Choose Life - SurrenderDecember

The power of choice we don't surrender is the power to choose who or what we surrender to. So let's make it a good choice... Choose Life!

But make sure you know what 'life' means, and where it comes from... it's always good to make informed choices :)
 

This song by Big Tent Revival speaks of where I have found Life...

A choice is set before you now
Living or dying, blessing or cursing
You know, the time has come around
To turn from your fighting
And rest in his mercy
Choose life, that you might live
The life that He gives
He gives you forever
Choose life, the way that it's true
From the one who chose you
Your father in Heaven
Choose life

Trust the Lord with all your heart
All of your soul and all of your being
Hold on, listen and obey
Surrender your life into His keeping

Choose life, that you might live
The life that He gives
He gives you forever
Choose life, the way that it's true
From the one who chose you
Your father in Heaven
Choose life

And the weight you're under
Will be lifted away
And the world will wonder
What happened here today
Then you'll stand right here and say

Choose life, that you might live
The life that He gives
He gives you forever
Choose life, the way that it's true
From the one who chose you
Your father in Heaven
Choose life

"I'll never Surrender!"

Surrender...
blender, tender, Fender, pretender, big spender... um yep, thinking of anything else but surrender is probably the normal response to that word!

Let's face it, Surrender is one of those 'I don't like it' words, one that puts us on the defensive immediately. The images I have of surrender usually include the bad guys who've taken hostage some poor innocent people finally coming out with their weapons down and their hands in the air to ensure they don't get shot as they surrender to the police...

It's always got something to do with showing your face as a bad guy and giving in to the law, or surrendering to your enemy because you have been rendered powerless before them. They win, you lose, give up. And so the resounding cry "I'll never surrender!" becomes either the line of stubborn villians, or valiant displays of strength and sacrifice of heroes.

Ok so surrender IS about that we have something to give up. But what is that something? It could be anything from an object to and idea, or your very self. Power, ownership and control  are usually entwined with those things.

My dictionary app agrees with me in its own words:

There is an underlying assumption or premise when we talk of surrender that we have complete control of ourself, our life and outcomes in our life. Thus, surrender sounds like we have to give up those things and by force. The fear is that we'll lose our self if we surrender.

What if the premise is wrong? What if we don't have complete power, ownership and control of our own lives?

What if the reality is that we all surrender something of our self to another thing or another someone on a regular basis and we don't even realise it?

What if by the very act of voluntarily surrendering our life to the One who made us we will actually FIND our complete self?

Fortified heart

I've been getting into poetry as a way of processing some things. Here's my latest writing. 

Seeping in; through the eyes and ears and skin

Words of stealth; that undermine all kinds of health

"Not enough!"; it deceitful bluff

Untrue; with a dash of truth to fool you

Rejection; pierces your heart with a lethal injection

Betrayal; stings like the fire of a scorpion's tail

'Not chosen'; leaves you lost and frozen

Heart spent; leads you only to lament

Poison reigns; running through your veins

Your history; beckons you to believe

Flowing lies; the end goal: your demise

Battle rages; deep within through many stages.

FLOODING IN; through the eyes and ears and skin

WORDS OF LIFE; they overcome all kinds of strife

"YOU'RE FREE; from the lies that keep you from me 

COMPLETELY TRUE; I have made you completely new

Rejection; I bore all the sting of sin's infection

ACCEPTED; now you are God's Child adopted

Betrayal; this rained on me like piercing hail

COMFORT IS YOURS; I've forgive your sins for sure

'CHOSEN BY ME'; when I carried your cross to Calvary

STRENGTHENED HEART; fortified with my cross-shaped love, it won't fall apart

LIFE REIGNS; my blood now runs through your veins

ETERNITY; together now and into the new is your security

POWER SOURCE; my Holy Spirit is your daily resource

BATTLE DONE; it's over. Peace is yours. I WON!"

The Squeeze Temptation v Comparison to none

Early morning wake up with plenty on mind. Things I feel must be miraculously squeezed into my day somehow. Logical conclusion - start working now at 7am... THE SQUEEZE TEMPTATION... Exactly what I've been trying NOT to do with my life this year! [except the rare occasion of absolute necessity - which this is not such a time].

