My brother and the beach.

This is my brother.
He came to visit us for a few days earlier this year, and on this particular day we walked the beaches and practised our photography.

He and I are really good friends.  We just get each other, and are always quoting movies and laughing together.

I won't embarrass him.  But he is a genius.  He will go places, and will hopefully remember me when he's a well-travelled famous man.

30 before 30 list.

So I'm finally getting around to sharing my 30 by 30 list with you.
I took my sweet time, right up to the day of my birthday, to finalise this list .. I guess it means more to me than I first thought.


30 Before 30

1. Ride a hot-air balloon.
2. Run a race or fun run.
3. Do Bikram Yoga for a fortnight or 30 day challenge.
4. Put up all frames and paintings in our house.
5. Find my go-to kareoke song.
6. Play a decent pipe organ in Adelaide.
7. Fit into my clothes properly - be my target weight.
8. Walk four different hikes.
9. Study Jesus the Christ.
10. Swim with dolphins.
11. Learn how to cook .. properly.
12. Take an art class.
13. Go on a cultural (musical?) weekend away.
14. Compose a piece of music.
15. Compile our family photo albums electronically to publish.
16. Take an amazing luxurious bath.
17. Landscape our gardens.
18. Be completely clutter-free.
19. Write to Jones Shimai (a few times).
20. Audition for the opera chorus (or just a better choir).
21. Go on a ‘watch the sunrise’ date.
22. Have a ‘riding a bike’ date.
23. Have a ‘painting on a canvas or two’ date.
24. Send a message in a bottle.
25. Climb a tree.
26. Plan and host an awesome classy party.
27. withheld.
28. withheld.
29. withheld.
30. withheld.

The plan is to achieve all 30 tasks between 25 March 2013 and 24 March 2014.
And yes .. there are a few that are withheld.  Because I can do that.  Adds a bit of mystery to the last year of my twenties.

Photo: a mother's embrace.

I hope they call YOU on a mission - the short version.

A few weeks back, I posted all my thoughts on how to prepare for a mission.
It just seemed like the right time, as I had recently presented some of those thoughts to young single adults, and so many people I know (almost every girl from my two EFY groups!!) are about to leave or planning to serve.

It was a long post, I know.  I didn't want to cut it up or condense it down.  Hopefully those who need it, will read it.

Here is how to prepare, the short official version:

Feel free to share this with lots of prospective missionaries, as well as ask me questions.
I may not be the all-knowing person on this subject, but I sure do have a lotta contacts!


For those of you who still don't quite understand what this mission business is all about, or why the heck we do it, this may help: