Some days I work in an office, some days I attend meetings, other days I travel for work, and occasionally my job takes me up river. Most recently my coworkers somehow determined I was a photographer and I was charged with the responsibility to conduct a photo shoot. I have done a few shoots since I started my job, but never on this sort of scale. Out on the water taking photos that would be used in the development of brochures, flyers, advertisements, and most nerve racking – an up and coming magazine article set to print this month. ( I think people just assume your a photographer if you own a fancy camera.)  Usually I pass the responsibility off to my talented husband, but seeing as he is away at the moment I had to act as the photographer myself. Needless to say I was quite nervous and feeling the pressure to produce professional images, I mean this photshoot was costing the company money (ie; wages, time, and resources). I had to at least get some images that were usable. So I did the aussie thing and said to myself, ‘you’ll be right!’ and gave it a go.

I was relieved once I got the photos uploaded onto our computer for editing, “Phew! These may just work!.” In fact, the magazine editor from Territory Q was, or so I’m told, VERY impressed with the photos I supplied. So, I guess, maybe now I can qualify as a professional; I mean I don’t know of anyone else (ugh um…Ben) whose photos have been published in a state wide magazine. Anyways, I’ll let you judge for yourself. Enjoy!

These were just a few of the photos I snapped. So…what do you think? Am I a professional?

This last week I traveled down to Alice Springs for work. Although located directly South of Katherine on the Stuart Highway, to get there I was required to drive 3-hours North to Darwin before boarding a plane to travel a whole 2-hours south to Alice Springs.

Before this trip, Alice Springs was one destination in Australia I had yet to visit. I was only scheduled to be there briefly; however, I was determined to make the most of my time and do a bit of exploring. Thankfully I managed to score an extra day in “The Alice” after the trade show concluded. I worked my “industry” connections and managed to score a great deal on a full-day tour through the West MacDonell Ranges (which I had been informed was a must-see if only in Alice for one day). Not quite sure what to expect, I woke-up bright and early, and set out on my adventure! Please enjoy these photos that I took along my journey.

Each morning when I arrive at work and sit down to my desk I am greeted by Andrew Wommack’ s daily devotions. I enjoy having these sent through to my work email, because in the middle of a long day I will come across a devotional and I am prompted to take a minute to read scriptural truth and encouragement before moving to the next actioned item in my very long to do list. These little moments of truth feed my spirit, but also refresh my soul while I am working. It takes only a quick read and my day is better. Today I thought I would share with you what little nugget of truth graced me this morning in the midst of my incredibly chaotic work week and encourage you too, to make time whenever you can (sometimes in creative ways) to get in a daily dose of scriptural encouragement and foster growth in your own spiritual walk. Enjoy!

GOD’S WORD: USE AS DIRECTED

Luke 8:11, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.”

LUKE 8:4-11
This parable illustrates the importance of the Word of God. God’s Word contains total power, but it has to be planted in our hearts and allowed to germinate before it releases that power.
The seed is God’s Word, and the types of ground are the four major categories of men’s hearts. The Word was the same in each situation, but there were different results in each case because of the condition of men’s hearts – not because of the Word. The Word doesn’t work for everyone because not everyone will allow the Word to work. The variable in this parable is the condition of these hearts. God’s Word is always the same. It has the same potential in every heart.
Good ground doesn’t just happen; it must be cultivated. This is the reason why only one out of four persons in Jesus’ parable brought forth fruit. It takes a lot of time, effort, and diligence to be a fruitful Christian. The Christian life is not like a hundred-yard dash but rather a 26.2 mile marathon. It’s quicker and easier to raise weeds than it is to raise tomatoes or corn.
In this whole parable, it was the Word that produced the fruit. The ground (me) simply gave it a place to grow. If we will simply put God’s Word in our hearts, protect it, and give it priority in our lives, the Word will produce fruit of itself. Satan has deceived many people into thinking that they don’t have the talents or abilities to be fruitful Christians, but they are not the ones who bring forth fruit; it’s God’s Word. When we protect the Word sown in our hearts, it will do the rest.

*Notes: The Word of God works in us when we give it time and place in our lives.

