Opinion: The crown of thorns- a real sign of hope for us all...

So it's Holy Thursday here in Australia. A time for the beginning of one of the most important moments in the Christian calendar- the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's a time that I really treasure as it shows every one of us in real terms the steps Jesus took for us to be saved and for me, there's no better representation of this then the Cross and the Crown of Thorns.

The value of the Cross is well known and to be honest, I don't think really needs an explanation. If you want to know why a Cross is used, feel free to watch the Passion of the Christ or visit any of the many Stations of the Cross services held across the country tomorrow. 

But why a crown of thorns? Why not any other painful implement that could damage, but not kill? Why was this the chosen pain method?

Growing up, I always thought of the crown of thorns as an unnecessary addition to the Passion story, much in the same way I did the fact that as people we have to act as the crowd and tell off Jesus. We can already see he was carrying a cross, dying for us and being treated like dirt. Why then do we have to act like the crowd heckling him and further more, why did he have to have a twisted mess of thorns dug into his head?

It's that exact description mentioned above however that today makes me truly believe that there is no other way that Christ's love for us could have been represented. 

The crown of thorns is perfect in that it is imperfect in every way. It is lots of painful, thorny bushes, each twined together to create the ultimate pain machine. With one branch, it's painful enough, but get a few and twist them together, and the pain is amplified, especially when it's dug into the skin.

The idea of thorns relates back to the days of the fall of man and I believe it, above anything else, is a perfect representation of our brokenness as people. We each sin and are hurt and this can be painful and draw us to turn away from love and feeling worthy. The thing is though that we don't just do this once, we do it time and time again, and over time, we build up our sin and it twists in our lives like the crown of thorns, creating immense pain. The crown of thorns is a literal way of showing our twisted, messed up lives.

Jesus knows this and wants to alleviate our suffering. It's why he is willing to have the crown of thorns placed on his head. He wants us to be freed from all our brokenness and pain and like the cross, for him to carry it. It is, along with cross, a sign of the immense love God has for every one of us, that while He realises we do wrong, He is always wanting to bring us towards Him and His grace and love and mercy, no matter what the cost.

The crown of thorns also provides a great visual example of the pain, betrayal and anguish that is happening around Jesus. Just as the thorns represent the twisted mess our lives can sometimes get in, they were doing the same for the lives of the disciples including Peter and Judas, who during this time betrayed the man they called the Son of God and either ran away, denied or sold Him out.

The thing is though, just like how Jesus took away the pain by taking on the literal crown of thorns, He does the same in a metaphoric sense for first the disciples when He appears to them after the resurrection and then for Peter. All He asks for them to do, is to turn back to Him and believe.

A priest I was talking to the other day made a very interesting point. He said that there is no difference between Peter and Judas in the Passion. Both betray Jesus, both commit sin and both feel extremely hurt by it. The difference is how they deal with the crown of thorns now placed on their heads. Judas turns away and takes his life after realising his error, while Peter trusts in God- he's the first one who runs in to the tomb when the women tell the disciples that the stone has been rolled away. He could have been met by Roman Soldiers who arrested him or by thieves but he risked that possibility for the love of God.

It is the same with each one of us standing here today. We all are broken, we all struggle with pain, addictions, hurts and our sinful nature. The great thing is though is that we have a God who loves us so much that he wants to free us of all of this and all we have to do is like Peter, turn back to Him and believe.

This Easter season, my invitation to each of you is to look at the crown of thorns in your life and take them to Christ. Ask him to help free you from your pain and if you feel there's sin or hurt that needs to be alleviated, then go to confession and ask for God's forgiveness and mercy.

We need not wear the crown of thorns- Jesus has already offered to take that role for us and for that, we should be forever grateful.

The journey is just as important as the destination... P.S. Includes HIMYM Finale spoilers!

Ah the word journey... a word that thanks to the Board of Studies NSW and my last two years of highschool, I learnt to dislike so much I pretty much use to dry wretch when people mentioned it. In all honesty though, it's an important word and as I'm finding out these days, an important part of life (case in point, the title of this blog).