Still small voice says: "start with me, just take 5"

So I open up to Today's page and am directed to this passage:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." [John 14v27]

"I DO NOT GIVE TO YOU AS THE WORLD GIVES"

How often we judge Jesus by the standards of what the world gives... when it comes to the peace the world gives we find it fleeting and shallow, not quite able to quiet our souls. Yet here Jesus offers Peace - a Peace that is COMPARISON TO NONE, for it is the deepest and richest of peace which comes from

no longer being condemned
no longer being detached from the source of life and love and meaning
no longer without a clear identity and purpose
no longer slaving away to be good enough

Peace with God our Maker, Lover, Saviour, Redeemer, Judge, King [and much more] OVERFLOWS into every area of our life for we have no need to fear the outcome of our weakness, our work, our circumstances beyond our control. Being at peace with God means He is with us in all things and working for our good, our eternal good.

"I do not give as the world gives" says Jesus. And he means this in everything that he offers us. This is the Onle One to whom we would really want to say: "I want more please. Give me what you offer, for none compares to you"

Here is a song that Zac Young was learning before he died. It was played at his funeral by his close friend Kye - it was beautiful Kye. It's simple and yet a profound response to Jesus' gifts. "I want more of you God"

'Set A Fire' by Will Reagan and United Pursuit Band

Jesus' Peace be with you today!

Distractions! Distrac... Squirrel! HELP!

If you've seen the movie 'Up' you will understand the title of this blog. For those who haven't - there is a dog in this movie who is easily distracted by squirrels in a very humorous way.

I think I have embodied this character over the past week or so! The way I envisioned sticking with Surrender December daily has gone AWOL lately. Whilst even the phrase "Surrender December" has helped me in moments of panic to hand over things to Jesus, or remind me to stop and spend time with Him, the plan to devote myself to time with Him each morning through the Bible has not gone so smoothly.

Why?? Answer - DISTRACTIONS!! It's amazing the sorts of things that i can wake up thinking about or wake up feeling motivated [or unmotivated] to do - such a vast range. And sadly I have let some of those things get in the way.

So here I am asking you for some HELP! What things help you be disciplined and NOT distracted when it comes to important things in your life?

Life Interrupted - Surrender December

Life has been interrupted a lot since I committed to Surrender December! So many unexpected things have happened and it has changed the way I have spent my time. The reality is our life gets interrupted on a daily basis, whether it be the dreaded telemarketer who won't let you get a word in, the urgent need someone has for you to fill, the sick family member, the weather's mood swing [it's been pretty moody lately], or a nail in your tire...

Well I am actually glad my life has been interrupted over these past 2 weeks, and not because it means the interruptions have let me off the hook on other plans I didn't want to follow through with [cause that is certainly not the case]. As I have Surrendered December to Jesus - He has refreshed my perspective on the interruptions.

Life Interruptions are really mislabeled Wake Up calls

They remind us that we are not actually in control of every aspect of our life
They provide an opportunity to look outside ourselves
They are a chance to see from a new perspective or attitude
They test our values and character
Amidst the noise of our own desires, and the shouts of our environments, 'Interruptions' beckon us [whether gently or abruptly] to Choose Life

Most of my so called interruptions these past few weeks have mostly been people related. Though they meant I missed out on some hours of sleep all up, I missed out on doing some of the things I wanted to do, I had to spend time catching up on work... I DIDN'T MISS OUT ON LIVING in fact I found myself ALIVE.

I had a telemarketer call me and we talked for quite a while. I got to encourage her, and as I thought about Zac and a friend of mine who is intentional about sharing Jesus with Telemarketers, I took the opportunity to share with her that Jesus was the reason for my attitude towards life. That was new for me.

All the opportunities I was blessed with to be there for people I love, actually renewed my love, renewed my desire to love even those I don't know. And as God spoke through me, he encouraged and spoke to me too. 

Picture from http://www.open-mike.ca/2013/06/08/day-159/

Love is Life. Giving is Receiving. People Matter. God Provides. Somehow - and I will definitely give credit to God for this - I managed to still do all the other life things necessary and to feel refreshed or at least have enough energy to get through each day on whatever sleep I had. And many people uplifted me in prayer during those mornings when I wasn't refreshed and didn't know how I was going to get through the day apart of God - God showed up each of those days and strengthened me!!

