had a funny conversation with this dear lady ( i love all the people!.. most of the time :j):
Me: Hello Ruth.
Ruth: hello, love.
Ruth: why are you in here? You're much to young. Go live your life don't wast your time with lots of old people like me.
Me: But that's the cool bit of it, you all have lived so much longer then me, and its so neat. So you've got lots of stories are so much wiser.
Ruth: but still, you should be out in the world, living your life. Enjoying each moment you have.. Because, trust me dear, life goes by so quickly. And before you know it you're old like me, in here, and life is gone. SO enjoy it while you can.

:) I love the old dears dears. Even Bob who has asked me to marry him about 6 times ;) It's to much fun.


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Okay, i just had to share this as well (and yes, i know we're going from senior citations to 1st graders, but that's okay).
A first grade teacher had twenty-five students in her class and she, presented each child in her class the first half of a well known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading these keep in mind that these are first graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is classic!
1. Don't change horses......until they stop running.
2. Strike while the......bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before......Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of..... termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but...... how?
6. Don't bite the hand that ...... looks dirty.
7. No news ......impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a......Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new......math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll......stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust......me.
12. The pen is mightier than the ...... pigs.
13. An idle mind is......the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's...... pollution.
15. Happy the bride who......gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is...... not much.
17. Two's company, three's......the Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what...... you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and......you have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as ......Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not...... spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed......get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you......see in the picture on the box.
24. When the blind lead the blind...... get out of the way.
25. Better late than......pregnant.
:-)
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Christmas is coming. Believe it or now, I'm actually sorta starting to get a bit excited about it. Pretty much when people ask me what I'm doing for Christmas i answer; "sitting at home and crying, how 'bout you?" :) The only real Christmas present i want to see under the tree at the moment, is a big box with my brothers inside.... I am having a laugh at all the e-mails going around between my family at the moment about 'Christmas lists' and Christmas presents. Okay, what ever happened to actually shopping at a store, not online!? Hehe, welcome to the life of a nerdy family (and one that is separated by 950,000 miles). Oh the joys..



It's heating up here.. i know.. summer and Christmas.. it's pretty much to weird to think about.. so just don't. ;) I just want school to be done with! Almost.. Lord willing, only like 1 or so more weeks for Ben and me (Maria and Charity are already done, and have been for two weeks!).

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Well.. I'm running our of randomness for now. So i might just end with this quote:



And if I stand...let me stand on the promise that You will pull me through and if I can't let me fall on the grace that first brought me to You.-Rich Mullins


Have a perfectly, glorious, bright life, lovelies! Live it to the fullest, laugh, don't wast time complaining. You don't know what's really important to you, till it's taken away from you.. And remember.. you're life is just a vapor!


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Here are some Photos from our lovely weekend in Nhill. Go to Charity's blog for the whole story.
I love these guys! The farmers life is not an easy one.. It would be pretty hard living way out in the country like that. God bless 'um!

One Day the Night will never come...

Hello, fellow blog-mates! I wonder if anyone reads my blog anymore, considering I haven't updated in like years. If you really want to know what is going on in my life, I would advise you to read Charity's blog because she actually takes the time to record some of it for public viewing.

Yesterday, we had a lovely church picnic at Arthur's Seat. It was Melbourne Cup Day, which means everyone in Melbourne took the day off to watch a horse race. Pretty silly, if you ask me...but we didn't have to do school, so who can argue about that??

We had a wonderful time talking, laughing, kicking the footie around, BBQ-ing, walking, racing, looking at the beautiful view of the ocean, and, of course, posing for photos. I'll have to include some for your personal pleasure and enjoyment.

Many of you already know about the Patersons -- a Scottish family that came here 3 weeks ago to immigrate and help the ministry here. Sadly, they decided they didn't like Frankston and are now returning, after these short weeks, to the U.K. We are a bit in shock and sad to see them go, but we are praying for God's grace to be poured out on them as they seek to start over yet again in the U.K.

Also, a girl named Amanda (in the picture beside me, below) has been coming to our church semi-regularly for the past few months. She came with us yesterday but she was really not feeling like socializing as she was very upset due to an accident that killed one of her friends and seriously injured one of her best mates in Sari Lenka. She has immigrated here for uni and work and is planning to stay, even though her parents and brother and many good friends are still in her home country. Please pray with us for her, as this is a very rough time. And pray that we would know how to encourage and love her through this time and hopefully as she continues to attend church.

Even though we are very disappointed about the Patersons, we are overwhelmingly excited about the Blakstons who are, Lord willing, planning a move here to Frankston in early January. This will be such an encouragement and blessing to me and my church.

Please pray specifically that

• They would get their house finished and ready to rent out




• They would find a house here that is CLOSE!!!




• Jono would find a job here




• And God would make their transition very smooth and uncomplicated...and SPEEDY!!!
  

Well, hopefully I will now get into a pattern of updating a little more regularly. Sorry it's been so long. I would make excuses like, "I've been REALLLY busy", or "A lot's been going on"...which could be partly true. But I hate it when others use those excuses for me, so I won't.

Enjoy the life God has blessed you with. Breathe in the air He's given you, and live like you're trying to impress Him...not everyone else.