There's an old saying that goes something like 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade'. As a child growing up in New Zealand, there were a number of events that, when looking back, were lemons and of which I had no control.

When I was eight, my parents divorced. This resulted in my three sisters, my mother and I being moved away from our father. We would move house at least once a year and after three years, were sent back to our father to live with him while our stepfather took our mother to live in Australia. We did not see our mother again for five years. During these five years, our grandmother would visit during school holidays to teach us all that was needed to run a household while our father was at work. About three weeks after my 16th birthday, my fa- ther passed away, leaving my sisters and I orphaned. Thanks to our Grand- mother's teaching, we were able to continue running a home as well as going to school. It was during this initial period on our own that one of my friends from school asked me if I would like to study the Bible. I was a little hesitant but agreed. And so, sitting under a tree during school lunch breaks, I learned about Jesus and how he humbled Himself to do one thing - to purchase me. I don't know about you, but I don't purchase something unless I either really want it or truly need it and the knowledge that He wanted to purchase me broke my heart. He had sought me from before the beginning of time and showed that when He died for me. And at that point in my life, I tasted sweet lemonade for the first time.

So, at the age of 16 and as a brand new Christian, I left New Zealand with my sisters to live with our mother in Australia. God has allowed many events to oc- cur in my life from marrying, having children, building a home, making friends, losing friends, losing family, having times of plenty and times of need, watching children grow and have their own children - and the list goes on. Lemons make great lemonade, but when the lemonade is tart more often than not it's because I'm not following God's recipe. We've all tasted the sweet lemonade - so why do we keep settling for the sour variety?

Rom 8:28 - 'and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose' NASV