Author: Amanda Viviers

Place: home

Poison: christmas liquer

Favourite Things: Shawn Macdonald

The last month has been quite full on. Finding it hard to express what has been happening but life just continues on. The good and the bad. That’s the shades of life.

I am however inspired by Christmas and the opportunity I have to spend time with family and friends.

I hate consumerism and materialism, but I love the opportunity this season creates for quality time and life to be shared.

In the midst of so much tragedy, its so good to breathe in the respect and honor that my family thrives on.

Over Christmas and New Year I have some time off and am looking forward to blogging more and generally slowing the pace down.

Tomorrow is the GTC annual cookie bake off and I can honestly say even that is not helping me smile. Tomorrow will be another day and another story.

My dad was in Mumbai for the recent terrorist attacks and it brought home the reason why family was created and truly what the real meaning of Christmas is…

Get out of the consumerism flow this Christmas and find your own path.

Hopefully one full of family, friends and joy.

My true prayer this Christmas is ‘Peace on Earth’

A

Place: farrels

Poison: long mac

Favourite thing: my kym Rolle special bracelet.

As I wait for the black coffee club to arrive I am thinking about this weekend and what it’s truly about. Church together is a big gathering of thousands of people in our city, it’s about peace, truth, kindness, love, grace, cameraderie, doing life together.

That’s what church is.

I am so surprised often how peole get it so wrong. People think church is about their agenda, their events, their programs. This makes me laugh so much, because it is so human.

We get so consumed with doing that we forget the point is just to be…

Together that is.

The other thing I find so often is people who don’t like the gathering of gods people because of the humanity they find there. The sin, the brokenness, the crazy ideas, the corny attempt at expressing ourselves… Yep that is the church.

What excites me. That the leaders of our city have the balls to lay it all aside for one night and look beyond mission statements, vision boards, annual goals, org charts and gather as one church, not one denomination, one style, one expression, one idea.

185 churches closing down their big ideas for the ultimate one…

Ahhhh now that is a fresh sound.

A

Place: church

Poison: water

Favourite things: new pen and catching up with old friends.

Phil is speaking on inspiration right now and I am challenged.

I started on this journey of writing and blogging to live beyond myself and hopefully live a life of inspiration, but it is so easy to loose sight of the reason you start something, in the daily grind of actually doing it.

This week I met someone who was really impacted by capture one, and I wasn’t ego thrilled at that, but I was inspired about this new project and was reminded about who I was writing for…

Not myself.

When you create something for someone beyond yourself, I believe you find the source of inspiration. I believe you forget your cause in the midst of the programs, structures, admin and the stuff!!

I long to live inspired…

Do you?

Imagine those around you who might live inspired because of your fervour.

Ahhhh

A

Place: train station

Poison: long mac

Favourite things: Perth

It has been one week since I have arrived home and it’s only today it’s really hitting me. Walking through the city watching the merchandising gear up for a desperate Christmas I am so saddened by the lie that presents and stuff promises happiness.

How do we move away from the consumerism that we are surrounded by?

It doesn’t mean that presents are bad, it’s just the obsession with high expectations that jams me.

How about if no one expected any presents this Christmas, and when u get something, anything it was a surprise even if it was a card, a homemade soap, anything?

I have made a new commitment to catching the train, for the environment, for my pocket, for my peace of mind…

Anyways, just thoughts.

A

Place: My Office

Poison: Refresh tea

Favourite Things: black nail polish

I found a quote that was sent to me by K.rolle before going away to Thailand and it inspired me.

Hope it does you too.

‘When we honestly ask which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and berevement, who can tolerate not-knowing, not-curing, not-healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness…makes it clear that whatever happens in the external world, being present to each other is what really matters.’ Henri J.M Nouwen

Wow.

Challenged.

A