Sisterchicks Down Under!

Yesterday was a perfect day for reading.  It was a drizzly, rainy, chilly day.  So, I picked up another one of the Sisterchicks novels that a friend loaned me and started reading.  Sisterchicks Down Under! by Robin Jones Gunn starts off in the sunny state of California before moving to New Zealand.  With a trip to Australia in the novel, there was description of three different places.

As with all the Sisterchicks novels, there were adventures in travels, relationships, and life throughout the novel.  The learning moments/lessons for me in this book included Scripture, vocabulary from down under, some art and math lessons, and how to love God and others.

The book opens with Ephesians 5:2-- "Mostly what God does is love you.  Keep company with him and learn a life of love.  Observe how Christ loved us.  His love was not cautious but extravagant.  He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us.  Love like that." (The Message)

Part of what caught my attention in this book is that the main character, Kathleen, was 45 years old and shared about being halfway through life.  As she contemplated what the remaining years might look like, part of her questioning included what risks was she willing to take.   Since I have been looking into the second part of my life for the past several years, contemplating Falling Upward by Richard Rohr, and seeking to live well into my year of jubilee, I was curious to see how this character would deal with this part of life.

The scenes and vocabulary from New Zealand were enjoyable to read.  Though I haven't had the opportunity to travel yet to New Zealand, I felt like I got to visit some sights through the book.  And, I picked up some of the lingo, too. 

Wellington, New Zealand was the setting for the majority of the book.  Lord of the Rings fans will know that New Zealand was where the movie was filmed and might know Wellington as one of the  towns where the movie was filmed.  Movie references come up in this book throughout with references to the movie and the scenes.  An interesting one was when Jill took Kathy (Kathleen) to the forest where Frodo and his pals hid after the hobbits left Shire.  (page 69) They were checking out the beauty of the area and decided to see if they could fit in the hobbit-sized holes. 

Besides the beautiful forest, the water in New Zealand and other aspects of nature and culture are described in such a way that makes one desire to visit this land. 

The sisterchick duo travel to Christchurch, New Zealand during their adventures and learn about the Maori culture during their trip. 

Some New Zealand vocabulary from the book:
chemist = drugstore
dairy = corner market
colly wobbles = queasy feeling
dunny = restroom
cotton buds = Q-tips
sticking plaster = Band-Aids
hokey pokey = ice cream
crisps = potato chips
sarnies = sandwiches
take away = to go

Besides the Ephesians 5:2 nugget on God's extravagant love, there were examples of the Scripture lived out by loving others scattered throughout the book.  Loving God and loving others and accepting God's love and the love of others were threads woven through the story line.   God's love IS extravagant.  Sometimes it takes getting out of our comfort zones to see and experience that love.  What we do with our lives, the time we have, the relationships we have.... that's what this book is about... Well, yes and no.  It is "only" a novel.  But, a novel that reflects accuracy in life.

Well, that's about all I have to share from this adventure with the Sisterchicks Down Under!  Check it out for yourself to get the details.  You will likely get more out of it than I shared here.  I didn't want to ruin it for you.

Blessings on your journey,

Debra

Early Morning Telemarketing Phone Call.... Obstacle or Opportunity?

At 4:05 am this morning, the phone rang.  Because the phone sits on the nightstand on my side of the bed, it rang in my ear.  As the ringing woke me up from my sleep, I tried to read the phone number, but all I saw was "out of area".  It is rare to get phone calls in the middle of the night and I tend to think those are normally emergency phone calls.

So, I answer the phone and say hello.  At first no one on the other end responds.  Then, a cheerful voice in non-native English (which was the first clue we were probably in a different time zone) started telling me about a great deal I could have on my phone service for $59.99 a month.

I politely interrupted her to ask her if she knew what time it was and told her that it happened to be 4:05 am and then I asked her if this was an emergency.  She continued her marketing announcement, not understanding my time zone at first.  Then, I told her I was satisfied with my phone service (though I must find a way to block non-emergency calls during the sleep hours) and I repeated that it was 4:05 am, which by now was a few minutes past that. 

She replied, but you are in Australia, right?  Ah, the confusion.  I corrected her and told her that I was in the United States and that she had awakened me from my sleep.  (I would love to go to Australia one day!!)  Then, I heard her talking to others in the room, explaining to them that this phone number and area code was not Australia, but the United States.  I thought she might return to apologize, but instead, she hung up.

It was kind of funny.  I thought about all those other area codes like mine being saved from the early morning phone call.

This entire conversation only lasted about 4 or 5 minutes.  When I went back to bed, I prayed for her and the telemarketing job.  That's not an easy job.  To cold-call folks isn't easy, especially when you wake them up at 4:05am.  Thankfully, there was enough peace and grace for this conversation to have been calm. ☺  Then, I prayed for other folks that came to mind.... my pastors that are transitioning soon.... one to be a D.S. (District Superintendent) and the other into retirement up in New Jersey.  And, I prayed for the two pastors transitioning in. 

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and pray for folks if and when they are put on my heart and mind.  This is the first time a phone call has springboarded my mind and heart into prayer. 

The call could have been an obstacle or an opportunity.  It became an opportunity.  For that, I am grateful. 

What interruptions might come your way today?  How will you see them?  How will you deal with them?  Will they be obstacles or opportunities?

Blessings on the journey!

~Debra