Gratitude Journal Entries and TIps

 Last week I mentioned that I am using a gratitude journal this year. I also promised that I would share some snippets from it.  If you are thinking about starting a gratitude journal, there really aren't any rules, but I'm going to share some tips for getting started and sticking with it. 

Tip #1 - Date every entry.  

Even if you don't write in it everyday, it's good to know when you felt grateful for what.  It makes reflection more meaningful. 

Tip #2 - Dot Points are Delightful    

It's okay if you can't write paragraphs about everything that happened that day.  You don't even have to write in full sentences. Dot points and single words are just fine.  

Tip #3- It's okay to repeat an item. 

If you include something on your gratitude list every single day, that's totally okay.  

Tip #4 - No Such Thing as Too Big or Too Small

You can be grateful for new shoes, the 5 minute sleep in, a parent, a friend or world peace.  It's about appreciating what you have. Sometimes we have to FIND something to appreciate, so if you find it, just write it down. 

Tip #5 - Be Creative

If you like to draw or colour, then do it in your gratitude journal.  No pressure to make it perfect, because it's all about you enjoying the process of sitting down and thinking positively about your day and indeed your life. I like to use stickers in mine - stars, smiley's, quotes and icons.  It's fun.  I also use emoji's from time to time. 

Tip #6 - Use Prompts

I get mine from Pinterest, but you can get yours anywhere you like. Some of these have 30 days worth of prompts or a month at a time.  I don't follow these ones in order.  I pick out ones that speak to me. Some examples?

Write three that you are grateful for: 

• people 

• products 

• memories 

• skills 

• items you can't live without 

• services (e.g. hair dresser, trash collection, post office) 

•  places 

• technology 

Now a peek at some of the things I have been grateful for this year... in no particular order...

1. Clean sheets- there is something wonderful about falling into a bed with clean sheets. 
2. Air Conditioning
3. Ice packs and Heat packs
4. My medical team (I listed all the names and what they do, but I'm not including that here).
5. Medication
6. Shelly (my cat)
7. My Mum
8. The BFF (and several others in my life)
9. The microwave
10. Crafting Videos on You Tube- I learn from them and they have a calming effect on me when I can't actually craft. 

Next time: I will share some more cards with you that I have made. :) 

Thanks for visiting! I appreciate you. 

2022- Daily Dozen....

 Every year, usually in January, I make some sort of plan for the year.  

In 2017 and 2018 I had a long list of goals that covered various areas of my life.  I wanted to achieve them during the year.  I also had myself a vision statement in 2018.  I didn't quite meet all these goals, but I made progress on all of them.  In 2019 and 2020, I decided to have a "word" of the year.  Then, run everything through the filter of my word.  You can read more about that here. 

2020 was tough for everyone and I decided that my lofty 'goals' were well thought out and perhaps "SMART" (read more about SMART goals here) were too much for me. In 2021, I changed tack a bit and decided that I wanted to work on developing some healthy habits that would help me reach some of those long term goals that I had hoped to achieve.  

After watching a Clutterbug Video I decided to use a "Daily Dozen".  In a nutshell, you list 12 things you want to do daily, and plan to do them everyday.  The great thing about this, is that you don't have to start on 1 January.  You can start any time and as you are trying to develop long lasting habits, you should never really 'stop'.  Once you feel a particular habit is well cemented in your daily routine, you can choose to change the point and add a different point to your dozen or you can leave it in the list while focusing on a different point that you might not be doing so well with.  I didn't share my daily dozen here at AGT in 2021.  I'm not sure why.  

At the end of 2021, I decided that 'a dozen' was too many things.  I realised that the only real reason for having 12 things on my list is for the sake of alliteration and I didn't need to do that. Calm down people, it's okay. So, while it's still called my daily dozen, I don't have a dozen 'habits' on my list.  It's okay, really it is. 

One of the keys to feeling some success with the Daily Dozen is to keep some things on your list that you already do daily. You can latch your new habit to an established habit to help you develop the new habit quicker. Check out this video from How to ADHD, if you want more info about this.

Here's my Daily (not a) "Dozen", in case you are interested. 

1. Read my bible and pray.

2. Drink Water (at least 1.8L).

3. Eat two serves of Fruit.

4. Exercise/ Stretch.

5. List three things I'm grateful for. 

I realise I don't even have 6 things then it could be a half dozen.  You could technically make Bible reading and Prayer different points. 

