A place to call Home....

I'm prompted to write todays blog after reading the TC's blog (http://tcspeak.blogspot.com) after the Melbourne Staff Band started rehearsing in their new rehearsal room at THQ. This room is shared with the Melbourne Staff Songsters...together we can call this room our home.

This is a first for the MSS, not so much the MSB, as we have never had a place that we have been able to call "home"....the group has rehearse in many different locations, being Inala, Mitcham Hall, and THQ at Park Street, Mont Albert and now at Blackburn.

Our many years of memories have been packed away in boxes and now finally...may see the light of day (if the property department lets us!!!). This is so exciting.....for me, as this year celebrates the 21st year of the MSS.

I can't believe that I have been in this group now for 18 years....that's longer than I've been married....this group has been part of my Christian walk for all those years.

So many memories....some good, some sad. We have always rejoiced when new members commence with the group and cried when those we love and have shared many precious time with, have left us....some have moved interstate, some have left to have a family, some entered Training College...to date I think we have had 5 members enter college. Sadly we lost Darryl Fanner and Ken Pitman to cancer, but we take comfort in knowing that they are now with their Father in Heaven.

We have travelled all over Australia and to many different parts of the world....we have sung to audiences of 2,000 plus and 3 (Cooper Pedy....what a great event)........but in all of this God has been the central part of all that we do....and I just praise and thank Him for allowing me the opportunity to be part of this ministry.

I don't want to leave it......

Our mission statement is "Communicating the love of God"....what a great mission for our group. And now we have a home....it just feels so nice....already we have felt the presence of God at our rehearsals and we know that He will continue to bless the ministry of the MSS and the MSB.

We love to have visitors...if you ever want to drop in on a Monday night please do....or if you have been thinking about wanting to join our group...please contact Brian Hogg or any member of the group...don't put it off any longer, it is the best experience...I'm so thankful I've done it, it has shaped so many of my life experiences...and you get to sing some beautiful music and have some great laughs....

Don't forget next week is our Vocal Conference called "Voice of the Church"....Friday through to Sunday with Guest Speaker Graeme Press from Sydney....if you are interested please contact me and I will send some info to you.....

Friends.....

Of late I've been asking myself...where would I be without my friends????

A few months ago I entered the world of Facebook and WOW....how addictive is it. I tried to limit my time on it but I just couldn't wait to see if I had anyone wanting to be my friend! And everytime in the early days I would open up my profile and wait to be surprised....and YES I had friends.

It was so exciting to catch up with friends from "days gone by"....my old work mates (Jen, I will reply...I promise), music camp buddies and family, lets not forget them!

I love to read about what is happening in the lives of my friends...even though I may not see them for months at a time...I can still catch up with what is happening with them. Good times and not so good!

I look at my list of friends, people who have played a part in my life....some a major part, others a brief acquaintances, but in some way they have meant something to me.

I feel so blessed! I thank God for giving me my friends. There are those that I have laughed with, cried with, those I've seen grow up from babies to becoming Senior Soldiers (Cassie...stay tuned for a future blog on you my dear), those I've sung with or dare I say even played the timbrel with...you've all helped make up the profile of my life.

So....Now it's time for the next chapter...whatever or where ever that's going to be.....God's got it under control...I'm glad I'm in his Facebook...he's my friend and I'm his....not much else to add to that!!

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best

things you can be. — Douglas Pagels

A weekend away....

We have just had a beautiful weekend away in Bendigo and it was just wonderful. It was just so nice to get away from everything and just relax and enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful scenery...but sadly it was too short no sooner was I feeling relaxed we were packing the car to come home....

One thing I was able to do was take some beautiful photos. I'm actually starting to enjoy photography and preserving wonderful memories of times spent with family and friends. This also allows me to indulge in my other passion which is scrapbooking....but that will be another blog!!

