A Sunday stroll and the first signs of spring in China

On Sunday morning we decided to go for a walk at a park nearby.

This outing involved packing a snack, bundling into layers upon layers of warm clothing and a quick bus trip...

Here Caleb is riding the 102 bus to Shushan Park.

The trees are still bare and the scenery quite bleak…

 …But Spring is coming.

Such a pretty sister...

And another of my pretty little sisters...

How I love this little guy!

Of course Gabrielle had to bring her dolls along...

Little boots...aww.

 These two are delighted to be spending so much time together.

Little explorer...

After an hour or two of fresh, icy cold air we decided it would be a good idea to head home for a cup of hot chocolate.

 So it was time to catch the B2 bus back to the apartment.

Good thing we took this little guy along.  He’s an expert on travel in Hefei.  {{Smiles}}

I think we will be visiting Shushan park again soon…

Blessings to you, sweet friends.

P.S.  In case you are wondering...  Nancy and I are now in China!

I will stop by later this week with another post!

In the forest.

 

 

There is something about being in nature and hearing the sound of gently running water that soothes my soul.

Walking barefoot along the soft, springy turf of the forest floor...

Feeling the dappled sunlight warm on my skin...

Dipping my feet in the stream and delighting in the absolute stillness and silence of the forest.

I always leave the forest feeling refreshed and at peace, ready to face the world beyond the trees...

May your week ahead be a beautiful and blessed one, lovely readers...
Kelly-Anne

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Dreams and Discontentment...

I am a dreamer.  I love dreaming, imagining, wondering...

I love lying awake at night, simply thinking about the many wonderful things I would like to do and the amazing places I would like to see. 

Many times my dreaming can lead to discontentment in my everyday life and I find I have to guard against disillusionment with where I find myself.

Hopes and dreams are truly beautiful things and should inspire us to live with intention.

However, they should not distract us from living fully in the present and embracing the beauty of every moment.

How sad it would be if we spent all our days wishing for something more than what we have in the here and now, only to realise much further down the road that true happiness was found in those quiet days at home and the adventure in everyday living.

 "The fact is, if we are not content with what we have, we will never be content with what we think we want.  They key to joyous living is to embrace the will of God and to receive with gratitude the gifts He chooses to give us in each season of life."  ~ Nancy Leigh De Moss

Are you purposing to live fully where the Lord has you right now?

Embrace the season you are in...

Ask the Lord to lead you and to fill your heart with His dreams and desires.

Hope in Him, He will bring everything to pass, each in its own season.

Blessings and love in Christ... 

"The time to be happy is now, the place to be happy is here..."  ~ Robert Green Ingersoll 

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A Little Life Update

Hello lovely friends and a blessed new year to you...

This past week my sister and I were in Cape Town submitting our visa applications.
We are so excited and thankful that the time has finally come for us to make preparations for visiting our family in China.

We are also so grateful to have been granted 120 day visas for China, so we will be flying out February 19th and only coming home on the 13th of June...

We are counting down the weeks till we are reunited with our family...

It has been a long six months indeed, and the thought that soon we will be able to embrace our loved ones again and enjoy hours of talking and catching up, fills us with overwhelming joy.

And I am excited to have the opportunity to travel to China for the second time and have hopes of exploring a bit more this time around... 

This time I will be taking my laptop along, so I will be sure to keep you all up to date.  Otherwise you can find The Diary of a Country Girl on Facebook.

^ This picture was taken the day my dad and I went exploring Hefei.  We visited the local zoo that morning and afterwards I wanted to see if I could find the park we had driven past a few times.  After walking much further than we planned to, we came to the entrance of this park where we walked for about half an hour.  
We thought that we would come out on the other side and be able to get a cab back to our apartment.  However, all we found was a dead end!  And it was about then that it began to pour with rain...and of course we had left our umbrellas behind!  
I would say that this was one of our favourite days together...we got soaked and eaten alive by mosquitoes on the long walk back....but it was so special! 

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare for our trip - there is a lot we need to organise this side before going away for almost four months...

May the Lord bless and keep each one of you - continue serving Him with joy!

In Christ,
Kelly-Anne

The Works of His Hand...

"On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate."  ~ Psalm 145:5

"You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you."  ~ Nehemiah 9:6

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" ~ Psalm 8:3-4

 "He has made everything beautiful in its time..."  ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

"For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."  ~ Isaiah 55:11

"Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands." ~ Psalm 102:25

"The grass withereth,the flower fadeth:  but the word of our God shall stand forever."  ~  Isaiah 40:8

  "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork."  ~  Psalm 19:1

How blessed are we to serve such an incredible, mighty, creative God who spoke all things into being with only a word?

 Blessings to you, sweet friends...

Photographs taken at the George Botanical Gardens a couple weeks ago...

The Real Thing...

Where does your happiness lie?
Is it found in the things of this world, or in Christ alone?

Happiness is a swiftly passing feeling, whereas joy is a state of the heart.

Joy comes from somewhere deep within – it springs forth from the wells of our hearts when we are walking in accordance with the will of the Father and delighting fully in Him.

Joy is something far deeper, much greater and more meaningful than the idea of happiness the world has led us to believe we should be feeling on a daily basis.

I always find it intriguing to see people desperately searching for something that will bring them lasting happiness and ultimately, a sense of fulfillment…

A new job…  A new car…   An overseas holiday…  ...A new relationship…

And while these things may be good in a sense they are but a substitute for the real thing our hearts crave.
They are merely a distraction and something completely meaningless to fill the void in our lives.

Dear friends, our joy can only come from One true source. 

He is the One who fills us over and over and over again.

He is what we all truly desire.

The joy that He gives is lasting and soul satisfyingly rich…  It can carry us through the driest of deserts and bring us peace in the midst of a trial.

And even on the days when the cares of this world threaten to bring us down like a house cards, we can rest in knowing we don’t have to submit to our feelings and rather seek after the One who gives to all those who ask.

Where does your peace and joy lie?

Come, dear friend.  Lay aside your heavy burden and find your rest in Jesus.  Lay hold of His promises and find your comfort, peace and true joy in Him.

"Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest."

~ Matthew  11:22

a few favourites from 2018

Happy Thursday, lovely readers...
I thought I would compile a few of my favourite things from the year 2018 because it is good to remember all the lovely things...{{smiles}}

 Favourite Time Period Drama...

It is a toss up between The Man Who Invented Christmas and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.

Favourite Read...

Definitely The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.  

And probably one of the best books I have ever read...

Favourite Song...

It is absolutely impossible to choose...so here are my top six favourites (and believe me, it was almost impossible to even do this!) in no particular order...

River by Josh Groban

Forever Now by Michael Buble

Remember by Lauren Daigle

Least I Can Do by the Ball Brothers.  

Different by Micah Tyler 

Dangerous by David Garret

Favourite Moment...

Seeing my dad waiting for me upon arriving at Hefei Xinqiao Airport, China after traveling on my own across the world! 

Second to this would be passing my Driver's Test....

Favourite Experience...

Probably riding on the high speed train to Nanjing from Hefei...this was my first time traveling on a high speed train.
It. Was. Incredible. 

Exploring the city of Nanjing was also an amazing experience...

Favourite Quote...

"God will not permit any troubles to come upon us, unless He has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty"

~ Peter Marshall

Other Favourite Things...

New friendships

Day trips with friends

Canoeing
Time spent with my family
Bible studies

Now it is your turn...do you have any favourite things to share?

~

A blessed new year to you, dear friends...
 Love in Christ,
Kelly-Anne