Morning Star....a poem by my husband

A tiny tot you started out

Doing ‘cali’, just for fun

Your leotard on, a real big smile

And hair perfectly in a bun

The ‘lil’ dance moves that you

Were taught, which you built on every year

Until you could confidently do a headstand

Without hesitation or any fear

The routines you learnt, the songs you danced to

Almost every Disney one,

You performing on stage as happy as can be,

Those years

Were so much fun

As time passed by the moves you learnt

Got quicker and more complex

But you shone through, you persevered

Spending so much time on your flex

The dimontees, the countless dress fittings

The smell of hairspray in the air

The make up you wore, the tans you had, for your skin

Is ever so fair!

The gracefuls that you competed in,

You gave your heart and soul,

The times I had comforted you after results,

Emotions took their toll.

But one thing that makes you stand out and

Shine out amongst the rest,

No-one was ever as dedicated as devoted as you,

You always gave your utmost best

Your life long desires to go to Ballarat,

To perform your graceful routines

Unfortunately you’ve been inched out so many times,

The result from many unforeseen.

You’ve kept your smile and you’ve stood tall,

Amongst all that you’ve been through.

Almighty God has nurtured and helped

 and always been there for you.

Our dreams and goals we want to achieve

Unfortunately don’t always come to fruition,

Cause someone much wiser than us up above

has a plan of our intended position.

To me you always and always will be

My number 1 dancer by far,

First you were my princess, now you’re my queen

No-one comes close not even on par.

For many you’ve touched with your elegant style

Your emotions on stage never shy,

Always a loud roar as you finished your piece

In the audience not even a dry eye.

So please rest assured as you

 put aside your dancing shoes

What you’ve achieved in 19 years is immense,

After every competition you’ve been in the,

 The ‘peoples’ vote they

were all on your side of the fence

I’m certain right now, there’s a man looking down

With a smile and a heart full of joy

HE is so proud of you, as you were dancing for him

For the rest of us all to love and enjoy.

Danica, hold your head high

for what you’ve achieved

All you’ve accomplished in your life

so far is such a feat

Both on and off the stage

A new chapter begins to be filled with many

more memories

Love always your #1 fan

Matt xoxo

2010: 24 years old Nessun Dorma 5th Place at Hills Champ Final Coach: Tahni Green

2009: 23 years old Moulin Rouge 5th Place at Hills Champ Final Coach: Andrea Phillips

 

2007: 21 years old Titanic 2nd Place at Hills 5th Place Champ final Coach: Andrea Phillips

 

2006: 20 years old Pearl Harbour 4th Place Champ Final Coach: Andrea Phillips

 

2005: 19 years old Cold Mountain 2nd Place Open 1 Coach: Andrea Phillips

 

2004: 18 years old Paint it Black 5th place at Hills Open 1 final Coach: Sacha Lee

 

2003: 17 years old Yellow River Open 1 Coach: Sacha Lee

 

2002: 16 years old Romeo and Juliet 4th Place at Hills 5th Place Champ Final Coach: Sacha Lee

 

2001: 15 years old Wuthering Heights 5th place at Hills Champ Final Coach: Sacha Lee

 

2000: 14 years old Prince of Egypt Champ Final Coach: Sacha Lee

1999: 13 years old Beauty and the Beast 2nd place at Hills Champ Final Coach: Sacha Lee

 

1998: 12 years old Baccarole 3rd Place at Hills 5th Place Champ Final Coach: Sacha Lee

 

1997: 11 years old Classical 3rd Place at Hills 1st Place Open 1 Coach: Sacha Lee

 

1996: 10 years old An American Tale Open 1 Coach: Sacha Lee

{ramblings from within}

Learning continually to trust you...to listen to you.

Praying you will continue to help challenge us..I know u will, it is up to us to respond to your call.

We can't expect to just sit back and pray you will figure it all out...you could, but that's not the point. You put us in these situations, in these moments to teach us, to grow us and to develop our characters. You give us these trials and sit back and wait...you wait to see what we will do with it...will we give up because it's just too hard....will we run from the problem or try and fix it on our own accord... Will we just sit back and pray you will intervene and figure it out for us...or will we ACTIVELY seek you and have the faith to hear from you, gain your knowledge and understanding to DO the things you want us to do to fulfill your will. 

Nothing comes easy...everything takes work, but there is always a reward worth the pain and suffering at the end of it all.

Proverbs 2:6-9 ” For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go.” (NLT)

{a mid-week thought}

Ecc 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in it's time

In life it is so easy to get caught up in the moment...swept away by emotions and feelings and things that just arent going right for you.

This verse jumped out at me in my quiet time last week as I was reflecting on body image and who I am in Christ. But I think it has many applications in life. Those times when finances are tight and you are struggling to keep your head above water, those times when work gets overwhelming, or when your relationship is being tested, those times also when your faith is being stretched beyond belief. Dark clouds of doubt can quickly fog your mind and consume your thoughts where all you think about are how tough times are at the moment.

Let this verse be a gentle reminder that God uses all circumstances for His good and His glory. Even in the most horrific and hopeless of circumstances, He has a plan and a purpose that is beautiful...one that stretches far beyond what you can imagine. We just have to remember it is in His time...not ours.

Much love

...