Recently my husband was called away for deployment overseas. We always knew this might be a possibility when we were married, although at the time it was very unlikely. For any person that has been asked to spend any length of time away from their spouse, you understand that it is a big ask. It takes certain individuals to make a relationship like this work and it takes a tremendous amount of Grace and support from each other and most of all Christ. It has been nearly 3 weeks since my husband left, and at times it can be difficult and almost seem unbearable, but the truth is there is nothing we can do to change the amount of time we must be apart. It is a fact that we cannot ignore and should not ignore. The separation will effect our lives, our marriage, and our emotions in ways that we may not always be able to predict, the best we can do is rely on the Lord to see us through and trust His Grace over this time to strengthen these areas and bring us even closer together.

Our Prayer:

Lord,

Your Grace is sufficient and Your Love conquers. I thank you for the covenant of marriage that you have gifted to Ben and myself. I thank you for the grace you have shown us and your love that you have poured into our relationship; I thank your for the good work that you continue to do in and through us. We give this time to You and we trust that you will continue to bless our marriage even in the midst of Ben’s deployment and this time apart. Use this time to develop those areas where we may have shortcomings and allow us to grow nearer to you and each other so when we reunite we will only be that much stronger, that much more committed, that much more in love, and that much more connected.  Meet us where we are at in this season and keep us from temptation and protect our hearts. Allow this time to bring honor to your name and be a testimony of the covenant of marriage through the Grace of God. In Your name, Amen.

I trust and am believing that this time will be a time of refreshment for both Ben and myself. We welcome all prayers over our family in this time and ask that you keep us in your hearts and maybe Skype every now and again.

Hello World,

My Australia has been collecting dust over the last several months. In my efforts to do a bit of spring cleaning, I thought I would clear out the cobwebs, spruce the page up a bit, and endeavor to share a short year in review of our time here in Katherine, NT.

So far we have had some incredible experiences and I have always kept MYAustralia readers (you) in the back of my mind (mainly just thinking how jealous you would totally be when reading about our latest adventures). But alas, I never shared, so you never had the opportunity to be jealous – until NOW!

Please enjoy a few happy snaps from me to you!

Most recently we explored Kakadu National Park and went fishing at Yellow Waters where Ben and I caught our first Barramundis. But let the record state, mine was bigger and I caught one first 🙂 To catch a Barra is an initiation of becoming truly Territiorian, in other words it is a BIG DEAL!

Throughout the year we also did quite a bit of camping, BBQs, local events, and just being Territorian. We must admit we have grown to love the Northern Territory and can’t wait to see what adventures we get up to this year!

When we first moved to the Northern Territory we discovered that flights from Darwin to Bali cost less than flying within the country, so naturally we started our Bali Bucket ( or Fun Bucket as we often referred to it when we wanted to use it for a weekend getaway to Darwin). All spare coins and random deposits of notes went into the Bali Bucket to save for our first trip out of the country via Darwin. Recently, we opted to use my 27th birthday as an appropriate excuse to use the funds we had been saving and traveled to Bali. We spent 7days, 6nights soaking up the Bali sun, drinking fresh fruit smoothies, staying in a 5Star Luxury Villa, eating at 5Star Restaurants, and for some catching what we call ‘Bali Belly’.

We arrived at 1am in Denpensar Airport where our driver was kindly waiting to take us to our accommodation in Seminyak. Upon arrival, we were greeted with a fresh fruit mocktail and were asked to place our breakfast order for the following morning. Next we were shown our room, which was AMAZING!!! As soon as our short tour was done and the hotel staff had left us, we both dropped our jaws in aw. We were overwhelmed by the private space we would be enjoying for the next several days. I may have done a bit of a jump up and down dance sorta jig thing because I couldn’t quite contain my excitement.

We had made no plans for our trip to Bali, other than flights and accommodation. We figured we would sort out the rest once we arrived. We decided to take the first day slow, settle in, relax, enjoy a massage, get a pedicure and eat LOTS of food for REALLY cheap. Food in Bali cost only a fraction of what we might pay here in Australia, the two of us could easily spend $20 eating out for a meal and that would include drinks. So Cheap! We were quite excited to spend our time eating and enjoying the Indonesian cuisine at $5 a plate of food, HOWEVER, someone decided to get ‘bali belly’ the first night of our trip. This was not the start to our great Bali adventure we had expected. Ben spent day 2 of our trip in bed while I relaxed by the pool, and treated myself to a pamper day. I ventured out on my own and got myself a much needed haircut for $10 (the best haircut I have had in quite some time), and a 1 hour Back and Neck massage for $10 as well. I did a bit of retail therapy at the local market and bought a dress before heading back to our villa to see how Ben was doing. I don’t know about him, but my day had been quite enjoyable.

