Hello all!! This is going to be a short blog as everyone is taking a break,with the focus on Christmas and then New Year. Everyone enjoyed Christmas and now that it's over, everyone seems to be just cruising and enjoying the holidays...looking forward to the next celebration - 2011.

So what has everyone been up to lately?

Some of us are re-looking at our budgets!

Some of us became handyman around the house.

Some of us went to Bundaberg, some to Gold Coast.

Some of us got into accidents. Thank God no one was hurt.

Some of us have to cancel our camping trip, which is a pity when so much has been planned. Some of us get into indoor activities like making dumplings and mooncake.

While others plan for picnic gatherings and yum cha.

In all we're doing, know that the Holy Spirit is in our midst, searching our hearts and waiting for us to tap into His power and anointing. So don't forget Him but listen to His gentle promptings, guiding & leading you to adventures in our sometimes mundane lives. It can be sharing a story to your neighbour, being gracious to your spouse, helping a friend or just thanking God for who you are....know that He is with you.

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year on Saturday!

The Bible shows us many examples of how we should love our family members, whether they are good or they are bad to us. For example, Joseph showed forgiveness and love to his brothers who wanted to hurt him and Ruth showed great kindness to her mother-in-law though at that point she had lost her husband & was not obligated to do so.
That's the same for all of us who knows and follows Christ.

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God wants us too, to learn and grow in loving the family He has given to us. For He has thought it through before He allowed us to be born into a family and it was not an accident we have been placed into this particular family. So hopefully the article below gives you some tips to love your family more in the coming new year.

How to L.O.V.E Your Family By Mac McIntire

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1
Listen unconditionally. Clear your mind of any judgments or preconceived notions you may have about the person or their ideas. Hear them out fully before drawing conclusions or taking action.

2
Overlook flaws and faults. Look for the good in people. Most of us only see the exceptions, the discrepancies, the negatives. It is much more difficult to notice the every day and routine successes people achieve. Too often we take for granted their good behaviors and only point out the bad. You need to "catch people doing things right."

3
Voice your approval on a regular basis. Your family members need to be acknowledged. They need recognition and reinforcement. They need to know they are valued and what they do is good. No matter how long a couple has been married or how old one becomes, we all still covet the approval of our spouse, children , friends, and, yes, even our mothers. It motivates us when we know what we do meets the approval of others.

4
Extend yourself by spending time and showing interest. There is no greater motivator of people, whether our spouse or our children, than to spend quality time with them. Spend time with your family. Go to where they are. Talk on their level. Show interest in what they are doing and how they are doing it. Find out what is important to them and take a genuine interest in it. Ask meaningful questions. Listen to the answers and respond appropriately. Focus only on them. Don't have somewhere else to go. There is nothing you could do that is more important than talking to your family.

Christmas is around the corner and holidays are anticipated too. Some of us look forward to the celebrations but some are just eager for a good break after a long hard year of work. Whatever you may be looking forward to, remember to plan this holiday season so that you make it count. Plan it so that you have time for yourself, your family and also God most importantly. Plan to enjoy and Enjoy your planning!

Don't let the days go by by sitting in front of the television and loitering around shopping malls. For it is biblical to plan for God as God praised the diligent women in Proverbs 31 where it says "She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness" and He also shows us in many ways that He Himself plans to do what He plans - for example buiding the temple, raising up kings and seeing the Great Commission fulfilled.

"CHRISTMAS ON THE ISLAND"

We hope everyone that attended the party enjoyed themselves tremendously. It was truly a blessed day as God held back the rain and brought us many new friends on the day. Everyone chipped to make the day a wonderful event with lots of people bringing sumptous food - the two worth mentioning are Suh Chyi Orange Glazed ham and Daniel/ Yee Yee's Watermelon Basket! Then we have the beautiful performance of the song "Mele Kalikimaka" by Peter & Leann which kick started the night with a bang. Joel, Leann & Jennifer decorated the shed to look like a paradise island while Ruth blessed the children with her yummy good bag. We also have Yee Yee & Daniel leading us in a fun game of Carols Pictionary while Steph hosted the whole party with her joyful flair.

Lots of new friendships were made, and the gospel was also shared throughout the night. I believe many people were blessed that night and have come to see the joy of Christmas a bit more. Above all, we thank God for His presence with us, helping all things go well!

IN WORSHIP: HEALTHY LIVING as an ACT of WORSHIP

taken from here

When I make a healthy decision about my life – what I eat, the way I set my schedule, the thoughts I choose to dwell on – I see this as an act of worship to God.

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He is, after all, the Creator of all things, my body and my soul included. Wouldn’t He be pleased if I try to take care of it well?

This isn’t to say that everyone who is healthy is doing so as an act of worship (though I suspect God is probably pleased across the board – whether or not we acknowledge Him). And it’s certainly not to say that those who are unhealthy are not worshipping God.

The thing about Jesus sacrificing His Son and covering over all of our sins on the cross is that we don’t have to DO anything to please God. He is pleased with us. Period.

But as a rule, I see healthy living as one more step in setting my life in a rhythm that acknowledges God, His creation, His presence. It brings me closer to Him; no, I draw closer to Him with every glass of water, every bowl of brown rice. I see the beauty of His creation around me, and I recognize it in my own life; so I want to take care of all things well – my body and my world.

When I strive to make decisions of health, I think God is pleased.

CHRISTMAS ON THE ISLAND

It's happening this Saturday, so only 4 sleeps to go. Don't forget if you've got a friend or family coming to let Grace or Suh Chyi know for catering purposes. Also remember to bring your spirit of Christmas, your smile & to remember God's gift of life that He wants to give to all.

So what's to remember??

1. Put on your islander outfit

(refer last week's blog for more outfit ideas)

2. Bring your gift

3. Come with an empty tummy

(There's going to be lots of food to go around)

Christmas Giving

taken from here

It's just not Australian if you don't support at least one charity at Christmas. So why not look at some of the websites below and see if the Holy Spirit prompts you to share your abundance with others. God says "give and it will come back to you" and "giving is better then receiving". So why not?

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Tear Australia
Tear has "Arguably the world's most useful Gift Catalogue". Give the person who has everything, something for the person who has hardly anything. For example, Twenty Tree Seedlings, Water Supply for One Person, Village Medical Kit, Child Immunisation, A Year of Primary Schooling, A Year of Family Health Care.

Salvation Army
The Salvos. Make a donation online to this great organisation at Christmas.

Anglicare
Why not make a donation online to support Anglicare's Christmas Appeal?. You can now easily buy Christmas cards and gifts from the online Anglicare shop.

GoodWill Charity Card Shop
GoodWillCharity has card shops across Australia supporting various charities.The 2010 season begins on Monday 20 September 2010, and our hours are Mon-Fri 9.30am to 4.00pm (Not Saturday).The shop is located in Room 17, Level 7, The Dymocks Building, 428 George Street (between King & Market Streets). The shop comprises twelve Australian charities who each supply their own unique range of Christmas cards. Because the shop is staffed by volunteers, all the proceeds raised are returned to the charity to fund vital education programs, research, special projects and other activities.

Host your own Fundraiser
J.R wrote in from the 'Blue Mtns' of Victoria - The Macedon Ranges. This year one of the members of her Apex 40 club volunteered to cater for a Christmas in July, and 24 sat down to a traditional 4 course meal in their dining/living room. The money that was left over went, on her request, to the Pink Ribbon section of the Anti-Cancer Council. A simple fun idea that everyone can do, to benefit charity.

CONGRATULATIONS

TO

JENNY & PAUL

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Jenny married Paul on Sat among close friends and family.

We congratulate them and wish them all the best in their life together.