The Exercise/Stretch point means that I have to, at the very least, stretch, every single day, no matter what. I try to include more vigorous exercise each day as well, but when you have chronic pain you have to give yourself grace. 

I'm maintaining a gratitude journal.  While I'm not quite managing to list three items in the journal everyday, I am acknowledging three things everyday, before I go to bed. I say them to myself.  5 days is the maximum number of days I have gone without writing in my journal.  If this is the case, I reflect on the past 5 days and include several items to my gratitude list. I use prompts to help me think outside the box a bit when I'm considering what I'm grateful for. 

Not my actual light swith! ;)

My Daily (not a) "Dozen" is posted in my bedroom - right next to the light switch.  Just before I turn the light out each night, I read my daily dozen and tick off which ones I have managed to do that day.  Most days, I can tick off all the things.  Some days, I haven't had enough water (and I know it, because I have a headache!) or I only ate one piece of fruit.  Some days, I realise I haven't stretched since morning, so I do a few quickies before getting into bed.  

My Daily (not a) Dozen has really helped me this year to focus on small steps and remember to start fresh each day.  I have always had a goal of drinking a minimum quantity of water and for several years, I have read my Bible and prayed daily.  These are not so hard to "check off".  It means that whenever I read my list, I still feel a sense of achievement even if I can't tick off everything. 

What habits would you include on your Daily Dozen? Would a Dozen be too many for you too? Let me know in the comments. 

Next time, some snippets from my gratitude journal. :)

I appreciate you! 

Crisis Mode

Well, hasn't this been an interesting turn of events.  Or not.

Unless you are living under ground and have absolutely zero contact with the world (let's face it, not many can say that), you know that the world is currently in crisis mode over Corona Virus AKA Covid-19. 

Typically, the Aussie's were in the  "She'll be right, mate!" camp until they started seeing people in the US fighting over toilet paper and cities such as Hong Kong running out of rice.  Then some of us have gone a bit silly.  While most of us are still trying to remain nonchalant about the whole thing, it's gone beyond mild interruption to flat out inconvenient.  Understatement of the year.

While many places in the US are in lock down ... "Don't leave your houses", international travel has been banned, people are losing their jobs, supermarket workers are being abused for purchase limits and the world of memes has exploded with observations about the human race in crisis mode.  Let's watch Netflix and 'chill' but only if you don't touch me. 

There might be something good from all of this.  The optimists among us are struggling to find it.  The conspiracy theorists have already discovered the science fiction novel written in the 1980's, set in 2020 and is beginning to read more like recent news reports. They are feeling pleased.  In all the madness, there is a glimmer of hope as we see that there are people who care about their fellow man.  Such as Salvo's who are volunteering to help out at the daily shopping hour reserved for the elderly and people with a disability.  Video of Italians singing on their balconies while in lock down has gone viral.  Parents are beginning to lobby for teachers to get a pay rise while they begin to understand why so many of us drink every Friday night (and Saturday and Sunday).  It really is the end of the world as we know it. 

It was not my intention to say this much about all this craziness, but there it is.
This seriously messes up my Blog schedule (yet again), how inconsiderate, so next time we might just add to the list of things I don't need or look at some photos of cards I have been making.  I have to admit, it's difficult to think about long term goals right now.  One day at a time is how it goes. 

One day, the panic will be over.  We will live differently as a result of all this, but it will be less stressful.  We need to believe that. 

Now is the time to pray, be still, carry the peace that surpasses all understanding with you.  While the world may seem to be in chaos, there is a purpose for all this and God will take care of His people.

Praying

#2019 #awesome

Let's look at what happened here at AGT (and in my world), this year!

Crafting
We began the year with a Scrap/ Pattern Paper Challenge and created some great cards in the process. I tried out some ink dragging with embossing folders and stamping on cork.  Making this magnetic frame was really helpful (thanks Simon Hurley) for holding my most used dies.  In April and May, I took some craft supplies on vacation and had lots of fun making cards with my nieces.  This year, I invested in some card classes, background stamps, an electric die cutting machine, texture pastes and perfect pearls.  As far as craft is concerned, 2019 was one of trying lots of new things.  Check out some of my favourite cards of 2019.

This is only a few of the cards I made this year! Wow, I've been busy. 

Travel
You got some postcards from me this year.  My first road trip in a long time, took me to Biloela (a small mining town west of Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia).  My sister moved her tribe to "Bilo" in January 2019, so in April, my Mum and I headed there for a visit. We celebrated my sister's 40th birthday and my niece's 5th birthday.  It was hot. If you want to read about how I handled the long drive with my chronic illness, click here.

