I found this photo of this little girl and it said so much to be about living free, living unique but mostly I typed the words ‘she lives light’.
Sometimes we take on the weight of the world. We take on weights we are not meant to carry. We do things that are no our responsibility to carry.
When life is too heavy, what do you do?
When your cares are to heavy where do you go with them?
I want to encourage you to live lighter.
Let things go.
All my love
Amanda
Meet my friend Kate. I can’t remember how we met, but I know how creative and lovely she is.
I think it may have been through my book ‘Capture 30days’ and we had coffee…I remember lots of coffee’s actually and tea.
Anyway, last year she shifted to Albany. A coastal town in Western Australia.
My most memorable creative moment with Kate was when she did the flowers at my wedding. Her business is called Green Couture: Floral and Event Styling.
https://www.facebook.com/eventgc
Here is her story and her thoughts on inspiration.
The capture project.
Its all about you and your thoughts on inspiration.
Join us.
Be brave.
Love
Amanda
In 2013 my desire is to continue to simplify my life. We do not need more.
We don’t need need new clothes, new decorations.
There is enough in the world to live sustainably for years.
How do you need to simplify this year?
PS- I am loving some new music at the moment.
The Rend Collective and Edge Kingsland’s new album. Love it!
Place: home
Poison: water
Favorite Things: my husband
No matter where I am at, the thing that both scares and delights me about Jesus is he cuts straight to the chase and undoes all my efforts to cover up.
I can’t hide in his presence, any form of manipulation, control or insecurity is unveiled with kindness and grace.
Day 5: uncovered
When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”
“I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”
They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn’t believe John. But if we say it was merely human, we’ll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet.” So they finally replied, “We don’t know.”
And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things. (Matthew 21:23-27 NLT)
Whenever we try to pull a swifty on Jesus, he will always turn it back on itself and reflect our true motives in his eternal mirror. That’s what makes me smile when people say religion is the ultimate cop out!
Christianity is far from a crutch, it undoes and unveils every piece of my pretense in everyway.
Our society implores us to build a life, covered with nice pretty things, surrounded by lovely people and expensive toys.
Jesus Christ implores that when we lose our life to gain it.
Every time I respond to Him with a ‘I’m fine’ response, I feel like a spotlight shaped by the depth of eternity turns on and I realise I cannot hide that which confuses me from this Man of Courage.
Lent is all about stripping away layers and getting real with a God who truly cares for the moment we find ourselves in.
Short, trite, one word answers to cover up the true state of our heart may work in this world, but in the light of eternity they just don’t cut it.
When we live in a place of pretense about the true state of our lives, Jesus cuts through the lies and shrouds us with grace and peace.
What are you covering up, that Jesus wants to unveil this Lenten season?
Stand in humility in His light and gain an eternal perspective, asking for forgiveness and healing.
That’s what I’m all about today.
Naked revelation without the success orientated veneer of this world. God unveil the true state of my heart, every prop, every title, everything that I use to shroud my vulnerability I lay at your feet and trust that you will have your way.
Humbled
A
Place: home
Poison: flat white
Favorite things: catching up with friends
I saw this photo of my friends tattoo on social media this morning and it really made me think.
Day 2: Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is all about others.
Growing up as a Catholic, Ash Wednesday was indelibly marked in my memory. We would pile out of our school classes and go to mass, leaving with ash and oil marked in a cross on our forehead.
Most years we would do whatever we could to keep the mark as clear as possible for as long as possible, never really understanding what the symbol and tradition stood for…
The next day the huge crowd that had arrived for the Feast heard that Jesus was entering Jerusalem. They broke off palm branches and went out to meet him. And they cheered: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in God’s name! Yes! The King of Israel! Jesus got a young donkey and rode it, just as the Scripture has it: No fear, Daughter Zion: See how your king comes, riding a donkey’s colt. The disciples didn’t notice the fulfillment of many Scriptures at the time, but after Jesus was glorified, they remembered that what was written about him matched what was done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, was there giving eyewitness accounts. It was because they had spread the word of this latest God-sign that the crowd swelled to a welcoming parade. The Pharisees took one look and threw up their hands: “It’s out of control. The world’s in a stampede after him.” A Grain of Wheat Must Die (John 12:12-19 MSG)
A grain of wheat must die…The essence of Ash Wednesday is about the sacrifice; a reminder that Jesus had to die in order for God’s plan to come about.
A plan that was all about ‘Others’
The symbol of the ash, is about sacrifice and dying to self. It is at this point of sacrifice that potential and possibility of new life is at its greatest. Burnt offerings are a very present symbol in a lot of religions and spiritual practices today. However in the Christian church the burnt offering that Ash Wednesday refers to is the death of the Son of God to bare the weight and burden for one and all.
Jesus Christ was all about others…
Recently whilst in Margaret River we drove through the fire ravaged area of Prevelly park, Charl and I were devastated. The first thing we noticed though, was the sprinkling of new green vegetation and the amazing community spirit that came together to bring about beauty from the ashes.
The beauty of the Lenten season is that it is based in the context of others…
How can you be more about another today, than yourself?
Ash Wednesday 2012
A
