5 ways to kick start 2015

Hey all,

Ok so it's week three of 2015- which means by now there's going to be quite a few people who are sitting online thinking about how they have once again broken their resolutions for the year and about what to do now?  Might not be you, but statistical information says that if it's not you, then it's someone nearby.

Well let me start off by saying the answer is NOT to go and decide you are a hopeless case and spend the rest of the year sitting here reading articles about great things people do online and wishing you'd achieved goals. There's still another 300 plus days in which you can make something happen and I don't want to see anyone missing out on that.

It's why this post is going to give you five ways to kick start 2015. These might not be your new years resolutions, but I can assure you that if attempt to do them, your life will be better and who knows, you may even get to those other resolutions you set for yourself as well.

Number 1: See the positive in all situations

Ok so you may not have lost that weight yet, or stopped that habit but chances are you've done something else pretty cool over the last few weeks (even if it was just getting some much needed
rest).

Something I'm learning in life as I get older is that a large amount of everyday situations that happen in life have a positive behind them, you just have to look for it.

Take for example my current struggle of not getting annoyed in traffic. Now I'm impatient at the best of times, but recently, I've started to get really frustrated when stuck in traffic- even for two minutes! It's one of those things that I first thought was a major flaw, but then I saw the positive in this - not that I missed being in an accident or that it was good to be stuck in traffic, but rather that this was God's way of testing my patience, something I'd prayed about before. While I'm still struggling with this big time, everytime I get stuck now, I get annoyed, then I remember that this is about testing and I stop getting so annoyed and I instead focus on learning to be more patient.

The same principles can apply to the tough times in your life. If you look for the lessons to be found instead of just rueing the situation, you could gain so much more out of it all.

Number 2: Get the most out of what you've got

Did you ever hear of the story of the person who wanted a pizza but who didn't have the money to get one. They complained about how much they wanted pizza for dinner, but how they needed pay day to come around so they could have spare cash to go to the pizza store to get one. This same person however was sitting in a house where they had yeast, water, tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetables and meat aka. the ingredients for a pizza.

If you didn't get the message from that little tale, it's this- instead of complaining about not having a pizza, if the person had realised they had all the ingredients for a pizza, they could have made one themselves and solved their problem.

The same goes for us with our gifts and talents. We might think someone is better than us at something or we haven't been as blessed as they have. The thing is though, there's probably tens of other traits that we excel at that they don't. We are all unique and of value - it's just up to us to see what it is that makes us this and then use it to our advantage.

Next time you feel you aren't strong enough, capable enough or smart enough to get to a goal, instead of complaining about it, see if you can use your gifts and talents to reach that goal another way. You may just get there, or if you don't, you'll find what you should be aiming for instead, because God never wastes a valid effort.

Number 3: Give love

This third one sounds so simple but it's one of the hardest things we can do in life.

Giving love doesn't just mean looking for a girlfriend or boyfriend, pining for marriage or if in a marriage showering gifts on your spouse. It means so much more than this and can be as simple as choosing to see the good in another person, sharing what you have with those who don't have
anything or just making someones day by being kind to them when the rest of the world isn't.

The act of giving love is also hard because if it is done genuinely and is aiming to make a difference, it should be done with a full heart and expecting nothing in return. We don't love because we know we'll get something back for it, nor should we love with the dregs from the bottom of the tank of life. We need to love with all we've got- no matter how much it may hurt us to do so and expect nothing in return, except the satisfaction that we've helped make the world a better place.

While it may be hard, giving love, as any couple who sacrifices in their relationship will know, leads to so many great rewards and will truly make you happier in your life. God blesses those who give love abundantly. I could share so many stories of people in my own life who I know this is true about but I'll leave it to say that this is something you should just try, because it will truly change you.

Number 4: Walk

This one is for all those whose new years resolution was to either be happier or lose weight.

Did you know that a recent study of over 200,000 people found that the best way to increase your lifespan and improve your health was to walk?

Yep you heard correctly- while cardio, gym and other fitness might help you get trim, gain muscle and look fab, if you are trying to stay healthy, then a simple walk of 30 mins a day will do the job just fine.

