Sunday 25 December, 2011

Our thoughts go out to loved ones around the world as we celebrate our Lord’s coming as a human child into this world.

Noel and I are well, and thankful for the many aspects of life that add richness and depth to our experience, and enable us to bring support and strength to others.

We live in a rapidly changing world. Many of the experiences we encounter are not what we would choose, if we had the opportunity. Yet the principles of a good life will endure: to act with justice, to love kindness (mercy), and to walk humbly with our God (Micah6:8).

We love receiving greetings and news, whether by post or electronic, and look forward to opportunities to spend time face to face.

In the mean time, we pray that you will know God’s blessing and strength.

2010

Christmas 2010 – loving greetings from our family.

As another year draws to a close, Noel and I are very thankful to God for the health and strength, and the wonderful family with which we have been blessed.

As is clear from this photo (which has the photographer’s watermark on it), taken 11 December, we have welcomed another son-in-law into our family. We had a joyful time celebrating the marriage of Miriam, to Neville, in Sydney. As is also clear from this photo, we have welcomed two beautiful grand children in May this year.

As I have reflected on the highs (and lows) of this year 2010, my mind has returned consistently to the two new babies. The wonder and beauty of new life is powerful enough to keep me going for as long as I have energy to think and write. Like ripples in a pond, my thoughts have then moved to our other precious grand-daughter Poppy, and the terrain these children will need to navigate as they grow up. It is a different world from those experienced by previous generations.

In my musings about our grand-children, and our children, my thoughts moved to the story of a baby, in Exodus 2. "The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months." (verse 2) Another version says he was "a goodly child".

The story is well known. After three months the mother made a little basket of papyrus, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch to make it water-proof, and set it in the shallow reedy part of the Nile River where the princess would come to wash. She set her daughter Miriam as the onlooker, ready to offer practical assistance of a Hebrew 'wet nurse', the baby's own loving mother, when the princess also saw that he was a fine baby, and decided to keep him. This decision saved the life of that baby boy.

When the birth of a child is welcomed by a mother who sees that this is "a goodly child", and that mother does all in her power to protect and nurture the child, even in the most adverse circumstances, there is hope for the future. It was no miracle that the mother of the child saw that he was "a goodly child", and defied the government of the day in the most strategic way in looking after him. The miracle was that the princess shared in the vision of "a goodly child". She knew exactly what the mother intended, and she agreed with the mother's plan to save that child's life.

We are confident as we face the year ahead that we can trust God for strength and courage in all situations.

This past year I have continued in private midwifery practice, and am pleased to say that although there is still no indemnity insurance available for home birth, private midwifery is still legal. I am privileged to be a teacher and mentor to other midwives, and welcome many readers to my professional blogs. I have published an e-book, Midwifery from my heart, which I am happy to send as a .pdf file to those who request it.

Noel’s work distributing water treatment products to primary producers continues in a small way. Noel is also fully committed to the work of our church, which takes a large proportion of his time. Noel’s mother, Lily Johnston, is very frail, and is being cared for in a nursing home.

May God's blessing be on you as we celebrate the birth of the Christ child.
With love
Noel and Joy

Christmas greetings 2009

[Photo: This year we revisited the Windsor Presbyterian Church, Queensland, where we were married in 1973.]


With our loving greetings this Christmas, and with a prayer for God’s blessing on you in the coming year.

Joy and Noel

The God of eternity
entered our time and space.
Put aside infinity
to join a frail race.
Glorious mystery:
babe in a lowly place,
at mother’s breast
content.
Joy Johnston 2009

2008

How quickly this year has passed! Once again we are receiving wonderful letters, emails and cards from our family and friends. In this brief letter we want to renew that link with some we have known all or most of our lives, as well as with those whose journeys along life’s path have only recently shared with ours’. We trust that this Christmas and new year will be a time of joyful celebration, reflection and refreshment for you.

We want to take this opportunity to thank God for another year, in which we have been well and able to continue making contributions to our community, and our family. We value simple pleasures around our home and garden, and I (Joy) enjoy Thursday morning tennis when I can.

Noel has continued his work focus in the Aitex business, as well as fulfilling the commitments as Session Clerk at our Church. I have enjoyed another year of midwifery practice, including teaching and mentoring, and volunteer work with mothers and babies in peer support groups. Any work commitment can be deeply demanding at a personal level, and we value the support and love we receive and give within our dear family.