These so called interruptions helped me to Surrender December. Living with Jesus in charge is Totally Worth it! :D




Imagine if you started seeing the 'interruptions' as wake up calls, as opportunities to dive into deeper depths of Life, trusting that your out of control life is in the Great, Powerful, Loving hands of God... Choose Life

The Inbetween Matters - Surrender December

Image borrowed from http://denisebscott.com

As someone who isn't great at always finishing what I start [cause I get so excited about too many things and start a lot at one!] phrases such as: 'it doesn't matter how you start, it's how you finish that matters' stick in my head a bit. But then there is 'you've got to be in it to win it' and 'you've got to start somewhere'... so how we start matters and how we finish matters. Or perhaps it's more THAT we start rather than HOW we start which is important... [my analytical mind now wants to say and/or matters just to be difficult].

For me, today it was the very fact that I CHOSE to start with Jesus that mattered alot because it was tempting not to, especially with my schedule. Starting with him gave me more probability that I would keep going to him through the day. I found myself giving credit to Jesus more through the day for the positive good outcomes at work. When I had walked too long in my pointy heels that were NOT made for walking  [well not up and down the streets of Parramatta... an aside TIP: a tall building that looks close tends to be alot further away in walking distance than you think], when the pressures built up and the 'crappity crap crap' phrase either went through my mind or out my lips it was easier to turn to Jesus  and get some perspective. And now, it's time for me to finish my day with him.

Stand out OBSERVATION today = the Inbetween matters just as much as starting and finishing because what we do and choose Inbetween impacts how we finish. 

                     Mmm oreo's - without the Inbetween you could no longer call this an Orea... get my drift?                                                       Image borrowed from http://lensofhistory.com/2013/09/21/history-got-country-now/ [thanks to google search]

If I don't keep walking with Jesus during the day, I am less likely to make an effort to finish the day with him as the focus, OR I miss out during the day and am disappointed when I look back on my day.

What might walking with Jesus during the whole day look like for you today/tomorrow? Start the day asking God to help you live the Inbetween with Him leading you as he walks beside you. I will pray that for you tomorrow when I start my day.

Surrender December Day 2

6.30am the alarm sounded, I grabbed the alarm feeling awake and ready for the day
6.31am a wave of exhaustion hit me - sooo hard it knocked me back into bed!

Umm...not really how I imagined day 2 of Surrender December starting... but it was actually a great opportunity for me to turn to God in my weariness and trust him for the strength to face the day. So after a bit more dozing in sleepy thought, I turned to Isaiah 42v1-10 in the Bible - one of the Bible readings from Church last night - a prophecy about Jesus which was fulfilled as we see in the New Testament accounts of Jesus' life, death and resurrection:

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
    and he will bring justice to the nations.
² He will not shout or cry out,
    or raise his voice in the streets.
³ A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
⁴     he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
    In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

⁵ This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
    who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
    who gives breath to its people,
    and life to those who walk on it:
⁶ “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
    I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people
    and a light for the Gentiles,
⁷ to open eyes that are blind,
    to free captives from prison
    and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

⁸ “I am the Lord; that is my name!
    I will not yield my glory to another
    or my praise to idols.
⁹ See, the former things have taken place,
    and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
    I announce them to you.”

¹⁰ Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise from the ends of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,
    you islands, and all who live in them.

Bottom Line for me as I read this - This is the heart, character and power of the God in whom I put my trust... YEP I'M HAPPY TO LET HIM TAKE CHARGE TODAY!

As I surrendered my plans to him I felt more at peace. Trusting him with my work load and 'agenda' actually made me more available to follow his plan. It was definitely a more satisfying day today. My weariness did not last all day either - in fact I became more energised through the day as I experienced doing life WITH God, rather than on my own.

I'm excited to keep growing closer to God through this!

God provided a way for a group of young people and I to meet together to share our grief and encourage each other As we prayed together and shared, we were all so inspired by Zac as we reflected on his life, that we were energised to really live passionately for Jesus, to love and rejoice in Him. This was a gift, and it reminded me that God's people are a gift from God to help us draw nearer to him - we need each other. So please ask someone trustworthy for help/support if you need/want it. And ask God at the same time - he is able and willing to provide - after all, it is Surrender December so it's a good time to go to God first [anytime is really ;)]

Surrender December

Tragedy brings perspective - the realisation that we need to let go of the things that are meaningless and life-draining, in order to cling to the source of Life.

