Hi everyone!!!

Sorry it has been ages and ages since I have written. Life is busy busy busy. Basically I have been working my bum off to save up all my pennies for the busiest year of my life.

This is my last year of nursing (I am suppose to know tons and I feel like I know NOTHING!!!). In April I turn 21!!!! In April I am to going to Melbourne to see my cousin's wedding and to catch up with friends who I have neglected for years (poor Margie was up recently and I didn't have a chance to even see her). In July Chris and Kristin are getting married (So excited!!! And I am a bridesmaid - double excited!!! And tons of international visitors and future family members are flying over - triple excited!!!) I may also do a bit of travelling and tourist stuff while the international visitors are over here. In October I am going to PNG to visit my sister (finally meet four nieces and nephrews that I have never meet - one is being born in Feb!!!). In November I graduate!!!!!! In December I am flying to USA for a month (have a white Christmas for once in my lifetime!!!) And in January or February I will hopefully start my New Grad Program at the SAN (fingers crossed!!!)

The things mentioned above are all reasons for why I have worked Christmas Day, New Years Day, just finised working a 26hr weekend, have taken on more cleaning work, am trying to get work in the SAN as well as my current work AND why I am so bloody tired!!!! :p

But amazingly enough I wouldn't change any of it (ok, so I will NEVER again work a 26hr weekend - that was just stupid!!!). I am really enjoying working so much and saving up so much and getting to know my job like the back of my hand (do you know how cool it is to help out other staff at my work - take on extra work and still finish on time when once upon a time I would finish 1/2hr late with JUST my work to do!! I love finishing on time!!) My family is nearby too. This is awesome. Chris has a job at my work doing maintenance/cleaning which majority of the time he enjoys. It is really cool having him work there. Everyone loves him and when they realise I am related to the wonderful CHRIS, it opens up so much subjects of conversation. And then they realise he is engaged to Kristin and well, more conversations etc. Amazing. I have been workign there for a bit over a year and Chris already has more friends than me. :) But that's ok. I don't really mind ... much. :p

My mum is currently in the city studying a six month course in one month. It is on how to teach english as a second language to adults and it is super intense. But that's my mum. She loves the work. Same with my dad ... he is researching all this stuff on Hebrews for his doctorate which he wants finished by the end of this year. Dude!!! My parents!!! :)

I just finished watching American Beauty. That movie is brilliant. Distrubing but brilliant. Kevin Spacy is great in it and every time I watch it ... I think about if I am HAPPY. And tonight, it was great to say yes to that question. :)

I can't believe school will be starting again in a month's time. And Avondale will be up and running in 7 weeks time. Where are the holidays going? :( Oh, that's right ... they never came as I worked from day one. :) But I will be going up to Nth QLD to visit my grandma who I haven't seen for 2yrs for a long weekend once school starts (great timing, huh? It is just when my parents will be there - kill two birds with one stone thing!)

Oh, yeah, and we have a car. It is a Mazda 121, purple, has 4doors, is manual, air cond, CD player, has the smallest car engine in the world and is adorable. Now, I just have to learn how to drive. :) But a CAR!!! My wildest dreams have just come true!!! Well, some of them anyway. :p

All in all, life is good. Busy, sometimes very tired, sometimes long, but happy and good.

Hope your hols are going great too

Love and miss ya,

Sharona

Hi everyone!! :)

A lot has been happening: hanging with my family, reading, working, Christmas + New Year, life. And one day soon I will tell you all about it. But right now I want to share with you an extremely moving forward I received from my good friend Lorinda in high school. Thanks Rin. :)

~~THE AWAKENING~~

A time comes in your life when you finally get it...
when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity,
you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere
the voice inside your head cries out - ENOUGH!

Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on.
And, like a child quieting down after a tantrum,
your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice,
you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world
through new eyes.

~~ This is your awakening ~~

You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to
change. or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over
the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that neither of you
is Prince Charming or Cinderella and that in the real world there aren't
always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any
guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you...and in the
process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not
everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you
are ... and that's OK. They are entitled to their own views and
opinions.

And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself...and
in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of
self-approval.

You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did
to you (or didn't do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can
really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they
say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it's not
always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself... and
in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as
they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties...and
in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world
 around  you, is as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been
ingrained into your psyche.

And you begin to sift through all the junk you've been fed about  how
you should behave, how you should look, how much you should weigh, what
you should wear, what you should do for a living, how much money you
should make, what you should drive, how and where you should live, who
you should marry, the importance of having and raising children, and
what you  owe your parents, family, and friends.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And
you begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really
stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you
begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never
have bought into to begin with ... and in the process you learn to go
with your instincts.

You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive.  And that there
is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering
through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix. You
learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the
outdated ideals of a bygone era but the  mortar that holds together the
foundation upon which you  must build a life.

You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save
the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing.

You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and  the
importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.

You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry
and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. How to love, how much to give in love, when
to stop giving and when to walk away. You learn to look at
relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes.
And you learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside,
smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings
of entitlement are perfectly OK....and that it is your  right to want
things and to ask for the things you want .. and  that sometimes it is
necessary to make demands.

You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love,
kindness, sensitivity and respect and you won't settle for less.

And you learn that your body really is your temple. And you begin to
care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced
diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise. You learn that
being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to
rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul.

So you take more time to laugh and to play. You learn that, for the
most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve...and that
much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that
wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making
it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve
success you need direction, discipline and perseverance.

You also learn that no one can do it all alone...and that it's OK  to
risk asking for help. You learn the only thing you must truly fear is
the greatest robber baron of all: FEAR itself.

You learn to step right into and through your fears because you  know
that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to
give away the right to live life on your own terms.

And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under
a cloud of impending doom. You learn that life isn't always fair, you
don't always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things
happen to unsuspecting, good people.

On these occasions you learn not to personalize things. You learn that
God/ess isn't punishing you or failing to answer your prayers. It's just life
happening.

And you learn to deal with 'control' in its most primal state - the ego.

You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment
must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you
and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are
wrong and  to build bridges instead of walls.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple
things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the
earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a
soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself  and you
make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever
settle for less than your heart's desire.

And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the
wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to
stay open to every wonderful possibility.

Finally, with courage in your heart and God empowering your life, You
take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life
you want to live as best you can.