Entries by Toby and Mary-Grace Anderson

My only exam is in a week. I'm looking forward to it (gasp!). Well, exams are a great way of making you work hard and consolidate info, so studying for an exam can be quite an enjoyable process. But often my only study time is 9pm at night (like now...) and I so am not up for reading and thinking...so here's my secret. Multi-tasking...yes - I do it...and it's been successful so far. Here's an insight into how I studied today: Firstly, Caleb had a nap - so up came the commentary. Then we went for a walk, I sang Old MacDonald had a farm (always end up wondering what sounds a chook makes) and read my commentary whilst pushing him to Salvos - I was looking for a "trolley with bricks" (that's what Toby calls it - us Aussies would say a "cart with blocks") for Caleb to push around because he's trying to pull himself up on EVERYTHING!. Then later on he played happily for 10 mins whilst I read. Then we went shopping...well, that was the plan. We drove the 5 min to the shops, he fell asleep on the way - and since he was tired and had been pretty grumpy I let him be...and pulled out my commentary (and some pen and paper). 1 & 1/2 hr later I left the shops, having never gotten out of the car since he hadn't woken up, and the Westfield Parking ticket only gives you 2 hrs free. But I'd got some good work done. Yay! Don't stress - I got some milk on the way home at an unusual corner store (I always how they make money...hmmm). And here I am procrastinating tonight. So, that's probably 2 -3 hrs work done today. And time to digest it whilst washing, playing, chatting with a friend, exercising and calming a teething child. I'm not trying to be a supermum, just enjoying the time I have to reflect on Deuteronomy, and loving it. Enjoy the opportunities that your situation in life affords. And you're welcome to go for a walk with me and Caleb anytime...I promise I won't read - I'll talk with you. And hopefully I won't walk into any poles...

You might be wondering what this event is that keeps popping up...some friends at our bible college sat down and brainstormed about how to care for families in Australia, particularly with such a high abortion rate. We decided to pray. We know that God is in control, he made us, he knows us, he cares for us. What a good decision. So once a month we pray for Australia, our families, our governments etc. Why 90,000 kids? Because that is the recorded amount of abortions each year in Australia. Many lives terminated. What sadness. So, please come join me on the lawn at SMBC at lunch. Or you could pray right now. Pray for the parents and children of Australia. Pray for support for overwhelmed women who find themselves with an unwanted pregnancy. Pray for a change of opinion in our country. Also pray for those who want children but can't have them. All these who suffer (usually in silence). I hope my little boy can bring delight to not just my heart but to many who need healing...everyone's hurting in some way. Every time I go to the shops someone cuddles him or plays with him. People who have lost children, who have just had a patient die, people who hurt. Next time you meet a stranger think about how you can be of comfort to them, how you can sit a while on a bench with them. My biggest comfort to them is the comfort of the new creation, where Jesus has brought death to an end. Please pray for me to be of comfort to people, as the Holy Spirit gives me power to speak words of life.

Well, our first Mothers' Day proper...Caleb is 6 months already. I've enjoyed reading all the stuff today's paper publishes about mothers. The inconsistencies always strike me - one page talking about trying to improve our stat of 49% of mums with youngest child under 6 in the workforce to at least match other developed countries (59%) by introducing paid maternity leave (which I wouldn't be eligible for!). The next page talked about middle class people working long hours to provide for their children and their children being the unhappiest and depressed group in Australia. Whilst I think work can be satisfying and necessary to pay the bills (in fact, a number of mums in my mothers group are working part-time or plan to return to work - because they enjoy it, or need to pay the bills, or because their husbands are now unemployed due to the economic situation), it is really strategic that parents have energy and time for their children, not just giving them the leftover 'grumpy' energy. The love of a childcare worker can never replace the time and love of a parent, or even better, a community of family and friends. My childcare worker friends would agree with me, even though they love their kids so much.

How do I make my time with Caleb fun and enjoyable, and even intellectually stimulating!? I see him as a little person who needs to know and grow...I try to see the world from his perspective. I have made myself a mini expert on all things to do with children's development...it's like rediscovering my childhood - thinking about how things work, lots of time to think about how to explain the world to a child, how to help him know God, how to meet with people and encourage them as we walk down the street and go to mothers group. And lots of cuddles. And I read to him, not just kids books but whatever I'm reading...at the moment I'm enjoying a book on God the warrior whilst reading Joshua...feel free to ask me about it.

And music - I always wanted to be a professional singer, and now I have an appreciative audience for all my musical blunders...in fact he plonks the piano and sings along with me....and he's trying to plonk the computer keyboard at the moment too. Whilst dancing to the music.

Kids are fun. Praise God for them. I'm happy to share mine with you. Come join me for some fun.

P.S. I love my working mum friends...and I will probably join your ranks at some point, but my priorities place my family before my work...so when I have the need to - I will be praying for a job with good balance...but til then I enjoy my busy 7-day job with my family, the opportunities it gives me to meet with people, help them, be helped by them, and look forward to my spare-time hobby of study and sleep

Hi friends.
I was reading a sydney anglican website whilst eating my spag bol tonight and it was talking about the benefits of blogging...well, I benefit from blogs of others, hearing their thoughts, and reflections on life, and seeing what they're up to. That's part of the appeal of facebook. So, I officially declare our dormant blog re-opened!

Toby's away, and sent me an email...he's on an overseas visit to Beijing with others from our college. Something he said was fascinating...
"So far Beijing seems a nice city. Quite similar to Sydney." I think: Sydney and Beijing - diff language and culture, diff size, diff food, diff weather, diff government, diff attitude toward Christians....but maybe some of those differences aren't really differences, and the others don't really matter. The world is a small place. I remember when a Viet guy in one of my bible groups at uni said that Sydney was more like Hanoi than he expected...and he thinks it was because of American tv. I think it's more than that...
What are the similarities?
1) People are people everywhere. Despite language and culture and experiences, people are really similar...we all long to be loved and accepted. We all long to make a difference. We all long to be heard. We all long to achieve and succeed. We all long to be young forever. We all want freedom. And I can't help thinking that God, our creator meets those longings. Maybe in different ways to what we expected.
2) Food. This sounds silly but living in Ashfield, we can get most of the Chinese foods that Toby's enjoying...just down the road - and def all under $10. Come join us sometime. "I had delicious Seafood Congee for lunch at a really nice Chinese food court"
3) something I think's cool is that there are believers in Jesus everywhere...even if they're hidden from view (as many of my aussie asian friends say when they return home). But I think it's cool that there's so many in China that the goverenment doesn't stop them meeting together anymore, they can't when there's way more Christians than ppl in the communist party.

Let me know other thoughts you have about similarities, small or big, superfiicial or profound - I'm interested.

Other funny things toby said:
"had a 2 hour language class with the people who teach the 'workers' here. It was fun." ha ha - he'll be better equipped to speak with our neighbours now - so many within 100 m of our unit who don't speak english, but only mandarin. Well, at least he can say hi in a vaguely kosher way. That sounds so imperialist...we have bought a teach yourself mandarin cd, and keen to learn...and we have heaps of friends who speak it. It's a much richer language than english - and that's even after they simplified it!

I'm off to Brisbane tomorrow...that's my adventure whilst Toby's away...and it'll be nice to have company and hang out with some good friends from uni days. Caleb's getting on a plane at 4 1/2 months, I think my first trip was age 11! he scored! Should be heaps of fun.