Exams, Holidays, Blessings, and a Miracle

This week has been remarkable. I cannot count the blessings our family has enjoyed, and in particular, the miracle I experienced. I’ll start with the miracle, and let everyone get over the shock of it, and then move on to the blessings.

By now it is probably quite common knowledge that I have sold my scooter and bought a motorbike. This is a picture of what my bike looks like. It is a Honda CB400.

Now, I know that not everyone thinks it is a good idea! But since I am in my thirties, and I am generally a sensible person, I feel that I am probably old enough to make some decisions on my own, even if they are decisions that others (who I love and trust) would not make. And even if they are a little on the “dim” side of life.

Well, I had my first accident on the bike. Hmmm. It hurt, although I was blessed to have slowed down sufficiently to avoid breaking any bones. I was not being reckless or silly. In fact, by the time I hit the road I’m sure I was doing less than 30km/h. Inexperience was my biggest enemy on that corner. My ribs are bruised or cracked though, and I’m in pain. However, the miracle of not having anything worse happen is amazing. I thank God for blessing me.

Now to the other wonderful experiences of the week! The same day as the accident I was to sit my final exam. When I say final exam, I mean the very last exam I needed to sit to obtain my degree! I was a little shaken as you can probably imagine. But there was no way I was going to be delaying that exam. To top it off, it was possibly the easiest exam that I have ever sat! So I came out of the exam extremely happy. No more exams, no more papers to write, no more researching, no more leaving my family at night so I can go to uni and study into the late hours, no more university stress! The degree is finished. My results will be out by the end of the month, and I graduate on Dec. 17th with a Bachelor of Psychological Science with Honours.

Thursday we went on holidays. We booked a three bedroom self contained unit on the beach at the Sunshine Coast for the day after my final exam. We had a great time. It was nice to relax a little. It would have been more fun if my ribs were not aching. I wish that I could have played more vigorously with the kids in the pool! But all in all, it was great. The children just wanted to swim in the pool. Period. Nothing else! Just swim. So we spent A LOT of time in the water. That, literally, is all there was to our holiday! Here’s a picture of the kids on the beach.

All in all, we feel remarkably blessed. Our family is healthy and flourishing, we are about to take some new steps in new directions in coming months, and the year is speeding to a close.

One more quick story.

Ella is undoubtedly the most challenging child we have had to work with, particularly at church. Ella does not like the idea of being reverent. Today in church one of the children sitting close to us began making considerable noise. Ella sprang to her feet, hurried over to the poor boy, placed her finger over her lips and hissed “Shhhhhhh” with all the energy she could. She then turned to me looking terribly pleased with herself, and strutted back to her place as though she were the most righteous little angel in the chapel. Righteous? I’m not so sure. Little angel? Every bit of her!

Have a terrific week.