I remember growing up, it was all about the destination and in a lot of cases it still is- wanting the perfect life of job, partner, friends, money- it was all about how to get that and never so much about what was happening at the time. Many a moment was spent complaining about the fact I was nowhere nearer to my goal or calculating how I'm going to get to the next step of my grand master plan to be successful in life.

In the last few years however, I started to veer away from that, started to see that there was more to life than just getting to a place. I remember reading a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson one day in a book at uni that said:

"Life is a journey, not a destination."

As that thought sat in my brain for the months afterwards, it made me start to realise the fact that I should be enjoying the moments I am in and I'm glad to say in a lot of ways, I've done that the last few years. I know there are many times I am grateful for even if I didn't reach the goal I originally set out to achieve, because I got to spend time with amazing people and do amazing things anyway.

The thing is though, I'm not perfect and more than that, I'm one of the most guilty of doing something that a lot of people do in life- that being- evaluating life based on the destination.

No matter how much I try to enjoy the journey, I'm always evaluating whether I'm headed towards the destination, always focusing on the fact I'm not anywhere near the place I want to be and always looking at why I'm not there.

Now in a lot of ways, that's not a bad thing. Let no one ever say that having a destination is not important. I honestly believe that we all need to have some plan for our lives as it gives them purpose and a reason to get up in the morning. Even if the destination is to be able to say at the end of life I have been friendly to as many people as I can be, it's important as it will ensure that from this you are kind and respectful to people on a daily basis, making them feel more valued and in the end making the world a better place.

The problem arises when we let the destination become all we think about. Recently at times, as I search for work and settle back into a normal life, it's been a case of this becoming all too common a part of my life. These days, whenever this occurs, I try to spend time doing something I enjoy, not just because I like it, but more so, to remind me about having fun in the moment.


On Tuesday, one of these times, I was watching the final episode of How I Met Your Mother and to be honest, at the end of it, I was kind of shocked at how it all panned out as I know many people were. We waited nine years to find out about the mother, who as we find out in this episode is named Tracy, only to find out Ted only gets to have a decade with her and then she gets ill and passes away. We had a whole season of Barney and Robin's wedding only for this episode to show that they get divorced three years later due to Robin's work schedule. We end with the story not actually meant to be focusing on How Ted met his wife, but on how Ted still has feelings for Robin and them trying again... in the grand scheme of the last season, it kinda sucked.

The thing is though, as I thought about this final episode a bit more, I realised something. This series was never about the end destination, which still wasn't known even at the end of the show! It was about something else. It was about the nine years of fun, laughs and memories that were shared in the quest for the destination, and the many more years of fun, laughs and memories to come afterward.

It didn't mirror the Hollywood fairy tale (ok the end perhaps did), but the rest didn't- it mirrored life. Even more however, this show demonstrated the importance of any moment in time. As an audience we gained joy in finally meeting Tracy and seeing Ted truly happy, we felt warmth at how Barney and Robin helped each other grow up in their own crazy way. These moments, sadly, didn't last forever, but in the moment, they provided something special. Real life is filled with ups and downs, filled with highlights and tragedies, filled with memories that are meant to be the real celebration- not getting to the end of the line.

This is why taking notice of the things that happen in a journey is so important. We can say we've been on a road trip from one city to another, but what really makes the story exciting and memorable all those years later is the things that occurred along the way- the fast food stops, the car ride songs, the discovery of crazy things on the journey (it's why for a lot of us, road trips are so much fun).

The same goes with life. There's no use getting to the end of our lives and saying that we reached there without having a single memory of how we got there. If it wasn't for the journey, we wouldn't be able to celebrate our overcoming of adversity, revel in the successes or grow closer in the tough times.

So here's the invitation to you all, and one I'm taking up as well. From today onwards, pick a destination for your life, but spend the hours of your day focusing and enjoying the journey. This life is only for a very short time in the grand scheme of things, so make sure you make the most of every moment of it.