Recently I have worked on a fairly ambitious project to place family photos and historical records on the Internet. I have set up a series of blog sites, each one focusing on a line within our families. This work does not require a high level of technological skill, and blogs are free to set up. I have enjoyed the challenge of collecting and displaying family photos and information. Links to the various blogs can be accessed from http://joyandnoel.blogspot.com/.

We are hoping to be with our young ones for Christmas dinner in Bendigo. We hope to have a family photo to add to this letter, which will be stored with other annual letters at the family blog.

We look forward to contact with all our dear family and friends, whether it’s a phone call or a cup of tea, or a longer visit.
With our love
Noel and Joy Johnston



PLUS a couple of pictures of Grandpa and Granny in action.

2007

As we join each year in the celebration of Christ’s birth, the annual letter has become a moment in which we reflect on the year that has passed, and look forward to the coming year. We remember our first family Christmas letter, sent from Michigan USA in 1973, complete with a picture of Noel and me proudly holding our baby Miriam. Over the years that picture has developed, as you know, and this year we are delighted to include our new son-in-law, Alistair Gray, who married our lovely Rebecca earlier this month.

The other highlights for us in the year past include visiting family members in Queensland and New South Wales, as well as being able to welcome loved ones into our home. We enjoyed our month of relaxation and refreshment in January, driving long distances across this vast sunburnt country.

This year Noel’s mother Lily, who is 95, has moved from her own home into residential aged care. Although frail, she is looking well, and enjoys outings to special events and family meals.

Noel continues his work in our company Aitex, as well as being Session Clerk in the Church. I have been privileged to continue in midwifery, attending two or three births a month; most in the home. This year I have increased my role in facilitating peer support groups for new mothers.

This sort of letter would be incomplete without a brief mention of our young ones – each precious to us. Miriam lives in Sydney; and works as Project Officer in a government health service. Rebecca and Alistair are setting up home in Bendigo, and Bec has transferred her employment to Bendigo. Paul, Leanne, and Poppy (who is a dear 3 ½ year old) live in Boronia, at the foot of Mount Dandenong. Josh and Anna have returned after a wonderful short-term mission experience in Cambodia, and are settling into new jobs.

Last month we celebrated Noel’s sixtieth birthday, and are thankful to God for his health. Our prayer is for wisdom as we go about our daily tasks, and the unexpected challenges that come from time to time, and for strength sufficient for each day.

With our love and prayers for God’s continued blessing on you,

Noel and Joy

2006

12 December 2006

If it’s true that a picture is worth more than 1000 words, I’m sure you will appreciate the value of a picture, rather than a long letter. This shows most of us at the recent wedding of Noel’s niece Francine Collier to Guy Jeffrey from Perth. (Miriam was not able to come to Melbourne at the time, and Poppy was being cared for at home.)

For several years now we have valued your prayers on major health problems faced by both Noel and Paul. We are thankful to God for the measure of good health that we have had this past year, and thank you for your support.

Noel and I are planning to ‘go bush’ for this coming January, and are looking forward to a complete change of pace. We haven’t had a month away from home and work duties, since school days! We are planning to stay at ‘Euthulla’, a property owned by the Clarks at Roma.

Noel is continuing with his business interest, treating farm water with Chlorine Dioxide. My commitment to midwifery continues, and my hope for reform of maternity services keeps me professionally active. Christmas is a time of great energising in my line of work, as I ponder birth at its purest and best. I could write many words about the story as we have it in Scriptures, and as I know from an understanding of the natural processes, and how that informs and guides midwifery practice.

Please let us know when you are coming to Melbourne. We would love to see you, and share a meal or just a cuppa with you.

2005

From our letter ...
December 2005
This year’s photo brings you smiles from Noel and our darling wee Poppy who has sweetly taught us a new dimension of love. They were helping stir the Christmas cake, which has now been baked. A tree has been beautifully decorated, and a pudding is hanging up to dry. Our curious collection of old and new traditions that come together for the Christmas lunch all contribute to a very special occasion.

Noel has recently taken an extra responsibility in the Church as the Session Clerk. I (Joy) enjoy singing in the choir, but my professional duties sometimes take me elsewhere. I have been blessed over and over again in being ‘with woman’ in the birth of their little ones, usually in their own homes. As I grow older I find being called out at night more draining on my energy, but it’s a joy for me to be able to do this work. It’s great when your work is also your passion.

We are well, and thankful for (fairly) good health. Our days are shared between our jobs and family matters, with Paul, Leanne and Poppy being the ‘upstairs family’ and sharing our home. Paul’s health has improved since he had surgery and radiation therapy earlier this year. Thankyou to all who have prayed for Paul, and for all of us in this difficult time. We hope for continued recovery.