Syria - still war torn.

As I read this email from Barnabas organization I was impacted with how difficult it is to be a Christian in so many places in our world.  While there has been world wide condemnation of the situation in Syria yet it has gone on for so long.
How does a little child process such hatred from a community she has called home.
I initially printed this off to enable me to remember to pray for this country and its people but thought since I am not blogging much about anything else at present ....I would paste it here.
 
- Friday 22 March 2013

Syria : 

As the conflict in Syria enters its third year, Barnabas Fund needs your help as we continue to target aid at Christians who have been displaced by the fighting.
We have been working through Christian partners on the ground for the last 18 months to get food and other essentials, including clothing, medicine, heaters and blankets, to those in greatest need. We are also supporting Syrian Christians who have fled to Armenia and Lebanon.

A Christian girl displaced by the violence in Syria

One of our partners in Aleppo said:

Barnabas Fund stepped into Syria while all other Christian organisations stepped out. Barnabas has no hidden agenda. Its transparency captured almost all Syrian church leaders and helped them to work together for His glory and by His grace. Barnabas’ work in Syria is very effective and efficient, very fruitful and productive, specific and significant, and unique in its unity and humility.

Yesterday (21 March), the UK Disasters Emergency Committee launched an appeal to mark the second anniversary of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, highlighting the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the war-ravaged country. More than three million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes.
Christians are especially vulnerable as Islamist militias become increasingly dominant among the opposition. They are imposing sharia law in areas where they hold control.

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, said:

The needs of the beleaguered Christian community in Syria are overwhelming. Our partners on the ground have been working tirelessly to help needy Christians and are continuing this courageous effort. Please uphold them in prayer and, if you are able, make a gift to help alleviate the suffering of our brothers and sisters.

Desert Song. Hillsongs

Sometimes you sing a song that touches your heart strings in a new way, even though you may have sung it a dozen times before.

This is one such song which we sang in Church yesterday.

  Hillsongs..Desert Song

Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is a God who provides

Verse 2:
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3:
And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

Desert Song U tube 

 pity I have forgotten how to add links as Google has made various changes.

Scatterdays D

for Humorous.

Can I scrape in with deadpan Humor
She has none right now.
There is only disgust for disturbing the dumb one.

Should be G for gross, but the lovely talk dark podiatrist (much too young!!!)
took off my nail polish and managed to bruise and make my big toe nail dark big toe on feet

And I have not managed to get polish on them again.

.pity about the flash flare!  Furniture- Dresser/Desk

And then there was a
Quilty Display on the Door

 
D for brain dead this week and the camera yet again proves it is more intelligent than I.....and I am too weary to care.  Hence the lovely flash flare.

Failed Scatterdays week as I was at a reunion

 I went to a reunion with my fellows who began attending Melbourne Bible Institute in Armadale , Victoria ...way back in 1967,  I had three years in College and others did a two year course.

I expected to be singing at the reunion, as that was something I did back then....but I did not expect to slip into my ex teacher librarian role........although in retrospect it was quite appropriate as it was when I was able to work 2 days in my third year, it was to work as an untrained teacher librarian at Toorak Central School,  I later did the course at what is now Melbourne University..
So here I am getting ready to hold the book facing the people and read Dr Suess on growing old.
We all are!!
Due to my various replaced parts, bunks are  not viable for me so I stayed at a B & B,  Annie's Cedar Farm Cottages in Upper Plenty.
Now I have a great sense of direction and never get lost.
Oh dear!
It stayed at home with Mogs and I became lost,  Twice would you believe.
I think I travelled 100km out of my way instead of about 10 km from the conference centre to the B & B,
It was bearable in the day time and I stayed on mainly made roads in the daytime lost adventure but at night I turned left when I should have turned right on this gross unmade bush track that should surely have had a no through road sign somewhere.  It had ruts that you rolled in and out of, it was hilly, unlit, dark and there was no where to turn around.  After about 20 mins I did manage to turn around and then due to my inability to reverse directions I again turned the wrong way and saw a place called Glendale for the 2nd time that day.  I had actually gone in the right direction but when I should have turned left I did a U turn and went miles out of my way before finding the said town again and turning around.  At least at night time I found the B & B entrance that I had missed so badly in the day time.  I had dropped my things off and my Navman took me to the conference centre but it would not take me back.  A lady eventually saw me become totally lost after asking her for help and hopped into her car and took me to the gate.  Oh was I mortified!!
And then when I got back at 11pm.....should have been 10pm or earlier ,,,the cold tap in the shower resisted my efforts to turn it on and I had to call the poor long suffering hosts.
I was aching so much from all the bouncing around that I could not have slept without a shower.
I had a lovely queen bed and did not need the air conditioning that I had thought might save my life.

 Annie's Cedar cottages have lovely views and I was in daffodil cottage.


This is the drive in that I had trouble finding.
I lost power in my radio /cd tape system  also power to the Navman was not working.  Not that it would have helped me much!!
The updated Navman does have the road listed,  There is a Hadfield Road East which is on the maps and Hadfield Road West which was not,  And Melways failed me for the first time ever,
I know most of Victoria really well but have always said the north of Melbourne would be the area that defeats me......well spare me Epping, Whittlesea etc.  Upper Plenty is not a friendly place for me.
However the views show it is a nice place.  Just not me friendly last week end.

They had finally had rain last week end and some green was starting to show in the paddocks but not to the naked eye unless close up.
But pretty typical Aussie bush.......and pretty typical terrible Aussie bush tracks when off the main roads.
It was good to go..and wonderful to be home..
I had no complaints about my hosts or accommodation...........just my rotten navigation skills.