Category: inspire14

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Sky through clouds

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The last few days have seen a welcome change of weather in our part of town. A little grey, a little cloudy, a little colder and just a little more like winter.

I spent the day in the city with three different friends (two in this photo) who are going through their own journeys of healing and recovery. One could say winter seasons of challenge and courage.

Whilst driving from hospital to home to respite centre, I was listening to an album given to me on Monday night and I was so moved by the words of a song.

Don’t Be Afraid from beautiful new album from Cate Williams ‘The Dance of Life’

Don’t be afraid, though the world has shut it’s ears to your cry and you feel like you want to die, come over here and let Me heal your broken heart and you’ll no longer fear I’m here to rescue you. I’ll carry you through the night time and the crazy storm. Pick you up, so your feet don’t touch those angry thorns and I’ll hold you when every anchor falls away. Cause a love like this will help you see the sky through the clouds.

As I sung and played this song on repeat I was so overwhelmed at the journey’s of many people in my life at the moment.  I found such perspective in my own battles whilst thinking about the journey of faith they are each on, step by step they are trusting for healing and recovery.

Little by little

Step by step

Moment by moment

Brave decision after brave decision.

Despite the struggle all of them are choosing to see sky through clouds.

Amidst trouble and pain, the stories, the laughter, the resounding echo of faith that surrounded all of their speech.

It brings great perspective to me, to watch people who are grappling with difficult times step out and believe that change and new days are ahead.

People who are in the midst of crazy storms, that still their hearts and lives and look for the sky through the clouds. (there is a video link on this photo of Cate Williams below with another song from her latest album ‘Hold the Keys’).

cate

Rescue

Recovery

Beauty

Pain

Peace

Faith

Trust

Are you struggling to see the beautiful blue promise of sky through the dark, grey, rolling clouds?

It is okay, but despite the pain, despite the diagnosis, despite the clouds, the sky is awaiting to breakthrough and bring you into a new day and season.

He awaits

He promises

He guides you home.

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everyday ordinary life

everyday

This morning we got up early, ate eggs on toast and scrambled into our swimming clothes.

Although the autumn breeze has delightfully made the mornings crisp, I decided early on that a swim would wash away the cobwebs of the last few days.

Summer has been so rich and long here at the shack, so finding a way to continue it’s love at the indoor pools was divine.

We walked into a wall of chlorine and humanity. Mums with their babies, Grandma’s watching toddlers delight, Dads home from FIFO work for the week and school teachers taming teenagers.

People enjoying the simplicity of the water. Toddlers screaming, hot chips frying and the gym instructors yelling.

I sat back and watched this room of people, who were completely oblivious to me, doing their everyday ordinary life and smiled.

I had an awakening as I people-watched Mum’s of young babies splash around and try to relax in the midst of the exhaustion.

Every day, ordinary life.

I loved it.

I don’t always feel this way. I have struggled sometimes, (not with being a stay at home mum) that part I find a privilege and a joy! I have grappled in finding significance and a peace at doing everyday, ordinary life. No stress, no demands, no staff and no back to back meetings.

My ordinary life, one that I am not trying to escape from.

Happy with my little seaside town.

The graffiti, the people, the wind.

My little home, my little family and the everydayness of the ordinary.

This morning I think I found it.

I was overwhelmed with gratefulness.

I am happy today to exist in my now, not always stretching towards something else, something new, another horizon.

Grateful for eggs on toast.

Grateful for simple indoor pools.

Grateful for the health of my sleeping little man.

After my people watching nirvana at my local swimming hole, we went and hung out at our local half way home, for young pregnant mums off the streets.

We folded clothes, we held little brand new babies whilst their mums slept, we sorted out bits and bobs to go to the op shop.

Slowly we watched another part of our local community exist, thrive and pursue an everyday existence.

I thought of this quote;

everyday 2

And this scripture resounded. (Romans 12: 1)

1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognise what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

This is my reflection and desire today.

This ordinary Wednesday, that I would embrace my now and live in a place of gratitude for the simple things I have been given.

Tomorrow, awaits.

Amanda

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Your struggle

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In the land of all things creative, when you are struggling to find the answer, keep looking.

I need to be completely honest here.

I did not even write one word for my next book ‘Yestember‘ in the month of March.

I read.

I grappled.

I thought.

I talked.

I listened.

But nothing on paper.

I collected other peoples stories (of which I am still needing 8 more)…

But I didn’t even write an opening sentence.

I found quotes.

I started a branding.

But no words.

See the problem I have, is that I am not interested in writing another cliche line, that disappoints and confuses those who are single.

I am not interested in publishing something that doesn’t help.

