Hi all, hope you are all well, I am on holiday for five weeks, I have just survived my first semester of post-grad study, pretty intense but very good. Its been good to be back stretching the brain again, I think learning as an adult can become very addictive! Anyway how are all my friends, it would be great to hear from you.

Man its hard to believe I have not posted here since new year! So far my year has been pretty full on, I have commenced post graduate studies in social work at canterbury uni, its very intense but I am loving it. We have a full house at the moment with good friends living with us, they have just shifted back to NZ after living in Traverse City (Michigan) for the past eight years. We also have a little 9 month old girl in care with us for a while, its sure a stretch having a baby in the house again but shes an awesome we darling! I am now involved with the amputee society here, I hope this will enable me to offer support to others as well as providing a forum for making new friends. Chronic pain is still a big part of my life, but I have no regrets, life is for the living and I intend to make the most of it. I trust that all my friends here at less than four are doing well and staying postive, I would love to hear from you all.

Blessings to you all!

Just wanted to wish all my friends a Happy New Year, I hope you all have had an awesome Christmas and are looking forward to the challenges of another year. I saw the New Year in on my own as Michelle had to work, she works in the birthing ward of our local womens hospital. My 15 year old went to bed at 11 so that left me on my own. They were playing an ABBA doco on TV, their 20 greatest hits so I was happy I know I'm not supposed to admit this, but I am a big ABBA fan from way back! Summer has well and truly settled in for us now, we are getting an awesome run of good hot summer days, because we have daylight saving here our evenings are very long, in Christchurch the sun sets at about 9:30pm, this makes for great summer holidays. This week we are heading south to family and friends for a few days, they all have farms and my kids just love to get let loose on them!

God Bless you all!

Last night we kicked off the festive season with our family tradition of attending Christmas in the Park [Hagley Park]. This event has been held in Christchurch for twelve years, it is a charity concert, with both top line performers as well as up and coming local talent. This year Youthline was the recipient charity. Money raised is used to develop and provide Youthline's 24 hour youth help line in ten centres around New Zealand. Youthline is focused on supporting and developing young people in person, through youth work services and at risk youth programmes. Youth programmes and youth mentoring help young people to feel part of the community, develop leadership and make positive connections with others in a safe environment.
"Hagley Park has been at the heart of Christchurch since the 1850s and is today by far our most significant central city park. It is renowned for it's extensive area of 165 hectares [407 acres], its wide-open spaces and mature woodlands. Hagley Park is also a major sporting and cultural focal point. It offers a diverse range of entertainment and recreational opportunities within close proximity to the city centre".

Every year more than 100,000 Cantabrians make their way to the park, just like my own family to usher in the festive season. We all join together with the entertainers in singing Christmas carols, as we all know Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ, it is fundamentally a Christian festival. However, as I scan the crowd I realise that amongst this crowd are people from many different countries, cultures, and religious affiliations. What is it that draws this crowd together? Is it merely a chance to party, or is there something stronger drawing these strangers together?
I am not certain as to why so many turn out to this event, but as a Christian I do know that this gathering of strangers is just the place where Jesus would walk, talk, heal, confront, rebuke, teach, feed, clothe, and in all of these things he would love.
What do you think, more to the point, what do you believe? As we head into Christmas, what is it that you believe? Have you ever really thought about your belief system, whatever that may be?
Love and blessings to you all.

Do any of you use swimming as part of your rehab and on going fitness maintainence? I have been swimming now for about three weeks [2 x 1 hour sessions], for the past six years I have not been able to swim, water caused me to much pain. What a tremendous feeling to experience the freedom of the water, one almost looses all awareness of their disability!

Being in the water and experiencing that freedom has got me thinking. What does water mean to us, what does it represent? With out water there would not be any life as we know it, water sustains life. Water not only sustains our lives but also the life of that in which we eat, be that plant or animal. It will satisfy our thirst, cool us down on a hot day, reduce a fever. We cook in water. We play in water. We even bathe in water. So I guess it should not be unexpected that we find water soothing, realaxing, peaceful, freeing, and perhaps even healing. At the moment I really love this song called Bathe in the River, by Hollie Smith, I find the lyrics powerful and the way in which Hollie performs it is so soothing.

Like a Bird from Prison bars, I'm escaping and behind me on the long highway is
all that I'm forsaking. ooooh river flows, I am bound from the river you come.
I'm gonna bathe in the river, gonna hold my head up in the river.
not gonna worry any more until i reach that golden shore....
I don't feel afraid of how i feel, and in family i will be free.
ooh river flowing, I'm gonna learn how to cope when you're gone.
I'm gonna bathe in the river, gonna hold my head up in the river.
not gonna worry any more gonna reach that golden shore....
Mighty river, hear that rushing sound,
I'm gonna Bathe In the river, gonna hold my head up in the river,
not gonna worry anymore gonna reach that golden shore

[Performed by Hollie Smith, Writtem by Don McGlashan]