• How do you reflect back on 2016 and set yourself up to start 2017 well?

    Do you find yourself slipping into a reflective mode in this week between Christmas and New Year? I do. I booked time by myself to work through Amanda Vivier’s New Year Vision book earlier this week as my brain was furiously trying to process through the year that has been and wanting to get organised and look forward to next year. It was feeling like a chaotic process. My mind and soul were desperately trying to make meaning of a year that turned out very different to what I had thought at the start. I had ideas and plans flooding through my brain but in a haphazard way that was not…

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  • Reflections on “now” (a Five Minute Friday post)

    Does anyone else find that now is the hardest time to be in? My mind easily lives in the future or past but I struggle to be fully present in this moment. I long for distraction or get caught up in to dos. My daughter is able to immerse herself fully in the moment often. It may not be the now that I want her to be immersed in, such as reading rather than getting dressed . Often it is in the moments of celebration or joy hidden in the mundane. She invites me in to these moments but so often I allow now to be swallowed up by the…

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  • It’s 10 days until Christmas but it’s not too late

    Christmas is rushing towards us at a relentless pace. Do you feel calm and organised or are your stress levels reaching a fever pitch? As much as I have had some very stressful moments in this Advent season, I have noticed the difference from spending time in reflection and soul-breathing through the Advent devotional I am using. For me, this has been a continuation of a daily habit and so easier to fit in each day. I know that a daily time can seem completely overwhelming at the best of times, let alone in the busy season leading up to Christmas.  My heart is to encourage you in this season,…

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  • What do I crave? (A Five Minute Friday post)

    What is it that I crave? I have come to the conclusion that different parts of me crave different and often opposite things. My mind in this season simultaneously craves mindless distraction and stimulation. My soul craves connection, restoration, spiritual direction. My body craves sleep and coffee. My fingers seem to crave a device to fidget with.  Of all of these cravings, what should I give in to? What do I indulge? Those are often not answers I want to look at too closely. Cravings can be indicative of internal processes. I’m told certain food cravings can indicate mineral or nutrient deficiencies. Craving mindless distraction and rest is a warning…

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  • What I learned this Spring

    Today is the first day of summer, the first day of many of our Advent activities, the first day of the last month of the year. In the midst of looking forward to the Christmas season, I want to take some time to stop and reflect back on the season that is ending. I am increasingly thinking of my life in terms of seasons, both in terms of weather and seasons of what God is calling me to do.  Here is what I learned this spring: Momentum only lasts if you keep it up! I am able to achieve a whole month of posts, establish great momentum in my writing and…

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  • Christmas is coming! Free gifts for you to help get ready

    When you read the words “Christmas is coming!”, did you feel a bubble of excitement or stress or maybe a bit of both? If I think about the gifts that need to be bought and the tasks that need to be completed by then, I start to feel overwhelmed. When I think of Advent, though, I am re-energised. It will soon be time to start the December celebrations and focusing in on the meaning of Christmas for myself and for my daughter. If you have been around my writing for a year or more, you will know that Advent holds a special place in my heart. This year, I am…

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  • Common thread: Five Minute Friday

    Have you ever experienced that phenomena where every day a common thread seems to run through the messages that you get? I have been experiencing this for the past few weeks. Almost everyday, through podcasts, sermons, social media images, a candle made for me by a friend, I have found the verses from Matthew 11:28-30. The message of resting in God and learning the unforced rhythms of grace has been a resounding boom. It has seemed strange for this to be the common thread of late. This is an area that God has been dealing with me about for years and I feel that I am in a good place…

  • Journey- Five Minute Friday

    This post is written as part of Five Minute Friday, where writers take a prompt word and write for five minutes without editing. After an intense writing stint in October. This is just what I need to get back into writing for November.  When I saw the prompt word for today, I smiled. “Journey” My week started with a post about the continuing journey I am on in my leadership and writing and it will end with a fast paced reflection of that journey. I have spent the past two days at the Global Leadership Summit here in Perth. I am filled to overflowing with inspiration, ideas and plans. I…

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  • Thankful Thursday

    When you are reading this, I will be out in the Australian bush camping with my family and some friends. No internet access. No electricity. No phone reception apart from trips into town. These times of unplugging and slowing down are invaluable for our family. Our souls unwind and we are more intentional in our connections with each other. It may not all be perfect and nerves are rubbed at times but that builds deeper relationships as we navigate those times together.  I am thankful that we have taken steps to set ourselves up with the camping gear we need to make these trips possible. I am thankful for my…

  • Thankful Thursday

    What a week! September continues to live up to the anticipated intensity but the end is in sight. This past week has come with busyness, anxiety, mum guilt, beautiful and inspiring moments, family memories, sickness and relaxation.  The MOPS Western Australia leaders conference came together beautifully. It marked my commissioning into the State Coordinator role. I learned many lessons for running conference next year and inspired me anew in this ministry I am privileged to be part of. We have so many amazing women giving of their time and resources to invest in the mothers of our state. The gala night on Friday was beautiful and full of sparkles. I…