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Childcare as education

Recently a spokeswoman for one of Australia's largest political parties argued that "Governments should treat childcare as an educational right that gives children pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills and not as welfare for parents" (The Australian, Monday October 23, 2006, page 5).

Labor childcare spokeswoman Tanya Pilbersek said childcare should not be viewed as "parental welfare or a workforce measure". Her statements were made in the context of arguing for greater government funding for childcare.

I find such statements frustrating because of their implications. There is nothing wrong with attempting to make childcare educational. If a child must be sent to an institution for many hours each day, I would hope that institution would impart something more than babysitting.

What I object to is that if Tanya Pilbersek's ideas become pervasive childcare will soon be viewed as a necessity for all children. Pilbersek argues that childcare "prepares them for school, and gives them the confidence to make friends and learn new skills."

I am sure that amongst some groups in society childcare is already seen as a necessary part of the development of healthy children. Such attitudes ignore the strong evidence that long hours of daycare in institutions negatively impacts upon children's development.

It is one thing to desire to provide quality care for those children who must be separated from their parents for many hours at a young age. It is another to advocate this separation as a necessary part of childhood. If Pilbersek's ideas become pervasive, full time motherhood will be seen as even more unnecessary. After all, couldn't the "experts" at the local childcare center do a better job at preparing the children for life than their own mother?

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A pink town

Monday's The Australian featured a tiny story in the "Wierd World" section that I thought my blog readers would enjoy. I especially thought of those of you who complained so much when my blog was pink. This story should make you very grateful you don't live in Aurangabad, India. Here is the story of that town:

In a bid to deter crime, authorities have painted the town pink. Aurangabad is the centre of a Maoist insurgency and the town's leaders hope that by painting all buildings bright pink, they will lift morale among the residents. The town's subdivision officer, Arvind Kumar Singh, said: "What better colour than pink, which symbolises good mood, soothing sight and good feelings." All municipal buildings have been painted, and about 80 per cent of private homes. The remainder are expected to be completed this week.

Arvind Kumar Singh knows how to describe the benefits of pink. If only more people agreed with him :). I doubt this town painting effort will reduce crime. It is more likely to make those who hate pink feel like committing crime. Graffiti comes to mind.

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What's the deal with the hat?

My blog has been lacking in photos recently, so I found this one in a draft post from months ago. I had planned to write about my graduation from university, which happened in August last year, but I never got around to it.



I graduated from a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Journalism. Before the 5pm ceremony, I enjoyed a party with family and friends. Thank you to everyone who came! The party I had at home was more special to me than the impersonal ceremony at the university. I knew only a couple of people at the ceremony.

Next year I plan to begin studying again, this time to gain a Diploma of Education (Primary School). I will do this through a Christian correspondance course from the Wesley Institute in Sydney. The practical component of the course will be done in local schools in Tasmania. The Dip Ed will enable me to earn more and have other advantages. I am not looking forward to burying myself in the books again! I am sure I will enjoy a lot of what I learn about, but study has a tendancy to dominate my thoughts even when I am away from it! There is always more work I could do on an assignment!

If I do graduate from the Diploma of Education as I hope to, perhaps I will go to the ceremony in Sydney and wear one of those hats again. Does anyone know the origin of this ridiculous looking hat?

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Travel quotes

I enjoyed these two quotes on travel.

"To travel is to discover what is wrong about other countries." Aldous Huxley (1894-1963).

Huxley's analysis of travel amuses me. Most of us go to other countries to admire their beauty, while Huxley goes to critique! I am sure it is impossible not to notice some negatives about every place you visit, but hopefully the beauty of other countries dominates in the memories.

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read." Oscar Wilde (1854-1900).

Like Wilde, I never travel without my diary. However, this is not because I find my own writing sensational :). I just love to catch moments to write down my impressions of what is going on at the time. I love the few pages I managed to write in Virginia, when I visited the USA. The friend I was travelling with thought it crazy, I think, that I would waste time writing in a diary. However, I am glad I did.

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A blessed heritage

I was blessed as I wrote my post on the beauty of ancestors, realising anew the heritage of love and faith that God has given me. Now I am blessed to be able to read the thoughts of others on this important topic. If you would also like to read more, please visit Dana at Principled Discovery. She has compiled a post about the Carnival of Beauty submissions, titled The Beauty of Ancestors.