Walking also has the added bonus of enabling more oxygen to get into your system which helps clear your mind and this leads to less panic, great for those who are stressed out or who want to be happier.

So, it's time to get those walking shoes on and go for a walk around the block (after reading this post of course!)

Number 5 : Smile

Yep, the last one if my favourite one, because it's so simple but it's so effective, when it comes to getting you motivated and making your year great.

Smiling has so many benefits. We know from emojis that a smile can brighten a persons day but there's so much more it can do when you DIY (do it yourself)!

When you smile, it relaxes facial muscles and removes tension, It also makes you more appealing to others, releases endorphins which make you happier and can reduce stress and can increase white blood cells which fight off disease. Then of course there's my favourite thing about smiling, and that's it's contagious, so if you're having a bad day, smiling at someone can turn it all around because suddenly, everyone around you will be smiling and the world will seem a more cheerful place to be in.

There are so many more ideas that I could write about to help you kick start 2015 but I hope that these five will give you the boost you need to make the rest of the year as amazing as God would want it to be.

And one final note: just remember that you're not alone in this boat. We are all working to make ourselves better everyday - whether we setting new years resolutions or not, so make sure to share your stories of success and hardship with your friends and family and seek support where needed. We can't do this alone, but together, we can kick some amazing goals this year- I believe in you all with this one!

Till next time...

Love has the power to overcome all

Hi everyone,

The last few months have been one of worldwide tragedy. We've had the Charlie Hebdo shootings, the continual death of civilians and children at the hands of the Boko Haram and the death a few months ago of hundreds of young ones in a brutal set of circumstances in Pakistan. Even when it wasn't terrorism related, there were communities hurting with the death of eight children in Cairns. It's truly been heartbreaking to read a newspaper or turn on a TV, computer, tablet or phone.

And all of this before we talk about the Martin Place or Sydney siege.

That chilling 18 hours that sent a shudder down the spine of every Sydneysider and Australian, including myself. The actions of a truly mad man which have changed the way we view our freedom with the sudden realisation that we are not immune to the terror that has split blood all over the world.

One would be excused if they were to run away from the world right now and becomes a recluse in a cave or to think that the good in this world has disappeared.

In the midst of all the pain, suffering, heartache and sadness though, there has been a silver lining. It is something that has renewed my hope on the good in life and brought a smile to my face.

It is clear to see in the way that thousands of people got onto social media to support those of the Islamic/Muslim faith, in the thousands of flowers of condolence that are now streaming through Martin Place. It is clear, whether you agree with the work of Charlie Hedbo, in the support that was given across France to the fight against radicalism and the promotion of freedom. It is clear in the increased value we are placing on those around us in the world today...

What I'm talking about, is of course, the gift of love.

Like a sprout peering through the ground in the first rains after a drought, the love and care shown by Australians towards each other and in particular those of middle eastern faith has been so pleasing to see and a sign of the growth of our nation.

In the face of severe adversity and hatrid in so many ways, we as a community have risen up to show those who want to cause such hurt and angst that they will never win this battle, not while we have love on our side.

Sometimes we think of love as this emotion that comes with flowers, chocolates, happy moments and smiles in abundance. We think of it as the Valentines Day Hollywood romance of a couple who are so into each other that they can't think of spending a day without each other.

While this is a form of love, eros- there's another form of love that exists, and that's Agape.

Agape is that love that we build our charitable spirit through. It comes out in the darkest of times and is the building block of our lives. It is the gift God gives us to help one another and to create a better world even when it seems like there's no hope to do so.

Right now in this world, we need to make 2015 the year of Agape. In the midst of all the craziness, fear and destruction, we need to stand strong for our fellow man or woman and love them for the people God made them to be.

There will always be moments of hurt in our lives, it's a part of the broken world we live in. But if we choose to love one another with charity, respect and care, then we can overcome the hurt and find ways to live lives of joy and virtue in all that we do.

To live with an Agape love though isn't just a one off thing, It's a daily choice we need to make no matter how much we don't want to love on that particular day. I will in future blogs go into how we can do this but needless to say that if we want to have love in our lives, we must make that choice.

Sometimes the world might not seem like it deserves to be loved, but it always does. Not because there is something great happening in it (although there always is) but because we remember that love has the power to overcome all, as St Paul said... there are three things, faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love.

