Rosie Boom's Blog

Be Completely Present

Rosie Boom — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:33:55 +0000

Read a great quote today. “In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. ”

Reminds me of another piece of wise advice. “Wherever you are , be all there.”

Spare Moments

Rosie Boom — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:52:34 +0000

I recently read a great quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

“Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.”

It’s amazing how many spare moments we have sprinkled through the day. And it’s amazing what can be achieved in those spare moments! I know I have accomplished a lot of things in my ’spare moments’. They may not be large blocks of time, but rather than frittering them away, we can determine to use them to do something of eternal value.We need to guard them well, and not waste them.

Catching Rabbits

Rosie Boom — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 01:17:16 +0000

Today I read a simple Russian proverb which reminded me of a very important truth.

If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one. ~Russian Proverb

How easy it is to spread ourselves too thinly; to try and do too much; to squeeze too many important things into our busy days, until we reach the end of the day empty handed. We need to recognise what’s really important and give ourselves to that without becoming distracted by all the other other darting rabbits.

Let there be LIGHT!

Rosie Boom — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:57:13 +0000

Just have to write a short post to celebrate the milestone of getting all our lights on in the new house! The electrician spent three days wiring everything up and now all the plugs, fans, extractors, sensor lights and lights in the house are working.
As soon as night fell, the whole family walked down to the house and watched excitedly as all the coach lights on the outside of the house came on. Then we went into every room and turned on all the lights. What a thrill. After all our hard work, it feels so good to be getting close to the finish. We all went outside onto the meadow and then looked back at the house lit up like a Christmas tree! Wonderful.

Did I Think That?

Rosie Boom — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 05:52:04 +0000

“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.” Winnie the Pooh

Ever felt like that? I have. I have some real brainwaves sometimes, but somehow they often lose the biggest ‘waves’ in the telling.

BUT…! Sometimes when I talk about the things I’m thinking, they become sharp and clear and so very defined. I know that whenever I share a verse that has really spoken to me with someone, it cements it in my own mind and heart. I wish we all shared more of what we were thinking and feeling with each other. Even if the Thing causes a few laughs - laughter among friends is a very powerful, positive force.

The Last Word

Rosie Boom — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:13:43 +0000

I just read a great quote from Douglas Jerrard.
“The ‘last word’ is the most dangerous of infernal machines, and the husband and wife should no more fight to get it than they would struggle for possession of a lighted bombshell.”

It’s so jolly easy to want to make sure we have the ‘last word’ - whether it’s simply about what colour to paint the house, or on more serious issues.

We are at the stage of choosing a colour for the limewash for the external walls. The whole family went in to the paint shop, and I very quickly realised that it’s times like that when you know you have a big family - when they all start to give their very definite opinion! Oh boy. I felt very much like I needed to have the ‘last word’. But I know that we all want desperately to be ‘heard’. Someone said, “Being heard is so close to feeling loved, that it’s very hard to tell the difference.”

We need to listen, and then listen and then listen some more.

A Prayer for 2010

Rosie Boom — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:07:48 +0000

It’s been ages since I wrote anything here!! So much happening and such busy days. Maybe I’ll come back and write a few blogs about some of it. But I wanted to write here a few verses which the family have been memorizing and which have become my daily prayer.

Psalm 143:
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love for I have put my trust in you. (A prayer that I will daily know afresh God’s love)
Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. (A prayer for guidance)
Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you. (A prayer for protection and a place of refuge)
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. (A prayer for personal growth and learning)
May your good Spirit lead me on level ground. (A prayer for the leading of the Holy Spirit)
For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life. (A prayer for God’s help and salvation)
In your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.(A prayer for God’s deliverance when I find myself in times of trouble)
In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes (A prayer for God’s victory over my enemies)
For I am your servant. AMEN!

Mum

Rosie Boom — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:57:40 +0000

Just a very quick note. My darling mum had a small stroke on Thursday and is in hospital. I am staying in there caring for her, but had a night off last night to come out and celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary. What a blessing being able to be with Mum and help her. She is very peaceful and resting in God’s love. Thanks for your prayers.

The Creator of Time

Rosie Boom — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:22:13 +0000

I got an email from a woman recently who shared with me the pain of trying to have children but not being able to conceive thus far.
It made me think of a wonderful quote I have written in the back of my Bible taken from a letter by Samuel Rutherford, a preacher in the 1600’s. He wrote a beautiful letter to a woman in his congregation who was desperate to have a baby.

“Dear Madam,
Do not prig ( complain, argue) with your gracious and frank hearted Lord about the time of the fulfilling of your joys. It will be; God hath said it. Bide His harvest; wait upon His time. His day is better than your day. It is enough that God hath promised you great things; only let the time of bestowing them be in His own carving.
It is not for us to set an hourglass to the Creator of Time!”

What wonderful advice! How many times in my own life have I ‘turned over an hourglass’ and given the Lord an ultimatum - I need this or that in one month, or two days, or within a year. And this to the Creator of Time! I am slowly learning to surrender my time agendas to Him and ask for the Holy Spirit to help me wait patiently for ‘God’s day.’

Hospital

Rosie Boom — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:19:44 +0000

On Saturday I went to listen to Eliza compete in the Northland Performing Arts competitions. When we got home at 2pm I found Jacob lying on the sofa, crying whenever his left leg moved. He had come in to our bed at 3am that morning complaining of a sore leg, but it was obviously getting worse. From my foggy, long distant nursing past, I remembered something about some boys of his age having a slipped epiphysis in their hip….he was in a lot of pain, so I took him to A and E. He was X rayed, and the doctor thought he did in fact have a slight slip of his epiphysis. Poor Jacob had to have an IV line put in and bloods taken while waiting for six more hours to see the orthopaedic surgeon who was busy in theatre.
It was a long wait. He kept saying, “I just wish I could go home. I wish they could make me better straight away.”
And I was struggling with thoughts of my darling little boy having to have an operation to fix a screw in his hip. But despite the temptation to think the worst, I deliberately chose not to go there - instead we just prayed and asked God to work a miracle of healing.
Finally the surgeon arrived and after examining Jacob told us that he was pretty sure it wasn’t a slipped epiphysis. Oh joy! But he said we had to stay in hopsital and keep a watch in case he developed an infection.
Jake was a bit nervousa about his first night, but I assured him that I would be right beside his bed. How wonderful that the hospitals have changed their policies and let parents stay!
As we went to bed that night, I prayed for him and then said, “This is a real adventure!” He smiled and went straight to sleep!

Over the next few days we had such a special time together, reading, playing games (he beat me at chess), talking to the other boys and mums…

Then yesterday he was discharged and we came home to the big, noisy, happy family. What a blessing. But it made me so aware of all the families that are going through worrying, difficult times with sick children. And it made me so thankful for health. We really must never take it for granted. Every day we should be thanking God for our wonderful, incredible bodies.