By day 3 Ben was fairing a bit better. We decided to hire a driver for the day and drove up into the hills of Bali. Everything in Bali is fairly close, it is a small island, so our trip took about 2 hours before we arrived at the 2nd largest temple in Bali. Before entering we were required to purchase a sarong each.

We left the temple and made our way out to view the nearby lake. It really wasn’t all that great to be honest. So we quickly made our way to what would be our next stop, a coffee plantation. This was my favorite stop for the day. I was given a free sampler platter of assorted teas and coffees, and since Ben still wasn’t feeling to well, I had it all to myself. Needless to say I had trouble sleeping that night from my major caffeine high. Most of the coffee was very sweet, but delicious. I tried the Luwak Coffee, which I am informed is the one made from beans consumed by some animal and then pooed back out before making it into a coffee. It was ok. I wasn’t a huge fan of it, I liked many of the others I was offered much better.

Day 4 was probably our favorite. By then Ben was feeling much better and we were ready to go on an adventure. We decided to try the Bali Bird Park because 1. Ben loves birds and thinks they are the most amazing creatures ever and 2. I hate birds and they often terrify me, however, I thought it would be a great opportunity to face my fears. It certainly was.

After the bird park, we decided to check out the nearby Bali Zoo. There, I was able to ride an elephant; this had been my one request for our trip. We had about 30 minutes to wait before it was our time to ride the elephants, so we waited in the nearby restaurant before our tour began. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take a photo with some crazy animals while while we waited.

After riding the elephants, they allowed us to feed them. It was amazing to touch and feel their massive trunks and interact with our elephants.

Next we checked out the Zoo. As soon as we entered, one of the zoo keepers approached us and asked Ben if he would like to feed a tiger.Our response,  “Um, Excuse Me? What?’ He asks again, “Would you like to feed a tiger?” Ben, “Uh, how much does that cost?” Zookeeper, ” 5 dollars.” Us, hesitantly and not quite sure what were getting ourselves into, “ok.” Zookeeper, “Follow me.” It all seemed a bit shady. The Zookeeper led us over to a very full grown tiger, placed a chicken carcus on a stick, and handed it to Ben. What followed was incredible. Check out my facebook account to see  video.

Feeding the tiger is still probably one of the highlights of our trip. Only in Bali.

It was amazing how interactive each park was. There is no way regulations would allow for such things in Australia, and if it was possible you would pay a pretty penny to have any sort of Zoo experience come close to that of the Bali Zoo. Ben reckons he is now ruined for any other zoo.

Day 5 we attempted to shop in Kuta, the big tourist spot and shopping attraction. We lasted probably 1 hour before heading back to our place. The big crowds and venders that follow you for blocks grabbing your arm trying to sell you some cheap shirts or shorts just wasn’t for us.

We were happy to spend our last days relaxing and taking advantage of the inexpensive massage services that Bali has to offer. Literally, I had a massage every single day we were in Bali. I tried hot stone, thai, and an in room balinesian massage while in Bali. The average massage cost $10 AUD. My favorite was the hot stone, and although it cost more, it was still only $29 for 1 full hour.

Our trip was a nice getaway from Katherine, although I am sad to report that the Beaches in Bali are not that great. Then again, I think we have been spoilt here in Australia when it  comes to beaches. It is a cheap getaway, but it is still a third world country that is very dirty and slightly dangerous. The driving is INSANE as there are no road rules whatsoever. Scooters are a common form of transportation in Bali, but personally I would never drive one myself on those roads for fear of my life. It was amazing to see 5star buildings sitting next to run down/broken down buildings and creeks that smell of sewage. It really is two unlikely worlds living side by side. I am sure there is much more to do and see than what we were able to experience, however, we are unlikely to return to Bali. I have been told you either love it or hate it. We had our moments there, that is for sure, but if I ever return I will spend my time up in the mountains in a luxury resort where I can drink fresh fruit smoothies and indulge in daily pamper sessions.

As for our Bali Bucket, it has officially retired and we are now calling it our Japan Can.