In August, my Mum and I took a whirlwind tour of our nation's capital, Canberra.  Now I can tick Canberra off my list of Australian state capitals that I want to visit.  It was busy and exhausting and oh, so much FUN!  Check out my postcards here.

Other Stuff
This year, I also shared some Apps, websites and Youtube channels, that I have found useful as well as some other favourite things including some flashbacks to posts from previous years. Professionally, 2019 was amazing.  I enjoyed teaching new subjects and spent more time working with different students.  I got a new job at a new school, which meant packing up 10 years worth of teaching resources and bringing them home.  I still have piles of books, posters and stationery littering my craft studio/ home office.  I enjoyed helping out at Sunday School at church too.

I lived out the word "Pause" and I truly feel this has helped me reach goals and make changes to my life style for the better and forever.  I am looking and feeling better.  I can't wait to see what 2020 brings. :D  I will be spending New Year's Eve with my family and having an early night.  

This year was good, this year was fun!  
Tomorrow is another one!  (apologies to Dr Seuss)

How was your 2019? What are your plans for New Year's Eve? 

May you all have a happy and safe New Year! 

While there is LIFE there is HOPE

Welcome to the first in my Advent series for this year.  It might seem a bit late, but it's never too late. I will start with a brief explanation of Advent, but the main purpose of this series is to share my reflections on each of the Advent themes as I participate in Advent traditions.

What is Advent Anyway? 

Many people only think Advent is a December Calendar with a chocolate or gift for every day leading to Christmas. While it's true that there is a commercial version of Advent, the real root of this indulgence comes from a tradition which dates back to the 4th Century church.  It was four weeks of  daily Bible reading and reflection during the weeks before Christmas.  Ironically, Advent was first considered to be a time of fasting prior to Christmas day, which allowed Christians to be more focused on spiritual matters during the season.  Advent comes from the Latin word, adventus which means "arrival".  So, the Advent season begins four Sunday's before Christmas. This year, that was the 1st of December.  This is the time when we get ready, we prepare for the arrival of Jesus.  We prepare for celebrating Christmas. Click here to learn more abou the origin of the Advent calendar and click here to learn more about Christian origin of Advent. 

The Advent Wreath

During the Advent season, there is a lovely wreath displayed in the church, with 5 candles.  Four of the candles each represent a particular theme which is the focus for each week: Hope, Love, Joy and Peach.  The fifth candle represents Jesus, The light of the world, who came to Earth at Christmas.  If you want to learn more about the Advent Wreath and symbolism of each candle check out this Learn Religion page and this Crosswalk.com page. 

Week One: HOPE

We began this week by reading about the prophecy of the coming of Jesus. Isaiah wrote about the birth of Jesus literally hundreds of years before it happened.  He wrote about a virgin giving both to a son and the impact this little baby would have on the world.  At first, this prophecy was considered to be a bit of a joke, but by the time of Mary and Joseph (Jesus' parents) were engaged, the Jewish people were waiting for a King to come and rescue them. They believed that God was going to send a saviour and they lived in hope for the day when the Messiah would arrive.  

As a 21st Century Christian I know the rest of the story.  I know how it all turned out and what Jesus did.  It certainly wasn't what the Jews were expecting.  I know that Jesus is coming again and I can live in hope for that day.  I also know that my God works in ways that are mysterious to the human mind and my expectations are nothing compared to His mighty power. I live in Hope that Jesus will come in my life time and put an end to the darkness in this world.  I have Hope beyond rational understanding that God created me and the stars in the sky, loves me, has a plan for my best life and a future for His people.  Hope in Jesus really does anchor my soul because my circumstances don't matter, the power of God does.  He is in control and I can trust Him.  

I'm getting ready for Jesus to come.  I'm making room in my heart.  I can't wait.  Do you understand why Christmas really is the best?! If you want to learn more about the Hope I am talking about, please feel free to ask any questions in the comments.  I will do my best to reply promptly. You might also like to check out the links on the left.  

Jesus Loves You and So Do I
See you next week,

World Teachers' Day Australia!

Today is the day that Australia celebrates World Teachers' Day!  

I slept in to celebrate.  I hope you celebrated by loving all the teachers in your life!  Be sure to tell them they are awesome! 

As I'm officially having a quiet day, I decided to simply show you other people's brilliance.  

Hey, we're honest. 

Armed and Dangerous

Only the Best Teachers

Emotional Labour isn't counted in the EB agreement.