Tragedy and love are a part of life, it's up to us as to which one we allow to rule.

Till next time...

Resolution 2015: Expect the unexpected

Hi everyone!

HAPPY NEW YEAR and hope that you had a wonderful end to 2014 and are enjoying a well earned rest today.

It's that time of the year again - the start of another year and that means of course, time for a lot of people to write up their resolutions. Regardless of whether we say we have them or not, everyone has something they want to achieve over 2015 - whether it's to be healthier, love themselves, love others, do something or make something happen.


The thing that the last year has taught me however is that resolutions have one slight flaw to them - they are what we want to achieve!

Now I'm not saying there's anything wrong with having goals, but it's important to note that what we want to achieve, and God's plans for us, don't always follow the same path. Just because we want to do something, doesn't mean that it'll work into God's great plan for our life and a lot of the time, we'll end up somewhere very different to where we wanted to be at the start of the journey.

If you want an example of this, here's what I thought was going to happen in 2014 and what actually happened...

• I would be working to make a difference to the lives of young people - OK so this did sort of happen, but not in the way I was expecting. I was thinking I was going to be a youth worker and spend day after day with young people, but in actual fact, I instead now work for the administration team at an organisation that has young people at it's heart - which while it isn't dealing with young people day in day out, is still very important as if we didn't do what we do, then the programs that help young people wouldn't be able to be as effective as they are.
  
  
• I would be doing my communications and writing as a hobby, rather than a profession and due to lack of interest I would leave the communications industry - Big NOPE. Not only do I work in a Marketing and Communications team in employee communications, I'm actually happy to be doing it and I get a lot out of the challenges of the business and the fun dynamics in the team I work with.
  
  
• I would be growing the efforts of my local diocese and using my skills from my time in youth ministry to grow local initiatives- Big NOPE. God had something much bigger planned and now I write this knowing that in three days I am headed to a leadership camp for a movement that is not only going to hopefully bring many back to the Church, but that has inspired me to use my gifts and talents for a much bigger cause. I've stepped down from doing projects locally but I do so knowing God has called me to something that is so necessary and that I'm so blessed to be a part of.

These three are just some of the many cases of how in 2014, what I thought would happened was skewed or completely changed when it went through the dealings of life and when I trusted the will of God instead of my own.

Now there are no complaints from me about the plans changing. Sure there were challenges in 2014, but I wouldn't have that year any other way. God showed me a plan greater than I could have ever imagined and it's made me realise the need to trust him so much more with life and not want to take so much control over things.

And that's the thing we must remember. No matter how many resolutions we make, we will never know the amazing plan God has for us that could trump all of these and make our lives greater than we could ever dream.

So in 2015, I invite you to make resolutions, to strive to be the best you can be. I also however suggest that you be willing to change these resolutions along the way or even be open to new ideas - because in the end, there could be a result at the end of the year that will make you wonder why you even made those resolutions at all.

Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead!

P.S. New blog posts will happen fortnightly from this post onwards. This is due to more time being spent on external projects and also so that I can achieve my 2015 resolution - to catch up with those family and friends I haven't seen in a long time.

The value of family - a reflection on the Holy Family

Happy Christmas everyone!

Now before everyone goes to me and says, it's past Christmas Day... I know, but the season of Christmas runs till the end of Epiphany so I'm allowed to wish you all :)

With that out of the way, time to get into this weeks blog post.

For those who don't know, today is the feast day of the Holy Family- a celebration of the gift of Mary, Joseph and Jesus to us all and a time of thanks for the great work each of them did to ensure the faith remains alive and well in society, even in 2014.

Now I won't go into what Jesus did in this trinity - if you really want to know, go look it up in the four gospels in the Bible (for those playing at home, they're the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Let's just say he did a whole lot to ensure we are continually saved no matter what mistakes we make and for that we should always be eternally grateful.

