Jesus Is The Gift!
Click below to find out how to give THE GIFT
"God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son"
~ John 3:16~
Wishing you a happy and safe Christmas
Debbie Chilton 201o
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Water Is Life!
Looking for a Christmas Present that keeps giving . . .
Buy a WATER BOTTLE at this website
and give someone in South-East Asia
access to clean water next year.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Girls Night In $570,000 and counting
 |
| 2010 Girls Night In |
I'll see you at my girls next year!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
A Hero or Not?
Everybody gets to be a hero at least once in their life.
Everybody gets to be a hero at least once in their life,
Some through being at the right place at the right time,
Others by facing a fight to survive with courage,
Many still face the process of dying with dignity and grace.
My theory is that everyone gets to be a hero once in their lives.
Me – I’m one of the lucky few,
I get to play hero time and time again,
As I live with my disability I get to inspire,
Others I meet along the way in this journey called life,
Everybody gets to be a hero at least once in their life.
For some it’s just being a mum or a dad,
For others is fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq,
For some it's their job and being able to save lives,
Or running a marathon,
Everybody gets to be a hero at least once in their life.
I happen to be one of the lucky few,
Who gets to be a hero by the way I live life,
I’ve challenged others that life is only what you make it,
You get the choice to choose to embrace it,
Or let life control and destroy you.
Life is for living for ceasing the day,
It’s for meeting the challengers that are bound to come your way,
It’s for making the best of the life you’ve been given,
It’s choosing to see the good and not always the bad,
Everyone can choose to live as a hero for one day of their life.
I’ve had the chance to play hero to the young and the old,
To teach others to embrace chances given to them,
To see the possibilities not the hurdles along the way,
I’ve sat with young children and told how my brain don’t quite work,
I’ve belted out my words among poets.
I’ve spoke to a stadium of teenagers hanging on my to every word,
I’ve reached out to drug addicts on the streets of Auckland,
I’ve issued challenges to uni students; ‘If I can, they can too!’
Reduced a room of grown men to tears encouraging them to face fears,
Amongst those I’ve spoke to I suspect I was a hero to some.
I shown to many that dreams can come too,
You can let the knockers defeat you or hold your head up high.
You can believe those who say it can’t be done,
Or believe in yourself and get the job done,
Having the chance to be a hero to some.
My greatest joy in life is being a hero to those close too me,
My nieces and nephews that only see me,
My friends who are encouraged by the way I live life,
The people I work with who I get to inspire.
Everybody gets to be a hero at least once in their life.
Debbie Chilton Nov, 2010
Everybody gets to be a hero at least once in their life,
Some through being at the right place at the right time,
Others by facing a fight to survive with courage,
Many still face the process of dying with dignity and grace.
My theory is that everyone gets to be a hero once in their lives.
Me – I’m one of the lucky few,
I get to play hero time and time again,
As I live with my disability I get to inspire,
Others I meet along the way in this journey called life,
Everybody gets to be a hero at least once in their life.
For some it’s just being a mum or a dad,
For others is fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq,
For some it's their job and being able to save lives,
Or running a marathon,
Everybody gets to be a hero at least once in their life.
I happen to be one of the lucky few,
Who gets to be a hero by the way I live life,
I’ve challenged others that life is only what you make it,
You get the choice to choose to embrace it,
Or let life control and destroy you.
Life is for living for ceasing the day,
It’s for meeting the challengers that are bound to come your way,
It’s for making the best of the life you’ve been given,
It’s choosing to see the good and not always the bad,
Everyone can choose to live as a hero for one day of their life.
I’ve had the chance to play hero to the young and the old,
To teach others to embrace chances given to them,
To see the possibilities not the hurdles along the way,
I’ve sat with young children and told how my brain don’t quite work,
I’ve belted out my words among poets.
I’ve spoke to a stadium of teenagers hanging on my to every word,
I’ve reached out to drug addicts on the streets of Auckland,
I’ve issued challenges to uni students; ‘If I can, they can too!’
Reduced a room of grown men to tears encouraging them to face fears,
Amongst those I’ve spoke to I suspect I was a hero to some.
I shown to many that dreams can come too,
You can let the knockers defeat you or hold your head up high.
You can believe those who say it can’t be done,
Or believe in yourself and get the job done,
Having the chance to be a hero to some.
My greatest joy in life is being a hero to those close too me,
My nieces and nephews that only see me,
My friends who are encouraged by the way I live life,
The people I work with who I get to inspire.
Everybody gets to be a hero at least once in their life.
Debbie Chilton Nov, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Belong To My Community
I have a passion for creativity, especially in the area of literature. Having experienced life with cerebral palsy and epilepsy, this passion has lead me to advocate on issues surrounding people with disabilities and their families through my writing. While researching for my children’s book I built networks in my local community. This resulted in invitations to sit on committees and boards by individuals and groups interested in drawing on my experience as someone living with a disability.
Today my role in my community largely centres around my life as a local ‘poet’, a profile that led to my involvement in the Ipswich Poetry Feast Committee. This role has afforded me many opportunities such as performing, judging and representing the cultural side of my city, Ipswich.
As someone with a speech impairment combined with dyslexia, in the past performing was too daunting. Uniting with other local poets has enabled me to embrace me, the poet. Performing will always be a challenge due to my disabilities. There are days I shine and days I want to hide after performing. But my motto is why hide and waste my opportunities to shine!
Today my role in my community largely centres around my life as a local ‘poet’, a profile that led to my involvement in the Ipswich Poetry Feast Committee. This role has afforded me many opportunities such as performing, judging and representing the cultural side of my city, Ipswich.