This year I've faced many big changes in my life. As exciting as they were, they were also scary and quite stressful. Being the passionate, energetic person I am, who loves new things and possibilities, I dove right into my new work and surroundings with dedication. Though I started out with passion, and a desire to bring honour to Jesus through what I was doing, the stress and demands of juggling all the new things made me anxious and fearful. The craziness of my life swept me up and I doggy-paddled hard with my own strength just to survive. But survival is now the full life Jesus saved me for - he saved me for a fulfilling relationship with him. I've been growing increasingly more dissatisfied with the way I am handling my life, so I've been started making steps to put ALL my life back in Jesus' hands.

Yesterday a young guy, who's path I had crossed various times back in Port Macquarie, was killed by a shark while he was surfing with some mates. His name is Zac Young. A family member of a friend, and a great friend and inspiration to many other people I love. After hearing the news and now hearing so many stories of his influence in people's lives from the great love he had from and in Jesus - the passion, dedication and deep trust he had in Jesus - it was even more evident to me that I need more Jesus in my life and less of me. I was inspired by Zac to treasure Jesus more and seek Jesus' first.

Tonight as I sat in church, the phrase 'Surrender December' rang so loudly in my ears - so here making a conscious decision to dedicate December to re-learning one precious gift of a day at a time what it is to surrender my whole life to Jesus, the one who gives LIFE in place of my so called version of 'life'.

Each day I will be opening the Bible and intentionally giving to God in prayer, and acts of trust, the areas of my life I have been trying to control or make work all by myself. Work is one of the big areas. So here on the blog I will share some of the things I'm discovering, re-learning, truths about God, resources that are helping me.

I wanted to share this with you because maybe you've been facing some anxious times, or been working hard to make life work and it's just not working [notice that menacing word 'work'!] Maybe you have found life in Jesus, but have let some things come before your relationship with Him. Maybe you turned away from Jesus or have never known Him. Wherever you're 'at' right now, the days coming towards Christmas are a great opportunity to make space for discovering or rediscovering this God Man who satisfies the soul, brings healing to the broken-hearted, can reconcile the seemingly irreconcilable, and love like no other. Perhaps this Christmas will end up being an even more meaningful and treasured time in our lives because we Surrendered December to Jesus.

If you want to join in you are very welcome to - you don't even have to tell me, but it would surely be an encouragement to have some fellow travellers or at least people cheering me on to stick with it.

So let's start - I'm starting by surrendering 'Surrender December' to Jesus, asking him to take charge of this idea and to strengthen me to stick with it each day, as well as making it such a transforming time that it will last beyond December.

Last things

After being here for 6 years I am near the end of my last week of official work. As you can imagine, there have already been many 'last things'. Last staff and team meetings, last Chapel with students, last day of school, last youth gatherings, last looks...

Here's what these last things have showed me so far:
- Life rolls on without us. I know it sounds a bit morbid, but really most of my 'last' experiences of this season of my life in this place and these roles, have seemed like just another day and nothing is changing. People will keep planning for the future here, things I have done someone else will do in their own way. It's a humbling experience really. It's also a good thing, a reassuring thing.

- Last things don't quite feel like last things because they always lead into First things, new things - so there isn't a real end while we're living. As someone who believes Jesus is God, even death isn't an end. Which leads me to the next point...

- There is always hope. I have hope, that even though I leave here soon, I will return - whether for a day or more, I will see the faces of people I love again. I have hope that God will keep using the time I have had here, and he will use the next season of my life - both for my good and the good of others.

So here's to last things that don't stay last forever :)

Moving: Step 1? The CLEAN OUT!

For a while now this whole moving deal has seemed quite surreal... there's still have a month or so til I completely move, but the process has begun. People have already been saying goodbye - even though I will see most of them at one of my farewells in the coming weeks. But the thing that indicates to me that I am moving is the 'cleaning out' process...which has just begun this week. 

Anyone who comes to my home now will be able to tell I am moving [or just think that I am either a hoarder or nutter for sorting so thoroughly]. One can collect alot over 6yrs! I'm starting to realise there really is a different mindset between Settled and Short-term Focus/Nomadic.

Settled

When I moved here, it was for the long haul. I started out with very little - coming straight from college where I did stints in a 1 bedroom granny flat or the bedroom of someone's family home. The first flat I ever moved into here was a 3 bedroom townhouse - which felt pretty empty once I had unpacked. All my homes here since then have been that size or bigger. So of course I filled them with furniture and created a home office and a spare room in each. I collected things that I thought would be useful for ministry or life in the long-term. I like that feeling of having resources at your fingertips. 

