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

What I've learnt this year...

Hey everyone,

So it's the end of another year- seriously, where did all that time go?

It's been for me such a year of growth, discovery, fun times and overcoming challenges- there's been ups, downs and at times it's been a real roller coaster, but to be honest, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

But I think the greatest thing about this year has been that I've learnt lots of really important lessons, ones that I hope will ensure my life to come will be lived to the fullest. Hopefully, they will also help you to live your life to the fullest too.

So here we go, the lessons learnt from 2013... (don't worry I'll try to keep this as short as possible!)

• That no matter how far away I am, or how often I talk to them, I'll always have my friends beside me, P.S. you all rock!


• There's no use worrying over past mistakes- everyone makes them and God's mercy overcomes them, so the best thing to do is to learn from them and move on with life.


• We can all make a difference in our lives. From the simplest thing like playing football with a bunch of school students on a retreat to sharing a few minutes with the old lady down the street, these little things can make a world of difference in a persons life.


• When you've got an issue, sort it out, rather than running away from it. Sometimes it may seem daunting but you'll have peace a lot faster if you work through problems rather than using your energy to keep trying to run away from them.


• On this same note- make sure you are constantly communicating with people, asking how they are when you enter work or school in the morning, talking to friends about how they really are, spending time talking to those you find hard to get along with- this is the key to ensuring healthy relationships and a better understanding of those who might irk us.


• Be grateful and find a time for gratitude every day- more on this one tomorrow!


• When you live Jesus in your life, people notice and it changes them, so if you believe, then don't just say... do and be like Christ calls us to.


• Everything happens for a reason and has a time and place. God has our lives so amazingly planned that while we might not know why things occur, he does and we just need to trust in that and know he does things for a reason that will lead to our ultimate happiness.


• Be yourself. No one wants or needs you to be anything else. Use your gifts and talents to do God's calling and be prepared to enjoy the journey that will come from it. Don't ever compare yourself to others and know you are unique and wonderfully made by God.


• And finally, enjoy life. Make sure you thank the Lord for every single thing that happens in your day (more on this tomorrow!) and have fun at every moment. Even during the difficult times, look for the good around and keep smiling on the inside.

I thank you all for being part of this amazing year and I hope that you all have a great end to 2013. Tune in tomorrow for the New Year post, it's going to be a great way to start 2014!

Keep the faith

Hey everyone :)

Hope you've all had a great Christmas and are enjoying the end of the year. I pray that you, your friends and family continue to experience the blessings of God during this time of celebrating the birth of Christ our saviour.

Ok so with the greetings out of the way, I'd like to tell you a little story.

Now I support a sporting team who has not won a game in 2 years, yes you heard correctly- 2 years! It's been a tough struggle and while there was plenty of excitement when the team and it's management were changed this year, the first few matches have yet to produce a winning result and while there are signs of improvement, this could be another year of no success.

Despite this, I, along with thousand of other fans continue to support the team. We wear our merchandise with pride, pay money to see the team play in their home ground, go to fan days, tweet, message and like the updates. We are in this for the long haul, we are there regardless of what happens. Now this isn't the only team I can write about. I currently have two American sports teams who are running last in their division and have another two sporting teams that have only recently hit successful seasons after years of outs. For the ardent sports fan, there is sort of a knowledge that these things happen, but you must keep supporting, for out of the ashes comes great reward, somewhere down the line.

Now you might be wondering, why on earth, on a blog that is about God and faith, did I just write three paragraphs on sports? Well it's funny, because when we look at our faith and at sports, there's some similarities.

We as Catholics and Christians are proud of our faith- we go to church, we live out our faith in all we do, we try to be the best light of Jesus we can be to the world.

The thing is though, we live in society where we are faced too often with the situation that those who we are talking to say they don't believe, they can't believe or more to the point, they've stopped believing- that they once upon a time believed but unanswered prayers, tragedy, religion not being cool, scandals they've read about in media etc. have made them turned their back. In some cases, I know in years gone past I've heard these stories and related to them, because when things don't go the way I want them to, I've questioned why God didn't help out.

While we are willing to support sporting teams even after players are splashed on front pages for scandals, the team hasn't won a game in longer than we care to remember, they keep coming last in the comp... it seems that sometimes, one unanswered prayer or situation that isn't ideal to us, and we're ready to stop trusting God and start trying to do everything ourselves. This is despite the fact that this is the guy who created the universe, the very earth we stand on, the air we breathe. The very God who can create amazing sunsets, amazing natural landscapes and constantly surprises me in life in ways I know I'll never understand.

