Anderson Report

Link: http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/executive-women/working-women-owed-a-break-20110924-1kqml.html

Now, I'm going to sound old fashioned, but I reacted to this newspaper article. Why? I am a stay at home mum (who does lots of other things as well). This article, like most articles on this topic, always have more women in the paid workforce as the ultimate good. So in order to meet this aim, there is a request for more subsidised childcare. I am not against childcare, and I am not against women in the paid workforce. However, I think it's a shame when careers are valued over family. I know when I'm 90 years old, I'll be glad for my family way more than the hours I worked in the workforce. I fact, whilst I enjoy my study, and other things I get up to, and work, when it comes my way, I don't see them as the more important thing. And it would be a real shame for children if their mums' thought that being the workforce was more important than spending time with them. The women cited in this article aren't the type who have to work to make ends meet - they are the top earning women in Australia. I hope their kids don't feel like they are stopping them achieving new heights in their careers. Just remind me of these thoughts when I start placing my career over my family! Hope it never happens. Toby and I are keen to both work part time and share the child care...because we both love spending time with them, and both love doing other things as well. And it's so nice for the kids. Maybe that'll be the best way forward for us as we journey with Wycliffe. We will both def have roles to play in whatever placement we end up filling. And our children will be an integral part of it all...they're not tagging along with us, I like to think they're on an adventure with us.

In other news - Caleb and Wilberforce have just started sharing a room...so far so good, 2 nights in. So good to see brothers who love each other!

I've been thinking about what gives me energy recently. And by thinking, I mean noticing. You see, I'm an extravert, and my thinking always occurs out loud and with other people. Okay, not always, I am 'improving' in this area - ie. becoming more socially acceptable, and giving Toby a break! Anyway, I have a bit too much of a sixth sense - I feel how I perceive others feel (even if I'm wrong!) and react. If I think someone doesn't like me, I'm sad, if they're happy, I'm happy etc. But I went down to one of the classrooms tonight...by myself...and played the piano. Not because I'm ace at piano - far from it - but I'm learning a song (aria is the technical word) for choir. And I had a blast - I came back all energised. And I'm all energised when I read something inspirational, or have a great thought. But the energy is only present in the anticipation of sharing it with others. So I told Toby I had a blast, and that completed the experience for me. Although it didn't because I'm keenly sharing it with you all too! Are you like me? It has it's pros and cons, like any personality type. I can hang out with positive people all day. Negative people drain me (it's felt like one of those days today...) but music just lifted me. It was positive music "Praise thou the Lord" is the name of the aria. And the repitition of those words and beautiful music turned my self focused heart to praise. In the uncertainties and inadequacies of life, there is much to praise God for. Praise Him for his provision of each breath, family, friends, health. Praise Him for money to buy food and shelter. Praise Him for each new day and sleep! Praise Him for sun and rain. For wind to dry washing. For water to parch my thirst. Clean water too. Praise Him for doctors. Praise Him for his love shown in all these things. Praise Him for fun in learning, for fun with small children playing games and learning. Praise Him for goodnight kisses and the fact they're both sleeping right now! Also been thinking about how my personality impacts my 'job'. Here's the many 'jobs' I do, and anticipate doing: Wife, Mum, Daughter (etc), Friend, Student, Housework(!). I'm really keen on our future work because I know that I'll still be doing all of these things, and it might be more difficult - changed circumstances etc - BUT I'm knowing that I'll be able to also work with Toby and others in some sort of training and mentoring role. Sounds vague, but my future is vague at the moment, apart from eternity with Christ, and my present is crystal clear as it unfolds. BTW, a lovely lady who's going to be looking after Caleb whilst I'm at class on Thu mornings wanted to know if he had a routine...hmmm...I said. I just do things as I feel like it. And I try to go out in the mornings. That is so my personality. Ooops. Better come up with a routine to help her by Thu. Love to hear about your personality, what gives you energy, and what you can praise God for!

Link: http://www.tobyandmg.com/filingcabinet/listview.php

It must be exam time at SMBC. I can tell this because many students are going to my online file storage system Filing Cabinet to download exam study papers. The reason I can tell this is what is happening is because everytime someone makes an account in the system I get an email. Also I notice that people are stumbling upon this blog in their search for the study papers (I hope this entry serves to help redirect them)

Either lots of students are keen to add files to my collection or they are not aware that it's actually not necessary to create an account to download public files such as the exam study papers. I have a strong feeling that the latter is the case. I really should make it more clear on the site.

Though the majority of files in Filing Cabinet are study papers for SMBC exams, there are some other tid bits, and I've been meaning to upload a lot of other resources, but haven't got round to it yet. The actual Filing Cabinet web service is still very much unfinished. If I ever have time I'll finish it, then sell it to Google for $$$ :-)

Filing Cabinet came about as a result of a 3 frustrations for me:

1. We collect a lot of resources in paper form - things like handouts, sermon notes, Bible studies, etc. People put the effort in to prepare them, so we don't want to throw them out then later have to put in that same effort when we need to provide something similar. As a result our filing cabinets at home go full and our bedroom floor was going the same way.
2. There's many system for filing files in folders, but none that actually work. Invariable most of you files will belong in more than one folder. E.g. a children's talk on how Daniel relied on prayer and it paid off for him. Do I file it under 'Prayer' or 'Daniel (OT)' or 'Children's resources' (we had a folder for each of these)?
3. No only did we have all these paper resources, but also lots of digital resources collected over many years, but noone had access to them except us, and we weren't making very good use of them, partly because they weren't filed very well (see frustration 1 and 2)

Filing Cabinet solves these issues in a number of ways. Firstly digital storage is less space-restricted than physical storage. Secondly files in Filing Cabinet are not stored in folders, but instead are tagged with labels. One file can have as many labels as you like, thereby eliminating frustration number 2. If I want find resources to prepare a study on Daniel I just need to apply the filter "Daniel" and all files with that tag will be presented to me. Thirdly, anyone with an Internet connection and a web browser (yes that's you) can access and make use of all these resources for free.

Also the code is open, so if you want to make improvements or set up your own Filing Cabinet feel free.

One thing you can find on Filing Cabinet is an essay about how the Internet affects languages around the world. I submitted it last week to finish off my sociolinguistics subject here at EQUIP. The Wordle is here:

I think that a lot more of Africa will be joining the online world over the next decade. That should be interesting in a linguistic sense.

One of our assignments in my Into to Literacy class was to make a book for a beginner reader. This one is dedicated to Caleb.

Click on to read the whole thing.

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Wilberforce was born yesterday at 12:30pm and we were overjoyed to meet him.

He was named with William Wilberforce in mind - a Christian person who's greatest achievment was the abolition of the slave trade to England, but also achieved much more in his life for the sake of humanity. Wilberforce was a person greatly used by God. If our Wilberforce follows in those footsteps it'll be a wonderful thing.

Caleb met his new brother today and they took to each other really well. Caleb loves being able to gently calm little Wilbie when he cries. We're praying that this new role for Caleb will help him become a little bit more mature and responsible.

Mg has also been doing really well. The labour was short and she recovered quickly. She'll be coming home with Wilberforce tomorrow morning. [Edit] Wilberforce's temperature has been a little high, so they need to keep him in until at least Saturday morning to make sure he's okay.[/Edit]

click on to see the 10 best pics:

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