Till next time...

The saints are coming...

Hi All :)

Ok so recently a lot of things have been happening in my life and the lives of those around me where I have been made to ask the question I'm sure every person on their faith journey has been made to ask if they've really been honest with themselves- and that is... am I doing enough to sustain my faith life?

Now this is not the first time I've been face with this question and it ain't going to be the last. While I'm doing daily prayer, been going to mass, been going to events to increase my faith, there is something that from the moment I left NET, until recently, hasn't been feeling right- a certain sense of feeling as if even though I'm doing all of this, I'm still feeling the same. On NET it's so easy to be able to find that spiritual level of happiness- yes it's hard and there are days when you struggle, but with four plus people around you who are constantly living lives of holiness every day and much fewer distractions due to NET rules, it's much easier to jump back on the train when you've started stumbling off.

When times like these occur, I like to turn to the people who I can count on. The people who have been through it all before and who are an example to us all of how to overcome adversity, the people who are revered by our Church and have been the source of so much inspiration... I'm of course talking about.. The Saints.

Now this hasn't always been the case. Growing up, I remember that I use to see the Saints (as I did Jesus) as some aspirational figure which I could aim to get to, but never would get to. It wasn't my goal to be a saint- to be classified as one would be a life achievement equal to me landing on the moon- if I could just live a part of my life like them, that would do.

One day however, I heard someone say that we can all be saints. After a few more years, I realised it wasn't just a throwaway line from a person, but actually it was the calling of Jesus, which he gives to St Paul, when he says:

"To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" - Romans 1:7 NRSV CE

Now with that in mind, it got me thinking- if we are all called to be saints, then why is it that there are only a few people who have made that mark in society and what is it that the rest of us are missing.

As I found out, the answer to that is.... nothing. We are all called to be saints, it's just that some are formally recognised which as I now know these days involves the Vatican and a bunch of other stuff that involves processes.

So with that in mind, I started trying to live like some of the great Saints. I like St Paul as he reminds me of the conversion we all have when we finally realise how amazing God's love truly is and I like St Peter as like me, he's a bit of bumbler at times and yet Jesus loved him and gave him the role of being the Rock of the Church, proof that you can make mistakes and God's mercy will prevail.

Now living like the saints is a good thing. I've found it helps to create direction and give clarity to a lot of things in life.The thing is though, when I'm going through questioning my faith, especially in recent years, a question has always come up and that is, well how come the Saints have it easier than I do when it comes to dealing with issues.

When you look at the likes to Saint Padre Pio who lived with Stigmatas, St Paul who spent so much time in prison, St Stephen the First who was beheaded for the faith (along with many others), they all seemed to be able to deal with faith issues much more than I can when I have a tiny issue in life affect the balance. I mean even those who are not formally saints, like Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, have amazing stories of faith- she spent 27 years in the spiritual darkness and still did amazing works. 

This year, I've started reading a daily devotional book on the Saints and the amazing thing I've learnt from it is that in so many cases, these people were just like me. They struggled with fame, with fortune, with family, with feeling inadequate to take the roles they were being offered- yet they did it as God called them to, and achieved greatness at the highest level.

The thing is however, not only did they struggle with these things, they realised that this was a part of life, and not some wrong doing on their behalf and continued to do what they were called to do. If it was their mistake, they admitted to it, accepted it and then moved on to continue their calling, knowing that by God's mercy, we are all freed from our sins and mistakes.

A priest I was listening to yesterday really gave a good understanding of this idea. He said, (paraphrasing here) we are all able to be saints. The reason so many of us don't get there though is that they aren't humble enough to accept that a life followed in Jesus is going to have desert periods as well as banquet ones. We are all able to do God's will when things are good, but if we aren't humble enough to realise the dry periods are not our fault alone, then we end up in spiritual dryness which emotionally drains us and can cause us to head towards the darkness rather than the light. The Devil doesn't need anymore invitation than when this occurs, as he is the master of deception and soon our dryness becomes our darkness and we are more likely to fall.

