Most facinating to me is the concept that if you live in Australia you know everyone. I don’t think people from other countries understand just how sparsely populated we are and how many people live here. In June 2009 there was an estimated 22 million people. This link points you to a picture I wanted to put on my blog but I couldn’t. It shows the  population distributionof Australia in June 2009.  On average across the whole of Australia it is about 3 people per square kilometre. We like our space.

Happy Australia Day.

And so I no longer recommend this book as I did earlier. I am a growing, learning, disciple of Christ. I was wrong and now I’m pleased to be free.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve read a couple of other books. I’m happy to recommend these, as they do line up with scripture.

The first is “Moving in the Spirit” by Phil Pringle. A book that outlines who the Holy Spirit is and is not and how He can work in the life of a Christian.

The next book is “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire” by Jim Cymbala. This is kind of a biographical book about the Brooklyn Tabernacle and how calling upon the Lord is a major key to the Kingdom.

I hope you have a chance to get a hold of either of these books and read them for yourself.

God Bless.

First – Search for Significance.  I have re-read this book and could not see what I found so amazing.  Perhaps the Holy Spirit used it to speak things to me that I’d never heard before, even though they were said.  I truly believed I was a child of God (although saved by grace for many years) when I read it.

Second – Bondage Breaker.  This book took me and people in my family through things that needed to be healed.  It helped to break chains that were invisible, but tangible.

Third – What the Bible says about Healthy LIving.  This book took me through the facts that God gave us foods to eat and there are things in the world that shouldn’t be eaten.  I believe that there are foods in the world that can make people sick.  This book put me on the path to finding out that I had an allergy to milk proteins.

Fourth – Five Love Languages.  This book helped me to understand how I give and receive love.  It has helped me to identify how my family gives and receives love and so helped to strengthen my relationships with them.

Fifth – Created to be his Help Meet.  (Update – 29/10/11 – I no longer agree with the overall message of this book please see this post.

http://larissaquinn.com/blog/2011/10/29/books-books-books/

This book clearly outlines what is means to be a wife, no matter what type of husband you have.  It has blessed my marriage and helped me to understand that the earthly relationship of husband and wife truly is a reflection of Christs relationship with His church.

So there are my five that have truly changed who I am because they’ve taught me things I didn’t know and shown me how to change my ways.

If you want to join in click here.

Recently I began to read a proverb a day again.  The bible has a handy 31 to read through in a month.  One a day.  I was up to Proverbs 11 when verses 3 and 5 jumped out at me in a new way.

³ The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

⁵ The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them,
but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

We have a direct hand in how easy our lives can be, to a certain extent.  If you lead a quiet, honest life, chances are you won’t end up in court with charges laid against you or something similar.  If you lie and cheat and act selfishly, these things will not lead you to a good character check when looking for employment.  It makes it a harder path to travel.

These things may be evident to many, but I particularly wanted to take the line of thought of those who believe that all bad or hard circumstances are from the devil or God is punishing them.  When the simple fact may be that they are a consequence of some earlier action which is playing out naturally.

So while we can trust with surety, our saviour Jesus’s sacrifice which leads us to our eternal life; our actions will determine the quality of life lived on this earth.

Robert Murray M’Cheyne

“I am deeply persuaded that there will be no full, soul-filling, heart-ravishing, heart-satisfying outpouring of the Spirit of God till there be more praise and thanking the Lord.”

Robert Murray M’Cheyne – one of Scotland’s greatest preachers – lived a very short life. His influence, however, would live on for years to come.

By age four, Robert Murray M’Cheyne knew the Greek alphabet. At age eight, he entered high school. At age 14, he entered the University of Edinburgh, where his good grades earned him many awards. One day, he gave his life to Christ, and eventually he was ordained to preach.

While he was growing up, Robert Murray M’Cheyne had been a “good boy,” but he did not truly know Jesus Christ. Instead of a relationship with God, Robert relied on how smart he was and how hard he worked. But when his brother died suddenly, eighteen-year-old Robert Murray M’Cheyne realized the shortness of life, and he put all his trust in Christ alone for salvation. His brother’s death had a profound effect on the rest of Robert’s choices and he began using his intelligence to learn long sections of Scripture.

