I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.

Put your hand up if the thought of a white Christmas in New York just makes you weak at the knees? Ever since I can remember, I have been slightly obsessed with this city.  Before I went there for the first time in 2000, I had memorised the map of the city. I knew where every street was, understood the public transport system, and of course, knew exacccctly where to shop. :)

Macy's on 34th Street is a must see.

Then head uptown to the Upper East Side to Bloomingdales. 
(I can still remember the magical feeling of being in here with my friend Taryn 12 years ago!!)

Then we'll walk past these brownstone beauties.. 

..on our way to Central Park for some ice-skating. This rink is on the corner of 59th St and Fifth Avenue (riiiiiight opposite the Plaza Hotel... perfect!!)

Then we'll visit the famous Christmas tree in Rockerfeller Plaza..

And while we're there.. why not have another cheeky skate.. ;)

Then after a delicious dinner, we'll admire this stunning, snow covered city before heading back to The Plaza for a hot chocolate!

Have you been to New York at Christmastime? My brother and sister in law are going to be there this week! In fact I think they arrive there today! Lucky things! One day I know will be there for Christmas, but in the mean time, I'm pretty happy to dream over these beautiful pics. ;)

Have a fab day everyone.. 5 sleeps to go!

nat x

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Friendship. What a blessing.

This weekend I've been overwhelmed thinking about my wonderful friends. Friendship is such a treasure and a gift from God. It's not dependent on the amount of time you spend with a person, or how often you see them.. it's about the heart connection - and once you have that, months, even years can go by and you can pick up exactly where you left off. :) Do you know what I mean? Do you have precious friends like that? :)

Just as lotions and fragrance delight the senses...

A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. xx

So let your friends know how special they are to you... and have a wonderful week! 

Yay it's Christmas week!  8 sleeps to go yippee!!!

nat x

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5 Minute Vacation :: Croatia

Have you ever been to Croatia? I haven't.. but would LOVE to.
Here's a little taste..

Beautiful big, bright, red flowers make everything look better.

Time stands still in this little walkway.

And now take a deep breath.. as you look at this photo below..

Breathtaking isn't it? So when do we leave....?! 

Guess what.. it's the weekend! Wa hoo! What have you got planned? I am baking our traditional family Christmas Cake this afternoon with my Grandma and Mum. I'm reeeeeeally looking forward to it. Will  be sure to post some pics next week. ;)

Anyway... have a beautiful day whatever you are doing :)

Happy weekend!

nat x

The Prince of PEACE.

So Christmas is two weeks away today! Very exciting. Are you all organised!? Or are you like me, with many things still on your to do list? I love Christmas so much. I love celebrating the birth of our wonderful Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, I love family time, I love the decorations, the music, the stores, the twinkling lights, the atmosphere that comes from sitting in a beautiful lounge room lit up with nothing but sparkling tree lights...

But after a busy few weeks, yesterday I realised I was suddenly becoming a little too focused on the "to do list" and not so focused on the ONE for whom this precious celebration takes place. So now, with fourteen sleeps to go, I now am determined not to fix my eyes on the "stuff", the "to do lists", the "gifts" and the "wish lists"... but on Him, Jesus... the reason for the season.

So let us look to the Prince of Peace today. Let us lift our eyes away from the hustle and bustle and busyness and stress, and look to Him, the author and perfecter of our faith. He has great joy for us in this season! :)

"The angel said, 'Don’t be afraid! 

I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide:- 

A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master'!!!"

I pray He fills you with peace and rest and joy today. :)

nat x

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Share the love.

Think of the first two friends that come to your mind.

How long have you known them? What do you love most about them? You're life is better with them in it right? Well.... sometime today you need to either: call them, send them a text message, email them or drop them in a little secret gift... telling them how much they mean to you and why you love them. :) 

Just cos..

Don't you think? :)

Bless you heaps!

love nat x

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Ask for it. Then take it.

When was the last time you had a massive belly laugh and couldn't breathe you were giggling so much? Now, let me ask you, did you like it or hate it? My guess is you liked it.. right?! Personally, I love to laugh. I like to say that laughing is my favourite sport, even though technically it's not a sport, however.. you do get quite a good ab workout don't you think? 

But seriously, how GOOD is laughing? Better than just laughing, is JOY. Joy is an internal emotion that wells up from within you. And it's a weapon. It is not dependent on any external situation or circumstance. Joy is supernatural. And it changes everything.

Think about it. When you're cracking up laughing, nothing's bothering you right? Everything is better when you are joyful. So when situations arise that try and overwhelm us, the bible tells us we have fruits of the spirit that are readily available to us. And JOY.. is one of them.

So how do we get this joy? 
We simply ask for it, receive it, and let it flow.

In His Presence, there is fullness of JOY.