Fr Robert Barron puts it another way: "God is a pure light of white that, when refracted in the prism of creation, breaks into countless colours, each unique and each an aspect of the light. These are the colours of the Saints, each one reflecting some sort of divine reality" (Word on Fire Lenten Message, 22 March 2014).

What both of these priests are saying and what I think it is important for all of us to realise, is that God loves us all so much that if we are willing to follow his path, then he will ensure that we are always able to become saints. The key to it is that we must accept that the path isn't always going to be easy and during the hard times, rather than trying to do more for God, we should keep listening to him and going on his path as he directs us, for only he can lead us to true sainthood.

When we are humble enough to accept that it is God who has control over it all, and not us- then we can live our lives without the burden of feeling we have to please him all the time and focus on our mission of doing his will and becoming saints in our own right.

So back to the question I asked at the start of this blog...  Am I doing enough to sustain my faith life? My answer to this, is well, yes I am and I'm happy with where things are at. While I know the dry periods are going to come, I also know that God is with me through them always, and all he calls me to do is to keep following his calling in my life, for as I read the other day:

"If you think God's love for you would be stronger if your faith was stronger, you are wrong. If you think His love would be deeper if your thoughts and actions were better, you are wrong again. Don't confuse God's love with people's love. Their love increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so with God's love..." - The Word for You Today, UCB Publishing, 23 March 2014

So what are you all waiting for.. get out there and keep living God's calling in your life. The world needs saints and I know they are coming, all we need to do is trust, execute and live in Christ always.

Till next time...

In God we trust...

Ok so I thought that the next blog update after the last one was going to be about how I've moved onto a new opportunity, am getting ready for a new challenge and how life was finally getting put into place.

Funny thing is though, this post is anything but that!

I'm still on the job hunt, being thrown curve-balls in all areas of my life that are making me wonder on a daily basis where is the path I'm meant to be on and more than ever, I have no idea what is going on.

It's funny how life works. One minute you think you know what is going on, the next, you are more clueless than a detective on a bad day (sorry about that analogy, know it's pretty bad, I'm blaming it on the fact it's Monday). The crazy thing is though is that for all that is going on right now and all the challenges it is placing in front of me, I'm actually OK with it. Now I'm not saying that I'm not worrying, feeling anxious, spending way too much time questioning or am in a space that I feel as if I can conquer the world- because if I said that this was the case, I'd be lying through my teeth. I am saying though that for the first time in a long time- I am realising that this is going on and importantly, I'm taking steps to keep on moving and working.

One of the reasons I think this is the case is that because I've realised now that this is God's plan, not mine. I'm finally starting to give God the opportunity to work in my life and what I'm realising very quickly is that when you let God in, things go from being very normal, to very extraordinary. If you don't get what I mean by this, that's OK, I'm about to explain.

When you start allowing God to enter into your life- and I mean really enter, like reading the bible, going to mass and listening to the word, being humble enough to go to confession and reconcile, spending time listening to good material etc. you begin to see what really matters in life, and then, life seems so much more than it did before.

Those areas where you thought what you did was good enough, suddenly become areas of needed improvement. That little thing you use to do, you see the bigger picture of what it can cause- the needs of others become more prevalent to the needs of oneself- everything and all that you thought of- changes.

More importantly though, you start to see how the things that happen around you, are more than just events, they are hints to the true path you should be on. I know for me, that once upon a time, job, relationship and friendship losses were a sign of how bad a person I was, how I just wasn't good enough. At this moment though, I've been through several knock-backs and while they still hurt (we wouldn't be human if they didn't)- now I see the reason behind them- I see that I might not have gotten that job because if I had, I would have missed out on doing something amazing. I might have turned that offer down but if I'd taken it up, I'd have missed quality time with family and friends that I am so blessed for today.

God doesn't want anyone of us to live our lives in misery- he said it himself it Jeremiah 29 where he says

"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart,  I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes..."

