Welcome to Words from Willow Pond

Willow Pond is the home of Deb and husband, Ian, their three adult children, Jossy, Kimmy & Dylan, Joss' husband, Chris, two lippizzaners, Dutchy & Obie, an Old English Sheepdog called Mitzi, the cutest Cavoodle ever, called Oscar, two orphaned Ringtail Possums, named Tamigotchi and Saori, two brush tail orphans, named Penny and Sheldon and other resident ringtail and brush tail possums and many geckos and frogs. Otis our rainbow lorikeet, whom we looked after for over 11 years, finally flew the coop and is enjoying the freedom of the skies.

Deb and her family have lived at Willow Pond for the past fourteen years.

Deb & Ian can sometimes be found down by the willow tree on a hot afternoon sharing a cold beer after spending the day gardening and mowing lawns.

Deb & Ian planted a young Willow tree about ten years ago down near their pond in the back paddock, and it has grown into a very fine specimen. They have since planted four more Willow saplings, which are growing well. The Willows inspired Deb to name the property Willow Pond. It is their hope that native wildlife will find shelter and a haven here like the characters from the children's classic, Wind in the Willows.

Deb enjoys creating ideas and writing here at Willow Pond. She intends to dedicate this blog to the adventures at Willow Pond with her family.

If you have found us by accident, or intentionally, then - Welcome and thank you for dropping by. We hope you enjoy your visit.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

It's Christmas Time















Ho Ho Ho ~ it’s that time of the year again…I’m in denial … again! It can’t be … can it? (lol … I never change – in some things)…

The lead-up to Christmas is an opportunity to reflect on the past year and take a look back over the highs and lows. It is a valuable time to take stock of what our purpose for this past year amounted to, and evaluate our personal goals. So how did you score? Did you achieve what you set out to achieve?

That’s why Christmas newsletters are so good. It gives us a chance to hear each other’s highlights for the year (and sometimes the low points ~ don’t worry…we’re all in this together ~ everyone has them). I want to thank those of you who diligently put together the family Christmas newsletter and let you know that yes, we do read them and we value them. It is such a wonderful way to keep in touch and updated.

This year, I would like to share something that’s been on my heart lately, and, as Christmas is looming, my two bobs worth fits in quite nicely here. This is the season to be jolly and I wanted to share about a powerful three-letter word…joy.

Christmas Spirit – Joy

The ‘big day’ means many different things to all people. Beside all the obvious family togetherness, the real purpose of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

My prayer for all is that, Christmas is a time for joy, no matter what your circumstances may be. And I continue that prayer to encompass all times…for joy is not meant to be contained and hidden away.

During our toughest and enduring times, do we always remember the things we have; the ones who love and care for us here on earth, and importantly, the One who is in Heaven? Are we joyful?

Material things are nice, but how much importance do we give them? This year, think about giving something that is truly special this year ~ your time. Spend some of your valuable time with those you love and care for, and maybe think too about spending some time with someone who is lonely. Time is one of the greatest gifts of all. Time is important and it means so much when it is shared with us. Time spent with others creates special memories that perhaps will be remembered for a lifetime.

Just a thought: I wonder what Christmas would be like if, just once, we didn’t buy commercial gifts, but rather gave of our time, by either spending time with others, or making something special for them? A lot can be said for handmade gifts. They generally come from the heart. What joy might be found in making time and giving of it freely, especially in our time-poor society? Who, along with me, derives much joy from giving?

Joy is markedly different from feeling happy. We can still feel joyful, even when we feel sad or we are having a tough time.

Knowing God helps in this area of life. Knowing that God is always there for us, and living by faith, and not by sight helps us to be joyful.

Joy is an important gift that we need to share in this world.

Hidden joy is a sin of humanity.

A smile costs us nothing, yet it can leave someone feeling immensely uplifted. A kind or gentle word can sometimes be enough encouragement for someone to believe in themselves. How do you feel when someone takes time to smile at you? I know it makes me feel good.

Smiles these days seem harder to come by. A lot of people put their heads down and walk on by. We are all so busy and it seems society dictates the standard where people feel the need to live more privately and cocooned. Privacy is valued, but reaching out to others is a way to experience joy.

The reason for the season is to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to give thanks for why God sent Him to be with us. ‘And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” Luke 17 (NLT). Let’s all try to remember to be joyful for what we have in life and give thanks with a grateful heart.

My prayer for all is that you experience joy during this coming Christmas season and into the coming new year. I pray that if each of us makes an effort to share joy in this world, we will all be winners, for instantly, we will have made our world a better place to be. Just something to think about… God bless xx
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