So... who would like some joy today?!? Well, just ask for it and then take it. :)

nat x 

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Nothing to fear.

Did you hear the storm the other night? A loud crack of thunder woke me up at 5am and shocked me right out of my sleep. For a split second I didn't know where I was and what the sound was. Then just as I was going to bed last night I saw lightning and heard thunder cracking in the distance again. My little niece and her dog were having a sleepover and neither of them are terribly fond of storms. Anyway, as I was putting her to bed she was telling me over and over how she hates storms, to which I kept replying "there's nothing to be scared of, it's just storm, you're safe in here.." I guess sometimes when you're nine years old some things are easier said than believed. :)

The same goes with the storms in our lives. When we begin to see the lightning flash and hear the thunder crack, we start to freak out, imagining what is coming and how bad it's going to be. But isn't it wonderful that when the storm does set in, that we personally know the Master of the Storm? Standing with Him in the storm is the best place we can be. He holds us, carries us and encourages us. And before we know it, we realise He's brought us through it. :)

She is clothed with strength and dignity..
And she laughs without fear of the future.

 There is nothing to fear. 
He is the Master of the Storm, the calmer of fears, the wiper of tears, the friend in loneliness, the joy-bringer in sorrow... whatever you need He's already packaged it up and it's ready for you today.  

Happy Saturday and have a beautiful weekend. :)

nat x

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Don't worry, He's faithful.

Isn't it crazy that even though we know God has come through for us a million times before, when something a little stressful or overwhelming comes up, we still freak out and worry! It's like, far out, when are we just gonna get this?!?!?! :):) Ok, so each year, we know Summer is coming. Right?

Each year, we know Christmas is coming (and that the fabulous Christmas tree will be standing in
Rockerfeller Plaza in New York City).

Each day, we know the sun is going to rise.

And each day, we know it's going to set.

We know the waves are going to keep rolling in. 

There will be no day when these waves stop and say to us, "Guys, sorry, I've had enough, so today I'm just going to have a break. Aaaaannnnnd stop." No! How crazy!

We know all these things are coming. We have no doubt and don't need to worry about them not coming. Just like our great God, they are all constant. So just like these things, let us apply that same faith to all the things we are believing for. Even though it feels like nothing is happening, it is working. So let us keep on knocking!

What are you waiting for? What are you needing help with? What are you finding overwhelming at the moment? What are you believing for again, even though you you've been waiting for a long time?

So don't worry. 

Whatever you need help with, whatever you need faith for.. 

He is faithful and He will do it.

Happy Wednesday friends :)

nat x

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Today is a freshie.

Yup! Today is bright, fresh, crisp and new! It's the start of a brand new week. The page is blank and the blackboard has been rubbed out. You are going to have a great week.

So, forget about yesterday...

Because guess what...?

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind 
and straining toward what is ahead,  
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which 
God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Happy 'fresh start' Monday :)

nat x

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Today I am thankful for...

I actually wrote this blog at the beginning of the week, but I'm only just posting it now. And what a coincidence, it's Thanksgiving today! (In America..) Anyway... I'm reading a book at the moment that I have read before, but I felt to start reading it again. It's an incredible story of courage and boldness. It's called The Heavenly Man. It tells the remarkable tale of Brother Yun, a inspiring and beautiful man who endured the unthinkable - imprisoned and tortured for almost thirty years as he stood for his faith. Reading the story of this wonderful man has caused me, among other things, to look at my own life and recognise the many blessings I have right in front of me. The first being the incredible privilege I have to read the Word of God freely in this country, without persecution or danger.
I'm also thankful for sunshine. :) Aren't you soooo thankful you're free to walk outside and look at the sky whenever you want to? How incredible it is that we have the freedom to do this.

I'm thankful that where I live is safe.. and I am able to walk through the streets of my neighbourhood without fear. 

I'm thankful for grass! Now... this might sound like a silly thing to be thankful for, but if you have lived in Hong Kong like me, you will know that grass is a "highly sought after commodity"! So much so that the tiny, manicured patches of grass throughout the city are fenced off and guarded by secret service agents! (Well maybe not, but there are security guards protecting every piece of lawn and watching like hawks to see if anyone dares to walk on it!) Honestly, it's crazy! I was sitting at the top of IFC Mall, overlooking HK Harbour, and my feet were touching a tiny patch of grass..... within 30 seconds of me doing this I was approached by a security guard and asked to move off the grass!! Ha! So... now you can see why I am thankful for grass here in Australia.

I'm thankful that I live near the beach. It's just ten minutes from my house and I really love being able to jump in the car and be there so quickly. How good is a walk along the foreshore or to lay on a towel with a fabulous book?

So today, here is my challenge for us all...

So let me know what you see.. and what you are thankful for.

Happy Friday friends :)

nat x

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