God wants us all to live in a life of happiness and that will best use our gifts and talents to bring joy to this world. Never doubt that. No matter how hard, and believe me, I know how much of a struggle it is, to believe this every day of your life- it's the truth and it's what he shows us everyday.

I was reading a reflection piece this morning that talked about how when we want something done we will do it immediately, however when God wants something done- it's in his time. He isn't ruled by the time frames we set on ourselves- and while he can take a couple of days/weeks to grow a mushroom- he could take a lifetime to change or define a person into who they need to be.

The great thing about this is that while he is working through us and changing us- he still gives us so much love and joy and happiness- whether it's the friends and family around us, the nature outside or just the daily events that make us smile.

I've made the choice to let God take control of my plans. Do I know what's going to happen next? Of course not. Do I always feel safe in not knowing? Of course not. Do I trust in God always? Of course not.

But at the end of the day, do I still believe that God's plan is the best plan for me in my life? Of course I do.

Keep praying for me and hopefully soon I'll be able to write about what's happening next, but then again- it's up to God, and I'm more than happy with that. Know I'm praying for you all too.

Till next time...

Show me.. how big your brave is! aka. Be yourself!

Hey everyone,

Hope you're having an awesome week and really enjoying life :)

Firstly, the title of this post is inspired by the amazing Sara Bareilles, whose song has been stuck in my head for the last few days- oh and the incredible events of this past week, so for those who wanted a music review, sorry to disappoint you on that one ;).

Ok so onto this post. And I guess the big message I want to say to each one of you is that you are amazing, incredible people who are loved, appreciated and who are called to make a difference.

Yes, this is no joke- my entire reason for writing this post is to tell you this message above. If you don't get anything else out of what is being written, then take that last paragraph with you till you enter eternal life and beyond.

The last few months since I've been off NET, I've been constantly surrounded by the real world and working to readjust to it. One that shows us up for who we are, one that makes us believe we are lesser than the people we are called to be. Whether it be the disappointments of life, the continually reading of stuff in the media saying we got to be this or that or just our own lack of belief- there is so much out there which stops us from being who we are.

The thing is though, we have a choice. We can choose to accept this lie, yes lie, as a truth, or we can choose to see the real deal, the one that God told us from the early days. The one spoken about in Psalm 139, where it says: I praise God for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Now let's look at this for a second. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

In saying that you are fearfully made- that means that you are powerful, incredible, greater than you could ever imagine. It means that you don't have to be anyone but yourself because nothing can bring you down, you are made as an epic structure of God's image- one that he believes in so much, that he made you to be a sight that if you are your true self, others cannot help to be amazed by.

Then there's being wonderful. You are not wonderful first and foremost because you have done amazing things, sculpted an incredible body, been a hero. You are wonderful because you are a child of God. Every single person in the world is wonderful in their own right and we need to realise that and cherish it. When we do, it makes the world a better place and allows us to be great at the talents we are given by God.

Over the last few days, I've seen how amazing this message, when truly understood and believed can be. I've seen young men and women whose lives have been changed for the better and who are showing their full potential just by being acknowledged, loved and accepted. It was an honour to be chosen by God to help them to see this and in a lot of ways, it reminded me of the message too of believing in yourself, which I know I desperately needed.

I also want to mention that I've been loving the last few days seeing the success of sport stars who aren't afraid to be themselves off the field/court. I watched Genie Bouchard on Tuesday and saw incredible talent on a court, but then I laughed at her doing Gangnam Style with one of my other tennis favs Laura Robson on Youtube. I got to see James Faulkner win the game for Australia then was amused by his interview on TV at an awards ceremony a few days later. People like this remind us all that it's not the superstars who try to be something they're not that will be the victors in the end, but the ones who capture the hearts and minds of the masses will be the real and honest people, the ones who are proud of who they are in every moment.

So I encourage you, go out there and be the best person you can be.. the world will really appreciate you a whole lot more for who you are and when people knock you down, get back up, knowing that firstly God appreciates you always for what you do and secondly, that there are people who appreciate you for who you are, you just haven't found them yet!