Mary, well it was her yes that allowed God to give us the greatest gift of all, his son on this earth to teach and to save us from sin and provide ultimate mercy. She did this despite knowing full well she could be outcast, even put to death for being seen as not following the Jewish law of marriage before children and she did this knowing that she would have the biggest pressure of all being the mother for the Saviour of the world. Along the way, as we know from the bible, it wasn't easy- from losing her son for three days after he ran away, to having to watch in agony as her son was crucified to death - not to mention all the years in-between where family and friends would've been questioning her about her sons choice of life. Yet despite all the difficulties and challenges, Mary showed immense peace and always listened to God word. In this trinity, she is the one who helps us to have an example of how God can bring peace and joy to any situation, and she is the one who we see as the carer for us all, even some 2000 years later.

And then we come to Joseph. He's the forgotten one sometimes in this family- I mean he wasn't even Jesus' Dad technically- God was. He was more the caretaker dad while Jesus was on earth. But despite being forgotten by some, he's got a very important role to play in the story.

It was Joseph who gave Mary the courage to carry the son of God into the world, even though he knew very well the consequences of his decision. He trusted God entirely and while he was hesitant at first, once he heard the angel, he didn't think twice about being ostracized by his family and community, being forced to travel hundred of kilometres to escape persecution, to protect his family at every whim and sacrifice all he had, even to the point of running to Egypt. Joseph's courage and commitment to the cause I am sure gave hope and belief to Mary that she could do this, and through Joseph's openness to God, our Lord ensured that Joseph was ready at every step of the journey. For those who want a role model of Courage in God, Joseph is your man - never giving in to the challenges and always standing
up for the truth and for what mattered to him, his family, no matter the cost.

Now these descriptions are not meant to be historically or biblically correct, but rather are just my insights into what I see in each of these members of the Holy Family. They are however meant to show just how vital each part of the Holy family is.

In the same way the family we have today, whether they are blood related, faith related or friend related are just as important and follow the same sort of structure.

Each of them has a value of some sort and without them, there would be something missing in the vital cog that makes our lives what they are today.

During this Christmas season, I invite each one of you to spend time with your family and see what gifts and talents they may have. You might not have ever thought about this area of your relationship, but it's vital as doing so will allow you to see why they are important. It's an importance that allows you to be humble in life, to love others even when they annoy you and to see them as the Children God made them to be.

I wish you and all your family (whether they are blood related or related through friendship) a wonderful Christmas season and may you continue to inspire each other (even in the challenging times) towards a deeper relationship with God.

Till next time...

The 5 reasons why persistence is the key

Persistence- it's a word we get told so often that sometimes it loses it's meaning. If you're struggling with something, the first thing someone will normally do is say... 'Oh it's ok, just keep persisting and you'll get there'.

But just why is persistence so important. Why can't we just try something, not do well at it and then move on to something else?

Well hopefully these next five points will answer the question above and also give you the will to persist in all areas of your life, no matter how challenging they may be...

1. It builds character - If we never failed at things, we wouldn't be able to know what we were truly good at, what we've been placed on this world for and how we are called to make a difference. In a similar way, if we gave up on everything we do after the first attempt, we'd never know what we're good at either. We need to persist to know who we are and what our limits are.



2. It helps change the world - If we didn't persist through things, greatness would never occur. Imagine if Martin Luther King had given up at his first attempt of trying to rally for equal rights or Steve Jobs had given up after the downturn in Apple while he was exiled from the company in the mid 90s. The reason that great things occur is because people are willing to mess up time and time again until they get it right. I always like to think of Thomas Edison for this one. 1000 attempts and he didn't get it but when he did, the light bulb change history as we know it forever- and it was all due to persistence.



3. Because the aim of life isn't to be perfect - a guy who was formerly in the Army once said to me that the people who didn't succeed in the army were normally not the ones who lacked skills on arrival, but the ones who lacked the attitude to keep going when they hit obstacles. The same is true about life. If there's one thing I've learnt this year it's that most things don't get perfectly achieved on the first turn. The key to anything becoming successful is that you keep pushing on with your passion and if you learn from the mistakes made, you will normally go far.



4. Because God calls us to do it - For those who are reading this who are filled with the faith of Christ, well this point is probably the greatest reason to be persistent. Throughout the Bible, God talks about how we will only understand the greatness he wants to give us if we are willing to be patient and open to his glory. There are so many passages about how people stumble but God uses them for greatness through their persistence and I encourage you all to read them (Galatians 6:9, Proverbs 24:16, Luke 11:5-10) for through this you will just how powerful persistence is, especially when it comes to God.
   
