No Boys in Carpeted Areas

In The Bachelorette Pad, we have a few rules. One of my favourites is that "no boys can go on carpeted areas" within our house. This basically means we cannot have the boys go up the stairs or to our rooms. Which is a pretty good, "well-behaving" rule to have so that we are all well behaved young women!

Pray for Australia

Right now, a natural disaster is being experienced in Australia's tropical state, Queensland. Incredibly high rainfall - an unusual occurrence during our summer season - has caused mass flooding through most of the southern Queensland, affecting Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Ipswich [among other nearby towns] and has begun to decend upon the state capital, Brisbane. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes and set up in shelters throughout the Queensland state, with a confirmed 10 dead people - 5 of which are children - and over 90 missing.

North-Western New South Wales and areas around Victoria, including Melbourne, are among those now on high alert for flooding due to the incredible rainfall expected [and being experienced] over northern Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Cyclones in the north of Western Australia, fires near Perth...

Its not just praying for those who have perished in these floods, but also for those being displaced from their homes in the shelters, and its praying for those who are cut off from towns for supplies and who are isolated by the floodwaters.

Its also praying for those who have gone up from all over Australia to assist in the search and rescue operations, its also for those who are risking their lives saving those who are stranded, and its for the clean up that will come after all of this - that communities will rally together and support one another.

Yeah... crazy times... but Australian's are good at supporting one another during a crisis. Usually.

The Band-Aid


There is a Band-Aid on my heart. A patch that is fragile and easily removed if it has been treated rough; a patch that allows for healing, for the wound to seal, for the wholeness of the heart to be full again but... doesn't really allow for new hurt when it comes along. However, it doesn't matter that the Band-Aid is small, for it is designed to do a huge job.

This Band-Aid is durable, flexible, breathable, waterproof and temporary... and its no perfect: it has flaws. Sometimes, its not able to stop a leakage occurring because the wound is too great. The wound is exposed, agitated and cleaned again and a new Band-Aid is applied. Sometimes, the Band-Aid is not properly applied, and if the owner is not careful, it could get caught on the worldly ideas of justice and being right and revenge. Sometimes the wound is too great, and a Master Surgeon is required to help mend the tear. And sometimes, the owner refuses to let it heal, and doesn't use the Band-Aid at all.

There is a Band-Aid on my heart. Eventually, there will no longer be a wound, but its not just the Band-Aid's job to heal it. The owner of the Heart needs to let healing take place. The owner needs to go to the Creator of Life for strength and endurance during the times of need and of pain. The owner needs to let love overflow from the heart despite the thoughts of giving up for that would be easier than the risk of having it hurt again.

For the different circumstances that have burnt us and hurt us, forgiveness and love are key ingredients in the diagnosis of a wounded, broken or torn heart. The Band-Aid is good, but only for a little while. The biggest challenge in taking this prescription of love and forgiveness? It doesn't always taste nice. Sometimes, the prescription - though for us to accept and choose to administer - has a bigger affect on the one that has caused you your pain.

There is a Band-Aid on my heart. It has been agitated, the wound has been reopened. It hurts, but the Creator of Life has checked it out and its not a really bad wound. It will heal well, he said. It will make me strong, an honourable trophy of triumph through a season. His most important instruction is that I  don't keep the Band-Aid on for forever... wash it with love and forgiveness and it will heal quickly.