Living in Katherine, NT at times can take its tole. There are days when you feel the remoteness of living three hours south of the nearest vibe of 21st Century Civilization. Taking a quick trip down the road to Bunnings (ie; Home Depot) is no longer an option, going “into town” to select much needed furniture for your house is no longer available; no, nowadays, we must plan. If we need a clock for the Kitchen, a microwave, or just want to go clothes shopping we must wait until our next weekend trip up to Darwin. We accumulate gradually the necessities for our home. But, there are times when our days finally catch up to us here in Katherine and we MUST GETAWAY! And that is exactly what we have done for the past 3 weekends. Living in the Top End of Australia forces you to explore, to getaway from your surroundings, be in nature and learn to enjoy life wherever you are. Luckily, the last month has been full of holidays and short work weeks and better yet LOOONG WEEKENDS! Truly Aussie.

Easter weekend we had made no plans. We had initially opted to stay in Katherine due to our lack of effort and the fact that we had done an errands trip to Darwin the weekend prior. Everyone else I knew had plans for camping, fishing, and taking advantage of the four day long weekend. As we had no camping gear, we figured we would sit this one out. Good Friday came, we woke up, cleaned the house per usual each weekend, drove through town to see Woolworths completely empty and void of locals loitering out the front…what a sight to behold! We continued our drive on that fine Friday up to Edith Falls, about 30 minutes north, after having witnessed Katherine reduced to a ghost town. We drove through the camping grounds at Edith Falls for maybe 10 minutes and decided on a whim at about 4pm, “HEY! Let’s go to Darwin and buy some camping gear. Then, we can go meet up with everyone else and go camping this weekend as well!” So to Darwin it was. We made the drive back south to home, packed our bags, fueled up and were on the road again headed three hours north with no plans whatsoever and hopes that we might find a hotel with vacancies on this particularly busy weekend in Darwin. We rocked up at about 7:30pm managed to find a hotel with an available room. Next stop, dinner at the Wharf. Often our trips to Darwin are very much centered around where and when we eat, as there in not much option for good dining in Katherine.

Our spontaneous weekend in Darwin from start to finish was the best! We had so much fun. Initially we though we would only stay one night, buy some camping gear, and be on our way. That didn’t happen. We did check out after one night, made our way over to BCF, bought a camping table and other accessories, but not the much needed tent for camping to spend a night out under the stars. So after a day of shopping, we made our way back to the same hotel we had just checked out of and checked back in. After two nights, and binging on chocolate hot cross buns and great food, we headed out to Litchfield National Park for just a taste of the outdoors we had missed out on camping overnight. We drove and stopped when we felt like it. I am so glad we stopped where we did, because we had one of the most incredible experiences in the Northern Territory. Not to be repeated, as we had discovered soon after we were not meant to be swimming in this particular area. But what do they say, ignorance is bliss and in this case it was. We ventured out onto the rocks over looking this particular waterfall in Litchfield Park and cooled off in a small pool up in the cliffs somewhat secluded from other tourists.

After our amazing swim, we continued on the walking trail to find a sign reading, no admittance beyond this point in reference to where we had just been exploring/swimming. OOPS!

We arrived back in Katherine with one day left to spare of our long weekend, and we enjoyed it recouping from our long weekend and catching up with friends over some snags (sausages on bread) and chocolates.

Following our long weekend was a short week of three whole working days, yes, three. Such a rough life we live here in Australia. The following weekend was ANZAC day, allowing us a three day weekend with Friday off. After we had exhausted our bank accounts the previous weekend, we took it easy. Ben participated in a Dawn Service down south in DalyWaters while I enjoyed doing absolutely nothing in Katherine. The next day we made our way down to Mataranka and checked out another area of the thermal pools. I wasn’t too keen to take a dip, but Ben made his way through the murky waters.

Next was a full work week, I tell you, after two long weekends, a full work week just isn’t right. Which brings us to this weekend. After our brief visit to Edith Falls over Easter weekend we decided that it would be fun to spend a day camping there. So we did a camping trial run with whatever gear we currently have (we still don’t have a tent). We took the gazebo, the Weber, our folding chairs, bought some chips and meat, and set up camp for the day. Wonderful. We ate, relaxed, took naps and then took a short walk down to the swimming pool which was breathtaking.

The water was just cool enough, but not cold and the crowds were minimal. I think we have found our new getaway place for a quick day away from Katherine. I wish I could share these places with those closest to me, because pictures just don’t do it justice. Experiencing our new surroundings are beyond words sometimes, and it makes me realize that no matter where Ben and I go and our careers take us, the best memories are going to be spent making the most of where we are. We could easily just stay at home, feel secluded, and be disappointed with our new location; but our optimism and spark for adventure keeps this place exciting and vibrant and the possibilities endless.

Until Next Weekend!