This is how I know there is a God!

Today, when I phoned the Motor Vehicle Registry to check on why I hadn't received the rego papers for my car yet, I realised that I was in trouble. My rent, in error, had not been taken out of my account as usual due to a stuff up at Centrelink with my payments. Consequently, I didn't have the full fortnight's rent to pay and I was relying very heavily on my pay coming in tomorrow to pay the rent, so you can imagine my face when they told me that my car could no longer be driven as of midnight tonight unless I pay the outstanding registration then and there.

Because I am highly reliant on the car to transport my children, I decided to make getting the car registered the priority and to pray for a miracle for the rent payment or food, as one of these would suffer for the fortnight due to my lack of funds.

I was sitting at the computer, just feeling a little overwhelmed for the first time since I've been on my own with my children. All year, I have known provision - abundant provision for all of our needs. It has caused me to feel very blessed, so it is no wonder that I just made a quick prayer request heavenward that God would help me. I remember saying to him, "I don't know how you are going to do this one, Lord, but I just trust that you will make a way for us where there isn't one."

Well, tonight I was sitting at the computer again contemplating my fate. Did I pay the rent or buy food for my children? I couldn't afford to do both. The thought of having to go beg food at the Salvation Army was really awful but I was prepared to do it if I had to. I kind of like to save my begging until I am in dire straits!

My mobile phone started beeping. Initially I ignored it, as I thought it was an old message from my husband. But it just kept beeping and then it rang like it had another new message. It was from a friend and her text message read, "I have been thinking of you everyday just really busy working. What do you need at the moment?"

When I read that, I kind of went, "What?"

Then she sent another message, "Do you have food and stuff?"

I text back that we were a little low on food, as I was no longer teaching and had some unexpected bills come in.

She went on to say that she had some extra cash she wanted to give me and wanted to help me out this week, next week and some more during the school holidays.

Well I was dumbfounded and I started bawl. Why? Because God is real. This was not a prompted conversation. There was no way she could know that was my prayer today and for her to raise the subject with me straight away let me know that this was God.

I asked her if she felt prompted to contact me about this and she said, "Yes, stronger every day."

That told me that she knew about my need, even before I had prayed about it.

I can only say that whether you are a believer or not, you cannot take away from me what I have experienced today because only God and my husband knew this was my need today.

God is good. She said it was Him who told her to contact me and as he was the only person I asked for help, I have to believe that he answered my prayer.

To God be all the glory. Great things He has done.

Fabulous news from Women Can International Inc

Enjoy the latest edition of Women Can International Inc's newsletter.

Inside this edition you can expect:

* Hayley's Article: Commando Kick Butt Challenge yields results!
* Physical Health: Exorcising the exercise myths!
* Social: The Girlfriend Club and Launch of the Woman of Spirit Personal Challenge Quest
* Coming Events and Notice of Annual General Meeting
* Entertaining: Easy To Make Recipes - Suzette's Delicious White Chocolate and Strawberry Gateau (Susette will be a regular contributor to this section! Thanks, Sus!)
* Amazing Women: Women of Influence Award Winner for November - Helen Schofield - Creator of Australian Girl Dolls
* Lifestyle: Stranger Danger - A Warning for All Women
* Vision: New to Women Can International Inc - Who we are and what we are about.
* Mental Health: Stressed? Who Me? - A guide to the stages of Stress and suggestions on how to manage your stress

Women Can International Inc is an innovative and inspirational women's association for women wanting to enhance their lives.

The movie - Gone Baby Gone

When a 4-year-old girl goes missing in Dorchester, one of Boston's toughest hoods, private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan) reluctantly agree to take the case. But the investigation proves tougher, riskier and more complex than they could have imagined. Ben Affleck's directorial debut, adapted from the Dennis Lehane novel, also stars Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman and Amy Ryan (in her first Oscar-nominated role).
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Casey Affleck
Director: Ben Affleck
Genre: Thrillers
Format: Widescreen ...
Language: English
Subtitles: French ...
Awards: Academy Award® Nominee ...
Rated R For violence, drug content and pervasive language

I watched this movie tonight with my husband. I didn't realise that my heart would be racing all the way through, that I would be spellbound by a cast and cinematography that was so impressive. I simply saw Ben Affleck's name as the Director and thought, I'd like to see what he can do with this.

Well, I thought he did an excellent job of pulling a fantastic film off. Firstly, his brother Casey I thought was extraordinary as the main character. Certainly, acting is a family gift. And the support actress, Amy Ryan was fabulous. The whole film was so real it was surreal.