When you think about it that way, it's kind of crazy to think of anyone who could imagine not believing, yet we do. Maybe it's time for us to start believing like we do in our sporting teams, with the heart that no matter what happens we will stick by till the end.

I know it's the way I see things with God these days. Despite all that happens, like a sports fan of a team, I keep strong in the fact that God is there, that he is with me and that I can trust in him. I also however have in the last few years, realised that things aren't always going to go the way I planned for them to, but that God will always make things turn out the way they need to. Sometimes, it's important to realise that just because prayer isn't answered the way we want it to, doesn't mean it isn't answered, or just as importantly, it isn't going to be answered.

In a lot of cases, if you are open to it, you'll see God answer the prayer in a way you could never have thought possible. In other cases, it's all about patience- being able to realise that you have a whole lifetime in which this prayer could be answered- you might not have your prayer answered this year, but it could be the next, or the decade after that- trust that God has it sorted and know he won't not answer any prayer, he loves us all too much to not answer.

For the last few months, I had been praying for a family member who we were awaiting a visa for. We were only wanting a month, but that seemed to be a struggle to get. A few weeks ago though, after months of prayer- we got news that this family member got a visa, not for a month, but a whole year- it's funny how God works sometimes!

This Christmas season, we have been given the great renewal of faith in the birth of Jesus Christ. In cities around the world, there is an uprising of joy and excitement in the arrival of the Saviour. My call to each one of you is to keep that flame firing no matter what. I have seen this year that with that flame in your heart, even the most disinterested teenager can't helped but be intrigued. Be like the ardent sporting fan- never give up, never give in, do as Jesus calls us to and be his light to the world no matter what!

I'll be praying for you all in this journey and ask you keep praying for me. Pray also for the continual experiencing of the love of Jesus in those who don't know or have lapsed in their faith, for through prayer, all is possible.

P.S. For those wondering where my last post on my NET journey is... it's coming... hopefully I'll be able to write something in the new year!

The Sun is rising... Update from Goulburn Number 3

Hi everyone and for those enjoying a long weekend in Australia, I hope it's been a great one so far.

Well it's update time again and this time, I've decided to talk a bit about something that I've been experiencing a fair bit these last few weeks and a subject that will only grow more as the years go on in our faith journey.

For the last two years, I've been involved in working specifically in the 'New Evangelisation' with the work I'm doing with NET Ministries Australia. Most of you know what I've been doing by now but to put it simply, I have been involved in helping people, especially those of high school and young adult age, to realise the importance of the faith and Jesus in their own lives. It's been such an amazing experience and it is always a real joy to be able to get to meet a young person, talk to them about your experience and then over the space of a day or two to see how it can impact their lives to see God in you- not only in what you say, but in the witness that you are to them of what is being said about God's love and want for a better life for all.

The thing is though, that while the 'New Evangelisation' is super important there is another element that needs to be taken into consideration- and that is- how do we support these people who are so excited about their faith from their re-experience in Jesus and work with them to keep that faith alive and just as importantly, get them to share that with others.

The good news, is that our new Pope seems to have realised the need and is doing all he can to show the answer- he said it himself during World Youth Day 2013 in Rio when he said to the young people in attendance:

"Go and make disciples of all nations”. With these words,Jesus is speaking to each one of us, saying: “It was wonderful to take part in World Youth Day, to live the faith together with young people from the four corners of the earth, but now you must go, now you must pass on this experience to others.” Jesus is calling you to be a disciple with a mission! Today, in the light of the word of God that we have heard, what is the Lord saying to us? Three simple ideas: Go, do not be afraid, and serve."

This idea of discipleship is not new. We see it in the way that Jesus treated his apostles, not as his hired help but as people who he could support on their journey. We see it in youth movements across the country and we see it in the great work that our religion teachers and catechists do for our young people (but more about that later).

In the last few weeks, I've been able to very fortunate to be able to take part in some events where I've gotten to see how important it is to have discipleship alongside the 'New Evangelisation'. These include working with Year 11 students to create ministry tools that will help them to run retreat days for younger kids in the school and sharing advice to a men's group on the work NET does and how to keep supporting the young people in the Church.

Last week I was at a youth conference held in Canberra for about 70 young people who knew Jesus but wanted to experience him more.

At this conference were two young guys. One was a bloke who I met a week earlier at an event in Goulburn and wasn't quite sure about going to the conference while the other was a guy who I met a month ago at a school retreat day in Central West NSW.

