get up off your knees now please

riia: i just finished reading 'walk on - the spiritual journey of u2', man, powerful stuff! i'm not a huge fan of their music as far as style, but fully into what they're about. i definitely agree that bono and the whole band are prophets challenging us to live out the radicalness of the Gospel, to get off our knees and get our hands dirty in the work of the Kingdom here on earth. i definitely wanna be a part of that, how available am i for God to use me? hmmmm...

yes, so that's what i've been thinking about lately as we're getting into autumn here...
we had an AWESOME summer, weather-wise and otherwise too. the most exciting thing that happened was glenn's sister and her fiancé coming over for 2 weeks. was awesome spending time together, being able to show them our lives here, we even went to tallinn for a day so they got to experience an extra country. we spoke about missions to kids at a missions conference; there weren't so many people there to listen, but it was a great experience just to keep that flame burning in us... went to a couple of weddings, went to the zoo, glenn played rugby, we hand-washed all our rugs, very finnish thing to do in the summer! my parents bought the house they'd been renting, and they started fixing up the garden and bought a new grill, so we enjoyed many evenings with yummy food and yummy wine underneath the appletrees in their backyard. for those that know the lucksmiths (awesome aussie band) they had a gig in helsinki and we of course were there, was rockin! ezra learnt how to crawl and clap and many other things, and...

last saturday we celebrated his 1st birthday! hard to believe it's been a year already! we had friends and family over and played pin the beak on the kiwi and pass the parcel. ez started off the day by standing without support for about 2 minuted and clapping at himself.

glenn has started an apprenticeship program, so in 2 1/2 years he'll be qualified in early childhood education. so he has lectures (in finnish!!) every monday, and the institute is like a 2 minute walk from our place which is so awesome coz he can come home for lunch. then tuesday to friday is working at the daycare centre as normal, so it's 80% learning through working. good stuff.

i just got back from the dentist where they performed root canal on my tooth, ooooooooooooowww!!! got another appointment next week, and then one more after that i think. i was weighing up whether the pain of the dentist digging in my tooth was worse than labour pains...i'd say they're about equal on my scale, albeit the tooth thing was quicker...
i'm still at home full time, and loving it. really feel like this is my work and my mission field for now, and i wouldn't have it any other way. i'm so grateful that it's possible for me to stay at home (we have it pretty good here in finland with government support).

even though we're kinda dreading the coldess and darkness of the autumn and winter here, as atmospheric as it is, my sister is getting married in mid january, and glenn's sister in march, so we have exciting things to look forward to! with glenn's sister getting married, that of course means that we'll be going to nz....yay!!!!!

well, time for coffee and boysenberry pie (now that i can enjoy eating again!)...

E

Ezra. the most precious little person in my life.
Espresso. aah the goodness...
Expressional dancing. something my husband does very well. you gotta bust a groove at least once a day, keeps the happiness in life!
Elevators. Great invention. makes my life a lot easier as i'm usually pushing a pram when i'm out and about. the ones that have glass walls are especially cool. i guess escelators fall into this same catergory.
Eating. also to do with enjoying life! great social thing to do; good company makes good food taste even better i reckon!
Eucalyptus. my favourite trees in the world. one of the things i really miss about australia.
Electronic banking. 'tis handy.
Esky. i believe kiwis call it a chilly bin. another handy thing to have. great for keeping your beers and fizzy drinks cold. also works as a table or chair if need be. i have fond memories from a christmas party in australia once when i was a kid and we had an ice cube fight with the icecubes from the esky...
Eva Cassidy. love her voice.
Eyes. i am grateful to have eyes and that i can see with them. they are a very beautiful part of the body. windows to the soul...


so these are ten E's that are important in my life. i was given the letter E by ingsoc. if you would like a letter then just leave a comment and i will give you one. then think of ten words beginning with that letter and explain why it's important to you and post it on your blog.

riia

across the baltic

it was a big weekend for family badger. full of exciting fun for all. ezra (10 mnths old) left his country of birth for the first time (lucky thing, his old man took 20 years to do the same) and crossed the baltic ocean to the beautiful city of stockholm with mum dad and aunty tarja. there we were met by a myriad of people seemingly happy to meet us. they were folk who we hadn't seen for 4 years. yes they were some of the intrepid explorers that became very dear friends of ours onboard the mv doulos. so we took off on our fun filled weekend, walking out of the port towards our classy hostel where we would spend the duration of our next three days of reunion.
so who was there, those who care i hear you ask? those who don't can skip this... on the first day we hung out with philip and elin sinning, emma åstöm, gunhild redse, thomas eller, tarja tolvanen and stuart guthrie. we represented a small portion of the ex douloi that reside in sweden, norway or finland at the moment, but also happen to include a scot an austrian and a kiwi. we all stayed the night in a very nice part of stockholm minus one emma who could only be with us that afternoon. we were then joined the next day by johan gustavson (plus his lovely lady linda) and teresa ahola.

