Matthew ...

A picture speaks a thousand words ...

There is absolutely nothing like the feeling when one of your children has made the decision to live for Jesus. It was a very proud and exciting moment for all of us. He's such a special boy and we know that God's plans for him are perfect!

His Poppa baptised him, which made what was already a very special and important moment, even more significant.

This week has been kind of 'nuts' ... I'm not really sure why, but it seems that the last several weeks have passed by me in a whirlwind and whilst I try to grab onto something to put the brakes on and slow things down, anything substantial to hold onto in order to achieve that end, alludes me!

All my children are growing up so quickly ... I just want things to slow down so that I can enjoy them at home longer!! Although Matthew has assured me time and time again that he's never leaving home and he's never getting married!!! We'll see how he feels in 10 or 12 years time!!

I'm thankful for Matthew because, at the moment, while Joel and Benjy are entering new phases, Matthew is constant and happy in the phase that he's in. Actually, I'm not sure he really wants to leave this stage of his life, he seems really quite content. However, the inevitable will happen and he, too, will move on.

When my children were little, and even when they first started school, it seemed that I would have them home forever and they would stay little forever. Alas, this is not to be. The ways of God have ordained that my children must grow up and move on!!!

In the last few weeks, I have picked up a preschool information pack for Benjy, bought shirts in readiness for Joel to start High School next year, picked a language for Joel to study next year and submitted it to the High School, submitted book packs for Matthew and Joel to their respective schools ... and the list seems endless. Not to mention the end-of-year excursions ... Joel is off to Big Splash next week with the year 6 group and Matthew is off to the Phillip pool and ice skating!! Joel has his year 6 graduation assembly next Thursday and graduation dinner next Thursday night!

2008 is coming to an end and there is preparation for 2009 to be done. So we leave one year behind us and look forward to new beginnings, new developments. Some things are uncertain, such as the global financial crises, the situation in Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan, the war on terrorism etc. But we can be sure that our God is faithful and He will NEVER leave us nor will He forsake us!! He is my Peace, my Joy, my Rock, my Shelter, my Strong Tower ... He is everything I could ever want Him to be and sooooo much more.

He is faithful!!!!

And He is Almighty God and worth getting to know, love and serve!!!