Category: 366 days of novice motherhood

Place: church

Poison: flat white

Favorite things: church

Today we walked through a place that really shook Charl and I to our core.

A simple place, one filled with people, but it really knocked the wind out of our sails.

The reason; the environment and the feeling we both got as we walked through the stalls.

We went to our local swap meet. A massive garage sale in the carpark of our council chambers.

It wasn’t the fete like atmosphere of people selling their second hand wares. It was the spirit of the people that took our breath away.

The people were weary…they were selling their possessions for twenty cents and fifty cents.

The people seemed to have such a spirit of poverty, they seemed so weary, they seemed so sad, so purpose-less.

It was far from a place of inspiration.

It was definitely a place of desperation.

Are you weary?

Are you lacking inspiration?

Read this account and know that someone endured this for you?

Lenten blog
Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. (Matthew 27:27-31 NIV)

The bible also says, come to me you who are weary and I will give you rest…

Are you weary?

Christ endured this for you?

My prayer is where there is desperation, inspiration would arise.

Don’t scrape the barrel for the scraps, reach out and live a surrendered life that Christ died for you to live.

Freedom reign

A

Place: home

Poison: pear

Favorite things: Charl and his friends dancing to the Xbox kinect!

A few years ago when I sat in a Subiaco cinema watching ‘the passion of the Christ’ I was offended by the sheer graphic nature of the film.

The film offended me, as I believe it should anyone.

This story should not become old to us and the sheer pain this man experienced should never be watered down as we hear it’s content year after year.

The walk towards the cross was a graphic one. Christ was taunted and tortured, He was bullied and ripped apart.

Lenten blog
Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. (Matthew 27:27-34 NIV)

R rated films desensitize our sense of perspective to the agony portrayed in this historical account.

Computer war games, CSI crime detective shows on television and our nightly news all contribute to our societies lack of sensitivity to violence.

This Easter, try and lay down your desensitized, computer violence, saturated minds and engage your hearts and thoughts towards the true essence of this story.

Immerse yourself as a crowd participant standing alongside the walk to Golgotha.

Reflect upon the power of what Christ endured for your freedom.

Can you now turn your head away and dismiss its power?

Honestly, although I’m a strong believer, there are many days that I do not allow the intensity of this account to impact me fully.

Often I ignore it’s power because I’ve heard it all before and I don’t really care.

I’m trying to change this apathy this Easter?

As you get ready to smash your shopping trolley with chocolate and hot cross buns this week, how about leaving some space for the real story.

Blood, sweat, tears and all…

A

Place: the hairdressers

Poison: coffee white with one

Favorite things: my new found passion for capture…

The deity of Christ often consumes me.

The humanity of Christ however always inspires me.

It would be easy to believe in a God that is sovereign, all powerful, removed and pious.

Yet Christ debunks all our preconceived ideas with one feat…his manhood.

He didn’t sit upon a throne in heaven and declare his power, he laid down the right to his sovereignty and came to this earth, walked it and felt everything we feel.

His humanity baffles me,

His humanity humbles me,

His humanity inspires me…

Lenten blog

So Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. The soldiers, having braided a crown from thorns, set it on his head, threw a purple robe over him, and approached him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they greeted him with slaps in the face. Pilate went back out again and said to them, “I present him to you, but I want you to know that I do not find him guilty of any crime.” Just then Jesus came out wearing the thorn crown and purple robe. Pilate announced, “Here he is: the Man.” When the high priests and police saw him, they shouted in a frenzy, “Crucify! Crucify!” Pilate told them, “You take him. You crucify him. I find nothing wrong with him.” (John 19:1-6 MSG)

Pilate said the most profound statement of all…

‘Here he is; the man’

I wonder how Pilate reflects now on the choices he made in that court to crucify Jesus?

This Easter I implore you to reflect on Christs humanity in the midst of his sovereignty in your life.

If you struggle to believe, take time to reflect on his humanity and then lean in towards his deity.

I believe His feet touched our earth and then proceeded to be transformed into heaven.

As we all step towards Easter week, in some churches this week is called holy week, my prayer is that you would be awakened to the reality of Christ this Easter.

Not as a far away removed idol, but an everyday man who took on the weight of our world and won.

Holy week is nearly here, I stand back in wonder and ask God that my heart would be awaken to his purpose not my own.

Forever changed

A

Place: home

Poison: cordial

Favorite things: afternoon naps

As I read the final days of Jesus’ walk to the cross I am astounded at the way an innocent man is treated.

Truly it reminds me of the modern day crucifixion of Jason Russell one of the founders of the Kony 2012 project.

Not much has really changed…

As I watched the Kony phenomenon unfold, I didn’t really weigh in on the debate, however now I find it hard to remain silent.

As it unfolded I was appalled at the way people jumped on the bandwagon without knowing much about the project they were protesting for.

Then the tune changed and Jason had an unfortunate turn of events and then suddenly everyone became his critic.

Where was diligence in researching the project, where was peoples loyalty to a man and his plea, where was the truth?

Few and far between…

It truly reminded me of the story of Easter that we all walk towards in the next 10 days.

Christ’s mission was quickly employed by thousands, but even more quickly he was denied…

Lenten Blog

They led Jesus then from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s palace. It was early morning. They themselves didn’t enter the palace because they didn’t want to be disqualified from eating the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and spoke. “What charge do you bring against this man?” They said, “If he hadn’t been doing something evil, do you think we’d be here bothering you?” Pilate said, “You take him. Judge him by your law.” (This would confirm Jesus’ word indicating the way he would die.) Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus. He said, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?” Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?” Pilate said, “Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?” “My kingdom,” said Jesus, “doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king.” Pilate said, “What is truth?” (John 18:28-36, 38 MSG

In a world that is overwhelmingly quick to place blame on people and even quicker to declare guilty we must remember we are all innocent until proven guilty, not the other way round.

Also I want to encourage you to be slower to pick up campaign banners, do your research, visit the crew on the ground and know every part of what they stand for. Once you know enough information then be loyal to its cause to the core. Through thick and thin. There are relationships I have formed with amazing organizations on the ground, I have researched them, lived in their pockets and found them to be worthy of my trust.

Now no matter what happens I will defend them, I will stand up for them, I will be loyal

There is such a lack of loyalty in our world, a lack of integrity to a cause and lack of people willing to stand for beliefs even when it it’s no longer cool!

Social media is an amazing tool, however be aware of what your status says about you. True integrity says that you will live what you preach, not just forward a video because it evokes emotion and passion.

What does your Facebook preach about your life?

Are you truly living it?

Would you be willing to die for that cause?

Challenged

A