When I was single and especially over 30, I read some of the most appalling books, that I was so desperate to get answers from.

I don’t want to produce answers, I want to provoke questions.

I don’t want to give a 3 point sermon that frustrates and belittles.

I don’t even want to minimise or maximise the season.

I am trusting the struggle right now.

No struggle = no thought.

So essentially I failed March inspired majorly.

Like not even one word after 30 days.

But I am trusting the struggle and staying in this uncomfortable place.

What struggle are you having to produce something great?

Stay in that place of restlessness until you breakthrough to that new place of promise.

Speak tomorrow.

Struggle town.

Amanda

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my muse

beanie twoWhen people say I am obsessed with crochet, it cracks me up.

Yes I am an addict, but for a very different reason than what you would expect.

It is my muse.

I don’t walk into a room with crocheted things and swoon. For me, crochet is a form of meditation. One could say it is my creative thinking, melting, stirring pot.

My solo brainstorming session.

The team of creatives in my head get together and have a meeting, whilst my fingers twist.

I dream.

I think.

I forgive.

I let go.

I design.

I innovate.

It is a mindless activity that recreates possibility and inspires me onwards.

What is a mindless activity that helps you create?

We all need a muse. Mine is all about homemade goodness.

I love all things homemade. I am not fierce about it. Where I shame others into partaking in my pleasures.

But all things home made make me feel homey.

This is what I have been playing around with creatively this week:

A new beanie for Max: the pattern is found here

maxi moo

A new hoodie for max as well, with the chunkiest wool I could find: pattern here.

looking upsee sawhelicopters

I learnt a new stitch whilst making the beanie above, so I have started a rug for a friend that I promised over a year ago and also I have been making my own cream cheese from scratch: find the recipe here.

homemade cream cheese

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we all need words

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This morning I found a little note tucked inside my bible from one of my best friends. She lives in New Zealand and the last little season has been a big one for all of us.

This note said this;

‘I get a sense of a yacht on the open water, sails trimmed, voyage ready = a fresh wind rising to carry you on your way. As your friend I pray that in the midst of all you do for others you would continue to nurture and value yourself. You are very precious and very much loved.’

The letter goes on with words that are deep nourishment for my soul.

We all need words.

Especially in times of stretch and seasons of doubt.

I found my years as a single woman, overwhelming, fearful, exciting, brilliant, purposed and so much more. If I knew what I do know now though, I would have been profoundly impacted and lived with more emancipation. What if I could have read a letter that was written in retrospect? Would that have helped me break the shackles and live beyond today.

To dream.

To live emancipated beyond all the doubts?

I am looking for 14 more people to write a letter to themselves before they were married.

We all learn lessons with retrospect that as a young adult we wish that we had have overcome.

A simple letter, that encourages, that speaks life, that shares the lessons learnt. The only framework, at some point write your age now and your age when you got married.

Here is one of my favourites that has come in so far.

Dear single self,

You are a child of wonder and untapped creativity, adventure and strength.

Do not be in such a hurry to grow up and become someone’s wife. Find out who you are, explore the world, explore people, taste from a wide range of cups.

Travel – please get on a plane and go somewhere!!!

Let go – stop trying to control every aspect of your life and just let some things happen and GO WITH IT.

Stop trying to always do the right thing. Sometimes there is no such thing as the right thing, the right time or Mr Right…. There could be a Mr Right-Now – who you will miss because you are so busy looking for Mr Right.

Find out about you – there is so much to you – you don’t need another half, you are whole on your own.

Learn a language, read books, take cooking classes.

Learn to paint, Spend more time at the ocean, it feeds your soul.

Spend money on shoes.  Enjoy the wide variety of people on this planet. Find out who makes you excited, who makes you laugh, who makes you think, who makes you feel beautiful. Enjoy all the experiences presented to you without worrying about the future. Enjoy yourself with a wide range of different people. They will bring out different things in you – many of which you may not have known you had. Let yourself be loved by others, and love others. Maybe have your heart broken and rebuilt. It will give you strength.

Cherish yourself. Love yourself, enjoy you. Feel whole. Feel complete. Life does not begin when you are married. Life is now. Enjoy every minute.

Being married is only one path and to take that path you give up many others. Once you are married and then a mother, you limit many things and experiences. You love being both, but your world reduces, so enjoy the wide open spaces of being single. Live life to the fullest, capture each day and find out what an amazing, beautiful, strong, creative and intelligent woman you are.

Realise that the man you marry is very, very lucky to have you.

I love you.

S

I’d love to have your cherished words as a part of this journey.

All my love

Amanda

Starting from today, I have a new framework for my blog.

Let’s see where this journey takes us.

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