For both of them, the conference was an amazing experience with plenty taken from what was being said and taught. The thing however that really connected with them was the chance to be supported by people who were also on the journey of following Christ. Whether it was the priests, the fellow participants, us leaders or just the speakers themselves, both these guys talked about how it was just so refreshing to be able to be around a place where there was so much support.

I also loved the fact that I was able to help the young people there as well in their continuing journey. Last year one of the hardest parts about the work we were doing was that a lot of it was fly-in fly-out type stuff, where you'd see the students once and you'd be lucky to see them again in a year.

This year however, I've had the pleasure of being able to see a lot of the young people we've met at high schools numerous times and that's been so cool as you get to see how the initial re-encounter with Jesus has changed their lives and then you also get to help them with any struggles they may be having or in a lot of cases, help direct them to people who can help them (I ain't got no degree in theology or social work!)

Yesterday I also got the chance to meet some amazing people at a catechists conference. For those who don't know what a catechist is- they are also known as scripture teachers and they teach the faith in government schools.

These people inspire me because they are in there week in week out with students helping them to have not only a better faith, but a stable support, an example of Jesus in their lives, especially those who are baptised Catholic but aren't really living or into their faith. The stories they were telling me yesterday of students who weren't Catholic who wanted to be after being in classes with these people were beautiful and reminded me of why we do what we do, it's not for accolades or awards or recognition- it's to bring people closer to Jesus and help them stay on the path to greater glory.

Not only was I reminded of why we do what we do- yesterday, as I sat on a panel and talked to this crowd of about 70 people about how personal experience and sharing vulnerably about your own struggles in the faith can at times be as powerful as knowledge from the catechism or faith teachings I also was given a bit of a wake up call into the fact that while sometimes the focus is on running good programs or creating amazing events, the key to inspiring young people has been and always will be, being there for them- giving them a hope. I'm so glad that NET is built around this relational idea as it's given me such a great training ground for this and I hope to take it into my everyday life.

I guess the reason I write all this is because I want each one of you to realise the role you play in the lives of others, especially their faith journey. I encourage each one of you to keep supporting those around you by being a living example of Jesus to them- especially those struggling to understand the faith- for this is not a journey to be taken alone and we can't just be going about experiencing Jesus and keeping it to ourselves- as it is well noted- the aim of our lives is to be as Christ like as we can be and to help others to do the same.

I'm super excited to say that the next few weeks we will be spending as support crew for a musician from Melbourne as she goes to Catholic schools to teach them about how to take traditional church music and make it relevant for today. There's a lot of travel involve but it will be a lot of fun and we're getting to go back to lots of schools we've visited this year so that's really exciting in regards to this discipleship idea.

Ok enough writing- stay well, prayers are with you all and till next time, remember to keep being disciples of Jesus in all you do :)

A quick note to all my followers :)

Hi everyone, hope you're doing well & are keeping on striving to be the best you can be.

Super busy at the moment but thought I'd share this with ya, it's my message to the team at the third of our staff visits - hope it inspires you and will post an update real soon. In my prayers always, Trev :)

NET is a place where we are encouraged to break the status quo and define ourselves as the people God called us to be.

Where an engineer can inspire a young person without maths but instead with love, a high school graduate can give hope to the older generation through their choice to live out their faith, a uni student can guide the next generation through their life experience and a youth minister can become a leader of the wider church.

It's a place where God, if allowed, can change the lives of not only high school students but also the young adults ministering to them as well.

God's grace let us learn that failure and humiliation aren't a bad thing but something to be used to bring us closer to our creator & trust him more. We also realise that we don't just have someone who created us, but a God who is our father, friend and who loves us no matter what we do.

NET is living God's call of love for all in everything that makes up a day. Whether it's prayer, serving breakfast, washing up, talking to team, doing CC's, doing practice, eating food, playing sport, running events or just chilling and enjoying life.

But it's more than just about this year. As Paul says in Philippians, keep doing what you've learnt and received and heard and seen in me and the God of peace will be with you.

We are called for the rest of our lives to keep living in God's word. In doing so we come to realise that all things can be done through Christ who gives us strength but that we are not called to all things. As Blessed Mother Theresa said: What I can do, you cannot do - what you can do, I cannot do, but together we can make a world of difference.

We need to use the gifts that we've been given to not only enhance our own lives but the lives of others, working with one another to bring God to as many people as possible. We're more than just one person - for where two or more are gathered there is where God is, and that means we really are 'all in this together.'

Once a Netter, always a netter!