Most people today have more respect for and interest in what celebrities are doing than in what their ancestors did. God's ways are different. Over and over again in the Old Testament, God tells his people to remember what he did for their ancestors. It is important to care about the heritage God has given us, to learn from the wisdom of those who have gone before us, and to aim to pass on a godly heritage to our descendants.



Those who have no concern for their ancestors will, by simple application of the same rule, have none for their descendants.
Richard Weaver.

Only the sheerest relativism insists that passing time renders unattainable one ideal while forcing upon us another.
Richard Weaver.


The following quotes are related to the thoughts I shared about motherhood in my post about my ancestors. Like any other worthwhile goal, motherhood costs.

“The best things in life invariably cost us something. We must sacrifice to attain them, to achieve them, to keep them, even to enjoy them.”
James Q. Wilson

“The world is indeed full of seemingly harmless little distractions; humorous and silly things; banal and trivial things; things that take the path of least resistance; things that come cheaply and easily. “Beware all such things”
Edward Lear

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Strong women

"Remind me of this with every decision, generations will reap what I sow. I can pass on a curse or a blessing to those I will never know. To my great-great-great granddaughter, live in peace."
Sara Groves

When I think of the beauty of our ancestors, this week’s Carnival of Beauty topic, I think of strong women. My great-great-grandmother Harriet moved to New Zealand from England with her husband and their ten children. My great-grandmother Ida raised six children with a husband known as a difficult man. My grandmother Thelma was the wife of a missionary to New Guinea. She cared for her three small children in a primitive hut. The only one of these women I have met is Thelma. She visited when I was a baby and died soon afterwards. Although I do not remember Harriet, Ida, or Thelma, their examples inspire me.

One of the main ways their examples inspire me is in the area of motherhood. In today’s society women are taught that they should and can pursue any career goal. Yet being a mother to many children is considered too difficult. What our ancestors did suddenly becomes too hard, while newer and trendier goals are seen as attainable. It is trendy to be “liberated” from the demands of serving a husband and children, in order to pursue independence and personal fulfilment. The work that women did for generations is looked down upon. A woman can do it all, it seems, except be happy to serve her husband and raise his children.

One of my heart’s desires is to have many children, whether biological or adopted. When I tell people this, they usually list all the reasons why it would be difficult, impossible, or foolish. If I took some people's words to heart, I would despair of the possibility of having any children. I know that I will not understand all the difficulties of having children unless I have my own. I have more experience with children than most single women I know, due to my work babysitting, tutoring for a large family, and teaching. However, I still cannot yet appreciate the demands of caring for children 24/7. I would face greater than average difficulties in being a mother, due to my chronic back pain.

However, the Bible teaches that it is a blessing to have many children (Ps 127, 128, and numerous other places). Investing my life in family would be one of the most worthwhile things I could do. I would face difficulties, but so do women who pursue goals that are less worthwhile. God may not choose to give me many children. I cannot know what my future holds, what my health will be like in five or ten years, how I will balance paid work and family life, or what my hypothetical future husband’s decisions with regard to children will be. However, I continue to believe that there is nothing wrong with hoping that God will bless me with children.

When I think of my ancestors, I am not only encouraged to believe my goal is a worthwhile one. I am also inspired to believe it is possible. My ancestors faced greater difficulties in motherhood than I do. They did not have the painkillers and medical interventions during birth that we have. They risked death to give life. My ancestors also endured moving to unfamiliar and difficult situations. Imagine moving from a familiar place where you had the support of family and friends, to a distant colony. This would be hard even with no children. Harriet achieved it with ten.

Harriet, Ida and Thelma were faithful wives and mothers in the face of their many difficulties. Modern women under the influence of feminism may read about their lives and consider them limited and oppressed. Yet the lives of these three women impart hope and faith to me. Hope that I can endure the difficulties of motherhood as they did. Hope that God will give me the grace to be faithful and loving to a less-than-perfect husband some day, just as they were faithful to their husbands. Hope that my great-great-granddaughter will look upon me as a strong woman like Harriet, Ida, and Thelma.