It's hard to believe when they are licking the desk, but I'm sure it's true. 

Progress is the best goal. 

For the Teachers... I don't know what job you have. 

Good advice for anyone.

Love Your Teachers.... Tell us about your favourite teacher in the comments. 

Nap time! 

10 things I'm Grateful for...

In no particular order...Here goes...

1. My bed is comfy!
2.  Air Conditioning.
3. Friends who value me and the things I can do.
4. Food.  Even though we are fighting right now. 
5. Cocolime Fitness exercise videos for people with chronic pain and fibromyalgia.  
6. Family - I learn so much from them. 
7. My doctor, my dentist, my physio and all the nurses! 
8. Art and the crafting industry.
9. My Bible and religious freedom.
10. Shelly.  She is so funny with her own little personality.  I love her so much! 

That's that then!

A Quick "One Word" Update

This is a quick on today, because I'm trying to get organised for a Canberra getaway this weekend!  We are going for 4 days and we will be busy.  Apparently, we will also be COLD!  I will tell you more about that in a few weeks.  For today, let's talk about my One Word journey.

If you want to learn more about the "One Word 365" movement you can click here.  If you want to read more about my One Word 365 journey, click here.  My word for this year is PAUSE.

The Pause thing... is working really well for me!  I am loving the time I get to spend reading my Bible and praying.  I am generally more positive, encouraging and kind when I'm speaking.  I was never really nasty or mean when I spoke, but I'm more encouraging and I feel more positive.

When making choices around what to eat, I have been trying out different times and different foods that help me to make good choices.  Recently, I set a notification on my phone for 8:35am everyday to remind me to eat a piece of fruit.  I know I will have a better day if I eat a piece of fruit at this time.  I won't get hungry until lunch time, so I don't get cranky or distracted in class.  It is a great boost and I start out making good choices so I tend to continue that throughout the day.  The notification  says "banana" or "apple" or "orange" so the decision is made for me.  I don't have to think about it.  Nice.  Eating the piece of fruit, forces me to pause for a few minutes in my morning and just breathe... and eat. :) This piece of fruit isn't my breakfast, by the way, it's my morning snack.  I eat breakfast at 5:30am, so if I don't eat before school starts, I am Hangry by lunch time.  

My deliberate rest breaks and regular exercise (almost everyday) is starting to pay off.  I feel better and stronger.  People are noticing that I look healthier.  My doctor and my physio are noticing improvements in my strength and endurance.  I need less pain medication to manage a normal day.  

I've realised that the most important part of this "One Word" thing, is forgiveness and persistence.  I sometimes have bad days.  I say stupid things because I forget to pause, or I make bad choices because I don't stop to think about it.  The important step is to not give up. Instead, acknowledge the mistake, determine to do better next time and set up strategies to make success a little easier.

What strategies do you use to maximise your exercise or 'me' time?  What strategies help you to make healthy food choices? I love to read comments, so please let me know!

That's that then...
See you next week!

It's Your Birthday!

Today is Harry Potter's Birthday! 

Love

Almost time to Party... Harry Potter's Birthday!

31 July is Harry's Potter's Birthday! So, to get you in the groove for some Wizarding Fun, let's check out some of my favourite ways to celebrate everyone's favourite magical orphan.

1. Face paint... Last year, I spent Harry Potter's Birthday, with a black lightening shaped scar 'painted' on my forehead.  Can you believe my colleagues felt no need to join me?

 2. Make sure your friends know it's time to party.

 3. Get your invisibility cloak on and....

4. Play some Hogwarts Inspired Games....

Check out these links for more ideas of Harry Potter Games to play.  

Scavenger Hunt 1

Scavenger Hunt 2

More Harry Potter Party Games

5. Be Proud of your Harry Potter Obsession

6. Decorate..

Click here for more ideas for decorating an Epic Harry Potter Party. 

7. Have some sympathy for Voldemort.... 

7. Remember.... 

AND.....

BUT... some life choices need to go a bit further than.... 

What are you doing on Harry Potter's Birthday? Let me know in the comments.  

Crafting Mojo climbing out of a Creative Rut

If you like to read blogs about craft or cardmaking, or you watch crafty YouTube videos, you might know what I'm talking about.  If you are a crafter you almost certainly know what I'm talking about.  Crafters talk about it on every social media platform there is and they probably mention it when they talk in real life as well.  It's your Crafty Mojo or your Inspiration or your Creative Juices and the problem we all have sometimes... when it seems to just up and disappear on us.  The eternal questions, "what inspires you?"  or "what do you do when you lose your mojo?" or "how do you get past a creative block?" are asked around and discussed a lot.