Nomadic

It looks like I'll be moving in with some dear friends of mine in Sydney who have generously offered me a room/their home and their family life. I am really looking forward to it :) I have no idea how long I'll be there for, or where I would move to afterwards. So there's this sense of Adventure and freedom, and a lack of need for lots of material things [particularly because I won't be able to afford them - which really is liberating in some ways].

 

Now I can't wait to downsize, rid myself of all this helpful and possibly helpful stuff that I have. I really don't mind the idea of fitting everything I have into my car - though, that really won't be possible even after I downsize... So this whole cleaning out process is quite enjoyable, even if it is a bit tedious and tiring. Plus it's always interesting to rediscover things. 

You know what... it still really doesn't seem real that my life is about to dramatically change. Better get back to phase 1 of my cleanout before my housemate arrives home to the mess!

Life is changing for Mel Part 2: New Adventure

If you read Part 1 of my post yesterday you've possibly been hanging out for this post (or you're wondering what all the talk about traffic and lights is means). If not, you can read it here. What has been happening in my life over the past year or so has been such a significant ride for me that I needed to describe it somehow before I could tell you the outcome.

All the 'red lights' helped me to clarify what my purpose is in life, what I'm shaped for and the visions I really want to pursue. Like I said yesterday I have a strong passion for helping young people grow to have the fullest life they can have on this earth and in eternity. First and foremost that means giving them an opportunity to meet and know their maker and saviour Jesus - the source of life. Jesus transforms our whole lives and draws us together into a family. So I'm a believer in a wholistic approach to sharing Jesus with young people and helping them following him with ever part of themselves, as well as build quality relationships with people from all age groups. I want to further explore Emotional Intelligence (EQ/EI), developmental stages, learning styles, relational skills and more, in order to find a way to integrate helping young people grow in these ways as we share Jesus with them (evangelism) and nurture them in their faith (discipleship). I want to study Biblical foundations of this also, so that I have a good foundation for the approach that honors Jesus and doesn't distract us from sharing Jesus with people.

At the same time I want to develop my skills more so I can apply what I discover, and help others apply it. I have a vision of how all this might work that includes bringing generations together, which excites me and if I don't take the opportunity now to give it a go, I could easily never really try.

An opportunity has come my way. If you read yesterday's post I would say that a gap in the traffic opened up... My church contract ends soon which has meant my Ministers and I have been trying to discern what's best for all of us next year. Im thankful I have such great Ministers/bosses. There's been no 'road rage' between us in this. They genuinely want what's best for me, I genuinely want what's best for my church family, and me too. When the gap opened up the turning lane was on a red light. I had to decide whether to just take a punt and get in that lane (resign next yr) or stay. Then the green light came in the form of a job as a Project Manager and Coach for a youth personal leadership program called Max Potential. I was involved as a community coach for 2 yrs in port Mac and looooved it! Adults from community organisations get trained to coach a young adult (usually students grade 11) over 22weeks through the MAXIMISERS Principles to help them think seriously about their life, habits, character, belief system and values, as well as develop skills to grow (and take responsibility for their own growth without a coach after the program).You can check it out here http://www.max-potential.com.au/

Well I said Yes!

It's a massive shift. It's definitely stepping into the unknown. I don't know where I'll live, exactly when I'll move, how I'll get there, what church I'll connect with, what it will really look like financially and even practically in terms of time what a normal week will look like. I do know though that no matter how all the unknowns work out, it's worth it. Over time you'll more than likely be hearing more about it from me.

I'm in the turning lane now, driving slowly to the lights because I still have to wrap up my work here. In early 2013 ie Jan/Feb I'll be moving back to Sydney. Leaving port is going to be tough. I will miss sooo much about the people and the place and the work I've been doing. Yet I'm pretty darn excited about my new adventure and where it could lead in the future. I actually jumped up and down and squealed after I accepted the job over the phone. 