As a preacher, his fame spread quickly through his homeland of Scotland, and his church grew to over 1,100 people. He took a special interest in helping the Jews and did everything possible to win Jewish souls to Christ.

Mr. M’Cheyne was only thirty years old when he died on March 25, 1843, of the typhoid fever. Though he was actually in ministry for only seven years, he left an impact on Scotland for the rest of eternity. He often said, “Live so as to be missed!” And so he did.

Are you using the gifts God gave you (your intellect, your physical energy, etc.) to glorify Him? Are you a thankful, praising person? Are you living for Christ now, or are you waiting to grow up? Are you living so as to be missed?

1 Timothy 4:12 – Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

To take part, all you have to do is post a photo, write a short caption explaining it, and link it back to here. Please write a new post, don’t link to an older one. When your photo is published, come back and add a comment below, with a link to your blog photo.

Thanks Rhonda-Jean at Down To Earth for this photo linky!

Today I have Chloe on my mind

because in a few moments

I will be taking the yearly trip to the vet

for her immune booster.

Shh! She doesn’t know it yet…don’t tell her!

Some projects I’ve finished in the past:

Diagonal squares lapblanket (Pink/Purple)
Green Squares Throw (Greens, Dark Red, Yellow)
Big, Easy Granny lapblanket (Grey, White)

Some projects I’ve just finished:

Tunisian Wrap (Grey, Grey & Yellow) (oops forgot to take a photo of this one!)

Broomstick Scarf (Red Pure Wool. Thanks to ZigoZago!)

What I’m working on now:

Charity Blanket (I join the squares a lady at craft group knits, she uses a variety of colours, so the result is very interesting!)
Flouro Orange One Piece Jumper (for my youngest who fell in love with this yarn in Big W when we went to Perth a couple weeks ago).

What I’d like to do next:

I have some Cream through to Dark Chocolate that I’ll be making myself an article of clothing with.
I found some Dark Chocolate through to Red that will be something else for me.

I have a blue skein of Pure Wool (Abeulita) I won from ZigoZago that I’ll make another scarf with.  It’s NOT SCRATCHY soooo soft and lovely.  I think I’ll be purchasing some more from them.  It’s a bit pricey being a natural yarn, but so worth it.

I will be making something for the new baby that is due in our family (not me!) just need to get the right colour indication from the expectant Mum!
Not sure what else I can make, probably another blanket, I usually have one on the go, maybe a tartan this time.

So there you have it, my new category Off the Hook and what I’ve been doing with myself when I’m not doing housework, helping the girls with school, shopping for groceries, talking with friends or family or going online!  Do you crochet?  If so, why not answer the above questions on your blog, (include photos!) and link back to me.

Fanny Crosby

“To weep and sigh because I’m blind, I cannot and I won’t!”

Fanny Jane Crosby was born in southeast New York on March 24, 1820. When she was just six months old, she got a cold in her eyes that had to be taken care of by a doctor. The doctor made a terrible mistake that cost Fanny Crosby her eyesight for the rest of her life. It was later learned that the doctor was not really a doctor at all, and not qualified to do medical work. Before he could be arrested, however, he left town, never to be heard from again. But there are no mistakes with God. Fanny once said,

“Mother, if I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind…for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Saviour.”

When Fanny was a child, her mother introduced her to the Bible. As a result, Fanny’s life changed completely. She began writing poems about Jesus Christ. Although she was blind, Fanny Crosby “saw” 8,000 of her poems set to music and over 100,000,000 copies of her songs published. She wrote up to seven hymns a day. Over the years, she used as many as 200 pen names so that the public would not realize she was writing so much. Once in a while, she would hear a hymn that she liked and would ask someone who had written the words. Often, she would be surprised to be reminded that she herself was actually the writer!

Fanny Crosby wrote hymns such as “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” “Blessed Assurance,” and “To God Be the Glory.” From an early age, she determined to rejoice in her limitations and the gifts she did have. When she was 8 years old, she wrote these words: “Oh what a happy soul am I! Although I cannot see, I am resolved that in this world, contented I will be.”

Are you content with your life right now? What do you think you need in order to be happy? God has given you everything you need!

1 Timothy 6:8 – And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.