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Brother, let me be your servant

I enjoy singing this at my church, Crossroads Presbyterian. I know I do not live up to the words of the song, but they are an expression of what we are called to as the church.

Brother, let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, too

We are pilgrims on a journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load

I will hold the Christlight for you
In the night-time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear

I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through

When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born of all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony

Brother, let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, too

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In response to popular demand

I received numerous complaints from the blog readers I know in "real life" that my blog colours were an unfortunate choice! So I decided to change them. I have decided it is best to have the background for the blog posts white. I can't promise not to turn the blog header pink at some future date, but at least my readers won't have to look at that colour the whole time they are reading. I hope my new colours are more satisfactory to those previously unsatisfied. I want to work out how to insert a picture into my blog header, but it may be beyond my skills! My new profile pic was taken last weekend when I went sight seeing with Dave.

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God rules Satan

Given the excited tone of my recent posts, I thought I'd better return to heavy, heavy, heavy lest you think my head is going to remain perpetually in the clouds.

A long quote from William Henry Green's book "The Argument of the Book of Job Unfolded" seemed perfect. I am thankful to my friend Phil for using this quote in one of his excellent sermons on Job during 2004, and later kindly passing the quote onto me. William Henry Green says of Satan:

"With all his hatred of God and spite against His people, he cannot emancipate himself from that sovereign control, which binds him to God's service. In all his blasphemous designs he is, in spite of himself, doing the work of God. In all his rebellious efforts to dethrone the Most High, he is actually paying Him submissive homage.

In moving heaven and earth to accomplish the perdition of those whom Christ has ransomed, he is actually fitting them for glory. Fiend as he is, full of bitterness and malignity, and intent on every form of mischief. However, he is constrained to be that which he most abhors, and is furthest from his intentions and desires. He remains a helpful auxiliary to the designs of grace.

Like the sons of God who assemble in the presence of the Infinite Majesty to receive the commissions of the King of kings, prompt to do his bidding and to execute his will, Satan is, though most reluctantly, and in a different sense from them, yet as really and as truly, in the case of those who, like Job, steadfastly resist his insidious assaults, a ministering spirit sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation. "

Many people speak of Satan as though he can thwart God. This quote is a reminder that he can never thwart God's plans for us. He can only assist God to achieve his plans.

Phil has a blog: http://philninness.blogspot.com

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More party pics

On Friday night, 30 plus people crammed into my parent's living room to help me celebrate my birthday. I was blessed that they all made the effort to come out.

Here are Nick and James . . .


Talking and eating . . .


My sister Janelle, with some of the food pictured in the background. My sister is now 32 weeks pregnant with twins.


On my party invitation, I promised pictures of food and fun to those who missed out on coming. However, I forgot to photograph the food until it was almost too late . . .


We had cakes, ice cream, pies, jelly, and fruit salad. I didn't have much time to eat, with all the greetings and goodbyes that were going on. I was still eating my piece of cheese cake at 10pm!

Here I am with my friend Yvonne . . .


Here I am with Dave, after most people had left. Apparantly I look ditzy in this picture, but it is still my favourite picture of us so far.

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Handmade wrapping paper

I recently completed some wrapping paper I began a couple of weeks ago. I began it on one of my weekends at my parent's house, and then left it here while I went to the north of the state to work. Now I am on holiday (vacation in USA speak) at my parent's house, so I was able to complete it. Here is how I did it:

1. Kept blank white sheets of thin paper. I think these came as packaging in a parcel, but I don't remember exactly.

2. Stamped the sheets using craft stamps and a black ink pad.

3. Used my chalks to colour the stamps. If I'd had coloured ink pads it would have been quicker and easier as I would not have needed to go through this step. Step two would have been the last step.

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Just like primary school

At church on Sunday night I was surprised to see my friend Mike Jolly turning around in his seat and making faces at me. I have never been to primary school, because I was home schooled, but I knew primary school conduct when I saw it. "Sherrin's got a boyfriend ha ha ha". Mike had clearly read my Officially unsingle post. Since I was sitting next to Dave, the temptation to tease obviosuly overcame Mike. I made faces right back. The only thing to do, really. The next time Mike made faces at me I studiously looked ahead, concentrating on the sermon. I decided such immature conduct as Mike's was beneath me. Now Mike is teasing me on my own blog. Scandalous. Thankfully I don't mind, as he well knows.