Peace out all :)

Untangling the cords of life...

Hi Everyone :)

I was looking the other day for the power cord to charge my camera battery and as I searched, I discovered something like this- a whole heap of cords tangled together under my bed.

I couldn't even tell you what half of these cords belonged to- they just were there. They didn't have a purpose, well not until I started going through them all. It was as I went through each one of them, that I remembered what they were all for. The cord to my old phone I'd recycled, the spare cord to my mobile, the cord for the laptop (no idea how it was there, I used that the day before!)

It's funny how when we just bundle things together and leave them lying around, they can just become a big ball of twisted wire- they lose their shape and their individual uniqueness, until we pull them apart and categorise them into the device from which they came from. It is then that we realise their value and are reminded about how important they really are (well because frankly, without them, you wouldn't be able to use half the stuff in your house!)

When it comes to our lives, I think that the same sort of scenario can sometimes happen. We are full of gifts and talents and abilities, but the moment we are rejected, not used in the way we think we should be by others, we start to feel a bit outdated compared to our compatriots, then we start to see ourselves as a bunch of useless cords- with no purpose what so ever.

I remember about two and a half years ago, I was sitting here at this very computer after writing yet another version of a presentation for the place I was working for. I was tired, it was late and I remember asking myself.. what exactly is my worth in this world? I could write, I could promote, but hey, so can everyone else, especially the external company I was working with, who seems to do it a lot better than I could- just what was the reason for doing what I did. It's funny, because it was that conversation that led to me where I am now- although I'd never have guessed it at the time!

In my mind, I'd used up my talents- I'd gotten to a point where I wasn't able to go past the point of where I was- l was ready to be unplugged and thrown with the rest of the old stuff in a bundle to float, to keep doing what I was doing- even though those around me kept telling me I was able to do so much more.

The great thing is though, while we see our lives as full of bundled up messes of cords, God sees them more like this...

He has amazingly ensured that every single one of our gifts and talents are categorised and that when he needs us to use them, he can pull them out so that we can shine out for others.

In the last two years, I can't tell you the number of times I have had my gifts and talents used by God. I remember one time where I was talking to a teenager at a school and he was telling me about how he questioned God and whether he was real or not. I had no idea what to say to this guy, I could have told him everything I knew and there was a good chance it wouldn't change his mind one bit.

Luckily, while I had no idea what cord of my life to plug in to help this guy out, God did. I talked to this guy about his interests, of which one was photographing nature and then told him about something I'd been reading a few days earlier which talked about how the most beautiful things we create as humans are skyscrapers, monuments and technological advances, yet the most beautiful things of the world are trees, flowers and animals. I explained to him that for me, if there was no God, then this wouldn't be the case. He got it and while he didn't change his mind at that time, he was appreciative of my response and said that he did agree with it, but there was more to think about before deciding one way or another.

It's amazing how God uses our talents and gifts in ways we could never imagine possible and how he's been doing it since the beginning of time, for as it says:

"'For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness" - (Romans 12:4-8 NRSV)

The key for each one of us is to keep believing in the power of God to untangle the cords of life. Never stop seeing the amazing possibility that God has for you and never stop trying to make the lives of another better. No matter what you are feeling at this very moment, know this- you may feel as if your worth is a lot less than it really is, but God always sees your true worth and He will ensure that it is valued, in his time and place.

Until next time...

Tips to help make this the best year of your life!

Hi Everyone,

Happy New Year! Can you believe we are going into another year, the last one didn't seem nearly long enough! May I start off by wishing you all a very happy 2014 and may it be filled with lots of happiness and joy for you all in all you do.

Ok, so a new year, normally brings about new resolutions. Things that are designed to help us be better, get fitter, feel happier. A lot of the time though, these resolutions are quite extravagant and to be honest, don't last that long.