A little while ago I drew this pic - on the edge of the cliff - because I felt like that that's where I was at... wanting to abseil into the unknown, but frozen on the edge... not anymore :D

Life is changing for Mel... Part 1 Traffic Lights

What are you like at red traffic lights? Me... I pride myself in my ability to be quick off the mark when the lights go from red to green. As soon as I hit a red light I am in 'ready to go' mode. The clutch [yes I drive a manual - enjoy it] is poised and my right foot angled close to the accelerator, my eyes keenly watching the moving traffic for changes in pace. I monitor the lights that are green for the other traffic waiting for them to turn orange upon which I heighten my alertness look to my traffic lights, see the green and I'm off! Proudly enjoying beating the car next to me without speeding :)

My attitude towards red traffic lights is usually the same as my attitude to the 'red lights' and 'stop' signs of life - when I reach them I get ready for when they turn to 'go' and eagerly anticipate it. However, as I reflected recently I realised that my attitude had become like that of waiting on the pacific hwy in traffic jams... you know you'll be waiting a while and there's no point in staying alert and ready, just switch off the engine, grab a book, tweet your situation, get out and throw a frisby around, eat some food, observe everyone else's behaviour [and try to guess what their saying or thinking just for fun]... whatever will just distract you from the waiting. And even then, when people start turning on their cars and gradually edging forward very slowly, I'd wait in my car until cars are really moving [rather than stop starting], before turning the key.

Over the past year or so I have had soooo many red lights that never turned green, though they showed promise... In all areas if my life. If i believe something is important and possible, I pour myself into pursuing it with excitement, passion and lots of serious thought and action. After 'revving' the engine constantly only to find the lights weren't changing I gave up. I started treating life like I was stuck on the pacific hwy in a halted traffic jam. There's no point even thinking about turning the car key until you see cars a few ahead of you start to drive off in a smooth constant pace. So in the mean time you do whatever will take your mind off waiting. Focus disappears. you don't even think about seeing if there is anything you can do to help the traffic move along, cause you know you have no control over it. I stopped trying to make positive changes in what I was doing in ministry and settled for just doing what I could each day to help people without trying to change a system or get people to try new things. I wasn't confident there was any value in trying due to all the red lights. I found I was happier because the lower bar I had set myself meant I was reaching my short term goals well, particularly in ministry. And life was easier because it usually is when you work with the systems you're in and fall in line.

But it wasn't as satisfying. my passion for life, for helping Young people find and live life to the full -whatever it takes- is so deep-seeded that it wasn't going to let me silence it. So I tried one more time to change one of the systems around me so that I would be free to focus on all the things that I envisioned.

I came to realise though that what was happening was that I needed to make a change rather than make everyone change for me. I now see it as like being in a long line of traffic where I want to go into the right-hand turning lane to take another route to our destination. Yet the line of traffic stretches past the turning lane so I can see it, I can see the green light for that lane with noone else in it, but I can't move into the lane just yet. Ever had that happen on the road? Frustrating isn't it. So more waiting ensued, trying to remain faithful to the people and task I have at the moment.

I actually love this place, the people and the Incredible opportunities I've had to 'walk alongside' people. I just have a different picture of how I can keep doing that into the future.

Sweet Victory and Sour Sorrow: AFL & Poverty

As a loyal Sydney Swans fan [from my days of old] last night's AFL victory to advance into the Grand Finals was definitely an exciting moment!! I wasn't able to watch the game, but my faithful Father and Sister kept me up to date via text :) I probably won't even be able to watch the Grand Final as I'll be at a camp, but I remain excited about the event :) Either way I'll share it with my Dad and Big Sister, which makes it even more fun. There is something about a shared experience that makes it all the better. Celebrating with lots of facebook friends today, as multiple posts of Swannies jubilation hit my newsfeed, also sparked a sense of satisfaction and excitement. 

It's quite incredible how sports and competition can thrill us, drawing our energy and emotion in. It's fleeting though, after all it doesn't happen every day and every moment [which is a good thing].


Anyway, today a friend 'tweeted' an article by SMH on how many of our sports balls are being made by young girls in poverty and in bad conditions. I recommend you watch this journalist report here

It could really easy not to click on the above link and just keep reading so if you haven't watch the video do it now. It will not take long. It's really important and relevant to all of us. We are so detached from the reality of poverty. We need to expose ourselves to the truth often in order to undo our detachment. Here's the link again: http://www.smh.com.au/national/poor-children-made-to-stitch-sports-balls-in-sweatshops-20120921-26c0z.html

Let me know when you have watched it, then I'll post my response and hopefully I'll get to hear yours too.

Mel<><

Don't shop while you're hungry??

'They' say never go shopping when you're hungry.