I must admit I'm not the best photographer...and often I look back at some of the pictures and wonder how I managed to cut that person's head off....or how I missed the image I was supposed to be taking and got the sky or the ground....in days gone by this wouldn't be realised until you had processed the photo and the opportunity to retake was long gone....but not nowdays with these wonderful digital cameras...if its no good....just delete and start again until its perfect!!

I sometimes wish my life could be like that....when I stuff up or disappoint or hurt friends and family how easy would it be to just delete the image and move on....

I have lately been reflecting on times in my past that I guess have not been the happiest (Mother's Day tends to do this to me)....and I wish there was the delete button so I could be rid of them.

But I also realise that these memories are what make up the picture album of my life....and life isn't always how we want it to be...but sometimes looking back on some of these times reminds me of how fortunate I am in other aspects of my life. So maybe deleting this memories is not a good thing...I don't know.

I'm so thankful that God doesn't just delete me when I get things wrong...he loves me and forgives me and wants me to produce the very best picture of life that I can.....

Have a lovely day everyone....

Robyn

Monopoly.....Handle with Care!!!

I must admit I love board games...and card games. In fact one of my "top" nights would be sitting around a table with good friends, food and playing cards.

I'm not sure if that makes me sad or not!!

Anyway, I love the game Monopoly, but we have a rule in our family that I am not allowed to play the board version...only the computer version....reason being...a computer screen is harder to throw across the room!!!

Yes I have to admit that one night in front of some very good friends, I cracked it and threw the Monopoly board across the room thus ending what was becoming a very frustrating game.

Well thankfully these friends were not too fussed about my handling of the game, but I wasn't that proud of myself. And lets face it....it was all Paul's fault! How did you know I was going to blame him!

See my logic was to buy and sell....his logic was not to sell (till he got what he thought was a fair price), which meant we just kept going round and round the board.

So as you can imagine the game just got worst from that point....hence my dramatic closing of the game....I look back now and laugh, but you do see the fear creeping into certain peoples faces when "my name" and monoploy are mentioned in the same sentence!!

I felt that I had no control over where this game was going....as it continued I felt like there was no ending that was going to provide fulfilment and a sense of achievement for anyone.

I'm so thankful that my life isn't like a game of monoploy that just keeps going round and round with no fulfilment....I know that life does have its ups and downs...and we do sometimes feel like throwing it away, but God loves us...he is the one who gives me the fulfilment to continue my life.

God shows me that life is not always what we want it to be but if we follow him and his word we will be blessed and fulfilled far more than we can imagine.

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

James 1: 12 (Message)

So....tonight we are going to meet with those same friends who we had the "monopoly" episode with.....maybe we should just watch a good movie instead

What's you favourite board game?

Have a great weekend....and to all those Mother's out there...enjoy your day!

Robyn

Where did the last 4 months go?????

Well....so much for me maintaining updates on my blog....I have failed.....my last blog was the 1st January...and its now May....go figure!!!

Life has been so hectic and busy that I just haven't found the time to sit and write down my thoughts.....and one thing I wanted to do this year was to keep a record of challenges and opportunities that have come our way as we prepare for college.

So maybe I start again....but I need help! A gentle reminder every now and then wouldn't go astray.

I have several blogs that I read every day and I admire how the writers maintain a consistency in their "blogging".....is it possible I can do the same.....lets see!!

One of the biggest challenges facing us at this time is filling in countless forms....trying to record ones life / spiritual history in 5 lines is becoming a challenge. What do I leave out....what do I leave in?? My journey over these years could fill a book....the lessons learnt are what make me who I am today....how can I summarise this in just a few words....

I guess the most important person who knows my history is God....he knows it all...and he knows what is ahead of us....which is the peace and comfort I need at this moment in our lives...when things are flying passed at a rapid pace.

So I will try and become consistant in blogging.....as our journey continues....so much has happened and who knows what is ahead of us....but life is good....enjoy yours and I'll keep enjoying mine...

See ya