I havent been in for a while quite frankly - been having a good time on holiday with my family and boyfriend in Christchurch. Man I miss them already.

This month is going to be a busy one for me and Ive made a few "resolution" type goals.
The week before I went away I bumped into an old acqaintance at the mall and the first thing she said was "cripes Melody you've put on weight!!" How embarressing was the fact that she was right? Didnt stop me from being annoyed though - she couldve been a bit nicer about it. So Ive decided to not lose weight but get fit somehow. I rechon going to the gym just to lose weight doesnt work because a. we've all tried doing it and then b. when we reach our goal we stop and later we we put on the weight again we wonder what went wrong. I always think back to my last year at highschool where I went cycling for 2 hours four days a week. Why did I do that - well quite simply it was part of an assignment I had to do for PE. A bit like a training program which I had to write a big paper on at the end about the process and results.

I need to do something like that again. Bit harder outside of highschool though. I cant really be bothered in doing a paper in personal training. Ive got a secret though - Id really love to get into dancing. Dunno what kind. Only problem is money, time and lack of a partner. Mind you after writing that sentence I feel like saying screw those excuses. I'll look around.

The second goal is to give tithing a go. I know I should do it every week but come Sunday I usually dont have a lot of money anyway and/or I never actually carry cash on me. So Ive decided for two months Im going to give exactly 10% of everything I earn to church. I dont doubt that this is going to be hard. but I enjoy poverty most days and Ive just been on a bit of a spending spree while on holiday so I probably could do with some discipline. Im also doing it because I want to see and hear Gods response to what Im doing - souns a bit selfish I know but I just want to try it out. And Ive promised myself to take 10% out every payday and keep it safe til Sunday. Be interesting to see what blessings I may get in return.

My third goal is a bigger dillema to me than losing weight or tithing, and it sounds so stupid. Next year is my third and final year doing OT before I graduate and go out as a therapist. Only thing is - in order to register as an OT you need to have completed a portfolio. And mine is a mess. Ive got an entire year to sort up OT loose ends - and this is one of them. But I have no idea how to start. The majority of my screwups in my portfolio were done in 1st year (two years ago!!) I dont know how to fix up the mistakes I made as I wrote about stuff I no longer remember very well. Plus in 1st year I didnt have the faintest idea as to how to maintain a portfolio. And I feel really stupid about it as everyone else seems to have it sorted. Im ashamed to ask for help because of that and Im scared of asking for help because in my opinion, I dont think I could fare well with showing a lecturer my very messed up portfolio - I can imagine the look on their face - nor to a third year student as I know their all quite busy not to mention the most competitive bunch Ive ever studied with. I know this because when I did ask for help or direction I was bluntly turned down - they all hate sharing ideas unless its an enforced group paper.

Im getting frustrated just thinking about it.

I suppose theres not much to do except pray about it..
*Sigh

OOH Speaking of prayer, I had a big one answered the other day!
Sometimes I go to prayer meetings before church and we usually always pray for things we want at a community or national level and I remember someone praying for the haphazard north dunedin area (as you do) and about making couch burning illegal or something etc etc. I thought this was being prayed for from the wrong direction.
I personally dont see much "evilness" in couch burning as its been going on for decades. I voiced this and said that its not the couch burning thats the problem its the equation of:

alcohol (lets say woodstock and bourbon) + a random lighter + old smelly bacteria filled old couch

Burning said gross couch in the middle of a dunedin winter = fun

however

Those said burners with tummys of woodstock = extreme stupidity and increase in chance of ambulance needed.

The problem here of course is the alcohol. And WHO are the most frequent drinkers in north dunedin? Freshies of course (add a few 2nd years as well).
At this point I say out loud - GOD BLESS GEOFFREY PALMER!!

New Zealands ex prime minister who has convinced quite a few MPs of his new anti drinking ideas. Namely speaking raising the drinking age to 20.
20 years old is good. It cuts outs on 15-17 year olds getting their hands on alcohol from their 18 year old peers.
18-19 year olds however will probably still be able to get their hands on some speights as they'd probably know a 20 year old. But the cops would have the law on their side and those caught with alcohol would be punishable by the adult courts system not the youth court.

I am a christian and I drink. Im not ashamed of it either as Ive been taught by my mother to drink responsibly. So too did Jesus. Funny that.

But if these new law changes go through I think it would do a lot of good in preventing alcohol usage in teenagers. I think a lot of scarfies would agree with me that highschoolers are a pain in the butt to have in bars and with these changes couch burning would go back to the way it used to be - fun with marshmallows and "safer."
I hope this time round with a conservative government in power this might actually go through successfully.

Saiyonara!!