Are we There yet? Eternity is a tricky concept to understand or explain. We can think of it as a future possession, something we will attain one day when we leave this earth and join Jesus in heaven. This is certainly the concept presented in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). The gospel of John however doesn’t describe eternity like that. In John 5:24 Jesus says, Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my …
I’ll be Back! John 14:1–3 (NIV) Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where …
Work is a Gift What do you do for a living? This is often one of the first questions we ask when meeting someone new. When we are in the final years of school (if not before) we start to think about what we want to do next, and plan how best to prepare for our ‘dream job’. I was very fortunate that I decided at the age of eight I was going to be …
Everything in Its Time Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 One of my favourite images is that of the “4-season tree”. You may have seen it, but if you haven’t let me describe it to you. The image is of the same tree, but in each of the four seasons of the year. In summer, the tree is full of lush, green leaves, basking in the sunshine. In autumn, the leaves have turned brilliant shades of red, orange and …
Hand Me Downs Our family was one of girls. My mum was one of two girls, and each of them had two daughters also. This meant lots of laughs and mischief when we all got together, but it also meant we could share clothes. I am the eldest, so the “good” dresses that were purchased for me at Christmas time, and for special occasions, inevitably found their way to my younger sister’s, and cousins’, closets. …
Making All Things New I saw a photo a few weeks ago. It was of a lady who lived in northern New South Wales. She was a farmer and had taken a photo standing in a paddock on her property. It was a side-by-side shot 12 months apart. The first photo had a background of bright orange. It was of a dust storm that had ripped through her town. Her face had a disgusted look …
In the midst of the chaos of change, we went to the beach. It was a spontaneous call and we were wildly unprepared. It was barely spring, the sun was setting and we had one towel between us. It was tempting to simply enjoy the changing sky and the chatter of locals in my relatively warm, definitively-dry attire. So tempting. After many moments of deliberation, including multiple toe-checks of the water’s temperature, I was in. …
Dear Christmas, I hope you look different this year This was my silent prayer in September as I saw the store shelves begin to bear their annual load of Christmas stuff. A singing reindeer, a nativity set, biscuits and tinsel and platters and bonbons. I couldn’t help but feel a little deflated. My pet hate is clutter, and I reserve a particular hostility for Christmas-themed clutter. Take Christmas-themed crockery for example. Why should I store …
Young people are amazing! This is my very biased opinion based on lived experience, and about a decade of working in youth ministries and programs. This is my opinion based on my daily interactions with children and families in hardship. This is my opinion as I watch my friends’ babies learn, but also teach. This is my opinion based on the brave responses of a generation to the injustices of the world they’re inheriting. Young …
Recently, a friend of mine described to me her theory that we all have buckets: a bucket for fun, one for freedom, one for intimacy, one for growth, for service, for solitude, for vulnerability, maybe one for chaos or significance, or heartache and hurt. Our buckets are labelled differently. And our buckets aren’t all the same size. In the past, I would pride myself on the size of my ‘uncertainty bucket’. I felt agile, I …
Giver God Journal Entry 3/05/2020 Of all the days spent in isolation, Sundays are the hardest. They’re the loneliest and they are the days I am most aware of what this season has cost us. To preface, I’m in a bad mood today. I’m sad. The kind of sad that has me waking up with a headache but doesn’t see me cry. I miss my friends, I miss my church, I miss café breakfasts, I …
Spiritual Parents I recently left the church I grew up in. My reasons are numerous, personal, not at all spiteful and something I will gladly share with anyone in the flesh. For those who might be concerned, I’m slowly making a church home elsewhere. But for the sake of the story, it’s important you know leaving was difficult for me to do. I also admit that while I speak about the Church* with great affection, …