Stumbling through this life...making mistakes along the way.
You pick me up, dust me off and set me on my way again.
Your wings cover me, protect me from the hurts of this world.
Your promise is sure, your will is perfect.

You dont judge me...you only see me as your beautiful child
when all i feel is ugly, filthy, unloved.
You hold me tight and remind me that you created me...i have a purpose on this earth.

Beautiful things come from the pain, trials and temptations we are put through.
Not only do they make us stronger, they are there to help others go through the same things.

You remind me that you are my 1 true love...the one person on this earth who will never let me down.

Im trusting in you for deliverance, for freedom...i look to you.

Fight for what you believe in...

A recurring theme over the past few weeks for me has been this...dont give up fighting for what you believe in and what you want in life.  Too often I think we can easily give up on these things that are so central to who we are as a person, be it because it is just easier to or because Satan gets into our thoughts and makes us believe we are silly or wrong for wanting such things.  He is a deceiver and quite frankly, a wretched stink and I hate seeing the damage he causes in our lives! I hate seeing him tear apart relationships, bring down people's self-image and isolate people. It seems he will go to almost any lengths to win over you in these areas...but we need to be reminded that God wont let us be succumbed to any more than we can handle. Aside from this, we also have a choice to fight back.  If you are lonely, dont put up with it! Make that effort to connect with people - go out of your way! If you are struggling with temptation...FIGHT back...dive into God's word and allow Him to work in your heart to bring you back to healing and on the path to purity....If you are feeling worthless, ugly or depressed about life and what you are doing...remember God's promise that you are made in His image and HE has a perfect plan for your life. Trust in God for the desires of your heart, but remember also to get out there and help yourself! There are things you can do to make your situation better....but always draw near to God and He will make your paths straight and your heart whole.

 

An update...

I'm back! :)

After having some time off Blogging (not for any real reason apart from the busyness of life!) I thought i would come back for a quick update post!

We recently went on our first 4 week European holiday together and had a great time! There were some hiccups along the way...but they just made us appreciate how much we love and are blessed to live in Perth! We got to see the sites of London, Paris, Venice and Rome and all-in-all just enjoyed being in each others company for the 4 weeks!

  

Also... for those of you that dont know..we are expecting our first baby in November this year! I am currently 22 weeks along and enjoying every minute! I would say the first trimester was quite a scary time...with the unknowns that come along in early pregnancy, but i have been blessed with no morning sickness, or any of the other common pregnancy symptoms! I am loving my growing belly and feeling our little one kick and move around alot! We do know what we are having, and if you want to know please PM me as some of my family members want it to be a suprise! ;)

Matt has begun a new, exciting job that is looking to be quite promising for his future career prospects, and I am still enjoying working where I am (although secretly looking forward to maternity leave, too!). 

It's proving to be a busy 2011, with my beautiful older sister having her engagement party in August, my gorgeous little sister having her 18th party at the end of October and us having our baby (in amongst our birthdays and other friends/families) in November! This year is just going to fly by and be filled with wonderful family events and memories!

Through it all...we are learning to continue to trust in God and have faith that He will provide and He will look after us. No problem is too big or too small for Him, and He cares about every little thing we are going through. He wants to be there for us and carry us through the tough times...and He does that :) If it weren't for His love...i honestly dont know how we would get by!

Have a fantastic week everyone, and hopefully these posts shall become a bit more regular now! :)

Much love

He's calling out to you...are you going to listen?

Everywhere we look and listen lately there seems to be another devastating event in our world. Earthquakes, bushfires, tsunamis, landslides, war, hurricanes...you name it, you are sure to have seen/heard it frequently in the last 12 months. Alot of people have been asking, what is going on? Why is this happening? These people deserve a break - when will 'Mother Nature' let go? Is it the end times?

I believe we have been in the 'end times' for quite some time now. But i dont believe it is something to be afraid about. These events are awful and each time a new one is broadcast, it sends shivers down our spines. It brings fear into our hearts as we wonder if our family and friends are safe and ok, and as we think about the poor people who have lost everything.

But why are these events happening? 

I believe someone is trying to get our attention. For years we have ignored Him, denied Him, and gone on living our lives as the Kings of our own little worlds. He has had enough....He wants us to return to Him and recognise that He is God of all  - He gave us life and He can take it away. He wants us to lean on Him and realise that we are here for a purpose, we arent to live meaningless lives anymore. He desires us, wholeheartedly, and wants us to submit to His plan and purpose for our lives. He wants us to fall into His loving arms and rely on Him, instead of what we think is right.

God doesnt want this devastation to continue, but how else is He to get our attention? People are not listening and He is crying out to us through these events saying, when will you return to me and acknowledge me as the God of all creation? When will you call out my name and worship me, instead of the gods you so mindlessly follow? I created this world and I can destroy it, when will you learn?

Our time on this Earth is short, but there is eternal life with Christ in Heaven if we believe He is the One, holy God...if we believe He is our Saviour. There is going to continue to be more devastation, more natural disasters, and more bloodshed - it is written in His Word and it will come to pass. We should not fear this but instead continue to fast and pray for those that dont know Him, that they might give their lives over to Him for He is the one who can provide us with comfort, love and compassion. He is gracious and provides our every need. We dont need to fear.

He wants to carry our cross for us....when will you hand yours over to Him and walk in the light?
He is calling out for you....what will it take for you to listen?

Much love

Revelation 3:19-20

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.