My 10 "I Love You's"

Picking up on the challenge that so many of you have done:

1. I love that You chose me although You knew all about me.
2. I love that You never get impatient with me although I can be the dumbest ever.
3. I love that I can't mess with You; manipulation or wheedling doesn't wash with You.
That makes me feel safe.
4. I love the twinkle I "see" in Your eye sometimes, when I'm taking myself too seriously and need You to show me that.
5. I love that You surprise me.
6. I love that Your discipline is clean, clear and kind of refreshing even if its painful.
That it is never a downer.
7. I love that You are all that is most joyous, most crystalline, most noble, most fun . . .
8. I love that life is full of meaning when You are at its core.
9. I love that You love me because of who You are: not because I deserve it.
10. And I love that Your heart is big enough to love all who come to You - no one excluded.

New World

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
Anias Nin

Request

This is my two and a half year old grandaughter with DSS.
She has gone down with a mystery bug which has landed her in hospital.
First thoughts were glandular fever but apparently that is not it.
More tests being run today.
Very stressful for all concerned.

For those of you who are praying people, won't you please remember this little one and her Mom and Dad when you next talk to our Father?

Avatar One Liner

I saw "Avatar" recently.

You know what I came away with?
A one-liner from the blue girl -

She was asked why she hadn't taught previous earthlings the blue-people's ways before.

She said something like this:

"You cannot teach someone whose cup is full"

That rich statement keeps coming back to me.

Jesus said something that resonates with that: "Blessed are the poor in spirit."

Maybe to recognize ourselves as needy is a great first step to wisdom

Final Days

With great timing, good weather arrived for this one day trip to Portofino.

Its only a short distance away - a breathtaking ride by bus (for beauty, not danger reasons!).

Its TINY!

Just a few VERY upmarket (read b****y expensive) clothing shops (Gucci, Armani, etc) and restaurants.

Want an idea of how expensive?

It cost us the equivalent of R750 for 2 plates of soup, 2 glasses of house wine and a bottle of water.

The picture on the header was taken at that restaurant.

We chalked that up to experience and had a relaxed day there.

We pack tonight, beginning our long haul homeward.

Rapallo has started to feel a bit like home; we have loved learning the Italian ways of doing things, so in that way, it is quite sad to leave.

But oh! how I am looking forward to being at "real" home!

Funicular Thoughts

You may well be getting tired of "Oh how beautiful" posts re Italy, so suffice to say today we took the funicular up into the mountains behind Rapallo.

Much higher than I had thought.

More about that in a mo

From the funicular. Portofino is near that little islandy area. We are going there tomorrow.

This pathway was behind the church (which comes up two pics down) - so silent and deserted. The pic is deceptive: the mountainside was very steep; the trees and walls very mossy (the sun obviously seldom gets there); and it was quite dark.

We felt to talk in whispers and walk very softly.

So high!

One can only wonder at the labour, cost and devotion that went into building this at the very top of this mountain.
Approaching the end of the journey.

Thoughts provoked by today's trip:

(If you thought you had heard the last of allie's thoughts, sad news for you!)

One of the remarkable things the Lord did for me when I decided to follow Him, was to help me overcome my terror of heights.

A huge miracle as anyone, who knew me then, would vouch for.

What we saw and experienced up on that mountain was so precious, so unique -

If fear had turned me back, I would never have known those things.

Life would just have gone on but I would have been the poorer for missing out.

I wonder how often enriching things are hidden behind something that looks risky or threatening to us.

Almost as though the "scarey" is the misleading wrapping paper -

Who knows what we might be missing be not 'unwrapping' those gifts!

That Special Evening

The promised pic of the "going the extra mile" guy at a local restaurant (see a couple of posts back).

These were taken tonight (Christmas Eve) where he made us feel like old friends.

Now all that remains to be said is: "HAPPY CHRISTMAS" to you people who have become so special to me over the last while.

May Jesus Christ become increasingly real and precious to us all as life goes on.