The ending, which I don't want to give away, raised so many questions and I asked my husband what he thought the whole film was about and he responded, "how life is complicated and there are sometimes no black and white, right and wrong answers, just judgements made in the moment based on the information you get at the time."

This movie stirred something deep inside me as a parent, to want to hold my kids tighter, to love them more, to protect them more diligently and to ensure that their lives are full of love and sunshine.

Definitely a five star rating from me, even though I hate suspense films because I find them emotionally draining and on a deep level disturbing. This film kind of reminds me of the Butterfly Effect in so much as it asks the hard questions about life and leaves you with so many unanswered questions that cause you to censor your own ideals, emotions and beliefs.

Did you do that when you were 11???

Yesterday my 11 year old approached me for a friend to come over. The day before it had been "Can I go to her place?", which I had complied with. Usually I prefer to check it all out, but this time my head was in another place so I just said yes. It was as I was dropping her off that I started to have reservations. But by that time it was too late to change my mind.

Well, I went to pick her up and she was not there. She'd gone to another friend's place for a swim. I arrived at the stated pick up time...no child. So I waited while they phoned and then the father of the house went and picked up the girls. Suffice to say, I was a little concerned about the arrangement.

So the next day when my child says can she come over, with the child standing right there looking at me with the big puppy dog eyes, I go yes, under duress, thinking that if she was allowed, I probably owed the family for having my child the day before.

It wasn't until after I took the child home 8pm at night, after being pressured into having her stay for tea by my daughters that I discovered that my mobile phone was missing. I asked the girls about it and they sheepishly produced it for me. I thought nothing of it, other than being mildly knicked off that they'd taken it without my permission. It was even later when I noticed photos of the girl starting to slideshow across the screen of my mobile. I became mildly annoyed that they had filled the phone up with these photos but still not enough to rant and rave. However, on closer examination I was totally shocked to find a video clip, of the visiting 11 year old, prancing around topless and slapping her butt at the camera, porn style.

You can imagine my chin dropping to the floor. As I examined the video soundtrack more closely I could hear the girl giving them instructions about how and what to film and it got me wondering how many times this child has done this before???

Not really knowing how to deal with this, I explained to my children that firstly they should never have taken my phone and used it for this type of purpose because if anyone else were to see it I would be arrested for indecent dealings with a child! Secondly, I explained that what they had filmed had a name and it was illegal and called child pornography, they were a little shocked. I'd like to think that they are still innocent, but having seen some of the very sexual music clips on TV and the advertising of adult television in children's hours I think it would almost be impossible to remain innocent in this day and age.

But what to do about it? Do I tell the parents? Do I speak directly to the child? Do I involve the school? Was it just an innocent child imitating what they've seen somewhere or was there more to the event?

I think back to when I was 11 and I try to remember if I would have done this at that age? Would you have done this when you were 11?

Suffice to say, I will be maintaining a more vigilant eye on future guests to our home as I never want a repeat performance!

How fabulous is exercise for the soul?

I can hardly believe how much I am really enjoying exercising after so many years of not doing anything!

When I dreamed up the concept of the Woman of Spirit Personal Challenge Quest, I was thinking about running a training program to help women transition into work or further study. However, as the day rapidly approached for the Quest, I realised that I needed to start something much closer to home, so I looked at my life and decided to bite the bullet on my weight.

It seems like this year has been a year of taking responsibility for all aspects of my life and my weight is just one of those aspects. I want to be around to be able to chase my grandchildren around, instead of them having to run around the chair I can no longer get out of. I am realising just how important good health is for you to be able to sustain the lifestyle that is enjoyable.

So I started the Commando Kick Butt Challenge, fully recognising that it was going to take a major butt kick to get me moving. Well, I'm pleased to say that I have fallen in love with exercise again and am already realising the benefits of increased fitness. One of these was the satisfaction of beating of my 16 year old students in a running race on the spot. You had to go as hard as you could for as long as you could and I outlasted him by quite a healthy margin. He was puffing and I was hardly even drawing a deep breath. Then there was the stairs that I used to drag myself up but now go up without even feeling the burn.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to work out with Geoff and the girls.

My favourite exercise was the knee lifts into the bag. I loved powering into that pad! It was so much fun. Just love the power of slamming into the bag. Ahhh...satisfaction.

The other great thing about exercising together as a team is that our children are able to come with us and have good habits modeled to them. The children play together on the climbing apparatus and watch us work hard. It's great for them to see us doing that.