The key to any resolution is that it must be simple enough and worthwhile to do it for more than 30 days. Why 30 days you ask? Well because after 30 days, anything you do normally becomes a habit and once you sow the seed to a habit (good or bad) and it grows, it is a lot harder to stop doing. For me for example, I spent the last two years spending one hour in prayer a day and now even if it's only 20 mins, I can't not start my day off without some form of time spent with God.

So with that all in mind, here's some resolutions/tips that I think will not only be easy enough to hopefully do, but also will help you to be happier in life and enjoy 2014 a whole lot more.

1. Make a schedule of things to do- It may seem crazy to plan every minute of your life and frankly, it is! But this isn't about planning every minute of your life. It's about setting time aside to do things so that they get done. Scheduling doesn't need to be concrete. You need to be able to be flexible in making changes where needed especially when it comes to friends and family- but having a schedule (even in your head) of what you need to during a day and when to do it means it will get done sooner and you will realise that you actually do have time to do a lot more than you thought in a day.


2. Stop feeling sorry for yourself- Yeah this one may sound harsh, but it's true. The more time we spend wallowing in our mistakes or the 'what could have been' scenarios, the more time we live in the past and fail to see the opportunities and joys in the present. As I said yesterday, we all make mistakes, but we are fortunate enough that God's grace and the resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ has ensured all our sins are forgiven. Own up to your mistakes and be willing to be humble enough to accept you aren't perfect, because no one is- but don't dwell on them. Once you've made a mistake, move on and learn from it. Now from personal experience I know this is hard, so start with small errors first, then once you've gotten use to doing this, move on towards the bigger areas of your life. You will feel a lot more free and happy if you can get this one to stick!


3. Give of yourself to others- A quote once said that if you want to start feeling good, then start doing good. The old adage that is better to give than to receive is so true. The moment you start helping out others, whether it's singing at mass, spending time talking to that person at the shops you see every week, feeding the homeless, contacting long lost friends... that is the moment you will realise not only just how good it is to do something good, but more importantly, the amazing gifts God gives you to help others. We weren't placed in this world to help ourselves, which is why it's no surprise that when we try to achieve self-happiness, it's normally short lived and pretty shallow. True happiness comes in doing what God calls us to do- to be a light to others of his in the world, and we can do that simply by being there for them.


4. Exercise- Yeah I know this is so cliche given it's on the top of every New Years resolution list but I'm not talking about doing a marathon or lifting 50kg. Even the simplest thing like going for a walk is beneficial to helping to improve your mindset as it gets you away from the busyness of life and lets you focus on something else for a while. Take some time to exercise and let your body's natural systems work to make you happier and healthier at the same time (I'm not going in-depth into this as I'm not a body scientist or exercise physiologist, but read the studies, they all vouch for what I'm saying!)


5. Have an attitude to gratitude- Now this one is the simplest but also the most challenging ones to achieve. As I said yesterday, it is important to be looking for things that are good in your life, mainly because when you do, the bad ones never seem as bad. Last year as a team, we implemented this idea into our daily lives and in a lot of cases, it ensured we were happy even on our less than happy days. When things aren't going right, think of all the great things in your life. From funny videos, to great friends to food to coffee- I don't know what your particular gratitude spot is, but I know you have one, so find it and use it to keep you seeing the lighter and brighter side of life.

With all this said and done though, the most important thing about any New Year resolution is the word 'Year'! It's not a January resolution or a 1st of January resolution! 

Any form of change is going to take time, so be patient and keep working to achieve your goals. Also if you don't achieve them, don't feel hard on yourself. Go back and see if they are really what you wanted to do this year and if they still are, then get back on the horse and try again. Edison didn't invent the light-bulb on the first attempt, nor on the 1000th, and the same goes for you. Keep trying and in trying, you will succeed if it's really what you want.

I wish you all the best with your goals/resolutions and as for me.. well I have one very simple goal this year, and that's to see the good in all no matter what. Yeah I know it's going to be hard, but I'm going to try so please keep praying for me and know I'm praying for you all too in your goals for the year ahead.

Peace out all :)

P.S. The amazing image that is shown with this post is from ACBC Youth Ministry Facebook Page