While Mike may occasionally seem immature, I have actually seen him display a lot of maturity in recent times. Shortly after Mike made faces at me, there was an extended open prayer time in the church service. Mike said two great prayers.

Another way he demonstrated maturity was in his response to my concerns about his serious online dating relationship with Christine, which he wrote of
here. I was concerned about Mike giving up his whole heart and soul to someone he had never met, so I told him so. I figured that since I'd already expressed this concern to several friends, I'd better tell the man himself. Mike displayed maturity when he listened to what I said.

I am still somewhat concerned about Mike being so in love with someone he has never met, but I know that Mike is seeking God. Our Father in heaven is in the habit of caring for his people, including Mike and Christine. As they seek him, they will be able to overcome whatever obstacles they face. Even if the worst case scenario I have been known to contemplate does happen, they will be secure in God's love and he will enable them to grow closer to him. They meet next month, and I am looking forward to hearing about it!

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Birthday Party

I had a birthday party on Friday night. It was a fun time with lots of friends! Packing 30 people into my parent's living room was a challenge, but everyone seemed to have a good time.

Here I am with Sam Downes. The Downes family loves to tease me about how much I like pink, so their present was all pink! I think Sam, 15, must have been embarassed to be seen presenting such a gift.


Inside the pink bag, it was fun to discover pink sparkling grape juice. There was also a cute grey bear in a pink t-shirt, six light pink glasses, pink straws, and pink napkins. I am very glad I decided not to wear pink to my party!


Here are friends Ruth and Camille Peacock drinking the pink juice out of pink glasses on our pink couch!

Here are some of my presents. I was amazed at what I received from my kind friends over the past week. Three vases (all very different to each other), a Royal Albert plate with pink roses and a scalloped edge, patchwork in a frame, cups, a serving platter, soaps (including baby soap which is allegedly for my hope chest!), a muffin tin, roses from Dave, chocolates, a t-shirt, hair clips, and more.


I am planning to post more pictures soon. The fact that I have posted about presents first does not mean I consider them the most important thing about my birthday or my party :)! I just love the pictures of my pink gifts, so I had to put them up first!

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Roses

I arrived back from Launceston in the evening on my birthday, so I did not see Dave on that day. He came around the next day though, bringing some beautiful long stemmed pale pink roses. Since I began to get to know Dave back in July, there has been a long running joke about my tendancy to like pink. So pink roses seemed appropriate! Dave also gave me a framed picture of the first picture of us together, in which I am wearing a ridiculous amount of pink! You can see the picture here.



Yesterday Dave surprised me when he brought me some more roses! Red ones this time. I am spoilt, aren't I? I would never have expected any roses, let alone two bunches of them.

Dave and I officially agreed to "go out" the day before my birthday, so all this has been an exciting birthday present!

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Dinner with Christina and Margaret

On the same weekend I visited Clarendon, I was also blessed to have dinner with my friends Margaret and Christina Sonnemann. I do not see Margaret and Christina often, but whenever I do it is fantastic. We talk rapidly about everything from travel to home schooling, the Puritans to birth control, our family and friends to the books we have recently read, history to our jobs.


Christina and Margaret with our meal


I talk to Margaret and Christina about things I don't talk to most people about. This is because we have large areas of agreement with each other. We have also read about similar ideas so we don't "miss each other" in what we are saying. Christina and I were both home shcooled, so we know the inside talk that comes with that territory! When we don't agree, it is always in a way that is helpful rather than frustrating and pointless! I usually go away refreshed and challenged. This time I was challenged to trust in God more, and not to worry about future scenarios.




Our food was also fun. It was the first time for all of us to try "Tapas". Apparantly it has been the rage in other parts of our country and the world for years, but we are behind the times! The idea is that you are served lots of little dishes to try. I tried everything except the lamb (my history of being a vegetarian makes anything on a bone a little hard to take). It was all delicious. We also had a yummy dessert each. White chocolate and berry cake for me, which was melt in the mouth fantastic :).

