Author: Amanda Viviers

Place: My Office 

Poison: Long Macciato 

Favourite Things: Claudine on the phone 

Do you live your everyday with a sense of expectation and thankfulness for the good in the world? Or with a cynical heart that sees all the brokenness and carries the baggage of past hurts? 

I am the world’s biggest Christmas groupie! 

I love the food, the family stuff, the presents and the smells, basically the whole package! 

One traditional picture that is created at Christmas ‘The Three Wise Men’ is one of my favourites. The gospel of Matthew describes them as scholars, they are obviously very important, special, men of wisdom yet they humbly make a massive effort to walk to this random shed out in the middle of no where, carrying expensive gifts of frankincense and myrrh, yet the scripture says that they were filled with a sense of wonder and awe. 

The message version of the bible says that ‘they could hardly contain themselves.’ These were our equivalent of fortune 500, business men, who humbled themselves and had wonder and awe, as they travelled towards a new born baby. 

In the natural, a smelly, animal infested stable, a baby, a mother and father, a long, frustrating walk following a star, which I am sure hid from them often. In the spiritual, the birth of a king, so purposed that this infant was to change the course of eternity, three grown, and men full of wisdom humbled themselves in wonder and awe. 

Just the Sunday night gone I was reminded how I was when I first came to Riverview, I was chatting with a lady after the service, and she was telling me how she normally goes to the Catholic Church and how this week she knew she just had to come to Riverview. She said she ran over to her neighbour’s house, because he comes to Riverview, and said take me to your church tonight. She was in awe of what was happening here at Riverview and was so inspired, she was breath taken in wonder, and was so refreshed by church being done differently! 

For us at Riverview Church, a random warehouse in Burswood, Perth Western Australia, a company of people who come together all with our brokenness, ability to hurt, our baggage, people who sit in your seat, people who play the wrong chords, people who break things, maybe who do not encourage you after you’ve given your heart out to serve. 

In the spiritual, a heavenly transaction which is so full of purpose, where hearts and lives are changed eternally! That is a picture of wonder and awe… So whatever it is that you have become to familiar with friend, your church, your spouse, your mum and dad, choose to come to them with a sense of wonder and awe. 

When you do this, you realise that God has set purpose right at the very core of those people and the church. And that he is always working to bring everything together for good for those who love and trust him. 

WonderFULL 

A

Place: Kym’s office 

Poison: Diet Coke 

Favourite Things: Kym Rolle and Polly on the phone 

Well, in the aftermath of Capture, many people have made comments about the green tea cup club! They are an amazing group of girls that has grown since the book was published. It’s grown by one, miss Sara, Red rooster advert pin up girl Polanski! 

Anyway- many people have given me gifts of green tea, also a favourite cafe owner told us very confidently that he has acquired a fresh new batch of green tea just for us! Ouch, we don’t drink green tea, we just have green tea cups! Semantics you say, no way its more than semantics we are passionate coffee drinkers. 

Coffee. I am very passionate about great coffee. Write to me your favourite cafes.

Here are my Perth top five: 

1) Milkd- North Perth  2) Harvest- North Freo  3) Sunsets- Rockingham  4) Cafe 130’s- Leederville (although it currently has barista issues!!) 

5) Atomic- South Perth (soon to be open, however our favourite barista from 130’s is there)        

Place: Milkd

Poison: Cappucino

Favourite Thing: My Spencer and Rutherford Laptop Bag!

A friend sent me this essay last night that I think may be the author of the quote, in the dedication page of my book. Have a read!

PS- I vehemently dislike forwarded emails and chain emails, but some do bring about good.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do
everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.
Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent. Remember, to say, “I love you” to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin

Place: Milkd

Poison: Long Mac

Favourite Thing: Trucker Hat from Kym

Growing up I totally struggled with the concept of beauty. Am I beautiful enough? What really is beautiful? Why are my peers so focussed on beauty?

I can’t say I am completely numb to these questions, but recently I read a quote about beauty that intrigued me…

‘Beauty overwhelms us, enchants us, fascinates us, and calls us’ Fr Andrew Greeley

I think the word beautiful has been given a false identity by the covers of Vouge and Marie Clare.

Beauty can be found in the folds of wrinkled skin, it can be found in the eyes of a friend towards another who continually hurts her or it can be found in the midst of a rubbish heap as a mother feeds her son.

I love beautiful things, but mostly am obsessed with finding beauty in others.

I was recently in Thailand, with Sr Joan, a heroic woman, who lives breathes and beautifies the slums of Khlong Toei, Bangkok. One photo memory that I cannot remove from my mind is this picture of a grandmother feeding her grandchild milk, whilst sitting right on top of a rubbish dump.

The quote ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ is so completely true. Many would be repulsed by the rubbish dump, many would be annoyed with the mangy dogs sniffing about, however this grandmothers eyes were lost in her grandchild’s with complete abandonment.

The recent media campaign by Dove, is brilliant. They are trying to remind the public that beauty is not defined to a size 8, waify, blonde, big-breasted woman. Yes, she is beautiful, but so are you.

Creativity and beauty go hand in hand. Without beauty, why paint, photograph or capture the sunset in a lovers eye. Without beauty, why even notice the flowers in the middle of a field of dirt? Without beauty why even bother to express creativity?

My little thought basically is, that beauty can be found in anything, even you! It all rides on the perspective and the eye of the beholder.

Beauty beckons, Beauty invites… come, explore, immerse, love, follow, intrigue, unveil, connect, enjoy…

Beautiful!

A

Place: My Office

Poison: Water

Favourite Thing: new lamp from Ikea!

Wandered around a great coffee haunch this morning and was intrigued by a new word they had on their chalkboard out the front.

Word: Bathos

Meaning: sudden change in speech or writing from a serious subject to a trivial one.

This made me smile. As intense as I am about creativity and life, I can become so full -on in the midst of conversations and get completely frustrated when one of my friends are completely random and take the conversation in a million directions.

In my immaturity, I would get frustrated as I try to make sense out of what is happening in the midst of the conversation. In my old age I am hopefully becoming more flexible, and realise that a bit of bathos is good for the soul!

Last night we saw a great friend off at the airport. As the gang stood around waiting for the final boarding call, there was much bathos. One minute deep, the next minute very random potato watching!

Whilst lining up for coffee I thought about bathos and creativity…To be deep and random, to be spiritual but flexible, to be thoughtful yet spontaneous, is a beautiful way to live.

Here, here…

A