The answer is different for everyone and it's all about finding what works for you. I know that sometimes there isn't one right way to pull yourself out of a creative rut.  I have a few different strategies that I try.  Sometimes the first one or two tips help, sometimes it takes a few more tries. I will admit that most of these ideas came from crafty YouTubers who I follow so I will link to the videos where they share their stories.

Koren Wiskman (www.korenwiskman.com) shows how she uses a card kit to beat a creative block in this video. She uses the contents of a card kit (or similar products if she doesn't have all of them) to limit what she can use. She then has somewhere to start. I haven't bought any card kits before, but I have limited myself to one or two stamp sets and one or two colours to spark something and off I go. I think, when I'm in a creative rut, it's usually because I feel overwhelmed by all the lovely things in my craft room and sometimes I don't know where to start. I think this idea from Koren is a great way to get past this. Pull out a list of supplies (maybe a list from a blog post of one of your favourite crafters) and challenge yourself to use the same supplies to make a different card. Mary Polanco recently shared a story about how she really struggled with making 5 cards from 1 kit. She loved the kit and the products, it just wasn't working for her. Check out her video here to see how she got past it. Spoiler Alert: she walked away. Sometimes, you have to stop trying to force it and just walk away. Don't worry, your supplies will not gather dust or get upset if you don't play with them everyday. Go and do something else. The time spent making cards (or whatever else you make) should be fun. If it's not fun, and you aren't on a deadline to make a card by tomorrow because you forgot someone's birthday, you don't have to do it. Walk away and spend time with friends, watch TV or You Tube or (if you have nothing else to do) you could do some housework. The creative juices will start flowing soon enough. If you HAVE to make a card for a particular purpose and you just don't know where to start, walking away might not be an option. What can you do? Here are some of my own tips: 1. PINTEREST and other Social Media Check out my Pinspiration for cards. You can create boards and organise them into categories. I have organised my inspiration board by techniques. You could also organise by themes such as birthday, holiday, encouragement and so on. You don't have to create a board, you can just run a search on the Pinterest home page using keywords like DIY, cards, masculine or feminine and the occasion or theme. This is often my go to when I need a push in the right direction. 2. CaSE it CaSEing a card you have seen on social media (or even one you have already made) is a great way to kickstart your creative process. If you don't know anything about CaSEing, you can check out my blog post about it here. There is another blog post, with a video, about how to CaSE cards here. This card was a CaSE of the card below it, which I made at a card class I attended earlier this year.

Mothers' Day card using products from 

Catherine Pooler designs and Kaisercraft

Created during a card class at Michelle's Stamps and Cards

3. Look at your past creations. Jennifer McGuire often uses this tip when she needs to make a bunch of cards and has no ideas of what to create. She reviews cards on her blog. She digs into the archives and finds a technique she hasn't done in a while or a design she likes. I have a private Pinterest board with a photo of every card I have made (since I started photographing them and pinning them). This is another place that I visit when I need some inspiration. You could use Instagram, Facebook or other photo sharing/ storage apps to keep a log of your creations. Most of the cards on my private Pinterest board have been made using supplies I already have in my stash. I like perusing this board for inspiration because I know that I should have the stamps that I would need to make them (or something close to it). Remaking a card you have made before can be quicker and more fun, because you learn from mistakes you made the first time around. The second or third card often turns out being your best. 4. Search for product samples You have a specific stamp set or die or stencil and you want to use it, but you just can't figure out how to pull it into a finished card. It happens to the best of us. Try doing a Google Image (or YouTube) search for the product. Most stamp and die companies will provide sample projects and have design teams who have created some beautiful projects using their products. These can be a great source of inspiration. Go back to Tip 3 and CaSE one of those cards. 5. Just play Play around with the products. Stamp out all the images, colour them (if they need it), fussy cut or die cut them. Play with some ink smooshing or other techniques to make some backgrounds. Have fun. Don't pressure yourself to create anything in particular. As you play, ideas will start to flow. If ideas aren't flowing, play some more. Remember that crafting is supposed to be fun! Just enjoy. 6. Start with one Choose one element of your card design. Decide on the colour combo, or the layout (by choosing or drawing a sketch), a focal point or main image, or a sentiment, or a technique. Play with just that element. The rest will start to come together. Trust me. Do one thing at a time. Check out my Colours and Sketches Pinterest board. There are lots of things that inspire me to make a card. Whenever I see something that sparks an idea (even if it isn't fully formed), I take a photo and pin it to my Colours and Sketches board. This means it's sitting there, ready to inspire me next time I need a little help. Of course the half formed idea is rolling around in my head and developing anyway, but sometimes it gets shoved aside for other things, so a photo can be a great reminder. If you're anything like me, ideas are often flowing and it feels like you don't have enough time in the craft room to keep up with it. Sometimes you have lots of ideas for encouragement cards and you really need to make some birthday cards. You feel me, right? Anyway, I hope these tips have given you some ideas for the next time you need a nudge in the right direction. It sure has reminded me of the wonderful places I can get some inspiration when I need it. Until next week... Happy Crafting!