   



5. It inspires others to greatness - Think about all those people you look up to in life. Now think about whether or not they were first up success stories. In most cases, the answer is no. People normally look up to those who have done great things, but who they can also relate to. I know for me, those I look up to, like the late Nelson Mandela, JPII, all made mistakes, but they also persisted to do amazing things. Whenever you are feeling down and challenged, see it as a chance to overcome adversity and inspire people along the way. Your persistence drives others through their challenges and that is only a good thing.

So there you have it, five reasons why persistence is the key. I hope this inspires you all on your journeys to greatness and keeps you focused on the real prize no matter how tiring the road ahead is.

Till next time...

Be open to God's response

Hi all,

It's good to be back with you all. Been a crazy few weeks with lots of projects and no internet but I'm here now and really looking forward to writing today's piece, cause it's something that I'm really passionate about.

Yesterday I was at a wonderful advent retreat and we were asked to do some reflection on some bible passages. One of them was about how the Israelites prayed for a leader and the arrival of John the Baptist. It talks about how John is seen by all those around him as the Messiah because he seems to be a great leader, in line with the law of the time and a real man of the people. However as we find out, there's another one coming- Jesus- who is the actual Messiah, but who is completely not what the people were expecting- someone who challenges their laws, who turns the establishment upside down and who shows all what it truly means to be a man of God, more than just laws, it's about heart as well.

As I read this passage, it got me thinking about how many other times in the bible something like this happens and in the end, it happens a lot.

It seems to be God's way of working. He always answers the prayers of the bible, yet he does it in ways no one could have imagined and ways that aren't always the expected.

So the question has to be asked- if God has been like this since the early days- why is it that ten of thousands of years later (ok maybe just thousands), we still haven't got the message?

We still ask for things and then expect them to appear and get annoyed when they don't happen, meanwhile they are happening, just not in the way we expected.

We need to become a lot more aware of what is happening around us and realise that everything that happens in our lives is due to God- and sometimes, the answers to what we seek are in those things that are happening around us, if only we just took the time to look at them more closely.

Take case in point my asking God for a way to continue to minister and help people after last year. 

I thought that he'd put me in a job in Youth Ministry and I honestly thought I'd be doing stuff with young people now and that was the end of the plan, but God, as always had bigger and greater plans.

I could have never imagined I'd be part of a group that is going on the massive task of working to bring those disconnected back to their faith. Not just youth, but all people. I also didn't think I'd be using all my talents, whether they are youth, communications and marketing, video and tech, vocal or welcoming in one place. I am doing this though and that is only because I realised that while this wasn't what I asked God for in the first place, it was where he wanted me to be and that he was answering my prayer- even if the response was slightly off centre.

Whenever we ask for something from God, we need to realise that: 

1. He is always going to ensure it happens if it's in his will for us, he loves us too much not to do it
2. He is working on his time, not ours, so it may take years to happen
3. He going to do it when it will be best for our lives, not when it is quickest
4. He's not always going to do it in the way asked, but always in the way that's best for us.
   

The sooner we all become more open to God's response, the greater our lives will be, for we will be able to see around us all the amazing works God is doing, even in the smallest of things.

I say this because I know from personal knowledge that this is the case. I've always been a person who focused on what I asked for and if it didn't happen, blamed myself for not doing enough or I got frustrated.

In the last few years however and especially this year, I've become a lot more aware of things around me and I'm realising that while my prayers aren't always answered the way I hoped for, they are being answered and God's way is so much greater as I'm learning amazing lessons and growing even more in myself and who I am every single day.

It's why I encourage you all to be more open to God's response, as I want you to experience what I have been blessed to. Listen for God in every space of your life and don't restrict yourself to the requests you ask God for and the set way you think that should play out- for God's way is always so much greater.

Till next time...

Never give up, never give in, always think you CAN!

Hey everyone,

Sorry for the lack of blog posts the last month, was busy and then didn't have internet.

I'm back though and hope to have a new blog for you this weekend. In the meantime here's a video I saw last night. Hope it inspires you as much as it inspired me!