Turning 30 ~

I have spent most of my living and growing days claiming that I'm just a baby! I'm the youngest of three girls and married to someone four years my senior; so I have simply always considered myself a fresh whipper snapper ... but then last Monday came.

On April the 15th back in the early 80's - my bottle brush head was born. I'm not going to say that my age crept up on me, nor that I am unsure to where these last 30 years disappeared to; but I will admit a moment in which I simply couldn't fathom the fact that the choice to not be thirty was not a choice of mine. It was a quirky yet surreal thought.

I compare it to when you're single, in a relationship or married - people expect you to find a partner, get married or have kids. There's this unspoken pressure to make the coming of thirty a big event; and the question was asked on numerous occasions what it was that I was planning to do to celebrate. So instead, and to - in the words of the great John Farnam - take the pressure down, I decided to leave it in the very reliable hands of my Nath, Mum and Dad. Not surprisingly, they beautifully wrapped up all my favourite things and delivered me a superb-weekend-present.

This present started on the morning of last Saturday. After sipping caramel macchiato’s, I was whisked off in a taxi to a spacious overnight room at the opulent Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Jakarta. Not too long after settling into the room, I was sent ‘like a parcel’ to a two hour almond ritual spa treatment.

The cute masseuse was certainly NOT going to let my age take over my skin. I was washed, wrapped, painted on and molded - my silky smooth skin was rejoicing and my torn muscles were singing' praises!

 Then this happened .....

Ten of my newly-found friends surprised me for a sit down buffet dinner. It was a lovely night of great food and conversation; and I felt very honored and cared for by this tribe of people.

Then Sunday came, the eve of my day of birth. Just when I thought that by packing my bags it was over - it was only getting started. After being fussed over on my morning workout, I entered the breakfast room - & It.was.a.a.amazing! I felt like I was Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone 2 ….. eager and way to excited about all the things to see, try and do.  The array of gourmet goodness at this breakie was all too much; and very appropriately I claimed that it was "...the best breakfast in my thirty year existence" ... These photos simply don't do it justice.

Lastly and before calling it an occasion – Nath and I rested and sunned ourselves whilst being delivered ongoing serves of sorbet and freshly squeezed juice ‘on the house’ no less. It was a great end to a memorable celebration and I felt humbled and grateful for the generosity bestowed on me.

I think I read this quote in some trashy women’s mag at some point, but I haven’t forgotten it - "Everything I know, I learned after I was thirty". In reflecting on my adult years - I've studied and changed careers twice. I've moved houses close to a dozen times. I've travelled to approximately twenty countries; and more recently I have moved my life to a third world country - So if this statement is anything to go by, I don't know if I should be excited or scared! Still, I'm learning to be content where I am; and it's taken me until now to be able to say that. I feel extremely blessed to still be here in good holistic health, surrounded by people who care about me enough ... to celebrate my thirty years of life.

Thanks to those who sent me an email, facebook or mobile phone message.

xo

The land of milk & honey

So I've got a tonne of work to do; report cards lurking around the corner; and a body suffering jet lag that doesn't know if it should be sleeping, eating or working. However, I am in desperate need of an outpouring about our latest venture - and due to it being a long time between blogs - I figure my blogging is justified!

So we have just returned from a journey through the Middle Eastern countries of Jordan and Israel. Together with 25 people, a tour guide, a bible teacher, and a tourist  police officer - we travelled, visited and contemplated the beautiful land of milk and honey, and followed the footsteps of the great Moses; the Israelites he was leading; the quirky John the Baptist; and of course, the earth-walking Jesus.

To say this experience was enjoyable would be the great understatement. It was so much more than that. It has profoundly rearranged the way I think, read and see Jesus and His human-inspired book. Discovering this lands' geography and its’ ancient artifacts acutely deepened my understanding of Jesus and His ministry. To walk in the footsteps of biblical and historical greats - & to see their culture and experience the diversity of this part of the world - was a massive spiritual encouragement.
  
So I've created a picture book for you below to lead you through some of our musings; but I wanna steal your attention a tad longer with a personal thought -

On this trip, it seemed grammatically appropriate to talk about Jesus in the past tense; and feel almost star-struck by the memorial sights that commemorated His fame and history. I'd honestly catch myself searching and wondering about the physical traces of Jesus - & whether or not His earth-ridden sandals set foot on a particular road or piece of land. But I had this prominent and consistent whisper going on in my head that reminded me that He’s not in the past nor caught in the future. He’s so very alive and well … & He was in this place .... but better than that - He walks with me everyday! You don’t needa go to no holy land to be part of Him. It was a nice lesson to take me home!

Please continue on if you you're interested to see some of our captures and related text.

 

Mt Nebo is the place where Moses ascended to look into the
Promised Land. You can see why it was called the land
of 'milk and honey'. The lush, green Jordan Valley
(top left corner ) is surrounded by the arid plains of Moab.

Petra has to be seen to be believed.
It is an ancient city that grew to the height
of it's power during the first century
thanks to it's place on ancient trade routes.
Paul came through here many times
both before his ministry years
and also during his ministry years.

Sitting outside John the Baptists 'prison cave'
learning about his ministry and
Herod's evil deeds. 

Sitting on the Mount of Olives, looking across at the
Old City of Jerusalem. Down the base of this hill
is the Garden of Gethsemane in the Kidron Valley.
Up the top of this hill (the direction that Nath is looking)
and over the crest is Bethany where Jesus would
stay when he visited the Old City.
It was home to Lazarus, Mary and Martha.



The western wall was a hive of activity.
Orthodox Jews were fervently reciting
the Torah as it was the week leading
up to the Passover Festival.

Orthodox Jews flooded into the city
for the Passover week.  

This is the pool of Bethesda where Jesus
healed the sick man in John 5.

A reenactment of how they think
Jesus spent His time working in Nazareth.
(in all truth He was probably more a stone mason than
carpenter but that is for another time)

Nazareths' country side - full of mustard
(yellow flowers) and olive trees.

Note that Port Power supporters are not
welcome in the town of Capernaum.
However, Jesus based himself there during
His ministry years. His best mate Peter
also has a house there.

This is the site of the Capernaum Synagogue.
No doubt Jesus spent many a day
teaching on this site.

Looking towards the Sea of Galilee down the
face of the Mt of Beatitudes.

Floating on the Sea of Galilee, looking back to the
shore line that Jesus first found the disciples.
Thinking about the many stories of what happened
on or around this area.

Hey, I'm impressed if you got to this point. Thanks for caring :)

Nomes