One Word Resolution Update

In case you haven't heard, I jumped on the bandwagon of #oneword365 this year.  That means this year, instead of a list of New Year's Resolutions and failing miserably, or only accomplishing some of them, I chose one word.  That's right, just one word which helps me make decisions and motivates actions.  You can read more about my 1word365 journey here.  You read about the movement here.


My word is "Pause" and I have to say, I'm killing it!  The whole point of my word is to make sure I take the time I need before I act or speak.  I stop, with the purpose of starting again and doing it well.  I rest when I need to.  I exercise when I need to - which helps me manage my chronic pain so makes it easier to face the world - and I stop when I need to, so I can think about my next move, my next word and where it will take me.

This year, I have faced some challenges, as we all do, however; I have also had a great year.  By the time you read this, we will be drawing close to the middle of 2019 and I have to say it's one of my best year's ever.  I feel calm.  I feel in control of my actions (and when I don't feel in control, I am self aware enough to know it and I implement strategies for handling myself).  This one word, has had a huge impact.

The power of the pause is quite incredible.  Sometimes, a pause is only a moment or two, at other times it's a day or more.  Regardless of how long the pause is, the purpose is usually the same: it's a chance to ask yourself a question or two.  The first of which is, "How do I feel about this?", "Do I really want or need to ….?" The dot dot dot changes almost every time.  Sometimes I ask myself if I'm really hungry or if I really want the consequences of eating that piece of cake (or insert other unhealthy food).    I ask myself if I really want to say 'that'.  I ask myself if IT'S really worth it.  The IT changes too.  The Pause is totally worth my time and effort because it usually means that in the long run I avoid more effort or disappointment or frustration.

I had planned on sharing ways to 'be creative' with your one word.  Having images or words that represent your word and keeping them in front of you, can help you to actually use it.  I don't use that.  Surprisingly.  I wish I could.  So, today I decided to share the fact that it is really working for me.  My one word has made a difference in my work life, my health, my relationships and even in my finances.  It's so worth it.

Enjoy my Friends

ANZAC Day 2019

Today is ANZAC day.  This is when Australians and New Zealanders commemorate the landing of our soldiers on the beaches of Gallipoli (Turkey) on 25 April, 1915.  Many Aussie's will find themselves at a March today.  Whether they are marching with an organisation, wearing medals earned by their grandfather's or waving a flag at the side, it's all important.  It's an important part of our culture because we remember a significant day in our Nation's history.  Many will also find themselves at the pub today, especially those who have been to war.  You see, today they go to the pub with mates who went with them.  They drink to peace and have another one for their fallen brothers.  Then, they have another.  

I don't know what it's like to face an enemy, watch a friend die beside you, endure torture, come home to a different world and start life again.  I don't know anything about it.  I just know that I'm very grateful for those soldiers who went to war on my behalf. I have tremendous respect for the men and women who serve their country as part of our defence forces today.  I am in awe of them.  

Today, I won't be marching.  I won't be waving a flag.  Today, I will be praying for peace.  

Below, the poem written in 2013 and edited in 2016 is republished, so it's about time we revisit it. Take a moment to "remember them" today.   

Image Source

Thank you for the ANZAC 

(ANZAC DAY 2013)

Thank you for the ANZAC

Thank you for the boys

Who bravely disembarked the ships-

Ambushed on Turkey's shores.

Thank you for the soldiers 

Thank you for those kids

They volunteered, to us defend

Our freedom-never stripped.

Thank you for their courage

Thank you for those men

Fighting for freedom and for peace

Their stories ended then.

Thank you for Survivors

Thank you for their safe return

They tell us of their hell on earth

From this, we hope to learn

We are very lucky

We never will forget

The sacrifice of millions

For Peace - we don't have yet!

Lest We Forget