Well I was shopping today when I was hungry - Not because I was hungry - and the collective 'they' were in my head!
"You'll end up buying something bad for you, spend more money than necessary/buy more than you need "

As I headed to the fresh bakery section of woolies with the sole intention of grabbing the healthiest snack there I was determined not to splurge just because I was hungry. Upon approaching the magic clear doors and glanced across the array of 'delicious' it was the blueberry muffin that caught my eye... But wait... Despite its healthier status to chocolate it really isn't a good lunch option. Hmm so my eyes searched across the display and there they were... 3 of the best looking cream finger buns you've ever seen! You know the ones with sweet cream carefully laid in the long finger bun for you to see, decorated with the squiggly line of rich red jam!! I used to eat these at school. As I stood there consciously reminding myself that the health risks outway the temporary satisfaction with this choice, I was seriously tempted, so much so that I stood there perhaps a little long. I couldn't tell if I just wanted to eat it because it reminded me of my 'yesterdays' or because they are so sweet and I haven't eaten one in long time (which would make it alright to treat myself right?). And what if I was only remembering how much I liked them then, only to eat one now and be disappointed?! Well suffice to say I held my ground, grabbed the Hawaiian pizza looking thing and paced quickly away from those magic doors...

food can be such a distraction!

Ps. Happy with my choice:)
Pss. Despite the wisdom of the 'They' of you have run out of food or are starving then you should forget the 'They' and go shopping

'R U OK?' Day

  

Just in case you haven't heard, today is 'R U OK?' Day here is Australia. I say 'is' because you still have time to ask someone if they are ok. Of course you can ask them tomorrow as well - but the aim of today is partly to remind us not to leave it too long to ask this question of people, rather feel free to ask more regularly.

It's kinda sad that we have to have a day to remind us to ask each other how were are going... but I am glad we do. It does some helpful things like:

• highlights the importance of talking to each other 
• gives people permission to ask in situations they normally wouldn't feel like they could
• reminds us to open our eyes and ears, and even mouths, more to the many people who are struggling - often silently [hence the need to open our eyes... as well as our mouths to ask the question and speak words of hope, support and encouragement]

If you haven't checked out the official website it is worth doing so. It has some good information and resources to help us help each other through the tougher times of life. Check it out here

This particular resource page from the website is really helpful if you want some quick practical tips on how to say 'R U OK?' Yep, I know that sounds a little silly. But there are lots of ways to find out if someone is OK and to really Listen. Sometimes the question 'are you OK?' doesn't help someone open up. Sometimes it's how we are portraying ourselves that may prevent someone from opening up. That's why this is a useful fact sheet to look at.    

I've recently asked 2 questions related to 'R U OK?' day via twitter and facebook. So I'll blog some more about this later.

In the mean time...

• If there is something weighing you down today find someone you trust and tell them, even if they haven't asked 'are you ok?'. 
• If you have noone to share your struggle with right now, LifeLine hotline has great people who listen and care. Call 13 11 14
• If you haven't tried to genuinely find out how someone is going today here are a few questions you could ask besides 'are you ok?' that may help start a good conversation
• what's been worrying you lately, if anything?
• what's been the high point and the low point of your day?
• If you could change anything about your life now, what would it be?
• what's 1 thing that has been weighing you down lately?

 "Connection and open, honest conversations are good for our wellbeing – whether or not we’re struggling with a problem. It helps us to feel valued and supported by the people around us. There's also an emerging body of research which links supportive social relationships and a sense of social connection with protective factors in suicide prevention." ['R U OK? Day' Website FAG page]

1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back... Recalculating...

It just struck me that this old cliche may just need some recalculating. I have often felt like I take a step forward then find myself back further than when I started, as if trying to go up an escalator only to find it carrying me back to the bottom and dumped me on
my butt! But it has just occurred to me that it actually works out to be 2 steps forward and 1 step back, because even when I have taken 1 step forward then fallen back 2 I get back up and start the walking from the first step I got to before I went backwards. I call that Moving forward. If you usually find the above cliche describes you, perhaps as you reflect on where you are now - and how you've grown anyway - it's your turn to recalculate the cliche:)

I'm sooo thankful when God opens my eyes a little more so I can see things more how they actually are. Feeling joyful right now and thankful for the backwards steps, especially that God lets me go backwards so that he can help me move forward properly. Growth, whilst painful, is ultimately invigorating. After all, it's a sign we are ALIVE, not just breathing :)

Silly Sayings

A sweet young Japanese woman has been staying with me for the past 2 weeks. In that time I have, so far, managed to teach her 2 silly Australian sayings... funny thing is that it wasn't until I had to explain what I was talking about when I said them that I realised how silly they are.