Thanks for a great evening, Christina and Margaret! I look forward to the next time we spend together.

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Officially unsingle

Last weekend, a couple of friends came to visit me in Launceston. One of these was Dave. During one of our sight seeing expeditions, Dave met this lovely lady at Grindelwald . . .



However, he decided that she was a bit unresponsive and aloof. Beautiful, but rather unmoved. So Dave decided that perhaps he did like me better than all other women after all . . .


Well, that is not quite how it happened but the full story is too mushy to repeat right now. I just might tell you later.

I am happy that Dave has told me how he feels about me, so I could tell him how I feel about him, so we can both feel happy that we feel the same way :). I have been afflicted with can't-stop-thinking-about-Dave for some time, despite my best efforts to banish him from my mind, and I was happy to hear that Dave has been suffering similarly. I had nearly got to the point where, on the oval teaching sport to the little children at work, I was tempted to pluck a daisy and try the old method for determining affection: "he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not".

Dave is fantastic, of course. I don't want to get too mushy on you though, so I'll just give you a few facts. Dave comes from South Africa, and is in Australia studying to become a Dr. in something to do with gum trees. (He realises I am clueless about science, thankfully, but that doesn't seem to bother him). When he does finish this, he will be Dr. Dave Drew (DDD for short) He is based in Melbourne, but is down here in Tasmania for a few months. Dave is, most importantly, a Christian who loves God and other people. He is serious about the word of God, and following God with his whole life. My parents like him, and so does my niece Esther.

Dave and I had some conversation about what to call our relationship. Neither of us are enourmously keen on the terms "going out" or "boyfriend" and "girlfriend". However, you do need to have some label to tell people so they at least think they know what is going on :). I hate to think of having to say to everyone "Dave and I are getting to know each other better in order to consider whether we want to marry each other". However, I am sure that anyone who knows me well will know that that is exactly what is going on.

Dave and I are both very serious about the fact that the goal of our relationship is to consider marriage, not just to be unsingle for the sake of it :). Such seriousness probably freaks some people, but I would never risk a relationship if that was not its intention. Why risk your heart and the heart of someone else if you don't think a friendship has the potential to lead to a happy marriage? We do not assume "going out" will lead to marriage, yet at the same time marriage is the reason our relationship exists. So I am going to label this post marriage, because to me that is the only reason for "going out". It would be great if you could pray for us as we seek God about our relationship.

I will close with a quote from C.S. Lewis about the risks inherently involved in opening your heart to anyone, whether in this context or in others. I have long appreciated the truth of this quote, and I rediscovered it in Keziah's first meme:

Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.

C S Lewis, English theologian and writer (1898-1963)

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On holiday!

My birthday today is also my last day of work for this term. Tonight I will catch the bus to my parent's home, which is about three hours away. I will not be back at work for two and a half weeks. Last night, I felt like I received an early birthday present when one Mum of a child I teach unexpectedly brought in some classroom equipment. She did not know it was my birthday, she was just being generous. She is actually the same age as me, 25. Before this year, I never would have imagined I could have been so excited about abucus (frames with coloured beads). I don't think I even knew what they were. Now I am very happy to receive three for my classroom, as they are very good for little children learning how to add and subtract. My class also received two math games, and we spent about an hour playing one of them today. We also made paper geckos, and practiced sight words and reading. I enjoy the children, so it was a good way to spend my birthday.

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A quarter of a century

Today is my 25th birthday. This means, as my friend Ruth has mentioned several times, I have now lived a quarter of a century! On occasions like this, I often think more about the many blessings I have enjoyed in my years under the sun. These are blessings that can easily be taken for granted, but which many people must do without. For example: two parents, enough food and water every day of my life, trees, fresh air, and access to education.

So far 18 people have let me know they are coming to my over a hill birthday party. I expect there will be a few more. I am looking forward to seeing people I haven't had contact with for a while. I don't know if I am looking forward to all the baking I'll need to do tomorrow and Friday, but I am sure it will be fun once I start!

I have also received lovely messages from friends because of my special day, which started last week. I am reminded to be grateful that people are thinking of me and they do care. As J. D. Salinger said: "I am a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy." I think God is in on the conspiracy as well.

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