As someone with a speech impairment combined with dyslexia, in the past performing was too daunting. Uniting with other local poets has enabled me to embrace me, the poet. Performing will always be a challenge due to my disabilities. There are days I shine and days I want to hide after performing. But my motto is why hide and waste my opportunities to shine!
Out and About
The challenge was to put myself in other peoples shoes . . .
Reactions
A Child . . .
Curious with wonder
knows this person is different
but he is not afraid
he lingers . . .
and reaches forward
as if he needs to know who this person is
The Mother . . .
A look of embarrassment on her face
pulling the child away
lifting the your child up turns away
making their escape
The child . . .
Continues to reach towards
the person that is different . . .
he is curious that is all!
The Woman in the wheelchair. . .
Sits in her wheelchair drooling
Shifting uncomfortably trying to smile.
The child . . .
Smiles back
and laughs
The mother . . .
Snatches him away.
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Wonders if this is how attitudes are formed
The checkout chick . . .
It’s been a long day
her feet hurt
her mind is on picking up the kids
cooking dinner
Sam’s soccer practice
she mumbles ‘How are you?’
failing to make eye contact
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Fine
she is annoyed as she fumbles through her purse
The checkout chick. . .
Looks impatient
tapping on the counter
looking at the growing queue
as she takes the money
Other customers
Smile
the lady behind the woman tells her not to rush
gentleman at the back changes queues
others shift on their feet
The checkout chick
Almost throws four full bags
at the woman
have a nice day
no eye contact again
begins scanning the next ladies items
'How are you today?'
not that she cares
Teenagers at the taxi rank . . .
Hair hangs over their faces
laughing
nudging each other
chewing on gum
what you looking at?
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Looks away
she knows she was staring
it is her turn to feel embarrassed
she feels ashamed
she is also nervous
there’s a group of them
and one of her
Teenagers at the taxi rank . . .
Laugh louder
two eyeball each other
one spits on the ground
they all laugh
another spits out his gum
hey spastic you got a smoke
more laughter
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Tries to slide down in her chair
she tucks her head in her collar
hoping they grow bored and go away
Teenagers at the taxi rank
see her cowering
they laugh
they know they have a game on their hands
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Relieved
her taxi has just pulled up
Taxi driver . . .
Looks at his watch
its almost knock off time
on a Friday afternoon
he’s going to the game tonight
getting home is all he thinks about
as he lowers the lift
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Wheels on the lift
she clutches on while she is raised
then wheels into the van
Taxi diver . . .
Grunts instructions
forwards
back . . . back
woo . . . woo . . . woo!
he throws straps everywhere
impatient
he is thinking of getting to the game on time
he is aware the clock is ticking
he jumps off the ramp
to fold it away
The woman in the wheelchair and the taxi driver . . .
Do not speak during the journey
she is exhausted
he needs to get to the game on time
both are relieved when she pays her fare
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Yawns
she feels disheartened
placing the shopping in the kitchen
her mind searches for understanding
then she smiles
she has remembered the child
and the patient lady behind her at the checkout
suddenly the world seems a better place.
Debbie Chilton 2010
Reactions
A Child . . .
Curious with wonder
knows this person is different
but he is not afraid
he lingers . . .
and reaches forward
as if he needs to know who this person is
The Mother . . .
A look of embarrassment on her face
pulling the child away
lifting the your child up turns away
making their escape
The child . . .
Continues to reach towards
the person that is different . . .
he is curious that is all!
The Woman in the wheelchair. . .
Sits in her wheelchair drooling
Shifting uncomfortably trying to smile.
The child . . .
Smiles back
and laughs
The mother . . .
Snatches him away.
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Wonders if this is how attitudes are formed
The checkout chick . . .
It’s been a long day
her feet hurt
her mind is on picking up the kids
cooking dinner
Sam’s soccer practice
she mumbles ‘How are you?’
failing to make eye contact
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Fine
she is annoyed as she fumbles through her purse
The checkout chick. . .
Looks impatient
tapping on the counter
looking at the growing queue
as she takes the money
Other customers
Smile
the lady behind the woman tells her not to rush
gentleman at the back changes queues
others shift on their feet
The checkout chick
Almost throws four full bags
at the woman
have a nice day
no eye contact again
begins scanning the next ladies items
'How are you today?'
not that she cares
Teenagers at the taxi rank . . .
Hair hangs over their faces
laughing
nudging each other
chewing on gum
what you looking at?
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Looks away
she knows she was staring
it is her turn to feel embarrassed
she feels ashamed
she is also nervous
there’s a group of them
and one of her
Teenagers at the taxi rank . . .
Laugh louder
two eyeball each other
one spits on the ground
they all laugh
another spits out his gum
hey spastic you got a smoke
more laughter
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Tries to slide down in her chair
she tucks her head in her collar
hoping they grow bored and go away
Teenagers at the taxi rank
see her cowering
they laugh
they know they have a game on their hands
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Relieved
her taxi has just pulled up
Taxi driver . . .
Looks at his watch
its almost knock off time
on a Friday afternoon
he’s going to the game tonight
getting home is all he thinks about
as he lowers the lift
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Wheels on the lift
she clutches on while she is raised
then wheels into the van
Taxi diver . . .
Grunts instructions
forwards
back . . . back
woo . . . woo . . . woo!
he throws straps everywhere
impatient
he is thinking of getting to the game on time
he is aware the clock is ticking
he jumps off the ramp
to fold it away
The woman in the wheelchair and the taxi driver . . .
Do not speak during the journey
she is exhausted
he needs to get to the game on time
both are relieved when she pays her fare
The woman in the wheelchair . . .
Yawns
she feels disheartened
placing the shopping in the kitchen
her mind searches for understanding
then she smiles
she has remembered the child
and the patient lady behind her at the checkout
suddenly the world seems a better place.
Debbie Chilton 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)