Author: Amanda Viviers

Place: West End Deli

Poison: Long Black

Favourite Things: books. Any. all. words. words. words

Your soul is the one thing in our world that cannot be purchased on ebay! It comprises of the essential parts of YOU. Your true nature. Your constant companion. Your personality. You.

While it may be impossible to entirely understand your soul, commit to nourishing it or you will loose your way! Our soul needs to be developed, nutured and loved. As much as our physical being. If not more.

Aristotle said it this way…

‘to dwell on what is good, beautiful and true.’

The bible says

‘whatever is lovely, whatever is noble, whatever is true…think on these things.’

How do you cherish your soul?

What is it that feeds your soul?

for polly my flatmate…its fabric softener and white sheets hanging on the line

for my mum…its finding a new creative passion

for bonnie…its a new dress, apple mac computer and a black leather lounge

for me…sticky date pudding

soul-care

Don’t allow anyone to make you believe that it can be for sale.

It cant

A

Place: West End Deli

Poison: Long Black

Favourite Things: Mondays. Long. Slow. touring through the shops kind of mondays.

There is a song from a band called ‘Leeland’ that has been totally wrecking me.

Every time I hear the words, it completely stops me. Stills me and reminds me what I want my life to be about.

Here they are…

There are many prodigal sons
On our city streets they run
Searching for shelter
There are homes broken down
People’s hopes have fallen to the ground
From failures

This is an emergency!

There are tears from the saints
For the lost and unsaved
We’re crying for them come back home
We’re crying for them come back home
And all your children will stretch out their hands
And pick up the crippled man
Father, we will lead them home
Father, we will lead them home

There are schools full of hatred
Even churches have forsaken
Love and mercy
May we see this generation
In it’s state of desperation
For Your glory

This is an emergency!

Sinner, reach out your hands!
Children in Christ you stand!
Sinner, reach out your hands!
Children in Christ you stand!

And all Your children will stretch out their hands
And pick up the crippled man
Father, we will lead them home
Father, we will lead them home

The sense of urgency and immediacy that cries out from this ballad is so confronting.

Listen to this song.

Be inspired.

ouch

A

Place: West End deli

Poison: Long Black

Favourite Things: rockin 90’s hard rock playing in the background. Hilarious, I feel like Im 17 again.

I recieved the most fabulous little magazine advertising rugs. Yep floor rugs.

What made the publication fabulous though, was the short story about an Indigenous Australian Artist, whose canvases have been made into the most amazing floor rugs.

Her name is Minne Pwerle, she started painting in 1999 and she died in 2006. So her 7 year painting career was short lived, but was indelible.

Minnie’s main Dreamings convey her love and frespect for the land, its ability to sustain and the ceremonies around the dreamings.

 

It is amazing what one woman has done in such a short space of time.

Inspirational!

A

Place: west end deli

Poison: Latte

Favourite Things: Mamma Mia the movie.

I am slowly reading a book at the moment that portrays different leaders and their struggles with life. One chapter in particular has kept me muddled and spellbound at the same time.

A chapter about the writer Leo Tolstoy.

This quote had me captivated…

In the long history of literature, no one has exceeded Leo Tolstoys ability to portray the full essence of life…

Nothing seems to escape him. Nothing glances off him unrecorded…

Virginia Wolf writes of Leo Tolstoy…

‘Every twig, every feather sticks to him like a magnet. He notices the blue or red of a childs frock; the way a horse shifts its tail; the sound of a cough; the action of a man trying to put his hands into pockets that have been sewn up. And what his infalliable eye reports of a cough or a trick of the hands his infallible brain refers to somethinghidden in the character, so that we know his people, not only by the way they love and thier views on politics and the immortality of the soul, but also by the way they sneeze and choke. We feel that we have been set on a mountaintop and hafd a telescope put into our hands. Everything is astonishingly clear and absolutely sharp.’

I want to write like this. I want to truly see people for who they are, with eyes of grace and portray their stories to the world.

I want to express myself with clarity and purpose to encourage our world not to see an ocean of faces, as we walk through a city, but notice the licorice allsorts, the colours, shapes, flavours and intricacies.

I love human beings and all their quirks.

How about you?

what have you noticed lately.

A

 

 

Place: My Office

Poison: Diet Coke

Favourite Things: World Youth Day

My family and the media are a buzz with World Youth Day conversations. For those who are in Australia, basically 500,000 catholic youth gather every 4 years, for a sort of spiritual olympics.

2,000 young people are sleeping outside at the Olympic Park car park, in 0degree temperatures. All Sydney backpackers are full to overflowing. The sydney harbour bridge was closed for a peace walk and the police are absolutely blown away that 400,000 people gathered yesterday with no arrests.

Someone just sent me this photo though and its totally post worthy.

(I think its my uncle rob)

Have a great day, World Youth day!

Shine in the darkness

A