so what happened? (i hear you ask eagerly...) it was a wicked as fun time of traditional 'ship's-company discovering a new city' style aimless walking (which actually was a great work-out), sudoku, talking, watching the all blacks victory over south africa, laughing, eating strange swedish food, and sharing from our lives. all told it was a great catchup and this family is looking forward to the sequel in not so long from now, here in helsinki! fun times ahead!!!
for the badger three it was a great getaway to have at this end of the summer and a fantastic experience in a place where they're all excited about trolls and vikings. riia and i have been there the year before last for a day excursion, but now it's very exciting to have these trips as a growing family...awww! i'm still not sure what baby ez thought of sweden but he loved the cruise on the ship with a passion. grunting and murmuring and ooing and ahhing at practically everything. despite all the excitement of passing islands and other water-craft outside, i think his favourite aspect of it all was crawling up and down the corridors outside our cabin. he loved that!

say halleluyah

... these were the first words that filled the huge hall as tracy chapman started her concert last night here in helsinki to a sold out audience... and i was there!!!! it was a girls' night out, an early birthday present from glenn - i went with my sister and glenn and ezra had a manly time at home. felt great to be out at night, and without a pram, as much as i do love motherhood!

it was definitely worth every euro of the expensive ticket; up there with ben harper as the best concert i've ever been to. there's no words... what a voice, what a Creator we have to have created that voice...

and what an awesome hubby i have that i got to be there!

well, happy mid summer's fest to you all, that's what we're all celebrating here tomorrow, go the land of the midnight sun!

lovies,
riia

a little bit of ezra...

we were at ezra's great grandma's house, and she has an old wood fire stove in the kitchen, ez loved it, and mum got some arty shots of him...


















...and ezra's first time driving a car, we thought we'd start early...



















we had a church picnic on one of the islands in helsinki on sunday. it was abit windy, but it was so nice to sit on the grass and chill out. it was ezra's first picnic, i think he enjoyed himself!

lauryn hill musings...

yesterday was a really dreary day, so i stayed inside with ezra all day, lauryn hill's mtv unplugged playing in the background. that album is like a powerful sermon to me.

i don't know where she's at with God and living out her faith and stuff, but nonetheless God uses her through this album, and her lyrics are like prayer and praise straight from the heart in a way that hits me so hard each time. it's in her words and about her life, and there's alot about politics in it too, but anyway it brings me before the Father in humble adoration. reminds me of my humanness and need for Him and challenges me about how i'm walking with Jesus.

these simple things that are actually such huge profound things that we need to know in the core of our being. a daily thing, like how God's mercy is new every morning, and we need to die to ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him, daily.

sometimes i feel like we make growing in our faith so complicated. our 'maturity' gets in the way of our passionate hunger for Christ at that basic, childlike, desperate level. the level He desires us to be at - where we realise we only need Him and nothing else. not amazing biblical knowledge or great teaching on inner healing or revolutionary methods of evangelising, just HIM. and everything else, all that other stuff that is good, springs from that. i never want to lose that initial, basic hunger for Him. spending time with Him, getting into His word...

'...Oh Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness
That thou may be saved from thy deception
How long, shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee, oh Jerusalem
Keeping thee from perfection

Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bare
Fruit of itself except in the vine
I am the vine, ye are the branches, He that live in me
And I in him, they shall bring forth much fruit
But without me, you can do nothing, oh Jerusalem
Your traditions have deceived you
I've chosen you, you haven't chosen me
And whatsoever, you ask in my name he may give to you
But in vain they call my name, teaching doctrines just the same
Justified among themselves
But God knoweth the heart, what man esteems as smart
Is an abomination to Emmanuel
Just repent, turn from selfish motivation
So iniquity will not cause your demise
Make you a new heart and a new spirit for why would He die
Oh Jerusalem, please tell me why
I have no pleasure in the death of Him to die
Says the Lord God whereforth turn yourselves and live
It's not the talkers, but the walkers in His word
Are the only ones the Father will forgive...'
(from 'oh Jerusalem')

'...Oh Israel

Surrender for Jehovah is real

How long will you sleep

Troubled by the thoughts that you keep

The idols you heap

Causing the destruction you reap...'

(from 'mystery of iniquity)

'...Bathing in the fountain of his essence
He causes my expression to remain
Humbled on a mountain by his presence
Washing my intentions with his name
Sealing off the floodgates of his passions
Saving all his liquid for his own
Moisturizing me to satisfaction
In my imagination? No no!
He's pouring out his soul to me for hours and hours
Drawing out my nature with his hands
Yearning I'm so thirsty for his power
Burning to be worthy of his land
He's just like the water
I ain't felt this way in years...
Cleaning me
He's purging me
And moving me around
He's bathing me
And he's claiming me
And moving me around and around and around...'
(from 'just like the water')


'...You inspire me
to be the higher me...'
(from 'i just want you around')

ruggers

yes, the season has started. the first game (3/6) saw us up against the northern city of oulu, who we smashed 57-0. we have an exciting summer ahead, slogging it through to see who is the toughest city in finland. it's pretty out of it for me, playing this level of rugby. but i guess in the end i can brag next time i'm back home, 'i've played national level rugby, and you haven't!!' it's a great lark, making mates with the fullas from all over the world. and all with different experiences. there's some who have played very high quality game. others like me who have only watched on tv and played for fun at school. and those that have never played before in their lives. coming on purely a curiousity basis, finding out it's the best sport in the world and they're hooked. we have five in our club who proudly represent in the finnish national team. which makes it kinda sorta like the equivalent of playing for wellington alongside some allblacks!! mind boggling!!! except that if our boys ever came up against the abs, to say it would be a cricket score is an understatement. it'd be more like a phone number score!

hope ya get a kick outta the pic of me bustin' through this tackle. see yas - glenn