First one was: "feeling under the weather". She asked me why "under" the weather? Um... good questions?! What is it... being under the spell of crappy weather?? [cause we always seem to use it in the negative]

Second one: "my brain is fried". That one was funnier to her:) I think she thought I meant 'deep fried' hehe!

Someone at school today taught her "stick like glue" as in "stick like glue to the other teachers so you don't get lost".

I like our silly sayings cause even when they don't really make sense somehow they just do:)

Hmm I wonder what else I can teach her before she goes back to Japan...

Re-Activating Life

Life has been very interesting this year, and not all in an exciting way... mostly in a confusing: "I don't really know what's going on" kind of way. I've grappled; wrestled; questioned; listened; 'tested the waters'; paused decisions; given up and let the tide take me wherever' taken steps of faith; adapted; grown; as well as done the whole 'flop on the floor in a state of stubborn unhappy obedience' like a grumpy kid kind of thing... not all in that order, but definitely a few rounds of each. This is why you haven't heard much from me here for a while. 

This morning I decided to focus on the smaller things in my life, rather than the bigger things. I've already made the most important decision in my life, the biggest one of all: To follow Jesus, the King of the Universe and whatever is beyond. Being faithful to that decision is not and easy road.

Life is purposeful, thus it requires us to live it intentionally, not passively. My life has been given purpose, meaning, joy, love and hope that runs deep and flows into eternity. Yet I find myself making everyday choices, even defaulting to 'old self' habits [as if I don't have to choose - which in itself is a choice!], that aren't in the spirit of 'Living the Change".  They don't lead me to more fulfilling life, rather they slowly and subtly lead me in the way of 'death'.

I've been thinking about about Romans 12v1-2 

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

On Tuesday night I heard v2 again, and I honestly thought: "I am tired of having to do all the changing, can't something else change so that good comes from it and I can have a break". But the next day I was preparing for a school chapel service where I was starting to wrap up the series on Jesus' "I AM" statements. God helped me to see that when Jesus says he is "the way, the truth and the life", he is basically saying that the answer to ANY and ALL our questions, confusion, uncertainty, despair... well everything is JESUS HIMSELF. It's not about me finding the right way through this time in my life or the path that I meant to walk on into the next season of my life. It's about me being with Jesus, going to Him. 

So this has led to my decision to persevere with Rom 12v1-2. This morning God reminded me - in fact I think he woke me up at 3am to get me to listen carefully - that the process of being being transformed in our mind requires non-conforming to worldly patterns and the same is true the other way around, both are dependent on each other. This is no easy process. But it IS Possible and WORTHWHILE. My problem is that I let circumstances and excuses cloud my judgment, causing me to think and feel like it's too hard when it actually isn't. First of all God himself promises to help us, He gives us other people to grow with, and then it really comes down to the small everyday decisions of your life. Now that makes it sound more possible to me.

Thus reactivating the simple rule of 'swapping' worldly habits for Godly habits that will keep me focussed on and connected with Jesus, is the key. Hence my new personal project "The Swap Project" (here) It's not really revolutionary, it's just something to help live out Rom 12v1-2. I'm trying to keep it simple so I've been really disciplined and refrained from spending lots of time making it look good - trust me that's a big deal, hehe:)

Feel free to join me in it:)

Hindsight

So I'm here looking back on a recent scenario of my life thinking how 'Hindsight' really drew the short straw when it came to getting its role on the 'Sight' team. Foresight gets all the glory with preventing us from doing stupid things or preparing us for things to come. The only weakness of Sight is that there are things we sometimes don't want to see in the moment, other than that we are thankful for being able to see everytime we open our eyes. But Hindsight gets all the angst. Hindsight is the one noone really wants, in fact more than that, we'd much prefer Hindsight to someone else: the other 'Sights'. It's the one that we would like to yell at, and perhaps have:
"where were you when I really need led you?!"
"what?! You're choosing to tell me NOW and not back then when it mattered?!"
Yep Hindsight is the awkward one that never seems to get timing right. The thing is, that's its job... so at least it does it's job well. And whilst we tend to err on the side of animosity towards Hindsight, there's a depth of wisdom in it that we appreciate. It teaches us valuable things, that actually end up being useful for our present and future. Maybe it's not so separated from Foresight or Sight as it seems... Oh yeah they're a team... We need them all.