Great Ocean Road cycling trip

300km of cycling over 3 days. Luckily, I was just accompanying my husband by car. I felt a bit tired driving all that way but I felt I really shouldn't say so, not in front of the cyclists! They did an amazing job raising funds for children's charities, see http://www.25000spins.com/adventures/great-ocean-road.html

It really is a beautiful stretch of coastline.

After the ride, we had a serene 2 days in Lorne.

We had a pit stop in Apollo Bay and I wished we could have stayed longer.

My daughter Evie interacting with a Cockatoo.

While I was driving on my own, I had to stop and get petrol. We had a hired 4WD and I wasn't sure how to even open the fuel thingy or whether the car was unleaded or diesel.

"Pretty sure it's diesel, it's a 4WD, trucks and 4WD's use diesel, don't they?" 

I was going to just go diesel but then I thought to double check with the guy working at the petrol station. Well, lucky I did. He basically told me that it's most likely unleaded and told me to call the hire company just in case. He told me there have been many a hired vehicle that had to have the wrong fuel sucked out of them. And, if they couldn't get all the fuel out, the car had to be towed...all the way back to Melbourne, usually! What a way to end the holiday for some poor soul!

(this is a sample image and may not reflect the actual 4WD I was driving on my trip ;)

It made me think- what if this had happened to me? Would it have been reasonable of me to say, "Oh I'm cursed, I'm just so unlucky!"  I don't think so. 

There are quite a few verses in the Bible where God talks about curses and punishment. Putting the discussion about justice/punishment aside, I believe a lot of the suffering in the world is not a 'curse'  in the sense that God has said, "Oh, you're not obeying me so I'm going to make you pay!" as much as it's a case of putting the 'wrong fuel in the car.' God made us and so He knows our 'manufacturing design'. His commandments are there to help us live according to our 'design'. If we put the wrong things in, then we don't function at our optimum level (or we don't function at all). How is your 'engine' going? What are you 'putting in', when it comes to your physical/spiritual/emotional/mental health? 

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome." 1 John 5:3

God made us then saved us and is coming soon to take us home. He has invested so much into us and we have no reason to ever doubt His good intentions towards us.

"Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” 

Ezekiel 18: 31, 32

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

(check out the Great Ocean charity cycle video, by 25000spins (started by my awesome brother-in-law!) and also the advert for next years one http://www.25000spins.com/adventures/great-ocean-road.html )